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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1899)
7JC . . .IIY. . . ET11BL A. SODTHAM ti K * < - - - . XfX. iii. > f < > , v > fx.v * K " > K > ? f CHAPTER VII ( Continued. ) "So far , so good ! " he muttered. He turned round to take another cau tious survey of the room , and then hurriedly toro off the sheet of blotting - ting paper. "With my heartfelt apolo gies to Mr. Giilibrand ! " he added , as ho carefully seemed it between the -pages of his pocketbook. "If this is to be of the slightest use to me , how- cver , my greatest difficulty will be in discovering if it is genuine or not. Is lit possible that Miss Luttrell herself lias been in here writing , or can it lie * that somebody else has been sim ply directing an envelope to her ? That in the question ; and , considering that I am at present hopelessly in the dark even as to the hand Miss Luttrell writes , I hardly see how this blotting paper affair is to benefit me in any way , unless " Here the Major broke off somewhat abruptly , and , walking to the window , gazed out dubiously through the blurred panes. "Nonsense , , though ! I will manage it somehow ! " no exclaimed after a moment's reflec tion. "By the aid of a little diplo macy and a plan which I believe I 5an carry out , the rest should be easy , and. without raising the suspicions of cither Miss Luttrell or anybody else , I should gain for myself some knowl edge of considerable value. All the same , if I intend to go seriously to vork , the sooner I make a beginning the better ; and , as in this case the beginning means a walk to the town in the pouring rain. I may as well start at once , without putting off the evil moment any longer. Ah it is a curious affair" he gave a significant shrug of his shoulders "and to think that , of all people in the world , that girl should be the victim ! " Two minutes later the Major , with liis hat drawn well over his eyes and of their lives. With some it takes the form of collecting all kinds of stamps , crests , and epigraphs , whilst with me" ho spoke in a somewhat apologetic tone "the mania is for keeping a rec ord of the birthdays of my friends. " "The birthdays of your friends ! " echoed Evelyn. "It is a peculiar taste no doubt , Miss Luttrell ; but still I must acknowledge it ; and , if you will condescend to add your name to my list of signatures , I shall esteem it the highest of compli ments. " "But , " commented Evelyn , "how very odd ! Do you know , I always thought before that the host of birth day books which are constantly being published were used principally by girls at school and certain individuals whose whole existence is one perpetual lemin- isccnce of pressed flowers , faded rib- 1/ons. and sentimental odes. " "Oh , yes I know the persons ex actly ! Your description is most graph ic ! " and the Major laughed heartily. "But , as I never wrote an ode in my life , piessed even a leaf , or have such a thing as a ribbon faded or other wise in my possession , there must , at all events , be one exception to the rule. " "Well , certainly. Still I was just thinking" contemplating Major Brown with an expression of decided gravity "that you are the very last , person in the world I should have believed would trouble with anything so trifling as a birthday book. " Again he laughed an apparently careless laugh as he made a futile attempt to balance a paper knife on the edge of the table , but this time his laugh rather lacked its hitherto cheerful ring. "Anyhow , Miss Luttrell , you are not going to refuse ? Tell me what are ANYHOW , YOU ARE NOT GOING TO REFUSE. the collar of his mackintosh turned up closely round his throat , set out at a swinging pace upon his unpleasant ex pedition. CHAPTER VIII. Notwithstanding that the rain nev er ceased during the Major's walk into Saltcliffe and back , and that he re turned with his gaiters splashed to liis knees and with the water run ning in a thin but steady stream from the brim of his hat , fortune certainly favored him that afternoon. In other circumstances he might have waited in vain for hours , but , as it happened , he had scarcely returned to the library and taken up his position before the fire more than a couple of minutes , when the door aliened and Evelyn Luttrell entered the room. "Oh , please do not move ! " she ex claimed , as the Major pushed back his chair and , glancing round to disrov- cr who the intruder might be , imme diately started to his feet. "I have only come for a book which my aunt wanted , so do not let me disturb you. " "Oh , do not mention such a thing ! Perhaps I can help you to find the book for Lady Howard. " 1 "Well , most likely you can , " was the reply , accompanied by a bewitching smile. "It is a thick green Ah , that ii ? the one ! Thank you very much ! " she broke off as the Major handed her the rather ponderous looking vol ume. "Aunt Lydia will have plentv to occupy her for the rest of the day if she reads this through. " "Yes. from its appearance , I should say that one wet day would be hard & ' ly enough. She will need two or three more of the same stamp. But I am just wondering , " he proceeded , regard- u , ms her -with a slight air of perplex ity , "whether you happen to be in a particularly neighborly frame of mind this afternoon. The fact is Do you I have rather a .know , Miss Luttrell , strange fancy at least , it is not ex actly strange , for dozens of people have such fancies at one period or another the day and month of your birth ? " "The day and month ? " repeated Evelyn , raising her eyebrows. "Oh , the 15th of August ! I suppose you do not insist upon the year as well ! " "No I do not insist ; but anybody who is particularly anxious to give it is quite at liberty to do so. There , Miss Luttrell the 15th 'of August ! " He had pulled out of his pocket a small rather fantastically bound book , and , opening it at a certain page , he now laid it down before her. "There is a verse of poetry for you , and a line of Shakespeare ; but whether eith er the poetry or the Shakespearean line is in the least appropriate I do not know. " "But how strange nobody else has written on this page at all ! Am I to have it quite to myself ? " "Yes it seems as if you are to reign supreme. It is all the better , though , for , with five lines at your disposal" and the Major glanced at her signi ficantly "you can add as many par ticulars as you like. Want of space cannot be made an excuse for omit ting the all-important year. " "Well , at any rate , let me have a good pen ! " She drew the ink stand towards her , took up a quill , and in clear legible characters wrote "Eve lyn C. Luttrell. " "There , Major Major Brown will that satisfy you ? " looking up , to find the Major , who had come close to her side , staring down at her signature most attentive ly. ly.Her Her words seemed to recall him to himself. "Thank you. I cannot tell j'ou how much obliged I am. You have done me a great service , Miss Luttrell. " "No , indeed I have done nothing. I am honored that you should care for my signature at all. But have you a great many names down ? May I look through the book ? " "Certainly , if you care to do so , only " Why did he suddenly hesitate ? Eve lyn , who had turned over a" couple of pages and was contemplating in ob- vloua astonishment the blanknesa . of their condition , instantly dropped her pen and glanced quickly from the loaves before her to the Major , who stood watching her movements , with the color mounting slowly but surely to bin .very brow. "This is a now book , " she announc ed in a rather ominous tone. "It is not jnly the loth of August which Is emply "every page is the same ! " "Yes , of course did I not explain ? " The Major's face was steadily averted from the inquiring gaze of Evelyn's blue eyes. "You see , books of this kind do get filled up in time. When theie are only five lines to each date , they are gone directly the result of which is that a new book has to DO immediately supplied. " Evelyn looked slightly incredulous. "What a number of friends you must have ! " The Major gave an expressive shrug of his shoulders. "Yes ; when one comes to count them by the lines in a birthday book , it is really astonishing how many one seems to have. However , Miss Lut trell , as you have been the first to enter your name in this one" he turned to her with a smile "for the future I shall reserve it only for my most particular friends , and label it Special ! ' " "So you do not mix up all your friends indiscriminately you Have dif- ft-ient grades of birthday books ? " Evelyn clasped her hands behind her head and laughed amusedly at the bare itlea. "A book for the people you like , a book for the people you dislike , nnd another for those you simply toler ate ! " "Yes that is my method , " replied the Major , really accepting the sug gestion. "As it happens , though , you see you did not come exactly under one of 7ny three headings ; therefore I had to start a new book entirely on your account. " "It was vt-ry kind of you , I am sure ; but how will you manage in the future ? If you now have four instead of three books , you will have to di vide your friends quite differently. " "Well , it would seem so , certain ly. " The Major possibly detected the touch of cynicism underlying Evelyn's words. "I believe I shall have a diffi culty in finding any one else to place under this new heading. The book has been begun with your name , but there , I am pretty well sure , it will have to end. Miss Luttrell , please do not go ! I know you think I am stark staring mad , and in the circumstances you may be excused if jou do ; but , believe me , I was never more san& in my life. " Evelyn , however , had pushed back her chair , and at the sound of steps in the corridor had risen somewhal hastily to her feet. "Oh , no I do not think you are mad ! It is not that at all , " she re turned , putting the writing paper to gether and closing the blotting book with an unusually calm air , though his words , spoken so earnestly , so much more earnestly than the occa sion or subject seemed to demand , had sent all the hot color rushing to her cheeks. "It is Aunt Lydia's book which is troubling me ; she will be in despair. But here comes Mr. Falk land ! Ask him to write his name in that wonderful birthday book of yours ; only remember , whatever you tlo" in a tragic aside "insist upon the year ! " And , with a parting nod , MLa Luttrell turned and fled. ( To be continued. ) CONDITIONS IN ALGERIA. Idea of Assimilating the XstKo la Absurd. The present constitution , based on assimilation of Algeria to France , was framed with the chimerical idea that the native element would shrink and the French increase , says the National Review. The contrary has happened. Ihe Mohammedans increased between IS5G and 187G by 155,000 ; between 1876 ind 1896 by 1,300,00 < X During the for mer period famine and typhus and the insurrection of 1871 kept down their lumbers ; also the oriental dread of jeing counted led to some falsification ) f the lecords. The idea of assimilat- ng the native is absurd. Mixed mar- iages between them and Christians ire practically unheard of , and they lo not take up French citizenship , pre- 'erring to live under their own law. or do they aspire to be represented lirectly in the French chamber , and my idea of the sort is as extravagant is that of directly representing Hin- lees at Westminster. Machinery mist , however , be provided by which he natives may make themselves felt , ind secure respect for their interest n the local councils. The result of the aws in force during the last "twenty ir thirty years , whether laws of prop erty , justice or taxation , has been the mpoverishment and discouragement of he Arabs. Yet Algeria will never be irosperous till they are rich , nor se- ure till they are contented. In par- icular , the local functionaries should le able to talk their language , as our ivil servants are required to do in ndia. When at Biskra , the chief cen- er of the Constantine Sahara and nainly an Arab city , I ascertained that n the local postoffice there was not a ingle clerk who understood Arabic , ; nd on one occasion I was able myself o explain to one of them what an old ; estictilating sheik wanted him to do. t was merely a matter of telegraph- ng a remittance of 50 francs or so tc lis son in Algiers. Such ignorance in he chief postoffice of the Sahara ol he language of the people is ines- insable. Somewhat Different. Lawyer Do I understand that you vish to bequeath a thousand-dollar vatch to your son ? Dying Man ( fee- ily ) No , no ! To my friend for for L watch upon my sou ! Jewelers' Weekly. &ERMAHT IS ANXIOUS WORRIED BECAUSE OF AMERI CAN TRADE RIVALRY. Gradual Loss oT the IHj ; Uttltctl States aiarkut and Our SiicceiMful Computl- tlon In tlio Markets of the World j : - to Attract Attention. The German chambers of commerce are manifesting deep" concern on the subject of the outlook for trade with the United States. Our vice consul- general at Frankfoit , Mr. Hanausr , has transmitted to the state department several reports of these commercial bodies which betray not a little anxiety at the prospect of losing the biggest of all markets for German products. The Frankfort chamber of commerce draws attention to the fact that "Today the United States looms up as the greatest producer of breadstuffs , and with all the factors of gigantic development in metal production. J has already attained such a position in all branches of industrial power as to enable it to boldly take up the gauntlet of competition in the international arena. Germany has no special treaty with the United States ; the most-fa vored-nation clause is the basis of the mutual trade , but this presupposes that both nations maintain toward each other such tariffs as not to make the exchange of goods prohibitory. The Dingley tariff has affected German ex ports inimically. Germany's imports from the United States in 189S exceeded those of the previous year in twenty- five leading lines , whereas she export ed to the United States considerably less in twenty important lines than in 1897. The question arises , Is the most- favored-nation clause without a tariff reduction on the part of the United States of any value to us ? " The Dresden chamber of commerce notes the fact that , owing to the ad vantages enjoyed in specializing and subdividing the manufacture of arti cles , in the immense capital employed in every branch of trade , and in the cleverness of American consular offi cials , "the United States is enabled to sell at lower prices , though paying higher wages than its European ri vals , " and adds : "The opinion is prevalent in various quarters that if the present tariff con tinues we must familiarize ourselves with the thought that our export to the United States will some day cease alto gether , and that if we want to do busi ness with that country we must estab lish branch factories there. " The chamber of commerce of Hagen a center of iron and steel manufactur ing , puts forth a dismal wail regardin the strained conditions which exist in the wire and wire-tack trade , all be cause of the competition of the United States : "The iron trade there has developed in a stupefying manner , making the country a productive power of the first class. The condition of this trade in Germany has , during the last year , grown more and more unfavorable , be cause the Americans have steadily tak en possession of the markets in Japan China and Australia , which heretofore had been supplied mainly by German products. The prices abroad have at the close of the year declined so low that even German works that produce rolled wire have to give up taking contracts , on account of the cost of the raw material. Nor is the outlook for the lately established wire-tack tiust at all auspicious , as it must submit to heavy sacrifices in order to snatch at least a few orders from the claws of American competition. " Solingen's complaint is that its cut lery industry is in a bad way , "because , owing to the closing of the American market , the competition at home has become so intense as to undermine prices , diminish profits and produce a decline in the quality of the goods made. The manufacture of scythes , it is noted , was sufficiently active ; but in the future this branch is threatened by the increasing import of American grass mowers. " Thus we find that in many lines of industrial activity German producers suffer seriously because of the competi tion of the United States first , in the invasion of the German home market ; second , in the invasion of competing markets upon which Germany has heretofore had a firm hold ; and , third , in the diminished demand for many of Sermany's products in the valuable American market. It is a condition not likely to be improved by any recip- -ocal treaties which the United States ivill be willing to make , and still less ifospect of relief is apparent in the lirection of taiiff modifications. The Jnited States some time ago ceased naking tariffs for the benefit of foreign : ompetitiors. There is , however , one possible help for Germany that sug- ; ested in the report of the Dresden ihamber of commerce viz. , to estab- ish branch factories in the United > tates. Many European manufacturers lave already yielded to this necessity , ind more are coming. INSTRUCTIVE COMPARISON. Vliat the Tear of a Democratic Ad ministration and a Cheap Dollar " \VI11 Do. A comparison of the present prosper- ius times with 1S96 will show what the ear of a Democratic administration I i nd a cheap dollar will do for a prosi i ierous country. Then everything \ \ - asa < a doubt ; business was at a standstill ; I t : o one engaged in a new enterprise i unless Jt was some charitable asso- : iation in some of the iarse cities i ' tarted a new soup house to feed the c tarving ) ; capital sought places of c afety and was afraid of investment ; r ibor was thrown out of employment , | nd the industries of the country were lie or running on half time. Why alJ iiis stagnation in business ? What iade these hard times in 1896 ? There was a possibility of electing Bryan and changing the monetary system from the gold to the .silver standard. Not n bank would loan a dollar on ninety days' time one or two months before the election , it made no difference what the security was. Why ? Be cause every bank knew that If the change came it meant a panic and "runs" would Le made on all banks and that the worst panic that ever swept over this country would follow quickly the news of Bryan's election , and bankruptcy 'would be general. Having passed through these distress ing times and having seen the sudden change for the better on the announce ment of McKinley's election ; having seen these banks open Mieir dourr within a Aveek after the election and make extensive loans that they had but recently refused ; having .seen the times grow gradually better until to day the whole country is happy , pros- pel 0113 and contented ; isn't it strange to see a party clamoring for the same man and the same policy that pro duced so much alarm , distress and hard times in 1S9C ? Of course there is no one alarmed now , because it would be hard to find a well-posted person that believes that Bryan has a ghost of a chance to be elected to the presi dency in 1900 ; but V.G want to remark right here that if from any reason it should appear in the fall of 1900 that Democracy and free silver had a chance of success you would see the same close times you saw in the fall of 1S96. Benton ( ill. ) Republican. Koir-Ueppiidont. American agricultural implements occupy the whole field in the Austra lian trade. If any one had piedicted this a century ago , when this country was struggling to make its independ ence of Great Britain industrial as well as political , or even fifty years ago , when the free trade Walker tariff had the country in its crippling grasp , the prophet wouM have found no be lievers. A century ago the supporters of the policy of free trade , the very few per sons who then believed in that fallacy , were content to have the United States continue indefinitely to be an agricul tural nation. Fifty years ago the sup porters of the Walker tariff were con tent to have the United States stand still so far as manufacturing was con cerned , and to remain a practically non-manufacturing nation. They were beginning to argue along the line so much in evidence during recent years Viz. , that of "buying where you can buy the cheapest. " Had their policy triumphed , we would still be indus trially dependent on England. It is to the policy of a protective tariff that we owe it that other nations are de pendent on us industrially , and that we are dependent on no one but our selves. Anxious Germans. IJ tffa J ? ffi' ' & , W Vi w w 1 : j- < i v > > ! fii A < / & $ 4 i c\i . \lf'n ! ' fe r/ / > \ Y// 7 - \Vi \ V AA i ssrvM' ; ? , j/ / .V// Reports of the German chambers o commerce disclose a condition of gan oral anxiety regarding the sticcessfu competition of the United States in the world's markets. Tlio Jnteriritlonal Trust. Without the interposition of pro tective laws , there would be such i struggle for mastery that internationa combinations would inevitably result That there would be no special diffi culty in the way of owners of large masses of capital living in different countries and carrying on an industri al rivalry reaching an agreement has already been demonstrated. The suc cess of the Standard Oil company abroad is notorious. The facility with which it induced the English house of commons to refuse the necessary leg islation has been the burden of recent review articles , and all the Orient knows of the perfect understanding that exists between the Russian oil producers and those who control the American trade. It has been possible in England for the steel rail manufac turers to agree on a price ; does any ane fancy for a moment that if they ivere approached by an American com- jine with a proposition to divide and espect territory they would not eager- y accept it ? San Francisco Chronicle. \Vill Xot J5e Voolu.1 Again. The country is experiencing even greater prosperity than it did the first ears of the McKinley tariff , and it is svident that the Democracy will make L poorer showing in next year's cam- > aign than it did in 1896. There will > e absolutely nothing for it to stand ipon in its appeals to workingmen. .aboring men of all kinds are in de- nand and wages are high and ad- ancing. The country is being scoured or skilled help , and common every- [ ay laborers are sought for without he demand being supplied. The coke egions want 15,000 men ; every ship- ard is straining its resources to keep ip with contracts ; cars sufficient to arry coal from the bituminous regions annot be obtained ; the iron compa- ies are rushed beyond all reason , and hops of all kinds and railroads are rowded with business. Workingmen , -ere fooled in 1892 by a clamor for a hange , but they will not be in 1900. ittawa (111. ( ) Republican Times. CAMPAIGN ISSUES. Secretary llay'n Letter to Chairman Dlofc of tlio Ohio Urpulillciin Committee. Our opponents this year are In an unfortunate position. They have lost , for all practical purposes , their politi cal stock in trade of recent years. Their money hobby has collapsed under them. Their orators still shout IB to 1 from time to time from the force of habit , but they are like wisdom cry ing in the streets , in one respect at least , because "no man rcgardeth them. " With our vaults full of gold , with a sufficiency of money to meet the demands of a volume of business iinprecedentedly vast and profitable , with labor generally employed at fair wages , with our commerce overspread ing the world , with every dollar the government issues as good as any other dollar , with our finances as firm as a rock and our credit the best ever known , it is no time for financial mountebanks to cry their nostrums in the market place , with any chance of being heard. It is equally hopeless to try to resus citate the corpse of free trade. The Dingloy tariff , the legitimate successor of the McKinley bill that name of good augury has justified itself by its works. It is not only true that our do mestic tiade has reached a proportion never before attained , but the Ameri can policy of protection the policy o all our most illustrious statesmen , of Washington and Plamilton , Lincoln,1 Grant and McKinley has been tri umphantly vindicated by the proof that it is as efficacious in extending our for eign commerce as In fostering and stimulating our home industries. Our exports of domestic manufac tures reached in this fiscal year the un exampled total of $300,000,000. an amount more than § 200,000,000 in ex cess of our exports ten years ago. These figures sing the knell of these specious arguments which" have been the reliance of our opponents for s > 7 many years , and which are only fruit ful in times of leanness and disaster. What is left , then , in the way of a platform ? The reign of trusts , which the Republicans themselves manage , having all the requisite experience both of legislation and business ; and finally , the war , which , it scorns , wa.- ? too efficiently carried on. and has been too beneficial to the nation to suit the Democratic leaders. We have been able to give in our time some novel ideas to the rest of the world , and none more novel than this , that a great party should complain that the results of a war were too advantage ous. ous.Our Our trade is taking that vast 'level- opment for which we have been preparing - paring through many years of wise American policy , of sturdy American industry , of thoughtful invention and experiment by trained American In telligence. We have gone far tcivanl solving the problem which has srtlong vexed the economists of the worj ol raising wages and at the same 'ime lowering the cost of production e me- thing which no other people have jver accomplished in an equal degree. gWe pay the highest wages which are 7 aid in the world ; we sell our goodt ? to uch advantage that we are beginning to furnish them to every quarter o' the globe. We are building locomotives for rail ways in Europe , Asia , and Africa ; om bridges can be built in America , for nod across the Atlantic , transported up the Nile and flung across a river in the Soudan in less time than any Euro-can ] nation , with a start of four their uid miles , can do the work. We sell .ron ware in Birmingham , carpets in Kid derminster , we pipe the sewer : ; o ! Scotch cities , our bicycles distance all competitors on the continent ; dhio sends watch cases to Geneva. All this is to the advantage of all parties ; there is no sentiment in it ; they buy our wares because we make them better and at lower cost t lan other people. We are enabled to dc this through wise laws and the Am ori gan genius for economy. Our worHng people prosper because we are all work ing people ; our idle class is too meager to count. All the energies of the na- : ion are devoted to this mighty tiii.k .o insure to labor its adequate revlard ind so to cheapen production a < to jring the product within the 3f the greatest number for j -ast noney. I > oyal Hiacl ; 31 en. . The sentiments entertained to'ard the administration of President \I < - Kinley by the colored people of the [ Jnited States are indicated by the rt > lutions adopted by the Iowa Co : f < - < - - : nce of the African Methodist chilli , n pession at Chicago , Septr-mbe'l 11' iVith much enthusiasm the conforKf ilaced on record its Indoi semen t"o * : he government's policy regarding the Philippines , Cuba and Porto Rico. On he subject of economic policy the esolutions declare : We would congratulate the cousitry ipon the fact that the present wise and iconomical administration of nabonal iffairs he's brought a return of i > ro ± icrity. Millions of wheels cf industry. / two years ago were idle and till , are now rapidly i evolving the treain of commerce is once more -ilow- ng throughout the land , and future irospects are bright for increased ! > ros- erity in all lines of industry. I Free traders , mugwumps and cop- erheads are scarce articles anoag tie colored men of this country. Had for Calamity Croaker * . I Scarcity of workmen and highi ' rices 3r common labor now ie industrial situation throughout th : orthwest. Such conditions are not 3nducive to the agitation of calamity icories. Prosperity is silencing many olitical demagogues. llinneapoli * Minn. ) Progress.