Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME XIII.—NUMBER 614.
ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20,1887.
PRICE: $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE*
Stunting Across the Bloody Chasm.
SOUTHERN WAR SONGS.
Poetic Echoes From the Dead
Past.
Gold for Sunny South Patrons.
See the extraordinary array of gold and val
uable presents to be distributed among the
patrons of the Srxxv South on the 1st of Oc
tober next. Read the announcement and plan
of distribution on 4th page.
“KNITTING THE SCARF.”
A *ly little maiden sits by m-j to-night,
S >ftly hum nine: an old tune low;
The bright threads fl uh tdr ugh her fingers white.
As sh**guideih then edle to and fro.
Sweet Is the 9<>hg that the maiden 9lugeth,
Sad to my heart are the thouguts It. brlnget’a;
nreams (hat. were burled so long ago,
Under ths snow-under tbe snow.
LUMe the maiden knoweth of tills,
Weaving the bright ♦ breads Id the while;
II -r thoughts are weaving a dream of bliss.
And the red lips parr, n a sweet half smite,
As her haopiuess la with each s’itch she r wmeth,
And the Ugnt In the luminous eye that shiueth
U idert he lid grow tender and dim.
T.linking of him— thinking «>f him!
Thus the needle beareth a double thread.
As daintily in and out it fli ‘.s t
And me conscious fi *o t in ner che®k grows red,
’Neath the sails of my steady eyes
Shale * down the cloud of thy orown hair’s glory,
Lest thy blushes should tell the story
Tnat was old when the Elen skies were b'ue,
Yet ever is new—ever is new.
8° Mushing and sfcy’v the maiden sing*.
K ittlng the scarf f »r her absent, lover;
j a* « me'^nks two angels won golden wines
SoV y 1%'und the m.ii len hover .
H^v m grant that the hopes thou art weaving
L^i*e no room In thv heart for grieving;
A.’*£v: ;■* k • * •. IM'-V • y '4 4
Tuning aw<»y—tuA.» i ^ A.
CART LOADS OF MONEY.
A PROCESSION TWENTY-THREE
MILES LONG.
Startling Figures About the Money in
the United States Treasury.
Few persons, perhaps, who read the fre
quently pub ished reports of the fiscal opera
tions of the Government give any consideration
to the vastness and significance of these opt ra
tions. We read of the hundreds of millions of
goii and silver in the treasury, but how few
persons have intelligent idea of what is
embraced in t he nine figures required to de
scribe the liab lilies and assess of the Govern
ment. It is only when the auriferous contents
■ot the treasury vaults are weighed and mea
ured. and placed by the side of articles and
commodities that are daily handled by tin
masses, that an intelligent co )i prehension can
be obtained by the people of the financial
strength of the treasury and the great extent of
the Government's fiscal operations.
I find, by reference to the latest publ shed
statement 5f treasury assets at d liabilities, that
among the assets was $2Hl T 0‘.Hi,417 in gold and
nearly *200 000 000 in si.ver, including 34.000,-
1H)0 of trade dollars a**(i fractional coins.
Taking up this $281,000,000 of gold and placing
it on scales, I find that the gold held by f e
treasury weighed 510 tons, arid if packed in o
ordinary carts, one ton to each cart, it wouiu
make a procession two miles long, allowing
twenty feet of space for the movement of e-tdi
horse and cart.
The weighing of the silver produces much
more interesting results. Running this ov»r
the scales I find its weight to be 7 390 tons.
Measuring it in carls. a.*> in the cas- ol the g« Id,
the silver now hel 1 bv the treasury would re
quire the services of 7.396 horses and carts to
trausporc it, and would make a procession ov« r
twenty-one miles in length
l'he surplus about which so much is said in
the daily newspapers amounts to nearly *17-
000,00d. an increa.-e of $0,ooo0l0 >ince Jny 1.
Counted as gold, this surplus would weigh
eighty-six and one-ha f tons. Counted as ml
ver it would weigh 1 080 tons
Each million of gold adds 0 080 pi u s Is t<> the
surplus, and each million of silver adds 08 930
pounds.
Applying cubic measurement to the treasury
gold and silver, and piin.g the two metals on
Pennsylvania avenue as cord wood is piled be-
iore delivery to the purchaser, I find that 'he
gold would measure thirty-seven cords nnd the
silver 492 cords, and that both wou;d extend
from the treasury department to 4 1 2 street, or
from the treasury tu the pension office in a
straight line, and forming a solid wall eight
feet high and four feet broad.
Extending these calculations and compari
sons to the interest bearing debt, equally inter
esting results are obtained The public debt
reached the highest poii t in August, 1860—
just twenty-two >ears ago—when it was $2 -
-381 5150,290. The genteral reader will better
appreciate the vastness of this sum when in
formed that it represents 70,106 tons of silver,
which would make a procession of carts that
would extend from R» rim ond, Va , to a point
twelve miles north of Philadelphia, the distance
it would thus cover beii g 266 mihs.
The interest bearing debt is now (not includ
ing the Pacific railroad bonds), $1 U01 076 800,
showing that tbe sum paid lias been *1 179,-
-003,440, or more than one-half of the t**tal
amount, and representing 40 637 tons of si ver
dollars, which would extend 104 miles if pack
ed in carts containing one t >n each.
Rt ducing these figures to a basis where they
may be intelligenily apprehended, and that
the rapidity with which the government has
reduced its Donded deot may b*i fully real z-d
by the general reader, I find that the reduc
tion has been at tbe averaged rate of $02 706,
070 each year, $0 220,081 each month, *174,-
180 each day, *7,208 each hour, and $120 17
for ^very minute of the entire twenty-two
years.
Bursting tbe calculation to tbe smalh st di
visible space ol time, the bonded debt of the
United States has oeen decreased at the rate
of $20 07 every second, or for every swing of
the pendulum, for the entire period from Au
gust 31, 1860, to July 31, 1887.
This is an exhibition of recuperation and
n aterial progress on the part of the country
and of sterling hones .y and integrity on the
part of tbe government and people that is with
out parallel in the world’s history.
William Campbell Preston.
A Full and Interesting Biographical
Sketch of the Distinguished
South Carolina Statesman.
Editor Sunny South:
Wm. C. Preston was born in Philadelphia
December 27th, 1794, his father being a mem
ber of Congress, which then held its session in
that city. The tradition is that Mrs. Washing
ton was the first person to hold him in her
arms, and certainly Mrs. Madison listened to
his earliest cries. His home was at tbe Salt
works, S my the county, Va. This, to the day
of his death, he thought the most beautiful
*pot on earth, and next to it the Cove of Cork.
The Salt-works was not then enriched and dis
figured by the numerous salt-houses, plaster-
banks, small stores and dwellings, which are
seen in what is now called Saltville. A few
wh.te dwellings, a few long sheds for salt, em
phasized the beautiful green of the meadows;
tiae forests clothed the hills which prefaced
the mount fins surrounding the valley; now
the hills and mountains are bare and the iron
horse shrieks through the meadows where yet
the finest cattle graze in the ri riicst of fields,
undisturbed by the new inventions of the cen
tury.
He was descended of illustrious parentage.
His mother’s father was Gen. Wm. Campbell,
of Kings Mountain fame; her mother was Eliz
abeth Henry, who was said to be as eloquent
as her brother, Patrick Henry. His paternal
grandfather, Win. Preston, was one of the
surveyors who accompanied Washington in
his early examinations of Virginia in the val
ley and beyond the Alleghanics. He was af
terwards greatly distinguished in the Indian
wars; when absent from the fort which he
commanded, his wife took his place and de
fended it successfully against the Indians.
The subject of this memoir was well in
structed by private tutors until of an age to en
ter col'ege; he attended, for awhile, Washing
ton College, now Washington and Lee Univer
sity. Afterwards, his lungs appearing weak,
he was sent to South Carolina College, at Co
lumbia; he was so charmed with the climate,
the beauty of the city and the elegance of the
people, that he determined to make it his
home. He chose the profession of law and
was early admitted to the bar. In the prac
tice of his profession ho was eminently suc
cessful, and made fortune aftar fortune, which
he spent with equal celerity. An instance of
J is good memory and bis knowledge of tbe
English classics occurred at hia entrance into
South Carolina College. A portion of Homer
was given to him to ttanslate; he asked if a
general, instead of a literal translation, would
do; upon an affirmative answer, he gave page
after page of Pope’s grand paraphrase. His
father, who was wealthy, offered him the op
portunity of travel and study in Europe, but
insisted he should see something of the wilds
of his own country first; so he sent
him to the far, far West, where the
frontiersman and the Indian might be
seen in aff their prestine glory—even to
"ovri! Ho traveled on lyrr".ha<*k r/;»,h %
colored servant carrying his portmanteau. He
was the next winter sent to see the highest so
cial circle of Ainnica—to Washington; there
fip was received with the utmost cordiality by
11*» kins-woman, Mrs. Madison, who insisted
that he should stay at the White House, which
was the more delightful from the presence of
several charming young ladies, conspicuous
among whom was the great belle and beaut}’.
Miss Maria Mayo, who afte.. ^rds became
Mrs General Scott.
His voyage to Europe was alow and tedious,
so i hat‘when he stopped off the Cove of Cork,
he was so weary with the sight of the waste
of waUrs, and the beauty of the land was so
tempting, that with his usual impetuosity he
jumped in o one of the little boats which had
come out to traffic with the passengers, and
went ashore, sending his luggage on by the
ship, lie traveled in Ireland until his finan
cial condition compelled him to follow his let
ters of ere Ut When he landed in England he
had only money enough to take an outside
place on the stage which then carried passen
gers from the mouth of the river to L’verpoo);
ii was raining, and the wetting he got together
with the fatigue, brought on a fever and conse
quent delirium, in which s‘ate he was taken
into the inn Tbe landlord, on examining his
papers, found letters to the American Consul,
who was then and for many years after, Mr.
Maury, but he being absent, his place was
supplied by Mi. Haggarty, of Virginia. He,
with the assistance of his friend, Washington
living, nursed him back to health. Thus,
with Washington Irving, began one of his
most valued friendships, and one which ended
only with death. One of the last things I read
to Mr Pr« s on as he lay on his death-bed, was
an account of the first celefcrarion of the anni
versary of Irving’s death. Mr. Irving was al
ready a man of distincMon in the work! of let-
'ers. When Mr. Preston went to London he
gave him letters of introduction to Loid
Brougham Lord John Russell and others.
Through ihe letter to Lord John Russell, he
had an invitation to sptnd the Christmas at
ll e ci untry house of the Duke of Bedford,
where he met many people of distinction.
Tin r- 1 was some trouble to know how to place
the. untitled Amer can gentleman; finally he
was consigned to the care oi one of one of the
jonrger s »ns of the house and went in to din
ner under his care. L >rd Brougham spoke of
ilie relationship between their fami ies Lord
Brougham, Lord Krskii.e. and Patrick Henry
were cohmiis; and all of them neph
ews of Kobrrtson, the Historian. Syd
ney Smith asked to be introduc
ed to him, as he said an American
gentleman was quite a curiosity. When he
w* nt to Edinboro to enter the University, Mr.
living gave him a letter of introduction to Sir
Walter Scott. Scott was partial to Americans
ami paid them much attention. There was a
remarkab e set ol students at that tune at Ed-
mboro Mr Cogswell, of the Astor Library,
J. Fennimore Cooper, Mr. Hugh S. Legare,
Mr. Govan, Mr. Everett, and Mr. Ticsnor
were in Europe at the time and traveled with
Me Preston on the continent, but I arn not
sure that they studied together. Sir Walter
took a special fancy to Mr. Preston, and he
was consequently much at Abbotsford. Mr.
Prestou asked Sir Walter’s advice as to wheth
er it was well for him t j accept the invitations
to Abbotsford, to the nou-e of Mrs Grant of
Laggm (author of Roy’s Wife of Alderval -ck)
and other places where literature was a topic
of chief interest. Sir Walter said he would
scarcely ever meet with such society as was
then in and around Edinboro, and he should by
all mean* take advantage of it; he should also
be diligent in attending all the lectures at tbe
University, for there was a remarkable set of
Professors—but bis books he could carry with
him anywhere. When, years afterwards, he
was elected to the Senate, a friend hastened to
Laggm to tell Mrs. Grant ot the honor be
sowed, * Pshaw 1’’ she said: “if those Ameri
cans lud had any sense they would have made
him President long ago.”
During the vacations be made several pedes
trian touis with Mr. Irving; they rambled
through Scotland, Northern England and
Wales. Many of the scenes of the Sketch
Book were witnessed together. Mr. Irving
ays in the last letter of friendship he evtr
wrote lo Mr. Preston: “Your alusions to
Jones of Biienne and Loch Katrine brought up
host ot recollections of pleasant scenes and
pleasant adventures, which we et joyed togeth-
r in our peregrinations ;hr< ugh Sco land and
England in our younger days. 1 often recur
in thought to those iambiings, which piestnt
some of the most agreeable day dreams of past
times; and if I dated indulge my pen could
call up many an amusing incident in which
you figured conspicuously.”
Soon after bis return from Europe, he,
1PERS0NAL MENTION.
What the People Are Doing
and Saying.
THE KIMBALL HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA.
married Mils Maria Eliza Coulter, daughter of
Judge Coulter, formerly of Virginia, then of
Missouri. Judge Coulter had several beauti
ful daughters, all of whom married distin
guished iner. One married Judge Win. Har
per, whom Mr. I’reston considered the finest
intelltc’. South Carolina ever produced
Another, Judge St. George Tucker one of Vir
ginia’s tine jurists; one, Judge Edward Hates,
who was afterwards a member of President
Lincoln’s cabinet; the youngest married Mr.
David Means, an eminent Presbyterian Divine.
Mr. Preston became as conspicuous in p >li-
: tics as in law, and for many years represented
South Carolina in the Senate, where be ranked
Echoes from the West.
The Great Bockies, Etc.
14.
with Weljster, £!’ay. Calhoun pnd. Heinun. ■ >.
his resignation from the Senate, Mr. Webster
wrote:
“Dear Sin: Your resignation gives me
pain, although you had prepared us to expect ;
it. Iu the political and social circles here, it
causes a void not easily to be filled. Your ea- :
rcer in the Senate has been long, useful and j
splendid; and I believe you leave Congress
witli Lhe respect and good
members. Sir.ee 1 have been in my present
situation, I have derived important aid from
your advice and occasional suggestions; an ob
iigation which I most cheerfu ly acknowledge,
but I owe you a much greater debt for j our
constant personal kindness, for the social hap
piness derivid from jour conversation, aud
for the gratification and instruction derived
from your efforts in debate. Tins, my tiear
sir, is entirely honest and sincere. I am mel
ancholy at your leaving the Senate, and could
not forego this occasion to signify to you my
ardet t feeiirgs of attachment and regard
Kind remembrances to Mis. Preston; ihere
again I have heavy losses. With whom shall
I now converse on Biblical criticism, old Eng
lish style and other kindred subjects" I sa- j
lute, also, Miss l’reston, with very sincere re
gards—and wish lor you all true and lasting
happiness.
“Daniel Wedster.”
Mrs. Preston here alluded to was Senator
Preston’s s* cond wife, who had been Miss I
Louisa Penelope Davis, the daughter of an
eminent physician of Columbia, South Caro j
lina. She was a lady of great beauty of per i
soil and remarkable literary atttainments Al
though much younger than Mr. Preston he
outlived her thirteen years and he always said
his heart died with hei; but he was much re
vived in his last years by the love of an adopt
ed daughter. Miss I’reston, of whom Mr.
Webster spt aks. was the omy child who at
tained maturity; her father’s tender, loving
heart, wins crushed by her death.
Mr. Preston was a great Datron of the arts.
He was the means of sending Mr. Powers to
Italy; that is, he recognized his genius, and
called the attention of Ins brother, Mr. John
S. Preston to him, and he su[ plied most
of tlie means which enabled Mr
Powers to prosecute the studies winch
have placed him first among American anists
Mr. Powers has shown his gratitude in many
ways—by bestowing the name of Preston on
his son, who is now eminent among sculptors;
by gifts of his works; several portrait busts
were presented to the family'. His Eve, Pro
serpine and Genevia were made for Mr. John
S Preston. Mr. W. 0. Preston also assisted
Mr. Chapman to go to Italy to study paint ug
Shortly before Mr. Preston's death Mr Chap
man sent him several etchings and some photo
graphs c f his large paintings
Mr. Preston was made President of South
Carolina College, in which capacity he served
for many years to the great advantage of the
institution aud of he young men under him
In general he enjoyed it; but I heard him say
once, when the boys were rather unruly, that
“be would rather drive an eartb<iu<ke with a
team of volcanoes than a set ot wild b..ys ”
Be was a man of powerful influence in the pol
itics of his State. He was beloved by the least
child and the greatest intellect. He honored
and admired woman to such a degree that he
habitually said no man was worthy o’ any wo
man. lie was very aciive in nullification.
When the secession in the Democratic party
took place in Charleston, in 1800, his heart
broke, for he had studied the relit,ors between
the States and the strength and purpose of each
and al! so tt at he knew what a fear ul struggle
was impending. As he lay dying Mr. Petigru,
the great Charleston lawyer and his cotempo
rary, came to see him and they wept together
over the coming strife. Mr. Petigru sai 1: “I
envy you, Preston. You are leading us, aud 1
will' nave to stay and see it all.’’ Aud so he
gladly bade farewell to earth on May 22d, re
joicing in hope of the world to come.
A. M.
Editor Sunst South: Ofcour.se away up
here in this great basin—resting between some
of old Rocky’s greatest ranges, and at an alti
tude of nearly 8 000 feet—one cannot turn his
eye to North, South, East or West without it
resting upon some of 'uteia's wonders. But
lei, u» vh.-.» more •diselj-.
If we take the stage from Saguache to Viila
Grove (the nearest railroad point and twenty
miles away), we find ourselves borne along the
Northern end of the great San Luis valley and
in full view of the Saugrede Cristo (the “Blood
of Christ"), which is tlie grandest of all the
wishes of'aiHts I K°cky mountain ranges. It stretches from the
North Southward for about 100 miles, and we
can now s*'e it in almost its whole length.
That far-away snow covered peak that we see
in rhe South is about seventy five miles away,
ami is the tallest of tbe peaks of the Hockies,
being nearly 15,000 feet high. On this range,
in almost i's whole length, snow is found the
y ear round
WASHINGTON CITY
Reminiscences of Distin
guished Public Men.
Incidents Which Have Transpired »>
the national Capitol.
Jefferson’s Mill upon the Hill
Mrlstansflcry, the strwjjtfap&er, nsea to tel:
a stor> about the erection of a sawmill at Mon-
ticello, by President Jefferson, after he had re
tired from the presidential chair. He invented
a wind-mill, and sent for an engineer, to whom
he submitted his plans, showing him a hill ex
posed to currents of air, on the top of which he
proposed to build a sawmill, to be propelled by
vertical sails. 'The man of professionol science
examined tbe plan, and listened with profound
attention and deference to Mr. Jefferson's ex
planations of it, and to his eloquent illustration
of the advantages it would secure. Having
heard him through and being asked by the
philosopher “What he thought of it,” he re-
Boarding the ’.rain at Villa Grove (not much j p]j e( t with great sincerity, that it was a most
ud less “grove’’), we soon begin the j . .. , , . , , .. . . , „
° ' 1 ingenious idea, and was decidely the best plan
for a sawmill he had ever seen. Jt iTerson was
delighted, and forthwith entered into a written
agreement for the erection of such a mill on the
r eighboring heights The work went bravely
on, the inventor very frequently mounting his
horse and riding over to see how it proceeded.
When the frame was up, and the building ap
proached its completion, the engineer roce
over to Monticello, to obtain a supply of money
ascent of the Northern foot-hills of the Saugre
de Cristo range. The two iron horses drawing
us puff and smoke as if they had hard work,
but they hurry on a speed superior t» some of
your accomnn dation tiains in Georgia. Ere
long we .are on top al I'onclia Pass, and are
over 9,000 feet up. Then down we swept for a
short distance and stop at a little station thrust
in between the mountains, and looking for the
world like it was made for the res ing place for
these iron steeds—watering place, too, for
there is a beautiful, dashing stream ruunin
by, and its waters were snow only a few hours | a n(i got some dirictions about the saws.
. , , Jefferson kept him to dinner, and when the
with a longer ' r
After a skbrt rest we begin
train and an excursion train following us—tlie
ascent of tie mountains which here make the
great coiitineutal divide. ‘Tuff, puff,” say our muc h satisfiction, exclaimed: J
toiling em ines, and up, up we go, clinging on j d M , ike
sieet) mountain sides or winding eeruent-like i ... , .* L* 7 ?
Some of Sir George Pullman’s cognac costs
him over $00 a quart, and is imported by him
self directly from France. He has braucies
and whiskeys that are a half-century old, and
people who nave enjoyed his cigars after an
evening banquet say that they aie simply de
lightful to contemplate. Sir Geoige buys the
most expensive obtainable, and they are made
according to his directions. Then they are
liken and wrapped in leaves of different fla
vors, and kept at least a year before used.
His particular cigar is wrapped in orange
leaves.
The records of Pem sylvania Hospital, Phila
delphia, whi :h have been kept nearly a cei-
lury, do not show any hotter July than the one
just passed.
sieep mountain sides or winding eerpent-like
along d- ep gorges. Only one short nour,
and we have made eight air-line miles by
f »urteeu winding ones, and have ascended
2.424 feet. The way is a feat of engineering
unknown a few years ago. The ride through
the numerous suow sheds (like so many dark
tunnels), some of them alulf-mile in length,
is nut the pleasant feature of the upwaid
come.
Now we are on top of the Rockies at Mar
shall Pass aud amid the snows, at an elevation
of 10,858 feet, on the la>t day^ of June, 1887
Look where you will, unless it is directly up.
and there are mountains and mountains. The
broad valley through which we have come, and
many others of its kind, have been squet z d
up and squeezed up, until now they seem to
make no more than deep, dark gulches bet Ye j ii
the towering peaks. But do you suppose that
I am fool enough to undertake an exhaustive
description of these surrounding*? If so, you
gr» vously err. Let your readers come, and
look, and wonder, a d praise, for themselves.
Now we glide down the western slope, and
just as we, with an indescribable awe, say-
good by to the towering heights, the sun kisses
them a gentle gcod-night. As an enthusiastic
writer put it a short time ago: “The de»-pei.-
tng shadows of the ro*y twilight cast a crepus
cular mantle of slow-reflected grandeur over
the scene.”
As the dark ness of night comes on, and as
we wind through the det p canyons, looking
up at the frowning heights that hem us in, *ve
can somewhat appreciate the name, “Black
Canon,” given to that wouder of nature
through which the Gunnison river, followed
by the Denver & RioGrande railroad, winds
for a distance of 20 miles. The great heaps of
granite, blackened by the storms of ages, rise
on either si ie, sometimes almost perpendicu
larly, and to the height of thousands of feet.
But more of this as we return, for then we
will come through on observation cars and in
daylight.
All night long we are hurried on, and the
first light of the sun which has to get up so
high to look over tbe great divide down into
the valleys on the western slopes, greeted us
as we reached the city of Grand Junction,
which very pretiously spreads itself out iu the
broad valley near the point where the waters
of the Grand and the Gunnison rivers unite.
Here this writer intends, to use a slang phrase,
to “hang up” for a few days, before goiug on
to the liume of Mormondooi.
1*. L. Stanton.
Grand Junction, Colo., July, 1887.
Mrs Elizabeth Cady Stanton is in Paris sit
ting daily for her portrait to an American
painter. Miss Anna E lvlumpke, of San Fran
cisco, who received an bouoiable mem ion in
last year’s salon. Mrs. Stinton is sitting also
to the tcu'.pior Paul Baitlett, < f Boston, who
exuit its a group iu the present salon. He,
too, has just received an honorable mention
Mr. Bartlett will proba ly execute the medal
lion of ’Theodore Parker, which will be placed
on the reformer’s grave in Florence.
' cloth was removed, and wine eat upon the ta-
! ble, he turned to his guest, and j^h an air of
my mill.”
I do, sir, indeed, very much; it is certainly
one of the greatest iinprovemeijtfc in the con
struction of a sawmill 1 ever witiessed.”
“You think the sails are so bmjg that it can
not tail to work well?”
“Ceriainiy, it must work; it can’t help it,”
“And there’s always a wind upon that hill; if
it does not come up one valley, it is sure to
come up tbe other; and the hill is so high and
sleep that there is nothing to interrupt the full
sweep of the wind, come which way' it will.
You think, then, on the whole, that the thiug
cannot fail of complete success!”
“I should bink so, sir, but for one thing ”
“Ah! what’s that?”
“I have been wondering in my own mind how
you are to get up your saw-logs.”
Ji fferson threw up his hands and eyes. “I
never thought of that.” The mi.i was abandon
ed, of course.
Choate on Webster.
Rufus Ciioate, speaking of Daniel Webster,
sxid that he never heard hi l make a speech, a
great speech, whatever were the topic of tbe
time, that did not leave the impression that he
loved nothing, desired nothing, so much as the
good and glory of Am»rica; that he knew-no
North and n> South; that he did not seem to
summon around him the whole brjtherhoot of
States and U'ii a >d hod them to his heart
This gave f.eah iess and energy to ail his
speeches; this set he tune to the universal har
mony. Even his studies revealed this passion,
lie knew American history by heart as a states
man, not as an antiquary should know it. Tbe
plain, noble men, the high aims and hard for
tunes of the Colonial time, the agony and tbe
glory of the Revolutionary War and of the age
of the Constitution were all familiar to him;
but chiefly he loved to mark how the spirit of
national life was evolving it-elf all the while;
how the colonies grew to regard ore a-other
as children of the same mother, and therefore
fraternally, how the common danger, the com
mon oppression of the ante-Revolutionary and
Revolutionary period served to fuse them into
one; how the Constitution made them formally
one; and h *w the grand and sweet and imperial
sentiment of a united nationa life came a r . last
to penetrate and warm that whole vas. and va
rious mass and move it as a soul.
Sumner on Alaska.
Mr. Sumner’s enemies circulated a state
ment that his sreat speech on Alaska was pre
pared at the Department of State, aud there
published at Government expense. This was
an unmitigated falsehood. Mr. Sumner ob
tained the materials for his speech by a care
ful examination of all tbe available works in
the congressional and other libraries at Wash
ington iu which allusion is made to Alaska, and
by conversing with * fficers of the navy and of
the Smiths* nian Institution who had keen
there. Every thing supplied from the Depart
ment of State was a brief correspondence be
tween Mr. Stoeckel and Secretary Seward,
which made a quarter of a printed page. Mr.
Sumner’s speech, written in his own hand, made
nearly one hundred foolscap pages, and the
manuscript, which he gave me, is now in my
collection of autographs. He had it printed at
the Congressional Globe office, at bis own ex
pense, ard an expensive job it was. Subse
quently Mr. Seward asked and received per
mit sion to have a small extra edition struck off
before the type was distributed, for the use of
the Department of State, and with these cop
ies was bound a coast survey chart which Mr.
Sumner had supplied much information for.
Un-Congresslonal Spouting.
John C Colt (who afterwards perfected, the
reviving fire-arms) came to Washington with
his submarine torpedo, which h«exhib;ted one
pleat-ant afternoon in the Potomac, in the pres
ence of at least fifteen or twenty thousand peo
ple, whi thronged both shores. At the hour
appointed, a salute was fired from the Navy
Yard in compliment to the officers of the Gov
ernment, etc. Presently afterwards, Mr. Colt
sent up from the centre of the river a magnifi
cent water-spout, or jet, which was the signal
for the commencement of the experiments.
Lieut. Boyle then got the ship under way, with
all her colors riving and sails set. He then
went the ceremony of christening her. and gave
the appropriate name of “The Styx ” After
she had sailed some distince, and was steady
in her course up the river, and her helm lashed,
she was abandoned, and a rocKet was sent up
by Lieut. Boyle, to notify Mr. Colt that he
might commence the action. The ship was go
ing with the wind and tide, at the rate of about
six miles an hour. Mr. Colt first discharged a
a heavy battery at some distance ahead of tbe
ship, and then two more, simultaneously, at a
distance near en ough t) her to agitate her some
what. This was done to show that the batteries
c »uld be exoloded separately or together, and
that in a river or harbor, a triend.y ship would
be exempted from the destruction, while a hos
tile ship could be blown up very near her.
Soon afterwards the water was seen swelling
under the bow of the ship, and she was hurled
with tremendous force into the air. For some
time nothing was distinguishable, butwben the
Gen. Paine is cruising about the waters off
New London in his new yacht, the Volunteer.
Marry Curran, of the junior class of Dick
inson College, carried off the gold medal for
oratory.
Buffalo Bill and his ent're troop of Indians
attended church in London the other day in
full war paint.
Miss Boddington. an American girl, has
gained the Moscheles prize at Leipsic. The
test piece was the composer’s G minor con
certo.
Mrs. De Long, widow of the Artie explorer,
has gone to London for a few months. She
will visit friends on the Continent before re
turning.
Sarah Bernhardt left Paris heavily in debt
She has called a meeting of her creditors and
will settle her bills before appearing in Sardou’s
new play.
McLaughlin, the wealthy jockey, is having a
successful season. He is said to be worth $100,-
000, well invested, and makes from $10,000 to
$20,000 a year
Miss Elaine Goodale, the poetess, will devote
the remainder of the season to visiting the va
rious government missions on the Sioux Indian
reservation in Dakota.
The venerable Mr. ('alep Cope, of Philadel
phia. now more than 00 years old. is the only
survivor of the directors of the United States
Bank elected in 1820.
Camp Meeting John Allen, of Maine, is at
tending his 373d camp meeting at Middleboro’.
He is 02 years old, and one of the most earnest
exhorters on the grounds.
Mme. Dieulafay, of Paris, who recently re
ceived the Cross of the Legi m of Honor for her
scientific researches in Asia, is organizing an
African exploring expedition.
Rev. George W. Knox, for ten years a Pres
byterian missionary in J ap in, has come to New
York on a vit it. He has recently acted as pro
fessor in the Tokio University.
O. C. Libbv, a cattle dealer of Barnham, Me.,
has traveled 600,000 miles by rail without meet
ing with an accident. He has sold $7,000,00t
worth of cattle in the past few years.
Smith Terhune, a salesman employed at
Halifax, is contilent that he can make good
his claim to the ownership of the T wharf in
Boston. The wharf is ouly worth $1,500,000.
John Boyle < t’Reilly is passing the summer
in a comfortable and roomy old house at Hull,
Mass. lie has, recovered his health and
strength and has resumed his editorial duties.
Miss Bessie Keim is sai l to be the best look
ing young woman in Washington society. She
is neither of the pronounced blonde or bru
nette type, but her features are purely Amer
can.
Beet a Germ pi- a. y
“h’igh C, T * J is io md^® h debut next
winter. He was 1 Werly a coachman, but
now he is to receive $600 a night from Mana
ger Amberg.
Senator Pugh, of Alabama, is passing his
second summer in Washington. He is super
intending the erection of a handsome residence,
which he hopes to see completed before Con
gress meets.
The oldest General of the United States armv
is William .Selby Harnev. He was born near
Nashville, Tenn., in 1*00 and entered the army
in 1818. He was breveted Major General
March 13, 1865.
Congressman James Phelan, from the Mem
phis, Tenn., district, is the youngest member
of the House (will not be thirty-one), is a mil
lionaire and one of the editors and proprietors
of the Memphis Avalanche.
Citizen George Francis Train has named our
thirty-ninth (coining) State Tacoma, in honor
of Puget’s Mont Blanc (10,0Co feet high) and
‘ City of Destiny.” It is the terminus of sever
Pacifies and 140,000 miles of rail.
Leroy I). Brown, late State Superintendent
of Public Instructors of Ohio, has been elected
president of the State University of Nevada, at
a salary of $2,000 a vear and travelling expen
ses. lie is 38 years old and a native of Oaio.
Mis. Cleve'and has received fiom Dr. Wil
liam Martin, ot Cowlesville, N. Y., the fleeceof
two fu 1-blooded merino lambs. The animals
vapor had cleared away, it was seen that the
whole of the ship, as far astern as the mizzen- j are descended from the flock owned* by Mrs.
mast, had been torn into small fragments. Cleveland’s grandfather. Their wool is as fine
There was not a piece of the forward part of
the ship left as large as a hand spike. Tbe
stern, with a part of the mizzen-ruast, appear
ed above water, but not ari a'; it settled down
into thejmud. The ship was struck under the
foremast. If she struck amidships, there
would not have been one timber left fast
ened to another Another beauuful column of
water was then sent up at a distance from the
ship, which closed the exhibition.
Father Matthew.
Father Matthew was for nearly half a cen
tury the pastor of the quaint old St. Patrick’s
Church, at Washington, which was tern down
to make room for the more stately gigantic
edifice afterwards erected B »rn in Maryland
in 1780, and educicd for the priesthood in
France, Father Matthew assumed the pastorate
of St. Pa rick’s Church iu July 181)0. and per
formed the duties until his death May 1854.
Whin be came to Washington at the begining
of tbe century, he purchased tlie site of his
church out of ids own fu- ds, and as his means
allowed he added nearly all of the square bound
ed by F, G, Ninth and Tenth streets. He was
for many years one ot the trustees of the pub
lic schoois, and was neverabsejt from a regu
lar meeting on the board. He established the
Acidemy of the Visitation in Washington, and
was in some way connected with that of George
town; at any rate, it used to be necessary to
apply to him for p rmits to visit it, and he was
not over fond of giving them to young men un
less they had relations there at school. He
always predicted that Washington would be
come a great city, and regretted that bis means
had not permitted him to make larger invest
ments in city lots, wh ch would enabled him to
do more for the parish he loved so well. As it
was, he made considerable purchases at low
prices, which now could be sold for a large
sum.
Already a Lot of Electric Motors.
Many will be surprised by tbe statement
that more than 3,500 000 passengers are carried
annually in this country on street cars moved
by Electric motors. In Montgomery, Ala.,
electricity is used on eleven miles of road, and
the cost is reported by tbe general manager to
be only one-balf the cost of h.rse power, lioads
on wbicb electricity takes the place of horses
are found in Baltimore, Los Angeles, l’ort
Huron, Detroit, Scranton, Appleton, Wis., and
Denver Electric rail-ways are either in
course of construction or under contract in
twelve other cities, and thirty-seven companies
have been formed or other steps taken for the
building of such roads. Upon none of the
roads now in operation in this country, how
ever, is fo:ce supplied by storage batteries at
tach) d to ibe cars. Iu most cases power is
communicated by an overhead conductor.—
Electrical. Iteview.
Those who are content with genuine little
pleasures have found true enjoyment. It may
be an evening jpeut amid the gentle refinement
aud quiet of an intellec.ua! household; or by
tbe fireside listening to childhood’s prattle, ro
in the drawing-room drinking in the inspira
tions aud mellowing influences of music.
as silk.
William l’itt entered the university at four
teen, was chancellor of the exchequer at twen
ty-two, prime minister at twenty-four and so
continued for twenty years, and when thirty-
five was the most powerful uncrowned head in
Europe
There are now in the mission field 2,400 un'
married ladies, besides probably an equal mini- .
her of the married. In tae early days of mis
sions it was not thought a lady could enter the
ranks of mdt on workers except as the wife of
a missionary.
Oscar G. Sawyer, newspaper correspondent,
died of sunstroke in Chambers Street Hospital,
New York, a few days ago. He was connected
with the New York Herald for nearly thirty
years, and has represented that paper in all
parts ol the world.
The grandson of Emperor Dom l’edro of
Brcz.l and l’rincess Helen, daughter of the
Count of Paris, are about to he mariied. The
Prince is twenty-one aud h trothed seven-
leen. The young man’s fa; . is commander-
in-chief of the Brazilian army.
Rev. Dr. Collyer is receiving a warm wel
come on the Pacific coast. No building can be
found half large enough to accommodate the
crowds that flock to hear him. At Oakland
the people adjourned to the largest theatre,
and it was packed aud thousands were turned
away.
There is a small-sized Cabinet meeting at
“Grasslands” every night. Secretary Whit
ney, tbe host, is entertaiuing Secretary Endi-
cott and his wife, while Secretary and Mra.
Fairchild drive out from Washington every
evening and spend the nignt at tbe hospitable
country seat.
Rev. Dr Piggot, the oldest Protestant Epir-«
copal minister in the United States, died at
Sykesville, Md , recently, in the ninety-third
year of his age. He was a native of New York
and was ordained by Bishop White in 1823.
He was an artist and engraver of no mean abih
ity, and was a thirty third degree Maaon.
Mr. Moody is reported to favor a whole holi
day on Saturday at this season, and then there
would be no excuse for Sunday excursions and
Sunday newspapers. As to the influence of
Sunday papers he said, ‘ Y »u can’t pound a
sermon into a man with a sledge hammer after
he has got through reading one of those Sun
day papers.
Ignatius Donnelly’s command of the E igfbn
lanmage is remarkable, and his rep» r t„.
quick. Once when he was d« livermg a n 0 |i,,
cal speech someone hurlded a head of cahh ,»
at him. He paused a second and said- “
tlemen, I only asked for your ears- (’ d
care for veur heads!” He was not b itherwl
care for your heads! _
any more during -.he remainder of hig'’^'^
J. S. Huntington, of Amesburr Mass i,
decided to erect ou the public *q ir< -’
town an heroic bronze stature of |]j s
nish the sculptor, Karl GerharnT" hi’ WMI ,ur ’
tion. Dr. Bartlett was the fir s j p“ lu spira-
New Hampshire after it became a State' 0 * 01