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* • flaindealcr 1. VAN SLTKE, Ed Iter aad PaMisker. McHENBY, ILLINOIS. E. C. SCROGOS is spoken of by the Nashville papers as one of the most re­ markable men in that city. A young mftn of limits capital, he has since last October, by fortunate and shrewd in­ vestments, cleared about $60,000 in Nashville real estate. The remarkable part of the matter is that he has for the last fifteen yearB been entirely blind. GEN. SHERIDAN'S idea of seacoast de­ fenses is not to have a chain of so-called impregnable forts, but is to purchase the very best guns in the market and build a navy that is a navy. "You can run half a dozen of the largest vessels of the British navy," he observes, "up the Rhine, past these great forts that It has taken 100 years of time and $100,• 000,000 to erect." PITTSBURGH undertakers who have lost considerable money through neg­ lect of customers to pay their bills, are talking about a novel method of post­ ing their debtors. They would have large placards, on which are printed detailed statements of each debt, achat- tered throughout the cemeteries on Decoration day and other days when the cemeteries are crowded and the placards sure to be read. They would thus hope to shame their debtors into paying up. J - THE New Orleans Christian Advo­ cate complains as follows: "Brethren who have not the time to write us a four-line marriage notice within the month they happen, but wait until the end of the year and then send us a bunch of them without either correct dates or names, must explain to their people that this is the reason why they are not published. The same with obituaries. We want news. In one case a couple were divorced before the notice of their marriage was re­ ceived." REUNNO CAULKER, A full-blooded, Jet-black African Prince, sailed yester­ day from New York for the west coast of Africa, to there resume sway over such of his subjects as have not been carried away into slavery by rival tribes and Portuguese traders. With him went a young lady who became smitten with Caulker's princely charms while he was attending the Dayton, Ohio, College. The girl's name was Ella Shaffer, and when the Prince threw his throne and heart at her feet she grasped at the chance to become a princess in her own right instanter. So they were married. A STRANGE case of absent-mindness came to light in the office of the Re­ corder of Deeds at Washington recently. In July, 1804, a gentleman had a deed made of record, also a deed of trust Frederick Douglass at the time being recorder. Subsequently a deed of re­ lease was secured, and Monday the papers were returned for further re­ cord. In examining the deed it was dated as of record July 16, 1884, and on the back signed "James G. Blaine, Re­ corder of Deeds," in the hand-writing of Mr. Douglass, showing that the late Recorder was at that time absorbed in mind about the Blaine boom to such an extent as to write that gentleman's name where the Recorder's should have ap­ peared. LIGNITE, which is half-formed eoal, has not, up to this time, attracted much attention as a combustible; but there are several parts of the earth in which it is found in abundance; in some cases, notably in Italy, to the exclusion of coal. In Italy, there is no coal; the railway locomotives are kept going by means of imported coal, and if Italy were to go to war, it would not be able even to keep up its railway service; for coal is, above most things, a contra­ band of war. The Italian Government has taken this matter up, and has given orders to its railway servioe to make the locomotives such that either coal or lig­ nite may be burned by them; and this will give a stimulus to the working of the ex­ tensive beds of lignite which lie about the center of the peninsula, half way be­ tween the Mediterranean and Adriatic. On the line of the Northern Pacific and on the Canadian Pacific Railways, lignite is found in great quantities, and locomotives will be constructed for its Utilization. F THE cotton-seed oil industry, inaugu­ rated about ten years since, has grown into mammoth proportions. In 1875, bat few cotton-seed oil mills had ex­ ulted, and the seed had been a refuse which had to be carted away from the cotton gins throughout the South at an expense to the planter. To-day, from small beginnings and in opposition to , the public prejudice, the industry has become one of the great staple indus­ tries of the South, and one of its impor­ tant sources of wealth. Competition in its production naturally became an out­ growth of the business, and over pro­ duction was stimulated by the enor­ mous profits. In this condition of - things this new industry was rapidly be­ coming an unprofitable business, in stead of the commercial and industrial bonanza it had been, until a gigantic company, similar to the Standard Oil Company in plan and methods, was or­ ganized to practically take possession of the entire business. This was fol­ lowed by a bitter war between the mills in the Trust and those out, which lasted twelve months, at the end of which time the anaconda had swallowed ninety per cent, of the crushing mills and oil refineries in the South. Since this war of absorption, during which Immense losses were sustained by the fighting mills, the price of cotton seed had fallen almost one-half, delivered at the mills. The price as now estab­ lished by the Cotton Oil Trust, is about $10.50 per ton. The Cotton Trust is going an enormous business, although it is claimed it has not yet beoOme a dividend-paying stock. GERMANY has long been in qhest of a new weapon, and has at last obtained one. Its official name is "M 71-84." M stands for Mauser, whose gun was adopted in 1871, but in the thirteen years that followed the model was con­ stantly being perfected. At last, in 1884, the gun of the future was de­ signed, and now, in 1887, it has become the weapon of the German army. It differs from the old model in several re­ spects. The metal contains no copper in its composition, and the barrel is somewhat shorter. In the original Mauser, when a charge was fired, the soldier had to give the stock a smart stroke so as to throw out the used cart­ ridge. In the new gun this is obtained automatically. But the chief innovation is the introduction of a reserve of cart­ ridges into the stock of the piece, which in effect converts "M 71-84" into a revolver. These cartridges are held in a steel tube, which by the operation of a spring can be made to deliver them in succession into the breach. A fully loaded gun contains ten of these charges. For three hours a day the German troops are being drilled in the loading, handling, and discharge of these pieces. The use of the reserve cartridges is not to be permitted unless at a special word of command.4 It is thought ̂ better to accustom the soldiery for,Ordinary pur­ poses of warfare to the ordinary method of loading the gun to which they have been so long accustomed. The reserve is for a crisis. HIST0RRT OF THE COSSACKS. BILL AEP, writing from Holly Springs, Miss., says: "An old gentleman whose name is Tyler lives here; an octoge- nerian of splendid memories; an editor of fifty years' experience, and I felt as if I was sitting at the feet of Gamalle as he talked to me of the old ante-bellum days and away back to the times of Judge Sharkey, and S. S. Prentiss, and Henry S. Foote. He told of hearing Mr. Davis speak against Prentiss on the hustings when Whigs and Democrats were fighting for power. He said the Democrats had tried in vain to get somebody to meet Mr. Prentiss, and utterly failed until they called on Mr. Davis, who was then without a political prestige. .His party and his friends were greatly gratified that he held his own and was not utterly demolished by the gifted orator. This gave Mr. Davis a send upward and was the beginning of his political career. Mr. Taylor says he heard that speech. He says that Mrs. Davis told him afterward she was greatly con­ cerned and trembled for the conse­ quence ; that Mr. Davis was not gal­ lantly dressed for the great occasion, and she purchased for him a pair of troupers, and when he donned them they were so much too long she took them and cut them off several inches, and they were then too short. But he ap­ peared in them anyhow, and as he towered up and strained his "eloquenoe with Uplifted arms, the trousers crawled nearly up to his knees, and she was dreadfully mortified." The Bat. The bat comes third in order in Type L, Class X, of the animal kingdom. It has a backbone like man, and resem­ bles him in some other matters. There are 200 kinds of bats, inhabiting all countries, from the coldest to the warmest. Like the monkeys, they vary in size, from little creatures, no larger than humming-birds, to great animals that weigh ten pounds and measure six feet from point to point of their outspread wings. Their bodies are covered with hair instead of feathers, and their wings are something like the web between the toes of geese and ducks. They are either mouse color or a reddish brown. Somo of them live on fruits and berries, other kinds eats insects. It has been said that the vampire bat sucks the blood from the limbs of sleeping animals or men and by keeping his wings in motion lulls the victims into such deep sleep that, they do not know they are being injured. We have no reliable proof of this, and prefer to believe that the bat is a harm­ less creature as well as a useful one. He inhabits caves, clefts in the rocks, and dense woods, where he sleeps all day, hanging by the hook nail on his wing, his head down, and wrapped in the other wing. Occasionally he half- wakes and changes wings, making a chattering noise as lie does so. At night he comes out of his nap and goes flying about after food. Tha long-eared bat inhabits very warm climates. He grows very large and is very strong. The mother bat will fly long distances with her two little baby bats clinging to her breast, their little wings folded snugly about them so that they look almost like a chrysalis, only the tiny noses show and the" little bodies move with breathing. Many kinds are used as food and con­ sidered a dainty by those who use them. The are to be found in all countries, and frequently the caves which they in­ habit have been used by them for so many years that the guano deposit is very valuable. Some years ago an American gentleman became quite ill; to recover his health he went to South America and lived in the mountains. Every evening he woald hear a curious rumbling, whirring noise which would last an hour. The noise began low and soft, growing heavier and louder, then dying down and ceasing. In the morn­ ing the same noise was repeated. The gentleman was not afraid, so he set about the task of finding out what caused the noise. After some days he found the entrance to a cave which ran into the mountain right under his house. In that cave thousands of bats made their home. The discovery was a very valuable one to him, as he shipped the guano to New England and received a good price for it. When you see a bat fiving about do not abuse it, but watch it" and see what it does. You need not be afraid of it as it will not harm you; it may "play possum" if you capture it, but watch it quietly a few moments and you will see its eyes open very cau­ tiously. The flying fox belongs to the same family; it will bite if teased; its chattering is something like that of the squirrel. They are quite inclined to at­ tend their own business and let other people do the same. Do you know of anybody who might take a lessen from them ?--American Kindergarten. To WHAT gulfs a single deviation from the track or human duties leads!-- Byron. The Klae and Progress of the Pioneers of Russian Civilization. [F. D. Millet, in Harper's Magazine.] These pioneers of Russian civilization form the living rampart of Russia for the five or six thousand miles which cover the entire Asiatic frontier from the sea of Okhotsk in eastern Siberia to the River Don and the Caucasus. They are first mentioned in the Russian chronicles of 1444 as living around that part of the Dneiper where the city of Kiev now stands. They had begun to assemble there as early as the tenth fentuvy, escaping tyranny of all kinds, and they chose the Dneiper territory as a refuge because they could easily de­ fend themselves there among the im­ passable marshes and numeroos islands. These refugees from oppression in­ creased very fast, and although they numbered many different classes and races of people--victims of religious persecution, fugitives from the cruelty of lords and masters, deserters, crim­ inals, and outlaws--they soon united into a more or less homogeneous mass, essentially Russian in character, for the larger part of them were Russians, but utterly opposed in political creed to the existing government. They formed, as it were, a republic within a monarchy, a state within a state, always calling themselves Russians, although main- "taming their independence of Rus­ sian rule. As they grew to be formid­ able in numbers they spread rapidly over the country and at last established themselves as a kind of • military in southern Russia and declared them­ selves defenders against savage tribes and Turks. Their usefulness to Russia as defenders of the frontier ^as by no means imaginary. The cities of south­ ern Russia were continually threatened by the incursions of Asiatic barbarians and frequently sought the aid of the Cossacks to protect them against these attacks. Great numbers o£ young men from these cities, irresistibly attracted by the wild, free life of the borders, joined the body of Cossacks, which was then, as it is now, a close corporation. Complaints of their lawlessness were showered upon the Czar Alexis, and in 1655 he persuaded some of them to come to Moscow, and then sent them against Poland and Riga--the first ser­ vice eyer performed by Cossacks in the Russian army. 'Nearly a century later various advance posts were established by the government in the country occu­ pied by these Yaik Cossacks. They, considering this to be a deliberate in­ fringement of their rights, stirred up a powerful rebellion, and for about thirty years successfully opposed the Russian arms, pillaging the country of the Volga and even threatening Moscow. The final struggle for Cossack independence ended in the year of the declaration of American independence. The Russians effectually surpressed the rebellion, captured and executed the leader, Pugatcheff, and changed the name of the river and province from Yaik to Ural, the latter punishment, simple as it may seem, having a certain refine­ ment of cruelty in the appreciation of the semi-oriental Cossacks. Since this famous revolt ended the Cossacks have been peaceful subjects of the Czar, always reserving certain traditional rights and privileges for themselves, which make them still in a large degree independent of Russian rule. It has never been possible to prevent their foraging across the frontier, any more than on our own borders have we hitherto found it in our power to put an end to the promiscuous acts of barbarity which have always postponed perfect peace in the United States to that time when the extermination of the Indians shall have removed the temptations which frontiersmen are unable to with­ stand. In the course of the centuries of com­ parative freedom whieh the Cossacks have enjoyed they have not preserved the purity of their race, although they are much more Russian than anything else. It has been a common custom for young men stationed in remote posts to marry the Asiatic girls whom they have captured as prisoners of war or bartered for in the oriential manner. This practice of promiscuous marriage has, of course, been no inconsiderable element in the preservation of their practical isolation from the rest of Rus­ sia. Then, too, besides the mixture of blood, no trifling proportion of them have been admitted to the body from the Asiatic tribes, chiefly from the Cir­ cassians, who have as a condition of their admission, adopted the customs of the Cossacks and have sworn allegiance to the Czar. Possessing, then, char acteristics of both Slav and Asiatic, the great body of Cossacks stands, as it were, on neutral ground between European and Asiatic civilizatipn. Their allegiance to the Russian government does not place them in the position of the ordinary Russian citizen. Iastead of taxes and contributions they pay the government in military service, giving a certain amount of men, enlisted for a certain length of service, in payment for the lands on which they squat along the rivers. Their chief officers are ap­ pointed by the government, and their ataman, or general of all the Cossacks, is always a grand duke. They have settled along the rivers both because, in most cases, these mark the frontier lines, and also because the best lands lie along the water-courses. The great mass of Cossacks is divided into numer­ ous lesser bodies, each called from the name of the river near which it is located. The Ural, the Don, the Volga, the Terek, the Kuban, and several other rivers have all given their names to communities or provinces of Cossacks, most of which are famous in Russian history. The Don Cossacks are the most heard of, because they are the most numerous. The Urals are the richest, and the Kubans the most war­ like. Both the Terek and the Kuban Cossacks are largely composed of pure- blooded Circassians, speaking their native language, wearing the native dress, titivating the Mohammedan re­ ligion, and professing to be Russian only in their allegiance to the Ottr. Cork Trees. Some enterprising Americans have recently conceived the idea to grow cork trees in this country. They believe they can be successfully grown in the climate of California, and steps have been taken toward making the experi­ ment. The average annual importation of cork wood into this country, entirely at the port of New York, is 70,000 bales a year. A bale weighs 160 pounds, and is worth on this side of the water $20, making a total value of the yearly im- portion of $1,400,000. It comes in duty free. It is nearly all brought over by one firm, which has a branch office in New York, the main offices being in London and Lisbon. The firm owns vast forests of cork wood in Portugal and Spain, and may be said to control the business. With the exception of an inferior kind of corkwood grown in 'Algiers to a limited extent, all the corkwood of commerce comes from the Spanish Peninsula, where the trees abound not only in cultivated forests, but also grow wild on the mountains! The tree is like an American oal^ with leaves similar to the oak and acorns. It takes ten years for the bark to become of proper thickness to be manufactured into bottle-stoppers, life-preservers, and seine corks. When stripped from the tree it is boiled for two hours, cured id the sun for a week and pressed into flat pieces for bailing and shipping. The denuded trunk, like a hen robbed of her eggs, does not sulk and quite th«?" business, but throws out a fresh cover­ ing for a fresh spoliation. One tree has been known to yield a half ton of cork­ wood. One pound of cork can be man­ ufactured into 144 champagne corks. The baled cork bark is sold to cork manufactories in the cities. The most extensive manufactory in America is at Pittsburgh. Besides the ordinary de- mauds for cork wood, a good supply of the buoyant material, after being burned to make it still lighter than the original bark, is shipped to Canada and New England, where it is made into seine corks.--SL Louis Globe- Democrat. Austria-Hungary. Of the two great empires which are now confronting each other with a con­ stant threat of war in eastern Europe, much is known about Russia, and but little in this country about Austria- Hungary. Yet both the history and the present condition of Austria-Hun­ gary are full of deep interest for those whose tastes lead them to enjoy the study of nfations and political systems. As the very name implies, Austria- Hungary is a dual monarchy; that is, two monarchies oombined into one by a common tie. There is only one other monarchy of the sort in the world, that of Sweden and Norway, which two countries are still more dis­ tinct from each other than are Austria and Hungary, for they have no common government whatever. Austria, that part of the empire 'Which lies west of NOT A SUCCESS Senators Edmunds and Hale Declare the Administration an Ignomini­ ous Failure. % River Leitha, and I ungary, which lies • The Yermoat Senator's VKWMt v- ' fprom a Washington Star Interview. 1 Speaking of the administration-. Senator Edmunds says: "In all frankness, I must 'Fay I do not think it has been a success. Whatever the desires and intentions of those at the head of affairs may have been, it was impossible for them to follow out a successful policy with the weight of a party so composed upon their sliovil<ler$. With such a oroad field of administration the President must have others to rely on for assistance, but pla -ing reliance in hi* party must inevitab'y lead him astray. With the tremendous pressure of the party behind liim be has been forced into numerous errors. All Presi­ dents. perhaps, have marie some bad ap­ pointments, but none. 1 think, have been betrayed as often as he has iu a pavtv com­ posed of men who honestly believe that the interests of the country demands that they should have control of affairs. I do not question their honesty iu this opinion who think that the < nd justifies the means - the party workers. The men who have worked in the wards and bulldozed aud stuffed the ballot boxes and claim the rewards are not suitable to perform a public trust. A large percentage of Mr. Cleveland's appointees have been either incompetent or improper persons; or, beine compjt nt. have been rascals. Some of these men be has select­ ed without knowing anything aliout them; others he has appointed upon the indorse­ ment of members of Congress of his oWn. party, who have not hesitated to betray his confidence. Witt some work a table of appointments could be made which would show an im­ mense proportion of rascals. 1 do not say that it would amount to a majority, but certainly none of Mr. Cleveland's prede­ cessors were as o;ten betrayed. He has been pulled both ways between his civil- service reform pledges and the party pres­ sure. Sometimes he has appeared to hold to one aud sometimes to yield to the other. He seems to st ind half-way between the two. One day he has declared that a good official who was a Republican should not be disturbed. At another time he haB yielded to tremendous party pressure in something else. But there are itepublicans still in office, and I think we should give him credi* fc>» " hat he has done. Shaller, Jarcesvllle, and Karle V-- ' mmmm the House east of that river, ft rm each a kingdom entirely by itself. , The chief tie be­ tween them is the :act that the same person is the sovereign of both. The Emperor of Austria is also King of Hungary, and is crowned both at Vienna, the Austria^ capital, and also at Buda-Pestli, the Hungarian capital. But otherwise eacL| kingdom has its 'dge, Chicago, exchanged greet- separate parliament and its own cabi- irUh Richmond frieuds Sunday. net, or ministry. Hach makes its own _ laws, imposes and collects its own taxes, '• Oso. Young, of Elgin, is going and manages its own public affairs. In rture 'n the M. E, Church Friday each kingdom, too, the cabinet is r«^itig on "Peculiar People." sponsible to the two bodies which con- - . stitute the national legislature. "• «owdsn and Frank visited Chl- There is, however, an arrangement Friday. Emma Dietrich came by which the two kingdoms act in conn from Genoa and attended to the cert as one empire, in regard to all raphing. matters of political moment common to them both. This arrangement consists© Woodstock German paper has a of a body which is called the "Delega-snjM$9»t & tions." The delegations are composed - - - -- of sixty delegates from each kingdom, chosen by the parliaments, who meet every year alternately at the two cap­ itals, and deliberate upon subjects of imperial concern. Those subjects are foreign aftairs, finance, and military ad­ ministration. Corresponding to the delegations, and responsible to them, is an imperial cabinet, which comprises only three ministers. The first of these ministers is at the head of the depart­ ment of foreign affairs. The other two ministers hold the portfolios of war and finance. The power of the imperial government, as such, is confined, there­ fore, to diplomatic relations with other powers, the management of the army, and the conduct of wars, and the financial mensures needed for these de­ partments. Austria-Hungary was for many cen­ turies a despotism as hard and as absolute as is that of Russia to-day. But twenty years ago, as a result of its overwhelming defeat by the Prussians, it became a constitutional monarchy. The emperor ceased to be absolute; ministers were made responsible to the representatives of the people; and the people were admitted to a large share in the control of the government. As a result of this happy change, the Austrian peoples were accorded liberty of speech and conscience, a free press, freedom of marriage and education, and a widely extended suffrage. An entirely new career was opened to them as one of the great nations of Europe. Composed as the empire is, of many different, jealous, antagonistic races, of which the Germans, Magyars, Czechs, and Slavs are the chief, the task of hold­ ing them together as one nation has been difficult But the attainment of political freedom by these peoples has lessened the difficulty. The Emperor was never so secure of his dominions when he was an absolute despot as he has been since he gave up a large por­ tion of his power, and shared it with his subjects. The Austro-Hungarian em­ pire may not be long-lasting; but it is certain that it would have fallen to pieces long ago if despotism had not been abandoned, and if a free constitu­ tion had not been granted.-- Youth's Companion. Would Cat the Rope. Speaking of the fact that out in Da­ kota the people have clothes lines strung about their premises by which they pull their way back to the house in case of a blizzard, is a reminder of a story concerning Col. Cleary, of this city. The story is quite prevalent in the far West, but seems to be new here, on the principle, perhaps, that one must go from home to hear the news: It seems that once when there was a captive balloon in Chicago, which peo­ ple could take a short aerial voyage in for the sum of 10 cents, Col. Cleary concluded to go up a piece. He was about as high as the eaves of a ten- story house, and felt as if that was far enough, so, speaking to the man at the windless, he said: "Lave her down." The man at the windlass was enjoying the matter, however, and, instead of "laving her down," let her go a little higher. CoL Cleary deliberately went to his pocket, and, pulling out a huge clasp-knife, he yelled at the man; "Lave her down, yer son of a goon, or I'll cut the rope."--Chicago Mail. The Great Wall of China. The great wall of China contains 6.350,000,000 cubic feet. An engineer in Seward's party there some years ago gave it as his opinion that the cost of this wall--figuring labor at the same rate--would more than equal that of all the 100,000 miles of railroad in the United States. The material it contains would build a wall six feet high and two feet thick right straight around the globe. Yet this was done in only twenty years without a trace of debt or bond. It is the greatest individual labor the w6rld has ever known.--Indianapolis News. _ A VniM faith is the best divinity; a good life is the best philosophy; a clear conscience is the best law; honesty is the best policy; and temperance the best phyaie. Wei who would do as well." "What do you think of the chances of the Republican party in 1888?" " Relieving that the Republican party represents the best principles of govern­ ment, and having confidence in the intelli­ gence of the people aud their ability to discriminate, I expect the Republicans to he restored to power." "That depends on the nominee, does it not?" "Yes, but having confidence in the wis­ dom of my party, I think they are sure to nominate a good man." "Who are the prominent men now to the front?" "Ah! Excuse me, but.I do not care to speak of that. Many things may happen within two years. Senator Halo -fitdnifpm* In 8om« Plain Talk. (New York Tribune interview. I When asked about the general result of the session of Congress, Senator Hale said: "There are two things that have been shown very clearly and stand out distinctly above everything else. One is the utter lack of administrative and legislative fac­ ulty on the part of the Democratic party, in the first place, and, secondly, the un­ patriotic attitude of the Democratic party. It entirely failed in everything relating to fiscal and| financial legislation. Every­ body in the country knows that to be the fact, but it could be eeeu iu Washington even more plainly than else­ where. There was noeobeston in the par­ ty. The administration had no plans or policy of any kind. The leadeis in the House had no plans. The leaders in the Senate were equally without plans. There was nothing that even looked like united action between the leaders of the several parts of the Democratic organization. They did not agree on the tariff, nor on sil­ ver, nor upon the treatment of tha surplus, nor upon any method of the dis ribution of the surplus by appropriations among the people. ' • "The administration reoomniended very little for the consideration of Congress. It was apparently given over to the con­ sideration of small things, petty details, and minor matters, let'ing the large affairs of government go. It appeared to ha. e no grasp of the broad questions of states­ manship- Whenever it made recommenda­ tions it was snubbed, both in the House and the Senate, by the Democratic mem­ bers. This was true on every measure of legislation affecting the business of the country. When we come to the other suU ject the unpatriotic attitude ot tbe p ut> was displayed by the entire indifference to every measure that affected the national defense and security. On tho8«^_ measures it was in pronounced hostility. The President recommended nothing to put the country in a condition of Safety, either in res; ect to t:ie naval es­ tablishment or for harbor defenses or for coast fortifications. The House put a veto an everything attempted in this direction. The singular spectacle was presented of the minority--that is the opposition, and not the administrat on--presenting and framing and pacing through the Republi­ can Senate all tbe measures that tended to national security and defense. This was all the more significant becuu-ethe moneys appropriated by such legislation were lodged in the hands of the Democratic ad­ min stration for expenditure and the moneys would have been expended by the Demo­ crats; yet the bills failed to become laws because of the opposition of the adminis­ tration and its adherents in the two branches of Congress. I expect, especially this unpatriotic attitude of the Democratic party and its indifference to national se­ curity and national honor, will beoome thoroughly understood bv the people dur­ ing the next year, and will become a prom­ inent feature for discussion in the next Presidential election. There is very little hopefulness in the minds of the Demo­ cratic leaders in Congress as to the future. They have very little confidence in the ad­ ministration." "How about the Presidency? Who will tbe Democrats nominate?" "I think they are likely to renominate Mr. Cleveland. If he has New York earn­ estly for him in the convention that will settle it." "Is not thit likely to bring on the old fight again between Mr. Blaine and Cleve­ land?" " So far as the Republican nomination is concerned, if the convention should meet to-dav nobody would be much talked of or discussed for the nomination except Mr. Blaiue. He has lost nothing in the two years since his defeat in his )etirement, which has been honorable and dignified, but has gained in public confidence. Per­ sonally, he is not thinking about the sub­ ject, and he has no desire to become again a candidate. If he is a candidate, it will be because he cannot help it, and because the people and his party are Lound to make the light again with him as the lender." ILLINOIS ' / No BUSINESS whatever waJk*^, Senate on the Xlth inst., the consumed the short session in loom for a few additional pages. of Represent tives, Mr. Measiek, from the Committee on the Judicial Department, re- I>orted back, with a substitute, the joint res­ olution providing for the submission of a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors to a vote of the people at the next general elec­ tion, with the recommendation that the substi­ tute be adopted. There was a lively debate, after which the resolution was made a special for Wednesday, the 16th. Bills were intro­ duced as follows: By Mr. Kohrback. making eight hours a legal day's work for mechanics in the employ of the State; by Mr. Partridge, authorizing • the incori>oration of societies for the caro of dependent children; by Mr. Wright, of Cook, lor the appointment by the Gov­ ernor of a Board of Commissioners whose duty it shall be to regulate the price of coal and 1 revent monopolies ; by Mr. Browne, of Fayette, compelling railroad companies to double-track their roads ; by Mr. Jones, of Sangamon, prohib­ iting railroad companies from working thetr employes more than twelve hours in any day; by Mr. Murphy, punishing those who falsely register pedigrees of cattle or horses. Mr. Far- rell's bill permitting the payment of special assessments levied for impro\ements on the Installment plan was, on motion of Mr. Crafts, read a second time. Mr. Ruby made a vigorous kick against the consideration of the bill, but Mr. Ma' oney explained that it was applicable to Cook County alone. Mr. Ruby witlidrew his objection, and the bill was sent to third reading. Both bouses adjourned to the 14th, TMF.UK was no quorum in the Senate on the Hth, and no attempt was made to transact bus­ iness. In the House of] Representatives the reading of the journal was dispensed with, and Mr. Miller, of Stark, introduced a resolution in­ structing the Auditor of State to ascer­ tain from the County Clerks the amount of taxes assessed against railroads for othor than State* purposes, the nssessed prop­ erty of the roads, aud after tabulating the same, to report to the House as early as possi­ ble, Mr. Baker moved to amend by including insurance, telephone, telegraj'h, and express companies, which was accepted by the author of the resolution. Mr. Measiek moved that the rules be suspended and the resolution adopted. The yeas and nays were uemanded and a roll- call showed a quorum lackiug. Mr. Baker in­ troduced a bill for an appropriation tor erecting permanent buildings on the fair-grounds at Springfield. SENATOR STBATTAN'S bill, providing for the payment of special assessments upon the in­ stallment plan, was ordered to third reading in the Senate, ou the lsth. The Senate, by a vote of ±1 to 18, refused to suspend the rules and con­ sider- the prohibition amendment offered by Senator Sumner. A joint resolution fixing the date of adjournment of the Gjneral Assembly ou May 1*2 was' passed under a suspension of the rules, by a vote of :-«> to t;. Bilis were introduced as follows: By Senator Forman, providing for rehearing in ap­ pellate aud supreme courts; by the same, to exempt building and loan associations frcm tax­ ation; by Senator Yost, compelliis county cler . s to keep a record of till county orders, jury certificates, «nd other bills against the county, so that a financial statement can be made at any time ; bv Senator Sumner, allowing town- ship fire insurance companies to insure hay, grain, aud live-stock/against fire and lightning; by Senator McGrath, providing that needy chil­ dren may be supplied with school books upon ap­ plication, the State to pay for the same with money from the general school fund; by Sen­ ator Cantwell, to provide for the employment of convicts in the manufacture of supplies for State institutions, to apply the surplus to the relief of the poor in the State, and appropriat­ ing 8100,(MX) to carry the bill into effect: by Sen. ator Crabtree, a revt nue bill embracing part of the old law and part of the proposed code. The bill accepts the features of the new coda as to limitations and penalties for not making proper return, but rejects the divorcing of the State and county tax and retains in force the State Board of Equalization. In the House of Representatives Mr. Wright introduced a bill to provide for the employment of convict labor ou State account. A State Board of three Commissioners is created, who are em­ powered to purchase such machinery, to b« used in tbe penal institutions, as may be re­ quired for the manufacture ot boots, shoes, and such articles as may be used by the in­ mates of the several institutions; also tor the manufacture of such articles of furniture as are used in the State institutions. No machin­ ery is to be used in the manufacture of such articles as can be produced by hand. A sum of ten cents per day is allowed convicts, which is to be pa d at the expiration of their term of service, and eight hours is fixed as a day's labor. The bills prohibiting pool-selling, book- making, and the playing of base-ball on Sunday were ordered to a third reading. THE bill to Indemnify owners ot property for damages occasioned by mobs and riots was or­ dered to third reading in the Senate on the 16th inst. Resolutions of respect to the memory of ex-Senator W. B. Galbraitli, introduced by Sen­ ator McGrath, were adopted by a rising vote. Bills were introduced: by Senator Cantwell, giving the Attorney General ]>ower to revoke the license of fraudulent corporations organized tor pecuniary profit; by Senator Humphrey, allowing Boards of Kduca* tion in cities of over thiity thousand inhabit­ ants to exercise the right of eminent domain; and by Senator Johns, permitting defective ac­ knowledgments of deeds to be used as prima facie evidence. In the House of Representa­ tives Mr. Lamont's prohibitory amendment to the Constitution came up for final action. Mr. Crafts offered an amendment requiring the State to pay all damages arising from an en­ forcement of the law. This proposition was adopted by a vote of yeas 91 to nays 50. Mr. Collins offered as a substitute for the resolu­ tion a proposition making a uniform liquor license of 51,000 per annum. This was tabled by a vote of 9U yeas to -10 nays. Judge Green presented nn amendment that in sub­ mitting the constitutional provision the propo­ sitions be separately stated ou the ballots. The amendment was easily tabled, and the previous question ordered. The vote on the resolution stood--yeas 50, nays 83, and the resolution was beaten. Those voting in the affirmative were: Allen (Yermilionl. Allen (Warren1, Barger, Blackburn, Bogardus, Breeden, Brown (Fay- ettei. Hamer, Hamilton (Iroquois , Hamilton (McLfau), Haven, Hunt, Rice, Kohrback, Ruby, Ruggles, Sawyer (La Salle), Sloan, Smith, Hruoakor, Bundy, Carr, Coudo, Converse, Cooley, Crawford, Davis, Fisher, French, Fuller, Galloway, George, Gittiugs, Grason, Green, Hunter, Jones (Crawfordi, Jones (Sangamon), Keyser, Kinsey, Iiretzinger, Lamout, Larrabee, Lowry, Miller (Stark', Partridge, l'epoon, Piatt, Pollard, Pomeroy, Stewart, Stover, Symonds, Taggart. pickers, White, Wilson (Clay), Wilson (Cumberland), Wilson (Macoupin), Wilson (Ogle), Wright (Cook), Wright (Morgan), Mr. Speaker---63. Those voting in the negative were: Archer, Bailey, Baker, Bicklehaupt, lirokoski, Browne (of LaSallei, Chase, Clark. Cleary, Cole, Collins, Conway, Coppinger, Cox, Crafts. Cur- tiss, Faxon, Firoved. Ford, Furlong, Gleason, Grav, Halpin, Hart, Herrick, Herrlugton, Hol- comb, Huling, Jay, Johnson, Kaune, Kenny, Kister. Moran, Morgan, Morrasv, Murphy, Neely, Mollis, O'Connor, Phillips, tierce, Pur- dunn, Reynolds, Keiiey, Sawyers (Scott), Scharlau. Scnneider, Schoenewald, Seawall, Day, Deoker, Dwyer (of the Fifth), Pwyer (of the Sixth), Eastman, Ecton, Eddy. Farley, Far- rell, Littler, McElligott, McKinlay, McLaugh­ lin, MacMillan, Mahoney, Merritt, Messick, Miller (of Woodford), Tavlor. Trench, Tyler, Veile, Wait, Wedig. Wells, Wilkinson, Will­ iams, Yocuni--78. Those absent or not voting were: Bradshaw, Campbell, Dixon, Fletcher, Karlowski, McNabb, Marshall, Meyer, Peel, Ward--10. A BILL, pensioning policemen when* disabled while in the performance of their duty, and all police officers woo have arrived at the age of SO years and having served for a period of twenty or more years, passed the Senate March 17. Senator Humphrey's bill, providing that when live stock is levied upon by execution the cost of keeping such until disposed of shall be paid by the plaintiff, was passed by unanimous vote. The bill of Senator Hill appropriating &41.132.8d per annum for the ordinary expenses, etc., of the Southern Illinois Normal University, at Carbondale, was also passed. The bill of Sena­ tor Curtiss, giving women possessing all the other qualicatlons of a voter the right to vote at district school elections, elicited a lively dis­ cussion, during which the point was raised that it was unconstitutional. All the constitutional lawyers in the Senate took a whack at this point, and their opinions wore so conflicting that the non-legal element was left iu greater igno­ rance than when the discussion began. The bill was defeated by a vote of 25 to 17. The election bill of Senator Bacon, of Edgar, to disfranchise any voter demanding or receiving any consideration for his vote for a period of from five to fifteen years, and moking the giver a competent witness against the taker; also making the penalty for a second offense per­ petual disfranchisement aud a penitentiary liability, was vigorously opp 'sed by Senator Sumner. In his opinion it should be called a bill to prevent the blackmailing of candidates by the voters. The measure passed by a vote of 34 to 14. A message from the Governor in­ formed the Senate of the following appoint­ ments: William W. Clemens, of Williamson County, to be Trustee of tbe University of Illinois; State Board of Education, Henry Rood, of St. Clair County; Isaac Legem, of Adams County; Benoui L. Dodge, of Cook County; George B. Harrington, of Buraau; Rufus Cope, of Clay County j J. D. Bene­ dict, of Vermilion County. The House of Rep­ resentatives passed the street-car bill restor­ ing the rights of property-owners to prevent their streets from being gobbled up bv street- c'ar companies without their consent. The bill requires the assent of a majority of the fiontsge on each cousecutive mi e of the street proposed to be occupied, which was formerly tlie law ; but a decision of the Appellate Court la.it fall stripped the property owners of this self-pro- tective right. The bill, therefore, only restores the rights which th.y formerly en­ joyed. It passed with the emergency clause by a vote ot yeas 10('>, nays 6, and when con­ curred iu by the Senate aud signed by the Gov­ ernor will go into force right off, ami stop the grabbing of streets in defiance of the rights and consent of the lot-owners. B.l s were intro­ duced as fol ows: By Mr. Cox. compelling rail­ road companies to maintain station buildings at all t ,wns and villages on their lines; by Mr. Kaby. making a uniform rate of i cents per mile for carry ng pas tenters on any road in the State; by Mr. Nealv, authorizing school boarde t > supply text-books to children of indigent parents. .. _ . .... ' WM Cars Spllatmd, the puts Meet Death la a fill Maaner. THrtj-Sre Xffled, Hoity Seventy Wounded, Many Fatally ... ÎUi« •* Ms special.^; ••••'.;»• An accident which equals, if If does i pass in number of dead and wounded, cent horrible railroad disaster near Yt., occurred Monday morning in the of Boston, on the Boston A Providence As the Dedham branch train, which. Dedham at 7 r05 a. m. and is dua at 7:40 a. m„ was passing over the Baamttf bridge, which crosses South street bfltaceaa Forest Hill and Roslindale, about a mfto MM| Jamaica Plain, the structure ctru way SMt six cars, heavily laden with human In lulls, plunged thirty feet to the roadway tmuo. Three ot the nine c> rs which composad t|M> train remained on the embankment, liillli crossed the bridge in safety, but they wrenched from the rails and nearly dmot- ished. The train was one of the largest and Tins 11--1 on the morning list, and. as usual, it was wee* ilv loaded with people going to their week in taw* city. It is a wonder that any escaped tlift, and, as it is, the names of the dead will nnmbw at least twenty-five, and perhaps more. Ik fa impossible to obtain an absolutely comet ac­ count of the number injured, bntitwiU reailtl 114 or more. Of these at least nine are fatadr and twenty-five quite badly hurt, and the re­ mainder received only slight bruises. Some of tbe injured were at once contayed to their homes, others were taken to hospitals, while others still found temporary shelter hk the residences in the immediate neighborhood. Some of the dead--a majority of them, in fMfc --were brought to the city hospital morgue, bat there were others taken to the depots orBaalte> dale. Forest Hill, and Canterbury. C onductor Tildeu was in tha third car. which remained on top of the embankment, and on tha ground directly underneath where he was stand­ ing when killed is a pool of blood, while half of the debris of that coach is spattered with blood. That the horror of fire was not added to the ter­ rible disaster was due to the promptness which relief was sent. The chemical I handed from Roslindale was at the scene within twenty minutes after tho wreck occurred, bnttgttt by a letter-carrier who gave an alarm eff fire upon observing ilames iBSuing from tha debris. The flames were soon extinguished, and the firemen then did excellent work In ree- cuing the injured. The stoves in all tbeeais were securely fastened to the floors by : bolts and the doors of the stores ^ ' In only one car did the stoves upset, altbooch in one instance a stove was smashed clear through tbe roof of tne car. The scene directly after the accident was heartrending. The shrieks of the injured ware so loud that they were heard in tha reaidencaa in the vicinity. The bodies ot the killed wave horribly mangled, in some instanceatheir haada being entirely severed from their bodiea, and many of tbe bodies were crushed almoat be­ yond recognition. In one place seven bodiea taken out of the wreck were placed in a sow. All were badly mangled. Large numbers at women were on the train and many were to ba seen in the ruins. One woman was cut complete ly in two, the upper half only being found Rescue of the Wounded. The engine remained on the track and tha engineer, not stopp:ng to learn the extent of tha disaster, proceeded to Forest Hill whence he sent an alarm by telephone to city. In a short time a corps of reacveta aaa surgeons from tbe city were at the scene. The only person known to have been aa aye-' witness of the disaster who was not on tha train was J. H. Lennon, a fish dealer, whose stable was on the hill just above the bridse. *•--"tn was horror-stricken when he saw the train take its awful plunge through the bridge. For a mo­ ment, Leimou savs, there was perfect quiat, and then the cries'of the injured were heard BUing from the debus. Seising an ax the barn Lennon started for the aiaei, which he reached in a moment. Ha climbed into the window of one of tha coaches and set to work to rele persons who had been pinned down broken timbers. Lennon w ith his four men who were badly hurt and them out of the window to other men who had come to the rescue. He also handed oat the dead bodies of two women, one of whom waa nearly decapitated and had both arms savsred from her body. During all this time, Leanon says, the shrieks ot the wounded and the sroaan of the dying made a pandemonium around Ua that waa nothing short of horrible. In the meantime passengers from tin nriMft-- who had remained on top of the embankments a'.id who had escaped serious injury, had joined in the work of rescue. As the dead were re­ moved they were laid in rows on the stone wall, while the wounded were laid on cushions, whjeh were hastily gathered together. Arrangementa were instantly made for the disposal ofboth tha ki led atui injured. Ambulances and had been serftfrom the city within half anhouraftar the disaster had occurred, and as these convey­ ance a reached the scene they were at onca started back to the city, laden with dead. A large number of the injured were taken to real- dences in the vicinity to be oared for, whtte others were sent to the depots at Forest Hill aaA Roslindale. Scene of the Wreck. The wreck as it lies makeB a more appalling' ruin than that of any recent disaster. At Deer- field, White River Junction, and other scenea of horror fire wiped out all the rains that not indestructible, but not so this time. lies tbe great trough nearly filled with twisted, crushed, and buimti red railroad projK erty. An adequate description of the ahapeleas mass is simply impossible. Of the nine can which formed the train six are in the out. Tha first--No. 520--lies minus its trucks near tha track, about four hundred feet from tha nearest bridge abutment. K was the rear truck of this car that went wrong first, bat tha occupants were not hurt, being ouly shaken op> Just back of this car is No. 18, the second ear eC the train. The car was swept from its trucks and its rear was crushed in by the car follow­ ing. Car No '26, the third one at the train, is on the embankment, badly demoralized, but re­ tains its general shape. Tne passengers in this car were badly shaken up, but there were no serious casualties among them. This car Ilea partly on its side about 100 feet from the ehasm. Next came car No. 87. It is doubtful if any one escaped from this car alive. Tha bridge entirely gave way before it reached the inward site, but the momentum of the train and tha strengtn of the couplings carried it nearly over the chasm. It dropped ju-t before it reached the abutment and the body of the car dashed against the solid stone wall. The force of the shock shot the roof forward so that it cleared the chasm and slid along the rails itself full length. The body of the car was literally ground to pieces, and the bits of wood, iron, and human bodies were strewn on the road beneath, forming the foundation of the wreck. ThoaO who examined the wreck could find no distinct trace in the ruins of this 'car which could ba identified. The only proof that it had < was the fact that there were plainly nine < roofs at different points, aud it followed, of course, that nine cars had beeu wrecked, though it was possible to trace but eight. The cars which lie in the chasm form a pile of wrecka t̂f 400 feet long by 100 feet wide. Tha road beneath crosses at such a sharp angle that litfon paraUel its. Host at all the cars were diverted on striking the site abutment into a general posit with the street and the abutments, the casualties were iu cars 87, 80, and &4,: spectively, the fourth, fifth, and sixth on tha teain, and tbe first, second, and third of thosa which went into the chasm. Car No. 54 lies ia a heap of splinters, with side and roof brokea in. The stove did not break its fasten* ings, but was broken above the grateu The fire, however, was extinguished. Car No. 80 lies parallel to car 5, unroofe<L and with every seat gone. Several of the killed and wounded persons were taken from this ear. The stove of this car remained firmly fixed and no fire escaped. Car 81 is partially demolished* while No. lies almost intact upon the ruins. Han v persons were injured in thsse oars and but few were killed. Back of them is the upturned wreck of the smoker, only a corner of which re­ mains. The car whirled upside down as it halt fell from the embankment. Scarcely any of ita ; occupants escaped injury, and Policeman LaikV and one or two others were killed. Cause of the Disaster. The bridge where the accident oc( built In July, 1876. It is 104 feet in le 99 feet in height, and spanned the ro on heavy stone walls. A curious feature of the disaster is found ia the fact that the entire bridge went down wit% the wreck. Not a scrap of iron remained atk tached to the abutments, and bat for the chasta and the awful wreck beneath titers was nothing to indicate that a bridge hail oace spanned the abyss. The wreck of the bridge lay under tha debris of the train, almost completely abut oak from view. Lying by the Bide of one of the splintered cars was one of the main iron girder* of the bridge, which showed a clean new fraefct ure through its entire breadth. This girder waa composed of two parallel plates of beat* wrought iron, connected by braces of wrought iron, and bolted together. The opinion is gen# eraliv expressed by those who have personally inspected the wreck that the breaking at tha girder was the immediate cause of the disaster* but there is much doubt as to the causa ot th# breaking of the girder. Amoug the scientific men who examined tha bridge waa Prof. George Swain, instructof of civil engineering and hydraulics at Ute iusti> tute of technology, aud who is also a svaci in bridge construction. He is reported as ing that in looking at the lioor-beain haO( found some ot them defective and largely ofit. There seems to be no doubt that the <; of the material was imperfect iu some Raye**! other varts of the bridge show e' j- •i* liituSATv-.t1'