THE OEEGON SCOUT.
JOMJSA: OUANCUV, I'liblldlicrn.
UNION,
OREGON.
FACT AND FANCY.
Peanuts grow to perfection in and
around Yuma, Cal.
In Nevada tho jack rabbits hav
taken to girdling applo trees.
In some parts of California gold It
extracted from tho oro by cloctrlclty.
Elovon organ-grinders arrived at
Jacksonville, Fin., in ono day recently.
By strict atlontion to business Ital
ian chcstnut-poddlors make $1.50 por
day.
Prohibition tiokots woro nominatod
in thirty Pennsylvania counties this
year.
Oculists think anothor half contury
will seo all Americans wearing spec
tacles. An El more, VL, man, 42 year old,
is roportcd to havo olopod willt
girl 10.
Jow xorK is manufacturing; canes
as big as baso-ball bats to keep tho
dudes from blowing away.
Ihoro aro ovor threo thousand
Knights of Labor in Soattlo and Taeo
ma, Washington territory.
"Whito quail aro among tho curios!-
tios of tho animal kingdom to bo found
at Pinal, Arizona territory.
J wo Mormon missionaries aro
preaching In tho uppor part of Pick
ons count', South Carolina.
An Auirusta, Me., lady has bocomo
locally notod for possessing n head of
hair that is nearly live foot long.
Thoro aro said to bo moro job-printing
olllcos in Atlanta, Gu., than in any
othor city of its sizo in tho south.
Tho Connecticut lis Ii commissioners
havo received applications for -l.oai
acres of oyster ground sineo July 1.
Flour is soiling for $1.75 por ono
hundred pounds of first-class quality
at various Interior points in Oregon.
Tho nuthorltios of Fairniount park,
Philadelphia, respoctfully but firmly
dccllno the iulllctlon of a Cogswell
fountain.
Hawks havo congrogatod by tho
hundreds to destroy tho inieo which
havo boon invading tho Molds noar
Tulnro, Cal.
In grading n now streot railroad at
Los Angeles, Cal, roeontly, a blast was
iired which loosened live thousand
tons of earth.
At Eininottvillo, Idaho, work has
beon commenced on a diteli that is to
furnish water for irrigating 250,000
acros of laud.
Tho colored pooplo of Mississippi
proposo to oroot at Vicksburg a $50,
000 monument to comiuoniorato their
emancipation.
A Gorniantown Roforiuod ministor
of Spriiigtown, I'n., was lately dis.
missed by his church tor "fanaticism
and Methodism."
lho oitlzons of Jorouto aro said to
hopo that when tho next census is
taken that city will have moro inhabit
ants than Montreal.
A ltutland, Vt., pnpor has figured
out that it costs $M,O0O por year to
keop tho beards of tho male population
of tho town In order.
England's highest medical authority
on (lyspopsin, uv. rotiiorgill, recom
mends milk pudding and stewed
fruits for dyspeptic and gouty pooplo
Nineteen hotels and restaurants In
Portland, Oregon, havo recently dis
charged tlioir Chinese help mid aro
now oinploying none but white hands
juany Kinuerganon toaciiers agrofl
that tho lirst choice among colors ol
all children under 7 v oars of ago is
yollow. This admits of few oxoop
tions.
j. Jvoeiviaiui, iuo., sportsman was
out gunning tho other day, and mis
taking his deg, a little fellow with a
bushy tail, for a fox, lllled him with
shot.
IlamTpy, n Sacramento Chinaman,
who was arraigned on a charge ol
striking a woman with a hatchet,
ploadod as a justilioation that she was
his wife.
Easter of next your falls on St.
Mark's day, April 25, its latest possi
bio dato. Tho Inst time this occurred
was in 173G (old stylo), and it will uot
occur again until 1013.
A. fashion authority states that "low
noekod drosses will bo dropped at tha
opora this season. Tho time is fast
approaching when tho opera will ho
no place for respectable people tc
frequent.
Some yonrs ago a gontloman stop
ping in Cohassot, Mass., placed a coup
'Jo of goldfish in the pond on Cohassot
common. Iteceutly tho pond has been
drained and oleausod, and thousand!
of goldfish woro taken out.
As tho holding of tho winter carnival
nt Montreal is an impossibility this sea
son, owing to tho provaloueo of small,
pox, many prominent ottizens of To
ronto aro making n strong ollbrt t
,havo tho attraction hold there.
A couplo of owls havo been oaughl
Jn Churohill county, Movada, wliicb
jhavo hnlr on their faces like n moukoj
'and eyes nnd oyobrnws like a human
.bolug. Tho body of ono is( speckled
Jlko a trout, aud that of tho other ii
yollow.
Mr. Cable, tho southern novolist,
gives in his adhesion to woman suff
Irsge by saying: "If our mothers art
not fit to vote, liioy ought to stoj
bearing sons," lly this brilliant loglo,
an our fathers don't boar sons, tlioj
will be deprived of the r.'jjht of voting
Knock Infra Hole In a River's Bert.
About fifteen miles north of King
wood, West Va., along tho Cheat river,
can bo seen some of tho most, rugged
and inspiring scenery to bo found any
whero in "West Virginia, if not any
whero in North Americn, cast of tho
Rocky mountains. On cither side of
the river, for probably ball a mile,
there is a perpendicular wall of solid
limestone about .'lf0 feet in height.
From tho top of these walls, or cliffs,
on the east side of the rivcr,thecrngay
and timbered mountain, with a slope
of about 00 dog. looms up moro than
12,000 feet. Near the top of this mount
ain has stood for unknown ngts a
great rock, measuring twenty feet fnom
-lie top to bottom, and averaging
about eighteen feet in thickness. It
contained about 0,180 cubic feet of
hard, flint-like limestone, and nllowing
100 pounds to each cubic foot, tho
weight of the monster was 01 8,000
pounds or .'521 tons. It was deter
mined by the people in the neighbor
hood to give this rock a start down
tho mountain. A treo was cut down
that stood ngainst the stone, and tho
earth dug away. A correspondent
nays: I was up the mountain prob
ably twenty yards from tho rock to
get a good view of its course from the
river, nnd was watching closely for
the start.
"Now she goes!" camo to my cars,
nnd I could see tho top of the great
rock going out from tho mountain
now slow, now faster.now a crash, and
then crashes upon crashes. Tho scer.o
presented by that rock tearing and
thundering down tho mountain can
bo imagined, but it cannot bedescribed.
Ifc had a tendency to confound tho
sense and bewilder the reason. Great
f rees were torn from tho earth and
hurled into tho air like twigs in a
whirlwind, and tho trunks of main
moth oaks were torn and slivered in
quick succession. On and on it went,
making a clean cut rond from tho
start. The mountain trembled, and
tho spectatorsstood spellbound. Tho
rock gained in speed as it nearcd tho
river, which wns in view at tho lower
end of tho great limestone walls. It
now struck tho last, precipice, and,
after going outward and downward
moro than "00 feet it fell into tho river
with a roaring sound.
After tho dust and leaves and living
pieces of limbs had settled wo could
seo a peculiar action of tho wnter.but
wo were too far oil to discover the
cause, A walk or moro than a mile
around, as it wns next to impossible
to go straight down the mountain
from where wo were, brought us to the
river, bub instead of seeing the rock
wo saw tho water rushing from every
direction down into a huge hole prob
ably thirty feet; square During tho
halt hour wo woro thoro not less than
ten saw logs Were drawn into tho
whirl and disappeared.
It. is supposed that tho cave extends
under tho river, ana that the weight
of tho immense rock coming down
with such force and rnpidily caused
the roof to give way. Whether or not
tho water will soon fill the hole up
and the river flow on as before will de
pend upon the extent of tho cavern
nnd the existonreof an out let to carry
tho water from tho cavern to somo
of her stioani.or to sonio other part
of tho country.
When 1 left that district tho water
was still rushing down the hole, car
rying saw logs and every other
floating substance.
thestntc as if it were a sheet of water
Tho groves constantly interrupt and
break its force."
"It seems almost incredible that so
radical a change should havo occurred
so soon." "Yes, I would not believe
it if I had not seen it nnd felt it. You
can judge for yourself whether wo are
troubled to raiseerops. Wehavchad
five successive years of them. Last
yenr the railroads themselves were
dismayed at the corn to bo moved
Away out, 1 50 miles to tho west of
here, in Phelps county and Gnsper,and
-unicorn, me cultivation is going on
so it is north of tho Platte, and also
south of us in Kansas. '
in
Changes in Western Climate.
"When 1 camo hero in IS72," said
President David U. Perry of Deano
college, Crete, Neb., to a correspond
ent recently, "ninny pooplo wore in
credulous of the growth ol this state.
Tho atmosphere wns excessively dry
and it was aountlul whether corn or
t nine grass or fruit-trees would grow.
The sod was tough and stubborn, nnd
sited the little rain that fell quickly.
Wo hnd interminable wind storms.
It would blow, blow, blow, day after
day, till the din was unbearable. 1
havo seen people fairly worn out with
tho incessant, strenuous, wcarisonio
blaststhut so relentlessly kept a whirl
and racket about them. And thoro
used to come, in summer, occasional
hot blasts from tho south that would
wilt our grain, especially our corn.
Hut thoro has come a most remarka
ble change. The atmosphere is not
nearly so dry. Ladies have to guard
within doors, against ntildow occa
sioned by dampness much as they do
at the east. ohavomuch morerain,
and it is much ntoreovenly distributed
over tho year than it used to bo. Wo
have fewer and fewer wind storms,
nnd tlio heated winds that did such
mischief do not trouble us at all. Seo
for yourself the crops we raise! Look
at thntcorn-lleld. There aioL'OO solid
acres us fine as any in tho world."
"Well, but what has induced soat eat
a change? Are you sure it is perma
nent?" "I am sure it is permanent
because I know what bus caused it.
Hundred of thousands of acres, year
after year, were "plowed up and the
soil rendered porous. You know we
aro tho great soldierstato. There wns
a vast army of men at the close of tho
war, who went Home to imd their old
places occupied and their occupation
gone. They canioout here. Thoyputin
their homestead and timber claims for
government land and went vigorously
to work at tanning, 't ho people at
Heatrico have a Grand Army reunion
shortly nnd they count on 00,000 ol
boys being, thero. Such wide
spread tillage of wholly new land has
prepared the surlnco soil to receive
una retain moisture. Tho corn itself,
by itstdmdo, prevents rapid evapora-
mill, sin uu our count nsss groves.
Arbor dnj is a great institution out
litre, as you can anywhere and every
where see."
"And you think tho moisture in tho
earth increases tho rain-full?" "Most
certainly. Tho influence of tho
clouds and soil becomes reciprocal."
"Hut what should effect the winds
so remarkably?" "This same circum
stance of a more moist atmosphere.
The air is heavier, loss volatile. He
sides the groves are very important in
u.icir luiipouep in ureuKiiig me ioivo ol
the wind. It cannot now sweep across
The Most Beautiful Woman
the World.
From tho Louisville Courier-Journal.
They were sitting, a number of kin
drcd spirits, spinning yarns in the law
oflico of Cox ifc Gl ider tho other after
noon. The conversation liad turned
upon the subject of beautiful women
nnd whero the handsomest women
were to be found. There was a great
diversity of opinion expressed, tho
majority stoutly maintaining, of
course, that tho girl par excellence
was not to be seen outside that glori
ous sovereignty of old Kentucky.
"Gentlemen," remarked the old Col
onel who bad been appealed to for his
views of tho fcltu;:tioii, "tho most
perfect figure nnd prettiest face I over
saw were m the wilds of Arknnsa'w
party ot us were out minting, over m
the swamps between tho Whito and
Arkansas Hivers. Toward sunset we
came to a deep and muddy bnvon.
which we knew at a glance it would be
inipossiblo to ford. On tho on
posito side a canoe of the "dug-out"
pattern, indigenous to tho country,
was moored. Away behind tho trees
a blue wreath of smoke curled quietly
heavenward, marking tho place where
some settler had built his cabin in tho
lonely waste. After a series, of yells
irom our guuio that would havo re
fleeted credit on a Comancho brave
about to take the war-oath. a. woman
glided down to the bank on tho other
side, gracefully seated herself in the
canoe and commenced pnddhng to
wards us with strong, swift strokes
As she- nearcd tho plnco whero wewero
standing wo all saw sho was young
not more than 19 and with a face of
surpassing loveliness. Her complexion
wns of that peifect brunette tyyeonly
to bo found in those whoso ancestors
formany generations havo lived-beneath
sunny skies; her checks had
that indescribable tint so often seen
on tho sun-kissed side of a ripe poach;
her mouth was exquisitc.witli pouting
lips like twin cherries; her hair floated
down her back in silken, shining wave
lets neaily to tho ground; nnd her
eyes! ah, gentlemen, how shall I de
scribe tlie midnight splendor or tho
transcendent glories to bo seen in the
liquid depths of those dark orbs?
"As sho stopped lightly out on the
bank and stood holding the 'dug-out'
for us to get into," continued tho old
gentleman, "sho displayed the most
ravishiiu'ly perfect figure I over behold.
Sho wns dressed in the single cotton
garment,. fashioned out of coarse 'fac
tory, which is worn by the females of
her class in those distant wilds. It had
evidently been made a yen-r or two be
fore, for she hud outgrown it to such
an extent that it imperfectly perform-
a the duties lor which it had been
constructed. It revealed a bust, with
which in art istic outlines the famous
Venus do Medici could not for a mo
ment compare. The short skirt per
mitted a glimpse of her ankles that
were absolutely faultless, and "
"I have a book here, gent lemon, which
1 should like to show- you, if you will
permit me, said a dapper little fellow,
stepping briskly into the room.
lie was met with a howl of dissent
from the major and the judge nnd the
captain and t ho old squiro.so wild and
fierce that ho novcr stopped running
uiuii no was uown ine stairs.
"Go on, colonel; oh, go on!" wns tho
unanimous demand of his listeners.
Tho old judge stepped quietly over,
closed tho door nnd locked it, remark
ing, his American heart would bo dad
hinged if lie proposed that story would
bo interrupted any moro if the court
knew herself, or words to that elTect.
"I don't know that I havo any moro
to tell," wns tho reply.
"Colonel," solemnly said the ven
erable Major, "if you leave that poor-les-
girl standing there holdinga canoe
on the bank of that niuddybnyou, I'll
hold you personally responsible 1 will,
as sure us thero is a God in heaven."
" oduln't leave her thore," respond
ed the Colonel. "Sho paddled us
across thestream, and when we asked
what sho charged, sho said, 'Oh,
nuthin', I reckon; pop went a b'ar hun
tin' this mawniu' an took all the tor
backer with him ef one o' you fellers'll
give mo a chaw I'll call it squur'.' Wo
gave her a chaw and went on about
our business. I never saw her again."
"I beliovo you're a liar," vociferat
ed tho Judge," as ho unlocked tho
door; ''an infernal old bald-headed
liar."
"So do I," chimed in each of tho
listeners as tliey passed out and fol
lowed tho irate loader down tho stairs
the streets below.
Tho question of which State pro
duces the most beatiful woman is still
before tho house.
ABD-UL-UAMID.
The MUcrnble KxIMencn of tlio Sultnn of
Turkey.
His Majesty the Sultan of tho Otto
man Empire is a most high and puis-.
pant monarch. His will is law nnd
his nod is death. He has many pal
'aces; ho rules despotically over a vast
empire; ho makes quantities of Pashas
cross their fawning hands whenever he
looks nt them; ho hns the power to do
anything to anyone of his faithful
subjects except recall him to life after
ho has killed him. Put social pow
er ho has none. His lifo is passed in
an endless round of official drudgery,
nay, positive servitude. Each minut
est detail of business, from tho high
est visions of diplomacy down to f he
opening of a new cofleo house on tho
shores of tho JJosphorus, passes
through his august hands; and each
incident of every transaction forms a
focus of intrigues which, in their
conglomerate mass, it would tako
twenty Sultans with a hundred times
Abd-ul-liamid's power to dis
arm nnd defeat. What time, there
fore, can ho have to spare for society?
The Commander of the Faithful may
be seen any week as he goes to his
Friday's prayer. Then, before tho
gaze of an adoring populace, through
lines of splendid troops, crowds of
brilliant aides-de-camp and pashas,
fair veiled ladies, brnyingbrass bands,
and screaming dogs there passes a thin
faced, long-nosed grizzled-bearded pale
man in a half-closed carriage.nervous-
ly fluttering his hands before his face
by way of salute, and receiving the
low salaams ot all in return, lie hur
ries into tlie mosque, scarce giving
nimselt time to tnrowalialf-friglitened
glance round, nnd so is lost to view
before ho can well bo seen. When one
considers why that face is so worn and
pale, why thoso hands are so nervous.
how tho heart behind that blue mili
tary coat, must bo beating like a roll
of drums, one feels grateful that one is
but a private individual, and not his
niijjuiim uijusi. , liiu (?iu win ivuu-iii-
Ilamid II., living as ho does,
in perpetual fear of assassina
tion. Tho head of tho state neither
ciiring nor during to assume hi3 posi
tion in society, no other Turk essays
tho rolo of social leadership. Not
only might such an attempt cause him
to bo unfavorably regarded by his
sovereign, but tho Turk lias neither by
temperament nor custom any in
clination to mix in European society.
It is too gay, too animated for him.
He is a quiet, sober, reflective creature,
who, after his day's work likes tore
turn to his house, put on his old slip
pers and his old coat, and, alter his
evening meal, devote liunselt to con
templative smoking among his women
folk and children. Or, if lie is in a
more social mood, he will perhaps in
vito somo ot Ins intimates to smoke,
and chuckle over childish Btories with
them in tho outer chamber. Again,
he cannot return hospitality; the
harem system puts thnt out of the
question. Filially, ho likes to go to
bed and to rise early habits incom
patible with social duties. The Fort
nightly Review.
A well-informed correspondent, who
is said to bo officially connected with
tho German general stall, has during
tho last two months contributed to
the Herliner Tageblatt aperies of ar
ticles on thonriuedstrongthof Kurope.
In the event of war, the disciplined
soldiers that could within three
months be sent into the field by these
countries niny be numbered as follows:
Houinunm, hil'.ooo; ervin, 73,000;
Hulgaria, 712,000; Greece, 01,000;
Eastern Houmelia. 23,000; Montene
gro, iM.ooti; Turkey, tiril.UUO. Tho
same authority ostunntes that tho
maximum available strength of the
great powers for warlikeoperations in
l.iiropeau 1 urkev within three months
of tho outbreak of hostilities would
be: Hussia, 810.000; Germany. I'M)..
000; Franco. It'JO.OOO; Amstriu-llun-gary,
Jt'JO.OOO; Italy, 1207,000; mid
Great Britain. 80.000.
A Sudden IJise In Fortune.
So many stories are told about tho
rise ot men in Wall street that they
seldom attract as much attention now
as they did years ago, when specula
tion wns carried on with caution.
Ono of the most amusing specimens of
an street men is to Do seen every
tiny on ms wav to tlie "street" m a
brougham of his own, with a magnif
icent team of bays and an English
coacliman on the box. Within the
brougham sits tho speculator leaning
on his eaneand lookingthouahtfullvnt
his well-gloved hands, lie has a palo
nnd almost elleininato face, and his
manner is reserved and austere. Ho
is very much more exelusivo and e!e
gnnt in the manner of his personal en
joyment, L' t years old. and in deport
mum miuo iiigumeu Ulllll MV. UOUUl,
-Mr. tonnor, or Henry ( lews most
ot whom go ui) and down in tho elevn
ten, or in yeuow cans, Tins vounc
man mm charge ot a certain depart-
.iim.f- i ..itli.,.. .. i! X 1.1.
iiiuiiu ui Hntio in H mill uu 'iiori.il
stieet, and made all tho way from $15
to $25 a week. He lived in a board
ing house on Twentv-sccond stieet.
on terms of special friendship with tho
ii.. .1.. x
inuuimiy. i us iat nor had pertormed
the marriago ceremony for tho land
lady in earlier years, and she kept her
eye on the clergyman's son nnd fed
him dutifully for $8 a week. Ho had
often "played" the bucket shops nnd
often madovery tidy little winnings.
The landlady had rawed $1,000 dur
ing her many years of l o'ping board
ers and wns about to devoto it to
paying off a mortgago on her houso
when tho solemn little clergyman's son
succeeded in persuading her to invest
somo of it in Wall streot. Sho wns a
cautious woman and agreed to lot
htm havo $200 every Monday morn
ing for fivo successive weeks. This is
not n great amount of money, but he
happened to catch tho market us it
rose, and ho is with it yet. His prof
its tho lirst two weeks were enormous
and the landlady threw all of her
money into the pool. Now ho is liv
ing in bachelor's chambers in tho
Cumberland, dines regularly at Del
nionico's and lives in a state of 111113
nillcenco suitable to a millionaire.
The ole or Wall street men aro im
mensely amused nt tho spectacle, for
they say that a single stump of tho
market will wipe him out of existence
as completely as though ho had never
lived. Brooklyn Eagle.
The Passing of the IIotc.l Clerk.
Charles Dudley Warner in the November
Harper's.
Tho hotel clerk has disappeared, or
is disappearing. Tlie faithful cliron
icier must note this significant chango
in American life, for it means the pass
ing away of a whole order of things
And ho notes it witli a certain saiV
ness; for, though this clerk was feared
by the general public, he was the ad
miration of the humorist. There was
never anything in tlie world before an
swering to this resplendent autocrat
of sleeping accommodations, this dar
ling of the flnshingpin, perfumed locks,
impudent eves, nnd lottv condescen
sion. He wns t he ono being in existence
before whom the free-born American
otmiled. Wo have so little real aris
tocracy in thiscountrvthat this dom
inating person stood out in relief; he
had power to abase the proud, and to
make the humble crawl into a hole.
Hut Ins hour lias struck and tie is
passing away, not absolutely, for the
traveler can still find him hero and
there, generally only in those gorgeous
palaces whero civilization is new a id
has tho appearance otn lacquer, and is
not 01 the substance of the Hie.
In fact, tho kind of civilization that
produced the hotel clerk is gone, or is
going also. He belonged to nn era of
smartness and pretension which the
foreign traveler did not recognize as .a
growing development of churncter.btit
mistook for vulgarity. He belonged
to what might becalled the steamboat
period, when tho steamboat was as
gorgeous and asa barber's saloon, nnd
its clerk had the fine manners and tho
striking attire of the gambler, lie be
longed to the era of the table in the
hotel dining room a quarter of a mile
long, whero tlie waiters were all drilled
to move like clock-work at a signal
trom tho first officer, who stood nt
tho bend of tho table. We can seo
them now facing tho table in a shining
linc.hnlf wheeling nt tlie signal stretch
ing out simultaneously over tho head
of the submissive guests a hundred
arms, seizing the tops of tho vegetable
dishes, nnd then, tramp, tramp, witn
the step of tho soldier going down
the echoing floor.disappearing through
swinging dooi-Sj and anon returning
with thoKnme military precision to de
posit a plate that weighed two pounds,
with a bang, before eacli awed occu
pant of a seat. As a military evolu
tion it was nearly perfect, and tlie
American people were rather proud of
it. It wns a magnificence which some
what crushed them, but they felt they
were somehow a part of it, and it is
doubtful if any foreign potentate was
ever served exactly in thnt way. It
was very cheap at fivo dollars a day,
and if thero had been anv dinner to
match the evolutions, we might still
be 111 thnt showy period of our nation
al developement. The hotel clerk had
so subdued tho spirit of the traveler
that ho had not perhaps much appe
tite, and rather preferred magnifi
cence to comfort. Hut in time, with
other standards of taste, this pa
geantry vanished, and the traveler be
gan to assert his manhood.
Of course there are still traces left of
tho old civilization, nnd when the
traveler finds them they awake a train
ot reflections upon the singu
lar development 01 democratic lite. in
America.
M. K. Like, of tho Tinted States
Hotel, Saratoga, says that tho busi
ness at that resost last summer gave
no indication of hard times, It was
noHcoable that a huge number of
Southern pooplo visited Saratoga this
year. Before tho war that used to be
a favorite resort with them and now
they aro begining to return in largo
numbers.
Singular Marriage Ceremony.
A singular marriago ceremony oc-
curedat Churchill during tho cruise of
the Arcticstenmcr Alert (which has just
arrived at Halifax) nlong the shores
of Hudson's Buy. Tho missionary,
Key. Joseph Lofteshouse, is tho only
minister there. A Miss Falding of
Sheffield, England, arrived out on tho
Hudson buy bnrquo CannOwen, to be
come Lofteshouso's wife- Hut when
sho arrived there was nobody to mar
ry tnein, tnero uemg no minister or
magistrate within many hundred
miles, and Lofteshouse was, of course,
unable to marry himself. Cant. Gor
don of tho Alert was called upon to
act in the emergency, and, although
having no legal authorization to tie
thegordian knot, thought that being
captain of a Government steam'er lie
would bo justified 111 performing tho
ceremonies, and that nn entry to that
efleet 111 the ship's log would sufficient
ly legalize the murrage. Thereupon
me contracting parties and other 111-
nauuauisoi 1110 pose assembled on
board tho Alert, and the sacred rite
was performed by Cap. Gordon read
ing the ceremonial of tho Church of
England amid a gale of wind. The
marriage contract and certificates
were entered 111 tho log and dulv signed.
OF INTEREST TO SKTJL'liKllS.
A Jtullng by Coinmlssloacr bparKS
Baling 1111 Important Hearing.
Tlio Turning ofnti Unlry Into 01 I'ro
Gliiplloii TIi nn .Tin lie Illegal.
Preventing rrnlntttm in Citm.
Commissioner Ppnrkfl.wiys a Washington (
tliHpntcii, linn recently tjinile 11 ruling which
in probably destined to have an important
influence upon tlie course ot transaction in
public IiuhIh. He Iiiih decided, in substance,
that tlio commutation ot 11 homestead Is,
in effect and in law. a turnina of the entry
into a pre-emption, anil, n such, is Illegal
when tlie claimant lias previously had the
benefit of tlio pre-emption law. Since tlie
pnssnsje of tlie homestead law it ha be
come tlie almost universal practice for set
tlers to secure claims under lioth that and
tlio pre-emption law. in addition to which
tliey have usually taken tlio benefit of the
timber culture law, thus ncreat in? under
tin-so las a maximum estate of ISO acres
to each settler. It lias bnn custonmrv to
take up a pre-emption and "treo rlnim'1 nt
once, and tho lapse ot the shorUMt neces
nary interval to mortgage tho farm tor
enough to pay the government ju ice of it,
when, lm vim; secured tho title, tlio settler
was at liberty In movo awuy and take thu
benefit of thu homestead law. The ruling
of tlio commissioner is calculated to put
an end to this practice. It leaves the act
tier still the right to secure either n pre
emption or a homestead in additioirto his
"treo claim," nnd as far as tlio rule itsrU
goes, it loaves him tho right to secure a pre
emption claim in tlie usual way, anil then
secure a homestead by living upon the land
fivo years. Hut the latter right Gen.
Sparks does not concede.
ft has been stated lie has made a ruling
to tlio effect that no person is entitled to
tlie IsjiiefitH of both pre-emption and home-
stead laws. This is incorrect, no such
ruling having been made. There is no
reason to believe, however, that uhen this
question conies before 111111 111 a way to de
mand a formal ruling on tlie subject, ho will
hold that in passing the homestead law
congress intended to give tlie choice to set
tlers of limited means by affording them a
method of obtaining 100 acres of land
without other outlay than tlie payment ol
customary fees in the place of purchasing
under tlio pre-emption law. Such ruling he
says would be in concurrence witn tlio
views which have inspired tlio movement .
in congress to repeal tho pre-emption law
outright, and should tho timber culture
law be repealed, would havo tho effect of ,
restricting tlio area ob tainablo by
a single claimant to oniMpinrtcr section.
Gen. Sparks holds that the two iawu thu
homestead and tlie pre-emption standing
together and interpreted iih tliey have
been, offer a temptation to fraud and
place a premium upon it. The hope, of
securing a second clainf is field out by
tho ono law as an inducement to
make settlements nnd improvements upon
tlio lirst claim of tlio most temporary and
inexpensive character, simply designated
to make a false show of good faith
and to "swear by," us immediately after
tlio final pre-emption or commutation, as
the case may be, tliey are to bo abandoned
and another residence established upon
claim number two.
Gen. Sparks holds that if congre.sn do-
signed to give some settler tho benefit ot
both laws it would not havo imposed upon
him requirements toestnblish :t temporary
homo in a place, only to bo abandoned for
another within a few months. Should tho
ruling indicated, as probable never to bo
made that already made prohibiting com
mutation of homestead claims by persons
who have previously been ire-ciui)teis will
still, ho believed, havo an important result
in preventing to a considerable extontspec
ulation in claims. Tho obligation to live
five years upon a claim is a te-tb of good
faith to which only actual farmers who do-
sire land for their own cultivation will euro
to submit.
King Alfonso Dead.
A dispatch was received by tlio London
foreign oflico from Madrid stating thatiKiug
Alfonso died at !) o'clock on tho morning of
tlie-oth of consumption, accelerated by
dysentery. Six doctors from Madrid and
two physicians of Kl I'ardo were in con
stant attendance upon the Kin;. Tliey de
cided Tuesday morning that tho king was
in a dangerous condition. Kits continued
throughout that day, and tlio king died at
S: Io tlio next morning. Tho pope's bene
diction arrived be f oro ho expired. All olli
cors or state and the cabinet ministers ex
cept tlio ministered war and minister of tho
interior were present at tho moment of dis
solution. Tlio cabinet met immediately
and tlio queen wns appointed regent in ac
cordance with law. Tlio members of tho
cabinet havo tendered their resignation lint
will remain ni ollice pending tho regent's
pleasure. Tho body of Alfonso will bo
buried in tlie palace of the K.-curial.
Postmaster General Nomuro, of Japan,
who is visiting this country, has not yet
quite caught on to tho immediate delivery
fybtcm.
THE MARKETS.
Drunkenness in Switzerland.
The people of Switzerland have be
come alarmed at tlio great increase of
drunkenness among them, and nie
moving to secure a moro stringent le
gal regulation of tho traffic in intoxi
cating drinks, with a strong feeling in
in favor of a high license system. Tlio
excessive tiso of alcholic beverages has
caused a great increnso in the number
of insano patients in tlio asylums
maintained at tho public clinrgo,
tho ratio to tho whole homo by
those duo to alcoholism being ."7.U
per cent. Of tho deaths in thocountry
one in every sixteen is said tn ln
chnrgenblo to overstimulation. Thir
ty years ago the nonulnco consumed
scarcely anything 111 tho way of bev
erages but light wines; now tho middle
and lower clnsses are great users of
whisky, brandy and gin. The reports
of tho reform schools' show that from
hi to oO per cent, of all the bovs and
girls were tho children of dissipated
parents. It will require tho adoption
of a constitutional amendment to
bring tho high license system into use.
Tlie property of France, stored in
the Garde-.Moublo in Paris, is said to
have a value of round HO.onn nnn
francs. It consists chielly of furniture,
glass, and china and contains among
other pieces of historical interest the
oeu and writing desk of Louis XVI.
OMAHA.
WnnAT-No. 2
1!aiiu:v No. 2
Hve-No. 2
C'oiin No. 2 mixed.
Oats No. 2 ,
HuTTKii Fancy creamery,
IIuttek Choice dairy
HuTTKii Itest country
Kaos Fresh
Chick t:xH Dressed per lb
Teui:i:vs Dressed per lb.
Ducks Dressed per 111 ,
Oeesb Dressed por tb
I. kmons Choice
Bananas Choice.
Oiianoks Mesma
Hkans Navy s
Onions Per bbl
Potatois Per bushel.
Giikkn Arn-us Per bbl
Seeds Timothy.
Seeds llliie Grass...
jiav Haled, per ton
llAV la bulk
lloas Mixed packing
IIeuvus r eeders.
NEW YOHK
Wheat No. 2 red
Wheat Ungraded red
to UN No
Oats Mixed western.
I'ouk
I.AllD
CHICAGO
Fi.ouit Choice winter
Flouii Spring extra
wheat l'erbushe
Cons Per bushel...
Oats Per bushel
I'ouk
Laud
Hons Packing A shinning.
f 'atti.e Stockurs
SiiEcr Medium to good....
ST. LOUIS
Wheat No. 2 red.
ConN Per bushel
Oats Por bushel,
4 'attle S tockers it feeders
SiiEEi' Weutcrn
51 (io
40 g
28Wu)
70
47
2HX
20 (a) 1
25 M 27
12 la
12 M 15
20 (a) 22
7 8
10 13
30 (ri) 31
11 32
0 25 (a) 0 50
2 75 (a) 3 50
3 00 (a) 4 50
1 25 (a) 1 50
4 00 (S 1 75
10 (a) 45
.... 2 75 3 24
2 30 (a) 2 40
1 75 (a) 2 00
5 50 0 00
(i 00 W) 7 00
3 15 3 35
3 10 60 3 CO
00
54MfiL
02
54J$
37
10 50 .6010,75
i -iH tJ) U -14
4 75
.1 r.
87X
12,'iG)
28
0 00
0 15
3 U5
2 25
2 00
37
2(iU(i
2 40
2 00
KANSAS CITY.
Wheat Per bushel.
'.'ohn Per bushel
Oats Per bushel...
tUm.K Exports.
ions 'Ai-sorteU
jiiEEi Common to uood.
71 (
28JG
22 id
5 05 &
3 55 a
1 50 S
5 00
4 00
88
43
' 28S'
0 50
0 17
3 85
3 75 .
3 75
95
37M
27
3 75
2 25
72Ji
20
23
6 20 '
3 70
2 75