The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-01-07
UN TIED STATES.
4. Cr0ak.

thinks a financial crisis similar to 1873
impending as the result Of railroad specu
lations. Take, for example, @the sever:
propositions to build roads across that.1 LOO
mile belt separating the Mississippi aIluvia
basin from that narrow fringe Of fertil
soil and scanty population on the Pacifi
slope. Beside the original Pacific road
Wi1ich, after ten years experience, finds i
impossible to get return loads for its cars
and which is more than equal to all tha
can be put on it, another is so nearly com
pieted that the junction of the eastern an(
western portions at the Rio Grande is ex,
pcctcd early in the new year. The censu;
shows the population Of California to be
about $50, ,0OO-less than a million for the
whole Pacific water shed. One would SUP
pose that with q free ocean way bv the
isthnuS route, and two railroads in opera
zion, all traffic would be accommodated :
but the Pacific madness, born of cheap
raliroads,-one on Canadian, two on Mexi-
can territory and two at least on our own.
The Northern Pacific, for which there may
br some excuse in the next generation, has
yet to encounter its most formidable diff
cultles OF long snowy winters in crossing
the backbone ridge of the continent. The
Both parallel route has even less. excuse. as
there are the same mountain chains with
6carcelya q vestige Of population or any
thing on which to support it. That part
which MOI :s ost
raVines or dry desert, and it is closely
1iankod throughout by the SD parallel OF
texas route, now approaching completion
What rational inducement can be found
tor enlbarking in such colossal schemes un-
less rs before said, it be the facility with
which the projectors can borrow from cred
*1lou5 capitalists money enough to build
railroads and leave balance to pocket as
profit.
-A Grain Depot.
CHICAGO, December 2S.-It appears.
from the publishers figures, that the total
storage capacity III the city is %, ,7O2 900
bushels Of wheat; 10, 455, 900 is elevate,
room, 2, 1922, 600 sail vessel room and 925,-
900 steItn vessel room. The increase over
last yeHs' t5f s 4 ace oo5,o0O
bushels Of grain, as against ~ ,ooo.ooo I
bushels this time last year. !
Three Per Cents.
IT. is !; fact that the Secretary OF the
reTre,2st7ry is empowered by law to antlcl-
nate eSpn payments of interest on govern
1nent bonds when he deems it e2pedlent,
1,xy as mach AS years time. This author
ity was conferred many years ago Wheh
government bonds were much cheaper
+han now in order to offer investors every
iuducement, and it still remains, a'thooS5
the nnrDose for which it was conferred Is
wanting. Expert tiaanciers have no dono'
whatever that the government can place
zte new bonds 1T 8 per cent. II tlleE r's''
1ono enough. In financial circles there Is
, vv,gles.read opposition TO bonds bearing
less than 4 per cent, as snch ooios "oulo
inevitably bear lower rates OF interest than
,,onav and commercial transactions
.+,,roughout the country. Savings banks
.,,artfrIl]arly interested as their investors
1v;l1 now probably have to be content with
3 per GENT, .s--r
IF ie denied that there is any conflict I'M
xcrdinu between the new administrator
and the stalWa1ts.
Senator Sargent ON Poiygany' .=1.s.soa
Ca1cAG0, December 29.-Ihe 4r'O"ne
aaitoria|ly SAYS: Ex-senator Sargent, OF
r,,lifnrniu has written a remarkable letter
to the Salt Lake Tribune III defense OF his
amendments to the Poland bill for the sup
nression of polygany in the Territory
That bill passed by the House gave tl't
r,gural wives Il right to sue fora divorce
and division of the property OF the nus
band and took the franchise from the Wo
men Of Utah who are now entltleu ~ I
vn+a AFTER 90 daVs' residence il the Ierfi
torvwitilout having subscribed TO the oati
of allegiance or being nattlrallzeo' oai
opnt caused both Of these provisions 20 o
c+rinl,nn o,it in the Senate. The Gcntll
incubation of Utah have had grudS
aoais,st him ever since. Sargent defend
himself by saying that polygamy is d re
Ncious institution, and that ne mas neVe
known nersceution to be effective aSalns
religion, but very obvious answer 10 TIL
argument is that plural marriages are hot
necessary part of the Mormon lehglon' al
If thev were. it would be faith founded VI
on lust. and violation of the laws Of
civilized nations. Sargent has failed
draw 4 line between the regulation OF Il
mestic institutions by law and the attem
to control opinions by the same MEANS
Sioux Holding Back.
WASHINGTON, December 29.-TWo sep
rate conferences were held to-day at Il
Interior Department, before Secreta
Schurz. between the Cheyenne River a
Lower Brule Sioux delegations and
representatives of the Chicago and Mort
western and the Chicago, Milwaukee a
St, Paul railroads in regard TO obtain
the RIGHT Of way for the continuation OF
two lines Of railway through the DO
reservation. In the forenoon the cont
ence was held with the Cheyenne II
delegation, anu '*Four Bears at the
set renewed his proposal Of yesterday
asking 81, 100000 for the necessary Ian
s.orefarv scElurz stated that the railr'
company offered to pay nearly 70 PET =
~. +h. necessary strip ofland, which,
said, was nearly four times as fne'ell 'ss
government obtained for wild lands.
ondeayored to point out to them tiie
vantages" which would result from ~.
,.,;lro,d built through their resefVa'l
owing to the fact that it would bring IL u
crops nearer to market ana th0s Gnu.
thp value Of their land adjoining tne
road. II they wanted to be civilized :
roads we're civi1izing agencies.