Jasper Republican, Volume 2, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1875 — Page 1

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THE NEWS.

According to a Constantinople dispatch of the 14th the Austrian Ambassador bad again asked the Grand Vizier of Turkey to suspend hostilities and open negotiations with the insurgents. ; < On the 14th announcement was made of the failure of John Hopkins, leather* dealer, of New York city. The following summary of the report of the Attorney-General was sent to Congress on the 14th: He urges that DistrictAttorneys be paid by salaries only, to be graded according to place; that the Disr trict of Columbia be no exception to the law; recommends giving the appointment of Assistant District-Attorneys to the Attorney-General; a uniform mode of selecting jurors for United States Courts; that a law be passed forbidding the payment of DeputyMarshals by certificates, and the advance of any money to Marshals whose accounts are unadjusted at the Treasury over six months. In the case of Brigham Young he asks further legislation. The labors of the Supreme Court and Court of Claims are referred to, and the suggestion made that such legislation be had as will enable the latter court, aided by the Attorney-Gen-eral, to increase the safeguards against improper testimony by devising a different mode of taking it, and to force old cases to early trial or require them to be dismissed without power of restoration. To these ends he proposes, after consultation with the court, to draft a bill and , submit it to the present Congress. Thr London War Office received a dispatch on the 15th announcing the defeat of the Malays in a recent encounter neat Penang. Sixty ot the enemy were killed and a large number wounded. A special from St. Paul de Loanda announces that Capt. Cameron’s exploring expedition had reached there on the 19th of November, having traversed the African continent from Ujiji. The expedition had been pronounced a success. There are now 100 Granges in Massa, chusetts, an increase of thirty-five during - the past year. The number of members is 4,000. At the municipal election in Boston on the 14th Mayor Cobb—the “ Citizens’ ” candidate—was re-elected by a majority of between 2,000 and 3,000 over H. J. Boardman. Rev. John Henry Hobart Brown, Bishop-elect oi the Fond du Lac (Wis.) Diocese, was consecrated at Cohoes, N. Y., on the 15th. The National Cheap Transportation Convention met m Chicago on the 15th. A large delegation was present. An order was received in Chicago on the 15th dissolving the Court of Inquiry in the case of Gen. Babcock.

A Bbussels telegram of the 16th says a frightful explosion had occurred on that day in the coal mine at Framiers, near Mons. The bodies of 110 miners had already been recovered. ' George S. Bangs resigned the position of General Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service on the 15th. The following Congressmen voted against the anti-third-term resolution recently adopted in the United States House of Representatives: Bradley, Denison, Haralson, Hoge, Hubbell, Hyman, Lynch, MacDougall, Nash, Page, Plaisted, Pratt, Smalls, "Wallace (8. 0.1 Walls, Wells (Miss.), White, Whiting—lß. Those favoring the resolution numbered 232. In the United States Circuit Court at Covington, Ky., on the 15th, J. M. Schintker, F. R. Rineskamp, F. Macke and Bteimiede, rectifiers, pleaded guilty of violations of the Revenue laws. On the 15th the Democratic caucus of the Virginia Legislature nominated Johij W. Johnston for re-election to the United States Senate, and on the 16th the Legislature elected him. The United States Court at Indianapolis, on the 15th, in the case of DeputyCollector Hill, charged with conspiring to defraud the Government, rendered a verdict of guilty. Thomassen, the man who was arrested upon the charge of causing the late dynamite explosion on the Bremer Haven docks, died from his repeated self-in-flicted injuries on the morning of the 16th. Before his death he said his real name was William King Thompson, and that he was a native of the city of Brooklyn, N. Y. During the late war he followed the fortunes of the Confederacy, and commanded a noted blockade-runner. He had resided in Germany since the war ended, and had sought to repair his shattered fortunes by securing insurance upon supposititious merchandise shipped by ocean steamers. To secure the benefit of this he had constructed an infernal machine, operated by clock-work, so arranged that at the end of a week the explosive material would bestruck with a thirty, pound hammer, when vessel and cargo would be sent to the bottom in mid-ocean. The careless handling of the package on the dock had precipitated and anticipated the catastrophe. A Bremen dispatch of the 17th says it had been ascertained that one of these machines had been placed on board the steamer Baller, which took the place of the disabled Mosel and left Bremer Haven on the 16th for Southampton and New York. The confession of Thompson indicated to the authorities the names of his confederates and they had been arrested. On the 17th the total number of killed and wounded by the explosion was estimated at 200. ▲ London dispatch of the morning of the 18th says Peru had made default in the payment of the interest of her public debt. , An excursion, composed of’about 500 poople from Washington, including the President and several at the Cabinet offl-

THE JASPER REPUBLICAN.

VOLUME 11.

cers, the members of the Supreme Court and a majority from both houses of Congress, reached Philadelphia on the evening of the 17th, for the purpose of inspecting the Centennial buildings and grounds. The official report of the Secretary erf the Michigan State states that the membership of the Order in the State, as near as could be determined froih reports received, was, on the 30th of September, 34,275; number of subordinate Granges, 611. The river steamer U. 8. Pike, laden with cotton, sugar and molasses, and lying at a wharf in New Orleans, was burned on the night of the 16th. Several persons on the boat were badly injured. A number of missing deck-hands are believed to have jumped overboard and drowned. The National Cheap Transportation Convention at its late session in Chicago elected as officers for the ensuing year: John F. Henry, of New York, President; a Vice-President from each State and Territory; F. B. Thurber, of New York, Treasurer; Frank Gilbert, of Chicago, Secretary; H. A. Stolenworks, of Selma, Ala., Assistant Secretary. The Executive Committee is composed as follows: John ‘F. Henry, President; F. B. Thurber, Treasurer; James Utley, Vice-President; Frank Gilbert, Secretary, and H. A. Stolenworks, Assistant Secretary. Henry Hollenschied, sixty-five years old, was hanged at Herman, Mo., on the 17th for the murder of his son-in-law, Christian Alband, last June. Alexander P. Tutton, the Supervisor of Internal Revenue who was assigned to St. Louis in McDonald’s place, has writen a letter to the President in which he says the order transferring the Supervisors of Internal Revenue in January last was suspended at his own instance, and not at the request of Gen. Babcock. A Ragusa dispatch of the 18th says that at a recent conference of the united Christian representatives of. Bosnia it was unanimously resolved to continue the war with Turkey until every Turk had been expelled from the country. An agent had been designated to visit the various capitals and request of the powers belligerent recognition of Herzegovina. A Rome (Italy) telegram of the 18th says 600 persons in that Kingdom had applied for space at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. About 1,000 mechanics and laboring men at Montreal, Canada, who had been recently thrown out Of employment by the advent of cold weather made a public demonstration on the 17th, demanding work or bread. There was considerable rioting, and the police were called upon and several arresto made. Four of the rioters were, on the 18th, sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at hard labor. A strong force of police remained on guard at last accounts. Arrangements had been made to give the poor laborers employment. Three meetings were held by Moody and Sankey in Philadelphia on the 19th. At the women’s meeting in the afternoon a large number rose for prayer, and subsequently entered the inquiry-room. Several distinguished persons attended the evening services, among them being President and Mrs. Grant. The trial of Thomas W. Piper, the' Boston sexton, tor the murder of Mabel Young, has resulted in a disagreement of the jury, who are reported to have stood nine for conviction and three for acquittal. Thr banking-house of Greene & Cranston, Providence, R. 1., suspended on the 18th, in consequence of the failure of the Providence Tool Company. Their assets were stated to be $800,000; liabilities $675,000. It was claimed that the embarrassments of the Tool Company were only temporary. The New York Graphic of a late date promulgates the theory that Boss Tweed is not a voluntary fugitive, but that he has been abducted and killed by men whom he could implicate in the plundering of the city treasury, and who are interested in getting him out of the way because of his alleged threats to make damaging revelations regarding them.

On the occasion of the late hanging of three colored men in New York city the rope was carelessly adjusted around the neck of one of them, and just as the weight descended the knot slipped and the victim was left writhing between heaven and earth. He made violent efforts to relieve himself and cried aloud for help. The knot again shifted and he finally died by strangulation. At a business meeting of Plymouth Church, of Brooklyn, held on the evening of the 17th Deacon West’s letter was filed. In Mrs. Moulton’s case a letter missive was proposed for an advisory council of churches to be held on the 11th of January to determine certain questions of rule and discipline. Pending the motion for its adoption Mr. Shearman moved, a slight amendment, and Mr. Beecher said if that would open up the whole investigation of 1874 he was for it, and the motion to adopt prevailed. At the conclusion of some subsequent remarks Mr. Beecher said: “If such an advisory council should say another investigation is necessary, I would say, ‘Do it. Do it.’ If they should say not, I certainly should not object.” Mr. Shearman resigned the office of Clerk of the church organization, and Mr. Thomas J. Tilney was chosen as his successor. Henry W. Longfellow has declined to act as Centennial poet and John G. Whittier will probably be selected in his stead. On the morning of the 18th the United States Express Company’s car on the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Railroad train, while en route for St. Louis, was en-I tered, between Ferguson and Jennings’ !

OUR AIM: TO FEAR GOD, TELL THE TRUTH AND MAKE MONEY.

RENSSELAER, INDIANA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1875.

Station, by two or three masked men, who threw the messenger, Charles Kinkaid, into a large packing-box which they emptied for the purpose, and robbed the safe of between SIO,OOO and $20,000 in mwiey and valuables. D. A. Ross & Co., large lumber manufacturers and dealers of Detroit, Mich., have lately failed. Their liabilities are placed at SBOO,OOO and assets at $400,000.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

On the 14th the Attorney-General's annual report was laid before the Senate. A bill was passed extending the duration of the court of the Commissioners of Alabama Claims six months. A resolution was passed—3s to S3—calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury for a list of unsettled accounts of Government officers and defalcations. After considerable debate the motion to sllow Mr McMillan to withdraw his papers claiming a seat as Senator from Louisiana was agreed to—yeas 30, nays 28 .. Among the bills introduced in the House was one by Mr. Blaine, proposing an amendment to the Constitution prov ding that no State shall make any law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; and that no money raised by taxation in any State for the support of the public schools, or derived from any public fund thereof, or any public lands devoted thereto, shall ever be under the control of any religious sect; and that no money or lands so donated shall be divided among religions sects or denominations. A bill was also introduced by Mr. Davis, of North Carolina, to repeal the act forbidding the payment of the accounts, claims and demands of Southern citizens for Quartermasters’ store-, etc., and appropriating $500,000 to pay for the same. • Other bills were introdu ed—to repeal the act for the resumption of specie payments; against subsidies and grants of lands to railroads; to reduce postage; to establish a mint lnßt. Lewis for the coinage of gold and silver; to remove political disabilities from all citizens of the United states: to provide for the admission of Utah as a State; to fund United States legal-tender notes and to prepare the way for the resumption of specie payments as soon as practicable; to amend the Constitution relative to the Presidential term of office. The Senate bill extending the duration of the court of the Alabama Commission was passed. Resolutions were offered and laid over under the rule—requesting the President to transmit to the House al) the correspondence in reference to the dismissal of ex-Sena(gr John B. Henderson as one of the special counsel of the United States in the prosecution of the whisky-fraud cases before the United Stales Court at St. Louis; directing the Secretary of the Treasury to transmit copies of all letters, telegrams, orders and instructions relating to the organization and prosecution of the present movement against the whisky ring at St; Louis, Chicago and Milwaukee; directing the Secretary of War to transmit copies, orders and instructions under which Quartermaster-Gen. Meiggs is acting for the G vernment during his absence from the United cates.

On the 15th a large number of memorials were presented in the Senate asking for the appointment of a commission to inquire Into the ma' ufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. Mr. Morton submit.ed a resolution for the appointment of a committee of five to inquire in o the hands, violence and intimidation alleged to have been practiced at the late election in Mississippi. Mr. Morton also submitted concurrent resolutions decla ing that the people of the United States are one people in the sense of national unity; that the National Government is not a compact between the States in their municipal and corporate characters, but was formed by the people of the United States in their primary capacity; that the rights of the States are defined and guaranteed by the Constitution, and not by an outside theory of State sovereignty, and th t the rights of the States cannot be enlarged or diminished except by an amendment to the Constitution ; that local domestic government by the States, within the limits of the Constitution, is an essential of our free republican system; that the doctrine that a State has the right t secede from the Union is inconsistent with the idea ofmationality, is in conflict with the spirit and structure of the Constitution, and should be regarded as having been forever extinguished by the suppression of the rebellion. Consid' rable debate was had on a resolution offered by Mr. Stevenson calling for information relative to the prosecution of the p rties accused of whisky frauds, and the resolution was withdrawn... Several bills were intro, duced in the House, among which were: To amend the Postage law relating to postage on third-class mailable matter; for the removal of all political disabilities imposed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution; reducing the salary of the President after March 4,1877. A resolution was offered and referred declaring in favor of prompt legislation to render effective the act of Jan. 14, 1875, providing for the return to .specie payment on the Ist i f January, 1879. A resolution declaring against the granting by Congress of subsidies to public or private associations or corporations was adopted —yeas 223, nays 83. A resolution was also adopted—232 to 18—declaring that any departure from the time-honored custom adopted by Washington and other Presidents in retiring ’from office after their second terms would be unwise, unpatriotic and fraught with peril to our free institutions. House adjourned to the 17th. On the 16th, in the Senate, bills were introduced —to provide for the appointment of a committee on the subject of the alcoholic liquor traffic; to authorize the appointment of special agents to investigate "frauds under the Pension laws. A resolution adopted by the House to adjourn on the 20th to Jan. 4 was amended by inserting Jan. 5, and adopted. Mr. Spencer, of Alabama, offered a resolution, which was adopted, instructing the Committee on Privileges and Elections to inquire into the manner of his election to the Senate, as to whether corrupt means bad been used to secure his election, as had been alleged. Mr. Morton's resolution providing for a special committee of five to inquire into the circumstances attending the recent election in Mississippi was debated at considerable length... .House not in session. On the 17th a resolution was offered in the Senate, by Mr. Edmunds, for the election on the 7th of January of a President pro tem.; referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. The resolution for a special committee to inquire into the recent election in Mississippi came up as unfinished business and was laid over until the 20th, to which date the Senate adjourned....ln the House the Senate amendment postponing the day of meeting after the holidays from the 4th to the Sth of January was agreed to. Among the bills introduced were—to repeal the duties on teas and tobacco; providing that all pensions on account of death from wounds or disease received or contracted in thje service shall commence from the date- of death or discharge. Mr. /*age, of California, offered a preamble and resolution to the effect that the Constitution imposes no limits on the eligibility of any citizen to the office of President further than that he must be native born, and of a certain age and time of residence, and that any attempt by the House to limit or forestall the public will on a question of such imp rtance is an evas on of the powers reserved by the people at large to be freely exercised by them without any interference from any legislative body whatever; the previous ques tion was voted down -120 to 89. Adjourned to the 20th.

THE MARKETS.

NEW YORK. Lira Stock.—Beef Cattle—*loJ»aiß.oo. Hoge —Live, |[email protected]. Sheep—*[email protected]. BsiAßSTtnm.—Flour—Good to choice, *5.45© ipo; white wheat extra, s6.' 5©7.75. Wheat—No. 9 Chicago, *1.2201.98; No. 2 Northwestern, *1.9801.**; No. 9 Milwaukee spring, *1.940

UM. Rye-Western Mid State. 88@95c. Bnrley—[email protected]. Corn—Mixed Western, 73H© 74Mc. Oats—Mixed Western, 42@44c. Pnovisions.—Pork— Mess, $21.40©22.50. Lard —Prime Steam. T3©AMc. Chreee—«©l2Hc. Wool.—Domestic fleece. 38840 c. CHICAGO. Livx Stock. —Beeves —Choice, [email protected]; good, $4.50©5.00; medium, $4.00®4.25; butchers’ stock, $2.5©3.75; stock cattie. $2,7 08.75. Hogs—Live, [email protected]. Sheep—Good to choice, $4.50@5.»5. Provisions.—Butter —Choice, 25©32c. Eggs— Fresh, 24©25c. Pork—Mess, $1».45©19.5fl Lard—512.35012.40. Bmadstvits. —Flour —White Winter Extra, $5.25©7.75; spring extra, $4.25®5.50. WheatSpring, No. 2, 96J<@96MC. Corn—No. 2, 48 ©4B>4c. Oats—No. 2, 29%©29Xc. Rye—No. 2, 68@08!4c. Barley—No. 2, 86©86>4c. Lumbbb—First and Second Clear, $40.00® 42.00; Common Boards, $11.00©12.(F; Fencing, sl2 00013.00; “A” Shingles, [email protected]; Lath, $1.75©2.00. EAST LIBERTY. Lrv* Stock.—Beeves—Best, $6 0006.50; medium. $4.75®5 60. Hogs—Yorkers, [email protected]; Philadelphia, $7.5007. 5. Sheep—Best, $5.25© 5.50; medium, $4.75©5.0>1.

The United States and Spain.

Washington, Dec. 14. The present distinctive point at issue between the United States and Spain is stated in non-officiaj, unusually well-in-formed, circles to be as follows: The United States ask: 1. That in future all American citizens in Cuba accused of violation of law shall be tried by civil courts, and not by military tribunals, with all the rights in such cases as are secured by the seventh article of the treaty of 1795; and 2. That all sentences, where American citizens have heretofore been tried by military tribunals, shall be annulled. Spain in some degree concedes the claim of the United States to the first proposition, agreeing that in future American citizens accused of violation of law shall be tried by the ordinary tribunals, with the right to be heard by counsel, to summon witnesses,and employ all other necessary safeguards to the accused, but with the reservation that all such trials shall be according to the law of 1821, which provides for more expeditious proceedings than those of civil courts for common crimes in time of peace. She also offers to revise all sentences passed by court-martial on American citizens, where it shall be satisfactorily shown that such sentences were in violation of established law. This reply is unsatisfactory to the United States, which takes the ground that American citizens accused of crime cannot be tried by court-martial, but are entitled to trial before the civil tribunals only, as secured by treaty stipulation, without such reservation as is proposed by Spain.

The National Cheap Transportation Convention.

The National Cheap Transportation Convention, recently held in Chicago, was largely attended, and the proceedings occupied three full daya of time. The resolutions adopted read as follows: Resolved, That the great and pressing need of this country is a system of transportation commensurate with the requirements of the age in which we live; that the absence of such a system is in a great measure the cause of the present unsatisfactory state of trade and commerce, the reason why our mills and manufactories are idle, why our agricultural interests are unremuneratlve, and why thousands of willing hands lack employment. Resolved, That the presence of a metallic currency is the result of commercial prosperity, and not the cause of that prosperity; to restore this circulation it is only necessary for us to supply the means of exporting our grain, flour, bacon, tobacco, cotton, oil and other products at prices which will enable us to sell those products to other countries; this will give a commercial prosperity, and its'evidence will be a gold circulation; with the return of commercial prosperity all questions relating to one value of different kinds of currency will disappear. Res lied, That this consummation can be reached by providing an adequate system of transportation, and that the only way such a system can be provided is by the co-operation of the people, through the machinery ot Government; that the boundaries of commerce have become so extended through the agencies of steam and electricity that a new and more extensive class of transportation facilities are needed; that the present system has become not only inadequate to the necessities of the times, but it is so tilled with defects and abuses that it dwaris production, stifles commerce and prevents us from successfully competing in the markets of the world. Resolved, That the corporate power embodied in our transportation lines has become so organized, consolidated and combined that it is now able to dictate values to the producers, prices to the consumers and profits to the manufactures and trades, and to build up a privileged class, contrary to the spirit of the Constitution of the United States. Resolved, That the further extension of this power must be opposed by the mass of the people by creating as fast as possible a new system of transportation lines which will insure competition, and thus protect the public interests. Resolved, That as means to this end the National Government should, as speedily as pot&ible, undertake the construction of lines of transportation recommended by the United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes, or such of them as after survey produce the most favorable results. Resolved, That a national railway, exclusively for freight, should be constructed from the graingrowing sections of the West to the Atlantic seaboard, to the end that this great territory, with its. dense populationvand the principal distributing cities both of the East and the West, may not be wholly at the mercy of existing railroads when water routes are closed by ice. Resolved, That, if it be deemed inexpedient to have this road constructed and owned by the National Government, the object may be reached by granting national aid to such a road, and assuming in consideration thereof such supervision and control as will insure reasonable rates of freight, forever prevent combination and consolidation with existing lines, and the abuses in - construction and management which pervade our present railway system, and so heavily tax the commercial and consuming public at this time. Resolved, That, whenever national aid is extended to any project in the way of internal improvement, or whenever the construction of, any work is undertaken by Government, the work should be done by contract, in small sections, to the lowest responsible bidder. Resolved, That a committee consisting of seven persons familiar with and interested in water transportation, and a committee of equal number who are dependent upon improved railway facilities for cheap transportation, be appointed to present copies of these resolutions to the Congress of the United States, and to take such other steps to forward the objects therein advocated as may be in their power. Resolved, That the internal commerce of the United States has not in the past received that consideration at the hands of our National Government that its importance merits: that, exceeding in magnitude as it does our foreign commerce in the ratio of more than ten to one, it is entitled to the most careful consideration and fostering care. Resolved, That, in pursuance of this policy, a memorial to Congress from this convention be prepared, asking that a joint committee from both houses of Congress be appointed to consider the advisability of forming a new department of our National Government, to be called the Department of Internal Commerce, said department to be specially charged with the collection, preservation and dissemination of information bearing upon transportation, and with all other matters pertaining to internal commerce. The joint complete® before mentioned to investigate the subject and report at the next session of Congress. Resolved, That we recommend the several States to enact the following laws for the regulation of railways chartered by them: 1. A law providing a Bonn! of Railroad Commissioners to obtain, preserve and circulate information bearing upon transportation, with isiwer to prescribe a uniform system of keeping railway accounts, and with other powers and duties similar to those possessed by the Railway Commie•ioiicro of Massachusetts.

2. A law to prevent Mock inflation. 8. A law prohibiting representatives of the people from being retained or employed a* agent*, attorney* or counsel in any case where the public interest is involved. 4. A law providing that all common carriers other commodities, and to deliver the same at its destination. '■ ' 8 5. A law providing a uniform clawiflcatlon of merchandise and nrohibiting the printing of conditions on hills of Jffiling issued by common carriers which are designed to evade the just responsibility Of such carriers. 8. A general law, or constitutional prohibition, against the consolidation of railroads, by which the power of these great corporations is often greatly increased and their proper control and regulation prevented. Resolved, That we have no warfare to make upon any of the great industries of the country, but, on the contrary, the very object of the convention is to promote peace ana harmony among them by securing an equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of life, without which there can be no permanent harmony of interests. As the offices ot all the members of the human body are essential to its perlect vitality and vigor, so are all these Interests essential to a country that would be great and prosperous. It is the true interest of ail to promote the interest of each other, and onr best policy will be found in the union of all the great industries of the land for the sake of national peace and national prosperity. Resolved, That for the purpose of effecting a more perfect organization an Executive Committee be appointed for each State, consisting of a number equal to the representation of said State in the Federal Congress. Resolved, That the said Executive Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees in each Congressional district in their respective Resolved, That it shall be the duties of these several committees to collect and disseminate such information in their several States and districts as may aid in procuring proper legislation upon this all-important matter of transportation, and that their efforts and aims shall be to procure for onr people the cheapest means possible! Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the subcommittee to correspond with the Executive Committees of the States, and the State Executive Committees with the National Executive Committee of this body, so that there maybe uniformity of purpose and action between the whole. Resolved, That when this convention adjourn it be to meet in October, 1876, at such place as may be designated by the Executive Committee. Reso'ved, That your committee further recommend the adoption of the resolutions introduced by the Hon. Wm. Bross in this convention relating to deep-water communication between the great Western lakes, Montreal and New York city, by the way of Lake Champlain and the Caughnawaga Ship-Canal. Resol ted. That we are In favor of completing both the Northern and Southern Pacific Railways as soon as the means for the completion of the same can be properly made available. Resolved, That the attention of the State of New York is called to the absolute necessity of cleaning and bottoming out the Erie Canal to the maximum depth provided by law, and that improved lock-gates, now in common use elsewhere, be applied to the locks, to the end that its present capacity may be increased. Resolved, further, Tlyit the authorities of that State be, and are hereby, requested to take into consideration the enlargement of that canal to a capacity that will admit the commercial application of steam as a motive power. The last three of the Bross resolutions, adopted as above, are as follows: Resolved, That the interests of the United States and of the Dominion of Canada in reference to transportation between the West and the East are identical; and that while the Dominion grants to citizens of the United States free use of Canadian canals and rivers similar privileges should be guaranteed to the citizens of the Dominion, on terms of mntnal advantage. Resolved, That in view of the enlargement of the Welland Canal now in progress and of the present prospective diversion of the carrying trade of the Northwest to the St. Lawrence route, the construction of a ship-canal from the St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain, for which a favorable charter has been granted by the Dominion Government, and of the enlargement of the Champaign Canal, by which vessels of 1.000 tons can reach Lake Champlain and New York in from six to eight days less time than by existing routes and at much less expense and depreciation of value in transport, is of vital importance to New York and New England and to the entire country. R solved. That this convention concur in the opinion expressed in the report of the United States Senate Committee on Transportation of the Thirty-ninth Congress, that the enlargement of the New York canals, the constrnction of the Caughnnwaga Canal (from the St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain), and the free use of the Canadian canola will greatly cheapen transportation from the West to the East, ana that we are in favor of the appointment of a joint commission on the part of the United States and that of the Dominion of Canada to arrange and recommend terms for the mutual free use of the canals and inland waters of the two countries by the citizens thereof.

A Nut for Ethnologists to Crack.

A strange story is told by a Wichita exchange. Andreas Eisinger, a native of Switzerland, and lately of the Sixth United States Cavalry, is now in Wichita, under orders to report to department headquarters at Leavenworth. Mr. Eisinger is a young man of about twenty-two years of age, born in Canton Thurgau, and was educated in the Grison, or Canton Graubunden, which lies in the Tyrolean Alps, on the Austrian frontier. The inhabitants of this canton speak a dialect termed Pomelos by the Germans and Rome-pa-va by the natives. It is said to be the ancien Roman; it may be a corruption of that language. However, whatever it is, Eisinger speaks it readily. In the spring of 1873 he came to the United States, enlisted in the service and was sent to Fort Dodge. In October, 1874, he was with Gen. Miles’ command, which captured a portion of the Cheyenne band of Indians, then on the war-path. One of the parties capturdl consisted of three warriors and a squaw, who, supposing that none of their captors understood their language, conversed freely with one another, laying plans to escape. Eisinger was astonished to hear the aborigines speaking a language familiar to his ears, the Rome-pa-va, or old Roman dialect. He reported this discovery to his commanding officer, who investigated the matter and found it to be as stated by the Swiss boy. He was discharged from the army and appointed interpreter, which position he now holds. The identity of the tongue is not perfect, but analogous to the broken talk of the German-speaking English. It is the same with the Comanche and Arapahoe dialects. If this is not merely a tale for marines, and we have no reason to doubt the honesty or veracity of the young man, the matter is of sufficient moment to engage the attention of some linguistic savant. An identity of the language would indicate an identity of origin.— Denver (Col.) Newt.

The superiority of plug over fine-cut chewing tobacco was illustrated in the case of Mr. Tryon, of Wapping, Conn., the other night. He seized a masked burglar who was operating in his workshop and was stabbed and knocked sense* less by an accomplice, but the knife fortunately struck a plug of tobacco, which prevented its inflicting a mortal wound. —T. D. Perkins narrowly escaped death in the tube-trunk, six feet in diameter, at Mr. Cone’s new works at Housatonic, Mass, He was seventy feet from the entrance when a boy told him that the gates at the head of the flume were raised, and a race for life brought Mr. Perkins out just as the water caught him.—

NUMBER 15,

THE LEGEND OF ST. NICHOLAS. Tax tales of good St. Nicholas Are known in every clime; a Told tn painting, and in statues, And in the poet's rhyme. For centuries they’ve worshiped him In churches, East and West; Of all the saints we read about He is beloved the best. Because he was the saint of all The wretched and the poor, And never sent a little child Unsuccored from hi* door. In England’s isle, alone, to day, Four hundred churches stand Which bear his name, and keep it well Remembered through the land. And all the little children In England know full well This tale of good 11. Nicholas, Which I am now to tell— The sweetest tale, I think, of all The tales they tell of him: I never read it but my eyes With tears begin to swim • There was a heathen King who roved About with cruel bands, And waged a fierce and wicked war On all the Christi«i lands. And once he took as captive A little, fair-haired boy, A Christian merchant’s only son, His mother’s pride and joy. He decked him in apparel gay, And said: “You’re just the age To serve behind my chair at meat, A dainty Christian page.’’ Oh, with a sore and aching heart, The lonely captive child Roamel through the palace, big and grand, And wept and never smiled. And all the heathen jeered at him ; And called him Christian dog, And when the King was angry He kicked him like a log^. And spat upon his face, and said: “ Now, by my beard, thy gods Are poor to leave their worshipers At such unequal odds.’’ One day, lust as the cruel King Had sat him down to dine, And in his jeweled cup of gold The page was pouring wine, The little fellow's heart ran o'er In tears he could not stay, For he remembered, suddenly, It was the very day On which the yearly feast was kept Of good St. Nicholas, And at his home that very hour Were dancing en the grass, With music, and with feasting, all The children of the town. The King looked up, and saw his tears; His face began to frown: “ How now, thou dog! thy sniveling tears Are running in the cup; Twas not with these, but with good wine, Ibade thee fill it up. Why weeps the hound?’’ The child replied: “I weep because to-day, In name of good St. Nicholas, All Christian children play; And all my kindred gather home, From greatest unto least, And keep to good St. Nicholas A merry banquet feast.’’ The heathen King laughed scornfully: “ If he be saint indeed, Thy famous great St. Nicholas, Why does he not take heed To thee to-day, and bear thee back To thy own native land? Ha! well 1 wot he cannot take One slave from out my hand!’’ Scarce left the boastful words his tongue When, with astonished eyes, The cruel King aslant form S/w swooping from the skies. A whirlwind shoos the palace walls, The doors flew open wide, And 101 the good St. Nicholas Came in with mighty stride. Right past the guards, as they were not, Close to the King’s gold chair, With striding steps the good Saint came, And seizing by his hair The frightened little page, he bore Him, in a twinkling, high Above the palace topmost roof, And vanished in the sky. Now at that very hour was spread A banquet rich and dear Within the’little page's home, To' which, from far and nt ar, The page's monming parents called All poor -to cotne and pray With them, to good St. Nicholas, Upon his sacred day. Thinking, perhaps, that he would heal Their angnish and their pain, And at poor people’s prayers might give Their child to them again. Now what a sight was there to see, When, flying through the air, The Saint came carrying the boy, Still by his curly hair! And set him on his mother’s knee, Too frightened yet to stand, And holding still the King’s gold cup Fast in his little hand. And what glad sounds were these to hear, What sobs and joyful cries. And calls for good St. Nicholas Tocome bacs from the skies! But swift he soared, and only smiled, And vanished in the bine; Most likely he was hurrying Some other good to do. But I wonder if be did not stop To take a passing look Where still the cruel heathen King In terror crouched and shook; While from the palace all his guards In coward haste had fled, And told the people in his chair The King was Eitting dead. Hurrah for good St. Nicholas 1 The friend of all the poor, Who never seat a little child Unsuccored from his door. < We do not pray to saints to-day, Bnt still we hold them dear, And the stories of their holy lives Are stories good to hear. They are a sort of parable, And if we ponder well We shall not find it hard to read The lesson which they tell. We do not pray to saints to-day, Yet who knows but they hear Our mention of them, and are glad We hold their memory dear? Hurrah for good St. Nicholas, The friend of all the poor, Who never sent a little child Unsuccored from his door! —St. Nicholas Magazine.

A Golden Girl.

Thebe is a servant girl living in a family on Howard street who wouldn’t be permitted to change places if ten dollars per week would be any inducement for her to stay. She makes it her special duty to meet all agents and beggars at the door and to dispose of them without tne least annoyance to the family. She has a rule to meet each case, and her rules are perfection. The door.bell never fools her. She can tell a caller’s ring from a beg. gar’s ring as certainly as the bell is touched. When ahe opens the door and

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finds a man with a red goatee” h>Yin£ a clothes-wringer in his hand, she doesn’t wait for him to hem and haw and sdty that his clothes-wringer beats all the other wringers ever made. She gets the" start by “You seem like a decent, respectable man, and as a friend I warn you that the owner of the house saw you come tip the steps and he ran into me back yard to unchain his Russian blood-hound." The man with the red goatee slings that wringer over his right shoulder and can ters out of that neighborhood with his teeth on edge and cold chills playing tag up and down his back. **" The next one may be a young lady, who boldly inquired for the lady of the house, and has a new kind of face-powder to sell. “ You can go in,” whispers the girl, “ and I will stand at the door so as to rush in when you call. If the mistress asks you to taste anything, beware of poison. She may not have her little revolver with her this morning, and I guess it will be safe for you to go in!” “Why—why ’’ stammers the young lady. “Go right in—she may not be dangerous!” “ Never mind—l’ll call again—I’m in a hurry!” And that settles that case. The next is one of those old chaps who go about with tears in their eyes, willing to work if work can be had, but never finding any work their health will permit them to do. “ Madam," he says, as she opens the door, “ for Heaven’s sake let me work at something long enough to earn a slice of bread!" She motions for hitn to go around to the side door and is there to let him in. She hands him an ax weighing seven pounds, with a straight handle, points to three or four big knots which have become almost petrified, and softly says: “You look hungry, and as soon as you split those up I’ll give you the best meal you’ve had in a month.” She goes in and he spits on his hands, Idoks at the old ax, and then folds his little tent and slips through the gate like a shadow of fate. Then the little girl who canvassea for the orphan asylum rings the hell. She is met with a smile, and the hired girl says: “ You poor little thing! I pity the orphans, and I’d like to give you some money. If you will get the Mayor tocome here and say that it is all right I will give you tliree cents.” The little girl thoughtfully pursues her way and another case comes, is met and disposed of, and the mistress of that house is never disturbed or annoyed.— Detroit Free Preet.

That Dynamite Explosion.

It is only in comparatively modern times that we have learned to blow ourselves and other people to pieces. The explosive in all its various forms of gunpowder, nitro-glycerine, dynamite or giant-powder, etc., is something new. We are unfortunately accustomed, however, to wholesale murders committed in mines by natural explosives, and in magazines and on shipboard by those of artificial make. One of the most horrible of all these accidents is that of Saturday morning, when a caseof dynamite blew up at Bremen and killed and wounded, according to the official report, 100 persons, of whom sixty were slain outright. It seems that some gigantic fool had carefully packed a package of dynamite in his luggage, and then taken passage on the steamship Mosel, from Bremen to New York. Dynamite looks like damp Graham flour, and is composed of silicious ashes or pulverized earth saturated with three times its weight of nitro, glycerine. It bums slowly in the open air, but explodes with tremendous, incomprehensible force when confined within asmall space. Underttaelattercircumstances, a sudden thump sends it flying into flame. No better material could have been selected if the Bremen explosion had been intended. The Mosel was lying a short distance from the, wharf, and her shoreward side was doubtless covered with passengers. A tug lay by her. The passengers’ baggage was being transferred to the ship. Somebody tinay have stumbled, somebody may have droppod a package—just how the explosion came we shall probably never know. It did come. The tug was blown to pieces. The steamship was so damaged that she cannot sail. Four passengers were killed. The rest of the sixty murdered ones were probably sailors, porters and ’longshoremen on the wharf. Another passenger has since tried to commit suicide but has been prevented. His deed excites the suspicion that he owned and packed the dynamite and that his criminal carelessness is responsible for the horrible massacre. He is to be examined. If the explosion had to occur it is perhaps best that it took place when and where it did. Had the Mosel been in mid-ocean she would have sunk with every soul on board.— Chicago Tribune.

—Quite recently a short-sighted husband saw a large bouquet of flowers on a chair, and wishing to preserve them from fading placed them in a basin of water. When his wife saw the “ bouquet” half an hour afterward she gave one piercing scream and fainted on the spot. Her defectivevisioned husband had mistaken her new bonnet, with its abundance of flowers, for a freshly -culled bouquet. A Covington (Ky.) man says that he bought Gladstones great pamphlet on “Vaticination” in order to learn how to escape small-pox, but the “blamed book didn’t say a word on the subject!” The annual sale of Florida curiosities is said to amount to SIOO,OOO,