I
PROSPERITY'S FACTS.
FIGURES ILLUSTRATIVE OF EX
ISTING CONDITIONS.
Enormous Tucrcaio In the Amount of
Money In the Hands of the People ,
and In the Vaults of the National
Treasury.
In a timely and instructive contribu
tion to the Saturday Evening Post of
Philadelphia Frank A. Vanderlip , as
sistant secretary of the treasury ,
brings into view some of the splendid
facts of the prosperity with which the
people of the United States are blessed ,
and for which they mainly have to
thank the change in national policies
brought about by the presidential elec
tion of 1896. The-assistant secretary ,
whose relations to government finances
enable him to speak with knowledge
and authority , draws attention to the
remarkable statistics of the iron trade
as presenting "a comparison of both
relative and absolute development such
as has not been seen before. " Some of
the facts resulting from wise economic
laws are best stated in Mr. Vanderlip's
own words :
"A decade ago we Imported $71,000-
000 and exported $14,000,000 of iron
! # and steel manufactures. Since that
time imports have steadily fallen and
exports risen , until for the fiscal year
1899 we imported but $12,000,000 and
exported nearly $94,000,000. In spite of
this unparalleled production the price
of pig iron rose in eight months , Feb
ruary to September , from ? 1 to ? 24 a
ton , and .at this advance nearly every
mill in the country is so busy that
practically no orders can be accepted
for early delivery.
"For five years we imported almost
double the value of manufactures that
we exported. For the fiscal year 1893
we exported nearly $80,000,000 more
manufactured goods than we imported.
In 1898 , for the first time , our exportations -
tions of manufactures exceeded the im
portations , the excess being about 25
per cent. "
Where for many years we imported
on an average of $1,000,000 of manu
factured goods a day and exported
about half that amount , he says , "for
the fiscal year just closed we exported
considerably more than $1,000,000 of
manufactured goods every working
day of the year. "
The shipping industry , he says , also
shared in the general prosperity , quot
ing statistics showing the increase in
tonnage and in the number of new
vessels constructed.
He shows that the bank clearings
have increased 41 per cent and the de
posits 23 p"/r cent. If the figures were
contrasted with those of three years
ago the increase in the deposits would
be 70 per cent.
He shows in the two years up to Oct
1 , 1899'the total money circulation in
the people's hands has increased $270-
000,000.
"The total gold in the country to
day , " he says , "stands at $1,000,000,000 ,
which contrasts with $641,000,000 three
years ago. Gold is becoming the every
day money of commerce , and is no
longer found only locked up In banks
and safe deposit vaults. "
Another fact he brings out is the
breaking of large bills into small ones.
In four years the number of $1 bills
has been increased from $40,000,000
to $57,000,000 ; of $2 bills from $28-
000,000 to $36,000,000 and of $5 bills
from $245,000,000 to $291,000,000.
The government securities have ad
vanced and the agricultural depart
ment estimates that the value of farm
animals has increased $342,000,000.
Money orders have increased more
than $20,000,000. Immigration has in
creased 36 per cent.
All these things have come to pass ,
together with many other things of
equal importance , under a strictly
American administration. The tide
turned when we began to show less
concern for the fortunes of our own
people.
SAMPLE INDUSTRIAL BOOM.
Result of Placing National Affairs in
lloncst and Capable. Hands.
No better illustration of our coun
try's new prosperity can be obtained
than in the work of the great locomo
tive building plants. Never before in
the history of the concerns have they
had so many men on the pay rolls ,
never before have they turned out so
many locomotives in a year , and never
before have they been so far behind in
their orders. During last month the
famous Baldwin works turned out
ninety-two locomotives , an average of
over three for every working day in
the month. And they are bigger and
better locomotives , too , than the
roads used to order. No railroad now
orders for its main line freight and
passenger service engines that weigh
forty to fifty tons , for everything now
is from 100 to 120 tons in weight. Un
til prosperity returned to this country
with the incoming of President McKin
ley the locomotive industry was sim
ply paralyzed. The last good year was
in 1S93 , and from then on until Repub
licanism and Protection returned , the
big shops were closed half the time
and running on half forces and half
time the remainder of the year. The
railroads were ordering about half as
many locomotives as they needed to
keep up the ordinary wear and tear ,
for it was very plain to them that
there was a crisis in the affairs of this
country , and they wanted to be able to
see daylight before they made any
great improvements In their rolling
stock. The sudden revival of business
compelled the roads to replace their
worn out engines , and now the build
ers are having a hard time filling or-
ders. The policy of Protection has
created a great foreign demand
for the American built locomotives ,
and several hundred engines will be
sent abroad this year. In the one big
shop of the Baldwin works there are
now 7,250 men at work , and the com
pany Is planning extensions and Im
provements that will make their plant
still larger. It Is but a sample of the
prosperity that comes to all when the
affairs of our nation are In capable and
honest hands. DCS Moines ( la. ) State
Register.
IN SAFE HANDS.
The French Reciprocity Treaty Certainly
to He Rigidly Scrutinized.
General interest has been excited re
garding the provisions of the new reci
procity treaty between the United
States and France , now 'awaiting the
consideration of congress , by the pub
lication in the American Economist of
Nov. 24 of information setting forth
the injury that would be Inflicted upon
the domestic coal tar dye and color In
dustry by the proposed reduction of 20
per cent in the duty on that class of
French products. From the letter of
our Washington correspondent , which
Is printed in the current issue of the
Economist , it appears that through re
gard for the traditional courtesy due
to the senate as the co-ordinate treaty
making branch of our government it
is necessary that , the publication of the
treaty be deferred until the instrument
shall have been transmitted to the
senate. It also appears that in due
time the treaty will come before the
house of representatives for practical
review by that body , and that full
information will be had by the public
long before conclusive action shall be
taken by congress.
Meanwhile it is safe to assume that
the proposed reciprocity treaty will
have received careful examination by
the administration and its operations
and effect fully ascertained. There
fore the interests of all the different
industries concerned are in safe hands ,
for the present administration is thor
oughly American , thoroughly Protec
tionist , thoroughly Republican.
In order that accurate and reliable
information may be available as a
guide in the treatment of this impor
tant question the American Economist
invites expressions on the subject from
the industries that are affected by the
proposed reciprocity treaty.
In Free-Trade Tariff Times.
In Protective Tariff Times ,
. \ .
Why , Indeo.-l.
Every now and again some upholder
of free trade , who Is more ardent than
he is well informed , claims that work
ing men and women in this country re
ceive no better wages than do those in
the same line of work in other coun
tries. One such ranter was once hold
ing forth at a public meeting , along
these lines. After he had had it all his
own way for some time , a brawny la
boring man , who had been in this
country only long enough to become
naturalized , called out in stentorian
tones : "Wages no higher in this
country ! What are we all here for ,
then ? " waving his hand in the direc
tion of numbers of his comrades , men
foreign-born , but at that time Amer
ican citizens.
It was a stumper. The speaker failed
to answer it satisfactorily , and , so far ,
all the free traders have failed to make
an adequate reply to the question. If
wages are not any higher in this coun
try than they are in European coun
tries , why do workmen , why , during
all these years , have workmen , by
thousands and hundreds of thousands ,
left their own countries and coine over
to the United States to better their
condition ? We are still waiting for an
answer.
A Financial Contrast.
Under Cleveland and free trade we
had peace and no extraordinary ex
penses of any kind , and the govern
ment was obliged to issue bonds in
order to keep good the national credit
and to get gold for our depleted and
well-nigh empty treasury. Under McKinley -
Kinley and protection we are conduct
ing a costly war , yet , -o relieve strin
gency in the money market , the secre
tary of the treasury has offered to take
from an overflowing treasury $25,000-
000 , and put it into general circulation
by buying bonds to that amount. The
contrasting 'circumstances outline in
vivid colors the difference there is , in
respect to the conditions of our nation
al finances , between free-trade and pro
tection.
THE POOR MAN'S SUIT.
American Waco Karnor * Wear the Best
and the Cheapest Clothing.
Under all kinds of tariff laws wealthy
people can obtain good clothing. It
is the poor and semi-poor who are most
vitally interested in such laws. Realiz
ing this fact In a way , the advocates
of low tariffs and no tariffs most stren
uously insisted that the duty on wool
should be removed and that on woolens
cut down in order that the poor man's
clothing could be reduced in price. The
Wilson act made wool duty free and
took off both the pound rate or com
pensating duty and about one-third of
the ad valorem duty from woolen
cloths. What was the result ?
The first result was a great Increase
in the Importation of foreign cloths of
low grade , every additional yard of
which took the place of a yard of
American cloth , and helped to throw
American workers out of employment.
These foreign cloths , chiefly English ,
were in general not sound , all wool
stuffs , but largely made of cotton and
shoddy mixtures. England's use of
wool substitute is far in excess of ours
per capita , while her proportionate con
sumption of wool is only two-thirds
as great as ours. English woolen man
ufacturers are adepts in the fabrication
of cloths of good appearance from the
trashiest materials , and the American
market was soon Hooded with spurious
woolens. The foreign manufacturer
had his chance and he reveled in it.
If the price of clothing was slightly
decreased the standard of quality was
decidedly lowered.
The American woolen manufacturer
soon saw what he was "up against. "
He was compelled to compete with the
kind of stuff that was making the mar
ket. He accordingly began to import
wool substitutes. This is clearly prov
en by the statistics of imports. The
McKinley act , which preceded the Wil
son act , discouraged the importation
of shoddy by a duty of 30 cents a
pound. The Wilson act took the op
posite course by putting a merely nom
inal duty of 15 per cent en such ma
terials. During the seven months end
ing March 31 , 1893 , the imports of
shoddy and waste were 193,487 pounds ,
and for a like period ending March 31 ,
1894 , only 40,288 pounds. In the seven
months ending March 31 , 1895 ( suc
ceeding the passage of the Wilson act ) ,
the imports of shoddy and waste
amounted to 9,596,780 pounds , or 225
times the quantity brought In during
the same section of the preceding year.
Will any person now assert that the
degradation of the American woolens
market thus brought about was an ad
vantage to the poor man , even with a
considerable reduction in price ? And
the reduction in price could not be con
siderable , and was not. A suit of
clothes takes on an average about three
yards of cloth , the cost of which is ,
say , about half the first cost of the
suit. Reducing the duty on the woolen
cloth does not lessen the cost of labor ,
trimmings or other expenses , and the
amount so decreased was found by
many expert Investigations and calcu
lations to cut but a small figure in the
retail price of a suit. But the injury
to quality , the lessened durability wad
a practical and tangible evil , as many
a wearer of medium and low-priced
clothing discovered.
The Dingley act restored the duty on
shoddy as well as on wool and wool
ens , and the American mills are turn
ing cut honest and durable cloths in
all grades. The "poor man's suit" costs
little if any more than when it was
made of a spurious worsted from the
shoddy mills of England.
JIIcKlnley Prosperity In Ohio.
A thorough inquiry into the condi
tion of 225 factories , mills and work
shops in Dayton , Hamilton , Mid-
dletown , Piqua , Springfield , Cleve
land , Toledo and Lima reveals
the following facts : Number ot
men employed in 1896 , 50,474 ;
in 1899 , 84,530 ; gain , 34,105. Monthly
wages paid in 1896 , $2,414,651 ; in 1899 ,
$4,263,491 ; increase , $1,848,840. It is
estimated that $3,500,000 per month
more is being paid as wages in Ohio
this year than in 1896. The increase
of wages per man in Cleveland aver
ages $7.76 per month. The increase
per man in the Miami Valley averages
$8.31 per month. Indianapolis ( Ind. )
Journal.
How It Was Settled.
During the palmy days of Free Trade
talk , when Mills and Wilson bills were
the fashion of the hour , it was actu
ally prophesied that the passage of the
latter bill would settle the question
of the tariff for a generation. In fact ,
it did settle it. It brought in so little
revenue that President Cleveland was
obliged to borrow right and left , and
business went into a hole , and drew
the hole in after it. It is a curious
fact that the passage of Protective
Tariff acts is always followed by peri
ods of prosperity , and the ascendency
of Free Trade has always just as
surely brought on panics and hard
times. Ashland ( Wis. ) Press.
W : ge Earners Flourish.
A fat pay-roll at the car shops is the
very best of business stimulants for
St. Charles. Last Friday was pay-day
down at the works , and more money
than usual was handed out to the men.
A good deal over $25,000 was handed
out to the employes. When one con
siders that pay-day comes twice a
month it will be realized what plenty
of work at the shops means to St.
Charles. St. Charles ( Mo. ) Cosmos.
The Real
The greatest issue before the Ameri
can people is that of business prosper
ity. When all the mills are open and
working overtime , and when the workingmen -
ingmen have all they can do and are
paid good wages , they have no time
to listen to agitators. That is the gen
eral condition now. El Paso ( Tex. )
Herald.
Proposition to Demand Their Eosignation
Voted Down ,
MR. PORTER ONLY IN AFFIRMATIVE
Three Hours Consumed In Consideration
of the Resolution Tlio Iehito ( Julto
Warm Netv Complaint * A aliist Rail-
roacls riled for Consideration.
LINCOLN , Neb. , Feb. 1. The reso
lution of Secretary of State Porter , de
manding the resignation of Secretaries
Laws , Dahlman and Edgerton of the
State Board of Transportation , was
voted down by a vote of 4 to 1 , Mr.
Porter being the only member favor
ing its adoption. About three hours'
time was consumed in the considera
tion of the resolution and at the close
of the meeting some time was spent
discussing the future course to be pur
sued by the board and the secretaries.
Every member formally expressed the
opinion that hereafter whatever rates
arc found to be too high they should
be reduced and that steps should ba
taken by the board or the secretaries
to prevent any unjust increase in rates
the railroads might attempt to make.
The meeting was called at the in
stance of Auditor Cornell , chairman of
the transportation board , and after a
date was set for the hearing of the
complaint of Charles H. Johnson , Sec-
cretary Porter made the request that
the board go into executive session.
There was considerable opposition to
this request. Treasurer Meserve an
nounced that he did not think it wise
to transact public business behind
closed doors. Land Commissioner
Wolfe said that it would be all right
to take up in executive session any
matter Mr. Porter might wish to bring
before the board if it was something
the public did not already know about
or ought not to know about. Mr. Porter
ter refused to submit his request in
the form of a resolution , but it was fi
nally brought up by another member"
and voted down.
The debate grew very warm toward
the close of the meeting and in re
sponse to one of Mr. Meserve's ques
tions Porter said that he did not pro
posed to be catechised by any member
of the board.
Porter moved the adoption of his
resolution and Wolfe seconded the mo
tion. A yea and nay vote was called1
for , which resulted as follows : Yea ,
Porter ; nay , Cornel , Smyth , Wolfe ,
Meserve.
The complaint of Charles Johnson
will be heard by the Board of Trans
portation and its secretaries on Febru
ary 9 at Norfolk. It was suggested
that any other complaint arising in
that section of the state be considered
at the same time.
Ed Cooper of Vest , Johnson county ,
complained to the board that the Bur
lington railroad refuses to furnish a
sufficient number of cars to farmers
living in his vicinity for the shipment
of grain. He asserts that they are
compelled to haul to the tracks of another -
other railroad at a loss of several
cents per bushel.
Lincoln A. Miller entered a corn-
plaint against the Rock Island rail
road , alleging that it has violated the
terms of a contract by tearing away
a bridge over one of its tracks in
Lancaster county.
Criminal Cases at Kearney.
KEARNEY , Neb. , Feb. 1. The in
formations against Frank L. Dins-
more , charged with the murder of his
wife and Fred Laue , and Theodore
Nelson , charged with the murder of
his father , were served upon them.
Nelson pleaded not guilty and Dins-
more will answer later. Judge Sulli
van appointed three doctors to exam
ine Nelson to ascertain whether or
not he is insane. Dinsmore's attor
neys , it is thought , will ask for a
change of venue , as they have been
trying to set his affidavits to show that
he cannot get an impartial trial in
Buffalo county.
Plight of a Nebraska Girl.
ST. JOSEPH , Mo. , Feb. 1. A pretty
girl of 16 years who gave the name of
Muriel Ashton and said her home" is
at Lincoln , Neb. , was found working
in a boarding house here as a waiter.
She has been masquerading as a boy
several days. The boarders noticed
that her clothes did not fit will and
that her voice was very fine for a boy.
They communicated their suspicions
t othe boarding house keeper and an
investigation was made. The girl ad
mitted that she had run away from
home dressed as a boy and that she
had assumed that attire the better to
escape detection.
Child Probably Fatally ISnrncd.
WINSIDE , Neb. , Feb. 1. A young
child of J. E. Hayes , manager of ihe
American Grain company's elevator ,
backed against a hot coal stove anc1
was probably fatally burned. The
child ran across the room all aflame
and would have gone upstairs if it
could have opened the door leading
into the hall. Mr. Hayes caught the
child and burned two quilts in smoth
ering the flames.
No Vacant Houses to Bo Found.
IMPERIAL , Neb. , Feb. 1 Real estate
is active in Chase county. There id
a big demand for lands to rent and no
vacant houses are to be found in any
of the towns in the county.
Killed In Runaway.
BERTRAND , Neb. , Feb. 1.
Charles Malm , a farmer who lived
three miles northwest of this place ,
leceived injuries in a runaway from
which he died. Malm started to come
to town , at the request of a neighbor
named Power , to inform the doctor of
the death of a child and was driving
Power's team. The fatal accident oc
curred within a half mile of the start
ing point. His head struck the ground
with great force , crushing his skull.
Malm leaves a widow and several chil
dren.
WOMAN MEETS DEATH.
Fa to of Ono of 11 M I own Couple \\lto Itiin
Awiiy Together.
FAIRBURY , Neb. , Feb. 3. Coroner
Dodge and County Attorney Denney
were summoned to Hnrblne by tele
phone to look after the circumstances
attending the death of a woman there.
Investigation satisfied the ofllclals that
the woman died from natural causes.
The man who was with her when she
came to the village was arrested for
unlawful cohabitation. He gave hla
name as J. Denning and said he was
a phjsician , and had been treating the
woman , whose name he gave as Mrs.
Dranham , for some illness.
He was brought before the countv
judge and pleaded guilty to the offense
charged and was fined $50. The wo
man's mother was .telegraphed for and
came on from Jewell Junction , la. , to
which place she took the remains for
burial.
The doctor is much older than the
woman , who was good looking. At the
inquest it developed that her right
name was Mrs. Nettie McConnell. Her
mother , Mrs. Branham of Hawarden ,
la. , arrived and identified the body a ?
that of her daughter. She swore that
her daughter was married several years
ago to Charles McConnell , a brakemai
on the Northwestern railroad and liv
ed in Hawarden , la. She ran away
from that place with the doctor about
two months ago. The doctor swore his
home was in Essex county , New York ,
and they traveled overland from Iowa ,
here , stopping at various places. He
claimed ho has huge property inter
ests at that place.
SEEN IN HIS MOTHER'S GRAVE.
Henderson Kxcitod Over an Attempted
Robbery of a Corpse.
YORK , Neb. , Feb. 3. The town of
Henderson is excited over what seems
to have been an attempted grave rob
bery at the Russian Mennonite ceme
tery , two miles from Henderson. John
Regier , who was hauling grain to town ,
passed the graveyard and noticing
some one digging went to inquire who
was to be buried. He found in a grave.
Frank Goosen and A. J. Nickel , two
well known young men here , standing
on the box containing the remains of
Frame Goosen's mother , who had been
buried nine months ago.
Goosen explained that the corpse waste
to be examined by doctors at York.
On returning from town Regier met
another farmer , who saw one
of the boys leave , riding a bicycle , an l
the other carrying a large sack on his
back , which appeared bulky.
All kinds of reports are in circula
tion. Goosen now claims that they di'J
not disinter the coffin. The sheriff
and others are at Henderson and in
tend to see if the remains have been
taken.
State Capital Notes.
The Burlington railroad has filed an
answer to the complaint of John 0.
Yeiser asking for an order compelling
it to place a gate in the fence between ,
the Burlington and Union depots in
Omaha. The Burlington denies that it
caused the fence to ba constructed and
therefore protests against the issuance
of the order asked for by Yeiser.
T3 suit of John 0. Yeiser to com
pel , 'he city clerk of Omaha to submit
the initiative and referendum to the
vote of the people has been appealed to
the supreme court.
Auditor Cornell has issued a letter
to county clerks calling their atten
tion to the necessity of assessing all
property belonging to insurance com
panies 'that ' may be found in their jur
isdiction.
The annual meeting of the Central
Whist association will be held in Lin
coln , February 9 and 10. Nebraska
Kansas , Iowa and South Dakota are
represented in the association.
Objects to Freight Classification.
LINCOLN , Neb. , Feb. 3. The Mar
ble and Granite Dealers' association of
Nebraska , which was in session here ,
adopted resolutions protesting against
the classification of freight rates re
cently adopted by the railroads , which ,
it is alleged , increases the cost of trans
portation of shipments to and from
points in Nebraska. A committee ,
consisting of F. B. Kimball , Lincoln ;
F. B. Alderman , West Point ; Charle ?
Neidhart , Beatrice ; A. Neitzell , Falls
City , and I. F. Paine of Grand Island ,
presented their case to the secretaries
of the state board of transportation
and requested them to use all lawful
means to prevent the railroads from
continuing the existing rates. In their
complaint they assert that shipments
formerly classified as fourth rate have
been changed to third rate and thos ?
listed under class D to fifth rate.
The Industrial School.
KEARNEY , Neb. , Feb. 3. C. W
Hoxie has turned over the affairs oi
the state industrial school to his suc
cessor , J. N. Campbell. The transaction
appeared to be very pleasant to both.
There has been but one change so far.
that of laundryman , but more will be
made in a short time. Mr. Hoxie ha ?
rented a home here and will probably
engage in business.
T.ikeii to the Supreme Court.
LINCOLN , Neb. , Feb. 3. John 0
Yeiser of Omaha appealed to the su
preme court today from a decision ren
dered by Judge Slabaugh of Douglas
county refusing Yeiser a peremptory
writ of mandamus to compel the cit\
clerk to submit the initiative and refer
endum to a vote of the people of thr { 1 1
city at the coming election next spring
Smallpox Near Wymorp.
LINCOLN , Neb. , Feb. 3. The state
board of health recently received in
formation that two cases of smallpox
had been discovered at Liberty , twelve
miles from Wymore. Secretary Bailey
of the board said that from the investi
gations that have been made it appears
that the cases are smallpox of"a mo.st
pronounced type , more malignant than
those at Nebraska City last winter. Or
ders have been issued to have the
strictest quarantine regulations enforc
ed. As the cases are not in a thickly
settled community the danger of af
epidemic is not great.
WESTERN CANADA.
Ctop FroipocU and Cllmnto About Kd-
( nonton , X. IV. T. Interesting I.ottor
from Mr * . S. A. llrl/rlmin , Lnto
of Aluion City.
The following extracts from an In
teresting letter to the Mason City ( la. )
Republican , written by Mrs. S. A.
Brigham , late of that place , but now oC
Ross Creek. Alberta , Canada , so near
ly describe * most of the districts of
Western Canada that wo take pleasure
in presenting same to the attention of
cur readers :
Ross Creek , Albert , N. W. T. , Canada ,
Aug. 7 , 1899.
Editor Mason City Republican Dear
Sir : We arc located In the Heaver
Hills , 30 miles from Ft. Saskatchewan
and 50 miles from Edmonton. To the
cast of these is an immense area of
bottom lands , which furnishes abund
ance of hay for the settlers. It Is dot
ted with small lakes , the largest of
which is called Beaver Luke , 1C miles
in length.
The Beaver Hills are covered with
small green willows which are easily
gotten rid of before breaking up the
land. Here and there poplar , birch
and tamarack trees abound. Small
.meadows are numerous. The soil In
these hills is much richer than the bottom
tom lands , being a kind of black leaf
mould. There is no tough sod to
break , and it is very productive.
Wheat , oats and barley do finely and
vegetables are the finest that can bo
grown. Potatoes especially are large
and solid , easily producing from 200
to 300 bushels per acre , and best of all
never a "taty bug" to wrestle with.
Wild fruit , strawberries , gooseberries ,
saskatoons ( or pine berries ) , raspber
ries and cranberries , ate found in the
hills. Small tame fruit does ( Inely , the
red and white currants In my garden
arc as large again as common sized
ones.
ones.We
We have long days during the
months of June and July ; one can see
to read many evenings until 10 o'clock
in the twilight. Some nights less than
3 hours of darkness , and the birds are
singing at 2 o'clock. Then again , it
rains so easily. You look toward the
west and see a little cloud coming up ,
a gentle shower follows , the sun shines
forth again , and in a little while you
forget it has rained.
Cyclones are unknov/n here and the
thunder and lightning is very light.
Wo had tv/o storms this summer ac-
companlcil with wind and hail , but
nothing to lodge the grain. The aver
age heat is about 78 degrees. We had
three or four days in July at 90. The
nights arc always cool.
The winter season is one of great ac
tivity. All the fencing is gotten out
then and logs for the farm buildings.
By paying 25 cents yea are granted a.
permit at the land ofllce to cut logs
upon vacant lands. The roads are
good and smooth , for the snow never
drifts , not even around the buildings ,
and this is a great saving of time to
the farmer. Hay is hauled from the
bottom lands all winter long , and a.
man can work outside every day as far
as the weather is concerned. There are
cold snaps when it reaches 40 and 48
below zero , but the lack of wind pre
vents one realizing it and the moun
tains 150 miles west of us are a great
protection. Our neighbors are mostly
Canadian , Scotch , Swede , and we have
a nice sprinkling of people from the
states. The creeks abound in small
fish.
fish.We
We are now in the midst of hay
making ( Aug. 7) ) . Wheat will not be
cut until early September , this being
a little later season thsn common , but
the crop will be immense. I send you
a sample of wheat and barley its
height is almost even with my shoul
ders , average 50 inches. New comers
lacking binders can hire their grain
cut for 75 cents per acre. Prairie
chickens are here by the thousands.
The water is good. We have a fine
well 15 feet deep. In the creeks the
water is soft and of a yellowish color.
Now for the drawbacks ( we have
them ) , but nothing very serious. The
mosquitoes are simply abominable , es
pecially after a shower. Then again
we are surrounded with bachelors ; we
have no less than 18 single men in this
neighborhood , on matrimony bent.
When a feminine gender of any age
between 14 and 40 visits these hills we
pity her , so great is the demand for
her company. ,
In conclusion , if the remainder of
our loved ones were here with us , we
should better enjoy life on Ross Creek ,
and unless the unexpected develops ,
consider this will be a pretty fair place
to end our days.
MRS. S. A. BRIGHAM.
New lloolclets.
The Chicago , Milwaukee & St. Paul
railway is issuing a series of booklets
regarding points of interest along its
lines , and if you are interested in the
western country , or contemplating a
trip , write Gco. H. Heafford , General
Passenger Agent , Chicago , 111. , for the
special publication desired , enclosing
four cents in stamps for postage.
No. 1. The Pioneer Limited.
No. 2. The Land of Bread and But
ter.
ter.No.
No. 3. The Fox Lake Country.
Xo. 4. Fishing in the Great North
Woods.
Xo. 5. The Lake Superior Country.
Xo. 6. Cape Xome Gold Diggings.
No. 8. Summer Days in the Lake
Country.
Xo. 9. Summer Homos , 1000.
No. 10. The California of To-Day.
No. 11. The Game of Skat.
Speaker Henderson made an apt r--
ply to a remark that the speaker's du
ties were really shockingly aging him
"We'l. " replied Mr. Henderson , "I am
not EO young as I was , but I ain not
by 20 years so old as I hope to be at
the proper time. "
You can't tell by the blossom which
of the apples will be wormy.
In Baltimore a rattlesnake bit" pro
fessional elocutionist and died It
died by request presented by a shot
gun. The elocutionist urank whisky
until he taw more snakes and recov
ered.
The appointment of General Ber-
nardo Re ; "es as minister of war ot
Mexico is generally taken to mean
that he will be the successor , at the
end of the next four years , of Pres
ident Diaz. Diaz has long reposed th
utmost confidence in Reyes and will
make the new war minister his per
sonal representative while he is away
on his toui' .