Che C
couutry , guided by clear-eyed and
strong-armed drivers , drawing a freight
age of life and property beyond estimate.
How little the public knows of the
wonderful system and the numberless
signals and appliances necessary to ac
complish this result !
While railroad rates as a whole are
more than reasonable in this couutry ,
unjust discriminations between shippers
and between localities exist , which are
detrimental alike to the railroads and
the public. Concessions are granted to
largo shippers which give them an undue
advantage over small ones and give rise
to public prejudice , which finds its ex
pression in legislation and in the jury
box ; rates are reasonable but uniformity
and stability are lacking.
The economy of operation largely de
pends upon the volume of business. The
shipper in a sparsely settled country
with small business does not appreciate
this. Ho sees that rates in the far West
are much higher than those in the East ,
and falls an easy prey to the politicians
who advocate a reduction. Yet the sure
net returns to the investor , including
freedom from unjust legislation , are in
dicated by the relative prices of stocks
in two of the great divisions above noted.
Price of Stock.
TonMilo ,
Rate. Penim. R. R. N.Y.C.R.R.
Lines pant
of Chicago 55 141 188
South. Pacific. Union Pac.
Transconti-
nuntiil lines 00 -10 Preferred 70
Common 50
In our foreign commerce the large
organizations of capital known as
"trusts" are doing a work in extending
American markets that it would be im
possible for smaller units of capital to
accomplish.
The organization of industry has ap
peared so suddenly that the public was
startled , as a good horse will shy at an
umbrella when it is opened suddenly in
his face , but let him smell of it and see
that it is not dangerous , his alarm sub
sides thus will it be with trusts. Their
evil will be eliminated , their good will
be developed , their usefulness to man
kind demonstrated , and the bogy which
the rivalries of sensational journalism
and partisan politics have conjured up ,
will fade into thin air.
COLL ) STANDARD SORROWS.
The following table shows the gross
earnings of 108 railroad systems for
three months in 1899 and 1900.
Gross earnings 103 railway systems
for first three months in 1899 . ? 118,812,259
Gross earnings same systems for
first three months in 1900. . . . 153,8-13,008
Increase for 1900 85,031,789
Estimated amounts to be expended by
gome American railroads for improve
ments for 1900 :
Baltimore and Ohio $25,000,000
I Atchison , Topeka and Santa Fo 0,000,000
Monon 1,000,000
Chicago and Alton 2,000,000
Chicago , Rock Island and Pacific. . . . 2,000,000
Chicago , Milwaukee and St. Paul. . . . 8,000,000
Illinois Central 8,000,000
Chicago and Eastern Illinois 2,500,000
Chicago , Burlington and Qulnoy. . . . 0,000,000
AMERICANS AI.I ,
cation to the dis
criminating mind in a little occurrence
briefly recorded in the local papers of
last week. The chief personage was a
poor woman , whoso family consisted of
herself and a baby , both of whom she
found on her hands in Kansas Oity ,
whereas she desired to see them in
Friend , Nebraska ; a hopeful name her
destination had. It is not to be supposed
that there were none in Kansas Oity
who would gladly have forwarded her
thither : we take it rather that she was
of the primitive Yankee type , conscious
that her own two feet , if planted in
alternation a sufficient number of times
in the proper direction , would convoy
her in time to any corner of the country ,
and thinking this undertaking an in
finitely less task than the soliciting of
charitable aid. At all events , she set
out for the town of Friend by the public
highways , pushing her child before her
in a baby -carriage ; and of the various
kindnesses that she met with by the
way nothing is told , but in the course of
time she is found at Bennett , some dis
tance this side of Lincoln , where the
poor thing's strength had failed her ; so
that the passengers on the morning train
westward beheld , on reaching that
station , the most pitiable sight on earth ,
a brave woman , who had tackled diffi
culties single-handed , and had to give
up. And the baby was still in the
carriage.
She was taken on board the train , and
remarkably little difficulty was ex
perienced in raising sufficient money
among the passengers to pay her fare to
Lincoln and leave her a cash balance ;
nor , iu the state in which she was , did
she repel the needed help , for which
tears were the only return she could
make. Neither did this pleasaut be
havior of our random fellow-citizens
stop with individuals ; when she reached
Lincoln , and her case was laid before
the grasping octopus that controls those
trains , the officials of that soulless cor
poration felt authorized to refund the
price of her ticket and present her with
a pass for the rest of her journey as
well ; and that is what they did.
WASHINGTON , LEE AN ! ) GRANT.
There is a publication in Philadelphia
called Oity and State , and its motto is
"Commonwealth above Party. " In the
issue of April 19th is an article on "Im
pressions of a Southern College , " by a
contributor who recently visited Wash
ington and Lee University at Lexing
ton. In speaking of the origin of this
institution he says :
"In recognition of Washington's ser
vices in the revolution the assembly of
Virginia , in 1784 , presented to him shares
in two canal companies the Potomac
Company and the James River Com
pany. This gift Washington refused to
accept for his own use , explaining , in a
letter which is still treasured at Wash
ington and Leo , that when he was called
to the station with which 'he was
honored in 'the late conflict for our
liberty , ' he thought it 'his duty to re
solve to shut his hand against every
pecuniary recompense. ' To this reso
lution he had invariably adhered , and
from it he did not feel at liberty to
depart. But while he could not accept
the gift for himself , he felt at liberty to
ask permission that it might bo devoted
to some good object of a public nature.
This request was granted. The fund
thus formed , and which first nourished
Liberty Hall , still yields an annual in
come of $3,000 to Washington and Lee
University. This institution today ,
under the leadership of ex-Postmaster-
General Wilson , supported by an able
and devoted corps of professors , is doing
a noble work for the young men of the
South. "
That was a noble example which
Washington set and it was followed and
sot again by that other and no less noble
son of Virginia , who was also in his day
president of Washington and Leo Uni
versity , Robert E. Lee.
General Leo also refused to receive
anything having the appearance of a
"pecuniary recompense" for his services
to the South , nor would he lend his
name and fame to any business concern
for profit. Herein is the distinction
between the heroes of the South and
the heroes of the North. Our Southern
men fought for a great principle , fought
-for Southern rights , and never did men
fight more gallantly , and never did men
make greater sacrifices for any cause
which they had espoused. They fought
as long as General Lee said that there
was a chance of victory , but when over
powered by superior numbers and by
the inexhaustible resources of a rich
government , they laid down their arms
and went home and took up the struggle
for existence. But such a thing as
reward for their services never entered
their hearts. They were content to
have the approval of their conscience
and to have the good will of ther fellow-
citizens. They had not been bounty
jumpers in war and they were not pen
sion seekers in peace. Twice-a-Week
Times of Virginia.
IMPERIAL EXTRAVAGANCE.
Governmental affairs involving ex
penditures nearly ten times as large as
those of the United States during the
first years of Washington's presidency
are being carried on without the direct
knowledge or control of the representa
tives of the people in congress. These
affairs are being carried on exactly as
the czar of Russia administers the
provinces of his empire. If congress
needs to have no supervision or control
of one part of the business of the Amer
ican people what is the need , every good
imperialist will presently bo asking , of
having a congress at all ? Hartford
Times.