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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1903)
TttADE "LOSSES" SOPHISTRY OF PROTECTION AH GUMENT3 EXPOSED. Amtrican Economist's Clumsy At tempts to Show England Has Suf fered Under Sensible Trade Laws Points for Farmers to Consider. The American Economist, organ of the Manufacturers' Protective Tariff league. Is rejoicing greatly these days. Everything Is going its way. it thinks. After lambasting the poor, weak little "Iowa Idea" to death and frightening President Roosevelt info pledging hlm fcelf to stop flirting with the tariff re visionists and to get on to the "stand p:tt" platform, the American Kcono mist U now enjoying the additional ratisfaction of seeing England ready to drop her fre-s trade theories and fol'ow America's example. It i.i al ready lauding .Joseph Chamberlain as a great protectionist and congratulat ing K:iglar.d on her escape from free trade. In its Issue of June 13 it enumerates the "losses which Creat Britain ha3 suffered through CobdcnLsm." These losffs consd.n of a reduction in the wheat acreage since Is.", J; a great in crease, in the imports of wheat; an in crease in the imports of cattle; a de crease In the assessed value of land since lS7u; and an adverse balance o trade amounting to $21,633,000,000 since lS.rt. The other losses men tioned consist of benefits which are leas than the Economist thinks they should be. It would naturally follow that when England abolished her corn laws which protected English farmers jus as our tariff protects our manufactur es and made bread dear, that the wheat acreage and the assessed valu ation of farm lands would decline, Free trade there broke the bread mon opoly just as it would In this country break the manufactured goods men opoly and force the trusts to sell at lower prices at home. The landlords of England fought against free trade just as our manufacturers are now do ing here. The manufacturers there supported free trade, and greatly prof ited by it. Just as the farmers here should do and would do if they knew their own interests. Of course the worklngmen iu neither country should supjMjrt "protection." which simply means increased cost of living to them without any compensating advantages, Now, as to that $21,633,000,000 loss in balance of trade. It certainly looks big over $toi,oou.ooo a year. But while England was experiencing this tremendous "loss," she lifted herself ;ut of adversity and depression, into prosperity and wealth such a3 the world had never before seen. There must be something wrong about this classification. It consists in saying that a country which Imports more than It exiorts is doing a losing bus! r.ess. The idea that a merchant who takes in more than he pays out is do ing a losing business is absurd, but it is a part of the protectionist philos ophy, or sophistry. The Economist overlooks a few minor points In favor of free trade In England. It does not tell us that with free trade England has made greater progress than any protected country In Europe and that wages are higher and the cost of living lower there than anywhere else in Europe. It does not tell us that while the foreign com merce of protected France has in creased in value by only $43,000,000 since 1SS1. England's foreign com merce increased $1,500,000,000, or 33 times as much. It does not tell U3 that the United States has prospered partly because of its unrivaled natur al wealth and partly because it is the greatest free trade country on earth Nowhere else on earth is so much tra.ie carried on without the collection of tells of any kind, as between and In the various states and territories of this great country. Nor Is it evident why the Economist should rejoice so boisterously at Eng land's possible change of program, un less it is opposed to all trade and wishes for walls of fire or other Im passable barriers between nations. If England shuts out our farm products by imposing duties which will greatly favor her colonies, our farmers and manufacturers will suffer the loss of this great market and will realize less for their products. Besides, it is evident that the two countries are dif ferently situated that England im ports and the United States exports food stuffs. Hence, while protection would benefit farmers and farm lands in England, it would, and does, injure them here. The American fanner would be greatly benefited by free trade. It would remove many barriers between him and his foreign market and would therefore add somewhat to the prices realized for his crops. It would benefit him most, however, by reducing the cost of all kinds of manu factured goods and greatly lowering the cost of living and of running the farm. Under free trade the value of farm lands in this country would in crease even more rapidly than they have been doing. In fact, farm lands from Ohio east have declined from 20 V 50 per cent since our era of high )rotection began. Free trade would andoubtedly give added value to East ern farms. If this tariff question is agitated 3t:!T.cientIy the truth will come out oa :cp. The Economist is doing good ork. BYRON W. HOLT. Another Investigation Needed. The same virus that inoculated the postofSce department and the same diss of political strikers that have dis graced its administration are en sconced in other departments of the government. If the probe could be ;hrust into the War department it would reveal a state of rottenness that would astonish the honest voter. Enough has leaked out to more than how that Secretary Root has been .'olio wing the same plan as Senator Payne when charges of corruption or mismanagement have been made, by routing the idea and deriding those who made them. The War department under Secretary Root has been oper ated as a political machine from the beginning of his administration and the honest men who have connection or dealings with him have had much the worst of it. The regular army of- fleers. West Poitiers- have seen po litical appointees Jumped over their heads unless they toadied to the pow ers that be. Much scandal has arisen in consequence, by the misbehavior of many of these political favorites. The best men in the army have been be littled and their power stripped from them because they would not do the bidding of the corrupt gang that have been placed In command. Adjutant General Corbln, who was refused mem bership in the Metropolitan club of Washington, has been the power be hind the throne, and such great sol diers and honest men as General Miles have been treated with contempt and their reports of misappropriated fund3 and charges of other delinquencies have been set aside and themselves discredited in every way possible. When General Miles opened his mouth to expose the vicious system, he was censured by President Iloosevelt, who thus linked himself with Corbin ami Hoot. General Miles will retire from active service in August and it Is prob able that he will devote considerable ;ime to exposing the record of some of the principal offenders. He caa do no greater service for his country, and he will receive aid and comfort from all who wish this era of loot and li cense to cease and its perpertators to be driven from public Iifj, however great and powerful they iray be. The Trusts Get It All. Steel Trust Philanthropy. But a few short months ago many of the great newspapers of the country and especially those which later con tained full-page advertisements of the billion dollar steel trust, contained edi torials complimentary to this great trust for the philanthropy and good will shown to its employes by the profit sharing plan which it inaugurated on the first of the year. This "compre hensive and far-reaching" and "abso lutely original and unique" profit-sharing plan, was to unify the interests of employers and employes and to bring about industrial harmony and peace. It was to be the beginning of the in dustrial millennium, if the other great corporations would only follow suit. Describing the plan in more than three pages, or about 5,000 words, the Iron Age of January 8, said editorially: "While the details are quite involved they will be found to work out in every case to the advantage of the employe who continues regularly in the service of the corporation." The main feature of this unique, millennium-inducing scheme consisted of the great privilege given employes to buy the 7 per cent preferred stock of the steel trust at $S2.50 per share. As this stock was then selling at $85 to $86, thousands of employes of course bought stock. Great profits were gen erously figured out in advance by the trust officials for all employes who would hold their stock for five years. Now that steel trust stock Is selling below 79 the philanthropy of this profit-sharing scheme has lost its cnarms and the Jattenng editorials have ceased t$ flow so copiously. It is, perhaps, beginning to dawn upon the employes who have held their stock if any such there be that they are the victims of a confidence game and that the Wall street bunco-steerers invented this "unique" profit-sharing scheme in order to unload some of its "undigested" securities. Fortunate, in deed, were the employes who paid cash for their gold bricks and passed them on to others before they were tested and while the price was high. In the meantime the industrial millenium has been Indefinitely postponed. B. W. H. Rottenness in the Postoffice. After two years and every delay that was possible the Bristow report has been made public and it proves con clusively that ex-Postmaster General Smith and Mr. Payne have been pre varicating about their lack of knowl edge of the scandals and corruption that had full sway In the Postoffce de partment. It brings the question right home to President Roosevelt that Mr. Payne is not to be trusted to expose the rottenness that pervades his de partment, for with this Bristow report right under his nose and with the fur ther charges of Mr. Tulloch under con sideration he attempted to suppress the evidence, styling it "grand-stand plays" and "hot air," and so on. Noth ing less than a new deal in the Post- office department will now satisfy the public, for It is evident that Mr. Payne does not propose to allow the exposure of the greater rascals who are back of the small fry that are being made the scapegoats. Is Perry Heath, the secretary of the Republican National committee, to go free because he is the friend of Senator Hanna and Mr. Payne expects to have bis valuable service to aid in the election of the ticket next year? Only the fullest and most thorough-going investigation will clean the skirts of the administration, already besmirched by the collusion of the officer who was selected by Presi dent Roosevelt to protect the public Interests. There May Be Others. The most depressing thing about this "hot air" business in the postoffice department is that people cannot help but wonder whether things are not ust a3 bad in the other bureaus of th9 government. -urn -Aii A FALSE REASONING. SENATOR LODGE IGNORANT OF TRUE ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES. Recent Speech of Massachusetts "Statesman" Based on- One of the Oldest of Trade Delusions The Truly Prosperous Nation. Not long ago Senator Lodge deliver ed an address In Greenfield, Mass., in which he spoke of the dangers from without due to our great industrial growth and power. "Wo have," fcald he. "a higher en ergy of organization and production than any other nation. For this rea son we are driving les3 highly organ ized acd less energetic peoples to the wall. Whether the opposition thus aroused can be stilled or whether it will become desperate and manifest Itself in a political or military manner no one can say. It behooves us, how ever, to watch carefully and be always on our guard both In our conduct and our readiness." In saying what he could to help on the project of an immense navy with its jobs and jobs Mr. Lodge may not have taken the trouble to think much about the economic principles underly ing his plea for "readiness." lie that as it may, his words are calculated to instill into the public mind the barbar ous militant conception of economics from which Buckle, the English his torian of civilization, fondly hoped the great scientific work of Adam Smith had emancipated mankind. The idea which Mr. Lodge expresses is that a nation which excels others In economic energy and efficiency must necessarily "drive to the wall" the less energetic and effic.ent nations. It is. unhappily, an iiea which is too preva lent and potent in European countries as well as in America. This notion that nations are not merely surpassed but actually impover ished by the superior ability of others to supply human wants lies at the bottom of all the systems of protective tariffs and bounties and subsidies,- and not only so but at-the bottom of nearly all the huge navai and military estab lishments which are imposed as heavy burdens upon the "great powers," which make broader and deeper the gulf separating tbe extremes of pov erty and wealth and which are a con tinual menace to the peace of the world. This economic delusion is net much more than a modification of the old balance of trade delusion which once drenched the world in blood and which still actively survives in the notion that a nation to be prosperous must export more than it imports and which finds recognition in the forms of our commercial statistics and our official documents relating to foreign trade. The truth of the matter is that the nation which excels in economic ener gy and efficiency demonstrates its ex cellence by increasing the abundance of things which minister to human wants, and in no other way. It profits by its excellence in proportion as it supplies those wants and in proportion as other nations are able to buy the things which minister to their wants. To vary the statement, the nation which excels prospers in proportion as others prosper. It can never prosper by impoverishing others. It is never to its interest that they should make themselves poor by loading themselves down with crushing military and naval establishments. It is as foolish in them, to reject the greater abundance offered them as it would be in the nation which excels to impoverish its own markets. The whole militant notion of the economics of international trade is a modified survival of the old notion which was so productive of jealousy, hatred and bloodshed the notion that whatever one people gains by trade other peoples must necessarily lose. The whole colonial system lor the defense and extension of which nations calling themselves enlightened are arming themselves to the teeth and taxing themselves insanely is based on this economic delusion, which is not the less foolish and im poverishing and exasperating and dan gerous because of its present modifica tion. Those who foster that delusion may be patriots in spirit, but they are not intelligent patriots. The Postoffice Scandal. It seems that at last the President has assumed the direction of the in vestigation and cleansing of the Post- office department. This is precisely what he ought to do, and what he might have been doing to the advantage of the public, and per haps to his own political advantage. when he was racing over the country hurrahing for a tremendous navy and repeating the same remarks with un important variations some scores of times. This is his administration and not Mr. Payne's or Mr. Knox's or any other cabinet officer's. He is respon sible as chief executive for the admin istration of all the executive depart ments. It is for him to sn to it that they go right and to call them to ac count if they go wrong. It is not sufficient for him to leave every cabinet officer to investigate the officers of his own department and to trust every such officer implicitly to discover and expose everything that goes wrong within his Jurisdiction. Not every head of a depa rtment is eager to expose wrong-dcing in his of fice and to apply the necessary correct ive. No cabinet efficer should be pre sumed to be a thoroughly impartial in quisitor within his own jurisdiction. There is a strong temptation to cover up or gloss over things which may re flect upon the good judgment, if not the integrity of the department bead. Men are prone to hide things which may damage their reputation for offi cial capacity or vigilance, even when there is no doubt of their personal honesty. It Is, therefore, especially incumbent upon the president to take upon him self the direction of all such investiga tions as that now in progress in the postoffice. Mr. Roosevelt Is to be com mended for doing this, though, be has come to the discharge of his duty somewhat tardily. It is not altogether a favorable in dication, however, that he Las berun by enjoining secrecy upon those who happen to know. damaging facts. Pub licity, it is true, may in some cases tend to defeat the ends of justice. Secrecy as to some things, therefor o, may be advisable. But a sweeping order to all concerned to say nothing Is unnecessary, and it looks too much as though there was an intention to cover up some things permanently. There should be no warrant for 6uch a suspicion. Trust Control and Publicity. The new Department of Commerce and Iabor has been very busy for the past few months, but the principal business accomplished has been the appointment of Republican patriots to good, fat jobs. The trusts, combines and corporations have so far not met with any discouragement from the ne.v department, and commerce and labcr has not received any encouragement, but the chiefs and the large army of clerks aro receiving their salaries with great regularity. All of which is said to be giving great satisfaction to the Administration, and as the demand for patronage has been so much dimin ished by 'the number of good places that have been filled we are prepared to credit this statement. The only ad vance towards that publicity which is to do so much towards controlling the trusts, according to President Rccsc ve't, has been the scrutiny of the Lit tlcfield list of 792 trusts and numer ous additions to that already enormous number. Secretary Ccrtelyou reports regularly to the President at every Cabinet meeting the name of any new trust he has discovered, but so far no great publicity has been made of the new discoveries. It is understood tliat Congress will be asked to make further large appropriation for mere employes, as the amount of vcrl ahead is appalling. Postponement Advisable. When we consider the disagreeable publicity which followed the Philip pine rice transaction and the equally unpleasant comment evoked by the operations of Col. Heistand and others in the hemp line, it is perhaps just as well that Mr. Root should postpone tor the present the letting of the opium monopoly. Ccnr-"g so close together these developments of our colonial policy could only excite carping and treasonable comment. If allowed to simmer down the opium transaction can probably be consummated with out causing undue publicity. "Iowa Idea" in Retirement. John A. T. Hull, of Iowa, declares with much vehemence that there must not and shall not be any revision of tfie tariffs until after the next presi dential election. As this means, of course, that there will be no revision at all if the republicans are success ful, we must conclude that the Iowa idea is temporarily in retirement- belief which is strengthened by the evident meekness and humility of Mr. Cummins these days. The Hon. Dave Henderson jumped his job too soon. The traitors are on the run. "Chauncey's" Gentle Humor. Mr. Depew, who considers strikes the signboards of prosperity, predicts that President Roosevelt's majority will be the- largest ever given to a presidential candidate by the electoral college. This inspires a contemporary to remind Mr. Depew that the elec tcral vote for Washington was unan imous. and that Monroe received 231 out of 232 electoral votes. The truth seems to be that when the gentleman from New York leaves his specialty of tellina stories after dinner he Is hardly a success. , Natural Laws Still Exist. Of course, the action of the steel trust in deciding to maintain prices ought to make everything lovely. Still, there is a possibility that that anti quated and obsolescent factor known as the law of supply and demand may somewhat interfere with the calcula tions. We can conceive that if people did not want steel products at all the price fixed by the trust would not help to declare dividends. There is always a possibility that something of that kind may happen. Not Likely to Hurry. From Washington comes the an nouncement that the government lands in Montana which have been stolen by the cattle trust will soon be reclaimed and opened to settlers. If "soon" In Montana has the same meaning as it had in Nebraska under similar cir cumstances would-be settlers need be in no haste about buying tickets for the promised land. Any time during the next fifty years will be plenty soon enough. Bothering Mr. Payne. Having propelled numerous postal functionaries out of the postoffice de partment with great velocity, Mr. Tul loch's "hot air" is now wafting an ex congressman toward the county jail and is rattling the windows of a United States Senator's residence. Surely there never was such another warm zephyr, as Mr. Payne would un doubtedly admit by this time. The Next Thing In Order. Mr. Chamberlain's declaration that the tariff issue will have to be fought out before the people indicates that the beefy Britisher will soon be sent tramping around in torchlight parades marching to the rhythmic inspiration of "No-No-No-Free-Trade," as is the custom of the highly protected Ameri can freeman in similar time of po litical excitement. These Days of "Prosperity." It is very kind of Mr. Morgan to pack his valise and start for home to save Mr. Schwab and his ship-building combine. Let us hope that Mr. Mor gan's solicitude for his friend may not cause him to neglect some of his own enterprises which likewise appear to require some slight boosting and prop ping up these days. Everything Seems to Boom Prices. With great reluctance and distress the beef barons announce that they will have to give prices another boost owing to the flood . at St. Louis. Let us hope that there may be no earth quakes in South America or cyclones in central Africa, which would, of course, render it imperative to hoist the figure still higher. BOSTON MAN LIVED TO SEE HIS SECOND CENTURY Thomas Grimes, one of South Boston's oldest residents, died Sunday csorning. He was 101 years old and bad been sick only ten days, says the f Boston Globe. Mr. Grimes was born in Dublin, Ire land, March 4, 1802. The dato of oirth is verified by the records of his native place, which show that his nouse was destroyed the latter part of that year, in his native town be attended the public schools for a few years, and at ap early age served his apprenticeship, learning the trade of ship sawyer, what is now known as a ship carpenter. From his early boy hood he was remarkable for his great physical strength and wonderful vi tality, and figured in many leading athletic events. Iu a reminiscent mood Mr. Grimes frequently recalled his early days, and remembered distinctly the arrival in Liverpool of the first steamship that crossed the Atlantic. She was the Savannah, was built in the city of that name and created considerable interest on both sides of the water. On her arrival in Liverpool thousands of peo ple witnessed the important event. Mr. GLARE OF BICYCLE LAMP SCARED KING OF BEASTS On a mellow moonlight evening a cyclist was riding along a lonely road in the northern part of Mashonaland. As he rode, enjoying the sombre beauty of the African evening, he suddenly became conscious of a soft, stealthy, heavy tread on the road be hind him. It seemed like the jog-trot of some heavy, cushioned-footed ani mal following him. Turning round, he was scared very badly to find him self looking into the glaring eyes of a large lion. The puzzled animal acted very strangely, now raising his head, now lowering 'it, and all the time sniffing the air in a most per plexed manner. Here was a surprise for the lion. He could not make cut what kind of animal it was that could roll, walk and sit still all at the same time; an animal with a red eye on each side, and a brighter one in front. He hesi tated to prounce upon such an out landish being, a being whose blood smelled so oily. No cyclist, since the Romans in vented wheels ever "scorched" with more honesty and single-mindedness of purpose. But although he pedaled PLAN A NATIONAL MUSEUM THAT WILL Plans have been completed for the new $3,500,000 structure that is to be erected for the National museum in Washington and bids for its construc tioii will soon be called for. The re gents of the Smithsonian institution are superintending this work, and it is their idea when the new building is completed to have a complete re arrangement of the exhibits now in the National museum and the Smith sonian institution buildings. The new structure is to be devoted to the scientific collections of the gov ernment, the present National muse um building to the industrial arts and the old Smithsonian building to the Smithsonian and National museum library and art collections. The re gents propose thai the scientific col lection in the new building shall be the finest' in the world, and an officer of the institution makes the state ment that already many of the branches to be covered have reached a perfection that is not equaled in any other museum in the world, even the great British museum. The chief sub jects to be covered are biology, an- COLORS THAT WILL DRIVE THE BRAIN TO MADNESS If purple walls and red-tinted win dow surrounded you for a month, with no color but purple around you, by the end of that time you would be a mad man. No matter how strong your brain might be it would not stand the strain, and it Is doubtful if you would ever recover your reason, i-or purpie is the most dangerous color there is in its effects on the brain, which is reached by way of the nerves of the eye. A splash or two of any other color in the room would save your reason for some time longer; but dead purple will kill ycu eventually; as surely as would foul air. Scarlet is as bad, but scarlet has a different effect. It produces what is called homicidal mania a madness that drives its victim to kill his fellows, especially bis nearest relatives. Even on ani mals scarlet has this effect. It will drive a bull or a tiger to charge a naked spear. But purple, on the con trary, brings on melancholy or suicidal mania. Blue, as long as there is no trace Luxury. Mrs. A. "Would you like to be very freAlthy, dear?" Mrs. Z. "Yes, indeed. I'd like to be so wealthy that I could hire a girl to do nothing but set the rubber plant out in the morning and bring it in at dusk." Solar Plexus Blows. The pugilist speaks of knockout blows over the solar plexus, but it is the stomach that receives the shock, and from it the nervous disturbance cnigiaates. Grimes was of the number, and ho was afterward one of many who paid half a crown to board the steamship and view her machinery and every part. Mr. Grimes ever remembered the scenes and excitement attending the news of the battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's exile to St. Helena that followed. For many years he was em ployed in shipbuilding, learning every branch of It. In 1S31 he camo to America, and has been a resident of South Boston ever since. He landed In New York and came to Boston immediately. During his declining years Mr. Crimes delighted to recall the early days of the city, and 'especially South Boston. He remembered distinctly a meeting of Irishmen held In Faneuil Hall when he had the distinguished honor of carrying the Irish banner Into that historic building lor the first time in its history. He recalled the elo quent oration of Dr. O'FIaherty. When he first lived In South Boston it was the garden spot of the entiro city, and so sparsely settled that peo ple used to pick fruit and berries on Broadway. and pedaled, although he perspired and panted, his effort to get away did not seem to place any more territory between him ami the lion; for that animal, like Mark Twain's coyote, kept up his annoyingly calm jogtrot, and never seemed to tire. The poor rider was finally wj ex hausted from terror and exertion tha he decided to have the matter over with right away. Suddenly slowing down, he jumped from li is wheel, and facing abruptly about, thrust the brilliant headlight full into the face of the lion. This was too much for the beast. It was this fright that broke the lion's nerve, for at this fresh evidence of mystery on the part of the strange rider-animal who broke himself into halves and then cast his big eye Jn any direction he pleased, the monarch of the forest turned tail, and with a wild rush retreated in a very hyena like maimer into the jungle, evidently thanking his stars for his miraculous escape from that awful being. Tncre- upon the bicyclist, with new strength returning and devoutly blessing hi3 acetylene lamp pedaled his way to civilization. COST MILLIONS j thropology, geology, zoology, botany and American history. The present .National museum building will be given up to a great exposition of in dustrial art, including the already Im mense and unique collection of the museum, and many additions that the regents are planning to secure as rapidly as possible. The museum will be modeled in its scope and gen eral plan after the Victoria and Albert museum of Great Britai. Anlocg the chief departments will be i those of lar.d transportation, boat models, implements of war and elec trical apparatus, of which the mu seum already has rich collections. The plans for the Smithsonian building contemplate the creation in time of a magnificent library and art gallery. The scientific library of the institution is already one of the finest in the world. Its scope will be broad ened and it will become a much more important unit in the general scheme of the institution. The plans for the art gallery are as yet tentative. The new structure will be 486 feet long and 345 feet broad, with a height of four stories. of red in it, stimulates tbe brain, and helps it; but its effect on your nerves, if you are saturated with it and cannot get away with It, is terrible. Scientists class blue as a kind of drug in its effects on the brain. It excites the imagination and gives a craving for music and stagecraft, but it has a reaction that wrecks the nerves. If you doubt it, stare hard for a few minutes at a piece of bright blue paper or cloth not flowers, for there is a good deal of green in their blue and you will find that it will make your es'es ache and give you a restless uneasy leeling. Green, on the other hand, is the king of colors, and no amount of it can do any harm. If you were snut up in an artificial green light for a month it would develop your eyesight immense ly; but it would be fatal, because when you returned to the world you would be utterly unable to stand ordinary lights and colors, and you would certainly contract opthalmia, or pos sibly destroy the optic nerve al together, unless you were very mind ful to take great care. Couldn't Fool Her. "My dear Miss Mylluns," said the Im pecunious young man. "I love you more than I can find words to tell." "But I presume you could tell me in figures," rejoined the beautiful heir ess in tones that suggested the ice man. Land of Feuds. "So Kentucky is a bad state?" in- terrogated the friend. "I should say so," responded the drummer. "I thought I was counting the milestones and they turned out to be tombstones-" SEEK HIDDENWEALTII EXPEDITIONS FITTED OUT TO RECOVER TREASURE. Valuable Finds Made in the Wert Indies Have Stimulated Speculation Authentic Instances of Finds ol Immense Amounts. A narlv of three, we wejc chatting I on the deck of a Kteamnhlp during a voyage rrom Jamaica to irinma.ii. The talk fell upon burled treasure In the West Indies, and each of ud had his tale to tell. A couple of months ngo, ald llm first man, an American mining engin eer, I was In New Pro'. Id en ce, and everybody wan talking about a mys terious American who had been down In the Bahamas Ju:U before. Ho came in a Mnall schooner, and anchored off one of the. ninull cays, or islands, which are ho inmicroiiM there. He nald be hadn't come for sponge or coral or halt or peaiU; but he would not tell anybody what, he had come for. One day he hired two men, and got a boat tilled with tinned provision!, tends and a tent. Then he made tliein row him over to another cay about blx miles off a mere lump of cornl and a few bushes, where nobody lives. There lie htald for a week, making the men dig like fury Iu place bo pointed out, while he watched over them with a rllle to see that they did not hhlik. After hix dan' digging they camo pcross a heavy, brass hound trunk. They carried It to the boat and rowed him to the schooner. At soon tin the box was aboard he weighed anchor. and reining more was heard of Mm. Nobody knew his name or what he had found; but of courhe they ail think that he had the clew to t-.oine irate hoard, and found it. When I was in Ilayti, in LS'.iX, ha Id the second member of our party, a Canadian business man. I camo across a curious trtasure story. A poor man i-m Cape I lay t Ion. w ho everybody knew had not got $10ii into a man of wealth, and went in for land specula! ion. Presently the secret leaked out. The house he lived In was a ruined French chateau, dating back to the days when the Fien h coloi.k-ts occu pied the island; a manllieent old ruin of the type one i t'U u bees in Hay 1 1. Sawing through the wainscoting fine day to make some repairs, ho came across u big oak chest tilled with French gold pieces, gold and silver plale, tieclt laces, brooches, watches and other valuables. The box was worth about $ir,ouo. A wealthy speculator in Cape Hay tlen. hearing of his find, concluded thero might be some more chest there, bouse. so he offered to buy th' and eventually did ko for $2,000. The new man did more than search; he pulled down the house, and In the, end found four other chests found tiltogether to be worth nearly $200,000. The first man got very angry, and wanted to share; but he came off badly. The speculator had political Influ ence, and soon had him flung into jail and despoiled of most of his wealth for the heinous crime of concealing treasure trove from the state. That speculator and his family to-day an among the richest people In I lay tl. I recounted a most marvr lou, but perfectly true story toJd to m; In Jamaica last y ear by the skipper of a tuttling schooner from the Cayman islands. He was aboard the nchooncr mo day last spring, tnchon-d close to a reef near the Ca; mans on which a baric had been recently wrecked. Looking over the side of his vessel. ne saw a curious yeiiow gleam on the ledge of the reef, about eight feet under water. Thinking it was a large sheet of copper or brass, he ordered one of his crew to divo for it. The man came up with his hands full of gold coins Spanish doubloons, with the arms of Seville on them. Thj ledge was covered with loose gold. The snipper showed me a lot of the gold In a store in Kingston, Jumaiea, and sold the entire find roon after ward for over $10,000. At this moment there are two or three expeditions English and American searching for burled treas ure in various parts of the West In dies. The favorite hunting grounds are the Bahamas, from New Provi dence as far south as Tortuga and the Virgin islands. Chambers' Journal. Only a Baby. Somthins to live for cam" to the p!a:. Something to ilie for. rnayb-: Something to plv ?v-n Morrow a Krao And yet it wan only a tiaby! Cooin and laughter, and gurglra ani cries. I)lmpl-M for tenderent kien; Chaos of hoe atxl of rajtur-n and bIk!ib. Chaos of f-ar and of b:is-ii. Last year, like all yearn, the roe- and the thorn : This year a wilderness, mriyhe: But heaven stooped under tim I oof on thij morn That It brought there only a baby. Woman' Life. Tennyson Resented Pleasantry. Sir William Harcourt was once a confidant of Tennyson's upon the sub ject of smoking, the poet confefcsin,i to a love for the after breakfast pipo above all else. Sir William Imme Jiately recalled one of Tennynon's ow n poems, and adroitly parodied It; "The early pipe of half-awakened bards" (birds). This was coming too near heme to be pleasant, and the touchy temper of the laureate resented the ple-santry. -Next!" State Barber Examiner has b& ap pointed and from this time forth any body whose face 13 decorated with steel engravings or who loses the top of his ear during a conversational hair cut can register a kick and have tha offender bound over to keep the peace. New York Telegram. Silence at Dinrir. Whenever there is a marked silerct at a large dinner party it is always. so the superstitious say, twenty min utes of the hour, or twenty minutes after.