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The Brussels Post, 1898-6-24, Page 3eTUNE 24, 1998. TX1 BRL13Sial1S 66 -v ANT GOO ^ ROA ci By A. W. Campbell, C. E., Road Commissioner of Ontario. The Great Need of This Country is Good Roads. !low to Build Them Economically Explained by an Expert—Useful Hints and Diagrams to the Road Builders of this Country. Do we actually want good roads? Or are bad roads preferable? Is the cry that has been raised throughout the length. and breadth of Oanada and of me continent. "We want good roads{" the demand of men in their sober sen- ses/ Or has labor and money been placed on our roads Lor a century pant merely to occupy our time, and keep our surplus capital in olroulation. Tf. wo do not want good roads, if bad roads are preferable, why should we want roads at all.,t We must have roads. That necessity Laving been placed upon us, the ex- perience which has taught us the wis- dom of building other structures sub- stantially, teaches us the economy of having roads that are good, We want roads which will withstand wear. We want the labor and money spent on them to be a Paying investment, We want roads wealth will be good no mat- ter what the state of the weatber. We want roads 'Width will not become rut- ted immediately the fall rains come on or when the frost leaves the ground in the spring, remaining in rough ridges for a considerable part of the inemmer. A road Which does this is a bad road. The money and labor spent on it, is largely forced down into the mud, is plowed under within a years and wasted. A good road is an econ- omical road. In building an eegnomical road, im- provements must be made in such a way that they will last. Roads to Can- ada have been built on the same prin- ciple as a wagon which breaks down under the first load, and is used for fire woocl after a year of service. bIost of the leading roads of Ontario have been made and remade a score of times and are still bad roads. They are of Vie kind that "break up." A road that "breaks up" is like anything else that breaks up, a poor investment. When road building is rightly under- stood in this country, township coun- cillors will no more think[ of building roads that break up in the spring,Lhan they will think of constuoting houses that break up in the spring, barns that $Teak up in the spring, or fences that break up in tbe spring. ccuntr The road builders of this y have not given sufficient consideration to the affect of building bad roads. Year after year work of a filmy, shiftless character is placed on the roads. The results are only temporary and are destroyed by a very little wear and traffie. to a very short time the work has to be done over again. But the evil does not end with this. This annual demand for repairs Is so great that no township can re- Lownships find that they can do more work by commuting alt the labor at thirty-five cents per day. If statute labor has not outgrown its usefulness there is certainly need for reform when a man's labor le worth 1800 than thirty-five cents a day. A feeling in favor of statute labor still bids in some localities, but is grow- ing weaker. There isnot a country In the world, characterized by good roads,, where a system of statute labor is in use. To a slight, but very alight ex- tent, it may be said to be used In France, but with. very different) meth- ods of applying it. If it is to be retain- ed in Ontario, the present feeling of the people strongly indicates that it will have to be placed on a basis where- by satisfactory results can be obtained. There is a prevalent opinion that a resident on a eoneession road knows better than anyone else the re- quirements of that particular road. A remarkable feature, however, is that no two citizens agree intheir ideas of what work should be done, or how it should be done. No doubt there are oases In wliiob one man is right; bat when one man is right all the rest must be wrong, Patlemasters are appoint- ed in turn from among these to plan and superintend the roadwork. The only result which could reasonably fol- low from each a system is that whieb we find—waste and bad roads. The pathmasters can make the road or destroy it; call out; the men or not; make the roadway 10, 20, 30 or 40 feet wide, as may suit their individual ideas make the width uniform or of as many widths as there are pathmasters; crown the grade, make it fiat or con- caved as may moos to them ; they eau notify the ratepayers on the boat of the number of days to bo performer) and instruct them to turn out when they see fit; the ratepayers bring such implements as they wish, work or do not work, act long as they put in the time; they haul gravel it they want to put in three days in one ; haul sand or turf so long as taken from the township pit; haul one load or ten so long as the day is spent, and the path - master is satisfied. He is the agent of the council., and Ids word is law. If ha keeps his men at work, in good humor, and is securing a good roads he is a good fellow, but can't be kept in office more than two years, The job meat be passed around even if tbe new man destroys the good work of his predecessor. Pathmasters must cer- tify to the loads of gravel hauled whe- ther they see them hauled or not. Coun- oils must pay that account at so muoh a load, right or wrong, and quality A CONCRETE CULVERT. spend to it, The roads instead oe be- ing repaired when they need it are n0- ggldoted, grow worse and worse, and all the evils of bad roads follow. What bad roads are doing for this country is only one side of the evil. The other side is what they are not, doing. The loss does not arise so much from the money and labor wasted every I year, as it does from the absence of the , benefits whlob good roads would bring, Our toss must be measured not so much 1 by the money and labor we are throw -1 Ldg away on had roads, as by alae op- lxortunities which would come to us if the roada were good. One of the greatest obstacles in the way of road improvement is the narrow view taken se the quastioo by so many ottizens of this country. They have been accustomed to think of roads merely as eneidental to statute labor; and sta- tute labor they consider as means wbereby each pathmaster can get a titLle work done in front of his own arm which will be of direct personal advantage. They do not see nor appreciate the benefits width would ammo to the township, county and province. They overlook the public good. But publio !t�ood is merely indivicbu».1 benefit con - erred on every citizen, Money and labor spent on the roads of the town- ship will enhance the value of every farm by increasing the demand for farm land; it will increase the profits of the farm by reducing the expense of the farm. The dairying iurlustries would lee immensely benefited by good. roads; fruit growing would be- eome more remunerative, sale would be obtained fox produce which is not now raised, because of the e difio lt Y of teething the market, STATUTE LABOR. The great majority of roads in Can- ada are ender aha oentrot of township councils, and are built by statute lee bor supplemented by money grants, .the statute labor system is suited to a pioneer . It i as the abilities of 1the people making a home • in a 11W country, and [(1 suits the spirit of their circulRSCanaos. They fee( leanly the need of improving their rends, and work with a will earnestly and faith - tally. 'That was tbe history of statute labor in the pioneer days of what are N' the ,op ' s o Canada. now 1io ulcus districts f 4 n C C But where the townshi Is have grown u I wealthy and well populated, a, different oondalnn exists. To sueh en extent has steatite !aper degenerated that some athtnastars, (and fewer of them) were pointed for a term of years to carry el, the dlreetons or tbe supervisor, :el if to these positions the right men Uro appointed, a considerable stop an'd be taken towards the better man - :gement of roads In the townships, oder systematics u.anagement, money nd labor could be mads 1.0 cvoz'k to - .ether to the hest timeline advantage. et present eaoh pathmaster is given i few dollars and a few. days of labor, urrounded by neighbors, Nothing but etehwarlc can be expected, By con- elidaLing this money and labor, by us - ng the statute labor in the ways in bleb it can be turned to Ibe best ad- antage, by using the money in pur- :easf.ng malarial and doing work to Mich statute labor is not adapted, by seeing that all this work is properly, Iv, and the time much would be dorso ants to improveright present etn- lons, INILTZiNG STATUTE TABOR, Ono of the most profitable methods Irl Using statute labor is to utilize it in bawling gravel, in this work there is less opportunity for westing time; Itis work which is more agreeable than moll of the other work of grading and ditching; it is work which the aver- age farmer understands to be of direct benefit and is entered into heartily. It follows that it is better for oth- er moans to be need in performing other work, For the grading of the roads there is machinery which every township should possess. For the op- oratiou or these machines one man should be hired, as skill and experience are absolutely necessary. It cannot be passed around from farmer to farmer like a scraper or a plow. These mae opines do not know how a road should be shaped, but in the hands oe a man Who does, they are exceedingly vale able. For drainage and ditching it is usually best to hire the work done by men who are accustomed to this olass of work. One of the moat necessary steps to be taken so as to receive the greatest benefits from statute labor is to see that the material, whether gra- vel or broken stone, is prepared in the pit or quarry, ready to be drawn to the road, If screening, crushing or stripping a pit is necessary, it should of material must not be considered. The result of this leek .of supervis- ion is mismanagement to actual. road construction, A description of the ac- tual work done sounds like ridicule. however earnest it may be. .A, statute labor day is short, of eight hours„ but the men are rarely on the ground for, more than six hours. A good part of the she hours is spent in gossip, in arguing as to what should be done,and in finding fault with what is being clone. Another part is spent in look- ing up scrapers and plows that should have been provided before the work was commenced. 1Vhen wo consider the class oe teams sent out by the ratepayers; the wagons which own oarry only half a load, the boys who Deme to clo a man's work—these and many oth- er details, the friends of statute label' meet necessarily frame numerous apologies. Statute labor is performed at a time of the year when every farmer can use his time to good advantage on lila own land,, but instead of remaining where he can do the moat profitable work, he uses his time in paying a road tax, A large part of the time spent In road work is unquestionably wasted. A considerable part of our own an- nual tax bill is also expended on the roads. A careful consideration of this expenditure .w111 show that many of the leading roads, far from being good, cost muoh more than first class roads aliould. cost, Nor is this all, the most regrettable is that, through improper plans and imperfect construction, the most manatee form of maintenance ,has been imposed, W'AS'.l'i1 OF MONEY. Commits commonly appropriate an amount ofmo e eaoh year to be spentt on the roads. If this money were spent in making complete and durable work It would be of the greatest assistance in improving the roads. We find, how- ever, that the money is distributed in small suers among the pathmasters is spent in email sums for repairing tem- porary culverts; in doing a little draining; in front of the farm oe some dt contented ratepayer to'a appease him; n 1 in doing no particular work at all, but merely to give some other voter an op- portanity to earn a few dollars, sit such ways as these is the money wliialt should be spent on durable improve.: Monts, scat'terede wasted and misap- plied. s 1NL1. It.OVING PRESENT CONDITIONS, , If a supervisor were appointed if to doing away with bridges, culverts, s>.pensive gradea, cute or other features which tend to prevent permanent work and monorail, maintenance, 7th, fie should eonsole with all path• masters and report to the council, showing the number of days' labor In each division, the work to be undortak- en, and the amount of money width should be appropriated by the coun- cil to properly utilize the statute la- bor, 8th, Ile should arrange with diets - Moe desirlug to compound statute la- bor for a term of years, with a view to the construction of permanent cad finished work. OCli, He should take stook annually, anti report to caunutl on all maohinorpp aad implements, showing tbeir eond[- tion and where kept, lOth. He should carefully examine all parts of the township where gravel and stone exist, and should by borings and tests, determine the quality and extent, and report tbereon to the coun- ell, AL1 material, stone, plank, gravel, oto., should bo purchased by the su- pervisor In large quantities, and und- er instructions from the council, the required amount to be determined by his estimates referred to above. As far as possible the material should be pur- chased by tender, and due consideration should be given to any ratepayer hav- ing material for sale. When purchas- ed it should he delivered and stored at convenient points, and placed in charge of, and used by the pathmaster, subject to the order oe the aupervlsor, and in emergency work. 11th. Re should prepare specifica- tions of ail work for which the coun- cil makes appropriations, Contracts should be awarded to the lowest bidder if proper security is given, but the work should be subject to the approv- al of the supervisor and all accounts should be certified by him before pay- ment. 1?ATHMASTERS. There are men in every township who are capably of taking the oversight of road -construction, but the system of changing the pathmasters every one or two years is not likely to produce men who are well qualified in this respect. Appointed in the spring, the pathmast- THE GRAVIr,L OR BROKEN STONE IN PLACI1.—Cross-oectlon, be all done before statute labor corm, er has no time to make a study of the mences, Gravel may be plentiful, but' sabjeot such as it demands. Nor is the of a veey inferior quality. Usually no, fact that he will bo succeeded by some effort is made by the council to screen ona else as pathmaster the following the gravel, remove the surface soil year an encouragement to effort in this from tbo pit or in any way prepare the, d'ureotion, gravel for being placed on the road,{ Road divisions or "beats" should bo Teamsters go into the pit,one or two, from three to five miles in length. A et a time, it is of inferior quality, but pathmaster should be a permanent of - they cannot undertake the tusk of re- fieer, and bis division should be such moving the earth and clay, in order that tbe most of his travel will lead to satisfy their few days of labor, In him over the greatest portion of it. other sections there is no gravel, but Re need not receive a eatery, but field and quarry stone is to be found should, as a slight reoompense, be pre - in abundance, frequently along the ferried in doing small jobs under the road to be improved. But with this supervisor, where the work is not non- material unprepared for roadwork, no- sidered of sufficient Importance to be thing can be done by the farmers ex-' let by contract. He should, fa ad Dept to plow and scrape the mud, and dition, give special attention to all In other ways, put in their time in emergency work, such as washouts, useless effort. If the council would broken culverts and bridges. If the purchase or otherwise employ a rook time required to oversee the statute crueller to prepare this stone and leave, labor in his division is more than would it ready for hauling, if they were to be needed for his own statute labor, imroliase screens. strip pits, etc., and he should be paid for such excess un - see that nothing but first-class gravel; der certificate of the supervisor or was provided, farmers would be encour-, council, the objeot being to secure aged and would willingly spend their Proper supervision of all work per - time to the fullest extent in hauling' formed' the council or supervisor to thus material, A SUPERVISOR. The fleet and greatest need of every local by -low of rules and regulations, and any system of road construction, Ca a which uld be framed so as to include to have one than at the head of the this mshoutter. work to act as a general supervisor, Eel GRAVEL ROADS. must be a practical man, and if pose, Bible, experienced in road construe-; Gravel is very plentiful In many tion, and acquainted with the prin- partsc of Canada, and whore it can by eiples underlying it. The advantage of obtained, of a good quality, within rea- haviag suet an officer, appointed by amiable hauling distance, makes a hp -law, with term of office as seoaro cheap but good road surface. As pre- ss that of a township clerk will be viuusly pointed out, it should be clean, heat explained by stating his duties:—; free from sand and clay, since it is the 1st. The supervisor should prepare a stone, not the earthy materials which plan of his district, or township, show- are needed on the road. Nor should 100 ale roads, and the location en them large stones and boulders be mixed of all culverts, bridges and water- with le, as the Che will w rk me and roll horses courses, classifying roads according tot aad the wheels of vehicles, their requirements. 1 2nd. He should prepares ,tet of all In the preparation of gravel it fa culverts and bridges, showing dimen- fragdantly advlaabie to place a stone stone, material used in construction, crusher with screen attachment in the their conditions and the direction of Pit. By passing all the gravel through the watercourses passing through the sand and orgy are removed and the he P g large stones broken bythe one o them, with memoranda as to the course g , para of the water and location of the out- tion. If the gravel is fit to be placed let. on the road without such treatment, 3rd. The plans and records should in nearly every case it willbe neees- ahow, as to roads, whether they are airy to send a man over the road to of gravel, stone or earth, graded or, rake off largo stones and break them ungraded, the system of drainage, and; by hand. nature and extent of traffic upon them. 1lftech carelessness ie exerelsed in He should carefully study thepresent taking gravel out of the pit, in the and future requirements at traffic on average pit we find the surface layer all roads, the olass of roads best suit - determine whether tiro excess time was actually necessary to oversee the work of the division, in accordance with the of from two to four feet, composed act to su.cb tralfio, the width and depth of earthy matter; then a layer of four of metal, width of graded portion, atm- or five hat of clean gravel of excel- ount of crown and other details of lent quality; then a stratum of coarse aonstruotion, sand one to two feet thick; and under - 4th. IID should possess full informa- lying this another stratum of fairly tion as to location, extent and quad- good grovel. The common practice sty of material suitable for road con- followed by teamsters is to serape straotioa, and amount o£ plank and down the tate of the eft, causing the timber obtainable from .ratepayers in sail, clean gravel and eand to hnix to - the township or district, suitable for gather at the bottom. This is put in the wagons and takou to the road. Very few gravel pita provide mater- ial. fit ater-ialfit in its natural state for use on the road.. Screening and crushiug are often necessary, particularly the form- er, to remove sand and May from among the stones. It. is the stone which is wanted on the road—not the sand and they, 'Thera is enough sand and May already on the road without droving it several miles from the grav- el pit, Road material, to be of its greatest value on the road should be nearly free from sand and clay, Dirty gravel, white it unites readily and forms a good roadway in dry weather, dissolves, tame slushy and ruts with equalual readiness In vet weather; whom- aswith clean matoriel Cha atones as- sume a meebanical clasp the one or the other, that will not yield, to all the same extent in wet weather, Earth and sand attract moisture and after a few hour3 rota Lite road be- comes softened. In this slight ruts are formed which hold water ; the whole structure becomes saturated, breaking the bona and permitting eaoh aa0000• Sive vehiu1e to anent hthese rots deep. or until the gravel coating is cut through, PURCHASE OF GRAVEL. A great many townships buy grav- el by the load. This is very muoh like toad • b the willful ins 1 of r lox buyingvan P y well. G 1 ...cold be a 1•ave all digging bought by the pit, 01 by the nore, 0.01(1 repairs. 5th. fie should report to the coun- oil as early as possible in each Tear, showing the number and location of culverts and small bridges to lee re- /,t( e- / 1 i.. THE FINISIdND ROADWAY. built or repaired, with a detailed statement of all material required for this work, and an estimate of the cost, It would alsoo be advantageous sou s to have a probable estimate of material r'e- quired during the following yeas, pre 0ontecl eaoh tall so that, if thought ad visible, it may be purchased and de livered on the, ground during winter months or other most convenient sea- son, so as to utilize as muoh as pea Bible, the labor of ratepayers during the sleek season, 0th. His report Should specify the condition of alt bridges, indicating those who require repairs or re , construction, together with an estimate of cost, and 0. statement dealing with each special protection work on streams worth he c uncal s deem over t n a a ice is 1 a may ,Y consideration, 'Phare should also bo reeer01100 to any needed re -location or deviation of existing roads with a'vtew should be avallabla at all times for stay farmer who wants to increase the valuo of his Laud by improving the road past it, Especial care ebould be taken by eounolls to see that, prior to the performance of statute labor, Cho pit is dripped and the gravel other- wise treated it neeossary. This material le purchueed at from 0 to 10 cents a load, and when mixed with au excessive amount of scud or play Is the most expenelvs road mater- ial for much travelled highways. When we consider the number of pits in some townships and their immense sire, re- presenting that thousands of loads have been taken out, and then consider the short mileage gravelled, we must readi- ly ewe that something in the quality of material and the mode of construction is radically wrong, In some instances muoh more than the value of a whole farm has been paid for by gravel pur- ollased by the load and taken from a small corner, If fist: -class material were used un de:slight, ordinary traffic, the annual re- pairs rendered necessary would bo very In searching for gravel, tbe clearest Indications are usually to be found' along the banks of streams, where any extensive strata is apt to be exposed. A post -bole auger affords a convenient means of making tests over the sur- face of the soil for gravel, but the best implement is generally a simple form of drill, There are cases in wbich gravel beds may be entered at the level of a stream bed, and water Ls thereby obtained for washing the metal by natural drainage, affording a cheaper moans of freeing it from sand and earthy matter than by screen- ing Gravel is still being deposited in drifts and bars by the agency of streams; this will be found to partake of the character of the pit gravel of the locality but generally will contain leas clap, although Band may easily be In exoeas. This is usually one of the best sources, as the gravel oan be washed by natural drainage. Lake gravel is often a good metal but vari- es greatly. It is apt to be slaty, an undesirable quality: It will he free 'roe dirt and clay, but contains suffi- cient sharp sand to noun consolida- tion, especially If a roller Is used. Gravel which retains a perpendicular face in the spring, and shows on tram of slipping when thawing out may gen- erally be assumed to be sufficiently clean and free from slay for use on the road without any treatment other than is necessary to break stones greater than one inob and a half in diameter. (Continued on page 6.) FOUGHT FOR 18 HOURS. United Stales Marines Engage the Apan1811 Regi blrs--➢.asses Trere severe on 1k,111 sat A despatch from tungsten, Jamaica, says:—It to reported that w fight has taken place at Guantanamo between the United States marines and the] Spanish troops. The Spaniards ad- vanced on the camp the marines had established on the crest of the heights through the ,thick tropical under- growth. • Sergi. Smith, who was on the ex- treme outpost relieving the guard, fell at the first fire. Some marines who were missing him siuc0 been found, The outpost did not wait to attack the Spaniards, but retreated, and later the firing began again ball a mile to the right in the woods. There was e. short skirmish, and .the Spaniards re- tired. Commander ilfcCalla sent a de- tachment of the 11lnrbleheacl's mar- ines ashore in a ltiunrh to assist their comrades, Ensign Sullivan look the launch within a few yards of shore, ,loping to draw the enemy's fire, but by (.10 time they arrived there were no signs of th". Spaniards. Nothing is de- finitely known of the strength of the Spanish force, lett .it is reported that there alb's 3,11110 ,Spanish troops in the vicinity of Ca.inpanera end Guantana- mo, 'Three hundred Careens are ex- pected. to occupy a point on the other side of the bray from the camp of the not Hoes. LATER. lluntington's murines have been eon- 1inuously engaged for 13 hours from three o'clock Saturday afternoon fight- ing Spanish guerillas and regulars at the entrance to Guantanamo harbor, Amerirens finally landed eel nforce- ments Spanish losers eelleved heavy. Am- eriouns lost four killed and one wound- ed, and the adveme pickets are un- accounted for, Among the American dead is As - stet ant {Surgeon John Blair Gibbs, home Richmond, lately practising in Neto York City, AUGUSTI FEELS HE IS DOOMED. tie ('anent. 11e1d the l'hllippint's Against �1'Ywrl 1f11eni1(8. A despatch from Madrid, says :—The following coullntiniaalion from Captain - General Augusts, dated et Manila, June a, has darn published:— "The silueticn is very grave, Aguinaldo has sacceeded in stirring up the eoun- t.ry, and the telegraph lines end rail- ways are being cot, l am without communication with the provinces. The Province of C'nvito has complaely re- belled, and the towns and villages are occupied l>y numerous armed hands, A Spanish column defends the Zlapoto litia to prevent the nnomv invading tite Province of Manila, hut the foe lits entered through littican, Lugins., and Moron, so (.bat Staiaila will Ihtte be at aelte(1 by land and sea. 'I are striving to raise the ventage of elle inhabitants, and will exhaust every means of resistance; ' but L dis- trust the natives anal the volunteers, because ,.here. have already been inane' desertions. Bacoor and tonus have ni- ready been seized by Lite enemy, The insurt'oclson has reached great pro- port.lnus, and if .l cannot count: upon the support at the country the forces et my disposal will tot suffice to holt(, the ground against. two enemies." Gen. Correa, Minister of •ti'e.r, and Capt, Annan, Minister of Marine have gone to the palace to center vvhlh the evvuacn Regent as to Gen. August.i's eommunicai.ion, re i0 reported that the s untardx at Manila have already been compelled to Lake renege in Lha fort. - lied part of the town. When the Nerve Wm Seed Nutrition. A Wonderful Recovery, Illustrating the Quick Response rise off a Depleted Nerve ,;stem to a Treatment WTiok /Replenishes Exhausted Nerve Forcers. MR. FRANK 'BAUER, BERLIN, ONT. Perhaps you know him i In Water - los he is renown as one of the most popular and successful business men of that enterprising town. As .oanag- ing exeoetor of the Kuntz estate, he is at the head of a vast busineas, repre- senting as investment of many thous- ands of dollars, and known to many people throughout the Province. Solid finanoially, Mr. Frank Bauer also has the good fortune of enjoying solid good health, and if appearances indicate anything, it is safe to predict that there's a full half century of active life still ahead for him. But it's only a few months since, while nursed as an invalid at the Mt. Clemens sanitary resort, when his friends in Waterloo veers dismayed with a report that he was at the point of death. i1 There's no telling where I would have been had I kept on the old treat- ment," said D'Ir. Bauer, with a merry laugh, the other day, while recounting his experiences as a very siok man. a' Mt. Clemens," he continued, " was the last resort in my ease, For months previous I had been suffering indescribable tortures. I began with a loan of appetite and sleepless nights. Then, as the trouble kept growing, 1 was getting weaker, and began losing flesh and strength rapidly. My stomach refused to retain food of any kind. During all this time I was under medical treatment, and took everything prescribed, but without relief. Just about when my condition Sold by G. seemed most hopeless, I heard of o wonderful cure effected in a ossa somewhat similar to mine, by the Great South AmericanNervine Tonic, and I finally tried that. On thefirat day of its use I began to feel that it was doing what no other medioine had done. The first dose relieved the distress completely. Before night I actually felt hungry and ate with an appetite such as I had not known for months. I began to pielc up in. strength with surprising rapidity, slept well nights, and before I kneel it I was eating three square meals regularly every day, with as much relish as ever. I have no hesitation whatever in saying that the South American Nervine Tonic cured me when all other remedies failed. I have recovered my old weight—over 200 pounds—and never felt better in my life." Mr, Frank Bauer's experience is that of all others who have used the South American Nervine Tonic. Its instantaneous action in relieving dis- tresa and pain is due to the direct effect of this great remedy upon the nerve centres, whose fagged vitality is energized instantly by the very first dose. Itis a great, a wondrous cure for all nervous diseases, as well as indigestion and dyspepsia. It goes to the real source of trouble direct, and the sick always feel its marvel- lous sustaining and restorative power at once, on the very first day of its use, A. Deadman. A BIG WHEAT CROP'. Prelluttuary Returns of tae selvage to I ltd' mined Seale'. A despatch from Washington says: —Preliminary returns of the spring wheat acreage, with the two Dakotas .n particular subject to, revision, In- dicate u total area. seeded of 10,800,000 acres, which, added to the urea in winter wheat, 20,200,000 acres. makes a total wheat acreage of 13 millions, or rather 07, 1 3 1-2 million sexes greater than last year. The average condition o£ winter wheal, is 00.8, as compared with 78,laat the rorresl,unding delle last year, and 81.6 the corresponding average for the lust lou years. The average oondition of spring wheat is almost, if not an entirely, un- precedented one a£ 100.9, as compered with 80,0 on ,Tune 1st, 1807, and 02,5, the average for the past ten years, Nearly 511 the Slates of principal prn- duotion report a condition exceeding that iii1iraitive of a full normal crop, The condition of oats is 98, as rem. pared with 93,3 nn June 1st, 1897, and 99,5, the average for tbe corresponding past ten h dale for them Iyears, a THE MOST CRITICAL PERIOD. Next nye toms 1111 be 1Re worst Spot HON (WOO (sense Through. A despatch from .London, 811781 -- The Times says editorially day g on Thins - , the next n • morning: —"Probably 1Y h 4 - 'i ala er asattic few drays will form 1 ted canny 15pnnieb Government hes yes: Passed 1Iu•ou,gh. ft is useless for Spann to 011011811 y15114100 illusions. Ameri- 00 will lick her volunteers into a shape goad enough for the work in handa good deal store quickly Than menta to he anticiiiat.od in teemed" The Daily News says: — "Spain's lleat friends can only urge her to sub- mit mit without delay. ,'here is no arm- our against fate, and there is no rem- edy for incapaoil'v. 1f international �� d.pp lnmaoy deals withh the war, Lord o the usl. Sail,iabury will. insist. upon c ,l aalmsof the Milted Stairs to motive the reward of pentegy and foroeheld i15 a good tense. - BRITISH SUBJECTS GAOLED. (i)sterol lllcrlas' Treatment, or Consul 01- 50101,ot Porro 011'0 May (wase Tremble A despatch from New York, says:— The day after the bombardment sf San Juan by the ships of Admiral Sampson, General Macias paused an extensive eye. tem of mines to bo installed in the out- er harbour. These mines were placed in the positions occupied by the Ameri- can ships during the bombardment. This was in evident anticipation of a return of the ships and a subsequent bombardment. Although the greatest care and secretly were observed by the Spanish i11 mining the harbour, the de- tails of Um work were conveyed le Con- eul-General Hanna, IIe is now malting 'an extensive report of the operations to the Navy Department, In some way General Metres learned of this, and, as the British Consulate i has been guarding' Amerioan interests I in Porto .Rico since the withdrawal of Mr. Hanna., lie at Duce suspected. that Englislnnetl had enuveyed the news to the United States officials, He per- emptorily summoned thirty 13ri1ish eubjee1s lidera hien and put them through a searching examine( too. Of these thirty several were suspected, an dGenerai Macias mum di heat to be cast into prison for 24 ,hours. Upon Seereiary Belt General hhtable ]risb • h 1b I s weal it 'l visited most Of his offa.lal was praellcally accused of twee beg revealed. the military iirlp.aralion ani au :the was dragged off to a dungeon and throw in There he was kept for 511 hours, to face of the protests of, Consul -General Crawford. When he wa4 released 1:lr. ,Batt was presented with his passports, end or- dered out of Porto to Rico, He has left for St. Thomas. The military plausof General Macias r. fi vvay sat d1s lasud to lv,r, senile 11 I 0 1 lr3rCfish uf21oiaale or subjects, hal: 'by several trusted officers attached to General Macias' staff. whose sytrlpa- thies aro enlisted with ibis American 'cause. Holy Mr. Hanna succeeded in aseturlug the important infortion from the Spanish offieors is not known,