Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1883 — LEGISLATIVE NOTES. [ARTICLE]

LEGISLATIVE NOTES.

The oldest inhabitant is drowned out, metaphorically speaking, by these high waters. It will be many years before white haired croakers can silence younger generations by ippealing to the flood of ‘47 or '32. This flood of 1883 will be high water mark for a good while. A Chicago letter to the Louisville Courier-Journal states that their are 700 Chinamen, one Chinese woman and one Chinese child in that city, The wealthiest of these Celestials stands possessed of about $6,000. Three hundred of them are engaged in laundry work. One is so distinguished an artist that he is permanently engaged to paint the portraits of •p-Presidents of the Chicago Prees Club. This, from the Boston Herald, seems to be to the point: At the next meeting of the Worcester county Central Grange, the topio for debate will be: la there anything in being the wife of a farmer which will blunt the love of the beautiful in art or nature, or rob woman of her inborn qualities that go to make! the real lady? 1 ’ It seems tJ us tqat everything will depend upon the kind of a farmer a woman marries. One who was compelled to rise before daylight and milk half a dozen cows wouldn’t have many thoughts about nature and art, while one who married a farmer who “farms it” after the style of our own Dr. Loring would have ample opportunity to cultivate the beautiful.” Many suicides, doubtless, go down to voluntary death in the full possession of •very faculty, except, perhaps, discriminating judgment But when it comes to horrible means, as was resorted to by a man named Fox, at Buffalo, there is no question as to his insanity possible. On Friday, at the Scoville Oar-wheel Works, in that city, Fox deliberately plunged his head into a large pail of molten metal His fellow employes saw him kneel to put his head in and rescued him as quickly as but not until both his •yes were burned out and his scalp cooked to the skull, while his hands and face were also terribly burned. Two bad men entered a grooery store in New York, the other day, and told the German proprietor that they had a bet as to whose hat held the most molasses, and wanted him to settle the question. The worthy grocer said he knew “nodings about such businesses,” and grumbled at the foolishness,” but proceeded to fill up one of the hats with choice “New Orleans.” When it was full one of the bad men took the hat, put it on the obliging grocers head, and, while he was sputtering and trying to get the sticky mess out of his eyes, the strangers took $275 from his pockets and went away. The bet about the molasses is still undecided. Depahtment clerks’ wives write pathetic letters to the Washington papers protesting against that outrageous, slavedriving law which will compel their husbands to be at their arduous and servile labors between the hours of 8:30 a. m. and 4;30 p. m. The clerks themselves may stand it, say these letters in substance, because they are strong, but “how can we, the wives, rise and prepare breakfast for our husbands at such early hours?” When the attention of Congress is called to this view of the case it will undoubtedly see that both wisdom and humanity call for a lessening rather than an increase of the department olerk’s toil. The gallant defense of the treasure of Wells, Fargo & Co., by Mr. Boss, their agent, against a baud of robbers marks him as a hero whose bravery entitles him to conspicuous mention. The attack was made in one of the loneliest spots in Nevada. The miscreants utterly failed to get into the car or to get him out, though he was wounded three times by shots fired through the oar at him. They tried to wreck the car and to bum it but their attempts failed and he remained the viotor, though severely wounded, and kept the treasure intrusted to him out of their hands. His actions shows what a coolheaded, resolute man can do against odds, But if one man, without help, can frustrate tha designs of a gang of villains, how is it that so many trains have been robbed that have had apparently numerous means of protection? Three times the thieves have tried to rob this man of the treasure in his charge, and three times he has thwarted them. If train employes generally had his oourage we should hear of fewer robberies. Breaches of promise don’t work well backward in England. That is, when a gallant brings suit against a recalcitrant girl, it is a very nice problem to decide what the result will be. A case in point: Mr- HaUiday Kingsley, of London, •laimed £3,000 damages from Miss Eli*«. Anna Peile, of Dublin. The plaintiff admitted that f >r some yeais he assumed the name of Stanley to escape from his creditors. The defendant’s counsel contended that the plaintiff was a designing, l

fellow, and the lady had a mar- ( velous escape fram him. The jury on the first count, that a promise of marriage hftd been made, founds for the plaintiff They also found for the plaintiff on the second count, that the promise had not been rescinded. They awarded damages of one farthing. That was bad enough, but the jury was not contentjto rest there. They found for the defendant on the account that the promise had been obtained by fraudulent representations. They also found for the defendant on the counter claim for money lent, with £IOO damages. The jndge accordingly gave judgment for the defendant, withjjudgement. American enterprise would find it but sorry encouragement in England. * A cußious result of recent floods has been seen in the blockading of a railroad with ice, near Franklin, Pa. A branch of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad runs through French creek valley, which, a few miles from Franklin, narrows until it becomes little more than a gorge between high hills. At the narrowest point the stream turns almost at right angles, the track following the bend, and at a level which is not above high-water mark. When the “rains descended and the floods came” two weeks ago the creek was filled with ice, which broke up and was thrown out of the current and high upon the banks and the track the length of the gorge. After a day or two the water fell, but the weather turned extremely oold and froze the blocks of ice into a solid mass from five to fifteen feet in height For six days traffio was suspended, and a large foroe of workmen at each end of tne blockade were engaged in mining a passageway for trains. Holes were driven in the ice and torpedo bombs inserted. After the explosion of these, a road was carved and quarried through with pioks and axes, and trains are now running between walls of solid ice. Telegraph men were at the same time engaged in temporarily replacing their poles with fence rails inserted in holes drilled in the ice.

The flnanoe oommitteeof the Senate has decided unanimously not to appropriate a dollar for Purdue University unless the order keeping secret-fraternity meif out the institution was rescinded. Whet may be regarded as a test vote on the Jewett promissory note bill was taken in the House Tuesday, as that body de olined to take it up, although it' was a special order, by a vcte of 53 to 42. Mr. Sbiveley’s mechanics’ lien bill is one of universal importance. It provides that such liens shall attach to all buildings and structures, such as trestleworks, incomplete railroads, etc. There is also a provision for attorneys* fees which go with the lien. The bill passed the House Thursday. It is understood that the House prison committee is after the scald of A. J. Howard, warden of the Southern Prison, and that his friends became so alarmed Wednesday night as to telegraph him to go to Indianapolis immediately. The Senate Wednesday finally passed the Benz road bill, ■which has been so amended that nothing short of a full copy could give an adquate idea of its provisions. It, however, substantially repeals the enactment of 1881. The Senate, Wednesday, passed the Hilligass bill, which provides that county commissioners may purchase gravel roads and make them free, when authoriaed to do so by a majority of the tax payeas along the line of the road. A committee of prominent citizens of Elkhart were at Indianapolis Saturday pressing upon the Legislators the advantages of that city for the location of an insane asylum. They claim for it accessibility, healthfnlness, and the most desirable sites. Their claims are strongly presented, and deserve- the careful consideration of the General Assembly. The fee and salary bill which will be recommended by the House committee is substantially the Moody bill, with a few important amendments. No provision is made for the compensation of State offi cere, which remain as under the old law. Very strict measures are provided to prevent oonstruotive fees, and the main feature of the bill, which make it a misdemeanor for an officer to charge illegal fees, are also added to the bilk. At the session of the House prison committee it was agreed to recommend a change in the system of keeping the accounts of receipts and purchases at the Southern prison; the adoption of the same plan of keeping the boarding h juse at the Southern prison as has been adopt ed at the Northern; vesting the directors with sole power to make purchases of supplies, and instruting them to buy in the lowest market; the appointment of a steward who shall be an expert caterer. Mr. Hueßton of the committee, moved that warden Howard should be severely oensuredfor neglect of duty, and that the directors be urged to remove him at once. * The commission appointed in the Senate to consider and report on the expediency of re-apportinoing the school fund

was asked for by Senator Foulke, because the officials of Wayne county assert they cannot loan the money at' the rate required by law, 8 per oent Under the acr making the apportionment every county is charged wi*h the interest on the amount of fund given to it whether loaned or not and of oourse, if it is. not loaned the taxpayers must pay the deficit It is broadly intimated that in some counties, thd custodians of public funds do not lose any sleep in their efforts to plaoe the school fund among borrowers, as while it remains in their custody it is good for four per cent, per annum from the banks in whioh it is deposited.