Decatur Democrat, Volume 25, Number 28, Decatur, Adams County, 14 October 1881 — Page 1

VOLUME XXV.

THE NEWS IN BRIEF. Parisian newspapers are severely censuring the French commanders in Tunis. An audience between Gortschakoff and the Emperor William took place at Baden. Queen Victoria is havmg executed a model in terra-cotta of her favorite dog Flora. Next week negotiations to admit Bremen into the German Zollverein will be commenced. President Arthur has expressed himself in favor of exposure of all frauds against the government. President Hinsdale, of Hiram college, Ohm, will write the biography of the late President Garfield. Messrs. Dillon, Egan, Thomas P. O’Connor and James Redpath have sailed from Queenstown for New York. After a severe battle with the Djerid Arabs, the Tebessa column of the French - Algerian forces entered Gaisa. The Khedive of Egypt has signed a decree convoking the notables. Cheri Pasha, tlie premier is opposed to Turkish interference. Redpath, lecture-agent, correspondent, and Irish patriot, is again rising into fame. The police have been instructed to watch him closely. The crown prince and princess of Denmark have come into a fortune of about $15,000,000 by the death ol Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. L. Ferry Young, a son of the Mormon prophet, Brigham Young, died on board a s’eamship the day after leaving Havana. He was buried at sea. It is said Lord Lome intends to visit England on the completion of his title and that the Princess Louise will probably return with him in January. Senator Pendleton is one of the gentlemen interested in raising a fund to place a bronze heroic statue of President Garfield in a public place in Cincinnati. The emperor of Morocco is defending the boundary of his dominion against the Algerines so as to afford the French no excuse for entering his country. The night before his wedding the Duke of Argyl sat out a debate and drove to the train at daybreak. His wife is but little older than her stepchildren.

Ex-Attorney General Williams is a candidate for United States senator from Oregon to succeed Grover. Mr. Williams was formerly a member of the senate. Eugenie, ex-empress of the French, has made her will, leaving all her property to Prince Victor, and declaring him to be the head of the Bonapartists. J. B. Lyon & Co., the well-known Chicago board of trade firm, suspended Tuesday. Liabilities about $300,000. They state they will be able to settle them in full. An ordinance is to be introduced into the Chicago common council to prohibit and punish l*ys from smoking tobacco on the streets. It is not likely to pass. At Oswego, N. Y., the schooner Richardson, witli barley, from Canada, in attempting to enter the harbor, struck the west pier and is a total wreck. Crew saved. The corporate name of the place where the president died is to be changed to “Garfield,” though a postoffice is to be established there to be known as “Elberon.” Egyptian affairs appear to be in a muddled condition. While European powers are trying to arrange matters, the national party propose to organize a national guard for home defense. The city council of Liverpool, at its first sitting since the death of President Garfield, unanimously adopted a resolution of ..sympathy with the American people and the widow of the late president. Asa first practieahresult of the new Russo-German understanding, it is stated that the conditions of an agreement have been already fixed for facilitating the mutual extradition of political offenders. Pasteur, the French physiologist, is going to the hospital of Pauillac to make researches into the nature of yellow fever, with the intention of discovering whether it is due to any particular parasite. Several citizens of Petkin, Col., having lately been robbed and badly beaten, the ’robberies were traced to Charles Briggs, proprietor of a dance hall, and h:« associates. A citizens mob, alter warning the inmates, set fire to the hall. Briggs fired into the crowd without effect. An unknown party’ returned the fire, fatally wounding him.

The palm for ingenuity in the use of dynamite for private murder must, for the present, be conceded to the assassins of Mr. Ariza, a merchant of Bucaramaugn, in the state of Santander, one of the United States ot Col-/ ombia. They put the explosive in the lock of his store door, and when he turned the key the door and its owner were blown to pieces. A Boston theater is to have a stage built in sections, on rollers, so that while one scene is before the audience another is being arranged out of sight, thus doing away with tedious intermissions between acts, and making it possible to show a greater amoHiit of elaborate scenery than can be done by the ordinary method. The elevator stage at the Madison Square accomplishes the same result, but a deep excavation and tall tower are required to operate it. Joseph D. Shields, of the Natchez, Miss., bar, has in preparation a biography of S. S. Prentiss. When Prentiss was a lad he made a speech before a debating society at Church Hill, in that state. At the conclusion of the speech Thomas Hall, a wealthy but uneducated and very brusque farmer, ' ■mg up, exclaiming: “Young man, ♦Mi i, no place for you. Go to Natchez and rea‘ l Uw - ° (>d tJiuied vou sot a big man and old Tom Hail will tb? bills ’’ Aud Mr Hall kept his w” ra - ... ~ ■ is ‘ired of the monotSignor Bngnoli Venice ,” has ony of A .Night i» Aiibiect of composed a duet upon t. . h iU “A Night in Naples,” wh. c “ ue " “ sing, with Miss Kellogg, lel £ coming concert season. It v written for soprano and tenor, or r soprano and contralto, and Signe r Bondenella, who is a judge of such things, sajs it will be, and will deserve to be, a popular concert piece. Brigdoli is not a novice in composition and no man understands vocal melody better.

The Decatur Democrat.

A mammoth panorama of the siege of Yorktown is the latest amusement enterprise. Rev. Mk. Talmage is to become the editor of Frank Leslie's Sunday May azine. There is $250,686,547 in the United States treasury. Uncle Sam is evidently still solid. General Grant is mentioned as the probable chairman of the New York state convention. Thirty four Hungarian journalists have recently been elected to the Hungarian parliament. It is proposed to make the western train robbers “dead heads” instead of dead beats as they now are. American race horses are making a clean sweep in England, winning every race from the Der’ y down. Tammany Hall controls 50,000 votes in the state of New York, which makes John Kelly very serene. General Grant has six swords. Several of them are inlaid with gold and the hilts set with precious stones. Col. Rockwell has resigned his office as commissioner of public buildings and grounds. The president has not accepted it. Governor Plaisted, of Maine, is a Greenbacker, but he married at the early-bird hour of five o,clock in the morning all the same. It is the early , governors that catch the pretty girls.

In Manchester, England, there is a licensed drinking shop to every 135 persons. Only one in ten e er sees the inside of a church, while 50,000 of the population can neither read or write. There will be fifteen thousand homeless people to feed in Michigan during the approaching winter. The cash receipts for their aid so far is $133,090. History records the occurrence of 7,00 j earthquakes, by which 13,000, 000 people have perished, yet science has formulated no theory that will satisfactorily explain why an earthquake occurs. It is estimated by careful persons sent out by the relief c immittees and who have been thoroughly’ over the ground, that $2,500,000 will be necessary to relieve the distress of the Michigan sufferers. The London Spectator, the foremost organ of British Liberalism, say’s that one-half of the population of England are already fully convinced that they mist some day have a president and a republic. The New York Herald, which seems to have set up a school of surgery of its own, critically remarks that “in the little finger of a good surgeon there are more brains than in some other surgeons’ heads.” The fallacy that a president must take the cabinet selected by his predecessor as his confidential advisers, and then be held responsible for the success of his administration is rapidly being exploded. A president is entitled above all to choose his own cabinet. _____________ The National debt was reduced, during the month of September, the enormous sum of $17,483,641, the largest sum of any month yet. It is the contrast between this state of affairs and that of the last Democratic administration, when money had to be borrowed to pay the actual running expenses of the government that will keep the Democratic party out of power for the next century. The receipts at the national treasury, during September, reached the sum of $33,000,000. At this rate the treasurer will be enabled to pay off something near $150,000,000 during the year. The large reduction in expenditures —brought about by the decrease in interest rates, and rigid public economy, coupled with prosperous times, have placed in the power of those managing our finances that which will enable them to rapidly reduce our national obligations. In this work all are interested, and no hinderances should be interposed

The following extract from the penal code of China may explain why so few Chinese become citizens of other countries, but always sooner or later return to their native land: “All persons renouncing their country or devising the means thereof shall be beheaded, and in the punishment of this offense no distinction shall be made between principals and acces-, series. The property of all such criminals shall be confiscated, and their wives and children distributed as slaves to the great officers of state. The parents, grandparents, brothers and grandchildren of such criminals, whether habitually living with them •under the same roof or not, shall be perpetually banished to the distance of 2,600 leagues. All those who purposely conceal or connive at this crime shall be strangled. Those who inform against criminals of this class shall be rewarded with the whole of their property If the plan is contrived but not executed, the principals are to be strangled and the accessories punished with blows and banishment.’ ' King Alphonso presided on Sunday atthe inaugural sitting in Madrid of t.he American society founded at Naficy. France, in 1873 for the promotion of investigations into the atftiouities and history of America before and after Its discovery by Columbus.

TEI.EGRAFHK .

Washington, October 6.-The following explains itself: Washington, Dee.2o, 1880. My Dear (Jartie d: Your generous invitation to enter your cabinet as secretary of state has been undei consideration for more than three weeks, though it had really never occurred to my mind, until at our late conference you presented it with such cogent arguments in its favor and with such warm personal friendship. I know that an early answer is desirable, and I have waited only long enough to consider the subject in all its bearings and to make up my mind definitely and conclusively. I now say to you in the same cordial spirit in which you have invited me that I accept the position. It is no affection for me to add that I make this decision, not for the honor of the promotion it gives me in the public service, but because I think I can be useful to the country and to the parry, and useful to you as a responsible leader of the party and the great head of the government. I am influenced somewhat, perhaps, by the shower of letters I have received, urging me to accept, written me in consequence of a mere unauthorized newspaper report that you had been pleased to offer me the place. While I have received these letters from all sections of the union, I have been especially pleased and even surprised at the cordial and widely extended feeling in my favor throughout New England, where I had expected to encounter local jealousy and perhaps rival aspiration. In our new relation I shall give all that lam and all that I can hope to be, freely and joyfully,to your service. You need no pledge of my loyalty in heart and in act. I should be false to myself did I not prove true both to the great trust you confide to me and to your own political fortunes in the present and in the future. Your administration must be made brilliantly successful and strong in the confidence and pride of the people, not at all directing its energes for re-election, and yet compelling that result by the logic of events and by the imperious necessities of the situation. To that most desirable consummation I feel that, next to yourself, I can possibly contribute as much influence as any other one man. I say this, not from egotism or vain glory, but merely as a deduction from a plain analysis of the political forces which have been at work in the country for five years past, and which have been significantly shown in two great national conventions. I accept it as one of the happiest circumstances connected with tins affair that in allying my political fortunes with yours—or rather for the time merging mine in vours—my heart goes with my head, and that I carry to you not only political support but personal and devoted friendship.

I can but regard it as somewhat remarkable that two men of the same age, entering congress at the same time, influenced by the same aims, and cherishing the same ambitions, should never for a single moment in eighteen years of elose intimacy have had a misunderstanding or coolness, and that our friendship has steadily grown with our growth and strengthened with our strength. It is this fact which has led me to the conclusion embodied in this letter; for however much, my dear Garfield, I might admire you as a statesman, I would not enter your cabinet if I did not believe in you as a man and love you as a friend. Always faithfully yours, [Signed.] James G. Blaine. New York, October 6.—The trustees of the Peabody educational fund began their annual meeting yesterday, Robert C. Wintrob, president of the board, in the chair. Ex-President Hayes was present. The annual reports speak favorably of the advancement of educational matters in the south and reviewed at length the work accomplished. Great and gratifying as had been the progress, both in public sentiment and in the educational system, the report said it must not be concluded that free schools were established beyond the possibility of repeal or destruction. Instruction given the board to apply the greater portion of the income of the fund hereafter to the education of teachers for public schools, has met with general and decided approval. The income distributed since February 1, 1881, amounted to $50,375. Cincinnati, October 7.—The charcoal iron workers of the United States began a session here to-day, only a few members being present. Nothing was done except to hear a welcomftig address ’ rom Mayor Means and Richard Smith and a response by President Wiestling, of Pennsylvania. Adjourned till to-morrow. Columbus, October 7.—The Franklin county agricultural society to-day tendered to the state board the fair grounds on which to hold a state fair the next twenty-five years. The state board are to have the exclusive use of the grounds three weeks of each year, ami in return are to erect permanent buildings and beautify the grounds. Ten thousand dollars are to be guaranteed by the citizens of Columbus toward tlie permanent buildings. This evening th state board accepted the proposition with some slight modification. Little Rock, October 7.—Cox, Stephens and Delaney, the Iron Mountain train robbers, plead guilty in the Hemstead circuit court to-day, and were sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of 70 years, each of the sentences being commutative, fourteen years being the limit laid for robbery. The robbery occurred on the 22d of September. They were captured on the 28th and a special term of court held to try them. They will arrive here and be placed in the penitentiary to-morrow. Cincinnati, October 7.—William Townsend, dry goods merchant of Franklin, Indiana, was found dead in his room at the Crawford house today, with a bullet hole in his head. A note to his wife shows it is a case of suicide, though no motive for the act can be discovered. Albany, N. Y., October 7.—The Good Templars of Wie slate met to-day to take measures to secure a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture and sale of spirituous liquors as a beverage. Detroit, October 7.—The state Greenback camp-meeting commenced at Jackson to-dav and continues to-morrow and Sunday, the last dav being devoted to a sort of free-think-ers’ convention. Kansas City, October 7.—The most horrifying reports come from Platte county, this state, and the vicinity of Parkville and Waldron and intervening country, regarding a scourge, which, it is reported, has re-

DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, OCTOBER 14, 1881.

cently broken out there. At first it was thought to be smallpox, but it is developing symptoms of even more aggravated character than this disease. Mr. Threlkeld, a farmer living near Parkville, arrived in the eity today, and reported that, although the disease had been raging five, days, eleven deaths had occurred and thirty persons were sick. Os these only one man had shown symptoms of recovery anil he was not yet out of danger. The disease had broken out between Parkville and Walden, two stations on the Council Bluffs road, the latter only nine miles from this place. It was brought there by a tramp laborer, who went from Kansas City seeking work, and was taken sick and died. This was ten days ago. He said all who attended the funeral of the first patient had been stricken. The bodies were covered with the most horrible sores, andfair- ; Iv rot and fester before death ensues. Mr. Threlkeld is reported to have said that a person who had died with the disease can not be lifted into the coffin. The flesh falls from’ the bones, and the bones themselves crumble and break when handled. Many of the citizens think it is the old black smallpox, a virulent form of the disease, in whieh the body is covered with black eruptions, and few who are taken survive. Others who have seen it think it is nothing more nor less than the terrible black scourge whieh devastated the countries of the east in the fourteenth century.

Clinton, lowa, October B.—A terrible accident occurred at ten o’clock tins morning at Fulton Junction, 111., threejmiies east of this city, at a crossing of the Chicago & Northwestern and Chicago, Milwaukee 5s St. Paul railroads. The passenger train bound for Rock Island to Racine ran into a freight train while the latter was passing over the crossing on the Northwestern. A freight car heavily laden was thrown on the platform of the depot and .struck five persons, killing J. J. Flanagan, the station agent lately appointed, and Arthur Cuddy, a boy of thirteen, the son of a laborer, both residing at Fulton. Lester Fisk, son of Clark Fisk, was hurt internally and w’ill probably die. Rosenblatt, a traveling man, residing at Beloit, was badly but cot dangerously bruised. The car also crushed the hand and foot of P. T. Sutherland, of this city. Rosenblatt and Sutherland had stepped on the platform to take the passenger train north. Wrecking trains have been sent for in all directions to clear the crossing. Three freight ears of the Northwestern train and the engine of the Milwaukee are piled in a heap on the crossing, making a bad wreck. The engineer and firemen jumped. The passengers were shaken up slightly. There were several narrow escapes on the platform. The cause of the accident was the air brakes giving out, making it impossible to stop the passenger train. New York, October B.—A fire broke out to-night on the second floor of the factory, No. 304 West Thirty-sixth street, in John Walter’s hat factory. Part of the floor was occupied by Gustav Frey and twenty-five others as a shoe factory. The men who were at work there were cut off from the stairway and some jumped from the windows into the streets. Daniel Brown, aged sixty-seven, was suffocated. The dead body was taken out by the police. Albert Kerslen was injured internally, amt Nelson Berged about the hips by jumping from a window. San Francisco, October B.—A Tucson dispatch says, a Mexican family, residents of Tucson, who had been on a visit to Sonora, were returning to this place, and when between Sonigaca and Terrante, in Sonora, were overtaken by Indians and Jgnaeia Valencedia and his wife, Felicita Garcia, were killed; also a four-year-old child, Joseph Alvanez, who was with them, was wounded in the arm. A party of armed citizens left last night for the scene of the outrage. St. Louis. Octobers.—Within three months a series of attempts have been made at train wrecking on the Ohio & Mississippi railroad, between Lawrenceville and Vincennes, Ind., at a place known as Sand Ridge Cave. Detectives were set to work, and through the talkativeness of a widow named Bohr, unearthed the perpetrators and the parties. Hice Young, William Sester and John Bohr have been arrested. Two of them have made full confessions, and the gang has been broken up. Lynn, Ind., October B.—John Lyons, of Terre Haute, was instantly killed here late last night while working with the clearing gang of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western extension. He being seventwo years o'd and a little deaf, it was impossible to make him hear, and a tree fell across him, mashin r his skull, breaking both legs and one arm. Deposit checks for $225 in the Terre Haute banks were found on his person. He was a single man.

Sioux City, October 8. —An accident happened to a through passenger train bearing tlie Marquis of Lome and party, on the Sioux City & Pacific road, just after midnight, this morning. The train was behind time, running faster than usual. When near Thompson creek, in heavy timber, four miles east of this city, cattle were seen on the track ahead of the train. The air brakes were applied, but tlie train could not be stopped. One steer was caught on the pilot of the engine and carried there until a second one was struck. The engine passed over this and went into the ditch. The engineer, David Douglass, in stepping from the cal> to the tender, fell between and lay partially across the track just beside the steer that had been left by the pilot. The corner of the tank rested partly on the steer and partly on the engineer’s back and head, burying the face in the ground. The baggage car was thrown off on on the other side of the track. The smoking car was derailed, as was the ■forward end of the ladies’ car. The engine was so broken that steam and hot water poured out, adding to the excitement of the occasion. Train men and passengers came to the help of the engineer, and by digging from under him and lifting on the tender tank released him. At first they supposed him dead, but he revived so as to return home on the noon train, The car contained tlie Marquis of Lome and party, but being the last of the train was little disturbed by tlie accident. The marquis came forward just as the tender was being lifted off the engineer. He returned to the ear and staved till the wreck was cleared at noon. Train men say the connections on the Lome car did not fit. The air brake connection did not ht the other cars and being heavy, shoved tlie train ahead. Otherwise the accident might have been avoided. Wilmington. N. C., October B.— General Joseph C. Abbott, ex-United States senator, died to-day. Toronto, October B.—Gondour chai lenges Courtney to row a three mile race for SI,OOO a side.

A WHITE MOUNTAIN GHOST. The Shadowy Visitor That (bine; Once a Year. The wind whistled mornfully around tlie hotel as the story was being told, and the hearers involuntarily clustered nearer one another and waited the next gloomy reminiscence. It came from an elderly gentleman who wouldn’t vouch for its truthfulness, but who was ready to swear that the friend who told it to him was an eye witness and could be relied upon always. The story was in relation to tlie death of Miss Lizzie Bourne, of Kennebunk, Me., who died in a blinding snow storm on the Glen bridal path, on the night of September 14, 1855. The traveler, who rides up in the little railway car, has the pile of stones pointed out to him as marking the spot where her rigid body was ound. One is surprised to find that it is so near the Tip Top House, that is, not more than a stone’s throw. So she must have shrieked and shouted in her despair, but on such a terrible night, with the wind blowing like a hurricane, and howling like a million fiends, who in the hotel could have heard her or have distinguished her voice before it was swallowed tip in the tempest? There is a well founded rumor, said the old gentleman, that every year, on the night of the 14th of September, the ghost or spirit, or whatever you may call it, of Lizzie Bourne may be seen flitting about the mound. Henry J. Howland and a party saw it last year, and were almost frightened to death, continued the story teller. It was a clear, moonlight night, and Howland and his party were roaming over the summit to see whatever was to be seen. They had got down to tlie Bourne mountain, and being somewhat fatigued witli their scramble over the rocks, they all dropped down for a few minutes’ rest. Naturally enough the monument suggested the tragic death of the poor girl, and they fell to talking about it. A heavy bank of clouds rising from the west threatened to obscure the moon altogether and give the party some trouble in finding their way back to tlie hotel, and they rose to start. At that moment a filmy cloud shot across the moon, and surrounding objects on the landscape lost their clearness.

A shriek from Howland started everybody, and they turned to see him pointing at the monument and wringing his hands as if he was in the greatest agony. He seemed to have lost his voice after that one shriek, ami there he stood horror sticken. The whole party turned to the monument, and there if you’ll believe it, continued the story teller, glancing at his now awe-stricken listeners, was a whitish figure rising up through the stones, just as if she was coming to tlie surface borne upward by some mysterious stage mechanism. Then as she got to the top, she assumed a defined shape, that of a pretty girl with a sad face and flowing robes and hair. She appeared to point her right band toward the glimmering lights of the Tip Top House, and then suddenly dropping on her knees she clasped her hands as if in prayer. In another instant the cloud scudded away, the moon looked down as bright as ever, and the ghost or specter, or whatever you may call it, was gone.

Howland, however, was prostrated by the shock to his nerves, and didn’t get over for two days. ‘No, sir,’ wound up theold gentleman, ‘I don’t believe n spirits, and I dont believe my friend untruthful. I believe there is a something or other to be seen there on the mound, and if I’m aiive I’m going down on tlie next 14th of September to see it—alone if I can’t get any of my friends to go along.’ Such a story, listened to with the hotel joints creaking like a ship’s, and a fierce tempest in progress outside, had a marked effect upon seme of the ladies, causing them to shudder and cling closer to the gentlemen, who figured either as husbands or esscorts. But blow high or blow low, the old hotel is as safe as any hotel in the valley below, for it is anchored to the rocks with great chains which no amount of tugging at by the great gales has ever seemed to effect in the slightest degree. A Newspaper Devoted to Indecency. It was as a rival to tlie Figaro and the Gaulois that the G’<7 Blas was started in Paris, perhaps two years ago. At first it attracted scarcely any attention in spite of tlie unusual literary flavor of its columns. One day it published a lively tale of amorous adventure —something like one of the coutes of Lafontaine, without the wit or the grace, or the reserve of the great fabulist. That day tlie Gil Blas sold its whole edition. Soon a second smutty story appeared, and then a third, until everybody expected to see tne paper seized by tlie police. In the meanwhile it sold by tlie thousand. There is no denying that just now there is in certain circles in France an extraordinary delight in indecency. M. Zola indignantly denies that he or his novels or his followers have anything to do with it, and no doubt tlie desire for literary] dirt has not been evoked wholly, if at all, by Nana and company. But M. Zola has profited largely by this expected eddy in tlie current of public taste, and his works have doubtless helped in troubling the waters. Whatever tlie cause there is no doubt as to the fact. For several years in French books, in tlie reprints of books of the eighteenth century, in French newspapers, in French plays, in French pictures, there has been a distinct tendency toward grossness. This tendency culminated in the daily appearance in the Gil Blas of tales the subjects of which no paper written in English would dare even to hint at. The decent journalists of Paris stood astonished and agh st. Yet they did not venture to say anything for a lone, afraid of an accusation of jealousy, of what Mr. Charles Reade calls malice. At last M. Francisque Sarcey, who, besides his weekly dramatic criticism in the Temps, writes nearly every day a chronique In the Dix-Neuvieme Siede of his friend and old schoolfellow, M, Edmond About, began to think that things had gone lar enougg, and he sounded tlie alarm in one of his Chroniques. The writers of the Gil Blas at once retorted by an attempt to iquire into the private life of M. Sarcey, and to combat tbe force of his direct accusations against their paper by allegations concerning their opponent’s personal morality. Even if they had made out the case against M. Sarcey the old rule would still obtain that two wmngs do not make a right. M. Sarcey returned to the charge again and again. Soon he was reinforced by M. Albert Wolff in one of his Chroniques in tlie Figaro. Then the light wits of the Gil Blas devoted some of their mud to M. Albert Wolff', and began to inquire into his personal affairs, as they had previously investigated M. Sarcey's. When the unsavory quarrel had gone thus far most

of the decent papers of Paris came to the rescue. Even the Voltaire, in which M. Zola’s Nana had been published as,a feu i lieton, protested against the original offense and the even more offensive method or defense, The only voice raised in favor of the offending writer was M. Zola’s. At last a particularly flagrant article appeared in tlie Gd Bias, an 1 tlie paper was seized by tlie police. In vain it protested—public opinion was on the side of the authorities. Since then tlie Gil Blas lias led a chequered career, and has had a trying experience, conscious that it owes all its success to its indecency, and vet forced to be circumspect for fear of the law. The Gil Blas publishes now and again a tale which seems to be in the old style, but which in reality is as indecent as may be—or as innocent, rather, as a tale is wont to be which is read on tiie boulevards of Paris. The paper is still seen on the news stands, but it has no vitality. Now its prurient narratives are under the eye of the police. The Gil Blas will go down in history as the chief of the pornographic press of Paris during one of those curious nfiiments of immorality which France is subject to now and then, just as England, according to Macaulay* has occasional attacks of rigid militant morality.

An ingenious Rascal. The theatre of Ofen (Buda-Pesth) was the scene of his debut, though this was made in a loge, not on the stage. It appears that last week a certain Hungarian Countess, wel known for her riches and beauty (the same spirited lady who last year seconded her brother in a duel), graced with her presence the performance at the Aresa, or summer theatre. On one of her fair fingers my lady wore two splendid diamond rings, exactly like each other. During an entr’acte there presented himself in her box a big fellow in gorgeous livery—six feet of the finest flunkey imaginable. Quoth he, in finest Hungarian, “My mistress, Princess P , has sent me to beg of your ladyship the loan of one of your rings for five minutes. Her Highness has observed them from her be x opposite, and is very anxious to have one made after the pattern.” Without an instant’s hesitation, the Countess handed a ring to “Jeames,” who bowed with respectful dignity and retired. The performance over, the two great ladies met on the staircase, and the Countess begged her friend to keep the ring at her convenience, “What ring, my dear?” Denouement! Tableau! The “powdered menial” was no flunkey at all, but a thief, and the ring was gone. The police were informed of the impudent trick. Justice seemed to have overtaken the eulpritin a very few strid is, tor next morning the Countess whilst still on robe-de-chambre, received a letter informing her that the thief had been caught and the ring found on his person—“ Only,” added the note, “the man stoutly denies the charge and declares the ring to be his own. To clear up all doubt, pray come at once to tbe police-station, or send the duplicate ring by bearer.” To draw the second ring from the finger and entrust it joylully to the messenger—a fine fellow in full police uniform, together with a handsome “tip,” for the glorious news, was the work of a moment. Only when my lady an hour later betook, herself radiant to the police-station to recover her jewels, a slight mistake came to light. “Well, my rings? I could not come myself the instant I got your letter,” “What letter, madame?” Denouement! Tableau No. 2! The thief had got them both.

Neighborhood Gossip. The following is from Charles Dudley Warner’s address before the American Social Science Congress on the American newspaper: Perhaps the most striking feature of the American newspaper, especially of the country weekly, is its enormous developement of local and neighbor news. It is of recent date. Horace Greeiy used to advise the country editors to give small space to the general news of the world, but to cultivate assiduously the home field, to glean every possible detail of private life in the circuit of the county and print it. The advice was shrewd for a metropolitan editor, and it was not without its profit to the country editor. It was founded on a deep knowledge of human nature; namely upon the fact that people read most eagerly that which they already know, if it is about themselves or their neighbors, if it is a report of something that they have been concerned in, a lecture they have heard, a fair, or festival, or wedding, or funeral, or barn raising they have attended. The result is column after column of short paragraphs of gossip and trivalties, chips, chips, chips. Mr. Sales is contemplating erecting a new counter in bis store; his rival opposite has a new sign ; Miss Bumps, of Gath, is visiting her cousin, Miss Smith, of Bozrah; the sheriff has painted his fence; Farmer Brown has lost a cow; the eminent member from Neopolis has put an L on one end of his mansion and a mortgage on the other. On the face of it nothing is so vapid and profitless as column after column of this reading. These “items” have very little interest except to those who already know the facts. But those concerned like to see them in print, and take the newspaper on that account.

A preposterous story is published by a French periodical which, from its name—Siccle Medicale —ought to be superior to such temptations, of a man who, desiring to commit suicide, drove a poniard up to the hilt into his head with a mallet. To his surprise and mortification, so far from failing dead in his tracks, be experienced no disagreeable sensation whatever. Realizing that discovery would be embarrassing, he endeavored to pul l out the poniard, but it would not yield to his efforts. At last he was compelled to summon physicians, but neither singly’ nor all together could they’ start the dagger, which was so firmly wedged that the wouldbe suicide was easily lifted from his feet by its hilt. Tbe man was ultimately taken to a workshop in the neighborhood, accompanied by the medical gentlemen, and there he was seated on the floor, held down in a sitting posture by two persons, while mechanical force was used to draw the weapon from the skull. The operation was no sooner over than the patient rose to his feet, thanked the doctors for their attention, and prepared to take his leave. But for fear of subsequent complications, he was sent to the hospital and kept their for a week. Nothing ensuing to cause alarm, he was sent home, leaving scientific men to rack theig brains over the problem his singular case presented. Pennsylvania will send 700 troops to the Yorktown centennial celebration.

> INDIANA. Many farmers are busy sowinggrass and seed wheat. Wheat sowing is in full blast ! throughout the State. Boonville doctors report on increas ed amount of sickness. Squirrels are quite numerous in the woods of Dubois county. An old man aged 83 married his seventh wife at Montezuma last week The Second District Editorial Con vention at Vincennes was slirnly attended. It is said that Park County has lost at least seventy of her best citizens recently. Cau e: Kansas emigration. Col. N. P. Richmond has been appointed mayor of Kokomo until the election takes place, vice H. C. Cole, recently murdered. A. L. Patterson, of Francisville, who was attending the fair at Delphi, 'as found drowned in the creekDrunkenness is the supposed cause. ‘•Pink-eye,” the new horse disease, has been raging in Peru for about a fortnight, ami has about run its course. Several animals have died. The elevators in Rochester, belonging to Baxter & Bro., containing .0,000 bushels of wheat, burned. Loss, about $2u,000; insurance about SIO,OOO. The Evansville Tribune was sold at public auction to the highest bidder, P. V. Jones & Co., through Hiram E. Read, being the purchasers. The price paid was $4,200. A daughter of Thomas Tern, of Noblesville, came near being burned to death, by her clothing igniting from the explosion of some chemicals, with which she was playing. Stella Palmer, aged fourteen daughter of J. W. Palmer, Esq., of (Bedford, retired to bed in good health, and in four hours afterward was a corpse. Cause, a broken blood vessel. Grub-worms and grass hoppers have done a great deal of injury to the growing wheat in Wabash county. Some fields are almost bare. Much ground will have to be sown again. James Hubank, an unmarried man, about twenty-four years ole, who live., near Whitestown, Boone county, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head with a gnu. Thomas Hughes, of Blue River, climbed a chestnut tree to beat off chestnuts and missed bis footing and fell to the ground, breaking his right arm and otherwise injuring himself. Joel P. Heat whole, formerly of the Middlebury Record, has purchased one-half interest in the Goshen Times and will at once enter npon the discharge of hisduties as associate editor and part propr.etor. Thomas Smith,of Sweetzer, a small station on the Columbus division of the Panhandle, was instantly killed i while attempting to get off a moving < passenger train at Converse, Satur- I day. He was drunk. Some time ago George McCord, of ' Alfordsville, Ind-, committed a rape and otherwise injured the person of Mrs. Allen, of the same place, Daviess county. On Thursday the culprit was sentenced to be confined eighteen ‘ years in the penitentiary.

A Wabash section-hand named Sulliv.in, who was standing near the track when a train was passing in the railroad yardr, at Lafayette, was knocked down by the cars and fell on the track, the engine passing over him severing his head from his body. The bones of a mammoth have just been discovered about twelve miles southeast of Wabash, on the farm of Abraham Oliver, at a depth of six feet. The tusks are beautiful specimens, measuring eleven feet in length The teeth weigh seven pounds each. There is in Wayne county a regular organized gang of thieves, who carry on their operations boldly and constantly. Near Franklin tombstones have been desecrated, hogs killed and chickens and clothing stolen. One man had two hundred and twentyfive chickens taken, and another several sacks of flour. Robberies take place every’ night. During the present low stages of water in the Ohio river the lowest known in the past sixty years—a force of about 400 men is employed in blasting out the channel of the Indiana chute over the falls, which is on the Indiana side of the river. When tlie work is completed it is hoped the channel will be deepened two feet, which will admit of the passage of boats through it in an ordinary’ low stage of the river. Two clear cases of hydrophobia have occurred within ten miles of Rochester in the past two months. Mrs. David Fentres was bitten by a small lap dog about the first of July, and after lingering until the first of September, died, exhibiting every symptom of hydrophobia, growling’ and narking, and could only be held in subjection by the combined effort of six men. About the middle of August her husband was bitten by the same dog, and his symptoms are similar to those exhibited by his wife. His death is expected at almost any hour. Anthony Watson, from Jay County, reported at Cincinnati police headquarters last week, that he had been robbed of $lO6 in money while asleep in the hall at Reid’s Hotel. The facts as ascertained at the hotel, are that Watson and wife, in order to save in board, refused to secure a room until midnight. His wife was given a room with some ladies, and Watson threw himself on a cot in the hall, without the landlord’s knowledge. This morning his money was gone, but his railroad ticket and a draft for SIOO were left.

A Ladies Pet Fishes. There lives in Sandwich, Mass., on 1 the borders of the most charming 1 lakes in America, Mrs. F. 11. Burgess. ] It has been her custom once or twice ' a day for quite a period to feed the > fish of this lake, and a few days ago ’ we chanced to be favored with an in- ! vitation to witness this novel feast. 1 She first splashes the water with her < hand, when in a moment there may 1 be seen approaching from every direc- ( tion hundreds of large shiners, then 1 eels, varying in size from one to about 1 three feet in length, may lie seen cau- 1 tiously approaching. 'Next turtles ' appear on the surface, ten, twenty 1 and thirty feet away, their neck's 1 stretched apparently to see whether it is a friend or foe, who is disturbing the waters. In less than three minutes these various spe ies had col lected directly before her, and as she commenced to feed the water was fairly alive with them. They take bread directly from her hands, •• nd turtles would allow her to take them entirely out of the water, and while she held them in one hand they would eat with the greatest voracity from the other. Buttheeels amused us most, There was one she called Ruinn, measuring about three feet in

NUMBER 28.

length, that repeatedly came to the surface, and would glide back and forth through be, hands, and several times she lifted him out of the water, but he was careful to keep his head under. He seemed to fee l that she would take no undue liberties with him so lorn-as its head .vasin its natural element, but the moment he saw daylight he would dart back as only an eel eould. Another small one, about a foot in length, seemed to be particularly fond of her caresses and could be handled about as she pleased, it being underst >od that he wa storemain under water though.—Marlborough, Mass., Union Journal.

, bones of a mastodon . Or Some Other Enormous Animal, ‘Dis- ) covered while Digging a Well. HuPtiniton Herald. The people in the eastern andsouth- ' era parts of the county have been aroused from their wonted lethargy by a discovery made r few days ago, while workmen were engaged in dig- ■ ging a well. This discovery goes to show that Huntington county is not ’ behind th rest of the world when it comes down to interesting facts, and also, tiiat when the great animals of the universe were out on a parade, sniffing the pure air of freedom, and were “monarchs of all they surveyed,” a few, or at least one of these monsters, by some hook or crook, got down into Huntington county and there died. Whether this beast was stricken down in the prime of life, or whether by choiee, in its old age ,it sought the quiets of Huntington’s, forests, to peacefully lay itself down with nothing to disturb its last moments on this green, ami no doubt at this time damp, earth, or whether it was down this way at some time on an excursion, and was stricken with the Indiana ague and died before it eould get home, will probably never be known. Certain it is that its bones have now been relentlessly torn from their last resting place, and portions of them now adorn the smoke-house of one of our citizens On Tuesday of last week, workmen were busily engaged in digging a well in a swamp on the farm of Mr Abe Oliver, situated one mile south and one east of Plum Tree. The long continued drought had forced Mr. Oliver to add to his water supply and choosing a low, marshy piece of ground which during the wet season of the year is tilled with water, but at that time of the year was perfectly dry, as a place where the much-needed fluid would be likely to be found in abundance at no great depths, he set his men at work. When about five feet below the surface of the earth, the pick of the digger suddenly struck something hard, and a few shovel fulls of dirt being thrown out, a sight met his gaze which created great astonishment. It was nothing less than a portion of an enormous skeleton. The men set to work in earnest to bring more of this mass of bones within range of their optics, and within a short time much more was exposed to view. Although they were unable to get a sight at anything near the entire skeleton, yet they did see enough to add greatly to their curiosity. The bones of the head, which seemed to all be in position when first found, is described as being as large as a flour barrel, while two teeth taked from the jaw-bone weighed respectively 7% and Sjj, pounds. As the work of exhuming the remains proceeded, they found a rib four feet and two inches in length and contrary to the general rule of ribs, this one stood edgewise instead of sidewise. Course of the tusks or horns of the animal, were traced to a length of eleven feet, and a portion of one which was taken out, ami which was four feet in length, weighed eighty pounds. These projections from the head are thought to be regular horns, although they are not hollow. A bone, which is supposed to have extended from the knee to what would be called, in a four footed animal, the pasture joint, is three feet in length. This would serve to show that the animal was a high stepper when he did step. The work of exhumation g>es steadily on, while the place is being visited daily by great crowds of people, all anxious to take a look at the bones of an animal they would not care to have met when he stood on bis pins and was in fighting order. On Sunday a great crowd was over to the place expecting to see the curiosity, but Mr. Oliver thinking the day Would bring out a crowd quietly locked the bones up in a smoke-house, and went visiting. The excitement has by no means abated, and all are curious to know how the animal came there, what it was and how long it had been there, questions that we haven’t time nor space to answer.

A Hindoo Magician. A correspondent at- Madras writes: A beautiful young Rajput of twenty, by name Padmasing, who came here a fortnight ago, gave his first performance last Saturday. The place was well crowded. The young man began the performance by playing on the fiddle, the exquisiteness of which lamat a loss to describe. It was the grandest performance I ever heard. There was a small tent about a yard and a half in hight in the center of I the house where the performance was |to be given. This was made up of i four iron bars, joined by rattans; the I base formed a square, and ihe top of l it was a dome made up of sticks. The tent had a red satin cover. The construction of this tent, or whatever you may call it, was such that it could be taken to pieces and adjusted in a minute. Then came the “Dusavathanum.” This was done by playing ten kinds of musical instruments. We had the tent examined, and foundnothing inside. j The young man entered it, ane took in the instruments that were outside. All these instruments were played upon at the same time, accompanied by singing bv the young man alone. Then all the instruments were taken out, he remaining inside Scarcely a few minutes after there was a noise of brass vessels. Immediately followed the no’se of water being poured from one vessel to another. Shortly after he threw out two cloths, one he wore at the time he entered the tent and another. At last the tent was taken to pieces when we found the young man dressed like a beautiful damsel and decorated with, flowers and jewels after the fashion of Hindoo dancing girls, and wearing white muslin with lace borders, and a violet bodice, the contents of which a constable tried to examine. Before be entered he had three tufts; when he came out his head was like a female’s The general belief of the Hindoos is that it is all done by the spirits. The New York chamber of commerce proposes to entertain the ! L reO v‘ Other forei K u guests of i the Yorktown centennial commiti tee.