THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH.
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PAGES 9 TO 16.
W I SECOND PART.
TOP? 1 i - r
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PITTSBURG, SUNDAY, JULY 20, 1890.
STORY OF THE RUIH,
The South Penn Railroad Project
From Its Incepton to
Abandonment.
HOW MILLIONS WERESPENT
-And a Bright Dream of Industrial
Greatness Rudely Broken
IK THE flOUE OP FULFILLMENT.
.Ii Clash of Interest and Long Battle for
Supremacy.
STEANQE FATALITX AMOKG THE ACIOES
trBOK a. STxrr cobbesfojtoikt.
Bedford, Ex., July 19. "'What an ap
palling waste of time and money!" In these
words your thoughts
must seek expres
sion if you ever visit
the reins of the
South Penn Bail-
. road. To read the
', history of the enter
prise frill not mod
ify that impression.
That which started
cat as one of the worthiest projects for in
ternal improvement ever undertaken in
Pennsylvania soon became a story of finan
cial intrigue, the cunning of which set at
defiance the laws of the State. "What was
once a great business compact with legiti
mate purposes, has aow dwindled into a
mere romance of weaFfh.
"When Kalph Bagaley, of Pittsburg,
Bounded the first note ot alarm about the
management of South Penn affairs, on June
8. 1883, in his legal proceedings, the New
York Sun of the next day said:
Every man in the United States, this side of
the Mississippi, worth $10,000,000, Is involved in
this sait; and none of the parties to it, except
three who are dummies, is worth less than
11,800.000.
And since then no rich man of the Bast
has died who was not in some manner con
nected with the South Penn Railroad.
Tragedy, even, has punctured the narative
of this enterprise with red periods.
THE LEADING ACTORS ALL GONE.
In the very outset the Scotch capitalist,
Mr. McCalrnont, became insane. He was
the backer of Franklin B. Gowen, one of
the heaviest stockholders in the South Penn.
direct connection with the lines of the Phil
adelphia and Beading Bilroad Company
from Harrisburg, the project was laid be
fore Franklin B. Gowen, its President, and
received his approval. Lster Mr. Gowen
proceeded to London, and made arrange
ments with a banking house in that city for
placing the $10,000,000 of 5 per cent bonds
at par. '
ALL THE MONET NECESSARY.
"With $6,500,000 of the proceeds it was in
tended to construct the road, the remaining
53,500,000 above the contract price to be ap
plied to the purchase of motive power, a full
complement of passeotrer rolling stock, and
as much freight rolling stock as could be
had for the balance. The stock of the new
road was to be divided into tbreeequal
parts and owned by the Philadelphia and
Beading Bailroad Company, Dr. David
Hostetter and Balph Bagaley, of Pittsburg.
The Beading Company agreed to construct
a bridge across the Susquehanna at Harris
burg to a junction with its lines; provide
all terminal facilities at that point, and also
furnish, on a liberal wheelage contract, its
immense complement oi ireignt cars ior use
over the new line, the intention being to
ship anthracite coal westward, and coal,
coke and pig iron eastward.
This plan was all changed when William
H. Vanderbilt came into the company
through Gowen's solicitation. Ten million
dollars capital was not big enough to suit
histideas, and it was increased to $15,000,
000, and later on provision was made for
$5,000,000 more. A syndicate was formed
and the stock allotted among its members,
as follows:
THE ORIGINAL STOCKHOLDERS.
W.H. Vanderbilt - $5,000000
Dr. Hostetter z.oou,uuu
John Rockafeller. 1,000.000
Ralph Bagaley r.100.000
Andrew Carnegie f VWOOO
D.O. Mills 600,000
O. H. Payne 500,000
J. a Lippmcott 600.000
E. C. Knight 200,000
John Kean...:::..: WOW
F. B. Gowen J?iMK2
Henrv Lewis 100,000
J. V. Williamson 100,000
C. . H. Boirie 200,000
L. K. Sheldon 50000
William C. Whitney 250,000
Abram S. Hewitt 100,000
fe. B. Elkins 100,000
C. Merer. 250.000
H. C. Fnck j 150,000
Henrv Phipps. Jr. 250,000
J.B. Houston 50.000
E. M. Ferguson 250,000
B. F.Jones i 200.000
John W. Cbalfant 50,000
Mark W. Watson 100.000
Aucust Schell 100,000
J. W. Brookman 250,000
J. B. Coleate & Co 50000
G. L Magee 50,000
This list shows that the residents of Pitts
burg who were interested held subscriptions
aggregating 56,500,000, a little less than
one-half of the 515,000,000. The names of
Pierpont Morgan, Chauncey Depew, Frank
Stetson, George B. Eoberts, William Thaw,
H. K. Twomblev and a dozen other men of
millions became involved in the financial
dickers that were sprung in Nfcw Tork in
connection with this road.
To justify the increase in capital, Vander
derbilt decreed some changes in the plan of
the road. To begin with, he made Port
Perry the western terminus, thus cutting off
20 miles of road, with the bridges at Eliza
beth and West Newton, the tunnel at Pitts
burg and those at the crest between the
tion to restrain the deal, on the ground that
it was a violation of the Btatc Constitution.
Both the lower and upper courts of the
State granted the injunction, and then,
when the railroad gobblers found their
game throttled, they decided to prevent the
road irom being built by delaying it So
they appealed the case to the Supreme.
Court of the United States, where it still
lies buried.
Of course nothing could be done wite the
South Penn syndicate thus divided into two
factions. In 1885 work was stopped on the
line, and, although frequent attempts, were
made by the Pittsburgers to revive the en
terprise', there were always so many obstruc
tionists refusing to sign any agreement that
was devised that the whole thing lay dor
mant until the early part of 1889. By that
time the Vandcrbilts had, by delay and
squeezing, as well-as by diplomacy, gotten
the majority oi the stockholders into a
position where discouragement and anxiety
about the eventual safety of the money in
vested made most of them sick of, the whole
job. Then the Vanderbilt interests called a
meeting and offered to buy all the South
Penn stock that was offered at 60 cents on
the dollar. The offer remained open as
long as any stock was to be purchased.
Here was a chance to get out at only a loss
of 40 cents on the dollar.
After much hesitation there was a
NEW YORK IS SAFE.
Large War Ships Daren't Approach
Nearer Than Twelve Miles.
POINTERS FE0M POET TOMPKINS.
The System dj Which the Soldiers Sell
Liquor to Themselves.
1
GOOD IITIHG AND A CHANCE TO SATE
rCOBItESPONDENCE OP THE DISPATCH, 3
New York, July 19. "The entrance to
New York harbor can easily be defended
against an hostile fleet. By the defenses on J
Coney Island spit and Sandy Hook recom
mended by the Ordnance Board it would
be practically impregnable from the sea
the strongest place in the world." Thus
spoke the young lieutenant of" artillery, as
we sat on the highest bastion of Ft. Tomp
kins, overlooking the lower bay.
What a magnificent sight it wasl Im-
- . '"V J
RAY'S HILL TUNNEL, WITH A CUT OP 75 FEET IN ROCK AND CLAY.
I
ySSCvvvVyCCvyryTlgpifijifS- SJPSySj- .' ;j -! Jlia---e j--J -
TRESTLINO AND FILL 105 FEET HIGH EAST OF ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN APPROACH.
The bankruptcy of the Beading Bailroad
soon followed, and this led to the necessity
of a complete change from the basis on
which the Pittsburgers originally started
out to bnild the South Penn road. As the
friend of Gowen, William H. Vanderbilt
then came into the company. Vanderbilt
engineered the great dicker to Bell the road
out, and he died suddenly just after the
courts stopped that proceeding. Dr. Hos
tetter, of Pittsburg, perhaps the warmest
opponent the wicked scheme for abandon
ment had, died also at this period of the
case. And in less than a year after the road
was finally squelched for good, Franklin B.
Gowen was either murdered or committed
suicide in a Washington Hotel.
The deaths of so many of the leading
characters of the project formed a chain of
coincidences, bnt of coarse nothing more,
though there are those who believe that had
Dr. Hostetter lived longer the enterprise
would not have been so easily throttled.
INCEPTION OF THE ENTERPRISE.
In 1ST8 parties largely interested in man
ufacturing enterprises in Pittsburg con
ceived the idea of a new competing railroad
between Pittsburg and Harrisburg, as the
chief link in an cast and west trnnk line,
which would have the advantage over the
Pennsylvania Bailroad of lighter grades,
fewer curves and economy in mileage. These
parties had familiarized themselves with the
topography of the country to be traversed,
and knew that while tup new road would
have s,ome serious obstacles, it could be
built at 3 comparatively moderate expense
and operated more economically than the
Pennsylvania Bailroad. They had a baro
metrical survey made of the route, and plans
and profiles drawn.
At the western end thn line started at
n point on the south side o f the Monongaheia
river atPittbburgj and by tunneling through
the racge of hills, reached the valley of
t Sawmill Eun. Thence it passed up the
Monongabela to a point four miles below
Elizabeth, where it crossed on a steel bridge;
thence through a tunnel on the crest-line
between the Monongaheia and Youghio
gheny rivers, on a steel bridge over the
latter stream, through a tunnel in the hills
5?.. of )Vcst Kewtn into the Sewickley
Valley, five tnnnels through the Allegheny
Mountains, and thence to "the west bank of
tne Susquehanna r.ver at Harrisburg, al
Jowance being made in the plans for 10 per
Itjlcent. or 20 miles of sidings, and the bridges.
? ",,u,u,ra to be constructed for
" double traces. The whole length of main
line was to be 210 miles.
THE FIRST ESTIMATE.
They then had IB. J. McGrann, of Lan
caster, Pa., one of the largest contractors in
the country make a careinl examination of
the lme with a view to making estimates on
the work, and he submitted a bid to con
struct the line complete for 56,500,000 He
K"""rrrr 7m ,s and material,
the rails to be of GS-nonnd ., i -...
NO(Va4a
lions were then opened with .t -kt ,
President or the Western Maryland Bail!
road Company, and a traffic contract was
concluded on a satisfactory basis, wberebv
the interest on a proposed bonded debt nf
510,000,000 was provided for beyond pe'rad
venture by pledge of all the earnings from
business created by the new line.
As the original plan contemplated
5
rivers and at West Newton, and provided
for an entrance to Pittsburg over his own
road, at that time approaching completion,
the Pittsburg, Mciveesport and Youghio
gheay. A GRAND TRUNK LINE.
Thus would be created a grand trunk line
from New York's seaboard by way of the
Beading and South Penn roads to Pitts
burg, and thence by Vanderbilt's Pittsburg
and Lake Erie railroad to his Lake Shore
system.
Under the new arrangement he put his
own contractors to work, the old dodge of a
construction company having been resorted
to, Mr. Vanderbilt himself being the whole
concern, .a.11 tne neavy cuttings ahd all the
tunnels were about three-'ourths done; the
bridge over the Susquehanna was practical
ly finished, and hence the heaviest and most
expensive workin constructing the entire line
was almost finished. The syndicate paid up
55,500,000. every penny of which was spent
on construction, it is claimed. The construc
tion company claim that more was due the
contractors, and to prevent such reckless,
loose and, as he claims, illegal assessment of
stockholders, Balph Bagaley, in June 1883
brought suit in the New York courts for an
injunction and for the appointment of a re
ceiver. The courts refused a receivership
but prohibited any more stock calls, which
was a blow at the construction company
scheme.
HOW IT WAS SOLD OUT.
The difficulties between the trunk line
railways of the country about that time
and the depression in their stocks, led to the
proposition lor peace between Vanilirl,ilt'.
railroads and those of the Pennsylvania
Bailroad system. After months of "dicker
ing it was claimed that all the disputants
were satisnea mat tne west snore Railroad
enterprise in New York State, and the
South Penn Bailroad scheme in Pennsyl
vania, were the leading causes of disturb
ance. The Pennsylvania Company finally
agreed to withdraw from their operations in
Vanderbilt's New England territory if Van
derbilt would stop all his operations in the
territory of the Pennsylvania Bailroad.
This meant that Vanderbilt was to sell out
the South Penn Bailroad to the officers of
the Pennsylvania Bailroad. Vanderbilt
promised to do this.
For months it was an ODen question
whether Viderbilt could deliver the goods
he had promised. He himself only con
trolled through friends a third interest in
the South Penn. But eventually he secured
the promhe of a majority of the stock to go
with him over to the Pennsylvania Bail
road. That corporation was to pay for the
property by giving long-time bonds at 3 per
cent The Beech Creek Bailroad, in the
Ulearneia coai region, was to be delivered
to the Pennsylvania Bailroad on practi
cally the same terms, thongh at better fig
ures. When the dicker was just in shapejto
close, the minority stockholders, or the op
ponents to the transaction, which included
most of the Pittsburg capitalists, headed by
Dr. Hostetter, raised such a commotion that
the public took notice ot the affair as an
ontrnirfi. T?
series of newspaper articles, denouncing U
as unconstitutional for the Pennsylvania1
Bailroad to buy up a parallel line. It was
the- attempt of a monopoly to choke off com
petition. Brought into the courts
Attonv ficnprfll Cassitlav carried the
1 matiSJnt0 the courts, asking for aa injunc-
stampede and everybody sold out. The
stocks were quietly laid away then in
Drexel & Morgan's bank. Various were the
conjectures. Some believed that the Vander
bilts had bought up the stocks in order to
get theentireroadintheirhandsand then tbey
would secretly sell it to the Pennsylvania
Bailroad. Others maintained that in order
to keep off th: Pennsylvania Bailroad
rivalry in his own field of the North
eastern States it would pay Vander
bilt to buy the South Penn road
entire, and simply smother it h mself by let
ting it lay idle, and thereby soothe the
troubled railroa? and financial sea. In any
event, everybdoy agreed that the South
Penn was dead. The Vanderbilts wonld
not bnild it, so, of course, the hand of the
Pennsylvania Bailroad could be seen in the
whole affair.
And so the works of the South Penn lav
I to-day untouched, unsought, but not un-
mournea. xne-resent sale ot -the.eharter-oi-tbe
road is believed by some to simply mean
the completion of the transfer of the entire
property to the present owners. With ft
firm of bankers holding the mortgage on the
Sroperty for all that it cost, and the Vander
ilts holding franchises and the minority
stockholders all frozen ont, the ingenuity of
financiers and lawyers has fairly surpassed
itself.
WHERE THE MONEY WENT.
When the work of construction was
stopped The South Pennsylvania Transit,
the official circular of the engineering corps
of the road, contained the following summary
of the $5,500,000 worth of work that had
then been completed:
No road in the world was probably so thor
oughly topographized. K the expression may be
used, than onrs. The system was perfect and
searching. Under this system we have sur
veyed and made 10-foot contoured maps of oyer
1,000 square miles, and to do this have run by
preliminary and location lines over 5,000 miles.
We have. In addition, superintended, staked
and measured offibout $4,000,000 worth of con
tract work. There is no doubt in anyone's
mind that the engineers wonld have had trains
running to-aay If thev had "been let alonn."
The work done on tnnnels to date is indicated
by the following table of lineal progress:
Length T't'lex- Lenplh
nrsTrrTS. when cavated reinanir
TUSNELS. comD d t0 datfc nnfln,d
Bine Mountain 4,210 3,063 J, 177
KIttatinny Mountain. 4,62) 4.037 S63
Tuscarora Mountain- 5.33 3.73S J.4G9
Sidling Hill 6,663 3.276 3,388
Kay's Hill 1 3,454 2,512 1,022
Allegheny Mountain. 5,919 3,946 1,973
Negro Mountain 1,100 754 336
Quemahonlng 700 412 288
Laurel Hill...: 5,380 1,233 4.104
Totals...... 37,339 23,041 14,318
mediately beneath our feet on the water
level, the granite walls of Ft. Wadsworth,
flanked by water batteries of earth; directly
opposite, the grim, brown cannon-pierced
faces of Lafayette, with Hamilton above it
as Tompkins is above Wadsworth here; be
tween these the Narrows; to the left, the great
cities of Brooklyn, New York and Jersey
city; to the right, th- wide sweep of the
lower bay. Skirting the western shore the
eye takes in the thriving old town of Perth
Amboy and the abrupt hignlands of Sandy
Hook, while to the east lies th lowland of
Coney Island with its mushroom wealth and
noisy pleasures. The ocean ships steaming
in and out below us, the yachting fleet of
fifty sail lying over close hauled in the dis
tance, the notes of the artillery bugle be1
hind us, four men gathering hay on the
slopes in the immediate foreground are all
that give life to the, natural scene. The
smoke of-onr ctg&rtf"'leTrrts""gracefuHy up
ward, plays for an instant about a cannon's
mouth and vanishes.
TWELVE MILES THE NEAREST.
"You have donbtless read of bow a mod
ern warship might lie off Coney Island out
side the bar and shell New York,"' contin
ued the young lieutenant." Well, the
nearest a large warship could get to New
York would be about 12 miles, unless she
could get over the bar. The latterfeat could
be accomplished only at high tide, and then
only by a narrow and difficult channel. I
will show you on the chart presently that
the nearest a formidable iron-clad warship
could get would be 12 miles from the city,
and that particular four-fathom spot would
be dangerous at low tide. Prom that posi
tion she conld destroy the Coney Island
hotels and injure the suburbs of Brooklyn.
Now, first-class warships cost too mqch
money to risk torpedoes and grounding lor
any such purpose. The modern projectiles
ior guns that will carry eight miles would
be wortn more than the property they would
destroy at long range. Similar guns in
tbese old forts would mate such an attempt
extra hazardous. To shell New York it
would oe nrst necessary to silence these
forts and take up the torpedoes in the chan
nel. Yes, with long range, that is 12 and
15 inch, modern guns, a first-class fleet
might lie outside and make these old forts
too hot to hold us as we are now armed. The
big guns you see here and in the granite
casemates of Wadsworth wonld be service
able at the range made possible by an enemy
coming over the bay. No plates 'were ever
Dut on a ship that can stand the racking of
15-inch round shot at point blank range.
hottest rays into the court where not a breath
of air is s"tirring. Within the casemates it
is cool as a cellar. I sat in one of these
bomb-proofs while the young lieutenant
gave a practical lesson to a squad of men on
the gattling gun. He was a handsome,
welj-built young man, two years out of
West Point, which two years had been
spent with his regiment in the West.
BEER FROM THE CANTEEN.
When the class was dismissed I was
shown into another casemate nearby, which
was the "Canteen." Across the cool, arched
Vault was an nrriinarv heer counter, behind
this a refrigerator and cupboard and a little
desk. A bright young sergeant acted as
barkeeper, and we took beer from glasses
that held an even pint each.
"The 'canteen' is the greatest improve
mentthe most practical aid to discipline,"
said the officer, "ever introduced in the
army. The fight made against it by the
temperance fanatics and liquor men was the
result of a queer combination, though the
latter had the more reason on their side.
The canteen promotes temperance. No
soldier can get a drink here when he ought
not to have it. He can only get beer or
milder drinks. Wnen he can get that here
he will not, as a rule, go outside and fill
himself full of booze and get locked up, or
be rendered worthless for a couple of days.
He saves money, for he gets more for his
money here, andthe profits go into the com
pany fund lor his benefit. He is more con
tented. The desertions have fallen off con
siderably, and a visible improvement exists
in the morals of the army.
"How is it managed? I manage, this. I
do the purchasing, keep the accounts, pay
the bills and am responsible for the money.
I have just banted $215, the amount taken
in since we came here. AH this is added to
my other dnties without extra pay. The
sergeant there is designated bv the Captain,
He does it without pay. It is for the good
of the comnanv. T take a trreat interest in
this new feature ot the army, for the result
ant good effect on the men is apparent and
highly encouraging. The boys get a better
cigar here for 5 cents than they conld get for
10 at the rumshops nearest the fort We
used to have wine at San Francisco, but
California wine was good and cheap there.
There is no demand lor wine here. Yes, the
'canteen' is a first-class institution in
morals, promotion of temperance and as a
matter of social economy among the soldiers."
MAKE IT AH OBJECT.
When Plants Want the Insects to Do
Certain Work for Them
THEY PUT ON C0L0E AND PEEFUME.
Nature's Shrewd Scheme That Explains the
Beantj of Flowers.
BUSINESS METHODS IN ODD PLACES
TAKING THE CORE OUT OF SIDLING HILL TUNNEL.
ST.J-
The total cost for graduation, masonry and
bridging was 810,090,792. of this 60 per cent was
under contract, and to dato 41 per cent has
been done. The total length of the road is 20S
miles, of this S3 per cent was under contract,
and about 22 per cent bad been brought to
grade, only requiring dressing to complete.
Only twenty-seven lives were lost daring the
work of construction which was alight rate of
accidents, considering the fact that the length
of tunnelling a.id the quantity of explosives
used in the blasting were greater than on any
other railroad work of recent jears.
Future articles will describe the condi
tion of farmers and business men in South
ern Pennsylvania since the railroad was
abandoned, and the sentiment existing
among them. L. E. Stofiel.
A Contribution From Texas.
Mr. J. B. Boswell, one of the best known
IAn -if Tlvnnrnn-nArl Tnw A t 1
Ex-Chiet Justice Agnew wrote a the following item as his personal ex
perience: "Alter having Buffered from
diarrhea for some time and having tried
different medicines with no good results, I
tried a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic.Cholera
and Diarrhea Bemedy, which relieved me
at once, and I recommend it to all who may
be suffering from this troublesome com
plaint." WxhSu
But these wouldn't amount to much at long
range against 12 or 15 inch modern rifles.
A COMPLETE SAFEGUARD.
"If Congress will give us modern guns
and erect the modern works recommended
at that point over there," pointing to the
Coney Island light, "and at Sandy Hook,
with modern armaments, no fleet in the
world could take this port. It will not do
to rely on torpedoes, from the fact that the
same genius that invents offensive means
also invents defensive means, and the appli
ances for taking dp torpedoes keep pace
with the latter. Torpedo service must also
be protected by batteries. The operation of
taking them up 'must be under fire to be
rendered dangerous. For this reason heavy
guhs and a serviceable torpedo system go
together. With these obviously necessary
precautions New York conld only be taken
by successful land operations."
Fort Tompkins is on Staten Island and is
a succession ot formidable earthworks lined
with granite. Within its crown is a lovely
court or parade of about four acres. Around
the granite walls rims an iron balcony lead
ing to the second tier of casemates. In
these the soldiers live. The sun pours its
THE COMPANY KITCHEN.
We strolled out and down the slopes to
ward the officers' quarters. Not, however,
before I was given a peep in the company
kitchen. This was as slick and clean as
any good honsewife could desire. Here are
greep peas, beans and other early vegetables
in big stacks, and coffee, fresh beef and all
the concomitants of ordinary civilian diet
in abundance. In the small powder maga
zine near at hand, as cool as an ice chest,
hang great haunches of fresh meat In the
court or parade ground, outside, is a chain
pump that brings from an immense cistern
as clear, cold and pure water as ever flowed
from a mountain spring.
"Yes," aaid the Lieutenant, in answer to
my expression of surprise, "the men live
pretty well better far than do the soldiers
of most any other country. It is surprising
how much can be got out of an aggregate ot
Government rations this way. If these ra
tions are honestly furnished they are as
good, substantial and varied as the living
average well-to-do mechanic or artisan bet
ter, perhaps, and more ample than the food
of most laboring men. We have no com
plaints, very tew desertions.
"Uh, yes; some of them understand the
complicated machinery of these guns thor
oughly. That gray-haired man you saw
probably knows more than I do about it
Hehas been in the army twenty-five years,
which begins a trifle befort my time." said.
the yonng man,"srniling; ''scThas our Order
ly Sergeant. The difficulty is to get them
so they can express themselves clearly on
technical points. When the Inspector
comes around and finds anv'of them de
ficient we are liable to catch it
HAS SAVED A LITTLE FORTUNE.
"Speaking about that man do you know
he has saved some $5,000 out of his pay as a
private soldier? That seems wondertul, but
it is true. A good many have a few dollars
laid by, but the most are improvident, just
like sailors. Every pay day that man turns
over so much to tbe Paymaster and gets a
receipt for it. The Government encourages
this by paving i per cent interest on ajl such
deposits. Uncle Sam is a safe banker.
Every one of these fellows conld do the
same thing, but beyond the $4 per month,
retained from their monthly pay by the
Government, they'll mostly have nothing at
the end of their term oi enlistment."
Along a lovely, deeply shaded roadway
outside the fort are the officers' quarters.
The young lieutenant politely invited me
within his cottage and I was soon deeply
luiuierseu in military anu medical affairs
with his messmate, the regimental surgeon.
Not too much so, however, to fail to note
the evidences of the bachelor soldier About
me. The yonng lieutenant had disappeared
and reappeared in a comfortable suit of
white flannel, looking still more handsome,
and the doctor in like airy civilian costume
was heard in deep consultation with a
ponderous Irish matron of mature age but
exceedingly roguish eye, concerning the
dinner. This was soon served in a substan
tial and highly satisfactory manner, when
we retnrned to the front porch. The de
licious fragrance of the honeysuckle min
gled with the flavor of two cigars
nearly killed the deadly effects of a cigar
ette. STATEN ISLAND HISTORY.
"This historic little island interpsli mo
immensely," said the doctor, a studious
looking man of middle life, fair-haired and
blue-eyed. "This was an important point
250 years ago. Tbe Baritan Indians called
it '.hgquabous,' or 'Place of Bad Woods.' I
presume the mosquitoes were at the bottom
of that, although I never heard of a
mosquito biting an Indian in full paint and
feather. There are many indications in
banks of shells and stone hatchets and arrow
heads, which go to show that Staten Island
was a favorite camping ground. As early
as 1640 this particular point was used as a
signal station, a flag being hoisted to notify
New Amsterdam, now New York, when a
ship was sighted ontside the bar. It con
tinued to be used as a maritime signal sta
tion for over 200 years, or until the tele
graphic station was established at Sandy
Hook.
"Tbe Indians sold it at the rate of 1 cent
for every ten acres. It was owned in turn by
the Dutch, the French aud the English, and
finally tell to the Americans. General Howe
had 30,000 soldies camped there. After the
battle of Long Island this British General
met a committee of Congreis at the old
Billop House over there. Back there is the
graveyard where rest the remains of the pa
triots w ho died in the English prison hulks.
The original 'Van der j3ilt had a little farm
hereabouts, and the old Commodore rowed a
small boat as a ferryman across these nar
rows. The Vanderbilt tomb is a lasting and
gorgeous testimonial ot his love for Staten
Island. Ciias. T. Murray.
IWetTTEK FOR THE DISPATCH.!
It is a popular impression that beautiful
things are not generally useful, and that
beauty itself is only a quality to charm the
eye, and through it to please the mind, bnt
in inself, of little or no special utility. If
we believe that then we mustaIso think that
nature made many things with regard to
looks alone, and that the beauties of flower
aud leaf are, it not accidents, then only
ornaments of no service save to make the
landscape more charming and the world a
more delightful place to live in.
People formerly did believe that, for it has
only been in recentyears that scientists have
learned that the colors and fragrance and, in
part, the form of many flowers, are of
great value to them. It is now known
that in this, as in other matters. Mother
Nature does not tolerate useless things. In
general, it is true that every wild flower
that is brightly colored or fragrant, is so
from design, and that withont something of
that kind these flowers would cease to exist,
or, at best, greatly degenerate in a lew
years. The violet is not blue simply be
cause it looks up at the blue skies of spring
time, or the spring beauty pink and white
because blossoms of that color will look
prettiest in the spring woods, nor does the
modest little forget-me-not, by the bank of a
woodland brook, give forth its delicate per
fume simply because it wants to make tbe
air sweeter lor everyone. There is nothing
accidental about these things. They all
have' a purpose; they all are of value to the
plant that possesses them.
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3
A NOVEL DEALING WITH COTBMPOBARY LIFE.
WRITTEN FOE THE DISPATCH.
BY WILLIAM BLACK,
Author of "A Princess of Thule," "Sunrise," and Many Other
Stories of the Highest deputation on Two Continents.
COURAGE OF HEB CONVICTIONS.
She Hides the Bicycle in Wnihlnston In a
Tight-Filling Habit.
Washington Post.
One lady in Washington has the courage
of her convictions. She is a rather pretty
brunette, with large, brown eyes, and a
prettily rounded figure. She can be seen
every pleasant afternoon speeding through
the Smithsonian Grounds mounted on a
tandem cycle, with a dark, handsome man as
her companion. Her figure is shown to the
best advantage by her becoming, tight-fitting
habit, and her mass of wavy brown hair is
worn coiled becomingly beneath a jaunty
bicycle cap. But her pretty face and charm
ing figure might pass unnoticed if she did
Tiot wear divided skirts. She is a devotee of
this new fashion and regards the skirts as th'e
most comfortable and convenient for bicycle
riding.
A SIGN TO THE INSECTS. "
The bright colors or the fragrance is a sign
to the bees and butterflies and moths, and
enables these insects to be of particular serv
ice to the flowers. All this class of plants
grow more vigorously by being cross-fertilized,
that is, by having some of the pollen,
that yellow dust of the anther, of one flower
carried to the stigma of another. Some of
these plants have the pollen on one flower
and the stigma on another, and mnst depend
on some agency foreign to themselves to
carry the one to the other, for without pol
len no flower can produce fertile seeds. The
pollen is the fertilizing power giving to the
seeds the ability to grow, and without it no
seed matures. It is to induce the various in
sects to perform this work ot cross-fertilization
and to assist them in it that the flowers
of certain plants are brightly colored or fra
grant or peculiar in form.
Showy flowers are more frequently visited
by insects than those that are not One
beautiful geranium (geranium paluster)
ior example, has been known to have been
visited by 16 different species of insects
during th'e time that a smaller and less con
spicuous one (geranium pusillum) was
visited by one. Thus the more showy flower
had 16 chances of fertilization to the other's
one, and it doubtless needed that many
more, beCause-of.the difficulty of fertilizing
it or the flower's disposition to sterility.
FRAGRANCE ALSO USEFUL.
Fragrance is no less powerful than color
in attracting tbe class of insects' adapted to
fertilize the flower that possesses it. Thns
one species of honeysuckle can only be fer
tilized by a species of night-flying moth,
and the honeysuckle fragrance is a certain
guide to the moth that serves it As a rule.
flowers with bright colors have little lra
grance because they do not need it to attract
insects, while inconspicuous flowers or white
ones, like the retiring primrose, the white
jasmine, clematis, and others depend" upon
their fragrance as their attraction, nor do
they depend in vain. The cultivated flowers
do not, in all cases, have to. depend' on in;
sect fertilization and this rnle, accordingly
does not always apply to them.
The great bumble bee on a June day flies
from one head of red clover to another. He
does not waste time on the white clover or
dally about tbe daisies. He is alter red
clover honey and the color is a ready sign,
enabling him to quickly find justwhat'he
wants. Because of it he is kept from mak
ing mistakes and losing time, and gathers
more honey and at the same time carries
pollen between a larger number of flowers
than he could without it Still more, it
keeps him from wasting the pollen on other
species ot flowers. The color is therefore a
help to both bee and plant To use a busi
ness expression the plant, by its color,
makes it an object for the bee to work for it.
A SIGN THAT BUSINESS IS OYER.
It will be noticed, too, that the bees do
not visit those brownish blossoms, or rarely.
They know, unless it be some young ones
that must learn the lessons of life by trying,
as children do, that the brownish blossoms
are fertilized and their honey gone. The
brown blossoms are of no use to the bee, or
the bee to the blossom, and the changed color
prevents the waste of time that is valuable
to both bee and plant This change of color,
like the color itself, is an economy of natnre
serving well two very different orders of cre
ation. It is more pronounced in some plants
than others. The blossoms of the Lung
wort, a plant common in many parts of this
country , are at first purple and later become
blue. The bees almost invariably visit the
fresh blossoms and leave the-blue ones un
touched. In Southern Brazil is a species of
lantana. the flowers of which are vellowthe
first day, orange the second, and pnrpie the
third, and Prot. Fritz Mailer has observed
that many butterflies visit the yellow, a
few, probably inexperienced ones, the
orange, and none the purple blossoms, show
ing that these insects depend upon the color
as a gnide to the fresh flowers.
The special colors of flowers and their
arrangement also have a purpose. The
bright, central eye ot the forget-me-not en
ables the insectto more quickly find the
nectaries. The lines and spots on pinks and
geraniums, all converging to the center, in
like manner point out the opening of the
flower so that the insect may go directly to
it, thni saving time and assisting the insect
in its work ot gathering food in order that
it may fertilize a larger number of flowers.
PURELY A SELFISH DEAL.
The consideration of the flower for the in
sect in this, as in all else, is purely selfish,
and directed onlv to securiug more service
from it to the plants of the species. That
this is the use ior which the beautiful colors
and the sweet iragrance of flowers were
designed is further shown by the fact that
the large number of plants that do not need
this cross-fertilization, have small and in
conspicuous blossoms. Grasses of all kinds,
Ior example, are fertilized by the wind, and
do not need to expend strength and energy
in showy flowers.
The common chick-weed, (stellaria media)
that is found everywhere on damp ground,
is another familiar example of this class of
plants. Its flowers are small, white and
inconspicuous, and the reason is that the
anthers cluster around the stigmas and they
mature together and do not need to call on
insects to fertilize them.
Thus through all the beauty and fragrance
of flowers is seen a deep purpose that whis
pers to us ot design and a Designer, and
proves anew the old saying that there is
nothing useless in the world.
Samuel G. McClure.
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.
The story opens at Piccadilly with aced George Bethune and his granddaughter. Maisrie, on
their way to the residence of Lord Musselburch. The old gentleman is of a noble Scotch house
and claims to have been defrauded of, bis property rights, how he is engaged in preparing for
tbe cublication of a vulume of Scotch-American poetry, and his errand to Lord Mnsselborg is to
procure assistance from him. Maisrie is just budding into womanhood and feels Humiliated
when her grandfather accepts 50 from Lord Mnsselburg. On tbe way home she asks her grand
father when he will bee-in the work. She receives an evasive answer which evidently convinces
her that her grandfather is not in earnest At last she begs her grandfather to allow her to earn
a living ior tbe two. He refuses in bis proudest vein. Intimating that people should feel highly
honored to have the opportunity to assist the family of Bethune of Balloray. Malsrie's mind is
evidently made up to take some Independent coarse. Young Yin. Harris overheard the con
versation at Lord Musselbures residence and became strangely interested in the young girt
He had been trained for a brilliant political career; his father it very rich and given to Social
istic ideas. Vin. is still studying and finds an exense in tbe interruptions at bis father's bouse
to secure a suite of rooms just across the street from Maisne's home. He has an aunt who Is -just
now busy impressing him with the Importance of securing an American wife for himself.
At bis rooms he is greatly touched by Maisrie's tunes on tbe violin, and straightway ha secures
a piano on which he answers her plaintive notes.
CHAPTEE III.
AN APPEOACH.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come inl" called out old George
Bethune.
There appeared a middle-aged man, of
medium height, who looked like a butler
out of employment; he was pale and flabby
of face, with nervous eyes expressive of a
sort of imbecile amiability.
"Ah, Hobsonl" said M Bethune, in his
lofty manner. "Well?"
The landlady's husband came forward in
the humblest possible fashion; and his big,
prominent, vacuous eyes seemed to be ask
ing for a little consideration and goodwill.
"I beg your pardon, sir," said he, in tbe
most deplorable of Cockney accents, "I
'umbly beg your pardon for making so
bold; but knowing as you was so fond of
everything Scotch, I took the liberty of
Bringing you a sample o! something very
sorted companions the one massive and
strong built, impressive in manner, meas
ured and emphatic of speech, the other fee
ble and fawning, at once eager and vacuous,
hisface ever ready to break into a maudlin
smile were seated in confabulation to
gether, with some sheets of scribbled paper
between.
"And if you will excuse my being so
bold, sir," continued Hobsoo, with great
humility, "but I have been reading the lit
tle volume of Scotch songs you lent me,
and and "
Trying your hand at that, too?"
"Onlv a verse, sir."
Mr. Bethune took up the scrap of paper;
and read aloud:
O Ieeso me on the toddy.
tbe toddy,
the toddy,
O leese me on the toddy.
We'll hae a willie-wanght!
"Well, yes," he said with rather a doubt
ful air. "You've got the phrases all right
except the willie-wanght, and that is a com
mon error. To tell you the truth, my
fpipnrl tftpro la nt annK .t,n na a ...ill...
1 ---..., ...wi. ... uw dm.u utu tu a nunc.
I waught Waught is a hearty drink a richt
special-a friend of mine, sir, recommended lf ,.," aag"'u! - neariy-vnE"7u "C?!
r ' ' I gude-wilhe waught is a drink with right
TWO CURIOUSLY ASSORTED COMPANIONS.
A Plenalng Laxillve.
Whoever has ttken Hamburg Figs
will
never take any other kind of laxative medi
cine. They are pleasant to the taste, and are
sure in their action, a few doses curing the
most obstinate case of constipation or torplditv
of tbe liver. 23 cents. Dose one Fig. At all
druggists. Mack Drug Co., N. Y.. txsu
it and then says I to nim, 'Lor bless ye, I
don't know nothing about Highland whisky;
but there's a gentleman in our 'onse who is
sure to be a judge, and if I can persuad
him to try it, he'll be able to say if it's the
real sort' "
"Allright,Hobson,"said George Bethune
in his grand way. "Some other time I will
see what it is like."
"Thank you, sir, thank you!" said the ex-
butler with earnest gratitude, and be went
and placed the bottle on tne sideboard.
Then he camn back and hesitatingly took
out an envelope from his pocket "And if
I might ask another favor, sir. You see.
sir, in this 'ot weather 'people won't go to
the theaters, and they're not doing much,
and my brother-in-law, the theatrical agent,
he's glad to get the places filled up, to make
a show, sir, as you might say. And I've
got two dress, circle seats, if you and the
young lady was thinking of going to the
theater to-morrow night It's a great favor,
sir, as my brother-in-law said to me as he
was a-giving me tbe tickets and arsking me
to get 'em used.
He lied; for there was no brother-in-law
and no theatrical agent in the case. He
himself had that very afternoon honestly
and straight-forwardly purchased the tickets
at the box office as he had done on more
than one occasion before out of the money
allowed him for personal expenses by his
wife; so that he had to look forward to a
severe curtailment of his gin and tobacco for
weeks to come.
"Thanks thanks! said George Bethune,
as he lit his long clay pipe. "I will see what
my granddaughter says when she comes in
unless you would like to use the tickets
yourself."
, "Ob, no, sir, begging your pardon, sir,"
was the instant rejoinder. "When I 'ave a
evening; out I go to the Oxbridge music
'all perhaps it's vanity, sir but when
Charley Coldstream gets a hangcore, I do
like to hear some on 'em call ont, 'Says
Wolseley, says he I' Ah. sir. that was the
proudest moment of my life when I see
Charley Coldstream come on the stage and
begin to sing verse after verse, and tbe peo
ple cheering; and I owed it all to you, sir; it
was you, sir, advised me to send it to
him "
"A catching refrain a catching re
frain," said the old gentleman, encourag
ingly. ' 'Just fitted to get hold of the public
ear."
"Why, sir," said Hobson, with a fatuous
little chuckle of delight, "this werry after
noon, as I was coming down Park street I
heard a butcher's boy a-singing it I did,
indeed, sir as clear as could be X heard the
words,
Says Wolseley. says ne.
To Arab!,
You can fight other chaps, but you can't fight
me.
every word I heard. 'But would you be
lieve it, sir, when I was in the Oxford music
'all I conld 'ardly listen, I was so fright
ened, and my ears abuzzio, and me 'ard'y
able to breathe. Lor, sir, that was a experi
ence. Nobody looked at me, and that was
a mercy I couldn't ha' stood it Even the
chairman, no was not more than six yards
from me, didn't know who I was, and not
being acquainted with him I couldn't offer
him somethink, which I shonld have con
sidered it a proud honor so to do on such an
occasion. And it I might make so bold,
sir "
He was fumbling in his breast pocket.
"What more verses?" said Mr. Bethune,
good naturedly. "Well, let's see them.
But take a seat, man, take a seat"
Bather timidly he drew a chair in to the
table; and then be said with appealing eyes:
"But wouldn't you allow me, sir, to fetch
you a little drop of the whisky I assure you
it's the best?"
"Ob, very well very well, but bring two
tumblers; single drinking is slow work."
in a few seconds those two curiously as-
Who will lead us to the fray?
Who will sweep the foe away?
Who will win the glorious dayT
Of England's chivalryT
It is true, he said, "Who will sweep the foe
awye?" but these little peculiaries were lost
in the fervour of his enthusiasm.
Roberts Graham Buller Wood
He paused after each name as if listening
for the thunderous cheering of tbe imaginary
audience.
And many another, 'most as good.
They're tbe men to shed their blood
For their countryl
Then there was a touch of pathos:
Fare thee well, love, and adienl
Bnt that was immediately dismissed:
Fiercer thoughts I have than ydu;
We will drive the dastard crew
Into slavery!
An then he stretched forth his right arm
and declaimed in Iond and portentous tones:
Bee tbe bloody tented field;
Look the foe they yield! tbey yield!
Hurrah! hurrah! Our glory's sealed!
Three cheers for victory!
Suddenly his face blanched. For at this
moment the door opened; a tall woman ap
peared, with astonishment and indignation
only too legible in her angular features.
"Hobsonl" she exclaimed; and at this
awful sound tbe bold warrior seemed to col
lapse into a limp rag. "I am surprised I
am indeed surprised! Really, sir, how cua
you. encourage him in such impudence?
Seated at your own table and drinking, too,
I declare," she went on, as she lifted up the
deserted tumbler for her warlike husbaad
good will. Willie-waught is nothing
a misconception a printer's blunder. How
ever, phrases do not connt for much. Scotch
phrases do not mace Scotch soug. It is not
the provincial dialect it is the breathing
spirit that is the life" and therewith he re
peated in a proud manner, as if to crush
this poor anxious poet by the comparison;
I see ber in the dewy flower.
Bae lovely, sweet and fair;
I hear ber voice in ilki bird
"WV mnsic charm the air;
There's not a bonnie flower that springs
By fountain, shaw or green.
Nor yet a bonnie bird that sings
But minds me o' my Jean.
"Beg pardon, sir Miss Bethune ?" said
Hobson, inquiringly; for he evidently
thought these lines were of the old gentle
man's own composition. And then, as he
received no answer, for Mr. Bethune had
turned to his pipe, he resumed, "Ah, I see.
sir, I have not been successful. Too am
bitious too ambitious. It was you your
self, sir, as advised me to write about what
I knew; and and in fact, sir, what I see is
that there is nothing like patriotism. Lqr,
sir, yon should see them young fellers at the
Oxbridge they're as brave as lions
especially when they've 'ad a glass. Talk
about the French ! The French ain't in it
when we've got our spirit up. We can
stand a lot, sir, yes, we can; bat don't let
them push us too far. Not too far. It will
be a bad day for them when they do. An
Englishman ain't given to boasting; but he's
a terror when his back's up-aud a Scotch
man too, sir, I beg your pardon I did not
mean anything I intended to include the
Scotchman too, I assure you, sir. There's
a little thing here, sir," he continned
modestly, "that I should like to read to
you, if I may make so bold. I thought of
sending it to Mr. Coldstream I'm sure it
would take for there' some fight in the
Englishman yet and in the Scotchman too,
sir," he instantly added.
"A patriotic poem? Well?"
Thus 1 encouraged the pleased poet
moistened his lips with the whisky and
water he had broughtfor himself and began
Where's the man would turn and flyT
Where's the man afraid to die?
It isn't you, it isn't I.
No, my lads, no, no!
Then his voice had a more valiant ring in it
still:
4
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