The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-18
NEW YORK NOTES.

New YORK, Aug. 16.-IHe Public says:
The shrinkage of business, which as ex-
pected in August, came this year in New
York but thus far at hardly any other city.
It is curious circumstance that the same
phenomenon was observed in exchanges for
the second week of August last year; so
that remarks made August 10, 1880, apply
equal well to-day, viz, the exchanges for
the second week of August are surprising
only in the slimness of the transaction in
this city, Not for long time have the ex-
changes here been as small as last week.
Other reports show q continuance Of
healthy business. All the larger cities gain
in exchanges more than the average adj
vance in prices Exchanges have not been
so small at any other time since September
as last week Meanwhile Baltimore is the
only considerable city which does not show
an increase of exchanges greater than the
average advance in prices, and business in
that city appears to have been diminishing
for some weeks past.
Heavy transactions in grain, at high pri
ces, are reflected in the exchanges at Chi
cago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Kansas
CITY; but Pittsburgh and some other man
ufacturing points are making large returns
The STATE of trade appears unusually &C
tive for this season, at almost all points,
and generally healthy, except as specula-
tions in grain tends to mischief. There is
the same widely distributed increase in the
volume of business which appeared at this
time last year, and which proved the be-
ginning of the most prosperous half year
in our history. 1t is not impossible. of
course, that change in the yield of wheat
or corn, or financial position, may lead to
unfavorable results; but no indication of
such an event can be found in the move
ments thus far observed Exchanges in
wheat present no unfavorable symptoms
1t is rumored in the District Attorneys
office that a number of National Banks are
to be called on to refund money to the
treasury, paid by them on checks drawn
on the Assistant Treasurer in 1867 6S; the
endorsement on the checks being fraudu
lent. To-day the Assistant United States
District Attorney called on the Mercantile
National Bank to make good check for
300 drawn in 1868 by Assistant Paymas-
ter Truesdell to Clifford A Gould of the
10Th Illinois Volunteers The check was
paid at the bank and returned on the sub
treasury. 1t has since appeared that
Goulds signature was forged.
The Steamer Plymouth Rock on its
morning trip to Long Branch with 1000
passengers, when about twenty miles from
Its destination, burst a steam f1ue. knock
ing open the doors of the engine room,
from which an immence volume of steam
escaped Terrible confusion and terror en-
sued. Passengers became madly panic
stricken in their struggle for life preserv-
ers. Men We're seen to seize them from
women. The confusion continued for
half an honr in the upper deck cabin.
The struggling mass was wedged, the
doors being blocked up and to facilitate
escape the windows were broken out by
officers and the passengers passed through
head first. As soon as the panic was some
what subsidized, the band struck up, which
helped TO reassure the passengers and
restore order. The tug, Germania, went
to the assistance and took the vessel in
tow. Before this, however, the steamers
Schuyler and City of Richmond also came.
Later, the boat and the Germania towed
the disabled steamer some distance up the
river. where the passengers were transfer
red to the Richmond and brought here In
the panic number of women and children
were injured, but TO what extent is not
known,