Grey Highlands Public Library Digital Collections

Flesherton Advance, 4 Aug 1892, p. 2

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AGRICULTURAL. Oar Barley Trade. BV HOBKKT II. I AW DEB. An barley harvest ii elo at hand, it may be iuleretling to review the principal feature* of lt season's trade, ami to discuss the prospects (or the coming crop. Owing to tli unprecedently l*rt barley crop In the northwest stats* in IV.Il, the demand (or Canadian barley for United States malt- sUrs and brewer*, during the crop year 1891 9V?, hu been of a very limited charact er. A late numlier of The Wall Streut Daily Investigator estimates the barley crop of lait year in the I'mUM State* at 75,000,- OOU bushels. This is fully one-eighth larger than that of any previoui year. Tin move- ment of the lut crop at western market* largely confirms this eslimale. The receipt* it the western markets of ('lnr.ijju. Mil- sraukse, Toledo, Duron, Cleveland. St. I.MII and Penria, (rom 1st August, I NO 1, to date hare been about .11, 4OO.OOO bushels, as compared with 2H,40O,OI)0 in the same time in the preceding year, anil those of the latter year largely exceeded those o( any previous year. There appears to I* an unusually large proportion of last year's crop held by dealers and farmers in the interior ; the re- ceipts at above markets during the past nine weeks amounting to the large quanlity o( '.',220,000 bushels, or fully three limes as much as in the corresponding nine summer weeks in 1881. With such a large crop of their own, and with the increasing practice 011 the part of American brewers of vising preparations of Indian corn and other sub- stitutes for malt in llie manufacture of beer, it is not surprising tliat under the high duty imposed upon Canadian barley by the McKmley tariff, very little Canadian barley WM either required or used. The imports of Canadian barley into the United Stales during the crop year Ivl '_ have boon about 3.'M>,WU bushels, ai com- pared with 9,070,471 bushels in Is'.HMil, anil 11, 327,01V.' bushels in lUN'J-'JO. This is an immense falling off in two years, but t\rn this very inadequately represents the great decrease in the American deinand for Canadian barley. In the year ISsiMjO only 0,793 bushels of the barley imported from Canada was exported from the I'nitod Sutesto foreign countries ; in 1890 'Jl 3UO,- 741, bushels were similarly exported, but din ing the present crop year, Is'.ll ItJ, fully two-thirds of the iinporU were so exported. Tho total exports of barley from the United States f rom Ju!y 1, IK9I, to June3o, Is'.rJ, were -'.7!!l,7-".i l.nshcls. The returns show- ing how much of these exports consisted of domestic or foreign production have not yet been published, l>ut the proportion can be estimated pretlv closely, and it may lie lairly assumed that about .VJOO.IiOO bushels were of Canadian barley, and this would show that the <|Uantity ol Canadian barley actual- ly used for brewing purpose* in the United Slates during the current crop year has been about I, 'JOO.OOO bushels as compared with 1 1. .T.li.UUO bushels two years ago. The M. Kmley bill was designed to shut out Canadian barley, and has accomplished its purpose in tins res|wct. It must not, how- ever, be concluded from this, that the value of Canadian lr!ey has been de- preciated to the eitent of the increase in the American tariff. If the produc- ts .n of barley in Canada had been main- tained on the same scale HI in Issxs'land IRM'J 90, the excessive supply thrown upon the markets of the I'm led States in years of such fine li ley crops of their own as thoie of IKOO and 1891, would have depressed pi I.-PS there to the low values which could have been obtained for export to Kurope. It has proved fortunate for Canada that even the anticipation of the McKinley tariff conduced to a very large reduction in the acreage sown to barley, and that the ex- perience i.f the operation of that tariff has led to a Mill further reduction. Owing to the prohibition of exports of barley and f.ther grams from Kussia, a lair demand at n.oderste prices for Koropenn markets al> or I ml nearly the whole uf the Canadian barley nf the limited crop of |s;i|. With a further large decrease in acreage from even the redjced acreage of 1891, it is to be hoped that a market will lie found at fair prices for the comparatively small crop of I W. The prolialnlity of selling any considerable pro- portion of the crop in the United States markets is very small. It is too early to p<>ak withany confidence as to theout turn of this year's crop in the United States. All that can be said is that general report* as to condition are very favorable, and that kids in Chicago for September and October delivery of No. -' barley arc from live to six rents per bushel lower than the prices bid at this time last year for like deliveries. The following extract from the New York Commercial Bulletin, in commenting upon the June report of the Agiicultural l>e- partmeat should be carefully considered : " Theie has been on increase in the barley acreage of 'J..1 per cent, as compared with last year, and this in spite of the fact that last year's crop was the largest ever grown. This increase arc urn entirely in the western si. I north-western states, while in New York, the leading eastern barley state, there is decrease of .' per cont. The bar- ley growers of New York have not reapel the benefits which they hoped to c by the exclusion of Canadian barley. The average condition of the crop is 1U. I, or two points above that of a year ago. With favorable wetther till harvest time thuyea-'sharleycropoiight to lie even great- er than that of last year. What the farmers expect to do with no much barley except lo 80 it for feeding purposes is not an easy question, since they already raise about a third nnre Ihun the brewers, their chief customers, can use. The chief result of the ini-rr.ised retiiictii.n will Im a lower level of prices until production conforms itself more nearly to consumption.' 1 ( 'anadian farmers must understand from the experience of the past : wo seasons, (hut, even with frco trade in barley, or with the former moderate duty of 10 cents per bushel, all hopn of obtaining in th Ann-nan market the remunerative prices of former years must be abandoned, except under the precarious occurrence of an all round deficiency in the Cnited States crop. All present indications print to their depend- ance upon the English markets for the sale of the greater pirt of their present crop of barley. Including the shipment* from \|..i, treal, about l,OOM,m bushels of last yoar'l barley was ex ported to Kurope, nearly all nf it to Knglisn markets. A large pro > .- tion of thcie exports was of the two- rowed variety, and another large prnpor- onrisiud of liio lower qualities of the six-rowed bailey, for common Moil, it thu shipment* of of the finer quali- ties of six-rowed barley, which were ship- Ed and designed for malting purposes in igland or Scotland, resulted in losses lo shippers. Some people who apparently know nothing of the practices or interests of exporters, hav been writing to newspapers from Mme to time attributing the failure* to i|*e tricky and dishonorable mixing of different varieties by the exporters. This is al>surd nonsense, M no exporter could be isvluced to incur the risk of certain loss which would result from such a practice. That there was some mixing is true, but this arose from the carelessness and want of experience on the part of farmers and dealers in the interior. Serious complaints are also made against the railway com- panies for negligence in omitting to keep the different shipments separate in their elevators, so that list some cases) feeding Inn ley was mixed with malting barley, and two-rnwed witb nix-rowed. The prevailing impression all over the province appears to have been that plumpness of berry and good weight per bushel was the only requisite for the English market, and the, other qualities of mellowness, condition, color ami unifor- mity were generally overlooked. Witn tho experience pained from last season's experi- ments, the mistakes then made can be Avoided, and this waaun's business can be conducted on a safer and more correct sys- tem. With all the mistakes of last year, much favorable information has been obtained. Receivers in irreat Brit- ain, who have handled considerable quantities of our last year's barley, report that some of the shipments, Imth of the two- rowed and six -rows., varieties, brought good prices and gave great satisfaction for brew- ing, distilling an. I pearling purposes, and that for such qualities there is an almost un- limited market. Tlie great drawback was the extremely irregular quality found in the same lots. Kveii in shipments of two- rowed barley put up in l>ags, barley the pro- duct of the name farm, there wai a difference of several shillings per quarter between some parts of the lot. Uniformity of quality is one of the mo it desirable conditions. Last season the weather for some weeks preced- ing harvest was especially favorable for fill- ing and maturing uf the crop, and the result was a fine plump berry, good yield per acre, and large weight pet bushel. Kut it will be remembered that owing tothesevere drought in May the barley came up very unevenly, consequently it ripened unevenly, and this no doubt conduced to the irregularity in malting which has been complained of. How- ever, the serious trouble arose from the very wet weather which followed immediately after barley-cutting. A great deal of the liarlcy was hauled in when damp : the grain after threshing became more or less musty ; the farmers in many canes had to spread the barley on the bam Hour in order to preserve it. By tbes- means the damage was conceal- ed, but not removed. Thousands of bushels of this damaged barley WIT bought and mixed with the sound (rain, with the result of rendering the whole lot "nlit for tr.allmi;. Among the other complaints a- to the character of Canadian Barley are those re- sulting from had threshing and fanning. Under the system of threshing pursued here a large number of the grams are split, and a still greater numlier have parts of the hull or skin scraped off. These are heavy draw- Lacks to tlie value of the grain, as, owing to the extra humidity of the Atmosphere in Knglnnd, there is greater dihV-ul'y in pre- serving malt there than in this country. j Then, as to fauning, complaint is made tli.it. mihVit'iit pains is not taken here to lake out the small grains and sc-cd. etc. Ag mi, it is strongly urged that all barley intended for mulling, should be kept in the stack or in the bsvrn for at least two or three weeks befcre threshing, as this tends to make the grain mellower than if threshed immediately after cutting. Oue thing has been mode evident from lust year's expert ence, that Knglish maltsters are even more particular as t<> quality than American maltsters, and that even greater difference | in value as to quality prevail there than here. What can Canadian farmer* und dealers do towards securing good prices in England? There are contingencies as to weather which farmers cannot overcome, bntagninst which they may to some extent guard them- selves. With the enormous difference in Kngland between tho prices of feeding and malting barley, would it not pay the far- mers to have their shocks of liarley capped thoroughly, and, in the case of heavy rams, keep the cap sheaves to lie threshed by themselves for feeding purposes, ami so ob- tain a better quality from the protected sheaves? Will it not pay them to see that greater care is taken in threshing to prevent splitting or scraping the hull oft the gram ' Screens must be used in fanning that will remove sll the light grains and extraneous matter. Kvery possible precaution must be taken to prevent the grain becoming bested or musty. All the barley intended for malt iug purposes in Knglauo should lie shipped du r ing the season of fall navigation. The iiuyers from farmers will And it to their advantage to eieratse much discrimin- ation in their purchases, by excluding from their selections for malting purposes all barley which has been heated even in the smallest degree, or in which there is the slightest suspicion of must, and by reject ing all barley which has lieen badly thresh eil or cleaned. It is altogether likely that exporters this Benson will be very ngid 1.1 their exactions as to quality. AN OAKVILLE MIRACLE. The Kemnrkahlr Case of Mr John W". Condor. Honors and public favors sometimes offer themselves HIM more readily to those who have no ambition for them. [Li vy. According to the last census of *Tewiund- Isml the island has a population of I'.l7,'. ; .'il. It reveals two intercut ing facts: that there is 110 immigration to the colony, and that the males ate over 3,'JOO in excess of tho females. Oi the total population 1'i.i, .'t.'i.'l are native born, leaving only 1 ftM as coming from ouUide (onnlries. Of this number I,5(i5 tvero liorn in Kngland, I.II'J in In-hind, :ivj in Scotland, and l.lli.'l in other Kritiuh colonies. Of foreigners there a< o Mlkl, tho greater part nf tiho:i i urn Am- ericans. The prep n Kium,: cf tho niilo population is accounted for by the f.ut that the young women of ihti cu'uny fin. I iitsdy employment as dnmcnlir* in '!. I': ,tu I States, and they go thither in Urge rum hers. There is a considerable emigration of young men, but it is not s.'i Urgu as of women. The population ireii.-cd in tho fisheries, is given at M.'ii'J '.n t!ie tvimus of IVM, which is a derrc.i'o r! m llunisand as against the number "icn'ploycd at the cen- sus taken in 1 SSI. :i-;i!i.-ily I, . r il.'i in- habitants who are lu-r.ely f.irmers but a Lirg'i number of the (icr^ins engaged in fishing also cultivate their own land. A ll< lui.... Cripple I or tears-Treated in Ike Mil IT ml Ihe Torenlo tiesirral llini:i I and HI*, linrct tl on Inrurable--Tbe Mary I hi, Wir.i. iil..u. K. ..... ri a* iBvesll (led by SB Ksuplre strporlcr. Toronto Knipiro. For more than a year past the rvtders of the Kmpire have been given the particulars of some of the most remarkable cures of the l!Uh century, all, or nearly all uf them, in cases hitherto held by the most advanced medical scientists to be incurable. The particulars of these cases were vouched for by such leading newspapers as the Hamilton .Spectator and Times, The Halifax Herald, Toronto Globe, Le Monde, Mon- treal ; Detroit News, Albany, N.Y., Jour- nal ; Albany Kxpresr and others, whose reputation placed beyond question the statement* mails. Recently rumors have been afloat of a re- markable case in the pretty little town of Oakville, of a young man recovering after years of helplessness and agony. The Km- pire determined to subject Uie case to the most rigid investigation, and accordingly detailed one of oar lies', reporters to make a thorough one 1 impartial investigation into the case. Acting upon these instructions our reporter went to Oakville, and called upon Mr. John \V. Condor (who it was had so miraculously recovered) and had not long been in conversation with him when he was I convinced that the statements ma le were ) not only true, but that " the half hod not been told." The reporter found Mr. Condor at work in one of the heaviest departments | of the Oakville Kosket Factory, and was surprised, m the face of what he knew of the case, to be confronted by a strapping young fellow of good physique, ruddy countenance and buoyant bearing. This now rugged young man was he who had spent a great part of his days upon a sick- bed, suffering almost untold agony. \Vhtn tb Kmpire representative announced the purpose of his visit Mr. Condor cheer- fully volunteered a statement of his case for the benefit ot other sufferers. " I am, ' said Mr. Condor, " an Knglishman by birth, and came lo this country with my parents when nine years of age, and at that time was as rugged and healthy as any boy of my aje. I am now 'JD years of age, and it was when about 14 years old lhat the Hrst twinges of inflammatory rheumatism j came upon me, and during the fifteen years that intervened between lhat time ana my , recovery a few months ago, tongue can hardly tell how much I suffered. My trouble was brought on by too frequent , trtUnng in the cold lake water. The joints of my body began to swell, the cords of my legs to tighten, and the musles of my limbs to contract. 1 became a helpless cripple, , confined to bed, and for three months did i not leave my rjom. The doctor who was | j called in administered preparations ot iodide of potassium and other remedies without any material beneficial effect. After some months of suffering I became strong enough to leave the bud but my limbs were stiffened and I was untried for any active vocation. I was then hampered more or less for the following nine years, when I was again forced to take to my bed. This attack was in IsHii, and was a great deal more severe than the first. My feet, ankles, knees, leus, arms, shoulders, and in fact all parts j of my frame were affected. .My joints and muscles became badly swollen, and the disease even reached my head. My , face swelled to a great s.ze. I was unable to open my mouth, my jaws being lixed to- gether. 1, of course, could eat nothing. M) teeth were pried apart and liquid food poured down my throat I lost my voice, and could speak only in husky whispers. Really, I MII unable to describe the state I was in during those long weary months. With my swollen limbs drawn by the tight- ening i-ords up lo my emaciated Ixtdy, and my whole frame twisted and contorted into Hides, nbible shajies, I was nothing more than a deformed skeleton. For three long weary months I was confined to bed, after w lu.Tr I was able to gel up, but was a com- plete physical wreck, hobbling around on crutches a helpless cripple. My sufferings were continually intense, and frequently when I would lie hobbling along the street 1 would lie seized with a paroxysm of pain and would fall unconscious to the ground. During all this time I bad the constant atten- dance of medical men, but their remedies were unavailing. All they could do was to try lo In, ild up my system by the use of tonics. In the fall of iss'.i and spring of IH90 I again suffered intensely severe at- tacks, and at last my medical attendant, ss a last resort, ordered me to tho Toronto (leneral Hospital. I entered the Hospital on June '.lull, IKOO, and remained there until September 201 h of Ihe same year. Hut, notwithstanding all the care ami attention bestowed upon me while in this insiilution, no improvement was noticeable in my con- dition. After using almost every available remedy the hospital doctors of whom there was about a do/en came lo the con- clusion that my case win incurable, and I was sent away, with the understanding that I iii,.;'it remain an outside patient. Accor- dingly from September I VM to the end of .litiniitrv IS'.II, I went lo the hospital once a week for examination and treatment. At this stage I became suddenly w>rsu, and or.ce more ginned admission to the hospital, where 1 lay in a minurablo siillcring condi- tion for two months or more. In the spring uf I VU I returned to Oakvilic, and inado an at tempt to do something toward my own support. I was givon light work in the banl.et factory, but bad to be conveyed lo and from my place of labor in a hug^'y and carried from the rig to a table in the works 0,1 which I sat and performed my work. In August, 1891, I was a^ain stricken down, and remained in an utterly helpless condition until Jan- nary I VIA At this timo Mr. Jamet, a local druggist, strongly urged mo lo try Or. Williams' Pink Tills for Talc IVoplc. I was prejudiced against proprietary medi cines as I had spent nearly all I possessed on numerous highly recommended so-called remedies. 1 h, id i. ken into my system large quantities of family medicines. I had ex- hausted t be list of liniments, but all in V..ID, and I w.n therefore reluctant to take Mr. .1 lines' advice. I, however, taw several strong testimonials as to the value of Dr. XVilliAins' Pink Pills as a blood builder and nerve tonic, and thinking thai if I could only yet my blood in better condition my general stale of health might be improxed, I resolved to give Pink Pills a trial. With the courage born of despair I bought a box, but there was no noticeable improvement, and I thought this was like the other reme- dies I bad used. Bat urged on by friends I continued taking Pink rills and after us- ing seven boxes 1 was rewarded by noticing a decided change for the better. My appe- tite returned, my spirits began to rise and I had a little freer use of my muscles and limbs, the old troublesoma swcllingssubsid- ing. I continued the remedy until 1 had used twenty-five boxes when I left off. By this time I had taken on considerable flesh and weighed OR much as 160 pounds. This was a gain of 60 pounds in a few weeks. My joints assumed their normal size, my muscles become firmer, and in fact 1 was a uew man. By April I was able to fo to work in the basket factory, and now CHU work ten hours a day with any man. I often stay on duty overtime without feel- ing any tiad effects. I play baseball in the evenings andean run bases with any ot the boy. Why I feel like dancing for very joy at the relief from abject misery I suffered so long. Many s time I prnyed for death to release me from my sufferings, but now that is all gone and I enjoy health as only he can who suffered agony for years. I have given you a brief outline of my suffer- ings, but from what I have told you .-n gut it the depth of my gratitude for the great remedy which has restored me to Health and strength. Wishing to substantiate the troth of Mr. Condor's remarkable story the Kmpire rep- resentative called upon Mr. F. W. James, the Oakville druggist referred to above. Mr. James fully corroborated the state- ment* of Mr. Conder. When the latter had first taken Dr. Williams' Pink Pills he was a mere skeleton a wreck of humanity. The people of the town had long given him up for as good as dead, and would hard- ly believe the man's recovery until they caw him themselves. The fame of this cure is now spread throughout the section and the result is an enormous sale of Pink Hills. " I sell a-dozen-and-a-half boxe* of Pink Pills every day," said Mr. James, " and this is rcmarkaole in a town the size of Oakville. And better still they give perfect satisfaction. Mr. James recalled numerous instances of remarkable cur after other remedies failed. Mr. .'otm Robertson, who lives midway between Oak- ville and Milton, who Siad been troubled with asthma and bronchitis for about 15 years, has been cured by the use of Pink Pills, and tins after physicians had told him there was no use doctoring further. Mr. Robertson says his appetite nad failed com- pletely, but after taking seven boxes of Pink Tills he was ready and waiting for omoh meal. He regards his case as a re markable one. In fact Dr. Williams' Pink Pills are recognised as one of Ihe greatest modern medicines a perfect blood builder and nerve restorer curing such diseases as rheumatism, neuralgia, partial paralysis lo- eomotoratmxia.St. \ itnsdancenervoushead- acbe, nervous pro* t rat ion ami the tired feel- ing resulting therefrom, diseases depending upon humors in the blood, such as scrofula, chronic erysipelas, etc. Pink Pills restore pale and sallow complexions to the glow of health, and are a specific for all the troubles peculiar to the femMe sex, while in the cose of men they nffect a radical cure in all cases arising from mental worry, overwork or ex- cesses of whatever nature. The Kmpire reporter also called upon Mr. I < . l-'i rd,pn>prieter of the Onkville Basket Factory, in which Mr. Condor is exployed, Mr. I'ord said he knew of the pitiable con- dition fonder hail Iwm in for years, and he had thought he would never recover. The cure was evidently a thorough one for Con- dor worked steadily at heavy lultor in the mills and apparently stood it as well as the rest of the employees. Mr. Ford said he t bought agreat deal of ihc young man and was pleased at his wondrous deliverance from the grave and his resloration to vigorous health. In order to still further verify the state- menu made by Mr. Condor in the above in- terview, the repoiter onhis return to Toron- to examined the Central Hospital records .in I found therein Ihe entries fully bearing out rll Mr. Condor had said, thus leaving no doubt that his case is one of tho most temarkable on rec- ord, and all the more remarkable because it bad battled the skill of the best physi- cians in Toronlo. These pills are manufactured by the Dr. Williams' Medicine Company, Brockville, Ont., and Schenectady, N. V., and are sold in boxss (never in loose form by the dozen or hundred, and the public are cautioned against mumerous imitations sold in this shape) at SO cents a box, or six boxes for t'- .Xand may be hod of all druggists or direct by mail from Dr. Williams' Medicine Com- pany from either address. The price at wiueh these pills are sold make a course of treatment comparatively inexpensive as compared w ill other remedies or medical treatment. A Jealous 4'ew. A few years ago I had a quiet milch ouw. Rose, which waafimd of Thomas, the stable- man and also showed an aversion lo dogs. One morning I had just begun to dress when I heard my puppy barking in the cowshed. Tlie next minute I heatdaroar of unmistak- able fear mid anguUh a human roar, 1 dashed downstair!*, and at the same moment arrived my ou, pitchfork in hand. There lay Thomas on his lace in a t'ry gutter by the side of the road tn the cow- house and the cow butting angrily at him. We drove off the cow and poor Thomas scnflled across the road, slipped through a wire fence, stood up, and drew s breath. Well, Thomas," said I, "what's the matter with Rose ?" " Well, sir," said Thomas, " 1 heaul the pup bark ami untied him, and I was just com ing out of the cow house with the pup in my arms when Rose came round the corner. S'K knocked me down aud would have kill- ed me." Thomas had, imlefd, had a n,\ru w escape, his trousers were ripped up from end to end. and red marks all along his legs showed where Hose's horns had grazed along them. "Well," said I, "you'd better not milk bet this morning, since she's in such a fury. " "Ob, I'll miik her right enough, sir, by- ami -by ; just give her a little time to settle down," said Thomas. " It's only jealousy nf that 'ere pup, sir. She couldn't abide seeing me a fondling of it." In alii. it 'JO minutes Thomas called me down to see the milk. The cow had stood qrict enough to be milked. But the milk was deep! y tinyod wUh-btnod, and in half an boura -opious rod precipitate h*d settle.! to the bottom of the pail. Till then I had doubted the jealousy theory. After that I believed. Tlsr f'MlllesI Things. The State Capitol at Albany, N. V., even in its unfinished stale, is the costliest build' intr of modern times. Nineteen million mx hundred thousand dollars have been expend- ed upon it to date. The Capitol at Wash- ington from the year 1793, when its corner stone was laid, had cost up to 1S78, inoKid- ing all its expensive furniture, its almost annual alterations and repairs, less than iu,ooo,eeo. The most expensive Legislature in the world is that of France, which costs anna- ally $3,600,00(1. The Italian Parliament costs S430.0UO a year. The next to the highest price ever paid for a horse in the world was the $105,000 for which the trotter, Axtell, was sold in Indiana at the age of three years. It is true the local tax assessor only valued the horse for the purposes of his returns at $500 and Audi's owners' neighbors grew indignant thereat. AYhereupon the owners observed that if their horseflesh was assessed at any- thing like the figures which they paid for him they would move him out of the State, and the indignation quieted down. At that time it was the highest. Rut on Jsnuary Mth,lK9-J,Arinn was sold by Senator Leland Stanford for $ 1 50,000. That beats all prices. The next highest, price ever paitl for a horse in the United States was the $100,000 given by Charles Reed of the Fairview farm, Tenn. , for the great stallion St. Blaise at a sale in New York City in October, 1891. A buff leghorn pullet showed at tho Chicken Fair in Madison .Square Garden on January, Is'.c'. was valued at $100. The costliest paintings of modern times hare proven to be Veissonier's " 1814 "and Millet's "The Angelus." M. Chauchard gave HoO.OTK) francs ($170,000) for " 1814 " and 750,000 francs ($150,000) for " The An- gelus." Mr. Henry Hilton in 1887 paid (60,000 for Meissonier's " Friedland, 1*07." and presented it to the Metropolitan Mus- eum of Art. That was the highest price | ever paid for a modern picture until " The Angelus " was sold at the Secretan sale for 55.1,000 francs of course the after sales of thetwo great pictures mentioned broke even this record. The Shah of Persia hoi a tobacco pipe worth $400,000. The most costly book in the world is de- clared to be a Hebrew Bible, now in the | Vatican. In th year 1512 it is said that Pope Jules II. refused to sell this Hebrew Bible for its weight in gold, which would amount to J1U3.MJO. This is the greatest p'iee ever offered for a book. In the year Ifi.Ti a tulip bulb was sold is Holland for fJ,'JiK. It weighed -JOO grains. The costliest meal ever served as far as history shows was a supper given by Aeliuu Verus, one of the most lavish of all Romans of the latter day, to a dozen guests. The cost of this supper was 6,000 restert la, which would amount to 48,500, or nearly a quart- er of a million dollars. A celebrated feast given by Vilt-'.iius, a Roman Kmperor of I those degenerate days, to his brother Luuius, I cost a little over *Jld),000. Suetonius says that this luvnquet consist*) of 2,000 different dishes of fish und 7,000 different fowls, be* sides other courses in proportion. Vitellins, fortunately for his exchequer, did not reigu very long, else that would have been ex* hausted, as well as the game preserves of Libya, Spain ami Kritain and the waters of the Carpiuhain ami Adriatic seas. One dish alone at the table of the Kniperur Helioga- bulus cost $2W.OOO. The largest sum ever asked or offered for a single diamoni is 130,000, which the Nizam of Hyderabad agreed to give to Mr. Jacobn, the famous jeweller of Simla, for the " Imperial " diamond, which is even now in litigation in India. This is considered the finest stone in the world. The costliest toy on record was a broken- nose wooden hone which belonged to Na- poleon Bonaparte and was sold a year or two ago for 1, 000 francs. The costliest cigars ever brought to Ameri- ca were a box of the brand specially made for the Prince of Wales in Havana, the manufacturer's price for which was $1.87 apiece. Quito a popular cigar among some of the rich men of New York is a special Henry Clay, which comes in a handsome box, wrapped in gold foil and retails at $1.40 apiece. The largest price ever paid for a cane was bid at an auction in London of the walk- ing sticks which were once the property of Oorge HI. and Ceorge IV. It was 18 or $!H), and wo* given for a walking stick of ebony with a gold top engraved " (!. R." and with a crown, and also containing the hair of the Princesses Augusta Klizabeth, Mary Sophia, and Amelia, and inscribed " The Gill of the Princess Mary, I8t>t." The costliest mats in the world are owned by the Shah of Pertia and the Sultan oi Turkey. The Shah and the Sultan each possess s mat made of pearls and diamonds valued at over &.500.000. The largest mat ever made is owned by tho Carlton Club, of London, and is a work of art. The most expensive royal regalias in the world are said to be those of the Maharrajah of Baroda. India. First comes a gorgeous collar containing .MK) diamonds, arranged in five rows, some of these as large as walnuts. A top :uid bottom row of emeralds of equal size relieves the luster of the diamonds. A pendant is composed of a single brilliant called the " Star of the Deccan, and there are aigrettes, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and chains to match. The Maharraji.h's own special carpet, 10x6 fee* in extent, made entirely of pearls with a big diamond in the center, and in each corner, cost $1,- ,VX),000. The most valuable gold ore over mined in the United States, and probably in the world, was a lot containing 'JOO pounds of quartz, carrying gold at the rate of $."><>, "U) a ton. This quart/ was taken from the main shaft of the M ichigan gold mine at lahpemiug, Assays from the same lot showed lhat other portions of it were worth $Uo,'.l,">s > ton. The greatest sum ever paid for telegraph tolls in one week by a newspaper was the expenditure uf the London Tiinri for cable service from Ituenos Ay res during the revo- lution in tho Argentine Republic. The cost of cabling from Buenos Ayres to London was $1.75 a word, and the Time* paid out $30,000 for one week's dispatches. This was an admirable thing to do, from a journa- listic point of view, as many millions of r'nglish money were invested in the city of Buenos Ayres and in the Argentine Repub- lic outside, and this was all jeoparded oy the revolution. A Kansas newspaper man wroto n com- municMion to a rival editor nailing him an a*, and then signed it, " yours fraternally." A farmer who finds it impossible to get his boys to chop wood for the family wnyf lhat he is actually ashamed ol their ni shuns.

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