THR OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , DECEMBER 17 , < 1R1W-T\VENTY
THE OMAHA DAILY 13EE.
" R ifoSBWATKU , Kdltor ,
I'lMIUSIIKI ) KVKItY.MOUNINtJ.
TRHMS OF SUnSCIUI'TION.
flally I\ct \ > ( wllliout Sundnjrl Ono Yrar ' .SSI !
nallr nnd Smi < l.ijr , Ono Tear I" " ' '
SIXMonllm 5" "
Tlirro Months 2 lln
Sunday lire. Ono Vwif ? ' "J
Pdliinlny IlPP.Ono Yrar " ' ° .
Weekly Hw , One Year u3
OFFtCKS.
PoiitliOninlin.fqniorNnmlTwenly-fourt1itreeli > .
Council Hindu , IS I'rnrl Hlrcrt.
nilcneoOmco..117 CliamN-rof rmiiinorrp.
Ni-w York room 13. Unml Ifl.Trlimnebnllillnf
WflftldtiKton , Bill Kcmrtwnlli mrret
COIIUKSI'ONUEXCK.
All communication" relating lo 'iw" niin7.
( orlnl mailer Mionld to nil < lrwe < l : To the Kdltor.
HUSINKSS TjKTTKiis.
, MlbimiiO ! 3letlfrs and rwnlltniicfs should be
* ft < lrvsR < cl lo Tlio Hoc I'nbllMilnircompany.Omaha.
I.raltR.clii'Chs ami postonicc orders to bonmilo
tumble * to llio onlrrof tlin company.
TIIK I1ER runusnluo COMPANY.
SWORN STATEMENT OF C1UCULATION.
8Wf of NrlirnfiK.i. ( .
County of Doiiclnu. I
Rrorup II. Twhtirli. secretary of THK I1FK Pub-
llnliluc company , iloen solemnly swear Unit llio
ctnnl rlmilnllon of Tin : DAII.V IIM : for tlm we rlc
puillne Drccmlicrlt ) , ISiPlt , was tin follows :
Sunday. IWrnibor 10 's'MJi ' ! ! ?
Momlny. Drcntiiln-r 11 r.r.I'o ! !
Tnpwlny. IkTPiiibor li ! - - ? , .
Woliirivlny. IKrmincrlB rrEt- !
Tlnirwlar. BiHpmli T 14 * " .i
Friday Iiifcinlicr 1C " u-5 ! l !
. . .
Sntimtiiy. December 10 U.l.li.U
Oroiinv. 11. Tawltrrf * .
. + - > - . sworn lo lipforu me iiml mitMrlhiil III
1 KRAI , ( my tiiCBcncotlilH lillli day of II.JOIMII'XT ,
I , f IHOJI. N. 1 * . Kt.ll. , Notary Public.
Avrr io flrriilnlliin Icir November , 34'JtO.
MlNM.STKIt TltUItSTO.N' llllS Sllllotl for
TTonuIulu. The public will ns n const-
qucnco Iw deprived of bin dully intur-
views for ono wcok at leant.
SENATOR MIM.S of Mills bill fuino Is
out in print denying tbo stntoinunt tliut
lie is in any way entitled to tlio credit of
proarlng ] ) tbo Wilson bill. Can you
blumo liiin ?
BOND invostmcnt companies arc said
to bo discontinuing tbo use of tbo malls-
for tbo purpo&s of tholr swindles. A
little effort on tbo part of state authori
ties will compolvtbcm lo diseoiitinuo
business altogether.
MONKY is said to bo olTored on call
loans on Wall street at 1 per cent with
out securing takers. Three mouths ajjo
such loans were not to bo bad at uny
jirice. Tbo vagaries of a commercial
crisis lead from ono extreme to the
other.
IF THE Wilson bill is the catiso of all
this tariff talk before it has gotten out
of the hands of the committee on ways
and means , what will wo do when it
comes before tlio house and each of the
three hundred odd members conceives it
to bo his duty to unburden bis views upon
a patient public ?
TOPKKA polieo olllemls have had the
boldness to disregard Governor Lowel-
ling's tramp manifesto , and despite the
governor's admonition have ventured
to apprehend a vagrant and to sentence
him to the city rock pile. Tbo question
of the hour is , What is the governor
going to do about it ?
DELAY in acting upon the nomination
of Mr. Ilornlilowor to tbo bunch of the
United States supreme court Is confirm
ing the Hunato's reputation for proverbi
ally moving slowly. It is said on good
authority that fewer members are eager
for his confirmation now than during
tlio extra session , but that is no excuse
for not oniliiijtr Mr. Ilornblovvor's sus
pense , lie should ba either confirmed
or rejected at once.
INCHKASING street mendicancy Is re
ported in the larger cities of all , parts
of the country. This is , of course , ono
of the natural results of the industrial
depression , but , at the sanio time , ono
of the most difficult to deal with.
"Wherever the ordinary machinery for
relieving distress is able to attend to all
applications for assistance there is no
need of permitting street begging and
house-to-house pilgrimages for aims.
Street beggars , If worthy , should bo di
rected to the proper charitable institu
tion.
the bitter denunciation of prize
fighting which was loudly proclaimed
by tbo governor of Florida when it was
proposed to transfer a bruisers' contest
from Now York to that state seems to
have simmered down to a state of mas
terly Inactivity upon his part. While It is
by no means certain that the contem
plated light will take place as an
nounced , yet the authorities of Florida
have not inailo the slightest pretense to
Interfere with the preparations for It.
Tlio enforcement of the laws would bo an
agreeable substitute for bluster , which
dies away without results.
PKNNSYLVANIA is ono of the few states
in the union that lias managed to raise
nil the funds required for state pur
poses without resorting to a tax on
genera property. The bulk of its re
ceipts comes from the tax on corporate
incomes and various buaincfb licenses.
Should Urn rocnmmcndatlon of Presi
dent Cleveland in favor of a federal tax
on the income from certain corporate In-
VostnicntH bo embodied in law the
revenue systems of those states which
tilbO levy taxes on corporation receipt *
will no doubt have to bo reconstructed.
This will put a considerable obstacle in
the way of the hope * of the remaining
states to attain a position wheio state
revenues may bo rained exclusively from
apodal slate taxes.
KNT CkEVKLANOhas boon hold
nn to the public during his day as a re
former of almost every kind known to
ctvlll/.od man , but ho has waited fjr the
I Wcr to claim him as an ardent apostle
of prohibition. That passage In his
message which speaks of the nefarious
tratlin wbiub forces the white man's in-
tixlcants upon the uncivilized native *
of central Africa uu something which
the United States should join in re
pressing Is drawn upon as conclusively
indicating tbo president's advocacy of
prohibition In general. PresidentC'lovo-
land of course intended this phrase In
no such light , but that will make little
tUlYeronco to the prohibition visionaries.
I > 3t them suggest that the president
proscribe spirituous liquors from the
white house ana that ho omit them from
the menus of his state dinners and they
will soon perceive how farhu Is willing
to go In regulating the liquor tralHu.
TUB rnorosRn OMAHA IIKET SSVOAH
The mass mooting to bo hold tomor
row morning nt the room * of the Com-
norclal club to hour and consider the
proposal of Count Lubiunskio to cstab-
Ish an extensive boot sugar farm and
factory In Douglas county should bo
attended by all who are interested in
the development of this Industry and
who appreciate the vnluo to this city of
such an enterprise ns Count Lubionaklo
proposes. Thoroughly Informed regard-
ng the production Of the tigur beet and
the manufacture of sugar from thorn ,
the count , alter careful and extended
nvestlgatlon , selected this locality as
the most available for the project
ho and those associated with him
mvo in view. Ho does not
come hero asking any bonus or
subvention for his proposed enterprise.
Ml that ho requircH is that there shall
be an ample supply of the raw material
to keep his factory in operation , to bo
provided by the farmers of Douglas
and contiguous counties. As has here
tofore been stated in ojir news columns ,
the project which Count Lubicnskie , on
behalf of a syndicate of foreign capital
ists , submits to the consideration of our
people , Is sityply this : Ho proposes to
erect on a farm of 000 iicros in Douglas
county , to bo devoted to the talking of
sugar bcots , an extensive factory for the
manufacture of beet sugar , the only
condition bo asks being a guaranty
that tbo farmers of this section
shall devote 0,000 acres to the cultiva
tion of the sugar beet. If this
condition should bo mot ho proposes to
expend between ono and two million
dollars in tlio enterprise , which would
give employment , when completed , to a
largo number of people and distribute
in the c'jmmunity a very largo sum of
money annually. In all its aspects this
proposition is imc of the most important
that has been presented for the consider
ation of our people in a long time.
There is no apparent reason why the
simple condition ; ! asked by Count
Lubienskic cannot bo complied with.
Tlio area of Douglas , Sarpy and-
Washington counties contains over
"
(500,000 ( acres , so that it would
bo necessary to devote less than 1 per
ci'iit of it to the cultivation of sugar
beets. It . ' 100 of the enterpriring farmers
of these counties can bo induced
to devote twenty acres each to
this purpose wo can 'have hero
an extensive sugar plant that will
bo of great benefit to the entire com
munity. And what inducement have
the farmers to do this ? The fact that
the raising of sugar bouts is a highly
profitable industry. According to sta
tistics just at band of the value of sugar
beets per acre In Nebraska for tbo cur
rent year the average amount received
was between ? . "jO and $ M , while the best
ten results range from SU15.U ; to $69.80 per
acre. The cost of raising boots is esti
mated to bo between $111 and $15 per
acre when farmers do not have to hire
more labor than usual on account of the
beet crop , and about $20 per aero when
he engages special service for bcots. It
will thus bo seen that there is a margin
of profit in raising sugar beets greater
than in almost any other agricultural
product , and no farmer of ordinary in
telligence need have any difficulty in
learning how to successfully cultivate
the boot , which , with proper attention ,
is one of tho" surest of crops. Another
consideration of great importance to the
farmer is that there Is an assured
market for this product as soon
as it is ready to bo mar
keted. There is no question that the
soil and climate of this section are per
fectly suited to beet raising and that as
good a quality of beets can bo grown
bore as anyVhero'
It rests largely with the farmers of
Douglas , Sarpy and Washington counties
to decide whether or not this proposed
enterprise , with its largo possibilities of
general benefit , shall bo consummated ,
and It is confidently hoped they will
take a practical and intelligent view of
the matter. If so there is every reason
to expect that wo shall have hero as
soon as it can be completed tbo most ex
tensive beet sugar plant in the country.
AN L'XODLK 2O KUltUPB.
To those who have viewed the phe
nomenon of European immigration to
the United Sta'tos from the standpoint
of economic theory , it cannot bo a matter -
tor of great surprise to learn that the
changed Industrial conditions of this
country in the past few months has al
ready resulted in an emigration offset
ting in numbers the total number of
foreigners who have come hero during
the same period. Just as immigration
has been accounted for by the desire of
energetic but discontented people of
other nations to bettor tholr economic
situations , so the emigration that bag
now sot in must bo explained either by
the disappointment of tholr hopes or
the attainment of that degree of pros
perity which will permit of a return in
comparative comfort to the native land.
The Industrial depression has been
in'ioh more severely felt among the
lower grade of laborers on this side of
the Atlantic than on the other , and to
them the relative attractiveness of Hu-
rope and America has been practically
reversed.
The statistics from which our information
mation regarding the emigration from
the United States is derived are largely
estimates based upon the figures given
by particular steamship linos. , Hut the
steamship authorities claim that what
ever their business has lost In west
bound steerage trafllo it lias more than
made up In eastbound travel , and It is
known that the number of immigrants
arriving a , the port of Now York has
fallen oflf nearly two-thirds during the
four months since the close of the last
fiscal year. The number of immigrants
who came to our shores during the year
ending June 110 , 1803 , was 1-10,71)1) ) ) , a de
crease of about XI por.cent from the pre
ceding your , when it was OUy.l. ! Hut
since July the minium * has fallen off so
rapidly that if the decrease is continued
In even a moderate ratio the not Immi
gration for the year will be nominal only.
The number of emigrants on the other
hand have been steadily and alarmingly
increasing. Hy some authorities U Is
estimated that the number of emigrants
in already much in excess of that
of the immigrants. The New York
, however , maintains that many of
the guesses have been greatly exagger
ated and expresses the belief thai the
exodus will not Include more than
100,000 for the year all told. Even ac
cepting this as a conservative figure , It
must bo remembered that the greater
part of this number IOOK tholr de
parture during the last few months of
the year and that the monthly emigra
tion Is still on the increase. Unless
something should occur to cut short the
emigration and to stimulate Immigra
tion the net result' for the current fiscal
year can but bo a loss of population of
possibly 100,000 , through this source of
steamship traffic , which sluco the war
has always added to our numbers , '
Tbnre is this to bo noted in connection
with this European exodus , that it serves
to relieve American worklngmen , in a
measure , from the pressure of competi
tion with 'foreign Immigrants who had
not yet accustomed themselves to the
standard of life upon this side of the
water. This , too , at a time when the
demand for employment in our largo
cities is greatest and the struggle for
existence among the poor the most
scvoro. The European laborer is at
tracted to participate in our prosperity ,
but is also reluctant to share the ad
versity which industrial depression
has brought. Many who were assisted
to the United States by the savings of
friends or relatives who had gone be
fore them are now sending to Europe
for the means which will enable them to
return. They will spread the tidings of
their failures among their acquaintances
at homo and years' " will necessarily
elapse before the economic advantages
of the United States will bo able to over
come tho.inertia thus created in intend
ing immigrants. In the meanwhile ,
with lessened pressure from Incoming
foreigners , the American laborer will bo
able to make bettor headway in regain
ing the ground lost during the crisis of
18K1.
lA'TK/I.V.U ,
The problem of internal taxation has
caused the democratic members of the
ways and means committee moro per
plexity than did the revision of the
tariff , and they are not yet done with It.
In consequence of their inability to
agree upon the excise features of the new
revenue policy coincident with the
changes made in the tariff schedules
the consideration of the new bill in con
gress will probably not bo entered upon
before January , the country has been
kept without knowledge of the recom
mendations of the secretary of the treas
ury for a longer time than over before ,
and the very important matter
of providing1 against a treasury de
licit of many millions the amount
cannot now be estimated with any a -
proaeh to accuracy is still unsettled.
It is admitted on.all hands that the re
duction in the customs revenue under
the Wilson bill , as it will go to congress ,
will bo from SoO.OOO.OOO to $ (50,000,000. (
Possibly this loss will be somewhat de
creased , as the supporters of that meas
ure assume , after business becomes ad
justed to the new conditions and im
portations increase , but in the meantime
there will bo a wide margin between the"
receipts of the government from this
source and the expenditures. .
To meet and overcome this deficiency
the democrats propose to increase in
ternal taxes , and in the endeavor to
agree upon a plan moro than two weeks
have been consumed since the
tariff bill was given to the public ,
and the task is not yet completed. Some
things have been decided upon , as
doubling the tax on cigarettes , im
posing an income tax on corporate in
vestments , legacies and inheritances ,
and a specific tax on playing cards ,
proprietary medicines , and a few other
articles , but these proposed additions
will not meet the threatened exigency.
Tim increased revenue from those
sources probably would not offset one-
third of the loss from customs. It is
well understood that political calcula
tions enter largely into the considera
tion of this problem of internal taxation.
At the outset it was proposed to in
crease the tax on whisky and beer. It
is estimated that an additional tax
of 10 cents per gallon on dis
tilled spirits would yield 810,000-
000 and an additional tax on beer
of 50 cents per barrel would add 810-
000,000 to the receipts from that source.
But those interests , which are well rep
resented at Washington , vigorously op
pose any increase of taxation and the
democratic members of the ways and
means committee desire to avoid giving
offense to the manufacturers and
dealers In distilled spirits and fermented
liquors. Some time ago the brewers
were given a private hearing by the
committee and they agreed that an ad
ditional tax would bo disastrous to the
industry , a the margin of profit was
not largo and the price to the consumer
could not bo increased. It was also
argued that an Incrnaso in the tax would
result in a resort to adulterants and the
public health would suffer. But what
made the greatest Impression on the
committee , it is said , and led the com
mittee to assure the representatives of
the brewers that no change would be
made in the law relating to fermented
liquors , was the assurance that any in
crease in the tax would bo used against
the democrats In the next congressional
elections. There IB trustworthy au
thority for the statement that the aban
donmcnt of the proposition to increase
tlio tax on fermented liquors was duo to
the apprehension that snob an addition
would bo made by those engaged in the
manufacture and t ao ! of beer a pretext
for opposing the democrats at the con
gresslonal elections of next year.
The committee must agree on soiun
plan shortly , and having abandoned
whisky and beer as objects of additional
taxation It would not bo surprising if
an agreement was finally reached on an
individual income tax. It is a vexatious
dilemma in which the democrats have
placed themselves , and in whatever way
they got out of It at present it IB certain
to give them future trouble.
DAVID A. WKI.L.S has sent a letter to
the Now York Ketniny I'ost , calling at
tention to the fact that so far as the
constitutional power of congress to Im
pose indirect taxation without apportion
ment among the Bovoral btatca is con
cerned , the Income tax is in law nn
indirect tax , "the opinion of every econo
mist and student of finance from Adnin
Smith to the pre iUtlmo'1 to the con
trary notwHhstaimlnB. Mr. WolN cites
a recent decision of the United States in
a criso brought brought before it for the
very purpose of raising this point , as
distinctly stating that the only
kinds of taxes required by the con
stitution to bo apportioned among
the several states are capitation taxes
and taxes upon land. This being true It is
of course ridiculous to iiuiintnin. nt
some newspapers have done , that
a federal income tax Id unconstitutional.
Such a tax has been resort cd to by con
gress as a war revenue niqasure and can
bo imposed agalff. llt.1 p'ractioablllty
presents an ontlrclyuKTorant question.
It failed to give satisfactory results
when tried during tho'OO's and the
prospects for a mnro successful experi
ment are no bettor now than then.
Except in a few extreme western
ojuntics Irrigation has not made rapid
progress In the arid and semi-arid portions
tions of Nebraska , Which comprise moro
than one-third of the state , , or practi
cally all of the territory lying west of
the one hundredth meridian. In the
sections where irrigation has bodn ap
plied tbo results have been in the
highest degree satisfactory , and when it
is understood that the soil of nearly the
entire irrigable area is as rich and fer
tile ns that which has been reclaimed ,
iind capable of an equal measure of pro
duction under like conditions , tno im
portance of the question of irrigation to
the development and future wel
fare of Nebraska will become ap
parent. The area of the state
is 4GOO,400 ! ) acres. Assuming that
15,000,000 acres require irrigation In
order to bo made productive , and esti
mating the annual value of the products
per acre at the lowest figure that can
reasonably bo named , say S5 , and
the reclamation of this area would
increase the agricultural resource i of
the state to the amount of at least $75 ,
000,000 a year. Hut every practical
farmer will understand that this estl
mate is much too low , especially in view
of the fact that irrigated land yields
moro generously than land whose pro
ductiveness depends upon rainfall. At
any rate it can be most reasonably as
sumed that the reclamation of
the arid land of Nebraska would
add annually to the value of our
agricultural resources fully $100 ,
000,000 , with immense benefit to every
interest in the stato. No practical mind
can reflect upon the possibilities of a
general system of irrigation where it is
needed without reaching the conclusion
that the question ruqrits the intelligent
and earnest attention' our people.
Within the last year or two the people
ple of the wostoriLportion of the state
have become thoVbugnly aroused to the
urgent importance of this subject , and
have been organizing for a united and
vigorous effort to advance tbo cause o
irrigation. In all , or nearly all , of the
counties having irrigable lands socictic !
have been formed with this object in
view and they are manifesting grea
energy and zeal fn the work.
Those organizations will be ropro
scnted in the state irrigation convention
that will meet at North Platte nex
Tuesday. This convention promises to
inaugurate throughout the state a movement
mont for the promotion of irrigatioi :
from which great results are to bo ex
pected. It will present to public atten
tlon a great deal of valuable in forma'
tion regarding the condition and possl
bilities of the arid and semi-arid portions
tions of the state , the available wate
supply , the probable cost of a general
system of irrigation , and other facts
bearing upon the material aspects of the
subject. It will also discuss means and
methods , consider the relations and
duties of the federal government
in the working out of the prob
lem and counsel as to the best
course to bo pursued to arouse popular
interest and to enlist capital in this
work. Omaha should feel a profound
concern in the question of making avail
able to agriculture the extensive area of
Nebraska that is now nonproductive.
The reclamation of that region would beef
of almost incalculable benefit to this
city , and Omaha's representatives in the
North Platte convention will be ex
pected to take an enlightened and earn
est part in promoting the object of the
convention.
Of course everybody at all familiar
with this matter understands that the
work to bo accomplished is not easy and
that it is not free from difficulties. It
wjll take years of time and an enormous
amount of money to carry it to
completion. But It is practicable and
there can bo no question as to the bene
fits to bo derived from It. Perhaps the
most serious obstacle to the solution of
the problem Is in the relation that the
federal government bears to It. The
arid public lands are of no value to tlio
government and in their present , condi
tion never can bo. Why would It not bo
wise policy for congress to code these
lands to the state , under conditions that
would require the state to utilize them in
promoting irrigation ? This Is ono of the
questions , It Is preshmcd , which the
convention atNorthPJaUo will bo called
upon to consider. . , H ] s to 1x3 hoped the
convention will bq.largoly attended and
representative in character.
HID I , unit.
.
Probably the pilb bt Idle cash In Now
York will not row'rtiu6h ' buyond its present
dimensions tills sou&of ) ' ; cl'lio average weekly
Increase In the rosorftisbf the banks of that
city for three or four fnouths past along to
lust week was .at&qt | r > ,000,000 , wlillo last
week It was less tlmlj teutu of this amount ,
The surplus of tliosd1' inatltutlona u now
about70r > 00UGO , wlildU , < U almost $12,000,000
higher than the hlidibstllguro over touched
In any preceding wtjeU1
Tlio Vdlrf Evil.
MttatlelpMa Inquirer ,
The school boy who salU that the only
effect of Arctic exploration had been to maUo
geography lessons harder got near enough to
the truth to ho credited with u uull'a uyu ,
The National Geographic society appaurs to
entertain a Ulftoront oplulou , howovor. uml
at It * meeting during the wuok runowuu the
assurance that it wivs eminently desirable
that the work should go on. IU most Im
portant declaration related , not to the value
of the explorations , which is largely
mythical , but to the alleged ULjCorory of a
new uml moro feasible route to the vicinity
of the north jM > lo. U 'will cost $10,000 to
ascertain vrnother the society's theory U
correct or not , after which wo may again he
Informed that the Esquimaux are a peaceful
uad ptmtlo people. There nro He tier ways of
speuului ; the money ut this tlino.
Whera Ruin Stalk * Amid the Grandeur of
tlio Past.
VIEWING SUMTER'S GRANITE P/R\PET
llllxplil.itoil Cotnlliluii ol tlio I'nmuiU I'urt
I'mt Cllnry nm I FriMcnt ( llimm nt
C'lliirleitcillStilt o tilquuf
CHA1U.F.3TO.V , Nov. ! ! d. [ tMUoritil Corre
spondence of Tun UKB. ] Overhead the slty
vrns ultio ami the brlaht noonday sun pourctl
a Hood of light upon the dark green foliage
of tlio great forest , through whfrh our train
WHS speeding toward the South Carolina
motropoHi. In this tropic borderland a
forest K not a beggarly collection of scrub
o.iks and Ownrf pines. Majestic live oilts
and glutit cypress , sycamore , hit-kory and
chostmtl trees spread tholr boughs
mid branches over vast nroas , In
common witn magnolias , sweet gums ,
chinquapins ami persimmons. Kvcry
break in the densely wooded foicst
opens a clearing through cotton until ice
plantations , with lliolrnimox of iicgrocablns ,
surrounded hy variegated patches of garden
truck. In the background , obscured by
shrubbery and trelllsed arbors covered with
hone.vsiiclclei and cllmiilng rose bushes , the
pretentious , weather-noalou planter's man
sion with Us broad veranda and iinssivc
cornice ,
Nature ha : , oceu lavish In her gifts to this
sunny laud , but man has done ronip.ir.illvoly
little to attract or ills tract the tourist.
With two or three exceptions the railway
stations between Savannah and Charlciton
are wretched llttlo sheds , ami sovcral of
them nro as primitive as they possibly can
bo , consisting of a stationary boxcar or
caboose. The towns through which wo
passed had a dilapidated ami povmy-
slrlckcu appearance , while the crowds at
the stations reminded mo of the inscription
ovorDanto's "Inferno : " "Who enters here
leaves soap behind. "
In Striking Contr.int.
What a striking contrast there Is between
Savannah and Charleston. Savannah ) , with
broad , asnhalt paved streets , shaded
avenues aud charming parks , electric street
ailways and electric lights cheerful ,
.Wight . and exhilarating. Charleston.
gloomy , dismal , musty and antiquated ,
ivith narrow streets , crooked lanes , cobble-
tone pavements and bobtail cars. And yet
on are reminded at every stop that
Jharlnston has seen hotter days. Up to IS'JO
Jharlestou had a larger commerce than
Now York. Everything about this place
"las an air of bygone glory and grandeur.
Like the poor but nroud Spaniard who
wraps his patched and threaubaro cloak
nbout his shoulders with the air of a
grandee , the Charlcstonians are wrapped up
n the past.
Charleston is a collection of shattered ar
chitectural bric-a-brac , venerated by Its pos
sessors as precious relics and heirlooms of a
blue blooded ancestral aristocracy. Nearly
every prominent. edifice in this town , from
custom house to market house , Is built in
the classic style. Hank buildings , hotels
theaters , elun houses and even , churches and
private residences present a most imposing
appearance with their Doric and Ionic col
onnades and Greek peristyles. The most in
teresting of thcso buildings are the churches ,
which nearly all date back to the seventeenth -
toenth and eighteenth century.
But while great church edifices may ho
seen in every direction there is a lamentable
absence of school houses. There are of
course several colleges and military acade
mics and seminaries , but there are no public
schools , or at least I failed lo see ono in my
touring about town , which included all
points worthy of viewing. This is the great
est drawback to the regeneration of the
south.
The most attractive spot in this city is the
.battery , with its monumental mansions , fac
ing the harbor and commanding an unob
structed view of tbo shipping and the sur
rounding islands. From this point of vantage
the Chnrlcstonians viewed tlio bombard
ment of Fort Sumter by the confederates
iind the suoscquunt engagements between
the forts ana war vessels that sought to recapture -
capture it.
Stnto Dlspon nrloa.
One of the features of this city Is the
state liquor dispensaries. To ascertain how
tbo experiment operates I called for a small
bottle of brandy at one of the principal drutr
stores , alleging that I needed it for medicinal
uurposes. "U'e are not allowed to sell
liquor , " responded the clerk ; "you must get
it at the state dispensary. "
"Don't you soil fur medicinal purposes ? "
"Wo do not : we can't even flll a proscrip
tion compounded with alcohol or wino. "
"Suppose a man was suddenly stricken
down and people must got restorativest"
"Thoy must get them at the dispensary , "
blandly replied the druggist.
Upon further inquiry 1 learned that there
are live of these dispensaries In this city ,
witn state bartenders and state cocktail
mixers. There nro also more than 1200
"blind tigers , " or resorts that soil liquor ,
wino and beer in defiance of law , just as the
bootleggers aud holes-in-the-wall do in pro
hibition Iowa and Kansas. And there 1s no
attempt , oven , at concealment. The con
stables maUo an occasional raid and the city
police nro strictly neutral , as the city does
not concern itself about this granger dis
pensary law.
Historic Sumter.
"Is there any way for rae to roach Fort
Sumter , " I asked the hotel clerk this
morning.
"There are no boats novr running to the
fort , but I reckon you might engage a small
tup that makes trips to the fortonco in a
while. You will Iind the owner on the
wharf near the market houso. "
After quito a scramble among the docks , 1
succeeded in Undine the man of tlio tug ,
"I am sorry , " said he , "but my largo boat
Is engaged for today ; If you can got u rubber
coat and don't mind being splashed by the
sea , wo might try it in the little boat , though
It's mighty rough this morning. "
The "llttlo boat" which ho polntwl out tome
mo was n more cockle shell , and as the tide
was running very high , and I had no rubber
coat at hand. I docldcd to go over to Sullivan
island , which llca rlifht opposite Sumter.
and take my chances of finding a boat that
would take mo across. A steam ferry runs
regular ! v twice a day from Charleston to
Mount Pleasant and Sullivan island. When
t boarded the ferryboat at 10 n. in. there was
quito a number of passengers aboard , In
cluding a party of school girls who were
going over to have an outing. Sullivan
island Is plainly visible from Charles
ton , bull Fort Humter looked llko a small ,
black speck in the sea. As wo approached
the Island Sumter began to assume snape ,
and when wo came nearly opposite.on roundIng -
Ing the point , its appearance was that of an
old line of battleship with a row of port
holes-near tlio water line , a big smokestack
fore and aft and a litph mail in the center.
The walls of the fort appeared to l > e perfectly
black. Several slrgn guns were visible above
the parapet. By 11 o'clock wo hurt readied
the last landing on Sullivan Island and nil
the passengers went on shore. This island
U about ten miles In length and before the
war many of the wealthy citizens
of Charleston had their HUinmer
residences hero , and somu of their
llvoU hero all the year 'round , There was a
large summer resort hotel half way up the
Island , and a her o railway connected the
ntuamboit : wharf and the hotel. Thu homo
railway , or rather the mule railway , with a
rough and tumble bobtail car , Is all that re
mains of the glories of former dayu , The
summer palaces and thogreut hotel wcro all
demolished during thonloKO of Sumter and
the bombardments by the United btutes
llcot that followed and were kept up off and
on for nearly four yours. The military reser
vation reaches across from the front lo tlio
back beach and Fort Moultrlo covers about
two acres at the front oml , At the outbreak
of the war , I am told. It was a brick struc
ture , bastloncu , and had scarp walls about
fifteen feet high , but the sand has drifted
against it at amo points , so as to almost
bury ItsmaHonry. While I had not tluiu to
muko a personal Inspection , the fort viewed
at a distance of hall a tnllo appeared In a
state of preservation The brick wall *
nnd pnrapots MnnditiR on the cilgo of the
water teemed intact , hut forsohidjcnrg past
there has been
Trip lo the For I.
Accosting the nuilo car conductor i\s to
whether he know anybody who wo\ud tnko
mo over to Himitcr , ho replied : Hyoilcnn
Induce Charli'.v Brown to take you over , \ou
will ho all rlcht. Ho has the best boat of
nnvhoily round hero , and is n good pilot. "
"Who is Charley Urnwn ! " I asked. "Why ,
bo lives In iomlor cottage and ma.vlio you
will find him at homo now. "
On knockinunt the door of the cottage I
was politely Invited Into llio scantily lur-
nlshoil parlor by au old lady and i.sUcd to
Walt until they could send for Mr. Hrown.
Hy her courteous manners and cultured con
versation I judged that Uio lady must
have been reared in good society.
Durlnr the twenty minute * t was kept wallIng -
Ing she related many , very interesting rein-
iiilscenecs n f the bombardment of Fort Sum-
t.r , aul ; t lie awful times they hau I'.uring the
earthquake flvo' years ago and recent cy-
rloni1. Her sou Charley tinil served in the
confederate army and was a veteran In the
ranks. "Wo have some relatives in Ne
braska. " said she ; "pcru.iw | you know them.
Their name ii Osijood and they live near
North 1'lattc. " I assured her 1 had mnnv
acquaintances In .Nebraska , but did not re
member the Osgoods , though thev doubt-
los * had heard of mo. Presently Charley
Hrown put in nn appearance. Ho was n
short , stout , square-built , good-natured fel
low who , lid not bear tlio slightest rcsem-
blatiro to tlio Itlual rebel "gentleman. " over
ready to cm a throat or scuttle a ship. It
did mil uke lone1 for us to nereo upon the
price and , ve wdkud : back to the wlmifto
embark for Sumter. The famous "yacht"
was a small ono-mast sail Iw.U ,
which had doubtless won manv
a race in thcso waters , but on this
occasion proved to bu the slowest sailor I
had ever tr.ivclcd In. 1 had almost forgotten
to state that Sullivan Island had been swept
by a cyclone mid tiil.il wave on August i7 ! , of
this year , and several hundred dwellings ,
which have been built since the war , wore
either wrecked or totally demolished. The
liland is still covered with the de
bris of the wrecked cottages and
dwellings. The same cyclone had de
stroyed the landing at Fort Sumter , so
that only small boats can approach. Asa
precaution my siclpper took a small llat-
boilnmed skill in tow , as ho reared his boat
could uot make a safe landing.
At Short Huiizn.
It was near noon when we anchored ,
within a hundred yards of the fort and , ink
ing to the. small boat , paddled to the rock v
letlgo.11 Its base. I had always imagined
this walls of Fort Sumicr to be great blocks
of solid granite and was surprised to find
that the walls of the fort are built of brick ,
laid in i-oment mortar , and the only granite
about the building is thu coping on tuc para-
pots. The walls are seventeen feet thick
and the bricic-arcliod casements auu maga
zines are covered with earth and sand. On
the seaside approach there is a great rent In
the walls , ami pile * of brick and mortar are
heaped up in confusion. In fact , Unit side
of the fort is bady ruined. The cyclone uf
lasi summer it Id moru harm tliatalluf ( Gen
eral ( .iilmorc's long range guns from Fort ,
Wagnnr during the war. What had looked
at the distance like two smoke stacks I
found to bo two iron fratno lighthouse
lowers and the mast in tho'center was a Hag
staff. To my sroat surprise and distrust I
found no llasj Hying over thu fort.
"Hello , " cried my skipper , "hello , there. "
Presently a couple of children , followed by
an elderly man ( the lighthouse keeper ) ,
came hopping down among the ruins. "Thero
is a gentleman hero that wants to look over
Iho fort , " said the skipper. "Well , well , I'll
llnd the sergeant aud got permission for
him. " In a little while a big bearded man
in half undress uniform came out. This was
tno sergeant in chaiyo of the fort. After
Introducing myself he volunteered to show
mo through. "I have boon stationed" in
Omaha , " said he , "way bark in 'G'J. 1 belonged -
longed to the Twctuy-llrst infantry. I
remember Omaha very well , but have never
been lack sinco. " It did not take moro than
twenty minutes to sco all there was worth
seeing in the fort , which , the sergeant in
formed in c , covers un nroa of about thrco
and ono naif acres. "When the war broke
out. " said he , "the. fort had t o tiers of
bastions , ono above another , besides the guns
on thu parapet , but the top tier was almost
entirely demolished by shot and shell
from Fort Wagner , which bombarded the fort
while it was occupied by the rebels , so that
at the present time thu fort lias only thu ono
tier of port holes all around. " Its heigh I is nol
over ihirty-liva feet above the water. "You
migbl uot believe it , " said the sergeant ,
"but wo bad an awful tlino here during Iho
cyclone. The tidal wave rose clear o/er the
top of the fort opposite our gun carriages
and tilled the mngaiincs with sand , and
broke down our walls so lhut there was a
great deal moro dancer inside than there
was during tne bombardment. " A walk
through the magazines showed them to bo
filled up with sand several feet dcop. The
great 10-inch Columbians slill poke itheir
nozzles through the port holes , but as a
mailer of facl these euns are all old-fash
ioned , and would bo"of very lutlc use in
these limes. Sovcral immense puns have
been dismounted inside the forl. and He on
thq ground buried half way in the sand. A
great mass of exploded shells , chainshot and
cannon balls that had plowed their way in
during the bombardment encumbered the
entire place , and as it norr appears It is
scarcely lit for habitation. The ravages ol
war hare been followed by the ravaces of
the elements , which have done their work
of demolition , and the government al Wash
ington does not seem to bo interesleti
enough in the fort oven to keep the flag
Hying on its staff.
Looking from the parapet across to Fort
Moultrlo Iho * crgrnnt pointed out the spot
from which , about half past 4 on Frl-
lay morning , April 13 , 1801 , n fl h
of lightning was seen , followed al
most instantly by a clenfonlng ro.ir from
i monster mortar. Kdtnomt Kuflln , the
iouth Carolina llro cater , had fired the shot
-hat was henrd around the world. After
'orty hours bombardment the fort hnd
> oen battered and torn up by shot
and shell. The upper tier of easemonU
and macarincs was on tire nnd the
imoko and lie.it were suffocating , but the
gallant commander only yielded after (1cn
01 nl Hcaureganl hud granted bonorablo
terms of sm-rendor that permitted him to
salute the Hag with 100 gun * and march
ml with his force with all the houors of
war.
war.The next day. when the nowa of the sur
render of the forl WAS Unshod over the
i-ountrv , the popular outburst of loyally
swopi every ciiy. vlllago and hamlnl In llio
lorth. The union ting How out of the win-
lows and from every housetop In all the
great cities , nnd In Now York excited
rowds mnivlttM through the stiveta de
manding that the lukownrm and neutral
should show their loyalty to the union
For two years utter its eapturo bv Iho
. niifedcrates under Cicner.il lleaurcgnnl ,
1'ort Sumter was comparatively Un
molested. In April , ISiM. Hear Admiral
DiiPont assaulted the forl with seven iron ,
dads , but after several days of fierce bom-
hardmcnl ho was compelled to retire. A
few wouks Inlor C5ener.il ( Jllmoro com-
meni-cd opcr.ition * from Morris Island and
for many wcoUs a ralti of shot and shell
was showered upon Charleston nnd thn
forts hold by ihu rebels. The most
serious damage mlticted on Suniplor was by
the long rniiKO "Swamp Aiignl" stationed tit
Forl Wagner. This gun be'Miun Iho terror
of the confederate garrnon , and when the
fort was finally evacuated on tha
Uth of April , 1 * & > . fntir ye.xrs lo n
day after the union llag had boon hauled
down , it was a great lump of brlcii
and mortar aud mass of shot and shell ,
\\ill llio for.t over again bo manned ny
troops f That depends on whether wo evur
have another war with a foreign power or a
sectional civil wnr. Sumlor commands the
entrance to Charleston harbor , and It always
will remain an important point to check In
vasion from abroad.
The tide was against us aud tlio wind had
goimdowu. It look ihreo hours fur our fust
yacht to go from Sumter to Charleston har
bor , and I had barely time to reach Iho 4 p.
in. train for Washington.
K. ItOSKWATKH.
PI .IKKN OP .Ml It Tit.
Inter Ocean : Ho-ThU Is a lilrdVpyo vlow
of my linnto ; It She-Yes , I iiullco It lm < a
Und of jay appearance.
Truth : riura Up iays I sine mnro bountiful
than any slrl ho Knows. What do you think of
thut'/ Maud I think hu should extend hU
acquaintance.
Itrooklyn Life : Her Mother I am surprised
at Charles srin.iiulorlir so much money on n
tmnnnxraph. Tlin wlfo 1 nm nol. Ho tilwaya
did like to hour himself tallc.
I'htlndolphht Times : And oven the petro
leum producers liavn tnkon up the ralitmlty
howl ! Tills wouldn't bo so surprising If they
dealt Inrull oil.
Clevbtniul I'ltiln t Dealer : Professor And
now , my boy , what Is your ambition in life
the law , tin- ministry i polities Kolcnco
Johnny -Kf 1 can't bo captain twantorbo
half-back.
Philadelphia Koconl : Ppontor. Ihe nctor.
says Iho only tlmo ho over hnil stngu fright
was In Colorado , whi-n iflvo masUod man hold
up thu coach on which ho was iravulhiK.
no visit .IOY.
Atlanta Constitution.
Nn dashing loam
r nr CIIIIIM-'H izloam
May speak Iho earolos * mlfid
Thai untold Joy
Is for the boy
Whoso bob-sled drags behind.
ins t'
ltii > it Tribune.
Where pohl and silver glint anil Kloam
In costly shapes and Hue.
And jewels brightly Hash and beam
Comes dainty Madeline.
The polished jrlasst-s minor Imeic
No clenier Unlit than shines
Within tliosi * i-yi-s .so deonly black ,
My clmi-mlnK Madelines.
The sinlllns clnrk , as best ho c.ui.
Ills duties to bo ln.
Says : "Present for a niMitlem.ui ?
Ah , yos'-porhaps n pin ?
"Or sninothliis nice In chains ? or this
They'ni popular this year !
A .smolfliiK.sot is not amiss ;
Or how would this ( lo , lioro ?
"Prefer a pin ? Yes , rlKhl you aro. A pin
I.s quito correct.
The lutobt Is the diamond star
Our stock Is mustselect. : "
She glanced them o'er : another tray
Of goods she bade him brim ; .
Jlomiwhlle her eye the whole array
Of KOIIIS was wandering.
"Pei haps ho rides or drives , " salil ha ,
tlll striving hard to pleas .
"A liorsfshoa pin you'd llko to see ?
Wo n-nlly lead In llieso. "
.
. *
She did not know that I was there ,
six feet Iwlilnd bur then.
Huu oh. her answer made me swair
Myself most blest of men.
Ono glnnco she cast * , as maidens oia ,
\Vln-n clerks are Insolent ,
And siitd : " 'Twas for a gentleman ,
And the.- * are for a scut. "
I thanked her from my deepest heart ,
And left in lushest * ' "
When Christmas cnmo 1 iot u slart
The pin was not for mo.
'f f- ' " f f' oV ft i
rlifffrfrfrl "i U
. > u U. . a It
CO.
Tlio larveHt inalti'rs ami . nulli-rj ot
line clothes on K.n-lli
. .
Twice your nionoy'H worth or your money li.tok.
c'f
Do you see that ad at the top of the next pag-o ?
r . Knoeks-'em-all-out.
i ; BROWNING , KING & CO. , [
c ' "o I & W Cor. 15th and Douglas Sts. t
SEEEHnCO
