Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-03-01
Lruer No. TLree from the ~. world



NEW fORK, Feb. ~, 80.
D'Gr SIR: When the question asked us by
our correspondent regarding the price Of wool.
remembered the despatch referred TO- and ans.
werrd believing that the Columbus correspondent
knew What he was talking about When your
letter came hunted up his name and address, aud
found that he had not been our correspondent Tor
slN months or more and that his address was uu-
known. remembered having seen the same ia.
bic quoted in one Of the speeches Of one Of the
Congressman and in another pamphlet sent out
from headquarters in tins city, and also reniem.
bered that the same table had been quoted by a
western paper during the campaign the price
Of wool given IN the petition Of the wool manu-
tacturers presented to Congress. | did not pre-
serve these memoranda, and, although searched
very carefully, could not find them knowing
that Boston was the wool market could imagine
no other source than the Boston Produce Tx
change report. 1t should have had them in If il
did not.
The enclosed correspondence will show that |
have not been idle since the receipt Of your letter
and although they will show no particular result
they do not represent the end Of it by any means
THIS examination and inquiry stoics that this fl-
Die is ditOgeher wrOHg and Thoroughly untrust-
,0prthy ip ercry respect.
Reports Of Secretary Of the Treasury for 1863
and 1873 show thai these figures are wide of the
mark the lowest and highest price OF wool in this
market for 1875 being 30 and 80 cents This table
gives the average price at Boston 90 cents In
1864 the price ranged in this market from IS cents
to 81 10; this table gives the average price at Bos
ton as - cents These figures are themselves
quoted by the Secretary Of the Treasury, and
were compiled from the Chamber Of Commerce
Reports Of this city, from the Commercial and
Financial Chronicle and the New York Shipping
List and Price Current, for his Use. You will fluid
a summary Of them page III Of the American
Almanac for 1879. The lowest and highest price
Of wool is there given from 1925 to 1877.
In the American Almanac for 1873 pages 27s
and 2ig, there is table showing the average price
in the New York market Of all commodities from
1875 to 1871 These prices Of wool and this report
are as absolutely official 1t is possible to get
anything. II you have not a copy Of the Ameri-
can Almanac for 1893, can have this table copied
out foryou and can have it published if you like
If You wish the highest and lowest price in this
market will have the table copied out Of the Al
manac for 1859. The editor Of this almanac is as
you know, the Librarian Of Congress All his fig
ures are compiled from official reports, and they
have the same official character as If put out by
the bureau OF statistics, T. Z. WILSON.
With this letter the bottom drops out of
this whole "Griudstone circular" business,
and there is not left so much as a hole in the
ground The last shred of hope of estab-
fishing any reliable or consistent basis for
the figures disappears. To quote the APP
propriate words of Mr.. Childs's own arti-
Gle, with this falls the whole structure of
cheap abuse and misrepresentation that has
been built upon these figures The dec
laration of the World is complete, compre-
hensive, manly; This imitation and
enquiry ShO,cS that this table is ALTOGETH-
Err WRONG aud THOROUGHLY UN-
TRUSTWORTHY IN EVERY RESPECT. :"
We hope Mr.. Childs and the Reformer will
like the sound of this sentence
By curious irony of fate the figures
from Mr. Spoffords American Almanac to
which Mr., Wilson alludes, are those which
the Republicans used during the campaign
in answer to Mr. Childs, and table which
he took pains to have copied from the Alma
nae to send with his letter is identical with
the table which we used in our article on
this subject in The Phoenix of Sept. 2lst
last In some respects this seems the un-
kindest cut of all, but We waive that point
for the present, preferring TO quote as our
authority the undoubted and unquestioned
figures of Mr., Geo. VIM. Bond of Boston,
which are elsew here given,
The enclosed correspondence, to which
Mr.. Wilson alludes, includes letters from
the Boston Commercial Bulletin, the Bos
ton Herald, the secretary of the Massachu
sets Tariff Reform League who is also the
commercial editor of the Boston Globe, aud
from MIR. VIM. j. Battison, the secretary