davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
RAILROAD RASCALITY.

There is hardly railroad III Limos al the
first building of which the people along the
line of the road, or the towns, counties, DC,
through which it passed. were not invited to
take stock and in which more or less of such
stock was not taken. Yet can the in stance be
named where a decent dividend has ever
been realized on such stock? The road is
generally built, sometimes even partially
stocked, and run at sickly rate, when some
big capitalist or monopoly comes along and
qoJJles it, They either buy it outright OF
corrupt directory for song, or buy up
mortgage on it, and thus swallow it. In every
case, however, the original stockholders
those who did the hard work and advanced
most of the money-are swindled out OF their
share in the road, and the monopolists make
all the money out of it.
If the original stockholders allow them
selves to be blcd long enough to hold on to
their stock TO the last, the next game OF the
railroad Lirgs'' is to swindle them by COB
bling the earnings OF the road. The present
investigation in the management of the Erie
Railroad throws some light on the manner in
which this is done The stockholders OF the
Erie are largely heavy English capitalists,
and never could be robbed of their stock out
right; SO the professional railroad swindlers
had to adopt other means to swindle them out
of the enormous earnings of the road. Here
is how it was done one case:
T.. U;oa Dras;,lnpt 4 rcbnr'u frni Crh contract
with the Erie railway, has been the subject OF
very general discussion in railroad and bust
ness circles. The fact that he had such con
tract was very generally known, but few real
lied the enormous sums paid 20 him. From
prominent cX-otfcials and clerks of the Erie
Railway Company ithas been ascertained That
his percentage on the freight handled by nm
averages $40 per car load, or 100000 per an
mum.
II is rumored that in order to get this con-
tract he was obliged to divide receipts with
several officials of the Erie railway in the
freight and other departments.
Here was vice President of the road, whose
duty it was to protect the interest Of the stock
holders, but who enters into conspiracy
with the other officers of the road, and in that
way gets contract to run say 1000 freight
cars on the road at, $50 dollars car per trip,
and then the same officers fix the rate to the
shipper at $50 per car giving the contractor
a sure profit of $40 on each car, and this pro
fit he divides with his co-conspirators, and the
stockholders are swindled. Take your pro-
fessional railroad managers as class-your
Tom Scots, Robbs, Vanderbilts, Goulds, &c.
and there is scarcely man among them WIN
a moral sense above that of pirate
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
APPALLING DIsAsTER--THE OCEAN STEA
MER ATLANTIC GOES DOWN WITH
500 SOULS.

The telegraph brings the frighttul news OF
the wrecking of the Steamer Atlantic of the
white STAR line, on the coast of Nova
Scotia, before daylight on Tuesday morning,
with 1890 souls on board, Of whom at least
500 found a watery grave.
The Atlantic left Liverpool on the Goth OF
March, with SOS Storage passengers, 30 cabin
passengers, and crew of 142. After pretty
rough passage, on approaching Halifax on
Monday evening, it was found that she had
but 1917 tons of coal on board which the same
weather continuing, would be insufficient to
take her to the end of her voyage, II was
accordingly determined to run into Halifax
for coal. When about twenty miles from that
port, mistaking the Cape Sombre light for
the one on Dents island the vessel was run
ashore at Meagher's head, nearly parting in
the middle on the rock, the sea washing over
her fearfully. The night was pitch dark, and
raining, and of course the utmost panic rag
ed The lifeboats were swamped in attempt
ing to lower them, and the only way in which
any of the passengers were saved was by get
ting line to shore, by which some 800 pas
Sengers and part of the crew were saved.
Not one of about dozen women on board
was saved, and only three of, the cabin pas
sengcrs The Storage passengers were main
" made up Of Irish, Germans, Norwegians
and Swedes. The vessel had not, at last ac-
counts, gone to pieces, and the probability
was that most Of her cargo, which was yalu-
able, would be saved.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
4 CHICAGO BOOK PALACE.


Having occasion, while on recent WISH 10
Chicago, to make few purchases at book
store, we dropped into the famous book palace
of Jansen, McClurg & Co, on the east SIDE OF
State, between Madison and Washington SIS
To = denizen of the rural districts like our
self, the first sensation on entering such an
establishment is simply one Of bcwilderment'
Here is II hall, say 50 by l7G feet, and II feet
from floor TO ceiling, handsomely almost
ooudiIy finished and decorated, with tables,
counters, stands and what-nots, so that one
threads hi, way between them by sort oi
lahyrinth. and all around him-on the tables
and ON stands, on shelves above shelves, up
tbe sides and ends TO the very ceiling-all Is
observation-disclosures, Verify of the making
of hooks there is no cnd.' Yet we receive
with no little establishment the assurance that
fine hooks in sight are but fraction of the
stock on hand Under this spacious hall is
l4.foot basement, 80 by 2O5 feet, and this, too
is literally crammed with books and station.
cry. mostly in unbroken packages. We marvel
how the enormous outlay involved in gather
ing sucb mass of printing and binding can
be made rcmuueratiyc. 1t is true, here may
be million of volumes; yet there have been
q hundred millions Of different books written
and printed, and how select from the whole
enourh 10 have a salca4.s stock like this? \
polite attendant to whom we suggest our
bucolic puzzle gives as hint Though
hook making has been going on since the
DAYS of Moses, he suggests that as Emerson
saws, in the current literature, ten years silt
ont one book Of a million; the rest go TO the
rubbish basket Again the lot is winnowed,
and what terrific selection has not passed on
il before it can be reprinted after twenty
years-and then again after century! So a
bookstore which aims at completeness Ike
this, begins with gathering all the classics;
then it gathers the siftngs of the middle ages
few enough then the winnowings down to
the present century, then up to ten years ago,
closing with the teeming wheat and chat OF
today. It is thus after all, not so impossible
a thing as may be imagined, for a bookstore
TO approach comprehensive h"'c any 'iliS
old and new, worth having, from Moses, Ho-
mer and Herodo,us, down to Froude and
Rawlinson.
Such is one of the Chicago Book Palaces
in 1873. II is one of a row, in the old book
sellers quarter before the fire, back again to
the old haunts The book trade has always
been inclined to be gregarious and to cling
to its old haunts 1t is so in New York, Bos.
ton and Philadelphia, but in none Of them is
it more gorgeously housed than IN Chicago.
What contrast would this row of palaces in
Chicago present to the famous Booksellers
Row of 1892 in London, in laudation of which
so much of the choisest and most classic ink
of Englanl has been expended!
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
DEFEATED!

The people Of more than half the state OF
Illinois will learn with surprise, not unmixed
with Indignation, that the Legislature at
Springfield on Thursday voted down the sen,
ate bin approprating 100000 towards con.
tinuing the improvement Of the Illinois river
by erecting dam at Copperas creek. How,
in the face of the present clamor in this state
for cheaper transportation, the Legislature
could vote down the present only available
means Of building up so important water
channel to compete with the railroad monopo-
lists, is to us profound mystery 1t looks
nightly as if the monopoists had been dis
tributing some of their surplus earnings to
the members by means Of adroit lobby
agents. After such an outrage, Jet the lers
adjourn and so home.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
THE PLATFORM.

II takes some time for the masses engaged
IN an uprising like the present among the
farmers, growing out of a series of wrongs
and outrages infinite in detail, TO generaize
sufficiently on the underlying causes to re.
solve them into definite principles, The work
of crys;alization, however, is going on and is
rapidly assuming definite shape. The recent
state convention in Illinois, Kansas and
Minnesota have taken a long step in the right
direction. Their resolutions.and declarations
involve just two leading ideas
/. That the old judicial cobweb that char
tiers are contracts, and are therefore as unaE
terable as the laws of the Medes and Persians,
under the prohibition, in the constitution Of
the United States, against the state legislatures
passing any laws "impairing the obligation
Of contracts" Is practical notification OF
the first grand right reserved to the states, that
of eminent domai and Is therefore bad law
Il fction-and must be reversed or disregard
ed
2 That the railroad monopolies are but Il
part of a grand system OF monopolies that has
grown up under the practice Of both the state
and national governments, of granting special
fayors, bountes, privileges and vested rights"
to one class of citizens to the dctriment of
other classes.
As u platform for the new or Farmers Par
IT, these two are broad enough for at least
iour.tiiths of all the voters of this nation to
stand upon. Yet there are few more planks
in no way inconsistent with the above that
may with great propricty be added
/. Strict adherence to and rigid construc-
ton of the constitution Of the United States
2 the sovereignty of the people and the ser
yitude of the office holders or the peoples
employees, and therefore the right of the peo-
pie to demand of instead of pctitioning their
government for, redress Of grievances.
g. The right Of the people to insist on hay,
ing in incorrupt judiciary.
l. Severe, condign and prompt punishment
of vcnality and corruption in all government
officials, of whatever grade.
1t will be observed, by the intelligent read
er, that the points we have given above, exact
ly cover the platform proposed by Mr.. Lynch
in the farmers convention of this county Il
month ago 1t is, by all odds, the best resume
of the principles and aims of the agricultur
i,t we have yet seen, and every point is fully
covered and endorsed by a dozen of resolu-
lions passed at one or other of the numerous
meetings that have been held throughout the
the west, but as yet we believe, by no one
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
READ OUT!

The Ottawa Republican, which from the be-
ginning has opposed including the taritfrings
in the present fight of the farmers against the
monopolists, sneering at the tariff steal as a
dead issue" is read out of the great anti-mono.
list party of Illinois the state convention ofthat
party, at Springfield, on Wednesday, having
passed ringing resolutions against the iron
steel salt, and lumber as well as all other
seemed to make il pretty lively one al
Springfield. But how about Cullen? Does
he endorse the Springfield platform or back
out? The question is one Of inmease impor
lance If Cullen backs out of the movement
Of course il must fail
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
GEORGE s. wEDGEWOoD.

Mr.. Wedgewood has been released from
custody, on bail This he could have accom-
plished on the morning of his arrival here,
had he chosen so to do. When he went away
his accounts and his understanding Of the
amount due the school fund was $3.50. few
days after his departure he wrote to friend
at La Sale that he wished to dispose OF his
house and lot, and pay the proceeds on the
county's claim. In accordance with this di'
rection his homestead was sold and decided,
and the amount stated, $4,000, has been paid
to the school fund All that remains is to
settle the exact amount, as will be done at the
coming trial
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The Boutwellian system Of finance, which
Mr. Richardson was appointed TO continue
and the main features Of which are to lay on
all the taxation the people will bear, and to
leave in the hands Of the Secretary of the
treasury reserve of 100000 of greenbacks
wherewith TO contract or initiate the currency
at pleasure, is yielding its fruits in the rapid
advance in the price Of gold. On Wednesday
gold, in Wall street, touched" 49, and The
advance during the preceding week had been
full 3 per cent Two years ago gold was
down TO 10 per cent. Then, as Bou;well's sys-
TEN was gradually developed, Invent up TO II,
then to 12, and so on until now il is up TO l19
At this rate, when will the country reach that
specie payment at which Boutwell, professed
all the time to be so anxiously aiming?
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The Ottawa Rep4Jlicdn, though unwilling
at present to discuss the tariff question, as it is
dead issue!" condescends TO define the edi-
tors position on that question so far as to say.
"he is in favor of q revenue tariff with in
cidental protection" There never was a
meeting of the fiercest tariflites held, even in
the heart Of Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania,
that was no; ready TO vote in favor Of such Il
tariff. Every member of the late congress, ex
cept few stray democrats, was elected on
such a platform. And here are some of the
fruits of a tariff for revenue with incidental
protection" We copy from a table prepared
by David A. Wells, the best authority on the
tariff question now living. BY the present
tariff the producer paws:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The editor of the Ottawa Repa6ttcn" has
been so far smoked out by the FREE TRADER
as to venture the declaration that he will
not support any candidate for legislative
Office, either state or national, who is not
in full sympathy with the people on this ques-
t;on"-meaning the railroad question. But
suppose a convention of the farmers OF La
Sale county should nominate candidates
for congress, legislature, &c, in opposition to
the regular" radical ticket, and place them
on the broad anti.monopolist platform of the
Springfield and Topeka resoluions-ho"
then. We shall go that ticket every time
against the world; what says Cullen
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

Caleb Cushing, The TalleyrunG Of American
diplomaiists, mas written . book about The
treaty of Washington and the Geneva Confer
ence. The book is prefaccd by brief history
of the events of the war upon which the treaty
was predicatod The book will contain some
300 pages. Lord Cockburn, lie British arbi
traitor, is handled in very severe terms, and
the book is likely TO provoke stir and good
deal Of sharp criticism on the other side Of
The Atlantic.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
$1,000
Sl5(,

Gu, Of every Si97 he expeHds for the neces-
sary clothing Of his family, sGl.5Ois for tax,
not 10 the government, but TO the wooden and
cotton monopolies. pensioned 10y law This
tax is equal 10 307 bushels of corn, and is that
much O, the annual product of the farmers
labor taken from him and given over to GER
tain rnunopolists, without consideration of
any kind. If this tax were paid into the treas
ury there might be some excuse for It, but il
is taken in tht form OF cash, and paid TO the
monopoiisi that he may be encouraged" to
ropea; the operation.
This is the sort Of robbery Cullen declares
himself in favor of, hut thinks the farmers
should ignore AZ no; "A live issue Perhaps
they w;il-if they are fools
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

Geo. W. Curtis, the head of the civil Ser
vice Commission. whose rules President Grant
has so often promised 10 observe in the APP
pointment of public officers, has resigned in
disgust, because the President, in most OF his
recent appointments, has treated the rules of
the Commission with contempt The tiare.up
between the President and Curtis is ominious,
as the latter had hitherto been one Of Grants
especial pets and toadies
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

AT Trenton, j, few days ago, N the
Catholic Church, man in the congregation,
on kneeing down, broke his kneelinc bench
with cracking noise. Immediately a cry
was raised that the gallery was giving way
which created such panic, that in the rush
for the door, fourteen women and children
were trampled upon and seriously injured
and benches and windows innumcrablc
smashed. Only human beings can be cra1ed
by so slight cause
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
From Springfield.



The house bill, providing that the present
circuit judges shall continue to hold courts
AS now provided by law until they are super
seeded by the new circuit court bill, was taken
up in the senate ON the 2Sth and passed. Also
the senate bill directing the state gcolo gist
to prepare and preserve entire sets of geolo.
logical specimens to be found in the state,
keep them in his Office at Springfield, and
also furnish specimens to institutions of
learning.
TEMPERANCE.
The temperance committee in the house, on
the 2Sh, reported adversely to the bill to
amend the temperance law by abolishing the
clause which makes landlords responsible for
damages incurred by the tenant who sells
liquor, and the house adopted the report by a
vote of 20 to 20.
WoMEN's RIGHT.
The senate took up on Tuesday and prompt
ly passed Mr.. Bradwell's house bill author.
izng the election of women to school offices.
The bill includes officers under all the
general or special school laws of this state
so that it would seem to include members OF
the board of education of Ottawa.
ON DOGS.
The house, on Saturday, tabled bill de.
claring dogs "a nuisance and allowing any
dog to be shot if found off of his owners
premises.
RAILROAD SUITS.
Under the present law actions against rail
road companies have to be brought in the
county where the principal office is located
often causing great inconvenience. The rem
edy is contained in bill passed by the house
allowing suits to be brought in any county
through which the road runs.
PATENT RIGHT VENDORS.
The senate passed a bill on Tuesday pro
viding that "the maker of note relating to
the purchase of patent rights may have the
same defense against ii in the possession OF
an assignee as in possession of the original
payee,' which seems 10 contraycne the com
mon law doctrine.
LEGAL NOTICES.
The bill compelling legal notices 10 be pup
lished in the paper designated by the plaintiff
in suits, passed the house.
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
The Senate bill, approprating 100000 tc
continue the improvement Of the Illinois riv
er by the erection of dam at Copperas creek
was taken up in the house on Thursday, and
after long debate, defeated, by a vote of Il
yeas to G5 nays 1t lacked just one vote OF 8
majority of all the members-such majority
being necessary to carry the bill. This de
feat, we presume, is final for the session.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The farmers in Wisconsin are growing bel
ligerent A call for farmers meeting IN one
of the towns winds up in this way;
"I.ahor combines and strikes for more pay
politicians combine and strike for more taxes
railroads combine and strike for higher
freights: it is the opinion of the writer thai
tbese three combinations will never let GO oi
the farmers throat till they have an oppor'g;.
nity TO look into the mar-ge # c loaded qua.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The origin OF the fire in Auburn is at'ri-
butable 10 the following strange cause: The
direct rays of the sun passing through toilet
bottle were focused by TIE concave bottom
and thrown upon woolen mat, setting II on
fire Subsequent experiments resulted SINH
larly, but when the bottle was used empty the
same effect was not produced
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

The Republican having limited, week ago,
at the possibility Of Judge Leland being
placed upon the track for the Supreme bench
in place of Judge Lawrence, the Bureau
County Republican is authorized TO say that
in no event win Judge Leland be candidate
for the Supreme bench, but that he is can.
dida.e fer reelection as Judge Of this circuit
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05

Tie wyandotte Kansas poor-house shelters
two sisters, the elder of whom is six feet three
inches in height the younger six feet eight
and still growing
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
Leaving net earnings

Leaving net earnings S2,145,S4I "A
The capital stock of the company, Mr. New
ell lugubriously informs us, is s95, $4,000 SO
that the net earnings for the year pay less
than per cent on the stock.
The entire cost of the road was S34,OGl,-
1860. Of this sum the company has real
lied, thus far, sea, 22553.17 from sales OF
lands given the company by the state, and it
has still 344,36S acres left, worth enough,
when sold, nearly to cover the entire cost OF
the road. Then the company issued bonds
to the amount Of some $20,OOOUOO to raise
money for the construction of the road, from
which it would appear that the payments on
the S25500,000 of stock must have been e1'
ceedingly thin. But suppose the stockhold-
ers have paid in 40 per cent, or Sl0,l2oWo
on their stock, this is really all the road ever
cost them On this sum, then, the real capl-
tai the company, as Mr. Newell informs US
has, during the last eighteen years, divided
500, So, 40107 in dividends, and is ready to
make. or has made, dividend for 1872 of
some 20 per cent Yet Mr. Newell whines
that the company had "bad year" of it in
1872, and cleared less than 8 per cent. on its
(partly tctitious) capital stock!
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
A MODEL RAILROAD MONOPOLY.

President Newell, of the Illinois Central
Railroad, has just issued the annual statement
of the company for the year 1872. The figures
are emnently instructive and we copy few
for the enlightenment of our readers
The earnings WERE. .SO,oIo,too VI
Working expenses S4,O24.'2e ~
And State Tax. 442 $50 "a 4,461,5S5 333
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
PATENT RIGHT yENDERs.
LEGAL NOTICES.

The bill compelling legal notices to be pull
lished in the paper designated by the plaintiff
in suits, passed the house.
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-01-27
Attachment Notice.

JIM. Wright Before P. NJ. Winter.
VS.. Justice of the Peace
DR.. j. W. Homer for Shelby county.
TN THE ABOVE NAMED SUIT AFFIDA-
Il Wit for attachment having been made under
section 1856 of the Code Of Tennessee. that the
defendant is a nonresident of the State OF
Tennessee, or Is about to remove, OF has
removed himself OF property from the state, or
has removed or is removing out of the cou atty
privately. OF eonceals his property so that the
ordinary process Of law cannot be served pom
him, OF has absconded or is absoondir * or
cencealing himself or property, or has = aud
ulently DISPOSED of OF is about fraudulen fly TO
dispose Of his property; 1t is thereto re or
dered that the defendant appear before me at
my Office, No. 40 North Court St.. in the city Of
Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, he Sth
day Of February, a. d. 1873, at 10 o'clock
am. and defend this suit, or the 81 tme will
be proceeded with ex parte; and that copy
of this notice be published once a week for
four consecutive weeks, in the PUBLIC. LKDGER.
This Sth day Of January 1873.
111-117-123-12Q