436 
FES 25 
THE ByBAL WEW-YOBKIB. 
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HOME NEWS. 
Saturday, February 18, 1888. 
Mr. Blaine’s letter declining to let his 
name be mentioned &s m a Presidential candi¬ 
date at the next National Republican conven¬ 
tion for the nomination of candidates for 
President and Vice-President, has been the 
chief topic of political discussion by all parties 
during the week. The general impression is 
that he really meant what he said and that he 
would rather be the “power behind the throne” 
than the occupant thereof. The rest of his 
long letter goes forcibly to show that the Re¬ 
publicans have now a better chance for victo¬ 
ry than they had before last Presidential 
election. Some maintain that the “smartest 
politician of the day” merely meant still fur¬ 
ther to strengthen his position with his party, 
and that he will be nominated anyhow, as he 
can’t decline a unanimous nomination. It is 
likely, however, that his letter will release 
some of those “bound” to him, and other 
candidates are encouraged, especially Senator 
Sherman, though Allison is said to be backed 
by Blaine. There’s quite a breezy boom for 
Sheridan, and if the choice falls on the little 
man on horseback, what a tremendous cutting 
• of party lines will confound and confuse 
the next election! Blaine is far away the 
ablest, most magnetic and popular Republi¬ 
can; but the Mugwumps and Stalwarts have 
the will and might have the power to “knife” 
him again. Cleveland is the only prominent 
name mentioned for the Democratic nomina¬ 
tion. Governor Hill of New York, is quite a 
big man in his own State; but there are no 
signs that he is considered bigger than Cleve¬ 
land in others. George and McGlynn are 
openly “out.” The former and his adherents 
who are out-and-out “Free-traders,” favor 
Cleveland’s re-election, on the ground that his 
opponents are absolute “ Protectionists, ” 
and that even “half a loaf is better than no 
bread.” McGlynn and his followers, identi¬ 
fying the “ecclesiastical machine” with the 
Democratic party, in cities at least, want to 
run an independent Presidential ticket to cut 
down the Democratic vote, or “Bublerize” it, 
as George calls it. McGlynn wishes his wing 
of the Anti-poverty Society to combine with 
the “United Labor Party”—Socialists, An¬ 
archists, etc., etc.—and to go boldly into 
“practical politics.” There’s talk of running 
him as a Presidential candidate,though there’s 
as much chance of his becoming Pope asPres- 
ident. Both George and McGlynn are try¬ 
ing to incorporate an Anti-Poverty Society, 
and each is hampering the efforts of the other 
on the ground that his own bantling is the 
genuine article. 
_There are loud complaints in this coun¬ 
try about the Canadian trunk railroads for 
unfair competition with our own trunk lines. 
The Inter-State Commerce law compels ours 
to charge on through freight from the West 
rates somewhat proportionate to local rates. 
If they lower through rates they must also 
proportionately lower rates for shorter dis¬ 
tances. The Canadian roads are not, of course, 
bound by this law, consequently they can and 
do take western American through freight 
at rates considerably lower than American 
roads can afford to take it without ruining 
themselves. The Grand trunk and Canadian 
Pacific are the great offenders, receiving 
their freight from connecting American lines. 
The goods start in the United States, then 
pass through parts of Canada, and again 
enter the United States for delivery at their 
destination. Congress is urgently requested 
to stop this ruinous competition by charging 
import duty on all American goods that have 
passed through Canada, and Congress is likely 
to do it unless the rival roads come to au 
amicable agreement.The New York 
Assembly has adjourned for a week or two to 
allow the dangerous ceiling to be shored up 
at an expense of $6,000. ..A large num¬ 
ber of manufacturers of barbed wire met at 
St. Louis Wednesday to adjust, if possible, the 
royalty claim of Washburn & Moen, owners 
of the patents. The manufacturers generally 
refuse to pay the royalty any longer, and an ef¬ 
fort is being made to have Washburn & Moen 
rebate their claim. No understanding has 
yet been reached. Mr. Washburn declares 
that the royalty, which now nets his firm 
$390,000 a year, will certainly not be relin¬ 
quished. The manufacturers seem to be 
equally determined uot to pay it ... There 
is a good deal of talk of the Dominion buying 
the Canadian Pacific railroad. It now owns 
most of the stock, and the whole ownership 
will settle many things, among others the 
Red River Valley railroad trouble. 
General Middleton who commanded the Riel 
expedition is President of a commission to 
investigate weak points on the Canadian, 
Atlantic and Pacific coasts and along the 
lake frontier, with a view to strengthening 
present fortifications and constructing new 
ones.After all, the Fisheries Commis¬ 
sioners have agreed upon a treaty which was 
signed by all six last Wednesday. Its provis¬ 
ions are yet secret, and Secretary Bayard 
says the published reports are wrong. It is 
said that the United States have got nearly 
all they insisted upon. It relates exclusively 
to the century-old disputes relating to the 
North Atlantic fisheries, having nothing to do 
with the Behring Sea trouble or a reciprocity 
treaty. The headland theory is abandoned 
by Canada, but some specified bays are re¬ 
served for her; otherwise Americans can fish 
up to a line three miles from the coast follow¬ 
ing indentations, and within that limit on 
paying a tax. They are allowed to “touch 
and trade” at Canadian ports and to buy any 
thing except fish-bait. Canadian fish is not 
to be admitted free. There are several other 
reported provisions, but nothing certain is 
yet known to the public. Before becoming 
binding, the treaty must be ratified by the 
United States Senate, the Queen, the Domin¬ 
ion of Canada and the Province of Newfound¬ 
land... 
John Tyler, being heavily in debt, insured his 
life in various companies for$300,000, and then 
died. The insurance companies contested the 
claim for his insurance on the ground that he 
had committed suicide for the benefit of his 
creditors and family, and a Brooklyn jury has 
just decided in their favor.Lily Lang¬ 
try is in luck. While boring for water on 
her ranch near Carson, Nevada, the other day 
a vein of silver analyzing §500 a ton was 
struck .Half a dozen drunken Hun¬ 
garians, after attending a church festival, 
were cremated Monday night at Hazleton, 
Pa., having set fire to the shanty in which 
they were carousing .President Cleve¬ 
land and wife with Secretary Whitney and 
wife and Dan Lamont and wife start for the 
Sub-tropical Exposition at Jacksonville, Fla., 
next Tuesday. They will stay a day at Jack¬ 
sonville and another at St. Augustine and be 
home next Saturday. 
Tuesday a station and hoisting engine at the 
end of an elevated railroad in Brooklyn, N.Y., 
while being moved forward, spread the tracks 
and fell on a horse car moving underneath. 
Three persons were killed at once, and two 
others are expected to die. Half a dozen more 
or less severely wounded.The Saco, 
Me., National Bank has recovered the §270,000 
worth of negotiable and registered bonds stol¬ 
en last August by young McNeally. The 
money was sent to the bank from Liverpool 
the other day by Harry McNeally, brother of 
the thief. The §16,000 cash stolen has been 
spent or lost. No prosecution. 
... A number of settlers have just been 
roughly turned out of Oklahoma by colored 
troops, and some of them are prisoners at 
Fort Reno, held for trial at the next term of 
the Federal Court. The leaders of three 
“boomer” colonies, with headquarters at 
Wichita, Kan., say no forcible entry will be 
attempted, still the military officers are so 
distrustful that a reinforcement of two com¬ 
panies of regulars passed through Wachita 
Wednesday, en route for Fort Reno. There 
are several bills before Congress relating to 
the Indian Territory. One provides for a 
Territory of Oklahoma, comprising the Cher¬ 
okee Slip, No Man’s Land and other territory. 
Another proposes to assign land in severalty 
to the Indians; that is, to give each head so 
many acres, instead of the land being owned 
in common, as at present. The Government 
is to purchase all the rest and throw it open 
to settlement. Very little prospect of any fi¬ 
nal legislation by the present Congress. 
.D. R. Locke, editor of the Toledo Blade 
and widely known as “Petroleum V. Nasby,” 
died at his home in Toledo, last Wednesday 
morning—Feb. 15—of consumption. Born in 
Vasti, Broome Co., N. Y., on Sept. 20, 1833. 
Became printer and reporter. Founded the 
Plymouth Advertiser in 1852, and the Bucyrus 
Journal in 1856, and was afterward connected 
with the Mansfield Herald and the Findlay 
Jeffersonian. The first “Nasby” letters ap¬ 
peared in the latter, the first on April 21, 1861. 
The political satires at once gained tremen¬ 
dous popularity, and were copied every¬ 
where, exercising enormous influence in favor 
of the Union cause. In 1865 he took charge of 
the Blade, which he finally bought. He was a 
popular lecturer, and of late has been largely 
engaged in building and manufacturing. 
Three full grown sons survive him, and he left 
a fortune of §1,000,000 exclusive of the Blade. 
The Grand Jury here has now before it the 
charge that Jay Gould and Russell Sage mis¬ 
appropriated or withheld §3,000.000 of the 
stock of the Denver Pacific Railroad Company, 
which was given to them as trustees of the 
Kansas Pacific bondholders. The jugglery 
occurred over six years ago, and the defend¬ 
ants’ lawyers depend on the statute of limita¬ 
tion for the escape of their clients... Jones 
of Binghamton, who “pays the freight,” the 
very efficient Lieutenant-Governor of this 
State, has declared that he will be a candi¬ 
date for Governor at the next election.. 
In order to encourage immigration the 
Southern railroad companies have agreed that 
on February 28, March 13, and 27, April 10 
and 24, tickets will be placed on sale at points 
North and West to all points South, good to 
return in thirty days, at the rate of 1 % cent 
per mile each way, with stop-over privileges. 
This is about one-third of the average rate. 
.... In the great walking match that end¬ 
ed at Madison Square Garden, in this city, at 
10 o’clock last Saturday night, there were 74 
entries. All who didn’t make 100 miles in the 
first 24 hours were shut out,and not more than 
23 did this. Only 12 staid on after the second 
day. To get a share of the gate money the 
walkers had to complete 525 miles. Here are 
the records of those who accomplished this: 
Distance. 
Time. 
Rested. 
Name. 
Miles. Yards. 
H. M. S. 
H . M .S. 
Albert. .. 
1,820 
140 00 00 
19 21 50 
Herty. 
600 
141 00 00 
1 ? 16 00 
Guerrero. 
— 
138 53 00 
13 42 00 
Hart. 
660 
141 02 00 
29 47 00 
Golden. 
880 
141 23 00 
15 52 00 
Moore . 
[,320 
141 30 00 
20 10 00 
Strokel. 
880 
141 00 00 
16 40 00 
Noremac.... 
440 
140 55 00 
17 30 00 
Here are their shares of the gate money: 
Albert. 
1 Golden. 
Herty. 
I Moore 
■ 
.. 431 37 
Guerrero. 
1 Strokel. 
.. 323 53 
Hart. 
1 Noremac. 
... 215 69 
The best previous record was that of Fitz¬ 
gerald in New York in 1884, when he made 
610 miles. Albert got §1,000 in addition to 
his share of the gate money, for beating all 
former records. It was a swindling, gambling 
black-leg affair all through, except as regards 
the successful walkers, who appear to have 
acted honestly. Several law suits have 
grown out of the disgraceful thing. 
.A bill before Congress provides for 
the issue of not more than §30,000,000 of 
fractional currency, to be based on redeem¬ 
able coin. Another reduces the postage on 
seeds and plants. Both will probably be 
passed, if those who approve of them write 
to their Congressmen. The House has passed 
the Glass Bill, providing that the United 
States Consuls shall make monthly crop and 
market reports from their respective stations, 
to be published in monthly bulletins by the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture; also a bill reducing 
the fees for getting information about public 
lands at the General Land Office.The 
Senate Committee on Law is to investigate 
Trusts. The House Committee on Commerce 
will do tho same. Several State Legislatures, 
among them that of New York, will do like¬ 
wise.The greatest fire that ever occur¬ 
red in Providence, R. I , destroyed three 
blocks of buidings, including two hotels, 
Wednesday. Loss over §500,000 ....,. 
....After a loss of about §4,000 000 to those 
engaged in it, and a very heavy loss to the 
public due to interruption of business, the 
Reading railroad and mining company’s 
strike is ended. The men are to go to work 
on Monday. No discrimination is to be made 
against those who went on strike. After the 
men have gone to work the matter in dispute 
is to be submitted to arbitration. Much re¬ 
joicing among the half starved strikers ... 
....Railroad rates are still being cut all to 
pieces in the West. It is reported that bank¬ 
ruptcy is staring some roads in the face as 
a consequence, especially the Chicago, Bur¬ 
lington and Northern. Twenty-five nail 
manufacturers, employing 1,900 machines, in 
New England, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsyl¬ 
vania, Maryland and Virginia, have just 
formed a Trust. They will cut down pro¬ 
duction 40 per cent and raise prices Western 
manufacturers are expected to follow their 
example.Great drought in North Caro¬ 
lina.A “thoroughly reliable firm” of¬ 
fers to build the Red River Railway in Mani¬ 
toba, and put up a “marked check for $100,- 
000 as a guaranty of good faith.”. 
....The St. Paul Chamber of Commerce 
has passed a resolution in favor of uniting St. 
Paul and Minneapolis—“the Twin Cities”— 
under one municipal government, to save ex¬ 
penses. Minneapolis doesn’t favor the pro¬ 
ject. Make’em one and call it Minnepaul! 
.There’s a report that anew Ohio oil 
company with a capital of §10,000,000, is going 
to start an opposition to the Standard Oil 
Company. It’ll probably sell out; if not the 
whole country will rejoice.C. P. Hunt¬ 
ington wants 125 years for the Pacific Rail¬ 
roads to pay the Government all they owe it. 
Meanwhile they are willing to pay 2 per cent, 
interest. Thousands of debtors would be quite 
willing to pay off in full after such a respite_ 
Teemer, the Pittsburg oarsman, is beating all 
competitors, and is doubtless the Hanlan of 
to-day. The new Rubber Trust is re¬ 
ported to have a working capital of $50,000,- 
000, and annual trade of §600,000,000—equal to 
about $10 a year for every man, woman and 
child in the United State. 
The Dakotans are wrathy at the grossly ex¬ 
aggerated stories told in many papers of the 
havoc wrought by the late blizzards. Instead 
of 1,000, as alleged by many, not over 250 lives 
were lost, and ex-Governor Pierce puts the 
number at 149. Governor Church says the 
disasters have been marvelously exaggerated. 
Mayors of various towns, as well as “ prom¬ 
inent citizens ” are all denying the stories. In 
a territory larger than all New England, with 
New York thrown in, containing a population 
of 600,000, many of them newcomers, who did 
not, or could not take proper precautions, the 
losses are not considered excessive in view of 
the unprecedented severity of the cold. Out¬ 
side “Thomases” say that Dakotans wish to 
minimize the disasters lest settlers should 
be kept away by the truth. One of the worst 
blizzards of the winter raged about Grand 
Forks, Dakota, and probably over a wide 
range of country, Thursday last. Trains 
were abandoned on all the lines; but no deaths 
have been hitherto announced. 
Congress has appointed Andrew D. White, 
ex-President of Cornell and ex-Minister to 
Germany, a Regent of the Smithsonian Insti¬ 
tution at Washington instead of Asa Gray. It 
has also appropriated §15,000 for a statue of the 
late Spencer F. Baird, to be placed in front of 
the National Museum .. .In the New York 
Legislature a bill repealing the law permit¬ 
ting the sale of pools on race tracks has been 
brought in by Senator Arnold_ Satur¬ 
day last Senator Stanford, of California, 
“made himself solid” with the 15 pages of the 
Senate by bountifully banqueting them. Mrs. 
S. gave each a handsome gold scarf-pin as a 
memento.There $re loud complaints, 
especially at the West, of the inefficiency of 
the postal service. Many business men prefer 
the express or telegraph service. Congress is 
to investigate the trouble ....A special 
agent of the Treasury investigating the re¬ 
ported opium smuggling at San Francisco, 
has discovered that the old ring, which for¬ 
merly imported opium by the ton, has been 
reconstructed and is more powerful than ever. 
. A serious small-pox epidemic has 
broken out at Mandan, Dak. The place is be¬ 
ing virtually quarantined by Bismarck, across 
the river. A supply of vaccine has lately 
been received, and now most of the inhabi¬ 
tants have the cow-pox. The birthday 
of Abraham Lincoln was celebrated in many 
parts of the country on Monday by Republi¬ 
cans by giving banquets. It may be a Nation¬ 
al holiday yet.The City Council of Chi¬ 
cago has passed an ordinance to compel gas 
companies to supply private consumers, as 
well as the city, at §1 per thousand cubic 
feet. The gas syndicate is kicking. 
FOREIGN NEWS. 
Saturday, Feb. 18, 1888. 
This has been an exceptionally quiet week 
in Europe, even in the matter of rumors. The <, 
British House of Commons has been engaged 
chiefly in a discussion of the Queen’s Speech 
from the Throne, and Parnell’s amendment to 
it censuring the Government for its course in 
Ireland. The speeches have been exceedingly 
bitter, and extremely eloquent in many cases. 
The debate ended last night by fhe rejection 
of Parnell’s amendment by a vote of 317 to 
229, a strict party vote, all the Liberal-Union¬ 
ists present voting with the Conservatives. At 
an election for Member of Parliament held at 
Southwark, a part of London, yesterday, the 
Gladstonian candidate was elected by a vote 
of 3,638 against 2,444 for the Unionist support¬ 
ed by the Conservatives. Last year the votes 
were 2,566 for the former against 2,453 for the 
latter. This Liberal gain is held to be indica¬ 
tive of the change in public opinion every¬ 
where. As the Conservatives and Liberal- 
Unionists have nearly six years more of pow¬ 
er, unless they voluntarily resign or dissolve 
Parliament, they are pretty sure to do neither, 
as their opponents would almost certainly tri¬ 
umph. There have been a few agrarian out¬ 
rages in Ireland, where coercion is still being 
rigorously enforced, but the Government has 
decided no longer to prosecute newspapers for 
publishing accounts of forbidden public meet¬ 
ings.The Pope advises the Irish Bishops to 
preach respect for the law and tell the people 
to be calm and prudent in their conduct. 
... The European war scare is by no means 
allayed, in spite of a reiteration of soothing 
words from Bismarck. The Czar too talks 
peace: but his subjects are very angry at Bis¬ 
marck’s language, and his forces are being 
steadily increased on the German, Austrian 
and Roumanian frontiers. The Russian force 
along the Austrian and Roumanian frontiers 
is estimated at 570,000 men, with 2.250 guns. 
It is said Russia and France would at once 
form a formal offensive and defensive al¬ 
liance, were it not that France fears that 
Germany would straightway declare war. 
England is reported to have virtually though 
not formally joined the Triple Alliance. 
The French and Russian fleets could soon 
sweep the seas of all the war vessels of Ger¬ 
many, Austria and Italy; but is is said Eng¬ 
land has promised Italy to defend her coasts 
against all attacks in case Russia moves to¬ 
ward Constantinople. Russia is sure to do 
this in case of war, and France is sure to 
join Russia in hostilities; therefore, as Italy 
would join Germany and Austria, England, if 
she keeps her word, must necessarily come in 
conflict with France and Russia at sea, and of 
course she would soon have to join in the 
struggle on land also. War is certain ere 
long; how near it may be perhaps nobody at 
present knows. Lord Dufferin has ac¬ 
cepted the post of English Embassador to Italy. 
. ..Since last night the poor Crown Prince has 
become very much worse—the most serious 
change yet, the doctors say. 
AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 
Saturday, February 18, 1888. 
... Superintendent Morrison, of the Wiscon¬ 
sin farmers' institutes, says that in spite of 
cold weather the meetings were very well at¬ 
tended; 54 have been already held and some 
counties in which the institutes were held 
early are arranging for others on their own 
hook.... The number of dog licenses in 
England last year was 900,000—aggregate tax 
£340,000, or nearly §2 a head. How many 
dogs here are worth as much?.At the 
well attended meeting of the American Hor¬ 
ticultural Society the other day, at St. Josd, 
Cal , resolutions were passed asking Congress 
to pass laws to preserve our forests more ef¬ 
fectually, 'and against any reduction of the 
tariff on green and dried fruits, nuts, wines 
and other horticultural products...._The 
Farmers’ Alliance, of Minnesota, wants the 
Agricultural College to be separated from the 
University, and there is a general desire to re¬ 
move it to a place where country rather than 
city influences may operate on the minds of 
the pupils.Union Stock Yards Bank, 
St. Paul, capital §50,000, has been organized. 
.... Farmers’institutes in this State will be 
held at Pougkeepsie, Dutchess Co., February 
21 and 22; Riverhead, Suffolk Co., February 
23 and 24; Hamburg, Erie Co., February 28 
and 29; Jamestown, Chautauqua Co., March 1 
and 2; Hornellsville, Steuben Co., March 8 
and 9; Auburn, Cayuga Co., March 13 and 
14 The New York Senate has passed the 
Vedder Bill, exempting agricultural and 
horticultural societies for the operation of a 
bill which provides for the raising of taxes 
from corporations_Petitions are “pour¬ 
ing” into Congress, asking for the removal of 
duty on imported sheep “dips.”. 
... .A few Missouri counties have lately been 
bitten to the extent of §100,000 by the stale 
Bohemian oats swindle.The new Nat¬ 
ional Association of Expert Judges of Swine, 
will hold a meeting at the State House, In¬ 
dianapolis, on February 28 and March 1, when 
the organization will be perfected, and its 
workings exemplified by the “scoring” of 
several hogs by the members, who will give 
full explanation of cutting, etc. L. C. Nixon, 
Ft. Ancient, Ohio, now President, and W. 
H. Morris, Indianapolis, Secretary. 
American live cattle are selling in the Liver¬ 
pool market at 11% to 12% cents, estimated 
dressed weight. Dressed beef is worth 8% 
cents. Exports of live stock and dressed beef 
from Boston for the foreign markets last 
week were 890 cattle and 1,759 quarters of 
beef.... The egg importation of England 
last year amounted in value to §15,000,000, 
or in numbers to about 3,250,000 of eggs for 
each working day in the 12 months. 
Last winter the losses of cattle in Montana 
amounted to §4,000,000. Judging by reports 
already received, the losses this year will be 
much heavier. Those in Wyoiqing, too, will 
probably be heavier than ever before. Sev¬ 
eral of the cattle companies are already 
prostrate, and many more are stagger¬ 
ing under the disaster .Wolves are 
unusually fierce in the Northwest, owing to 
the severe cold. A week ago they raided the 
pig-pens of Hunstiger & Temmersen, almost 
within the city limits of St. Cloud, Minn., 
and destroyed 2,000 pounds of live hogs. 
Advices in regard to condition of autumn 
sown grain crops in the United Kingdom and 
on the Continent are favorable.Eleva¬ 
tor storage rates at Chicago have been re¬ 
duced to the following basis: Bulk grain 
three fourths of a cent per bushel for first ten 
days, or part thereof, and one-fourth cent for 
each additional ten days or part of same, so 
long as in good condition. 
In the annual appropriation bill before the 
New York Legislature are the following items 
of special interest to farmers: State Ento¬ 
mologist, §2,300; agricultural museum, $30,- 
000; State fair premiums, $28,000; Geneva 
Agricultural Experiment Station, $20,000; 
Forest Commissioners, $31,500; State Dairy 
Commissioners, $75,000. 
A Very Common Complaint. 
How often do we drag on, day after day, 
with nought especially to complain of but 
