A Burning Well
-The Xuscola ty Pioneer has tho following : " A farmer named fteif, residing in Franenmuth, oneandone-half miles north of Hubinger's, conimenced digging awell a short time since to find water for domestic purposes. A shaft was sunk to the depth of about forty feet without finding as much water as was desired, when it was decided to bore for water. TLe drill was put down to the depth of sorae twenty or thirty feet, and on Saturday night, September 13th, as the workmen were eating supper, a terrific explosión took place, which shook the buildings for some distanee around. A visit to tho well revealed the cause of the disturbance, as a succession of deep toned sounds were issuing from its mouth, resembling the discharge ef a canuon. On Sunday morning a lamp was held down into the well to see what was going on down there, und was instantly extiuguished. Planks were placed over the mouth of tha well, and after a short time a bundie of burning straw was thrown into the well, when a volume of flame roso from the mouth to the height of 40 or 50 feet, throwing tho planks some distance, and scorching Mr. Reit" 1 whitskers and eyebrows." The people there don't know whether it is a young volcano or not. The water is sweet and perfectly good. The Grand Itapids Kuijle says a man who served during the war as Colonel of a Pennsylvania regiment, and was once worth $30,000, is now working on a steainer which runs betweeu that city and Grand Haven, at $40 a month and found. The advocates of the protective system write lengthily and learnedly about establiahing a home market by building up manufaeturing establishment here and there tbroughout the West, and thus inereasing tbe price of wheat and other cereals in just the amount of freight paid tor trausporting them to New Rngland or other nianufactaring centers at the East. Mr. W.i. M. Grosvkxok, disposes of these theorista, in an article in the November Atlantic, - on "The Railroads and the Farms" - in this wise : " If it "vvere possible to gatlier up all tbe hands " employed in all the cotton milla of the "United States and deposit them in a "single county of Iowa, either one of "fourteeu countiea in that State now pro" duces more wheat tban all those hands "could consume." Which cenainly does not proniiap groat relief to the plethorio wheat markets of the boundless West by building up cottou faetones along her streams. Again : "AU the bands em" ployed in all the faetories and shops of '.' tbe United States, if added to the pres" ent populatson of Illinois, would con"sume less tban half the surplus of co"reals now produod by tbat State:" whieh is not encouraging to Illinois farmers who have been taugbt to believe in protections and a home market. Once more - and Illinois is but a type of other wheat-growing States: "A mili of 273 "hands on every farm of 100 acres of " wheat would only puffice to consume " the wheat which that farm would produce." Thus niuch for the " home market" bumbug when applied to tbe great producing West instead of to bleak and barren New England. Besides, planting the manufactories in the West would destroy the present marlcet in the seaboard States, and leave the same surplus to be sent abroad as now. Mr. Grosvenor also shows that there is some compensation in tbe necessary oxchanges of producís between widely separated farms and factories, the carriers consuming "nearly half as much as do " the bands employed in manufactories." With the factories adjoining the farms these carriers would needs turn inanufactuiers or farmers, in either case abnormally increasing produotion and disturbing the equilibriuin. From these statements it is evident that legislation can not solve the problem of production or consuniption, either of the manufactured fabric or the grains and meats of the farmer, - and tbat all socalled protectiva dnties are levied in the interest of the and at the expense of the agriculturist or stoek-grower, no matter where either tBe factory or the farm is located. The surplus farm producís ol great West must be sold in the markets of the world. Cheap transportation is then the one thing needed, while " Protection " is the thief which stee.ls away both the proflts and substance - taxing oue class to enrich another. We are no eiiemy to manufacturers ; hl fact we would like to see factories of various kinds in all our towns and along all our streams. But enterpriso regulated by the law of demand and supply, and not a forced tribute or contribution, should control their location and upbuilding. On Sunday afternoon last the Itev. Mr. Clkgmobn, agent of the National Prison Reform Association, addressed a large audieuce convened in tbe M. E. Cburh, settiug forth the views and plans of that association. His strictures upon the present system or lack of systeiu in dealing ■witb the criminal classes and in thu management of prisons and jails were severe and just. The main features of the plan advocated by tbe National Prison Association, as set forth by Mr. Clegiiorn, andknownasthe " Crofton system," con sist in long sentences; solitary confiuement until the prisoner teills reform, be it one week or years ; marking system by wbich credit is given and the prisoner advanced and his term shortened ; the full learning of a traie so as to fit him to honestly provide for himself when discharged ; tbe vesting the management of prisons and the pardoning or discharging power in a board or boards of most eminent citizens, appointed for long termsand raised above party influence ; and not the least important, provisión for making the attainment of wealtb by criminal practices less easy than by hard labor : this to be dono by legislation against the criminal classes so that a man may be restrained who is known as a professional thief, pickpocket, burglar or counterfeiter without pioving individual acts, and also by requiring complete and full restitution to tbe plundered or defrauded. This last provisión would be carried out by making the individual thief work until his surplus earnings would refund -what he had stolen. Theo are some of the main points which wero brought out. We might add a just condemnatioii of the practico of using the common jails except as houses of detention for persons waiting trial, a practice which makes them dangerous nurseries of crime. The Detroit Post cordially and ably indorses tbe University sectiun of the Educational Article of the Commission'a Constitutution, cousidering it a fair, just, and wise sottlemnnt of the whole questiort at issue : the Regenta to hive the full supervisión and control of the University, and of all its funds unless conditioiis shulL be attached to appropriations made by tbe Legislature, which appropriations may be declined if the conditions are deeined injurioua or objectionable, - the Ilegents being, a tliey should be, tbe judges, This clause certainly gives the Legislature power enougb, and the friends of the University will needs pray that it be relieved from auy frequent necessity of asking appropriations from the Legislature. The An Fren is inclined to look witb disfavor upon tbe proposition to cali an extra sessien of the Legislature to consider the work of the Constitutional Oommission : that is " unless satisfaetory guarantee can be given " that tho good work done by the Commission will not be undone. It regards the Legislature as already committed against a portion of the revisión, and tbiuks that a uew Legislature would be elected witb aome reference to the consideratiou of tbe revisión. We are inclined to favor an extia section so that the umeudmeuts eau be subuiitted in 1874 instead of 187(j.
Article
Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus