Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-09
property is at premium, markets are large and increasing, and scarcely an idle hand to ha saa,,

Stock has just been taken of the contents
 of the French Bibliotheque Rationale, which
 IS said to be the largest library in Europe;
 and the number of volumes has been found
 to reach the large total of 2, 300, GOO. The manuscripts are bound in 92,OOO volumes, and the coins and medals number IA, GOO. The library possesses, in addition, 2,OOO, GOO engravings, filling 500 volumes and 4.0oO portfolios. If one or two other European 1 collections approach it in size, none of them l rival it in age, The nucleus of the library is said to have been formed so far back as 1 the time of Charlemsgne; but it's real origin dates from the reign of Charles the Wise, 1 who commissioned Giles Mallet, his valet de 1 chambre and an excellent scholar besides, to make the first catalogue in 1867. This list, which embraces only 300 volumes, is pre- served in glass case. There is, unfortu- nately, no modern catalogue; and the absence of this almost indispensable adjunct to a great library is much felt by students who have extended researches to prosecute.
 The tyranny of trade union has made trouble enough in Troy. The proprietors of the Troy malleable iron works have been trying to maintain their rights to run their business in their own way. The holders union in February, 1883. denounced the mal- leable iron works on account of rule re- quiring help to give weeks notice of Ieav- ing. That was the whole ground of dispute, though the union had been for some time crowding the employers more and more. When the latter attempted to introduce non- union men, they were driven off, The region of the iron works has been picketed by the holders union for many months, and it is only after fight in the board of police con- missioners that the authorities have broken up this laWless patrol. There have been several assaults in one of which one of the union party was shot dead The business men of the city are now stirring in earnest to form law and order league to rescue the city from the domination of the trade unions
 Congressman Cassidy, of Nevada, has been talking Interestingly to reporter about the land grant question. He points out that millions of acres of these grants are not worth surveying. He thinks that commis-
 
 the lands, and continues: The situation and extent of timber lands, agriculture lands, and grazing lands should be known. Those arid plains, which are fit for nothing but grazing, should be sold in larger quantities and at a cheaper rate than the others. Separate sections 5 of those plains are absolutely valueless. You can't raise hill of potatoes on one hundred and sixty acres But if a cattle raiser gets possession of several thou sand acres he raise and fatten 8 herd of cattle there. Now, if he buys fifty or five hundred of the alternate sections, which the railroad companies own, he cannot, under our present land laws, buy more than one hun dred and sixty acres of the intervening squares of government land. It is to the interest of the people that these grazing lands should be opened up and utilized. They will never be worth anything for agricultural purposes unless by the use of artesian wells. The vegetation now is nothing but bunch grass, scarce, but very sweet and nutritious. These plains of Montana are sure to be the great meat producing part of this country. Texas used to be, but Texas lands are also good for agricultural purposes, and will be wanted for small farms. The State is already getting so full of people that the cattle men are badly crowded. Those plains in Monta- na and along the lines of the Central and Union Pacific roads must raise the cattle and sheep for America. Grass-fed cattle means cheap beef. Corn-fed and stall-fed cattle means dear beef. In this country every body eats beef, and we are just as much interested in furnishing cheap beef for this nation as in furnishing every man one hundred and sixty acre farm. For that reason say the laws ought to be so changed that cattle raisers could buy and use large tracts of these plains