Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 2, 1888, Page 4

THE DAILY BEE. RY MORNING. TERWE OF KUISCRIPTION, Dty Moring Edition incliding Sunday, T3k, One Year... ok s . Yor Six Months. For Three M The Omnhia WASHINGTON OPFIC 613 Foun WRENTH STREET, CORRE: Al eommunicatl editorial matter wh L EDITOR OF THE BRE BUSIN All business et 4 « shoild be nddressed to THE BrE PUBLISHING COMPANY, OMAKA. Drufis, chiecks and postoffice orders 16 e made payable to the order of the company. L Beo Publishing Company, Proprictors, E. RC WATER, Enrron. CGEE——————————————————— THE DAILY BE news and dres-ed o the 8 LETTERS: 1 Sworn Statement of Circulation. Stateof Nebraska, Cotmty of Dougins. Gro, B, Tzschuel Hishin ban Average. J £worn toand subseribed in my 20th day of December, A, D. 187, N, P. FEIL, Notury Public .8 heing Aret duly sworn, de- is secretary of The Heo thut the ctual averace of the Dpily Hee the ‘mo of Decem 146, 13257 coples: January, 17, for Feb- 13 P TG0 copies 1847 for April, 1 ones gnd suys thit Foi fiehing compan dafly circulution for July, 1 111 coples: Qctober, 1867, 14,55; copies. GFO. I TZSCHUCK. 1 in”my p D. Sworn to and snbseril 8d dny of December, A. (REAL.) Pror. NORMAN LOCKYER has evolved o new theory of the universe. Lockyer should promptly run for con- gress. Tho houso of represontatives would give him the proper scope to ex- pound his ideas in the form of a bill. THE United States circuit court has just decided that the court clerks of San Francisco must disgorge their ill-got- ton gains in conuoction with illegal Chinese immigration. The rascality of these clerks involved perjury as well as stealing. They ought to have been in- dicted. ————— Rev. W. H. DAvis, of Deotroit, on Christ:nas day refused a proffered ad- vance of $500 in his salary and asked that it be given to the poor. Mr. Davis is & worthy exception to a goneral rule. In such cases pastors too ofton consider that charity begins at home. THERE are very good reasons why Mr. Cleveland might prefer to have the national democratic convention held 1n New York city, but he would probably not deem it wise to openly indicate this preference, It is very likely, however, that those nearest to his confidence will not be permitted to make any mistake in this matter, and therefore we think the probabilities favor New York. Moantime, however, Chicago is not al- lowing her claims toslumber, and if she does not win is pretty sure to come in a good second. —_— As a general thing the poor and labor- ing classes are sufficiently punished when they commit crime. There is an exception to this rule, however, in re- gard te postal employes who violate their trust and purloin valuables from the mails. A New York'cotemporary cites a large number of postal thieves to show that postal thieves are inad- equately punished. Leniency in this direction is a mistake. It is imperative that the public should be secure in committing articles of value to the mails, and employes who violate their trust should be dealt with severely. THE town of Ashland. Kan., has been indulging in some sharp practice against the Santa Fe rvailroad. The town voted the company one hundred and forty thousand dollars on condition .that it would build a road to that point and locate the depot within three- quarters of & mile of the center of the place by December 81. The road was - constructed and the depot built, but now the town refuses to pay because the depot has beea found o be a little more than three-quarters of a mile away. ‘When the company tried to change it the townspeople demanded the amount of the bonds for the right of way. Itis not often a town gets the better of a railrond corporation. ——— NorTH and South America will doubt- less at some future day be connected by railrond. Senator Sherman has intro- duced a bill which has for its object the encouragement of efforts looking in that direction. The bill authorizes and requests the president to invite the governments of Mexico, the Central American states, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Pa guay, Uruaguay and Argentine to send delegates to a convention to be held in ‘Washington city. It would be well for the nation to extend its enorgies south- ward, There is a field for commerce in that direction which has hitherto been almost wholly neglected by the business men of the United States. THE long-expacted ‘“‘Omaha Illuse trated,” from the publishing houseof D. C. Dunbar & Co.,wasplaced on our table New Yeur’s morning. ¢ Itis artistically on elegant work, and as a history, is cowplete and accurate, The great care and liberal expenditure of the publish- eors in gettin g out this boautiful and valuable publication is most ecreditablo to their enterprise, which should be re- warded by the hearty and substantial appreciation of our citizens, as we aro confident it will be. In faithfully pre- senting the move picturesque features of Omaha, in giving the “counterfeit presentments” of the men most active in the past and presentin promoting the progress of the city, and in recording futelligently and authentically the in- teresting and instructive history of this ‘western metropolis, *‘Omaha tlustrated” is @ work of which the people may be proud, and which all of them who can should have and preserve. Diverting the Surplas. The sudden fervor shown by the high tari men in the cause of education and Senator Blair's bill would be remark- | able it it were not perfeetly transparent. The Pennsylvania coal monopolists— whose slaves of the mines nre imported from Hungary and Poland to drive out higher paid Americansand who form the mass of iiliterates in the industrial re- gions—arc unanimous in favor of ameas- ure to reduce illiteracy in the south. The Massachusetts manufacturers and Con- necticut eutlers are equally enthusiastic in its favor and the Dessemer stecl potentates who still pay halfl a million yearly to keep the doors of asingle com- ting furnace closed find words inade- quie to ress their praize of the bill, The entirve lobby at V hington has developed an acquaintance with illiter- and edneafion which is only equalled by their acquaintance with sour mash and coppor distilled rye and laud to the skies the bill of the New Hampshire senator as in the line of na- tional duty and the national conscience. Of course the milk in the cocoanutis the 480,000,000 of which Mr. Blair's bill will take from the treasury. Such a slico removed from the surplus would leave ctically nothing to quarrel over. 1T reform would be out of the ques- tion and revenue reduction would no longer ent any fizure as an issue. The quarreling factions of the democracy could sit down in harmonious idle- ness 0 far as the disputed question of mothods of mecting the populur will is concerned. The ery of reduce the surplus would be met with the answor that there is 1o surplus to reduce, This is the secrct of the sup- port which the Blair bill received in the last congress, where ed the senate and it is the soer ous efforts now being ma through at the present session. it will pass the sonato at an early day is admitted. Whethor it can bo de- feated in the house is still doubtful. The meastire as noted in the BEeR, when it was up before for discussion, is wrong in principle and unjust in its proposed application. It is a national bonus to the states which have neg- lected the education of their people. It takes the money wrung from the taxpayers of the cast and west and distributes it among the southern states where for years educa- tion among the poorer classes was made a crime. It calls upon the western farmer who has cheerfully taxed him- self for y to plant a schoolhouse on every hill-top to make up the de- ficiencies of sections where the school- master was sa far “‘abroad” that he rarely enme in sight and was likely to be lynched if he did. It would distri- bute a fow hundreds of dollars to Ne- braska where it would'scatter thousands in Mississippi and Alabama. Only less important is the certain effect of Mr. Blair’s bill, if passed upon the pressing problem of reduced taxa- tion, The treasury surplus is o standing testimony to the criminal neglect of congress to reform the tariff. Nearlyevery dollarof it rep- resents a dollar of needless taxation— a hundred cents oextorted from the peo- ple under sanction of pretended govern- ment needs. The destruction of the surplus by any method short of a genu- ine reform of the tariffs isnow the eager ambition of the robber kings of pam- pered industry. In Mr. Blair's bill they see a long desired haven of rofuge. E—— An Impotent Petition. The Andrew Jackson league of Chicago a few days ago adopted resolu- tions declaring that Mr. Rawsdall has always been inimical to the true inter- ests of the democratic party in its en- deavors to inasugurate tariff reform, and calling upon Mr. Carlisle not to appoint himon the appropriation committee. Although the Pennsylvania congress- man was not without defenders in the league, the resolutions were passed with but two dissenting voices. But the sapient individuals who compose this organization onght to ha known that their expression of hostility to Randall would be utterly impo- tent., When he was appointed by the speaker, a member of the com- mittee on rules, his reappointment as chairman of the appropriations com- mittee was virtually conceded. There can be no doubt that Mr. Carlisle strug- gled hard with the question of what to do with the leader of the democratic protectionists. Very likely ho desired his overthrow as earnestly as anybody. But more courage was required than the speaker possesses, and therefore the chief of the democratic minority, a mere handful in congress, will be re- tained in the position where in the last two congresses he was able to practi- cally control the course of legislation. It is not the uniform opinion, how- eyer, that Mr. Randall will be found quite so obstinate in the present con- gress, There is an impression that he has not secured the consideration that has been shown him in the organization of the new house without assurance to the majority of concessions that are regarded as satisfactory. He has been reported as saying that a tariff bill would pass the house, and so much from him is reasonably regarded us sij nificant. It is fairly reassured thes M, Randall is too shrewd and too selfish a politician o any longer take the whole nsibility of stemming the irresisti- blé popular tide in favor of taviff re- vision and reduction. He does not want to be read out of his party; and he may see that he cannot continue in the course he has pursued without certainly bringing about that result. The warn- ing he has received has been pretty vigorous, and undoubtedly very earnest. If he has been considering the matter 1n this way, it is quite possible-that he will be found disposed to give such aid to the major- ity of his party in vhe house as will en- able it to pass & measure of tariff revision that will meet the exigeney and trans- fer the responsibility for the outcome of such legislation to the republican sen- ato. Consideration for the welfare of his party, and the desire to shift the burden of responsibility from his own shoulders, would be the sufficient mo- tives for such a change of course. It would not be remarkable if Mr, Randall had grown somewhat tired of occupying before this country the not altogether creditable position of an obstructionist. The obstacle to a full ac- ceptance of this theory is the fact that any change of Mr. Randall from his past atiitude would improve his hold upon his congressional district. ‘When that strip of territory was threat- ened with division in the Pennsylvania legislature n year ago it was wellunder- stood that the scheme of dividing it was defeated in the interest of Mr. Randall. It was fairly supposod that a bargain was then made with the congressman that assured his continuance in the path he had been treading. But Ran- dall might bo induced to lay down con- gressional honors if something equally congenial and honorable, and more profitable, were rensonably assured to him. Tt is in the power of the administration to give such assuranco contingent upon democratic success next November, and if Randall has faith that his party will win, as undoubtedly he has, with the aid he nfy give it, it isnot an extravagant supposition that an assurance of preferment for somo prominent position in tho new adminis- tration would have an influence upon him. And it is by no means improbable that Mr. Cleveland would give such as- suran The later course of Mr. Ran- dall will be a subject of curious and interesting study to politicians and to the country. An American Zollverein, Among the measures which it is promised will be introduced very soon after the reassembling of congress is a bill by Mr. Townshend, of Illinois, which provides for an extended policy of commercial union between the United States and most other countries and states in this hemisphere, Other meas- ures of a like character will doubtless make their appearance in due time, but. the bill of the Tllinois representative is already prepared, being indeed an amended form of the bill he introduced 1n the last congress, and presumably a stronger, safer and more satisfactory measure than when first brought for ward, There is § much larger in this subject of union than ever before, and con- gress wiil very likely be dis- posed to give it more attention than it has hitherto roceived, if it can find the time from the consideration of more urgent matters in which to do so. ‘When, some seven years ago, Mr. Blaino sought to make commercial union with the south and Central Amer- ican states a cardinal policy of the ad- ministration of President Garfield, his effort was not favorably recoived by the country. An impression obtained that there might be a political danger lurk- ing somewhere in the scheme, and the new secretary of state encountered a good deal of distrust and misgiving, the effect of which remained and per- haps exists still. It was a rather bold departure which Mr. Blaine proposed and naturally excited apprehension of possible em- barrassing alliances. President Arthur could see no virtue in it and it fell into disregarl. It may be that Mr. Blaine went about the matter in the wrong way, but the objective poiutof his policy was an American zollverein, with inci- dental political obligations. In a country like this seven yoars may accomplish a great deal in changing and modifying public opinion. Certain it is that propositions of commercial union do not meet with the extent of objections they encountered a few years ago. There are both democrats and re- publicans favorable to the policy. The explanation is readily found in the growing conviction that the rap- idly increasing production of the United States must find larger markets and more of them. TIn the active con- test that commerce continually wages we have taken hittle better than a pas- sive part, and while it is true that we have made progress other more aggres- sive nations have advanced much moro rapidly. We produce everything that is wanted by the countries that are our neighbors, and with which for obvious reasons we should cultivate business re- ions on a general scale, but we find England, Germany and France carrying off nearly the whole of the large and ex- panding trade of these countries and every year increasing their ad- vantage over us. The practical question is whether the time is not come for making an earnest and vig- orous effort to get a fair share of the commerce of these lands. It is inevit- able that the longer effort is delayed the the greater will be the difficulties to overcome. The indications are that this subject may be given liberal dis- cussion at the present session of con- gress, and thereare few that relate to the commercial welfare of the country that are so important, Tue civil service reform humbug still goes bravely on reforming nothing and gratifying only the sentiment of a few impractical theorists. It has failed to accomplish the wide sweeping results which it was so confidently predicted that it would securve. It has neither kept competent men in office nidera change of administration nor prevented | inostapetents from taking their places. In spite of rules and examinations, the official guillotine at the capital has kept sic and the changes in ments and bureaus and offices have in most cases been made to the per- fect saMsfaction of the dis- pensers of official patronage. The law was & tub thrown to the mug- wump whale and the animal has not yet succoeded in discovering that it is not the boat bound for the harbor of practical politics. The assault made by the civil service reform movement has been effectually parried by the practical politicians. They have never been able to understand what the date of Cmsar's death had to do with the New York cus- tom house, or what influence the height of Cleopatra’s needle had on the dis- pensing of patronage in the treasury de- partment, Other and more conserva- tive citizens had no desire to see a per- manent official class built up in this country, and resented a movement which they knew was & sham. As a consequence the effect of the operations of the civil seryice reform has been to stimulate political hypocrisy and fur- nish a few soft berths for the commis- interest commercial sloners, while it has utterly failed to prevent the supposed evils which it was created to wipo eut of existence. —_— DURING 1887 five hundred and forty- one coldwave signals were displayed. Of these one hundred and sixteen wero incorrect. The number of storms an- nounced was fifteen hundred and ten, but only four hundred and seventy-five storms materialized. Tho ordinary weather forecasts, however, were almost wholly correct. The science of fore- telling storms, blizzards and scorchers is as yet mere guesswork. e — THE British International peace com- mission are hard at work. Their labor consists chiofly in assisting at banquets in this country and Canada. They wish to emphasize the fact probably that men are not sobelligerent--on a full stomach. STATE AND TERRITORY. Nebraska Jottings. Norfolk complains of miserable tele- graph service. Wayne improved last year to the ex- tent of 889,725, One mile of_street railway track has been laid in Norfolk. The new year came in with a whoop bristling with icicles. The Crote Globe proposes to publish o black list of deiinquents. Schuyler’s improvement record for the year amounted to §79,340. Dunbar’s panther is helieved to be a holiday edition of Nebraska City’s wild man, - Jeff Davis wields the gavel over the destinies and discussions of a literary society in Valentine. Plattsmouth 18 agitating a public building. A government appropriation of $50,000 is just her sizo. The directory of Nebraska City just issued contains 2,957 names, equivalent 1o a population of 8,871, Martin Haley, the murderer of John S. Ayres in Boone county, has been given a life term in the penitentiary. Pawneo City celobrated tho death of the old and the birth of the new year with a blaze of electric hghts. The plant cost $10,000. IF'remont pouts because she was not included in the Omaha and Plattsmouth belt line road, and threatens to jump the fence when the daisies bloom again. ‘olumbus has gone into court for an order to compel the state auditor to reg- istor the $30,000 bridge bonds recently voted to pay for bridging the Loup river. Fremontors disposed of 2,500 boxes of oranges, 1,650 boxes of lemons, 4,000 bar- rels of apples, and 320 barrels of and smoked 400,000 home made ¢ last year. The Ncbraska City Times urges a public meeting to start a fund for a monument to Mayor Larsh, as a testi- mony to his good deeds in pubiic and private life. The Davey-Wilkinson row for the treasurership of Dakota county is grow- ing to such proportions that there is talk of calling ou the militia to sup- press the bloodthirsty. O'Neill and the northwest generally will experience gratifying relief from mail delays after the 18th. Service will begin on that day,on the Elkhorn short line to and from Omaha. Rumors of railroad competition have been circulated avound Plattsmouth for several weeks. The belief is gaining strength down here that the Missouri Pacitic will tap the town this ye: The old year went up and outina huge blaze in Fremont, carrying the opera house and county building with it. A furious storm raged at the time, forming a wild and wicked death scene. The Cass County Eagle combs the judicial locks of Judge Fields, and inti- mates that the county is entitled to no sympathy for electing such a man. ““We have got him on our hands and must ;m\kn'il as interesting as possible for him.” Crete parted regretfully with the old year. Among the monuments it left were two railronds, waterworks, electric lights, a beautiful Catholics-hool build- ing, a $10,000 M. E. church, several business blocks and numerous hand- some residences. The Albion News pounds’ the conceit out of the Sioux City Journal for inti- mating that the stale press opposed an appropriation for a new postofiico in Omaha. *‘Omaha,” exclaims the News, “is the pride of every state. It is our metropolis & will be. We are proud of Omaha an the government appropriation is not in excess of a reasonable economical admin istration.” oThe gloom surrounding the departure of the year is pierced with the joyful news that an interior editor vindicated the liberties of the profession a few days ago. A swaggering slugger brushed up to the weary chief of the Bertrand Journal, his teeth rattling to ‘‘chaw his heart.” The Journal man gave him his boot, and the momentum of the tender was such that the slugger is rattling and running yet. A sanctimonious old scoundrel, with a face as long and solemn as the ten commandments, was employed by West Pointers to collect church subseriptions. He was recommended by Rev. A. H. Henry, of Omaha, and was eminently successful in drumming up back due When the voll reached $500, the coll tor decamped with the money. The wrathful church members now threaten to invite Mr. Henry to make good the I s d Hon. George D. Meiklejohn treated to a surpri chr!y on Christr at [lullerton. ends tackled his office, covered the grime with new paper, car- peted the floor, hauled in a set of furni- ture and hung pictures on the walls, and invited George to drop in. After he had examined his “‘shingle” threo times he was convinced that he had not. been transported to the national capi- tal. He is slowly recovering from the shock. Prof. N. E. Leach, of St. Paul, Howard county, is justly ind\gnmutuver an item in the Jottings recently, stating that I had been bounced for teaching politics to the children of the schools. The item was culled from « slightly reliable Fr mont contemporary. Prof. Leach stat that the reference to him cious falsehood. I cannot imagine its source, as I never have anything to say about politics in my school or out of i T am proud to say I am not a pohitici I amstill in charge of the city schools, and shall remain in charge till June 1888, Towa ltems. Ten counties in Iowa have female su- perintendents. Burlington is laying up an ice stock for summer consumption. 0 Dubuque’s artesian well continues to flow at the rate of 5,000 gallons a day, Sixty-nine soldiers have been adr ted to the Soldier's home at Marshall- town, West Side saloons are permanently corked for the first time in thirteen years. The decision on the registry law prom- {ses to lead to considerable confusion 1n politics, The Central Towa, under its new man- agement, will leave s offices, machine shops and round-house at Marshalltown. Floyd county has had six murders in twenty years, Threo of the murderers were imprisoned, one acquitted, one committed suicide and one was hung. Insurance companies have notified eir agencies in lown to cancel all pol- icies on breweries and on alt woodon structures in which saloons are kept. Dakota, Aberdeen is to have a new national bank. Capital $150,000, - Nine hundred and twenty-nine thou- sand hogs were marketed in Yankton in 1887, nkota's honded indebtedness is said 10 bo $1,000,000. Assessed valuation, $157,000,000. A Cass_county cow stands six foet high, and though thin in flesh woighs 1,800 pounds. The young ladies of Yankton are or- ganizing a_ society for the purpose of utilizing the prerogatives of leap year. A two-foot ledge of solid carbonate ore, carrying both gold and silver, was recently unearthed in the Elk mountain district, Yankton county raised in 1887 a mil- lion and a half bushels of corn on 80,000 acres of land. Yankton county contains 800,000 acres of corn land. The farming lands of the territory are now passing into the hands of nctual settlers at the rate of nearly four million acres each year. The government now has at its disposal but 23,811,445 acres, or about 25 per cent of the whole area of the territory. It is announced from Bismarck that the governor isanout to send special messengers to counties which have failed to file with him the division election ro- turns, and that when the returns are socured he will figure up tho results. From this it appears that the official canvass given forth at Bismarck was not the oflicial canvi .. Story of an Opal Ring. Bridgeport (Conn.) Farmer: **About four weeks ago a gentleman was stop- ping with us from Mexico. He has with him a very handsome ring. In the center of the setting is a large opal, surrounded by diamonds of a smaller size, but making a beautiful and glisten- ing ornament. The ring was hid mother’s. It was left to him at her death, and evor since it fell to him he has had business troubles and general bad luck. He was talking about it one ovening to my wife and myself. We all laughed, and she in o joking way said: ‘Oh, I wouldn’t be afraid of bad luck if Ihad such a ring as that.’ He replied that he could not think of parting with the'opal, A it had.beon hismotherls, but if my wife would like to wear it for a short time he would lend it to her. I don’t believe in borrowed plumes, but as he snid that he should be in New York for a few weeks attending to some business matters before returning to Mexico, and as he would really like to leave the opal with some ong for safety, it was decided toleaveit herein Bridge- port. We are all triends together and did not think of the ring other than to place it in a bureau drawer. ““A few evenings after he had gone we were invited to play whist. My wife had several diamond rings, but thought the big opal would look rather stunning at a card table, so she wore it; from that moment our cuck changed. In getting out of a carriage she tore her dress. At the whist table she took hardly a trick. Somebody changed hats with me in the dressing-room, and when we got home we found two chil- drensick, and that the third had fallen down stajirs and received quite severe injuries. The next morning one of the servants left us. Money matters began to get involved with us. I could not get hold of enough money to meet pressing demands upon me, on account of being disappointed in payments that had been promised. One of our rela- tives died. Bills came in embar- rassingly fast. Our water pipes got out, of order, and all sorts of discouraging and unpleasant things have arisen to annoy us. At last my wife was taken sick, and while lying in bed she said: ‘I really believe all thistrouble we have had in the last four weeks has come about on account of that opal ring.’ “Lat Saturday our friend came up to pass Sunday with us before his return 1o Mexico. We gave him his opal and told him our troubles. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘I have had great luck in New York. Tver since T left here four weeks ago I have been making money. Everything I touched panned out large profits.’ Then we all laughed and said, ‘What nonsense!’ but it certainly was very funny. **On Monday he, with his opal, bade us good bye at 8 o'clock in the morning. Now watch what lollowed. At 8:30 the postman left a letter with a check in it for 850. At 10 o'clock I was paid #50 in cash, which I no more expected than I expected to be shot. Before night we had a new servant. The children and my wife all recovered from their indis- position, and our houschold matters {mgun to run smoothly. On Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock another $50 in cash was handed to me unexpectedly, and the same mail brought a check for #50 more. But the climux was reached when the evening mail brought a state- ment from a New York lottery that an estate bad been divided up aud that my wife's fortion of it was 816,200, Inclosed was o statement, also a receipt and all the papers to sign before a notary pub- lic. She signed the papers, and is going to New York to-day to get the funds. Now, I am not superstitious, but it certainly does look as if the opal had something to do with it. Don’t you think so? The Fresno Dosert. Chieago Herald: Not long ago Rush Jose took & trip over the San Joaquin plains in Fresno county, California. The ourney is considered one of the most 2uli;‘rv| g, if not dangerous, of any that can be taken in California, on account of the scarcity of water and feed, Dur- ing the summer the wind sweeps over the plain, laden with heat as if coming direct from 1 furnace, The pround is 80 hot that it is iimpossible to walk far in the m e of the day without blister- ing the feet. For about seventy-five miles in the summer time not a drop of water can be obtained, and not a spear of dry grass s in sight. Tt is simply a barren desert of alkali. TRush Jose had oceasion to take this lril) last summer, and, as is customary, took with him an ample suw\y of water for himself and teann. While half across the desert he saw a team ahead of him motfonless. On reaching it he found the horses half dead with heat and thirst, and under the wagon were two men, one of whom was already nearly unconscious, and would have died before night from thirst and exhaustion. Rush leaped from his wagon, poured somoe whisky ina cup, diluted it with water, and in a few minutes brought the suf- ferer round again into the land of the living. Rush had never seen the men and did not even learn their One of them was seen on the s of Hollistor a fow days ago. This on of Fresno county is now worth- less; yet, if a canal ean be brought through it, what is now a desert could be made a garden, and a journey that now is fraught with danger could be made with safety and pleasure, THE - PANHANDLE ~ REGION, The Day of Big Ranches Followed by an Bra of Small Farms. CHANGES IN CATTLE BUSINESS. Dairy Possibilities— Railronds Making N Unsold Land for Sale to Actual Settlers Only, The cattle industry in Texas has been suffering from great deprossion in val- ues the past three years, and while this portion of the state has not felt its bad effcets as much as other grazing dis- tricts, yet there have been a good many failures among the ranchmen, and all complain of hard times. Cattle promise to winter well, and the preseut outlook for business next year is very good. From 5,000 head of cattle taken into the Panhandlo in 1875 by Charles Good- night, the number has inereased until there are not less than 1,000,000 head there now. Mr. Goodnight has the fin- ost ranch on the continent. Tt includes the head waters of Red river, and con- tains about 8,000,000 acres inclosed in three or four pastures and over 100,000 improved cattle, 5,000 of which are full- bloods and thoroughbred shorthorn and Hereford cattle, This entire proporty is the outarowth of an investment of le: than $200,000 twolve yearsago. Nobank- ing house in the country is run with more system than this, the Palo Duro ranch, with camps seattered over this immense area, including, as it does, noarly four counties. All is under por- fect supor sion, and a full history is kept of the detailed workings of ‘the ranch. Mr. Goodnight is a very plain man in his manner and appearance, and with but little education. He moved from Illinois to Texas when a boy, his parents having moved to Illinois from Virginin; consequently he had but slight oppor- tunity to secure an education, but was at once initiated into all the craft of frontior life. Before he was grown he was guide for the Texas rangers in their campaigns against the Indians in.north- west Texas, and his great pride was to do well anything he had to do, He en- gagad in driving cattle to Colorado soon after the late war, and ultimately made Colorado his home, where he remained until he moved into the Panhandle in 1875, the pioneer ranchman of this coun- try. He is scrupulously honest in all his dealings, and has done more to make the Panhandle what it is to-day than any other five men in the coun- try. He is a man largely en- dowed with ‘common sense and lets nothing interfere with his business. His ranch embraces the Palo Duro can- yon, which affords shelter and excel- ent pasturage during the winter for nearly all his entire stock of cattle. His aim is to make his men as comfortable as possible, so as to have only good men in his employ. He will never employ orallow any man to stay about his ranch who has ever been accused of stealing or unlawfully handling cattle, but is ready at any and all times to as- sist the deserving. Next to Mr. Goodnight, W. M. D. Lee, of Leavenworth, Kan., stands for: most in the work done to build up the intersts of the Panhandle. For a long time he was post trader at Fort Elliott, and is now one of the owners of a large ranch in Oldham county, the new town Cheyenne being located on land that until recently was a part of this ranch. Mr. Lee combines the requirements of a cultivated gentleman, with the zeal- ousness of the frontiersman, and 1n all his business affairs has displayed fine ability and progressiveness. He was one of the first ranchmen in the west to improve the breed of his cattle, and did much to make it the rule of stockmen to introduce fine blood into their herds. The Capitol syndicate that receive their 1,000,000 acres of land from the state of Texas for building the new Capitol.at Austin, have stocked their land and now have 125,000 cattle upon these lands. Their ranch adjoins that of Mr. Lee. Nearly one-half of all the lands in the Panhandle belong to the state school school fund, and all the unsold lands in this fund are now held for sale to actual settlers only. All lands that are classed as grazing lands are subject to lease, but such as are classed as arable are held for sale to actual settlers only. The settler can purchase one section of agricultural land, but must agree that he will begin living upon the same within ninety days and continue to re- side upon it continuously for three years, when he can make payment of the whole purchase money and obtain tent. The first payment is one- ortieth of the purchase money, and 5 per cent intevest must be paid each year on all unpaid balance, butthe principal can run for forty years, pro- vided the interest is paid annually. This enables the home-seeker to obtain a home at a very small outlay. No sale is made of less than a quarter section, 160 acres. The prices are 82 per acre for all lands not having upon it perma- nent water, and $3 per acre for watered sections. The settler can purchase three addi- tional sections of 640 acres, provided they are classed as grazing lands, Nearly all these lands are surveyed in alternate sections, the odd sections be- ing owned by the railroad or private in- dividuals and the even sections belong to the e school fund. The private and railroad lands are held at from $2 10 $5 per acre, and upon such terms as may be agreed upon by the parties at intere There is no risk to run if the settler will combine rtock-raising with his facm operations, as this is one of the finest stock countries in the world. The railronds that have penctrated this country will afford a ready et for all dairy products at good 28, and the temperature of the natural springs is sufficiently low as to preclude the ssity of the use of n this indus- , and the native grasses will produce superior milk and butter. Several of rge ranches have made at their y rancehes the butter for all thoir camps. They only make it during the summer months ack it for use during the entixe ye showing the feasibility of producing it for the mar- ket. By feeding during the bad weather of winter there is no reason whr the cows could not be milked during the en- tire year, ) There is no doubt that the foothills of the plains and the valleys of all the stroams are as well adapted to fruit and grape cullure as the best lands of Cali- fornia. The conditions of soil and ¢li- mate are very similar to those of the great arld countries of southern Europe, and the native gr s are as fine ns many of the best varieties of eqltivated grapes. Al kinds of fruits that have been tried have succeeded without ex- ception. If grap n be produced in this country as successfully as in Cali- fornia, and the lands can be bought for $2 and #4 per acre, this country offers o much better field for that industry than in California, as lands in that state havi become £o high priced as to place it be- yond the reach of theman of mod- growers from California who have sold out them and embarked in businoss in this country, and they are very much }ulu:mvd with the exchange. Tlereto- ore lack of transportation prevented farmers from undertaking to producoe anything that could not be sold to the ranchmen, but now that they have the markets of the world opened to them thoy are changing and extonding the seope of their operations, and this year will make quite a revolution in all” the furming operations of the country. The immigration of the Panhandlo will come in two sty «—one from the south, via the Fort Worth & Denver and the other via the Southern Kansas, Whe mer was unknown heres tofore, the prospeets ave that the couns try will be densely populated. The Denver railrond, © when completed, will furnish chos from Colorado, and the best el L'exns pine lumber can be put within the reach of the far- mer of moderato menns, The impression that the large ranch- man wis in exelusive possossion of this country and that farmers and small stockmen could not obtain afoothold, is erroncous. 1t {8 true that many of these ranchmen own and control large bodies of land, but they own but a small part of the entire country. The lands that are best suited to the farmer and small ranchman are not oceupiced by the erate means to sccure a place, There have been @ great many froit- large ranches, The day of lar; anches is nearly over,as it has been shown from expericnce that it is moro profitn- ble to have fewer cattle and feed ghem grain during the winter than to have larger herds and depend entively on na- tive grasses, The summer growth of t:l':las_ cures in the fall, and if there is but little rain or snow during the fall and early winter cattle will thrive on it as well as if they were feed g grass is very rich in nutriment; but the rains and snows wash out the nutriment and render it valueless, This change in the climate in wost- ern Texas from dry to wet winters rendered the old style of ranching very hazardous aund unprofitable, and the large pastures are all for sale to the man with the hoe where a fow yoars 18 not wanted. The counties on the line of the Fort Worth & Denver ilway, enst of the Panhandle, aro being filled up very pidly, and have proven to be the best wheat Tands in the state. Wilbarge the oldest sottled of these countics, has produced iwo wheat crops that have run from twenty to forty bushels of wheat to the acre. The soil and climate is practically sam that of the Pangandle. and is in fact usually called part of the Pan- handle. The towns on the lineareall growing, y places, Clarendon has about six hundred people, The old town was threa miles from the railroad, but was all moved over to the present site six months since, when the road was com- pleted to that point. enne, that has just been estab- hed, and is three milles from Tascosa, will, perhaps,not be so fortunate as New Clarendon in absorbing its neighbors, but will doubtless prosper and grow. Tascosa has hervetofore had a very fino trade, and if the country improves as it promises,both towns will have suflicient husiness to sustain them. Cheyenno will have the advantage in tho contest of being on the railroad. Mobeetie, the former capital of the Panhandle, has not yet been able to se- cure railvond connection, and is about fifty miles from the ncarest station, but hopes to get the Frisco road when that is extended through the Indian tervi- tory. Mobectie has always had a flne trade and all the early sottlements in the Panhandle were made in its vicin- ity. Clarendon, on the Fort Worth & Denver, and Canadian City, on the Southern Kansas, have cut into the tor- ritory once held by Mobeetie and wili seriously injure it unless it secures some kind of raalroud connection. There is a great deal of speculation as to the point of junction between the Denver lines and the Southern Kausas, and many who are now in the other towns will aim to go to the new place whenever the point of connection is es- tablished. This junction will undoubt- edly be an important distributing point for this entire country. 1t is the gen- eral impression that the *‘Frisco” will favor a common junction with the other two roads, and if this is done there is no doubt but'it will build up a city of con- siderable importance, This wholo country is on the eve of a great change, and the business development will be such as to make it worth the while of any city to look after it. St. Louis un- doubtedly could control the trade if the proper effort was made, as it will have the Frisch direct, and as good hold on the Atchison and Denver lines as any other city. ———— Jerry Rusk and the Presidency. Correspondence New York Sun: L. A. Harper, & prominent attorncy of Madison, Wis., and a partner of Con- gressman La Folette, is of the opinion that Wisconsin will go into the next re- publican national convention with Jerry h\lsk, the present governor, as her can- didate for president. Mr. Harper, who has been in the east attending the na- tional convention of republican clubs, and who is pretty deep in the politics of the state, says that while Gexernor Rusk has some enemies among the la- Dbor associations in the state, due largely to his action last summer in _regard to the socialistic outbreak near Milwaukee, ho is very popular with tho majority of the people throughout the state and will have the support of the men like Senators Suwyer and Spooner and the leading republican politicians through- out the stato. Mr. Iarper says that the opinion in some quarters that Mr. Vilas will be the democratic nominee for vice president on the ticket with Mr. Cleveland nes is not gener- ally accepted by Mr. Vilas® friends and nelghbors in Wisconsin. The impres- gion which exists there is that Mr, Vilas will make ough wnvass for the vice presid s though he desired to 20 on the ticket and if the office is ten- dered him in the democratic conven= tion, detline it, with the purpose of hes coming the presidential cnndidate of the democratic part 92, Girls Sawing Wood For Charity. The young people counected with the Baptist church at Cromwell, Conn., took a novel way of replenishing the treasury of the church last weck. On Thursday evening the young men gath- ered in the parlors of the chuch, where, surrounded by a bevy of their lndy friends, they undertook to picoe a bed- quilt in the old-fashioned way. The young ladies enjoyed the bungling work of the young men as they sewed and perspired over the quilt. A large crowd paid the admission of 10 cents to see the work go on, and cheered the workers in their efforts. On Frids aning there was equally us large a orowd to sco the young ladies saw wood, for this is what they agreed to do if the young men would make a bedquilt. Ten sawhorses were ranged in n row, and ten pretty maidens with their sloeves rolled up grasped the wood saws and entered upon the job of reducing a half-cord of Imlr-lom. wood o stove ‘ach stick was cut three times, and young men sang to the pretty women as they sawed and sawed. Slowly but surely the woodpile was re- auced in size until it lay before the spectators who watched the determined eflorts of the fair ones.