Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1886 — Page 3

GREAT GUNS.

Soldiers’ Stirring Stories of Solid Shot, Screaming Shells, *<"■"— " 1 Big Battles. Bursting Bombs, Buzzing Bullets, and Bright

Abraham Lincoln. [Written at the time of bin assaHßination.] “That life is long that answers life’s great end,” So wrote the jsiet—and bo wo, to-day, As 'neath our nation's grief wo humbly bend, -J*" Confess that thus, in God’s appointed way, Thia perfect life should end. That simple, upright man! The assassin's blow Struct to its core, through him. tho Nation’s heart; Tot 'mid the ghxnn there penetrates a voice, “He still and know That lam Gori! that now ye know but part, Koon ohall ye know the whole." A iifo so pure! We stand abashed before Its upright honesty, which first wo comprehend, Thon knowledge comes too late, save to secure A nation's tears for him, the nation’s friend, Whose IOS3 We now deplore. Not his the grace of courts—the art of schools; No heaven-born beauty in that care-worn face ; No tricks of epeechrito win the applause of fools— Not these, but only in his life we trace God’s noblest work—an honest man! Not his the Eagle’s airy, wondrous flight, To enchain men's gaze ; but rather his who gains. Through patient, manly toil, the Alpine height. Yet, longing, backward looks to the peaceful plains, So nearly out of sight. 'Thank God, O Nation! that through all these years Of doubt and dire dismay he led us on, Through war's dim cloud of hate, and groans, and tears, And left us not until the morning's dawn, Whence peace shall come. Tho end was near. A humble conqueror thia. Whoso greatness shone within his kindly ' -eyes, But not in word or act. For work like his We had nd meet reward—God was more wise Thun man's heart could devise. And so, upon his life’s unsullied page . . God set His seal of death! A glorious end, To die for that ho had lived for! From age to age . Our Lincoln's name with Washington's shall blend, Of liberty and law the friend!

Ambush of the First Minnesota at Flint Hill. Virginia. On the 29th of August, 1862, General Pope’s army had been defeated in the second battle of Bull Kun and was retreating toward Washington. The Second Corps, coming iron! the Peninsula by the way of Alexandria, had taken up a position to cover the retreating army. It was toward evening, the Second Corps also leaving the field, with the Second Division in the rear, that General Sumner, who commanded the Second Corps, called the commanders of the different regiments of the division together, asking them what regiment would take the rear as rearguard and as a post of honor. As the regiment might either be taken prisoners or cut to pieces, all were silent. At lakt Colonel Alfred Sully of the First Minnesota spoke up: “General, !, with my regiment, will take the rear.” “Colonel Sully, your boys are too good for that,” was the reply of Geneeral Sumner. “General, my boys know how to take care of themselves.” “Colonel, as you wish it. You shall have the honor of taking the rear, and I hope and wish that I may see you and your regiment safe to-morrow morning again.” The line of march was taken up again. The First Minnesota having been somewhat in the advance in the division, laid down along the roadside, waiting for their turn to come. Passing by r the regiments of. the First Brigade, to which the First Regiment belonged, would call out, ‘‘Come along, Bushwhackers,” (the nickname of the regiment in the brigade); “don’t be lazy and straggling now.” It was getting dark, and the last soldiers had disappeared out of sight, when at last Colonel Sully called: “Attention!” and the regiment took up its line of march. They passed through Fairfax Court House, and were hardly a mile beyond the town when the Johnnies commenced shelling them—while in town they had learned the position of the regiment. The regiment kept steadily on for five or six miles, where they could hear the Johnnies close behind them, their cannons rattling on the rough road. Coming to a little valley between two hills, the opposite hill being timbered, Colonel Sully gave the order to double-quick, and commanded a halt at the opposite hill at the edge of the woods. He placed the regiment in such a position, the two wings forming a right angle, the point of the angle resting in the road, as to have everything that came along that road in a crossfire. Two pieces of artillery, that were with the regiment, were in the center of the road. Three pickets had been thrown outtoreport the advance of anybody. Soon the words of command and the unlimbering of cannon could be heard on the opposite hill. The pickets came in and reported the advance of a cavalryman. The cavalryman advanced almost to the mouth of the cannon, it was so dark in the woods nothing could be seen any distance off, when Colonel Sully, who stood between the two pieces of artillery, sang out, “Who comes there?” “Who are you?” came the reply. Colonel Sully asked again, “Who are you?” The cavalryman, with the words, “Take this, and be damned,” swung his horse around and fired his revolver at Colonel Sully. The shot missed him, but hit the right-wing man of Company A. The pistol shot had not died away when Colonel Sully's clear, deep voice rang out, “Ready, fire!” and a volley, as compact as ever was fired by any regiment, together with the discharge of the pieces of artillery resounded in the hills. When the echoes had died away, the shouting of commands, the cries of the wounded and the bustle of a skedaddling body of troops could be heard on the opposite hill. Colonel Sully, in his calm voice, as if nothing had happened, gave the command, “By the right flank, file right, march;” saying, at the same time, “they won’t trouble us any more to-night.” The regiment took up its line of march, feeling sure that the rear was safe for that night. When General Sumner heard the firing he ordered an aid-de-camp to find out what was the. trouble. When the aid-de-camp reported that Colonel Sully and his boys had shown the enemy their faces, he said: “Oh, I expected that; that is like him." The result of this little encounter became only known to the regiment sdmg“lfx or seven months afterward. The regiment was doing picket duty in the spring of 1863 in front of Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock, above Falmouth, when occasionally a one-armed citizen would come visiting the nearest picket post. The boys of the regiment asked him one day how he lost his,arm—if he hud been a soldier. He said he lost his arm at such a place, naming just the same spot where the regiment laid in ambush for the Johnnies. They asked if he knew what regiment they had to do with. He said no. They told him that it was theirs, the First Minnesota. -—“Well, boys,” he said, and shook hands with them, “although I lost my arm by that affair, I must say you did do well there. We were near enough to hear you tearing at a furious rate through that little valley to

the sheltering timber, and we were just getting, ready, thinking you on a dead-run skedaddle, to give you a good eend-off and eend the cavalry in after you, when you gave us that tremendous volfey; I belongedto the cavalry, and you emptied forty saddles for us. What harm you did to the infantry and artillery I do not know. The artillery left their cannons behind them, apd the whole force that was not left behind either killed or wounded skedaddled uh far as Fairfax, thinking you had turned the tables on ns, "- - —— - : ■ “What force did you haye there?” the boys asked. “There were two regiments of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and .four pieces of artillery.” ' After this the one-armed man was often seen at the picket posts chatting with the boys.— Chicago Ledger.

A Day’s March with Sherman. It is not often that one gets a chance to spend a day with an'invading army, its base of supplies abandoned, and its rations “picked up” from the country tributary to the march.. Such was the writer’s good fdrtune when Sherman’s army was making: its way, on short rations, from Nashville to Atlanta. andL wo will detail a few of the incidents of thatday*We were a foraging party, sent in advance to hunt up supplies and buy or capture them. When we found them there was no question as to who would ultimately become the consumers of those supplies. Our orders from General Sherman were to keep, as nearly as possible, a given route, and to “set tire td a stack, house, bam, or something, from time to time, that he might know our route and where we were.” And away we rode, a well-mounted, finely disciplined body of cavalry and of artillery—a single piece—with a long train of empty army wagons. Thirty miles among the mountains were soon passed, and little promise of forage. Our signals had been left along from time to time, but to every inquiry we found the one answer—no corn, no bacon — and we believed them. It was an interior region, without market facilities, but about noon things began to look better. We halted and fed our horses and men, and made inquiries as to corn for sale or in store for miles ahead. Not a sign. Things began to look serious. At last we got the name of an old planter about twenty miles aheadr- Reports gave him com; but the rebs had been foraging in his neighborhood, and it was doubtful if even he had com now. It was our best show, and, mounting, we hurried forward. The day was well gone when we halted in his neighborhood. To our inquiries he gave a decided negative. Emphatically he had no corn. We, upon consultation, decided not to believe him. We enlisted his negroes in the search, and began a systematic hunt of the forest valleys in his neighborhood, Perhaps history will never record just how much is due to the negroes’ aid in our finding that corn, but we found it—a goodly supply for mules, horses, and, if need be, men, for more than a day. And it was in the nick of time, too. It was needed.—■———x

The corn was cribbed in the dense forest of one of those deep mountain valleys, and almost unapproachable, but we soon found and opened up his road, and loaded the corn into our wagons. The old fellow was quite willing to take a Government voucher for the corn when he saw that it was gone, an act of clemency that he did not deserve. It should have been confiscated. In the next few hours we found, within a few miles in different directions, several thousand bushels of com and a few small stores of bacon. In one or two ettses the owners, finding that we were in pursuit of such commodities, came and offered them for sale. But we were strong in the belief that even these would not, but for the belief that we would find and take them, and they offered them in the hope of getting a better price. In any event we secured in this neighborhood enough forage for Sherman’s army for several full rations to all the animals, cavalry or team service, and it came at an opportune moment, and when things began to look a little doubtful for the future. There is no enemy that confronts an army like a want of rations. They can stand short rations when not in active service quite tolerably, but here was an army of men and animals all doing their best—making full days over an unknown country, etc. FuH rations were a necessity. We will only add" that when G.en. Sherman’s ffirces, reached this point they found a goodly collection of corn and meal and a large number of fair bullocks ready for the butcher. But we have exceeded our twenty-four hours, and close here.

jA Battle Incident. The writer of the following, four years a volunteer in the rebel army, wishes the name of the “young blue-coat” described herein: On the morning of the third of May, 1863, we found the Yankees occupying Fredericksburg, and our outpost driven in. My battery was occupying the works to the east of the plank road, with the redoubt in our front occupiecThy infantry; and still further in advance of our position were placed sharpshooters, protected from the Yankees by small rifle pits. We could plainly see the Yankees preparing to charge our works, and were elated at the prospect of adding a few more of the Northern mudsills to our slain on Virginia soil. The sharpshooters were instructed to pick off the officers when they came within easy range. We (the artillery) were instructed to let the attacking column pass the bridge over the canal, and to open on the support as it ca&e forward, and the infantry in the redoubt were to do up the attacking column. These arrangements were scarcely completed when a column of blue-coats made its appearance on the plank road leading out of Fredericksburg, directly in our front, and another column of blue-coats was visible farther south, directly in front of a stone wall at the base of a hill to our left that was occupied by our men. The two columns advanced with solemn tread and arms at a trail. The scene was a sublime one that beautiful Sabbath morning. The artillery on both sides had ceased firing, and for a few moments our officers and men in the works gazed with admiration at the column advancing in our front. Their officers in place, not a word is spoken, not a command is heard. They have cross-_ ed the canal. They are at the base of the hill. Our sharpshootersare at work. Their commander, is shot from his horse. Their line officers go down on either side of the column. A shell from our gun bursts at the head of the column. Our infantry pour into their ranks a shower of leaden hail. Our gun is reloaded and opened on the support that is hurrying - to their rescue. The column is ascending the hill; not a shot has been fired by them; they are past th • Sharpshooters over the redoubt our infantry were occupying. “Give them canister,” our officer repeated. -■ We tire busy reloading our gun. We attach the 1 inyard and move the gun into position, “Bring on that flag,” rang out almost ever my. head. I. looked up. Abeardless blue-coat, with a green Greek cross on his left breast and “61st P. V.” in brass figures and letters upon his cap. With a smile on his face, there- he stood, capping his gun. Soon his comrades were

around him. The works are taken. No shoulder strap is in sight. Our gun remains loaded in the blue-ctjdts’ possession. Our infantry had failed, to do up the attacking column, and we were left to the mercy of those brave blue-coats, who hardly halted, but passed quickly to our rear and opened fire on our fleeing infantry. - I have often thought of that charging column—their discipline so perfect- JNo exultation at qur misfortune; no insult offered. It waH murder to pick off their brave officers, for they were disciplined up to a point where every private became a leader. Truly it was a sight never io be forgotten. Frank Fisher. Omaha, Neb.

“Physical Disability.” We clip the following from the National Guardsman, and commend it for the good that is in it: A young man succeeded in getting a certificate of exemption from the draft from the Board of Enrollment on-the ground of “physical disability,” and hastened to his betrothed to announce his escape. Strangely to him, the good yews affected her ill an unexpected manner, and she withdrew from his presence with but the shadow of an excuse. The young man was confounded, and, visions of riyals rising up before him, soughTan explanation from the lady’s father, who always treated him graciously and was favorable to the proposed alliance. The father in turn was mystified, and immediately seeking his daughter, found her in great grief. “Oh, father,” said the girl, “I have been shamefully deceived. Oh, how mortifying to be known to be engaged to a man who comes shamelessly to me, just before our marriage, and rejoices in ‘physical disabilities.’ Why did you not tell me that the man was imperfect or sickly before matters went so far? I have no ambition to turn my future home into a domestic hospital or myself into a perpetual nurse.” The fifther tried to persuade her by saying that probably a trifling ailment, magnified by the complaint, might have obtained his exemption from service, and reminded her : that her lover was a fine rider, a graceful skater, and very expert in many exercises.

“And under all this,” added the fair girl, “he hides some dreadful infirmity. Surely you do not think I would be engaged to him if I knew him to be consumptive, scrofulous, or worse? I thank God that the draft has lifted the mask. And the man actually delights in being advertised as physically disqualified to serve his country. Oh, shame! He shall know,” said she, rising with pround indignation, “that he is physically disqualified to husband me!” And the father, physiologically considering how the seeds of disease are entailed from one generation to another, approved his daughter’s decision, and informed the young man that he might henceforth consider himself “exempt” from the proposed marriage, on the ground of acknowledged “physical disability.”

Tale of the Tiger Zouave. When the war broke out the masses of the people on both sides of the Potomac knew very little about—each other, says the Atlanta Constitution. They did not travel, mix, and mingle. The stay-at-homO Southerner took a partisan and sectional view of the North; and the stay-at-home Northerner took a partisan and sectional view of the South. We belieVed that the typical Northerner was tall, hatchet-faced, blue-eyed, and light-haired. It took a long time to convince us that the North was mainly made up of brunettes, while the South was the home of the blondes. When the Louisiana Tiger Zouaves came through here, about the first year of the war, they were critically examined. One of our cilizens picked out a chunky, swarthy, black-haired zouave, and remarked to a crowd: ‘“There is a specimen of the pure Southern type. There is no mistaking it anywhere. Such a man could not be bom under Northern Skies. He is either a creole of Louisiana, a Spaniard, Frenchman, or Greek. I will settle the matter right now.” Walking up to the soldier he opened a conversation with him, and finally asked him to name the State of his birth. “Well,” said the zouave, hesitatingly, “I don’t know that it makes any difference, but it may surprise you a little. I was born in the State of Maine.” There was a painful pause in the conversation for a moment, and then our Atlanta man naked: ______l ' ■ - ■ “Well, how in blazes do you happen to belong to this crowd?” “Oh, that’s all right,” was the answer. “You see I’m a sailor. I was paid off in New Orleans about a month before the war opened. I frolicked around until my money was gone, and when I came to my senses the trouble had commenced. .Well, I wanted to see some fun, and as these boys were good fellows I joined them.” The disappointed citizen could not resist the temptation to fire a parting shot. “Perhaps,” said he, “you did not much care which flag you fought under?” “Me? H—l, no!” was the prompt response. It is needless to say that this zouave, who looked so typically Southern, was forthwith dropped like a hot potato.

How His Wife Saved Him. During the raid of John Morgan through Ohio in 1863, he halted a part of his command at Senecaville to rest while the advance proceeded to Campbell's Station to burn the warehouse, and ent the telegraph wires of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Morgan, who was a man of splendid personal appearance, stopped his carriage in front of a millinery shop that was pre ided over by a strongminded, patriotic lady whose husband and two brothers were in the Union army at the time. Her husband had presented her with a fine revolver before he went away, and she had promised to shoot the first rebel with it that put himself in reach of its contents, but little dreaming ’ that such an event would occur in less than a fortnight afterward. She stepped to a window, and parted the blinds enough to see Morgan and not be seen by him. As the lady spied the large silver star that Morgan invariably wore on the lapel of his coa.t, she concluded, it would be a good target to shoot at. She stepped back to a drawer where she kept the v-istol, took it out, cocked it, and took deliberate aim through the aperture in the blind at that silver star; but. just wh?n she was ready to touch the trigger, she thought of Mrs. Morgan and what her anguish would be when she heard of his death, and how grateful she would be if her own husband’s life had been spared. The revolver was lowered, and the lady stepped to the door, and was engeg-d in conversation by the raider chieftain. She courageously 'told him what shy had attempted to do,> and was told by Morgan good-humoredly that he hnd no doubt but his wife w s praying for him at that time, and that it was not the first time Mis. Morgan's players had saved his life. Morgan th n bid the lady a hearty farewell, and passed on as though h,e hitd^uotjust been in imminent peiil at the hands of a woman. . C. M. Cabpentek, Sydney, Hljnois. ’

LOGAN TO THE SOLDIERS.

He Denounces the Policy of the Government in Neglecting the ‘ State’s Defenders. -—i, The Patriot Is Treated with Ingratitude, While an Arch-Traitor Is Rewarded. At Ottawa, Kas., on the 3d of July the Western Chautauqua Assembly celebrated Grand Army day. Gen. John A. Logan was the orator of the occasion, and in the course of his address he took occasion to criticise Clevd:ind!s vetoes of pension bills. On this subject he said: So, then, my comrades and fiiends, the war is at last ended, peace has spread her. white wings over this great country, and it is now for us, as patriots, as soldiers, and citizens, to live and develop with the growth of the United States of Anierica in intelligence and morals and in everything that makes a people great and goodL And to you, my old comrades, let me say one word. I dislike very much to have to say it, but after what the government has done necesrftyhas been laid upon me to say it. You have in your ranks men who are unfortunate. They are cripples, blind, and poor, and totter on the streets objects of charity; you, my comrades, know the wants of these once stalwart fellows, who gave the best days of their lives to save the Union. You must see that posts are organized all over this great country so that every disabled soldier, every poor comrade, may be taken care of; and if, perchance, he may not be able to show the exact spot where he got his wound, he could show whether it was from a friend or from an enemy. You know that his government owes him care, being unfortunate, poor, and unable to help himself. But with such Organizations as I have referred to you will yourselves be prepared to take cere of your comrade when some misguided President shall veto his bill. It has been said of me all over this country: -“Logan’s business is to look after the soldier.” Ido pay attentionJto other matters of national importance, but, so help me God, if I can only say that I have been faithful and true enough to watch over the interests of the patriot who saved this country, so that it became my house and your house —if I have taken care of that poor man and helped him in his suffering and distress—l am satisfied God will take care of me. There is a great deal said, my comrades., about the frauds perpetrated by unjustifiable claims made in order to secure pensions. One word in reference to them. I do not make the Sweeping assertion 'that all pensions that have been granted have been right, for I do not know; but I do know, for a certainty, that there is not a man who served through the war, who had slept amid snow and ice, wind and rain, by sunlight and starlight, in dampness and darkness, that came out of that service with his life prolonged. Ido not believe that there is a man who went through the sendee, no matter what some people say, who was. after it, as physically competent as he would have Deen had he not seen the service.

I know hundreds of men who ought to have pensions who have not got them because of their pride, and who now cry out fraud against the Government;but.fny country men, I would rather have a few frauds so-called—although they, amount to little—than to have hundreds denied pensions who are justly entitled to them. I would take the chances of making a slight mistake in that respect. I would a thousand times rather that any soldier who had a bill for a pension of s9(fa year, who had served his country, whether he could prove it exactly or not, should have it signed by the President than that an arrant knave and arch traitor should have $4,000 a year. My fellow-citizens when I get to talking to my old comrades, and there are' many of you here who served under me and under- my’ command while we were in that service—and I claim nothing for myself—the men who earned the muskets were the men who fought the battles; but while you were tramping day and night around Vicksburg and Shilo, and freezing in the storms around Donelson, and marching at the word of command from one end of the country to the other, young and strong, you did not believe then that the time would ever come that any man, no matter what his political affilations were," would ever com-plain of a little pension granted to a soldier; and there is not a man within sound of my voice in this vast audience -who was in the army himself but who knows and must confess that during the war, when it was doubtful as to which would be successful, when these boys returned home they would not want for gratitude. Why should rich men who fattened on the blood of 300,000 men now complain if men are pensioned because of their services? May God forgive me if I ever forget there is one thing we can say to the Government—practice what injustice toward the old Soldiers, faithful servants of the Union, you may—the time will not be long until they are past your reach. A few more years and there will be no Grand Army of the Republic. In a few more years we will have to go to the cemeteries, the hillsides, the brooks, the marshes, and rivers, to ascertain the history or wants of the soldier. The evidence of decay is upon us to-day. If I have shown weakness in your presence to-day I .hope that, in the light of our past straggles, you will forgive me. While I may have other state matters that require a share of my attention, your cause and just rights will never be forgotten. The battle for justice may be a hard one, but it cannot now be a long one, ’ft'nd after we have finished our labors here we shall joint the great silent army who shall not muster again until the last roll-call shall have been sounded.

A Democratic Outrage.

The Democratic party cannot escape the responsibility for the defeat of the Des Moines River land bill. This just measure was disapproved by the Democratic President, passed over his objections by the Republican Senate, and the veto sustained by the Democratic House, the Republicans in both brandies being practically solid in support of the bill. The Republican party can well afford to accept and defend its share of the record thus made. The action of the President is naturally, provoking great indignation in lowa, where all the facts pertaining to the Des Moines River land matter are well understood. Thirty years ago, when most of the settlers made their entries, it was generally conceded that the land above the forks of the river was open to pre-emption. The settlers bought the land, piridfor it, and the Government now holds over $70,000 so obtained from the farmers. In many cases patents were issued to the men Cleveland now proposes to evict. A few years after the first entries were made the Supreme Court of the United States took the same view as the Government officers and the settlers, and declared that the land above the forks did not belong to the navigation company, but a singular resolution was subsequently passed through Congress extending tho grant. As Senators Allison and Wilson construe this resolution it would have no application as against the pre-emption settlers, but if it

will bear the construction put on itby Cleveland and Evarts it is an outrageous piece of legislation, and Congress should feel bound to rectify the injustice perpetrated under its terms..- \ ' The settlers who claim their farms because they bought them from the ttovefnmentat a time, when, according to the decision of the Supreme Court, they were part of the public domain, and open "to entry, are opposed by the New York landsharks, who assert title on the basis of a tricky retroactive act which was either’ smuggled through Congress with corrupt intent, or has been falsely construed sidee. In either event Congress was bound to correct the monstrous in justice done the settlers. The navigation company expended only $330,000 in improving; the river, and received over $500,000, so that it might well have been content without seeking to extend its grant, evict settlers, and grab the land the Government has sold to the farmers. Yet the Democratic President and the Democratic House will not allow the Government to bring suit in its name to protect the rights of the settlers who purchased from it in good faith. . ' ' Cleveland’s message vetoing the Des Moines River land bill displays either a fat-witted incapacity to understand the facts of the matter or a fixed determination to give New York land sharks the preference over Western settlers. In the debate in the Senate the lowa Senators fairly picked the bones of the veto message and left the attorneys for the land-shark company without a peg on which to hang their arguments, but still there were enough Democratic votes in the House to Sustain the Wall-street administration and defeat the. bill for tho relief of the lowa settlers.— Chicago Tribune.

MR. REED AS A LEADER.

He Is a Man of Great Boldness, Resources, and Grit. * ’ [Letter to Cincinnati Enquirer.] While Blaine was Speaker and Senator there appeared upon the scene a Congressman by the name of Reed. He was a large, boyish-natured man, and his reputation slowly spread, and became first observable when he had a celebrated campaign to make for re-election, when he bravely got through. He reipained over in the House after Blaine, Frye, and Hale had left it to go to the Senate. It was soon seen that he was going to keep up the reputation of his State in Congress. At the present time he probably holds as high a position as Mr. Blaine ever held on the floor, and a higher one than either Frye or Hale ever had. At the same time the combination of qualities in him which have attracted attention is entirely different from any of the others. He is neither witty, like Blaine, nor assumptive, like Hale, nor military and stiff, like Frye. He is genuine and nearty, always taking joy in encounter, striking hard, strong blows, yet entertaining no malice. He can rise and make a speech alter some one has spoken on a topic not previously discussed, and follow that opponent in a general impeachment with boldness, resources, and wit, all expended together in a sort of massive charge, wherein the man seems to take a stature above that which he holds in the general concern and intercourse of things. It is said that he is really a poor politician at home, does not comprehend numbers and forces, as Blaine does, and trusts to general behavior and principles for his success. Nature has done a good deal for him, giving him a large, wholesome, powerful body* with voice and health to match, and if he came from any large city of the West or the Middle States, or the South, he would probably attract more attention than he does. The leadership of the House has gone into his hands, and you seldom find him abashed or overthrown.

I heard Mr. Dorsheimer Bay when he was in Congress that on one occasion the Speaker had called him to the chair, and Abram Hewitt of New York made a speech on the whisky question full of strange and original affirmations. They were so novel that Mr. Dorsheimer, with the gavel in his hand, sat wondering whether they could all be overthrown. Then, he said, Reed got up, who had already attracted the attention of some distinguished English visitor for his bearing some remarkable resemblance to William Shakspeare. Reed made a formidable attack upon Hewitt’s position, bold and trenchant, with meat in every sentence. Dorsheimer sat and looked at him with a mixture of wonder and admiration. In short Mr. Reed, being relieved from a multitude of sharp colleagues in Congress, had now set up for himself. He seems to be a man of natural powers, only requiring opportunity to get ease, and to develop to the fullest force.

The Coal-Oil Senatorial Boodler.

The protest sent to the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections by the Republican members of the Ohio delegation in the House is a serious sequel to the refusal of that committee to order an investigation into the charges of bribery against Senator Payne. The action of the committee was the more reprehensible in view of the exceptionally disgraceful and abandoned character of the Democratic party in Ohio, as shown in the late State election. That the Senate could not afford to disregard the presumptive evidence against Payne is sufficiently clear from the popular indignation aroused by its action. The Republican members say in their communication to the committee: “There is a feeling in Ohio that the State has been deeply wronged by your supposed action. The undersigned are convinced that the facts and records, or some of them, laid before your honorable committee by our colleagues, Messrs. Little and Butterworth. have in the press of your other duties failed to receive that consideration and weight which they merit and should have at your hands. We are informed that there is additional testimony in the hands of Mes-rs. Little and Butterworth which they ask an opportunity to present to you. As an indication of the character of the “additional evidence” the letter from those gentlemen to Senator Hoar, Chairman of the committee, is interesting. They claim that in one case of the alleged transfer of a vote from Pendleton to Payne “the question was squarely and seriously addiessed to witness, ‘How much money does he (the Representative) want?’ ” This, together with the other evidence which they state or intimate that they will present and the general popular demand for a reopening of the case, is more than enough to warrant a re-examination by the committee. Indeed, it is not clear how its members can refuse a rehearing upon any other hypothesis than that they take ground that the members of the body to which they belong are above judicial procedure.— Chicago Tribune. Congressman Hepburn, of lowa, did a good thing in exposing the hypocrisy of Cleveland in connection with some items of an appropriation bill. In the bill were items of $19,000 for new furniture for the White House, and SIO,OOO for the White House conservatory. Colonel Hepburn said that this is asking a good deal by a man who vetoed the pension bills of sixty pcor and needy Union soldiers, aggregating less than $7,000, for the alleged reason of economy, and yet asks for $29,000 more to put in the Presidential palace by way of increasing its luxuries. It was a center shot, and exposed Cleveland ven- neatly in his hypocritical course. — lowa Stati Register.

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

“ —The people of Decatur are indulging in a great ( ddal of speculation as to the cause of the rise of water in the St. Mary’s, on whbse banks that city is located, heretofore in the summer . mouths the ‘liter could be waded at any point. About two weeks ago the water in the river rose fully three feet. Upon investigation it was found that at the time, and for a week before, there had been no rains along the entire river and its tributaries. The water is as clear, as crystal, and very cold, something never known of this river before by ' the oldest citizens. Many contend that from some inexplicable cause large springs have opened up in the bed of the stream. This theory is plansible, and is sustained in the fact that in boring a hole a few feet jn the river-bed, six miles east of the city, a stream of water fully three inches in diameter, forced its way out. A pipe was pnt in, and the water poured out at the top of the pipe, which was four feet above the surface. If the present state of water and temperature continues the St. Mary’s will be stocked with brook trout by local fisher- 7 men. —The annual reunion and military encampment f pt the Tri-State Veterans’and Military Association, pf the States of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, will be held at Fort Wayne, from August 19 to 23, inclusive. Tents and rations will be furnished all veterans and militia who join the Association. The Governor of Indiana is President, and the Governor's of Ohio and Michigan are Vice Presidents of the Association. It is expected that this reunion will be the grandest military display witnessed since the surrender at Appomattax and grand review at Washington in 1865. —Thomas Luck and Leonidas Bryson, convicts who were confined in the Southern Prison, the former to serve fifteen years for being implicated with Jack Groark in the murder of an old man in New Albany two years ago, and the latter to serve a term of nineteen years for the murder of his brother-in-law at Greensburg, Decatur County, have been paroled by the Governor. —A young lady of about 18, who lived in Johnson County, near Bengal, took what she supposed was a dose of quinine. Shortly after she was seized with convulsions, and died in agony within an hour and a half. The symptoms were those of strychnine poisoning. No post-mortem was held. She was a lady of excellent standing. —R. J. Weith, of Elkhart, some time ago secured 5,000 silkworm eggs from the Government. Nearly all of the eggs have hatched out, and'some of the worms have commenced to spin their cocoons. They are attracting a great deal of attention from the fact that it is one of the first attempts to introduce silk-culture into that part of the State.

—One of the oldest residents and wealthiest men in Clark County died at his home in Owen Township recently, very suddenly. He was about 75 years of age, and had resided in the county since his boyhood. His wealth is estimated at $250,000, part of which consists of 2,200 acres of land, on which he paid annually S9OO taxes. —The proposed regatta at fake Maxinkuckee is off. The oarsmen, Hanlon, Lee, Gaudaur, and others wanted too much guarantee. A subscription of nearly SI,OOO had been secured, but this would not be half enough to satisfy the party of oarsmen now traveling about the country. —A 5-year-old boy was found with his head between two palings, dead, a short time since, at his home near Otisco, Clark County. He wandered from the house, and the general supposition is that he Went to climb over the fence, when his foot slipped and he fell between the palings and broke his neck. ______ —The identity of the wild animal that has caused so much alarm in a neighborhood immediately northwest of Washington for some time past has been established. The animal is a large specimen of the North American tiger orcatamount. Two hunters obtained a shot at the animal, but failed to kill it. 7T -- ‘ —A 9-year-old boy, living near Wheatland, met with a peculiar accident that caused his death. He was taking a borrowed pitchfork home, and was pushing it before him on the ground, when the tines caught in a stnmp, causing the handle to strike him in the abdomen, and rupturing the bladder. , —The boiler in the tile factory milonee south of Veedersburg, burst recently. The engineer and one other man was seriously injured. The cause of the explosion was a defective flue. The main portion of the boiler was found 150 rods away, and the factory was badly wrecked. —A colored lad 12 years of age, and supposed to be a bootblack from Indianapolis, fell in company with several other boys at Edinburg, and went to the river, where they got him drunk. Returning to town, he was badly beaten by some unknown person, and left in a critical condition. —A barn near Sullivan was burned recently. The ( fireis supposed to have been caused by the spontaneous combustion of new hay. Five horses were burned to death, three of which belonged to a neighbor. The total loss is $2,500; insured for SI,OOO. —There is an epidemic of horse-stealing through the counties of Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. Livery men are the worst sufferers. —A game-protection society has been formed at Cedar Lake with a view of putting a stop to the illegal killing of fish and prairie chickens. —The United States Fish Commission has recently stocked the lajces in Steuben <*ouhty with fish. California trout are among the kinds used, and a large number measuring, five and six inches in length have been placed in the different lakes. —About forty of the Grand Lodge of the ' Brotherhood of Railway Postal Clerks met at Indianapolis recently. The object is to secure from the Department assurances that efficient employes will not be discharged for political reasons only. —The Goshen Cadets have been mustered into the State service.