New-York tribune., 1901-04-15
TOPICS IN CHICAGO.
4 KING" OF CORN AND ONE OF PEA
NCTS-THE DRAINAGE CANAL FAILS
TO Do IT'S WORK.

Chicago. April IA tspeciaD.-In the last ten
days Chicago has developed two kings" While
Mr.. Phillips, the young corn king" has been
successfully holding the reins in the corn DIT on
the Board OF Trade another modest and unas-
suming chap has gone out and ''cornered" the
peanut market. He is F. W. Mills. manager of
the Mills Novelty Company, makers OF slot
machines to supply saited peanuts which the
small boys and girls are fond of operating. This
peanut king has had interesting career
He began life peanut vender a train
When only twelve years old he had contracts
with several railroads running out of Chicago
Tor the exclusive right to sell peanuts on the
trains. This lad of twelve had grown men in
his employ. Mills. the peanut yender. is now
the employer Of more than six hundred men.
He contemplates putting fifteen thousand ma
chimes the market. and when all are out II
viii require thirty thousand pounds of peanuts
TO supply them for one day. Anticipating this.
Mr.. Mills has expended between S3OO.pp and
100000 in laying in the supply he thought
would be needed. Although Mr.. Mills denies
that he had any intention of cornering the mar
ket, the fact remains that he has bought up
the entire visible supply. and be
purchased. except in small quantities. until the
next crop is harvested.
If Eastern politicians of the opinion that
Mayor Carter H. Harrison will be salts
fed to accept the nomination for the sec
ond place on the National Democratic ticket in
1904, the dispatches from the East indi-
cate. they have forgotten that Chicago's Mayor
turned down the Vice Presidential nomination
at Kansas City last summer. Mayor Harrison
has his cap set for the nomination for Presi-
make himself felt in the convention. He does
not intend to stand back. he did in Kansas
City. and allow Bryan TO control the conven-
tion. Since the political death of that leader
Harrison thinks he has a clear field and will
stand for his rights at all hazards in the next
National Democratic Convention.
The order from the federal authorities that
the flow of the Chicago River be reduced from
100000 cubic feet to 100000 cubic feet a minute
means that the S3l 100000 expended by the
city of Chicago for the drainage canal has been
for naught up TO the present time The plan OF
the canal was TO intercept all the sewers which
formerly led to the lake and contaminated the
drinking water of the city. and carry the
age in the opposite direction by Of the
Lockport Canal TO the Despiaines River. and
thence TO the Mississippi River. By the
terial reduction of the current the plan is made
;npracticabe. The natural fow of the river
nin carry the sewage back the lake, and
thereby place the city in the position in
which it before the construction OF the
drainage canal. The question is Are the
shipping interests Of Chicago which will be
materially benefited by the reduction of the
flow Of the river, to be considered ahead of the
public health? While there is nothing for the
drainage board to do at present except to obey
the Instructions from Washington, all hope that
the canal will be widened in accordance with
the bill which the board has submitted to the
legislature. With the proposed improvements
IL is thought that ii will be possible to main
tain the normal flow of the canal without detri-
ment to shipping.
sovereign OF the District of Lake Michigan. has
again announced his intention of going to Wash
nigton for the purpose Of taking the oath of
office as Congressional representative of his
domain The captain has uttered this defiance
through the telephone TO United States Assistant
District Clerk Pagin and declared that the first
. official act of Attorney-General Knox was to
order him to come TO Washington at once to be
sworn An I'm agoin' t'be sworn in. an I'm
agoin in Congress. an, Z kin git tn Speakers
eye, won't make you felers out here look sick?
Won't show 'em that tn city Of Chicago the
county OF Cook, tn State of Illinois, and TIL
United States Of America amt got no more
jurisdiction over than they got over any
other undiscovered island which amt never
been surveyed? Won't show 'em? Jes' watch
family when Mr.. Pagin asked him il he knew
that there was federal warrant pending which
accused one George Wellington Streeter of hav-
ing forged Land Office patent.
A A