Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Albany register. (Albany, Or.) 1868-18?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1875)
THK C1AISE UP THK VKAU. bt eKOKas c ruimoi. - Gone t Gone forever ! Like m roshing wave Another year had buret upon the shore -Of earthly being end it last low tones. Wandering in broken accents on the sir, .Are dying to an echo. The gey spring With young charms has gone, gone with Its leaves. It atraoopbrre of roses, V white clouds tnmbertng litx serapna in the sir its birds Yelling their love iu music, and its streams . leapi ug and ahonttog. from the ap-pi'ed rocks To nke the esrth echo with the joy of waves ; And summer with its dews and showers baa gone. Its rainbows glow og on the distant cloud Uke spirits ot the storm its peaoef ol lakes Vailing in their aweet eleep, aa if their dreams Were of the opening flowers and budding trees And overhanging sky and its bright mists Heating upon the mountain tops as crowns - Upon tfce heads of giants. Autumn, too. Has gone t With all Ha deeper glories gone. WHh its green nils, like altars of the world vXtf ting their rich fruit offering to their God. Its cool winds straying mid the forest aisle ' Ttt wake the thousand wind harps ; Its serene And holy sunsets banging o'er the West, lk banners from the battlweut of heaven; ' And its still evenings when the moon-lit aea Was ever throbbing -like the living heart Of the great Unive' ae. Ah, these are now But eeunds and visions of the past their deep Wild beauty has departed from the earth And they are gathered to nhe embrace of death, Their solemn herald to eternity. War have they gone alone. High human hearts -Of passion have gone with them. The fresh dust eb mm on many a breast that burned erewfaUe With ares that seemed immortal. Joys that leaped aucii iiuo me neari. ana wanaerea free In this young morn, to look upon the flowers. The poetry of nature, and to tut The woven sounds of breeas and bird and stream fjpon the night air, have been stricken down In silence to the dust. Exultant Hope, ' That roved forever on the bueysnt wind Ijke the bright starry birds of Paradise, And chanted to the ever listing neart In the wild music of a thousand tongues. Or soared into the onen akv until J.iKht'8 burning gems seemed jeweled on her brow. Haa shut her drooping wings and made her house Within the voiceless eeputcber. And Lore, Ttit knelt at Fasslon'a holiest shrine and gazed usa ursi i a luwt aa un some sweet scar Whose parity and distance made it d-ar. And dreamed of testacies, until his soul -Seemed but a lyre that weakened in the glance Of the beloved one, he, too, haa gone T his eternal resting-place. And where la stern ambition t He who madly grasped At Glory's fleeting phantom ; ho who sought Hie fame upon the battle-field, and longed To tua.se his throne a pyramid of bones Amid a sea of blood 1 He. too, haa gone ! ilia stormy voioe is mute his mighty arm la nerveless on its clod, his very name Is but a meteor of the night of Tears VTboee gleam flashed out a mo-vent o'er the earth And faded mto nothingness. The dream Of high devotion. Beauty's bright array And life a deep idol memories, all have passed AMke the cloud shadows on a star-lit stream Or a streim of soft, music, when the winds .Are slumbering on the billow. ' Vet why mure TTpon the past with sorrow? Though the year Has gone to blend with the mysterious tide Of old Eternity, and borne along Upon its heaving breaat a thousand wrecks Of glory and of beauty. Yet, why mourn That such is destiny I Another year -Cucceedeth to the past. I-i their bright round The seasons come and go ; the same blue arch "That hath hung o'er ua will hang o'er us yet ; "Tne same pure stars that we have loved to watch ftill blossom still at twilight's gentle hour . Iiike lilies on the tomb of day and still Man will remain to dream aa he hath dreamed. And mark the earth with passion. love will spring From the lone tomb of old affections. Hope, And Joy, and great Ambition will rise up As they have risen, and their deeds v ill be .'Brig titer than those engraven on the acrxAl Of past centuries. Even now the aea Of coming yeais. beneath whose mighty waves life's great eve&ts are heaving into birth, as tossing to and fro, as if the winds Of heaven were prisoned in its soundless depths And struggling to be free. Weep not that time In pressing on, it will ere long reveal A brighter era to the nations. Hark ! .Along toe valea and mountains of the earth There ia a deep portentous murmuring, sLike the swift rush of subterranean streams, Or like the mingled sounds of earth and air, Vnen the fierce tempest with sonorous wing Beeves his deep folds noon the rushing winds And hurries onward, with his might of clouds, Against the eternal mountains. Tie the voice -Ot infant Freedom, and her stirring call la heard and answered in a thousand tones, .afrom every hill-toD of her Western honu. Aud lo it breaks acrcss old ocean's flood, And 44 Freedom! Freedom!" is the ai shoot answering Of nations starting from the spell of years. Xkfe dayspring see tia brightening in the heav eoal The watchmen of the night have catfpht the sign. From tower to tower the sigual fires flash free. And the deep watchword, like the rush of seas. That hcralda the volcano's bursting flame, la sounding o'er the eurth. Bright years of Hope Aud Life are on the wing. Ton glorious bow Of Freedom, bended by the hand or God, Is spanning Time's dark surges. Its high arch A type of liove and Mercy ou the clouds Tells that the many storms cf human life Will pars In alienee ; and the sinking waves, Oatbering the forma of glory aud of peace, Be fleet the undimmed brigntneas of the heavens. A .STOKY OF AGGRAVATION". ,Ja nit itart lnoa Chapters, CHAPTER I. THB AJtESIOAH VKLVKT-Pl-AKT. " My dear," said Mrs. Scroggs, " you -must get me at once an American vel vet-plant.' I have been reading its da - ecriptioru It ia charming." " My dear," said Mr. Scroggs, "there are several growing out there on the bill. "Which shall I transplant for you?" "What do you mean?" said Mrs. w Scropgs. " The ' American velvet-plant is the -mullein, said Mr. 8croggs. " Pshaw !" said Mrs. Scroggs. . CHAPTER IT. y xuixEms and boses. "What has this conversation (which -actually occurred) to do with the story ? Wait a little. Thin is a story of aggravation, and not a Christmas-story, for, in fact, they 'Had no fjnnstmas at axi, ana it was 1m- , possible that they should have had, and they ought to have known better. It is written to be read after Christmas, when the bills come in, and the indigestions, euicl the doctors, and yon and your -ife have come to an understanding about the current expenses, and the Christmas brightness and the Christmas snow have given way to a raw, diptne ritic fog, and no end of Blush. Bead it then! And now, they ought to have known better, as 1 said before, for they were mullein people, and there is nothing in a mullein that can produce a rose. As regards manners, morals, and ideas, - they might be American velvet-plants they were. But, as regards sterility of resources, and the figure they cut in "' tha world,"and tha estimation in which they were held, they were mullein people ; growing on a very black hill- -de, too. : And always haunted by the desire and intention to grow roses! The ordinary mullein accepts the situatian. But 'these human Mulleins! they wonld - behave liko roses. They were always " ontwittmg Step-mother Fate. However she snubbed, and twitched, and set -rtaem in corners, they were ready for ber. Takeaway the carpets, and they stained the floor walnut-brown. Deny then bureaus, and they transformed a . packing-box, a dollar looking-glass, two cigar-boxes, and some old chintz, nto a dressing-table. Send them away vainngry from the greasy table of their lodging-house and they smuggle slices of bread, buy three cents' worth of but- "fSft make toast over their wretched little lire and turn the whole into a ravel, which they taBc of with glee. There is a cantankerous good-nature, an abominable cheerfulness ab;ut them. They will not accept the situation, and consider themselves disinherited. They liave every new painting and engraving toy heart. They visit the art-sales. They know just where they would place the inlaid cabinets and rugs of Shiraz, and the prints of Hogarth. - They will not see that they have no finger in such , pies. They are continually trying to . pat . by money for artistic treasures, when the ends of ti'.eir income will not taees. ucn siupiaiiy i as said an attar-of-roses woman, of similar mtf. leins, " They live in a world of their own. They will not Bee themselves aa others see them ! Talking of art. and stamped indeliblv with Povriv . mark ! Condemned for life to flat liAAl1 and dreamine of Amontillado, in Vene tian glass 1 They oonld not be made to see why it was so impossible to grow at least one little rose from their stalk. just one ! CHAPTER III. THEIR CHBI8TMAS-FEVEE. Now that vou comprehend them, von will not be surprised to hear that theaa peaple, who were in want, had resolved to Keep (jhnstmas. And yon will add almost of vonrself. that these are precisely the sort of peo ple who are sure to take the Christmas- fever, and to nave it hard, and to whom its wreaths and tapers and carols are loll ol meaning and delicious charm- and yon would be quite right. CHAPTER IV. PARASITES AND NUISANCES. Hitherto I have introduced these people as "They." That was from cowardice. Seldom has a writer more objectionable personages in baud. Tne Mulleins were three : mother, daughter, and son. I have read recently , that women without money were very nearly in the position ol ''parasites; also, that "a woman's business is to amuse and serve man, and make his life agreeable, and. when not so engaged, she is a nuisance." Tne motner and daughter in question were without money, and there was no man," as an excuse for their exist' ence ; and not even tne entireness of love, in which they lived with the Boy, and he witn tnem, can altogether atone, I assure you I feel it ; but then what would you have ? This is not a Christ mas story, but a story of aggravation. CHAPTER V. THE CHBI3TMA3-E08E. To begin : It had happened a month or two befere that they found them' selves in possession of a surplus two dollar note. That is, of a two-dollar note which need not be paid over at once to landlord or shoemaker. -This note was deposited by acclamation in the " Sixpenny savings " as a beginning toward growing the (Jhristmas-rose. Henceforth the family leaned much on it, and it often came up in conversation aa " that two dollars, you know. Then tne tnree .airmeiDS nad each a little plan for growing a Chrismas-rose. Master Mullein invented what he called the "dodge," as this : There are certain transactions in business, so much a matter cf course, that you are startled to reflect on the number of persons who earn a living in these very departments. Who tmn&s now notes, bills and mes sages, get about? Yet they certainly don't run on casters, as young Mullein, with his wallet chained about his waist, might hare assured ydu. If you have an eye for rosy,boys. I dare say you have soen him ; and if you have observed him, arms up, hands clinched, running on a sort of dog-trot, so as al ways to keep pace with the car or stage in which you were riding, whv then you have seen the "dodge." There are lines on which a boy of determination may keep neck-and-neck with the horses. On such lines Mullein pocketed tne i are and ran the route. There are lines that defy the best-breathed " run ners. ' On these, as a boy of honor. Mullein rode. He reported himself to the house among the earliest of the runners, and, nevertheless averaged tnirty cents a day by the ' dodge, There are six davs in the week, 6x30$1.80. It lacks six weeks of Christmas-tide: 6x 1.80$10.80. But The world is under the reign of laws. and the Mullein household was under a law of necessity, that, do what they would, wis sure to levy a tax of, say thirty cents on every ,3f ty cents amassed by the "dodge," for matches, soap, paper, car-fare something of the sort. After the " eleventh or eighth" collision between the " law" and the " dodge," it certainly occurred to Mamma Mullein that things looked discouraging : and she sighed. Bat the young inventor went sturdily on. with a pluck and an undiminished faith in the virtues of the " dodge," quite delightful to see. The little woman ! such a very little woman ! She was preparing to go into trade in orange-peel and old news papers when she could find a buyer. People do buy such things somewhere, you know. CHAPTER VI. MARKET-WOMAN BAUIi AND PAUL, SIMPLE SUMS. And now you are waiting to hear Mamma Mullein's business that is, if you want to hear anything about it. I trust it shall not shock you. Sue was a market-woman; not that she brought eggs, and butter, and fruit, to market. Had she done that, she might have been a rose-woman instead of a mullien woman, and this story could never have been written. But there are so many sorts of markets as a market where your nice fresh ideas will bring a fair price. Of this order of market-woman was Mamma Mullein. . She was liable to ideas. There are some people who regard such a person -with suspicion, but, though desirous to please all read ers, I must give my personages as Ifiud them. Ideas are often good for checks, bat they mora frequently stamp the man or woman subject to them as dangerous. The world is like Saul. It accepts the thought, whether in writ ing, marble, pottery painting, politics, warfare, preaching, invitations, no mat ter what, as the Hebrew King did Goliath's head. But it never forgives the David. It " eyes" him ; from that time out, look out for javelins ! I beg pardon, I have shunted the story oft the track ; but only to show you how TVf nmma Mullein sometimes mademoney, and sometimes failures. Two and two make four. Ton see, of course, that Mamma Mullein, who woa alreulv in the habit 01 conveying jdeas to markeiywas specially desirous ex a DnsK noiiaay ousuieiw, wj.ww night and day to secure not two, but a dozen, strings to her bow. Thus : For the Popular Crowquill, a " Work-ing-IdyL" For tha Excelsior, " A Carol' For the Chignon, three ap propriate articles. For the Wot kslana, A. Jjittie jrreaen auuus jlmih. the Hafaton, a " lie view." j;or xne Kaleidoscope, the pro o , "The Cow Jumaed Over the Moon. Then she figured it out, thus : Three appropriate articles, at $15 each.. Working-Idyl Carol. Preach about Babies .. .... Review Cow that Jumped Over the Moon.... .... $45.00 26.00 19.00 30.00 18.00 80.00 Tal.. gusto BkiRjfs.... Due to Qnlggs... Doeto Uggs Balance . . ... $180.00 ... 2 .00 ... 18.00 ... 20.08 ... $S7.0C to be expended for winter clothing, an-1 for the Christmas rose ; ten dollars might be spared for that ; and there was " that two dollars, you know." After this calculation, Mamma Mul lein wrote with more spirit than ever ; and the inventor of the dodge came out in a new character, as "The Filial Fib." He diecovered that all well regulated boys spent their evenings in unceasing efforts to attain a good writing-hand. ' Also, that his only hope of achieving that desirable result was, in copying each evening, till bedtime, numerous pages of his mother's manuscript. vVhereupon he acquired his title of the Filial Fib, and, let us hope, the good writing-hand. CHAPTER VII. "THAT TWO DOLXAB8 " BOPK LOXO DEFEBBED. The little woman went into trade, She sold the old newspapers for six cents. The orange-peel speculation resulted in failure. JNobody would buy. .meantime, " that two dollars, you know," was drawn from the bank per force, to pay the washerwoman a poor old woman who needed the money, on which Mamma Mullein felt a sinking of the heart, and was obliged to do that sum about the " Idyls," etc., twice over, before she could quite recover her usual cheerfulness.: Also the " dodge." though in t plendid working order, was so continually trip ped up, and circumvented by the law, that its young inventor might almost as well have spared the oar- horses the shame' of their defeat. The (Jhristmas-rose will be a very email growth," they told each other. One two three four weeks ! Such weeks ! The hours in them had feet of lead, and were lame besides. Darkest of all, came to be that hour known as the postman's. No such heart-shaking hour in the year, as, if you are a mul lein person, or like those who joined David in the cave of Ad nil am, and you are at the crest of the wave, and a letter will tide you over, or dash you down in its gulfs, you very well know. The " Hour" quite overshadowed the Mul lein family. When it began, everybody grew nervous ; while it endured, every body started at each tinkle of the bell. and watched slyly out of window. When it ended oh! the miserable blank worse even than the torture of suspense and when the member from outside who had been absent meanwhile, re turned there was another trial. The vague expectation, the quick glance at the table and into the faces of the stayers-at-home, the pathetic attempt at indifference on the part ef every body : and the determination ot every body to show no anxiety, and to see nonef ah! let it pass! It is easier to. write than to witness. CHAPTER VIII. BCTtmSS, BIIXS, AND BALANCES. A letter at last, about the " Working Idyl." " An excellent idea," the letter said; but was there not a touch of nitro-glycerine in it, that, admitted, might blow up society, or some sub scriber's idea of society! which would be quite the same thing, as far as news papers are concerned;" and so with thanks, it was returned. Mamma Mullein tore her hair, or rather whatever, in the' mental econo my, corresponds to hair (the real article is too expensive), in private, mind you! and then came down smiling, and got a letter about the " Carol." A letter. A blow in the face. There was something theological in the Carol; " the letter Baid, and trnly. Mamma Mullein was a devout woman, and it had slipped her pen, without in tending it. "There was always dan ger," said the letter, " in handling the theological porcupine, even with gloves ; and the paper declined to take the risk. And so with thanks," etc. ' Christmas comes but once a year," and to make all these slips and stum bles then! A Protestant pilgrimage, barefoot, to the Stock Exchange, or some other temple, of Mammon, and a solemn vow never again " to call a spade a spade," would have relieved Mamma Mullein's overwrought feelings as she subtracted forty dollars from her cal culations. Then the tide turned, in a letter Sweeter than any love-note, in closing a check, for the "Preach about Babies," twenty dollars. Another let ter, and another check, for the " Keview," fifteen dollar. JiVfth Week. Appropriate articles for the Chignon not returned they had been specially ordered, but gone into bankruptcy. The paper had fallen into financial collapse. Broken reeds that pierced ber side. Mamma Mullein had scarcely the heart left to subtract forty five dollars more from their calculations. It was over now. She kept a bright face for the younger Mulleins ; but, though there might be etill some scanty shreds and patches of Christmas, there could be no Christmas-rose for them. Sixth Week. The day before Christ mas. Returned, the prose version of " The Cow Jumped Over the Moon," with thanks. " The editor would have used it, but he had accepted an article before receiving it, on precisely the same subject, which would appear in the present number." Singular, and yet more singular that tbe article on the same subject proved to be written by the editor in person. But Mamma Mullein had for her consolation the adage that great minds think alike. By the same post arrived Skiggs' bill for twenty-five dollars, Qniggs' bill for eighteen dollars, Haggs' bill for twenty dollars ; total, sixth-three dollars. And the Mullein 'receipts had been thirty five dollars ! Mamma Mullein finds a difficulty in summing up. Something is the matter with her eyes. And the winter clothing, and the Christmas rose ! The " dodge" had accumulated two dollars in spite of the " law." The little woman had brought six cents out of trade. The young inventor and the little woman proposed to invest the two dollars and six cents, after supper, by means of a committee of two, which mamma was not invited to join for reasons common to Chrismas. CHAPTER IX. NEMESIS THK FATE OF TBE "DODGE." Enter the -washerwoman. Nobody had expected her.- It she had been Nemesis herself the family could not have surveyed her with more dismay. With what was Bhe to be paid ? The young inventor looked at the dis turbed face of Mb mather, and gave a great gulp. " How much is it, mamma ? There is the dodge,' you know 1" and Mamma Mullein felt the two dollars thrust into her hand, lies, there it was, and there was the washerwoman. The Mulleins looked at each other incredulously. Their last hold on their one loved holi day was slipping from them, and they hardly knew how to believe it. after all the toil, and the patience, and tbe self sacrifice, and the planning 1 If the washerwoman had but known it, she was being paid in dramas, in a concen tration of much that was precious. But it looked to her a poor enough note, unaccompanied by an extra fitty cents, or so, in honor of Christmas. She thinks they have forgotten it ! forgot ten it, poor souls I and stands her ground. Mamma quakes before her, and answers her bus feeDiy. dbu buo stands ! Will she never go ? An awful silence. Convicted felons might wear the open and cheerful countenance of the Mulleins. The NemeBis of the wash-tub tosses her head, flounces, makes a remark, to the door-knob ap ruirpnt.lw ahnnfe the poor returns of stinginess to stingy peopie m iue uug run but she goes! Mamma Mullein ia free to cover her face with her hands, : . - - - ii. i and the young inventor to press a soft cheek acainr.t hers, and call her his dear, good, lovely mamma. CHAPTER X. THE UTILE WOMAN AS A BUYER. The tittle woman, who has slipped out quietly, cornea in and sits down by tfe window, although it is cold. She has Deen trying to Day a uunsuuaB wreath with her six cents, but there are none to be found at a cheaper rate than a shilling apiece. Louise j. r'urniss, in Appleton s Journal. A BUSY MART. The Trade and Commerce or Chicago o the Past Year The Receipts and Ship ments ot Live Stock, Produce, etc. We condense from the Chicago Times the following brief exhibit of the com merce and trade of Chicago for the past year. The receipts and shipments of the different cereals are shown in the annexed table : RECEIVED. 1874. Flour, brls 2,627,402 Wheat, bu 31,531,1543 Corn, bu.... 84,804,116 Oats, bu 12 987,648 Kye, bu 771,877 Barley, bu 3,269,623 1873. 2,180,073 230,)0 88 R99.024 16,539,1)11 1.106,780 3,990.774 Total bu wheat) . (flour reduced to 96,451 818 94,371,281 SHIPPED. 1874. 1873. Flour, brls '. ... . Wheat, bu Corn, bu Oats, bu Bye, bu Barley, bu .. 2,287.805 2.100.1B7 28,397,266 21,957,253 32,559.841 36.488,901 10,848.753 15,245 110 342,595 940,464 2,462,707 4,224,410 Total bn (flour reduced to wheat) 86,050,637 89,356,970 PBODUCB. The following is a statement of the receipts and shipment s of a few of the prpminent articles of produce : RECEIVED. 1874. 173. Orass feed, lbs 39,575,248 25,4.19,000 Flaxseed, lb) 30,872.5:1.) 21,393.110 Broom corn, 114 10.654,766 7,690,750 Butter, lbs 25,765;000 19.99'i 000 Wool, lbi 35,095,763 32,561,573 Potatoes, bu 1,208,776 1,107,482 mute, ios o,zuu,uuu 3:2,400,115, SHIPPED, 1874. Ifff3. Oram seod. lbs 28,430,322 16.916,191 Flaxseed, lbs 12.618,613 6,134 680 Broom corn, tbi 6.189,208 6,580,314 Butter, lbs 15,220,119 10 26,119 Wool, lbs 37,038,377 30,556,552 Potatoes, bu v 263,618 400,414 Hides, lbs 43,196,083 29,437,529 OEXERAX. MKRCHANDISE. The following shows the estimated ag gregate transactions in the different channels of merchandise for the past year : Dry goods proper S 57,500,000 Woolens and waite goods. .. . 28.750,000 Millinery aud faticy goods. 6,700,000 Carpet in gs, upboUteiy good, etc 6,100,000 Clothing aud (rents' furnishing goods... 14.iKX,000 Hats, caps and lure 6,500,000 Boots aud shoes 12,150,000 Drugs and chemicals 5,400,000 Hardware aud metals 15,ouw,000 Jewelry and musical instruments. 6.100,000 Groceries 50,000,000 leather and findings 6,000,000 Other merchandise 11,000,000 Grand tolal $225,200,000 The aggregate trade in the articles mentioned, during 1873, amounted to 6196,300,000, showing an increase for the past year of $28,900,000. MVE STOCK. The value ef live stock handled in Chicago during 1874 was as follows : 1874. Beef cattle handled . . ,$3A,516,920 Hogg handled 51,743.267 Sheep handl d 978,708 Hones handled 2.850.212 1873. $35,264,260 63,153.000 875,000 2.028.902 Tota' $94,039,107 $91,321,162 increase 2,757,945 The following is a statement of the receipts and shipments of live stock during the past year, as compared with the year before : RECEIVED. 1874. . 833,020 .4,223.941 . . 326,236 1873. 761,428 4,337,750 291 704 Beef cattle. No Live hogx, Ko Sheep, Ko Total 5,38i,197 SHIPPED. Beef cattle, No 554,881 Live hogs, Jio 2,338,051 Sheep, No 150,623 6,390,882 874,181 2,197.557 115,235 Total ; 3,043,558 3,886,973 ' The following table shows tha re ceipts and average weight of hogs for the past two years : , 1873 , Month. Beets, av. Wi. January 661,241 289',- -1874- Bec'ts. Av. wi. 437,088 252 February 378.76S March 271,626 April 292,903 269 353,341 288,728 311.945 228,838 310,072 231,416 205,904 261.128 360,812 247,407 4111,951 211K 197 199 206 207 2u84 309tf 221 344 263 2314 213 217i 233 2315a 231 H 211 1-6 232i 267 14 254 May aei.aei Juue 245,860 July 244 650 August 234,145 September 239,582 October 325.716 November 616,303 December 671,336 Total. 4,343,317 H6X 4,223,941 217)4 PACKING ASiD PKOVISION INTEREST. It is estima ted by competent parties that there is between iz,UUU,U0U aud $14,000,000 of capital employed in tbe packing-houses, while the aggregate trade is estimated at 850,000,000. The following shows the receipts and ship men te of produce since Jan. 1 : BKCEIVED. 1874. ' 1873. Cured meats, lbs .... 44.803,269 43,747,776 jeei. oris... B.uai Pork, brls 86,829 28.387 Lard, lb 19,850,005 19,552,202 TaUOW, lbs 6,365,220 6,897.326 . SHIPPED. Cared meats, Ihs 244,706,969 312,214,163 Beef, brls 68,76 39,820 Pork, brls. t 22',410 . 192,646 Lard, lb. 76,085,635 S,986,806 Tullow, tbs 1 145,508 10,110,125 Butter, lbs 15,220,119 10,266,119 THUS Z.T7MBKB BUSINESS. Chicago is still the largest and most important lumber market in the world. There are now about 150 firms engaged in this branch of business, and over $12,000,000 is constantly employed in the city, while over xdu.uuu.uuu is in vested by Chicago men outside of the city, in mills, pine lands, etc. To transport this property a large fleet of vessels is constantly engaged during the season of navigation, and upward of 10.000 men are employed in piling. distributing and Manufacturing it into dressed lumber, sash and doors. The following table shows the receipts and shipments of lumber, shinge3 and lath during the past year : ReeeipU. Shipments Lumbefj ft. ............ .1,063,694,800 ' 692,935,706 Shingle. No 606,613,070 : 857,284,000 Lath, No :.. 84,942,000 40,778,000 And the following is a similar state ment of the receipts and shipments of the same article during io7o ReeeipU. Lumber, ft .... . . . . ... . . . 1,086,762 000 Shingles, No 609,689,000 LatnT No 85,966,000 Shfvmtnts, 667,417,000 401,675,000 66,221,000 A poptjziAB clergyman says it is in- teresting to observe how many people go to the circus, " just to please the children." and very curious to notice that sometimes it takes several able bodied men and motherly women to look after one little boy or girl on such I an occasion. NET ADA'S GREAT CAVE. ! A Monster Cavern In the Hnmboldt Bange-Underground Chambers that tleuare Forty bjr Sixty et Bats that Scream laite Wildcats. A correspondent of the Winnemucca Silver State writes to that journal a de scription of a mammoth cave which has recently been discovered in the Hum boldt range ox mountains in Nevada. The entrance to bbe cavern is located about tbree miles northeast from Star City, and about 2,000 feet higher than tne town, in tne Humboldt range, eight miles from the Central Pacific railroad. It has been knewn to the Indians per haps for ages, and they say that many years ago it afforded a passage through the mountains to a point opposite where the Humboldt House new stands. A Piute legend says that it has been the nome 01 tne evil spirit for manv erener ations, and the bravest warrior of the tribe will not venture near its mouth for any purpose whatever. They say tnat before tne wnites came among them they put bad Indians in the cave to appease tne wrath and hanger of tne spirit tnat inhabited it. Tne last in dian put in there was not as bad as rep resented, and was guided to tha open ing on the other side by the spirit. Tne cave was partially explered in 1863 by Capt. Pretcott, James A. Banks (who was since killed by the Indians near Camp Scott), and A. J. Simmons (now an Indian agent in Montana Territory ) Some time ago a party of four, of which your correspondent was one, proceeded to explore tne cave. We nad heard a great deal about it, and were anxious to see a little of it ourselves. On arriv ing at the place we discovered, to our surprise, tnat tne entrance was fifteen feet above the ground rock on which we stood. The lock rises almost perpen dicularly 150 feet above the mouth and for several hundred feet on each side. Having been provided witn ropes, one was thrown over a point of rock which projects over the mouth of ti.e cavern, by means, of wmcn tne entrance was gained. ' Lighting our pitch-pine torches, we proceeded cautiously in single hie about one hundred feet in what appeared like a large mining tun nel. The ceiling was from ten to fif teen feet high in this distance, after which it narrowed down to a track just large enough to get through, suddenly we came to a square jump-off or perpen dicular drop of thirty feet. Again the rope was brought into requisition, and by means of it the bottom was reached, immediately under the road we had traversed we found large chambers, the largest of which I should judge to be forty feet square and sixty feet high, the. entrance to which was scarcely large enough to crawl through. " Here in this chamber we noticed a verifica tion of the adage that "constant drop ping will wear away a stone." In sev eral places drops of water from the ceiling, which continually fell in one place there being no air current to change their course had worn holes in the solid flinty floor from five to seven inches deep.-' We explored the cave to a distance of a mile from the entrance, and our liglits burning well showed that the cavern is well venti lated. We did not find a passage through, though we traveled for three hours and a half by the watah, and ar rived at the entrance very much fa tigued. We started two bafai at about three-fourths of a mile from the en trance, and they screamed like wildcats when they saw our lights. A Desperate Encounter. Ma j. George E. Ferrend, of Virginia City, Nevada, a man well known every where on the Pacific coast, shot himself in the head last week, inflicting a wound which soon proved fatal. In noticing his career the Virginia City Enterprise relates the following : " In (Jamptonvule, UaL, in 18a3 or 1859, he had a terrible personal encoun ter with a man of desperate character, and in the battle received a horrible wound with an ax. It appears that he had had some trouble with this man, and it was agreed that when they again met they should 'meet fighting. The desperado, armed with an ax, shortly alter came into a saloon, where he saw the Major sitting in his shirt-sleeves. As he advanced the Major arose and drew a large knife. The man with the ax moved cautiously forward, holding aloft his terrible weapon. The Major stood perfectly motionless, warily watching the eyes of his approaching foe. The only movement he made was to constantly turn the wrist of the hand that held the knife, so that the weapon was ceaselessly moving and flashing baak and forth. The man advancing witn tne ax at last couia no longer re frain from casting a glance at the weapon thus flashed before his eyes and the moment he did so the Major sprang forward with the leap of a tiger and drove the knife, not only through the heart of his foe, but through his wnoie Doay, tne point projecting at his back. But quick as had been his move ment, his opponent was almost as alert the blows of both men being struck al most at the same instant. The handle of the ax struck the Major on the shoul- 1 V M . 11 a a ... aer, wniie tne wnoie Diade of it was buried in the small of his back. Dene trating and cutting one of his kidnevs. Both men fell to the floor together, and for a time it was thought that both were dead : but, contrary to the expect ations of all, the Major recovered from his fearful wound in due time, and was as ready for fresh adventures, military ana otnerwise, as oeiore. Waiting for the Marys to Tarn Up. Wilsins Micawber Jones is of a sta tistical turn of mind. It occurred to Jones the other day that Mary is a very common name, and, alter careful study he hit upon an original plan for ascer taining the proportionate number of women bearing it. This plan was to station himself at an advantageous po sition on one of our thoroughfares, ad dress by name every woman whoDassed in an hour, and then compare the num- oer wno answered to tne name with the whole number. Nothing could be simpler, thought Wilkins, and accord ingly he began his experiment the other evening just as the theatre-going tide was flowing along the street. Fire t came two demure-looking damsels, " timid and stepping last." Jones then let them get by and then called out suddenlv. "Mary I" but the young woman only nurneu a ume iuawr,anacne ingenious Wilkins put down two marks on the right side of his tally paper. Just as he lifted his eyes ne saw a lady with an escort just in front of him and blurted, out, "Good evening, Mary !' Greatly A T i. JT .A. A 1- 1, w o uuen aabuiutuiuusnv we genueman, and not the lady, responded ; and these are what Jones saw : He concluded to give np the experiment.! D cause were were too many nsaa about it especially asterisks. Boston Advertiser. Thb authorities of D anbury, Conn,, have required the owner of every build ing to provide it with a strong ladder, under penalty of one dollar a month. You need not look ; there is no joke in this. .American Architecture. fi.a va.m&tion of Mr. Mullett, the supervising architect, brings to mind the subject ci tne areuiwoiure j yuj. puu- lie buildings, and the question natu rally arises : Why snouia our ouuuuigs be formed from the Grecian models? TWhans because no other is quite so beautiful and so well adapted to the con ditions required, tint why, witn our wealth and diversity of i foliage, our abundance and variety of material, should we not have an America order of architecture? In no country in the world are more or finer buildings going up, and nowhere else do Architects re ceive more encouragement and support. Why, with all their resources, snonia they not give us something outside of the conventional five great orders ? Mr. Latrobe, a former architect of the national Capitol and a great architect he was had the true idea when be de termined to give as much of a distinctly national character as possible, by the introduction of such forms in the vege table world as would best illustrate the peculiar productions of the soil and cli mate of the United States. This design led to the ingenious idea of a form of column so original and so happy in con ception and execution as to be deemed worthy to be called the American order. An example of it is to be seen in the vestibule of the Lav Library in the basement of the CapitoL The shaft is composed of the stalks of Indian corn, the joints of which wind around it smrallv. while the capital consists of the ears with their husks sufficiently opened to show the grain, with the inter mediate spaces filled in oy the tassei bent over, and a fillet or rope at the bot tom. The hr se is a plain double mold ing, the stalks rising out of a circlet of the pointed leaves of the plant. President Jefferson gave evidence of his admiration of the design by placing a model of it upon one of the buildings of his seat at Monticello. i Mr. Latrobe also applied to tbe columns . in the cir cular vestibule of the old Senate Chamber, now the Supreme Court room, the leaves and flowers of .the to bacco plant, of which the capitals are formed, with a pleasing and character istic effect. It was Mr. liathrobe's mie f ortune, distinguished alike for his vir tues and his genius, to live too early in the history of the nation for the fullest display of his great gifts and varied accomplishments. But with sa grand an art as architecture, so well fostered, and with every encouragement given to true merit, with the wealth of material on every hand, there is no reason why we should not have an American order worthy the name. The meeting of the ! tree-tops gave the Gothic arch ; a basket of acanthus leaves resulted in the Corin thian capital ; Mr. Iiatrobe in Indian corn found a shaft and its capital.; Who will complete his work so nobly begun, and give us an American arena lecture. An Unorthodox. Bather Domestic Sort of a Holiday Story. Every one is narrating Christmas stories about this time, so we take our turn at the mill. It is all about Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, of Biddeford, Me. It is cold at Biddeford, with the ther mometer pretfy well down in the minors, and the chamber floors of a . morning are like ice to the unstockinged feet. Aware of this fact, Samuel Shaw awoke one morning from a dream of peace, and observing through the window the rosy fingers of Aurora creeping up on the eastern sky. he spoke sharply with his mouth : " Susan, get up aud build-tho fire." "Get up and build it yourself, Dickey." said Susan, drawing her night cap down under the cover. " Seeyou darned first," said Samuel, with touch ing emphasis, to which Susan replied only with an indignant snore. Morning furrowed tbe Bky with a plow of pearl, then paled in silver light. then turned all JJanse to the rising sun ; and stra the wife and husband slept upon their snowy pillows. The slant ing rays of afternoon shot their golden lances in the western window, crept slowly over the spotless coverlid. aud lit as with a crown of glory the straggling locks of tne fair but obstinate Susan. Then night threw round its shadowy mantle and pinned it with a star, while down through tbe open shutters looked the wild (ace of tbe wondering moon. IN aught was heard but the sighing of the wind amid the tree-tops naught seen but the pale smile ox the moonlight, the dark blue of the midnight sky, and the cold gleam of the far-on pitiless stars. Then Susan stirred softly in her downy nest, and whispered with gentle accent, Samuel, are you awake 7 There was no answer but the sterto rous breathincr of the eleeoinar spouse. and the whistle of the wind among the trees. Susan arose quickly, stepped lightly on to tbe floor, and disappeared like a ghost vanishing in the gloom. Ten minutes later she crawled into bed again, and lay still till morning. As the sunlight peeped once more into the eastern window. Susan shook Samuel's shoulder and murmured gently in his ear. " Aren t you hungry, Bam mv?" " Hunerv. 'ell." said Samuel. " I got outside of a dish of cold beans- just afore you lit out for the cupboard last night. Sadly and submissively Susan crept out of bed and kindled the nre. Crinoline Springs Back Again. A Paris correspondent says : The heavy silks now fast superseding light ones are necessitating the employment of crinolines, which alas, that these letters should have to chronicle the fact ! are actually coming into vogue again. The one now 'coming in' is differently made from the tormenting things got rid of a few years ago. The front is quite flat and plain ; gored at tha hips. The steel springs protrude from the back in pairs, forming two sets of loops, meeting at the middle or extending in one across the back from side to side, according to pattern adopted. The principal novelty of the new skirts is that the springs are artic ulated so that they do not bulge out, as did their predecessors, when the wear er sits down or has to squeeze her way through a narrow place. They are frightfully dear ; from eighty to a hun dred or n hundred and fifty francs. Of course, with such a piece of pointed scaffolding sticking out behind, the su perior sex is quite unable to withstand the temptation of spreading out a fine trailing train over -it, ; but it is under stood that trains are not to reappear in the streets, and that they are to be looped np in the ball-room, some se rious accidents to limb, and even to life, having been occasioned by the insane custom of waltzing in trailing draperies that are perpetually working themselves round the feet af the wearer, and threatening to bring the lady and her cavalier to the floor in an ignominious sprawl, a dreadful threat they have fully carried out on more than one occasion. ' Db, Evans, the American Paris den tist, had the honor of rasping the teeth of the Prince of Wales, the other day. America Lights the World. The Titusville Herald gives the fol lowing statistics of interest J While the oil region is suffering frorr an unusual depression, it may be some consolation to know that the heaviest item of American manufacture exported is that of our fine petroleum. It foots up to the enormous figure of $37,1000, 000 annually. No other manufactured article even approximates this value, the next highest being lard, which is $20,000,000 of exported value. For the year ending June 30, 1874, the export ' of refined oils was 271,000,000 gallons of an aggregate value of $37,561,513, and the residuum and crude exported, in the same year swelled the amount to about $11,000,000. It would be rea sonable to suppose that the home con sumption of so useful an article would be equal to if not far exceed the amount exported. This, however; is far from being the case. The consumption of . refined oil in this country is not nearly what it is in Europe. Oar transatlantic consumers pay more for tbe article and use four times tbe quantity. All the best contrivances for burning kero- . sene in lamps have been invented in . this country, and the mode of procur ing a brilliant and unsurpassed light has been reduced to the most perfect economy and simplicity, and yet'foreign countries have adopted our inventions and our oil to a very much greater ex tent than we have ourselves. The cause of this is simply that legislation in for eign eoountries has done there what legislation in this country has failed to do here.yand a perfectly safe article has been seonred to our foreign consumers, while wd have been flooded with unsafe oil. Ovter sixty different nations, in- , eluding Japan, now burn our refined oil, and the extremely Small price has -given such 'an impetus to its adoption as an illuminator all over the world that . it must prove highly beneficial to the producing interest in future years. Germany in 1873 consumed 52.113,773 gallons, at a cost of $11,469,151 ; Bel gium, 26,616,550 gallons, costing $5, 127,408; England, $2,000,000 worth, and Ireland about $1,341,565 worth. The trade in all kinds of fixtures for burning kerosene was never more brisk than just now, indicating a steady in crease of consumption both here and abroad. - Tunneling Niagara River. The fact has heretofore been stated that Civil Engineer William Wallace had prepared a plan for tunneling the Niagara river, at Buffalo, for submis sion to and consideration by those en gaged in the movement for providing additional facilities for travel and business between this point and Can ada. A few facts in regard to the pro posed plan will be of interest. It con templates a passenger depot on the Ter race, near Main street,-with a railroad track running throrjzatiie Terrace to Court street; down Court street to its foot, across the canal ; thence down be tween the canal and the track of the Niagara Falls branch of the Central railroad to a point a short distance south of the railroad bridge over the canal, whence the cutting will com mence. The tunnel is to run. under Black Rock harbor and the river and emerge on the Canada side near where the old car-shop formerly stood. After the surface- is again reached the track will be continued around the high ground and join that of the Canada Southern railway, near the Episcopal Church. The whole length of the cutting, including the tunnel, is 4,900 feet, and of tunnel prop er, i",yia feet. The proposed dimensions of the tunnel are 30 feet wide and 20 feet high. This would give 22,627 cubic yards of excavation per lineal foot, or 65,332 cubic yards in all. In the through cut on this side of the river there would be 12,629 cubic yards of rock and earth excavation how much of each cannot be determined without test pits. On the Canadian side the rock and earth . excavation would amount to 118,317 cubic yards. The roof of the tunnel would be some 16 feet below the bed of the river at the deepest point. The grade from the center is put down at 60 feet to the mile. The estimated ex pense of the work complete is $1,500,000. Bvftalo Commercial Advertiser. A Few Hints for 18 75. It is better to live in a little, mean, two-story frame house, than in a jail ; it is a good thing, when you are talk-' ing of another man's defalcation, to make sure that you could have handled as much money, with lake opportunities for dishonesty, end not fallen before temptation. It doesn't pay to worry over what will happen to your wife if . you were taken away ; she may get a bettt r hnsband. If you are wondering--what makes your former schoolmates 1 1 1L hair so gray, or what maxes sucu a una so wrinkled, or why such another one is growing so stout, just take a look in the glass. Do not imagine, because you have resolved to practice charity and to speak well of-everybody, that everybody has made the same resolu tion regarding you. If you are heart sick with regret that jyou were not more tender and thoughtful towards the dear ones you have lost, just try to avoid further repentance in future by being good to those still left to yon. Don't put off enjoyment. If yoa are not ready to enjoy things as they come, when you are ready they won't come. Planning to enjoy friends and fortune in the future is a most insecure invest- Lment. The chances are wofully few that you, your friends, and the fortune will all come together in the future. If you have any good deeds to do, or hap piness to enjoy, to-day is the time. It is only when we are arguing ourselves we believe the end will justify the means, that it pays to wait till to-morrow. In such a case one cannot wait too many to-morrows. . Immigration. The report of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics has the following table, containing a comparative statement dT immigration by countries ethoologically grouped for the (our fiscal years, from July 1, 1870, to June 30, 1874 : Qnmtriet ethnolog- , Year ended June 30 , icaliu arouved. 1872. 1873. 1874. EuHland. Scotland and Wales. 85.455 83,894 Ireland 67,439 68,732 Teutonic : Germa- - ny, Austria aud 89,483 77,344 61,9B 63,707 Netherlands. 88,431 Seandinavian: Sweden, Norway and Denmark... 32,132 Latin : Belgium. France, Switzer 147,300 159,847 97,623 28,575 35,481 19,178 land, Italy, Spain and Portugal. .. Sclavonic : liussia 9,833 18,860 28,961 21,694 and Poland 1,308 China 7,135 Brttien North 3.641 7,708 4,898 30,393 5.76S 13,77 Amerioan Prov inces Spanish and Port 47,082 40,178 - 37,811 32,960 uguese Colonies : Mexico, South America, Cube and Porto Rico . . 1,318 All other countries 1,417 1,600 4,440 ' 1,760 s 6,067 - L.63S 5,111 Total Immigrants .331,35a 404,806 459,803 313,330 '16,042 of thia number were reported as from ' Great Britain, not specified."