Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1905 — THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN

One Hundred Years Ago. A life preserver made of copper was invented by an Englishman, who gave an exhibition of its use in the River Thames. An East India ship with 400 passengers and valuable cargo was lost in tbe Indian ocean. A bill for extending the right of selfgovernment to the district of Louisiana was read in the Senate. A bill was passed in tlie Pennsylvania Legislature providing for the removal of tlie seat of government to Harrisburg. Two British war vessels with a convoy of merchantmen were captured by French frigates. Most of the convoy escaped. The sheriffs of Middlesex, England, were committed to Newgate for illegal and corrupt conduct in elections. Napoleon denounced Emperor Dessalines as a rebel and claimed St. Domingo as his own. Seventy-five Years Ago. The Austrian and MorQflfcP States agreed on a settlement of tlieir disputes. The Chamber of Commerce of Lyons, Francp, advocated free trade iu all silk goods. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg was elected sovereign prince of Greece by the plenipotentiaries of England, France and Russia. Sir Walter Scott was seriously ill at his home in Edinburgh. Deputations from all parts of Great Britain met in London to consider trade with China, whose ports had just been opened to tlie world. French missionaries—the first to go to South Africa —arrived at the cape of Good Hope. An American ship arrived at Havre, France, with 1,400 bales of cotton, from Charleston, S. C. fifty Years Ago. Dreadful election riots began in Kansas. Gold was discovered along the Kern river in southern California. New Y’ork aud the New England States were experiencing the coldest weather ever known lu that locality. Earthquake shocks were felt in Clarksville and other parts of Virginia, All railroads leading out of Chicago were blocked by snow. Trains carrying from 100 to 300 passengers were held from one to four days in snow drifts. Booth and Ryeraft, Coflvicted in tho federal court of Wisconsin for violation of the fugitive slave law, were discharged by the Supreme Court of tlie State. A prize fight which was to have taken place on Hiker’s Island was broken up by the New York police. Forty Years Ago. JX ho Illinois House of Representatives concurred In the Senate bill repealing the black laws. The Cook county (Ill.) board of supervisors voted a bounty of S4OO for volunteers. President Lincoln returned to Washington. The State Department announced thnt the peace negotiations at Fortress Monroe had come to nothing. The alien bill (antl-Confederato was passed by tlie Canadian parliament. Ihirty Years Ago. Matt Carpenter of Wisconsin was beaten in his contest for the United States senatorship by the election of Angus Cameron. The House of Representatives passed the civil rights bill. The projected Hennepin canal engaged the entire attention of the House of Representatives. A special engineering committee appointed by the President recommended Jetties instead of the Fort Si.'Philips canal for the improvement of the mouth of the Mississippi river. Twenty Years Ago. The trophies of Gen. Grant, purchased by Vanderbilt and given to the widow, were given by her to the government. Three men were killed by a mob at Audubon, lowa. They had murdered an old man. O’Donovan Rossa. the Irish agitator, was shot and wounded on the street In New York by Yseulte Dudley, a woman. Expectant and anxious Democrats visited President-elect Cleveland in New York nml found him a sphinx regarding bis plans. The worst storm In yenrs swept over Chlengo, tying up traffic nnd causing much suffering.