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â€"â€"â€"â€".â€"_â€"..-â€"â€"_â€" â€"_._â€"â€"â€"â€"â€".____.â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€" » IliE Minus Prices of Grain, Cattle; etc in Trade Centres. .â€" Tmonto, Dec. 31.-â€"Wheatâ€"â€"The de- mand for wheat was limited to-day, and prices unchanged. “bite and red winter quoted at 76;c middle freights and No. 2 goose at (38c middle freight. Manitoba wheat firm; No. 1 hard sold at “be all rail, via Sar- nizx: No. 1 Northern at 85c, and No. 2 Northern at 81c, all rail, Vin. Sarâ€" nia. Prices are to lower via North Bay. Oatsâ€"The market is quiet, with prices unchanged. There were sales locally at 435C, but for export No. 2 are quoted at '42lc low freight. I’eus--’l‘he market is inclinngcd, with demand good. No. 2 quoted at 850 middle freights, and at Silo west. Connâ€"The market is quiet. with prices easier. Canadian yellow sold at (520 west. I.‘-arleyâ€"-l\larket is steady. No. 1 quoted at 57c, and No. 2 53 to 54c; No. 3 extra at 52C, and No. 3 at 516 middle freight. Ryeâ€"The market is steady to 565C middle freights. Buckwheatâ€"Market quiet, with pri- ccs steady at {Sofie middle freight. fli‘lourâ€"Jl‘he market is steady. Nine- ty per ccnts., in buyers" bags, quoted ,. i u 4 ll at $2.90 middle freights. Locally and for Lower I’rovmce trade choice straight rollers in wood, are. $3.30 to $3.40. Manitoba. flours steady, with Hungarians $4.10 to $4.30, and strong bakers', at $3.80, Toronto freight. Oatmealâ€"Market unchanged. lots on track, $5.35 in bags, and $5.50 in wood. Broken lots, 25c per bbl extra. Millieedâ€"Brun very scarce, and pri- ces firm at $19 to $19.50. Shorts, 4521 to 5132 outside. Manitoba bran, $2 , and shorts, $22, Toronto freights, including,r sacks, PRODUCE. Potatoesâ€"The market. is steady. ‘ Cars are quoted at 70c per bag, on track here, and the jobbing price, 85c. Dried Applesâ€"Market is steady, with demand slow. fScper lb. ISVaporated sell at t) to 10¢. _ Hopsâ€"Business steady at 13c; yearlings, 8c. Honeyâ€"The market is unchanged at 10 to 10150 for strained. Combs, 81.50 to $2.50 per doz. Beansâ€"Tue market is steady; picked are jabbing at $1.40 to 81.4.5, and handpicked at $1.55 to $1.60. Cra‘nberrics â€"- Market unchanged, with Cape Cod at $8 to $9 per bhl. Canadian, $6.50 to $7. Hay, baledâ€"~The market is firm, with good demand. $9.50 to $10 on track for No. 1, and .nt._$8.50 to so fo\r I\'o. 2. _ Strawâ€""The market is quiet firm. Car lots on track sold at $6. Poultryâ€"Market is firm, with good demand. Turkeys, 0 to 10c per lb; frozen, scalded and halfâ€"fatted stock sold from 7 to Sc. ed, 6 to 7c. Ducksâ€"~50 to 75c. Chickens, young, 50 10 65c; old, :35‘ to 400. Rabbits. 25c. per pair. THE DAIRY MARKETS. Butterâ€"â€"The market is quiet, with “prices unchanged. The supply of poor stuff is too liberal, and sales are difficult to make. We quote:â€" Selected dairy tubs, 16 to 17c; choice large rolls, 16.1. to 17c; finest l-Il) rolls. 18 to 196; packages showâ€" ing feed, 1 to 12¢ less than above quotations; creamery prints, ill-to 22c; solids, 19!,- to 210. Eggsâ€"The market is firmer, with receipts light. Strictly fresh scarce, selling at 25 to 26c; cold storage, 19 to 20¢, as to quality; limed, 17 to 18c. Cheeseâ€"Market firm. Finest September's, conds, 9}) to die. I-IOGS AN D PROVISIONS. Dressed logs unchanged at $8 in car lots, with oherings fair. llog pr ucts steady. \\e quotezâ€"Bacon, long clear, sells at logo in ten and case lots; mess pork, 5:0 to $20.50; do, short cut, $21.50 to 3223. Smoked nieatsâ€"llams,1:~5c; fast bacon, 14c. rolls, 11c; 14c, and shoulders, loge. Lardâ€"Market is unchanged, fair demand. We quotezâ€"Tierces, 11c; tubs, 11;}c; pails, 115C to 113C. backs, BUSINESS AT MONTREAL. Montreal, Dec. 31. â€"â€" Grainâ€"~New crop No. 2. oats, locally at 118c; No. 2 barley, 565 to 57c: No. 3 extra barley. 535m buckwheat, 53c east freight; peas. 82c, high freight. Flour-Manitoba patents, $1.10 to 841.20; strong bakers', $5;‘straigl1t rollers, $3.15 to 83.00: in bags. $1.70 to $1.80: Untario patents. $3.70 to i-‘c-l ‘duiiitoi‘a bran, 526 to $2 ; shorts, 5““ to $113. bags included; Ontario bran in bulk, $20.50 to $21.50: shorts, in bulk, 521250 to sesau. molt-ti Outsâ€"Mil- lers” prices to jubbtis, {-12.7 and‘SfiSO to $53.05 per blii. Ontario September's and Octobfi‘s. 10 .) in bags, to 10;c; if; stern counties. 02 to Itlc; Quebcv. 9:20. Butterâ€"Choice cream- cry, current receipts L‘llgc; sceoudd. 10 up mic; wosm-n’uairy it; to 7.6-;6; rolls, IGc. l"gg.~;â€"â€"Selected cold‘sloragc. 17c; Montreal timed, 17 9.0 18c; best selected candied. 22 to 24:3, Provisions â€"â€"Ilea\'y Canada 6 Car . l Prices are 4%,, to v quiet, with prices II n- Timothy sold at and (i 0050â€"1 by pick- We quote:â€" 10% to 11c; seâ€" breakâ€" with Cheeseâ€"â€" 'sdiort cut pork, $21.50; seli‘clerl,Y VJET'S $22.50; compound relincd lard. H; to ' lilc: pure Canadim lard. ll; to 131m :Bocrs 1:: to; ha ins, I‘oul t r}:â€" fiitest lard, 1:2; to 12‘._‘,i-; lllc; bacon, 1:22 to lie. Turkeys, fresh killed, 10c; frozen. To, to Sc; ducks, Fe to ‘.)c; @090, 5 to (ilc; chickens, ti lo 7c; old fowls. ’1 to Sc. per lb for dry-picked birds, and scolded stock from 1 to 2c lesu. BUFFALO GRAIN IlAllKl‘i'l‘S. Bunnie. Ilce â€"- li‘lmxr firm. \ilicat. spring easier, No. 1 Northern. a . 0 ., Corn easier; No. 2 yellow. lejt‘: No. 3 (10., 7lc; NO. 7Il§tzz No. 3 do, (3020. (lots, firm; No. 2 white, 512C; No. .31 to Elle, No. ‘3 mixed. Mlle; do, 4821'. Ilarley, 67 to 70c. No. ° 7028. ~: Tilt: to 2 corn. fairly I". do, No. 3 IlyC. ONLY FOUR WERE LEFT. But .Boers Gained Kopje First, Were Driven Off. A despatch from London says: Lord Kitchener, in a despatch from Johannesburg, sends reports of sharp illg'llillg in the Orange lliver ('olony and Transvaal Colony. Ellie engage- ments occurred at points widely apart. The casualties, so far as ,knmvn. aggregate about 150, equally divided; but, heavy British losses, the totals of which have not 'yet been reported, have occurred in the 'l‘rdnsvaa‘l. In this lastâ€"mentioned fighting, two hundred mounted inâ€" fantry, in the neighborhood of Begâ€" inderyn," Were divided into parties. and weresearching farms when they ,were attacked by three hundred Boers and forty armed natives, under Com- mandant Britz. The Boers charged determinedly in overwhelming mun-y _bers. The Iiritish casualties were severe, but no details have been reâ€" ceived. Lord Kitchener also reports that during General De Wet’s attack on the British force commanded by Genâ€" erals Dartnell and Campbell, at Langberg, the Boers charged bravely and’ i < FOUGHT DESPERATELY for several hours. De Wet was driv- en olT with a loss of twenty men. l’l‘here were twelve casualties on the Iside of the British. 7 ‘ M. Bothu, with eight hundred {Boers surprised Colonel Damant’s 'advance guard at Tarfel Kop, Orange ;ItIVOl‘ Colcny. The Boers rushed a 'kopje commanding the main body and the' guns, but Ilamant rallied hilt men'. and drove the Boers from lthe ‘kopie. The British .casualties 'were heavy. Damant was dangerous lly wounded, two oilicers and twtnty :mpn were killed. and three officers lain] several men were wounded. l The Boers left six dead on the field land dispersed. The British pursued lthe'enemy and captured a. number of prisoners, includingI Commandant gKeyter. Later. the Boers, under a. lflag of truce, asked permission to re- jmove their dead. They admitted lhaving buried twentyâ€"seven men. FOUGH’I‘ TO THE DEATH. In the. fight at. Tarfel Kop the Boers, dressed as British Yeomanry, ,eugaged in a. splendid race with the British in an attempt» to be first in gaining the kopje. The Boers Tained the summit first, and opened a heatâ€" vy fire on the single troop of De.- mant’s Horse which took part in the race for the koij. These troopers ltook advantage of all the small am- lount of cover available immediately ibelow the Boers, and fought until all but four of them were killed or lwounded. By that time reinforce- !nients of Daniant’s Horse came up !and charged and captured the kopje. l l l O ROYAL .VISII' T0 IRELAND. Story That it Had Been Abandon- ed Is Incorrect. A desI-atch fromvBel-fafst sayszâ€"The Lord Mayor has received a. letter from I‘Tarl Cadogan, Lord Lieutenant, of Ireland, saying that he is unable to make a positive statement regard- ing the precise date of'the Royal visit, but that he had been directed to give the fullest publicity to whatever arrangements might ultiâ€" mately be made. â€"â€"â€"-â€"¢ RELIGIONS ll‘i MANITOBA. Statement Issued by Census De- partineut. A (la-spatch from Ottawa sayszâ€"A statement of the religions of the peoâ€" ple of Manitoba prepared by the Con- sus Department is as follov.'s:â€"I’res- byleriaus, (35,322; Methodists, 4d},â€" ST‘l; Itonian Catholics, 35,620; Lu- therans, 16,477; Mennonites, 15,222; Baptists, 9,118. The total populaâ€" tion of the Pro\ince is placed 231,045. , A tLL TO CHECK THE DISEASE. Compulsory Vaccination‘ Passed in Montreal. A (lCT‘IILItCli from Itiuntroul says;â€" Compulsory vaccination will soon [.9 B y-. aw vaccmated in Montreal in order to .stay the ravages of smallpox. At a |mcotiug of the City Council this of- [let'nmiu a l.‘_\'-lu\‘»‘ was introduced pmâ€" lviding for the (‘Olnlllllnt'r3' vacciqu ltion of all einployes of shops and ifactories, under the penalty of a film land imprisonment. 8.3.1.0: Winter, No. L] red, 00; to fllc. : Climbed Preeipice Caught British Napping. 8. A despatch from London saysâ€"At the llattle of Zcefontein, which it now scents, was fought early on Christmas morning, the lh‘itish sufâ€" lcrcd a setere defeat. This much is made quite clear by the information contained in Lord I\Itcl.cucr’s long dusputch from Johannesburg, pubâ€" lislmd on Sunday. The lil‘St. uflicial llisl of casualties shows six oliicers ,and filly men killed. eight olliccrs wounded, four oflicers missing, and the number of \V'UUlldtd and captive non-commissioned olllcers and men not. get known, but it is feared that the complete casualty list will be a l very long one. Lord Kitchener. stat- cs that about half the men of Fir- mmi's column are prisoners; so it is evident that De Wet scored a. bigger _sucee::s than the oilicials of the \\ar .llcpartmcnt had at first imagined. The lloer viclory was due to llc ‘\\'<~t's daring plan of attack. The British column occupied an excep- tionally strong position on the slope .of a solitary kopje. The southern side was almost precipitous, and MAâ€" jor Williams, who was in charge of the column in the absence of Colonel ls‘irman, apparently never dreamed of the possibility of the Boers climbing the koij from that side. But this is exactly what they succeeded in doâ€" ing. The picket on outpost. duty was taken completely by surprise, and before the men in camp could get clear of their tents the lloers rushed through, shooting them down as they ,cunie out. There was no panic and a resolute defence was offered, but the attacking force, which was estiâ€" rmale'l to number a thousand men, proved too strong, and soon had the column at its mercy. l Lord Kitchener, in his first message .lmcntioned that the column had two guns. In his detailed account. he onâ€" lly speaks of a 15-pounder, which firâ€"- ed two rounds and then jammed. It is noteworthy that the British com- nmnderâ€"in-chief specially refers to the good behavior of the victorious Boers lie the British wounded. â€".__.¢.“_ LOSS BY SIORMS. Canneries Damaged and Demolish- ed in British Columbia. A despatch from Vancouver, 13. C., million dollars’ worth of damage has been done by storms along the Fraser River. Sea. and Lulu Islands have reclaimed farm lands, and are bordered by canneries. The violence of the ‘wind and waves broke the (lykes, and the water rushed over the islands, covering them with four feet of water. Houses were swept into the raging flood, and those that re- mained standing were flo'oded to the ltop windows in many cases. Boats have to be used'entircly. “The North Arm, Alliance, and Laâ€" brador Canneries were demolished, and every cannery on the River Frasâ€" er was more or less damaged. Stacked crops weredestroyed over a wide area, and the Cleve Canning Iompany’s station, a very large con- cern, with a cold storage plant adâ€" joining, was swept away. All wires being down the news is coming in meagrely, but the total loss by the storm on the Canadian Pacific coast to shipping, buildings, crops, and dykes is said to be fully a. million dollars. So fierce was the storm that Britâ€" ish Columbia.’ was cut off from the lUnited States to the south for two days, and will be cut off from Vic- toria for one week, as the cable is torn up at. both ends. A despatch from St. John’s, Nfld., sayszâ€"Furious gales swept the coast of Newfoundland Thursday night, and wrought much destruction among the shipping and fishing pro- perties at Bay of Islands, Newfoundâ€" land, where several American vessels were seeking cargoes of herring. At Placeutia, on the west coast, the fishing boats suffered great dam- age, and the from. buildings were‘ destroyed. It is feared that the seas will inundatc the entire hamlet. Both the break- water and been partly demolished. .+ WOMEN FARMERS. 11 Government Will Ed- ucate Them. A' dcspatch from St. Petersburg says:-â€"I.ong continued agitatioil has induced the Government to authorize the Moscow I‘thytechnie Museum to Opt-n a course in agriculture for wo- incn. This step is regarded as a vic- ltory for women in their struggle for lhigher scientific education. It has been won largely by the Capacity wo- men have shown in the medical pro-- fission and in certain departments of ‘otiicialdom, especially as famine in- Spectors. The frequent families of the last fif- t'icn )(‘urs have impressed the Gov- ermnent with the necessity for rais- ing the national standard of agricul- ture. The number of Russian men of fairly high education is comparative- ly small. Agriculture has no brilliant future in store for sluh as these. and most {of them naturally prefer other occuâ€" pations, and in consequence the 'iziovenient started to permit women ,to Ingage in agriculture has at ileny'h been endorsed by the Govern- :nCllt. i The Russia I l _ _â€"+â€"â€"~§ Shocking outrages are described in private letters as lsemg pcrpe‘trated i‘>\ lllt: Russian. Lossncks on 113.; do. filltclcbli tiiitens of Manchuria. l sayszâ€"It is estimated that nearly al \Yll‘dl‘VC‘S and \\’ill.0r-' the railroad pier have‘ SULTAN HEARING HIS END FRANCE AND RUSSIA INTEND T0 FORCE REFORMS. Conditions in Armenia and Mace- donia Are Regarded as a. Menace to Peace. There are increasing signs that the great powers of Europe are concenâ€" trating delinite plans for uctivn toâ€" .wards Turkey. l ' . l laurly this week the dussmn Am- bassador iu Constantinople informed Said l'asha. the new Grand \‘izier. that the condition of Armenia untl Macedonia was regarded by Europe as a disgrace to the Ottoman Gov- ernment and peril to universal peace. This signiIiCant announcement was followed almost immediately by a l presentation of notes by all the Am-‘ bassadors with reference to the am- azing attitude adopted by the I’orte in the matter of the mining regula- tions. l UNDERSTANDING IS SOUGHT. France and Russia. are the leaders in this latest attempt to set the Eu- ropean steam roller in motion to make smooth the rough places of Turkey. What they are trying to reach is the basis of "an understand- ing for making representations to the Form and for eventually taking action in order to oblige the Sultan not only to carry out the clauses of the Treaty 01 Berlin relating to both Macedonia and Armenia, but to give guarantees for the execution of these and further reforms and for the set- tlement of the numerous questions pending." So run the terms of what is undoubtedly a semi-official com- munication from Paris. Russia, it is said, is discussing the question with Germany, the coâ€"oper- ation of Austriaâ€"Hungary and Italy can be taken for granted. and there is no doubt. that Lord Lansdowne, the British Foreign Secretary, will combine in any genuine scheme to effect the objects which Lord Salisâ€" bury vainly endeavorcd to obtain some years ago. NECESSITY OF UNITY. There has never1 been the least question that the powers could speedily solve the problem of the lNear East if they would speak with one voice and were animated by one fairly disinterested motive. But right here is the hitch. ‘ li‘rance startled the world by her independent course at lilitylene. Pa- pers now assert in Paris that French action was not more dramatic sim- ply- because the whole fabric of 0t- toman administration is so rotten that a. heavy blow might pulverize it. If this be so, all the more credit is due to M. Delcasse for forbearâ€" ance. The Turkish flag waves over many millions of human beings, and the horrors, that would follow the overthrow of the regime of.Abdui lHamid until such time as an eflici- ent substitute was ready can be more easily imagined than described. What would be the attitude of the Sultan should the powers come to an understanding that would leave him no room to question their earn- estness ? No one can predict with certainty the course of this most. {remarkable and miserable of potenâ€" ‘tates. but the opinion in London is that, so long as the dread “partition” remained unspoken, Ab- dul Hamid would offer nothing more than a conventional opposition to the demands of Europe. r He is getting on in years. 'By deâ€" grees he has drawn into his own hands all the threads of administraâ€" tion throughout his vast dominions. The Sultan is one of the hardest. workers in the world. but no physi- que' is capable of indefinitely sustain- ing the strain he imposes on both body and mind. As a natural result intervals of ab- solute inertness overtake him. and the accumulated work, which he will .allow no one else to touch, has fall- en appallineg into arrears. ALIENATES HIS SUBJECTS. 1 Moreover, Abdul Hamid trusts no one. He has alienated the whole Mussulnian population of the capital. Individual freedom no longer exists in the capital, even for the faithful. Secret arrests and sudden disappear- lances increase. Within a fortnight l seventy Turks. including several {prominent men, have been denounced by spies and banished to Arabia. ‘The troops are unpaid. If an Arabi {appeared to-morrow the Yildiz would lbe sacrificed. 5 All this is known and fully appreci< {Itth by the Sultan. It all predispos- Ees him to yield to the powers. The ;.question resolves itself into one of lmethod, and the plan which finds {most favor among the advocates of I’l‘urkish reforms is the opening of jtlie Ilardanelles and the Bosphorus ito all the fleets of the world. Truly ‘a simple remedy, but its very sim- tplicity is the most formidable obs-ta- cle to its adoption. __-. .4__. SMALLPOX IN LO‘NLDON. lSpread of the Disease Raises Ap- l prehension. A despatch from London says:â€" E'The epidemic of smallpox in London is increasing steadily. and there are nowde cases under treatment. The latest cases reported include two in the Probate Department in Somerset 1 House. These are attracting considâ€" ierable attention. owing to thi- d.tnâ€"' ger involved to oflicers who handle wills and others who examine them, as these documents are often signvrl i in siclhrooms. word ‘ â€"‘ __IIEMS. Telegraphic Briefs Pram All Over the Globe. CANADA. Winnipeg has eight cases of small pox. The new directory in London Ohâ€"l tario, makes the population 45,937. ()scar "l‘aylor of East Hamilton avers llIIC‘d $25 and costs for running a turkey rallle. 'l he McClarey Mfg. Co.. of London, have secured control of the Copp (.‘o's Stove Works at Hamilton. ‘ Montreal I-lru'bor Connnissioners are laying plans for the erection of a million-bushel fire-proof elevator. ’lhe new contrivance for preventing the canal locks being carried away by the boats was tested with great satisfaction on Tuesday, at Port Ilalhousie, on the Welland Canal. Recorder Weir of Montreal was on Tuesday presented with a pair of white gloves in memory of the first ‘dJy in eightecnyears in which there \VtI‘O no prisoners for him to try. Mr. George Dawson, Inspector of I'enitentiaries, reports that the num ber of prisoners confined in St. Vinâ€" cmt de Paul Penitentiary has drop- ped from 446 to 893, and the skilled mechanic is so, rare that there is a difficulty in carrying on certain deâ€" partments of the work. l GREAT BRITAIN. A great newspaper trust may formed in England. The English Government is prepar- ing a. new Irish land bill. Lady Lyndhurst, wife of a. former Lord Chancellor of England, is dead. Electric along the England. . \Vm. Waldorf Astor has given 510,-: 000 for the National Rifle Amcla- ticn, England. I The coronation festivities will in- clude a. magnificent naval review at Spithead. I Cecil Rhodes has just bought the Dalham Hall estate, near Newman'- hot, for 5500.000. The law hitherto in England, pro-‘ hibiting men with false teeth from joining the regular army, has been repealed. The Northâ€"Eastern Railway Com- pany of Great Britain is about to es- tablish automatic block signaling on its line. The levees at St. James' Palace and the drawingâ€"rooms at Bucking- ham Palace will in fixture be held in the evenings, instead of in the after noon. as in the Victorian regime. be‘ signalling is to be used North-western Railway, UNITED STATES. Gas in San Francisco is to be fur- nished at 38?,c. The Government has decided to use wireless telegraphy in the navy. 'l'he Wabash railway is building a. $1,000,000 bridge over the Ohio at lilingo. James Potter, 12 years old, was dragged to death by a, cow at Eng- lishtown, N. J. Wire-rope rigging for Emperor Wil< ,lium's yacht is being made at Wilkes: 7barre, Pa. Leslie M. Shaw, Governor of Iowa, wi'l sttccccd Lyman Gage as Secre- tnry of the Treasury. In Chicago Alex. Sullivan was fin‘ ed 82,000 for trying to keep an in< dicted jury-briher away from the city. ‘ The rural free delivery service is the most popular feature of the pos‘ tal service. Mrs. Clara Boss of Bernardsvillo, N. J., is dead from liydiophobia; the result of a. bite from a strange dog she sheltered. W. S. Carter, a. Brooklyn lawyer, has given a plot of land for a come tery, and $7,000 for improvements to Darkhampstcad, Conn. James Flicks, steel manufacturer, 'of Piqtui, Ohio, (lied on Tuesday of blood poisoning from a cut on the lip received while settling on envel- ope. 'Ihc Governorâ€"elect of Iowa. propos- cs 0. commission of three men to- form a non-partisan commission to determine the value of the railroads in the state with a view to taxation. GENERAL. ’l‘he Curi'iry Islands with a plague of locusts. At a fire in 7ttcatecas, Mexico, 45 persons 10st their lives. Germany had a decline of export trade last month amounting to 60,- 13') tons. Jews and Odessa laborers in Sou- are overrun thern Russia are plotting against the Government. The Grand Duke and Duchess of Ille~se were divorced,on the grounds l of in:-\tperalile aversion. from, Stockholm prove ‘that working cow‘s improves the quality of the milk, uul that the butter is letter, and no extra. food is nit-dad. l An agent of the 'I‘xiil'lBâ€"Flihh‘lflll luauuav‘mum.st that by May next 5 railway will have a semiâ€"weekly re b lwcn Paris. and Pc'z'in, and the tin r: from Shanghai to Lou- lieports , liifti‘ ldon will ljf,‘ three weeks. I