Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1891 — Page 3

KILLING AN INDUSTRY.

EFFECT OF THE M’KINLEY LAW ON MOLASSES BOILING. Philadelphia Molasses Boilers In Danger— Chartering a Line of Steamers—A Lost Which Will Be the Country’s Cain. There is one American industry which «ays that it will be killed by the McKinley law. This is molasses boiling. 'The boilers are located principally in Philadelphia, where they have a capital of -$3, 000,000,000 invested. Their method ■of operation has been to import a low ■grade of molasses from Cuba, on which the dyty was six cents a gallon. From each gallon six pounds of raw sugar is produced, the duty on which, if imported directly, would be sixteen cents and a fraction. This gave a saving of ten -cents a gallon in tariff taxes to the boilers and enabled them to do business at -a profit. The residue left from boiling was also sold to the manufacturers of rum.. thus Still further enhancing the profit. Now, however, sugar goes on the free list, aijd the Philadelphia boilers will be placed' in a very bad position. The cheap raw sugar of Cuba will come into the country free, provided President Harrison will permit it* and the boilers will be put to their trumps to compete with it Furthermore; it is stated that next year the importers in Cuba, who have been buying largely of American machinery, will do their own work by boiling on the plantations, and thus save not only transportation to the shipboard but stevedoring, and leave the plants in Philadelphia without any work at all to do. Under these circumstances the boilers say that when the new law goes into effect their profits are gone, and that their $3,000,000 plants are also gone. However, they mean to die game. They have-chartered a whole line of steamers and sailing vessels to transport molasses from Cuba to Philadelphia by the tank system, thus laying it down in Philadelphia at a freight cost of two cents a gallon. But if the McKinley law kills the molasses boiling industry, that will not necessarily add anything to the bad record of that bad measure. On the contrary, by showing that we can get along without boiling Cuban molasses, it will prove that we may even gain by losing an industry. If the Philadelphia boilers are compelled to retire from business be because of the “flood” of cheap sugar coming into the country; but this cheap sugar is precisely the thing we want. It Is not the production of cheap sugar that is necessary for us, it is the cheap sugar itself that we want. The possession and enjoyment of commodities is the end and aim of all labor. Why, then, should we lament the loss of an industry when the product of thatrindustry is to be put down to us at a lower cost? Lower cost means less labor. But why not get commodities from foreign countries at less labor cost when making these commodities at home involves greater labor? This is the problem presented in every article of the tariff law which is protective. The final cost of any commodity to the country is the cost to the consumer. How much labour must a farmer on the plains perform in order to get a barrel of sugar? That is a greater question than the interests of the Philadelphia boilers or the Louisiana sugar farmers, for there are a thousand consumers of sugar to one producer. If the McKinley law, therefore, closes out every molasses-boiling establishment in Philadelphia, by giving us free sugar, it will do a good service to the country by showing that it is sometimes cheaper to kill off a home industry in order to get a cheaper and better product in a foreign country. It is a violent remedy, but it is worth trying, in order to show the people conclusively that the tariff is a tax, and that there are some industries which exist by drawing this tariff from the pockets of the consumers. If the McKinley law does this it will perform at least one excellent service.

Woman's Work in Pittsburg.

One of the piteous tales that protected manufacturers often tell before the committees of Congress is that in Europe women are often employed to do the work of men. They are quite sure that free-born American workingmen cannot compete with Europe’s pauper women. But it appears that Europe is not the only part of the world where, in the sharp struggle for existence, the manufacturers put women to doing men’s work. Our own Pittsburg, where, perhaps, more protected industries to the square mile are concentrated than anywhere else in America, has a little tale of its own, which can match those which our manufacturers can tell about Europe. According to a recent report to the Workingmen’s Society in New York, about five hundred women are employed in the great iron foundries in Pittsburg in “capping” bolts and nails. For this work the men have been receiving from sl4 to sl6 a week. The women are paid from $4 to $5 a week, and are glad to get it. This is one of the features of protection to American industry, in driving men out of employment for which their strength fits them and substituting the cheap labor of weak and delicate women. Pittsburg has more millionaire lpanufacturers than any other city of its size in *the country; but that fact does not prevent the very thing which the protectionists claim as the special achievement of protection. To prevent degradation of American labor. Americaii manhood and womanhood, is the worthy object they say they have in view. Does protection accomplish that object in highly protected Pittsburg?

Canada’s Pauper Ice.

Cold weather is much more abundant and cheap in Cahada than in the United States. In fact, that country is such a “dumping ground” for the pauper ice product of old winter, that an Ohio ice company has taken it into its head that there must be a protective duty put on Canadian ice. A petition to that effect was recently sent to Maj. McKinley by the Spring Lake Ice Company, of Toledo, Ohio. But McKinley did not act. Perhaps the poor man i 3 confused in nis mind as to the actual effects of his famous tariff law, so many of his party organs are trying to prove that his high tariff has reduced the price of manufactures, but has raised the price of agricultural products. Ice being neither a farm product nor a manufactured article, it would doubtless be difficult for McKinley to tell what effect a duty on ice would have. Perhaps, too, he concluded that if he had put a duty on ice, the wicked Canadians would have paid it, aad then the Toledo company would have got no good from it. At any rate McKinley did not. act, and now Congress

has gone home, and McKinley has passed off the stage. There will never be a duty on ice. The time has come for the tariff wall to “melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew. *

THE HAND-TO-HAND CLUB.

It Will Issue s Half Million Copies ol ‘•Protection or Free Trade.” The Hand-to-Hand Club is the name of a unique organization, the President of which is Mr. Logan Carlisle, son of Senator Carlisle, of Kentucky, and the Secretary Mr. W. T. Atkinson', 42 University place, New York. The object of this club is to get out a cheap edition of “Protection or Free Trade. ” It is proposed to issue an edition of 500,000 CQpies, the first 100,000 of which being already in press. It is proposed to sell the book to advance subscribers at the remarkably low price of 10 cents per copy. As the work covers more than 200 pages, it will be seen that it is a remarkable triumph of the book-maker’s art to produce it at this extremely low price. No work is better calculated to teach sound ideas than “Protection or Free Trade.” It is written in a simple style, its arguments are such as the average reading public will readily 'grasp, and its refutation of the protectionist heresy is so complete as to carry conyiction to to all opeq minds. Now is the time to give the widest possible circulation to Henry GeoFge’s book. As Mr. Logan Carlislo-says: “It is certainly the duty of every Democrat who is in accord with his Darty to assist

Man-not-afraid-of-his-horsos-or-anything-else takes a little turn in the arena, with old-time vigor, vim and courage.

in this educational work of the Hand-to-hand Club, since it is in a line with what must be done by Democrats to achieve success in 1892. The idea that the people can be educated in ninety days has been demonstrated to be an erroneous one. As a matter of economy, also, the work must be done now. One-half the money that is spent foolishly and feverishly in the heat of a campaign can now be spent for 1891 to better and more lasting effect in educating the people in sound economic principles.” The favor with which the plan of the Hand-to-Hand dub has been received may be seen from the fact that the Democrats and tariff reformers of Michigan have pledged themselves to subscribe for and distribute at least 50,000 copies of “Protection or Free Trade?” Mr. A. B. Farquhar, a great manufacturer of agricultural implements at York, Pa., has subscribed for 2,500 for distribution in'his State, and one gentleman in Boston has taken 5,000 copies. Earnest tariff reformers throughout the country canno(b do a better service to the cause of tariff reduction and abolition than to get up clubs of subscribers for “Protection or Free Trade?” The book will be sent to advance subscribers at ten cents a copy, postage paid. Let everybody lend a hand.

An English Opinion of McKinleylsm.

W. S. Lilly, the eminent English essayist, has an article in the March Forum, in which he expresses his opinion of the McKinley law in very forcible terms. Mr. Lilly is evidently no believer in the Cobden typo of free trade, to which he refers contemptuously as “Cobden’s freetrade nostrum and calico millennium. ” Indeed the writer goes to the length of saying: “That weighty political considerations may be urged on behalf qf a protectionist policy in America, and, indeed, in most ether countries, I am far from denying.” This sounds very much like an indorsement of one of the familiar positions of the protectionists. Mr. Lilly, however, does not bolieve that any such “weighty political considerations” had any part in the passing of the McKinley bill. This is his opinion of the McKinley law: “Here is a measure which impoverishes the largest industry in the Republic, which sensibly increases the cost of living, which confers upon the President the power of imposing or remitting taxes to the amount of fifty or sixty million dollars annua'ly; a power certainly exercised by no European monarch. And what Is the explanation of this singular measure? As lam informed, the explanation Is simply this: that It has been devised In order to put money into the already overflowing purses of a gang of monopolists, and driven through the two houses by the most nefarious means. * * * * * There seems to be irrefragable evidence that the American people is in hopeless bondage to pdrlmpt wirepullers, and is sold them, with hardly the pretense of concealment, to wealthy robbers—the financiers of speculative trusts and rings, which are really nothing else but organized and state-pro-tected swindling.”

A Tariff Dictionary.

Messrs. R. F. Downing & €O. of New York, have issued a handbook of the tariff, which gives in alphabetical order almost every possible article falling under the tariff law. Even articles not

enumerated in the tariff lawiAnd falling under such general provisions as manufactures of iron and steel, of cotton, wool, etc., are here given at their proper places, and with the McKinley duty on them. Opposite on the margin of the page is given the number of the section in the law under which each article falls. The volume includes also the complete text of the McKinley tariff law and the customs administrative law. There is nothing like this little work to give one a quick and accurate answer to questions as to the duties in the new tariff law. The book bears the title “Downing’s United States’ Customs Tariff,” and is sent to part of the country by mail for $1.50.

The preposterous claim is made by the protectionists that our farmers get greater advantages out of our high protective tariff than anbody else. Let us see. If they get a greater advantage than the manufacturers agriculture ought certainly to show a more rapid growth than manufacturing industries. If farming has the. chief advantage from the tariff, and if protection be the most excellent thing that the McKinleyites claim that it is, then it must follow as a natural consequence that many people will bo attracted to agriculture. The farmers’ sons will stick to the farm, other people’s sous will take up farming; and thus the more favored industry must inevitably show the greater relative growth. A real advantage is bound to attract people who want to make money; and a greater growth is necessarily -the result. If this result

SHOWS HIS METAL.

does not follow, the advantage claimed is thereby proved to be purely imaginary. Two years ago Michael G. Mulhall, the famous statistician, prepared a paper showing the relative growth of American industries. The paper contained a computation as to the relative increase in population, commerce, manufactures, agriculture, railroads, shipping, banking, and steam power in the United States from 1850 to 1888. Mr. Mftlhall adopted the returns of the Federal census for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880, and supplemented them by figures collected from official and other sources down ; to the close of 1888, and which were doubtless quite as accurate as the census returns. The showing made by these computations gave the following percentages of increase in thirty-eight years in the different lines: Percentage ot Increase. Bailroads 1,000 Banking. goo Steam penrer 685 Manufactures 408 Commerce 315 Agriculture..: 252 Shipping.. 74 Population 170 While manufactures increased 408 per cent agriculture increased only 252 1 er cent. And yet say the protectionists, “the farmer gets the chief benefit from the protective tariff.”

McKinley Protecting Englishmen.

The protectionists are rejoicing that the McKinley duty of four cents a pound on pig iron, which does not go into effect till July 1, 1893, is already bearing fruit. This is the tin mine at Temescal, Cal., of which they give glowing descriptions. They quote Congressman W. W. Bowers, of their State, as saying: “There is no doubt that there are millions of tons of the richest tin ore in the world at Temescal. ” The organs give the result of the analysis of the ore which has L>en made In England. The ore, we are told, averages 20 per cent, of tin, some as high as 70, and none lower than 10 per cent; and that the average in Cornwall is only IX per cent.—to which assertion the organ puts an exclamation point of pity. But the last piece of information they give us is significant—these Temefecal mines have been gobbled up by a $27,000,000 English syndicate. What a rare sight! McKinley “protecting” the English owners of “millions of tons of the richest tin ore in the world” against heir own pauper tin in Cornwall! When Dr. Koch’s lymph was first brought into this country it was admitted without the payment of duty. Recently, however, the New York custom house officers have seized a package containing less than a tablespoonful of the lymph. The customs appraisers put their heads together, set a value of $6 on it, and made the doctor turn over $1.50 duty. Which means that a tariff is a device to prevent us from getting the things we need. Hebe is a case showing how tightly the tariff wail is built. A German steamer recently broke its steel shaft and .put into Baltimore for repairs. A new shaft was cabled for from Bremen, aDd when it came, although intended for a foreign vessel, Uncle Sam took the usual amount of duty. Not only must we protect our own sacred home market, but we must give the foreigner a slap io the face when we can.

Increase or Farming.

INDIANA RIGHT IN IT,

IN THIS COLUMN WHICH GIVES ALL ITS NEWS. Three Hollers Explode In a Coal MineMysterious Death at Columbus—Curious Marriage Contract—Death of a PioneerDeaths, Suicides, and Accidents. “Gold Bricks” of Solid Brass. Chief of Police Robinson, at Muncie, found the two alleged gold bricks used in the attempted swindle of Uriah C. Vermillion and his son Jesse, in that city, in the United States Express office, and seized them as gambling devices. The bricks were taken to a jeweler, and found to be of solid brass, covered with gold foil, each weighing thirty-five pounds. Several small auger holes were found In each brick, and the filings that are pronounced fourteen-carat gold are supposed to have been smelted in the holes, tnat were easily located by tile Sharpers. The express agent says the “castings,” as they were consigned, were shipped there two days since. A man called for them, but hours later returned them to the office and disappeared. It Is now known that the two gold-brick swindlers who came so near capturing the Vermillions are none other than Ed Post and Doc Baggs, the notorious swindlers who made recent victims at Lawrenceburg and Washington C. H., Ohio. Minor State Item*. —W. P. McCluro, of Liberty Township, Warrick County, was found dead in bed. —A syndicate with $1,000,000 capital has been formed to boom Linwood, Madison County. —The church denomination of the Friends will erect a budding at Paoli this summer. —Senica Armstrong, the oldost and best known horseman in Indiana, died at his home in Rushville. —lndianans own more property to the man than is owned in any other State in the Union, statistics say. —Mrs. Jesse L. Williams, in her will, gives $12,000 to the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne. —Joseph Augh’s barn at Frankfort was burned by an incendiary, and a horse valued at .SSOO perished. —The eighth annual reunion of the Thirtieth Indiana Veteran Association will be hold at Goshen April 7. —Taylor Eads, janitor of a Greoncastle school building, was shot at twice in the darkness, but escaped uhliurt. —George Curtis, a deaf mute, was struck and killed by a train while walking on a railway track at Danville. —An immense cave, as yet unexplored, has been discovered in Owen County, 011 the farm of J. W. Becm, near Spencer. —The drv goods store of Byram & Sullivan, at Indianapolis, was destroyed by fire. Several other firms lost heavily by smoke and water. —lsabel Shafer, a lunatic, confined temporarily in the Brown County Jail, set lire to the structure and narrowly escaped cremation. —An eight-foot fly-wheel burst in the Northern rolling-mill at Terre Haute. Though the mill was full of workmen nobody was hurt. —A wreck on the Evansville and Rlchat Kurtz’s Station is reported, in which it is said one man was killed and three injured. —The Strawboard Company, at Noblosville, say they don’t empty poisonous substance enough into White River to cauijg any bad results. —Grafton Johnson’s safe was blown open at Greenwood, robbers procuring some small change. This safe has been blown open four times the past fifteen years. —Alex. Milburg, vardmaster of the Air-line at Huntingburg, was knocked off an engine and seriously injured. Part of his heels were cut off and his back badly sprained. 4 —The new officers of the Waveland Horsethief Detective Association are as follows: President, J. O. McCormick; Vice President, John Robertson; Secretary and attorney, L. E. Acker. —John Payne, a private watchman at Jeffersonville, was assaulted by Micthell Moorman, whom he was trying to arrest. His skull was fractured and ho was stabbed several times in the breast. —While returning home, intoxicated, George Graves, a well-to-do farmer, of McGrawsvllle, fell asleep on the Pennsylvania tracks. His mutilated remains were found along the track next morning. —William Mullen, formerly employed by the Norton Creek Coal and Mining Company, No. 2, of Clinton, disappeared on the morning of Feb. 15. The other night his body was found in a creek near Geneva. ’ —Mrs. Edward Lashon, of Lebanon, committed suicide by cutting her throat with a butcher knife. Her reason had become dethroned on account of the recent death of her son. She leaves three small children. —The Ministerial Association of the Crawfprdsville district of the Methodist Chiirch will hold a meeting at Crawfordsville, on April 14, 15 and 16. Among those who will deliver addresses will be Bishop I. W. Joyce, of Cincinnati. —John Sheets, a brakeman on the Chicago and Indiana coal road, was killed at Pine Village. He fell from the top of a car and was cut into four pieces. He resided at Attica, and leaves a family. —John Strombaugh,a long-time convict from Logansport In the Prison North, attacked Ed. Carroll, another convict, against whom he held an old grudge, and inflicted several knife wounds, likely to prove fatal. Robert King, an Indianapolis convict, played the part of peacemaker and was badly carved.

—Addison Carter, residing near Liberty, shot Oliver Stenton, a neighbor, iu the breast, inflicting a dangerous wound. The quarrel originated over a dog. —The body of John Wittcnbech, a citizen of Rockport, and formerly Superintendent of, the County Public Schools, was found near the railroad, about eighteen miles from that city. His watch an papers were unmolested. An investigation proved that he had been dead a week. His death is a mystery so far. '—Tho body of William Mullen, general secretary of the Miners’ Federation at Geneva, Vermillion County, who was found short in his accounts, and who disappeared two weeks ago, was found frozen in the ice in a creek. The Coroner is investigating the case, and there is a difference, opinion as to whether it is suicide or murder. —John Johnson, a Swede, 25 years old, was out sleigh-riding atSbutli Bend, and was driving alongside the Chicago & Grand Trunk road, when an approaching train scared his horse, throwing the sleigh, horse and Johnson against tho engine. Johnson was frightfully bruised, his shoulder dislocated and his neck broken. He died in a few minutes. The horso was injured and had to bo killed. —Charles Leibfried, aged 30 years, proprietor of the Central saloon, at Columbus, was found dead in his room. Henry Schnurr, a former proprietor of tho same saloon, fell dead in tho doorway, and six months later his brother, John Schnurr, committed suicide by shooting a pistol ball through his heart. Three years later George Phillips, the next proprietor of this saloon, died suddenly. Thus four consecutive proprietors of tho samo saloon havo died violent and mysterious deaths. —John Wells, a young man, was driven from some charcoal kilns he was attending near Washington, by masked men.- They left a bundle of switches on which a piece of paper was tacked bearing a warning to Wells to leavo tho country. , As he feared to return the kilns caugftt fire and were destroyed, Samuel Brown, the owner, has employed Judge T. C. Crutcher to begin civil proceedings against tho night-riders to recover damages. They are said to be prominent farmers.

—Fort Wayne and surrounding villages has been infested with two gangs of burglars, who have done a thieving business, but they havo come to grief. Dempsey and O’Neil, two Chicago thieves, were arrested and a quantity of stolon goods were found in their possession. Tom McNally and a son of ’Squire Tancey, both of Fort Wayne, broke into three stores. At tho last place, Henry Busching’s grocery, they were confronted by three clerks, who opened fire on thorn with revolvers and shot McNally through the hip. —A curious instrument of writing exists in Jay County which does not appear of record, but which, if recorded, would create tho livliost breeze that has happened around Dunkirk in a long time. It appears that two early lovers failed, foi some reason unexplained, to marry, but married others. Lately a written agreement has boon signed up, In absolute secrecy, providing for their future marriage to each other, in the event they survive their present companions. This contract further provides a liquidated damage of $5,000 upon of contract, as provided. They set forth in their contract that, owing to respect for children, etc., no divorce shall be asked for, but that they shall trust in providence to remove present unwelcome stayers. —Rather a remarkable case has developed at Terre Haute by tho filing of the suit of Anthony Fuller vs. Alovia J. Fuller, for divorce. Fuller lives south of Terre Haute on a farm, and during a visit to the city recently ho discovered that he was the husband of two women. The affair came about in this way: In 1865 Fuller brought suit in the Clark County, Illinois, courts, for divorce from his wife, Alovia. For somo reason the case was dismissed from court, but iller’s lawyer told him that the divorce i.ad been granted and collected a fee. Fuller married a few years later and is now the father of several children by his second wife. As soon as ho discovered his predicament he at once instituted di vorco proceedings against his first wife, who now turns up as a defiant disturber of tho peace. —Gov. Hovey has appointed Col. Ivan N. Walker, of Indianapolis, and Josiah L. Gwinn, of New Albany, Tax Commissioners. Col. Walker, a Republican, is prominent in Grand Army circles, having been for the past six years Assistant Department Adjutant-General for Indiana. He for years held responsible positions in the County Auditor’s office, and is well posted In the line of work that will probably be required of him. Ho was his party’s candidate for Auditorof State at the last election. Josiah L. Gwinn, Democrat, ik a native of Harrison County, and In his boyhood learned the printers’ trade in the office of the New Albany Democrat. In 1863 he was assistant postmaster at that city, and in 1860 was elected Recorder of Floyd County, in which office he served two terms. He is now pcoprietor of the Truth-Teller, and one of the Trustees for tho Hospital for the Insane at Evansville. —Robert Westcrfield fell from a haymow near Danville, and was impaled upon the broken end of a pitchrfork, suffering fatal injury. —Albert Laws, of Lewis Creek Station, who was found with his brains blown out, left a letter saying that his suicide was due to physical infirmities. —Sarah, widow of George W. Leitz, of Muncie, suddenly died of heart disease, aged 63. She resided there sixty years, and was the wife of one of tho Stare's well-known politicians.

INDIANA LEGISLATURE.

No business of importance was transacted in either branch of the Legislature, Feb. 28. There was a wrangle In tho Sehate over tho suburban railroad bill, and the Houso passed a few bills to a third reading. In the Senate, Mar. 2, the majority report on Indianapolis’ charter was defeated and restored to Its normal condition; Barnes-Loveland contest decided in favor of Loveland. The following bills were passed: Providing lor the turning of the proceeds of the sale of lands belonging to the State into the school fund; appropriating $45,525.02 foe the completion and equipment of tho Southern Hospital for the Insane; enabling the Chicago Stocksyard Company to acquire property, etc., in Lake County for the operation of its business. In the House—Appropriation bill considered in committee of tho whole; investigating committee on Richmond asylum reported. The following, bills were passed: Authorizing Marlon* County toissue $150,000 bonds to build a now jail; requiring corporations and associations, firms and persons engaged in mining and manufacturing to pay their employes once every two weeks; to prevent and) punish fraudulent entries in horse-races; amending tho Barrett law; prohibiting agents from placing insurance in oompanies not authorized by law to do business in this State, and providing that if insurance is so placed, and the companies in question fail to pay losses, the insured may recover from tho agon ts who placed tho insurance; amending an act relating to decedents’ ostates by providing that tho husband can either take one-third of Ills deceased wife’s estate or what tho will gives him; empowering tho trustees of tlio Schocl for Feebleminded Youth to fix the salaries of superintendent, principal and matron at not more than $1,500, $750, and S6OO, respectively, and providing that no child over sixteen years old shall bo received as a ward of tho institution; creating boards of trustees of firemen’s pension funds in all cities having paid lire departments; applying the provisions of tho Barrett law to the construction of drains; exempting Union soldiers and sailors from working on tho public highways. In the Senate, March 8, tho following was passed: The City Charter bill for Indianapolis, practically as it eatne from the House; fee and salary legislative apportionment; substitute for Inman liability bill. House—Amendments to charter bill concurred in. BUI to raise State levy from 12 to 18 cents passed. Torre Haute metropolitan police bill passed over Governor’s veto. World’s Fair appropriation cut down to $45,000. In the Senate March 4, bills passed appropriating $57,000 for Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home; amonding election law so as to permit use of pasters; providing for the industrial education of the deaf and dumb, blind and feeble-minded by teachers and abolishing present contract system. House—Two-cent railroad fare bill passed. Resolution compelling tempercnce committee to report, adopted. Constitutional amendments all right. Fee and salary bill in conference. In tho Senate March 5, tho law exempting lots of more than five acres from city taxation repealed. Bills passed, appropriating $20,000 to complote tho soldiers’ monument;also,levy of % centon each SIOO worth of taxablo property; for additional levy of 6 Conti tot support of benevolent institutions; legislative and congressional apportionment bills passed over the Governor's veto. House -rr- Congressional apportionment bill passed; also legislative apportionment bill over Governor’s veto. Appropriation ready to go through. Fee and salary bill agreed tp by both houses March 6. Senate —The Kelley railroad insurance bill again fails because of lack of constitutional majority, several members dodging the vote; appropriation of $17,500 for Deaf and Dumb Asylum; bills passed authorizing special levy for establishing Industrial school in Indianapolis; making it a penitentiary offense for officers of banks to accept deposits when such banks are known by them to bo insolvent; non-concurred in action of the House in reducing world’s fair appropriation to $45,000. House— World’s fair appropriation bills passed; also congressional apportionment bill over Governor’s veto

The Mate to the “Mark Twain.”

The first mate of the vessel, he of thefur cap, was a character. It was appropriate to find him in the “Mark Twain.” He was bald and looked very old, but declared he was thirty. “Es you had been through what I liev, my trnvelin’ stranger,” quoth he, “yon too would look like an example-of the longest kind of longp-geviifcy. My name figures prominently in history. I’ve been published in four hundred and thirty-nine newspapers and one almanac. I’ve been blown up by steamboats in twenty-two States and several Territories. On most occasions, everybody on board perished, except myself. Pieces of my skull is layin’ round loose all up and down this river, and numerous of its tributaries. Awful? Yes. Once I was on board the “Obiona." I knew we were goin’ to bust that aternoon, for it was about bustin’ time with me, and bust we did. When I come down I couldn’t find nothin’. Everything had blowed to dust, or gone so fur that nothin’ was within visible distance. But, bless you!—that’s nothin’. Minor catasterfies? Oh, yes. Once we smashed a wheel against a snag. Of course, when we progressed we went round and ronnd, and so went round and round all the way down to New Orleans, describin’ circles the whole time. We all got orful headaches owin’ to the centripital tendency of the periphery.— Mark_Twain. At the carpet store—He—What do you think of this carpet I have selected for yon, my dear ? She (enthusiastically)—lt would be hardi to beat, my love.

Abraham’s Birthplace.

Not far from Aleppo is situated the little village of Orfah (the ancient Ur of the Chaldees,) which is of great historical interest, it having been the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham. The inhabitants, mostly Arabs and Jews, still point out a small building lying outside the town which they declare to be the place where Abraham first saw the light. It is kuown among them as “the house of the friend of God.”