Conservative.
tiently on , watching every sign that
might give them an idea as t.o wher
they were , and how near to th
banks of the Missouri.
"Though there were numerous
traces of limiting parties and encamp
ments , they were not of recent date.
The country seemed deserted. The
only human beings they met with
wore three Pawnee squaws , in a hut
in the midst of a deserted camp.
Their people had all crone to the
south in pursuit of tiie buffalo , and
had loft these poor women behind ,
being too sick and infirm to travel.
"It is a common practice with the
Pawnees , and probably with other
roving tribes , when departing on a
distant expedition , which will not
admit of incumbranco or delay , to
leave their aged and infirm with a
supply of provisions sufficient for a
temporary subsistence. When this is
exhausted they must perish ; though
sometimes their sufferings are
abridged by hostile prowlers who
may visit the deserted camp.
"The poor squaws in question ex
pected some such fate at the hands of
the white strangers , and though the
latter accosted them in the loudest
manner , and made them presents of
dried buffalo meat , it was impossible
to soothe their alarm , or get any in
formation from thorn.
"The first landmark by which the
travellers wore enabled to conjecture
their position with any degree of con
fidence , was an island about seventy
miles in length , which they pre
sumed to be Grand Isle. If so , thev
wore within one hundred and forty
miles of the Missouri. They kept on ,
therefore , with renewed spirit , and
at the end of three days met with
an Otto Indian , by whom they were
confirmed iu their conjecture. They
leaint at the same time another piece
of information , of an uncomfortable
nature. According to Jus account ,
there was war between the United
States and England , and in fact it
had existed for a whole year , during
which they had been beyond the
reach of all knowledge of the affairs
of the civilized world.
"The Otto conducted tljo travellers
to his Village , situated a short dis
tance from the banks of the Platte. ' '
At the Otoe village , which was in
Sauuders county a few miles below
Fremont , they met a couple of trad
ers from St. .Louis , one of whom was
perhaps the Deroin after whom the
old village in Nemaha county was
named his "Dor-
; Irving spells name -
nin. " They got a canoe from him ,
and made the rest of the journey at
their ease , reaching St. Louis April
30 , 1818.
- One interesting incident ( to Ne
braska Oity people ) of their stay
among the Otoos is gathered from an-
ether writer. ' ' The Shawnee Prophet
had sent the Otoos a wampum , in
viting them to join in the war
against the Americans ; but they
answered the messenger that they
could make more by trapping beaver
than making war against the Ameri
cans. " Wise Otoes ! Their fathers
liad trodden the long warpath to
Pennsylvania iu 1755 to fight General
Braddockaud had come out losers ; and
that was the last appearance of in war-
the Otoes , so far as the writer knows ,
fare against the whites. A. T. R.
AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGINES.
The use of American engines on Brit
ish railways , especially upon those in
Egypt , is discussed in a report by the
Earl of Cromer , the British Consul-
General in Cairo , a copy of which has
just reached the Treasury Bureau of
Statistics. The report states that Amer
ican manufacturers are able to furnish
engines of their standard types at lower
prices and iii less time than British
manufacturers , but that for specially
manufactured engines upon orders ,
differing in detail from American types ,
the prices of British manufacturers are
slightly below those of the United
States * and that tests of American and
British engines in actual service have
shown that the American engines con
sume from 25 to 50 per cent more coal
than those manufactured in England.
Two offers from American and British
manufacturers for specially made en.-
giues according to specifications issued
by the Egyptian Railway Board are
quoted. In one of these the British
price is 2,240 pounds sterling , and the
American price 2,700 pounds sterling ;
and in the other case the British price
is 3,250 pounds sterling , and the Ameri
can price , 3,575 pounds sterling. To
this , however , Lord Cromeradds : "On
the other hand , the American firm ,
( Messrs. Burnham , Williams & Co. ,
whose works are known as the 'Bald
win' works ) offered to supply engines
differing in certain particulars from the
Egyptian designs and specifications , but
which they held to be of equal power ,
and equally suitable to the work which
had to be performed. Under these con
ditionsthe American prices fell respect
ively to 1,855 and 2,475 pounds sterling ,
that is to say , 19 per cent below the
British. The reason for this great fall
in price is sufficiently obvious ; it is
thus explained by Mr. Trevithiok. . The
American firm , he says , 'were able to
introduce their stock standards , and to
advance work continuously without be
ing hampered by , to them , unknown
and unnecessary conditions , an advan
tage which , in my opinion , quite ac
counts for the difference in the cost and
time of delivery between the two makes
of engines. '
"It appears , however , that it is not so
much in the matter of price as in re
spect to the period required for the con
struction that the American manufac
turers have had the greatest advantage ,
not only over British , but over all other
competitors. The figures in this con
nection are , indeed , very remarkable.
On the two occasions given by Mr.
Trevithick , when British and American
firms entered into competition , the
former offered to complete the orders in
48 and in 90 weeks respectively. The
American offers , on the other hand ,
were for delivery in 18 and 35 weeks , if
the Egyptian designs and specifications
were followed , or in 12 and 30 weeks , if
the designs were allowed.
"It cannot be doubted that the main
reason why so many orders for railway
and other plant required in Egypt have
recently been given to America , is that
American firms have been able to ex
ecute them with extraordinary rapidity.
For reasons to which I have frequently
alluded in nay annual reports , and on
which I need not , therefore , dwell at
present , railway development in Egypt
did not , for many years , keep pace with
the rapidly increasing prosperity of the"
country. The natural result ensued.
A moment came when a large quantity
of material was required for delivery in
a short time , and inasmuch as American
firms were in a far better position than
others to comply with the requirements
of the government as regards time of
delivery , a large portion of the orders
naturally went to America. "
With reference to this particular
question of time , Mr. Trevithick for
warded a memorandum to Lord Cromer ,
as follows : "The Baldwin works are at
present turning out locomotives at the
rate of 1,000 a year , or 28 per cent more
than the combined turn-out of the four
leading English firms , viz : Neilson ,
800 ; Dubs , 150 ; Sharp Stewart , ' 140 ;
and Kitson , 180. Their secret of success
in rapidly and inexpensively construct
ing locomotives is their continuous day
and night work system of piece-work ,
and working to fixed types and tem
plates. It will be readily understood
how great an economy can be effected
in the construction of machines so
complicated as locomotives when , by
working day and night , double the
amount of work is obtained out of the
plant and buildings ( capital ) , when no
scheming nor drawings are necessary ,
and when complete sets of templates
and patterns exist.
"Moreover , under this system , they
are able to make use of labor-saving
machines and tools specially designed
for the manufacturing of the various
parts forming their standard locomo
tives , the employment of which would
be inadmissible in English workshops ,
where only a few engines are con
structed to the same type.
"Thus it is that the Baldwin Works ,
so long as they have sufficient orders to
engage their machinery day and night ,
