Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1903 — THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. Napoleon Bonaparte began fitting out an expedition for the invasion of England. The American secretary of legation at Stockholm was expelled from the country because he had interested many prominent Swedish citizens in the introduction of free masonry. The Spanish census reported 257,000 free white men in the colony of Havana, Cuba, and 450,000 slaves. The total settled area of the United States was 805,708 square miles, with 5,500,000 population, against a total area of 3,025,600 square miles at tlie present time, exclusive of Alaska, and a population of 76,000,000. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. The Secretary of the Treasury subscribed for 10,000 shares of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company on the ground that it was n “favorite scheme” of George Washington. Hundreds of persons were reported en route to North and South Carolina as the result of gold discoveries In those States. Spain began a policy of commercial exclusion by imposing a duty of $8 *1 barrel on flour imported at Havana in other than Spanish ships. The discovery of over twenty sun spots was announced, tome of them being estimated at 50,000 miles in diameter. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, sole survivor of the signer* of tlie Declaration of Independence, was given the franking privilege by Congress. FIFTY YEARS AGO. The first passenger train between Syracuse and Rochester passed over the New York Central Railroad, ■ and work was begun on the first suspension bridga over the gorge of Niagara river. Turkey yielded to the demands of Austria and Russia and agreed to expel all political refugees from her territory. The register of the United States Treasury reported thnUCongress had appropriated $38,162,262 at its session just closed, or $13,987,262 more than President Fillmore had asked. FORTY YEARS AGO. The first plan for a railroad between St. Paul and Chicago was announced by Perry H. Smith and Ira Y Munn. Tlie New York Central Railroad announced that “Mr. W. Wagner, superintendent of sleeping cars,” had invented the most luxurious car ever built, which had two separate staterooms. Illinois coal Operators met at Bt. I,outs and voted to send Louis Doehez to Belgium to procure the immigration of coal miners from that country because of the exorbitant wage demands of Americans. President Lincoln wns warned by Gen. Sebenck that an invasion of Pennsylvania was being planned by the army under Gen. Lee. The Confederate army commissioners offered to pay $4.50 a bushel for wheat, $4 for corn, $5 for potatoes, $5 a pound for salt, $22.50 a barrel for flour, $1 a pound for coffee and $lO a pound for tea. Tlie St. 1-ouis Board of Trad* chartered a steamer, loaded it with SI,OOO worth of fresh fruit and vegetables, and started it south to the wounded in Gen. Grant’s army around Vicksburg, Miss. * . THIRTY YEARS AGO. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his daughter* were welcomed to their new house in Concord by a procession of citizens and school children. Cuban insurgents attacked the town of Guanja and were repulsed by the Spanish garrison. Tlie Philadelphia centennial commissioners appealed to the States for contributions to a “full cabinet of minerals.” Gladstone declared that the American claims against Great Britain for damages by the Confederate ship Alabama were a “gigantic error.” The United States Court of Claims awarded $610,000 damages to British citizens for cotton which Gen. Sherman seis.-d at Savannah, Ga., during the Civil War. TWENTY YEARS AGO. Alexander 111. was crowned Emperor of Russia in the Kremlin at Moscow. Jay Gould aud Gen. U. S. Grant closed a contract with the Mexican government for the consolidation of the Mexican Central and Mexican Southern Railroads. Michael Fagan was hanged at Dublin for participation in the Phoenix Park murders. Gen. Crook was reported to have defeated a large force of Apache Indians in the Sierra Mqdre mountains of Mexico. The. New Y’ork and Brooklyn bridge was dedicated by President Chester A. Arthur, Gsv. Grover Cleveland and Mayor I^ow. Col. Robert G. Ingersoll made a sixday speech for the defense in the Star Route trial at Washington. TEN YEARS AGO. A bail was given for the Infanta Eulalia aud the Infaute Don Antonio of Spain by the Cireulo Colon-Cervautes at New York. The Presbyterian general assembly at Washington voted to try Prof. Briggs for heresy. Lord Salisbury In a speech at Belfast characterized Gladstone's Irish horns rula bill as aa “imteoils” measura.