The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-02-14
WHEAT GR0P FADING
Consumption OF Food Cereal Is
Steadily Increasing,
Big Factor in Bringing Price to
The One Dollar Mark.
Changes Wrought in Business
Methods in the Land.
Reading of Greek Myths in The
Windy City Schools.
Especial to The Free Press.l

Especial to The Free Press.l
Chicago, Feb. l0.-Summaries fur.
nished to members of the Chicago
board of Trade confirm the recent as
sertion of French savant that the
worlds population is increasing its
consumption of wheat faster than it
is increasing its wheat crops. In the
United States in 1871 the population
of 100000 put 100000 acres into
wheat and was lucky enough to pro-
duce 23l 100000 bushels-whch amour
ted to So bushels for every man, woman
child ate only Al bushels. In 1901 the
acreage in wheat has increased to 49,
100000 acres and the crop to 74S,
100000 bushels, which was 81 bushels
per capita, and the exports were Al per
cent of the crop instead of q per cent
in 1871. But in 1907 the S56O000O
people of the, United States only had
a crop of IA bushels per capita
634,00O00O bushels-one reason being
that fewer acres were planted to wheat
The consumption had increased, how
ever, to Il bushels. for every. man,
woman and child, which left the ex-
ports less and was one big factor
in making dollar wheat" Now it is
the price of corn that is climbing, due
it is said to the poor quality of the
corn crop of 1907; so much of it was
not fit to be kept long that the really
good corn has, commanded better
prices As soon as field work begins
again the shipments will drop and the
demand is expected to advance prices.
Speed of Typewritist.
What change has been wrought in
by the use of shorthand and type
writers was shown by the prominence
given to both at the national business
show held in Chicago last week, an
annual event in this city, Pittsburg
and New York. In the speed contests
a young man covered himself with
honors and sheets of white papers
with marks of his flying typewriter
keys by making a record of 2,642
words in half an hour. His nearest
competitor, young woman, produced
2,OOl words. He won prize of 500
in gold and trip to Europe, where he
will complete in the worlds champ
ionship in London. In England the
British conservatism has barred the
typewriter from some of the big banks,
the depositors still being furnished
with the quill pen at the counters.
In many of the law offices the English
barristers, with infinite labor, still
scrawl their briefs by hand and write
autograph letters to their clients. A
Chicago girl, Miss Rose Fritz now holds
the worlds championship for type
writing speed. Although the exhibits
of new devices and systems were in
teresting, the foremost position was
given to contests. in reporting speech
es in 2-minute relays-which in a
campaign year seems appropriate. As
soon as the speech was concluded the
typewriter copies of it were distri-
buted in the crowd, to the amaze
VI all WIZ ulu HoU hho" ohS
rapidity with which court records are
made every day in the year.
Where Is the Stock?
The apparent vanishing into thin
air of $76,500,000 of stock certificates
in Chicago stock yards companies OWN
ed by ]. Ogden Armour, Louis f.
Swift, Edward Morris and other mil
lionaire packers is an interesting fea-
ture of the annual comedy of tax
evasion which is now being played in
this city. Presumably the stock is in
existence but when the personal prop,
erty assessment lists for Chicago were
made out, not one cent of it was
found for taxation. This somewhat
piqued the county assessors, but theil
annoyance heightened to genuine alarm
when an investigation in New York
failed to reveal the stock. New Jer.
sey taxes nothing but the origina
issue, so no help was found there and
now the assessors are. wondering whe
ther the z-stoek jumped into the. LAKE
or what happened to it anyway. Mean
while J. Ogden Armour, whose person
al fortune is supposed to range any
where from $25o0O,00O up purport
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