DONE BY EAILROADS.
THEIR AID IN DEVELOPING WEST
ERN STATES,
Strong Contrast Between State of Af
fairs in Ante-Railroad Days and at
Present-Credit to a Useful Agent of
Civilization.
i
Before the railroads were built, It
took a week to go from New York to
Buffalo, nearly three weeks from New
York to Chicago; and at that time, no
man would have thought of making a
trip from New York to the Taclflc
coast, except a few of the hardiest pio
neers, and, when on such an occasion
the good-bys were said, It was expected
on both sides that It would be forover,
Bald George II. Daniels, general pas
senger agent of the New York Central
Bailroad, In a recent address before the
International Commercial Congress at
Philadelphia, If to-morrow night you
should place a letter on the Pacific and
Oriental mail train, which leaves New
York at 9:15, you may be sure that your
correspondent In San Francisco will be
reading It next Monday night four
days from New York. The framers of
our Constitution would have considered
a man entirely beside himself, who
would have suggested such a possi
bility. In 1875 the States east of the Missouri
River were sending food and clothing
to the starving people of Kansas.
Thanks to the facilities nffWlivj by the
railroads the corn crop of Kansas this
year Is 340,000,000 bushels.
It seems but a very few years since
I made my first trip to Colorado, and
stopped on my way at the home of
Buffalo Bill, at North Platte, Nebraska,
on the Union Pacific. At Ogallala,
fifty-one miles west of North Platte,
the Sioux Indians were roaming over
the prairies and making more or less
trouble for the early settlers who ven
tured so far out of the beaten paths of
civilization. The Nebraska corn crop
this year covers 8,000,000 acres, and the
yield is 290,000,000 bushels.
Previous to the construction of the
Northern Pacific, the Great Northern,
Northwestern, St. Paul, Burlington and
other railways that traverse that won
derful region known as the "wheat
belt," there was nothing to be seen but
prairie grass and an occasional band
of untamed savages. Minnesota this
year will ship 90,000,000 bushels of
wheat, South Dakota 45,000,000 bush
els, North Dakota 05,000,000 bushels,
and Montana 4,000,000 bushels.
In 184!) there came across the con
tinent reports of the discoverv of cold
In California, but the only means of
reaching its Golden Gate was by sea
around Cape Horn, or the long and per
ilous journey, with ox teams, across the
plains, including what was then styled
In our geographies the American des
ert, and through the hazardous moun
tain passes of the western part of the
continent. The completion of the Ta
ctile railroads changed all this, and
opened new fields for all kinds of enter
prises, In an unexp' red territory
stretching over more than 2,000 miles
to the west, northwest and southwest
of the Mississippi River, the products
of which region were practically value
less until the means of transporting
them were provided by the railroads.
The wheat crop of California this
year is 37,000.000 bushels. The larg
est crop ever produced In California
was In 1880, when owing to exception
ally favorable weather conditions that
State produced 03,000,000 bushels. The
gold output of California for the year
1899 Is estimated at $10,00,000. The
vlneards aud orange groves of Califor
nia would be of practically little value
were it not for the fact that the rail
roads, by their trains of refrigerator
and ventilated fruit cars, make It pos
sible to transport the products of her
fertile valleys to all sections ojf the
country.
It seems but yesterday that the rnll
roads were completed Into Portland,
Ore., Tacouia and Seattle, Wash., and
It Is marvelous that for the year end
ed June 30, 1899, there was exported
from the Columbia River Valley 10,
IMO.OOO bushels of wheat, and from the
Puget Sound region 10,000,000 bushels.
Oregon and Washington form the
northwest corner of the Territory of
the United States, south of the Hue of
British Columbia, and are directly on
the route to our extreme northwest
possession, Alaska, The wheat crop of
the States of Oregon and Washington
for the year 1891) Is 4S.000.000 bushels.
There was exported during the year
ended Juno 30, 1899, from the Colum
bia River direct to foreign ports, 1.110,
000 barrels of Hour, and from Puget
Sound poluts 800,000 barrels.
Colorado, which, with Its Inexhausti
ble mines of gold, silver, lead, Iron and
coal, forms almost an empire In Itself,
will produce this year of 1S99 of gold,
$24,000,000; of silver, $14,200,000; of
lead, $4,400,000; lu addition to a mag
nificent crop of wheat, fruit and vege
tables. Without railroads, Kansas, Nebras
ka, Minnesota, North and South Da
kota, Montana, Colorado, California,
Oregon and Washington would still be
the home of savages.
Smart, but Not Smart Knouirh.
While the President was lu Milwau
kee, a few weeks ago, some jouug-
sters thought it would be a good Idea !
to get excused from school that they
might more thoroughly enter Into the
spirit of the day. But how to get the I
excuse signed? A parent's signature !
was, of course, the proper thing, but
both youngsters knew that In this par
ticular case their parents were not to
be relied on. Suddenly one of them had
a bright Idea. They would get Presi
dent McKInley himself to sign the ex
cuse. It would be easy enough to sim
ply stay away from school on the day
Itself, and with an excuse for the pre
vious absence signed by the President
himself they need have no fear of being
"kept In" nor punished In any way on
the day following. One of the young
sters accordingly pushed his way I
through the crowd to the Presidential
stand, and, clambering without cere
mony to the top, thrust a bit of scrib
bled paper before anybody could stop
him Into the President's hand and ask
ed for a signature. It took Mr. Mc
KInley a second or two to comprehend
the situation, but when he did he put
his name to the slip without a word.
The youngster slid down happy. Next
day at school the two truants presented
their excuse. The teacher glanced at '.
the autograph. "McKInley doesn't run !
this school," she observed, and hard- J
heartedly kept them In just the 6ame.
New York Evening Sun.
MAN OF BLOOD AND IRON.
Such Is Gen. Buller, Who Commands
the British in South Africa.
The commanding figure In South Af
rica is Gen. Sir Redvers Henry Buller,
who holds the supreme command of the
British soldiers there. Gen. Buller has
under him over 75,000 men a force
nearly four times greater than the pure-,
ly English troops which Wellington ,
commanded at Waterloo.
Gen. Buller Is apparently fitted for
the task entrusted to him. He Is a
man of blood and Iron. Ills sword Is
crimson to the hilt. Blood, battles,
brigades, bombs, blockading, barracks,
bivouacs, belligerency all are synony
mous with Buller. He Is entering upon
his tenth campaign. In many more
charfes he has faced and dealt death.
Over and over again he has been "men
tioned In dispatches" for gallantry in
action.
Gen. Buller entered ns ensign the
King's Royal Rille Corps. He took part
In the Chinese war of 1800, went to
Manitoba in 1870 with Lord Wolseley
against Rlel, and three years later to
the gold coast. In the Ashantl cam
paign of 1873 Gen. Buller took part In
four engagements, Including tSe decis
ive battle of Coomassle. After five
years he was back again In Africa,
where, leading the Frontier light horse
against the Kaffirs, he exhibited great
personal bravery. He participated, dis
tinguishing himself more than ever In
the battlefield, In the Zulu war of 1879,
and lu the Boer war that followed. He
was present at Kassasln and Tel-el-Keblr,
at El Teb, and Tauiai, and won
the battle of Abu-Klea.
Gen. Buller Is also known as the au
thor the Infantry Drill Book. He is a
man of enormous energy, and of a pe
culiar cold daring, which springs from
the head rather than the emotions. A
rgid disciplinarian, stern and exact
lug, he Is feared and respected. There
Is more cruelty than mercy In his com
position. He personally dislikes the
Boers and his campaign will be one of
sternness to the end. To plant the Brll
lsh flag over Pretoria within the least
possible time as a preparatory of paint
ing another slice of South Africa an
English red such Is his task and to
that task he will apply himself with all
determination In his nature.
Queen's Freo Lunch.
The following nnmslng story Is told
of Queen Margaret of Italy. She re
cently arrived In a town, Mhore great
preparations had been made to do her
honor. The Mayor was at hand to es
cort her to the room where luncheon
was served, but the Queen declined to
eat anything, saying thnt all she need
ed was a glass of water and a sand
wich. At the end of this frugal repast
she was about to take her handker
chief from her pocket to wipe her lips,
when the Mayor, misinterpreting her
action, bowed respectfully, and said:
"Your Majesty need not trouble your,
self. I can assuro you the lunch la
paid for."
Oldest Coal Mine.
The oldest German coal mlues were
first worked In 1195. They are1 near
Worms. England did not begin to mina
I Its coal until the fourteenth centurj.
OEX. SIR KKDVKKS HKSRT DULLER.
PANAMA CONSPIRATORS.
Arton, the Tool, Pardoned by His
Daughter's Plea.
Arton, the cunning tool of the greater
conspirators In the famous Panama
bribery scandals, has recently been re
leased from a French prison, after
serving four of the five years to which
he was sentenced. Ills pardon Is due
MLI.E. AHTON.
-as i
to the untiring efforts of his daughter,
Mile. Arton, whose beauty and earnest
nesshave both been factors In enlisting
the aid of prominent statesmen and
journalists. When the Tanama bub
ble was pricked Arton, who had been
warned, disappeared from Paris. Se
cret service agents followed him all
over Europe, and finally he was run to
earth and arrested In London. Of the
chief witnesses against him one was
poisoned and another died at an op
portune lime, ho he escaped with a
comparatively light sentence. Arton
at one time claimed that two-thirds; of
all the French deputies and Senators
were in his pay.
SMALLEST REPUBLIC,
Two and a Half Square Miles, with a
Population of Sixty.
The smallest republic lu the world
Is that of Tavolara, an island about five
miles long, with an average width of a
little more than half a mile, situated
about a dozen miles to !he northeast
of Sardinia. The total population of
the whole republic docs not exceed GO,
but they elect a President every six
years, and a Council of six members,
nil of whom erve the slate without
pay. The women of this Island go to
the polls and vote with the men, and
ever since it became a republic, in 1880,
all public business has been transacted
without turmoil; the elections taking
place without any high party feeling or
undue excitement.
In 1830 King Charles Albert of Sar
dinia granted the Island of Tavolara to
a family of the name of Bartoleoni, but
in less than half a century the Inhab
itants threw off the yoke of monarchy
and took to themselves the right to be
governed by themselves. This little war
did not alarm the world, and was quite
a peaceful one. King Paul I. relgDed
until 18S2. and on his deathbed request
ed that uone of his kin should succeed
to the throne, and as no one claimed
the honor four years later the people
decided to draw up a constitution, and
Tavolara has been a very successful
little republic since.
Twelve years ago Its Independence
was recognized by Italy, and, It Is to be
presumed, other powers would have
recognized It also if they had known of
its existence. The Inhabitants live
principally by fishing nnd raising fruits
and vegetables. They fear no sudden
invasion, for they dispense with any
army or navy, and, presumably, in case
of need, would rely upon the entire
population to uphold the freedom of
the country.
Treed by l'antti.-rs.
Mr. Rosswell, a creamery man of
Portland, met with a rather thrilling
adventure a day or two since while
visiting a dairy farm down the Colum
bia. While on his way to the farm,
which Is In the hills some distance back
from the rlvei, evening came on and
two panthers came out of the woods
seeking whom they might devour. Mr.
Rosswell flew for a tree, np which he
ascended till the stars winked like arc
lamps. He remained there and the
panthers watched below till 3 o'clock
In the morning, when a natlvo camo
over the hill on his way home from a
dancing party, singing, "We Won't Go
Home Till Morning," in a style which
caused the panthers to take to their
heels. Then Mr. Rosswell descended
In a hurry and scared the daylight out
of the wandering minstrel, who
throught old Nick was after him. He
ran In one direction and Mr. Rosswell
In another, and if any panthers ever
find either of them lu that neck of
woods again they can eat them and
welcome. Oregonlan.
A Fatal Omission.
"I'm afraid we've offended Mrs. Lo
renzo Van Rensselaer," said the editor
of the Society Luminary to his assist
ant.
"Why, I noted the arrival at New
port of Mrs. Van Rensselaer and fan
ily."
"True, but you did not say that they
took with them a retinue of servants."
ruck.
No man who Is considered half way
decent ever takes a step In the wrong
direction, that somebody does not no
tice It
A doctor nearly always claims he Is
so skillful that ho doesn't hurt a pa
tleut during a surgical operation.
CORN IS KING.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Great
American Staple.
The word maize Is derived from the
Greek word zea. It Is not definitely
known where the plant had its origin.
Humboldt asserts that It is American.
Other writers claim that it originated
in Asia, whence it was brought Into
America by the Spanish- explorers.
There is nothing so far discovered In
the records of ruins of Egypt to indicate
that the early dwellers along the Nile
ever knew of the grain. In an ancient
Chinese book, however to be found In
the French library at Paris, coin Is
inent oued. Iu Cu le corn has long been
grown, aud It Is called zea euraqua.
There Is an old Javanese legendary
peom, "Manek Maya," which likens
the grain of corn to a maiden's tooth,
and to-day, In certain parts of the mid
dle West, there Is a variety known as
"horse tooth."
Most of the South American Indiana
knoy, of corn. Some make a sort of
beer from It. A Quicha legend says
that Con, son of the Sun and Moon,
gave maize to man. The Iroquois say
that corn was given by the Spirit of the
South. One of the snake legends of the
Moqui Indians tells of six bachelors,
Red Corn, Blue Corn, Yellow Corn,
Green Corn, Spotted Corn and Black
Corn.
It is not alone with the Indians that
myth and legend endure. To-day farm
ers of New England, and, lu fact, In the
newer West, have their manifold
"signs" for the j'ln.nting of corn. Gc
through the agricultural regious and
you will hear them talk of plautlng "In
the full of the moon." and the like.
Among the German settlers, In certain
localities, it Is believed that In select
lug seed-corn for the next year's corn
all the stalks and refuse must be taken
Into the highways and instantly de
stroyed, but not by burning, as that
would Insure the presence of the black
fungi, or "smut," as it Is provincinlly
termed.
Corn Is the great staple of the United
States. It Is the most important pro
duct of the American continent, be It
grains or the output of mines or factor
ies. More acres are devoted to the rais
ing of corn than In the annual yield of
oats, wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat and
cotton combined. Corn provides more
employment for laborers, provides mo:e
work for distributers and makes basis
for more Industries and activities than
any other American commodity. In the
past thirty-seven yenrs the value of the
corn output has been $15,900,000,000.
Last year (1898) a corn farm of 0,000
acres In Iowa yelded a net profit of $50.
000. About 3,800 acres of corn were
actually planted. Thirty-one planters
were used to put the seed in the ground,
seventy-six cultivators did the "tend
ing" and seventy-five wagons haulid
the crop from field to cribs. To hold
the corn cribs twelve feet wide, sixteen
feet high and half a mile long were
required. The corn yield of the United
States for 1899 Is estimated at 2,050,
720,000 bushels, the number of acres
planted being Sl.550,000. Corn Is king.
John L. Wright, lu Leslie's Weekly.
The Stage.
The stage continues to form the mir
ror of fashion. One need scarcely take
in a fashion paper If one pays constant
visits to the theater. Here one can.
study all the varieties of la mode aud
the latest and newest designs. Each
play seems to have Its own specialty In
dress, Its favorite color and Its favorite
dressmaker.
Possibly spectators never give a
thought to the fact that these constant
changes of costume form no Inconsid
erable portion of the fatigue Incurred
by an actress In a long and heavy part.
Dress cannot be slurred over now.
Gowns must be laced and buttoned up,
gloves, shoes, hats, petticoats be worn
to match. It was different In the good
old days, when actresses shuttled one
gown over another and fastened them
lightly with a button. The Japanese
costume Is one of the most Intricate.
The real Japanese lady wears three
gowns, one over the other, a small por
tion of each showing at the neck, the
gowns being artistically shaded, say,
from pale pink to deepest rose, or from
violet to sky blue. The chemise, too,
must match, and a special touch of
deep contrastlve color Is given by the
waistband.
Nutritious Foods.
Trof. Atwater, who has devoted him
self to the study for a number of years,
declares that there is no single perfect
food, the nearest approach to It being
milk. No food, however, contains the
essential constituents In right propor
tions, and thus we have to get what
we want by combining our foods. It
will be a shock to many thrifty house
wives to learn that beef and eggs are
among the greatest of all economical
mistakes. A single dollar spent in
wheat-flour will yield as much nutri
ment as $30 spent on sirloin of beef.
Sugar ranks next to wheat-flour as an
economical food, for a dollar's worth
of sugar contains as much nutriment as
$0 worth of milk. $12 worth of eggs, or
$40 worth of oysters. In proportion to
their cost oysters nre almost the least
nutritious of all foods. Beans and po
tatoes run a close race for the third
place among valuable and cheap foods,
and the fourth place Is shared between
fat, salt pork and cheese made from
skimmed milk.
'Proof of the VudJjruj
Is in the Eat;
It is not what we say, but what Hoof
Svsaparilla does, that tells the stor!
thousands of people give the proof U
telling of ter'arkabk cures by Hood's S
iparil!a of Scrofula, Salt Rheum,
epsia. Catarrh, Rheumatism, a'ndZi
.it... t.tj jj ... u
-jier fiuvj uicooca ana uebuitv
The prevailing use of electricity has
orought about a lame incrnnun c.
Dwin.,' to crossed wires. Ten years am!
moiD hcio uui) uu auun nres, and W
year mere were yoo.
Statisticians have been Btndvino nn
wio cpiwiisu 'milium, apropos of thn
siaituiieui. uiai. never in tne history of
Europe has so large a force been Bent
by sea as that now on its way to South
Africa. The estimate of the number
sent from Spain in 1588 on the nil
1 ! , 1.1. 1 .1 . ...
snips oi tne .Armaria is this: Sailors
8,050; galley slaves, 2,088; soldiers'
18,973; volunteers, 1,382; total, 80,!
493. Bnt England is sending 49,000
soldiers and followers, without count,
ing the crews of the transports.
It has been discovered that what
may be called the first daily newspa
per was a manuscript letter written by
salaried correspondents and forwarded
by them every 24 hours from London
to the provinces. That was in the
days of the early Stuarts. During the
commonwealth these London letters
were printed in type and circulated
in large numbers. Even .so long ao
as 1G80 the law of libel was such as to
be characterized ly Judge Scrogys as
making any newspaper publication ille
gal and tending to provoke a breach of
the peace.
Brooklyn stair builders have the
Saturday half holiday and a wage scale
of $3.25 a day, including Saturdays, on
which the same wage is paid as on the
longer working days.
Mothers will find Mrs. Winslow's Sooth,
ing Syrup the best remedy to use for th'T
Children during the teething period.
Judge Falconbridge, of the high
court of Canada, has ruled that it is not
compulsory for persons to give evi
dence that may incriminate themselves
in liquor cases.
Friction in machinery started 295
.Ires last year.
Buffalo bridge and structural iron
workers want the eight-hour day and
$2.50.
An Excellent Combination.
The pleasant method and beneficial
effects of the well known remedy,
Syrup op Figs, manufactured by the
Califoknia Fig Sykup Co., illustrate
the value of obtaining the liquid laxa
tive principles of plants known to be
medicinally laxative and presenting
them In the form most refreshing to the
taste and acceptable to the system. It
is the one perfect strengthening laxa
tive, cleansing' the system effectually,
dispelling colds, headaches and fevers
gently yet promptly and enabling one
to overcome habitual constipation per
manently. Its perfect freedom from
every objectionable quality and sub
stance, and its acting on the kidneys,
liver and bowels, without weakening
or irritating them, make it the ideal
laxative.
In the process of manufacturing figs
are used, as they are pleasant to the
taste, but the medicinal qualities of the
remedy are obtained from senna ana
other aromatic plants, by a method
known to the California Fig Syho
Co. only. In order to get its beneficial
effects and to avoid imitations, please
remember the full name of the Company
printed on the front of every package.
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP CO.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAI.
ixnnaviLLE. ky. new toek, v. t.
For sale by all Druggists. Price 50c. perbmuo
Horrid Rheumatic Pains
Are eausert bv the impurities In the blood. Yon
will be relieved of the pain qulckly.yuur blood
will be made pure by
IVIoore's Revealed Remedy.
Easy and pleasant to take. One bottle give!
relief. $1.00 per bottle at your druggist .
R
, DR. MARTKL'S BOOK, ,
elief for Wornejni
to-day fn'r this Uonk.ooiiUlnlnK rrUf
Iws and Temlmonlals ot VU. MART""
French Female Pins.
Praised by thonmnda of Mtlnl '"J
aro, aiwayn rename anu wimw"" -
fti on top in Bluo, Wliite and "ltd. Take no oiber.
irreuca Drug Co.,8Bl t Sua Fearl BU, hew York
IlllUHi UVIHUI. A-1 (1st tills.
Best Couiih Byriip.' Ves Uood. tJse
in tlm. Sold hv drimgli-ts. tylL
44
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