About Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1868-1887 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1878)
Aborning gnrs. Whitaker street, M0R MNQ NEWS BUILDING). - sUBSCRDPTIONa *f 10 00 P^rd Y 6 00 T& : " ekKL 2 00 F PKLIVKHKD BY CARRIER OR PREPAID p 0T^~ *• bT MAIL. are stopped at the expiration of the $ for without further notice. Mail iJSeritof**! will please observe the dates on their wrappers. M ^ling the paper furnished for any P*** than one year will have their \JJ er8 promptly attended to by remitting L amount for the time desired. advertising. seven wori>s make a LINE, prdinarv a ivcrtisements, per Nonpareil line, 10 cents. . Qfli^ial, Auction and Amusement adver- and Special Notices, per Nonpar ml line. 15 cents. notices per line, Nonpareil type, 20 ^noticee. per line. Brevier type, 25 cents. ^ ount made on advertisements continued A for one week or longer. REMITTANCES subscriptions or advertising can be made *bv I >,,st '^ ffice order ’ fte&ktered Letter or at our risk. All letters should be SLJd, J. H. ESTILL, #ddrefi ^ Savannah. Ga. ^ HOW TO KEEP LENT. Is this a fast, to keep The larder leane And cleane From fat of veals and sheep? Is it to quit the dish < if desh, yet still To fill Tlie platter high with fish? Is it to faste an houre, t >r rag’d to go, < >r show A downcast look and sorore? No: tis a fast to dole Thy sheaf of wheat And meat I nto the hungry soule. It is a fast from strife. From old debate And hate; Tt» circumcise thy life; To show a heart grief-rent, T< > starve thy sin, Not bin; And that’s to keep thy Lent. Georgia Affairs. The Sandcrsville Owner is easily pleased. It declares that it will receive subscriptions in anything that man or horse can eat, and will not even refuse greenbacks or the ancient dollar of our daddies. Fanning prospects are reported as being ven fine in the Western portion of Wash ington county. Cotton lands are generally fertilized and ready for planting as soon as the time arrives for depositing the seeds of the fleecy plaut. The improvement lu fencing is far in advance of anything seen since the war. Farmers generally are in •rood heart and arc looking forward hope fully to the future. Mr. J. II. Ilolsey, of Butler, Ga., has in vented a very simple arrangement for split- tin^ rails, which is calculated to be of great utility. It opens the largest and toughest logs in five to eight minutes at a trifling Ninety thousand dollars of six per cent, bonds of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company were sold in Augusta on Monday for ninety-five cents on the dollar. On Saturday also ninety-five thousand dollars of these bonds were sold, making a total sale in the two days of one hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars. Mr. T. R. Respass, of Schley county, has, by the liberal use of fertilizers, raised on a patch of five acres of naturally poor land fifteen thousand pounds of seed cotton, from which he estimates that he realized sixty-six dollars and two cents net per acre. Throngs of idle negro boys from twelve to eighteen years of age congregate daily upon the streets of Quitman, whereupon the Rqmrtrr loudly demands an enforcement of " the vagrant laws. Schley county boasts of a remarkably active old citizen in the person of Rev. W. R. Singleton. He put up with his own hands a few days ago, without any help, 125 panels of fence ten rails high, and all of green rails. The passage of a “cow ordinance” is be ing pleasurably anticipated at the next meeting of the Augusta City Council. There is a lady living in Dalton who never leaves her home except on Memorial day, and then she visits the Confederate ceme tery. Cobb and Forsytli counties each furnish fine fox hunting. A visit there would enable the Queens county, N. Y., fox hunt ers to show of what metal they are com posed. Mr. 0. T. Jennings, of the Glade Mines, informs the Gainesville Southron that he is now ready for mining operations on a large scale. The ditches are all finished, and they have an abundance of water upon these ex tensive and justly celebrated mines for all purposes. Says that paper: “If the results at the Glade are not gratifying to all con cerned we shall miss our guess.” The heavy winter rainc have rendered the roads about Gainesville almost impassable in several places. Steps are being taken to rectify the difficulty. The M. Ds. say that Thomasville is dis tressingly healthy. Sandcrsville Courier: “We regret to learn that a destructive fire got out from some burning log heaps on the plantation of Col. W. G. Robson, on Sunday evening last, and extended to several farms, doiug considera ble damage. We have not yet learned the full particulars, but are informed that Mr. Robson lost at least ten thousand rails, and that his gin house caught tire several times, but by the persistent efforts of his neighbors it was extinguished. We are informed that so rapid was the spread of the lire that the women and children along its line of march had to fly for life.” In response to the conundrum “What will destroy cut worms?” a farmer of Tennille gives the following: “First, and best—»°ow a small quantity of salt in row before plant ing seed, which will destroy the worms. Second—After plants have come up put a small quantity of salt around the plant near the stalk, and work it In. Too much salt may have a tendency to injure the plant, but a reasonable quantity will not. I have heard that the china berry put liberally over the garden will effectually keep out the cut worms, and also prevent the fly from injuring turnips. If you are troubled with the green worms on cabbage, a small pinch of fine salt on the bud of the plant early in the morning, while the dew is oil it, will’stop Us ravages; and it -houla be put on there as often as may be required to stop them, being careful not to put too much on at one tune as it would injure the plant.” The Sw&inshoro Herald is agitating the subject of improved mail facilities at that point. It says: “The petition for a daily mail from Midville. No. 9'£ Central Railroad, to Swuinsboro was forwarded last week, and we earnestly hope the prayer will be granted, as bi.;h the gove rnment and people will be benefited thereby. The demand for addi tional mail facilities at this point increases every day, and is imperative. Since the mail w a^ increased from weekly to seini- werkly the amount of mail matter has more than quadrupled, and a proportionate in crease- will follow should the government give us a daily mail. Our county is growing in importance every day, population increas ing. and all we ask of the authorities at M ashiugton is, give us justice. We have been long neglected aud left to plod our way as host we could. Have asked but lit he- generally got less, and were a long time in getting that. That a county such as ours should be without a single daily mail in it should no longer be the case. The country needs it, the wants of the people demand it, we believe It will be granted.” Chronicle and Constitutv*nalist, 19th: “Last Sunday morning a little boy, ten years of a £<\ got off the morning passenger train and mad<* some inquiries about his uncle, who, be said, had written to him to come to Au- fusta, anti b a( j promised to meet him at the depot that morning, lie said that his name Tommy Cowan and that of his uncle Wa> George Roberta, who came to Augusta mini Atlanta about two mouths ago. As he "V unable to find his uncle, the police took criargc of him and gave him comfortable quarters at the barracks until he should de cide what to do. He is a bright, smart little fellow. He says that he was staying with a Mr. Snow, in Atlanta, who was very reluc tant for him to come away, but be thought It was his duty to come when his uncle sent for him.” From the Hem we learn that chicken thieves are prowling around Augusta quite extensively. It says: “Thursday night a faid was made on the substantial chicken bouse of Mr. Ed. Perrin, on the Columbia road, five miles above the city, aud some one carried off twenty very fine fowls. A hole was made in the brick basement by the thief 60 that he could enter, anu the bricks were afterwards replaced. The following night (Friday! six more tine fowls were stolen from the same premises. No clue has been obtained to the thief.” In.t.nre* of Wit, Humor a Qd Re partee, J. H. ESTILL, PROPRIETOR. SAVANNAH, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1878. ESTABLISHED 1850. Grace Greenwood Is very Indignant at Mr. Stephens for his wise speech on the oc casion of the late unveiling of the emanci pation picture in Washington. She says: “It is such men as Alexander Stephens who arc more dangerous to Republicanism than your Hookers, Hewitts and Hamburg Butlers. >> ith all his seeming fairness and undoubted good feeling he admits no radical principle for which we contended, confesses to no radical error od his own side: he throws a sort of misty glamour about the lost cause, and clothes the ghostly skeleton of seces sion in the mantle of statesmanship, and draws over that loathsome‘body of death,’ chattel slavery, royal drapery of State rights and divine rights.” Augusta Evening Now. “The Atlanta men are of the opinion that if the Augusta canal was in Atlanta, New York wouldn’t be a circumstance to her greatness.” Dalton Wizen: “A son of Mr. Wilson Nor ton, of this county, arrived in this city a few days ago from the far West. He has been living in the region of the Rocky Mountains for a long time, aud has returned to Georgia full of lively incidents of Western life. We trust he may make old Georgia his home in future.” A gentleman writing from Murray county gives a very pleasing description of the climate, resources, etc., of that section of Georgia. He says: “Perhaps Murray i6hard to excel for a healthy climate and natural surroundings, which are calculated to make any one pleasant and comfortable, who will use industry and economy. Thousands ad ded to thousands of bushels of good wheat have been sold from our county during the past season; also, an unusually large pea crop has been gathered and sold. Our corn crop, perhaps, was never better; and as to stock. Murray county has an abundance. But the Murray cotton is the main topic. * * * * * We might safely say Murray produced in 18«i a surplus of over oue hundred thousand dollars worth of pro ducts.” Cuthbert Messenger, 6th : “The Randolph County Agricultural Society held a regular meeting in the court house yesterday. The meeting was an interesting one, and we are glad to see that the movement is growing in interest.” Horse stealing having developed itself somewhat in Clarke couuty, Mr. S. Barwick, an intelligent and successful farmer now living in the suburbs of Athens, suggests the following plan to prevent the evil : “Let ever}’person in the county owning a horse join themselves together bv proper or ganization, and select a responsible commit tee, whose duty it will be to make an assessment of fifty cents each (more or less), and deposit it in the bank as a reward for any horse stolen from any member of the organization, and for the thief with evidence to convict. Of course all would not wish to belong to this organization, but a sufficient number could be obtained to render the horse pro perty of the members absolutely safe. It may be said that an assessment of this kind would raise seven or eight hundred dollars and that this amount would be too large. Mr. Barwick claims, however, that the ob ject is to prevent the crime and to secure conviction when it is committed.’' The Athens Weekly Chronicle pays us the following high compliment: “Among our exchanges not one is more welcome than the Savannah News. As its name implies, it is full of the events of the day and of all that is of interest to the outside world, while its local department is a photograph of the incidents which transpire within the limits of the beautiful city. We wish that every paper in the whole country would imi tate its lofty dignity, and thus raise the press to a standard which it deserves.” “The Morning News,” says the Thomas ville Times, “notices the fact that the tide of travel is already turning uorthward. This is the great and, in many instances, fatal mistake which health-seekers make. It would be better that they had not come South at all thau to rush back to meet the chilling blasts of early spring.” JUDGE LEONARD S CUBAN MIS SION. A Romance in Real Lite End** in Do- ■pondency and Death. A New York Times special from Wash ington says: The visit of Judge Leonard to Havana was purely personal and pri vate, and was of a peculiarly interest ing, delicate and romantic character. Some time ago, at the city of New Or leans, he met a young lady, a native of Cuba, who was visiting this country with her parents, and between whom and Judge Leonard a warm attachment sprang up, which ripened into love. A marriage engagement was the result, but the pa rents of the young lady, in consequence of her youth, opposed the match, and Judge Leonard was not permitted to see the object of his affections except in the presence of her parents. When the time arrived for the departure of the Cuban and his family from New Orleans the young lady manifested some reluctance to return home, but an arrangement was finally made by which she and Judge Leonard were to be permitted to hold free and unrestricted correspondence through the mails. After her departure Judge Leonard wrote her several letters, to which no answers were received, which naturally annoyed him very much, and gave rise to the suspi cion that his letters had been intercepted and the young lady prevented from com municating with him. After a long in terval lie received a brief letter from the lady, which simply stated that she had not heard from him since her return to Cuba, and that she could not hear from him. This bi ief letter bore evidence of having beeu hurriedly written, and its broken and soiled condition led Judge Leonard to suspect that it had been carried some distance by a negro to be secretly mailed. After writing other letters and waiting anxiously for replies, he became convinced that the parents of the lady were not acting in good faith, and he determined to visit Cuba. A week or two Itefore his departure he called on the President, and, informing him of liis trouble, requested the President to write a personal letter to the Consul General requesting him to ascertain, if possible, the situation and whereabouts of the lady. The President did so. aud in due time Judge Leonard received a cable dis patch from Havana, which informed him that “Maria had been sent to a plantation in the country.” This dis patch was not signed by the Consul General, but bore the name of a party unknown to Judge Leonard. This added to his perplexity, and he determined to set out at once for Cuba. He called on Senor Mantilla, the Spanish Minister at Washington, and making known to him his trouble obtained a letter from that official to the Captain General of Cuba, recommending him to do what ever was proper to aid Judge Leonard in his delicate mission. The sympathies of Mme. Mantilla were also enlisted in behalf of Judge Leonard, and that lady wrote such a Tetter as a lady should write in such a case, urging the Captain Gen eral to do everything possible to unite the lovers. YV’ith these letters Judge Leonard sailed for Havana, where he duly arrived. Nothing has been heard from him directly until to-day, when a friend in this city received a letter writ ten by him from Havana on March 7th, in which he said he had seen the lady in presence of her parents. No details jus to the success of his mission were fur nished, but from the general tone of des pondency pervading the letter his friend believes he failed to obtain the consent of the parents to his addresses to their daughter. p A Child Boiled to Death.—A shocking accident occurred on Friday last to Andrew Harman, a two-year-old son of Jacob Harman, residing at 23 South Washington street, which resulted fatally on Saturday. The mother of the child had placed in the back room a wash-tub containing boiling water, and during her temporary absence the child approached the tub.' and leaning over lost his balance and fell headforemost into the scalding water. Its screams were-heard by Mrs. Harman, who came at once to his rescue, but upon Liking the child from the water his hair and skin was comDletely scalded, and dropped from head and body. Dr. Dausch was summoned, but at an early hour Satur day morning death ensued.—Baltimore Gazette, 18th. Max Maretzek has won a verdict of over five thousand dollars from a Phila delphia manager who engaged Maretzek to lead an orchestra dunng the centen nial exhibition and discharged him a week after he had begun. SKETCHES OF FLORIDA. No. 9 -11% Superior Climate. A gentleman for whom I have great regard, and who is very jealous of the claims of Georgia, writes to know why I didn’t give Thomas county 44 a show ing ” in my previous article about inva lids, as that piney-woods section is noted for its curative virtues. Our friend forgets two important facts. First, that the Morning News has a widely extended circulation in Florida, and is liberally supported by the citizens. In return, it is our duty, as well as our privilege, to seek in every proper way the advancement of the best interests of that State, when not in conflict with those of our own commonwealth. Secondly, our friend loses sight of the fact that these are “Sketches of Florida,” although I have quite frequently, in passing, made reference to the advan tages and attractions of South Georgia. There can lie no question as to the value and desirableness of these attractions and advantages to Northern and Western im migrants coming to the South in search of a milder climate. Too many tests have been made, and with abundant suc cess, to allow of any doubt in the matter at this late day. As to Thomas county for consump tives, 1 have repeatedly referred to that section in my correspondence and sketches, as a most desirable home for such invalids. If not beyond the reach of recuperative and health-restoring in fluences, they will hardly fail to find there the relief which they may seek in a mild winter climate. But it must be remembered that Georgia is not Florida And while many sensible peo ple care nothing for a name, there are hundreds who would not for the world say they had 44 spent the winter In Geor gia.” Going to Florida, in these times, for the winter, is like going to Newport or Saratoga for the summer. 44 We shall spend the winter in Florida” is the re frain that follows “O, what a delightful summer we had at Newport!” Still, I know’ of many wealthy and re fined families, people of sound sense in weak bodies, who have spent several winters at Thomasville, Bainbridge, East man or Savannah, who derived just as much real benefit and were quite as happy and comfortable as their more aristocratic neighbors who could not lx: induced to stop short of the famed “Laud of Flowers.” To the class of visitors who like constant change of scene and society, this course is natural, and cannot well be avoided. The cities above referred to, while they offer every advantage desired by a certain class of invalids, would uot be found agreeable to this other class of visitors beyond a brief sojourn, going to or returning from Florida. The semi-tropical climate of the “Land of Flowers." whose gentle, balmy breezes, heavily ladened with the sweet perfume of orange blossoms, in many portions of the State almost constantly fan your brow’ and delight your senses, is au attraction that no other section of the South can present in such luxurious piofusion. The mild and beautiful weather in South Georgia, w’hile it is invigorating and healthful to invalids, does uot possess the mellow richness and peculiar fragrance which permeates an atmosphere where the or ange aud other tropical trees are as nu merous as the stars iu the heavens. Then, again, the extent of territory cmbiaced in this genial warmth of summer, besides being more varied in its attractions, is much greater than that of South Georgia. The same class of people who tire satis fied with Thomasviile, Eastman and Sa vannah, are content to spend a whole w’inter at Mouticello, where fragrant flowers and pretty girls abound, or at Tal lahassee, the “out-of-the-way” capital of the State, aud yet a charming city, “set on an hill,” ove r whose stately mansions of “long ago,” the bracing breezes of the Gulf sweep with a soothing, invigorating influence on their broad and tireless wings. But that other class to which I have referred, who arc content only with a constant shifting of scenes and change of society, the St. John’s river is the great Mecca towards which their weary yet ever moving feet are sure to turn when the birds of the colder climes wing their flight southward. They seek the music and the dance of the St. James Hotel, or the cver-joyous social circles of the Nichols House, at Jacksonvilc, or the same round of pleasures, with new scenes and fresh faces, at the Clarendon Hotel, at Green Cove Springs, or the St. Augus tine Hotel or Florida House, ut St. Au gustine, or the Putnam House or Larkin House, at Paltaka. This is their “charmed circle,” in which they revolve during the winter months, finding relief in an occasional trip to Fernandina, Gainesville, Sanford, Enterprise, Mag nolia, or up the Ocklawaha river. Con firmed invalids, however, lead a more quiet and less changeable life. Sidney Herbert. The Czarina of Russia had not seen the Czarowitz, her husband, for eight months when she surprised him lately by meeting him unexpectedly at Dunaburg. She arrives first—a bright young lady, re sembling her sister, the Princess of Wales, but looking rather stronger. An onlooker gives an animated description of the scene : Though courteous to all, the Czarina is evidently nervously im patient for the arrival of her husband. She has not much longer to wait; all at once the shouting outside begins, her face becomes radiant, and, wrapping herself in the mag nificent rotonde of blue fox fur, she hurries to the platform, amid renewed hurrahs and clamorous cries of joy. Her eyes are eagerly fixed on the two red globes pf the approaching engine—there is a shrill whistle, much puffing of steam and the train rolls slowly into the station. The Czarowitz, little guessing the sur prise iu store for him, descends, saluting as he passes the long file of soldiers draw n up on the platform. Suddenly he sees her; then all else is forgotten—the sta tion, the soldiers, the crowd of people— and the wife is in her husband’s arms, held in a long embrace. Then, like a roar of thunder, louder than the last, burst forth deafening shouts, mixing up with the national hymn. A telephone concert was given Satur day night by choirs of the Methodist Episcopal churches in Baltimore located in private houses in the northwestern sec tion of the city, to the Methodist Episco pal Church at Waverly, where an audi ence capable of appreciating music of such a character was gathered. The choir of Mount Vernon Church, Jacob Taylor leader, w r as stationed at the residence of A. G. Davis, No. 429 Madison avenue; the Madison Avenue Church choir was at the residence of Archibald Wilson, Jr., Mosher street, near Fremont, and another church choir was placed at the residence of Alex. Bowers, George street, near Fremont. At these three stations an thems, solos, duets, etc., were sung, and were received at the Waverly Church with great clearness and precision. The sound was not throw n into the room, but was heard through telephone attach ments held close to the ear, about tw enty of which were in active use for several hours. The line was connected with the residence of Dr. Alan P. Smith, Frank lin street. The choir of Govanstown M. E. Church sang several times at the Wa- verly Church, and the music was plainly heard at the Baltimore stations.—Balti more Sun. A Descent.—Two of the prominent men of Trenton, N. J., who were a few days ago highly respected, have sunk from the upmost social strata to mingle w ith the dwellers of the slums now in carcerated in the State prison. The two men to whom this reference is made are Walter J. Bartlett, late City Treasurer, whose malfeasance has caused his lodg ment iu the pris6n, to remain there for two years. The other is Jacob R. Freese, the banker, whose improper usage of de positors’ money sends him to the jail for five years. LETTER FROM OUR TRAVELING CORRESPONDENT. Tlie Key*- The Channel— It* Dewtruc- lion b> the Federal Army — IU Wonderful Prosperity—The Build ing* aud Their Character—Indian .Hound*-Atwena Otle-Faber’* Ce dar Hill*. Cedar Keys, March 16.—Editor Morn ing News: I have been sojourning here a day or two and have become inter ested in the people and the history of their towm. Like all new towns, the population have not become fixed and staid in their character yet. The lines have not been closely drawn socially, and hence there is a free and easy communi cation Ixffween all classes. They com prise several nationalities, and in the interchange of ideas there is necessarily a quaint commingling of languages. I find some very intelligent and well in formed people among the inhabitants, as is the case in almost every town, and my stay here has been made pleasant by the attention and courtesies given me. I am especially under obligations to 3Iajor John Parsons and Dr. R. H. McDvaine. The Keys consist of a large number of islands, bearing different names, and of various sizes, the names designating some incident or legend in the history of the various localities. The largest island is the one on which the main part of the town is built, and takes its name from the number of native cedar trees which used to ornament its banks. The channel is about seventy-five feet wide, and per mits, at high tide, the larger steamers to approach the wharf. There are upon this one island about eight hundred inhabi tants. During the war the Federal army took possession of the island, every inhabi tant having abandoned it. They destroyed every house, save a small storeroom which belonged to Messrs. Parsons & Hoiles, and cut down all the timber on the island for wood. So, when the peo ple returned to their former homes, they found nothing but ruins. At the close of the war, with a determination that was sure to win, they went to work, and all that is here now has been produced since the war. The only objection to many of the buildings is that they were con structed in too much haste, and are now showing evident signs of dilapidation. This may be owing in part to climatic causes, as the decay of wooden structures arc greater here than farther North. Still, it is evident lhat the buildings in many cases were hastily put up, aud without much regard to convenience or comfort. They are being replaced by better aud more durable structures. It being almost impossible to obtain brick at any reasonable cost, the citizens are using a material known as concrete or tabby. It is similar to coquina, which is so popular in St. Augustine. In fact, it is the same, artifi cially produced out of shell and sand. There is an abundance of this material right on the ground, for the island is made of nothing else. Dr. Mcll- vane says this material in proper proportions moulded into a wall can be built at the rate of ten feet for every ten days, and when finished is in every respect equal to brick or stone, at a cost ofjless than that of a wooden house, with lumber at ten dollars per thousand feet. He is demonstrating his faith by his works, and has now in course of construc tion a large hotel building of this ma terial The walls have reached above the first story, and the workmen arc busily engaged in pushing forward the work. The doctor claims the following advan tages for these structures over that of wood, and as they may be of interest to many of vour readers I append them: First. They are more durable. This is so obvious as to require no demonstra tion. Any one who has examined a wall of concrete after standing Ion" enough to harden will be satisfied that it is fully equal in this respect to brick or stone. We know of concrete walls with the in terior wood-work and roof burnt out, still standing and so perfect as to need only to have those parts supplied to make them good houses. Second. They are cooler in summer and warmer in winter than any wooden house can be made, and no more liable to dampness than brick. Third. They furnish no crevices or cavities to serve as harbors for rats, mice or other vermin, which in ceiled and pliistered houses are such a common source of trouble and annoyance. Fourth. They are alisolutely cheaper. It is well ascertained by careful experi ment that the cost of such buildings at Cedar Keys is within ten cents for each square foot of wall, nine inches thick, including door and window frames. At this rate the walls of a house 50x25 feet, and twenty feet high, would cost £>00. the size and number of the openings uot adding to the cost. Where the water is liable to rise on the work, cement should lie substituted for lime in preparing foundations. The out side finish may he of a kind of lime, put ty or plaster called mastic, which may be painted aud finished so as to resemble granite, brown stone, or any other mate rial or colored plaster. There arc* quite a numlx?r of these houses now in course of erection in the town, and one or two completed. The experiment thus far has proved very sat isfactory, and others will commence to build of this material at an early day. The proportions of the ingredients of a good concrete mixture are as follows: Good shell lime 2 parts. Broken shell 6 parts. Sand 1 part. Water Q. S. This is conveniently mixed by means of a horse mill, similar to those used for mixing mud at the brick yards. The island is about two miles in length and somewhat in the shape of a horse shoe. There are three Indian mounds on the island, varying in height, and upon which many houses are now going up as residences. These mounds are composed of shell anti sand, aud in dig ging through them, many specimens of arrows and flint and crockery are to be found, and my friend the Major wanted it distinctly understood that these were not relics of a pre-historic are, but were just such utensils as the Indians used when he first came among them. The hill part of the Keys is d* lined to be come a delightful place for homes, and lots are ranging high already. The whole island was purchased by the Transit Railroad Company, I under stand, and Col. Yulce, the President, lias reserved a lot on the main street, on the hill, and one facing the water on the bay. for hotel purposes, and offers to give these lots to anyone who will erect a first class hotel upon them. And in ad dition to this he proposes to furnish transportation free for all the material used in its erection, over the railroad, as also free transportation for the furniture necessary to equip the house. Here is an opening for some enterprising hotel man. The Gulf and Island Houses are both kept better than their outside appearance would indicate, but neither house will meet the demands of modern travel. Their tallies are good enough—equal to many four-dollar per day houses, hut their internal arrangements are not equal to the occasion, and will lx? less so when this new route Is fully opened up to Cuba. Atsena Otie is the name given to the island just across the channel, and signi fies Cedar Tree. The whole island was covered with cedar trees. There are now about three hundred inhabitants there, employes mostly of the two large mills upon the island. One mill is confined to sawing pine lumber for the foreign market, the timber liemg brought from the interior by rafts. Some confusion recently has taken place as to the owner ship, and the employes have been the sufferers. It is now in course of adjust ment. The other mill belongs to the celebrated Faber Lead Pencil Company. Through the courtesy of their agent, Mr. Henry Winter, I was conducted through this establishment. He employs fifty men, girls and boys. The timber is brought to the island in rafts from all along the coast ; much of it, no doubt, has been stolen from government lands, and sold to this company. First the log is cut into scantling, about 4x10 inches; then into blocks, just the length of the pencil; thence it is sent through other machinery, and it is stripped into pieces wide enough to make six pencils, and in this process the material is inspected and the worthless thrown aside, the strips being reduced sometimes just wide enough to make two pencils. These strips being one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch in thickness, they are bundled and carried to the packer, who places them in a box large enough to contain sixty gross of pencils. These boxes arc* made strong, and are shipped first to New York city, and then to Germany, where they are manufactured into pen cils. This mill ships from 35,000 to 40,000 cubic feet of cedar each year. My letter is too long to give further detail, but this industry is worthy of encourage ment, furnishing employment for so many. Jack Plane. The Tea Plant Johnston Station, A. & G. R. R., i March 19, 1878. )’ Editor Morning News: I send you for publication a short description of the Chinese tea plant, as it is but little known in our country, and as its cultivation is beginning to attract the attention of our people. An extract from the Impcriai Magazine, taken in 1827, says Dr. Lettsom in his botanical description of the tea plant thinks it most probable there is only one species, and that the difference between the green and bohea teas depends on the nature of the soil, culture, age, and the manner of drying the leaves. He adds that it has even observed that a green tea tree, planted in the bohea tea country, will produce bohea, and vice versa; and that on examining several hundred flowers, brought both from the bohea and green tea countries, their botanical characters have always appeared uni form. Dr. Lettsom also says the infusions of bohea and green tea will preserve pieces of beef when immersed in them. This extract says the reason why the gout aud stone arc* unknown in China is ascribed to the use of this plant. An eminent physician in this extract imputes the amazing population of China among other causes to the general use of it. This extract also says tea is extolled as the greatest of all medicines; moderately and properly taken it acts as a gentle astringent and corroborative; it strength ens the stomach and bowels and is good against nauseous indigestions aud diurrlneas: it acts also as a diuretic aud diaphoretic. It refreshes the spirits in heaviness and sleepiness, and seems to counteract the operation of inebriating liquors. It further says the Chinese are always taking tea, especially at meals. The most moderate take it at least three times a day, others ten times or more. It is the chief treat with which they regale their friends. Rev. Mr. Allen, Methodist missionary, writing from China, says tea seems to have lx.*en used in China as early as A. D. 350, but was uot geneially appreciated till about A. D. 800. He also says there are two kinds of shrubs, denominated by botanists Tliea Bohea and Thea Viridis; but they are supposed to be the product of the same species. The Chinese them selves will tell you that the shrubs can not be distinguished, they are so generally alike; but closer observation will discern that the leaf of the black tea, Thea Bohea, is long and pointed, while that of the green tea, Thea Vindis, is shorter and roundish, caused, as the natives suppose, only by difference of soil, and that it is not au annual but a perennial, and lives to a great age. Some trees iu the tea districts, pointed out, aud said to be more than a hundred years old. He says, again: “The southern provinces, in and about the latitude of Georgia, produce the finest qualities and generally supply the foreign market.” A writer in the Patent Office Report 1850and 1851 says: “I have taken up a tea tree some forty feet high, aud its branches extending over a space of six teen feet in diameter; its root was about three feet nine inches in length, with a few straggling fibres growing out from the main.” Such may be grown here by let ting only one stock grow in a place, on very rich land, and it kept properly pruned; but it is best to let the plants grow as shrubs—the leaves can then be more conveniently gathered. In China the flowers open early iu the spring, and continue for a month. The seeds do not ripen perfectly till December or January; here the flowers open in Sep- teinlxr' and continue till frost, but the seeds do not ripen till November of the following year. In China, Mr. Allen states, the flowers are inodorous; here they are fragrant. By roasting, rolling ami manipulating, the most volatile part evaporates, which is water; the leaves wilt, the juice exudes, becomes inspis sated and adhesive, causing them when sufficiently rolled to retain the twist pro duced by this process, producing at the same time a pleasant flavor in taste and smell. By this condensed operation the leaves can lx? more closely compressed in vessels suitable for domestic use or trans portation. Tea should be well dried be fore packing, otherwise it will mould. Infusions of the green leaves or when dried in the shade are perfectly harmless, but not so agreeable to the taste. It never has beeu proved that tea possesses noxious properties, although it has been in daily and almost universal use for a thousand years. It may be made deleterious by taking too much, when the reaction being too great pro duces sleepiness, but this may sometimes be desirable. As to the quantity that may be imbibed at one time w ithout iu jury depends on the temperament of a person. Some can indulge more than others, hut no one should drink more thau will benefit. I have seen it stated that tea has been known to kill smail ani mals. Probably that tea contained some foreign substance, as is the case with a large portion of imported teas; or too great a quantity was given. Salt is a valuable article and great use made of it, but it will destroy life when too great quantity is taken inwardly. Again, what kills one animal will not kill another. Tea, being such a great luxury, possess ing so many valuable properties, ought to be extensively cultivated in our own country. It may truly be called a sor row-healing lx?verage, for it relieves thirst and dissipates sorrow. Wm. Hughes, Sb. A Home Destroyed by Fire. Egypt, Ga., March 19.—Editor Morn ing Neics: Allow us to express through your columns our sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brewer, intheirmisfortunej On Sunday morning about ten o’clock,as we were seated on the piazza of Mr. E. E. Foy, at No. 4 station, a small volume of smoke was noticed in the direction of Mr. Brewer’s residence, and, as we watched it, it soon became a dense volume of black smoke, which caused us to suspect that Mr. B.’s house was on fire. Mr. Roundtree, a resident at this place, rode over,and came back in great haste and informed us that Mr. B. s residence was about burnt up. and that no one was at home that he could see. With Mr Foy, 31 r. Fox and several oth ers we immediately rode over to the place. When we arrived the roof was falling in. By tearing down the fence we pre vented* tlie further spread of the flames, but the house, with all the furniture, bedding, clothing, and everything belonging to the family was totally consumed. The family were ab sent on a visit, and hardly had left the place an hour before the smoke was dis covered. They are now preparing to go to housekeeping a few miles from here, and we hope the generous citizens of this section of % Old Effingham will, as usual, give them a helping hand. Some have already done so ana I hope their example will be followed by all. Respectfully, * Biddenback. Divorces. Providence Journal. We notice that there is a law in Geor gia which requires that a suit for divorce from the marriage relation shall be con tinued through"the three terms of the court. It seems to us a wise law. for it gives time to consider reasons and esti mate consequences, inasmuch as three terms of the court will run through eighteen months. It decides, moreover, that there is some importance in a mar riage bond, and that it is not to be dis solved in a hurry, on a figment of jeal ousy, or a freak of passion. If the Leg islature of Georgia has not been conspicu ous for the wisdom of all its enactments, it is entitled to credit for passing a law which may be a help to domestic com fort and happiness. It is a trite proverb that men and wo men marry in haste and repent at leisure. If the bride and bridegroom looked seri ously upon their vows and obligations, and regarded the flowers of their nuptials as emblematic of the bright links which would bind them together in the new condition the bloom of the wedding would not so often be obscured by the shadow of the divorce. They ought to read what Jeremy Tailor says about marriage, and the reciprocal duties of husband and wife. The injunctions of the philosophic divine, joined to their own common sense, might prevent the influence of those misunderstandings and bickerings which often lead to a rupture of the pleasing bond. Perhaps the law in Georgia might have been fully as wise if it had decreed that no marriages should take place which had not been settled by an ac quaintance and courtship equal ’ to the period required for a reasonable divorce. A law of this kind might interfere with many unions prompted by love at first sight, but in the end it would prove a benefit to the contracted relations. It lias been often said that “matches are made in heaven,” but it has been added by some sarcastic observer that they are often “dipped in a ivarmer place.” Whatever we may wish to think, we have sometimes been obliged to believe that there was truth and a point in the sarcasm. The many appli cations in the courts for a separation from bed and board show clearly that the warm passion of the heart often super sedes the cool of the judgment. 3Iarri age in any case, as the world goes, is a sort of lottery, and it is only after all things have been fixed at the domestic or ecclesiastical altar, and life has entered upon its daily round of responsibilities and cares, that the husband or wife comes fully to realize that the result of the turn ing wheel has been a blank or a prize. 8o we consider that the law of Georgia should have begun at the beginning. It should have taken cognizance of that pur ple atmosphere which is often so bewil dering to young eyes, and it should have decreed that the imaginary union of hearts should Ik? tested by a process of time, which would make the final act of junction only a ceremony and type. The darts of Cupid 4ly thick and fast, and they are blind in their aim. No one can tell how’ soon his heart may feel a w’ound. The tender muscle may congratulate itself in its isolated independence that it is “as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,” but before the thought has passed it has be come a “besieged city.” And the multi tude of years, although it may be said to bring wisdom, is no fortress against the tender passion. If youth is full of sus ceptible imaginations, old age pre serves the memories of its early fan cies and feelings. Abraham was not a young man in common accepta tion when he made Sarah his wife. And, to come down to modern times, Thomas Lord had passed the bound of four-score years when he yielded to the charms of a fascinating widow. If there was some trouble in both these marriages in years which should have been full of experience and wisdom, it only shows the need of forethought and carefulness in the* union of youthful hearts. And for this reason it seems to us that the law of Georgia should have taken note of marriage in its first premises. It should have decreed that the connubial bond should not be sanctified by justice or priest until the experience of the ac quaintance of the bride and bridegroom had been matured out of the buddings of fancy into the sober flower of discre tion. Some cynical celibate once wrote as follows: “The happiest life that ever was led Is always to woo and never to wed.’* It was a foolish verse, betraying at the same time a want of knowledge and the animosity of an envious and jealous mind. Perhaps there was some founda tion for the sharp humor of the poet in the frequent separations of married couples, but he seems to have forgotten that in any question the argument rests on the general rule and not on excep tions. And so we come to the conclu sion of our essay, which is this, in a few words, that those who feel an inclination to enter into a compact which should bind them during their life should take time to revolve and estimate the conse quences and chances. If they .consider carefully and wisely, without lx?ing blind ed by their own wandering fancies and imaginations, they need not concern themselves in regard to the laws of States, or care whether a divorce in Georgia may take eighteen months or eighteen years. The Use of Whiskers to a Cat The sense which of all others is most deficient in the cat is that of smell. In this she differs most markedly from the dog. It is said that a piece of meat may be placed in close proximity to a cat, but that if it is kept covered up she will fail to distinguish it. This want is, however, partly compensated for by an extremely delicate sense of touek, which is pos sessed, to a remarkable extent, by the whiskers, or vibrissa?, as well as by the general surface of the skin. These bris tles are possessed to a greater or less ex tent by all cats, and arc simply great de veloped hairs, having enormously swol len roots, covered with a layer of muscular fibers, with which delicate nerves are connected. By means of these latter, the slightest touch on the extremity of the whiskers is instantly transmitted to the brain. These organs are of the greatest possible value to the cat in its nocturnal campaigns. When it is deprived of the guidance afforded by light it makes its way by the sense of touch, the fine whiskers touching against every object the cat passes,and thus acting imprecisely the same manner as a blind man’s stick, though with infinitely greater sensibility. Imagine a blind man with not one stick, but a couple of dozen, of exquite fineness, and these not held in his band, but imbedded in his skin, so that his nerves come into direct contact with them instead of having a layer of skin between, and some notion may be formed of the way in which a cat uses its whiskers. In regard to medical treatment of diphtheria there is much disagreement. Some favor local applications, others dose their patients. Dr. E. N. Chap man, an old physician of Brooklyn, who has devoted many years to the study of diphtheria, and who has had much suc cess iri his practice, recommends the ad ministration of alcohol. Alcohol, he says, is a poison antagonistic to the poison of diphtheria. He avers that the percentage of deaths can be reduced to one in fifty. It neutralizes, he says, the diphtheritic poison, sets free the nerves of animal life, subdues the fever and in flammation, destroys the pabulum that sustains the membrane, and cuts short the disease. Like any other antidote, it must be given promptly at the outset. It does not act as a stimulant, nor produce any of its ordinaiy effects. Dr. Chap man sustains his position by citing numerous cases in which this treatment has been successful. He says that during the past winter he has only lost one case out of forty. BOLD SAFE BURGLARY. A Village A routed in the Early Horn ing by a startling Explowlon. Buffalo Courier. As has been announced in a brief dis patch, a daring robbery was successfully perpetrated early last Sunday mornin" upon the banking house of Messrs. Blod gett Stebbins, at Pike, Wyoming county. About four o’clock the citizens of that quiet hamlet were awakened by an explo sion that shook the entire village and caused the echoes to resound from the neighboring hills and valleys. Citizens living near rushed into the street, and were ju*t in time to see three men run from the bank building and disappear in the surrounding gloom. The whole town was soon in arms, and, stopping only long enough to see that the burglars had been successful, about sixty sturdy sons of the village, headed by Mr. George A. Green, President of the Vigilance So ciety, started in hot pursuit. The pur suing party tracked the burglars to Grif fith’s Comers, a small hamlet about three miles east of Pike, where all trace of them was lost. The entire country for miles around was patrolled by armed men all day Saturday, Sunday and 3Ion day, but up to the present time no one lias been apprehended. All the highways leading across the Genessee river were closely watched, as w’ere the various stations on the Erie and Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia railways. Tiie burglars had burned up or carried away about one thousand fine hundred dollars in cash, and some government and railroad bonds. In one comer of the room a package of one thousand dollars in currency, uninjured, was picked up, and about one-fourth of a mile from the bank, some burned greenbacks wen- found. The bank building is a frame structure of small dimensions, standing alone, and situated iu the centre of the village. An entrance* was effected bv prying open a side window. A clock hanging against the wall w’as taken down and had stopped at 11£ o’clock Friday night. The safe, a handsome one weighing about four thousand pounds, was moved some distance into the room, evidently for the purpose of being more accessible. The safe was opened by ripping up one of the bands across the front and taking it partially off. Two small square holes were worked through the outer shell of the safe with twist drills, and by means of jimmies the bolts w’ere pushed back and the outer door swung naturally upon its hinges. The operators then tried to re move bodily the money chests inside bv means of wedges and jimmies, but fail ing in that, they wedged the door suffi ciently to make a small crevice, and put tied tlie whole over except a small aper ture, through which, by means of a small bellows, the air was exhausted aud the finest powder forced into the box. When all was ready the outer door was closed and the powder exploded, throw- ing the contents promiscuously about the office. About a pound of the finest gray powder, so pure that it could not be made to soil the whitest linen, a pair of bellows, four twist drills, two double jimmies, and various other tools usually used by professional burglars were left lying indiscriminately about the prem ises. 31 r. Blodgett is a brother of 31 r. James Blodgett, of Hermitage. N. Y., who was similarly robbed of $12,000 a few* years ago. A Fable. From, the New Orleans Times. There was a young 3Ian who went to a Baby Show, and afterwards went to Play billiards with a Tough old man to whom one cock-Tail is a small Thing. And the young Man went home later and finally went to Bed full of mixed drinks and two dinners, one which he lost to the Tough man and oue which he ate at home to keep up appearances, and he had a dream. lie thought he was in a deep Forest by a Hunter’s lodge. A place Black with shade and damp with Dead leaves. He saw an Owl nine feet Ion" from the end of his tail to his lieak. Ana the Owl flew Softly and made the dead leaves flutter with the wind from his wings. (The young 3Ian assumed that it was a He Owl although, in fact, he had no opportunity' to decide that point.) He was nine feet long and of a soft brown and spotted Hue The young 3Ian thought the Owl was big enough to eat a goat and that it was his duty as a fearless citizen to kill him—the Owl. And the young 3Ian slipped up with his revolver and took aim at the Owl and pulled to the amount of Seven teen pounds on the trigger; but it did not go Off. The young 3ian considered that he had compromised himself in the eyes of the Owl and that his revolver was Busted. So he did not know what to Do at that moment. Then the Owl flew away to a big dead tree, just as easy. Then the young Man followed ami saw two other Owls on that big de;ul tree. These Owls were also nine feet long and of a soft brown and spot ted Hue. And it was on a Hill side above the Hunter’s lodge. There were lumps of ferruginous Quartz lying all about, angular rocks and deadly' it throwm with force. He took up Some of Them and thought he would throw Them at the three Owls. And all at once the three Owls changed into three apothecaries with brown Spotted dress ing gowns on them. They were stand ing w ith their Heads together and with their backs to the young Man—in an Apotheke with a glass roof. The young Man immediately threw a rock at the Three of them, and it struck a brown apothecary’ on the shoulder and glanced off, and fell on a table and broke a bottle and started some kind of a small Blue flame. But the apothecaries went on with their Legislature, humping their shoulders and shoving their noses up close and Bobbing their heads. Then the-young man threw another Lump of ore and it hit a brown apothecary’ on the side of his head and glanced off and mashed some jars and set several crooked streaks of Blue fire agoing all around in the A potheke. And the three soft Spotted apothecaries formed a committee to see about the Fire which had the appearance of being about to burn everything up, whereupon the young 3Ian turned and ran down the Hill-side into the darkest Place he could fine} in the Woods. And he wandered about wondering what would ■be done about It and when he would be Hung., Afterwards he thought he wrould go back to the Hunter’s lodge and see what would turn up. No sooner had he got there when a Deputy sheriff handed him a plate with Six Gas Bills on it, every one of which the young 3Ian considered a w’arrant for his arrest. He Fumbled over them to rain time to Think, and the Deputy sheriff Rolled his Ey’es. He thought it was no use to dis pute the gas Bills and he w’as about to weakeu and write “guilty” on all of them with a Blue pencil, when another Deputy sheriff came in with an armful of fine Blue tis sue paper, enough to make Nine volumes of the Congressional Globe, all printed in agate type. And the Deputy sheriff said this was A description of the Outrage he had committed, and he should Read it and make up his mind wha* he w ould Do about it. The young 3Ian tried to find the beginning of it and he could not and he thought he Would die. And then he woke up and pulled the blanket away from his wife who was Rolled up in It. 3Ioral—Don’t play billiards with a Tough old man about dinner time and don’t throw valuable Ore at Owls. A GOOD STORY. Alex. H. Stephen* and Boh Toomb*. At a law society’s dinner the president called upon the senior attorney to give as a toast the person whom he considered the best friend of the profession. ‘ Cer tainly,” was the response. “The man who makes his own will.” Houston Telegram : 4 ‘A negro woman was missed from Dallas in January and no clew could be obtained of her until a clairvoyant told her friends her husband and two other men had pitched her from the bridge into the Trinity river. They believed the medium implicitly^ and searched the river until they found the body.” For hauling a seine In the British main. And catching a few minnows and whales, For pay in vain They asked Jim Blaine For he don t weigh fish in scales. New York World. A doctor named Rovston had sued Peter Bennet for his bill, long overdue, for attending the wife of the latter. Alex ander H. Stephens was on the Bennet side and Robert Toombs, then Senator of the United States, was for Dr. Rovston. The doctor proved the number of his visits, their value according to local cus tom. and his own authority to do medical practice. 3Ir. Stephens told his client that the physician had made out his case, and, as there was nothing wherewith to rebut or offset the claim, the only thing left to do was to pay it. “No,” said Peter, “I hired you to speak in my case, and now speak.” 31 r. Stephens told him there was no thing to say; he had looked on to see that it was made out, and it was. Peter was obstinate, and at last 31 r. Stephens told him to make a speech him self if he thought one could be made. “I will,” said Peter Bennet, “if Bobby Toombs won’t be too hard on me.” Senator Toombs promised, and Peter began: ‘ Gentlemen of the Jury: Y'ou and I is plain farmers, and if we don’t stick together these ’ere lawyers and doctors will git the advantage of us. I ain’t no lawyer nor doctor, and I ain’t no ob- i ’ections to them in their proper place; >ut they ain’t farmers, gentlemen of the jury. “Now this man Royston was a new doctor, and I went for him to come an’ to doctor my wife’s sore leg. And he come an’ put some salve truck onto it and some rags, but never done it oue bit of good, gentlemen of the jury. I don’t believe he is no doctor, no way. There is doctors as is doctors, sure enough, but this man don’t earn his mon^y; and if you send for him, as 3Irs. Sarah Atkin son <lid, for a negro boy as was worth $1,000. he just kills him and wants pay for it ” “I don’t!” thundered the doctor. ‘‘Did you cure him?" asked Peter, with slow accents of a Judge with the black cap ou. The doctor was sileut, and Peter pro ceeded: “As I was sayin’, gentlemen of the jury, we farmers when we sell our cotton has*got to give vally for the money we ask, and doctors ain’t none too good to be put to the same rule. And I don’t believe this Sam Royston is no doctor, no how. ” The physician again put in his oar with: “Look at my diploma if you think I am no doctor.” “His diploma!” exclaimed the new- fledged orator, with great contempt. “His diploma’ Gentlemen, that is a big word for printed sheepskin, and it didn’t make no aoctor of the sheep as first wore it, nor does it of the man who now carries it. A good newspaper has more in it, and I p’int out to ye that he ain’t no doctor at all. ” The man of medicine was now in a fury, and screamed out: “Ask my pa tients if I am not a doctor!” “I asked my wife,” retorted Peter, “an’she said as how she thought you wasn’t.” “Ask my other patients," said Doctor Royston. This seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, for Peter replied with a look and tone of unutterable sadness: “That is a hard saying, gentlemen of the jury, and one that requires me to die or to have powers as I’ve beam tell ceased to lie exercised since the Apostles. Does he expect me to bring the An"el Gabriel down to toot his horn before his time and cry aloud: ‘Awake, ye dead, aud tell this court and jury your opinion of Royston’s practice?’ Am I to go to the lonely churchyard and rap ou the silent tomb, and say to um as is at last at rest from physic and doctor bills: ‘Git up here, you, and state if you died a natural death, or was buried up by some doctors?’ He says ask his patients, and, ereutlemen of the jury, they are all dead! Where is 3Irs. Beazly’s man Sam? Go ask the worms in the graveyard where he lies! 31 r. Peake’s woman Sarah-was attended by him, and lu*r funeral was ap- p’inted, and he liad the corpse ready. When* is that likely Bill as belonged to 3Ir. Mitchell? Now in glory, a’ express- in’ his opinion on Royston’s doctorin’. Where is that baby gal of Harry Ste phens’? She are where doctors cease from troublin’ and the infants are at rest. ‘Gentlemen of the jury, he has et chicken enough at my house to pay for his salve, and I furnished the rags, and I don’t suppose he charges for niakin’ of her worse, aud even he don’t pretend to charge for curin’ of her, and 1 am hum bly thankful that he gave her nothin’ for her inwards, as he did his other patients, for somethin’ made um all die mighty sudden .” Here the applause made the speaker sit down in great confusion, and in spite of a logical restatement of the case by Senator Toombs, the doctor lost and Peter Bennet won. The Great River of China. V correspondent writes from Hankow, China, to the New York Times: 44 The regular navigation of the Y’ang- tse Kiang by steam Is an affair of the last fifteen years, and was originally an Ameri can enterprise. The river is well adapted to steam navigation, as it Is one of the largest streams in the world. The Ama zon holds the firct place, the 3IississipDi the second ; and the Y'ang-tse the third. There are many persons W’ho think the Y’ang-tse should be placed before the 3IisMssipni rather than after it, as they contend that its volume is greater. I am almost inclined to s : de with them, and at all events shall decline to say that they are not correct. I am familiar with the Mississippi, from St. Louis to New Or leans, and during my voyage up the Y’ang-tse I have been trying to determine the question of relative size. Uertainly the fluvial pride of China looks as large as our own, and appears to carry as great a volume of water. In the lower part of its course it spreads out to a great width and forms a broad estuary for more than one hundred milej. * Here, at Hankow, six hundred and odd miles from the 9ea, it equals the 3Iississippi at Natehez or Vicksburg, and ita current is said by steamboat Captains to be only a little less than four miles an hour. Yesterday I took a Chinese sampan to cross from Hankow to Wo-chang, the city on the southern bank, and opposite to Hankow- on the northern. I had two boatiqen, and they rowed fast and well Tiiey made straight across the stream, allow ing the boat U> drift with the river, and. on reaching the opposite shore tuey pulled up stream where the current was slight. We lost a full mile in the down ward drift ip crossing where the river was about a mile and a quarter in width. As you look dowrn upon the Y'ang-tse from the pagoda at Wo-chang or from the summit of the hill that domi nates Hankow, you are profoundly im pressed with its'magnitude, and are not surprised that the Chinese generally called it Ta-Kiang—i. e., “Great River/' “The flat, reed-grown banks of.the first hundred miles of the Y’ang-tse forci bly remind you of the swamps of the Lower Mississippi; the reediness contin ues through much of the second ;ind even the third hundred miles, and disap points the traveler who had looked for a succession of villages and a dense popu lation the entire distance along the river. One hundred and fifty miles from its' mouth the estuary of the Y’ang-tse con tracts to a river, and the far-famed Sil ver island rises in view’. Islands in mid stream, a steep hill of rock, perhaps three hundred feet high, crowned with a pa goda and covered from base to summit with trees and bushes and rich grass on which summer houses and more substan tial dwellings are here and there stippled. A little distance beyond we have a Vicks burg or a Memphis spread over a range of undulated hills and backed by a lof tier range that gives a serrated horizon against the misty blue sky. But its name is not Vicksburg'or Memphis; it is Chin- kiang, and we know from the crenulated wall that surrounds it, the pagodas there rise above it, and the junks and sampans at its water front that the city is Chinese and not American.” ,'Je wonder some industrious collector of Ann has never given us a book atom witnesses. The strange statement® ex trnordinary admissions, prompt ret ^" funny mistakes crooked answers,and Si distortions of the Queen’s English. h<£rd in the courts would make a P lethoric Voh ume of amusing reading. The immaculate elector who was sure he had not breakfasted at a candidate^ cost, because he had never breakfasted inhislife a-ways taking his m™ meal in the middle of the day and his neighbor, equally certain on ih» same score, because he had, twenty yearn be fore. made a resolution never to eat drink at any one's charge but his own had as little chance of being be^vX the Scotsman assuring a Parliamentary committee that his countrymen were •'unco modest, or the Irishman who swore the last time he saw his sister was eight months ago. when she called at his house and he was not at home. An Irishman, examined before a Fish ery Commission, seemed so inclined to avow anything, that one of the commis sioners asked if there were any whales on the west coast ? 44 Is it whales *“ said p at. “ Sure we may see m by the dozen spouting like wather-engines all over the place.” “Are there many dog-fish’” was the next question. •• D’ogs. begj>rra' ye’d say so ad ye passed the night here Sure we can t sleep for the harkin’ o’ thim.” “Do flying fish abound here’” queried another gentleman. “Flving- tish is it ?” quoth the veracious fellow “ If we didn’t put up the shutters every night there wouldn’t be a whole pane o’ glass in the house for the craters batin’ against thim !” When he came up for his expenses. Pat tried to coax something extra out of the commissioners, on the plea that he had sworn to everythin" their honors “axed” him. Irish witnesses art not usually so tractable, no small amount of patience being required to extract a definite answer to the simplest questions. No thing pleases your fun loving Irishman better thim to bother a lawyer, and the Irish courts have known many a dialogue like this: “Y’ou are a Roman Catholic?” “Ami?” “Are you not?” “Y’ou say I am.” “Come, sir; what’s your religion?” “The true religion.” “What religion’s that?” “My religion.” “And what is your religion?” “My mother’s reli gion. “What was your mother’s religion?” “She tuk whisky in her lay.” “Y’ou bless yourself, don’t you?” “When I am done with you I will.” “What plate of worship do you goto?” “The most convanient.” “Of what persuasion are you?” “My persua sion is that you won’t find out.” “What is your belief?” “That you arc* puzzled.” “Do you confess?” “Not to you.” “Who would you write to if you were likely to die?” “The doctor.” ' “I insist upon your answering me, sir. Are you a Roman Catholic?" “lam.” “And why didn’t you say so at once?” “Y’ou never axed me. Y ou said I was a great many things, but you never axed me; you were drivin’ crass words and crooked questions at me, and I thought it was manners to cut my behavior on your own patthern.” An examiner’s perseverance is not al ways successful in eliciting the desired answer. “Was there anything in the glass?” asked a counsel of a somewhat re luctant witness. “Well, there was some thing in it,” he replied. “Ah, I thought we should get at it in time,” observed tin* triumphant questioner. “Now. my good fellow, tell us what that something was.” The good fellow took time to think over it; at last he drawled out: “It were a spoon.” Equally unsatisfactory, from a legal point of view, was the following short dialogue: “Y’ou have property, you say; did you make it yourself?” “Part ly.” “Are you married?” “Y’es.” “Did your wife bring you anything?” “Yes.” “What?” 4 Three children,” The witness had the best of that bout. And the lady was too much for the law yer when they tried conclusions in this fashion: “On which side of the street do you live, ma’am?” “On either side.” “How can that possibly be, ma’am?” “Why, if you go one way it is ou the right side, if you go the other it is on the left” The information imparted was as little to the purpose as the answer to the question, “When you called upon 3Ir. Roberts what did lie say?” propound ed to a voter before an election commit tee. Ere the man could open his mouth to reply, the question was objected to. For half an hour counsel argued the mat ter, then the room was cleared that the committee might consider the subject. After the lapse of another half-hour the doors were opened, and the Chairman announced that the question might be put. All ears were strained to catch the impending disclosure. But the moun tain did not bring forth even a mouse. “What did 3Ir. Roberts say?" asked the counsel, and the witness replied: “He wasn’t at home, sir, so I didn’t see him.” The New Y’ork Nation makes the fol lowing sensible comments upon the late exposures opened before the Committee on Land Claims of the Senate. A law sending all claims to the courts of the United States most convenient to the claimants and witnesses would relieve Congress and, the departments of much labor and close the doors now so open to fraud. The Nation says: “The YlcGar- rahan mining claim, now nearly twenty years old, has come up in a new way. At a hearing before the Senate Committee on Public Lands the New Idria Company, 3IcGarrahan’s opponent, put in evidence the claimant’s private correspondence touching the manner in which the claim was pushed before Congress. This tends to show that the means used to advance hi9 interest were bribery of members of Congress by gifts of stock, and the em ployment of all sorts of men ‘near the persons’ of politicians high in office, with a view to secure the influence of the latter. (>ne of the letters threatens a terrible exposure of Judge Black, who is now counsel for the New Idria Company, aud must be mightily amused by it. There have been so many revolations of bribery and corrup tion at Washington of late years that this one is hardly likely to excite more than a passing interest. The ‘charges’ will all lie denied, with the usual protestations of innocence, and there will be an end of it. If the case would serve to fix the atten tion of the public upon the importance of some measure for keeping such claims out of Congress, the scandal would be hardly matter for regret. So far from the means used by 3fcGarrahan to press his claim being unnatural or due to his exceptional wickedness, they are those which suggest themselves at once to claimants of pertinacity and intelligence who have to do with such a body as Congress. The moral of it all is rein all claims to the courts. If this had oeen the law, the McGamban scandal would never have been, heard of, for his claim was long ago rejected by the Supreme Court, llut this, instead of disposing of the claim, only sent the claimant back to Congress.” The Russian Government has officially estimated its loss of suldiery 1 eighty thousand, hut there ’ probably, quite as large a lossoi . subjects, other than mintaiy, fro® dies arising out of the war. At dropol, owing to the passage thr< K town since the war began, of setenty thousand sick and wounded. . neglect of the sanitary authonti _ the requisite precautions, tn much disease that ali who can the town; the death rate *nts fifty-five in one thousand. - all the doctors of fT&Tu The Turkish prisoners from Armenia are or less infected with disease. a» ever they go epidemics folio , train. At Penza small-po* nd^ are so rife that public ^oob andmsti- tutious have beeu closed hj - n order. The official rej^rt fP Petera _ valid to every house. -' uu , m f th Pe^ian Ci|n^u. n amon| capital-J month ago ten thousand wounded were at Sistova a “5^ moval, so many of whom w ^ from typhu9 that it wa3 have typhus specials to carry afflicted. The Czar is said to be emaciated and wasting awa.v P - ■. is intimated that he has not long to live. After Victor Emanuel thePope^ After the Pope the Czar, ho they 0 . Roman-off after another-
