Year: 1876




going on in lively earnest. The I'd of
March last, the roads entered into q
compact TO raise rates, making the price
for carrying a bushel of grain to this
city 35 cents bushel ON all lines The
officers cf the New York Central claim
that they Immediately put this rate in
force on their road, acting in good faith,
while other roads did not give notice of
the change of terms TO their agents tor
q month atterward of course giving
them large advantage over the Cen
trail as long as they adhered to the old
rates. Forced to defend themselves,
the Central cut their rates down to 20
cents per hundreG pounds, or about II
cents bushel, which makes good times
for the grain buyers. Since the Central
cut loose from the combination, their
receipts of grain, which were some 49,
900 bushels per week, have. run up to
400, 900. The competition SO far is
confined to east bound freight, but the
fight is SO fierce between the contend
ing roads. that it is confidently expect
ed that the rates on west-going freight
will speedily be cut, and shippers are
holding their cargoes in anticipation of
the fall. Not long since the freight
lines offered to carry packages at about
II cents each, to cut under the postage
packet rates, but dropped it as soon as
congress had taken action on the bill to
reduce third-class postage. Still this
action shows what we may look for i'll
the general shrinkage of all rates, and
the fullness OF competition. When
monopolies suffer the people rejoice.


GOOD WORD FOR PAPER.


Apropos of Mr.. Blaine's resolution
i'll the House of Representatives, direct
ing the committee of ways and means
to consider some measure to relieve the
country from the threatened scarcity of
fractional currency, comes a paragraph
from Macaulay's diary in Rome, when
he speaks of drawing one hundred
pounds worth of coin from Torloria's
bank, and Juggling it through the streets,
in huge canvas bag, muttering, with
strong feeling, Pope's g Blest Paper
Credit" The TRUTH gradually dawn
ing on legislators, that both papar aud
specie are necessary for convenience iii
business. Those who do not think so
are waiting for the return OF the good
cd days when bank officers had to sit
up nights TO count their coin, and
trowsers pockets bulged ungfacefully
with money enough to SO on days
sporting.


a CONTRAST


/ spoke above of women who might
be classed as dead beats, but there are
too many worthy ones who deserve
both sympathy and encouragement, to
allow sport on the subject. The other
day lady went to the office of the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children to get the particulars of
case for the newspapers. While she
was there, a gentleman came in to hand
Mr.. Bergh check for $500 in aid of
the Society. Mr.. Bergh said that, with
the utmost thankfulness for his gener-
osity, he, personally, must protest
against receiving it, as the gentleman
had already contributed largely beyond
his just proportion. The donor refused
any depreciation of bis gift, saying he
had neither wife, child or relation in
any way depending on him, and it was
more pleasure for him to give than to
Withhold, for ''if | took it Lack he said,
81 should not know what to do with it,
What sort of sickness went through
the woman's heart who heard the words?
She was trying for dear life to make a
living for three children by writing, as
she could get employment here and
there, but through the winter they had
suffered from want of food and fire They
had been well to DO till the hard times
came, when their pretty home was
swept away, and she was thrown upon
her own exertions Sic was we'll
dressed from the remains of her ward
robe, and had no complaints to make,
but any mother can guess how bitterly
and longingly she listened to this rich
man speaking of money with which he
did not know what to do, while she
stood by in her sore want, forbidden to
make one sign for the help which would
doubtless have been gladly offered, had
any one known the need Of it. Cannot
the rich make it part of their benevo-
lence to make work for the poor, up