Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 January 1879 — Page 2

THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS: FRIDAY; JANUARY 3, 1879.

CARPETS, Wall Paper, Etc., ] LOWES THAN ANT OTHER HOUSE IN THE STATE.

Good*, Full Stock, Lutoat Style*, Choice Hucnu end Low price*.

A. L. WRIGHT & CO. (Succe**on to Adakb, Maxscb A Co.)

The IndlanopoUe Mew* la puhUabed every *!terBooo, except Sunday, at the office. No. S2 Last Market *treeC Price*—Two cent* * copy. Berred by carrier* hi any pert ot the dty, ten Cent* a week; by mall, postage prepaid, fifty cent* a month; it • year. Th* Weekly New* la pubUahed avary WeJneeday. Plica, fl a year, poatage paid. AdvertlaetoenU, fir»t page, fire cwnta a Una lor each Insertion. DUplay adrerUaemanta vary In price according to time and position, f Ab adptriitttmmU interted a* miUoriai or netai matter Specimen number* sent tree on application. Term*—Ca»h, Invariably in advance. All oommunicatlon* should be addreawd to Jour H. Holudat, proprietor. THE DAILY NEWS.' FRIDAY, JANUARY S. 1*79.

• The Indianapolis News has the largest circulation of any daily paper in Indiana. The MasBachunetU legislature, which met on Wednesday, ia the one hundredthWhile congress is in the reforming business, it might do away''with “the free breakfast table” humbug. Thf. weather bureau is sending out a good article of cold with great impartiality. It takes in the whole country. Geenbacks are not proof of the national wealth, but of the national poverty; they are not representatives of wealth created, but of wealth consumed; they are not dollars to be perpetuated, but notes to be paid. The tobacco tax should not be reduced. It is lower now than that of any other country. It is paid cheerfully. It is a tax on a luxury, a mischievous luxury. The reduction of tax would not increase the consumption. It probably would net reduce the cost to the consumer. 11 That old rebel yell is heard again.”—[Chicago Tribune. Why don’t you stop raising it then?—[New York World. . I Because, having whipped the south once, the stalwarts think they must periodically demonstrate their right to kick a prostrate foe, else gpme one might cast imputations on their courage. The Moffett bell punch liquor tax does not come up to anticipation* in Virginia, it is said. The trouble, without doubt, is that the law is not enforced and the tax is not collected. A law regulating the sale of liquors seems to be the most ditBcultto enforce of any on the books. In many cases it is a dead letter. If there is to be substantial government, there must be strict observance of law.

In 1865 the legislature increased the pay of its members to five dollars a day. In 1873 it was increased to eight dollars and made retroactive,a grab as offensive as that of congress about the same time. In 1875 the pay was fixed at six dollars a day and there it remains. Now when the legislature begins the necessary reduction of expenses which the people insist upon, let it begin with its own members. The pay ought not to be more than four dollars,but if it is reduced only to five dollars there will be a saving of ten to twelve thousand dollars. Who will be the first to propose a measure so just, and which as an example will have so much force? Ax A reception to Edmonia Lewis,*the colored sculptress, fn New York, one of the most eloquent of the colored clergymen in that city said: - “I am not an African, I. am an American; and wbile'l regret that Miss Lewis should have to cross the ocean to find a country where nocolor line exists, 1 look confidently forward to the time when the culture, the ability, and the intellectual, moral, and artistic achievements of the black race will compel its obliteration here.” The New York Times hopes%iis utterance represents the attitude of the negro race toward the whites in this country. At least it may be said that any of those schemes which have sought colonization as the solution of the race problem have gone the way of other impracticable social dreams. The negro that is here will likely remain and must work out his future with the means at his hands. . He has all the government can give him, what he shall be will be according to his capacity and individual effort. South Carolina, before the war, did not recognize divorce in her laws. The carpet-bag government, that did almost everything there it onght to have left undone, among other tilings enacted a divorce law which rivaled the old condition of things in this state for looseness. Now South Carolina’s legislature has put the state back to its ante-bellum position and in the future, couples “mated not matched” must apply directly to the legislature to be unmated by special enactment in each case. Under the old regime it was nlmo/t impossible to get a divorce by the legislature, and the consequence was very few applications. That easy divorce laws are a bid for ill-considered and unworthy marriages is certain, and South Carolina may furnish forth statistics from the results under her present attempt compared with those under the former system, that may be a guide to other communities where the easy dissolution of the marriage tie smacks of free love.

On the re-aasembling of congress it is said a bill will be introduced abolishing the .present fee system under which United" States attorneys thrive, and substituting therefor fixed salaries. This is in the direction of the spirit of reform that contemplates a change in city and county

governments, and the federal administration can lead the way with much profit to all concerned. It ought not to stop with the district attorneys, but sweep over the whole black-mailing system on which informers are fattening in nearly every branch of the government service. The accret service of the treasury department embodies the system in its solidcet shape, perhaps, fostering a bund of thieves who will rob a safe or blackmail its owner in the interest of personal gain or party advantage as unscrupulously as any spies of the inquisition. The whole bad system is foreign to the spirit of this government. It slipped in under the autocratic or despotic methods engendered by the war, when the end justified every means it seemed good for men to use. Have done with the Whole system and brand the principle of fees and moieties as it deserves, a relic of despotism. Since the decay of greenback doctrines and the fading away of intiation fallacies generally, the tendency of the south to unite with the west has weakened wondL-r-fully. Before the last election it had come to be recognized that the interests of the south and west were one as against the east. Now the southern drift is, that of the two, the interest* of the south, united to those of the east, would be more condusive to southern prosperity, because a specie basis is the sound one for commercisl success, and because, in the words of the Charleston, S. C, News, “there is a broader intelligence and higher knowledge in the east than in the west;” which paper adds, sad as it may be to Thurman and Hendricks: If it be the part of wisdom to go with the east rather tbftn with the west, the democrat-" ic candidate in 1880 must be Senator Bayard, of Delaware. Butler, Lamar, Gordon and Hill will gladly support him. The south will infallibly give him, if he be the candidate, her whole electoral vote. No other ptominent candidate is likely to win,’if nominated, and no other candidate who can be nominated will give as much satisfaction to the whole country as this consistent and conscientious American, of ripe experience and stainless character, who, at all times and in all things, is more statesman than politician, and whose whole life proves him worthy to be the successor of our old-time presidents, the Washingtons, the Monroes, and Jeffcr-

Equitable representation which is^Jroposed by the bill to be introduced in congress after the recess, can be attained in a half dozen ways. The plan contemplated by the bill as recorded iu The News is that ot restricted voting, five representatives being nominated in a district, of which any three are to be voted for, or three chosen, of which two are to be voted for. The free vote is the plan employed in Illinois. There is also a single vote plan which restricts any voter to voting for only one candidate and of a certain number nominated the number apportioned to the district having the highest number of votes are declared elected. Thus, if four representatives are to be chosen, the four persons having more votes than ihe remainder would be elected and thus four different political organizations, though each of them were no more than one-quarter of the voters, would each have a representative. If the plan proposed had been in operation at the last election, the total result would have been 150 democrats and 143 republicans chosen, but instead of a solid south or any other section solid they would have been distributed over the whole country. The republicans, instead of having only six from the whole south would have had thirty-four, while the* democrats would have had a correspondingly increased representation from the north. j

Under the present law the government is purchasing silver at about fifty pence an ounce, or sighty-two cents per hundred, and coining it into dollars of legal rate. In paying out these dollars at par it profits about seventeen cents on each; in Other words, it makes twenty per ceut. profit on its manufacture. Since the passage of the law the mints have been running to their full capacity, and have produced about twenty millions of these dollars at a profit of, say, four millions to the public'treasury. Of the morality of paying the public obligations at eighty-three cents on the dollar, we do not now speak. But so long as silver dollars are a legal tender at twenty cents above their real value, one would think it a self-evident proposition that the . whole people, through the national treasury, should have the profits. But no, the demagogues, who pretend to be the especial champions of the people, deman 1 “free coinage.’’ They want this profit to go into the pockets of the silver kings. The government does not own silver mines, have not even received a royalty from them. The “people” are neither owners nor producers of silver, A score or two of large mining companies own this product, and for their benefit free coinage is demanded. As it will put twenty per cent, into their pockets, which now goes to the government, they can afford to purchase several congressmen to favor the measure. The News is not an admirer of the dollar of the fathers, but it insists that so long as that coin is manufactured the public treasury shall have the profits. Massachusetts’s bureau of statistics presents some figures concerniBg alcoholic crime in that state under prohibitory laws in 1874 and license laws in 1877, nineteen cities and three l*ndred towns being cited* Under the prohibitory law the total arrests were 28,860,of which the convictions for drunkenness were 23,938. Under the license law the arrests for drunkenuess were 20,494, convictions 17,818. This indicates a falling off under the license system of more than twenty-five per cent in the arrests for drunkenness, while the opportunities to get drunk wefe about the same, 5,550 being the number of illegal liquor sellers in 1874 and 5,241 being the number of licensed sellers in 1877. Supposing that the vigilance in the matter of arrests was the same in both years, these figures indicate that a license law is more beneficial, or rather less harmful, than a prohibi ory law. Why it is there should be more drunkenness when drinking is prohibited by law than when it ia allowed ia dif-

ficult to answer, unless the “pure cueaedhesa” of human nature ie the canae; the mulish determination of man to do as he will, or his babyish obstinacy which persists in doing that which he is forbidden. As shown, the number of places where liquor was procured was about the same under both systems, so the appetite may be regarded as fixed quantity and we are left to the conclusion that the drinkers, swallowing their potions under the ban drank more than when it was reckoned a lawful thing to do.

Obituary. CAI.BB ClBHISfl. Caleb Cushing’s life, coeval with the century, ends a fortnight short of the 79th anniversary of his birth. He was born in Salisbury, Essex county, Massachusetts, January 17th, 1800. He graduated at Harvard college when he was 17 years old, and for two years afterward remained there as tutor of mathematics and natural philosophy. At the age of 25 he was admitted to the bar at Newburyport. During this time he contributed to the magazines, chiefly the North American Review, on historical and legal topics. He was elected to the legislature from Newburyport in 1825 and 1826, and in 1829 made a two years tourabroed, the fruits of whichwere his “Remniscences of Spain,” and his “Historical and Political Review of the late French Revolution.” In 1833 he was again elected to the legislature from Newburyport. A year later he was elected. to congress, where he served for four terms. He was a whig up to the time of Tyler, when he “Tylorized,” and was afterward classed as a democrat. President Tyler nominated him as sem'ary of the treasury, but the nomination was rejected. He was one of the commissioners to China to negotiate the first treaty with that country. On his return he was again elected to the legislature from Newburyport, and during the session of 1847, was noted for his advocacy of war with Mexico. He furnished the requisite means to equip a regiment of volunteers out of his own private fortune, was appointed colonel of the regiment, attached to the army of General Tsylor and soon after was appointed brigadier general. While still in Mexico be was nominated for governor of Massachusetts by the democrats, and defeated in the ensuing election. In 1850 the faithful Newburyport seut him to the legislature for the sijth time. In 1852 he was appointed a justice on the supreme be nch of the state,and in 1853 was appointed by President Pierce attorney general, which office he held until 1857. The three following years he was again in the state legislature, and in 1860 presided at the democratic convention in Charleston, and afterwards over the body i f seceders which met ia Baltimore and nominated Breckenridge for president. In December of thai year President Buchanan sent him to Charleston as a confidential commissioner to make arrangements about Fort Sumter,1 but his mission failed. During the war he held no official position, but his sympathy was with the union, and in 1866 he was appointed one of three to revise and codify the laws of the United States. In 1872 he was one of the United States counsel at Geneva for the settlement of the Alabama claims. In 1873 Grant appointed him minister to Spain at what was feared might be the “Virginius crisis.” In the following month he was one of the queer lot nominated by Grant fqr the supreme justiceship,,but was defeated in the senate. Since his return from Spain he has been living in quiet. All his life he was a most untiring worker, a student of unwearied application in many lines of study, aside from that of his profession. lie was an accomplished linguist, and one among the best legal minds of his time. He was never a statesman, in all his political career displaying little that showed a desire to rise above practical politics. Like the late lamented Bryant be turned his talents to good account and amassed a large fortune. In person he was large and finely formed, with a noble head, clearly cut features, and an eye that could rivet attention at will.

CLRRKNT COMMKNT. Reports from North Adams, Massachusetts, a here Chinese were introduced in the manufacture of shoes, show that as workmen they hare been most successful. They are quick and diligent, and the opposition to them among the white laborers has ended. When a Chinaman drops out of place it is filled by a white man, and there is no organized oppo-, svtion of any kind. The social life of the Chinese is yet greatly secluded, although six of them have joined the Baptist church and twenty-five attend Sunday school. Opium smoking is unknown among them. A large number among them intend making application for citizenship at the next term of court. Those of them over twenty-one years of age are now compelled to pay a poll-tax. There may be the germs of some solution of the Chinese question in the North Adams experiment. • 1 Most of the newspapers east and west are making fun of Blaine's investigation. The few that urge it are far between and pipe to an empty market. Punishment for mprder is about played out in Cincinnati. Nearly all the murderers prove to tie Insane when they come to be*trietl.—iCincinnati Gazette. * We bad one here who tried to be insane, but proved not to be. Cincinnati had better send for our jailor. We are in for it and no mistake. Old ballad has it thus; If Christmas day, the truth to say, Falls upon a Wednesday, There shall be a hard winter and strong, With many hideous winds among. The New York Sun not only keeps up its “Mr.” Hayes farce, but on the occasion of the president’s recent visit to the Bryant memorial meeting* in New York, spoke of him as Mr. “R. B. Hayes” as if there might be some other Hayeses with whom he would be confused. Such littleness as this is unworthy so able - a paper a« the Sun. It is the fruit of prejudice and spite not principle. Yellow fever was introduced into New Orleans hist summer on the unfortunate steamer Emily B. Souder, which recently foundered at sea. The cases from which all the trouble arose were those of Purser Clark and Second Engineer Elliott of that vessel, both of whom died. Nothing can be more sound than the doctrine of this paper, that pauperism, like consumption or any other physical malady, is a heritable thing, the proclivity to which in the children of those afflicted by it must be recognized in dealing with those children, and can be checked if only it be so recognized. by a wise and judicioua training of such children. It is plain that no such doctrine underlies our actual system. On the contrary, our poor-houses, as at presept organized and conducted may with truth be

described as hoi-beds for the forcing of pauperiiin.—[New York World. The law of competition has been extolled* as the most absolutely just method of settling Industrial questions and controversies. This would be entirely true if the competitors were equsl at the start. If they wgre merely so many atoms of the same exact weight audof equivalent forces. But such was not the case Capital could transfer itself by a click of the telegraph from one city to another, and furthermore it could afford to wait the course of events while the unemployed laborer was less mobile, and either compelled to accede to the terms of employers or starve. —[Parke Godwin. It is time, we may conclude, for a healthful current to set in; for hopefulness to spread itself through otir trades and occupations. Let us trust, however, the infusion of new and sanguine blood may be tempered by the right admixture of haj-d sense and sober forecast, and thus launch the productive and industrial forces cf the Country on a long career of fruitful euenry and auspicious enterprise. —[New York Sun. No man can say what a year may bring forth ; but, at this moment, the people of the U nited States are so ill-organized as that a minority, led by a handfull of cheating mountebanks, have it in their power to set a presidential movement on foot, like a menagerie, to push this across the continent amid the plaudits of millions of people, and perhaps, to back it, rump foremost into the White house in spite of decency and reason to say nothing about the character 04-the at iroal, imported from the leading theaters of Europe, Asia and Africa, to perform the principal part in a show not merely disgusting in itself, bui fatal if successful to the system ut dcr which v- e live.—[LouisviUe CourierJournal. This sentimental politics at the north is dying out; but it is not dead, and it may be questioned whether anything else would fetch out so large a vote’ in 1880—whether anything else would fetch out so large a vote then in the count-y at large for either party. It is this consideration of what will call out the largest vote that will determine the issu* in 1880, and, mayhap, will again hold thg politics of the country to a barren sentimeqtalism, while the interests of good governmeat are ignored and corruption spreads.— [Chicago Times. A BOY KILLED BY A BEAR, What Came of Tcaalng Animals Snpposed to be Tame. [New York World.1 For the past two or three winters two tame bears have been kept at William Thorn’s hotel, on the Ocean Parkway, a short distam e out of Brooklyn. On Monday afternoon some boys began to amuse themselves by pelting the bears with snowballs, and occasionally the more venturesome boys Vould run,up behind the bears and rub snow upon their heads. This, although fun for the boys, was not liked by the bears, and from time to time the beasts would chase the lads, who easily evaded them. Finally the male bear, having been struck by an unusually hard snowball, sprang forward and caught a boy named Peter Stretcher and threw him to the tfround. Xhe next instant the sharp claws of the be r were drawn ; cross the ihroa! o the hoy, completely severing the jugular vein and causing the boys death almostinstantly. The brute sniffed curiously at the blood which ran from the wound for a moment, and then turned about and hobbled,off to join his companion. The boy was carried into the hotel and a physician was summoned, but before he arrived the lad was dead. Mr. Thom, the proprietor of the hotel, at once chained the bear and shot it. The Government Printing Office Robbed Yesterday, between 11 and 12 o’clock, some thief enjored the government printing office, at Washington, and watching his opportunity, took from the safe of the disbursing clerk a package of money containing $10,1100, intended for paying off the employes and for the purchase of material, and made his escape without observation. The detectives were immediately put to work, and it is thought the money will be recovered. It Can’t be Done. Wendell Phillips made an address before a deligate convention of the greenback party at Boston yesterday in which he said that he had endeavored to fotm a labor party, and it could not be done, and he was glad of it. A resolution was adopted that the paramount issue in the greenback-labor movement is the immediate substitution of greenbacks for national bank currency. The Tax on Tobacco. The tax dn tobacco declined during December $49,315 compared with the corresjKinding month of 1877. This is attributed, to the agitation of the tobacco question. Notwithstanding this decree there was a net gain on the first six months of the present year of §923,470 compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Destructive Fire at Klgln, 111. A fire occurred in Town’s block, on the corner of Chicago street and Fountain square, Elgin, Illinois, yesterday’, which spread to Schultz & Todson’s dry goods store and, aided by a high west wind, swept the entire south sidtxif Chicago street, causing a total loss estimated at §100,000. Insurance §75,000. An Txample to Imitate. A bankrupt at Houghton, Michigan, was present when the final dividend was declarjd from his estate, which was just §7.70 short of yielding an 'even — per cent. To save the commissioner trouble the insolvent magnanimously paid the §7.70 from a well filled pocketbook. Do Away with Them. [Logangport Pharos ] The fact is rapidly dawning on the minds of the people that the foreign minister is a use less and altogether superfiuous append;.ge to our system of government, and one which might with profit be done away with. ♦ Some Slight Difference. [Winchester Jourmil ] It costs a drunken wretch §14 to break a saloonist’s ’glass in Indianapolis, while the fellow who sold him the liquor that stirred the devil within him gets off with ten dollars for Sabbath-breaking. Fatal to Republican Government. [Madison Star.] "We believe the renomination of •Gen. Grant will be very hurtful to the country, and his re-election fatal to our present form of government. The step from e third term to a fourth it^very short. Broke the Baby’a Neck. A little four year, old girl was left in charge of Mrs. Hogly’s baby at Urbana, Ohio, yesterday. When the baby criJfi she attempted to take it from the bed, and letting it fall broke its neck. Moncaal’a Death Warrant. After a long cabinet council yesterday the king of Spain reluctantly signed MonCasi’s death warrant. The execution has been fixed for Saturday morning. Rally Round the Flan. [Columbus Republican.] If the fiatists rally around Buchanan it will make trouble for the“tall sycophant.”

Work of the Mint for December. The total coinage of the United States for December was.§5,948,300.

Sound Sense. [Philadelphia Chronicle-Herald.] A law ought either to be enforced or rei«ealed.

The Trieka of Trad*. Why. 1 owd'y Ifaha'r Johnny 1 Is yea goat to 1 sepin store f Wail, nah, 11* surprised. I Debar heard ob dat

afore.

Say ain’t you Kwlne to gib me pteo* o' good tobacco, plcaao? I’* long wid yon in Ooorgia, time we all was rafu-

gt a*.

I know’d you would; I alios tails da people, white and black, Dat you’s a raal ganTman, and dat * da libin'

Yea, rah, dat’s what 1 tells 'em, an’ iu nuffin’ els*

but true.

An’ all de cullud people tints a mighty heap ob

you. I

Look beah, ash,don't you want to buy some-cot-

‘ iT Yea, you do

■r partie- w

you

Dere'a Oder

urn 7 Vea, you do;

). wants it hut I’d rudder sell to

How muck? Oh, jes a hale—dat on de wagon in

de ktreot—

Dia he* If a de sample—dU is cotton mighty turd to

beat!

You'll find it on do paper what de offers are dat's

made.

Dey’saill de tame seditions, half in cash and half in trade— Dey’a mighty low, sah—Come, now, can’t you ’prwfltoupon the rates Dat BniTotN rudders offers, only twelb* an’ se beneights? Lord ! Mahg’r Johnny, raise it! Don't you know dat I't a frien', An’ when I has de money .fiat Pa willing lor to speii’ ? My custom’s worth a heap, aah; jes you buy de bale an’ Bee— Der* didn’t neber nobody lose nuffin off o’ me. Now, what’s de good of gwine dare an’ a zaminin’ de bale. When people trades wid me dey alius giU an hones’ sale; I ain’t no hand for cheatin’; I bellebes in actin’ And eberybody’ll tell you dat dey alius loun’ me squar’. L like some niggers; I declar’ ills a sham* ay tome ob ’em swiu’lea—what? de cotton ain’ de same As die dat’s in de sample? Well, I’m blest sah, il Dis heah must be my bruddei’s sample—yee sah, dis ia his. If dat don’t beat creation! Here I’s done been totin’ roun’ A sample difierent from de cotton! I—will—be confouuM Mahs’r Johnny,'you must’sense me. Take de cotton as It stan’r, • An’ tell me il you’re willin for to Uke it off my

ban’s.

Shot never mind de Augur! ’taint a bit o’ use to

bore,

Pe bale is all de same as dis heah place dt oaggiifa

tore;

You oughtn’t to go pullin’ out de cotton dat a way. > It spoils de beauty of de—what, sah, rocks In dar, you say; Rocks in dat ’ar cotton? Howde debbil kin da

be?

I packed dat bale mysel’—hoi’ on a mlnit—le’me see— My stars! I mus’be crazy! Mahs’r Johnny, dis is Cne. I’s gone and hauled my brudder’s cotton here instead ob mine! —[Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.

I isn’t De wa

SCRAPS. Arkansas has 175 lunatics confined in jaile. Only one man in thirty in Idaho has a wife. Only eleven ships were built in Maine last year. The assessed valuat : on of Dakota territory is §12,000,000. Teams are crossing the MigsUaippi on the ice at Burlington. Fifty-one failures have occurred in Montreal within a few months.* Mrs. Derby, the widow of “John Pho»nix,” invested her all in Washington real estate and is left penniless. Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe’s son, Charles E. Siowe, has just been ordained in the ministry at Hartford, Conn. * Colonel Robert P. Crockett, the only surviving son of Davy Crockett, is living in Hood county, Texas, old, infirm and poor. It is proposed to raise a Sunday school fund of §225,000 on the centenary of Robert | Raikes, the founder of Sunday schools. This takes place in 1880. An evading editor answers an inquiring lady: “If you want to have your dress gored, all you’ve got to do is tb flirt a btndanna handkerchief in the presence of a sullen bull.” A woman in Fall River has died from the bite of a-cat, and a woman in Pennsylvania has bten pecked to death by turkeys.'The demand goes up for a law to have these creatures muzzled. Judge J. A. Williams, of Pine Bluff, read “Betsey and I are Out” to a couple suing for divorce, and the suit was withdrawn, and the parties went home together happy as two J une bugs On a pea vine. In this happy land 1,132 people were killed by their fellow-men in 1878; 1,019 dead victims of brutal murder, justifiable assassination, childish quarrel, chance mishap, insane or drunken frenzy, sleep the eternal sleep. In Belgium if a candidate dies between the day of his nomination and the day of. the election, his name still remains on the lists and must be voted for. At Ste. Marie, in Luxembourg, a dead man has thus been elected to the communal council. I see that JackKehoe, of the Mol lie Maguires, was hanged. Kehoe was a man like myself who tried to better the condition of the working class of Pennsylvania. He was misrepresented by the Associated press.—[Kearney at San Francisco. The Hartford library begins this week to deliver books to members by messengers, at a cost of five cents for each volume, the subscribers sending their orders by postal-card. Good boys out of work are employed as messengers and given the fees. A tall, thin chap, resembling the crosstie of a hay wagon, was in town the other day with a tdoak on that reached to his heels, and a newsboy created no dull stir by calling out: “Hi! mister, you’ve lost the garter off your ulster.”—[Wheeling Leader. \ A deputy sheriff at Richmond, Ky., being unable to collect taxes from a resident, got a third party to admire the resident’s false teeth, and ask to be shown them, then darting forward seized them. After living on soup for a few days the resident paid his taxes and redeemed hie property., “Go td the d—1!” said an irate householder to the tenth man who had pulled the bell within a half-hour to inquire if he wanted “his sidewalk shoveled off.” “Be gorra,” said the Hibernian applicant, “I’m afeared he has no snow to shovel.” He was engaged.—[Boston Commercial Bulletin. A Boston fireman put on a substitute Christmas night and promised him one dollar for every call he answered. The substitute got in his work by giving threefalse alarms during the night, aud thought he had made a good thing of it. But the trick was discovered, and he was fined §100 and costs. A New York police justice disposed of a baby case the other day more intricate tbao that on which a part of the fame of Solomon rest.. Solomon had the claims of only two mothers to one baby to mix him. The New York justice had those of three, and passing by all gave the child to the commissioners of charities. A new style of favors for the German is ribbon bows with long ends, upon each of which is printed one verse of “The frog he would a-wooing go.” The first line of each couplet is printed on a gen-

tleman's ribbon, the second upon a lady’s, and the two who can make up the couplet between them are partners. Three tourists nndertook to walk behind Niagara falls a few days ago. The danger is great in winter, owing to the ice. One of the trio, in picking his way over the slippery path, ran against a huge icicle, which broke off and fell on him. He waa badly cut, and has since been insane, but whether from a blow on the head or from

fright is not settled.

It was intended that Omaha should be a beautiful city, and one means to that end was to give most of the streets a width of a hundred feet. It ia found, however, that such streets are inordinately expeneive is grade, pave, and keep in repair, besides being bothersome to cross, and the common council is considering a proposition to make them narrower. .Bayard Taylor’s $10,000 life insurance will not be all that ia left his familv. He owned several shares of New York Tribune stock, and while for some years Tribune dividends have not been large, the property is worth having. Then Mr. Taylor’s books sell steadily, and his death will increase the demand for them. There are more than twenty volumes, besides translations*. Mr. Hars, the American consul at Alexandria, Egypt, has just gone around the world in a rapid fashion, uneuu&led by Jules Verne. He accomplished the journey in 68 days. It took him 20 days to go from Alexandria to San Francisco by Brindisi, Paris, Liverpool and New York; 20 days also to go from San Francisco to Yokohama; 8 days after he reached Hong Kong; in 10 days he set foot on shore at Ceylon, and 12 days later he foudd himself again in Egypt. ’ Edison’s sister tells a good story of his boyhood. “He tried to set on eggs,” she said. “What’s that? How? What do you mean?” inquired the listener. “Why, he was about six, 1 should think, and he found out bow the goose was setting, and then saw what the surnristug result was. One day we missed him, called, sent messengers, couldn’t find him anywhere. By and by, don’t yon think, father found him curled up in a nest he had made in the barn and filled with goose and hen’s eggs —actuallv sitting on the eggs and trying to hatch them!” 8 7 8

Fitcstrn Island.

Pitcairn'Island, the home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers, is about three miles long by two wide, and very mountainous, being about 1,200 feet high is some parts. The cocoamit, breadfruit, pineapple and many other fruits grow in great abundance, especially oranges, lemons and citrons. There were three years ago 73 inhabitants all told, men. women and children, some being very handsome, the women having beautiful hair, and, allowing for the hot suu, have fairer skins than would be supposed, beine barely darker than Europeans.They depend upon passing vessels for all their clothes and agricultural implements, etc., always going barefoot, except on Sundays, when soifie few of them wear boots. They grow sweet potatoes, yams, cotton, arrowroot and Indian corn, which they give in exchange for clothes. The chief person in the island is Simon Y’oung, grandson of Midshipman Young. He officiates in church on Sunday, also at the day and Sunday school*; they use the church of England service, and generally read a sermon from the “Sunday «t Home,” of which they have some volumes. All hatje a tine ear for music, and sing most beautifully. When anything hi.s to be decided they call a general meeting and go by the majority ot votes. The ohlest ]»erson on the island is a stepdaughter of John Adams; she is 84 years of age and a hale old woman. They still have a cannon which belonged to the Bounty and a carpenter’s vise. Consumption is the only disease known among them. There is a great scarcity of water, which they fear will eventually force them to leave the island. The American Novel. Mr. Bayard Taylor’s opinion of the American novel is quoted by a writer in the Boston Courier: “I have heard ‘Hannah Thurston’ called a greaUAmerican novel,” said the latter. “So have I,” answered Mr. Taylor, “but it isn’t. The great American novel will never be writtil), for our civilization is too crude and too various. It is not homogeneous. You see it in one way; I see it in another; our friends in the west see it in a very ditierent way. Great books will be written, on a principie,\»r a state of violent tumult, or a political change, but there can be no positive picture of American society, because there is no positive society. It is all a kaleit'.OBOojie and he who <fcscrihc8 it must dtscribe confusion. There will be groat books, as I said before, immortal abort itories, some rather impressive novels which are not echoes; but a book which should hold up the picture of our society to England, as English books hold up tlx ir society to us—it is simply, impousitle.” . ' • A l>ueer Case of Rattlesnake Poisoning. [Fresno (Cal.) Expositor ] One day last week J. C. Berry and J. R. Gillum were walking about the premises of the f6rmer, when Mr. Gillum, who was carrying a new hatchet in his hand at the time, discovered a rattlesnake and chopped it in twain. He then played with the front end of the snake for awhile, permitting it to bite at the end of the hatchet. The parties afterward returned to Berry’s home, where the hatchet was thrown down. Subsequently a brother of J. C. Berry started to cook dinner, and wishing .to cut up seme fresh meat in order to cook it, picked up the hatchet and chopped it. At dinner the two Berrys, Gillum and a man by the name of Longacre sat down. They all partook of the meat and shortly afterward began to feel sick. Fortunately they i were able to vomit freely and expelled the poisonous meat from their stomachs, but still they suffered severely from the effects of the poison, their flesh swelling and other symptoms of poisoning showing themselves. They took such remedies as were at hand and soon recovered.

AM OMCOTME HERO* Who la Ukaly to Omt AwdiVa fftotw* Aftwr AH—Tb* 0*4 F*t* ot Cop—lm MmtUom Ilbl*, Spy and Bar*. There aeenu to be some revolutionary patriotism left yet, judging front th* vigorous j^otests entered everywhere against the Troposed erection of alncnument by our citizen*—Cyroa W. Field in particular—u, the memory of Major John Andre, whoa* capture prevented the consummation of Benedict Arnold’s treacherous designs. The rtoteata indignantly point to the fact that the graves of thooMnda of our revolutionary heroes are still unmarked, and instance the fate bad treatment of Captain Nathan Hale of Coventry, Conn., aged 21. who was captured in the British lines in New York and hanged as a spy. He was a most heroic ^yoong

Democratic Whistling. [Columbus Democrat.] Dan Yoorhees will be elected without doubt or hindrance. There may lie two or three democratic members who will refuse to go into caucus, but not one will be found to stand up in open session and vote against him. No scheming of the republicans or attempted coalition with the nationals can cause the democrats much if any tronble. The republicans are in a. hopeless minority, as it is well known that three or four national members will act with the democracy on nearly if not all important questions. -III «. # After M*ny Days. In 1842 Myles Carey, Hickey, and others, murdered in Tipperary a man named Hanley, and were indicted. Hickey was hanged, but Carey escaped to this country, where he remained till January last, when he returqgd and was arrested at Cahir. He is soon to be brought to trial. Of Some Dae After All. The sage barrens of Nevada that have been formerly regarded as worthless, are found to be excellent pasturage for Cashmere goats, s single herder near Canon having a flock of 3,000. Opb You don’t Got It, Give It Me. Now that people can get gold, they’d just as lief have greenbacks.

the English army, which the “Father” cafe cnlated would, if successful, save his little starving and fast dissolving force* from annihilation. As a school teacher, Hale accomplished his object, remaining two weeks »n the enemy’s line. He was betrayed by 4 tory relative, and captnred while returning to the American lines. He wfs stripped and searched, and, as in Andre’s case, there was found between the soles of his shoee detailed plans and memoranda. Further than this nothing has ever been known. Whether Hale was treated with the kindnees extended to Andre after hia capture ia very doubtful. It is certain that he was not after he arrived

in New York.

Hale reached New York on Saturday, September 21, the day of the great fire that burned 400 buildings from Whitehall slip to Barclay street, where it was checked by the College Green. He was taken at onpe before Lord Howe, who was using the Beekman mansion, near Turtle bay, for his headquarters. The present site is Fifty-flret street and First avenue. Here lived James Beekman in luxury; but, a strong advocate of the revolutionary cause, he gave up his elegant home when Lord Howe occupied New York, and took his family back into the country. Her* the British officers received and" Entertained their guecits; here Andre’ danced the night before he went np the Hudson to barter with Benedict Arnold, and here Hale, pinioned and guarded, waa taken before Lord Howe. It is believed that Gen. Howe retired to a greenhouse just back of the mansion, and listened ther to the charges against the young revolutionary captain, and was shown the plans and data found in Hale’s shoes. Hale denied nothing. He admitted that he was A cap'sin in Washington’s army and said that he had been a spy and had been successful in his search for information, regretted that he was by his capture'unable to serve his country, and then fearlessly awaited his sentence. He did not even- demand a court martial. In a few minutes he heard his sentence: “William Cunningham, provost marshal of the royal army in New York, is directed to receive into his custocy the body of Nathan Hale, a captain in the rebel army, convicted as a spy, and to see him hanged' .by the neck until dead to-morrow morning at daybreak.” Hale was at once taken in charge by the brutal Cunningham, who was afterward hanged after confessing that he Kad been accessory in several hundred fatirders. and. who was responsible for the awful suffering of federal prisouera in the Old Sugar House psison, still sUnding in Rose street It is believed Cunningham topk Hale to the Provost, a prison that stood where is now the Hall of Records. Beyond litis, toward Broadway,.and bordering on Chambers street, was a graveyard, which also served as a place for pulfiic executions. Hale is believed to nave been confined in a cell the little window of which looked out upon the park and Center street. Cunningham asked Hale, as he* put him into his cell, for his name, age, size and rank, and then read the death warrant to him. As he was leaving Hale asked that his arms might be unpinioned and that he might have writing materials and a light. Cunningham refused this with an oath. The Hale asked that he might have a bible. This, too, was denied him. Subsequently a young officer of Hale’s guard interceded for him, and bis arms were freed, and a light, pen, ink and paper and a bible were given to him. Part of the night he passed in writ-ing-one letter to his. mother, another to his sister and a third to his sweetheart. When Cunningham reached Hale’s cell in the morning he found the federal captaiu nnd spy ready. It was just at daybreak: Hale handed the provost marshal the letters that he had written, and asked, as a dying favor, that they be kept until they could be delivered. Cunningham read them insolently in Hale’s presence, nnd then . tore them up. When a-ked afterwards why he did this, he said that he did not w»ht the rebels to know they had a man who could die with sitclt finonet's.” Then he ordered Haletomak* ready for the scaffold. His arms were pinioned, a’coarse white gown trimmed with black was-placed over his body and a white cap put on hi* head. A rough Iniard coffin was carried by attendants m front of him, and the negro executioner, Richmond, brought up the rear with the ladder and noose. Thus attended. Hale walked to the gallows. It ia probable that he walked from the prison to the center/, on the site of a part of which tRe new court house stands. Then, while Capt. Hale was standing on the rounds of a ladder, with the noose about, his neck, Cunningham addressed him, and scoflingly asked him to speak out his dying speech and confession. It ia acid "that Hale just glanced, with a touch of contempt on hia features at Cunningham, and then, turning to the others, he said quietly, but with an impressiveness that silenced the jibes of those who were there to joke, and melted some to tears: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” “Swing the rebel off I” shouted the maddened Cunningham. In half anltour the body of the martyr was buried, probably in a grave beneath the gallows. The site was unmarked, and when the revolutionary army re-eutered New York there was no one who could tqjl where Hale wat sleeping. But the story of hjs heroic death and of his uiemorable words under the gallows speedily became known throughout the army. It inspired the men like a victory, and in after years, until a comparatively recent time, Hale’s only monument has been the remembrance of him as the “martyr spy of the revolution” and of his dying words. Hale was just of age when he died. -He was a native of Coventry, Conn. K »nd born in 1755. Educated at Yale college, was a teacher in New London, with the ultimate purpose of entering the ministry, when the news came from Boston of the battle of lAxington. He. was one of the first to enlist, a few hoars after this news was received, and he encouraged others to enlist. “Let os march immediately,” he is on record as saying, “and never lay down our arms until we obtein our independence.” The next morning the New London company rere on the road to Boston. Some years ago an effort was made to induce congress to make an appropriation for a monument to Hale’s memory. It was unsuccessful. Then the women of his native town, Coventry, with the aid of a small sum granted by the state of Connecticut, collected money enough to erect a monument, it ia a aim pi* granite shaft, 40 feet high. It bears hu name and. the dates and places of birtlU~«uid death, and his dying words, “I only regret thatlhsve but one fife to lo*e for my country.”