1
i
For tlie Commercial Herald.
LELA.
SABAH T. BOLTOX.
She was sinning In the twilight,
And a shade of purple gloom
Hall enveilJ the pi asant faces
Gathered In a I ltv room.
Not a whispered word was spoken
Not a movement stirred the air;
As the music floated upward.
In the silence, like a prayer.
As I listened, soul and senses
Rapt, entranced, me seemed, I heard
Afar, th wondrous trilling
Of a silver-throated bird,
That charmed me, with its sweetness.
To a lovely Fairyland,
Where the sky was opalescent
And the odorous breezes bland.
There I strolled beside a river,
In the pleasant even-time.
Where the waters made n music.
Like the rvthni of tlothic rhyme.
While the shadows of the leafage
Danced together, baud In hand.
And the flowers kissed the wavelets
Kneeling on the silver sand.
The Summersnn was setting,
On a couch of molten gold
Diglit about with crimson fniiires
Hriglitand wondrous to behold.
And, me thought, a baud of angels
Coming through the gates nt (lav
Stopped and lingered there to listen
To the sweet, melodious lay.
It was done, and I awakened
From the beauty and the bloom,
But to iii id I hai been dreaming,
In that self same lofty room.
But, In all the years before me,
Be they short, or be they long,
I shall not forget the singer,
Nor the sweetness of her song.
Vicksburg, Nov. ibkb.
Tribute to the Womanhood of the
South.
"Nay! tell l' as )ou may,
It never can be told,
And ing it as you will,
It never can be sung!"
Edward Everett, speaking of the
Crimean war, asks who carried off the
palm of that tremendous contest 'i
Not Emeperors and Kings, Generals,
Admirals, nor Engineers launching
from inpenetrable fortresses and
blazing intrenchraents the three-battled
thunders of war.
Not the heroism of soldiers nor the
peerless achievement of great chief
tains. No, but an English girl, cultivated, re
fined, appearing upon that dread stage
of human action and suffering, in no
higher character than that of a nurse,
Florence Nightingale's noble dis
play of energetic benevolence, mingled
with all the tenderness of woman's
love, encircled her brow with the only
enduring wreath of the Crimean war
a wreath tht will be presTved in
perfect bloom when all the laurels . I
the Alma and Inkerman.and Balaklava,
the lledan and the Malakoff, have
faded.
And yet with this high tribute, I do
not hesitate to assert that there were
thousands of the late war more heroic
and self-sacrificing, whose names were
never paraded, and many of them
scarcely kuowo; noble, cultivated,
great women, who made sacrifices and
performed duties to which Florence
Nightingale, with all her justly won
laurels were totally unequal.
The womanhood of the South, under
the watchful care, tender training, and
stimulus of the chivalric sentiment
peculiar to the warm generous South
ern heart was delicate and refined.
Yet in times of great and crushing
trials, these women found strength in
self abnegation, deprivation and the
more terrible sacrifices incident to civil
war.
Their patriotism was more enthusi
astic and their sacrifices greater than
those ot the musket bearers who went
bravely to the field ; whilst the immo
lations tbey made upon the glorious
altars of this southland of their sons
and husbandB were greater to them,
than the fall of Johnston atShiloh or
Jackson at Chancelorville to the cause.
And it thrills me no w, when 1 review
the past, and remember what I have
seen these matchless women making
sacrifices, enduring hardships and per
forming holy duties to which facing
the fiery thunderbolts of the enemy
were hurdly to be compared.
Nothing but their superior moral
worth, and exalted spiritual power
. - fnnM have sustained them in these
r ;
f trying emergencies.
Hk '.' To the noble and heroic who have
sickened, been wounaea, anu aieu. anu
who have had the care and ceaseless
attention of these angels of mercy, in
hospital, at home, in camp, on the ter
rible field of carnage ; who had receiv
ed their sympathy, tears and prayers
in their last expiring moments, it were
a benediction of devotion little less
than the constancy and love of woman
at the Cross, when the great Fan was
dying and dead.
I have seen these Christian women
subjected to the fiery wrath of inter-
necine strife. I have seen her in
watchful, unflagging attention by the
side of the sick and wounded; I have
seen her by the hard cot of the dying
in the wonderful tenderness of her
sympathy and love. I have known of
her standing over the graves of our
fallen performing the last sad rites,
"where no soldier discharged his fare
well shot !" I have seen her as she
... a ,noi,r cfoarlfnst and tinmttr-
,, uv- -
-- . i i. b.n nAA niia airara wnnrn
i.JW in oinrinus state the bodies of her
"J o ,
brave sons I
I have seen her glorified In her hero
ism j and Immortalized through her
devotion to cause, duty and to honor !
I have seen her in the thraldom of
intense suspense, when the flashing
thunderbolts of war shook the very
foundations of her hope, and she trem
bled in agony under the blaze of the
fiery conflict fearful of the great
cause, her country, and the fate of her
cherished idols!
I have seen her hope rise heaven
ward, above the fury and havoc of the
deadly charge and rest there like a star
.P Viunorlinf.innt
I bave seen this hope trampled,
bleeding, and dying under the chariot
wheels of the triumphant victor!
I have seen her since the final defeat,
in the hour of our humiliation, with
everything reversed, doing the work
of menials, building up the waste
places, encouraging the tried and per-
plexed manhood of th land nevei
omplalning, never tiring, always
true, always equal to the emergency
and the hour!
I have seen her bending over th
gravis of our fallen patriots, another
Rizpah over the bodies of her slain,
warding off the vultures of hate; I have
seen her Confederate only, in her
mourning and memories, with ber
tears and floral offerings at the torn
of valor, doing womanly homage to
knightly chivalry !
I hve seen her walk with a firm
step, midst the desolations of her
home and prostrate institutions, and
with unsandaled fact treading the hot
lava beds of sectional passion and
bitterness. And yet whether in the
days when she wore amidst the
splendor of her prosperity, a crown of
diamonds, or now amida'l the broken
columns of her dear Southland, her
crown of thorns.she has always tower
ed a real Queen ! !
As I now beheld her erect form.tried
in the crucible of conrl.ct, purified and
enobled, the only beautiful thing
amidst this waste and ruin I thank
God, reverently, that he has spared us
at least, as a glorious compensation for
our sacrifices tnis -aivine g.uiery
of exalted womanhood I
With 'the millions of excellent
women of the world confronting me, I
can point no higher, than to thousands
of the women; of our own sunny clime.
Such women would be a crown of
glory in any age they are a revela
tion of human possibilities in the
exalted sphere of their grand arid
matchless mission.
And whenever, and wherever, I
meet one of ehero, 1 am reminded how
watchful in hospital, devoted at home,
bestowing her energies and toil upon
th cause; and how she sent husband,
brother and son to resist the unholy
crusade against us and I always feel
in har presence, a tender reverence,
and pay homage to her virtues.
There is a standard of excellence
that cannot be easily surpassed; the
crowning ormament of woman's best
endeavor; this high plane she attained
In the South in the fiery crucible or
trial of war; and if their fair daugh
ters in their emulation, which 1 hope
to stimulate in this feeble tribute,
s'lall have filled the full, perfect meas
ure of their mother's stature, they will
have accomplished a tasK wnicn win
m.ikp. thu world better and lav colllinil
item-rations under obligations to love
and honor their names.
This inv tribute to the womanhood
of Missisaitmi and the South; what a
stimulus their examples, to arouse
every faculty to energetic woris anu to
enable theiu to appreciate arid improve
the rare urivileaes of this marvaious,
progressive age. Daughters of our val
iant heroes, yours is a mgn anu noiy
mission everything but honor and
principle reversed a new South; a
ueople with broken spirit and ruined
homes the hopes and energies of the
old crushed, but I thank God that we
have the lovely .promising daughters of
the old Southern scock auu we iouk.
earnestly and beseechingly to them for
the future advancement and glory of
our great commonwealth.
Not that thev shall cling to the past
only to value and embalm its precious
memories, but that they may boldly
accept the new life and hold in imper
ishable memory the character ot tueir
noble ancettry.
You may have to tread in a certain
sense, upon the traditions and usages
of the past, but never forgetting its
memories ; whatever the requirements
of the future, your obligations anu uu
Hps nniirae-e.ouslv and determinedly
meet them, as your blessed mothers
have done.
You shall not nurture the past to go
back and rkrhtover its battles and cling
to its theories, as they appertained to
the causes of the war; you snail cniy
treasure the virtues of its trials, that
they may teach you the great moral
worth of duty in the trying critical
times in which you may be involved.
Vnnr moral, sttiritual and mental
impress shall mould and dominate the
higher strength and worm or Missis
sippi's sons, prepare them thoroughly
forour great and worthy duties, re
membering always that through you
alone shall be perpetuated and trans
mitted the heroio qualities of your
noble mothers
That the full life depends upon per
fect spiritual graces, and culture, and
the estimation of such virtues and
strength as are gathered from the
rich treasury of the heroic past.
Your interest individually, and the
interest of prosperity are involved, and
upon you depends. I repeat, with em
phasis, the magnificent possibilities of
the future of our State !
I conclude wit h the ringing eloquent
words of Mississippi's honored Chief
tain. "The daughters of Mississippi, with
virtuous grace, have blessed our days
of peace, and the self-denial and forti
tude with which they have met the
trials which it has been our misfortune
to suffer, has commanded my highest
admiration, has been the ground of
my hope for the future, and justified
the confidence I feel thaf among them
we might look for such examples as
the mother of the Maccabees !"
CHOMWELL.
Wlnchesterand a Revolver.
Rawlins, Wyo. Nov. 21. John
Lyonsand Chas. O'Brien quarrelled
over 'a game of cards yesterday, each
left and "heeled" himself, and they
met just outside the building. O'Brien
opened fire with a Winchester rifle,
Lvons replying with a revolver. Seven
shots were exchanged without injury
to either, but one of the bullets passed
through the saloon window and struck
John iiovin, one ot the proprietors
He lived about twenty minutes. Ly
ons and O'Brien ran, but were captured
An inquest developed the fact that the
shot that killed Lovin was fired by
O'Brien.
The Vicksburg Harbor.
A practical questio ior,.u i. i
Senators and Congressmen is in in
improvement or restoration ot th h,ir
bor of Vicksburg. Tie M sMss'ppf
River Commission in It s annua.! re
port, makes the best suggestion, m "in
opinion, that has yet been ffered and
teat is. by works above Vica"ur, to
bring the main channel b.ick i" at
least a portion of our city. Vick -inn g
Tost.
In our opinion this business of ap
propriating the people's money to im
prove harbors is being canied moat
too far. If a harbor is a public con
venience, that is, a convenience iu
which a couutry is interest- d, improve
ment by the Government may be po
per. But there are too many ports
in the country that claim to be pub
lic conveniences of this character,
and it is asking too much of ihe Gov
ernment to take them all in charge and
spend the people's money uu theiu
Our own town of Columbus has as
strong claims on the Government as
Vicksburg. Our harbor here is as im
portant as that of Vicksburg. Yet if
we were to ask a special appropriation
in our behalf, we would probably be
laughed at. We would like to see
Vicksburg prosper, as we it-el a pride
in the place; we would like to see a
channel restored to it; but at the same
time we do not think it is good pjlicy
for the Government to appropriate the
people's money for its benefii .Colum
bus Index.
We are a little surprised at this ex
pression from the Index. Our neighbor
is certainly aware of the fact that
Vicksburg is one of the prominent
ports on our inland sea. and the chief
harbor of Mississippi on either fresh
or salt water coast. In its relations to
the commerce of the great converging
waterways that seek the ocean through
the Mississippi, it is in every sense a
National harbor, and is the entrepot
for three great railways, two on the
eastern and one on the western side of
the river. It is a port where every
steamer ascending or descending the
river, oelow Memphis, whether
coming out of the Missouri, Ohio.Yazoo
or other great tributaries, must halt to
rectiveor discharge freight and pas- (
serge 's. and is also a harbor of refuge
for uver craft in the event of storm or
accident. In addition to this it is a
port upon which a city of fourteen or
fifteen thousand p ople rely for main
tainance; that conducts the conven
ience and necessities of tens of thou
sands of people who look to Vicksburg
as their market. If this harbor is de
stroyed it will be a calamity to the
merchant marine of the wjiole lower
Mississippi river, and a terrible blow
n,t only to the great railroad that ex
tends from our eastern to our western
boundary, but to every town on its
line. To lose the harbor of Vicksburg
involves the destruction of that fair
city, the impoverishment of its property
owners and local industries, and com
pels as a necessity to river commerce
the openining up of another port in
its vicinity and the diverting to the
new harbor of the railroads, that now
meet the waters at Vicksburg. It is a
duty the Government owes to our
people and to all the people in the
Mississippi Valley and to all who ply
the great river, to avert this calamity
by ample and timely appropriation, and
we are glad to know that in reference
to the matter our Senators and Con
gressmen are a unit in sentiment.
As to the importance or improving
the Tombigbee. the Examiner was
largely instrumental in obtaining the
hrst appropriation ever made for it,
and has fought its battle here und else
where each succeeding year; but the
Examiner recognizes the fact that
while the Tombigbee is all important
to the commercial constituency of
Aberdeen and Columbus, it is of tri
lling importance to the country at large
as compared with the Mississippi, and
that while the harbors of our two
towns have local value and accommo
date vessels that, like our merchants,
have local interest, the harbor of
Vicksburg has for many years been a
necessity to the commercial marine of
the whole lower valley. Then, again,
our harbors are not in danger while
that of Vicksburg is threatened with
destruction and must be saved if scien
tific engineering and wise legislation
can accomplish the desired end. Ab
erdeen Examiner.
From Bastrop.
Srecial to Commercial Herald.
Bastrop, La., Nov. 20 Last night,
at the court-house, Dr. J. C. Orcutt, a
very intelligent gentleman from Hous
ton, Texas, delivered an eloquent ad
dress to the citizens of Bas'rup on the
subject of Temperance and 1'rohibi
tiou. The audience was large and ap
preciative. Miss Lena, the eldest daughter of
Mr. S. D. Brown, was buried here to
day. She was an excellent young
lady, sixteen years of age. Her rela
tives and friends deeply deplore her
untimely death.
The weather is clear and cool. Cot
ton picking has progressed finely, about
four-fifths of the crop having been
gathered. Corn has been sold in the
parish as low as thirty cents per
bushel.
Appointments,
Washington, Nov. 20 The presi
dent made the following appointments
to-day: To be consuls of the United
States, L. Bridgers, of North Carolina,
at Montevidid, Uruguay; Wm. II.
McCardle, of Mississippi, at San Juan
Del Norte, Nicarogua; Joseph W.
Meviam, a citizen of the United States,
at lquique, Chili; Wm. C. Emmet, of
New York, at Smyrna, Turkey.
Senator Miller Alarmingly 111.
Soura Bend, Ind , Nov. 21 "Word
has been received here, at his old
home, by his relatives, that Senator
Miller, of California, is-alarmingly ill.
His fnnditinn i auch'ttiato it.is feared
that he will not be able to be at Wash-
ington at the opening of congress,
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
The Times on the Vignaux Victory
The Brooklyn City Court Occu
pied Two Days In the Second Trial
In an Action Brought by Henry
Reddlck Against the Standard Oil
Company, Etc
New York, Nov. 21. The sale of
the late Richard Grant White's library
was concluded yesterday. The total
sum realized was about $8,000.
Miss Lydia Thompson, the well
known English burlesque actress, ar
rived yesterday on the city of Beilin.
The Times says: Vignaux victory
overSlosson la5t night was probably the
most wonderful exhibition of billiard
playing ever seen. It is to be home
in mi .d the game was' arranged ex
pressly to make large runs by nursing
impossible and compel open table
play. At this game Vignaux made an
average which a few years ago was un
heard of at "straight billiards" and
has eclipsed ail recufds in respect to
both single runs and average. This
victory may bring about a result which
probebly did not enter the calculations
of the persons who projected the tour,
nanient.
The Brooklyn city court has been
occupied for two diiys in the second
trial of an action brought by Henry
Iliddick against the Standard Oil Com
pany to recover one-sixth of the prop
erty on which their works are located
at Green l'oint, and which is wortn
about a Laif million dollars. A grand
father of the plaintiff bought the
land nearly fifty years ago, and gave a
purchase mortgage on it of $5,000.
The mother of plaintiff, who was
John Haines' daughter, died five
days after plaintiff's birth. Plain
tiff was then sent down to Virginia
to be brought up by the grandfather.
Home married again and his second
wife on her death left one son, and in
her will cut off the children of the first
wife from their inheritance of proper
ty. She induced the mortgagee to
foreclose the mortgage and plaint ff
claimed he was" not made a party to
the suit. The defense is that he was
made a party to the suit, and his name
instead of being Henry as he was sworn
was John Henry and under that name
he had been made a party to the ac
tion. His father and uncle, who is a
Methodist minister and baptized him,
swore his name was Henry, and a col
ored nurse swore that the grandfather
wanted him called John Henry. Defense
further showed he was married under
the name of John Henry, became a
member of the Masonic lodge under
that name, appliel for life insurance
and divorced and obtained permission
to marry again under that name. The
jury found a verdict for the defendant,
and immediately afterwards the plain
tiff was arrested on the charge of pel
jury, on the ground that on a forum
t ial he swore he never signed his nan e
as John Henry or John II.
The Herald's Washington corres
pondent says: "Mr. Hoyt is still a
guest at the White House with Miss
Cleveland, she is ' at home ' informally
an hour each morning. A greater
number call by card. These calls are,
however, not as a rule returned, but
the White House ladies now and then
make exception, and do return them,
especially when callers are residents
of the city.
"The president had a long talk with
Mr. W. W. Corcoran to-day, in regard
to some district matters that he in
tends to present to congress in his
message. Mr. Corcoran has been con
sulted very often by the presidents on
local affairs. Presidents Grant, Hayes,
Garfield and Arthur always consulted
with him before making recommenda
tions in regard to local matters."
A special to the Herald from Rich
mond, says: "L. B. Jones, a young and
prominent man here, was to-day lined
one cent and given an hour in j ill by
the jury in the Hustings court, for
sending a challenge to fight a duel.
The trouble out of which the hostile
correspondence grew occurred in
August last. No meeting took place,
and the difficulty was amicably ad
justed. The officers, however, arrest
ed Jones, and he was tried to-day.
This is the second time in the history
of the duelling laws of Virginia since
the war, that any punishment has been
inflicted for violation thereof."
Taken to Montrose tor Safe-kee p
Ing. Denver, Nov. 21 About a mile
above Delta station, on the Denver &
Rio Grande, Wm. Whalen had left his
wife on their ranch, while he with his
two sons, went on a hunting trip.
Stopping with her was Mrs. Cameron,
wife of J. A. Canteron, a dissolute
character. Yesterday Cameron quar
reled with the women and his wife
fled. After her flight he shot and
killed Mrs. Whalen her body falling
into the fireplace was badly burned.
Cameron visited one of the neighbor
ing houses searching for his wife,
threatening to kill her if he found her.
He was finally captured and at once
taken to Montrose for safe-keeping,
as the officers feared summary punish
ment would be dealt out to him,
interesting to Stock Shippers.
Dubuque, Ia., Nov. 21 A case in
law interesting to live stock shippers
was decided in the United States dis
trict court, having been brought up
from the lower courts by a change of
venue. Williamson & Davis, of Dela
ware county, made a shipment of
forty-eight head of cattle last winter
from their ranch in Palo Alto county.
The train got stuck in a snow drift on
the Milwaukee & St. Taul railway
forty-eight hours, and a blizzard came
up and froze the stock to death suit
was intered for $3,000; the jury
awarded $500.
Dead.
Pakis, Nov. 21 Jean Baptist
Marie Ballier, a noted book publisher,
is dead.
A YOUNG AMERICAN
WHO STOOD ON HIS DIGNITY WITH
ITALIAN ROYALTY. i
A CoopU of Prlnou Who Turned Oat To
Re Very Pleasant Fellow An
Agreeable Chat and a Cordial
Parting.
(Rome Cor. Ran Francisco Chronlcle.l
The two eldest sons of the Duke d' Aosta
(ex-King Amadeo. of Spain, the, brother
of the king of Italy) visited Home the
early i art of August They are hoys of
1') and Id. Duke de Pouilles and Count
do Turin are their titles. They lodged at
the Hotel d'Angletcrre while in this city.
A young friend of mine., a line, bold
spirited, original, intelligent American,
about A. or was visiting Koine at the
same time, and stopped at the same hotel
The two young princes and the American
were the only lirst-c.ass lodgers at the
d'Angletcrre. The first night the young
princes arrived, when the American went
into table d'hote he found a rough set of
nien already seated. .
Sl'A.-iDINli ON HIS DIGNITY.
Before taking his seat he beckoned the
head waiter and asked who those person
were. "The suite of thoir royal high
uesses, " was the reply. "Are the princes
to dine here also? " "Oh, no; they dine
in their apartment " "Then what busi
ness had you to serve me my dinner with
a pack of royal flunkies?" said the Amer
ican indignantly, and then turned and
went into the hotel parlor. In a few
minutes two waiters came, sat a small
table and served the American an excel
lent dinner alone in the parlor. At the
dessert the proprietor came in and apolo-
fixed, said it was a mistake, etc., and
egged ray frieud not to take offense.
The next morning the proprietor camo
to the American and said that the Liuke
de Pouilles and Count de Turin would be
happy to have him presented to them.
"Very well, " replied the American. "Tell
the young men they will find me here in
the salon any time the next half -hour. "
The proprietor stared, but as the young
man resumed the reading of his iournal,
tho proprietor shrugged nis shoulders and
left the room.
' HOBNOBBING WITH ROYALTY.
A short while after the "young men"
came into the parlor and introduced them
selves, just as any ordinary untitled
youths might They were alone. "Duke
De Pouilles," said the elder, "and my
brother,, the Count De Turin." The
young American took their extended
hands and gave his own name. The
three young men sat down and had a
pleasant talk for a half-hour. Tbey
asked a great many intelligent questions
about the United States. They seemed
most curious to know about its institu
tions, its large cities. They wore espe
cially interested in statistics, number of
population, manufactures, etc.
.My friend said he was surprised to find
such youug fellows so serious and know
ing in their questions. The Count De Turin
said; "Tell us. if you will ' be so good,
how does your city of New York com
pare with Home, for instance for, as you
say, you have not seen Turin or Milan."
The American then endeavored to make
them comprehend why in some respects it
was a much finer city that is, judging
from a modern point of view, and setting
entirely aside the historical monuments
which'make of Home a city sui generis.
ROMS VS. NEW YORK.
"Of course, " said my young friend,
"everything in New York is new and to
tally unlike even the new part of Koine,
r or instance, I feel all the while here in
Rome as if I were looking at stage clfecta
The architecture, the curious direction of
the streets, and even tho air and sky are
all scenic, while in my city it is just the
contrary. " The youug men listened
with keen interest The Count de Turin,
who is considered extremely intelligent,
said: "We hope to go to the United
States some time, and of course to New
York. Will you allow us to hunt you
up? I should like so much to meet you
again. "
My frieud responded in the same frank
spirit, and gave the count his card and
address, and the three youug men parted
most cordially. Both of ihe young
princes, who are in the navy, are now
aboard the ship Viltoria iinianuele, atj
Brindisi, and sail shortly on their voyage
of instruction.
, ,
Cocaine Becoming a Cure-AIL
TNew YorkTiibune.l
Cocaine Is becoming one of the popular
remedies of the day. its functions of al
laying the sensibility of tho nerves of
mucous membranes and other tissues
renders it valuable in surgical operations
and in the treatment of throat and lung
alfuctious. In consequence of its remark
able qualities and ' of the prominence
given to it in the medical treatment re
ceived by Gen. Grant, it is now coming
into general use. May fever is not by
any means the only disease for which it
is declared to be au elective remedy.
The chemists who are compounding co
caine labloids for the noses of caturrual
patients are a.'so putting up cocaine
troches for the throats of suf
ferers from bronchial and pulmo
nary complaints. ; There is reason for
believing that the market will speedily be
Hooded with cntttine loenges, cough
drops, soothing syrups, patent plasters
and every kind of cure-alls. Advautage
will be taken of tho sudden reputation
which tho singularlaly effective curative
agent and ana stbeUc has obtained Co
caine will be rccoguizod by patent-medicine
manufacturers as a popular catch
word, and the business of prescribing and
compounding it will he speedily over
done. Souvenir of Alex. H. Stephens.
Philadelphia Press.
Andrew J. Fleming, of St Louis, has
in his possession a slip of paper bearing
an autograph writing by Alexander H.
Htcphens. The writing is with a pencil,
and the souvenir contains the following
words; "licvenge reversed that Is, to rise
superior to the neglact sod contumely of
mankind by trying to do them good
instead of harm. A determination to war
even against fate; to meet the world in all
its forces: to master evil with good and to
leave no foe standing in my rear. "
Good for the Bra n.
rrid-mts
Newspaper Proprietor Our Mr. Fll
kins, of the editorial staff, is a wonder
fully bright fellow. Ho has great brain
power.
Subscriber He ought to have. He lives
noxt door to my phosphate factory.
Old Time In Boston.
It was tho custom in the olden time in
Boston to post tue names of common
drunkards and commoa tipplers, as pro-
viueu uy law.
It takes about 250 bushels of potatoes
to make one ton of starch.
A hat made of alligator leather It an
autumn oddity.
A I'amue a-: " i
(Letter in Eunou Jun..,u.i
In the Immediate vicinity i-;n 1:
occupied by B-nutnr iiiile is t i
block in which once lived Juiiihh u. i
Oen. Hherman, Senator Wett, of Li
On. Van Vliet, of tbe army, and km n u
Wood. Thuinits time wan one of I'm m
noted blocks in Washington. Wesc, wt o
now one of the district commiwioiKjiu, alona
occupies his house. Oen. Sherman ha
moved to 8:. Louis and bis bouse k imtad.
Van Vliet Is on the retired list and hix U.use
is rented. Mr. Blaine soli his houjso for lsi
than he sav tor it (ha having purchased it
when real estate in that locality was at its
highest), to a broker, William "H. Travers,
of New York, whose daughter and son-in-law,
Representative Wadswortb, of Hew
York, now occupy itduring the winters. The
Fernando Wood house and the one adjacent
to it are occupied by the famous John
Chamberlain as a restaurant. Immediately
across tlie streot to the west, towards the
Arlington, is the famous Gov. Morgan
house. This was occupied by (Jov, Morgan
when ha was In the senate, and subsequently
was tbe residence of Hamiltpn Fish during
his entire administration of tho st-U de
partment This house was the center of so
ciety during the Grant regime. Mr. Fish is
Baid to have never expended less than ;0,000
a year in social entertainments. Tlie costly
example which he hai set has bo ma social
burden upon some of his less wealthy succe
jors. Mr. Evarts followed him so far as to
pay almost the entire salary as secretary ot
state, $8,000, for, the furnished house owned
by Mr. Hutchinson, of the Alaska Fu-.'
Beal company, in the same locality. Mr.
Evarts is said to still boast that ot h.s entire
salary as secretary of state there wa8xact.y
$1,000 whici he did not expend for house
rent On I street, to the north of the Cham
berlain house, is the bouse which Chlof Jus
tice Wait has recently bought and the
much larger house of Mr. William K Chan
dler. Mr..Vaite preferred to live nearer
town, and gave up a house in which he had
established himself some years ago nearer
to the famous West End. Near to Mr.
Waite's is a large double liouso owned by
Mr. Foster, our minister to Russia, ard oc
cupied by his intimate personal friend, wl o
doubthss secured his place in the cab net
throueh Mr. Fos:er, Postmaster General
Gresham. Adjoining this house is a row of
wooden tenements occupied by n 'grots.
. The Theatres of Italy.
Florence Letter to the San Francisco Chronicle)
The Italian theatres are the finest in the
world. They are. not so richly dec rated as
ours, they are not so luxurious, but they are
far more roomy, more commodious, better
ventilated and less liable to catch fire. They
appear to ba modelled after or rather de
veloped from the Roman amphitheatre. The
form is oval, not horss-shoa shaped, like
ours. The oval form enables the Btage to be
seen from every seat, which is not the case
with the horseBho?. The floor cf the ptr-"
quet is the solid earth itself, covered wiih
garden gravel. This forms an exc Mlent re
ceptacle for cigar stumps, orange rinds and
tbe other debris of enthusiastio aulience?,
and it may be easily removed with
a rake. Tue structure is usually of
brick, with a minimum of woodwork.
A fire is next to impossible, and if one
does occur the parquet,. -in which the seats
are wide apart, and where the aisles and
cross-passages are wida mi numerous, is an
excellent refuge while the audience is filing
out of the house. Tbe rotf is ten feet above
tbe top of the walls, the intervening space
being left open for ventilation. One ot the
consequences of these arrangements is that
there U no cloaj or musty smell about the
house. I am now describing the Arena Na
tional of Florence, but the other theatres
are much of the sami type. The ;play was
an Italian version of the " Forgemaster"
(Le Maitre des Forges), a play wuicb I had
seen in London, Faris and elsewhere. The
acting was very good. The price of admis
sion to the parquet, without feat, was 20
cents; wiih seat, 60 cents. For the same
performance and accommodation I paid in
New York, $2 London, $1.35; Paris, $L Is
it that actojs are scarcjr or money mora,
plentiful in these places?
Stomachs and Voices.
New York Letter.
More depends upon a singer's eating than
one is apt to suppose. You constantly see
paragraphs in the papers how this prima
donna or that prima donna is so capricious
about her food. It is not caprice; it Is ne
cessity. A prima donna could not sing on
a meal cooked as the average hotel furnishes
it Her digestion must be looked after or
her voice suffers. A good-natured laugh
passes over tbe face of the country at Miss
Kellogg's little frying-pan and alcohol
stove, but that little frying-pan and alcohol
stove bave made it possible for Miss Kel
logg to sing after a day's journey, when
she would have no appetite for ordinary
hotel food. A chop or an egg, or a bit ot
chicken, cooked as they are not cooked in
an ordinary hotel, give her nourishment,
and she must be nourished to sing, The
voice is largely dependent upon the condi
tion of the stomach. Patti knows this, and
she will take no risks. Bhe has her own
chef with her, and he prepares her food just
as she wants it She is about to go to Bos
ton, and she has just sent word to Col. Ma
pleson that she won't go unless her chef can
cook the dinner she has on the train) Of
course, he cooks for her in Boston, but Ma
pleson thought she might partake of one
meal not of his preparing; but she thinks
differently, so her chef must don his cap
and white apron and cook her dinner as th
train speeds over the New England land
scape. Patti is right. She knows her own
goins to catar to it. If. she didn't she
wouldn't sing as well as she does.
He Ilacl Cot 1 own.
Wall Street .vews.
They were talking about Ihe times and the
general disinclination to buy large stocks or
make heavy investments, when a bald
headed man edged into tho crowd and said:
"Gentlemen, we have been living beyond
our means, and we must get down to hard
pan and begin over again."
"That may be all very true," replied one
of the others, "but who will begin?"
'I have already begun,'' said the bald
head, "I was worth $30,000; I bought
$20,000 worth of city lot and startci to
build a $75,000 mansion. The result is that
I am right down to bed rock and ready to
begin anew. Do any of you happen to know
a good opening for a dancing master?"
Before and After.
New York Sun.
Just starting on tho wedding trip Young
wife: I am afraid, dear, that our trip to
Montreal and Quebec will be very expen
sive. Young husband: It may be a trifle ex
pensive, but just think what a delightful
time we will have.
Just ending the wedding trip Young
wife: What a delightful time we have had,
mydearl
Young husband: Yes, ws have had a
pleasant enough time, but just think what
an expense it has been 1
Mary's New Designation.
' Jingo.
Now, the moid whose name was Mary,
Cometh home from gay "Paree,"
Circumflex her accents very
And she calls herself Marie, ,