In January, 1880, Frank Leslie, the pioneer of pictorial journalism in
America, died. I met him only once, when he took me through his immense
establishment. I was impressed with him then, as a man of much elegance
of manner and suavity of feeling. He was very much beloved by his
employees, which, in those days of discord between capital and labour,
was a distinction.

The arrival of Mr. Parnell in New York was an event of the period. We
knew he was an orator, and we were anxious to hear him. There was some
uncertainty as to whether he came to America to obtain bayonets to stick
the English with, or whether he came for bread for the starving in
Ireland. We did not understand the political problem between England and
Ireland so well--but we did understand the meaning of a loaf of bread.
Mr. Parnell was welcome.

The failure of the harvest crops in Europe made the question of the hour
at the beginning of 1880--bread. The grain speculator appeared, with his
greedy web spun around the world. Europe was short 200,000,000 bushels
of wheat. The American speculator cornered the market, stacked the
warehouses, and demanded fifty cents a bushel. Europe was compelled to
retaliate, by purchasing grain in Russia, British India, New Zealand,
South America, and Australia. In one week the markets of the American
North-west purchased over 15,000,000 bushels, of which only 4,000,000
bushels were exported. Meanwhile the cry of the world's hunger grew
louder, and the bolts on the grain cribs were locked tighter than ever.
American finances could have been straightened out on this one product,
except for the American speculator, who demanded more for it than it was
worth. The United States had a surplus of 18,000,000 bushels of grain
for export, in 1880. But the kings of the wheat market said to Europe,
"Bow down before us, and starve."