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«00D PROGRESS MADE REASSEMBLED CONGRESS FINDS THE COUNTRY PROSPEROUS. McKinlcy's Administration's "Work Since Adjournment Has Been Very Satisfactory -- Increased J Earnings and Prices in All Branches of Trade. Generally Sr"atisfactory. Washington correspondence: Upon its reassembling Congress finds that the few months which have pass­ ed since it was called in special session by President McKinley have been ex­ tremely satisfactory in their develop­ ments. The tariff law, which was plac­ ed upon the statute books by the action of the special session, has fully justi­ fied the predictions of its framers and .-supporters, the administration has made splendid progress in its work with reference to foreign affairs, while the reports whicli members of Con­ gress bring from all parts of the coun­ try show vastly improved business con­ ditions, ; " ~"i. Increased earnings among farmers, increased earnings by railroads and srailtoad men, increased,earnings among mine operators and mine workers, in­ creased earnings among manufactur­ ers;: t&e&e are the reports which mem­ bers bring from every part of the coun­ try., From Kansas alone'comes an offi­ cial report placing the value of farm products in that State this year at over .$(>(>,000,000, au increase of more than •oO per cent as compared with last year, while the reports of mortgages can­ celled in that and all of the farming States are equally gratifying. From the manufacturing and mining sections the reports are quite as favorable. Members from the manufacturing sec­ tions of New England and the Ohio valley report large increases in num­ ber of people employed and that an in­ crease in wages is now also being had in many cases. Naturally the first ef­ fect of a protective tariff is to increase the number of people employed, and it is not until the second stage of its work has-br^n reached that the effect is in the increas^-hi wages. This is now making itself apparent,, for re­ ports of increased wages come not •alone from the manufacturing centers, but from the great iron mines of Penn­ sylvania. Michigan and elsewhere, and from other industries of this character in the Ohio valley. One subject for which members of Congress of both parties are looking with interest is the statement of Sen­ ators Pettigrew, Mantle and Dubois, who hurried away from Washington at the close of the special session to visit Japan. It was announced that their object in making this trip was to examine into the causes which led Japan to abandon the silver standard and fall in line with the progressive gold standard nations of the world. Japan, it will be remembered, was a shining example of free silver prosper­ ity during the discussions of 189(5 and no single incident since the defeat of 18!KJ so much disturbed the silver advo­ cates as the loss of Japan from their list of silver standard countries. It was because of this fact that the silver advocates scurried away to interview these Yankees of the Orient and find out just how they had been "taken in" by tiie gold schemers of Europe. These gentlemen, although they returned from Japan weeks ago, have been ab­ solutely silent, and their coming to Washington is looked forward to with much interest, as there will be a dispo­ sition on tlie part of members of both parties to insist upon either a definite report or an explanation of their si­ lence. The fact that they have had nothing to say since they returned is considered, to say the least, suggestive of failure to find in Japan any sufficient argument in support of their silver the­ ory. Another subject which interests members of Congress much on their return is the announcement that all American prisoners in Cuba have now been set at liberty. It will be remem­ bered that this administration, when it came'into office nine' months ago, found that a very large number of American citizens were confined in Cuban prisons and had been so con­ fined in many cases for months. Within less than a single month many of these were released, and now Con­ gress finds uix)n reassembling that through the firm, but conservative, course of the administration every American citizen who was thus con­ fined in Cuban prisons and had been so confined for months, if not years, has been set at liberty. This fact is already having its effect in modifying the disposition oil the part of certain people to criticise the course of the administration in regard to Cuban af­ fairs and to lead to a feeling that the President and his advisers, if permit­ ted to carry out their plans. Will shape the matter in a satisfactory way. The operations of the tariff law dur­ ing the four months since Congress placed it upon the statute books and left it to begin its career in the face of adverse conditions, have been very satisfactory. With a hundred million dollars' Worth of surplus foreign im­ portations upon the markets of the country, the conditions in which it en­ tered upon its work were, of course, extremely unfavorable. In the face of that fact, however, its earnings have steadily increased, beginning with a little over $19,000,000 in its first month, and now reaching more than $25,000,000 in November. In each month since the tariff bill was placed upon the statute books the earnings have increased, and the Treasury of­ ficials who have been studying the new law carefully are thoroughly'sat­ isfied with its prospects as a revenue producer. Probably no man in the Treasury Department is better capa­ ble to judge of these matters than As­ sistant Secretary" Howell, who has grown up in the customs service from a subordinate position to the position which he now holds--Assistant Secre­ tary of the Treasury. He says frank­ ly that he thinks the earnings of the new law will be sufficient after the opening month of the coining year to meet running expenses. "The enor­ mous stock of sugar, wool and other , articles which had been brought into the country before the new law went into effect," said Mr. Howell, talking to your correspondent, "will have been pretty well used up by the end of the present year and the importations will be resumed. When this is done, I think the earnings of the new law will be very satisfactory. We are now get­ ting $25,000,000 a month, and the. rev­ enue from sugar alone will be about 5,000,000, while the increase from other sources will also be very consid­ erable. So, it seems to me, that Con­ gress, when it looks over the field and sees what the new law has done and what it is likely to do in the near fu­ ture, will have no occasion to regret its action or to enter, upon any further revenue legislation at present at least.'" A. B. CARSON. from Pennsylvania, Michigan /knA Ohio show that a number of the great iron mines of Pennsylvania and Mich­ igan are to increase the wages of their employes. 10 per cent, on January 1st, and that the limestone operators of the Mahoning Valley, in Ohio, have in­ creased the wages of their employes 20 per cent. The effect of the return of a protective tariff is'Being promptly felt. Thankful Kansas. The Governor of Kansas put a spe­ cial clause of thanks in his Thanksgiv­ ing proclamation this year for the prosperity and good times that had come to Kansas, The Governor was elected on the ticket which supported Free-trader Bryan and his un-Ameri­ can policy of giving ' the American market to foreigners, and on a plat­ form which denounced ..the American system of protection and prophesied calamity if the great leader -of protec­ tion were elected to the Presidency. . But the actual existence of prosper­ ity on every hand is a fact which even a 'man elected on a free trade ticket*is obliged to recognize'. Kansas owes her present prosperity to the yietory won by protection. For, though" the demand for American cereals in for­ eign markets, has r been a great • ele- Becoming Financially Independent. American securities formerly held abroad are being returned to the Uni­ ted Stages in-large quantities, thus re­ ducing the actual imports of money which would otherwise occur as a re­ sult of our lSrge expottations. This fact is especially interesting, because it shows that the people of the United States are rapidly becoming independ­ ent of the financiers of the old world, and that there will be from this time forward a great reduction in the amount of money sent abroad in the payment of interest. The country at large is following the example of in­ dividuals. and reducing its indebted­ ness to others. GOV. TANNER'S VIEWS MESSAGE TO THE EXTRA SES SION OF THE LEGISLATURE. Bryan Needs Their Report. Those silver Senators ̂ wlio wemt to Japan a few months ago to find out just how it was, that the "g.oid pow- era"' had managed to induce the Yan­ kees of the Orient to abandon the sil­ ver standard liave not yet reported. They should "do so in order that Mr. Bryan may - advise the statesmen of THE RIGHT SORT CF CHINESE WALL. TREASURY Excess of merchandise exports, September, 1S97 281,187 Balance of trade, payable to United States in coin or bullion 57,000,000 ment in the good times which have come to Kansas, yet it must be re­ membered that even that demand could not have brought prosperity if the home demand had been cut off be­ cause the people were without work and therefore without wages with which to buy. Protection has made factories hum all over the country and has provideu an army of workers to consume the Kansas farmer's products. If Kansas likes the good times she has had" this year, let her help to es­ tablish protection for American work­ men and so create a home market great enough to take all her products every year, irrespective of what the foreign demand may be. Mexico just how to escape the fate of the Japanese and of all the other in­ telligent nations which have adopted the gold standard in the last few years sine e the ait of mining made it fiisy to produce silver at low cost and in enor­ mous quantities. Things to Be Thankful For. Increased prosj>erity in every branch of industrial and commercial activity. Increased work for everybody and in many cases higher wages. Increased comfort and happiness for man, woman and child. Increased prices for the products of the farm, amounting, for'the year 1897 alone, to more tluin $1,000,000,000. Increased demand for the products of factories, mills and mines. Increased bank deposits, loans and discounts. Increased sales by merchants and manufacturers. Increased railroad earnings of over 11 per cent, as compared with last year. Increased exports of fooil stuffs and manufactured articles amounting to several hundred millions of dollars. The election of William McKinley as President of the United States. The triumph of protection. The passage of the Dingley tariff bill. An Issue Soon Dead. Free silver was made a distinct is­ sue in a half dozen States in 1S97. In every one of these States the percent­ age of loss in Democratic votes was greater than in the year following the Presidential election of 1892, when free trade was the issue. The loss of Democratic votes in Massachusetts in 1SU7 was 24 per ce.ut. of the IS'.Mi vote, while in IS!*:? there was a falling off of 11 per cent, from the Presidential vote of the preceding year. In Vir: ginia there was a falling off in 1S97 of '28 per cent, in the Democratic vote, against 21 per cent, in 1893; in Iowa, 12 per cent, in 1897, against 11 per cent, in 1893; in Ohio, 10 per cent, in 1897, against 12 per cent, in 1893; while in other States the results were equally disheartening to the advocates of silver. The Real Robber Tariff. The free-traders have exhausted the resources of the dictionary to find scathing epithets for the tariff which gives protection to American indus­ tries. "Robber tariff" is one of their favorite names for it. The vast ma­ jority of the people of the country, however, are agreed that the true "rob- ber^tariff" was the free trade Wilson- Gorman law which robbed them of their work, their wages and their prosperity. IZIChile Starts on the Golden Way. Hereafter the silver coins of Chile will be maintained at a fixed value, •without reference to the fluctuations in the price of the metal of which they are made, as is the case in all coun­ tries having a limited silver coinage with a gold standard of value. This I is the first result of their steps in the direction of the adoption of the gold standard. Laborers Have Money This Year. The holiday season will be one of much greater happiness than those of the past few years. The earnings of employes in the manufacturing sec­ tions have" already been increased in many instances, and recent dispatches Reciprocity Prospects. The Dingley law is only about four months old. It has not had time to justify itself as a revenue producer, owing to the heavy anticipatory im­ ports during the time that Congress was giving it final shape, but its pro­ visions have l>een clear from the day it was signed by the President, and foreign countries are fully advised as to its bearings and significance. Is there a single sign of a tariff war against the United States on the hori­ zon? Is there not, on the contrary, a sign of commercial good-will in every direction? Foreign governments are putting the same high value on our markets tlmi.we ourselves in the Ding­ ley law have put upon them. Instead of making war on us. tlv.v are making overtures to trade with us on terms of mutual benefit. The reciprocity clause of the new law promises to be one of its most useful features. Great Brit­ ain invokes it in the interests of her possessions in the West Indies. Sir Wilfrid Laurier is now in Washington j willing to discuss terms for increased trade between Canada and the United | States. France desires to negotiate a ! reciprocity treaty, and Peru does also. |Tt is not too much to say. indeed, that | the United States has only to show a j willingness on the subject to extend her trade by means of reciprocity on j advantageous terms in nearly any di­ rect ion.--Washington Star. Food for Thought, Mr. C. II. Cramp, a short time ago, at the meeting of the Board of Trade and Transportation in New York City, said: "No nation has ever been able to maintain ship-owning by purchas­ ing its ships from the ship-buiklers of other nations." This remark offers food for thought to members of Con­ gress and to the people generally. The American policy of protection is a broad and national policy and should embrace every American industry within its beneficent workings. See Their Error. The people of Kansas have evidently seen the fallacy of the political argu­ ments upon which they' have been fed during the past few years, and as a re­ sult have placed the State again in the Republican column, giving that party a majority this year of over 9,000 votes against a Democratic ma­ jority of 13,000 last year. Foreign Markets Not Lost, The adoption of a protective tariff has not cut off foreign markets for American products as was predicted, our exportations having increased ma­ terially since the enactment of the Dingley law, in the face of 1'ne fact that our purchases abroad have been reduced. John Bull Is Not In It. Senatorial Apportionment Strongly Urged--Primary Election Low Hoes Not Mqet Present Needs--Governor Says There Is Need for Reform. GOVERNOR TANKER. Why He Called the Session. The text of the message of Gov. Tanner, which was transmitted to the General As- sembly, follows: --Gentlemen of the- Senate and. House of Representatives: 1 regret the necessity for calling you to Springfield on sueli short" no­ tice to urge your consideration of the fol­ lowing subjects: . An amendment of our laws in relation to the assessment of property for taxation^ Upon no subject is legislation more needed than that of the assessment of property for taxation in the city of Chicago, and per­ haps iu other large cities. The present law which gives the assessor, who is elected in April, the two months front May 1 to June £0, to make and complete the assessment, may be reasonably sufficient for the "town- Ships of the State outside of such cities, but for such towns as .lie within the city of . Chi­ cago it Is grossly inadeqaate. The conditions in Chicago and other por­ tions of the State are so unlike that in order to reach the same desired result In each-- viz., an equal, uniform and fair assessment of all property subject to taxation--there must be entirely different times allotted and machinery provided for maintaining and re­ vising the assessments. Every other county and town in the State is deeply concerned in providing a law un­ der Which this result may be reached in Cook County and in every other county-- viz., that the property therein may be fairly and equally assessed. This result cannot be reached under the present law. The asses­ sor is required to make an entire new as­ sessment within the short space of sixty days. This requirement, as applied to such towns as make up the city of Chicago, Is absolutely absurd, and must and does result in an assessment which is partial and ln- . complete, unequal and unjust. There must be ample time provided and the assessment must be made with more care and skill than the present law per­ mits. While the valuation must be on tho first day of May, so that the law in that respect bo uniform throughout the State, the entire time throughout the year should be devoted by the assessors of the revising board to tho work which shall be required to make the assessment complete, equal and fair. Under the present law, substantially no re­ vision nor review of the assessor's work Is permitted. His Work,' however Inaccurate or •impartial, discriminating or corrupt, must . stand.. In the city of Chicago the average stand­ ard of assessment is usually made one-eighth, but even in the case of real estate this greatly varies as betweeu different towns, districts and individuals within the city anil between different lots and tracts, some lots and tracts varying from one-sixth to one- thirtieth of fair valuation. In the one case one property pays a tax rate five times as high as the other. So long as there is any likelihood of such inequalities there is the strongest Inducement to the hiding of prop­ erty which can be successfully concealed. What the Governor Proposes. It is believed that if a law Is passed under which a fair and equal assessment of prop­ erty may be looked for and assured the result will be assessment of much more property and a substantial Increase In the State and municipal revenues without any inconve­ nience at all in the tax rate. In the first place 1 would recommend lengthening the time for making assess­ ments. beginning on the 1st day of January In place of the 1st day of May. Then iii cities of more than iM.OOO Inhabitants I should require tho assessment of each ward and as s<miii as made to be published In pamphlet form and a copy left either at the place of business or residence of each tax­ payer in the ward. Each assessment should give the description of the lot and block by number and street, with the number of feet front and depth, and also the amount of personal property. There should be a board of review, consisting of three persons, ap­ pointed by the County Judge, who should have full power to raise or lower Individual assessments. The law should not read that the assessor may swear each owner or agi>n» to his as­ sessment list, but it should emphatically say that lie shall swear each person to the as­ sessment. The penalty for violation of the assessment law by -the assessor, either by omission or commission, should be pointed and severe. The primary election or caucus Is an in­ tegral part of our form of popular govern­ ment. It lies at the foundation--indeed, in- an\mphatic sense, it may be said to bo the very\ basis of our entire political system. I5y U the people are directly the creators of the three great branches of our common­ wealth--the legislative. Judicial and execu­ tive. No graver problem confronts ns, as a State and nation, than the proper administration of the affa'rs of our municipalities. These considerations, among others, have led me to include in the call for a special session of the General Assembly the subject of a revision of the primary election laws. The General Assembly should throw around the primary election caucus such safeguards as would raise It to the dignity of a regular election. Every legal voter should be given the right to vote and should be made to feel that ills ballot shall be counted by the returning board as he casts It. The Iniqui­ ties of the "free-for-all" primary must by statute be made no .longer possible. The duty of the citizen will not thereby be di­ minished, but rather increased. No good citizen has a moral or political right to remain away from the primaries be­ cause it is, or he thinks it is, useless for him fb go there. Hut. on the other hand, every guard should be placed around it to make it safe and satisfactory, to induce every good citizen to participate freely in such" primary or political assemblage of his own party, whatever it may be„ with such conditions and provisions, none can fairly or in good conscience evade or neglect his plain duty and the important privilege to take an active personal interest in the nomination of candidates for public office without shame­ lessly admitting utter inability to discharge properly the high citizenship which our great State and nation has so generously con­ ferred upon him. I desire to call your attention to the ne­ cessity of an act to establish a non-partisan police force in cities of tills State which contain more than 100,000 inhabitants. In including this subject in the call at the earn­ est request of hundreds of our best citizens of all parties I am Influenced by a desire to secure for our great metropolis a police sys­ tem second to none in the world. Every interest of tho people who pay the taxes to support it demands that the vast machinery of the police system shall be used only for the prevention and punishment of crime and the vigilant protection of property. Evi­ dence proves that these results can be se­ cured only by divorcing it entirely from politics. The experience of the cities of Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Balti­ more, Washington. Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Denver, Detroit, Kan­ sas City", San Francisco, Cleveland, and in fact all the principal cities of the United States, proves that they succeeded in ob­ taining efficient police service only after they had secured fhe government of their police force by metropolitan boards of either jji-partisan or mixed politics. Chicago presents the only instance of a police force used as an instrument for the sole benefit of the political party which hap­ pens to be in power after each election. Boj,h parties have been to Maine in this respect, but the time has come when all good citizens should make an effort to correct this great evil. The efforts of the civil ser­ vice commission are and will be of no effect until they are supplemented by a board of control, which, composed of the best citizens,* of all parties, shall enforce an honest and practical bivll service, assuring to every hieinber of the force who is competent and taithful nermanence In his position and put­ ting It beyond the power of politicians to con­ trol him by making his tenure of office de­ pend upon his political complexion. The opportunity offered by a special ses­ sion to consider and mature such a measure without political prejudice I feel fully war­ rants me in asking for your earnest atten­ tion at this time. Our 'Constltutlon requires the Legislature to redistrict the State legislatively at least once in ten years. The right to do so often- er can hardly be questioned. The Senatorial districts are required to be formed "of con­ tiguous and compact territory, .bounded by county lines and contain as nearly as prac­ ticable an equal number of Inhabitants." The present apportionment, made by a Democratic Legislature, Is unjust and in­ equitable in this, that the districts are so arranged that It requires the Republican party to carry the State by a majority of at least SO,000 to Insure a Republican Legis­ lature. I insist it is your duty to set aside this apportionment, and iu Its place make an apportionment ftflr and just to all political partips. and one which will give to every voter his full share of,,control In the election of Senators and Representatives in the Gen­ eral Assembly. With such an apportionment; there will be no ground for complaint by any! party or any individual voter. Whereas, under the present Democratic gerrymander, as I before stated, it is im­ possible for the Republicans to secure the Legislature with less than 80,000 majority ,on the popular vote. The Senatorial districts should be so formed as to make it possible for any political party that carries the State on. a popular vote of 1.1,000 to 25,000 major­ ity to elect at the same time the Legislature, which is the law-making branch of our gov­ ernment. An apportionment that,does not guarantee this practically disfranchises thou-., sands of electors, which is contrary to tho fundamental principles and theories of our government. ~ - ,'•' I therefore, earnestly urge that yon pass a legislative -apportionment bill In. harmony with the foregoing suggestions. Asks for More Money. An appropriation for the maintenance of the ^Soldiers and Sailors' Home at Quincy. In relation to the necessity of this appro­ priation I refer you to suggestions set forth In my proclamation convening the General Assembly. 1 An appropriation to defray tho expense of testing the constitutionality of the inherit­ ance tax law and its enforcement. In 1805 the Legislature of this State passed a law entitled "An act to tax gifts, legacies and' inheritances In certain cases, and to provide for the collection of the same." I am advised that upward of $500,000 is now duo to the State by virtue of said law, but col­ lection of the same has been prevented by litigation involving tho constitutionality of said act, both under the State and Federal Constitutions. There are jit present three suits pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, in whl<;h it is contended that the act In question Is iii violation of the fourteenth article of the amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and in my opinion a reasonable appropriation is neces­ sary to enable the Attorney General to prop­ erly defend such suits, and to meet the nec­ essary expenses thereof, and I therefore rec­ ommend that a reasonable appropriation for that purpose be made. An appropriation to pay the per diem and expenses of this special session. Tills action Is made necessary by reason of the fact that no appropriation Is now available for the expenses of the special session, and such expenses can only 1K> pa^d in pursuance of an appropriation made at tills session, under au­ thority contained In tho call. A cull upon the Senators and Representa­ tives to meet in extraordinary session was Issued with reluctance. But I feel that the importance of matters upon which you are called to legislate will be fully recognized and will justify my action. It seems to me, however, that your session at this tlmo ghoqld bo brief and I urge upon you a prompt consideration of the questions coming be­ fore you and an early adjournment. Relieved as you are of the great multiplici­ ty of subjects which always come before a regular session, and your action confined to the consideration of half a dozen subjects, I can see no reason why you should not fin­ ish your work before the Christmas holidays, and I had that In mind in calling you togeth­ er at this time. JOHN R. TANNER, Governor. Sousrht His Own Safety First. Two Irish soldiers stationed in the West Indies were accustomed to bathe dally in a little bay which was gener­ ally supposed to be free from sharks. Though on good terms with each other, they were not what might be termed fast friends. One day, as they were swimming about 100 yards from the shore, Pat observed Mick making for the shore as hard as he could with­ out saying a word. Wondering what was the matter Pat struck out vigor­ ously after him and landed at his companion's heels. "is there anything wrong wid ye?" inquired Pat, feelingly. "Nothin,' nothin' at all," replied the other. "Then what did ye make such a sudden ret rate for, an' lave me?" con­ tinued Pat. "Bedad," answered Mick, coolly, "I spied the fin av a big shark about twenty feet ahead, an' I thought while he was playln' wid you it wud give nie time to reach the shore!" It is not to lie wondered at that Pat declined to bathe with Mick any more. --Tit-Bits. NTERNAL REVENUE RECEIPTS. Chance for an Invention. Some of our inventive readers would do well to endeavor to construct a good hand machine for cracking the nuts of the cocoa palm as, according to a recent foreign office report, this is a want greatly felt In Paraguay. As Colonel Holmes points out, the machine sihould be constructed to crack the shell without damaging the kernel, and should be capable of turning out about fifty pournls of nuts per hour. The shells should be broken just suffi­ ciently to enable a man to extract the kernel afterward with his hands, and at least 90 per cent, of the kernels should issue whole from the machines, which should be as simple as possible in constructions nd made of strong material. The price ought not to ex­ ceed $150. As the nut is not of a uni­ form size, a kind of sifter should be Inserted which would convey the large and small nuts to cracks of correspond­ ing size. A ready sale is predicted for a number of such machines.--Inven­ tion. The Irish of It. An Irishman whose orchard has been invaded by some picnickers was ar­ raigning the poachers with no mild form of vehemence when one of the party said to him: "There, my friend, don't get yourself into such a state' of excitement; we'll compensate you." "Complnsate me?" returned Pat; "be- gorra, ye ought to pay me."--Richmond Dispatch. Spanish Bull Fighting. During the bull fighting season of 1890, there were 478 fights in Spain nnd 1,218 bulls, valued at $300,000, and 5,730 horses, valued at $200,000, were killed. The number of matadors, the principal fighters who killed the bulls, was 23,»and they were paid for their services in all about $222,500. American furs, notwithstanding a protective duty, are the best made and the cheapest in the world. German fur­ riers are considered the best workmen; Swedes and Freuehmen the most artis­ tic. Yellow fever and cholera are un­ known in Australia and malaria is of very infrequent occurrence. The very dry air of that continent acts as a rem­ edy against lung troubles. After a man secures a girl's hand he sometimes finds she has him under her thumb. Commissioner, ..Forman Presents a Hopeful Report. In his annual report to the Secretary of the Treasury Mr. Forman, commissioner of internal revenue, estimates that the re­ ceipts from all sources for the current fiscal year will aggregate at least $115,- 000,000, an increase over 1S97 of about $S,300,000. o A comparative statement of the receipts during the last fiscal year is given as fol­ lows:: ' * - j Spirits, $S2,008,542; increase over 1S0G, $1,- 338,472. Tobacco, "$30,710,207; decrease. $1,331. Fermented liquors, $32,472,-162; decrease, $1,312,073. Oleomargarine, $1,034,129; decrease; $1°S5,- 302. Filled cheese, $18,002: increase, $1S,992. Ranks and bankers. $S5; decrease, $49. Miscellaneous, $375.3S2; decrease, $69,729. Total receipts, $146,619,593; decrease, $211,- 022. The withdrawals for consumption dur­ ing the year are given as follows: Fruit brandies, 1,146,131 gallons; decrease, 294,679. Spirits distilled from grain, 6S.S33.231 gal­ lons; increase, 1,793,321. Beer, 34,423,094 barrels: decrease, 1,403,- 004. Cigars and cheroots weighing over , three pounds per 1,000, number, 4,063,169,097; de­ crease, 174.586,846. ' .. Cigarettes weighing not over three pounds per 1.000,.. number, 4,151,669,760; increase, 192,178.120a Cigarettes weighing three pounds per 1,000, number, 1,582,710; inerehsC, 155;<3i3. Snuff, 13,268,640• pounds; increase,- 720,- 041. . Tobacco, chewing and smoking, 200,784;- 812 pounds; 'increase, 7,007,675. CWeomargftrlm:-, 42,534,559 pounds; decrease, 5,098,214. . • - ' Filled cheese, 1,666.137 pounds (law be­ came operative during the year). rlhe cost of the collection 0f the revenue during the last hscal year was $3,846,469, Difring the year 2.241 illicit stills were destroyed mid thirty-two were removed. Eight hundred and twenty-nine persons were arrested, one killed and three were wounded. ' Of the stills seized and de­ stroyed 22S were located in Alabama, S41 in Georgia, 463 in North Carolina, 190 in South Carolina and 245 in the sixth Virginia district. IN SPECIAL SESSION. FORTIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; MEETS AT SPRINGFIELD. Senate and House Open for Considerate tion of the Subjects Mentioned bjr Gov. Tanner in His Message--Chance* in Membership of Either Branch. KLONDIKE OUTDONE. Rich Gold Mountains in the Rugged Wilds of Wyo mill};, The discovery of gold at Grand En­ campment, Wyoming, in such quantities as staggers belief is reported. Mining experts who have looked over the ground believe that developments will uncover an entire mountain of gold, which will relegate all other gold districts to insig­ nificance. Wyoming has suddenly blazed up as the possible, even probable, richest country in the world. People there and all around are mad. Everybody is rush­ ing to Grand Encampment in spite of snow and cold. The excitement is higher than anything within the memory of the oldest miner, not excepting the days of '40. Grand Encampment is sixty miles from the nearest railroad. It is situated in the heart of the Sierra Madre mountains. It lies west of the Platte river. The near­ est towns are Rawlins, Saratoga, Wal- cott and Fort Steele. The district is one of the mtvst rugged nnd wildest in the West, but there is no Klondike desolation there, for the re­ sources are ample. It was a honeycomb­ ed rock, scarcely larger in diameter than the wheel of an ordinary farm wagon, tliat has precipitated the gold boom, start­ ed a gold camp and made the residents of A\ yoniing gold mad. A white quartz sur­ face float in Purgatory gulch, unheeded there, perhaps, for centuries, has been found to hold within its Hint-like walls a golden treasure amounting to $24,584, or $3,512, in round numbers, for each ton of its weight. If Klondike and Cripple Creek had both suddenly been transferred to Carbon County, Wyoming, and all the gold fields of the Transvaal had settled in the moun­ tain gulches along the Grand Encamp­ ment riVer it would he difficult to con­ ceive a greater excitement than has been wrought among the natives by the golden wonder and its less productive neighbors upon the surrounding hills. Where less than a month ago not fifty people resided in an area of more than 300 square miles, to-day hundreds of anxious prospectors are scouring mountain and canyon in the hope of finding the golden vein from which these immense boulders must have been eroded ages ago. It seems to be the old story over again--'40 revived. Leadville in the early 'SOs and Cripple Creek in the early '90s. And no matter what may be the ultimate outcome of it all, for the present at least, the eyes of Wyoming are turned from Klondike, and the big Western State is nursing a child of her own. Nor is Wyoming's gold excitement seemingly unwarranted. 'Mining experts of high standing pronounce the surface in­ dications of the new district to be far greater than those of either Cripple Creek or Leadville. In depth alone can the mineral wealth of a lode claim bo actually determined, and as no shaft or prospect hole in the district has as yet been sunk to a greater depth than fifteen or twenty feet, surface indications remain the only means of estimating the wealth of the camp. Four miles southwest of the new town of Grand Encampment is a mountain largely covered with golden float. It is looked upon as being one of the wonders of the camp, and has been called the "Mountain of Gold." It is perhaps 3,000 by 6,000 feet in diameter, and at its crest is S,500 feet above the level of tho sea. Nine great parallel dikes of heavily min­ eralized quartz traverse it from northeast to southwest. These dikes are all crop­ ping and stand out as plain as the rows of corn in a field. Quartzite arid mica schist separate them from each other, and experienced miners believe that with depth the dikes will all converge and form one mammoth body of ore. The float on this mountain is by far the richest yet discovered in the camp. Pieces no larger than a hen's egg have been found to run from 50 cents to one dollar pure gold, and chosen chunks from the dikes have assay­ ed as high as $71,000 a ton. POOR STOCK IS NEVER GOOD. President Thompson Gives Fellow stockmen Good Pointers. President W. II. Thompson of the na­ tional live stock exchange opened the con­ vention at Sioux City. In the course of his remarks Mr. Thompson urged that in order to maintain the avenues of outlet, and especially the foreign markets, only the best stock and meat products should be exported. , No opportunity td improve in the manu­ facture of such products should be lost. It costs as much to father an inferior as a superior brand of cattle, but tlie market values of each class differ from 50 cents to $1.50 per 100 pounds in favor of the latter animal. He advised the getting rid of inferior or common cattle by cross­ breeding with superior animals. In no case keep cattle beyond three years. Dur­ ing the first three years the animal is in best condition to fatten and sell. On branding he advised that such marks should be placed where they would least interfere with the tanning of the hide. He advocated the raising of hogs as a profitable industry, also that of sheep. There was money in the business now, he said, but the quality of lfiutton could be improved upon, as sheep breeders had hitherto paid more attention to the wool than the meat. ' Lawmakers Assemble. At sharp noon on Tuesday Speaker Curtis called the House of Representa- tivesfto order at Springfield. At the same moment Lieut. Gov. Northcott placed the machinery of the State in motion in the Senate. The opening of the two houses was unaccompanied by the slightest ex­ citement. A fall of two gavels, the offer­ ing of two prayers, the reading of the Governor's call by the clerk of the Hofise and the Secretary of the. Senate and the extra session of the XLth General As­ sembly was under' way. Gov. Tanner's message! was read in both houses, and after the bid organization was perfected, an adjournment was taken until Wednes­ day. No bills-were introduced Tuesday. At the opening of Tuesday's session Speaker Curtis made a short address, speaking, as follows * '• Representatives of the Fortieth General Assembly: We are convened in extraordl-' Kary session to consider certain subjects specified iu the Governor's proclamation. It is our duty to act upon the measures relating to those subjects without delay. We are re­ sponsible to our constituents for' the results of this session. I ask your co-operation la meeting and discharging this responsibility. You nave just come from the body of thai people and know $£if thoughts, opinions and feelings upon matters which will be submit­ ted to you for legislative action. Differences among you ou the particular methods of reaching desired ends are inevitable. Let those differences be discussed in kindness and solved without bitterness. Let our de­ liberations be had in a spirit of concession and conciliation. The rights of the State are paramount to personal ambitious or self- lsh Interests. r .*£81;. • The subjects to which our labors will bo (IeTOTM in this House are few in number, but vital in their operation. Your concen­ trated efforts will analyze and combine their details more pfoiliptly than in regular session with its multitude of bills on numerous sub­ jects claiming your ,attention. The people will not approve, under these circumstances^* of a long session. The conditions require that we devise such legislation as will dis­ cover and fairly assess all property held within the limits of this State so as to pro­ duce revenue for State and local purposes, rather than a useless expenditure of thosa revenues by our prolonged presence at the eapitol, and I trust, that harmony and good feeling may characterize the special sessloa of the Fortieth General Assembly, The only change in the Senate from the regular session is the absence of Albert W. Wells of Quincy. His successor is Senator McAdams. In the House the seats of three members will be vacant, or if filled, the members cannot vote. The senatorial caucus appointed minor employes, such as janitors, clerks and po­ licemen. The statutory officials, such as president pro tern., secretary, assistant secretary, etc., hold over. Concerning apportionment, newspaper correspondents say the most notable fea­ ture is the absence of that hostility which so marked the course of the independents during the close of the regular session, and indications are that the joint commit­ tee of sixteen which is to draft the appor­ tionment bill will have no trouble getting it through the caucus and ultimately through the Legislature. ^ ..'Sjn When the House got to work on Wed­ nesday the first real business of the extrft session began when the clerk called the roll for the introduction of bills. Name after name was called without response until that of Representative Rowe of Cook was reached. Mr. Rowe got up and presented the revenue bill, which will ba known as the Rowe bill. It was referred to the Committee on Revenue. The rev­ enue bill was prepared by the citizens' committee of seventeen under the hnmtf> diate direction of John S. Miller, ex-cor­ poration counsel of Chicago, and John P. Wilson. The bill applies to cities of 25,000 population and upward. It closely paral­ lels Gov. Tanner's message. Representa­ tive Novak of Cook then introduced his resolution to make sine die adjournment impossible except on a roll call. Revell moved to postpone consideration for one week. This was carried and the House adjourned until 10 o'clock Thursday, af­ ter being in session just fifteen minutes. In the Senate the session lasted twenty- five minutes. The only business done was the introduction of the revenue bill. It is the same as that presented in the House. Senator Dunlap fathered it and it was referred to the Revenue Commit­ tee. , • Bicycle Riding in Russia. Before a person can ride a bicycle in St. Petersburg, he must go to one of the cycling associations and pass an examination on his wheel. When he receives a certificate, he sends it to the city administration with an appli­ cation for a permit. By the time he gets the permit he is out about two dollars for a few trilling details of red tape necessary to maintain the nation­ al budget. His permit is good for one year. A registered number is issued with it, which must be attached to the* bicycle ou two different plates. The number is painted in broad white fig­ ures on a red background, so that the police can keep their eagle eyes on the cyclists and be able to identify them. One plate is fastened below the han­ dle bar, and the other on the backbone of the wheel. A Cane Worth Preservation. Major M. M. Clotheier of Whatcom, Wash., lias a hickory cane, cut at Ply­ mouth Rock, Mass., in 1621, by Nathan­ iel Pierce, who came over in the May­ flower. The cane has been passed down to the eldest son or daughter for many generations, and came to Major Clothe­ ier from his grandmother, Sarah Ma­ son, who made the 1,700-pound cheesO svhich was given to President Jefferson. A Curious Superstition. Among the superstitions of the Sene­ ca Indians was one most beautiful one. When a young maiden died they im­ prisoned a youug bird until it first be«! gun to try its powers of song, and then, loading it with caresses and messages, they loosed its bonds over her grave, in the belief that it would not fold its wihgs or close its eyes until it had flown to the spirit land and delivered its precious burden of affection to tha loved and lost one. , i f .; Although the Eskimo are dependent;' Upon the sea for everything they eat and for the clothes they wear, they; do not know how to swim. This seemsj strauge at first, but becomes less mys­ terious when we take into considera-; tion the fact that the temperature of the water in the region where they, live is never above the freezing point. The natives guard against the danger of drowning by making the covering of their boats so tight about the body of the fisherman that there JL§ .no leak­ age even if he should happen to i over.