FHE OMAHA DAILY BEE ESTABLISHED JUNE 1J > , 1871. OMAHA , TUESDAY MORNING , MARCH 8 , 1808 TWELVE PAGES. SINGLE COl'Y ITtVE GENTS. Eow Stock Raising Contributes to the Prosperity of the West , RECENT CHANGES IN THE BUSINESS fWculern t'rnlrlrn tlneiiunled n I'eedltiK Ground Corn Converted Into .Meat Trend of 1'itck- s crlenVentnnrd. . ' Mr. Franklin Mattbewa , correspondent U Harper's Weekly , In his fourth letter to that journal , rightly contends that the cattle busi ness for 1897 was a close second to wheat an a contributor "to the prosperity of the ( West. The changes In the buslnee to meet changed conditions , the value of tlio crop , ( ceding stations cod the trend of meat pack- erica to Uie source of supply , are treated with considerable detail end lu an instructive manner , as follows : Not only was the year 1897 profitable to most of these engaged In the cattle industry In the wcat , but It served to fix what will probably bo tne > permanent lines along which that Industry will move and develop. The cattle Industry of today Is not what It was a dozen years ago , nor five years ago , nor even one year ago. It haa been changing In methods from year to year , but for the last lialf-dozun yeara has been gradually as- mimlng a form of apparent permanency. That form means a development along the lines of least resistance , like all other en terprises. It means that the live stock lu- dut.tiy Is concentrating gradually In what Id known as the Missouri valley. On the one hand the packing hou.ua are going there , nnd on the other hand the dealers In cat tle and other animals for slaughter are bringing their animals Into that region for flnal feuding preparatory to killing. Ttteru Is one good reason for this. It Is In that region that the corn which gives flavor and weight and fat to live stock Is raised. It may not pay a farmer to lalso corn for 12 or 15 cents a bushel as corn , but If he can get 30 centa a bushel for his corn by transforming It Into additional weight on cattle , It Is a paying enterprise. The farmer can afford to pay transportation charges on 30-cent corn In the form of live Block. The cattle ore being brought to where the corn Is grown , and the packers , the men who kill the animals for food , are going to the name place , for the simple reason that It costs less to tihlp meal dressed than on the hoof. If this concentrallon of the Industry marks ' & distinct advantage to any one , It Is the farmer or the man who lias a "small bunch" of cattle , say from fifty to 200 , for sale year by year. H memo 1 that It other ciopa fall , his cattle crop 1 will probably keep thing * moving In his 1 business. Thl causes another decided step In diversified farming , a slop necessary to the promotion of successful agriculture In the weal. The lean years ifrom 1892 to 1897 chewed the desirability ot keeping cattle , and thousanda of farmers went Into It as much for the sake of getting food for them- elvcs and their families as In the hope of making money out ot It. THE OLD CATTLE TIIAIL. Ten or fifteen years ago the great cattle trail from south to north and east of the Ilocky Mountalna was the scene of pictur esque and profitable activity. Starting from northern Texafl nnd contiguous territory , great drovea of cattle , numbering thousands VPOn ' ( 'isands , were driven over a domain i&at was na ifieo at air , and water to all , grazing as they went , and wk'.r.s uif fleeor losing It , until In the north the outre-aching arras of the railroad were met. The cattle , wcro then loaded Into cars and chipped east , chiefly to Chicago , where they were killed. Civilization moved west rapidly , and the great cattle trail , with Its thousands of cowboyti and hundreds of thousands ot cat tle , disappeared as the era ot reapers and toes" and other implements of agriculture took their places. The eoothlng eonga of the cowboys , as they calmed the restless cat tle gave way to the bars a click and rattle of farm machinery. The cattle Industry was obliged to change form and business meth ods. . Then came the days of direct shipment to eastern stockyards from the ranch where the cattle were produced. Nearly one-half of the cattle were killed at the stockyard , ) The rest were consigned , on direct pur chase or other business terms , to farmers who had corn and facilities to feed the Block where they remained for several months , until they were fit to kill , when they were sent back to the atockyards to become a food product. The farmer paid the freight both ways In this stockyards opera tion. Later there came legislation allowing the cattle to bo dropped off at stations on the way from ranch to stockyards , nnd after being fattened for several weeks 01 months , to bo rcshlpped to their flnal des tination , the stockyarda , on the same bill ol lading on which they etarted on their food- lupplylng journey to the eastward. This as much as any other agency has brought aboul a great revival In the Industry. RECENT CHANGES. It Is within two or three year * that tht Industry has taken the fotm It now haa Briefly elated , that form la the embodlmenl of the following facts : The best breeding pl.tcee for cittln are probably Texas , Ne Mexico , Arizona , Oklahoma and the Indlai FTerrltiry , where tl.e. climate Is mtU : Uie br RftTzfmrVllCCa.loi-jcgtUe.ato .JlSntar'a. Wyb mlns. wesltrn Kareas and weslevn Nebraska the home of the natlva grasses ondlcu the great herds of buffalo used to graze ; the best feeding or fattening placed for cattle nre ciatcrn Kansas , cacietn Nebraska , Mis eouvl cod Iowa , where the corn that rlpeni them Is grown ; th& best killing places fo < cattle are nearest the feeding placea , when the flnlrfilng prcrcesa In food preparation I1 put on , providing freight facilities are ade. cjuate. In a broad way this movctnent In thi cattle Industry Is now followed. Vast hard ore prexluced In the warmer regions to thi couth of the middle weft. After rcneblin a eultable. ago they are scut to the grea civzl'.g grounds In the middle west groundi apparently designed by nature for this pur reach the for kllllni pose' . When they age tl-uy tre fecwarded again to feeding statlonfl most of whleli are within 200 miles of thi packing liouaw. and after a stay there ti acquire flavor , weight and fat , they an rla-gtitcre-1 nar the s.cck yardi. The grea trains of cattle that followed the disuse o the cattle trail are being duplicated today but lu a different way. They are used ti trancport tUo cottlo lo the grazing grounds I met a stockman In Kansas who had made In 1S97 , no Kfs than elx round trips t Oregon , where he purchasjel native cattle and , In special trains , dad sent them Int Wyoming on the range. Hundieds of sue ] noclal trains went eperdlng over p'aln n < mountain In 1897 , as they had been dolni for several years , and an they will cr.ntlnu to do for many ye-ara to come. HUSTLING FOH FEEDERS. The sUtlMIci" of the ytnr * lnw * h t 90 ? pn cattle wfe brought Into thla country frou old Mrx'eo ' In response to this moveiwit. nni u estimate- has been made by the rattl experts ot Kansas City that In the same ye.it 1897 , no less than 925,000 cattle were hrough Into Kansm to go uoon tbo prnzlng grounder or to be fel for killing. A Djdge City cor rwpcndetit of the New York Evenleii ? Pew told. In an article publt.1-ed lo the middle o December last , of the trlr of a wealthy youni Knnwn to Tex s to buy cattle to place UDOI the range. He took a cowboy band to Foe /Worth / In a special Pullmtci ca decoratc-d with cattle horns and b n nor * . Ho bought 45,000 cattle. HI band paraded tbo streets and made muili typical of the return of good Mmes. The cor respondent added : "Ten trains brought the first Instalmen of the berd northward , and the animals an new eating Kansas grass. " This movement takes place in great magnl tudo when the national quarantine la lifted ot Uie official * of tat Santa K rallroti lu Topeka told mo that In the first seven days after the quarantine was lifted that railroad alone brought Into Kansas no less than 35.000 head of cattle , and that the other railroads brought in about the same number. There cattle were distributed In all parts ot the stale. PRODUCERS' YEAR. So much for the general movement that takes place In the Industry. Last year was what Is known os n producers' year. For some reason there was a scarcity of cattle ot a suitable age for killing. One theory advanced for this was that during the hard times Kansas and Nebraska farmera cold off most of their cattle to get a little money for the home. Another was that there had been 8 } little profit In the Industry that the stock , or supply , had diminished by a sort of gen- j cral consent. At any rate , when the year | opened prices began to go up. In a general way It may bo said that where producers re ceived $4 a hundred In 1896 they got $5 a hundred In 1897. Catlle that were Intended for feeding rcec In value from , say , $18 to $25 a head. The failure the year before ot the corn crops In Iowa and Nebraska had thinned out the feeders In those stales , and Iho crop failures In weslcrn Kansas , wllh tbe diminishing population and Increasing In- , debtcdness , brought about new conditions j there. The farmers , or the men with hoes , . as It haa been put , had left the country. ! The lack of water In streams and the drouths had made agrlcullure , as carried on In olher i places , a failure. It seemed as If nature , driven to Impatience , had shaken the settlers and sent them out as Invaders In a territory that of all others In our great country was fitted for the grazing of cattle. It requires from ten lo fifteen acres of Ihe short native bunch-grass to supply food for one steer. Western Kansas Is not a place for corn or wheat. Take some of the counties In that country , and examine the population stalls- lies. Haskell counly In 1888 had a popula tion of 2,666 ; In 1894 the population was 831. Grant county In 1880 had a population of 3,000 ; in 1894 Its people numbered 771. Mor ton county's population In 1888 was 2,618 ; In 1S94 It was 467. The same thing was true of a dozen other counties , as big as some stales. In six of these western counties In 1894 the population amounted to only 4,454 , and there was a municipal Indebtedness there of $967,949 , or a per capita Indebted ness of $212 , an "achievement , " as State Stallsllclan J. M. McForland of Ihe Depart ment of Agriculture In Washington , remarks , "without parallel In the history of the race since municipal bonds and scrip were first Issued and sold. " In one county , Mr. Mej Farland says , the "rate of taxation on the selling value of the land" was 33.2 per cent. Ho then adds : NATURE'S FEEDING GROUND. "Fifty years ago this region was a portion ot the great pasture-field of the buffalo. The buffalo has entirely disappeared , but the land remains very much In the same condi tion as the buffalo left It. Under present conditions It was never Intended for any thing else than what it has been used for for ages a pasture for cattle. A great portion tion of It can never be used for anything else , under any conditions that can be brought about. On those portions where artificial Irrigation can be established , a dlf- fcrenl dcsllny awalls Ihe land. " Ex-Governor Click of Kansas-Is on record as saying : "Neither the prairies nor the pastures ( of Kansas ) are yet crowded with catlle. Their numbers can be Increased ten fold , and there will be no overstocking. " It was the recognition of the fact that western Kansas was destined to be used for cattle-ranging that Inspired the legislature cf that state to require owners of property there to fill up abandoned wells , mines , and other excavations , so that cattle might not suffer Injury as they roamed about without regard to the ownership of the land. In case the owner neglecled to fill up these holes In the ground the county commissioners were authorized to do it , and the expense was placed on the county books as a lien on the property. It wu an official recognition , so to speak , of & ' - ' * ' fact that a lesson had been learned Trotn nature. Providence had placed the buffalo and prairie chicken on that land , and western Kansas now under stands what nature was teaching. Nor did the range cattlemen alone learn the lesson of adapting enterprises to nature's requirements. The small farmer on the bor der of the short grass country found that whllo other crops might fall , he could raise cattle every year. He could also raise suf ficient grain , even in bad years , to feed those cattle until the time came to ship them to the stock yards. He discovered that alfalfa and Kaffir corn would withstand drouths , and he began to raise both of those crops. lAs a result , many a man has had prosperity's , blessing In the last year. It Is a fair esti mate that every farmer who bought catlle to fatten and then to sell made fully $10 a head last year. On sheep the profit wcs not less than $1 a head. These figures are given tome mo not by experts at stock yards , but by at least a dozen farmers with whom I talked In Kansas and Nebraska. Not every man who went into feeding stock made mojiey out of It , but those who understood it , those who used scientific methods and did not neg lect the hygiene Involved , cleared a hand some profit. All over the middle west there were small bunches of cattle on farms , and It was these bunches that helped materially In the return of prosperity. Although the year was profitable to these who produced cattle , it was not so profitable to those who made a business exclusively of feeding them. Nevertheless , it was a pay- ingyearfor that branch of the Industry. Prices were steady throughout the year , except at the end , when there was a sharp drop of 50 cents a hundredweight. The Stockman of South Omaha says that "it Is extremely doubtful whether cattlemen ever had a more satisfactory year than In 1897. " The Drover's Telegram of Kansas City says "the year will go Into history as the greatest the Industry ever experienced. , .Thc feeding stations are most Interesting places.s The ealtle are brought there and put on grain , and cared fc - " > it i. every re quirement as to sanitation and hygiene. They are Bluffed scientifically , bo that on an average they gain from a pound to a pound and one-half a day. One of these etatlons Is kept by the Standard Cattle company at Ames , Neb. In 1896-97 the number of cattle marketed by thla company was D.454. The number of days on which Ihe callle were fed was 215. The average welghl of calllo when received was 1,066 pounds , and when faltcned for market was 1,304 a gain of 238 pounds , or only a lltlle more than a pound a day. If the catllo feeders made money this year It was due probably to the reduced cost In the feeding. According to the tables of the Standard company , the cost per head of feed- lug cattle for the season of 1894-95 was $27.34 for 152 dajs. For the season of 1895-96 It was $17.74. For the season of 1896-97 It was only $15.07 for 216 days. That Is the lowest it cost which that company has experienced lu feeding cattle In ten years. In 1890-91 It cost $32.29 a head to feed catlle. The re duced cost last year was due lo the large crop of corn that Nebraska raised , and the reduced price of all kinds of grain that were used In feeding the catlle. It Is slgnlflcanl also that more corn Is being used year by year In feeding the stock. The Standard company used , in 1894-95 , 28.3 bushels ot corn a head in feeding. The next season It used 40.7 bushels , and last season It used 69.1 bushels. The cattle at the feeding stations are kept In what are called feed lots , there being from 150 to 200 In each lot. Of course there are largo barns and other buildings necessary for a plant such as this , and the outgo for J labor and feed , whether the feed Is raised on the feeding elation or purchased. Is enor mous. The margin of profit is small , and were It not for the fact that the bog feeding Industry It practically part of the cattle- feedlng Industry , It ii doubtful If It would pay to lock up a large amount of capital In the business. Although it costs on an aver age only from 60 to 75 cents a year to keep cattle on the range. It requires capital to operate a feeding plant , where the cost for Eevcn months , even In the cheap year ol 1 1897 , was more than $15 a head. IMPORTUJtOE OF THE BUSINESS. The necessity ot having feeding stations , or of feeding cattle with grain Instead ol selling them as they come direct from the range or pasture field , la shown by the fact that probably not 50. per cent ot range cattle are Ot to enter directly into beet consumption. Tbe cattle are kept on the range while they are growing. Boon aftei tbejr reach tit * ag at j } * ri , * utU more , they are brought to the feeding sta tions , and kept for several months. It IB agreed generally that the best ago for killing Is about three years , for then what Is known as the "rap" In cattle Is running freely , and the flavor Is most attractive. The extent to which this feeding Is carried on ! ft shown by the fact that Texan wae prac tically stripped of calves and yearlings last year. The buyers had to pay for calves that formerly were thrown In with the mothers. Although the Increase In the number of eatllo at the four largest markets In the country was only 277,189 head , the Increase In the number of cattle cent from the stock yards In Omaha to fee-ding stations was no Jefis than 172,000. The Increase In cattle sent to such stations from Kansas City wai , 12,000. ( ! These figures make a significant fOowlng. They prove that although the re ceipts of cattle at the various stock yards were greater than In 1896 there were fewer cattle killed for meat consumptlcn. MOVING WESTWARD. Mention has been inado ot the fact that the tendency of the packers la to move to ward the west and near to the feeding grounds. The receipts of live etock at the various centers of the Induatry show that. It Is Within tie memory of even young pcr- scrs when Cincinnati was the center of the hog Industry of the country. TUat ccntcc1 wcs moved to Chicago , where It atlll remain1) , ' killing more tf.an all the othe-r centers com- ( blued. The same thing Is true &s to the killings In the sheep Industry , but It Is not ] true as to cattle. Year afler year , In the , mailer of packing sheep and hogs , Chi- i i cago's Indtis'ry has grown sleadlly and nor- I really. No. In len ycara , howevev , has lhat 1 city had any decided Increase In the cattle , Industry. In 1888 the number of cattle re ceived at the stock yards In Hilcago was 2rll,543. In 1897 the number waa 2r,5 ,924. That was a decrease of 60,000 In round num bers. But that was a small decrease a < * coirrired with the year 1S92 , Chicago's ban- ntr year In the catlle Induslry. lu that j i year the stock yards there recelvcJ 3,571.796 catllo and the receipts have been dlmlulan- tng gradually since. Note now how the I ml u try nt Kansas City has Incretrcd. In 1883 the receipts of cattlfr al Kewas Clly were 1,036,086 head. In 1897 Ifje recelpls wcro 1,817,526. From 1888 le > 1897 lite Incrcafle lias been normal and steady , | only once , In 1891 , dropping erlously behind ) the figures of the previous > eir. That was a j loss of 200,000. Omaha has a similar story to tell. The recelpls of callle In Omaha In 1SSS were 35523. In 1S97 they were 810.94' . and the Increase , llko that at Kanras City , was steady and almost ccnstanl. St. Louis has a similar story to tell. The receipts j of cattle In that city In 1S8S were 453,918. I In 1S97 the receipts were 787,678 , a steady , rise marking the Increase. These figure rhcw Itat In cattle at least the trend of bustarrs Is sUalght toward the middle w"st. The big paoklng establishments tare enlarg ing their scope constantly , especially In the M"r.iourl valliy. Within a fe > v m utiifl a bin cntabllshme.nt has been started at Sioux City , la. , the place that probably suffered mcnt In all Iho boom wrecks In Ihe United Stales. Tliero are Iremetclous esNibllohmcnls at St. Joseph and other places , and the tendency un- mlclakably la toward concentcatlcn , lowar.l the"places where the cnttle rt In the best cceidltlcci for killing the states wheres. the corn la grown and the fee'llng elationaboueid. . The reason why Chicago has probably held lls own In j sheep and hogs Is that It Is easier < io ship them than cattle , and , therefore , the es tablishment of new plants U a matter of longer growth. We are now reidy lo consider some of Ihe figures showing Ihe business ot the year In live atock and cattle , especially In Kansas City and Omaha , as Illustrating the share In the prosperity It had 'In those atates. It was the most prosperous year that Kansas City has ever had In live stock. The In crease In valuation In the receipts there was $7.118,305. The Increase In the number of head of stock received was 972,734. There 'wuv , gain In the number of cattle received of 102,994 , and of hogs the tremendous gain of 745,000. The sheep Increased In number 141,110. The price per head of cattle was $42 , against $45 the year before. Prices of hogs dropped from $8 a head to $7.50. Sheep also dropped a dollar a head. Nevertheless , the year was regarded as the most profitable In the history of the Industry. The receipts of cattle were not so large as In 1890 , 1892 , 1893 , 1894 , and the prices were not as high as In some years , yet the profits were larger to the raiser of cattle , and also to the I feeder of cattle , owing probably to the fact that the Industry had run down , and re vived In magnitude with the general revival of business. Omaha showed a record of profit and Increase - crease In buslr.es.3 similar to that of Kan sas City. The Increase In cattle there amounted to 224,371 , In hogs to 394,611 , and In sheep to 269.155. Of the Increase In cattle tlo only about 70,000 had their origin In the state. That share of the Increase was'worth nearly $3,000,000 lo Nebraska raisers. The value of the Increase In catlle , considering the entire number received , was nearly $10- 000,000. The Increase In the total value ot the other kinds of live stock was even more notable than In cattle , and all this tells a story of prosperity to the farmera and others of that state , entirely Inde pendent of the prosperity that came through the gialn crops. It Is noteworthy also. In considering the statistics ot the year , that In sheep Chicago , St. Louis , Omaha and Kansas City each had a banner year , the receipts being the largest In the history of the stockyards at those places. In hogs Kansas City and St. Louis broke the records , Omaha's largest year having been 1894 , and Chicago's having been 1891. In cattle , Kansas City alone broke the record as to receipts , St. Louis' record year having been 1896 ; Omaha's , 1S93 ; Chicago's. 1892 , Kansas City , therefore , had a record-break ing year In sheep , hogs and cattle. Chl- cage bad one In sheep , O.T.alu had one In sheep and St. Lould had one in sheep and hogs. THE OUTLOOK. As to 'the prcupects for the present year , 1 am at liberty to quote the following , from the manager ot one of the biggest cattle companies In the west , In a letler to me , dated January 5 , 1898 : "It appears that the Idea which prevailed a month ago that a very excessive number of cittle were on feed for early slaughter Is probably not true , and that the number on feed Is not much , If any , larger than last year. It Is also probable that all the fat cattle sold between now and July 1 prob ably 1,600,000 head will not weigh as much i as Icet year , or , at any rate , as much as 11 for the two years preceding that. The de- 11 mand promises to be so good that the out- 11 come of the season to cattle fecdere promises I to bo better than was feared a few weeks ago. The price of feeders that Is , cattle j to be fed last fall was extremely high be- { cause of a scarcity of the cattle themselves In the corn stales and trom the very active | demand caused by a surplus of corn left from the crop of 1896 , and a large crop for 1. ' 1897 , and the low price of com. It ap- peared very likely that farmers would make heavy losses In feeding , especially large numbers of farmers new at the business. At present tbo outlook Is better , and al- Ihough there may not be much profit In feed- . Ing to many feedero , It is hoped that the , j price of fat cattle will be high enough to j prevent loss. " A connoisseur In beef can tell at once whether ho is eating cornfed or grassfed beef. beef.The The difference la that cornfed beef U smoother , richer and better In flavor to i such an extent that It Is worth at least $1 ! a hundred more than the griFnfed article. t And that a dollar a hundredweight represents | the corn crop of the middle west turned Into r' ' beef , and is responsible for the feeding station * , 'the movement of the pick ers toward the feeding grounds , and the stoppage ! of trains laden with cattle on their way east , 10 that the cattle mar be taken off , fattened and started on ig-aln on their Journey to tbe kitchens ' ot the people a stoppage hbat has revived the industry , brought money to farmera and cattlemen and dividends to railroads. Tbe cattle industry ceemi now Ho be on an en- durlnr baaU , especially M to buelneu method * , i * CITY COUNCIL WIliL HELP IT Committee Decides to Make & Popular Plan SUPPORT FOR THE CENTRAL BOULEVARD -T MntiVr Will norclrp , Ifreognltlon Unllnnnce TonlKhf Help for City Clerk mill HrnlUi Cummlii- luticr t'nder Conilderntlon. At the general committee meeting yesterday nttcttiuon the city council decided to pass the ordinance * carrying the Central bnutevarl Bchemo Into effect. This Is tbo Idea sug gested by the members of the Heard of Park Commissioners some time ago and which contemplates a parked drive from IJemls park southwest to Hanscom end thence east to Rlvervlow. The general outlines of the Im provement ( lave been frequently discussed and the discussion before the committee was largely limited to the legal complications Itiat have been suggested as porslblo , obsta cles to the plan. The ordinances will be passed tonight and appraisers will be ap pointed at once to assess the damages end benefits on account of the condemnation of the property required. The council disposed of a # uestlcn that has been a continual source of trouble to the city clerk by deciding to amend the dog ordi nance to make the fee for all dog licensee ) $1 per year. The present ordinance dis criminates against the female sex by assccs. Ing them $2. Each and every applicant tot license- Insists , as a matter of couroc , that hlit dog la not a female. The request of 1he health commissioner that the cost of removing dead animals be paid out of the general fund resulted In an agreement to have an ordinance drawn up which will provide for the appointment of nn assistant milk Inspector. It will be the duty of this official to sec to the collection of the feee for removing < lead animals from do owners In addition to assisting the milk .nspeclor and the councilmen believe that he can save his salary In reduced dead animal bills. I.OOKI.VO in * IICK\SE M.ATTKHS. Ilonril of Kdiicntloii ( Committee In Actively lit Work. The special committee of the Board of Educaticn that wa appointed to secure evidence of vlqlatler.s of the statutes , on account of which the board doen not secure Its customary profit In the \va > of license , Is actively at work , but the result of Ita Investigations will Lot bo made known for a couple of months. The committee has employed an experience detective , who is en < gaged In collecting the evidence to back up the disclosures that the iotnmitteo la ox- pecttd to make , but Utol Identity w only known to the members o' tnc committee. He la expected to secure evidence against all resects \\tiere liquor Is eold-without a license and also against those vrhjch sell from t o or more bars on one license. It Is also understood thotjln the same con nection the committee will make ah cfforl to Induce the city council to make a new adjiv-tment of the minor llcenic fees. Undci the present system all fecit that ace referred to as licenses' ' go to the { school fund ant those which art called 4 > irtnlta' . .goto the general fund. In many casjs tbtf tnly 'eTrffer- cnce In 'the nature of the fees Is In'the name and tbo members of the'board contend that they should all DO placed Icf the license class For Instance , the tax levied on hacks Is called a license and revert * to the schoo fund. The tax aioc'sceJ ui the drivers U called a permit and goes to the general fund The license fees paid by secondhand dealers belongs to the echool fund and Uie fees levied for Junk dealers' permits go to the general fund. Police court fin en are turned Into the school fund , while the costs go to tile general fund. DrugglctV permits to sell liquor pay a revenue to the general fund , while caloon llctrees are paid on account ot the school fund. On the other uand members of 'the city council are In-dined - to the , , oplnion tnat the board Is getting more .than It Is entitled to already. In several cases the city is com pelled to pay a'l the expenses of conducting the office. Including the talary of 'the ' Inspector specter , while all the tees collected are turned over to the Board of Education. The fees collected by the milk Inspector , the license Inspector and other officials would bo sufficient to pay the entire expense of maintaining the office if .they were retained by the city , but under the present system the city is compelled to pay the expense whllo the Board of Education appropriates the profits. CI.EA.MXO DOWN TOWX STREETS. Limited 'Xiiinlirr of Men nnil TCIIIIIH I'ut to Work. The annual street cleaning has begun and there is a general disposition on the part of members of the council to provide sufficient funds to give the streets one thorough cleanIng - Ing before pursuing the policy of economy any further. Only twenty men were at work this morning on account of the scarcity of teams. ThU is duo 'to tne fact that City Engineer Ilcsewater Insists that every man who putu a team at work on the streets shall have a wagon box that will carry a full load. Moat ot the wagons are pro vided with boxes that , hold about three- quarters of a yard at the most and as these are peremptorily barred the supply of teams Is limited. A large additional force will bo started tomorrow and the bulk of the debris will be cleaned off the down town streets In a few days. Two gangs are at work , one on South Tenth street and the other on Farnam. On most of the streeluthe gutter Is filled with Ice flush with the curb and this has to be broken up and hauled away , . In places where the sun has had a chance to > .mclt the Ice the gutter Is filled with an odorous and un wholesome mess of refuse'which Is suffi ciently menacing to the pbblc { health to con vince the authorities thai It must be hauled away ot once. j * No action has been tatei } toward putting the sweeping machines abw > rk , as the coun cil has refused to sanction tietr rental. The work la being done In the o ! d fashlonej way and the bulk of the rotten'd ' accumulation Is swept up with hand broans , leaving the cracks and. Interstices packed full of similar material. Mortality MBtlnlloit The following blrJtW/nul / dealt : were re ported at the health office dicing the twenty- four hours ending at noon'jeetor.Jay : Births H. C. Johnson , WU North Twenty- fifth street , girl ; Anton Mdran , 1141 North Seventeenth , girl ; James ' 'W. Vogan , 1107 North Elghteenlh , boy. Deaths Christina Legcr , C5 , 2912 South Seventeenth , lung disease. Mount Hope ; Wil liam J. Ford , 35 , St. Joseph' * hospital , Holy Sepulcher. I'ark Communion rinntlnw Treen. The Board of Park CommUilaners has D gang of men at work planting trees on the exposition grounds and'this feature of the exterior decorations will soon lie completed. The board will meet some time/ this week to decide whether It will take any 'action toward the erection of the Arch of States or to Offllst In the paving and other Improvements on tbe grounds. Itolllnur the Illcrcle 1'ntli. The present open weather offers the wheel men every Inducement to take ibori rldei I out In the country/but about the only route that is passable at this icason ii closed be cause tbe Board of Public Works baa not rolled the cinder path to Florence. City Engineer Roiewater explains that this can not be done until tbe ccuncil acts on tbe recommendation of the Ooard of Public Worki ( or tbe purcbue gt a rollw and other machinery needed In street work. The recommendation was made several weeks ago , but for some reason the council has seen fit to pigeonhole the matter and the board to powerless to move. City IlitllilliiK Uecorntlon * . DiilMlng Inspector Butler has prepared the Fpeclflcatlons for redecorating the Interior of the city hall. They will be submitted to the council tonight. The specifica tions provide for a coat ot pure lead and oil aver all the plaster work In the corridors and rotunda as well as the Interiors of the offlecs. This will bo covered by a coat of white glue sizing and this will be followed by two additional coats of lead and oil , the last coat to be tinted as directed by the superintendent of the building. City Hall .Vole * . The asphalt contractors began repairing : he pavement on North Sixteenth street yes terday morning- . A permit has been Issued to the Pabst Urewlng company for the erection of a hand some summer theater on the Midway at the exposition grounds. The plans flled with the building Inspector Indicate a very hand some building , the design of the front eleva tion being exceptionally attractive. The cost of the building Is estimated at $5,000. A permit has been granted to iMrs. C. N. ! ) . Adams for the erection of a frame busi ness building at 4121 North Twenty-fourth street , at a cost of $1,000. Tills Is one of the structures that are being put up Inside the fire limits and In violation of the ordinances by special favor of the city council. SLOT MACHI.VKS XOT MOI.ESTKM. Chief ttnlliiKlier > "t Yet Itenily to Stnrt Another Crimmle. Chief of Police Gallagher said to The Bee yesterday that unless the Board of Fife and Police Commissioners Issued an order to the contrary , ho would not 'begin another crusade agalnat the nlckel-ln-the-slot nuis ance. Ho thinks Judge Gordon's decision Ihit all these machines are lotteries will stand In the higher courts , but before ho again takes the matter In hand ho will make sure that ho will be supported In the crusade. "In my opinion Judge Gordon has clearly shown that the maintenance of these ma chines ! s In violation of the state laws , but there Is no use In my going single-handed Into the fight against these lotteries without needed support fiald the chief. "I tried once and failed. Under the direc tion of the mayor and commis sioners , acting on an ordinance passed by the city council , within half an hour I cleaned up every nlckel-ln-the-slot machine In Omaha , the mechanical venders of mer chandise Included. This brought out an awful howl , Including a protect from the Woman's Christian association , and the au thorities fluked ; all of these machines classed as 'mechanical venders of merchandise' were ordered by the mayor and commissioners to be returned to the places where they were confiscated , and the police were beaten. Now , until I know that I will have backing In any future effort to bring thla business to an end In Omaha , I will not act. The mayor and commissioners must bo with mo In the fight. " Slrco Judge Gordon'o decision en Saturday nlckel-ln-the-fllct machines have been re moved from many wiloons and cigar stands In the city for fear that prosecutions will begin and canto trouble. In many older places , however , the machines may be played just the came * < s of yore , there apparently being little fear of trouble. But , while the police have not been ordered to confiscate * machines and make arrests. It Is given out that the patrolmen are quietly collecting evidence * against all stands where machines are maintained for future use. Rcnl Kxtnte ExclinnKo Miittcm. An exceptionally ; well attended meeting of the Real Estate exchange was held at noon In the Commercial club. Beckwlth Brothers of Minneapolis submitted a proposition to the exchange offering to furnish credit ratIngs - Ings on tenants through the Trust Bock company. A similar proposition was made by the Commercial Credit company , and both wore referred to a committee consisting of "Messrs " George , Payne and Wcad. The exchange decided to request the county commissioners to plant trees along the paved boulevards In the north and wesi part of the city and a committee consisting of Messrs Selby , Parrotte and Tukey was delegated to lay the matter before the com missioners. Olit IMnn lilvpM SntlNfuctlnn. The old system of Sunday postofllce mal delivery wns put Into use again yesterday nnd proved to be such a. ipleaslng contrast to the plan used the preceding Sunday that It wl 1 probably be permanently employee ! . Mall was called for by not more tnnn hal the number that crowded the corrlJors on the Sunday before , but they were accommo elateel proportionately In much less time The ten carriers' windows were thrown open at noon and everybody was nccommo dmtcd before 1 o'clock. On the Sunday before * the delivery was commenced at 1 o'clock nnd was not completed until after 2 Assistant Postmaster Woodnrd said tha there was not one complaint. He statee that the plan -would consequently be con tinucel In the. future. Other * Due IIaim * ' Anme. NKW YORK , March 7. At fie opening of today's session of the court-martial hear ing charges against Captain O. M. Carter Judge Advocate Barr Bald that he had re ceived a letter from Joseph T. Brown re questing that he and the other otllcluls o the Knickerbocker Trust company be given until Wednesday to answer the questions put by the court. The request was granted David N. Curvalho. the expert In hand writing , was the first witness today. Tno judge advocate offered In evidence a bit and voucher for $20.000 for work done In Cumberland harbor In June , 1&95. The bit was approved by Captain Carter and the receipt was signed Anson M. Bangs. Mr Carvalho Raid that the signatures on both the bill and voucher were In the hundwrlt Ing of Michael A. Connelly. A check for JEI.OOO. signed by Captain Carter , dated Aprl 5 , 1S93 , was shown to Mr. Carvalho and he mild that the endorsement of the signature of Anson M. Bangs on the buck was In the handwriting of IJ. D. Greene. Arrent Three Counterfeiter ! ! . ST. LOUIS. March " . Secret service olll cers and deputy United States marshal , have arrested at Do Soto , Mo. , Joscpl Cature , William Button and William Muflitt on a charge cf making and circulating coun torfelt money. They are now locked uj at the Four Courts , nnd tomorrow will b given a hearing before United Stales Com mlssloner Gray. Oncj of the men , Joseph Cature , was night engineer nt the De Soto Klectrlc Light works. Ho wan cuptum whllo making the spurious coin , and will him was taken molds , metnl.s , crucibles an < 150 In coin. William Button la 32 ye-ara old am comes from Indiana , whllo William Mallltt who Is but 23 years ) of uge. Is said to hnl from Nashville , Tenn. These two men have been staying In and about De Soto for two months. The circulation of spurious coin has been going on for several months. Trill I lip Ttvo MurilererH. CHICAGO. March 7. The police wer notified toiay of the arrest nt New Orlean of Salvndoro Guffro and Michael Pnluma uho are wanted hero for the murder o Salvadoro Poppa , Janitor of an apartmen building. Poppa was found one night a year ngo with his skull fractured. Ho re fused to tell the names of his assailant nnd lled shortly after. Poppa -was cup posed to have had a large Hum of money In his room. The crime > was apparent ! fastened on Guffre ami Paluma and th men were chased through several states being finally arrested In New OrleanH. llurneil While lit Hrr Prnycr * . CLKVKLAND. March 7. Margaret Maloney - loney , aged SI. living ulone In a small house In Smallwood , a miburlj. wan literally roasted to death today whllo kneeling In prayer. Neighbor * discovered the tittle cot tage wrapped In flame * . The charred remains - mains of the woman laere found In a kneel ing position by the Bide of the bed. An Ivory crucifix man tightly clasped In the withered hand * , and the lips , though ncorched by the deadly fire , sevincd mill to be uttering t > ra ? r . , SYMPATHY C5OP.S OUT TO AM. . Irlxh Wrtl AVInlien In Those Who SlriiRKle for Mlierly. DCNVCH , March 7. The biggest gJthcr- Ing of Itleh-Aincrlcan citizens over i - pombled In this city filled Uic Broadway theater , the occasion being the celebration of the centennial anniversary ot the Irish rebellion of 179S. The orators were Hov. T. II. Malone , S. J. Donlevny , national vice president of the Centennial Association of America. T. M. Patterson and P. J. Shcrl- djn. Father Malone's aililiras was n criti cal and hlstorlexil review of the movement of the United Irishmen. Incidentally he al- udcd to the recent speech of Father \Vcber ot New York. "As Irishmen and Irlah- \mcrlcans , " said Father Malone , "our cor- Hal sympathy goes out to all people strug gling for freedom. As Irish Catholics , wo : annot too severely condemn the words of hat misguided priest In New York , who said t was the duty of Catholics to support Spain In a conflict with this country. We stand for America against every other coun- ry on earth , and the prompt disclaimer of ho archbishop of New York for responsl- illlty for his priest's utterances brings a response from the Catholics of 'the ' west. " These sentiments were loudly cheered. S. J. Oonlevny's declaration that Irish latlonallsm was neither Catholicism nor Protestantism was enthusiastically ap- > laudcd. The speaker received an ovation is he declared for an "Irish republic , a 're.o people , free land and a nation self- reliant In all essentials. " The addresses of Messrs , Patterson and Sheridan were also well received. Dele gates were present from all the Irish- American organizations In "the " state. STOCK IIIIUKKIIS < ; ET A sc.vm : . iiimorn of Wnr Send StoeliN Down In n Hurry. * NE\V YORK , March 7. Traders sold stocks oday not only on the complications between he United States and Spain , but on appre- icnslons of trouble between England , France , [ lussla and Spain , and a general embroil ment of all the powers. The scene on the floor was an exciting cne , but while It lasted t lacked a suggestion of a panic. There was wary watching for the magical moment to my at the cheapest , ? K well as to sell at the > Est. ss was shown by the swift rebound after ho first slump. Quotations for Americans In London were looked far as an Index of values , but the markets there were suffering as acutely from the war cloud In the far east as from the Cuban question. The second thought of traders hero evi dently was that war In the far cast would not bo likely to hurt them and that Lon don's opening of values was too extreme on the part of depression. Evidently also a large amount of selling on Friday and Satur day ( reported to be for Washington account ) still remained uncovered , and the large short Interest promptly covered at the decline. As a consequence the first prices were the lowest , but the opening break was very violent and dislodged a toirent ot offerings , which were sold for anything that was offered. Metropolitan Street railway dropped eight points llko a plummet and prices In Sugar were all the way down to 5' points below Saturday. Losses ot 2 to 3 per cent were shown throughout the llet , bonds being as much affected as stocks. BX OK PICKPOCKETS KIM.KU. . Shot Durlnir a How In Her lliiNlinnil'N Nnloott. SAN FRANCISCO , March 7. Mabel Keat ing , known from New York to San Fran cisco as 'the ' "queen of pickpockets , " has been shot and fatally wounded by Jerry Sullivan , a city ball janitor , In the saloon of her husband , who also received a bullc from the same pistol. Sullivan entered Keatlng's saloon on the corner of Grant avenue and Moi'.on street and called for a drink. Before serving him Keating de manded payment of a bill alleged to bo due. Sullivan made an Insulting reply , which brought Mrs. Keating to the front. Her remarks enraged Sullivan , who drew a re volver and shot her In the left breast , In flicting a wound declared to be mortal. Then Sullivan turned his revolver on Keating and sent a bullet through the back of his neck The wound Is nett considered dangerous though It caused the janitor's victim to fal to the floor. Sullivan was arrested am. locked up In the city prison. Ho Is said to bo an opium fiend. Ho a'ttcmptcd ' to kll his sister several months ago. Mabel Keat Ing Is stated by the police to bo a notorious confidence operator , and Is reported to have cleared over 180,000 by disreputable prac 'tlces ' at the World's fair In Chicago. CHAItGE JACKS WITH 'A MUltnEIt Aeeoinpllce MnUen n CoiifcNNlon to ChlciiKO Pollee. CHICAGO , March 7. The police believe they have to custody the men responsible for the death of aged Andrew McGee , who was found murdered and robbed about ten dajs ago. One of the supposed murderers Is George H. Jackn , who was arrested near P. . D. Armour's home a few days ago for sand bagging and given an Indeterminate sen tence. Jackn Is said to be ex-chief of police of Musklngum , Mich , , from which place ho was sent to priscn for robbery. His alleged accomplice In the McGee murder ! William J. Willows , a Janitor. Willows has made a confceslon In which he charges Jacks with the murder and also Implicates a woman anil two other men In the murder. Willows a'so ' nay. . ! that Jacks Is a hypnotist. Jacks says Willows' statement Is a lie throughout. PEXHIOXS KOH WKSTEHX VKTHIIAXS. Survivor * of I.nte Wnr Ilememliereil by the fienernl floveriintent. WASHINGTON , March 7. ( Special. ) Pensions have been Issued as follows : Issue of February IS : Nebraska : Original John Keinmer. Vcr- don , $8 ; Alexander W. liuc'.iunati ' , Soldlerx' home , Hall , M : Allen Brown , Omaha , JO ; EmcrBon E. Bellamy. O'Neill , J10. Increase William H. Cogll. Central City , * fi to JS ; Marquis De Lafayette Fauvcr , Lynch , { G to S ; William P. Fullmer , Daykln , $16 to J17 ; Victor Tracy , Elk Creek. J17 to $24. Original widows , etc. Luclnda C. Hotchklss , Seward - ard , JS. Iowa : Original Andrew S. Babcouk. Elilora , $12. Increase Anthony A. Rabell , Davanport , $16 to $24 : George Gllchrlst , Oskalooxu. IS to $12 ; Alphous II. Cndy , Sloan $0 to $8. Reissue John E. McCllntlc , Mur ray , $ G. Original widows , etc. Kebccca Mudgett , Garden Grove , $20 ; Dora Ulunch , DelphoH , $3. South Dakota : Increase John J. Con- over. Valley Spring. $ .S to $12. Original wid ows , etc. ( vpeclal , February 21) ) Llbblo Smith , Groton. $8. Wyoming : . Increase-Samuel P. Holland , Cheyenne , $ S to $10. North Dakota : Original widow , etc. Xlclma Harmer , Tower City , $8. ! 'I nil Tliroiiu'i the lee , Deputy United State * Marnhal Homnn and Gus Henny spent Sunday at Onttwa fishIng - Ing through the Ice. They caught fine ntrlng of bass. flv > of which weighed be tween two and one-half nnd five pounds Several ducks were also shot. The two Ilchprme-n and liuntern bring back word that there IK plenty of wild foA'l nltout Ottawa , but that they keep near the Mis- sourl river. llevlvnl MeetliiKx. The revival meetings of the Walnut Hill Methodist Episcopal church are to bo con- tlnued through this week. The Interest shown by the members and others make this duty very clear , The pastor Is to bo assisted thin week by S. ! > ! Brown , a Rlng- Ing evangelist. Mr. Brown will Hinta solo each evening. Vletlm of n Family Feiul. CHATTANOOGA , Tnn. . March 7. T , N. Sherman , a farmer , was killed today by his cousin , Tom Sherman , In a law ofllcc. In Athens. Tenn. The killing WUH the out come of a family feud which has existed for peveral yeara , and In which a number of fiherrruina have lost their live * . The slayer g ve himself ufit , NEW FACTORIES FOR OMAHA Several Instltn lions Within Ensy Roach of City's ' Grasp , SECRETARY UTT SHOWS SOWIN SIGHf Wlllliiu : to Come Here If Cilven n l.lttle l.oeiil AxM Are ( iettltiK Needed Kneonriiueiiieii t. Secretary Utt la authority for ( lie state ment that there are a half dozen good bueU ness enterprises seeking location In this city If a certain amount of local capital can bo * ' Induced to Invest In them. Ho has In vestigated these business propositions and has found them to bo on a good foundation. Ho Is now working hard to Induce Home of the loca' capitalists to Interest tucmsclvcs In the matter. With this object In view ( te has mailed the following circular to mctnbet * of the Commercial club and the moneyed men of the city : Do you kna.v of jinnies cither In or out cf the city that > nould. under favorable condi tion * . Invest In ntiiniifacturln or Jobbing business In Omnha7 If you know1 oC sui'li parties , ndvlru this s-et-retary of this olub. There ) are several excellent enterprises seeU. Ing additional Invstmc-nt. Our cltlztms shou d make great progress ulciig the-se line" this year. The exposition aids the ) opportunities * . The most Important of these projects which Is seeking establishment here Is n big flour ing and cereal mill , with a capacity of 2,000 barrels dally. This has already secured t suttitantlal start. The promoter of the scheme requires $60,000. Of thta amount he has secured subscriptions cf $3r > ,000 and Is now trying to get the remainder. If the fac tory , as contemplated , Is built , It will be one of the biggest In this section of the coun try. Secretary Utt considers this an tin- usually cod business proposition , from the fact that a flour mill in Sioux City , In which a prominent Omaha man Is Interested , paid 25 per cent dividends lost year. The con- . tcmplotcd factory will put Into operation a sjstem by which 25 per cent of Its flour will be made from the white pnrtlon of corn. It will also manufacture corn grits , one carload of which Is used dally by local brewers , and which Is now obtained from Nebraska City. The mill Is also to manufacture pearl barley , k-hlch Is sold largely by Omaha jobbers. Another project for which HOIIIC sub.crlp- lena have already been secured Is a starch actory. Nebraska City and Onmlia already radically form the starch center of the UnlteJ States. That this district has Homo advantages for the manufacture of starch Id provcti by the fact that lar.tmonth a Ne braska City starch mill sold SOO tons of starch In England ! ci competition with tha starch factories of this country and Europe. Other establishments that may bo secured are factories for sleel ranges , windmills , patent furnaces and two beet sugar propool- lorn. "I have Investigate : ! all these Investment * end I consider them good , " said Secvotary Utt In talking about the matter. "I have. Issued the circular to Interest our local men with means and also thcvjc who arc ac quainted with men who want to Invest. I think It would be a goad plan for our bus- Ineai men. to keep the matter In mind and it they hear of a man , say 'n Massachusetts , ivlio has meacy to put In some enterprise , to call his attention to some of these prop ositions. " CiOHIlON SIFTS TJ1M SCGttP. Police Judire IllNiioHen of the Flint lluteh of SiiNpeotn. A cot-glomerate crowd of vagrants ant 'nusplclouc characters" was herded into police court yesterday from the city jail n a bunch , but if "the long man and the short man" were among the long list ot offenders their Identity was not disclosed. This was 'the result of Chief Gallagher's in structions to round up the Idle characters. In one saloon the police gathered in twenty- live prisoners. Ninety-five breakfasts at 12'/4 cents apiece were served at the jail about an liour before Judge Gordon began to grin. } out his grist , breaking the record of any one meal that has been fed to prisoners there during the "ast ten years. Policemen who have been eng In the service said It reminded them of the good old days when Omaha was "wldo open" all along the line. Judge Gordon was occupied until noon dis posing of the cases , about seventy-three of them being based on the charge of vagrancy and suspicion. Drunks and disorderlies com posed the other 'twenty-two , among whom were several women. The vagrants were arraigned In bunches of three and four , pleading guilty to the charge In most in stances. The court permitted each prisoner to briefly tell his story and then he disposed of them summarily. Probably fifteen of the offenders were sentenced to jail for from five to fifteen days , all of. whom were proved to -beggars and regular night lodgers at the central statlcn. A few prisoners were dis charged for lack of evidence against them , and all of the others were ordered to leave the city within an hour. These fellows the court warned not to show themsc-lvca before him again under pain of going to the county jail for thirty dajs on bread and water. All morning long the policemen In court and the detectives who were present to "turn up" old offcnderB scrutinized each prisoner as ho stepped up to the bar , but the long man and the shert man were not found. They may have been In the crowd , however - over , because nearly every character of doubtful appearance whom the police could find In the city ItaJ been gathered In. The police are still looking for the mysterloua pair , the long man and the short man. Held for Shoollnir n IlraUemnii. Herbert Williamson , a vagrant. Is held nt the city Jail as n fugitive from justice. On the night of Febtunry 28 , at Mill Station , la. , Pearl Jonhune , a HurlliiMon brakeman ejected n tramp from a passenger train. The latter resented by drawing u revolver and shooting the trainman throush the arm and face , fracturing his Jaw. Williamson Hnawors the description of the man who did the shooting and he carried upon Ills face wounds which he admits lie obtained by being thrown oft a train on the night tic ahootliiK of the brakeman occurred , only the prlnoner claims that his trouble wns at a station In northern Iowa. Special Agent Illnchardt of the liurllnpton road at Creston - ton , In. , IH enroute hero to Iilc-ntlfy William son If possible. For Miifllnir OliHeene I.el tern. United States Commissioner Anderson has held W. C. Newman of Ashton to the fed eral grand Jury In the sum of $ MO to answer to the charge of tending obscene matter through the. mulls. Tltu recipient was Mary Wa le > U'Sky ' , who recently re moved from Ashtoti to South Omaha. New man reflected on her character In letters. He wrote the letters because she had rev- fused to consider him In the light of a lover. ( ieriiuin NnvliiKx HniiU Dividend. Receiver MeCaguei cf the German Savings bank IH disbursing the proceeds of a & JK.T cent dividend that ho has Just declared. There are about 2.MO creditors nnd they are coming In at the rate of about forty per day to receive their money. When the former dividends were declared the credit ors reported for their money at the rate of 300 per day. The re-cel\eT says that to his mind the mariner In which people come In. te get their money Is one of the beat evi dences of the return of prosperity. Ilnten for Civil Sertlec Kxninliintlon. The dates on which n\lll bo held the regular spring civil service examination have been announced to Secretary Coflln of the local civil service board. The examina tions for cnrrh'iK and cleika In the post ofllce will be held on M irch 1C. and for position ! ) In the Internal revenue department on March/ / . It IH not yet decided whern thn examinations will bo held. A large , room -will bo required , as ithe number of ap plicants ( or the examination in largo *