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PAGES 9 TO 12. LOS ANGELES HERALD. VOL. 37.—N0. 21. HER HALLOWEEN PARTY. |HOW MAUD HARVEY SPENT THE MYSTIC EVENING AT THORNBRAE. The Rites and Spell* of " Viil.l Scotia" Furnished an Ample Fund of Amuse ment and Adventure —Son lot the Heuip- I seed. 1891, by American Press Associa tion.] NEED not tell you the circum stances that forced me, Maud Harvey, to remain In the country long after other slimmer vis itors had gone. ( But it was partly In my honor, and altogether becauso glad of any excuse for hospitality, that Mrs. Mc- Gregor gave a Halloween party. I wonder why they call country lifedull? To xno it seems full of variety. Every occurrence Is made much of, so there is always a new interest. And nil were interested in this. Halloween gathering, from Grandfather *nd Grandmother McGregor, who became young again iv recalling the rites aud spells of their Scottish home, to Frank, the hired man, who, whenever he could get a hearing, added his quota from Heng land, while Maggie, the bright eyed Irish girl, would stop on her way to cellar or buttery to tell how the bhoys and girruls did in ould Ireland. It was a dreary night. One of those ex asperating snowstorms covered mud left as a reminder of days of rain. It needed all the brightness of the wood fires that crackled cheerfully in the big fireplaces of the old bouse. But the guests gathered heedless of roads and weather. I will not introduce you to them —I hate introduc tions —besides you will never meet them again; suffice it to say, they were bright, pleasant young people, ignoring titles with Quakerlike simplicity, as quietly courteous to Maggie and Frank as to each other, and making up, by uative politeness, for any i incongruities of dress or manner. Before ' they came a touching little ceremony took place. Grandmother called the'family to her, and all went up to what they called grand ma's room. It was a little nook where she kept her treasures, souvenirs of Scot tish friends, relics of the dead, mementoes of the babyhood of children and grandchil dren. I'nlocking the door, she said in a trembling voice, "You look, father." THE HlilOnT EYED IRISH GIRL. "They're a' right, Jean," was the glad answor. Growing here .and there in crev ices of tho room were thick bunches of the common liveforcver. Grandma had planted them in the room ou midsummer night, one for each child in the home, then locked the door, not to be opened until Halloween, when, as the plaut, so should the life of each bo for the coming year. Each of the seven bunches was, as Pete de clared, "Good for a hundred years, grand ma." When the guosts were assembled they were led to the dining room, where a well filled table awaited them. The principal dish was boiled wheat. All daylong Mag gie had watched that kettle of wheat, not deigning to give her reasons for preparing the really palatable but uncommon fare, but it was known when the pretty daugh ter of the house drew from ber dish a ring. "Didn't I guess that yourself 'ud get it," mid the delighted Maggie, "an th er'll be a pun y chap to put it on your finger this very year," whereupon Bertie blushed, and a young farmer near tried to look un conscious, but failed. Meanwhile the huge, soft, good natnred school teacher, whose friendship has been my bane and amusement, tried to give us some Halloween lore. "It comes from the time of the Druids," he said to me in a loud, confidential whisper, intended to draw all to his words. "On that night they used to gather in the forests and on the plains, building great fires, around which they performed terrible rites, sacri fices were offered, and the aid of the true God invoked against tbe spirits of evil." TORGOT TO WATKTI THE HORSE. I "The spirits don't do anything now ex cept decide love affairs," said the irrepressi ble Fete, the third of tbe six fnll grown boys who filled the house with fun and banter. "Maggie, if the spirits don't do Something for me I'll annihilate them." 1 'or Maggie was the high priestess for the evening in that democratic home. ! "lndade, the spirits know you can help yourelif. It's only the shy crathurs that need a little help they work for." j After supper all gathered in the kitchen, always the heart of the ideal farmhouse, and the dancing light of the fireplace was Voted just tho light the spirits loved, so lamps were extinguished. A tub of water was drawn to the center of the room, and laughing, sunbrowned faces emerged drlp filng from the bath they had taken while ■trying to catch with their teeth the red ap iplea which tabbed derisively around. with no better success, tried to bite Cn apple which quivered on the end of a tick hung perpendicularly from the ceil leg. At the other cud ot the itlek wo* fastened a caudle, which constantly faced Just where tho apple ought to be. Apple seeds were named and counted, apple parings were flung and formed let ters on the floor. Nuts were produced, named, placed in pairs before tbe Are and left to show by their actions how love fared between the young folk. But they behaved in a fantastic manner, jumping apart where the general sentiment was that they should have kissed, and burning with the bright, even flame ot marriage where least expectajl. Then Grandmother McGregor said there was nothing so relia ble as the three dishes. They were pre pared, and blindfolded we tried whether we would place our fingers in'the empty dish of single life, the full dish of water that foretold marriage or the muddied widowhood. Then the investigator* went in pairs to the garden where they pulled cabbages. As the stalks were long or short, small or large, ho should the future mates be. The adhering clay told of the wealth, while the taste of the stalk, bitter or sweet, told of the temper. "In Hongland we used to go round a bean stack," said Frank, "hand walk three times when the fellow would 'old 'er 'and." So Maggie was sent, and the tall, fair girl, throwing a wrap around her, went out. "There, hif I didn't forget to water hold Bess," said Frank, rising hastily. "WIIT, MAUD—MIBB HARVEY!" "You'll come in again and forget her," said Pete. In a few moments Maggie returned, flushed and confused, yet declaring she had nothing to tell. All evening, however, Frank's face wore a triumphant look that told of some secret understanding. Some one suggested sowing hempseed. Now, as I had token part in every trial and had cuch a mass of contradictory predic tions dealt out to me, I felt like making one final and daring experiment, and vol unteered to go. Taking my little pail of hempseed, I went out alone iuto the dark ness. The faint light given by the fallen snow mado every object appear weird and unnatural. I went to a clump of pines, which seemed a fitting place for the in cantation. Scattering the seed, I repeated the words, "Hgmpseed, I sow thee; bemp see,d, I sow thee," when slowly there loomed before me a great dark object. Nearer and nearer it came. Was it a spirit or Satan? J < ■ I never finished the lines. With a shriek I ran toward the house, hearing a strange sound behind me. Turning a corner I stumbled and was caught by a pair of arms, while a surprised voice said, "Why, Maud —Miss Harvey — what does this mean?" I explained, or tried to; for how could I tell the diguilled Will Garnott that by all the laws thut govern Holloween in him I had found my fate. While intro ducing my city visitor to my hosts, trying to keep a grave face in spite of Pete's glee ful pantomime, I noticed the burly teach er euteriug tho room, und felt that I had solved the mystery of my ghostly visitant. But the clock struck 12, and we knew that it summoned the spirits back to their places, so the guests prepared to depart.* Then we realized that ot her representatives of impish power had been at work—in other words, the Ixiys of the neighborhood. Harness had disappeared, carriage wheels were carried off. Hideous faces grinned from gate posts, lanes were carefully fenced in, gates removed; in fact, a miniature chaos reigned without. Why have I told you all this so minutelyf Can you not guess? Will says he did not come to me of his own volition that night; it was my incantation that drew him. I do not know. I only know that I love— shall always love —the dear old homestead. Pleasant E. Todd. Antiforeign Feeling In France. France is the latest nation to take up the antiforeign cry and complain that strangers are seizing the birthright of citizens. There are now 180,962 aliens of divers nationalities scattered about the country, so the Chauvinists assert that these foreigners absorb the work which should belong to the natives, or undersell them. Kurt her. the French say that the foreigners make fortunes in France and then go home to spend the money. Bel gians are the most numerous, Swiss and Italians holding the second and third places, while Germans stand fourth. Great Britain contributes 5,224 men and 7,603 women to the French population. Besides her hospitality toward aliens, France is re membering that it is just a century since she emancipated her Jewish subjects. Vet, with all the rights of freedom that they en joy in France, the Gallic Jews only num ber 68,000—about 1 in 600 of the population. Mr. Atkinson in America. At the time of the arrival of H. J. Farmer Atkinson, the British member of parlia ment for Boston, Lincolnshire, a New.York paper said; It is fairly safe to predict that Mr. Atkinson will give more genuine pleasure to us than any foreign visitor who has come here for many years. When tho American Methodists wero in England ho entertained them. He gave a dinner to the bishops and caused no end of fun by putting one black and then one white bishop all the way around the table. That is a sample of what ho can do as a public enter tainer. When Mr. Atkinson reached Washing ton he verified the prediction by the course he took in the conference. He criticised Rev. Hugh Price Hughes for "aiding a de crepit party," otherwise the English Liber als, and was in turn called on to repel the charge of Rev. Dr. Balmer that the "Tories had ridden to power on a beer barrel," British Guiana* Contribution. The Royal Agricultural and Commercial aoclety of British Guiana has decided to hold, under the auspices of the colonial government, a local exposition of its re sources, products and industries, prelimi nary to the exhibit it intends to make at Chicago in 1808. It is believed by the gov ernor and legislative council that such a preliminary exposition will bring out a much larger and more- interesting store than they would gather for the World's fair alone. At tbe close of the local expo sition it is the intention to remove the whole affair bodily to Chicago, TUESDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER lv, 1891.—TWELVE PAGES. WASHINGTON GOSSIP. MR. WANAMAKER AND THE IN SPECTION OF POSTOFFICES. Secretary Rnsk and Hl* Work—A Talk with Roger Q. Mills—First Nights at Capital Theaters—The Government of the City of Washington. [Special Correspondence.] Washington, Oct. 26.—Postmaster Gen eral Wanamaker is a queer man. He Is insistent and persistent. If he cannot ac complish a thing in one way he gets at it in another. An instance of this is found in the manner in which he finally secured a special inspection of a majority of the postoflices in the country. His first idea was to divide the country into inspection districts, about thirty in number, and pro vide for the appointment of an inspector of postoflices in each district. Congress would not cousent. Then ho asked for an increase of the force of inspectors, so that a part of the men might be detailed to thia work of inspection. At the present time the inspectors arc fully employed looking up depredations on tho mails, cases of rob bery and fraud, and have no opportunity to inquire into tbe workings and needs of the many thousands of small postoflices throughout tho country. vßut congress was just at that moment in an economical mood, and the iucreaso asked for was not authorized by luw. Still Mr. Wanamaker did not give up. "I'll tell you what we'll do," he said to his lieutenants; "we'll ask the postmasters at the county Beats to volunteer as inspect ors of the postoflices in their counties. Of course we can't pay them anything for this service, but I believe a large number of postmasters will take sufficient interest in the postal system to give their time and labor to this cause without compensation." Then the postmaster general, who was not to he balked in his plans because con gress proved contrary, prepared 3,000 let tcrs to postmasters asking them to travel about their counties and see what they could sec and hear, and with his own hand signed each of these letters during his vacation. The result of this plan is a vindication of Mr. Wanamaker's estimate of the patriot ism and public spirit of the postmasters of the country. In all parts of the United States the county seat postmasters are traveling about, some with horse and wagon and others by rail, looking into the workings of the postoffices in their coun ties. The reports are beginning to come in, and right interesting some of them are too. I wish I had space to give a lot of ex tracts from the reports. Here are a few: The postmaster at is drunk six days in tho week, and tho office is not open tho other day. The postmaster at Is a good fellow, but he is deaf and almost blind, and ho mixes the mail tip frightfully. This postmaster does not give any of his time to the office. His twelve-year-old daughter rnns the office, and it is a model. I rate it Al. The postmaster at keeps all his mail in a tobacco caddy, and tern told that when his ink freezes in winter he cancels stamps with tobacco Juice of his own manufacture. From the far west came tals unique re port: The postmaster at wears a revolver while on duty in tho office, and I don't think a postmaster of the United States ought to do this, and told him bo; but he says ho has to in order to defend the mails. Another report from the same region: The postoffico at should have an iron safe. Registered lettorsare frequently on hand over night, and the postmaster finds it neces sary to take tho letters away with him in his pocket when he closes the office. But these are some of the unfavorable and comical reports. As a rule, the in spectors And the offices in good condition, and well managed. Some of the reports are models of comprehensiveness and ac curacy. For instance, John L. DeMotte, postmaster at Valparaiso, Ind., makes up a book, with a map of Porter county, and embellishes his report concerning each of the postoffices therein with a photograph of the building iv which the postoffice is housed. The postmaster at Freeport, IDs., pursues the same method, as does Henry Robinsou, the postmaster at Concord, N. H. Albert J. Frick, postmaster at Dan ville, Pa., draws maps of all the townships adjacent to postoffices, and besides gives photographs of offices. A. A. Thompson, postmaster at Carlisle, Pa., makes up a pretty book, with a printed cover, contain ing his reports and a large map of the county, with the distances between post oflices marked iv red ink, showing the roads and the number of families served from each office. When all the reports shall have come in, the postmaster general will be in posses sion of more information concerning the postoffices of the country than any post master general ever was before. From the recommendations made he will be able to correct many evils and effect improve ments in a thousand directions. Post offices will be discontinued where no ne cessity for them exists, aud others will be established. Now mail routes will be es tablished and new service provided in thousands of places. Mr. Wanamaker is studying night and day how he can improve the postal service. Republicans and Democrats alike, what ever else they may say about him, cheer fully commend his zeal and spirit. He in vites suggestions from every one who thinks he knows where or how improve ments may be made. Only a few days ago Mr. Wanamaker heard that a clerk in the money order office had some ideas concern ing the method of transacting the business of that important branch of the service, and the postmaster general promptly sent for him and asked him what he had to offer. For more than an hour the million aire and cabinet minister was in confer ence with a clerk. The postmaster gen eral's principle is that ideas rule the world, and good ideas are too rare to be thrown away, no matter whence they come. If Mr. Wanamaker's hostler were to offer him advice about tbe postal service I am sure the postmaster general would listen to him, not only with patience but with in terest. Mr. Wanamaker believes the post office must keep up with the times; that it must progress as the wants of tbe people change and increase. He Is willing to make experiments, and by trial to winnow the wheat from the chaff. Secretary Rusk is another pushing, prac tical, zealous cabinet officer. He does not sit up nights planuing new schemes for the improvement of agriculture, because "Uncle Jerry" does not believe in sitting up at night even in a good cause, but he does get up early in tbe morning, which is quite as much to the purpose. Of late the secretary has been in a fever of excitement over the efforts of this government to re move the restrictions placed upon the im portation of American pork into Euro pean countries. The success with which he is meeting has not turned his head, but it haa filled him with such a complete sense of satisfaction that he has with diffi culty restrained his impulse to celebrate with a display of verbal flreworka. Over at the state department, where all is mys tery, solemn and profound, after the tra ditions of diplomacy,they say the secre tary of agriculture talks too much. But "Uncle Jerry" has small patience with the mystery and mystification business, and bluntly says so. "This is not my busi ness," he is wont to say, "but the people's. If it were mine I would keep still about it, or tell it, just aa I had a mind. But it is the public's affair, and why srteuldn't the public know it? I guess I'd make a poor diplomat, but"—and here the secretary stopped, so I shall have to finish the sen tence for him—"but I get there just the same." Congressman Uoger Q. Mills, of Texas, was in town a few dayß ago, resting from his labors in the Ohio campaign prepara tory to taking part In the campaign in Massachusetts. He talked very interest ingly with me about the hardships of a campaigner's life. "1 was three years in the war," lie said, "and I campaigned against that brilliant soldier, Tecuniseh Sherman; but the hardest campaigning I havo ever experienced is that 'on the stump' In a northern state. Ido not mean to say that the people are unkind to me or discourteous, for they are universally re spectful and pleasant. A man from tho south is as well treated on the stump in the north as any northern man could be. What I complain of is the apparent as sumption ou the part of the campaign com mittees tbat a public speaker is a sort of animal who can stand anything. We ar rive in a town, after speaking two hours the night before a hundred miles or more away, tired aud hoarse and very sleepy. We want nothing so much iv the world aa a chance to lie down and rest aud be alone. But tho campaign committee orders it otherwise. They appear to think we are in need of amusement, aud if they don't entertain us we will go awuy feeling neg lected and lonesome. So they bring in the prominent men of the $race to be intro duced, they take us carriage riding, they pilot us through their factories and their public buildings, they show us their scen ery, they get up dinners for us and finally ask us to standout ou a plat form aud view a long parade. All this is well meant and all interesting enough to v man who is iv condition to enjoy it. But the weary cam paigner, who has had two or three weeks of it, wants to go away to some place where there are no bands, no torchlights, no din ners, no prominent citizens anxious to shake hands, no scenery, no anything of that sort and lie down and die in peace. "Then there is J,he outdoor meeting," continued Mr. Mills. "You see how hoarse I am. I can hardly speak above a whisper. I don't believe you would be able to whis per if you had been making speeches in the open air every night for two or three weeks as I hay where the cold fall wind blows down your throat and puts husks on your organs of speech. Another dreadful thing about this political cam paiguing is the way in which the local com mittee puts a fellow upon a platform built about ten feet high. Every man who has had experience at public speaking knows that a good, a spirited, a kindling speech is Impossible from such au elevated posi tion. The ideal platform is about eighteen inches or two feet above the level of the ground or auditorium. Tbe speaker wants to be as nearly on a level with his hearers as possible. One can't throw his voice down at people as he would fling stones at them from an eminence. He must be where eye looks into eye, and man stands face to face with man in a normal, natural position. Eye kindles eye and spirit warms spirit, aud the public orator who wants to magnetize his uudience, and be magnetized by it in turn, will not suffer himself to be perched upon a scaffolding." A queer feature of official life at Wash ington is the lirst nights at the theater. A company comes along for a week's engage ment. The manager is anxious, naturally, for a good start. He wants his first night to attract attention and "catch the town." The first thing he does is to go over to the White House and invite the president and his family to attend, placing a box at his disposal. If two boxes are needed to ac commodate the presidential party tbey are forthcoming. Then he goes to two or threo cabinet ministers and tenders the remain ing boxes, and if these invitations are not accepted then enough foreign ministers are invited to fill out the quota. Often half a hundred seats in the parquet are given out to high officials and senators. At a recent first night afc one of the local theaters every box was occupied by the president and his family or by cabinet offi cers aud members of the diplomatic corps, while fully a hundred seats in the audi torium were occupied by officials and their wives. It is rather odd that the president of the United States and members of his cabinet can be used for advertising pur poses in this way, but it is done almost every week of the winter season, and has been done for many years. It is oue of the customs of the capital. There has been a great deal of talk of late concerning the government of cities. I fancy many of my readers will fie glad to learn how this, the national city, is gov erned, for iv the judgment of many stu dents of the science of government it is the best regulated municipality in the United States. Of course every one knows that the president is virtually the mayor of Washington, while congress is the local board of aldermen; but not every one knows that the administration of the local government is placed in t he hands of a board of three commissioners—one a Dem ocrat, one a Republican and the other an officer of tho engineer corps of the army, and known as the engineer commissioner. These commissioners are appointed by the president, and are generally chosen from among the most highly respected citizens of the district. The board collectively manages all departments of the local gov ernment, but a division of labor is made for convenience and better attent ion to de tails. The engineer commissioner, of course, takes charge of public works, such as bridges, water works, sewers and build ings Oue of the other commissioners takes the schools and fire department; the other the police, finance and streets. There is no politics in the administration, direct ly or indirectly. The politics of a candi date for appointment or employment in . the city government is never asked, and if known cuts no figure whatever. The civil service law applies to a majority of the clerical employees of the district, and civil eervice spirit pervades the entire organiza tion from top to bottom. With such con ditions as these it is not surprising that the government of the federal city is con sidered a model of excellence and economy. Robert Graves. Marketing Their Postage Stamps. A novel plan for "raising the wind" haa been adopted by the Portuguese govern ment. Taking advantage of the craze for collecting postage stamps, the authorities propose to issue a new series and thus cause the, present stock to be bought up immediately by amateurs and merchants. It is thought that many thousands of dol lars can be realized by this expedient. TWO LUCKY FOREIGNERS A MEXICAN AND A SPANIARD PROVE FORTUNATE WOOERS. One Has Become the Husband of a Sew Orleans Belle and the Other I» to Wed the Lovely und Immensely Wealthy Mme. Barrios. A Mexican diplomat and a Spanish grandee have won two of the great matri monial prizes of the season. The former has become tho husband of the famous Now Orleans beauty. Miss Cora Towusend, and the latter is engaged to Mme. Barrios, the blooming and wealthy widow of the Central American dictator, who fell in bat tle six years ago. Senor Jose Martin Rascon, envoy extra ordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the republic of Mexico to the empire of Japan, is a distinguished looking gen tleman, still young, of agreeable manners and large possessions. miss cdhA TOWXSEXD. He met Miss Townsend some time ago and acquaintance speedily ripened into mutual affection. Official duties inter fered with the original plan for the wed ding, and tbat the groom might not be de layed in his journey to Tokio, the ceremony took place in New York instead of at New Orleans. The lovers met iv the former city the other evening, and, accompanied by the parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Townsend, and a few intimate friends, proceeded to St. Patrick's cathe dral, where they were united by Rev. Father Murphy. After the ceremony they drove to the train aud began tho loug trip by rail to Vancouver, and thence by steamer to the Land of the Rising Sun. Senora Rascon's trousseau came from Paris, and is of the most costly and tasteful description. The presentation rolie to be worn when she is introduced at the court of the mikado has a train of white brocade, lined with rose rep silk. The dress itself is of white satin, the point lace oovering is looped with clusters of red ostrich tips, and the square corsage is trimmed with pearls. Many gifts came from friends in South Carolina and Louisiana, and tbe groom's offerings included a superb collection of diamonds and. title deeds to one of his Mexican estates. Tho announcement that Mme. Barrios has decided to doff her weeds was received with considerable surprise by fashionable New York. The widow of the Guatemalan president was supposed to object to second marriages on principle, and siuce her hus band's tragic death she has been an "icily beautiful" figure In New York society, watching over her children, assisting at various exclusive functions and doing her duty in many ways as the owner of vast wealth, but resolutely frowning on all ad vances that had about them a hint of mat rimonial intention. Her grace, loveliness, musical attainments and romantic history gave her a vogue such as is secured by few women, and although she never sought publicity, she has received mention time and again by almost every paper in Amer ica and England. A while ago she wentabroad, andduring a sojourn in Spain met Martinez Roda, member of the Spanish parliament from Granada. Seuor Roda is about thirty-five years old, a man of repute in public life and an orator whose diction glows with all the fervid eloquence peculiar to the sons of the Latin races. His handsome presence, passionate regard and tender pleadings broke down all the barriers set up by the lovely widow, and ere departing for New York she had promised to become Senora Roda. MME. BARRIOS. Her wooing in t his case was much dif ferent from her first. She was Senorita Aparicio, n child of fourteen, when the dictator of Guatemala fell under the spell of her girlish beauty. He signified his in tention to marry her. Tho parents ob jected and put their daughter in a convent. Barrios responded by locking up the fa ther. By this very decided action he car ried his point and secured an unwilling bride. Strange to say, their wedded life was singularly happy. The dictator made the Aparicio family'wealthy, and when his wife and children escaped to the United States after his downfall they found them selves possessed of a fortune variously estimated at from $5,000,000 to $8,000,000. Census Taking In Costa Rica. The government of Costa Rica is making active preliminary preparations in orderto secure a complete and exact census of that country, which will be taken in the month of February, 1893. Circulars have been lssned to the governors of the several prov inces and to the various parish priests to se cure their co-operation in procuring data to be used in connection with the prepara tion of the necessary tables. At the recent celebration in Costa Rica of tbe seventeenth anniversary ot the inde pendence of that country President Rodri guez decreed a full amnesty to all persons who were under penalties on account of political offonsM. PAGES 9 TO 12. FIVE CENTS. A PRETTY QUAKERESS OF LONG AGO. How Her Relenting- *o a Lover Ovigtnat rwl m Mane. The brief announcement in the papers that Return Jonathan Meigs had died in Washington city in *ia ninety-first year- startled many old readers. It seemed like a message from early days in Ohio and on the western border. But this man, though noted In his time, was the grandnephew of the noted Return Jonathan Meigs, who was once gov ernor of Ohio, of whose father the pleasant love story is told. He was a veteran of the B. J. MEIG3-. Revolutionary war, and had long wooed a Quaker maid without success; but when he told her goodby and had started for the wild west she cried, "Return, Jonathan, return!" He did, and- nunc-',! their first born Return Jonathan. The late deceased had l>een clerk of the supreme court of the District of Columbia nearly twenty-nine years. He was boms April 14, 1801, in Clarke county, Ky., and on reachiug manhood moved to Tennessee; and became a lawyer iv Nnshj'ille. There he was often consulted by Andrew John sou, who was governor of tbe state in 184- -1857. When the civil war began, Mr. M' ga removed to New York, and on the 23. of March, 1863, was appointed clerk of the district supreme court by President Lin coln. He resided thereafter in Washing ton, and was able to fill the office accept ably till within a few days of his death. His digest of the laws of Tennessee was once a leading work in the west, and was much used in the newer states, especially Missouri. He left five sons, of whom Joseph V. is a well known inventor. THE EXPRESS CONTROVERSY. A Race to Secure Control of the Holly wood Property. Tho removal of Mr. John Hoey from the presidency of the Adams Express company after some forty years' service in various capacities, the appointment of Mr. Henry Sanford in his stead, and the hot fire of charges and crosscharges are among the sensations of the day. When the company gave out that Mr. Hoey had used his posi tion to make deals with smaller express companies bought by the Adams, and in such a way as to realize heavily, they seem to have taken it for granted that he would: surrender at once. He makes fight, how ever, and now the case must go through, the court. MB. JOHN HOEY. The managers of the company brought suit in tho United States circuit court at Trenton to recover $700,000 from Mr. Hoey, and got their lien fixed on his valuable property at Long Branch just two hours before the gentlemen to whom Hoey had mortgaged it arrived to put their mort gages on record. As the principal property is the famous Hollywood: hotel, lawyers jocularly call this the "Race for the Holly wood Stakes." Mr. Hoey has been noted in express and financial circles for many years, and his wife, Josephine, while on the stage was the leading lady at Wallack's theater. Tho Saltus Brothers. The two Saltus boys, Edgar and Francis, distinguished as they are by literary gifts, though of a different kind, were only half brothers. Mr. Saltus, Sr., is the father of both boys, but the mother of Edgar waa not the mother of Francis, Mr. Saltus hav ing married twice. Where they get their literary gift is something that is a topic of interest among the family friends. The mother of neither of them had any such tastes, and the fat her was a busy merchant in New York for many years, caring but little for literature until he discovered that his two sons had the literacy talent. Fran cis, in addition to his gift for composition, had musical ability, and when his poems are all published that his father means to publish, it is his intention to publish the scores of two or three operas which Francis left in manuscript. Author of tho "Light of Asia." Sir Edwin Arnold, poet, journalist and speculative philosopher, is in the United States, and likes it. He does not think of 1. 1 1 r I . _ buying it, but hopes to make some money by giving readings from the "Light of Asia," "The Song . Celestial," and other of bis works, with run ning comments on far orient, life, the- 1 osophy, the inner light and the sci ence of the invisi ble. He bears his fif ty-nine years un- 818 EDWIN ARNOLD. commonly well, haa. au attractive person-" ality, talks very freely to reporters, aud speaks the language as well aa the best educated Americans. In fact, the "Eng lish accent" is scarcely perceptible, since he lived so long in Japan. He believes in Japan, also in Colonel Olcott, Mrs. Besant and the "Mehatmas" to a certain extent. On this theosophy business he said: "I believe with St. Paul that 'the things which are seen are temporal and the things which are unseen are etcrnall' Half the globe is composed of oxygen, which cannot be seen. Tconsidcr the study of the invis ible to be as legitimate as the study of tho visible, and feel convinced that there are infinite possibilities on the lines of that study." . Sir Edwin added that, when asked what books on occultism were best to read, he waa constrained to recommend his "Light of Asia," "Song Celestial" (Bhagarad- Sta), and "Indian Song of Songs" (Gita avinda) as the most accessible, if not tb* beat, grammars of theosophy to be found.