Railroad Competition

One of the best and most notable results growing out of the railroad war is the advantage gaine d by sniall shippers of merchandise in our seaboard markets to remote points of the interior. Laat year there was great cause of complaint among these on account of the delay experienced in foiwarding their goods, and the general neglect and indifference of tho transportatioi. ouipames to their interests. For while the pooling arrangement between tlie different trunk Unes existed, the managers did not care to compete for these small jobs, but gave their attention mostly to that class of trame which represented the Wholesale trade, and which gave them the least trouble in the details of book-keeping, moving and handliug. Henee, while they discriminated in favor of laige shippers, they turned the cold shoulder to the western merchant who sent an order here for a few cases of boots and shoes, a few bales of sheetiugs or a few barrels of reflned sugar. If tha roads took his freight at all they seemed to think they were doing him a great favor, and if they got it through to its destination in the course of a month or so h might consider lümseH' lucky. But all this has been changtd by the breaking up of the pool. Competition in now sharp for freight to go over this or that particular line, sinee it makes all the difference in the world to the line which carries it. Henee the smallest favors are now gratefully received; freight agents are not above soliciting such minor jobs at the banda f our ahipping merchants, and, moreover, they have learned to be polite and uccommodating. These facts ïllustrate tlw truth oi' the old adage in regard to the neuessity of compelling "every tub to staml on its own bottom." It is only by maintaining competition between our railroad Unes that the interests of the public can be properly served and abuses and impositiona guarded against. Henee, any scheme for consol idating these lintw, or for pooling their earnings, should not be tolerated if there is power enough in our legislatures or in public sentiment to prevent it. Altheugh considerad mate, insects have tke power of producing sounds by certaiii movements, whicli, lo some extent, are characteristie of the different species. ïhe shrill ehirp of the cricket is produced by the rubbing together of the wiug cases. The harsh slniek of the grasshoppev is caused by friction against the wings. The shrill trumpet sound of the mosquito' and the busy lium of bees and flies result from the rapid motion of the wings while flying. According to the best authorities, the quantity of salt contained in the sea amounts to 400,000,000,000,000 cubic feet, which, if placed in a pile, would form a maas 140 miles long, as many broad, andai many high; or, otherwise disposed, would cover the whole of Europe - islauds, seas, and all - to the height of the sunimit oi' Mount Blanc, which is about 16,000 feet high. A Scotch preacher, who found his congregation going to sleep one Sunday before he had fairly begun, suddenly stopped and exclainied: "Brethren, it's nae fair. Wait till I get alang, and Uien, if I'm nae worth listening to, gang to sleep, but dinna gang before 1 get commenced. Gie a mon achance." A recent traveler in Gennany and Switzerland says that thousands of girls in those countries cultívate their liair as caref ully as a farmer does his crops, and once a year it is cut off and sold to the hair merchants. Swiss girls have the ('mest hair, and the prices vary from 25 cents to $35 an oiince. There is food for much reflection in the Arab proverb, "All sunshlne makes the desert."