About The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 1887)
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
