wll
P.GRAY MEEK, - - - Eprom
Barned in Effigy.
Congressman McCoryick, of the Ly-
coming District, does not seem to give
the general satisfaction in awarding the
post offices at his disposal, that a con-
gressman with an eye to his populari-
ty would naturally desire to give. Ie
made a bad mess of the Beech Creek
post office, where hie turned out a well
qualified old Republican named SyiTH,
whom almost everybody in the neigh-
borheod was satisfied with, and who on
account of his efficiency had been al-
lowed to hold on under the Cleveland
administration, and put in his place a
voung fellow named Exocn HASTINGS,
who is Swyrru’s superior only in the
capacity to do more party worl.
That the people of the neighbor
hood most concerned in this postmaster
question, did not want a change was
ghown by Hastines' application hav-
ing but sixteen names on it, while the
remonstrance against putting Sy 1TH out
had more than a hundred signatures.
But as Mr. McCormick is using the
post offices as rewsrds for personal and
party service, the wish of the people for
whose benefit it should be supposed the
post office at Beech Creek exist wasnot
taken into account. That this conduct
of the congressman has created great
dissatisfaction in the neighborhood ef-
fected by it, was indicated by his Beech
Creek constituents burning him in effi-
gy last week.
The Republicans who took part in
this dummy cremation, should by this
time be able to see that in disposing of
the offices the party managers pay
greater heed to the demands of the
spoilsmen, than to the wishes and in-
terest of the people.
Princely Munificence,
The presentation and opening of Mr.
AxpreEw CarNEgie's “princely gift,” as
the newspapers call it, of a $300,000
free library to the city of Allegheny, on
the 20th inst., was attended by impres-
sive ceremonies and the presence of no
less distinguished a public personage
than President Harrison. Itissaid that
Mr. CirNEGIE coatemplates treating
Pittsburg in the same “princely” man-
ner by furnishing it with a free library
that will cost a miilion of dollars.
Dazzled by such osteatations muni-
ficence,there are too many who are un-
able to see back of it the amount of
fleecing to which the public is subject-
ed to enable such “princely” acts to be
done. By means of an extortionate
tariff which has “protected” CarNEGIE
in getting undne profits on his manu-
factures, every body that uses them,
whether it be the railroad companies
whieh are sure to recoup the increased
cost at the expense of their customers,
or the individual needing structural
and other kinds of steel, is made to
contribute to the steel-king’s “princely”
benefactions.
Wouldn'tit be of greateradvantage to
the people it they should furnish their
own libraries and save the tribute
which enables Mr. CARNEGIE to furnish
them? A system which makes the
people the beneficiaries of the “prince-
ly” liberality of a clags made rich by
discriminating legislation, is not one
that is calcuiated to promote either the
moral, political or pecuniary welfare of
the citizens of a republic.
Editorial Corruption,
The Chief Clerk of the Commission-
ners of Schuylkill county has created
quite a sensation in the journalistic eir-
cles of that section by declaring that all
the newspaper men of the county are
corrupt. We are not in a position to
know the extent of editorial corruption
in other counties, but if some one,
judging from the showing of the Audi-
tor General's Report, should say that
some of the editors of Centre county
display symptoms that indicate cor-
ruption, he wouldn't be a great dis-
tance from the truth. The report shows
that for advertising the constitutional
amendments the following charges
were made by the different newspapers
of the county, and paid by the State :
Keystone Gazette, $203; Bellefonte
Republican, $198.80; Centre Democrat,
$118.77; Daily. News, $51.80; Centre
Hall Reporter, $26.15; Democratic
Watchman, £24.70.
The service rendered for these pay-
ments differed very little inthe space oc-
cupied and the number of publications,
and the editor who made the lowest
char:e put his figures as high as he!
conscientiously could under oath, The
difference shown in the amounts of the
bills rendered and payments received
would seem to justify the assertion that
the editorial fraternity of Centre county
is not entirely devoid of corruption.
Unsympathetic Sympathy.
We ohserve that Governor Beaver
and other political leaders of his strive
in this State, profess to be in sympa-
thy with the baliot reform movement,
but see a constitutional objection to
the Australian system which they say
could only be overcome by a constitu-
tional amendment. A provision of the
constitution requires the ballots to be
numbered, and this they are quite sure
renders the proposed new plan of vot-
ing incompatible with that document.
Isn't it singular that politicians who
have been entirely blind to the consti-
tutional restraint of corporate abuses,
and haven't been able to make them-
selves see that the constitution requires
an anti-discrimination law and other
lezal curbs on the encroachments of
corporations, should so readily discern
the impediment which the organic law
throws in the way of a reformed sys-
tem of voting? Is it unjust to them to
believe that by involving it in anamend-
ment contest, as they did with Prohibi-
tion, they hope to defeat ballot reform,
or at least delay it until after the next
Presidential election.
But the true friends of honest elec-
tions believe that the adoption of the
Australian system does not require any
change of the organic law. The bal-
lots may continue to be numbered as
constitutionally requiregdy and yet pre-
serve the secresy which the reformed
system is intended to secure. Several
plans are suggested which would fully
insure the compatibility of the Aus-
tralian system with the requirements
of the constitution.
A Lone Kicker.
There is something ludicrously mel-
ancholy in the lamentation of that
good Republican WmartoN BARKER,
of Philadelphia, by which he gives
vent to his lacerated feelings, as follows,
in the last issue of his paper, the Amer
ican:
It may as well be learned now as at any later
day that the hand laid on Philadelphia is the
same that is laid on the State. The Quay sys-
tem is over all. The two local managers, Mar-
tin and Porter, are Mr. Quay’s instruments.
The city is controlied by them, and controlled
all the more readily because President Harri-
son has delivered over the State to Mr Quay’s
use, and the bribe of the Federal “patronage”
can be employed to carry out their schemes.
The dolorous import of the above
jeremiad will have no effect upon
Pennsylvania Republicans. They
know full well that the hand of Quay
is on Philadelphia. They know equal
ly well that it is also on Pennsylvania,
but they seem to be entirely satisfied
that it should be sg. Long years of
complacent servitude has rendered
them incapable of seeing anything
wrong init. In fact their party fanat-
kicks
thing is lovely. If Barker
few of his party kicking with him.
Balancing the Wrong Way.
It is good advice to tell the farmers
to balance their accounts at the end of
every year, so that they may know
whether they are making or losing
money in their business; but such
balancing of farm accounts in these days
usually shows the “demmed total” in
favor of the honest granger to be a rath-
er meager quantity,if it is shown at all.
For example, we see in one of our
exchanges that a farmer in Lower Ma-
cungie township, Lehigh county, upon
summing up his income and outlay
during the past year, and striking the
balance,discovered that above his farm
and living expenses he had cleared the
magnificent average of ten cents a day.
This is, indeed, a slow aceufhnlation of
wealth for a farmer doing business
right ir the midst of a region which on
account of its iron manufactures is in
the fullest enjoyment of tariff protec-
tion, and which, according to the theo-
ry of the tariffites, should furnish the
most profitable home market for agri-
cultural productions. But in spite of
the boasted advantages of a tariff:
made home market the farmer at the
end of the year too offen finds that af-
ter he has paid the tariff tax on every
article he uses in his businessand upon
all the necessaries of his daily living,
the balance is an the wrong side of Ws
ledger, and the mortgage grows apace.
wa aca AL
A Tariff Reform Victory.
The official count in the Fourth con-
gress district refutes the pretense of the
monopoly tariff’ supporters that the re-
formers did not make a substantial
gain at the recent election. Rev-
BURNS majority over AYRES waa 8579.
| In 1888 KeLLy's majority was 9639,
| showing that the tariff strength in the
! district sustained a cut of 1060. This
can not be accounted for by the redue-
|
|
tion in the general vote, as the Repub-
lican candidates for other offices had in
creased majorities in the district. Judge
Kenny's majority in 1886 was<11,604, in
| ‘88 it was 9639, and at the special election
i when the fight was made exclusively on
the tariff’ question, REVBURN'S majority
showed the reduced figures of 8579. The
icism leads them to believe that every- |,
next fall we are afraid he will find but |
tariff reformers have reason to be grati-
fied with this evidence of the progress
their cause is making.
al movement advances.
AEC TC SI TT SEY
Work at Home.
It is strange the peculiar gift some
people have of looking through a
mountain and discovering a mouse.
Since Olio went Democratic last fall,
the Philadelphia Press and other re-
publican sheets of this State have al-
most worked themselves into hysterics
over the fear that the Democratic leg-
islature of that State would so reappor-
tion the counties into congressional dis- |
tricts, that hereafter the Democrats
would have at least a fair representa-
tion in congress. Day afier day, and
week after week, they have bleated
and bawled abot the gerrymander that
was likely to be perpetrated in Ohio,un-
til their readers, it hypocracy would
sicken them, must be in the last stage
of political prostration. These papers
forget that right here in Pennsylva-
nia, under their own noses and amoung
the people who daily read their dia
tribes against the wrong of an unfair
apportionment, we are suffering froma
republican political gerrymander, com-
pared to which the Democratic propo-
sition to redistrict Ohio, is eminently
and politically just.
journals tarn their batteries upon the |
republican Pennsylvania gerrymander,
that gives to the party to which they
belong, one representative for every
25,000 votes, while the Democrats are
allowed but one for every 65,000 votes,
the public may take some stock in their
pretended efforts for fair apportionment
and equal representation. Here at
home is a wide field for republicans to
work a just apportionment racket in, |
and to it we invite their united and
earnest attention.
STI CET PIRSA,
Isit so?
After all the blowing of the
republi-
can county papers about the balance
in the county Treasury, at the last set-
tlement, it now leaks out, that that
balance is from $12,000 to $14,000 less
than represented. In that statement,
that puts the county surplus at $23,
100.47, including all the outstanding
taxes, worthless notes, out-lawed dupli-
cates and accounts, there is no mention
made of the contract price for the su-
perstructure of the bridges at Karthaus
and Howard. The cost of the iron for
these two bridges, we are told, will be
over $12,000 of which but a little over
$1,000 has been paid—$400.00 on the ;
Kartbaus bridge and $644.00 on ac-
count of the one at Howard. For the
balance due the Pittsburg Bridge Com-
pany, on their contract for these two
bridges there is no estimate given, nor
is there allowance made to pay the
difference out of next years estimates.
With these two bridges completed
and paid for, neither of which is taken
into account in the county statement,
the balance in favor of the county, af-
ter two years of republican admiuistra-
tion will be but $12,000, and if the
worthless accounts that have been re-
vived and placed in the list of assetts
are deducted {rom this, the total bal-
ance of cash and available taxes will
be less than $7,600.
When a board of Commissioners can
smuggle up an item of $1,566.60 of;
State tax, without accounting for it in
any way, is it to be wondered at, tha
they wonld drop out of their statement
a little indebtedness
der to make the county balance ap-
pear larger than it really is.
¥rom Afiluen co to Starva tion.
Once Prosperous, the Father Dies in the
Poorhouse, and the Son Starves to
Death in a Freight Car.
PrrrsBurG, Pa., Feb. 23.—Eight
months ago the body of Dr. Charies H.
Miller, of Hutchinson, Kan., was found |
lying in a freight car on the Alleghany
Valley Railroad, in this city. There
wera no marks of violence, and although
the case was supposed to be one of
murder, the mystery surrounding the
stranger’s death was never cleared up.
No relatives claimed the body, and the
authorities long ago practically forgot
the case.
From inquiries made recently by an
old friend of Dr. Miller, it now appears
certain tifat he was actually starved to
death. He was the son of Joseph Mil-
ler, once a wealthy resident of Lykens,
Dauphin county, Pa. There were alto-
gether three sons, Edward, William and |
Charles H. Edward was a prosperous
tanner ; William a contractor and
builder, and Charles, the youngest, a |
student at the Umiversity of Pennsyl-
vania.
Charles developed talent as a writer, |
and after he was graduated as a doctor
of medicine he devoted more time to
literary work than to his profession.
He wrote a little volume of poems that
were highly praised, and was a regular
contributor to a number of periodicals.
In 1877 the mines in which the family
were interested were discovered on fire.
It was two years before work was re- |
sumed, and real estate in the town was
hardly worth the taxes. To make mat-
ters worse for the Miller family, a flaw |
was found in the title of the property.
They were dispossessed, and in his old
age Joseph Miller found himself penni-
less, William and Edward Miller, the
older sons, were pulled down in the
wreck. In a few years Mrs. Miller,
a
TTI
Whenever these |
of $11,000, in or!
died, and her husband found a resting
lace in the Dauphin county almshouse,
., where he died alone, a year ago.
The education- |
Edward Miller is now a street-car
i conductor in Philadelphia, and William
' Miller a carpenter.
| Dr. Charles H. Miller found himself
| compelled to turn to the pratice of med-
"icine for a livelyhood, but he had none
| of the qualifications of the physician save
| good theoretical knowledge of medicine.
Consequently he drifted from one town
to another in unavailing efforts to find
enough patients to make a living.
Finally he decided to go West, and
settle in Kansas. There bad luck fol-
lowed him.
i A short time before his bedy was
{ found in the car in the Pittsburg yards,
| he wrote to a friend in Lykens that he
| would starve if he remained in the West,
{and was determined to work his was
{ Bast. Nothing was heard of him until
the local paper at Lykens printed a
! paragraph stating that a body supposed
! to be that of Dr. Charles H. Miiler,well-
known in Lykens, had been found dead
lin a freight car at Pittsburg.
| By the time the notice was printed
| the body had been buried, and no friends
| were left with interest enough to investi-
| gate the statement. Lately, however,
| the wanderings of unfortunate Dr. Mil-
{ ler have been traced. One of those who
'had a kindly remembrance of other
| days, learned how he had left the West
for the Kast without money to pay his
way or buy food. This gentleman was
in Pittsburg to-day. He says no doubt
that Doctor Miller got into the car to
steal a ride, that the doors were locked,
and that before they were opened he
had died of starvation.
| Tae KN1GHT oF LABOR MAKE THEIR
Prarrory.—We are requested by the
| K. of L. at this place to give the follow-
| ing resolutions, unanimously adopted by
| the Bellefonte, Assembly 2383,at its reg-
ular meeting held on Monday evening
last, a place in our paper :
Resolved, That we denounce the bill
i now pending in the Senate of the United
| State, introduced by Senator Butler, of
| South Carolina, as a bill in the interest
| of monopoly by working upon the pre-
|
|
i
|
| judice of the people, and driving the
| colored man back to the Republican par-
ty and the people of the South to the
! Democratic party ; that speeches being
made in Congress upon this bill are for
that purpose and nothing else, as the
colored people are American citizens,
and the law would be unconstitutional.
Whereas, There is a growing tenden-
cy toward corruption at the pollin this
State; and whereas, a free, pure and
unbiased ballotis the only safe-guard of
| the liberties of the people.
Resolved, That we demand a law in-
augurating the Australian system of
voting, and we especially appeal to all
honest and patriotic men, regardless of
lure. Wedemand a law prohibiting the
using of free railroad passes by any
member of the State Legislature, county
| or State officers, and judges of the courts
of the State. We brand it as a species
of bribing against the interests of the
people.
We demand tue owning, printing and
distributing of text-books for the public
school of the State; said books to be
furnisk ed to the patrons of the schools of
the State at actual cost of production.
Whereas,the State tinkering of railroad
Iaws has not given to the people that re-
liet from railroad encroachment desired,
in fuet, has only fastened the monopoly
and strengthen the positions of corpora-
tions ; therefore be it.
national control of freight and passenger
rates, and ask for an enlargement of the
parts of the couniry may receive the
same benefits of transportation, and that
| the products ot the farm receive the
same attention and consideration as me- |
{ chanical products.
Whereas, the present salary and fee
{ bills governing the salaries of the State
and county officers were established at a
| time when the products of the farm, fac-
{tory and furnace commanded prices
I much higher than now ; therefore be it.
| Resolved, That we demand the redue-
tion of the salaries of all State
decline of the prices of farm products.
Whereas, the different telegraph com-
' panies of this country have Leen robbing
the people of the United States at the
| rate of $100,000,000 in the space of
twelve years by extortionate charges for
invested eapital of less than one fourth
of that amount, therefore be it
Resolved, That we demand at the
hands of the national government the
building of a National telegraphic sys-
tem to be operated in connection with
the post office. .
Resolved, That this Assembly favers
discharged soldiers and sailors of the
| late war.
| Resolved,
{
party, to urge the adoption of this meas- |
Interstate Commerce law, whereby all
TELE ES Sa TR a eT TN YT
!
|
i cording to the fullest extent.
Resolved, That we declare in favor of |
‘ed it has been learned that the men car-
a | went to their cells to die.
tv oftaor tonal od ap i of poison which had been smuggled in-
county officers, proporiionaly with the | uy the prison was not suiictent to kill
| two of those who shared it —Boboikov
the transmission ot intelligence, on an |
3 - contains several millions of sinall Ever-
a general pension law for all honorably |
i and about the same number of Orna-
mental Trees and Flowering Shrubs.
me £
That a copy of these reso- |
| lations be furnished the different news-
papers of the county for publication.
BRA BE WU EE Tay
An Towa Kicker
Governor Larrabee, of Towa, who is
holding over because of the inability of
the Legislature to organize and inuagu-
rate Governor-elect Boies, has a poor
opinion of Senator Allison and regrets
nominate Judge Rothrmek. He
Alligon’s election will cost the Republi-
cans several Congressmen, declaring
that—I have no hesitation
that Senator Allison will prove a very
serious load for the Republican party
this year.
the people.
He has expressed no sym-
of danger to himself.
is concerned, there are a score of men
i county in Lowa who could fill
in every
Allison is a eandidate for the
|
| his shoes.
terests to promote his own personal ends.
——The wool failure, for yester-
day was at Medwao, Massachusetts.
The fatal “rot” which sometimes de-
cimates the sheepfold appears to have
extended to the woolen mills. The
accounts of failures make their appear-
ance with almost as much regularity as
do the reports ‘of the weather trom the
Signal Service Bureau.
the Republicans of the State did not’
says |
in saying |
He has not the confidence of
> "other ornamental trees or shrubs, to send
pathy with recent lowa movements. '
He hasn't the courage of a mouse. He |
has ran and dodged at the least alarm |
As far as ability |
Presidency and has sacrificed Iowa in-
| scandal against him.
i at the same time in the courtyard of
: the common offender’s pris
i ders range all the way {rom one dollar
. to one thousand dollars or more each. A
| digging and packing season twenty-five
Ths Siberian Qutrages.
Delicate Women Flogged into Inicon-
stonsness— Prisoners Driven to Sut-
cide to Escape the Brutality of
the Jailors.
LoxpoN, Feb. 23.—Further details of |
the outrage in the political prison at
Kara, Siberia, reached the Russian ex- |
iles in London from friends who are lo- |
cated a short distance from the scene of |
the horrors. They are brief, but con- |
clusive, confirming fully a report of the |
affair received here from an official in |
St. Petersburg who is in sympathy with |
the causes of the people. |
It appears that the trouble of the
Kara prison originated in a “hunger
strike” in August, when the women
political prisoners tried to starve them-
selves to death to escape the brutalities
of their jailers. All the women impris-
oned there abstained from food for four-
teen days. The jailers did not believe
that they would be able to keep up the
struggle. At first they jeered at the |
women, then tempted them with food
and then, finding this of no avail,
threatened them. When several of the
women were at the point of death from
starvation the prison officials resorted to
artificial means to compel them to take
nourishment. The methods adopted,
however, were violent and licentious
and she women were compelled to
abandon their strike.
This state of affairs led Mme. Sigida,
whose death by flogging has already been
announced, to ask for an interview with
the director of the prison in hope of se-
curing an amelioration of tke condition
of the prisoners. This request was
granted, but when she was taken before
him she found him abusive. It is said
that in her exasperation at his abuse
she called him a villain and slapped his
face. It is not positively known, how-
ever, what took place during the inter-
view, but whatever did happen Mme.
Sigida did not return to her companions.
She was taken from the director's
ofice and conveyed to the prison in
which common offenders were confined.
Three of her companions from among
the political prisoners were permitted
tojoin her. The advices receved state
that these were Mary Koalesky, wife of
Professor Koalesky, of Kietf'; Mme.
Swmirnitsky and Mary Kolujny. The
last two ladies were from Odessa.
I'wo months elapsed after theseevents
before Lieut. Gen. Baron Korff, gover-
nor general of the province of the
Amour, instructed the directors of pris-
ons that thesscret edict of March, 1888,
which ordered that political prisoners
should be treated by prison officials in
precisely the same manner as criminals
condemned for common law offenses
would be enforced, and ordered the di-
rectors to notity the political prisoners of
both sexes that they would be liable to cor-
poral punishment if they violated certain
of the prison regulations. The male
prisoners, forseeing immediate danger,
held a consultation, and sent to the
director of the prison a petition that he |
would telegraph to the minister of the
interior, at St. Petersburg, requesting
him fo suspend the application of the |
edict. The director refused to pay any
attention to their petition, and thereup-
on the men warned him that the first!
flogging of a political prisoner would be
the signal for the others to commit sui-
cide together. .
Three days afterward, Lieut. Gen.
Baron Kerff'sent a special order direct-
ing that Mme. Sigida be punished ac-
Mme.
Sigida was stripped and received 100
lashes. She was carried off bleeding
and in an unconseious condition, and
her death ensued trom a rapture of the
heart. Her three companions commit-
ted suicide within an hour of the time of
hearing of Mme. Sigida’s death. The
corpses of the four women were buried
n.
For weeks a cordon of vigilance was
so closely maintained around the prison |
that nothing was known of what was
happening within. Since the secret
channel of informatioa has been reopen-
ried out their threat of suicide. They
met together, and thirty of them shared
what poison they could obtain and then
The quantity
quickly, but in the course of the evening
and Kolujny—died. Their convulsions
and the dead silence which reigned in
the other cells roused the attention of
the guards and they immediately sum-
moned physicians, who administered
emetics to the survivors and endeavored
by every means to counteract the effects
of the poison.
ava
EvERGREEN NURSERIES, of Ever
green, Wis., claims to be the largest nurs-
ery of the class in America. It now
rreens, comprising som fifty varieties,
These Nurseries now serve about three
thousand customers annually, whose or-
stenographer and ty pe-writer is employ-
ed tor the correspondence. During the
to thirty men are employed and about
fifteen to twenty are required to take
care of the trees during the growing s -a-
son. These Nurseries are making a
specialty of plants for Evergreen Hedges
and have several millions ready for sale,
of three or four of the most popular
varieties.
Their prices on Tree Seedlings are
much below any others we have seen.
It will pay any of our readers thinking
of planting an Evergreen Hedge, or any
a postal card to these nurseries asking
for their Catalogue.
——————— a
A Poor Vindication.
It will be remembered that when
Grover Cleveland ran for President Rev. |
Dr. Bell, of Buffalo, raked together and |
published columns of the vilest filth and |
For this the New |
| York fost characterized him as a “gutter !
snipe,” ete. Bell brought suit against |
' the paper for libel, laying his damages
at $25,000. The suit has been pending |
ever since until the Tth of this month, |
when it was ended by a Buffalo jury |
bringing in a verdict of ‘no cause of
action.” Thisis a poor vindication for |
Dr. Bell.
TENET TIE
Death of America’s Biggest Millio: aire.
John Jacob Astor Leaves His Million’s
Behind and Goes to a Land Where
Money is of No Account.
New York, Feb. 22.—John Jacob
Astor, the richest man in America, whose
wealth in land in this city and in securi-
ties whose values suffer no fluctuations
from the stock changes, is placed any-
where between $100,000,000 and $150,-
000,000, died to-day,aged 67 years.
He left life and his millions behind
him at 4 o'clock this morning. Mr.
Aster had not been well for some weeks.
December 14 he came home from Europe
suffering with the grip. Mr. Astor
complained yesterday morning that he
was feeling poorly, but in the evening
he went out to dinner. Soon after his
return home he became so ill that his
family were greatly alarmed, and sent
for their physician. He at once hastened
to Mr. Astor's bedside, but when he
reached 1t he fonnd his patient already
dying. Hardly any pulse was percepti-
ble. Mr. Astor continued to sink slow-
ly until he died.
John Jacob Astor was the son of
William B. Astor,” who inherited the
bulk of the $20,000,000 fortune left by
the orignal John Jacob Astor the grand-
father of to-day’s dead. John Jacob
Astor the first was born in 1763, the
third son of poor peasants, at Waldorf,
in Baden, and their name was usually
spelled ‘‘Ashdoer.” Indeed, the elder
brother of John Jacob the first, signed
his name “Henry Ashdoer,” even after
he had come to America. John Jacob
Astor came to America in 1784, and be-
gan with a stock in trade consisting of
six fintes and two other musical instru-
ments. ,
He entered the employ of a furrier in
this city and in a few months mastered
thetrade, which was extremely profitable
as carried on with the Indians. Astor
visited the Canadian woods, going on
foot and carrying in a pack on his back
baubles such as delighted the Aborigi-
nes He traded them for furs and
carried the furs home on his back. He
made tu: oney, enlarged his business,using
pack-sleds und the like, and in a few
years he was doing an immense trade,
getting the skins for literally nothing
of the Indians and sending them to the
Orient, where they were exchanged for
most valuable goods, teas, spices, Indian
and Japanese silks and the like. The
profit averaged $30,000 to every cruise,
and when, in 1850, the old man died he
left $20,000,000.
He founded the Astor Library at the
urgent solicitation of Washengton Irv-
ing, Fitz Green Halleck and an old and
trusted commercial friend. He had
been extremely penurious,even to mean-
ness, and delighted in saving pennies
when he was a millionaire.
He had three sons. The first died
a babe. Thesecond ramed after him-
self, John Jacob Astor, was demented,
and was kept.in a fine residence in West
{| Twenty-third street at his fathers ex-
pense, and after his father’s death on
the income of a fund of $100,000 set
apart for that purpose. Then John
Jacob passed away, aged 60, thirty
years ago.
The Astor millions had been handed
down to a third son, William B. Astor,
and he it was who began the movement
for better tenement houses in New
York. When William B. Astor died
he left the vastly increased family for-
tune to his eldest son, John Jacob Astor
the third, who is now dead Thomas G.
Shearman in the Forum for November
set down John Jacob Astor’s fortune at
$150,000,000, making him the American
Croesus. “The Astor” was known for
half a century as New York’s landlord.
It has been estimated that the estate in-
cluded more than a thousand dwelling
houses, yielding an average rental of
$2,600,000.
Democratic and Republican Speakers.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Republican party when in con-
trol of the House has chosen the follow-
ing Speakers:
Sehuyler Colfux,
James G. Blaine.
Warren Keifer.
Thomas B. Reed.
The Credit Mobilier scandals drove
Schuyler Colfax from public life.
The rulings of Mr. Blaine in connec-
tion with certain bills before the House
cost him the Presidental nomination of
his own party three times, and defeated
him when nominated.
‘Warren Keifer's conduct in the chair
disgusted his own party, and ended his
political existence.
The Democrats when in control of
the House have chosen the following
Speakers:
Micheal Kerr.
Samuel J. Randall.
John G. Carlisle.
Mr. Kerr died from overwork and the
results of a striet performance of his
duty. His conduct in the chair won for
him the honest praise of friend and foe.
Samuel J. Randall was frm courteous
and exceedingly jealous of the rights of
the mincrity. His conduct reflected
high honor on his party.
John G. Carlisle presided with
the dignity and the impartiality of
a judge. No man on the Supreme Bench
was ever freer from partisan rulings than
was Speaker Carlisle. With Carlisle in
the chair it ceased to be a partisan ofiice,
and was clothed with the dignity of the
judiciary.
Mr. Reed iz bent on making a record
that will link his name with every deed
of violence against the Constitution, and
every scheme of corruption directed
against the Treasury. His two years in
the chair will stand 23 perpetual warn-
ing against putting a jestuer in a place
of such power. The Democrats can well
afford to conduet the Congressional cam-
paign in the fall upon the records of the
Republican and the Democratic Speak-
ters of the House.
——~ VETERAN SoLDIERS who take
pride in comardship and soldiership
should make a note of the fact that this
adminstration, with a soldier at the
head of it, takes no note of scars. A
Democratic veteran in office has to
walk the plank with as little ceremony
as if he had never fought for the flagor
smelt gunpowder
——TIt isn’t always tha fast giri that
cots married first. It is the little demure
¢irl who sits in the corner with one
young wan and hangs on to him.
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