U U
V
1 " 1111 I I I I" ""I" - - - - -
s.rr. IIIITCUIXSOW, ED1TORS.
JAMES,. J
fOLUME 9.
1TTILLIAM KITTELL, Attc
Y Lav, Ebensburg, Pa.
Attorney at
August U, ifioa.
ToilN FENLON, Attorney at
.! Ebensburg, Pa.
Law",
i
Office on High street
augl3
'. nE01iaE M. READE, Attorney at
SIT Law, Ebensburg, r&.
ji??- Office in Colonnade Row. augl3
TT"i. TIEKNEY, Attorney at Law,
I H- Khpngburff. Cambria county, Pa.
aug!3
ILL! AM II. SECIILER, Attor
ney nt Law, Ebensburg, Pa.
Ofuce in Colonnade Row. aug20
t1 EOKGE W. O ATM AN, Attorney at
T.nur an d Claim Acent, and United
f kites Commissioner for Cambria county, Eb-
e-iburg, l'a- L
-foTlXSTON & SCANLAN, Attorneys
at Law, Ebensburg, Pa.
fcy Office opposite the Court House.
g.J.. JOU.NHTON. ailgl3 J. K. BOA.SLAK.
HaMIIEL SINGLETON, Attorney at
ijj Law, Ebensburg, Pa.
t.y-Office ou High street, west of F013-
Ueii Hotel. Lauli
J4. '
fAMKS C. EASLY, Attorney at Law,
(l ijarrolltown, Cambria county, Ta.
Architectural Drawings und pecifi
crAwns made. Tg"13
f? J. WATERS, Justice ot the Teuce
JLi. and Scrivener.
f.V Oflice adjoining dwelling, on High St.,
iburg, Pa.
" r i .
aug 13-tim.
p A. SHOEMAKER, Attorney at
X fc Law, Ebensburg, Pa.
U'.irtkular attention paid to collections.
?r Oince on High street, west of the Di
ijoad. ugt3
-i "
1055 EPII S. STRAY Ell, Justice of
tl the Peace, Johnstown, Pa.
j.'.if Office on Market street, corner of Lo
C4t street extended, and one door south of
thk Ute office of Wm. M'Kee. j auglG
T) PEVEREAUX, M. D., Physician
- and .Surireon. Summit, Pa
W Office east of Mantnon Houe, on Rail
I rol k'.nit. Night culls promptly atteude.
5 tot Lii oliicc.
f J
augl3
1)E WITT ZEIULEli
JJ Having permanently located in Ebens
Ut, offers his profetsional acrvices to the
t izi'ns of town and viririty.
. I'ceth eimicted, without iii, with Nilrous
C: Ji, or Laughing Gat.
taj- Rooms adjoining G. Huntley's store,
Htrb street. ' Igl3
KNTISTUY.
Th. nnderaiorncd. Graduate of the Bal
timore Colleire of A-ntal Surgery, respectfully
fc. r his professional services to the citizens
I Kbensburc. He lias spared no means 10
J roughly acquaint himself ith every im
cineui (n his art. To many years of per-
Maal iperience, he has sought to aaattie
tldrted experience of the highest authorities
Si Dfiital Science. He simply asks that an
opportunity may be given for his work to
ili'nk its own praise.
J SAMUEL TELFORD, D. D. S.
PS"Will beat Ebensburg on the fourth
ITla.Uy of each month, to stay one wjek.
lAugust 13, 18(58.
Ll.OYl) CO., Bankers
Kbkssbcro, Pa.
XvSrCiol l, Silver, Government Loans and
ci.er Securities bought and sold. Interest
'ijweJ on Time Deposits. Collections made
ficcciiible points in the United States,
fcil a General Bauking Business transacted.
Uuust 13, 1SCS.
v.M-
i'r.t.'fs on
M. LLOYD & Co., Bankers
Altoona, Pa.
tif nrin.-inal cities, and Silver
Mi O'oIJ for sale. Collections made. Mon-
id Cole
re recti
j:hout
Mfair r
receired on deposit, payable on demand,
i.iterest, or upon time, with interest
rates. laugli
k. . nori. Prrt't. joiin llovd,
CatlUer.
FIKST NATIONAL BANK
OF ALTOONA.
! G O VERXMEXT A GEXCY,
DESIGNATED DEPOSITOPwY OF THE CKI-
TKD STATES,
tsj" Corner Virginia and Annie sts., North
iyr'i,J, Altoona, Pa.
AfrmoRiisn Capital $300,000 00
i'H Capital Paid ijj 150,000 00
AR business pertaining to Banking done on
voraMe terms.
iL'crual Revenue Stamps of all denomina-
ns always on hand.
To purchasers of Stamp?, percentage, in
lmps, Win be allowed, a3 follows : $50 to
,'00. 2 ter rr,t ,(C: t.- '00 3 nor rent
i ) - w, - T
x-'J and upwards, 4 per cent. augl3
EES J. LLOYD,
Successor of R. S. Butin,
Dealer in
IRE DrUGS AND MEDICINES, PAINTS,
wiL,o, a.u UYE-STUFFS, PEUFUME-
BY AND FANCY ARTICLES, PURE
WINES AND i?im'I"ie Viu
CAL PURPOSES, PATENT MEDICINES, &c.
Also :
tter, Cap, and Note Papers,
Pens, Pencils, Superior Ink,
And other articles kept
v'Sl. On Main Slroot (
TJ10U v- Ebensburg, Pa. augl3
A Ii.M BLAINE, Barter
"Tr . Ebkssbckq, Pa.
onaving, Shampooing, and Hair-dressing
ne m the most artistic style.
gAMUEL SINGLKTOX, Notary Pub-
ao; lc, Ebensburg, Pa.
L , ce on street, west of Foster's Ho-
augl3
OB WOUK
Of all kin? fl.-nn
THE ALLE(iHANIAN OFFICE.
at
EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, L868.
Among the Corn.
The girl sat down 'mid the rustling corn,
Aud startled a nestled bird,
And up it sprang with ft burst of song,
But I do not think that she heard.
What does she think about, sitting there?
What does her spirit see ?
13 she thanking God for Ilia gollou sky,
And for river and hill and tree?
No ; for her heart in the city ia,
Where the working day is done ;
Tho crowds are hurrying home, she knows,
But cho only thinks of one !
She sees a room An an old brown hou3e,
With a window long and low.
Where, above the hum and dusty inoil,
Some country llowers grow.
She droams of the life the. women havo
Who live in such homely place :
Is it the light of thfc setting mm
That is glowing ou her lace?
Let her sit and drera 'mid the rustling corn,
Till the golden sky grow gray
We scarcely notice God's earth ia fair
Till something ia passing away 1
SCHOOLS OF CfttilBRIA COUNTY.
CO. 8UFT.
cmPMAi usi-our VOS THE yai
exdku juus 1, 1SJ3.
I received my commission as County
Superintend jnt October 5th, ISrJT. Ow
ing to the advanced stage of the season,
and the lhet that several examinations had
been advertised by my predecessor to be
held at an early date, I was compelled to
go to work without any time in which to
survey the field before me.
1. KDUCATIONAL PROGRESS IN COUNTY.
JLjuscs. A number of school houses
have been built during the year. These
are all decided improvements upon the
style of houses which lias usually obtained
m tins county. I ho new house in Mnl
ville, mentioned as ia course of erection in
last year s report, was completed in time
for the term commencing last October. It
is of brick, two good btoriot; in hight, roof
ed with slate, and surmounted .vith a cu
pola aud boil. Ahe halls, staircasca, reci
tation rooms, &c, are in projections at two
opposite ends of the building -Tke buil
ding stands in a large lot, which is enclosed
by a good lence, and contains sucn out
houses as are necessary. The school house
i warmed by heat-ers placed in the base
ment. The Louse contains lbur schoc
roomtf, which are provided with desks and
seats of the latest improved patterns, with
large blackboards of liquid tlatinsr, with !
outline maps, cards, charts, occ. lhe cost
of the building was about $13,000. Mill
ville has Bet a laudable example for other
districts to follow.
And they teem to be following it.
Johnstown has just completed a new house,
the very counterpart of that in Millville.
Its co?t was about the same. Public
school is now taught in it. Two new
houses were erected in Alleghany town
ship during the year. These are as good
country school houses as can be found
anywhere : large, airy, light, well ventila
ted, well painted inside and out, substan
tially built, provided with good seats,
blackboards, &e., and last, but not least,
properly located. The other districts that
have built during the year are Chest 1,
Jackson 1, Conemaugh 1, Summerhiil 1,
Taylor 2, Washington 1, Susquehanna 2,
llichland 2. These have all done well,
and ppeak noble words for the interest
which our ptople feel in the cause of pop
ular education.
&c7uols. Our schools, so fr as I could
discover in visiting them, and from what
I could learn by inquiries, have done rea
sonably well. Some of them have done
very well indeed ; others, of course, not so
well. There have been rerv few, if any.
cases of decided failure. Some dissatis
faction has been expressed- concerning a
few of the teachers ; but when was this
otherwise ? As good an illustration as I
can give of the success of our schools du
ring the year is the fact that the per cent,
of attendance in 71 schools of which I
made memoranda was 70. These schools
were not selected cases, but were taken
just as they came, and represent, I be
lieve, a very fair average of all. I should
have been pleased to have made note of
the per cent, of attendance of all the
schools .that I visited, but a number were
visited during the first month of the term,
of a number of ethers the report books
were not in the school house and ould not
be consulted, and in a few instances the
reports were not made out.
II. EDUCATIONAL. AVORK DONE BY SU
PERINTENDENT. Examinations. Owing to causes which
I mentioned in the first paragraph of this
report, I proceeded at once, after receiving
my commission, to hold examinations. My
first public examination was held Oct. i).
As I had not time to devise or even think
of any other method of examining, I adop
ted tho plan of my predecessor. Indeed,
a better has not yet suggested itself to my
mind. Examinations had been advertised
for Millville and Johnstown on the 3d and
4th days of October, and in the interim
between the resignation of Mr. Coudou
and the appointment of a superintendent
in his place, Mr. S. B. McCormick was
authorized by the department to hold "those
I 'WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT THAN PRESIDENT. Has by Clay
examinations, his proceedings to be subject j
to the approval or disapproval of the su- j
perintendent when one should be appoin- j
ted. 3Ir. McC. examined and granted
certificates to 42 persons. On my acees-
sion to office, I approved ol his proceed- i
ings
During the year, 59 male and 153
female applicants "were examined, and two
males and two females were rejected.
Certificates. Of the persons to whom
certificates were granted, hold provis
ional certificates, 4 hold professional cer
tificates issued by my predecessor and
endorsed by myself, 5 have professional
certificates granted by myself, and 5 possess
permanent certificates. . ' .
Visitations. The season was well ad
vanced before I was ready to begin my
visitations. During the course - of the
winter I visited 1C7 'schools, and spent on
an average one hour and a-half in each
school. In addition to filling the column
of items in the note book furnished by the
Department, I made such other 'memoran
da of the appearance, progress, and con
duct of the schools as suggested themselves
to my mind. I usually made a short ad
dress to the pupils, and geve the teachers
such directions as I thought proper. In
the course ot these duties, 1 traveled over
1,G00 miles, mostly on foot. "Wherever I
have been, I have been uniformly treated
with kindness and respect.
III. EDUCATIONAL WOIIK.UONS BY OTH-
KU. AOKN'Cir
Other Schools. Last synTr.or three
Normal Schools were established in the
county ; one at Johnstown, under A. C.
Johnson, A. 31., one at Ebensburg, in
charge ol 3Iiss C A. Home, and one at
Loretto, taught by jdiss Lizzie Marshall.
These schools were all well'attcnde-d, and
effected a good work among our teachers.
At Loretto is an excellent school icr
males, conducted by the Sisters of Mer-
FMI - 1 . 'It 1 ii A
cv. ims pleasant village is aiso mo seat
of St. Francis' college, a Iloman Catholic
institution, of which llev. A. J. Brown is
President. This school is in a nourishing
condition. It had, for the term ending
July 1st, a corps of 12 professors, and an
attendance of 'Ji boarding students. Ar
rangements are making for more extensive
accommodations for the fall term.
Denominational schools are kept .up c:all
the year round" in some parts of the eoun-
IV. iiius, i :ie vjeiiiiuu jAOiiiau viuiviies
havo a ,c'h-o! in Conemau:;h boru.:!' vrh''-b
has over 200 pupils. The Corman Lu
therans have a school in Johnstown which
is very largely attended.
By the munificence of the Cambrhi Iron
Company, nisrlit schools were established
last fall, one in
Cumbria borough,
undi
Mr. J. A. llarrold, and one in Conemaugb
borough, under Mr. A. C. Johnson.
These schools were kept in operation for
several months. The thanks of many an
otherwise neglected boy are duo the gen
erosity of this corporation.
Institutes Our County Institute was
held in January, commencing the sixth
day of the month. It was a success. We
had a large attendance under the circum
stances, and our teachers went away grat
ified and benefited. .For lecturers at the
Institute we had Cyrus Elder, Samuel
Singleton, S. S. Jack, and S. G. Boyd ;
for instructors, S. S. Jack, S. (I. Boyd", J.
F. Condon, Samuel Singleton, Geo. W.
Cope, and Dr. D. W. Evans. Our ses
sions were well attended by the public, and
I am tale in saying that the Institute
wrought a good work outside of our pro
fession. District Institutes were maintain
ed in quite a number of district
La mroutru
ii .. i.
the w niter. They had a good efT
a good effect upon
the teachers who participated ia them
The l'ress of the county has always
shown the greatest cheerfulness in pub
lishing information of an educational char
acter. YTe can always reckon cn the
Press of Cambria county. Beside3 the
usual county newspapers, we have the
"Teachers' Advocate," a monthly paper
devoted exclusively to the cause of educa
tion. This journal ia now in its second
volume. It has done, and is still doing, a
good work. It is destined to live, and
grow, aud exert a powerful- influence in
the cause. It is published at Ebensburg,
and is under the editorial supervision of
Prof. Geo. W. Cope.
The Itfj,it.
"The pulpit, therefore, and I name it, filled
With solemn .".we, that bidd rue well bewaro
With what intent I '.ouch that holy Ihlc-,"
the pulpit b of about as mur-h u.-u to us as
an caucational agency as are the moons of
Jupiter. Not a single sermon l-.i favor of
education or schools, so iar as i know, has
ever been preached inside the limits of the
county. This is both shameful aud aston
ishing. If I have done the sacred profes
sion an injustice by making this assertion,
I regret it ; but I am sure 1 cannot be far
wrong, if wrong at all.
IV. OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF IM
PROVEMENT. In thi3 county there are several obsta
cles in the way of improvement. Among
these are,
1. Low salaries.
2. Short terms.
3. Ungraded salaries.
1. The average of salaries in this county
is about $30. The highest was 870 per
month, the lowest $23. These salaries arc
paid only by the greatest exertions ; a tax
of 12 mills on the dollar is levied to meet
this expense. When compared with some
wealthy counties, which pay a tax of only
3 or 4 or 5 mills on the dollar, and then
give their teachers a salary of only $25 or
$27 per month, Cambria county does her
diUy nobly. She does all she can. Yet
whei- she has done her best, the salaries
paid ar'aot sufficient to induce welloual-
ified persons to remain in the profession
longer than till tney can get something
else to do.
2. The shortness of our school terras
adds to this trouble. But a very few of
our districts are able to keep their schools
open longer than the minimum four months
required by the law. This fact, added to
the small average salaries paid for the time
the pelvis are open, is enough to.retard all
real pnrerj.- ... .',. ;.-.' .. .
ii. perhaps the greatest difficulty is
found in the fact that our directors too
frequently ignore the qualifications of teach
ers, and pay the same wages to all. This
is a most unwise as well as unjust manner
of doir.g. In no other business is an ap
prentice or novice paid the same wasres as
a first-class hand, though he may work just
as many hours in a da', work at the same
kind oi labor, and work just as faithfully.
Skill and experience should ba rewarded.
Yet in teaching, the man who has had the
experience of years in the school room ; .
who hs spent his money and his time to
properly qualify himself for Lis duties, re
ceives just the same wages as-the young
lad r? miss who has perhaps never taught
a school before, and who has just managed
i-j g-t a very inferior certificate. Any per
son can see the injustice of this.
V. --MEASURES CALCULATED TO PROMOTE
. IMPROVEMENT.
The fir?t and soeuiid of the difficulties
und?r which we labor, can be properly
remedied only by more money. And we
havn't got any more money. Cambria
county now pays a higher rate of taxation
than any other county in the State. She
docs this cheerfully, because the educa
tion of her children is the one object near
est to her heart. And where is the money
to come from ? "We think that money for
the support of public schools shoulj be
levied by an equalized rate of taxation over
tl.v State.
" It is believed that by an equalized rate
of taxation of 10 mills on the dollar, a
sufficient sum of money could be raised to
keep the schools of the commonwealth
Open 8 months in the year, and ray 830
per mouth ; and better wastes for proper
'vri'J'-c.'.Y snorter terms ; and wuca wotasce
into consideration the higher valuation of
real estate as fixed by the last triennial as
sessment ; the large increase in our popu
lation, and the consequent larger p-.r cap
ita tix, and the greatly enlarged State ap
propriation hereafter to be made, it is
believed that our schools could be kept
open six months in the year, and our
teachers naid salaries according
A v
to
their
qualifications of from 10 to $70 per
month.
The remedy for obstacle No. 3, will sug
gest itself. There is not a school director
in Cambria county who will not see the
manifest injustice and impropriety of the
present plan. It is hoped that they will
jdnpt measures to obviate it. A fair rate
of wages should be made the standard for
medium certificates that would average
frem 2 to 2 ; then for certificates that
would average better than this, let them
pay say five dollars a month more, and for
those that would average worse, $5 less.
In tills way it would not cost a district
much if any more than by the present way
of giving medium wages to all alike not
at least unless they should get all good
teachers, and then they should be willing
to pay a little more. In this way they
would encourage our teachers to excellence,
they would reward merit, and they would
do what they profess to be so desirous of
doing, fiil their schools with competent and
deserving teachers.
J?" A schoolmaster, while on his morn
ing walk, passed the door of a neighbor,
who was excavating a log for a pig trough.
"Why," said the schoolmaster, "Mr. S.,
have jou not furniture enough yet?"
"Yes." said the man, "enough for my own
family, but I expect to board a school
master this winter, and am making pre
parations." 5? There is a story told of an Irishman
who, having newly arrived in an eastern
State, was asked, during an election, on
which fiide he would vote. "Ye have a
Government here, I suppose ?" questioned
Pat. "To be sure we have," was the ready
response. "Well, then," said the Celt,
with a m.dicious wink, "just you put mo
down as voting against that, anyhow.
.-r The fish in lake Mollychunkemunk
Maine, are said to be superior to those of
either lake Wooleyoksebacook or Mooseto
ekmagautic. Those of lake Chaubunga
gungamung were very fine, but they all
got choked to death in trying to tell where
they lived.
HaJ When you see a young man and
woman walking down the street, leaning
against each other like a pair of badly
matched oxen, it is a pretty good sign that
they are bent on consolidation.
IST The young lady who sang, "I wish
somebody would come '." has had her de
sire gratified. Eleven city cousins have
arrived, and intend to stay all the summer.
The height of impudence; to name
a railway engine "Safety."
Doe-? your neighbor take this paper?
lion, gcliuyler Cqlfax.
Schuyler Colfax, the candidate of the
National Union Republican party for the
office of Vice President, is a native of New
York city. He was born March 23, '23,
his father having died but a short time
previous. "With but limited means, his
widowed mother could afford to keep liiui
at school but a short time, and at the age
of 10 he was placed in a mercantile estab
lishment, where he remained three years,
contributing materially from his small sal
ary to the support of both himself and
mother. In 183(5, he and his mother, in
company with others, left their home in
New York city; - and settled-iiSt. Joseph.
county, Indiana. Shortly after his arrival
in the West; he was appointed Deputy
County Auditor for St. Joseph county,
and employed his leisure hours in the
study of State law, in which he is said soon
to 3nve become an acknowledged expoun
der, lie read law pretty thoroughly -during
these leisure hours, but not with a
view to adopting it as a profession. lie
had but little idea of what great benefit
the information he was then gaining would
prove to hini in after 3-ears. In 1845, he
started a weekly journal at South Bend,
the county-seat of fet. Joseph county, called
1 he V. Josrjh. alb-y Jicjister, becoming
ita sole proprietor and editor. A writer
in the Indianapolis Journal corrects a mis
take into which the public has fallen rela
tive to Mr. Colfax's connection with the
printing business. Mr. Lanman, in his
Dictionary of Congress, says : "lie was
bred a printer." He never was appren
ticed to the printing business, and knew
nothing of the practical part of the "art
preservative of all arts" until after he had
commenced the publication of the Register.
With his ready tact and quick perception,
however, and great anxiety to economize,
for his means were yet very limited, he
soon mastered the art sufficiently to "help
out of the drag but he never attained
to any great proficiency in the business,
his editorial labors, "the business of the of
fice, and other duties soon claiming his
entire attention. The Register prospered,
and soon became a source of profit to its
proprietor. It was ably edited, and w;is a
model of courtesy and dignity. Every
paragraph, however small, seemed to have
passed under the supervision of and to re
flect the mind- and elevated thoughts of
its editor. He continued his connection
with this paper until three or four years
ago, writing a regular weekly letter fonts
columns during his first two terms in Con
gress. It was during the early days of the
Register that Mr. Colfax was laying the
foundation for the reputation he has since
attained as a debater. A debating club
was formed, which held regular weekly
meetings during the winter season, and it
was a rare occurrence indeed to find Mr.
Colfax absent from these stated gather
ings. Politics, the temperance reform,
and other subjects were often as ably de
bated in this society as kindred questions
are in deliberative bodies of much greater
pretensions of the present da'. The Hon.
John D. Defrccs, now Superintendent of
Government Printing, and for many years
editor and proprietor of the Indianapolis
Journal, to v.hich Mr. Colfax was also at
tached as Senate Heporter for some time
after he commenced the publication of the
Register, was also a participant in these
debates. They were both Whigs, both
ardent and sincere advocates of and believ
ers in the temperance reform, aud were
consequently seldom pitted against each
other in these debates. The attachment
forufed at this early day between these
gentlemen still continues with unabated
fervor.
In 1S48, Mr. Colfax was chosen r9 a
delegate, and elected as Secretary of the
Convention which nominated Gen. Taylor
for the Presidency. In 1850 he represent
ed St. Joseph county in the Convention
which framed the present Constitution of
Indiana. In this Convention he opposed,
with Jill his ability, the adoption of tho
clause prohibiting free colored men from
ml t
settling in the State.
His opposition to
this measure was the cause of his deieat
the following year when nominated for
Congress, in opposition to Dr. Pitch. But;
witliall the ability, tact and shrewdness of
this old political wire-worker, ho only dis
tanced his young competitor 200 votes, in
a district which had been strongly Demo
cratic for years. In 1852 he was again a
delegate to the Whig National Convention.
He took an active part in the campaign
which followed, speaking' oft en and writing
much. In 1854, when the "great deep"
of Indiana Democracy was broken up, and
the old Hunkers laid in a grave from
which it is hoped they may never be resur
rected, he was renominated and elected to
Congress, and was consequently more ac
tive than ever before. His experience as
a debater, aud familiarity with State and
National politics rendered liim an over
match for his opponents, whom he was al
ways anxious to meet in an open and fair
discussion before the people, where he was
always certain of a victory. In 1S56 he
was again nominated for Congress, and
re-elected by a handsome majority. His
entrance into Congress was in the midst of
the great struggle over the Lecompton
swindle. A writer says of his maiden
speech in the House : His first speech
in Congress went forth to repel the tide of
terror which was sweeping over struggling
1 Kansas, and clearly showed that even taeu
TS RMS: -f I'R ASX 151.
I SS.OO 1ST ADVAA'CE.
NUMBER 4.
he was one of the best debaters in the
Lower House." Over 500,000 copies of
this speech were printed aud circulated
a compliment perhaps never before re
ceived by any member of Congress. Ho
was first chceen Speaker of the Thirty
eighth Congress by a vote of 101 to 81.
He has been thrice elected to tho same
position, each time by au increased major- .
ity. He was appointed Chairman of the
Committee on Post Ofiices and Post lloada
on the organization of the XXXVIIth
Congress, and did much to extend mail
facilities throughout the West. He was
one of the first advocates, and is still one
of the warmest fi lends of the Pacific Rail
road. Indeed, he take-a a warm interest in
any movement looking to the development
of the boundless resources of the great
West. It was, doubtless, the interest ho
feels in this section of the country which
induced him to take his celebrated trip
"Across the Continent." His trip was a
perilous one, but his welcome at " tho
other end of the line" war, so spontaneous,
truly genuine, and heartfelt that it more
than repaid him for all the dangers arid
hardships he passed through. This trip
prepared him for one of the most enter
taining lectures ever delivered in this
country. It has been listened to with
wrapt attention by the people of almost
every city in the North. Pecuniarily",
however, it has profited him but little, for
with that liberality which has ever been
a marked trait in his character, the entire
proceeds of a lecture have as often been
donated to some charitable object as they
have found their way into his own pocket.
He has now served in succession 14 years
in the House. He was urged but he de
clined to accept a seat in the United States
Senate, preferring his presiding chair in
the House. As a presiding officer he ia
the most popular the House has had since
Henry Clay. A writer in " Putnam's
Magazine" truly observes that Mr. Colfax
" has no eccentricities, but great tact. His
talents are administrative aud executive,
rather than deliberative. He would make
good appointments, and adopt sure policies.
He would make a better President, or
Speaker of the House, than Senator. lie
knows men well, estimates them correctly,
treats them all fairly and candidly. No
man will get through his business with you
in fewer minutes, and yet none is more
free from the horrid orusquencss of busy
men." There are heart and kindness in
Mr. Colfax's politeness. Men leave his
presence with the impression that he is at
once an able, honest, and kind man. Po
litical opponents like him personally, as
well as his political friends. We havo
never heard that he has any enemies.
The breath of slander has been silent
toward his fair, spotless fame. The wife
of his youth, after being for a long
time an invalid, sank to her final rest
several years ago, leaving him childless.
His mother and sister preside at his re
ceptions, which for many years have been,
not most brilliant, but the most popular of
any given at tho Capital. Socially, Mr.
Colfax is frank, lively, jolly. It may
be that he feels his oats in some degree,
but dignity hasn't .spoiled him. The ev
erlasting 1-hood and Us-ness of great men
is forgotten in his presence. His manners
are not quite so familiar as those of Lin
cola, but nearly so. They are gentle, na
tural, graceful, with a bird-like or business
quickness of thought and motion. But
they are very far from the high and mighty
style of Sumner, or the judicial coldness of
Fessenden, Sherman, and Trumbull.
Though manly, they are genial and win
ning. American mothers believe in Schuy
ler Colfax. There are more babies named
for him than any public man since Clay.
The intimacy and confidential relations of
Mr. Colfax with Mr. Lincoln are well
known. They labored hand in hand as
brothers in the cause of the LTnion, holding;
frequent and protracted interviews on all
subjects looking to the overthrow of tho
Rebellion, for there were no divisions be
tween the executive and legislative branch
es of the Government then as there are
now. During the darkest hours of that
bloody drama which shall ever remain a
reproach upon the people of one section of
the nation, the'- were ever cheerful and
hopeful. Confident in the justness of tho
war waged for the preservation of the Un
ion, and placing a Christian reliance in
that providence which guides and fchapes
the destiny of nations, great reverses,
which caused others to fear and tremble,
at times, almost to despair, seemed only to
inspire them with greater zeal and a firmer
belief in the ultimate triumph of our
cause.
Mr. Colfax is rather under the medium
hight, with a form firmly and compactly
molded. His hair, is brown, now slightly
sprinkled with grey ; eyes blue ; forehead
high and arching, indicating great percep
tive faculties, and deep veneration. Ilia
face is open and frank, and as yet unmark
ed by age. He possesses great vitality,
and can endure au extraordinary amount
of labor with but little fatigue. This,
coupled with his temperate habits, has
caused him to wear his age so well that but
few persons would place him even at 40.
He is yet in the prime and vigor of man
hood, with all his cares and responsibilities,
as buoyant as most people at 30.
Both bituminous and anthracite coal
have been found in the Rocky Mountains,
yn the lino of the Pacific Railroad.
n