a POPULATION AND FOOD. REFUTATION CF THE ARGUMENTS OF A MODCRN MALTHUS. Co In Almost Every Country There is Food to Spare=Why Maltlas' Dootrive is no Longer Plans Lie=The Earth's Food Producing Cap.bilities, The current nv ner of The Forum cone tains a sprightly oot clo by Thomas W. Knox, entitled “Standing loom Only.” It shows that several countries in the world contain so many people that they can scarcely walk about without jo tling cach other. For example, the statement is nade that Java has 598 ine Babitants to the square mile, Japan 234, Italy 216, Belgium 4$1, and the Netherlands S12 The author then states that there is hardly a country whose population is diminishing, while that of most countries is increasing with wouderful if not with alarming rapidity, This increase of population is largely due to the absence of wars and better sanitary con. ditions, Mr. Knox thinks that it is time to study the philosophy of Malthus, who Leld that population, unchecked, increased in geomet rical ratio, while fol can only be made to imerease in arithmetical ratio. He also argues that checks on population are absolutely necessary, and claiins advantages for war, pestilence, famine and most of the destructive vices, He states that few of the countries in winich there is “standing room only" can pro- duce food enough for the inhabitants, and shows by official census tables that the nume ber of these countries is increasing very rapidly. He predicts that our own will be added to the list of overpopulated countries in mo very distant future. At present few of the original thirtien states produce food enough to supply «ll the inhabitants. The lines that divides the states that do not pro- duce food enough for the people from those that do is constantly movieg farther west, NO CAUSE FOR ALARM, This modern Malthus has no cause for alarm. In almost every country in the world there is food enough and to spare. In nearly every lund food producers are discouraged by overproduction, At one time farmers found no fault with pricss, but complained because they could raise but little, Now they complain of low prices, and find fault because so much is produced. English papers state | that there was never a time in the history of | the country when a day's wages would pur chase so much food. During last year sugar sold for a penny a pound, and many farmers used it as a condiment or food for cattle and vigs. Fresh herrings sold in London markets | tor a halfpenny each, ol the Foorest Iabor- ers ate white bread, oranges and bananas During several months small fruits were so cheap that they commanded only a nominal price, and some farmers and gardeners used them to fertilize their land. One vessel | brought 40,000 carcasses of frozen mutton | from one of the Mkiand islands, where it | was bought for a penny a pound. Two steam ship companies paid a penny a bushel for the | privilege of carrying wheat in from | American to English ports, so that the grain | of civilization was cheaper in Liverpool than | in Baltimore. The price of farm products is so low in Great Britain that the owners of several large estates declare that they can re alize more from them as game preserves than as cultivated farms The truth is, the doctrine of Malthus is an exploded humbug. It was a plausible theory | at the time he wrote, but the introduction of | machinery on farms, the use of steam in agri- | culture, the improvement in breeds of ani mals, the utilization of products formerly wasted, the new methods of preserving fruits, | vegetables, meat and fish, and last, but most, | the increased speed of vessels and the low | rates for carrying all kinds of articles intended for food, have produced a revolution and de stroyed the philosophy of the pessimist of the | dinner table. We hear of coal famines and | water famines, but there are no food famines | anywhere, and there is no prospect of any ! FOOD PRODUCING CAPABILITIES, We have hardly begun to test the food pro- ducing capabilities of the earth. A German | traveler declares that Siberia is capable of | producing grain enough to supply all western Europe with bread. An English authority states that wheat was worth but ten cents a bushel in the interior of Asiatic Turkey last year, and that many farmers did not find it profitable to harvest their fields. The sland of Hayti is capable of producing enough yams and bananas to feed 30,000,000 people. Hardly any portion of Africa except the narrow vy) ley of the Nile has been brought under culti- vation. But an insignificant part of Aus tralia has been devoted to the production of ~Jood. South America, fn the opinion of Humboldt, is the grand division of the earth capable of producing the most food; still a large portion of it remains unexplored, and no good farming fs done in ths parts that have been longest settled, It could be made not caly the granary but the stock yard for supplying Europe with food. Wild cattle are almost as plentiful there as rabbits are in Australia, and thousands of them are killed every year for their hides and tallow, Sheep are raised with scarcely any care, and pigs turned into the forests become fat on nuts and wild fruit. No believer in Malthusian phil osophy ever visited South America By selecting breeds of animals that mature early, and cqmstantly supplying them with suitable food, steers are made to weigh as much when they are thirty months old as they formerly did at twice that age. By the gon eral introduction of the silo the beef and mutton production of this country could be doubled, even If no more land was devoted to { | | ] | | {HOH 4) R i : A | JACKSON'S VICTORY. AN INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS, On the Plains of ChalmettemA Troop of Panlo Stricken Fugitives=''No Food for Cowards=liread and Meat for Runaways, At 7 o'clock the battle began, and the roar of the artillery, with the discharges of mus ketry, was almost as distinctly beard as if in our immediate neighborhood, There was not the slightest noise in the apparently dead city. It held its breath in awful suspense, There was not a human being to be seen mov- ing in the streets, We, the {wo boys and the ladies of the household, petrified into absolute silence by the apprehensions of the moment, stood on the balcony until 9:30, when the fir- ing gradually ceased. But still we continued to remain on the same spot; for what was to happen! Were our defenders retreating, pur- sued by the enemy! These were hours of anxiety never to be forgoften, About 11 o'dlock the oppresive silence in the city was broken by the furiously rapid gallop of a horseman, shouting as loud a. he could: “Vie tory! victory!” He turned from Chartres street into Dumaine and from Dumaine into Royal, still shouting “Victory!” The voice had become hoarse, and yet no human voice that I ever afterward heard was fraught with more sweet music, That night we went to bed with thankful hearts, The two boys soon slept soundly, as boys sleep, with that blissful unconcern which appertains to their age. But I doubt if our kind hostess and her daughters closed their eyes, for they had hus bands, brothers, sons on the battle fleld, and they did not know at what cost to them the victory had been achieved. In the morning of the preceding day the famous battle of the Sth was fought on the plains of Chalmette, four miles below the city. Ina bee line the distance must have been very short between the fleld of action and the Bore plantation, six miles above New Or- leans by the windings of the river, for the furious cannonading and the discharge of musketry were prodigiously distinct, The ladies of the family, pale with the natural emotions of fear produced by the dangers of the situation, were grouped in the broad gal- lery in front of the house. No man was visi- ble, for the only one who had remained at home (on account of his age) bad when the battle began ascended with slow but firm steps a flight of stairs which led to the top of the portico, At every volley of artillery or musketry I flung myself on the floor, exclaim- | Ing: “Ten Englishmen killed!” “Twenty | Englishmen flat on the ground” and so on. | 1 oumsinued rejoicing in the fancied destruo- tion of our invaders notwithstanding the re monstrances of my poor mother, in whose alarm I very little participated. The battle A DEATH BROKER. BUSINESS WHICH REVERSES THE OPERATIONS OF LIFE INSURANCE, Making Post Obit Investments, as They Are CalledeBuying Legacies of People With Expectations=Bonefits and Losses of the Business. It was in a real estates broker's office on Court street, and the time was after dinner. Tho broker had just disposed of a big brick swell front house on Commonwealth avenue with as much case and as little difficulty as you could sell a pint of peanuts at a cattle fair. lo was a man of business, that broker was, and to use an expression which he dee lighted in, bho liked to see things go at the first “crack.” I rather liked him, although I was not “stuck” on him, for I was taught in my earl fer and innocent days to be cautious in my dealings with the man who talked business as cold bloodedly to me as an Anarchist hurls a bomb at a czar of all the Russias, “You buy legacies” I remarked. Such a flat, stale and unprofitable remark, 1 thought, beside the vigorous and prolonged push which he gave to his alacritous vocab- ulary. “Yes,” ho replied, “I make and have made « great many contingent iovestinents—post obit investments some call them. You will perceive that my business is a novel one, in this country at least. It isof frequent occur rence in England for a young man who has been bequeathed a sum of money, or left some real estate, to sell his right to such prop- erty, the buyer, of course, not realizing his benefit until the death of some guardian, uncle, aunt or parent. Of course we take no chances on simple wills of living persons, as such persons may change their wills a dozen times before they go over the river, Where would we be if we didi We'd be in the river, and not afloat, you bet. BENEFITS OF THE BUSINESS, “Let me give you an illustration of the benefits of this busitess. Only a few days ago a sailor chap steps in bere. Says he, ‘I've Just come ashore, having laid alongside cne of Uncle Bam's guns for years, | haven't a nick, ye see, and a chap as would like to go with me to see Jake Kilrain and Joe Lannon maul each other give me the tip that [sell what right I bas ts the property left me and me brother by the old man. [can't get a pick until the ole woman dies, and although she's near 90, shiver me timbers if 1 don't think itl] be a big break before she goes aloft. So, ye seo, | goes to me brother, and axes him what bell give me fur my share. He tells me that my share ain't worth a schooner of beer. I'm disheartened, d'yo we, until thie ip as | wants to see the fighta feller as reads, be is, ! had not yet ended when my grandfather Bore came down from his post of observation with the same measured step and the same self | possession with which be bad ascended and | said to bis daughters, who anxiously interro- gated his looks: “Dismiss your fears, the Americans are victorious” | him $500 for it at the first crack “But, father, how do you know it” inquired | my mother, “You forget, my dear child,” replied M. de Bore, with a calm smile, “that I have some military experience. My practiced ear has | not been deceived, | am sure. The American i | guns bave silenced the English guns. The | | course, the chances are against ber living long | enemy is defeated.” These words had hardly been spoken when, in the long avenue of pecan trees that Jed to the river, there appeared a troop of about a bundred men rushing toward the house “The Eoglish! here come the English!” was the simultaneous cry of the women. M. de Bore stretched himself up to his full height, shaded his eyes with his hand, and, alter having looked steadily at the advancing crowd, sald, contemptuously : “These men the English! babh™ They came rapidly to the piazza, about six foot high, on which we stood, which ran a wooden balust: M ale Bore | did not understand one word of the language had spoken by these unexpected visitors, whose ragamuflin appearance was no recommenda tion. But if they were bandits, it was come | fortable to see that thoy all were unarmed “Who are they, and what do they want 1" inquired Mr. de Bore, surveying them evi dently with no friendly eye He was in formed by one of his family that they were fugitives who reported that the Americans bad been completely routed, that they them. selves were a portion of the defeated, and that they begged for food. The blood ran to the cheeks of the old soldier, bis eyes fashed, and he shouted in French to the men: lie!” The Awsricass are victorious. You bave run Away; you are cowards. Never shall ft bo nid that I gave a hospitable wel come to dastardly fugitives from the battle. and along ' “You | field. Hence, all of you, or I will call my | negroes to drive you away.” His words were ! not comprehended, but his indignant wrath was visible, and his pantomime was expres sive. One of the beggarly crew seemed to | apprehend his meaning, for he took off his | hat and pointed with his index finger to a hole which looked as if made by a ball. He no doubt istended to intimate that be had faced danger, and that he was not as cowardly as supposed. In making this exhibition he had approached close to the plaza and held his hat aloft. The old gentleman retreated a few steps; then rushing back to the balustrade of the piazza, on which be leaned forward, and, looking down upon the suppliant below, shouted: “In thy hat! in thy hat! "striking bis breast violently —* there is where the ball should have been received, and not through thy bat, when: probably thy back was tarned though be does booze tells me that you could dome up. Now, if yo can, and does, I'm no tar if | don't drink yer health more'n wunst, Ye seo, cap'n, we want to get a peep at the mauling.’ “Questioning the fellow further, 1 was assured that his claim was solid, and I offered He went away and soon returned with the information that his brother had abandoned the schooner of beer theory, and would give him §1,000 in cold cash. 1 went the brother $200 better, however, and we closed the trade, “So, you see, 1 have not as yet received a copper in return for my expenditure, and won't until the sailor's mother died Of enough to euchre me out of my investment You must remember there are oases where the principal and compound interest of the sum advanced may in time exosed the sum realised In the end. You ses, some old wornen never die. Whats to kill them! Having passed through all the critical stages of womanhood, leading exemplary lives, n tiring early and pot arising two early, drink ing tea and eating toast, why shouldn't they live long enough to baffle me! Some day- far away they may dry up and blow off, then | have a show to make a dollar “You se this business is the reverse of life insurance. While the life insurance man is interested in the prolongation of buman life, the legacy buyer looks upon death as the messenger who unlocks the safety deposit vaults of Dives, and makes the heart of said legacy buyer happy. Thus the dark pall be cothes an immaculate wedding garment.” THE DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED He went on: “I'll tell you another thing It often happens that this contingent invest ment business operates in favor of the one who takes the risk and the one who sils the legacy, Thus, to protect mywil iy get the life of the man in question insured for a sum equal to the expected legacy. So, if be dies before 1 get my legacy, why I am protected by the insurance. It has so hap pened that I got my share all right, while the man who is insured, or bis family, is not loft either, “Bat I do wish I bad those old ladies, good souls, off muy hands, [I've gf three of them already, and may bave more before winter thaws out in the lap of spring. However, 1 prefor them to some of the beats | come in contact with. You can't imagine the numer I frequent | ous foroes against which I am obliged to work sometimes. Dishonest legacy hunters, unscrupulous trustees and such. There is a wide scope for a man who wants to be crooked. Now, if | buy a legacy from a fel low there is nothing to prevent him from selling It again to some other man. The courts in this state have decided that the in- vestment belongs to the first purchaser, Therefore, if a fellow comes in here to offer me a legacy for sale, how do 1 know that he has not already sold it to somebody else! “But you ought to see the array of cranks with whom 1 have to deal” be went on “Why, they come here from all parts, from all classes and conditions, imagining that they have got some money tied up omaha. in 44 g THT HUT it i i 5 E g i g : i ; ; : 4 i E H C—O SCOLDS, In Leicester, England, in common with many other places, scolds were ducked in tne river; unl there is still preserved the of town a “ucking in in fue am that chair,” which these wives were seated while under. | going the punishment. Rough music 10 the scolds was the custom villages. Bo recently as [860, at a village in the Bouth of Enslaod, when a man wus shut out of his house by a ter magant wife, the boys and young men dressed up an effigy of the woman, imprisoned it in the poud for a time, and then burned it before her door, Erand, in his “History of Neweas. tle upon-Tyue,” states that in the time of the Commonwesnith scolds punished with the “brank.” Io the museum Oxford ove of these curious. were atticles is now on exhibition in an ex- This “bark was a suga:i-loaled cap, made of iron hoopiog, with & cross at the top, and a flat piece projecting ioward to lay upon the tongue. It was put upon the hands of the scolds, padlocked bebind, ana bad a string sopexed by which a man led them through the town, This form of punishment sppears more recent thao the ** cucking chair.” The whirling was formerly a very | common puvishmeot for trifling of- | fences by sutlers, brawling women and such offenders—a kind of circu cellent state of preservation, lar wooden cage turning on a pivot, and when set in motion whirled around | with such amaizing velocity that the deliquent soon becomes extremely | sie, A old writer says ofthe same pun- | ishment : “The way of pusishiog scold | ing women is pleasant enough. They fasten an armchair to the end of two beams, twelve to fifteen feet long, and | parallel to each other, so that these | two pieces of wood, with their two | ends, embrace the chair, which haogs | between them upon a sort of axle ; by which means it plays freely, and al ways remaios in the pataral horizon- | tal positicn in which a chair should be that a person may sit conveoiently in | it whether you raise it up or letit dowr, They set up & post upon the | bank of a poud or river, and over | this pond they lay almost bro” the two pieces of wood, “in eqaili- al one | the water ; they place the woman in | end of which the chair hangs just over | | this chair, and so plunge ber into the waler as often as the sentence directs, | ° in order to cool her immoderate heat, | You can't have the last word with a chemist ; he always has a retort, Birds in their little agree, they'd rather pot fall out, you see nest The mas who shoots off his month # not necessarily a son of a gon. Formerly the foolish virgins bad no oil : now the foolish virgine are Wo free with the kerosene, A fellow named Carney fell through 8 Philadelphia sidewalk last spring, and bas become ome of the suers of the city. Where's the best place to get fat? asked a thin housekeeper of a neigh. bor. All over! was the unexpected reply. Do not marry for riches, my son but remember that the husband of an heiress is seldom obliged to get up at b o'clock in the morning and build the fire. Bagley—Have you heard Patti sing Home Sweet Home? Bailey No, but I've heard the next thing to it. Bagley—What's that? Balley— A Jersey mosquito's bum, sweet would run a cormer in food would pick pockets, is denied by the Pitt burg Dispatch, which gives as a res- son for its opinion that the profits of picking pockets are too small. Owabs mamma—Now, dear, you most invite one of your little friends ia 10 share your candy. Little Dotleeguen Ill invite Well, that will be nice. Yer, oaody makes ber tooth ache wuch—Omaba AGAR of some Groceries, SUvas.. “Granulated Sugar Bc a pound det £1 Jowmt prices, All o BY RUF. Good bargains in sil grades, M( 00 and sousted, TOBACCOS. ~All the new snd desirable brands, Anis Finest New Orleans sg 80c per gallon, Fine amortment of Coffess, both groen Our rossted Coffees are always freak, CIGARS. —Bpecial attention given to our cigar trade We try to sell the best 2 for bo and be cigar in town, TEAS Young Hyson, 60c, 80c, §1 per pound. Tmper- ial, 80c, Moc, #1 per pound, Gunpowder, SOc, Bc, §1 per pound. Oolong, 0c, Se, $l per pound, Mixed green and black, 60c, Bic, §1 per pound A very fine unoolored Japan ten. Also, » ad front Ai Hyson st 40¢ per pound, Block | AND EX WINDOW CHEESE — Finest full cream cheese at 16¢ por pound. | VINBGAR. Pure old cider vinegar made from whole | cider, One gallon of this goods ls worth more than two gallons of common vinegar, WANTED tv canvas SA LESME for the mie of Nursery *tendy employment gusrantoed, SALARY PENSES PAID. Apply st once, stating age Chase Bro'’s., "socurriss’y. ER UTORS NOTICE.~ Letters tes. 4 Wstumeniary upon the estate of Henry Dopp, late of Howard township, deceased, having been granted to the un- densigned, all persons knowing themselves indebted to the said estate will please make payment thereof, and those having cisims against the mid estate will present them duly authenticated for settlement, GEORGE D. JOHNSTON, 80 61. Executor, WILLIAMS Wall Paper and Win- dow Shades. EMPORIUM, NO. #8, HIGH STREET BELLEFONTE, FPA wed JF perenne We are now ready for spring trade. Our line is now full and complete ; choice goods of all grades from 10c. to $3 50 FROWN BACK 10c ; PATENT BACK ; WHITE gBACKS 16c ; SATINS MICAS 30¢ ; BRONZES from 40 to 50 cts ; EMBOSSED GOLDS from 60 to %0¢ HAND PRINTS and VELOURS, $3.50 12 20 3 f : from $100 ¢ By ANYIJLL LINE OF SHADES. AND FIXTURES ul Lhem up ai short notice. — FY p— + bangers, ceil bo rE and house painters, Tes o wid Worl SECHLER & CO, i Provisions, FOREIGN FRUITS and CONFECTIONERY. MEAT MARKY Im connection. BTONEWARE 10 atl sizes of all the desirals best quality of Akron ware, inctory goods fu the market, FOREIGN FRUITE Oranges snd lemons of 14] frowbant goods to be bad, We buy the best snd Juciest lemons we can find They are better and chonper than the very low priced goods, FRUIT JARE We have the new High and Mason's poreslais- lined NyBtning Jar iv far abond tin un Hite higher bn price thas the y it bs worth more thas the diffe renee fais Jar, bug the lightning jar and you will sot regret it. We bave them in plots, quarts sud half gallons, leshape This is the most satis toiog fruit js wud glass top jure, The of suything yet known MEATS Fine sugar-cured Hume Fhoulders, Break net Bacon, sod dried Beef, Naked and OF BY Asse We guarantee every phoce of meat we well, OUR MEAT MARKET .--We have Bry fine lambs i : | i i i | i | | | | ! | Are prepared 10 execute Jobe nat wa for country | a - Have todo hone a aouec ion ne, or tall us and we wil wi and bring samplen SIHIWILLIAMS. 104m Manufacturer and Dealer In FINE FURNITURE, UNDERTAKING and Embalming A SPECIALTY. No. 7 West Bishop St, Bellefonte, Pa. «Every young Democrat should ‘ake & democratic county paper and speaking from a personal and selfish point of view we know of no better paper for him than the Centre Democrat. The Democrat will stand squarely by democratic prinel. ples as Ita manager will always be the friend of the young man. We are young ourselves and have n sympathy for those to make their way in the world, Young man you shoud be a sul. toriber to the Centre Democrat. wW. R. Camp's furniture store on street bs packed full of the new est ond latest styles of furniture, just accounts for the rush noticed at that esteblishment every day, | and i iresemrakers | position | fentu | boing silowed to select their own pattern W.R.CAMP. $2 A TEAR i & drome for ony market ss wanted, W * give specie sttention to getting fine lame and always try to have & Bos Bock shevd. Our contommers can depend Oh getting mice lamb at all times, BECHLER & 00, GROCERS & weary MARKEY, Bush House Block, Bellefonte, Pa. GODEY’S LADY'S BOOK FOR 1887. Sample Copy 1B cents. ALWAYS IN ADVANCE Beautiful Premiums fo every Subscriber. Terms to Clubs. Extra Premiszms to Club Raisers list of Premiums and ters: to | . for rot . - send or Semple Py give you fail informstion. GODEY'S, al the present time fs sd. mitied bs press and people to be ruperior to any indies” meaguzine in Americs, have. ng the greatest variety of departments, ably edited The literary 2 « Sb feniures are tt wy La SOTO, . Berials, N Charades, Pomes, ets elles who will V. Phich- Churchill, Emily Lennox Among the popular sutho“s Ww GonxY, are; J Emily Reed, Jobs Miller Butler, con tribule are, Miss William snd others Engraviogs appear in every number, of subjects by well-known artists, snd pro- due by the newest in its Uolored Pwshions Gopxy's leads in colors styftes. Both modistes and home accord them the foremost od DrOCeRses, Paver Patterns are « res of ne of the important this magazine : rach subscriber than month, san item slone more rice eve rs subscription Practieal Hints upon Dressmakink show how garments can be renovated and made over by the patterns given. Practically hints for the bousebold show young housekeepers how to manage the culinary department with economy and skill. 1 Fashion Notes, at Home and Abroad delight every Indy ’'s heart, The Colored and Black Work ' Designee give all the newest jdess for faney work The Cooking Recipes are under the con tro of an experienced housekeeper, The Architectural Department is © practical utility, osseful estimates being given with each plan. CLUB RAISER'S PREMIUMS, GGDEY'S bas arranged to give elegan Silver Plated Ware of superior makers a premiums, the value of which in some in stances resches over $25 for one premiem Send 18¢, for Sample copy which contain INustrated Premiums with full particu lars and terms, Address, GODEY'S LADY'S BOOK, Philadelphia, Pa. In Club with this paper, GODEY'S and The Cen- tre Democrat. Price $2.78, which should be sent to the office of this Pa — og DELI SEY S
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