Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 21, Number 8, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 16 August 1890 — Page 1

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THE^MAIL

A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE.

Notes and Comment.

A new play entitled "The World's Fair" is out. Chicago is to have the initial presentation in September.

No wonder Congress cannot expedite business. What could any legislative body accomplish with 160 members absent from every session?

One Indiana farmer has made ?240 per acre an a nutmeg melon patch so far this -»eason. He has shipped 3,5*6 barrels. Isn't that very fair profit?

Evansville waxeth hot over the disbandment of theTerre Haute hall team. To the local fanatic this In the only satisfaction to be gained from the dissolution of the club. ". .''

Doctor Henson, the great Baptist preacher, says he "would not belong to a church1 that would separate religion from politics." He is right, for politics is one of the greatnst fields religion has to conquer.

In a recent speech Mr. Gladstone reeled off a sentence containing 214 words, requiring twenty-four lines of type in the London News. It was but an exhibition in another form of his wonderful tenacity, so to speak.

The richest gems of philosophy are frequently found imbedded in the poorest collections of jokes in the lead Ing humorous papers. It is but another illustration of tho fact that a sage sometimes associates with fools.

If the new postoffice law, by which oil cities over

5,0*10

Fw

Inhabitants will be

granted free delivery systems, is adopted, Hoversl

Indiana

towns will bo made

happy, among them Greencastle, Crawfordsville and Bloomlngton.

In the Prison Mirror a convict writes: "For every man or boy saved from crime a good citizen is gained, the Stato is saved a hoavy expeuse, and incalculable sorrow and wretchedness prevented." Aro not these words of wisdom?

General Grant's remains have rented long onough in Now York—that is in obscurity, Wiishlugton should and will have ttiem In order that the nation may properly pay tribute to tho memory of the man all tho world was proud to honor.

To the question: "What Is the ordinary electric light bug so familiar in these parts," an entomologist replies: "It is a belostoma of the hemipterous family of Nepldae." Thank you, sir. It is so satisfactory to know all about those things which interest us.

If the leading editorial writers of tho country speak the sentiment of the peopie, tho days of capital punishment are nenring tho end, for in all directions con demnation of electroclslon is heard, even though it is generally conceded to be an advauce on hanging in the killing line.

John O. Whtttler is almost eightythroe years old sud declares that he will write no more or publication. His health is quite feeble, though he expresses his confidence that he will live to be a hundred years of ago. What a happy faculty it is for an author to know when his literary career is ended.

It has been discovered that the Mormon saints havo secretly invested $V 000,000 tu busine a in San Francisco. Considering tho political reverses they have mot with in the last year, this action on their part appears strange. One would suppose they would seek investment in another country where not

'J only their money bat their presence would bo welcome.

Chicago's next architectural wonder will be the 18-slory Masonic Temple to cost $20,000,000. It Is claimed that it will bo the highest building in tho world. If this skyward tendency continues, by 1«W terra firtna wltl likely rebel and then the World's

Fair

city will be able

to show the visiting multitudes a rival of the leaning tower of Pisa in the shape of leaning 24-story business block.

Here Is the same weather-beaten pun on the Prairie City again, this time coming from the funny man of the Chicago Inter Ocean "The only City who*© name sutts thi# wenllter ts tW Hoy* remark^ ••You seem to forget Berne, replied Dicer.

We would rise to remark that ffcrre Hot is better that Terte Hut any day, providing Terre Hot® is beyond the powers of the world at large.

Who knows but that the scheme of bridging the English channel will soon materialise. Ml indication* point in that direction tor a company has been formed to obtain wucwrioM in Fmnoe and England for the construction of the bridge, and recently a general meetIng of its shareholders was convened in order that progress might he reported. Plans have been drawn, soundings are biting made, and a special commission be* been appointed by the French Min­

1,4.4

ister of Public Works to inquire into the project. There is no end to advancement in engineering and if constructed, this will be the greatest feat ever aconplished in the art or science whichever you are pleased to call it.

The average American novelist makes a paltry sum from his writing^. For example, take a novel of 120,000 words, which is the average length, with an edition of 8,000 copies bouna in cloth and retailed at fj a copy. The cost of publishing and issuing would be $2,000, while the receipts would be: sales to booksellers, $*,000 profit to publisher, |800 profit to author, §800. To say the least this is not encouraging to authors.

Town Talk.

WKI/-OME I»EATH.

An epidemic of suicide seems to have again settled down over the city, for during the last two weeks several women of the west end have attempted to end their lives. In snch instances misery and despair was the motive, and to those who know the full wretchedness of the lives they lead, it is not a wonder that they should seek escape by death. Once on the downward road all hope is gone. There is no chance for turning and leading another existence. Once an outcast always an outcast. Men seek only to plunge them deeper into their sin while women spurn all association with them. They know no olher company but that of disreputable characters, and when association with them becomes devoid of interest, is it a wonder that they endeavor to free themselves of the torture by resorting to morphine and laudanum.

TUB KIC'KKKS STII.Ii LIVE,

If some people do not tread lightly on each other's toes, all the wounds in the Democratic ranks of Vigo county will bo opened again. This calamity to tho interests of John Lamb and Senator Voorhees, more particularly the former, however, would put him on the political shelf for a life time so far as Vigo county would bo concerned, and this would be a sad blow considering tho fact that he is now slowly recovering from tho set-back given him in the "kickers" Congressional fight of a few years ago. Tho only way of avoiding it Is to conciliate rather than antagonize these vigorous "kickers" who soem to havo for thoir motto "A kicker I will live and a kicker I will die." Thi« policy Is not Always followed, Uoweve»*aa veryxeceut illustrations will show. This weeit, Dr. 11. W. Van Valzah, a vory robust Lamb and Voorhpes kicker, was in Indianapolis, and at the solicitation of a News reporter, vented himself as of old on the Voorhees-Lamb phase of local politics. One thing he said was:

Lamb poshed himself forward and was made chairman of tho county convention. He got a resolution through indorsing Voor* hees, and the result is our tlckct cannot win. No tlckct with an endorsement of Dan Voorhets bitched to it is a winner. Lamb is a prospcctlvo candidate for governor, but wo arc coming over here fixed to beat him. We want none of him.

To this the Gazette replied, indlscretely It would seem, as follows: Ho (Senator Voorhees) is immeasurably stronger than he was twelve years ago, for instance, when this same Dr. Robert Van Valitah was a candidate for the Legislature and was elected (1st) because he was pledged to vote for Senator Voorhces and (2nd) because he was then a Democrat and worked for the party here at home so hard, so faithfully and so honestly that he had neither time nor Inclination to go away from home to abuse, to vilify and misrepresent the parly which staunchly stood for the principles he professed.

The wiser policy would have been for the Gazette to have said nothing and allowed the Interview to be forgotten. As it is, Doctor's latest "kick" is given a big advertisement and he himself Is given cause to include the Gazette hereafter in his objections to the management of the county Democracy. Again it must be said that conciliation is better than antagonism.

OAM1' WAt,I, STKEKT'S CRIME. "Camp Wall Street" is a social place. Congenial spirits by the score gather daily round the festal board there and enjoy stories of various hue sandwiched between glasses of beer and lunches of regulation simplicity. To those who erjoy this style of enjoyment the place has a fascination. For those endowed with more than the ordinary curios ty It also has a charm. Hence the great number of visitors the camp has had during its brief existence. From one and possibly the only point of view the campers taae, the camp amusements hare been of an allowable character so long as confined to the immediate members of the party. According to this, even the most enthusiastic will acknowledge that on Sunday last a great mistake was made in allowing boys of indiscreet ages to enter the camp and partake as freely as wished of the "free" beer on tap. Thews boys, ranging in years from fourteen to eighteen, went unrestricted to the beer keg as often as they wished. Even Township Trustee Peker noticed they were Indulging too freely, for he remarked to one of the camp officers: "Better look after that beer a Utile or there won't be any left," It Is shame that boys should be educated to drink by men who would see the folly of their mistake if pointed out to tbem.

Mi*«* Mary TtlUngbast of North StonIngton, Conn., is an inveterate snake killer. Since the Fourth of July she has kiUed ninety snakes, of ail kinds.

•l

-'-•'**g&'z<

The Day's Sensaton.

$13,601.71 short. The sensation of the day is the exposure of ex-city treasurer Fitzpatrick's defalcation. The announcement came yesterday as a big surprise, for Jf immy has been considered the son! of honor by his army of friends. Once only has there been a suspicion of dishonesty on his part, and that was daring the last few months of his second term. Then the report gained circulation that a shortage had been found in his accounts, but zealqus friends were so earnest to hush this that it did not get outside of the "inner" circles, which in this case maybe said to have included the newspaper offices. But now it develops that the report was founded on facts and that even those then aware of the true state of afifoirs did not know the extent of the shortage. In reality it is |9,401.71, which does not include $4,200 msde good at the time of the 8entember settlement, 1889, nor possible shortages that may yet be developed in the examination of the books for his first term. The discovery of the defalcation was made by City Clerk Duddleston, and the finance committee of the council has been aware of it for more than a week. It was immediately decided to report the shortage to the council and recommeud that a complete investigation of the books be made. This will be done, and steps will then be taken to hold the bond good for the amount short, providing Fitzpatrlck himself does not make it up. If the stealings during the first term prove to be on the same scale as those of the second, the total shortage may roach $20,000.

The method of the defalcation in oxplained to be the cbauglng of totals, and dropping of names from the delin| quent record when it came to the chock* ing of the clerk's and treasurer's book£ Those persons whoso names werf dropped were tax-payers who had. paip in their taxes and received no credit for it, their names simply disappearing from the list. It is also said that Fitsspatriek kept money paid in for public improvements. All indications and a11 facts point to the end that the stealing was deliberat Iv done, advantage being, taken of the full confidenco of evil thoaetflo-soly antedated with him in ie city offices. 'KBW^ultuation hjw tyjm known to investigations having begun many months ago. It has also been known to Fitzpatrick, be having been informed of it by the clerk in March. An immediate settlement was demanded, but parleying delayed it nntil now the matter has been made public. The shortage has not at any time been denied by Fitzpatrick, he merely saying by way of explanation that he could not understand it*

A Mall representative oalled on Mr. Fitzpatriok at his pretty little home on North Second near the cemetery yesterday morning, and was admitted to the library where he was found seated at bis desk looking over documents very much resembling deeds. His face bore a troubled expression, although in manner he waft cool and deliberate. "Have yon any statement yon wish to make in your defense?" was asked. "None at present." he replied. (I will make a public statement however, as soon as I can look into the matter a little, but this will not be to-day. "Have you no explanation to offer now?" "All I can say is, It is as tniich of a surprise to me as to any one. I Jdo not understand it." "Yes, I have read the Express account through," he said, but on being asked if the alleged metnods employed in securing the money were correctly stated, failed to give any direct or satisfactory reply, "Is it your intention to evade the shortage?" "No. I have property enough to cover it all, and will turn it over for that pur pose. The Express* statement that my property la covered by mortgages and valueless is untrue," "I Intend to make a complete examination of the books before I can believe all this is true." "1 will not do it personally bat will employ an expert." vv?V fe"v "Is it true this money fiOra the treasury was used for Democratic campaign purposes? As chairman of the Democratic county committed were yon not subjected to very heavy drains? "I don't think I care to say' anything about this side of it now, although I do not think the political phase

venin

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TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16,1890.

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to induce some of his bondsmen to ad •ance him money on his property, but in this was unsuccessful. I I f.. I

Sympathy for the popular defalter was generally felt when the first announcement was made, but as closer investigation and more deliberate consideration brings out the cold-blooded manner in which the stealing was done, this is giving way. Indeed, there is no reason in the world for losing sight of the fact that the stealing is a crime and not a loose business transaction. The editorial comments in the daily papers are very severe and the Gazette goes so far as to advocate criminal prosecution. This extreme position is taken on the ground that Fitzpatrick's stealings began within a very short time after he took the office and were prosecuted on a plan which showed the coolness and skillfulness of a deliberate thief. That this is true becomes evid^iit now that it is shown the crookedness began back in the county offices when Fltzpatrick was a deputy tender Clerk Durkln.

The cloud of suspicion which rests on James Boll, who

was

Fitzpatrick's depu­

ty during bis four years of office, will no doubt be cleared away, for Mr. Bell himself says he knew nothing whatever of the crookness^and Mr. Fitzpatrick supports him in the statement. At any rate, tiuie will show. Mr. Bell hps resigned his position in the county treasurer's office in order that his name may not be associated with and prove disastrous to Gus Conzman in his race on the county ticket this fall, a very honorable proceeding on his part,_ or* .li.V:-:1

Two ssudcefesSve city treasurers short 1 JTor it will be remembered that Charles A. Robinson, Mr. Fitzpatrick's predecessor, was also a defaulter, and that Mr. Fitzpatrick found him out. This but clearly shows that the system followed in checking the books of city and county officers 14 radically loose. It reminds one of the days when railroad corporations and express companies were coutont to trust their employes to the fullest extent and allow those who had .charge Of fund3 the fullost liberty, asking for no bond and fearitig no defalcation. Tt a'so suggests th it the example of those coin pa nl os be followed in changing the system, for it will be further remembered that in time experience taught the railroads and express be wiser to have a bcmd and

albo

require employes td give

receipts and make regular reports. Even th& was found unsatisfactory and then regular agents were apppomted to make examination two and three, if not twelve times a year. Now an express or railroad agent never knows when the traveling auditor is to pounce down upon his books and his cash drawer, so he is constantly in conditio* to submit to investigation. Would not such a scheme as this work favorably in the management of municipal affairs? The State Legislature could appoint traveling auditors who would regularly make examinations of county and city records and report the same to the oounty commissioners and city counclL Would thie not prevent defalcation?

The appraised value of Fitzpatrick's property is 910,884, on which there are encumbrances amounting to $7,872,11. The actual value of the property is probably 116,000.

ABOUT WOMEN.

Mrs. LfiftJjjtry is said to becoming deeply interested fn religious matters. ^s Louise Baldwin, who is principal of the primary department in the Agassis school of Boston, Is a negress.,

Lewis,

enteis

into

the matter. "Is It true, as rumored, that Mr. Sell knew and bad apart in the defalcation?" was asked. Bat to this no direct reply -was made, although Mr* Fitsepatrick's few word* and manneccombined to deny the charge. Other questions were asked which he said would he answered later. In all the conversation he was courteous and fair in bis language. He seemed to recognize the foil aeriouanees of the ebazgeixid atso the wiadom of not txy In* to evade the matter by hiding himself. Thinking a settlement could be made without exposure he endeavored

1

Mrs. De Maitro, the sister of Robert Louis Stevenson, is a contributor to the London magazines and one of the wits of the Literary Ladies' Dining Club.

Mrs. Mary J. Holmes, novelist, is studying phases of San Francisco life as material for a novel that will be her twenty-ninth. Next year she will visit St. Petersburg.

Ida

the heroine of Lime Rock

lighthouse, who has saved the lives of so many people from drowning, receive® from the government« salary of $760 a year and two tons of coal.

Miss Louise Lawson, of New York city, has been awarded the commission for the proposed statue of the late S. 8. Cox. Miss Lawson Is well known and has a studio on Union square.

Mrs- Lincoln, wife of the American minister to England, with her daughters, will leave London for their home in Chicago this month. Mr. Lincoln will not leave before November.

At the Queen of England's last "draw ing loom," Mrs. Rider Haggard attracted much attention by her beautiful dress of gray and white satin, trimmed with butterflies of gold, a huge butterfly forming the fixmtof the bodice.

Miss Sallie Hollie, a Virginia girl, haft undertaken the education of the colored girls of her State. She proposes to establish small schools thronghont Virginia. where the colored girls can learn enough In two years to start aquarely witi tb. world.

Mi

ISMS

Geraldine's Letter.

My Dear

RtrrH Reading the other

day of a historic camel whioh had recently been added to the national museum of skeletons, in Washington, led me to investigate a little in the line of Uncle Sam's old bones. It seems he is making a very wonderful collection of them, and that the business of collecting bones of all sorts of animals, birds and reptiles, indeed every creature that has bones, is a very large industry. One of the largest establishments of the country is in Rochester, New York. The proprietor calls himself a "Collector of Natural History Specimens." He has correspondents all ovei the globe,- and spends a great part of bis time traveling about in search of his stock in trade. He has great ware houses full of every imaginable sort of dead and preserved animals waiting to be mounted into skeletons. The stock he keeps on hand is enormous and includes many skeletons of extinct animals whose value goes up into the thousands. He publishes a catalogue every year, so whenever you need a family skeleton this is the place to buy it. A man when alive, is worth more, generally speaking, than agorilla, but after he is dead and made into a skeleton, the gorilla is valued much higher. You can buy human skeletons mounted in several different styles one style with a black cambric tunic—entrenous. I think I would prefer this—or you can get one in a handsome ash case, with a bracket, and lock and key. This is the most expensive style andcosts$50, while a gorilla, with nothing but his own bones, costs $8QQ, Paris supplies the world with human skeletons. They have no trouble there in getting them from the hospitals, or tho morgue, and they are quoted as a regular commeroial article..

Close by the Smithsonian Institute is a large building, the entire cellar of which is used for the storage of skeletons in the rough. They are packed in drawers, they hang from the rafters and wmer pipes, they are in boxes, they are ou tables, they are crowded into every available inch of space. 'To pro pa re them for putting together wheu the animal is large is quite a tedious affair, while the final operation of putting them together requires great mechanical skill, and .boside that a knowledge of osteoliglcal science. It is said that an expert out of a hogshead full of bones of a hundred diff^rent animals finds, no difficulty in selecting the bones of the animal whose skeleton he is reconstructing. The collection at the national museum is the finest in the world. Among other interesting things is a cast of a real rocs egg. It seems that the existence of the storied bird was not all a fable that there was a gigantic bird in Madagascar long ago, whfth stood twelve feet in height and laid an egg holding two gallons. Doubtless Arab traders, snch as Sinbad the tailor, went there centuries ago, saw the bird, and from their accounts of it, the tradition developed Into the fabled roc. But I started out with a historic camel, which I want to tell you more about. His name was Nebuohednezzar, and he was one of the thirty camels brought from Arabia when Jefferson Davis was Secretary of the War, for use in the Great American Desert, in the parts where horses were unavailable. They were placed on a ranch in New Mexico with a view to propagating them, but the experiment proved a failure, and the skeleton of old Nebuchednezzar, the biggest of them all, now standing in the National Museum in Washington is all that remains to tell the story of this strange enterprise.

Ignatius Donnelly is now going to turn that wonderful inventive genius of his into a more practical direction than heretofore. He has found out that there is no need of having bad weather. All that is needed to prevent it, is to collect the electricity which is stored in the upper strata of the atmosphere, and bring it to the earth by means of a huge balloon which is to act as a lightning rod. It will not be ntci*s*ary for every family tr» have one or Vven every town. He proposes tu locate one in every connty, safely anchored U* the earth with metal cable*. When that is done we can all rest in peace and safety. No more biding in eloeet* or jumping oil feather beds when there is a thnnder storm. He says cyclones are purely electrical in origin, and if they can only be done away with we shall have no more sadden changes in temperature* a»d the rain fall will light and drizzling as It is in England. The balloon will gather all the superfluous and utiexpioded thunderbolts overhead and slip them gently to thegronnd with ttu fri«i««i or disturbance whatever, and twy» the Ilr*okJyn Eagle, "the citizen* of the West go to their daily toil with reasonable certainty that they will have supper at home instead of skirmishing for it in the next county." I hope the Vigo county balloon will be in good working order before next sum* mer. I have always told you Ignatlua was a crank. Who will deny it now?

Wednesday morning Miss Carrie Clonid gave a most delightfol musicale in honor of ber guest, Mhw Jessie Slew art, of Gadsden, Ala. We have had mueicalet in the afternoon and bad them In

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MRS

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s-M-'A ,. J» «f -r

Twenty-first Year

the evening, but this was the very first we have ever had in the morning. The house was tastefully decorated with branches of asparagus and you can hardly imagine how beautiful it looked with its delicate feathery branches trimmed In the chandeliers and over the pictures, and on the mautels. A superb bunch of tube roses added much to the decoration, and tilled the rooms with its delicious fragrance. The programme was most pleasing. Miss Edith Messmore, who has been studying a year at the New England Conservatory of Musio, has a beautiful voice and shows progress for the year's work. She sang Brahill's love song with great effect. Miss Paddock, who has studied for some time in Philadelphia, played two numbers. Miss Edith Castle sang. Mrs. Gould and Mrs. Hoberg sang two duettes, and Mrs. Gould sung the alwaj beautiful Ave Marie by Gounod, with violin obligato by Mrs. John Lamb. This was one of the most attractive numbers. Miss Cora O Boyle whistled selections from Mr. Hager's "Swell Afiair" and "The Gondoliers." Misses Hetty aud Bello Allen played on mandolin and guitar. Miss Hetty never has taken a lesson, and yet plays wonderfully well. Mrs. Lamb always plays well, but on this ocoasion she seemed to rise to her greatest height. Bendel's "Moonlight Ride," and Chopins "Fantasie Impromptu" could hardly have been excelled. Her playing is thoroughly artistic, and what I especially admire about it is the feeling she throws into it. As I said bofore the musicale was a most, delightful affair. Geualwnk,

THE WALDO PAHTV.

Tho following extracts are taken from an interesting letter received by Mr. Pres"on Hussey from his son, Warren, who^is with the Waldo tourists in Europe. The letter was malled at Zermatt, Switzerland, July 27: "To-day we are here at Zermatt resting. Day before yesterday wo walked thirty miles. Only four of us—Cook, Colburn, Buntin and myself stood the trip theothers took a carriage half way. Then we remained all night at Briog and started out on another tramp of twenty miles, which was hard walking and very tiresome. When wo got within about four miles of this placo it began to pour down rain, so we took carriages the remainder of the distance. Wo aro all pretty well done up to-day but will be as good as new to-morrow. Zermatt is a great place for hotels and all seem«to be fullr We have Moms at one hotel and eat at another. There area great many English people here, all very •swell," too. Everybody seems to think we are English also, and cau hardly make them believe we aro Americans when we toll them. I met an elderly Englishman this mornlug at breakfast who took a great deal of Interest In our party, and said that if wo would stop at York, where he lived, when we traveled through England, he would take pleasure In showing us around. We have met several such nice old English gentlemen who were very pleasant and polite. To-morrow we make the ascent by the way of the Gemml Pass, which will be a very tiresome climb of about six thousand feet up, In many places very steep. Professor W. has gone up on a mountain to-day, but we boys thought we had better rest so we are taking it easy around the hotel. We have seen a great deal, we think, since we have been on our journey, and have worked pretty hard, are up with our itinerary now, and I hope will not be so much hurriod. Next Sunday we expect to see the Passion Play aud Obor-Am-mer. I understand that thousands of Americans come ovor here overy year that this play is produced just to see it. We anticipate much and expect to see something grand. This country scorns very strange to us, and the people more so they will, do almost aj.yihuig for a little money. Coming over the Simplon Pass we hired a man to carry our valise on his back all the way for a half-franc? about ten cents. Coming over this pass, on the 25th of July, wo played at snow ball. Just above the town heiu i* the Matterhorn, covered with snow ail the year, and tb*:a Is one of the iaigest glaciers of the Alps, only fifteen minutes' walk distant. We are all filing first-rate, and have wonderful app«tltes. Hie hotels do not make any great amount of money off us I a»*ur you."

According to programme the party is to-day either in Brussels or on the field of Waterloo, Sunday will be spent in Brussels and the week following in Paris and London.

Thomas Marshall, colored, mattes a serious charge sgainst the C. & E. I. company It is to the effect that be was poshed off the north bound passenger, Wednesday morning, while the train was in motion, the conductor charging him with not having paid his fare from Vincennes to this dty. It was his intention to get off here, but he was asleep and was carried through unknowingly. In his fall from the train he received serious Internal injuries, so pronounced by physicians who made the examination of his body on his return here.

Washington Tost Cool and Collected —The lee bill.