"ti""" 12 TIIE SCKANTON TRIBUNE- SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 1, 18!7. -,.vi,?i j" b-r? Suitable Honor to Be Paid to the Caboteo QiaadricentennJa! of the Discoveries Wfoicli Aire Responsible for the Fact that North Americans Speak English Why do the people at the. United Stntes speak Ktlgllsh? The Times Herald replies: It Is because John and Sebastian Cabot discovered North America 400 year? nso June 14 next. Columbus did not d lscover North Amer ica, Central and South America were the only parts of the continent upon which he set foot: on that account they were claimed liy Spain, and tfpanlsh is their language. Hut Cabot discovered North America, and on that account this part of the new world was claimed by the Kngllsli, who later sent colonies to settle It. The Importance if Cabot's voyages Is now beginning to be recognized, und this year the quadrlcentenr.ial Is to be celebrated at Bristol', England. Bris tol's Interest In the matter comes from the fart that It was from Bristol that the Cabots sailed. Their voyages were made In Bristol ships, outfitted bv Bristol money and manned 'by Bristol sullois. The citizens of Bristol have organized a strong committee with the intention of adequately commemorat ing the part taken by their nncestors in the impoituiit epedltlons. Exactly what form the memorial shall take has not been determined, but It is proposed that a monument shall be erected on home conspicuous spot within the lim its of their city Amei leans resident in Ennland are co-operating In the work. A commit tee has been appointed, of which Am basador Hayaid Is president, and It will talse money to be used for some purposi- In keeping with the Bristol de sign. It Is also suggested that the I'nlted States celebrate the Cabot voy ages. That wos the design of Colonel Jesse E. Peyton, the father of centen nials, who tlrst sugger ted the centennial of 1770, the Yorktown centennial, the constitutional oentennlil, the orld's Columbian Exposition, and the centen nial of Washington's Inauguration. It was his Intuition to woik In behalf of the Cabot centennial, and were he alive today he would be doing what he could to bring it about. GREATER THAN COIVUMBUS. Admirers of Caboth believe that Cabot Is entitled to vastly more credit at the hands of Americans than Is Co lumbus. Som of them go .so far as to nay that the World's Columbian xpo sltlon should have been called the World's Cabotlan Exposition and should have been held In 1&97 instead of 1893. The expeditions of Cabot, how -ever, In 1497 and 1498, in spite of their important consequences, were under taken without ostentation and display, lilttle was thought of them at the time, and the absence of romance In their connection as well as the meager rec ords which have been left of their achievement have caused the Cabots to be forgotten by all except historians. Even now the date of landing Is un certain, and It has been claimed that the first Cabot voyage took place in 1494. "Very little Is known of the discoverer of North America, John Cabot, the father of Sebastian and the leader of the expedition. Not even his native rountry can be ascertained. His name is variously given as John Cabot In c pm Fm Uii 21 Theo. Hart, In I'ittston Gazette. To think of "doing" the City of Mexico In thiee days the limit of the National Fdltotlal Association excur sionists' stni' there Is as absurd as was the idea of the fellow who ta'ked of willing up London after' a week's noJrr.it n. At the end of a week the tourist concluded to tako a month at thi Job, and after a month's sight seeing ho came to the conclusion that ns ytt no 1-new very little about Lon don. The traveler in Mexico will have u somewhat similar experience In Its oismerolltan capital, every Inch ft whose ground Is historic, and crowded as it Is with unique attractions for the American visitor and scores of plaies of surpassing interest. On the second day of the newspaper men's sojourn in the Mexican meti"p olls there was no special programme Small parties secured carriages and guides, In many cases, and started out at pleasute In various directions. Not a few had done bo the preceding day. Some visited the venerable and costly churches. Others made a tour of the markets and business places, here very many novel sights were to be seen. Others Inspected the numer ous hospitals and schools. There are over 300 public schools In the city, at tended by upwards of 20,000 pupils. The schools are mainly conducted in buildings that were formerly convents or church properties. Then there is a consnrvntory of music, line colleges of medicine and law, and a school of mines founded more than a century ngo. The building In which the latter Is quartered is one of the finest in the city and cost yearly two millions of dollars. Immense metallic meteorites are shown here, weighing thousands of pounds each, which were found In different parts of the country. NATIONAL PAWN SHOP. The Monte de Piedad ts n place of In terest to most strangers. It Is the na tional pawn-shop, and tourists find many curious and other articles there "which they may profitably Invest, Nearly all Mexican towns and cities have these government institutions which are established to prevent the extortions of pawn-brockeis. It was formerly the rulo to charge no inter est on money loaned at these places leaving the borrower to make a gift to a charity fund upon rede.Tnlng his pledge, but now the government col lects low rate of Interest. When an article Is sold for more than has been borrowed on it, any excess above the loan and interest is returned to the borrower. The Monte de Piedad in the city of Mexico does a business of over a million dollars a year. On tho afternoon of the second day a street car trip was taken by tho ed itorial excursionists In a body to Chap ultepec. This was the summer palace of the Montezumas and later rulers, including Emperor Maximilian, and la at preaent both the White House and tho' West Point of the Mexican repub lic. President Diaz has never made his home In the National Palace, th great building In the center of the city In which the officers of the sev rral govprmental departments are lo wtii, as former chief executives did, English, Giovanni Caboto In Italian, and Kuan Cabot or Zuan Caboto In the Venetian dialect. His name Is first mentioned in the archives of Venice, when he wns given the lights of an adopted citizen, on March 28, 1476, after the legal residence of llfteen years. This does not contain any mention of his birthplace. It Is next known that In 1495 he, with his wife nnd three sons, lived In Bristol, but It Is believed that he had been there for several years previously. Geogra phers and mariners had about that time become convinced that the earth was a sphere, the opinion having been con firmed by the voyages of Columbus, and It was believed thnt the shortest way to reach the Indies would be to start west and circumnavigate the globe, espe cially since Columbus believed that the islands he had discovered were outly ing bits of the Indies. Imbued with these ideas, John Cabot applied for and received a patent which authorized him and his three sons, either of them or their heirs, to search for Islands, provinces or regions in the eastern, western or northern seas; and, as vassals of the king of England, to occupy the teirltorles found, with an exclusive right to their commerce on paying the king a tutu part of all the profits. DISCOVERED NORTH AMERICA. Under this chaiter John Cabot sailed west some time In May, 1497, from Bris tol, with his son Sebastian. When lie had sailed a distance which he Judged to be 700 leagues lie came to what ho believed was a part of the dominions of the "Grand Cham." In reality It was the coast of Labrador. He planted the banner of England and Venice on the land and then sailed 300 leagues along the coast and landed at various times, but did not see any person, al though he believed that the counUv was Inhabited. Cabot and his son returned to Bristol In August. Bristol was then, next to Venice, the most Important commercial center In Europe, and for years after ward It enjoyed a practical monopoly of the commerce with the West Indies and the southern statts. The discovery of the Cabots attracted much attention, and on Feb. .1, 1498, Hemy VII. granted John Cabot special authority to Impress six English ships at'no greater charges than it was the custom to pay for ships taken for the king's service, enlist com panies of volunteers and take them to the countries discoveied by Cabot. The date of the discovery is generally fixed at June 24, 1497, because of its be ing the date on the map of Sebastian Cabot which Is cited in Hakluyt. But another copy of Sebastian Cabot's map exists at Oxford, upon which the date Is 1494, and another in Germany has the same date. Antiquarians dispute as to which Is an error. John Cabot did not make a second voyage to the new world, but the work which he had begun was continued by his son, Sebastian, who was the dis coverer of thi North American roast line as far south as Chesapeake Bay. There Is notihng in existence to show the time nnd place of Sebastian's birth, and whether he was bom in Bristol or ml TTTTWT TT n RJ iLdlU has preferred to have his home In the more secluded castle so beautifully situated upon the crest of the subur ban eminence called Chapultepec. It Is a mound rising from the plain to a height of three hundred feet. The horse car pass near the park gate and the castle Is reached by a winding lode up the rocky sides of tho hill. On one side a cave may be seen which opens to nn underground passage that leads to a shaft sunk from the garden on top of the hill. This Is said to have been once usedas a secret passageway. Our party was kindly allowed to go through the magnificently furnished apartments of the castle, a privilege seldom granted1 to the natives, we were told, and never except upon a permit Issued by tho government au thorities. CHAPULTEPEC. Tho place possesses a special interest to our countrymen, as it was the scene of one of tho impottant battles of the I wnv with Ainmlnn nn Kpnfr 13 1k47. Attc.r having visited the place, one finds a new pleasure in reading Gen. Grant's "Personal Memoirs" and his story of the battles in this vicinity, In which he participated, together with others who afterward bore prominent parts in our cival war. "My exper ience In the Mexican war was of great advantage to me afterwards," wrote Gen. Grant. "I had been at West Point at about the liht time to meet most of tho graduates who weie of a suitable ago at the breaking out of the Rebellion to be trustod with large commands, Graduating In 1843, I was at the Military Academy from one to four years with all cadets who grad uated between 1840 and 1846 seven classes. These embraced more than fifty otllcers who afterwards became generals on one side or the other In the rebellion, many of them holding high commands. All the older officers who became conspicuous in the rebel lion I had also served with and known in Mexico Lee, J, E. Johnston, A. S. Johnston, Holmes, Herbert and a num ber of others on the Confederate side, also McCall, Mansfield, Phil. Kearney, and others on tho National side. The acquaintance thus formed was of Im mense sendee to me in tho war of the Rebellion I mean what I learned of the characters of those to whom I was af terwards opposed, The natural dispo sition of most people Is to clothe a commander of a large army whom they do not know with almost superhuman abilities. .A large part of the National uimy, for Instance, and most of the press of the country clothed General Lee with Just such qualities, but I had known him personally and kntw that ho was mortal, and it was JUBt as well that I felt this," NEARBY BATTLEFIELDS. The neighboring battlefields of Chur ubusco and Mollno del Rey, the latter easily reached by a branch horso car line, are In view from the broad porch es of Chapultepec castle. Indeed the prospect from here Is unsurpassed In he vicinity. On one side may be seen n tho distance the snow-capped peaks f Popocatapetl and Ixtacclsuatl, the 'ormer beautifully described in Indian legends as guarding- his dead sweet Venice is In dispute. Sebastian accom panied his father on his first voyage, and In May, 1498, taking advnntngo of the charter which had been granted by Henry VII., he sailed from Bristol.wlth two ships nnd a largo number of vol unteers, to discover a northwestern passage to China nnd Japan. His voy age was more northerly than that of the other navigators and ho encoun tered many Icebergs; so ho turned to ward the south until finally he reached Newfoundland. Krorn that iiolnt ho SEBASTIAN cruised along th 'coast and made fre quent landings, and saw Indians who wore the skins of beasts. His voyage was as far south as the latitude of Gibi altar, and finally in despair he abandoned the attempt to find the western passage to India. Upon his return little was thought of his discoveries, though he had found an immense continent with a temuurate climate. But he had not found the passage to Asia. Ills voyages weie, therefore dimmed by those of Arasco da Gama, who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and had reached India. As an instance of the little value which was attached to the discoveries of Cabot, It may be mentioned that the family allowed the- patent to be lost, which patent had given the fam ily an exclusive right to trade with the new world. But the whole object In life of Se bastian Cabot was to discover a new passage to Asia, and at the death of Henry VII., when he found It impos sible to obtain funds for the purpose In England, he went to Spain and Ferdinand appointed him one of the councILfor New Spain. In IMG he set sail and attempted to find a south western passage. In this voyage he reached Paraguay, which he discov ered, but he abandoned the attempt to pass around the continent by the south and returned to Spain. TTU Tr N 1M Ji Jill 2jW heart, the Woman in White, stretched snowy upon he lofty bier," while from the front of the castle Is a grand view of the city, lakes and suburban towns and villages, mountain nnd plain, in the wonderful Valley of Mexico. The National Military academy Is also located on the heights of Chapul tepec, tho buildings being really con nected with the castle. The place was bravely defended by the cadets, when captured by the American nimy In 1847, and a handsome monument In the park at the foot of the hill was erected to the memory of the young men who fell in the fight. General Grant pro nounced this one of tho unnecessary battles of the war with Mexico, which he characteilzed geneially as "one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation." Tacubaya, the Monte Carlo of Mexico, was afterwaid visited by our party. Upon the tables on which the various games of chance are played loulette, faro, monte, etc., were great piles of silver coins, amounting to thousands of dollars. There was no gambling while, we were there, except a few plays made by visitors to show the party "how the thing is done." As we left the place we saw smaller gambling games for the poor people in progress by the road side, the "bankers" sheltering them selves under umbrellas, and In some cases women and children taking part, tho little fellows being so small that they had to tip-toe It to place their "centavos" upon the tables. Gambling Is Indulged in to such excess, by the natives of all classes and conditions, that It may be properly designated as a conspicuous national vice. Lotteries are of course very popular, and these enterprises are regulated and conduct ed by the national government. Every where ono Is confronted by peddlers of lottery tickets men, women and chil drenand regular drawings arc held every Sunday. FLOATING GARDENS. The floating gardens, "chlnampas," on the Vlga Canal, were visited by some of the excursionists and the trlu was greatly enjoyed. The gardens aro reached by horse cars to Embarcadern and thence by boats, each fitted with seats under a bright colored canoDj'. Tha native gondolier propels his craft with a pole and this part of the Journey is a novelty. Longer excursions to tho lakes and more distant towns may be made, and are said to be most delight ful, Within a short distance from tho centre of the city one may seo exten sive tracts under cultivation which were once swamps or lakes, now ap pearing like patches of land with ditches instead of walks through the plots. The floating gardens were fea tures of great beauty In tho land of the Aztecs, as the Spanish Invaders found them nearly four hundred years ngo, and those who today take a small boat and make this La Vlga Canal voyage through acres of (lowers, declaro It to be one of tho rarest treats afforded tho visitor to Mexico, Ono of the attractions most strangers desire to Bee is the Juarez memorial, on tho Panteon de Ban Fernando, Tho recumbent figure of the Indian presi dent rests beneath a Grecian temple of whlto marble. Half supporting the WANTED BY TWO NATIONS. Meanwhile the navigator was or dered by Edward VI. to return to Eng land, nnd In answer to the summons he returned In 1BI8. He was regarded as a great navigator, and the king gave him a ienslon equivalent to $800 "In consideration of good and accept able service done and to bo done by him," The Spanish wanted him back, and on Jan. 19, 1550, the Emperor Charles V applied for his return, but without result, for 'his Influence In- CABOT. spired much confidence in England, where he was looked up to by all of tho maiiners, and on that account ho was given a special reward of JC200. Edward VI. also granted Sebastian a copy of the patent which had been lost by tho family, and in 1553 Scbas tlan organized a company of merchants to go northeast to Norway and then pall southerly to China. The expedi tion was, of course, a failure, nnd the ships were frozen in the Ice, all of tho persons on board perishing with the cold. Another ship which was sent on the same errand discovered Archangel and opened commerce between Eng land and Russia. Some years later Sebastian died, but tho date of his death Is not known, nor Is the burial place. Tho most Important result of the voy ages of the Cabots was that upon them was based the claim of England to North America. Although the date of landing was uncertain, as well as tho place of landing, the great fact re mained that in an official map pub lished In Spain in 1500 the North At lantic coast from Cape Hatteras north nap starred with five English stand ards at different points and the words "Discovered by the English" were im printed upon It. This admission by Spain, which the Spanish after vard greatly regretted, had the effect of FTT body is a figure representing Mexico mourning for her honored dead. BENITO JUAREZ. Tho history and career of Benito Juarez are among the most interesting of Mexican annals. In 1S55, with the downfall of Santa Ana, who had set himself up as dictator a few years after the war with America, Gen. Alvarez became president. He made Juarez his chief adviser, and aided by Gen. Com onfort they instituted radical reforms in the government. A new constitu tion was framed which Lincoln's sec retary of state, William II. Seward, pronounced "the best Instrument of Its kind In the world." European inter vention overthrew this administration, but Juarez and his government were soon reinstated and again took up their reform work. The Maximilian usur pation once more broke In upon the programme of the Indian president and Juaiez was for a second time an exile In tho United States. Upon tho col lapse of Maximilian's empire and the restoration of President Juarez to his rightful place, he entered vigorously upon the work commenced In 1757, Gen. Diaz, the present chief executive, was nn efficient supporter of Juarez, but It was not until he himself became presi dent, In 1877, that the teforms Insti tuted by Juarez twenty years earlier and extended In 1873 under his Immedi ate successor (Juarez having died the preceding year) became fully In force. Following Is a synopsis of these laws, as given In Dr. Butler's "Sketches of Mexico;" "The absolute separation of church and state. "Congress Inhibited from the passage of any laws establishing or piohluitlng any religion. "Tho free exorcieo of religious services tho state not to give otllclal recosni Hon to any religious festivals save the Sabbath as a day of rebt. "Religious services to bo held only with in places of worship, clerical vestments forbidden In tho streets and religious pro cessions prohibited. "Tho uso of church bells reatilcted to calling tho peoplo to worship, which should bo public only. "Pulpit discourses advising disobedience to tho law, or Injury to anyone, strictly forbidden. "Gifts of real estate to religious Instltu. tlons declared unlawful, except of edi fices designed exclusively for tha purposes of tho Institution. "Tho state would not recognize monastic orders nor permit their establishment, "Marriage was made a civil contract to be duly registered, although religious ser vices might bo added," The new constitution and reform laws provided for the confiscation of all church property, Including cathedrals, churches, chapels, convents, etc., and secured the expulsion of all secret re ligious orders from tho country. Thus It was that church property valued at between two and three hundred mil lions, and yielding an annual income of $20,000,000, became nationalized, The churches required for public worship and so designated were leased for a term of nlnety-nlno years, but tho title remained vested In tho government. Much of the confiscated property con vents, monasteries and houses of re ligious orders was sold and tho pro ceeds turned into the national treas ury. That the originator of this great conceding1 the northern continent to England, As a result of the Cabot voyagea no serious attempt wns made to dispute Great Britain's right to the northern continent, and Spain made no settlements north of Florldn. His torians are unalmous in admitting that tho voyages had tho great consequence of preempting the northern continent to the English-speaking people. A meeting of Americans was held at London on Feb. 17, In the office of B. F. Stevens, at which It wns decided that the Americans resident in Eng land should co-operate in the celebra tion. As a result a committee was ap pointed, consisting of Poultney Blge low, Colonel V. II. Chesobrough, Dr Dr. Moncure D. Conway, R. Newton Crane, F. C. Van Duzcr, J. Walter Earle, Thomas L. Field, Bret Harte. Colonel A. d. Hawes, Frank Williams Jones, J. Morgan Richards, Isaac Se llgman, Colonel J. U Taylor and Henry S. Wellcome. Ambassador Bayard was chosen president, Patrick A. Col lins, consul general to London, was made vice president; B. F. Stevens, chairman; Howard Potter, treasurer, and Lprln A. Lathrop, consul at Bris tol, secretary. NATIONAL SWIMMING ASSOCIATION. Decides to Hold the Championship Knees nt Chicago. Tho National Swimming association held Its annual spring meeting recent ly at the Colonade hotel, Philadelphia, with Professor Edwin J. Huston In the chair. It was decided to hold the na tional swimming championship races at the Lagoon, in the Chicago Wash ington Park, July 4, under the auspices of the Chicago Athletic club, and to in vite Dr. A. T. Kinney, the Australian champion; G. H. Tyers, the English champion, nnd Daniel Rlneas, of San Francisco, the American champion, to compete. Professor Houston made an address, asking the association to extend Its swimming Instruction to the High nnd Manual Training schools of the city, and said thnt in event of the plan be ing carried out he would give prizes for the most proficient swimmers de veloped through such instruction. Eight new members were elected. The membership now comprises fcfl ac tive, 9 honorary ancint non-resident members. A committeo was appointed to find and make an estimate of the cost of procuring and furnishing a club house at Lafayette. The following officers were elected: President, Edwin J. Houston; vice piesident, James II. M. Hayes; secre tary and treasurer, James H. Sterrett; captain, Victor Binder; vice captain, W. B. Kugler. IMITATION. From tho Susquehanna Journal. A little girl of West Main street was invited to take tea at the home of a neighbor where she was always inado very welcome. She set off laden with much good advice as to behavior, and when she returned tired but happy, her mother Inquired if she had been polite. "Oh, yes, mamma," she replied. "And, oh, mamma, wo had Jam for tea! You know thnt you sjIiI I was not to tako anything a second time, so when they asked mo to have some more, I said, 'No, thank you.' Then they askej mo another time, and I said, 'I don't wish for any more.' But when they asked me again, I didn't know what to say. Then I lemcmbered Papa, and 1 Just said, 'Damn it, no.' " Ho Wns Contented to Do So. "What did she say when you ventured to kiss her?" "She said: 'Stop right where you are!' " Indianapolis Journal. , scheme should occupy a conspicuous place among his country's public men whatever may be thought of the Jus tice of tho proceeding is not strange. He was of pure Indian blood, and at twelve was a poor en and boy unable to speak the, Spanish language. At thirty-six he was a lawyer of note and chief justice of his native state. PASEO DE LA REFORMA. The Paseo de la Reformu, the fash ionable drive of Mexico, Is about two and a half miles long, and was laid out by the unfortunate Catlotta during the brief reign of her Imperial husband, Muximiltan. It leads from the city to the Chapultepec castle. At the entrance of the Paseo, going out of the citv, stands a massive statue, of Charles IV., said to be the largest solid bronze figure in tho world. It was made In 1S02 and weighs over thirty tons. It was first erected upon a pedestal In the Zocalo, the plaza in front of the National Pal ace, but about 1820 the feeling against Spain became so bitter, growing out of the revolutionary struggles, that this statue was covered by a huge wooden globe for a time and subsequently re moved from the plaza. Nearly thirty yeats later, the Mexican feeling against Spain having softened. It was placed where It now stands. It is 15 ft. 9 In. high and Is a real work of art. There Is also a fine statue of Columbus ono of the first erected on the continent that he discovered. Guatemotzln, the nephew and successor of Montezuma, is also honored by a beautiful memorial and statues of many other Mexican celebrities have been erected all along this magnificent boulevard. Guatemotzln (sometimes written Cu autemoe) was the last of the Aztec monarchs. He came to the throne In 1520, ut the age of twenty-four, Mon tezuma died on the day before Cortez and his followers were driven out of the capital city by the natives, after the brief Spanish occupation of tess than eight months. Tho night of their evacuation is known in history as la noche trlste, nnd a tree beneath which Cortez Is said to have sat down and wept, on the night of his defeat, still stands In the subutb of Popotla, sur rounded by an Iron railing to protect It from tho vandalism o relic hunters. When the Spaniards succeeded In re gaining possession of the capital city, a little more than a year afterward, they found that tho treasures of the Aztecs had been either destroyed or concealed, and to extort the secret of their whereabouts fiom Guatemotzln he. was cruelly tortured by Cortez, who had the feet of the captive ruler placed over a fire, but was only able to learn that tho king's great wealth of gold and precious stones had been cast Into the lake during tho siege of tho city. The erection of the splendid memorial to Guatemotzln on the Plaseo was or dered by General Diaz In 1876, when ho first becamo president. It Is tho work of a native artist, Jimenez. The relief designs and Inscriptions tell the story of the heat Mess torture by the Spanish conquerors, and bear ancient Aztec symbols. Surmounting all Is a large bronze statue of the heroic young ruler. IV JilLiiili j vy o It represents a plumed warrior stand- i Several of tho successful collieries lu Ing erect, In the act of taking an arrow I the upper part of the valley wero or from his quiver, l ganlzed and established by him, Sev- The I interests hi Of Amos York Short Chapter of Carries Us Back to Tho lecent death In Wyaluslng of Mrs. Phoebe Gaylord Rogers recalls to the Plttston Gazette Interesting recol lections cf u family closely associated with the inrly littery of tin Wyoming Vnlloy, one of whose members, Amos York Smith, was one of West Pitts Ion's ploneerr, one of the town's most bcautllul lesldcnce avenu's, York, bo lus named In his honor. Of Mts. Rog er, tho WyulUBlng ro'rerpondent of (ho Wilkes-Bar e Record writes ns fol lows "Mrs. Roger's iraiernal grand mother was a daughter of Amos York, oil's of the early txtllors of Wynluslng. He was taken captive by the Indians, nnd though exchanged some months later, died before reaching his family, who In the meantime having removed to the valley, were In the massacre. Wealthy, a daughter of Mr. York, mar ried John Smith, father of the late Dr. Smith, of Wilkes-Barre, the Mrs. Rog ers burled here being her grnnd- daughter. Mrs .Roger's paternal grand father. Major Gaylord, was n soldier In tho Revolutionary war and ulso served as scout In Gen. Sullivan's army. It was during the Sullivan ex pedition that he first saw Wyaluslng Valley and being favorably Impressed with the countiy, nt the close of tho war he came here and purchased the lands on the north side of tho creek, they being the grounds on which the town now principally stands. The Gay lords have been one of the most prom inent families In these parts, and the descendants are among the town s first people. Mrs. Rogers, who had leached her seventy-eighth year, was a lady of rare Christian graces, her life having been one of good deeds, spent In hard toll for the peace and comfort of bur household and for the enjoyment of those nrond her. She Is survived by two brothers. John L. Gaylord, of this place, and Miner M., living In New Mexico." Dr. Olin F. Harvey, of Wilkes-Barre, has placed In tangible form for pos terity some Interesting and valuable matter relating to this ancient family. On Nov. 4th, 1S9G, on the occasion of the presentation to the Luzerne Coun ty Medical Society of a portrait of Dr. John Smith, whose mother was a daushter of Amos York, of Revolution ary fame, Dr. Harvey lead a biograph ical paper fiom which we make a few extiacts. Dr. John Smith, of Wilkes Barre, it Is shown, was one of the early members of the medical society, having been elected at Its second meet ing. April 17. 1SG1. Ho was then the oldest physician both In years and practice in that community, having survived all his professional contem poraries of early days, and eight years later he died. Dr. Smith was a na tive of Kingston, where he was born Nov. 4, 1789, the son of Captain Benja min and Welthea Ann (York) Smith. Captain Benjamin was the son of Cap. tain Timothy, who was the son of John. The last named was an original proprietor In the Susquehanna pur chase and was a Justice of the peace here In Wyoming In 1772. In August, 1815, Dr. John Smith began the prac tice of medicine in New Troy (now the borough of Wyoming), Klngtson town ship. Where, or under whose direction and instruction he had pursued his preparatory studies Dr. Harvey was unable to learn. For twenty-one years thereafter he made New Troy his home, although his practice was not, by any means, confined to that local ity. In 1836 he removed to Wilkes Barre, which then had a population of only 1,500 and three practicing physi cians. Dr. Smith worked diligently in his profession, and for years, even up to within a few years of his death, his field of practice extended from Pltts ton to Nantlcoke. From tho ouset he had his share of the geneial practice in the valley, and, owing to his kind heartedness and easy-going ways, had more than his share of non-paying pa tients. Ho was always particularly kind and attentive to those whom he knew to be poor nnd in straitened cir cumstances, and during the civil war It was his rule to make no charge for professional services which he rendered to the families of men who weie enlist ed and serving In the Union army, un less they were well able to pay for his service. In August, 1819, Dr Smith was appointed, by Governor FIndlay, a jus tice of the peace In and for Kingston township, and for several years he per formed the duties of the otllce. In middle age, he devoted considerable time to politics, and was allied with tho nntl-Masonlo party which flourished here from 1828 to 1S38. Tho candld?to of this party for governor In 1835, Jo seph Rltner, was elected, and In 1830 ne appointed Dr. Smith prothonotary clerk of the various couits of Luzerne coun ty, which offlce he held until 1839. For several years Dr. Smith was a member of the borough council of Wilkes-Barre, and was president of the council from May, 1850, to May, 1851. He was also, about tho same period, a member, and for a time, president of the board of school dliectors of the borough. Being exceedingly methodical and regular In his habits, he was able to devote a good deal of time to study and general reading, and during his residenco in Wilkes-Barre quite a number of essnys on various subjects were contributed by him to the local newspapers. Dr. Smith was married In 1814, to Mehltablo Jenkins, of Kingston, a granddaughter of John Jenkins, esq , nn early settler In Wyoming, a Justice of the peace for several years, a repre sentative from Wyoming, or West moreland, to the Connecticut assembly upon several occasions, nnd prominent In other ways In this locality for sev eral years. John and Mehltable (Jen kins) Smith wero the parents of five sons and five daughters, tho eldest of whom was Amos York Smith, whom we have mentioned as having given tho name for York avenue, West Pltts ton. Wo have beforo us a copy of the Gazette of Friday, Dec. 23, 1881. con taining an obituary notice of Mr. Smith. Thl3 notice cays that early in life Mr. Smith engaged In business in the upper part of the valley, where, by untiring industry, generosity and in tegrity, he acquired a competence und established a high character as a man of business, a kind neighbor and a good citizen. A generation ago, few impor tant enterprises were undertaken in the vicinity of Plttston. Exeter or Wy oming with which York Smith by which name ho was generally known was not more or less intimately asso ciated, Tho first bridge which was erected across the river ut this place was built under his dliect supervision tory mnifltho Family History Which, Pioneer Times. oral years prior to the rebellion, he en gaged In tho construction of railroads. In the state of Texas, where ho con tinued to reside until lSGl, when, la consequence of hU decided nnd un swerving devotion to the- national cause, he was compelled to mako a. hasty exit from that state, leaving nenily everything ho possessed to bo con'lscated by the rebels. In 1867 ha returned to Texas as an agent of tha government, and was there until 1870. After that time he wns engaged in various enterprises. In 1874-5, ho built and equipped a rnllroad In the state of Delaware. For several years prior to Ills death ills feeble and falling health did not permit him to engnge la very active or Important enterprises. Mr. Smith passed away on Dec. 20th, 18S1, nt the home of his son-in-law, Dr. Olln F. Harvey, In Wilkes-Barre, and his remnins were laid to rest letildn those of his distinguished father In. tho cemetery at Torty Fort. Among Mr. Smith's surviving children Is Hettle, wife of Frank H. Kvte, of West Pitts ton, whoso second son, York, bears tha honored name of his grandfather. Mrs. J. C. Edgar, of West Plttston, and Mrs. W. P. Trexler, of California, are also, daughters of Mr. Smith. KAKLY AMUKICN IKON WORKS Thcv Ilxistcd in Now Jersey Ovci Two Hundred Years Ago. Tho first Iron works in New Jersey were started on a large tract of land embracing tho whole of the present Monmouth county, which was granted to James Groveis and others in 1665. Tho Brant was known as the "Mon mouth Patent," and the iron works were put In operation as early as 16C7. Upon taking churge of his pioperty Gravers soon found that there wero valuable deposits of what wnas called bog ore. containing forty per cent, of metal, In the wet meadows forming part of his property, nnd he took im mediate measures to develop an in dustry which promised excellent re sults. He sent to New England for two me chanics skilled In the building of fur naces und in the preparation of other appliances for the reduction of Iron ore. Under tho direction of these men, forges, smelting furnaces and other works wero built. These operations were very expensive for that tlmlo and were subsequently carried on by, cowls' Morris. As late as 1714 men tion Is made of encouraging these Iron Interest. Not a vestige of them, how ever, now remains. HOLD IIKATINH. How the Vnlunble Substance Called Hold Leaf Is Made. The process of preparing gold until It Is reduced to a thickness of 1-280,000 of nn Inch Is necessarily elaborate, says the Sun. The gold Is fltst cast Into In gots 4 Inches In length and 1 inch in width, which weigh from 10 to 17 ounces, according to thickness. It Is then passed between polished rollers, worked by steam, until it forms a rib bon 28 yards long and 1-800 Inch thick. These rlbboii3 are then cut into ISO pieces, 1 Inch square, and placed be tween vellum, and then the real busi ness of the gold beater Is begun. He beats for half an hour with a 20 pound hammer, making the Inch squnra Into 3 inches squat e; then these nieces are quartererd, becoming 1 inches square. He beats again for one and a quarter hours, until the l-lnch square becomes 4 inches square. The 4-Inch pieces are again quartered and beaten and finally cut to proper size, viz,, squares of 3 Inches, of a thickness (or rather "thinness") of 1-280,000 oe an Inch, and in this shape the leaf 13 lifted Into books of tissue paper. INNIIR SOLES OP SHOES. Onco .11 nd c of Tnr 1'iipcr but Now of nn Asbestos Preparation. As boots and shoes are now made, the Intermediate sole Is often composed of porous leather or substances which are absolutely worthless as damp ex cluders. In fact, these materials ab sorb moisture, and being of a spongy nature, are very difficult to dry out; therefore, the Inner sole being some what thin, the dampness penetrates It and the feet become chilled. As bestos as an intermediate sole is ona of the latest Inventions, and has the merit of good sense at least. This ma terial Is pressed Into thin sheets, cut Into soles and waterproofed on tho lower side. Asbestos being a non-conductor of heat, its value In this di rection Is evident, and It would tend not only to keep the dampness from the feet, but to retain tho warmth generated by the body. Dryness und! warmth of tho feet are of prime Im portance In cool climates. FOR INTERNA ND EXT-RN&L USE. CUIUS AN!) l'ltl.VU.VTS Colda, Coughs, Sore Throat, Influenza, bron chitis, Pneumonia, Swelling of the Joints, Lumbago, Inflammations. MUUIIillUlill llUUIIIiUUIilt FROSTBITES, CHILBLMNS, HEADACHE, TOOTHACHE, ISTHMA, DIFFICULT BREATHING. CURES THE WORST PAINS in from one to twenty minutes. NOT ONE HOUR after reading this advertisement need any; ono SUFFER WITH PAIN. Kaiinay's Ready Relief U a Sure Cure for ilery I'aln. Sprains, llrulicj.Paim In the (Sack. Chest oi l.lmbs. It was the first ind Is tlu only PAIN KkMliDY That Instantly utops tho most excruciating pains, allays Inflammation, and cures Con gestions, whether of the Lungs, Stomach, lioweU. or otrr glands or organ,', by ona nnnlli-atlon. A half to a teaspoonful in half a tumbler of water will- in a few minutes cur Cramps. Spasms, Sour Stomach, HeartJ burn. .Nervousness, sleeplessness, 5lc Headache, Diarrhea, Dysentery, CoilJ Flatulency and all Internal pains. I There is not a remedial ngent In til world that win cure fever aiiu Ague nf all other Malarious, Billions nnd othl fevers, aided by nADWAY'S PILLS. & quickly as UADWAY'S HEADY HELIKI1 Fifty cents per bottle. Sold by Druggists. RADWAY &. CO., 35 Elm Street, New York,1 torkhi. Jv r ,.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers