THE COT TITER 11 : The Courier Published Every Saturday Entered tn the Postofflce at Lincoln as second clasa matter. OFFICE IW-9I0 P STREET Telfimiovp Business Office, 214 1ELEI,I0NE Editorial Rooms 90 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Per annum, In advance, $1.00 Single Copy, .05 "Ch Surveyor of tb . . . . . Port of Lincoln Comparatively few steamboats with their discordant whistles arouse the citizens of Lincoln from dreamless slumber. No men-of-war have placid ly steamed into port and cast anchor. Navigation on Salt Creek has never been a lucrative calling and the steam er which once upon a time ploughed the waters of the lake at Burlington Beach has long ago ceased to be re membered. On account of this state of affairs a great many people do not understand just why Lincoln is designated as a port by the government. Just why Hon. L. L. Lindsey or Hon. C. II. Mor rill or anybody else should be appoint ed surveyor and collector of the port also calls for a little explanation. Many Lincoln merchants purchase goods abroad. On their account the government has established a port, keeps a surveyor and maintains a bonded warehouse. The salary paid the surveyor is $900 and in addition he gets three per cent of his collections, with fees added. The warehouse is in charge of a lo cal transfer company. A bond Is filed sullicient to meet the value of all goods entered therein. When a merchant im ports goods he does not need to pay the duty on the whole consignment at once. He can place the surplus stock in bond and draw out package by pack age paying the duty as he takes out his goods. For instance the duty amounts to $2,000. The merchant need not raise the whole amount. It is only necessary to pay the charges on such merchandise as he urgently needs in his business. The importer may leave the goods in bond three years. For the accomodation of the importer, the gov ernment has established this ware house system. For the year ending June 30, 1900, the entries numbered ISO. The duties and tonnage amounted to $10,206.90. The expenses of the olllce, clerical hire and the like aggregated $l,SS'.0r. The year ending last June was not nearly so favorable. The number of entries fell off and so did the tonnage. The collector, however, got practically the same sum out of it, $1,831.74. The number of entries was l." and the du ties and tonnage footed up $9,0.4.15. Notwithstanding the establishment by the government of a port of entry here, very few linns take advantage of the opportunity to bring their im portations direct to the city without breaking bulk on the way. In fact most of the imported goods sold in the city are purchased from eastern im porters. Herpolsheimer & Co. bring in considerable toys, dolls and hosiery. The Fitzgerald Dry Goods company import hosiery in large lots; wines and liquors by the Lincoln Liquor & Cigar Co., musical instruments by the Cur tice company, cotton cloths and hand kerchiefs and woolen head shawls by Herman Bros., earthenware by Funke & Ogden, razors by the Budge & Guen zel company, and tea in carload lots by the Itaymond-Clarke company, Har greaves Bros, and Grainger Bros, form the bulk of the Imports. Perhaps one of the biggest items of imports is seeds by the Griswold Seed company. F. J. Kuncl of Crete imports a vail ety of Bohemian made goods for his trade, and three nursery firms, Young ers & Co., of Geneva, J. A. Gage, of Beatrice, and the Fairbury Nursery company bring in lots of greenhouse plants and nursery goods. The state university Is by far the largest Importer, but all of the articles purchased abroad by it come in free of duty. The toll and trouble of hand ling the material Is one of the per quisites of the otllce. The importations consist chietly of scientific and philo sophical apparatus, books, chemk.ils and laboratory supplies. The high schools of the state also receive consid crable supplies of the same general character free of duty. The surveyor of the port also acts as custodian. For this work he reccies no additional pay, although it is. in fact, the most of his trouble. If a window sticks. If the Janitor has neg lected his sweeping, if the radiator doesn't work properly, if any one of a hundred and odd things that may hap pen about a big building does happen the custodian is appealed to and his authority Invoked. He has general charge of all of the employes about the building. Is responsible for its care and cleanliness, looks out that too iniuli gas and coal is not used, sees that new supplies are secured and has various duties. The book of Instructions is a good-sized pamphlet, tells him Just what he must require in the line of new furniture, informs him that dusteis and brooms must not be wastefully used or stolen, directs him to see that when the sweeping is done the dust is got out of crannies and behind mov able furniture, etc., etc. The surveyor is allowed a clerk, who is paid out of the $1,800 receipts of the otlice. Two spacious roomn on the third lloor are set aside for his offices. From here lie directs the staff of em ployes. All of these, save his clerk, are under the civil service, and cannot be removed except for cause. & 3r ; Artist Yes, I am badly paid for good work, but I am content. The Other In the love of Art? Artist Yes, and then, if I live long enough, the day will come when 1 shall be well paid for bad work. TO STOP FLIRTING The New York flirt must go. Ah s mhlj iii.in I!. mutt of the New York legislature will show him no liieny If his bill bet om-s law, the making of "Coo-goo eyes" In the Kmpire state will becom- a criminal offense. Strange to say, the young women are not strongly supporting Mr. Bennett's measure. Wife Dear, aren't you drinking too hard? Husband- What put that Idea into your head? Wlft Well . you know you hav been detained at the office five times this week. .V J . P ?- t" Eyebright Well, I've got to begin wearing glasses. Skidmorc Troubled with your eyes? Kyebiight Certainly. Didn't think I was going to move to Boston, did you? Mrs. Bingo "You must be careful what you say to the cook, dear, or she will leave." Bingo "Why. was I hard on her?" "Were you? Why. anyone would have thought you were talking to me!" fe& THE PROGRESSIVE STORE T- OTJK- a-"R,IE.A.T Pre -Inventory Clearance of Coats, Waists, etc. Raglan Coats in Oxford gray and Kersey cloths, values m m to $20.00, now $10.00 jfk Any Women's 27-inch Jacket in the house in fine Kerseys, all colors, Skinner's satin lined, values to S1G.50, $7.50 Any Women's 42-inch Jacket in the house worth up to $25.00, $10.00 All wool Eiderdown Dressing Sacque, entire stock divided into three prices, 75c 98c, $1.50 25 Women's Jackets in Kersey, beaver, and Astrakhan cloths. These will go for each, $1.50 50 Women's Capes, !i0 inches long, in Astrakhan and Kersey cloths, fur trimmed. Choice for $3.00 100 Flannelette Wrappers value? to $2.00, each, 75c Infants' Eiderdown Coats, fur trimmed, values to $2.00, for 49c W All Broken Lines must be Positively Closed Out. Radical Reductions have been made in the entire department. - -- -v - - -i -a -a -a -n- -s- --