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Saommalj Saih ©mo. VOL. 6.—NO. 41. TELEGRAPHIC NEWS. LATEST ADVICES AT HOME AND ABROAD. General Gordon’s Death Confirmed AH England Mourning the Dead Hero- Conn ing the Electoral Vote in Con gress— Cleveland and Hendricks Declared Elected Amid En thusiastic Cheers —The Markets and Various Items of Interest. London, Feb. 11- Any doubt that may have existed as to the authenticity of the news announcing the death of General Gor don has been dispelled by the receipt at the War Office, this morning, of a dispatch dated Korti, and signed by General Wolse ley. In his dispatch, the General states that he has received positive information that General Gordon met his death in the manner described in the United Press dis patchessent last night He adds: “My in* formation is from a reliable sourc“, and leaves no room for hope that the gallant Gordon has escaped.” THE KHEDIVE INTERVIEWED. St London, Feb. 11.—A dispatch from Cipro to the Central News office gives an account ( of an interview by one of its correspondents with the Khedive to-day, in relation to the outlook in Egypt, and with a view of obtain- ( ing his ideas in regard to theeffect the cap- , ture of Khartoum will have on the follow- , ers of Islam througl oit Egypt. The Khe dive stated that he did not fear any disas trous results from the fate of Khartoum. The Mahdi’s power had already reached its zenith and he failed to see any room for a further augmentation. He stated, how ever, that it could not be denied that the situation was grave, not to say desperate. “The only way out of the present dilemma,” said he, “is for England to act at once, lay ing aside all hai.-way measures and dispatch immediately a sufficient force to meet and crush the Mahdi beyond retrieval.” He pooh-poohed the idea of England withdraw i ing her forces adding that the abandonment ; of the Soudan now would be a fatal mistake and would result in leaving a blot on the name and honor < f England that could i , never be erased. “The abandonment of the country to the fanatical hordes who have flocked to the standard of the Mahdi,” said he, “means the surrender of the country to , murder, pillage, outlawry and constant in ternal dissensions and strife.” “Don’t you think that the fall of Khar- , toum will result in many of the now friend ly tribes joining the cause of the Mahdi?” ( “Well,” he replied, “I do not expect any ( immediate or wholesale stampede, but any ( wavering on the part of England at this | time will doubtless precipitate a rush of , these tribes to the Mahdi’s ranks ” “What s your opinion as to General Gor i , don’s fate ?” _ I ' “I firmly believe he is alive and well. | The Mahdi has no int rest in killing him. | On the contrary, he knows that it would I eventually be to his interest to capture Gen. I : Gordon alive, and I am convinced that he has used all means at his command to se cure the gallant General as a hostage ” COUNTING THE VOTES. The Trip Completed—Cleveland and Hin dricks Declared Elected Amid Loud Cheers. Special Dispatch to Savannah Daily Times Washington, February 11.—The Senate j and House are now in joint session counting the electoral votes of President and Vice President, Mr. Edmunds presiding, and Mr. Blackburn, of Kentucky, acting Speaker, owing to the illness of Mr. Carlisle. The House is crowded to its full capacity. The tellers for the Senate are Messrs. Pendleton and Hoar; for the House, Messrs. Keifer and Clay. In order to expedite the count, at Senator Sherman’s suggestion only the substance of the certificates are being read. Thus far the certificates are regular and the count will probably occupy two hours. The electoral count is completed. Cleve land and Hendricks were officially declared , elected amid applause and cheers which could not be checked by the presiding officer. TERRIBLE -WEATHER. A Blizzard Ragb g Furiously—Railroad Trains Snow Bound. < Buffalo, N. Y., Feb. 11.—The blizzard which started yes’erday about noon, still continues with full fury. The thermometer 1 at 11 a. m. registered 11° below zero. All ' trains are snow b >imd and schedule time has , been abandoned The Erie train, which i was timed to leave here at 4:10 yesterday < afternoon, has at this hour reached Alden, thirteen miles from this city. Another train on the Central Road is stalled at Holley The storm is pronounced the most severe j experienced in a score of years. It is re ported that three flagmen on the Lacka wanna Road were frozen to death last night. MYSTERIOUS ASSASSINATION. ! ‘ 1 A Tt*xaH Detective Shot Dead by an Un known Person. j Sweetwater, Texas, Feb. 11 —At 9 o’clock last night Mr. B. F. Warren, recent- 1 ly a Texas ranger and lately in the employ ( of the Odum Cattle Company, and State ] Detective by authority of Gov. Ireland, and i who had become a witness against the fence t cutters in Bunnell county, while sitting in the office of the Central Hotel, was shot dead by some unknown person in the street. J Texas Wants a Place. Austin, Fsb. 11. —Both Houses of the Texas Legislature have recommended ex- t Governor Richard B. Hubbard to Mr. Cleve- s land for a place in his Cabinet. SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1885. FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. The Work of Bath Homes This Morning. Washington, Feb. 11. —In the House, the galleries were packed this morning to witness the count of the electoral vote for President. After reading the journal, Mr. Poland, of Vermont, submitted the confer ence report on the bill authorizing suits for damages where death results from wrongful acts, neglect or default, and it was adopted. Mr. Follett, of Ohio, reported back the Dis trict of Columbia appropriation bill, and moved concurrence in a portion and non concurrence in the other Senate amend ments, and that a conference be asked on dis gteeing votes. Adopted, and Messrs Follett, Hutchins and Cannon were ap pointed conferees. In the House, the Senate, headed by President Edmunds, its Sergeant-at-Arms and venerable Doorkeeper Mr. Bassett, bearing the boxes containing the electoral votes, were announced by Mr. Leedom, Sergeant-at-Arms of the House, and a mo ment later entered. The President of the Senate, takiug the chair, announced that in obedience to the Constitution and laws, and in accordance with their concurrent resolu tion, the two Houses had met in joint con vention to count the vote of electors for President and Vice President for the term commencing March 4th, 1885. The tellers on the part of the two Houses were directed to take their places. The chair then said the President of the Senate will open the votes of the several States in alphabetical order, and he now opens the certificate of the State of Alabama. He will deliver to the Chair man of the Senate tellers the certificate re ceived by mail, and to the Chrirman of the House tellers the certificate received by Messenger, Senator Hoar then read the cer tificate handed him with its accompanying certificates of authority from the State < ffice while Mr. Clay looked over the copy handed to him. The certificates for Arkansas were next deliv ered to the tellers, the mail copy being handed to Mr. Clay and read by him. His voice was so weak that he could not be : heard by those in the rear, which led to ■ confusion, and finally a request for better 1 order. Senator Sherman suggested that the certificates be inspected by the Chair and I only the operative part read, which was re ceived with much satisfaction and unani mously agreed to. On motion of Mr. Dawes the Senate passed the bill providing for permanent reservations for the Indians in Northern Montana. The bill provides for locating the Piegan, Blood and Blackfeet Indians on lands in Northern Montana, which lands may be patented to them in severalty hereafter, if Cong-ess so desires, $25,000 annually is appropriated to enable the Indians to give up the chase and to assist them in becoming an agricultural and pastorial people. At 11:55 the Senate proceeded in a body to the House to count the electoral votes for President and Vice- President of the United States. ATLANTA AFFAIRS. Philadelphians in the Capital—Matiimo nial—Case Dismissed. Atlanta, February 11.—To-morrow At lanta will be filled up by a company of one hundred prominent Philadelphia people en route to New Orleans. These are wealthy excursionists who travel in grand style by special train. They have issued handsome invitations ,to one hundred Atlanta people to join them in a banquet at the Kimball ■ House to-morrow afternoon at 5 o’clock. The Philadelpiians will be tendered a re ception at the Executive Mansion at 2 o’clock. Invitations arc out announcing the ap proaching marriage of Mr. Horace Bradley, the artist, to Miss Fannie Sage, daughter of the late B. Y. Sage, who was several years ago Superintendent of the Air Line Rail road. They will be married at St. Philips to morrow night. Last night, at the Methodist Church, Mr. Eugene Spalding was united in marriage to Miss Van Hilliard, daughter of the Hon. Henry W. Hilliard. To-day Judge Hammond heard the case of the Knoxville Iron Works against Wil kins, Post & Co.; application for a perma nent receiver. The bill was dismissed on demurrer, the Judge holding that th" claim of insolvency was not sufficiently proven. THE CRESTON KAILWAY ACCIDENT. CasnalVrs Greater Than at First Re ported. Des Moines, lowa, February 11.— Letter reports from the railroad accident near Creston, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, show the casualties to be greater than at first believed. It is feared that the number of deaths caused by the ac cident and by exposure will reach sixteen MURDERED BY HIS WIFE. A Young Wife Kills Her Aged Husband. Concord, 0., Feb. 11—A rich old farmer, Hiram Atkins, living near here, married a young wife a year ago. They lived unhap pily and Atkins became a helpless invalid. A tew months ago an alleged brother of M's Atkins came to live with her, and ttieir actions caused much scandal. Yester day morning Atkins’ house was burned. When the neighbors arrived and searched the ruins they found the charred bodies of Atkins and bis two children. Nothing was to be seen of Mrs. Atkins and her brother. Later it was learned that they had driven in the night to this place and taken the train for the West. Mourning for Gordon. London, Feb. 11. —All the London papers are in mourning for General Gordon. The Daily News, in an editorial, says that the age of chivalry revives in Gordon’s his tory. The whole world feels a thrill of pas sionate grief at the Christian warrior's death. MACON MATTERS. • Mercer University —The I’reparhtory De- partment—Prosp* rous Condition of the University. ) J Special Correspondence Daily Times. ; Macon, Feb. 10.—To-day the reporto rial gimlet was put into Professor A. I. Branham, Principal of the Preparatory De . partment of Mercer University. The fol lowing interesting facts resulte I: : “How is Mercer?” “Oh, pretty well, that k you.” 1 “What is the outlook?” “I am not fully conversant with the as fairs of the University, but I know enough i to say that it is in a prosperous condition j The several departments, at the end of the : term, will show about 200 students matricu lated. Widespread interest in the Univer sity has been awakened, and there is no ■ reason to doubt that each succeeding year will witness an increase in the number of students. There is no reason why this should not be so. The faculty of no college in the State excels that of Mercer—l apeak ’ of the University, not of the Preparatory Department. The equipments are first-class, expenses are small to students, and the influ ences in the University are all good. Why, let me tell you, I am the youngest man con nected with the faculty, and, therefore, my association with the students is close. I > have never known a more earnest, moral, manly set of young men in all my experi ■ ence. Dudes do not flourish in Mercer, i The students are a plain, practical, studious set of men, bent upon fitting themselves : thoroughly for the work of their lives. This is the verdict of all who know the : Mercer students. As to the course of study, i it is as thorough as that of any other similar institution in Georgia.” ‘ “How about your department?” : “It was organized in October, 1883. Rev. : Dr. A. J. Battle, Rev. Dr. E. W. Warren ■ and Mr. B. L Willingham have been espe i cially active in insuring its success. All these gentlemen are deeply interested in ; Mercer. I’ll tell you another thing, if you > ever wish a thing to be well done, induce ' these gentlemen to take hold of it. Ti e • department has a handsome building of i s ■ I own on the University grounds, and is grad ually increasing its numbers. Al leas, 1 \ thirty students will be catalogued the pres lent term. If the teachers in charge were salaried, so that the tuition might be re J ■: duced, the department would quickly out grow its present quarters.” I “What is the course of study in the Pre i ■ paratory Department?” sI “It is the usual course in preparatory I schools. The intention is to prepare for the i Freshman class. Students are received, i, whether preparing for the University < r i not; but, of course, the school is properly i preparatory to Mercer.” i “What do you need at Mercer?” “Ask Dr. Campbell. I will say this much, ! however, as a personal opinion purely: Mercer needs that the Baptist people in ' Georgia should send th ir sons to their own ■ university. I would like to paint thatopii.- i ion on the wallsail over the State.” There is no doubt about it, Mercer is de cidedly on the up grade. Dr. Battle, its polished and enthusiastic President, is hope ful and cheery. He has reason to be, be cause old Mercer has made a long step in advance. Wynton. Macon, Feb. 10—To-night the Macon I Volunteers opened their new armory with a i grand ball, and reception. Tne occasion ■ was one of gay happiness and pleasure The handsome building is situated on the ! corner of First and Poplar streets, is con i sidered one of the handsomest in the South ern States. The building was illuminated from the pavement to the dome, and de corated with both State and National colors. ' The ball room was a brilliant scene, it was I decorated with large flags representing States of the Union with coat of arms sus- ■ pended from the walls were garlands, fes , toons and National colors. The center t chandeliers were decorated with a circle of t National flags, the effect of which was pleas- • ing. The stage was tastefully arranged t with banners and flags, and was very milita ry, on it was seated Card’s orchestra, of Co- . lumbus, and the entire guests. > The banquet was a grand feature. The . tables were handsomely decorated and the hall ornamented with bright flowers and > National colors. The ceremonies began at ■ 8 - 30 o’clock, and consisted of the following : • A formal announcement of the completion i of the bui'ding and its delivery by the i Building Commi tee to the Board of Trus tees; the formal reception of the building by the Board of Trustee-; formal delivery to • i the Captain Commanding of the building for military purpose.-; reception of trust by • : Capt. W. W. Carnes; dismissal ol the com- pany, followed by a grand ball and banquet. i Among the prominent visitors present was .I Geo. W. Peck, of Milwaukee, author ut ' I “Peck’s Bad Bi v.” Wynton. ■ I | DYNAMITERS AFTER MRS. DUDLEY. L An Unsuccessful Attempt to Blow Her Up. New York, February 11.—In Mrs. Dud ley’s mail yesterday was a little pasteboard box containing powder which exploded with a slight noise. When Warden Finn of the Tombs carefully opened it, inside was a note saying : “Enclosed you will find a good cure for insanity. Rossa and his dyna mite scare won’t trouble you then, and this should be a warning to British spies. [Signed] “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” New York Produce Market. New York, Feb. 11.—Flour dull and unchanged. Wheat; No. 2 red winter for March, 90| bid; do. for April, 92g; do. for May, 94). Corn; No. 2 mixed for March, 491 bid; 49$ for April and Ma. Oats nomi nal. Rye firm. Barley nominal. Pork dull; mess sl4 121. Lard, $7 30 for Febru i ary, $7 37 for March. Molasses quiet at 40 jto 53. Turpentine dull at 30 to 301. I Rosin dull; strained to good at $1 25a 1 27]. Petroleum dull; refined in cans at Bsalo. I Rice dull. Sugar firm; refined cut loaf at I 6]a6j. Coffee dull; fair cargoes at 91. Probabilities. | Washington, Feb. 11.—For the South | Atlantic States, fair weather, northwesterly winds, becoming variab’e, and slight rise in I temperature. THEGREATEXPOSITION PREPARATIONS FOR MARDI GRAS. Thousands to Visit the City During the Ap proaching Grand Carnival—The Nevada and California Exhibits—Wonderful Display of Minerals, Cereals and Curiosities—General Notes. Special Correspondence Daily Times. I New Orleans, La., Feb. 9. —Now that the wintry or rainy season is over and the Exposition is completed, let the people come ! and decide for themselves if your corres ' I pondent has not given a correct account of , the Exposition so far as his series of letters . have reached. Mardi Gras, the great mythological mys -1 tery, the anniversary of which is now and "J always have been from a very remote date, i celebrated in New Orleans with much i splendor, will on the 17th of February far ■ excel anything of the kind ever given here. • Consequently thousands who will attend the Exposition have arranged to come to > this city during the famous annual car- • nival. , There is no mistaking but that the rail* ■ roads are not making excursion rates as ' low as they ought for the benefit of them selves and the World’s Show. They will i have to come to it and make cheap rates as an inducement to come here. NEVADA. ; Commissioner W. N. Havener is justly proud of the Rocky Mountain State over , whose destinies at the Exposition he pre sides. This is almost exclusively a mining I country. Esmeralda and Larider counties lead in valuable ores, of which copper run ning 60 per cent., with cobalt crystals at tached, taken from a depth of 3,000 feet, is , , displayed. Ores of gold, silver and quick , silver are rich. Nitrate of soda and salt from Churchill, sulphur and cinnibar from , Washoe and rich silver ore from Humbait I , ' counties receive much attention. Ores con . taining cobalt and nickle, 15 per cent.; cop . per ore worth $1 a pound; carbonates, red ( | oxides are seen. Kuby silver ore worth SIO,OOO a ton is commented on. Tbe Com stock mine sends the richest ore, which is almost pure silver. This mine in the past . thirty years has produced over $315,000,000. , Specimens of ore from Overman mine . show different formations for every five ieet to a a depth of 2,500 feet. An ingen . ious model of the wo, kings of a mine I from ■ urface to bottom is s own. A petri ! fied birds nest containing eggs, is the won .. der of the young people who isit this de partmmt. Piaster casts oi tracks of an ex j ; lit,cl animal, supposed to be an elephant of Ihi ge dimensions, are j ivtn. They are also I photographed where found, some forty feet I bel. w the surface in a quarry worked by i convicts. Said tracks measure three feet in . j diameter. Aso t.ruks of immense giants , of the tenus i,omu measure 22x14 inches; , their st, ps or strides are six feet. They . were found in su dstme well preferred, I sufficient to secute pcifect ci s s and to plio . i tograph. Some fine specimens of free gold II and silver with ores worth $20;000 a to.i in . ' glass cases—to be seen not handled. The I Piute Indians show much skill in pottery i and glass work sent. Fruit does well but agriculture better. Wheat goes 67 pounds ,to the bushel, and 50 bushels to the acre. I Fine hay and oats are exhibited. Irish po | tatoes weighing five pounds are excellent. Virginia City sends a model invention of a I stock car that seems very practicable and I useful. CALIFORNIA. i The golden State of the Pacific slope is I under direction of Commissioner C. B. Tur rill, and outside of its untold mineral wealth showing some handsome ores of free gold ! and wire silver specimens, it has covered a I large space in the northwestern corner of ' the government building with a collection iof articles which, for variety, cannot be • I equaled by any other State. The appear- ance of the display is greatly benefitted by , the use of the California redwood for posts and shelving throughout. The exhibit is installed by counties, the collection of goods ; from each county being under the super vision of a special commissioner. This system has I a 1 an admirable effect in bring ing together a large display, since each county has put forth great efforts to excel the other counties of the State. Santa Clara county sends a large collec ‘ tion of garden seeds, a product in which large interests in that county are , engaged. Some 1,400 acres are devoted to ’ raising these seeds in this county, and ’ Santa Barbara, a neighboring county, ex ported last year 300 car loads of the seeds. Two hundred and forty-two varieties are here exhibited by S.rong & Co. Sacramen ' to county send a large exhibit of corn of all ’ varieties, grains, hay, the fourth crop raised on the same piece of land in a year, peanuts, hops in bales and on the vines, buckwheat . and other agricultural products. The figs of California are exhibited in their pre . served state ready for exportation. The county also contains a fine quality of clay and kaolin, which is represented both by the native specimens and the bricks, pot -1 tery, porcelain, etc; made therefrom. A I very fine silk exhibit Is jmade by Mrs. Rut i ter, of this county. The culture of the i silk worm is becoming a very important . industry throughout the State, and all the counties have sent exhibits of the cocoons i and the fibre as reeled and spun. This county also sends some fine bunches of grapes and some bundles of liquorice, a plant which California alone, of all the United States, is able to produce. ; NOTES. “Where are you going my pretty maid?” , In a small enclosure in Main building a real dairy is arranged attended by a be witching young lady, who milks an Alder- ■ my cow, and reserves you a glass of rich, fresh milk —all for 5 cents. This is a novel . feature, and is liberally patronized by the . public, especially young men. The Pullman Car Company occupy a large space East of Music Hall devoted to a dis play in miniature of the city of Pullman, Illinois, which is built up principally by this enterprising company. Those who ever ■ saw the thriving place, can easily recognize this representation, and those who never 1 saw the original should visit the Exposi tion, f The Exposition Dress Club, which have I : heretofore held its meetings on Mondays, | now convene at 11 a. m. every Wednesday. i Editors and reporters are expected to at , tend these meetings. | The private exhibits in the main build- - i ing, whether for sale or show, are great sea- I tures of attraction and are highly spoken i of by visitors. [ Many interesting erticles from the Haw.- ! aaian Islands have arrived and been placed • in good positions. Kenwick- EXCII EMEN r UN ABA I ED. That Remarkable Experience of a Roch ester Physician Fully Authenticated. f i ; ' Cleveland (Ohio)Herald. I Yesterday and tbe day before we copied . ' into our columns from the Rochester (N. Y.) I I Democrat and Chronicle, a remarkable state ' ment made by J. B. Henion, M. D , a gen . I teman who is well known in this city. In ! that article Dr. Henion recounted a won [ derful experience which befell him, and the , , next day we published from the same paper . I a second article, giving an account of the “Excitement in Rochester,” caused by Dr, . Henion’s statement. It is doubtful if any i | two articles were ever published which I caused greater commotion both among pro fessional people and lav men , Since the publication of these articles, having been besieged with letters of inquiry, we sent a communication to Dr. Henion, and i also one to H. H. Warner & Co., asking if i any additional proof could be given to us as to the validity of the statements published. In answer thereto we have received the fol- I lowing letters,which add interest to the entire [ subject and verify every statement hitherto made: Rochester, N. Y. | Gentlemen: Your favor is received. The published statement, over my signa ture, to which you refer, is true in every I respect, and I owe my life and present health I : wholly to the power ot Warner’s Safe Cure. which snatched me from the very brink of I the grave. It is not surprising that people should question the statement I made, for I my recovery was as great a marvel to my self as to my physicians and friends. 5 * J. B. Henion, M. D Rochester, N. Y., Jan. 21 Sirs: Acknowledging your favor duly receivid, we would say: The best proof we I i can give you that the statements made by ■ Dr. Henion are entirely true, and would not have been published unless strictly so, is the following testimonial from the best : citizens of Rochester, and a card published by Rev. Dr. Foote, which you are at liber j ty to use if you wish. H. H. Warner & Co. ■ I 2b n'hom it May Concern: In the Rochester Democrat and Chron- 1 icle of December 31, there appeared a state- ’ ' ment in the form of a card from Dr. J. B. ; Henion. of this city, recounting his remark able recovery from Bright’s Disease of the Kidneys, after several doctors of prominence bad tiven him up, by the use of Warner’s Sate Cure. We are personally or by repu i tation acquainted with Dr. Henion, and we believe he would publish no statement not ; literally true. We are also personally or ' by reputation well acquainted with 11. H. Warner & Co., proprietors of that remedy, whose commercial and personal standing in this community are of the highest O: der, and , we believe that they would not publish any statements which were not literally and I I strictlv true in every particular. j C. R. Parsons, (Mayor of Rochester.) Wm. Purcell, (Editor Union and Ad- ' vertiser.) W. D. Shuabt, (ex-Surrogate Monroe , County.) Edward A. Frost, (ex Clerk Monroe I County.) E. B. Fenner, (ex-District Attorney Monroe County.) J. M. Davy, (ex-Member of Congress, Rochester,) JohnS Morgan, (County Judge, Moore Co.) Hiram Sibley, (Capitalist and Seeds man.) W. C. Rowley, (ex-County Judge, Mon roe Co.) John Van Voorhis, (ex-Member of Congress.) 2b the Editor of the Living Church, Chicago,lll There was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle of the 31st of De cember, a statement made by J. B. Henion, M. D, narrating how he had been cured of Bright’s disease of the kidneys, almost in its last stages, by the use of Warner’s Safe Cure. I was referred to in that statement, as having recommended and urged Dr. Hen ion to try the remedy, which he did, and was cured. The statement of Dr. Henion is true, sojfar as it concerns myself, and I . believe it to be true in all other respects. ' He was a parishioner of mine and I visited I ' him in sickness. I urged him to take the I 1 medicine and would do the same again to j any one who was troubled with a disease of the kidneys and live. Israel Foote, (D. D.,) (Late) Kector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rochester, N. Y. New York Stock Market. New York, Feb. 11.—At 1:30 p. m. to day quotations were : ; Union Pacific 50% Missouri Pacific 96- 8 Western Union Telegraph Co 63% Pacific Mail 56% Lake Shore 6%4 Louisville and Nashville 26% Texas Pacific 13% Denver and Rio Grande 7% Michigan Central 64 Delaware, Lackawanna & West’n 97% Northwestern 94% St. Paul Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 122% Oregon Transcontinental 13 Northern Pacific 40% Rock Island 112 , Jersey Central 38% Memphis and Charleston 3-5 East Tennessee, Va. & Ga (com) 3% East Tennessee, Va. & Ga. (pfd) 6% Philadelphia and Reading 17% , Omaha (com) 28 Omaha (pfd) 89 New York Central 92 i Kansas and Texas 16% Erie 12% LIFE PRESERVER. If you are losing your grip on life, try . Wells’ Health Kenewer.” Goes direct to weak spots. S6OO A YEAR j ST VALENTINE’S DAV* How the Custom Originated, and What It Means. I Next Saturday, February 14, will be St. , 1 Valentine’s Day, and the mails will be freighted with these little packages, j I whiah are named after good Saint Valen- ■ tine, though it is the impression nowadays that “Saint Valentine” is only an alias for | “Mr. Cupid.” j The sending of valentines grew out of a i peculiar and amusing custom that formerly | prevailed in Scotland and England and in ! different parts of the continent, particularly |in France. On St. Valentine’s eve a number of young folks, maids and bachelors, ' would assemble and inscribe upon little billets the names of an equal number of ■ maids and batcheforsof their acquaintance, I then throw the whole into a receptacle of some sort and draw them out as a sort of I lottery, care being taken, ot course, that i each one should draw the name of one of the opposite sex. The person thus drawn be come the drawer’s Valentine. The connection of the custom with St. Valentine is purely accidental. In the early legend, of the different saints of that name, no trace of the practice peculiar to the 14th of February is found. Some writers, however, say that St. Valentine was a man so famous for his love and charity that the custom of choosing valentines upon his festival took its rise from that fact. Others divided the custom from birds being supposed to select their mates on this day, and others still from a practice prevalent in Rome upon a certain festival during the month of February when, among other ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were taken by young men as chance directed. The pastors of the early church finding it impossible to extirpate this pagan ceremony, changed its form into that which prevailed in Scotland and England. What Is a Madhi ? New York Herald Mahdi, or Mahadi as D’Herbelot spells I it, is an ancient title in the Moslem world i which at first signified simple director of the i faithful. But in the course of Moslem his tory, and especially Moslem history in Africa, it came to have another signification | related to an accepted prophecy of Moham- I rued. It necessarily refers to the African i part of Arab c history. By this secondary I significance of the word the Mahdi is a cer tain ancient leader come again. His appear : ance is the “second advent” of a prophet who lived in the old days and who in all 'he meantime has been with the immortals. Mohammed, the , twelfth Imam, and the twelfth in descent from Ali, is the real original. He is the Mahadi who comes again every now and i then. He was hidden from the world at an I early age and com uitoed only with his I desciples’ through his lifetime, add finally did not die, but “went up” with the fixed ; intention of returning to revive the glories of Moslem. As in the Christian theory and i even in the history of several monarchies, this legend of a pridee who is to return has afforded a fav< rite pretext for no i euu of imposters, so it did it Islams I The most famous of these in past age. was Abulcassem Mohammend Ben Abdallah, the founder of the Fatimite dynasty in Africa. Mohammed had proph ( esied that in three hundred years tbe sun would rise in the we s', and as Abulcassem’s ulory was in 296 of the Hegira, it was 1 held that the prophesy referred to him, and since then the idea of the Mahadi has ! commonly bad relation to a revival of the glories of Islam in that Western world of Moslemism, the provinces of Africa held by the Arabs. Perhaps we should not plume ourselves too much over a race of men who I are yet controlled by a vivid conviction that their leader was born a thousand years ago. We believe in leaders whose claims to alle giance are equally ridiculous. The Omission of a Comma. Some years ago the omission of a comma in a letter in the London Times gave a hor rible meaning to a sentence. The letter is on the American war, and the writer says : “The loss of life will hardly fall short of a quarter of a million; and how many more were better with the dead than doomed to crawl on the mutilated victims of this great national crime.” It should have been, “than doomed to crawl on, the mutilated victims of this great national crime.” The following sentence appeared in a newspaper a short time ago: "The prisoner said the witness was a convicted thief.” This state ment nearly caused the proprietors of the 1 newspapers some trouble, and yet the words were correct. When their attention was i drawn to the matter, and proper punctu ; ation supplied, the sentence had an exactly ! opposite meaning, “The prisoner, said the ! witness, was a convicted thief.” The Disadvantages of Whole Squares. Philadelphia Call. Mr. Gotham. —“Philadelphia! Pooh! I wouldn’t live in such a city—unhandiest place I ever saw.” Mr. Penn.—“ Unhandy? Why, my dear sir, there are cars on every street and the city plan is as plain as a checker-board. You certainly would not have it all cut up, like the lower part of New York.” Mr. Gotham.—“l certainly would. The idea of living in a city where you have got to tramp around a whole square every time you see your tailor coming.” —An amusing case occurred in Judge M. , Frank Molina’s Court to day, resulting from ! Angelina Cathbert lending Jas. Blackmann, a colored barber, a ring, which he lost. She t sued him for the recovery of the ring or its 1 value, which was claimed to be S2O. She * won the case. —Mr. Emile Newman returned to the 1 city last night after an extended tour . tnrough the North and East, with his charm ' ing bride, whom he took from the city of ’ Brotherly Love, —The sidewalk on Margaret street is in a 2 fearful condition, and needs the attention of the city fathers. —lnteresting services are being held I every night in the Baptist and Trinity iMe’hod st Churches.