Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1885 — Col. Smith’s Duel. [ARTICLE]

Col. Smith’s Duel.

Insurance companies are willing to insure President Cleveland’s life at lower rates than have been offered since Buchanan went out They don’t believe that anybody wants to assassinate him or that he will try any trapeze tricks. The Medical Department of the Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, 0., has refused to admit women to the privileges of the school, after the announcement had been made that both sexes would be taught together. The young lady applicants for admission talk of bringing suit for damages. In France a manufacturer named Meynard has died without relatives, leaving his house to be maintained in the state in which it was left, “and all the living animals in it” cared for until they die. His body was cemented into a block of granite, to become a corner-stone for a free picture gallery.

Ahnednuggab, in Bombay, is afflicted by a plague of rats. Rewards were offered for the destruction of the pests, but after nearly 2,000,000 had been killed the people recognized in the rodents the spirits of their friends who perished in the last great famine, and refused to permit any more of them to be killed. The New York World has lived in vain. After rising SIOO,OOO to furnish a pedestal for the Bartholdi statue, it has received a letter from *'a constant reader,” doubtless, who wants to be informed who Bartholdi is, and why a monument should be erected in his honor. The editor of the World fainted when he read the query. The widow Van Cott,who is conducting revival meetings in Philadelphia, addresses gatherings every evening and on five afternpons, besides twice on Sundays, with the addition of Sundayschool services, She does most of the talking on these occasions, and prays five time at each service. Such work would be impossible but for her splendid physique.

Watch springs, it seems, are more than ordinarily liable to break during the equinoctial season. A prominent Philadelphia jeweler said recently: “We sometimes have such a pile of watches come in upon us when the equinoctial storms make their appearance that we are compelled to send around to the smaller shopsand pay premiums—and big premiums at that —for a journeyman or so for a couple of days. The Glen (Kansas) Herald tells this pleasant story: “At Wakefield, Clay County, a boy discovered a pig taking an ear of corn in his mouth and then trot off toward the creek. This operation was repeated so often that it excited the boy’s curiosity, and he followed the pig. What was his surprise to find at or near the creek another pig which was sick and unable to walk, and pig No. 1 had been taking food to the sick companion.” This country is now experiencing a decline in immigration, though during the past five years showing the amazing aggregate of 2,968,158. The course of immigration follows closely the business history of this country. News of hard times frightens away our future citizens, while active business and eras of high prices attract them. Nearly 400,000 immigrants arrived on our shores during the past twelve months. About two-thirds of our immigrants come from Germany and Great Britain.

Judge George S. Bachelder, of the International Tribunal at Cairo, who has just returned to this {country, says that General Gordon had but few friends in Cairo, cared for nobody but himself and had the same disregard for death as the Orientals, among whom he had spent so many years. He was extremely pious, but with it all was bloody and ruled those around him with an iron hand. He would have made the Soudan groan with his despotism if fate had not stopped his career in Khartoum.

Mr. J. T. Trowbridge, the author of that very popular poem, “The Vagabonds,” and many readable books, is now 58 years old. He was an active writer thirty years ago, and is even more active to-day. He is certainly a prosperous man of letters, and his home at Arlington, near Boston, is one of the attractive features of that place. He settled at Boston in 1850, after having worked hard, and not always profitably, with his pen, and be was soon brought into prominence by the publication of “Neighbor Jackwood,” which was a strong picture of life in New England. A woman in Gouldville, Pennsylvania, was stung on the upper lip by several bees while passing through an apiary of cross bees. Her husband withdrew the stings, applied wet earth to the wounds, and took her to the house. In a few. momenta she fell to the floor in convulsions, with her nostrils and lip so swollen that she could only breathe through her mouth. ‘ A doctor was sent for, but before he came she

died. She was 28 years of age, and lived but forty-five minutes, after she was stung. Of course her system must 'Gave been in. a very bad condition, and the poison took immediate and deadly effect ___L_ % “He may be observed,” says an exchange of Prof. David Swing, “almost any day walking leisurely through the crowded streets. A profile of his deeply-corrugated, thoughtful face suggests features of Dante. His hair is abundant and streaked with gray. His complexion is slaty. He is a man of small build, but his head is covered with a 7f hat He is very plainly dressed, and his collar is of the Byronic pattern. His tailor must make his clothes without too much style or they cannot be worn His mode of life is quiet, studious, and methodical, although he and his daughter have many callers to entertain, and many invitations to social festivities.”

Spelling schools of the manner of the olden time are likely to be fashionable this winter. Already they have been organized in many places. It is not much credit to be a good speller, but very discreditable not to spell welL It is well for young people to remember this. Many a youth has lost a good-paying situation, and many a young man has lost the Chance of the best wife by failing to make a study of his spelling-book and dictionary when young. There is no place where bad spelling looks worse than in a love letter. A badly-spelled love-letter, written by either a young lady or gentleman, will spoil a hundred -romantic tete-a-tetes by moonlight, and took the whole case up in chancery.

The wife of a well-known citizen of Chicago, on a recent morning, soon after rising, and while still engaged in dressing, asked her Husband: “Do you know anybody named Edsall or Esdale?” A negative reply Was given, and then a “Why do you ask?” She answered: “Because I dreamed that a man of that name was found drowned.” At the breakfast table the morning paper was read, and in one of the items of news was the announcement of the disappearance of a young man named Esdale, and whose remains some ten days later, were found in the lake. This is a bona-fide occnrence, just as related. Neither the husband nor wife had ever heard of the name, and the first time they ever saw it was in the announcement of the mysterious disappearance of a person who bore it. Is this merely a singular coincidence, or is it connected with a clairvoyance which perceives events and things beyond the reach of the average human vision ?

Recognition is being made in a variety of directions of the principle that the legal rules ordim&ily applied to strictly private enterprises and properties, are not applicaple without limitation to enterprises and properties 1 ’ in the conduct of which the public has a more or less clearly defined interest. For example, the right of a party to a private suit to attach a passenger train, thus causing inconvenience to a number of persons not interested in the controversy, has been limited by statute. A recent instance of the recognition of the principle refered to is mentioned in a Boston letter to the Albany Law Journal. The forms of a newspaper were attached at the instance of an attorney who considered himself aggrieved by strictures made in the preceding issue of the paper. The attachment was made just before midnight, when it was impossible to give a bond to dissolve the attachment; the officer refused to allow the forms to be used, and the result was that the paper was distributed to its patrons next morning printed on one side only, one half of the form having previously been prepared, and in the-hands of the printer,, before the attachment was made. To provide against the recurrence of any such inconvenience as was caused to the public in this instance, the last Legislature of Massachutetts passed an act providing that no attachment can be made of the forms of a newspaper when ready for the press. This act does not do away with the right of attachment against the property of newspapers, but introduces the principle that such right must not be exercised as to work inconvenience to the public.

Old CoL Smith was an odd genius and a great joker. One evening, at a party, a young gentleman upon whom the Colonel had told some cutting jokes, feeling himself insulted, challenged the Colonel to mortal combat. The challenge was accepted. Having the choice of weapons and the appointment of the place of meeting the Colonel told the young man to repair the following morning at 6 o’clock to a certain spot, and added “that he would see that the weapons were there." The following morning at the appointed time, the young man repaired to the identical spot; said spot being among the lead mines, was naturally furrowed with mineral holes. “Well, sir,” said the Colonel, sticking his hands in his pockets, are you ready?” Receiving an affirmative answer, he continued: "Here’s where we are to fight,” indicating a mineral shaft near by, which was at least sixty feet deep, “and here’s our weapons,” pointing to a pile of rocks. “You are to go down that hole and throw rocks up; lam to stay up here and throw rocks dowm” Jt is needless to add that the challenge was withdrawn.

What you keep by you may change and mend, but words once spoken you could never recall.