c T H E TORCH O F REASON, SIL V E R T O N , OREGON, T H U R SD A Y , MARCH IO, 1898. The year 1897 was called a year of peace; nevertheless there were Gin and gospel are the chief im ­ killed in battle during the year 103,- ports into Congo in return for ru b ­ 421. The leading places are as fol­ ber and ivory derived therefrom . lows: In Cuba 24.303 persons; in Sir C harles Dilke stated th at the Africa, 18,205; in C hina, 15,000: in new railway carried nothing but the Turko-Grecian war 11,839: in gin up. In our own West Africa Brazil, 10,859; in the P hilippine is­ colonies the total revenue raised | lands, 7,750: and in British India was £595,000, and of this no less 7024. There were 129,080 slain in than £336,(XX) was derived from 1896. W hat will be the record of the duty on spirits. 1898? Mr. Thom as G. Shearm an, lec­ A new invention for preventing tu rin g at Plym outh cnurch, Brook­ vessels from sinking after being lyn, on the H aw aiiar question,said dam aged by collision was recently th a t the m issionaries found 130,000 exhibited. An iron model of a people there, and th a t they now re­ cargo ship was placed in water, port only 34,000. The sons of the after having been loaded with brick. first m issionaries report th at the Then a hole, im mense in size H aw aiian« are a filthy, debased com pared with the m iniature ves­ and licentious race, unfit to be sel, was opened at the side. W hen trusted with their governm ent, but the water had risen to a level with m ust be kept under control by the the deck, a num ber of gutta-percha Congregational m issionaries. This bags, fixed under the deck,were in ­ is an adm ission of how little a gen­ flated with carbonic acid gas, and eration of C hristianity has done for the vessel almost im m ediately be­ them . gan to rise. Since the m issionaries entered “ I t’s curious w hat a good index the Sandwich Islands, all the land except 27,000 acres has been d i­ to a m an ’s character his laugh is— vided between the kings and mis­ th a t is, to a scientific and accurate sionaries and th eir fam ilies; the observer,” says a well known m en­ m issionaries ap p ro p riatin g four- tal specialist. “ For instance, the fifths of all the property of the person who laughs thus: ‘H ar, har, islands, which they now want to h a rl’ is alm ost alw ays fickle and prone to excitem ent, though gener­ annex to the United States. The natives wanted twenty-five ally h a n k and honest. ‘Her, her, cents a day to work on the lands her'.’ is th e laugh of the cynic, more the m issionaries had robbed them like a sluggish jeer than a joyous of, which was refused them, and chuckle, while those who laugh these religious robbers im ported thus, ‘lie , he!’ are n atu rally tim id; Chinese and some of the mongrel but if you hear ‘Ho, ho, ho!’ com­ races to work the sugar p lan tatio n s ing from some one a street or so and reduced the natives to abject away, he is, you may be sure, a poverty and starvation. W ith the devil-m ay-care fellow.” im portation of the scum of the h u ­ M ateria lism . m an race, leprosy, before unknown there, became common and increas­ E ditor T orch of R eason : ed rapidly. I have ju st received a letter from On leaving M adagascar, the A n­ Mrs. Bliven asking me kindly to glican Bishop of A ntananarivo in ­ formed his flock th a t, after all his | give you, in a few words, my opin­ ion on how souls grow and decay, labors, the men were greater thieves also my opinion on a future life. th an ever and the women were But before I give an opinion on more im m ora 1.—[ Freet h i n ker. either topic, I would first have to find out w hat a soul is. The bible leaves us entirely in the dark. It speaks of a soul as living, dying, of its being m ortal and im m ortal,of its being m aterial and im m aterial, o f Some persons find difficulty in its sinning and not sinning, of its u n d erstanding how, since the im ­ being saved and lost. I have yet ages of objects looked at are invert­ to find the person who has ever ed in the eyes, we nevertheless see been able to tell me what a soul is. the objects right side up. Recent My own opinion, and the opinion experim ents by I)r. S tratton in d i­ of the best authorities th a t I can cate th at we possess an interesting find, is th at it is a m yth, and con­ power of ad justm ent in this regard. sidered in the light of the bible’s He wore inverting glasses which claim for it, it don't come w ithin reversed everything within reach of the bounds of reason or good sense. his eyes, so th a t for him the ground As to a future life, I will say it is was above and the sky below, while som ething th a t no living person things on the right were seen on has ever known anything about or the left and things on the left were ever will know’ in this life. One seen on th e right. C ontinuously life at a time is all we can live, and for eight days he wore the glasses, if there is a life after this we need We had no and within th a t time his bodily not w o n v about it. knowledge of this life nor p re p ara­ m ovem ents became adjusted to the tion to m ake for it. N either will new order, so th a t he could walk we be required to prepare for any J oei . M. B erry . the streets w ithout much difficulty. other. Some “ M issio n ary “ Notes. * * * * W ESTERN . * * * INFORMATION B u r e a u a n d Isxcl ici nr>e Is there a n y th in g yon leant? H ave yon property to sell? Do you irish to ha a a hom e? Do you iris// to go into ha si n ess? Do yoa iris// to exch a n g e real estate or pei‘son a I property? F riends :- - We have recently established a general Ex­ change and Inform ation business in the th riv in g city of Silverton, and have for sale a num ber of town lots, vacant ami im proved, some well established business enterprises, some splendid farm s near Silverton, and last hut not least, all the lots in S E C U LA R H O M E a tract of land ad jo in in g th e Liberal U niversity grounds, and beautifully situated for homes. Below is a partial list of the property we have for sale. CITY PR O PERTY . FARM P R O P E R T Y , H a l f - A c r e L o t in W est Silverton ; 2 3 acres, weli im proved, tine house, b eau tifu l location for residence. $200. barn and o u tb u ild in g s, one m ile fro:,. C o r n e r L o t near th e L iberal U n i­ Silverton, $4000. Will trad e for larger versity. $100. farm of equal value n o t over twenty L o t s in S e c u l a r H o m e , loca tion m iles from S ilv erto n . to su it, at $25, $50 and $75. 4. acres of lan d in S ilverton, O regon; 3 1 8 acres of sp len d id fru it and farm ­ two good houses, fru it trees, etc. W ill ing land, well im proved, good running trad e for farm lain! w ater, th re e m iles fiom Silverton, at ',27 p e r acre. Can divide if necessary to H o u s e a n d L o t n e ar th e depot. su it p u rch aser. $750. H o u s e an