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Pretended SffumsffMm
By Will Allen Dromgoole in The
Household Aunt Emmeline got up one
morning with a pain In her back She
had been busy all the week helping the
white people prepare for Thanksgiving
Pears like it wuznt made fur no
body but de rich nohow she told her
self as she dragged on her old shoes
and set about getting breakfast for her
self and little Ephraim the boy asleep
In tike bed she had Just vacated
The complaint was not made aloud
not for the -world would she have per
mitted that boy to hear her throw a
auspiclsn on that season which to him
was one brirt beautiful dream
For every night when she came home
tt the cabin had she entertained him
with accounts of the great dinners she
had been preparing and the boy had
listened ihd asked questions until
the wonder in his big round eyes would
be quite extinguished In sleep
For Ephraim was a cripple I little
negro with a twisted leg and a mind
as bright as the ono silver dollar that
had been his
Aunt Emmeline called him her HI
man her 111 housekeeper when leav
ing the cabin mornings for her work
and promised to tell him all about
Thanksgiving when she got back if he
tended right peart to things
All day the little face would watch
at the window for her return although
she never came until the darkness had
fallen and the streets were empty
Then when they had eaten their supper
would come an hour of sweet content
to both when the mother would take
her child in her arms and tell him of
the bright beautiful worldmade bright
er and more beautiful by the good glad
Thanksgiving
And now It lacked but one day of
Thanksgiving and now Aunt Emmeline
must be off early
Efie she called when the coffee be
can to steam jump up now en eat yo
brekfus Mammy got to go mighty
Rooa Hits mighty nigh Thanksgibin
Am it said Ephraim dragging on
Ills ragged old shoe Where you swine
to be at today mammy
At the Mayors som I got to dress
dey alis tuckey today
Will dey hab cranberries too lak
lawyer Duffy what you cooked de pies
fur yistlddy
Dat dey wil honey dat dey will De
Mayor aint gwine to be outdone in
Vuiffln I tell you let lone Thanksgib
ln
Will dey hab syllabub lak Miss
ium too
Yes sah en plenty ob It
En reasun cake
En reasun cake too
En sweet plckleslack de preeher ob
r gospels wife
Dea de same en more
The big round eyes grew bigger
Mebby deyll hab oyschers fried in
cracker scrops lack de resteran man
T7ine hab
Tea sah deyll hab em only dey
stuff em inside de tuckey
The boy was silent for a moment
then with a long deep sigh
Mammy slad ho I wisht us could
fcab a Thanksgibln too
Yes mebby we kin sometime Jes
you be a good en tele keer de house
en Efie while mammy go work an mob
s y Thanksgibln gwine come long to
we all too some o dese days
She didnt expect it however hers had
been a life of hardship romance had
laded from it long ago and lived now
only in the boy
ffe set himEelf thinking when she
bad left him alone He had heard a
irood deal about Thanksgiving it evi
dently belonged to everybody alike
therefore everybody was In duty bound
to celebrate It
As to the dinner Well that was a
feature of the day to be sure but he
felt equal to that too He was rather
late beginning with such a dinner a
he meant to serve but he would do his
best In a few minutes he was hard
work dishes clattering kettle sing
ing spoons playing The little cabin
had seldom seen so busy a day the
town itself held not so happy a boy as
little black Ephraim preparing his
Thanksgiving dinner When Aunt Em
meline weary and footsore dragged
herself home at dark she was greeted
with the sound of singing Ephraims
voice ringing out not in Thanksgiving
perhaps he had never thought of that
but just in joy and the gracious con
tent that comes with employment and
with hope Perhaps that might be a
Thanksgivin hymn after all since Joy
is the grace wc owe to God
The cabin was ablaze with light a
rich warm flre glow that went out to
meet her as she opened the creaky old
door
In the center of the room stood Eph
raim his back to the lire his slight
body leaning against his crutch while
he bent over something that might have
been a royally spread banquet table
for all the show and shine of it
In truth it was a big box that had
Ferved as a sort of sideboard for dishes
tins and water buckets all these years
A clean gorgeously pictured newspa
per served as tablecloth the dishes
both as to material and contents were
rare as well as original The board
fairly scintillated with splendor as the
names -of the big fireplace mounted
Higher and higher up the
calmney
tit -
Blinded by the light Aunt Emmeline
staggered forward when the voice of
Ephraim rang out in delighted if
frightened prote3t
Look outmammyi he cried Youll
smash somethin nuther Dont tetch
this here dis heres de Thanksgibln
dinner fur we all tomorrer Look et
dat Aint dat fine
Aunt Emmeline rubbed her eyes and
straightway entered into his pleasures
It sho am said she Hit sho am a
scrumptious caslon Whats hit all
fur son
Hits dest a tend like dinner mam
my said Ephraim Dey aint no sho
nuff eatns but its a mighty fine
tend like shos you bawn
I sho spec it am said Aunt Em
meline as she dropped for a moment
into the chimney corner to warm her
feet at Ephraims good blaze En we
all got to be satisfied wid hit somehow
becase hits all de Thanksgibln we
gwine git De white folks dey aint
pay me much dis time dey say dey
pore too en ef dey kin git up dey own
dinner hits de mos dey kin do But
dey gib me some clothes en things
Marrys got you a god pair secen han
breeches en a shirt en a coat what
aint got nar hole in it De preacher ob
de gospels wife gimme dem En I got
a good flannel petticoat what Miss
sum gimme for whippin up her cakes
en dressin ob de tuckey en scourin up
de kitchen en poches Shes sort o
fractious sometimes but she most alius
gits ginerous fore she done wid you
En de Mayor he gimme a dollar hes
de bes one in dis town Wid dat dollar
mammy gwine buy her chile a longer
crutch en dey aint no Thanksgibin
dinner gwine git a cent ob it naw sah
Ephraim strolled over to the opposite
side of the hearth and stood content
edly looking down into the fire
We got plenty anyhow said he
after a long thoughtful silence
Yes we got some taters en some
meal fur a hoecake en mammy gwine
stay et home all de day too
Hoecake laughed the boy I say
hoe cake en taters We gat tuckey en
pound cake en pie en jelly en things
Look et dat table you fergit dat table
mammy You furgit de tend like
There was a knock at the door that
brought Aunt Emmeline to her feet
in a hurry that again endangered the
Thanksgiving board
Look out mammy Ephraim called
out sharply Dont tetch dis here dis
here am de syllabub fur to morrer
and he made a frantic dash for an
oyster can beautifully burnished on
top of which he had set a cracked china
bowl filled to the brim with a rich yel
lowish liquid that might indeed have
been the much coveted Southern sylla
bub had it not been a bowl of Aunt
Emmelines own best soft soap
But the woman was at the door where
a young white man stood waiting ad
mittance a well dressed good looking
young fellow evidently used to the
higher walks of life
Aunt Emmeline said he a hand on
either door facing mother sent me by
to ask you to come over and serve din
ner for her tomorrow She says she
would like you to get there early by
S oclock
Aunt Emmeline thought of her ach
ing feet her empty pocket the day she
had meant to have at home with Efie
The young mans mother was Lawyer
Duffys wife and her dinners were
sumptuous affairs It would be a long
hard days work with perhaps a pail
of odds and ends scraps from the feast
to show for it at night She hesitated
Ts mighty nigh bruk down said
she at last En tomorrer hits
Thanksgibin Ts done wucked all do
week mighty hard en dey aint nobody
paid me nar cent ceptin ob de Mayor
Aldo dey is mos ob dem gimme some
thin nother Yo ma aint gimme noth
in en I wucked two days fur her 1
reckin Im bleeged to stay home to
morrer en rest
But the young man was not listen
ing he had stepped Into the room and
was looking with eyes that saw deeper
than Aunt Emmeline had seen at the
make believe feast of crippled Eph
raim
He was a reporter for a daily paper
in the city a very new a very earnest
and a very ambitious reporter He saw
a story a funny a very very funny
Thanksgiving story in that paper-covered
box and its curious viands He
was soon to see something deeper than
fun In the Thanksgiving spread He
stepped further into the room and stood
beside Ephraim looking down upon the
table
Hello little boy said he What
have we got here A Thanksgiving
dinner as sure as Im alive
Ephraims ees danced with delight
He was innocent of ridicule in any form
whatever
Yes sah said he Hits sholy a
Thanksgibin dinner Aldo if am dest
a tend like t
Awhat
A tend like I tend like dis here
box am a table en dis here paper am
one ob de linen clofs mammy done up
fer de white folks las week en dese
things am de eatens en de drinkins I
reckin hits a mighty fine dinner dest
fur two niggers to eat up all by
seves
Aunt Emmeline tried to interfere but
the reporter said
- JU
Let him alone It pleases him to
talk
Scarcely realizing that he did so the
young man drew a chair to the impro
vised table and began to ask questions
of the moot remarkable Thanksgiving
menu on record He was enjoying it
too quite as much as little black Eph
raim
Whats this Ephraim said the vis
itor pointing to a little round upturned
fix box in the center of the table
Dat Dats a reasun cake what de
Mayor ob de town sent me fur dinner
tomorrer Hits atend like cake but I
spec hits a resun one
And this
This was a sort of oblong bit of
coal slag that Ephraim Dont you
see de parsley en de aigs round hit
Mister Lawyer Duffy sent me dat
The reporter whistled even Aunt Em
meline dropped her face over her bread
tray to chuckle She understood just
what a surprise it must be to the
starchy young reporter to hear of his
grim silent aristocratic close fisted
father sending a Thanksgiving turkey
to a little crippled negro But she saw
no meaning in the suggestion that the
turkey was a stone as the young man
saw He sho did Ephraim was say
ing En dis here am de graby en
stuffins A little fat black finger
pointed across the board to a bowl of
sawdust plentifully enriched with peb
Dles and old corks that he had found
among some empty cobwebbed bottles
under the house
What makes you say Lawyer Duffy
sent the turkey asked the reporter
with peculiarly sensitive interest
Case onct fore my brudder Ben
died de folks all say he stole a tuckey
en dey put him in jaif furhlt En law
yer Duffy he say he didnt do it En he
say hit till dey let Ben out o de jail
Didnt he mammy
The woman looked up from the hearth
where she was kneeling in the act of
slapping the corn cake upon the hoe
Yes Lawyer Duffy cleared Ben
said she Ben worked fur him in his
office long es he libed after dat
Dar said Ephraim aint I tol you
so Hes a mighty good man I tell
you
The reporter smiled a queer sort of
smile and Aunt Emmeline did not say
that Bens years of service were paying
the great lawyer his fee for defending
him but the young man understood
Dis here now Ephraim went on
with his bill of fare dis here box top
o salt am de mince pie what de preach
er ob de gospels wife done sent Dis
here plate o shells hits rice en de dish
o splinters dats macaroni en dis here
string o spools deys sassages De gro
cry man on de eas cornerob de public
squar sent dem all ob dem Hes a
fine man I tell you Onct when I fotch
some sassages to Miss Tilsum when his
boy was gone he dest tuck en gimme
a whole one a big fat one all fur my
sef Didnt he mammy
Aunt Emmeline nodded and set the
smoky coffee pot back upon the hearth
where it would not boll again
Dis here bowl o syllabub now
said Ephraim indicating the dfsh of
soft soap Miss Tilsum sent me dat
Miss Tilsum That cross ugly old
maid Do you mean her asked the
thoroughly amused reporter
Naw sir said the boy 1 mean dat
ar purty good ginrus lady what libes
on the corner ob Chisnut street DatF
de one I means
The reporter broke into a laugh But
she wouldnt I mean do you really
think she would said he
Yes sah I mos know she would
She gimme a piece o pie onct en onct
she gib mammy some buttermilk to mek
up de bread wid Didnt she mammy
Twicet said Aunt Emmeline soft
ly
The young man rose a hand in either
pocket
You havent told me yet what those
marbles scattered over the table mean
said he not willing to lose one item
of the strange feast
Dem Deys de good wills what des
goes lung wid presents aldo dey might
be unges ef dey wuznt mables
The reporter studied the table care
fully the tend like was pretty well
complete He would like to have a part
in It somehow
Ephraim rhe said you need
yes T am sure you need another cake
Yes sah said Ephraim but dey
aint nobody lef to gib it to me
Well fix up one somehow out of
flour or dirt or cornmeal I dont care
what and you can say the reporter
gave you that one-
Yes sah Ill mek it out o flour en
den hitll be a white one said the
boy already getting out another plate
The reporter turned to Aunt Emme
line
Heres a dollar for you Aunt Emme
line aid he and the next time moth
er forgets to pay you you just come
to me Youll come tomorrow
Yes sah Ill be dar by 3 oclock ef
de Lawd spars me
A moment later the reporter was at
the grocers whence Ephraims Imag
inary donation had been sent As he
went in he met a gentLman cominc
out Mayor he cried I was just
going to call on you Will you come
back a moment t
The Mayor tntoahe -grocery
-V
J
Mayor find Mr Johnson both ef
jrou 1 have turned missionary
The Mayor and the grocer smiled
That means you are out beggingl
said the former I believe all mission
aries beg
For others yes sir I am not pre
cisely that sort of a missionary but 1
attended a Thanksgiving dinner this
evening to which you two gentlemen
were both contributors I have come in
here to tell you about it
And when the story ended the Mayor
was blowing his nose with all his
might
I reckon I am an old fool said he
A soft old fool the very plckanninies
have found it out As for you sir you
get out of here with your reasun cake
before I fine you for contempt
The reporter went out but he went
laughing At the door he put his head
in again to say
And dont forget to put In an orange
both of you He said the unges were
good wills
The Mayor turned to the grocer
When you send the rice and maca
roni and sausages send down the cake
for me Select a good one and be sure
it has raisins in it
All right Mayor laughed the gro
cer Ill get it there by 8 oclock to
morrow At the door the Mayor turned
back
I say dont forget the oranges
I wont one apiece
If Thanksgiving and Christmas did
nt come along once a year he told
himself as he walked toward his home
I reckon we would all forget what it is
to remember the poor They kind o pull
us up with a halt and a prick at our
selfish hearts and set us thinking of
others
The reporter meanwhile was telling
his story to the pretty good generous
Miss Tilsum In her stiff little sitting
room on Chestnut street
Send syllabub to a lazy nigger shall
I she snapped Theyre an ungrate
ful lot I can tell you Syllabub Well
I reckon
This one isnt ungrateful said the
young man He said you gave him a
pie once and he declared you were the
pretty good generous Miss Tilsum
The thin lips of the old woman came
together in a manner that might have
meant either a snarl or a smile
Defended me I reckon said she
when you called me cross and ugly
The reporter gasped and absently
stammered Yes mam And the next
thing he knew he was on the pavement
outside getting away as fast as he
could
The old woman closed the door upon
him and stepped over to a mirror that
hung over the mantel Then she began
to laugh and she laughed and laughed
until the pale thin cheeks grew pink
as youth itself She laughed at the
negro and she laughed at the mission
ary separately and together Then
she laughed at herself and her good
pretty ginrus record Then she rang
for the cook
Can you make another bowl of that
syllabub early in the morning Mar
tha said she
Yessum but deys enough alraidy
made fur half de town
Then make as much for the other
half Martha said the mistress Mar
tha theres some one in this town who
believes that I am a good pretty gen
erous woman and please God he shall
not discover his mistake at Thanksgiv
ing thats all
The reporter missionary was now at
his hardest task He had seen the min
isters wife that was easy enough
She understood and was crying like
a baby before I got half through said
he God bless her she knows what
it is to be a begging missionary
But be approached his father with
some dread he told his story poorly
there perhaps because the thin stern
face showed no response to the tale ht
was telling When he finished the at
torney looked up gravely soberly cold
ly Well said he what do you want
me to do about it
The young man bit his lip there were
tears in his eyes
Nothing said he nothing I am
sorry I mentioned it Good night sir
Walt said the older man quietly
Where are you going
To tell mother not to expect me
home tomorrow I tell you this is a
farce a miserable farce in which 1
will take no part Thanksgiving to
God when our own hearts are crushed
with selfishness like ice It isnt
Thanksgiving its nothing but selfish
feasting and Ill be no party to it
Never in my life did I have one serious
thought of the true intent of Thanks
giving until this night and hereafter
Ill keep it the true way or not at all
The lawyer looked at the fiery young
fellow before him and something stirred
in his heart He did not wish that
boy to grow hard and selfish Nor did
he like the thought of his feeling that
Thanksgiving in his own home was a
farce or a feast only Yet he had
come very near the truth It hurt him
and touched him
I dont know much about giving
aid he his hand in his pocket but
we all need a Thanksgiving or a Christ
mas now and then to crack the ice of
our selfish hearts Now If you will at
tend to the what was my part
A turkey sir laughed the young
man With stuffing and gravy I will
see to it for you
Heres a dollar then for the turke
and fixings
But I want five cents more if you
please for the good will He said the
oranges were the good wills
The lawyer laughed and handed him
the extra coin And then the young
reporter did that which made Thanks
giving in that house and In that cold
stern mans heart a Tlianksgtvlng in
deed and truth He stepped to his fath
ers chair and stooping quickly touch
ed his lips warm with the blood ot
youth and Impulse to the older mans
brow And Thank you sir said he
and God bless our Thanksgiving There
will be no tend like in this house
No said the father there will be
no tend like in this house
The next morning old Miss Tilsum
tasting the syllabub she was pouring
into a bowl said with satisfaction
No tend like about this syllabub
at all events
The grocery man dropped an extra
string of sausageji Into the basket he
was sending out and said with a
laugh
No tend like about them Solid
meat And this cake Its as genuine
and free sfrom sham as the old Mayor
himself
The Mayor was humming a tune as he
walked down the street a tune of hi
own far away youth time
Well said he its a fine day to
day 1 feel good and theres no tend
like about It
And in a cabin that evening a little
negro with round white eyes wa
watching his mother raive a juicy tur
key which adorned a carefully spreac
table As the broad white slices fel
slowly over the carving knife he broki
out with jubilant lmpatlece Gimm
de drumstick mammy gimme de arum
stick quick When I eats de mea
off n it Is gwine to git de tin pan er
tend like 1s de brass band sernadin
de white folks what sent all dis here
Glmmecdrtwae drum sticks mammy
auicki
- i
--
Jz
-
THE CZA
RUMORS THAT NICHOL1S HAS
BEEN POISONED
DONE BY THE NIHILISTS
Cablegrams Rebort Suspicions and
a Nihilist In Omaha Confirms
the Rumors
Omaha Neb Special Cable dis
patches have been received from Jtome
and London which give color to ru
mors that the present illness of the czar
of Russia is caused by poison admin
istered through the machinations of
nihilists London reports that the Eu
ropean capitals considered the czars
illness as more serious than is reported
by hi3 physicians and that suspicions
are afloat that the hygiene and water
3upply at Livadia may be faulty
Rome goes further and it is there as
serted that the Vatican has received se
cret dispatches telling of an attempt to
poison both the emperor and empress
but that In the case of the czarina the
plans failed The czars illness appears
to be clothed in mystery as even the
European capitals can obtain nothing
definite concerning his condition
The same startling theory of the ill
ness of Czar Nicholas of Russia is con
firmed from the views- of Dr George
L A Hamilton of this city who resides
at 2205 Farnam street and who is a
native of Russia leaving there twelve
years ago Belonging to the Nihilist
society which has given the rulers of
Russia a great deal of trouble in the
past years and having been driven from
Russia by the military because he was
teaching among the lower classes as a
member of the Nihilist propaganda his
views are taken as having considerable
svelght He now wears on his leg a
tear from the bullet of a Russian se
ret service man who winged him as- he
was crossing the frontier Into Austria
3n a certain dark and memorable night
That Czar Nicholas is likely to meet
the fate of his father Alexander IH
ieems very likely said Dr Hamilton
last evening to the World Herald I
bave been watching the reports in the
newspapers of his illness and they re
call the sickness and subsequent death
of his father at the health resort in
ialta in 1895 The cause of Alexanders
illness at the time was ascribed to
Brights disease but It was commonly
reported that some of the Nihilist offi
cials in the czars house in disguise
idministered poison to him through his
food That report was generally be
leved and circulated among the Ni
ifiists although it was of course offi
cially denied by the royal physicians
That Alexanders death was due to
fiow poisoning was given to me by a
authority and I have no reason
q discredit it The czar lingered for
nany days but his physicians could jiot
ave him
In the czars household he finds
nany to distrust and in spite of his
suspicions members of the Nihilist pro
paganda will secure positions danger
ously near him It is likely that if the
present czar is poisoned It has been
done by some one regularly employed
in his kitchen who has been long wait
ing the opportunity The agent who
may in fact never be known who at
tempted his life
Owing to the strict censorship of the
government absolutely nothing escapes
from the empire itself regarding the
growth of the Nihilist propaganda
which is growing stronger every year as
the people become educated in the se
cret schools The Nihilist of today has
learned to be more cautious in his meth
ods and his work is more shrewd Bold
attacks on the imperial family are not
now made for the reason that safe
guards against them are too easy nd
punishment is too swift and sure By
administering poison to the ruler the
Nihilists hope to make the throne a
place dreaded and in no demand for
tmbitious princes
The Nihilist hopes to see the tri
umph of the republic in the not far dis
tant future Violence is deplored but it
h one of the means deemed necessary
by them to accomplish the downfall of
such tyranny Americans can under
stand something of the feeling that ac
tuates an educated people In the most
absolute monarchy of the world
Dr Hamilton expects to hear of the
death of the czar and believes that the
royal family already knows that the
lorror of all the czars since the time ot
Uexander II Is upon him He was the
irst victim of the Nihilists
BARLEY KIH6 IS DEFT FREE
Chicago 111 Special Barley King
Henry J ONeill who gained fame
through his daring speculations in bar
ley in all the cereal markets of the
world -was discharged of debts amount
ing to almost 1500000 by order of Judge
Kohlsaat In the United Stales district
ourt today Of the liabilities sched
uled by Mr ONeill about 50 were
dated as having been contracted joint
y with his wife In addition to Mr
ONeill more than 100 other bankrupts
svere discharged Among the names
sras that of John Vance Cheney libra
rian of the Newberry library and a well
inewn literary man
tVAR EXPENSES REACH 500000000
London Special Parliament will
assemble December 3 to vote the ex
penses of the war In South Africa which
are now expected to amount to fully
5500000000 Before Christmas an ad
journment will be taken until the end
jf January
The Times announces the following
ippointments
Lord Raglan under secretary of state
for war
-Earl of Onslow under secretary df
3tate for the colonics
Earl of Hardwicke under secretary of
3tate for India
It seems ceitain says the Times
editorially that the cabinet will con
sist of vwenty members the largest re
corded in our political auaorv
r v
r
- -a r y - i
W JSiiSii Si sLHfc jSvWiA1 rit i
j i I gJJ JWi I immm
PORTEH INVOLVED X lie 6UI SCAKiAL
Paris Special The following fx
traordlnary statement is given prooJ
nence in the evening paper La PresTOi
A personage who claims to be thor
oughly acquainted with what Is going
on behind the scenes In the matter l
the divulgence of the secrets of the lat
est French field gun to the United
States makes the following statement
This affair connected with the sudden
departure for Gibraltar of an officer of
the United States navy who waa em
ployed at the foreign sectlan of tfca
exhibition after having fulfilled bla
functions as naval attache at the em
bassy The field gun incident was also
the cause of the sudden handing over
of the affairs of the embassy to the
first secretary by General Horace Por
ter and his departure for Spain
The former naval attache in ques
tion who was born of British parents
and devoted above all to the embassy
In the Faubourg Saint Honore acted
almost openly as spy for several pow
ers
The person who gave this informa
tion makes a still graver statezaent
which we publish under all reserve H
says
General Horace Porter has been him
self indirectly affected by the Incident
in question His departuret which is
given out as temporary Is really final
and he will be replaced in Paris by Mr
John Leishman United States minister
to Berne a diplomatist of the highest
character whose Independence vis a via
the English embassy can be counted
upon for maintenance of good relations
between the French republic and th
United States
The naval officer referred to tn th
foregoing dispatch can be no other than
Lieutenant William S Sims wrho waa
assigned to special duty at thu Paris
exposition
BEEF TRUST RAISES PRICES OX KEATS
Chicago 111 Special The beel
trust puts the screws on with the Aral
touch of winter When meat Is mos
needed the prices go higher so thai
the poor become the heaviest sufferers
The trust has ordered sharp advancei
all along the line Beef pork rauttoa
cost the retailer from a cent to two
cents a pound more though the gen
eral advance is one cent a trifling sum
of Itself but adding 40000000 to th
treasure of the trust if kept at the pre
vailing prices
RETAILERS FORCED TO ADVANCB
Nearly all retailers have advance
prices to consumers from 1 to 5 cents
a pound Your butcher -will show lhesa
figures as a comparative table of la
crease
Old New
price prica
Tenderloin - 18 4
Sirloin 1 M
Rib roasts 14 U
Round 10 ir
Mutton chops 16 29
Bacon H M
Moreover there are no hopeful aigas
The trust people say that the chang
has been coming for some time but
nevertheless the retailers -were aghast
when the general advance upoa all
lines was ordered
The packers say they have advanced
the prices to retailers about 10 per cct
The increase in beef is from LS t H
per hundred fresh pork has advaa66
l a hundred and mutton 2 cants a
pound f
The packers say that they have feea
selling dressed meats at a loss for sev
eral years There was nothing appar
ently to warrant the present advance
as the price of choice beef on the cool
remains at 6 per hundred
Retailers on the inside say that the
beef trust has had the advance in con
templation for some time but that iha
trust waited until after the election o
HcKinley fearing that an advance be
fore would endanger a continuance of
prosperity
The trust will enjoy renewed prosper
ity but at the expense of many tfiou
zands of poor people who will b
obliged to live on less meat or nont
at all
BIG CARPET WORKS GUT WA8ES
Yonkers N Y Special A rumor
which rapidly spread through tha xit
Tuesday to the effect that the eniplaye
of the immense Smith carpet works
would suffer a reduction qf wages waa
confirmed this evening by an official or
the company The cut amounts ta 1
cents on 110 worth of work an
at present will affect only the settlnc
department of the tapestry mill
The Smith mills are the most -extensive
carpet mills in the country em
ploying in the aggregate about 70M
people Two large additions have late
ly been added to the works and will
when completed call about ldaaor
employes to the roll
The cut as ordered will for the pres
ent only affect the cutting depariarent
of the tapestry mill or about 00 ar 70t
employes all women At the preaenf
time their wages average about 96 jpe
week and the cut will amount to Irora
1 to 3 per week according to the abil
ity of the employes to turn out th
work
When a reporter asked for General
Superintendent Clark he was referred
to the general office of the company
Here one of the officers consented tr
see him and when asked if the re
ported reduction was to take place he
equivocated and tried to dodge the an
swer When asked direct if he would
deny that the reduction was to take
place he replied that he would neither
confirm nor deny the report He ad
mitted that trade was never better and
prospects Tor a busy season were good
It i3 less than a year ago that the em
ployes were reduced from SL20 to 1
which with the present reduction
means a total of 25 bents In less thaa
J a year - v
- S
Basga
-3
K
ii ii MiwihUiiii
