davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24
COL. PLUMb'S SPEECH.

Col. Plumb, the representative Ct this
district In congress, has favored us with a
copy of his speech delivered in the House
March 9Th, and, incredible rs 1t may seem,
we have read 1t with considerable interest.
The speech must be labeled, like the
conventional war rumor during the REBEL.
ion, "important If true" 1t was made on
the house bill "to provide for the purshase
of United States bonds by the Secretary Of
the Treasury" The President, 1t will be
remem bered, said In his message that the
only possible way, under existing circum.
stances, to reduce the surplus revenue was
to purchase government bonds In the open
market, yet the power of the Secretary Of
the Treasury to do so under present laws
was, to say the least, exceedingly doubtful.
The object of the bill In question was, with
certain important restrictions, to make that
power clear
Col. Plumb opposes this bill. Its pas.
sage would involve the expenditure of $50
to 200 millions CT dollars more than 1t
would cost to let the bonds run their course,
aud this expenditure he assists is wholly
uncalled for and unnecessary, because, as
the law now stands, the government has
the right Immediately to redeem all the 4
per cent bonds (Which embrace 9l0th of
all the bonds now outstanding) at par.
Because
l. BY section 1888 of the Revised
Statutes Of 1878, 1t Is provided that any
interest bearing bonds OF the United States
can be redeemed at par before maturity
"whenever bonds of the United States
having a less rate of interest can be sold at
par" As bonds Of the U. 3. at 3 per cent
and even 2is per cent interest can now be
readily sold at par, Of course the govern.
ment has the right under this statute at
once to issue such bonds and take up all
the per cents at par.
2 Because, anyhow, by the law OF 1869,
under which the 81 100000, 900 Of per
cent bonds now outstanding were Issued, II
Is provided that these bonds "shall be
redeemabls at par at any time for thirty
years from the date of their issue"
Are these two positions taken by Col.
Plumb tenableY II SO, what is to be said
of the whole line Of Republican Secretaries
Of the treasury since 1870 who allowed the
$2O0,0OO.0O0 of 5 per cent bonds Issued
under the act of 1869 to ruin their whole
term of ten years; and the $500, 100000 of
AZ per cents issued under the same act TO
ruin their whole term of Is years, when
long before either Of these bends fell due
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

the operators are coming money. The
average pay of a miner is about 81 go a day,
or two tons to the man, on the Streator
basis. The mines have company stores At
tached, at which the miners are forced to
trade by the check system, and where they
pay about one.third more than they could
buy elsewhere for, They live in company
houses, for which they are charged exhorbi.
tant rent and their coal costs them, at the
shaft, SIZE per ton. One operator, who
owns five shafts, cleared SS7. 900 in 1887.
At the Columbus convention it was agreed
that If the southern coal fields we're brought
up to the Streator so cent scale the northern
coal fields would advance 5 cents per ton,
The south was up and now the northern
men refused to advance the 5 cents. The
agreement called for 8 cents in May and 8
again in November. II was due the miners
and they should have the advance. Again,
the operators received rebates from the rail.
roads, none of which was proft-of course
not. The operators were abundantly able to
pay the advance and should do so, but
seemed to be organized against it.
Every delegate was vociferous in his de-
mand for an increase, and although they
admitted that there would be no strike each
seemed fearful Of going home without some
thing
After considerable parleying committee
Of four operators, Messrs Devlin, Wyatt,
Rathbone and Munser, and four miners,
Messrs. Harrison, Long, Young and Hunter
were appointed a committee to settle on
scale for the ensuing year, and after three
hours and half Of discussion, in which the
wage, short day and other matters were
fully gone over, they came in with a recon-
mendation that last years 80 cent rate and
conditions be the rate and conditions Of this
season.
This report was great disappointment to
the miners, ana several of them spoke with
voices choked with tears. They had expect
ed bread-to them it was stone. Long
faces, haggard and expressive of disgust,
defeat and chagrin. 1t was q bitter pill, but
their own committeeman had . reed to i.
and they manfully stood by them.
At the evening session, when the above
report was handed in, an arbitration board
composed Of Operators Devlin, Wyatt, Camp
bell, Munser and Sweet and Miners Hsrri-
son, Strongman, Gardner, Mccall, and
Young were appointed to serve for the year,
May l. 1883, to May l, 1889. This board
will attempt to bring Ames of Minonk, and
the operator at Roano Ike up to the scale, and
will adjust grievances. 1t was bitterly OPP
posed by Sweet and all operators excepting
Devlin, who secured its passage by CO.
operating with the miners.
After vote Of thanks to the county
officers for accommodation, the convention
adjourned sine die.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24
Mr.. Henry Irving has finished his Amer
lean engagements and will return to Lon
don, with fat pocket book, of course.


~
Wednesday evening was wild hour for
flames, and when the big bell in the City
Hall sounded the alarm at $3.50, listeners
hoped It to be false alarm. Il was an old
frame barn, in the rear of Whites hotel, and
when the fire department reached the scene,
the hay and other ipAamsble material under
the rotten roof, were sending the flames
high over the top Of the hotel. while the
trembling guests in the apparently danger
GUS hostslry, we're preparing to deoamp
without the formality of farewell. In the
upper halls the scene WAS one OF dire con-
fusion. Domestics and the lady boarders
creamed and tugged at obstinate trunks,
while those of the masculine persuasion
swore and threw their grips down stairs re.
CARELESS Of broken straps. In about ten
minutes, every trunk in the house was in
the halls, or piled in huge heap In the cor
idor. Prepations for masticaton Of supper
were suspended, and Rash" Howard
howled for FIRE escapes and fame eItin'
guishers. In fact the way Raish' tore
around and wept for silence was affecting
When the bedlum had subsidized, thanks to
the efforts Of "Raish' the FIRE In the old
barn was under control, and no damage
done except the loss Of ton Of hay, and
an old fire trap that should have broken
m rouoh the ice long wears ago.
Later in the night, some over-timid indi-
yidual turned in an alarm from the north
side, which developed into burning chin
new ON O, M. Butterfeld's house.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

the share of the cellar NOVELETTE, pay for
editorials and illustrated biographies Of
the experts" published TO formulate
public opinion" it is legitimate charge
in this account 1t Is the more offensive
because S25 would have made and printed
10000 copies VI financial report that
would have been equally effective and
more valuable.
But, after all, what is 5000 or $1,000 to
the great county of La Salleg True, no
cases have been tried as yet, though one is
promised 70 begin on next Thursday; but
there has been lots of fun with it all-fully
worth the money. OF course. The tax
payers won't feel it, Doc Nortons little
bundle of 5000 or 500 divided up among
COCO or 1000 taxpayers won't be felt, of
course not, but II has been heap of good
TO the Doc during DRY season and the
crops ruined by the drouth. The taxpayers
surely ought not TO object to supporting so
emf, ent patriot!
But II some one VIII Just stand right up
up In meeting and give us pointer wheD
1t is all going TO end, we'll ship him,
express paid, irst-class, hand.painte1
solitude, with gilt frame, full of babbling
brooks, numerous waterfalls, etc, that our
artist has painted for just such an occasion
as this. We've been pining to sacrifice
ourselves on public altar some how. We
want TO get there If we can, and at the
same time let down the Doc as easy as we
can, for it is said to be dangerous to wesn
suddenly,
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24
The Free Trader
1883.
The Free Trader is a Tariff RGfurmGr.

II believes The heaviest burdens of the American pro
iectiye system fall upon the Farmer.
It believes the Farmer receives nothing In return
hut on the contrary, that he hampercd by 1t in M
efforts 10 extend his export trade
lt believes that the protective tarf Ii an injury to the
working man that his wages would be higher without
IT, his employment steadler, and his expenses Tor 'h'
accessories OF life very much less.
u will advocate tariff reform mot pee irdde) anu ,"
taxes as opposed to free whisky and tobacco
II will teach democratic doctrines and support deho'
cratic men and measures.
IL believes In and will support h0nestg"Nrrh'hio'
the benefit of the whole people, and not a class
It's opposed to MUST combinations ofal sorts
It viii strive u perpetuatc tine control which the Dem
ocratic party now has OF the national government m
being the best the people have had for many years.
In the conflict Of the year TIM fGfE TRADER viii ne
found In the aght as usual.
IL will be M good paper as can be made.
twill be paper for Ia Sale county voters ana tax
rayers devoted TO their intees and giving them re
liable Information only.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

The new directory is now ready. 1t Is
certainly the best ever made of Ottawa,
and at the price, with the map, Is really too
cheap, the map alone being werth IS to
any business man In the city. The edition
is unfortunately limited and there are
going to be many disappointed ones who
will be unable to get copies,
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

A fearful railway accident took place on
the Atlantic Coast Line, on Saturday morn
ing at trestle IS miles south.w west from
Savannah Ga. One car of the train jumped
the rails and broke down the trestle. Some
20 or more were killed, and al out 40
injured.
The Douglas county supervisors have
caught the investigation fever, and are
going through the county books. They
have found nothing so far, but are holding
their breath, waiting for the cyclone
James w. Tate, for 81 years treasurer of
the State OF Kentucky has absconded to
Canada, short In his accounts to an amount
any where from $4,000 to 100000. The
examination of his accounts from year to
year has been very strictly made.
All the journeymen painters of Chicago
are out on strike for BIC an hour.
Jay Gould has returned from his Euro
pean trip, reaching 81. Augustine on Mon
day last
On Monday the L. s. Supreme Court
sustained the validity of the Bell telephone
patents Three of the seven justices dis
sent Bradley, Field and Harlan.
A telegram came In yesterday afternoon
to the effect that CHER Justice Waite of
the U. s. Supreme Court had died,
The u. s. Supreme Court has just de-
cided an Iowa liquor case In way that
causes pain to the prohibtionists. The
case grew out of the refusal of the &. & n.
w. road to carry into Iowa consignment
of beer. The consignor brought suit
against tn Railroad Co. The defendant
set up as ~ wer the law of Iowa forbid
ding Its carriage into the state without a
permit. In the lower court the law was
sustained but the Supreme Court reverses
that decision announcing that part of the
law unconstitutional. The effect is that an
Iowan may now order his beer from a
foreign state and drink 1t at his leisure. II
will also render 1t exceedingly difficult to
enforce the law In reference 10 sales.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

much enthusiasm throughout Ireland and
Ia many English towns MIR. Dillon spoke
in London, O'Rrien spoke in Birmingham,
and Mr. sullivan In Bradford, ana all meet
ings were largely attended,
On "Wednesday Mr.. Parnell made Wig
orUus speech In Parliament onthe arrears
of rent bill, which proposes to give irish
courts power 10 reduce certain arrears
upon all holdings less than 5000 year ana
20 enable TENNIS 10 pay by instaIimen's'
He said the Irish people were now at the
end of the respite which the act OF 1887
afforded by providing that notices of evic'
ton shall replace actual ejectment Tor a
term of six months. The effect OF that
provision was seen in the fact that whereas
In the three months ended with September
there were 4,l9j evictlOns In the three
months ended with December there were
only $50. But In the latter three months
3,352 notices of eviction had been served
What would happen when these anu prob
ably 1900 other notices were carried into
effect? Ireland would he plunged into
disaster and trouble, the end Of which no
one could foresee. The question was a
pressing once, needing an immediate so.
luton. The House refused, however, To
order the bill 70 n second reading by j2o
to 2l3
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

Hare. J. Harlow, q classmate Of Prof.
Bigham's at Amherst, was the lsiter's gsest
on Wednesday.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

The Cost of the Investigation
There are several items TO be considered
in the computation Of the cost Of the alleged
Doodle investigation, the first of which is the
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

The Santa Fee engineers strike was
brought to close on Sunday last by Ar
thurs order To the men TO return to work.
The 20" strike continues, of course, and
has so far resulted disastrcusly 10 the en-
gineers, who seem now to pin their fate on
the result Of the first pay day, when they
expect the new men to get drunk In a
body! On Saturday Judge Dundy, of the
L. $. Dist Court, decided that the u. L.
must haul 90" cars or suffer a penalty of
$1,000 day for refusal This was made
law by the U. =. charter, which, the Judge
says, has been reiterated for all roads by
the inter state law Engineers haze the
right to stop work at any time individually,
but they have no right to conspiTe to quit
work In body and refusal by them to
haul 80" cars would subject them TO the
same penalties as are imposed on the road
itself 81 1000 fine and six months impris-
Onment.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24

OF course, as MIR. Moloney guaranteed "
the board that the attorneys fees should not
be over $1,000, he will probably make up
the difference Of 81, 800, which is here sab
tracted:
Grand total. .....''..'$SS0rs =
~
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24


sarily compel decrease in price, and their
profits are now almost nothing. When they
paid the S5.cent Streator rate in 1896, it was
the means Of many operators selling coal at
cost, and they could not and would not do
so this season. The Columbus agreement
provided that they should pay the s5-cent
rate if the southern fields advanced with
them. This they we're satisfied these men
would not do; but had every assurance that
there would be 9 decrease instead. These
mines were run by machines, and much
coal was already gotten out below the 81
cent rate. In 6ue, On advance Of 5 cents
would be utter ruin, as many Of their con-
tracts were already made, compelling them
to run at loss.
The miners say that the $3.50 price at the
shaft is only q summer rate, and that the
coal mined in the spring, winter and fall is
sold from $l.76 to &2.25 on al outside con-
tracts. That the greater bulk Of business 10
far from being with the railroads, and that
the railroads do not consume more than
four tenths Of the output, and hardly that.
Indeed. the average price is at least sl.5O
and generally Sl.60. Again the fall, win
ter and spring output is double the summer
production for relative lengths Of time, and
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-24
Then the indictments, juries, etc.:

The attorneys fees, taken at Mr.. No
loney's figures as $l.O00, are much too low.
unless the attorneys themselves are willing
to do expert work at strictly laborers' prices.
They are more likely to be about these dg-
ures, which are not unfair:
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-10
SQUIBS.

The Meanness of the Sex.-Ada-"I
had ten offers of marriage last week"
Ella-"How mOnotonous and persist
ent of Jack !"- Tid-Bits.
Flossie Jagged 4-"Bobby, why do
they call ministers doctors 7" Bobby
"a lad of considerable information)-
''Cos they make folks better"
When the teacher asked "What
made the tower of Pisa lean 7" the
slangy boy at the foot of the class
promptly responded because it was
built that way"
She-Do you love me, darling He
What in blazes do you want to in
terrupt me for, when l am just adding
up column of figures OF course L
love you'll Confound it all, now Ive
got to add that whole column up over
Somerville Journal.
The declaration of Bishop Foster to
the Vermont conference, "that he
would as soon pray for plague to
come into his church as for an evange-
list" reminded us of the emphatic de-
claration of Bishop Fowler to the
Maine conference "Preach sanctifica-
ton but not cranktification." ZiOn's
Herald.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-10
Eye Grating in Surgery.

DIR. Webster L. Fox of Philadelphia
thinks he has successfully performed
the operation of transplanting a part
of a rabbits eye to the human eye.
He placed the cornea of rabbit in the
eye of Mrs. Annie Schick, patient in
the Germantown hospital, last Sunday
night and then bandaged up her eye.
The patient has been kept ever since
in dark room and has suffered but
little pain. DR.. Fox removed the ban
dage to make an examination, and de-
clared the operation a success. He
found the eyelids had rot developed
the slightest swelling, every nerve was
in perfectly normal condition, the
graft remained in place, its edges
were all united and it was as transpar
ent as crystal and had attached itself
to the base membrane. DR.. Fox was
highly pleased with the result, and
has every hope that the opalescent It's
sue which has obscured the sight of
Mrs. Schick will become transparent.
The graft is not "hazy," as some sup
posed it would be.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-10
Minister Phelps Talks.

Minister Phelps has made all his ar
rangements to sail on his return to
London on June Is. In the meantime
he will pay visit to Vermont. Mr..
Phelps says that on leaving London he
felt limited to a 60days' trip. 1mme-
diately on arriving here he secured
accommodations to return on the date
named, by the steamer Aller.
Gas to the chief .justiceship," said
he, lyon may imagine from this what
| expected in this directiOn--Or rather
did not expect. With Mr.. Fuller |
have no personal acquaintance, but
since he is the choice of President
Cleveland, he cannot be otherwise than
an excellent and able gentleman. |
am sure he is an able and good lawyer,
or else the President never would have
appointed him. From what | hear. he
will be confirmed"
"What do you think will be done
with the fishery treaty ?"
81 cannot say. Action may be post
poned some time, and what will be the
ultimate result of course is matter of
conjecture. 1t seems to me the treaty
would be fair and settle the question.
/ do not anticipate any complications
between England and the United
States i'll regard to the fishery treaty"
"What is the general opinion of the
Mills bill in England q"
"Many with whom | conversed are
of the opinion that free trade with the
United States would simply be detri
ment to England. They argue that
the competition in trade between the
two countries would give America Che
advantage. | think that free trade
would certainly be of great advantage
to the United States"
Chow does the political situation
here strike you p
81 have been absent three years and
am not so well posted politically. From
the indications | think President Cleve-
land will be renominated. 1t looks
like democratic victory this fall"
ado you think Vermont will go re-
publican P''
eyes, l think the republicans may
reasonably hope to carry Vermont. In
fact there seems little doubt that the
state will go republican"
cit is said that the Vermont farmers
are afraid potatoes will be put on the
free list and their prospects ruined by
the importation of potatoes from Can
ada. What is your idea 7"
"That would be like carrying Goals
to Newcastle for the Canadians to
flood Vermont with potatoes. The
farmers in Vermont certainly raise
enough potatoes for USE"
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-10
A Business Transaction.
Ne1Dbl,rgport Herald.


The inapttude of the female mind
lin rare instances we mean) to take a
comprehensive view of business
transaction is marvellous. At dry
goods store in this city woman re-
Gently called for some sort of trim
ming, which we will not attempt to
describe because we could not. She
was told that the piece, containing ten
yards, would cost her 30 cents. Then a
conversation something like the fol-
lowing ensued:
Customer-"O l don't want whole
piece. How much is it by the yard 2"
Sales WOman-"We have to charge
FIVE cents a yard when We cut it,"
C.-"Five cents 2 Well, L guess
seven yards will be enough" Here
the stuff is measured.
S. W.-"Thirty- five cents, please"
C.-"How much is there left 2"
S. W.-"Three yards"
G. presumably mentally reckoning
that ten times five are ffty)-"How
much for the whole ten yards7'
S. w. (demurely, but with an eye to
business)-"O, you could have the ten
yards for As cents"
C.-"Very we'll. l guess I'll take
ten yards" Planks down 40 cents and
departs satisfied.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-10
The Disaster at Rockingham.

The Vermont railroad commissions
ers have rendered their official report
in the matter of the accident on the
Rutland division of the Central Yer
mont railroad at Rockingham April 6,
when an engineer and fireman were
killed and the engine and several cars
were demolished. The track crosses a
small valley, through which in spring
a small stream flows and reaches the
Williams river through a stone culvert
under the road bed, the top of the cul-
vert being nearly 30 feet below the
rOad-bed. Where the track crosses
this valley an embankment had been
built when the road was constructed in
104S or 1049, extending from the slop-
ing hIllsides on each side across the
same, with the culvert in the center.
The board finds that the natural
earth beneath the hill became perme-
ated with an unusual quantity of water
from melted snow, which soaked in
beneath the surface, until the great
weight of the water and the passing
train caused the slide of a part of the
embankment to the river below. Moth
ing could be found which showed any
fault either in the material or cOnstruc-
ton of the embankment. The board
recommends a reconstruction of the
embankment in such manner as to
preclude the recurrence of the slide,
also the construction of several addi-
tIonal sluIces for carrying off surface
water.