HE PITTSBURG DISPATCH. . rt - SECOND PART. j(t I"!..-. , JHf3U-r PAGES 9 TO 12. PITTSBURG, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1889. t ?ti fr$ v ar 5 luckiest Thirteen in the Or ganization of the Honse. ORIGIN OF THE COMMITTEE, w Whereiand How It Got ItsKame,and ills Present complexion. "K1KDS OP CLEAE SKETCHES ICORBESPOSDENCE OP TBS CISPJLTCH.3 Washes gtoit, December 27. Speaker '? Heed s readiness in makmcr nn nil commit- tees strikes the keynote in the music of the House. He is going to save time and money for Uncle Sam by pushing things and avoiding delays. The new "Ways and Hems Committee is a strong one, and while there is some disgruntled critlcisin.it will prove a good combination of brains and industry 1 I 7 ilSKsSj yg>cinnley. Chairman, before the session is a montn oiaer. The Ways and Means Committee is an in teresting one. How did such a name come to be attached to it? I can only think of "the old committee joa Ways and Means that the early English parliaments used to ap 'point when the Kings made newand exorbi tant demands for money. The Commons onlv cculd originate bills for revenue and ,.t:' when the demand for royal bounties came fiitney appointed special committees to find &&waj-s and means to lay and collect more ,taxes. Blackstone briefly describes this committed as it was in the time of Henry the Second. Of 60 House committees, Ways and Means is the most important, as it is the oldest. It was first created on July 24, 1789, and con sisted of one member from each State. Its dnties then and for many years embraced wore done now By 20 different committees For in those days Congressional commit tees had an undefined stains, and the new growth of legislation by committee to which we are now so well ac customed was then an nntried institution. In 1802 the House . ; established fiv s'acd- in? committees oi nine members eacfc JBurrows. "Elections. Ways and Means, Claims. Com merce and Manufactures. At that time, as indeed it was for over half a century, Ways and Means w.s the Committee on Appro priations. The members had not only ' to decide how much monev to raisi? hv ., dutieson imports, but to determine also in vbat amounts and for what purposes the ptTcvenutsmhould' be spent for the irariaus needs of the G6vernment. More than this the Ways and Means was the general auditing committee for the expenses of Con gress, the executive and judiciary. Now there are eight inch auditing committees on tne expenses in each of the executive depart ments. In 18U the membership was in creased to 11 and the number of House com mittees was increased to 27. The load on the Ways and Means was somewhat lightened. But it was still the Committee on Appro priations and In that same year the Honse Bcime, adopted a rule requiring the committee to report all the appropriations within 30 days 'from the opening of each session. It has long been a complaint against the appropria tions committee that it neia Dace its bills to compel the House to comply with personal and selfish demands. Until 1829 the gentlemen of the Ways and Means Committee bundled all of their appropriations into one bill and dumped it into luenuuse wiium the prescribed 30 -days. In 1865 the business of the coun try and the commit- tee had increased so much that it wasun- - equal tothe combined task of digesting leg islation on the tariff, the war debt and the vast expenditures of the Government. A new Committee on Appropriations was created, and Thad Dlnoletf. .Stevens, who had been Chairman of Wavs '"JiiiTraS and Means, was put at its head. This was largely the work of the late Sunset Cox, and .he it was who reported from the Committee on Bnles the resolution for the new commit- tee. In 1873 the membership was increased . to 13. It has remained at that nnmber to the present time. In December, 1885, the House distributed a number of " the "bills prepared by the Appropriations Committee to their appropriate committees and left but six general bills to the Appro ve, priations Committee. So the origiual dnties of the Ways and Means Committee are now . widely scattered. .To be a member on ways and means is a ,. hich honor and many of our great men have 'JE-f' lound it the portal to greater fame. There are now here in Washington as I connton 4L. mv fingers, and almost in sight in a five -minutes' walk, six men who have been 3chairmen of this committee and their names -igsre famous in the uttermbst cabin in the land. Here is Jnstin S. Morrill, who suc " ,ceeded Thad Stevens as chairman. Here, " , too, is Eobert C. Schenck, the ' post-bellum chairman; Henry L. i Dawes, who hsd as his efficient helper, "James A. Garfield; W. B. Morrison, of Horizontal tendencies in tariff legislation; Judge Kelley, who has served nearly a quarter of a century on Ways and Means, and Boger Q. Mills, who has just given way to Mr. McKin ley. The new chairman is .so well known personally and polit icals that his ad- ileKenna. ministration can be confidently anticipated as a thorongb, steady success under the pledges and doo- trines ot his party. Few men in public-life so well understand and practice the cardinal . principles of Bepublican representativegov- - ernnient, both as an official and as a party man. It was this devotion to an idea that Jield him true to the expressed wish of his State in the last Chicago Convention, when n word from him would have sent his name firing over the Jand as the nominated candi date (or the Presidency. Mr. tteiuniey ill look well sitting at the head of the long auie in the committee room, ms spine is ve inches loncer than the normal back bone, so that, as Colonel Allen, of Missis- .Eipju, remarks, lie nas io it uowa ue ore Vrou can see him." His handsome face it ; the picture of calm Intellectual dlenitv. .nu manner is gentle, courteous and con si derate. His fitness is self-evident. Where McKinlev sits is clearly the head of the table. He is the youngest chairman the committee ever baa. He will be 46 next February. He was a soldier boy at 17 and a captain at 21. He came to Congress when 35 years old and gained aposition as leader at an earlier age than any man of his times. Julius Caesar Burrows, who -standssecond on the committee, would have made a good chairman, although inclined to be a little dogmatic. Me nasa tall, square-shouldered figure, and a square, full head. He ib now 52 years old, and his lull brown beard is mottled with gray, and his hair is turning. He has sat in five Congresses with some interrup tions occasioned by too many Votes for the Democrats who ran J-mme. against mm. xie is a Pennsylvanlan, who went to Michigan to teach school, and work his way up"o a ieat in Congress. His recent candidacy for the Speakership has not affected his cordial re lations with Chairman McKinley, and the two will be found working in good align ment when the committee get down to the various schedules. Putting Tom Bayne on the committee was a nice recognition of worth. Colonel Bayne comes from the heart of the great iron and .glass manufacturing industries. He is a lawyer, a millionaire, and has been in Con trreai far 12 vears. As Judire Kelley re tires from the committee, Colonel Bayne's appointment borrows significance. His will be the voice to speak for the grcat'Keystone State in Congress. Upon him now comes the burden the venerable Judge has borne so valiantly through many Congresses. The new committeeman looks like a man who hums mldnicht oil. There is lambent energy in his eyes, but about them areal- ways the lines mat ten oi iais nouns auu hard wort;. He dresses in plain bnsiness garb, and is oie of the most practical de baters on the floor. Governor Dingley takes Tom Breed's place on the committee and represents all .New England there. Imagine a spare.dark, stoop-shouldered man with black sunken eyes, a sallow Spanish skin and black beard and you will have ex Governor Nelson Dingley, Jr., before your mind's eye. He is a Dartmoutn man, 57 years old, and both a lawyer and journal ist, being now editor of the Lewiston a vitette. Journal. When Mr. Frye went over to the Senate six years ago he took his seat in the House. Between himself and Mr. Beed there exists a warm friendship and his nresence on the committeM ennnprta It Psubtly with the Speaker's chsir. California, for the first time in rannv years, has a seat at the Ways and Means table. Joseph McKenna, a Philadelphian, 46 years old, for four years a memher of the House, has the responsibility and honor of representing tha Pacific coast, and, indeed, over one-half the United States geographic ally, for no State or Territory west ot Iowa, except Texas, has a place on the committee. (1 should say, parenthetically, that under the rules of the House, no delegate from a territory is allowed to serve on Ways and Means.) McKenna is a plain-looking and plain-speaking man, with a stylish reddish beard, which lie wears close-clipped, blue eyes and ruddr complexion. - .j Sere no E. Payne, the Bepublican member of the committee from New York, comes very luckily info prominence through ihe death of the late Co n gressman Nut ting. Paybs was a niemberot the Forty eighth and Forty iimth Congresses.and is a hard.worki.ng, methodical commit teeman. He lives at -Ani'nrn.theoldhomc rf William H. Sew rrd, and is now 4G years old. He is a i.'tr Gear. lawyer by profession, and ha practiced at his home since 1886. He sat next to Mr. Beed during the Forty-ninth Congress, and between the two men a very warm friend ship sprangup, of which this appointment 10 ine ways ana .means committee is the Iruit Mr. Payne will make a very careful, painstaking and successful member of the committee. The youngest member'of the new com mittee, Bobert M. Iiafollette," looks like a Eussian Duke, but hex is a Yankee noble man, born in a well-made log cabin iq the district he now represents in Wisconsin. Down the load a little way is another log c.ibiu in which Mrs. Iiafol lette was born. Iiafol lette is now 35. He graduated at the Uni versity of Wisconsin, where he also took the Inn. MAnc TDl.il. .. student he won firstpti"ii"?Jj honors in the inter-'"' iy"Wiil oratorical contest of v c3"Tfls 1879, his subject being f 7 iit ft tt & i jy xugu. xie was a year later elected District Carlisle. Attorney of the Capital county of his State and after re-election, sent to Congress, en tering with the Forty-ninth. His com mittee service has been entirely on Indian affairs. .He has been one of the Speaker's right hand men, and with a student's fond ness for the subject of political economy, he is well equipped for therork of the winter. Governor Gear, of Iowa, is the last Bepub lican on the committee. He is a New Yorker, 64 years old. His father was a rest less pioneer bound to be on the frontier, and when the Governor was 11 years old he re moved to Galena, 111., then in its hey-day oi growth. Two years later he wenttoFo-t Suelling, then in Iowa Territory, now in Minnesota. There was but one log house then where St Paul now stands, and Min neapolis was bare prairie and marsh. Five years later young "Gear floated down the Mississippi to Burlington, where he began life for himself as clerk in a general store. He was twice elected Governor of his State' and this is his second term in Congress. He is "shrewd, canny old weather-beater who knows what he wants and what the people want and generally gets both. The Democrats have a strtng represen tation on tne committee. Mr. CarlUlp standing atjhc head of the minority, is oae of the ablest men in tne House, jind certainly a most popular gentle man. This is his sixth Congress, and during the last three Congresses he has been Speaker. He is now 54 years old, and since 1858 has been a hard working lawyer. His fairness to both sides MUU. wnue jcresiaent of the Chamber is proverbial, and .his wish was first to be consulted in making selections from the rainoritv for the various commit tees. He was first to put Mr. Beed on Wavs and Means, and the new Speaker is row re turningthe compliment. .Mr. Carlisle was a Unionist during the war, and refused ti allow his name to tie used as a McClella" elector in Kentucky. Hi b-is held various State offices, and for fonryeari was Lieutenant Go vein or. "Mr. Carlisle is not MeiliUia. m&&m V if a fa jiWfVJ a free trader; his views of tariff reform are conservative, Boger Q. Mills, the. retiring Chairman, was entitled by courtesy to remain on the committee. He has been in Congress since '1873, and apparently has a lire lease of his seat. He earned the Chairmanship of Ways and Means in the last Congress by lehgth of service and as one man alter another dropped out ahead of him the prize at last was his. The Mills bill came a crreat deal nearer success than either of the Morrison Jbills, and the late chairman is looked upon by bis col leagues as a more conservative tariffre former than his predecessor. Mr. Mills' is a stoutly-built gentleman, CO years old, and hedre'sses like a well-to-do Texas farmer He has a quizzical visage and is rather crusty to strangers, but, as Colonel John Allen, of Mississippi, says: "He is a sale man lora Texiu to tie to." Benton HcMillin, ofTennessee,isoneof the old members of thecommittee. Heis aKentuckian born and bred. In 1871 he began to practice law m Tennessee and six years later be came a Judge. He cme to the Hous; in 1879 and has been re-elected continu ally since. He is a Breckinridge. strong man who works bard. The deadly accuracy ot his logie is something his friends and toes re spect. He came to Congress when he was 34 years old. and would still look as young as ever jf he had not worn his hair oil by bard work. He is a master of details and is especially well read on all matters pertain ing to the tariff. The coal and iron inter ests of Tennessee are Mr. McMillin'a special pride. Arkansas has a member or the committee whose name calls up the past. , Clitton B, Breckinridge is a son of John C. Breckin ridge, who was Vice President with Buchanan, When the handsome young Vice President drove off behind his superb span of Kentucky trotters to join the Con federacy in 1861, young Breckinridge was a Doy ot 15 at school. He dropped, his books and got on a Confed erate gunboat When Appomattox came be was ft middy stationed on the James river. He went to work and earned money enough to go through Wash ington and lee Uni versity and then be came a cotton pla iter in jirnuuMi uuui Mourn- elected to Congress in r. 1883 be raised cotton and bought and sold the textile on commission. He was sent to the House by the Stat; at large; he now rep resents the Second or Pine Bluff district Mr. Breckinridge is a short, slight man, with very pale blue eyes that are reinforced by a thick pair of spectacles. He is pol ished in manners, extremely affable and his ranversation shows wide reading. BoBwell P. Flower is the only new mem ber on the committee, and he is hardly a new member, having served in the Forty seventh Congress. His shrewdness as a broker and business manipulator, together with the prominence he has achieved in New York politics, justify his appointment over the beads of a good many old publio servants on the Democratic side of the Cham ber. He is acquainted with nearly every body in both ends of Congress, and with most of the active members of Honse and Senate he has had business dealings. Mr. Flower is still regarded as a candidate for -Governor of New York, .and eventually for the White House. He is 54 years old, and is a hand some, well-dressed man of genial face and manners. He likes to hear and tell good stories, and knows how to shake hands in a way to make friends. Jahns A. Tbuesdell. BEDFOED'S EECEPT10N. Children Eecelro Visile From BInnr, Inclnd luc Santa Clans. If one wished to see happiness personified, a visit shonld have been made to the Bed ford school building last Tuesday afternoon. It was the day before Christmas, the last of school until January 6, and the children's reception day to their papas, mammas and their friends. It is no wonder that with this happy combination of events that the little innocent faces beamed with smiles and the little eyes sparkled with the happy ex pectancy of Christmastide. -"Mamma, I must put an extra shine on my shoes to-day, because I am going to make a speech," said little Balph in the morning. Others must have said the same to their mammas, as the little ones appeared in their neatest attire and obeyed their teachers in a manner that wonld chase the signs of care away from the faces of these public gnardiaus.'if the scholarly decorum of visiting day was continued throughout the year. Shortly after 1 o'clock Prof. Ettling, the caiistuenic director, arrived and commenced at room No. 1 to give an exhibition drill. From the way the little tots twisted their heads, arms, legs and. bodies to the soft, chant-like music, it-would seem that they were not- in need of further physical cult ure. As the drill progressed blushes were seen to spread over their" little faces, from the exertion, as a rose opens from the invig orating influences of the sun. Prof. Golden was here-and there, all over the building, welcoming the visitors and showing them around the different rooms. The scholars in each "step" had prepared manuscript specimens of their work, each one having a cover bearing the name of the scholar and the study. The specimens of work showed a conception of the different studies that was remarkable, especially when the ages of some were considered. One thing that was noticed by all present was the high character of the designs and drawings displayed. Little children of 7 and 8 years snowed outline work that was worthy of much older pupils, and in come instances indicated true artistic appreciation of the work done. As Prof. Et tling advanced to different grades, from "step" 1 to the nighest clashes, tne calisthenics became more complicated. In room No. 1 a wand drill was given, the wands being wrapped with the national colors. In room No. 8 the drill was varied by exchanging the wands for dumb-bells, with bells on the ends, the na- .; t J- -:u !.-!- i nl u- tional colors still being used as a decoration Boom No. 9 varied its programme by select piano music, with Miss Jennie Evans and others at the piano. The room was beauti fully decorated with plants, etc Nearly all of the rooms bad blackboard cartoons of Santa Clans in various postures, and kindred subjects of Christmas cheer. They were in most cases executed by the pupils. tChe visitors passed through the rooms and examined the -work of the pupils or stopped to hear the recitations and speeches. Each room had a programme, and carried it out to the letter. At last the sound of fife and arum was heard, and the guest ot all others appeared. It was Santa Clans, personated by Mr. James E. Flinn, and preceded by the Bedford Fife and Drum Corps. Behind came persons carrying big baskets laden with bags of candy and nuts. Alter a neat speech in each room the scbolars.were all given it bag.of candy, popcorn, oranges, etc., and a bag of nuts. v Shawls, shawls, shawls, ligb't and dark colors, heavy, medium and light weights, prices all reduced. Hugus & Hacke. TTSSU ES'-RBV. T. DB WITT TALMjGB and Marian White write t of i to morrow's DISPATCH an interest ing romancj,j entitled "Outsets of New Years; Two Annual O m mencements by a Fortune So' ar. cT ABEVWATERFINDER Test of Apparatus to Locate Streams Hidden Under Ground. ELECTRO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING Beveals to the World a .JJoYel Invention for Geologists. PARTIALIS SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS A belief has been prevalent for the last three centuries at least that water bidden underground, either in the form of springs or as streams, could be discovered by the usevof the divining rod, but it has been Te served fpr the present day to'record a claim set Up that such subterranean sources of water can be discovered infallibly or nearly so by scientific methods. Not only has such a claim been made, but the inventor of the apparatus has chal lenged the engineering profession to inves tigate the results obtained by the most searching tests possible. The inventor, a Bavarian by birth, but long resident in Russia, and aii electro-technical engineer bf profession, says that he b'as located more than 600 wells in Bussia in the last two years and a half, since making his discov ery, without a single failure. This great invention, great if it will stand the test of the investigation now being pursued, was discovered, as most important discoveries are made, almost by accident. The first ap paratus made was intended for a totally dif ferent purpose, and it was chance alone that disclosed tne fact that to running waterit was extremely sensitive without being in contact with it. his riBsx prcar cosviciioir. Mr. Heerdegen such is the inyentor's name was experimenting in bis house in Bussia with an instrument which he ex pected would indicate in one room move ments in another from which he was absent. The experiment consisted in placing a watch upon a table, carrying from it a cord or fine wire through passages and other rooms to where he was himself, and the in strument he held in his hand would be af fected the very second the watch was touched. To what degree of perfection this process was brought cannot now be told. It probably was not perfected, as' on this occasion the inventor was in a room where his wife was making tea, using tor the pur pose a large samovar, or Bussian tea urn, and while standing near it he observed that his instrument was affected every time that the water was made to run from the samovar. He became so convinced by repeated trials that the moving body of water, "small though it was comparatively, affected his apparatus in n distinct and certain manner that be immediately went out into the grounds sur rounding the house, where there was a well, and had bis conclusions confirmed In such a manner that he abandoned bis original ex periments, and devoted his time and atten tion to perfecting the apparatus tor the much more practical purpose ot water finding. XESIS IK THIS COUNTS'?. Mr. Heerdegen associated with himself Mr. Alexander E. Schnee, late United States Vice Consul at Moscow, and came to this country, which he regarded as a more profitable field for his labors. He came armed with testimonials from respectable firms, some of them known in? this City. A.series ot tests have-ibeen comraenced- here during the past week, which, although not conclusive in their results, well warrant a further investigation into tho matter, es pecially under more normal conditions, as those to which Mr. Heerdegen and his ap paratus have been submitted were of an un natural kind and such as he had never at tempted before. The preliminary investiga tion was witnessed by members of the edi torial staffs of the Engineering and Mining Journal and of the Engineering rttics, as well as by Mr. Charles P. Gowen, division engineer of the new aqueduct, through whose aid and the courtesy of Mr. Alnhocse Fteley, chief engineer ot the Aqueduct Com mission, the tests were arranged. The day was unfavorable lor the work in hand, the ground being covered with sev eral inches of wet snow, the very presence of which, however, assisted in making the tests more complete, be'eanse it more effect ually concealed from the water searcher the locality of the aqueduct HOW IT WORKED WITH SNOW. The snow was productive of two laugh able incidents. Shortly alter commencing work Mr. Heerdegen, proceeding very slowly in the snowy road, with his eyes ap parently fixed upon the ground, in reality watching the pendulum, so to speak, of his apparatus which he carried near the ground, and all of the party intently .watching him and his instrument, along came an old farmer with his empty milk cans from Sing Sing and saluted the party with "Be you looking for rabbit tracks?" Just as the party reached the point at which the aqueduct crossed beneath the road at a depth of more than 300 feet water was located, somewhat to the sur prise ot the gentlemen, the width of the stream being defined as 12 feet, which is about the width of the water flowing in the aqueduct. Out came an6ther farmer from the house near the road with the offer of his assistance. "I can help ye; I was here when they drew it in," and straightway he began scraping in the snow a few feet from the road, and presently he succeeded in un covering an iron bolt which had been driven into the rock by the surveyors to mark the center line of the aqueduct." HOW THE SECOSD TEST RESULTED. The second test gave results nearly as startling as the first, but'on the third there was a distinct failure to recognize any such body of water as was known to be flowing 480Teet beneath. The operator claimed that the-day was unfavorable, being heavy and foggy, and that the conditions were ' new to him and abnormal, as he had never before attempted to find water, inclosed artificially, the impression being given that he had ex pected that be would be taken to places where springs were known to exist. On a subsequent day other tests were made on the line of the old aqueduct, where, near tli.e upper end of the city, it is conveyed in a tnnnel under Tenth avenue, and here the results were similar to those obtained the first day, satislactoty to the water searcher in one case nnd unsatisfactory in another. The general result thus far may be stated as non-conclusive as to the infallibility of the apparatus, but sufficient apparent power of locating water has been displayed to warrant a patient nnd exhaustive research. This will probably be prosecuted in the di rection of known artesian water, and the final report of those engaged in the investi gation will be looked forward to with great interest. TRYING IT OS A BREWERY. A practical test of the accuracy of this method is uow being carried out in New York at tho brewery of Mr. Hupiel, where a dry well has been sunk to a depth of more than 2,000 feet. Within a short distance of this unsuccessful veil the borers are again at work on the assurance of Mr. Heerdegen that water will be met with at a less depth than 100 feet. The apparatns is not patented, and, ac cording to the inventor, will work in the hands of any one with a little practice. In appearance it is most simple, any complex ity of arrangement being concealed in the vulcanite or hard rubber case, about six inches, long, shaped something like a bottle without a neck, which acts as a sort of pen dulum, and oscillates more or less violently when above water according to the volume and rapidity of the -stream. This is sus pended from a leather-covered disk held in the band by a thin insulated brass or copper wire, which enters the top of the vulcanite case. CADGHT ON THE HILLS. Newiy Note From AHentown, KaoatTlllr, Mt. Washington, Etc Cha&les ALT and Miss Ida Brackma were married Monday. The speak-easles on the hill flourished dar ing the laifweek. Getty Stcwabt, ot Atlanta Ga., is home for the holidays. D. D. Harris, the plnmber, will soon occupy aneat brick honse on 'Washington avenue. A PX.BASAHT little surprlso party was held at Mr. Clark's residence, Beltzboover, Christinas. The South Street M. F. Church gave its Sunday school scholars a treat on Christmas Eve. There are still whispers of an elopement to take place soon floating around among the boys. EuonRE Ipartles are popular on the hill, bnt as yet none have attempted progressive Beven-up. Chables KAMmor. of Bntler, visited his parents and brother In the Thlrty-flrst ward Christmas. Mn. akd Mns, Jonir Bich, of Jeannctte, are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Bennett, Arlington avenue. j Uniok services will be held in the Knoxville M. P. Church to-morrow. Bay. Mr. Jones will deliver the sermon. A V. ViEBHEiiLEn and Louis Kinzelwere the guests of Mr. W.. C. Gnnvelflnger, West End, on Christmas. 'The J. P, Mission Church of AUentown gave their Sunday school scholars a treat last Thursday evening. The bill district police sometimes have a dull time of it plodding over their beats with not even a small boy to molest them. The mission school of the Twenty-fourth ward gave a treat to its scholars at the "Wicker sham Schoolhouse on Christmas morning at 9 o'clock. The grading nn Allen avenue is moving along. The contractors say they will have it flnisned from Washington avenue to Climax street by February L Chabi.es Haas, the genial and well-known clerk at Algeo Bros.' store, is lying at the home of his parents In West Liberty very sick. He was taken with typhoid fever last Monday. The Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Railroad deal for houses along the railroad has caused a boom for real estate on the hill. There are now very few vacant houses in the Thirty-Orst ward. ArntE broke out in Mauler's grocery store in Knoxville last Monday. Someone7 pulled the city firo alarm and the Mt. Washington hole came rattling over but got there too late to be oi any use. xne aamage was small. TrjE Suburban Electric Bapid Transit Ball way started last Wednesday, and is now run ning regularly. It Is stated on good authority that the Thirteenth street road will soon start. (The latter expression is handed into the office so often that It is kept set up in type.) j The Excelsior Dramatic Company scored a success In AUentown Christmas night, by the production at Turner Hall of the beautiful drama. In three acts, entitled "Under the American Flag." Tho cast was made up of well-known people, and they did their work well. The different candidates are commencing to hustle on the bill. In the Thirty-first ward Messrs. W. W. Nesblt for Select and William O. Russel for Common Council don't seem to bare any opposition. Messrs. Charles Black and D. w. Smike are both after the Alder man's office, ft Is alio whispered about that a dark horse will be pushed at the proper time. A 8AS Christmas it was to the relatives and many friends of Miss Luln Noah, of Walter avenue. Thirty-first ward, who died at the resi dence of friends in Allegheny. 8bo was taken sick with pneumonia about ten days ago. Miss Noah was well known and beloved by all, and her relatives have the sympathy of their friends. The remains were taken to Butler for interment. There was a regular young tornado in St. Clair township-fast Sunday night. The wind howled around the houses and threatened to unloosen many of them from their foundations. The new bouse of Frank Erny, on Spring street. Lower St. Clair township, was moved one foot and a half oft its foundations and will have to be rebuilt. No other damage has been reported. The Knoxville M. P. Church gave the Bun day school children an enjoyable treat Christ mas Eve. A model snow honse was built on the stage with windows etc The presents were grouped about in the house and outside, ft seems that there was some little bitch about the Santa Clans feature. When the entertain ment was about to commence the person who was supposed to have supplied the Santa Claus costume failed to produce it. A trip to Manager Wilt's store on Wood street found it Closed and the person returned. The programme, consisting of recitations, choruses, eic., was very enter taining and all carried their parts well except Santa tilaus. As the hours wore along and the programme could not be lengthened more, it was announced that a smashup had occurred on the Kriss Krinkle Overland Bailroad, and that the children's patron saint would not be present. Although it was something of a dis appointment, it soon passed away and the evening's programme was pronounced a suc cess. Tha scholars all received a box of sandy. One of the pleasantest occasions Knoxville people have been permitted to enjoy for a long time was the Christmas Eve entertainment given by the Presbyterian Sunday school. The programme, which was a lengthy one, con sisted of recitations, singing, dialogues, tab leaux, etc. All rendered their parts well and not only that, butjtbe programme was a very en tertaining one to buth old and young. The selections by the chorus of 12 voices, with Miss Emma Eisamon, as organist, was greatly ap preciated by 'all present. The two tableaux, one representing the shepherd And wise men of the East by a class of boys, and the chanting of the Lord's prayer by a class of young ladles dressed in white, with one dressed in black, all kneeling with a little child, m the attitude of prayer, were among the best on the evening's programme. Jiicor me entertainment teaturc, SS0 pounds of candy were given the children and a picture book from one of tho clothiers of the city. During the evening Mr. and Mrs. Rev. Jones were resented with a very fine china dinner Set. by ir. B. J. Phillips, on behalf ot their many friends In and out of tho congregation. Prof. W. P. Montgomery, teacher ot the Bible class, was the recipient of a clock nf exquisite de sign and make. Bev. AV. A. Jones made the Iiresentation speech on behalf of tho class. dlS3 Emma Eisamon, the organist of the school, received a lovely work box, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Hunter making the speech. The church was beautifully decorated with greens, holly, etc., and throughout it was a pleasing success. A NOVEL STRIKE. Glntshouso Boys Who Refused to Work on Christinas Eve. v A crowd of glasshouse boys stood at the comer of South Eighteenth street last Tues day atternoon in earnest discussion. A Dispatch reporter crossed oyer the street, and, upon inquiring the cause of the confer ence, was informed that they had "struck." There were about SO of them, all employed at Thomas Evans factory on South Eigh teenth street. As they got together and talked of Christmas 'and saw the prepara tions going on around them for a roerrv evening, they decided that they wouldn't work, and that they would enjoy Christmas with the, rest of them. The men employed in the factory could not go to ivork without the boys, aid for a short time it looked like a lockout. The pots, however, had been filled, and theglass would have been spoiled if not used. The men could hardly help sympathizing with the boys, and to the foreman was left the duty of bringing them' to work. The boys at first held out strode, saying they wanted to enjoy Christmas Eve as, well as other people. At last the foreman told them that they could get off at 8 o'clock, and one by one they started to the factory with sober faces at the thoughts of having to work while the enjoyment and bustle of Christ mas tide was going on about therm RIcQinty Molasses Cakes. Just the thing to ''please the little ones. New, sweet and delicious. Your grocer keeps them. U2f MAUD HOWE, in to-morrow's DISPATCH, gives pome val uable bints to men and maidens wbo are in love. The Pettiest 'feY LUDOVIC HALEVY. MEMBEE Ot THE PSEHCtt AOADEUT, "CRIQUETTE," t T was Friday, April 19,1889. They were playing the third act of "Borneo et Juliette" at the opera, and Prince Agecor was posi tively beside him. self with excitel ment He ran from box tobox, his en thusiasm bubbling over in each, "That blonde! Oh! that blondel Ex uuisltel So look at that blondel So you know that blonde?" He had just entered Mme. de Marizy's box, a large one in the grand tier, and for the hundredth time that night he burst into rapturous ejaculation. "What blonde?" asked Mme. de Marizy. "What blondel There is only one this evening in the house! There, opposite you, in this same tier in the Saint-Mesme's box. Look at her, Baroune, do look at her!" . "Yes, I am looking at her. She's vilely dressed, but she is good looking." "Good looking! She's a dreamt A per fect dreaml Vilely dressed, I grant yon! Some country cousin the Saint-Mesmes have relations in Ferigord. But what a smile! What a neck!' What shoulders!" "Oh! my dear Prince, do be quiet, or go awayi I want to listen to Beszke The Prince went away. No one, it seemed, knew anything of his lovely blondel And yet she had often been to the opera before! But she had come in bourgeois fashion, to the second tier. Now, as far as Prince Agenor was concerned there were no places in the opera house out of the grand tier. Above and beyond was chaos, a space with out form and void. The Prince had never in bis life entered a box in the second tier. Practically, therefore, there were no such places. While Borneo, kneeling before Friar Law rence, was vowing eternal 'faith to Juliet, the Prince was wandering about the corri dors. Who could this blonde be? He must and would find out! And then he suddenly remembered that the highly respectable Mme-Pieard was the Saint-Mesme's box opener, and that he himself had long enjoyed the privilege of that respectable lady's acqaintance. In the days of the Second. Empire, had she not lnmaieu muiy hue rnuco ue serins, iuiu the various mysteries of bezique Chinese, Japanese, etc.? He was then 20, and Mme. Pieard 40. At that time Mme. Pieard was not an employe of the National Academy of Music. Her calling and it was no sine cure was that of "aunt" to a charming young person, whose pretty face formed an attractive item in the Christmas piece at the varieties. In those youthful days the Prince had spent three or four years of tran auil, almost domestic bliss, in the society of "niece" and "aunt." Then each had gone their several ways, and 10 years afterward Agenor had one e'vening handed his coat to a venerable-looking old lady at the opera, and been ereeted bv her with the following little speech: "Abl Princel How delighted I am to see you again! And you are not changed, not the least bit! You are just the same! Not a day olderl" It was Mme. Pieard, raisedto the dignity of a boxkeeper. They had a long chat to gether over bid Hints, and since that even ing the Prince had never passed Mme. Pieard without a smiling "good evening," to which she responded by a deferential lit tle bow. She was one ot those persons, now almost extinct, who have an intuitive per reption of the finer degrees in rank, and of the observances due to each. There lurked, nevertheless, the least touch of familiarity. almost of affection, in the tone with which she said "Mon Prince." But this was in no way offensive to Agenor; he had none but pleasant recollections of Mme. Pieard. "Ah! Prince," said Madame Pieard, as Agenor approached her, "I have none of your friends in my boxes to-night. Madame de Simiame has not come, and Madame de Saint Mesme has lent her box." "Exactly. That is what has brought me to you. Don't you know the people whohave Madame de Saint-Mesme's box?" "No, not at all, Prince. They have never been in the Marquise's box before." "Then you haven't any idea who they are?" "Not the very least, Prince. Except that I can see they don't belong to" "Our set," she was going to say. But with that tact which rarely tailed her she stopped herseirin time, ana conciuoeu: "They don't belong to ydar set Thev are middle-class folks, very well off, I sliould 'say, hut still, only middle'class. Ah! you are not satisfied You want to know more because of the lair lady.don't you. Prince?" These last words were uttered, or rather murmured, with wonderful delicacy. In themselves they were perhaps somewhat un becoming as between Prince and boxkeeper. But the perlect good taste of toneand accent saved them. Yes, it was an attendant who nddressed him; but an attendant'wbo pre served something of her former status as "aunt" in the realm of Oythera Mme. Pieard continued: "Ah, a lovely' creature! She came with a little dark man. Her husband, I am spre, for while she was taking off her cloiik and she was some time over it he never tittered a single word. There was no little atten tions; he showed no interest. Yes, he mnst have been ber husband. And then I exam ined the cloak. One always feels a little bit curious about new comers, and I and mv colleague, Mme. Flachet, often amuse ourselves by guessing what sort people are from their belongings. Well, the oloakwas made by a good dressmaker, but hot by a smart one. It is expensive, well cut, the material of the best, but there is no style OH f THAT BLONDE 1 Woijii. In-Paris. AHTHOB OP "I'ABBE COSSTANTET,' ' ETC. "PROxr - PROU,' about It. No, they're rich middle-class peo ple. I'm sure of It, Prince. But how stupid I ami You know M. Palmer? Well, he came to see your lovely blonde just new " "M. Palmer?" v "Yes. And he would be able to tell you " "Many thanks, Mme. Pieard, thanks," "Aurevoir, Prince." And Mme. Pieard went back to her stool beside her colleague, Mme. Flachet, ex claiming, as she seated herself: "Ah! my dear, what a charming man! After all, there's nothing like your really well-bied people!" The Prince was condescending enough to rank Palmer the rich, vain, corpulent Palmer among his friends. He even deigned, and not infrequently, to consult the banker in his pecuniary embarrassments, and Palmer was only too delighted to help him. In return, the Prince had submitted to figure as director on the prospectuses of two companies engideered by Palmer, who took no little pleasure in the fact that the representative of one of the greatest families in France was under obligations to him. The Prince further acknowledged Palmer's services in a variety of good-natured methods. He showed himself publicly in the banker's company, appeared in his box at the theater, organized his festivities and took an interest in his stud. He had even pushed bis grati. tude so far as to carry on a must compromis ing flirtation with Mme. Palmer. "I am rubbing the bourgeois rust off her," he used to say. "I feel I owe some sort of return to Palmer, who is really the best fellow in the world." The Prince found the banker alone. "Do tell me the name of that fair woman in the Saint Mesme's box." "Mme. Dagand." "And is there a Mme. Dagand?" "Certainly. He's a lawyer. My lawyer ,the Saint Mesme's lawyer. And if you want to have a good look at Mme. Da gand, come to our ball next Thursday. She will be there." The wile of a lawyer! She was only the wife of a lawyerl The Prince installed him self in the Iront'of the box, opposite Mme. Dagand, and as he gazed at her he mused thus within himself: "Have I sufficient prestige and authority to make Mme. Dag and the prettiest woman in Paris?" For there is always a "prettiest woman in Paris," and Prince Agenor had arrogated to himself the functions of discoverer, herald and consecrating pontiff of all such ephem eral queens of beauty. Would he be able to make Mme. Dagand the rage? Why not? He had never taken up any little bourgeois ies before. The enterprise would have all the charm of novelty and audacity. He took stock of Mme. Dagand through his opera glass, and found fresh eraces and perfections in her pretty person every moment. When the curtain, fell the Prince went Cba HIS "W7FE HAD NEVER SEEMED SO RADIANTLY LOVELY. and planted himself at the bottom of the grand staircase. He bad already Inocu lated two'o ' bis friends, so to speak. "Come along." he had said," I want to show you the prettict woman in Paps." Now, as the Prince pronounced these words there happened to be at his elbow a certain smart young journalist, who was on the staff of a fashionable morning paper. This young man had remarkably sharp ears, and heard every word that passed between the brilliant trio as Mme. Dagand went by. Twenty minutes later he presented himself at the office of his journal. . "Is there time td pot a dozen lines Into the 'Society' column?" "Yes, if yon look sharp." The young man's hand was as quick as his ears. He had dashed off 15 lines in a twinkling. They brought in 7 francs to the young reporter, but they cost M. Dagand a good deal more than thatl Meanwhile, Prince Agenor had betaken himself to his whist at the club, and as he shuffled the cards, he remarked: "There was the most exquisite creature at the opera to-night." And the next morning in the Bois, at the Potiniere,, the Prince sat his roan mare in the bright spring sunshine and delivered himself oracularly as follows to a little group of respectful disciples: "Yon caa take my word for it the pret tiest' woaaa in Paris iactaiH Mme. Dagand. This new star will be visible at the. Palmer's on Thursday evening. Don't forget the narrie Mme. Dagand." The disciples went their way, spreading the great news far and wide. v Mme. Dagand had been admirably brought up by an irreproachable mother. She had been taught to rise early, to keep a strict account of her expenditures, not to employ a fashionable dressmaker, to believe in God, to love her husband, to visit tha poor and to pat by half her income for the dowries of her daughters. She led a calm, and peaceful life in an old house of the Bue da Dragon, a house which had sheltered the fortunes of three Dagand couples since 1825, the three husbands all lawyers, the three wives alt virtuous. These three fam ilies had enjoyed an equal and moderate degree of happiness. They bad known no violent delights, but neither had they tasted anv suffering to speak of. The next morning Mme.Dagand woke at 8 o'clock, conscious of some disturbance and perturbation. She had passed a very- rest less night, she who generally slept like a child! Mme. Dagand had been vaguely conscious at the opera that something un usual was in the air.. All through the last act she had felt a certain opera glass fixed steadily upon her the Prince's opera glass and she had experienced a cot altogether unpleasant excitement, and once or twice, nnder the unflinching scrutinyof her vis-avis, she had blushed and drawn up the laces that veiled her shoulders. So, after opening her eyes, Mme. Dagand closed them again lazily and lay dreaming, between sleeping and waking. She was in the opera house again and felt 100, 200, 600 glasses riveted upon her Her maid came in, placed a tray upon a little table, lighted the fire, and withdrew. On the tray there was, as usual, a cup of chocolate and the morning paper. Mme. Dagand ronsed herself valiantly, sprang out of bed, slipped her little bare feet into a pair of small furry slippers, wrapped herself in a white cashmere dressing gown, and, shiver ing slightly, curled herself up in an arm chair by the fire. She lifted the cup of chocolate to her lips. It was too hot, and burnt her. She put it down, and as she waited for it to cool, she unfolded the paper and glanced over the six columns of tbe first page. At the bottom of the sixth column were the following lines: "Last night there was a brilliant render ing of 'Borneo et Juliette' at tbe opera. Most oi the great leaders of society were present, among them, thebeautifulDuchesse de Montaiglon, the pretty Comtesse de Lar dac, the lovely Marquise de Muriel, the charming Baronne de " To learn the name of the charming; Baronne, it was now necessary to turn over the page. Instead of which, Mme. Dagand laid tbe paper on her lap and gave herself up to reflection. She remembered bow she had amused herself the evening before by getting Palmer to point out tbe famous ele gantes present, and the banker had specially directed her attention to this self-same "love ly Marquise." Now, Mme. Dagand consid ered thiajovely" an inordinately superla tive epithet. The Marquise was 45, if she were a day. And Mme. Dagand, who was 23, raised herself in ber chair, and glanced at her face in the glass. She smiled; well pleased at the charming blonde she saw re flected, all youth and freshness, a bloom of pink and white. "-AM" said sue. "it l were a Marquise perhaps the gentleman who wrote this might have thought it worth while to notice me and my name might have figured in his list. How amusing it must be to see one's name in print!" Thus reflecting, she turned the page and went on with her paper: "The charming Baronne de Myrvoix, etc. "We must lurther note the appearance of a new star in the Parisian constellation. The "whole house was in an ecstaey of ad miration over a mysterious, gray-eyed blonde of distracting loveliness, whose shoulders such shoulders! were tbe topis of the evening; 'Who is she? Who is she? Who is the owner of those exquisite should, ers?' Who, indeed? Wo are fortunate enough to know, and generous enough to give our readers the benefit ot our knowl edge. The lady is Mme. Dagand " Her name! She had read her own name! A mist rose before her eyes, v All the letters of tbe alphabet seemed to have begun a frenzied dance across tbe page. Then they gradually calmed down, subsided and re gained their places. She was able to find her name again, and go on with her para graph. "The lady is Mme. Dagand, the wife of one ol the most wealthy and popular law yers in Paris. The Prince de Nerins, whose word is law in these matters, gave it as his ' opinion last night that Mme. Dagand was 'the prettiest woman in Paris.' We quite agree with him." Then came a dash. There was no more. But it was enough I It was too much I Mme. Dagand felt herself perfectly overwhelmed by an extraordinary conflict of feeling, a mingling of fear, pleasure, delight, confu sion, satisfied vanity and wounded modesty. Her dressing gown had fallen away a little from her neck. She drew it together ablest - 5 xv fiercely, throwing it over her feet, which she tucked awav nnder the chair. She had . a strange sensation of defenselessness, of, ' nuaitv. xi seemea to ner mat me wnoier city had assembled to stare at her in tha inner sanctuary of her young married life, and that toe Prince stood foremost amone - them, crying to all Paris: "Look at her t, ' Jbook at her I She Is the prettiest woman in .Paris." The Prince de Nerins! She knew the name well, for she took a lively interest in those; newspaper articles heidedt "La Vie Pari.? Ienne,""High life," "EcbosMondains,"etc.,,r and was tnorougmy versea in tne cnronicles", signed Mousseline, Fanfreluehe, Brimbo-' rinn.Veldntiue accounts of sreat marrlairn.f. great balls, great first niihts. great fancy'. fairs. ThePnnce's name figured perpetually , I in these records, and always as the supreme f ': auiuoniy la matters oi taste. , -, And he it was who had pronounced her ioA be . .Here pleasure undoubtedly got the better of tear! Still trembling with excite- ment, .nime, uagana placed nerseli before a ' large mirror, an old-rashioned cheval-glassA from Jacob's which np to that moment had reflected only tbe virtuous partners of coa-j scienuous lawyers, .minis respectaDiegiaes , she examined herself with the mosteaferi scrutiny, the most intense curiosity. Satff had always known sne waspmtyl But now,' V,I m.nio ..,. Af iIiiIm tVl .V. J.L.'' vu. fu.(,v pvnea wf..t; 4U OW, oe versa uhk 8wMpeiTyec srt- wi. - z wF " ' '