davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
ANTICANAI EFFORTS.

The anxiety of certain of our cotempora-
ries to discover argument against the Erie
Canal project has resulted in some remark
able efforts in that line. The presumption
that railway influence has inspired these
efforts to throw discredit on the project
would be very strong, if it were not that
they are entirely below the level of moder-
ate corporate intelligence. The railway in
terest as rule has mental ability enough
to keep quiet if it has not at least specious
argum ents to allege against a scheme, and
to rely upon political influence to suppress
what is opposed to it; but these arguments
display no such powerful retIcence.
A specimen of this logic was furnished
the other day by journal which alleged
that because this Canal would contain 40
locks, that it would not compete with the
railways. This argument in the light of the
fact that, the Erie Canal with 72 locks
has maintained steady competition with
the great trunk lines. at rates from one-half
to three-fifths the railway charges, and has
been declared free OF tolls after having re-
paid to the State its cost and maintenance
and ST., 900, 900 over, is particularly trivial.
1t also exhibits striking ignorance of the
fact that the Welland Canal, now the most
important ship canal on the continent, has
q locks in line-less than one-fourth the
length of this canal.
Another journal gives a great deal of
space to the number of drawbridges re-
quired for railway crossings OF the canal.
1t figures out that in the lao miles OF its
line it must actually have eleven draw
bridges. 1t is not quite clear whether it is
the interference with the railway traffic or
the cost to the canal of the drawbrldges that
is objected to; but as all the companies
operating lines which will cross the canal
are to-day carrying more or less traffic over
drawbridges-and the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern crosses something like a
dozen between Buffalo and Toledo inclusive,
without finding out that it is subjected to
any especial disadvantages thereby,-it may
be presumed that it is the latter. But the
expense of the bridges is included within
the total cost of the canal.
Another stroke of logic is the assertion
that the canal if completed will be of no
use to the great war ships if it should ever
be desirable to take them to the lakes. Pos,
sibly not; but as it will pass vessels OF two
feet greater draft than the canals on Cana
dian territory it will be of use to greater wal
ships than can be transferred by another
route. If we can put greater war ships on
the lakes than any other power it will be a
vast improvement on the present state of af-
fairs by which they can send vessels with
twelve feet draft there, and this country can
send exactly none at all.
If our esteemed contemporaries which are
producing these efforts against the project
will keep on in the same line tn ev will sue
ceed in convincing the public tina: an en-.
terprise against which these are the mos
convincing arguments that can be framed
must be one OF the greatest merit.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
Cheap Southern Labor.

To the Editor of The Dispatch:
1 notice in your editorial columns Thursday
morning short article headed Cheap Southern
Labor" As 1 am perfectly conversant with all
matters pertaining to the South, would ask
you to correct the matter regarding the labor
question. You are certainly misinformed, for
no place in the South is labor employed at so
cents per day. In some remote locality have
known few men to work for 80 cents per day,
but the common Iaborer in the South is uni
formly paid 81 per day. Regarding mill wages,
nearly all the mills areruuning under the Anal
gamated Association of Iron Workers rules
and under their contracts. and even the nom
union mills are paying union prices. At the
blast furnaces negro labor earns from 81 10 per
day as high as 81 80.
In computing the cost account the labor is the
smallest part, for take your own iron in Penn
sylvania at cost of sl3 in this amount labor is
only chargeable at about 81 80 per ton. In fact
the average cost of labor per ton of iron pro-
duced is lower here than in the South, not on
account of less men, but on account of in
creased production, your ores being SO much
richer
The difference in cost of Northern and South
ern Is not in labor-ihe variation between the
two points IN labor is not 5c per ton-it is in the
material. Take the ore delivered to the Birming-
ham furnaces from Red Mountain as an in
stance, the total average cost delivered in stock
house for As per cent ore is less than 81 per
ton, and there are some that get it as low as 75c
not on account of cheap labor (as the ore is
mined by contract), the miner averaging from
81 so to 81 25 per day.
The South pays more for mining coal than
you do, employs the same identical men that
you do. Its mills pay as high as you do, and en-
ploys the same identical men, and. if you will
investigate thoroughly, you will hnd that
seyen-eights of the men in mills and mines in
the South are the same class of white labor
that you employ here. These men are all i'm
ported from your district north.
AS 4 laborer the negro makes good one; as
a skilled mechanic So far he has not been sue
cess
Capital and labor are as far apart in the
South as they are here. Strikes occur there.
and only recently Birmingham has had severe
one both in the mills sand mines, the strikers
not being negroes but imported labor.
l trust you will correct the error and excuse
me for treSpaSSlug on your columns
HENRY W. HARGREAvES
PITTsBURG. Feb. 26. Blast Fee. Engineer.
1.-THE data on which The DISPATCH based its
editorial comment was taken from the Atlanta
(Ga.) J0H nal
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
ENGLISH COINAGE.
Interesting Facts About Hard Money of the
Past and Present.

Interesting Facts About Hard Money of the
Past and Present.
The Age of steel.l
When England was being made into mince-
meat and blocks of real estate by the Saxons
and Danes, silver and brass were in use as cur
rency, but the Normans subsequently installed
the aristocratic metal and left the democratic
brass to take care of itself. Gold was first
coined by Henry I'LL, and copper made into
British coin in 1872. Tin was used for coinage
in 1885, and the national farthing was made of
this Cambrian product with stud of copper
set in the center. In 1890 and 1851 tin half pence
were issued in considerable Quantities. The
only pure gold coins issued in English history
were those OF Henry III.
In the reign of Edward l. the pound in tale
of silver coins was equal to the pound in
weight of standard silver. The pound in tale
was divided into 20 shillings. the shilliugs into
II pence, and each penny piece weighed a
pennyweight or "a grains. Before the mintage
of gold coins in England the byzant valued at
10 shillings was imported from Constantinople,
and tiorences of the same value from Florence.
Edward III. subsequently minted the
noble, Edward ". the rial, Henry VII. the
double rial James L the laurel and Charles
der the name of the guinea. This guinea in
the reign of Queen Anne, originally issued as
20-shilling piece, rose IN value to 50 shlllings,
and was acrobatic in values till Sir Isaac New
ton secured an thority ordering the guinea TO
pass for q shilling5 sterling. The present En-
glish sovereign was issued in 1917, and weighed
twenty twenty-frst parts of guinea. The
present standard OF fneness for silver coin is II
ounces or pennyweight silver and Is penny
weight alloy.
Bronze coins were introduced in 1860 replac-
ing the old copper coins first legalized by the
fiat of Charles II. and afterward made by
James II. from old guns, copper vessels. pewter
pots and general assemblage OF comparatively
worthless metal.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
PEOPLE PARAGRAPHED.

SIGNoR CRIsPI had not been out Of office
week before he returned to his old profession,
the law. and held brief for the General
Steam Navigation Company.
SENATOR WoLCoTT, of Colorado, has at
tanned new distinction. He has had the first
well-developed case of gout that has occurred
in the United States Senate for quarter OF
century.
Mrs. SARAH PARKER, an American,
has gone to Algiers to found branch of the
Marriage Law Reform Association. After her
work in Africa is done she will go to France
and establish branch in Paris.
GENERAL HoRATIo c. KING, in addi-
tion to being fine soldier. IS a clever amateur
musician. When the organist of Trinity
Church was taken i'll one Sunday, General
King filled his place to tn complete satisfac-
tion of the choir.
EDWARD FARRER, who has been accused
as traitor to Canada, is regarded as the ablest
and cleverest writer in the Dominion. He was
intended for the Catholic priesthood, but his
ideas would not allow him to take ord ers, so he
became journalist.
MRS. S. 3. BUCKNER, the wife of the
Kentucky Governor, Is woman of great per-
sonal beauty and grace of character. Her face
Is oval, her features classic and her eyes dark
and thoughtful. She wear her dark hair
fastened in a simple knot at the back of the
head.
LADY STANLEY, wife of the Governor
General of Canada, is very popular with the
Canadians, and is simple and pleasant in her
manners. She is handsome woman, with a
tall and graceful figure, and she looks sur
prisingly young for the mother of grown-up
family.
GENERAL BENJAMIN T. BUTLER was
in New York on Wednesday, and said he would
have his memoirs completed ir the course of
about three months. As he rode up in the
elevator of the Federal building he said:
"Wait till you see it. There will be fun all
round"
SENATOR. ELECT KYLE'S "cleverness" is
thus vouched for by responsible gentleman
of Mitchell, Oak: II attended the jollfication
at Pierre just after Mr.. Kyle was elected, and
when the boys wanted to take something with
him he said: Boys can't drink myself, but
will pay for the beer and pull the eorks,' and he
did so."
SISTER PATAGONIA, who exercised
great influence during the reign of Queen Isa-
bella IL of Spain, died recently in Madrid at
the age of 81. After the revolution she was
banished from Spain. She returned to her
native country after the accession of Alfonso
XII. to the throne. Since that time she has
been abbess of a cloister.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
THE DETECTION OF GASES.

The recent mine explosions are developing
an earnest inquiry on the part of those con-
nected with the industry into all the pos
sible or even conjectural causes OF mine ex-
plosion. In a communication published in
to-day's DISPATCH Superintendent Keigh-
ley, of the Mammoth mine, suggests what
has occurred TO him in investigating the
disaster there, that color blindness NAV be
sometimes cause of fire bosses failing to
detect gas. He calls for the views of scien-
tifc men on that point The suggestion is
worth examining, as are all others from prac-
ticai men on the safeguards against these
terrible calamities.
1t is a remarkable example of the mys-
terious workings of the official mind that is
mentioned by the same gentleman, that an
invention of his for detecting the presence of
gases in mines was refused a patent in the
Patent Office because it is an infringement
on an insect powder dusterl 1t is to be noted,
however, that other inventions have been
more fortunate, as the scientific journal,
Mechanics, prints description of a machine
for the same purpose with a record of its
working in one of the Western Pennsyl-
vania mines where it showed on one occasion
a sudden increase of gas from 7! TO 16 per
cent in five minutes, enabling precautions
to be taken that averted an explosion.
Devices which upon practical tests enable
the presence of gas to be promptly detected,
must be encouraged and adopted. Nothing
should be left undone to prevent the repe-
tition of the disasters SO common of late.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
TEE GOVERNORS DISPUTE.

The interchange of compliments between
Hon. David Bennett Hill, Governor o. New
York, and Eon. Morgan G. Bulkeley, Gov
ernor of Connecticut, shows those high off,
cials to be close to the point where they may
be expected to order out the militia and levy
war each against his neighboring Common
wealth. 1t may be objected that it is not
within the power of Governors or States to
make war; but the dispute has already
shown that little things like constitutional
limitations do not restrain these Guber-
natorial disputants from making fools of
themselves.
Governor Bulkeiey, after obtaining the
Governorship by the questionable authority
Of minority vote, began to exert his
authority by issuing acquisitions on the
Governor of New York for persons who
were wanted in connection with the GRIM
inal laws of Connecticut But the requisi-
tions failed to bring the criminals. After
| the fact Governor Bulkelev relieved himself
in q communication to Governor Hill de.
claring Connecticut had 200 criminals which
it could send over into New York, since
the Executive of that State seemed Sc
fond of the criminal population. To thi!
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28

offer TO heap Goals of fire on his head and
recruit the forces of the Tammany workers,
Governor Hill made no direct reply, but he
furnished a pulverzing rejoinder in inter-
views stating that he would only honor
acquisitions from Governors of other States;
that the Hon. Morgan G. BulkCley is not
Governor of Connecticut because he was not
elected. but is merely a usurper.
This determination of Governor Hills not
only to reject the distinction between de
fdcto and de jure officials, but to pass upon
the title of his brother Governors, is new
feature of political controversies. 1t promises
lively times If HiIl's Presidential ambition
should ever be gratifed. Governor Bulkeley
has not yet responded TO this stab, but is
evidently biding his time. On next
Wednesday Governor Hills term as United
States Senator Will begin, and it is under
stood that he intends to hold on to his
Governorship. When that is the case Gov
ernor Bulkeley can counter heavily by ad-
dressing his requisitious to the freight-pay-
ing Jones, and declaring that Hill is not
only a usurper, by plurallst on top of that.
After which nothing will be left to be done
on either side except to order out the
militia.
In the meantime we can rely upon it that
gentlemen of burglarious and larcenous
tendencies residing near the line between
Connecticut and New York are fully alive
to the fact that a safe refuge is afforded to
them simply by crossing the State line.
Buckley and Hill should be instructed to
pattern their communications after the
model of the mutual remarks of the Cover
nors of North and South Carolina,
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
AN AFRICAN ADVENTURE


To-MoBRoW'S BIG DISPATCH.
Among lis Varied Contents Will Be Found
Contributions From the
ABLEST NEWSPAPER WRITERS,
Who Will Cover Topics Calculated TO In
teresf All Readers.
SCIENCE, ADVENTURE, TRhvEl,
HUMOR, FICTION,
THE HONE, KITCHEN, BoUDoIR,
Ard AL The NEWS.
Specia! Leased Every
Cables. Wires. Facility.
TIRE DISPRTcH TOMORROW
WILL BE A COMPLETE NEWSPAPER.
COMING SUNDAY, MARCH 8.
A FancifuI and Humorous Extravaganza
20 Amuse and Instruct by
FRANK r. STOCKTON
The Great Author Calls u
THE CosM!C BEAN;
Or,
The Great Show in KaboI-Lsnd.
Illustrated by DAN BEARD.
1T WILL BE = STRIKING SERIAL.
Remember the Opening Dste-Sun-
day. March ga Week
From Tomorrow.
DON'T MISS The FIRST CHAPTER.
THE DISPATCH Is For Sale Every
where. Orders by Mail Receive
Prompt Attention.
READ TC-moRRoWS ISSUE.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
A FEW FUNNY FANCIEs.

Clara-What did you get such small
hat for?
HMaude-I got this for Lent. You know I never
20 to the theater in Lent.-CLothfer and Fur
aisheT.
1t takes smart boy to tell lie success
fuIIy. II he tells it unsuccessfulIy his father is
ant to make him smart. .-NashUiLs AEasrican-
One must have poetic license when he is
welded to the muses.-DdLlds, Ter, NeI0s.
what did they do with Joseph's coat Of
many colors?'' asked the Sunday school teacher.
cent 1T down and made 1t over for Benjamin."
hazarded a pensive little boy at the end Of the
seat. Chicago Tribune.
VESSELS oB CLAY.
We all are made Of clay; alackI
Too solemn tits for mockery;
And some are useless bric-a-brac
And some are common crockery.
-UashiR0ton Post.
Mr.. john Z. Gett (at an amateur musi-
cale)-what's he singing?
Miss Van Clif-''Lst Me Like older Die.''
MIR. Gett-If had my gun with me ne should be
gratihed!-Puck.
Bombay would be a good penal settle
ment for Anarchists. .-Nsto York World.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
THE NICARAGUA GRAB FAILS.

The Nicaragua canal bill was yesterday
formally withdrawn from the Senate by Mr..
Sherman. 1t was found that the audacity
Of the proposition to invest 500, 1000, 900 of
Government money in an enterprise to be
conducted without supervision by private
spectators who had already provided them
selves with CONSTRUCTION company" and
all the other devices necessary to repetition
of the Pacific Railway frauds, met with no
favor from the public. The public, too,
must be glad to observe that the bill met
with really very little favor in Congress.
Whenever the holders of the Nicaragua
concessions are prepared to do business in a
direct and honest manner proposal for a
Government guarantee of moderate amount
safely guarded will be entertained. But
cotemporaneously with this must come equal
consideration for the ship canals which are
projected for our internal traffic. If the
Nicaragua canal is to be such good thing,
a guarantee of its bonds to the amount of
1000, 600 would only require like sub
scription by private capital in an equal
amount to finish the undertaking within the
company's own estimates. If private capi-
tai has not that much faith in the enterprise
it would scarcely be worth assisting at all.
With the $50, 100000 remaining guaran-
teedsto the Lake Erie and the Illinois canal
projects, these great works could be immedi-
ately got under way and concluded at no
greater expenditure than the proceeds of the
Government bonds Private capital, how
ever, would be very willing to 90 partners in
the latter enterprises, if the Government
were to pledge assurance OF half the cost
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
DEATHS OF A DAY.
Mrs. Charles Donnelly.

It is with the deepest regret that a very
wide circle of sincere friends learned yesterday of
the death of Mrs Charles Donnelly, which sad
event occurred at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New
York, on Thursday night. For several days Mrs.
Donnelly had been dangerously Ill, and rs long
ago as Sunday last her recovery considered
doubtful. But then there came signs of improve
ment and with them renewed hope, only to re-
suit in the bereavement so soon afterward. Mrs.
Donneily lady Of cultured mind and kindly
heart and was beloved in all circles, alike by
old and young, for the constant expression of
amiable and generous qualities. She was the
daughter of Mr. Bernard Rafferty,. and to hus-
hand. father, brothers, sisters and cf ildren and
friends the bereavement is the saddost possible.
Wherever the deceased moved there was always
the kindly lght OF cheerful and generous spirit
afflicted family in the great sorrow which has be-
fallen it.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
IT'S EVER THUS.
lxRIrTEN FoR THE DISPATCH. 1

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.l
The trouper is pensive and moodily sits
On his trunk in a dressing-room small;
His thoughts wander far from grease, paint and
rouge,
He heeds not half hour call.
He's thinking of-There, know that you'll
laugh
or his love In the days gone by;
Though strange it may seem, these creatures have
hearts
That feel passion as you and as 1.
He's playing some old dates over again,
You can see by the smile on his face,
All seems so bright, full of revel and Joy
With King he would not change his place.
Now comes shadow. Move onl Move onl
Fate has oft cried it before,
Giving sunshine and pleasure till 1t grows oh, so
dear,
That the heart feels the parting the more.
His fancy has painted her face on the wall,
He wonders if when ere again
They meet, viii her love be as true as of yOre:
lie waits for his answer in vain.
No response comes back from the dear dead past
But shout from the stage makes him dive;
The curtain Is up. He's made a stage wait,
And the manager fines him Fivel
-GE oRGE +. MARION.
PITTsBURG, Feb. Is.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
A PROGRESSIVE PAPER.
A Handsome Acknowledgment of Dispatch
Enterprise.

"A hanuSO1no acknowledgement VI DisPotch
Enterprise.
Clarion. Pa, Democrat
THE PITTsBURG DISPATCH is acknowledged
to be one of the most progressive newspapers
of the day, and wields an ever-extendng infiu-
ence. Over 80. 900 copies of that paper are now
issued daily, while its Sunday edition has
reached the enormous circulation of over $1,000
copies 1t may be easily understood how it has
outgrown its present quarters, with such figures
before one. A new granite fre-proof building
will be completed and occupied during the
present year, in which will be placed the latest
printing machinery and an entire new outfit in
all its departments, giving still greater facili-
ties for receiving and dispensing all the news
to its patrons. THE DISPATCH furnishes the
most reliable and exhaustive reports of doings
IN the financial and commercial world and in
the oil, produce. live stock and iron markets.
1t receives a daily special cable report of for
eign news. and its home news-getting facilities
are not surpassed anywhere. In politics it is
independent Republican and discusses all
events with a view to advancing the public in
teress 1t is newspaper in the true sense of
the word
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
A THEATRICAL FAKE PUNCTURED.
Manager Robson Denies That He Is En-
gagged to One of His Company.

MEMPHIS, Feb. N.-Telegrams were re-
ceived last night from Chicago, st. Louis and
other cities, inquiring whether there was any
truth in the rumor that Stuart Robson was en-
gagged to be married to Miss May. Waldron, of
his company. Mr.. Robson, who is playing an
engagement in this city, said:
'.This story has been started by some theatre.
cal scandal-monger My wife has been dead
only eight months. am old enough to be Miss
Waldron's grandfather. l do not care as far as
/ myself am personally concerned, but l regret
exceedingly these false and malicious reports
out of regard for my daughters as well as Miss
Waldron's feelings. Miss Waldron is a mere
child as compared with myself. My married
life shows how dear to me was my late wife.
desire you TO deny empathically the existence
of any engagement between myself and Miss
WaldroI."
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28

THE fact that amining accident and rescue
of the imprisoned miners, like that at eansville
is told in Zola's 'Germinal," is noted very widely
by many of the papers. But authors before
Zola have used exactly the same incident The
Monthyon prize novel, mo Relations" told
the same story OF flooded mine the imprison-
ment of the miners and their rescue after en-
during starvation, years in advance of Zola's
work. while fiction is full of the stories of mine
explosions aud gallant work of rescue. These
dangers are SO old that they have standing
place in fiction.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
USEFUL PUB. DOCS. AND USELESS.

The discovery that the public documents
are offered for sale at the secondhand book
stores Of Washington has caused some sharp
comments; but with regard to the great
mass ofsuch publications, it is calculated to
arouse sympathy for the secondhand book
stores. A more significant fact is that the
few public documents containing informa-
tion which powerful interests are desirous
Of suppresslng, are by some means kept
away from the public. There was 4 very
interesting report on the trust investigation
by the last Congress, but copies of it are
now as hard to obtain as original editions
dating from the seventeenth century.