THE PITTSBURG, DISPATCH. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1891.
24 24 24 54 24 24 24
Twenty-Four Pages
Crowded With the Best
Things Going iu
NRWSIEbILITERATURE.
-wjll fill-
TO-MORROW'S
BIG DISPATCH.
Here Are Some or tlie Features: ,
BIMOX OAMEBCX AXP LIXCOLX
By Colonel -V. K. McClure.
THE CAUSE OF XIGHTM ARS
By Dr. William A. Hammond.
BIG FARMS Or THE WEST
By Frank G. Carpenter.
COST OF LIVING IK PARIS
By Ida M. Tarbell.
LATEST GOSSIP OF NEW YORK
By Arthur Brisbane
THE APE IX THE HUMAN
By Dr. Robinson, of England.
OSTRICH HUNTING IN PATAGONIA
By Fannie B. Word.
PARADOXES AT TnE NORTH POLE
By a Scientist.
SECRETS OF THE SPOOKS
By B:ssie Bramble.
A COLUMN OF NEW TARNS
By Marshall P. Wilder.
ADVENTURE IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
By Edward Wakefield.
BEYOND THE CITY (A Novo!)
Br A Ccncn Doyle.
A PAGE FOR THE LADIES
-AXD AX0THE3-
FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE,
INSTRUCTIVE, ENTERTAINING, CLEAN,
BRIGHT AND NEWSY.
A. GUIDE FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS.
A PAPER FOR THE HOME CIRCLE.
TWEXTT-rODB PAGES TO-MOKKOW.
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PITTSBURG. SATURDAY, DKC. II. 1S91. "
TWELVE PAGES
M'lUXGEK SOrNDS THK KETREAT.
Whether Sir. Springer will or not be the
new Chairman of the AVays and Means
Committee, his interview on the tariff
published in yesterday's DisrATcn is full
of instructive significance and runs in a
most inlerestins; way upon the lines of
thought suggested in these columns as
timely and beneficial for the Democratic
leaders.
Mr. Springer's interview substantially
announces nothing less than a virtual
abandonment of the policy which led his
party to disaster in the Presidental can
vas of 1883, and again in the Ohia canvas
last falL He casts overboard entirely not
merely the 'free trade declarations of
31111s but similarly throws to the winds
the less pronounced teachings of Cleve
land and those other doctrinaires who,
while not willing to he designated out-and-out
free traders, committed them
selves to the position that if there was to
he a tariff at all it should be a tariff
framed upon the necessities for revenue
only.
ICow let us see what Mr. Springer says
on the subject After proposing an in
vestigating committee consisting of Dem
ocrats and Republicans he would send
tham to inquire Into "textile Industries,
iron production, glassware, pottery and so
on. Their inquiries should be conducted
with a view to ascertain in each case what
if any degree of protection is needed. It
should be ascertained what labor costs on
things produced; the wages paid;
whether the work be steady or not; the
re ative cost cf production here and
abroad; and much more information of a
practical character." In other words, Mr.
Spilnger would recognize that a tariff is
not to be for "revenue only," but that the
protection of home industries must bo the
vital consideration. This is certainly
a long step in recognizing protec
tion as the first thing needed. Ii is
a wide and distinct departure from
the doctrine that our markets should be
thrown open tc the manufacturers of the
world, and that the only question would
be, where consumers might buy cheapest,
or how much ioney is needed for Govern
ment expenses.
Another evidence that the Democratic
leaders have learned something is that
they no longer propose to attempt a repeal
of the McKinlev bill in its entirety. They
will content themselves with special bills
modifying this or that obnoxious duty.
Delievir.g protection to be vital to Ameri
can inteie-t, The Dispatch assuredly
thinks the conversion of Springer and his
followers better late than never. It
wishes them better success in the new
"educational campaign" which they pro
pose for themselves, by sending around
among manufacturers ahd workingmen to
leain the facts, than they had in thatother
unfortunate "educational campaign" of
instructing the people in this beauties of
Mje BigptflJ.
"tariff-for-rcvenue only" which Messrs.
Cleveland, Mills and other lights of the
party have been carrying on for the past
four years.
It is not to be expected that the new at
titude of Mr. Springer and his adherents
will be announced at cuco to the faithful
as the retreat which it is. But, cover up
the movement as much as they may by
continued phrases about "tariff reform,"
the step itself is clearly and positively on
the line of protection. Mr. Springer's
declaration is full of cheerful significance
to those who are glad to see the leaders of
great parties exhibiting indications of
sanity.
"WHAT HILL DID SAY.
The Indianapolis Journa I says thatabout
the only Democratic paper in the land
which indorses Governor Hill's speech is
the AtlantJ Constitution. It quotes from
its columns a demand for free coinage "on
the basis that a silver dollar shall be worth
as much in the, melting pot as a gold
dollar." If Hill had taken the ground that
the weight of the silver dollar should be
increased so as to make its bullion value
equal to par in gold he would have been
nearly right But Hill's speech did not
take that sound ground. Instead, he com
mitted him to propositions which are self
contradietory and ridiculous.
There is a shadow of exeiue for a mis
conception of this speech. In several par
agraphs ho refers to the fact that the gold
dollar in the melting pot makes no loss
while the silver dollar does. But his ex
planation of that difference and his propo
sition for a coinage policy do not show any
trace of a plan to inciease the amount of
silver in a dollar:
Free coinage given to sold, -while, free
coinage was withdrawn frotn sliver in 1373,
established the varying inequality of the.
dollarin silver to the dollar in gold.
Free coinage given to both, free bimetal
lic coinage, will reestablish their ancient
and unvarying equality, attested by tho
min the market ana the crucible
Did ever anything bu free bimetallic
coinage, down to 1ST ir.ake ourgpldand
silTer dollars equal by even tcslt Did
ever free bimetallic coinage, down to 1S73,
for one hour fail to make the silver dollar
equal to the gold dollar, whether at tB
mint or crucible, or in any market in the
wide world?
This is exactly the doctrine of the free
silver men. If the new political econo
mist had been content with adopting their
platform he would simply have ranked
among the class which professes to be
lieve that the Government can by its
mintage add one-third to the intrinsic
value of a metaL But no ! Xew York's
Governor must be wiser than the froo
silver men of the West, and 60, before
enunciating the idea quoted above, he had
already declined to "accept the lead of
the silver State Senators." "Free silver
coinage would satisfy them," says the
profound Hill. "They may be content to
pass over from our present gold mono
metallism to silver monometallism." but
his platform is "Free bimetallic coinage."
This displays Hill in the, light of sup
posing that the frej silver men intend to
exclude gold from frea coinage by law,
which therefore resolves his speech into a
demonstration of what the Governor-Senator
does not know about the coinage. The
legislation proposed by the free silver men
is identical with Hill's proposition,namely,
tb.2 admission of both metals to the mint
on nominally equal terms. But Hill did
not know it Further, this would really
establish silver monometallism, whether
of the Hill brand or the Nevada brand,
because it would put gold at a premium.
Hill did not know that either.
When a political trickster makes an ex
hibition of his own ignorance in this way,
he should not bo credited by either friend
or foe with such a sound and pertinent
suggestion as the coinage of a new silver
dollar of equivalent bullion value to the
gold dollar.
A THEORY OP XTJLLIFICATLOX.
The City Attorney is quoted as having
maintaind to a committee of the Ladies'
Protective Association, which called on
him with reference to enforcing the ordi
nance requiring railways to use non-snoke-producing
coal within the city limits, that
it is at the option of city officials not
to enforce municipal ordinances if they
see fit If tins is an erroneous statement
of the City Attorney's remarks, he should
make haste to correct, as a more perni
cious doctrine could not be enunciated.
The idea that the executive branch of
the Government 13 possessed of the dis
pensing power was held under the Stuarts;
but even then it was not proposed to
lodge it with anything lower than royalty.
It was abolished over two centuries ago
with the Stuart regime, and its revival in
this Bepublic would be little less than a
monstrosity. To suppose that the officers
of the city have the power to nullify or
ignore its legislation, is throwing the door
wide open to favoritism, and' renders such
a thing as a faithful and impartial enforce
ment of the ordinances a hopeless dream.
There should certainly be a very practi
cal demonstration of the principle that
when the legislative power of the city has
been properly exerted its officers have no
choice left but to enforce the ordinances.
The taxpayers do not pay their salaries for
the purpose of reducing city legislation to
a dead letter. That end could he effected
much more economically.
LABon IX ENGLISH POLITICS.
The English laborer is rising in political
importance. Recent utterances of both
Tories ard Liberals show a decided dis
position to tike the course which will
conciliate him, and betrays, an estimate
that he may hold the balance of power.
The Tory idea, displayed more operiiy
at the conference than in Lord Salisbury's
speeches, is to the effect that by substitut
ing the demands of English labor for those
of Irishmen the Irish question can be put
out of sight To this Mr. Gladstone, in a
speech at a Liberal banquet, interposed
tho skillful rejoinder that the Irish and
labor questions go hand in hand; that the
cause of the English and Irish agricul
tural laborers are identical, and that the
Liberal party will adopt the Tory meas
ures for the relief of the latter so far as
they go, and then go further with land
purchase, land reform, the abolition of en
tail, and other measures calculated to take
the Tory breath away.
This outspoken adoption of reforms
which a generation ago would have been
ranked in England as utter'y revolution
ary is a striking sign of the way things
are tending there. Its most immediate
significance, however, is that the Liberals
do not intend to let the Tories outbid
them with the labor element, especially
the agricultural laborers.
NEWSPAPERS AND COURTS.
Philadelphia newspapers are up in arms
because Judge Acheson, with the concur
rence of Judge Butler, has granted a new
trial of the famous hat trimmings case on
grounds not exactly complimentary to
Quaker City journalism. The reason for
thedecisionis that newspapers there made'
publications concerning the case while it
was pending in terms calculated to influ
ence the verdict
The judicial view of the limitations of
news, especially with regard to cases be
fore the courts, is apt to be restricted, and
might be condensed into Talleyrand's
famous ion mot, in reply to tho man who
pleaded that he must live, viz: "I do not
see the necessity." But while newspapers
which conducted themselves strictly on
the judicial theory of their functions
would have to reconcile themselves to the
necessity of expiring, Judge Acheson
in this case shows an extraordinary effort
on the part of some of the press to prejudice
the case. Reference to the headlines and
the matter published show that the case
was represented as "a twenty-million raid
on tho Treasury" prosecuted "by sharp
attorneys who prosecute claims on contin
gent fees." Beyond this there is a strong
indication that .Government agents made
use of the press to put the case in this
light
Such publications were not in good taste
concerning undecided and very doubtful
litigation. They were not even good news
paper policy. Newspapers, as mouth
pieces of the public, are interested in se
curing a fair and unprejudiced trial, es
pecially where the point at issue is so
doubtful as this case. In view of the ap
parent attempt to decide the case in our
Quaker City cotemporaries the courts
have done well in calling them down. It
is to be hoped that they will be a little
more discreet during the second trial.
TnE LAWS LOOSE CLUTCH.
If tho day is past when murderers can
escape from our fine granite jail, the time
when burglars in the custody of the
Sheriff and in the presence of the Court
can make their way to parts unknown is
not so far distant That was the feat
performed yesterday by an exceptional
burglar awaiting trial in Criminal Court
The ease with which this escape was ef
fected Is strictly in line with Fitzsimmons'
exploit, and argues a hardly slighter de
gree of official negligence or stupidity.
It discloses the fact that dangerous crim
inals arc brought into court and left there
with no one to watch them, or at least no
one who actually performs tho duty.
There is no evidence of official collusion
in this case; hut it certainly indicates that
the importance of keeping hold of crimi
nals when they are once captured has not
impressed itself as a serious matter on
the minds of law officers.
When criminals can slip through the
meshes as easily as Mauley and Fitzsim
mons it ceased to be a matter of wonder
that the daily papers contain reports of
highway robberies and burglaries at the
rate of half a dozen per diem.
THE POLITICAL PHASE DENIED.
When the intimation was openly made
that the move upon Collector Warmcastle
was the result of antagonism on the part
of Congressman Dalzelland the adminis
tration, growing out of politics. The Dis
rATcn stated its conviction that if they
wero true no politics could have been
worse. It gave both the administration
and the Congressman credit for more
shrewdness.
Lack of official information, however,
gave temporary plausibility to these in
sinuations of factional motives; but later
advices seem to show that the causes arose
solely from the 'management of the Col
lector's office. ,
Believers in fair politics, as well as
friends of Congressman Dalzell, will he
glad to learn of the assurances now con
veyed that there was no "pernicious" or
vindictive activity in the matter; and that
the Government action in the case was
based solely upon "its merits. Meanwhile
there have been so many conflicting and
confusing rumors that, in justice to all,
the official report should be forthcoming.
Boston is urgently demanding that one"
ormpre of the monitors lying idle at Nor
folk be rehabilitated and sent to Boston har
bor for the defense of that city. The mod
ern Athens does not regard wooden walls as
adequate for tho protection of her culture
from the corruptions of outside barbarians,
and wishes ironclads, even if they are of an
antiquated and somewhat decayed type. If
Boston will be satisfied with a monitor she
should have one by all means. Tho gift
might be accompanied with a sincere wish
that other sea coast cities would bo so mod
erate in their demands.
Thek6 are intimations that the person
who is really roosting on top of the speaker
ship fight is not David Bennett Hill who
has been permitted to commit political sui
cide for himself hat a certain astute wire
puller known to fame as Arthur Puo Gor
man, of Maryland.
One of the things which always accom
panies the opening of Congress, namely tho
lament over the insufficiency or Congres
sional salaries, breaks out in the Boston
Globe, which tells of Congressmen walking to
save car fare in order to get out even on
their salaries of $5,000 annually. This is
pathetic but exaggerated. We violate no
confidence in stating that if the frugal Con
gressman shuns the costly jack-pot and does
not branch out into the lino of costly din
ner giving ho will be nble to pay car fares
without encountering bankruptcy.
The German Emperor should be warned
against inflicting on his African subjects
the stiff doctrine he Is giving the Germans.
The untutored African might rebel against
the idea that he is to swear allegiance to a
war lord for tho purpose of committing
parricide.
"A rEKMANENT census bureau," re
marks the Philadelphia Frets, "would prove
beyond doubt to be a most valuable de
partment of the Government." Xot so
wholly beyond doubt. It depends on the
hands it falls into. If its head should pro
duce statistics which disprove themselves
it would be principally valuable as an illus
tration of what statistics ought not to be.
The late temporary partnership between
the New York Timet and Tammany Hall Is
no more. The entente cordiale between those
political powers has been hit by a dynamite
bomD.
The appearance of President Garfield's
second ion as the football manager of Will
iams' College coriects the mistaken impres
sion that great men's sons cannot be great
in their own line also. It is only a change
in tho field afforded by the generation. The
father was great in war and politics. The
son is a rising genius in the athletics most
closely approximating to war.
The new Speaker will not endeavor to
count a quorum. There is hardly enough of
the opposition to be worth counting for such
numerical purposes.
All the accounts from the World's Fair
indicate that the buildings are going on
well, except in the blank spot where New
York's building ought to be, but is not
Whether the Empire State will be stimulated
by shame to take proper steps for ner repre
sentation remains to be seen; but the pre
cedent of the Grant monument awakens se
rious doubts of it.
Such December weather seems designed
to compensate for the meteorological eccen
tricities of the autumn. Bnt winter is not
done with as yet.
THE Brooklyn Standard- Union objects to
the nso of the word "Varsity" in connection
with college boat races and football matches,
and asks for an "English (not necessarily
British) word" to take 1t place. But since
boat races and football matches are strictly
Imitations from the British why not go the
whole length and adopt the British slangt
LIVE WASHINGTON WAIFS.
WASHixaTOir, Dec. It The United States
General Appraisor at Now York has asked
authority to.designato a board of three gen
eral appraisers to visit the ports of Buffalo,
Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati between
now and the 15th prox. for the purpose of
hearing appeals in customs cases. He says
that the time required to visit and hold ses
sions at tho ports mentioned would not ex
ceed three weeks, and that the plan would
result in facilitating the general business of
the board, besides giving much satisfaction
to tho Collectors and merchants generally.
It would also, he said, bo an act of justice to
the claimants. Acting Secretary Spaulding
to-day approved the recommendation, with
the understanding that such detail of gen
eral appraisers hereafter be made only on
the approval of the department, and shall
not in any way interfere with the dnoand
orderly course of business at New York.
The Fostmaster General has received a
letter trom Crawford, Miss., signed by W.
M. Brooks, President, and H. P. Lawrence,
Secretary, saying: "The colored peoplo
want to emigrate to Africa. We want to
know whether we could got any aid from
this Government or not. Wo are holding
meetings every month. We would be glad
to hear trom you 90on. Ten thousand of us
want to emigrate." The letter has been re
ferred to the Superintendent of Immigra
tion. Tae equanimity of tho few members and
loungers in the hall of the House this after
noon was rudely shaken by the explosion of
a steampipc. A rush was made for the
doors as soon as the leportwas heard, tho
first belief being that some crank bad at
tempted to frighten the members. Order
was immediately restored, however, though
a volume of steam continued to pour into
chamber for many minutes.
Attoiiney Gexeral Miller lias determined
to test tho right of railway companies to is
sue free passes. The question to be decided
is whether the issue of such passes is a viola
tion of the inter-State commerce law. Ho
will shortly bring suit against one of the
New England railroads known to have is
sued passes probaDly the Boston and
Maine. The suit will be instituted in New
Hampshire, and a special attorney will be
appointed to conduct the case. The Gov
ernment is eager to obtain a judicial con
struction of the act upon this point, andtlie
issup hangs upon tho qncstion of whether Or
not thcro is a prohibition against pusses in
cluded in the clause providing that no rates
shall be given either more or less than the
fixed schedule of the road In many cases
the roads issuing passes claim there Is no le
gal restriction on sucli issue, and it will bo
one of those roads against which the suit
will be brought, so that tho question will
not be one of fact, but of law, thus simplify
ing the proceedings.
It Is expected that a bill prepared and in
dorsed by Secretary Tracy in his annual
report to increase tho efficiency and per
sonnel of tho officers of the navy will soon
be introduced in both Senate and House,
embodying the recommendations made in
the report of the so-called Stagnation Bcaid,
or which Captain Phythian was President.
The bill will include tho suggestions made
in tho report to prevent the stagnation In
promotion which has existed in the servico
for many years, and which promises to bo
continued unless some preventive measures
is taken by Congress, so modified as to meet
the views of tho Secretary of the Navy anil
the President. Tho bill will include tho
recommendations of the hoard regarding
the selection of officers tor promotion to tho
grades of commander and captain, and of
retirement of officers alter serving a certain
number of years in one grade, with the rank
and pay of tho next higher grade. Senator
Chandler will piobably introduce the bill in
the Senate next week.
THEjolnt resolution introduced yesterday
by Senator Call, authorizing the President
to open negotiations with Spain, is identical
with one Introduced by him last session, and
provides that the President be requested to
open negotiations with the Government of
Spain for the purposo of inducing that Gov
ernment to consent to the establishment of
tke Island of Cuba as a free anil inde
pendent lepnblic, such consent to be given
upon the payment by Cuba to the Govern
ment of Spain of such a Bum of money as
may be equivalent both to the value of pub
lic property belonging to Spain in the island
and to the relinquishment of her sovereign
rights, and also the securing by treaty of
such commercial advantages us may bo
stipulated.
Official correspondence was made public
this afternoon, setting forth tho details of
the reciprocity arrangement entered into
between the united States and Germany,
whereby the sugar of tho latter secures con
tinued free admission into the United States
and sundry American products, named in
an accompanying schedule, obtain admis
sion into Germany at the rates agreed upon.
This table shows a reduction in German
tariff duties on wheat of 30 per cent; rye, 30
per cent; oats, 3s per cent: corn, u'J per
cent; butter, 15 per cent; salted and pickled
pork and beef, 15 per cent; wheat flour and
cornmeal, 30 per cent. The arrangement was
submitted to the German Reichstag on tho
7th Instant, ana if approved bv that body
will go into effect February 1 next. Tho cor
respondence consists of lengthy letters that
passed between A." Von Munn, Charge d'
Affaires of Germany, and General John W.
Foster, Plenipotentiary Extraordinary of
the unitea states.
The Board of Control and Management of
the Government exhibit at the World's Fair
held meetings yesterday and to-day, prim
arily to discuss the division of floor space
between the departments. A tentative al
lotment of floor space was made a year
ago. but in the absence of any common
standard of measurement as to the neces
sities of the several branches, it was impos
sible to make the allotment permanent.
The matter,, was discussed at great length,
and a resolution was adopted to theRTect
that the remaining data necessary to tho
final allotment- of space shall be filed with
the Executive Committee during the next
four weeks, and that tho board will re-assemble
at an early date in February and re
main in session until the matter is adjusted.
The Bureau of American Republics is in
formed that the work of improving the
harbor of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, for which
a contract has been made with the Mexican
Harbor Improvement Company, of Illinois,
will bo under the charge of Engineer E. L.
Corthell, so long associated with tho late
Captain Eads in his many important works.
Mr. Corthell expressed great confidence in
the success of the enterprise, which will
save 3,400 miles of distance in the traffic
from New York and New Orleans that now
goes by the way of the Isthmus of Panama,
as the Tehuantepec Ballway will connect
Coatzacoalcos with Sallna Cruz, where it is
proposed to build a breakwater for the pro
tection of the shipping, the depth of water
being ample there, although it is now but an
open roadstead. The depth of water at the
crest of the bar at the mouth or Eio Coatza
coalcos is from 13 to 15 feet, and as the river
is a very large one, no trouble is anticipated
in obtaining a channel for the passage of
vessels of tho greatest depth, the harbor it
self within the shoreline having ample ac
commodation for the largest fleets. Ar
rangements for the commencement of the
Jetties are expected to be made at once.
A bulletin issued by the Census Office to
day shows that during the ten years ended
in 1SS9, in the States of Virginia, West Vir
ginia (exclusive of that portion north of
Parkersburg), North Carolina and South
Carolina, the increase in railroad mileage was
about 3,500 miles, and during the same
period the increase in passenger transporta
tion was about 7,000 000 and in freight trans
portation about 7,000,000 tons. The total
earnings were increased by about $17,000,000.
The total expenditures, however, ere in
creased by about $19,000,000.
The receipts from customs at New York
the first ten days of this month were nearly
$1,000,000 less than for the corresponding
period last year.
TnE net holdings or the Treasury Depart
ment are $131,125,587. nn increase of about
$2,000,000 since the first of the month and an
increase of nearly $14,000,000 since June last.
AcoMUfTTEE has been appointed to con
duct the annual count of the stamps in the
possession of the Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue. About 60 persons will be
employed in this service, which will occupy
a week's trine.
Neither Senate nor House was in session
to-day. There wero few signs of activity
visible in the Senate wing of the building.
The Republican Caucus Committee met "at a
comparatively early hour, and took up the
thread of Its deliberation at the point where
it was dropped yesterday afternoon. Nearly
all the Bepublican Senators have been
heard from individually upon the subject of
their assignment to committees, but, as was
inevitable from the first, the Caucus Com
mittee has discovered that in many cases it
is not practicable to accede to individual
wishes, inasmuch as several Senators look
forward to assignment to places on com
mittees whore there are few or no vacan
cies. This condition of affairs calls for
much tact and management on the part of
the Caucus Committee, to avoid an appear
ance of unjust discrimination, bo that the
progress made np to tho present time is not
very marked, and it was said this afternoon
by one of the committee that a report may
not b ready to goto the Senate until next
Tuesday.
Amoso the estimates of appropriations for
the fiscal year of 1893. transmitted by Secre
tary Foster to Speaker Crisp yesterday, are
tho following of interest to Pittsbnrgers:
For grading sidewalks and putting down a
brick pavement on Thirty-ninth and For
tieth streets, Pittsburg, between Penn nve
nuo and the Allegheny Valley Railroad, ad
joining the Allegheny Arsenal, $7,600: con
tinning the improvements of the Allegheny
river, in Pennsylvania. $50,000: continuing
construction of dam at Heir's Island, $200,000;
continued Improvement of Ohio river, 700,
500; continuing construction of movable dam
at month of Beaver river, $250,000; falls of
the Ohio at Louisville, $300,000.
L0TTEEY WINNING IN LOUISIANA.
Nearly Completo Returns Show It Has a
Majority of 70 or More.
New Orleaxs. Dec. 11. Spccial. Every
parish save one, West Baton Rouge, has
elected delegates to the Democratic State
Convention. A great many contradictory
claims have been made of the result of the
election on the lottery question and somo
confusion created in consequence. A care
ful and dispassionate review of the situa
tion shows that the faction favorable to the
lottery has elected a majority of tho dele-gates-and
will control the convention. The
convention consists of C.J0 members, 344 be
ing required for a majoiity. On the govern
orship question tho delegates stand, on
prima facie claim: McEnery, 371; Adams
(anti-lottery), 273. Of these, however, 05 of
the McEnery and 40 of the Adams delegates
are contested, leaving tho uncontested dele
gates: McEnery, 306: Adams, 233. There aro
33 delegates so mixed up that it is impossi
ble to say who are the regular delegates and
who are the contestants, and nine are yet to
be elected who will go to McEnery.
The lottery Is 27 votes weaker than Mc
Enery, so that on this question the conven
tion will stand: Anti-lottery, TOO; pro-lot-terv,
373, without taking any of the doubtful
parishes into consideration. The Truth, one
of the anti papers, admits to-day that Mc
Enery has a majority of the convention, but
hopes that the lottery can bo beaten. Tho
Kew Delta, the chief anti-lottery paper, de
clares that even if the lottery controls the
convention the antis will not give in, but
will fight tho question to the end. As the
nntl loaders held a conference last night to
consider the situation, this declaration is
regarded as indicating a split or division in
the party on this issue.
HITS IN TnE" MESSAGE.
PitrsiDEHT Harbison hit the gerrymander
a deadly blow. Toledo Blade Rep).
Mr. Harrisos is very anxious for Congress
to do something to decrease the amount of
unchastity prevailing in the District of Co
lumbia. Si. Louis Bepublic
Accordixo to the President's message
there is a lino field for missionary labor In
the city of Washington. Tho Tiger is a hard
animal to turn from his evil ways. iVew
Yorlc Recorder.
There are 18,000 words in tho President's
message, but they might all be profitably
traded for the two words "get out," ad
dressed to Pension Commissioner Raum.
Chicago Times (Dem).
President Harrison's recommendation
to Congress to make further appropriations
toward Porter's Census will doubtless re
ceive due consideration "considerable"
consideration, no doubt, before tho appro
priations are made. New York Advertiser.
A BBAVE GIEL ON A BICYCLE
Gives a Fire Alarm That Was Successful
In Preserving a Landmarlc
Westboro, Mass., Dec. 11. Special.
About midnight last night a bareheaded and
breathless girl rode into town on a bicycle
nnd gave an alarm of file. The old Captain
Maynard mansion was in flames, and the
plucky girl who had bravely ridden in the
night to give air alarm was Miss Mable G.
Stone, daughter of Mr. B. J. Stone, the pres
ent owner of the property. Miss Stone, who
is an Rthletio young lady about 20 years of
age, says that she was awakened by the
crackling of flames. Hastily donning her
garments she rushed out and found the
bouse ablaze.
Seeing that the building was doomed, she
says her first thought was to get to town and
give an alarm to try and savo the large barn
150 feet long and full of cattle. She mounted
her bicycle, and, as she declares, never
made such fast time to town before in her
life. She is pleased to think that she was
successful, as the fire department reported
Just in time to save the barn and outbuild
ings. The Captain Stephen Maynard place
was one or the oldest historical landmarks
in this vicinity, nnd was built previous to
1759 by Mr. Maynard, a wealthy man, who, it
is said, spont seven years in selecting the
timber and building his home.
DOG FLESH CUEING HIM.
A Young Man Who Thinks This Kemcdy
Is Helping: His Consumption.
Andersoii, Ikd, Dec. 11 Sam Burnett, a
young mau who was lying at the point of
death with consumption in this city, has re
sorted to eating dog flesh as a cure, with
beneficial results. A fine young dog was
dressed by a butcher Saturday.
The flesh is cooked under the direction of
a physician and is eaten by the patient.
When he began eating dog meat he could
not raise his head In bed. He is now able to
walk across his room. His faith in his ulti
mate euro is strong.
A SCBANI0N ENOCH ABDEN.
He Refuses to Forcivo Hit Wife, and Has
Her and ner Twins Jailed.
Scrahtow, Deo. 11. Special Martin Per
coney, of Friceburg, came home this morn
ing after seven years' wanderings in the
West. His wife had believed him dead, and
bad married Stephen Banthay. Ferconey
found them amusing pairof twins which had
come into the family.
He did not take the matter philosophic
ally, but at once caused the arrest or the
Jmrents andsent them to jail this afternoon
n default of bail. He also took possession,
of his former home.
ETCnLNGS FROM LIFE.
There are five Taylors in the House of
Representatives, all Republicans.
The Duke of Clarence is 27 years old and
his betrothed, the Princess of Peck, is 24.
Fkank Saetokis, brother-in-law of
Mrs. Nellie Grant Sartoris, 19 talked about as
a possible Congressman.
Seckexaey Foster continues to im
prove slowly, and was able to sit up for a
short time yesterday morning.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will visit
America next year. and see all the important
places in the United States anu Canada.
Colonel Gobdon, of Missouri, has a
beaid six feet in length which sweeps the
ground when allowed to flow at full length.
Colonel "W. G. Sterhixt, of the Dallas
News, has been elected a member of the
Press Committee of the Senate and House.
Rider Haggard has been making a
visit to the city of Mexico. He will proba
bly tell a strange tale of Montezuma
shortly.
LOBD Duffebin, formerly Governor
General of Canada and recently Viceroy of
India, has been appointed British Ambassa
dor to Paris.
George S. Montgomery, a California
millionaire, has Joined the Salvation Army
with his wife. Both have adopted the uni
forms of the Salvationists.
Timothy B. Blackstone, who for 30
years has been President of the Chicago and
Alton Railroad, is said to be the only rail
road president who owns a majority of the
stock in the road he manages.
Secretary Blaine has accepted an in
vitation to attend the dinner of the Mer
chants' Association at Boston, January 7.
Mrs. Blaine is somewhat indisposed at pres
ent, but it is thought she will be fnllV re
stored to Health by the time mentioned,- I
ALUMINUM AND CflLOR BLINDNESS.
George H, Clapp, manager of the Pitts
burg Reduction Company, delivered an in
teresting lecture before the students at the
Western University yesterday afternoon,
his subject being, "The Manufacture of
Alumfnum." When the gentleman was in
troduced by Chancellor Holland as a grad
uate of the University the audience honored
blm with an enthusiastic greeting peculiar
to college assemblies.
In a few prefatory remarks Mr; Clapp took
occasion to say that tho subject of bis lec
ture, while a comparatively new metal, had
been subjected to much false representa
tion and very little truth. Taking first the
name, ho said it was culled "aluminum"' nnd
"aluminium" both were correct. Alumium
was the name used by the French. Sir
Humphrey Davy was tho first to give a
name to tho metallic basis ot alumina, his
suggestion being "alumium,' but it was ob
jected to, and a fow years later his sugges
tion of "aluminum" was adopted.
"Tho flrsfe attempt to isolate aluminum
was made in 17G0 by M. Baron, a professor ot
chemistry in Paris, ho announced his be
lief that the base of alum was ot a metallic
nature, but his attempt to isolate if proved
a failure, and ho left no record of the
methods he pursned. In 1S07 Sir Humphf ey
Davy began experimenting on the reduction
of alumina by means or electricity, but did
not succeed in separating it, 'as he elcctro
lyzed a compound or alumina with caustic
alkali and both metals were necessarily set
free if the compound .were decomposed at
all. Two years later Davy discovered that
alumina can bo decomposed, whilo fluid, in
the electric arc, and its metal alloved with
iron. By repeated experiments be later
established that fused alumina can be de
composed in the electric arc and that
alumina can be decomposed by potassium
in the presence of iron, though he failed to
Isolate the metal.
The discovery of the chloride of alumi
num in 1821 led to the solution of the prob
lem. In 1S27 Wohler, the Germnn chemist,
by melting potassium and aluminum chlo
ride in a platinum crucible produced a gray
metallic powder which proved to bo alumi
num, but he could not combine it into a
metal. He learned, however, many of its
chemical properties, nenry St. Clair De
ville, in 1554, solved the pioblem b3' tho dis
covery that sodinm, use 1 instead of potas
sium, and tho mass treated in an earthen
retort ould perform a satisfactory reduc
tion for aluminum.
The next step was to cheapen sodium, and
Devllle in four years reduced its price from
$100 to $1 per pound, and by reneated experi
mental effort ho reduced tho price or alumi
num to $12 a pound. It remained at that
figure until 1872, n period or 25 years. Subse
quent discoveries tending to cheapen the
materials used in its composition leduced
the price of aluminum to 10 shillings a
pound two years ago, but the electric proc
esses now used in manufacturing the metal
aro rapidly displacing the sodium process.
Mr. Clapp then proceeded to give a de
tailed explanation of the electrolytic
processes nt present used for the manu
facture of aluminum, using technical terms
that an ordinary reader would follow with
great difficulty. One of tiiese, patented by
Charles M. Hall, of Oberlln, O., he said was
the only one in use in this country, the pat
ents being owned by the Pittsburg Reduc
tion Company, who, in addition to their
norks nt Kensington, Pa., have a plant at
Patricroft, Lancashire county, England.
Tiie Pittsburg plant has, since it began in
18S8, manufactured 100.0CO pounds of alum
inum. An expenditure of 22 electrical horse
power per hour Is required to make one
pound of the metal. It costs 20 cents per
pound to make it, and there is no prospect,
not to say possibility, of the cost being re
duced to any appreciatile extent. On this
feature of the subject Mr. Clapp said:
'We have all heard of the wonderful state
ments of new and cheap processes that
would reduce the cost of aluminum from the
present price to 5, 6. 8 or 15 cents per pound.
One ambitious fraud has even gone so far as
to state that by his process it could be made
for $60 per ton. Several of these alleged in
ventors have succeeded in organizing large
companies, with other people's money, and
have issued glowing prospectuses In which
they claim more virtues for this much
abused metal than have over been claimed
by the most enthusiastic patent medicine
fakir that ever worked a country fair, but
thanks to tho newspapers most of these
processes have been exposed. A great many
people stilt Deueve mat aiuminnm is or can
be made from clay, in spite of all that has
oeen written to tne contrary. All Clay uoes
contain alumlnn, in fact about 9 per cent or
the earth's surface Is alumina, but only two
minerals are being used in its manufacture
cryolite and bauxite."
Colonel T. P. Roberts read before the
Acodemy of Science and Art last night an
interesting paper entitled, "A Theory Re
garding the Cause and Curability of Color
Blindness." Considerable interest was mani
fested in thesubject, and among the learned
gentlemen forming tne audience were a
number of oculists, opticians and represent
ative railroad men. The lecture was illus
trated with numerous colored plates and
diagrams and was follrfn ed by experiments
with optical instruments.
In opening Colonel Roberts stated that
his attention had been directed to the sub
ject at college, where two of hiSLclassmates
had been afflicted with colorblindness. His
theory was the result of a perusal or one or
Tyndall's works nnd was only oflTe red as a
plausible basis for argument on the vexed
question of colorblindness, in the hope that
experts might give the subject further at
tention. "Up to the present time," he said, "no
generally accepted theory as to the cause of
the disease has been held, though it is gener
ally believed that it Is incurable. The theory
which receives the most support in account
ing ror tnepnenomenon is tnat mere are three
base colors of the spectrum, viz., red, green
and violet, which have corresponding fila
ments in the optic nervo, which convey
these colors Independently to the brain, and
and if one of these filaments become para
lyzed the color it represents cannot be con
veyed to the brain. A subordinate theory
is that the disease results from paralysis of
parts of the tissue work of the retina,
thongh no examination of a color blind eye,
before or after death, has ever revealed evi
dence of diseased structure in the visual
organ. The vision ot the'color blind is as
distinct as thoso of normal eyesight."
The fundamental feature of Colonel
Roberts' theory is that the defect is caused
by some irregularity of the composition of
the ocular fluids, either of the aqueous or of
the vitreous humor. He said an excess of
hydrogen in the fluids named might have
the effect of absorbing the red rays, or by
changing tho index of refraction, light rays
of that particular color might focus them
selves on some part of the retina outside the
field of known color sensation. If an excess
or doflcienay of any element, snch as hydro
gen or sodiumjn the ocnlar fluid, was the
cause of the complaint, there was reason to
hope for cure by abstinence from such
articles of food as sugar, alcohol, starch
products or vegetables, as they developed
an excess of hydrogen in theblood, and con
sequently in all the bodily fluids.
When the speaker had concluded. Dr.
Heeler, Prof. Very and Dr. Allen combattcd
his theory. Dr. Allen relating a case at pres
ent under his caro In which a man had be
come blind in the left half of both eyes and
then totally blind, but was now gradually
recovering his sight, though there had been
no impairment of the color visual sense ex
cept in the central line of vision.
Prof. Brashear, in supporting the main
Idea or Colonel Roberts' theory, declared
that color blindness was not so important to
railroad men as was erroneously supposed
by railroad managers. If an engineer could
distinguish the danger signal that was all
that was necessary, and a man who could do
so was as safe as one able to detect any tint
of any color.
The discussion of this interesting sublcct
will be continued at the next meeting of the
academy.
NEAELY FATAL IMAGINATION.
A Preacher Gets Well When He Finds He
Hadn't Swallowed His Teeth.
Wiikesbarre, Dec. 1L ISnecial. Rev. S.
Zehner, of Berwick, awoke suddenly from a
deep sleep last night and found that his
false teeth were missing. He thought he
felt a choking sensation. Two doctors were
sent for. Tbey could give no relief.
The minister gasped for breath. Ho bade
farewell to his family and thought ho was
going to die. His llttlo daughtersoon found
the missing teeth In a bureau drawer, when
the patient at once recovered
Caps ana Gowns for Yale's Youngsters.
New Haves, Dec. lL One hundred and
thirty-two men, or about two-thirds of the
senior class at Tale, have voted in favor of
caps and gowns, and thoy will be worn on
Commencement Day. t
Free Trade Doctors Conspiring.
Omaha World-Herald.
Even if the Supreme Court should decido
that the McKinley law is not invalid, Demo
cratic doctors will try to bring it to an early
grave.
THE EEALM OP SOCIETL
The Programme of the Pittsburg Club
Other Features of Current Iatferest.
It is intimated that there will be a house
warming of unusually largo dimensions at
the rittsburg Club, "in nowise connected
with the regular fortnightly dances. A
notice to this effect is posted in tho club.and
the men who are willing to put on their
dress suits and receive a delegation of thpir
fair friends this month are signing their
names and dipping into their pnrsos. This
event will doubtless be one of the largest
and most important events of tho winter.
The wedding of Mr. John A. G. House
and Miss Esther Little is arranged to take
place in February, and though an important
ceremony in the interest it will have
to the numerous relatives on both sides, it
will bo pertormed at home. The young peo
ple will receive a wedding present on the
bride's side a completo establishment, in
which they will at once set up the Lares and
Penates. The house is now being built. Mr.
George B. Herron will be tho best man. and
among the ushers chosen aro some of Mr.
House's Eastern relatives.
TnE outlook at the Pittsburg Club is not
promising for the cotillion on Monday even
ing, though it may be that the clnb theater,
which is only in use for the Monday even
ing dances, will bo completed by that time.
The club proper is very much npet and
carpets are not laid nor furniture in place.
The two big boards that have guarded tho
hall door for so long, wero removed this
week.
Social Chatter.
Air orange sale will be given under tho
aundcr the auspices of the Willing Hands,
a circle of Kings' Daughters, of Sbadv Side,
in the Bellefleld Club Honso, or. Neville
street, next Tncsday, from 3 until G In tho
afternoon and from 7 until 10 in the evening.
An orange tree containing prizes will take
tho plare ot a fishing pond or a grab big.
The proceeds aro for hospital work, and tho
admission charged will be i" cents.
I:tvitatio33 were issued on Thursday for
the marriage of Miss Ella May Elkins,
danghter of George W. Elkins. Esq., one of
Pittsburgh prominent financier and tho
President of the Pittsburg TraSion Com
pany, to William S.Frazlcr.the ceremony to
take place on Thursday evening, December
17, in the Sixth United Presbyterian Church.
An unnsually good programme has been
arranged by City Organist Ecker for the
eightieth free organ recital at Carnegie Li
brary this afternoon. Besides the selec
tions' arranged for Mr. Ecker an d the vocal
ists thorn is a charming addition in the
promise of several violin solos by E. C.
Heinrlchs.
The Yale Glee Club visits Pittsburg on
December 2,1. and its sister organiza
tion of Harvard University on Christmas
Eve. Both events will be socially attract
ive. Mr.ajtdMhs. Aicdrew Carxeoie, of New
York and Cluny Castle, Scotland, are living
in retirement at present nt Mrs. Thomas
Carnegie's home in Homowood.
Mn. J. Melvis House, of Xew York, for
merly a well-known resident of Pittsburg,
nnd Miss Ida May Wendell will bo married
in Xew York in tne spring.
CANNOT IIND A STAMP.
A Lost Marriage License Causes Consider
able Trouble.
Chicago, Dec. 1L A Chicago minister has
for the last week been haunting Collector
Mame's office awaiting a reply Irom
Internal Kevenna Collector Mason
at Washington to a request which
the reverend gentleman made in a
curious case. During tho war tho Govern
ment, in order to raise rovenne, was com
pelled to tax almo3t everything, and Con
gress in its wisdom put a tax on marriage
certificates. Every, marriage certificate,
therefore was not genuine or legal unles it
bore tho tax stamp of the Government,
which cost 5 cents.
It was during this period of universal tax
ation that the minister above referred to
married a couple, who afterward went East,
taking their taxed certificate with them.
The other day, over twenty-five years after
the ceremony was performed, the divine re
ceived a letter from tho husband in
Pennsylvania, in which he stated that
tho marriage certificate had been lost,
and requesting that r. duplicate bo
procured. The old form of certificate with
the Government tax stamp upon it had to be
procured. A visit was paid to the internal
revenue office here, but it was found that
none or the old stamps were on hand. Com
missioner Siason was appealed to nt Wash
ington to send one ot the stamps. The Com
missioner hunted up a stamp, and yesterday
it was received, hut along with it came a
letter from the coupio that the old certificate
bad been found.
PEESIDENTAL GUESSING.
Jons Snzsitxs could readily be counted in
the Presidental race if Blaine was out 01 it.
Si. Louis Republic
Presidental guessing will loom up as a
more active industry since the speakership
has been settled. Toledo Commercial.
When Presidental booms bud out of sea
son there is grave danger of their being
nipped by the political frost. Washington
Post.
A little raw beef on the eye of theClevej
land boom would seem to be a necessary se
quence of the speakership contest. Sf. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Some enthusiastic friends of General Xol
son A. Miles are again booming that gallant
soldier and estimable citizen for the Presi
dency of the United States. The Miles
boom is not large, but it is picturesque.
Chicago News.
The Sonth Carolina House has passed a
prohibition bill modeled on the Iowa law.
This will not be welcomo news to Governor'
Boies, of Iowa, who is figuring for second
place on the Democratic Presidental ticket.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
A VICTIM TO SUPERSTITION.
Death of a Woman Who Was One or Thir
teen at a Party.
New nAVXtf, Cosx, Dee. 11. Barbara Mail
house died yesterday a supposed victim of
the "13" superstition. Miss Mnilhouse at
tended a party about two weeks ago, and
during the evening she noticed that there
were Just 13 persons present.
She called attention to the fact, and some
one jokingly 'aid that as she was the first to
notice it sho should be the one to fall n vic
tim to the fatal number. Sho was manifestlv
worried over it, and when she was taken ill
last Friday she became firmly convinced
that she could never recover.and so informed
her family and physician. Xothmg could
disabusoherof hcrbclier.nndshe continued
to grow worse until tho died.
Hill Made a Discovery.
Boston Traveller. 1
Governor Hill seems to havo made the dis
covery at last that Xew York is not Mississippi-
DEATHS DEKE AND ELSEWHEEE.
Thomas It. Davis.
Thomas K. Davis, Anditor of Disburse
ments of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, died
at his residence In Philadelphia yesterday morn
ing. Mr. Davis was bom In August, 133. anil at
the time of his death was in the forty-second year
of consecutive service with the company. He be
gan his railroad career with a clerk In the superin
tendent's olace at llarrlshurg In &J3, and was sub
sequently transferred to the general office at Al
toona and assigned to duty under the late H. J.
Lombeantau. then General Superintendent. In
this position he formulated the system nf account
ing, which, in its developed state. Is still used by
the Pennsvlvani-i Kallroad. In lift he removed to
Philadelphia and became chief clerk ot disburse
ments or railroad and canals. In 1863 he was ap
pointed Second Assistant Auditor, and in the re
organization of 1872 he was promoted to the post
of Auditor of Disbursements.
Mrs. Flora McKnlght Woolslalr.
Mrs. Flora McKnight "Woolslair, wife of
Charles W. Woolslair. of tlie East End stock
yards, died yesterday at her home on 31arcbaml
street.. She was 33 years of ajrc and was well
known, and was identified with a number of chnrch
societies. The funeral will be on Sunday after
noon. Obituary riofes.
Charles Burroughs, the noted turf patron and
owner or the famous pacer. .Toe Davis, died at
Dayton Thursday sitting in his chair.
Martui Williams, the oldest newspaperman
in the Northwest, died suddenlv Thursday night at
Minneapolis of rheumatism of the heart.
KEV. James Mcikhead. of the Methodist Epis
copal Illinois Conference, died suddenly yesterday
In Champalzn, III., aged 65. He was widely known
throughout the Middle and Western States.
Richard G. Dove, the oldest employe in the
Government service in Washington, died yester
day. He was a clerk In the Trtasnry Department,
and was appointed In ISO) during President Jack
son's administration.
Russell M. Little died yesterday at Glenn
Falls, X. H., aged 82 years. He founded the Glenn
Falls Insurance Company, and bad been its presi
dent since 18C4. He was a delegate to the Chicago
Convention which first nominated Lincoln,
CUEIOUS CONDENSATIONS.
There will be 53 Sundays in 1892. '
The City of llexico has 329,533 inhab
itants. Electric liht is to be used in all the
German factories.
Twenty tons of violets are used every
year by a Cannes perfumer.
The pennyweight was the exact weijht
of the old British silver penny.
Prof. Keeler says the sun's heat will
warm tho world for 10,000,000 years yet.
The pin factories of the United States
make about 13,000,000,000 pins each year.
Paper matches are coming into favor,
and a factory will De built shortly in
Michigan.
The largest steam shovel in the world
is at work in phosphate mines in South
Carolina.
The favorite method of adorning build
ings during the middle ages was by means of
mirrors.
The value of Kansas farm lands is saicV
to have actually Increased 21 per cent in the
past 12 months.
Nearly all the best works of Persian
art are attributed to the time of the great
Shah Abbar, 1533.
More than $500,000 worth of gold goes
into people's mouths every year la the fill
ing of their teeth.
Copies of the Icelandic Bible printed in
1534 are still in existence. A banker of Lex
iDgton, Mo., has one.
The Southeastern Bailway in England
asked at the rate of . 13,000,000 per acre for a
strip of its land at Bermondsey.
Three families in Eaton Kapids, Mich.,
living side by side, have 43 children.
They could start a school district of their
own-
The famous and venerable Magdalene
tower in Ireland Is to be converted into a
ventilating shaft for the sewers of Drog.
beda.
On the Maryland coast the other dar a
whale was captured, in whose stomach was
a flve-gallon demijohn of whisky with the
cork still in.
A new substitute for glass has been an
nounced in Vienna. It is made out of collo
dion wool and has the same properties as
glass, except that it is flexible.
Chinese gold miners in California do
not talk at their work, as they consider it
unlucky, and for the same reason they do
not like to be addressed by visitors. At
Bock Springs, Wyo., the Chinese miners In
the coal mines consider it very unlucky
to speak before breakfast.
The first iron ship has more reputed
birth places than Homer. Both the Clyde
and the Mersey claim pre-eminence in this
respect. Sir E. J. Robinson, designed an
iron vessel in 1816. which was not launched
till threo years later, and it is said that an
Iron boat was worked on the Severn even as
far back as 17S7.
The loss of crockery by the late earth
quake in Japan, in Aichi and Mino, the well
known centers of the porcelain manufacto
ries, has been tremondons. The furnaces
have nearly all been destroyed. It 13 ex
pected, thorefore, that a great rise in tho
price of porcelain will ensne, as tho fur
naces will not be completed before the end
of the year.
The kauri tree grows in Auckland and
tho vast forests of this beautiful tree are
largely owned by a syndicate. Some of the
trees are 15 feet in diameter. The wood is
close grained and tough and is used forship
buildingtoalarge extent. It is especially
valuable because there are no knots in it,
and it is not unusual for a 95-foot mast to be
without a single knot.
Jefferson county, Ala., is taking the
lead of all other Southern counties, if not of
every county in the United States, in tho
vigor which it is displaying in macadamiz
ing its roads. It has already 110 miles of
macadamized roads, 30 more now under con
struction, and contracts nre soon to be let
for seven miles additional, which will give
that county a total of 150 miles of first-class
roads.
In cleansing the shore of "Wenham Xake
the remains of an old iron works was dis
covered. Tho iron is what Is known as bog
iron, and there aro many evidences of its
having been smelted. Wenham Lake is in.
North Bevorly.near Salem, in Essex county.
The iron works referred to wero certainly
not the first, nor the second, nor tho third in
Massachusetts. They may havo been built
about 1700.
A foolish fox was caught In a very odd
way in Glastonbury, Conn., recently. He
had a very long and bushy tail, and, maybe,
was extremely vain of it, for ho swished it
from side to side instead of trailing it on the
ground. A pack of hounds chased him, and
to elude them ho tried to bolt through a
barbed wire fence; but somehow that tail
curled itself about a barb and tho fox was as
fast as if the Jaws of a steel trap held him.
An hour later the hunters despatched him.
The municipal authorities of Toronto
recently ordered the police to make a count
of the unoccupied houses in the city. The
citizens were not satisfied with the showing
made and a recount was ordered. The sec
ond count was completed the other day,
and it shows that there are 3,679 dwelling
hodses and 531 stores vacant in the city of
Toronto. It is not reported whether or not
the citizens are pleased with the revised
figures. The showing is suggestive along
several lines.
Dry champagnes are of comparatively
recent popularity, even in Xew York. Cham
pagne used to be esteemed a lady's wine,
and therefore properly sweet. Thero are
men not yet old who remember the time
when dry champagnes were not found even
in the fashionable clubs of the oountry, and
one well-known firm, perhaps the earliest to
make a specialty of dry wines for the Amer
ican market, began to be recognized in this
country less than 30 years ago. Taste hns
been educated with great rapidity, however,
and even women begin to loot upon a sweet
wine with disfavor.
It is not-the most famous of ducking
streams in Maryland that most abound in
wild fowl, and some of the least known ana
most inaccessible are crowded with game
all winter. The Kiver St. Martin's in Woos
ter county is one of these. It is a broad
tide-water stream flowing into an arm of the
Atlantic not far from Berlin. Hard by the
stream are the ruins of old St. Martin's
Church.one of the oldest Episcopal churches
In the country. St. Martin's was so flourish
ing in the early years or the eighteenth cen
tury that Queen Anne honored it with the
gift of a silver sacramental service, which is
still in use.
JOKELETS FKOM JUDGE.
Bingo (who lives next door to "Wickstafi")
I have bought my little boy a drum for Christ
mas, and I hope he won't keep yon awrafce.
Wicks taff He won' t keep me awake If be doesn't
plar on It.
Peach, pear and plum have their gifts for
man.
We couldn't get on without the three;
But the fruit built on the tetter plan
Is the fruit found on the Christmas tree.
First footpad There is no use tackling
that fellow.
Second footpad Why?
First footpad-He's been baying Christmas pres
ents all day.
Bloobumper "What a pretty child Mrs.
Jaysmlth's baby 1st
Mrs. Bloobumper Tcs; and It didn't get its
beauty from Its papa, either.
Bloobumper I don't know about that. Jaysmlth
hasn't any left.
"What though her father laugh
And say in jesting way
The boy but loves by half
And the girl Is only la play?'
, A girl may grow to a wife
And learn In love's old school
To wind the threads of a life
With a skein or Shetland wool.
Amy I wonder why Congressman Jerry
Simpson won't wear socks?
Mable Perhaps he was horn barefooted.
He Mrs. Crumpton carried Jack Hard
ing off bodily to the Salvationist revival. She's so
much interested In him 1
She Did the czhorters have any effect on Mm?
He Yes: he rushed up to the mourners' bench
and cried out, ' 'What shall I do to be lost?' '
In poverty's meshes caught,
'Tis no wonder my woes Increase.
I have given my sweetheart naught;
She has given me my release.
Stranger I believe you aro connected
with the Thirty-third national bask.
Gentleman Yes, sir.
Stranger Will you be kind enongh to ten rae
something about the financial standing of the In
stitution Gentleman Wett, really, I'm afraid I caa't,
I'm simply a director, you know.