The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-04-06

were submitted Friday, the answers TO the
printed questions being I'm most cases cor
rect, and showing very high standard
Among the candidates are messengers and
watchmen, who are anxious To become
clerks. One of these, in stating the quail
ficatiOns necessary for citizen to become
president of the UnitedStates, said he must
be Il national born citizen, b years of age,
and of sound mind. Another, in replying
to the important inquiry of how far the sun
was from the earth, wittily answered:
1.-THE sun is not so far away that | can not
see to do my work IL L am given The place l
want"
TIE NEW POSTAL LAW.
DR.. Mcdonald, superintendent of the
mOney-orCler system does not think that the
new postal notes will be ready for circula-
ton before Sept. !. Assistant Postmaster
General Hatton expects q decrease in re-
ceipts from stamps and stamped envelopes
for the next SIX months, i'll view OF the
change in the law. Orders for return"
stamped envelopes have already diminish
ed. Various plans are under consideration
as to the course to be pursued on the re-
demptlon of unused Scent stamps. Care
Will be taken to prevent c0unterfeiting.-
The probability is the department will de-
eide not to receive less than five stamps,
attached to each other as in the original
sheets.
THE WINTER WHEAT CROP FAIRLY GOOD.
The winter wheat crop throughout the
winter wheat belt of the west, as compared
with last year, which is placed at 100, Is as
follows: Ohio, S.; Indiana, so; Illinois, 80;
Missouri, %; Kansas, 81; Michigan SO;
Kentucky, 70; Tennessee, Sc. The winter
wheat sections of Wisconsin promise well.
below last year. The spring wheat sec
tions of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and
Nebraska show no essential change in area
as compared with last year. The impair
ment of the winter wheat prospect may be
on Of ed SsSsr 0 IS
that this years crop will fall below $50, 900,
600 bushels, So 600, 900 bushels less than last
year.
CABINET PROBABILITIES.
Folger's condition Is much more precari-
GUS than his friends have been led to be-
lieve., He is feebler, and goes from one
of resistance. His physicians give out that
the secretary is much better, and that there
is no cause for alarm. This kind of bull
letin is just the one to prepare the public
for his approaching death. When public
man is very. sick, and his physicians give
out that he is, getting better, the gossips at
once begin talking about his successor. So,
very opportunity, the gossips are talking
about the possibility OfWindOm being taken
back into the treasury. He is out of job
and has not yet gone into business in New
only interested in the proposed new stock
exchange. in New York as an investment,
and that he should not have anything to do
with its active management. 1t is hardly
probable that he will be taken up. He has
been rejected by his state, and the presi-
dent can have no particular reasons for re-
facilitating him. The only name that is as
yet mentioned for Mr.. Iowe's place is that
of Frank Hatton. The latter is very active,
capable, and energetic. He is well-liked
by the president The only, thing against
him is his youth, which ought to be real
advantage.
REBATE ON TOBACCO.
The commissioner of internal revenue has
received information which warrants him
in saying that the aggregate of claims for
rebates to be filed by dealers in manufac-
tured tobacco will be small. Manufacturers
report that, because of the fact that no APP
propriation was made to 3, pay the rebate,
sales. Dealers will not buy except in very
small lots, and will order only enough to
supply the daily demand. AS a conse-
quence, the great majority of dealers will
lave few, if any, ''unbroken packages" on
the 1st of July. If they cannot get the
promised rebate until congress shall make
the necessary appropriation, many of them
VIII prefer to let their stock run down I'M
til prices fall, consequent upon the reduc-
ton of the tax, rather than run the doubt
the costs. The commissioner has COM
pleted revision of the blanks and instruc
tons TO be sent to dealers claiming re-
bates. The form is not materially changed
but is made more specific and more care
fully guarded to prevent fraud. Half q
million copies will be printed. They will
be sent to collectors, and by them dstri-
buted among the dealers and manufactur-
ers. The department has decided to re-
quire an official label to be. attached to
each package when inventoried. This is
to prevent more than one claim being filed
on the same package, and for use as evil
dence in case the package should contain
sawdust.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
There are only forty clerks in the state
department, but these forty had the whole
southlwing of the new war, state, and navy
three sides of the building are now com
pleted there has been reapportonment of
rooms, and the state department clerks
have been crowded into space suitable to
their numbers. Great wrath was the con-
sequence. There is not enough going on in
the state department TO keep the clerks
awake. 1t is about as lively as village
poStoffice on Sunday, but the zeal and Sc
crecy with which a dispatch about nothing
at all Is sent to Mr.. Hoffman or Mr.. Astor
in regard to the relations of the United
States with Denmark and Italy are astound-
ing. Mr.. SevellOn Brown is the chief clerk
and he rushes breathlessly to Mr.. Freling-
huysen with dispatch from Minister Wal
lace, saying the sultan's poodle is lost, and
asking instructions. Mr.. Frelinghuysen re-
ceives Mr.. Brown in his bedroom, sends
post haste for q stenographer, and cables
Mr.. Wallace: "Be taken ill and remain so
until further Orders.' The secretary and
his clerk confer anXiously together, and
their alarm is increased by another dispatch
from Gen. Wallace: "Sultan wept when
heard of my illness. Sobbed: If anything
happens to Lew, I'll bastinado every doc
tor I'm Stamboul.'" BY this time the whole
state department knows that an interna-
tional crisis is at hand To add TO the COM
plications, q letter comes from the charge
d'a1faires at Berlin confirming the intelli-
gence of Prince Bismarck's prejudice
against the American hog. Forty clerks are
meanwhile driving forty pens and making
forty copies of every dispatch in the trans
actions Presently Mr.. Brown appears, red,
triumphant, and hopping his brow. He
re ods yellow IN 9s haTd which
clerks heave signs of relief, and are un-