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I. VAN SLYKC, Edter aMl FaMMwr. SMcHENBT, ILLINOIS. THE last words of Dr. George M. eard showed the ruling passion strong death. "I wish it were possible," he seaid, "for me to record, for the sake of Science, the thoughts of a dying man. "This final battle that I am going through with would b# interesting." tThe habit of scientific observation had dbome inveterate with him. * A JfEMBEQ of Congress was irecently '.invited to dinner in Washington. He says: "There wasn't anything on the 4#ahle when I got there but some forks |-|ind spoons and bricky-brae. Presently 'Mfchey brought in some soup. As I didn't ij&ee nothin' else, I thought I'd e»t all *"%he soup I could, though soup is a anighty poor dinner to invite a feller to. • JBo I was helped four times; and then •^^onfeSftir the finest dinnef I ever see, • And there I set," groaned he, "chock iull of soup!" : " ' jf • ;I! THB Postmaster at Raccoon, W. Va., - informs the Postoifice Department that . ; ^hieves broke into the office the other flight and at the same time his dog, who on guard there, broke out and ran Xlo the house of his master, whom he '^wakened by his furious barking. The postmaster hurried down t<j the post- office, where he arrived in time to scare r#ff the thieves before' they had a chance '$0 get away with any of his or the Gov­ ernment's property. The* Postmaster Officially recognizes tlie services of his «*og. THE official returns of the consump­ tion of tobacco in France during the last jrear show that it amounted in money "Value to 363,500,000 francs. The great 'Tmlk of this sum was represented by ordiriary smoking tobacco, for which jihe Government, who have a monopoly <>f the whole tobacco trade, received 100,000,000 francs. After this, comes «nuff, which is represented by 63,000,- <000 francs, then cigars, which show a •total of 60,500,000 francs, while 16,000,- 000 fraxes were expended in cigarettes, and 90,000,000 francs in tobacco for shewing. H. G. CHAMBERLAIN, of Chicago, legiater&dat a Coluhrtjtia (Ohio) hotel. So did H. G. Chamberlain, from Dayton. The Chicago man called for -bis mail and received four letters. The Payton man came up and wanted the mail for that name. The clerk brought the two gentlemen face to face. It was discovered thai both were traveling agents for agricultural machinery firms; neither had ever heard of the other, and "both happened to arrive tit Columbus _ and in the same hotel at the same time. .Not the remotest relationship of each other «6tddbtf traced: * IN the days of the pike roads in Ohio there were two fival roads running into Dayton, one of which was built by Gen. Schenck. The owner of the other, hoping to divert all the trade from the General's road, had erected at a certain spot a large sign bearing the words, "Nineteen miles to Dayton--best road in all respects." ;When Gen. Sohenck heard of this he had a sign put up on Ms road, at the same spot, with the "words: "Nineteen miles to Dayton-- down hill both ways." The road which thus accommodated itself to the down­ ward tendencies of human nature, soon had all the travel. ALEXANDER STEPHENS lately- wrote to an applicant for his autograph that lie could not understand the craze which seemed $0 possess collectors; but be added: "Nor can I see why any man should refuse to grant so slight a favor as the giving of his signature to noth­ ing. I suspect that the refusal is near­ ly always an affectation. I have known men w bo were sitting idly at their llesks, and to "whom a letter asking for an autograph was a tiokle for'the vani­ ty, who would airily throw the missive into a waste-basket." Sumner not only tised to give his autograph whenever asked, but ustially inclosed all the notes from known men that happened to lie on his desk. " 1 'IL.MJLJT THE latest official sttftidthSruf the SO «ietv of Friends, or Quakers, for 1882 aliow that in Great Britain and Ireland the total number of members is 17,977. About 25,000 scholars, adult and junior, are regularly tinder instruction by the ^Friends in their Sabbath-schools, but very few of these become members of the society. This little church of 18,- 000 members is, however, represented in Parliament by aboout ten members, including Mr. John Bright, Sir J. W. Pease, Mr. Arthur Pease, Mr. Lewis 3Pry, Mr. Theodore fry, Mr George JPalmer, Mr. J. N. Richardson, jjjfr. J. F. B. Firth and Mr. "William Fowler. There are also several ex-members of the society in the House of Commons, including Mr. William E. Forster, Alderman B. N. Fowler, and Mr. W. Ecroyd. The society includes one Baronet (Sir J. W. Pease), and one Knight (Sir John Barrington). THE glory is departing from the Ohio -valley as tjaa fcome of the (grtqp?, and the Cincinnati Enquirer fears that no future poet will sing of it as Longfel­ low has done. The vines of Kel ley's Island and Put-in-Bay are affected by a species of blight, and experts have been unable to find the cause or a cure. This failure is likely to take away from Cin- •oinnati a peculiar feature of its business jn beverages. There are numerous &onses kept bj German wine-makers, who study the subject intelligently, and bring to bear all the knowledge they can glean. They do not own vineyards, but buy grapes in quantities, press the juice and ferment it on their own prem­ ises, selling their own make along with Rhine wines. They do a wholesale as well as a retail trade, and all in a quiet, unpretentious fashion. The prices are low, and the wine pure, so that import­ ation cannot take the place of the home manufacture. ] BOUCICAULT believes that Shaks- peare was a working playwright, who had no further thought in TrmVfng hia dramas than their immediate produc­ tion on the stage. He has a theory, for example, as» to how "Hamlet" was brought out. Business in the theater was bad, and nothing seemed to inter­ est the avdiences. "I have it !" said Shakspeare; "there is the old play of ' Hamlet,' which used to be a favorite. It's out of date and needs freshening up. Ill take it home and see what can be done with it." So he lrants up a copy, and goes to work with pen and scissors. He is a swift workman, and it is not long before he returns to the theater. The parts are given out. Up comes an actor who is to act as Polonius. "See here," he says to Shakspfcare, "you have killed my part entirely. All the speeches for which I used to get a laugh or a round of applause you have cut clean out, and in their plage von have given me a lot of moralizing stuff that 111 never be able to do anything with. If you can't give me something to get a laugh out of I wont play the part, that's all." Shakspeare shows how he has changed the nature of the character, and argues that to make Po­ lonius a comic role would destroy the design of the play in its new form. But the actor will not yield, and Shaks­ peare, his patience utterly exhausted, says: "Well, have it your own way and speak the old text, but, for heaven's sake, use mine in the first act." This is settled upon, and that is how Poloni­ us, who in the first act is a dignified and wise old gentleman, giving Laertes the sagest of advice, becomes a wretch­ ed "rash, intruding fool" thereafter, until Hamlet wisely kills him off. "Oh, I can see it all," says Boucicault, "as plainly as if I had been present, and I can trace out in 8hakspearea% plajs changes similarly brought abouti*" Western Miners. If a miner has not complied with all the requirements of law his claim (or mine) can, on the second New Year's day following the date of location, be re-located by himself or others who n»ay l>e on the ground before him. It thus happens that on every New Year's day in a mining district there is much strife in the numerous attempts to se­ cure claims supposed to be valuable. The Salt Lake Tribune notes several incidents, more or less ludicrous, of the kind indicated. A person stuck up notices on a claim near a cabin in which three men wfcre sleeping awaiting early morning to loc­ ate it. The locater, after securing the claim, thoughtfully woke the boys to tell them they needn't got up so early, as thdtclaim was located. One party on a location, who owned it -until 12 o'clock, stood two others off un- tliat hour on his rights as owner. At ex­ actly 12, he put his notices in the split stakes and sang 12 o'clock before the others, who had no watch, knew what time it was, and then drove off. A prospector started out with his no­ tices written and in his pocket. He lost them on the way, seven miles from town, had no pen nor paper, and re­ turned home while another man loca­ ted the claim. The entire 450 men out that night had to eat their whisky and milk. Everything froze solid, and the bottles broke. Meat, butter, bread, apples and cake were frozen hard. There was a little episode in Quig- ley's Gulch, wherein three bad partners had made it up to relocate themselves in a claim and leave out the fourth partner. The latter had previously been warned against coming upon the claim that night, and was told by a friend that his partners were going to relocate it all to themselves; so he secured a rifles, and after the three bad partners had gone up to the mine he crawled up on the shady side of the gulch to a cab­ in below the claim about 100 yards, and there watched. At 11:45 his partners started up to stake out the ground and put up notices, whereupon, with a .fear­ ful yell, he turned loose with his gun, and could see the crusted snow fly at every pd|> just over his partner's heads. They heard the bullets humming so near their ears that a panic seized them, and they fled for town. As soon as they were out of sight he quietly walked up and located it all to himself, and left lxis bad partners out in the cold. What the Diver Sees. The first sensation in descending un­ der water in a suit of armor is the sud­ den, bursting roar in the ears, caused by the air driven into the helmet from the air pump. The flexible air hose has to be strong enough to bear a pres­ sure of twenty-five to fifty pounds to the square inch. The drum of the ear yields to the, strong external pressure, the mouth opens involuntarily, the air rushes in the tube and strikes the drum, which snaps back to its normal state with a sharp, pistol-like orack. Peer­ ing through the gogg-e eyes of glass in his helmet, the diver sees the strange beauties about him clearly, and in their own calm splendor. Above him is a pure golden canopy, while around and beside him are tints and shimmering hues, including all colors, which are in­ describably elegant. The floor of the sea rises like a golden carpet, inclining gently to the surface. The change in familiar objects is wonderful. The wreck of a ship seems studded with emeralds, glittering lines of gold; piles of brick assume the appearance the ap­ pearance of crystal; a ladder becomes silver; every shadow gives the impress­ ion of a bottomless depth. O VKB $2,000,000 are invested la tbs aand business on Long Island. It is •aid tliat 4,500 tons of sand are shipped daily from the north shore of the island lor use in building. HAVE no friends you dare not bring koipiii? * * Attitude of Big B«p«IHnii {Washington Telegram to Cbtoago Inter Ocean.] Reports are being circulated to the effect that the Bepnblican leaders in Congress don't want to pass a tariff bill; that they are not in earnest in their ef­ forts to accomplish that end. That is a misrepresentation of the facts and is only a superficial view of the situation. The Republicans have gone about it systematically, from the passage of the bill authorizing the Tariff Commission down to the present time, to revise the tariff. The same practical view of the case which has actuated their dealings with the subject still constrains them to legislate with judgment and not to put through a measure simply to silence the clamor of a large portion of the Eastern press. They want a bill to pass, but not any bill because simply it may be la­ beled "tariff." This idea is the key to the whole situation. The leaders proposed to discriminate and not be coerced by hasty public opinion in tariff legislation of a character contrary to their judg^ ment . The v iews o f t l i e l eade r s o f t he Republican party in Congress may l>e summarized as follows: The tme Amer- can policy in the matter of tariff is pro­ tection. The last time the matter was submitted to the people the majority returned its verdict in favor of this pol­ icy. Under it the country has grown and continues to prosper. There is no need of a change. The present tariff needs revision as to some of its items, but not as to its system. Certain dis­ crepancies have arisen owing simply to the mutations which time has brought about. A tariff bill should be passed calmly, making such revision as is needed deliberately without involving a financial revulsion in the country. If such a bill cannot be passed, they pre­ fer to continue under existing evils rather than to hastily enact a law, the result of which would be problematical. In other words, if they cannot pass a bill to reform the tariff, they prefer none at all. The Leader of the Indiana Democracy. There is no disposition in the Repub­ lican party to revive the passions of the late war. But when the Indiana Dem­ ocracy makes a Copperhead like Horace Heffren one of the leaders in the State Legislature his past acts become a mat­ ter of public interest. Tlie Indianapolis Journal is doing a good work by show­ ing np the meanness and trickery of this man's record. In 1868 Heffren was editor of the Salem Times. In its issue of May 7, commenting upon the assassination of Lincoln, he said among other things: "Wrong, say you, to call things by their right names 1 Why, when Hell shall be called upon to give up those that are therein, and the sea shall give up its dead, and the whole universe shall respond to the summons of. the angel, and all appear before the Almighty, we shall see the vile buffoon, the fiddle-player in Illinois doggeries, the murdering wretch, the vulgar joker over dead soldiers' graves, walk up to hear his sentence, and that will be, we imagine, something like this: Your crimes are numerous; you have allowed robbery and murder; you have allowed all that is forbidden; I therefore send you to the lowest depths of Hell, there to endure the Worst torture that can be given, and I hereby appoint John Wilkes Booth to see it done, as he once took charge of your case and did a irigntsOUo act* n>uu I kliuW kaa keep en in - Ms good work. Depart forever from the presence of all that is moral, honest and upright." Heffren is now a Democratic leader in the Indiana Sen­ ate, and when his record is held up be­ fore him he insolently asks: "What are you going to do about it?"--Chica­ go Tribune. • The Democratic Spirit. The Democratic party^is the same enemy to popular progress to-day that it ever has been. Forgetting nothing and learning nothing, it is a shoal in the tide of advancement, a sand-bar in the current of history. Its attitude in Congress is hostile to every vital inter­ est of the nation. The Republican party, without a majority in the Senate and without a working majority in the House, is practically bound hand and foot by the Democrats. Pledged to tariff reform, the Republicans have en­ deavored to ^ legislation whereby a wise reductidP^ay be made. In this, as in all" efforts* to effect reduction of taxation, the Democratic members have stood in the way. While shouting loudly for civil-service reform, they have dishonored the Pendleton bill and opposed every possible practicable step in that direction. Their insincerity is manifest evervwhere in all they do. To make political capital, business of an imperative nature is delayed and postponed until a Democratic Congress can come in and have it all its own way. If the present Congress fails to effect a reduction of taxation as demanded by the people, the blame will be laid where it belongB. The Democratic party of obstruction cannot jfcayipe its responsibility. Political Notes; ANKOCTKCEMENT is made that Hon. James G. Blaine is writing a l>ook, "Twenty Years in Congress. THE Democratic editors are now up­ braiding Attorney General Brewster for continuing the star-route prosecu­ tions because it is "throwing good money after the bad." Your Demo­ cratic reformer is hard to please. As AMATEURS, with very limited opportunities, the Democratic office­ holders "are playing a pretty good hickory," and in the immediate past have succeeded in "knocking down" the following sums: State of Missouri $300,000 State of Arkansas 200,(too State of Tennessee 400,000 State of Alabama. 150,000 City of liouiHTille...............; . 500,000 Grand total $ 1,230,000 Given something like a fair show, these reformers could reflect great credit upon themselves and upon the nation. A million and a quarter stolen, and thirty-three States to hear from.-- Indianapolis Journal. THE spring elections in Ohio are be­ ginning to attract attention in that State. They are looked at as showing the drift of the political tide, and are generally taken as an indication of how the State will go in the following Octo­ ber. This year they will have more than ordinary importance, and both parties are accordingly making unusual preparation. There will be no such split in the Republican ranks in Cin­ cinnati as was seen two years ago, when the Democrats succeeded in carrying the election. The control of that city and Hamilton county is regarded as an important strategical point, and it will be vigorously contested this year.-- Omaha Republican. GEN. HANCOCK'S ;'local issue" threatens to tear the Democracy sqarely in twain about next December. The Southern statesmen and newspapers that still adhere to the Old • bourbon teachings and traditions of the free-traders are threatening Sam Randall with dire de­ feat on account of his frank utterances in favor of incidental protection. To beat Randall on that issue means busi­ ness not only in New York, Pennsyl­ vania, Indiana and Ohio, but it will raise the dickens as far south as Geor­ gia and Louisiana, where the Bourbon age is drawing rapidly to a close. The course of wisdom is for the Democrats to continue to dodge the issue, and to continue to put forward for national positions tariff men on free-trade plat­ forms. --Lincoln Journal. THERE appears to be a unanimous sentiment among the Ohio Republicans in favor of making the coming cam­ paign an aggressive one. The Cleve­ land Leader's Washington correspond­ ent has interviewed the Congressmen from that State, and they all agree in this opinion. There is substantial har­ mony among them also as to the atti­ tude the party should take on the liquor issue. The Kinney joint resolution, which has passed the upper bouse of the Legislature, is indorsed, this being regarded as the best method of settling a troublesome question. In order to prevent any personal animosities from entering the canvass, it is recommended that the United States Senatorship be left until a Legislature has been elect ed. A very marked contrast between the political situation in Ohio now and that of one year ago is visible, and the harmony and union seen everywhere among the Republicans bode no good for the Democrats.--Chicago Tribune. How Her Hair Changed Color. Many remarkable tales have been told of persons who, by reason of fright or other causes, have found that their hair has turned white in a single night. But there is not, we believe, anywhere on record a case where a person went to l>ed at night in a calm state of mind, rested soundly until daylight, and awoke in the morning to find that during the night sleep his or her hair had changed from ebony to silver. That is to say, there never was such a case until not long ago, when just this sort of an incident occurred in Boston. The subject was a lady, who retired at her usual hour, taking with her to her room another and au elderly lady, a visitor, who had arrived late in the day and for whom no other accommodation could be arranged. The subject of this incident was noted for the fineness and beauty of her hair, which was said by good judges--people who had been abroad and were acquainted with the appearance of ravens--to rival the raven's wing in blackness and luster. Being blessed with a good conscience, and having eaten nothing indigestible at supper, the lady slept peacefully during the night and awoke refreshed in the morning. But, on looking toward the mirror, she saw that her hair, instead of being black, as when she went to bed, was plentifully streaked with gray. She sprang up'at once to assure herself by a nearer survey, and had just be* come convinced that her first view was correct, when at that moment her elderly companion, who had already dressed and gone down stairs, entered the room, and, with the words, "It was so dark when I got up that I put 011 the wrong switch," replaced upon the bureau a black and glossy coil. Catch­ ing u|> then iue graft,i||piie(i jh&ti for a moment so alarfliM the younger lady, she deftly arranged them in their appropriate place and again quietly withdrew.--Boston Journal. Barber Poles and Signs In Germany. There are no barber poles in front oi the German barber shops. The near­ est approach to a barber-pole I have seen in Europe is the Flemish flag­ staff, which is striped around in white and red, after the manner of base ball and some other stockings that I have heard of. These barber-pole flag- staffs may be seen sticking out of nearly every second and third-story window in Brussels and Antwerp, and when they are decorated with bunting they give those cities a decidedly gay and gaudy appearance. The barber sign in Germany is a brass plate, about the size and form of a saucer. These are sometimes fastened to a hanging sign, but are usually screwed against the door-frame. Soma barbers have only one, others haVa three, and others are not contented un­ til their entire shop front is spangled with them. You needn't ask me why these brass plates are used for signs, or what they mean. I don't know, and I wouldn't deceive you for anything. If they were hung and screwed m front of a lawyer's office one might be able to give a pretty good guess; but the law­ yers here don't need them any more than they in the United States. There is no brass around their premises except dur­ ing office hours, or when the lawyers are in. But let me not digress.--Chem­ nitz Cor. Chicago News. Mistakes Eminent Men Made. Old men give too much advice for it all to be sound. Washington, it is said, once decided that the Erie canal was not practicable. Sam Houston thought one-half the money Congress voted to Morse to build the first telegraph line ought to be devoted to encourage mes­ merism. Cave Johnson, Postmaster General, declined to buy the telegraph patents for the Government for $100,- 000 on the ground that it could not earn expenses. Ezra Cornell spent two-thirds of Morse's appropriations laying the first poor starveling telegraph underground instead of stretching it like a clothes-line. Timothy Howe was sure a 50-cent tax on whisky could not collect as "much as a $2 tax. Seward thought 75,000 men would put down the rebellion. The old Baltimore merchant to whom Poe's poems were submitted indorsed them: "Here is a man fit for nothing whatever." Franklin rather thought the Stamp act a smart recommendation. Commodore Van- derbilt told his son to buy no railroads outside of New York State. Old age is for counsel, but it ought to come from the "Amen" benches. All the wisdom in Spain and Portugal discouraged Columbus, but a pretty woman said to the sailor: N -"As well to die As die and stay." . * --New York Tribune. A MARRIAGE ceremony came to an abrupt and ludicrons termination in Atlanta, Ga. A prominent clergyman of that city, having consented to unite a colored couple, had just asked the sol­ emn question, "Wilt thou take this woman? etc," when an old flame of the bridegroom poked her head into the room and said: "Henry, I jess dar you are to say yes." Henry sank into the nearest chair without a word, agd UM company thoughtfully withdrew. PmTnoamaridngtorthBpMBsgaofWwMl] pcofldliif ft* the st»m|itin penitentiary- msMJMtomd goods wan presented in the Sen- atoVMt. It, sad referred. The Committee on Kwenwereported adrereely to Secrest'sbUl pro­ viding tor a penalty upon anneseora who fall to Uto »ffld»nto in scheduling property. Mr. Merritt presented a minority report, which he moved to substitute for the majority report The motion prevailed, and the Mil was ordered to a aeeowt twfltnr. The Committee oa Agri­ culture reported adversely on the Mil to prevent imposition Opon shippers of hogs. The following btlfe were introduced: By the Committee on Corporations, to amend the law in relation to telegraph companies. It provides that no tele­ graph companies shall be allowed to interfere with competing parallel line*. By the Com­ mittee on Revenue, a bill to authorize the col- j!®"?!1 S'/'S!®8 °' tlie State of Illinoix unjust the United States. By Mr. Merritt, to restrict telegraph monopolies. The bill provides that, if any telegraph or telephone company doing business in Illinois exclude or attempt to ex- elude any other like company from construct­ ing its lines and establishing offices, or doing business in or at any particular place not nlreadv necessarily and wholly occupied for such pur­ poses, or prevent such company irom connecting with the wires of other companies or interchang­ ing business with them, the company so offend­ ing shall forfeit Its right to do business in this State, and may be enjoined by bill in equit v from interchange therewith, apd shall be liable for all damages that may oocnr to the injured party to be seconded in an action in an action on the case. The consideration of a resolution providing *°r the appointment of a bill clerk ar.<t two jour nal clerks occupied the attention of the House until nearly the noon hour on Feb. is It was claimed by the Re­ publicans that an understanding had been effected by the terms of which the Republican* were to receive this bill clerk and one of tho Journal clerks, while the Democrats were gives a journal clerk. The Democracy were suspicious of the Republicans, and claimed that no agree­ ment had been made as to a bill olerk. Anyhow the discpeslon of the proposition furnished the material for long speeches. A favorable (Wmmittee report was nuae on air. Poller's bill prohibiting iealirifr in options and futures. O'Mara's bill abolishing the Grand Jury system of the State and insti­ tuting a co(ie of procedure bv information, was ordered to second reading. Yancey's bilf re- Quiring hotel-keepers to erect fire escapes and Stand-pipes was also ordered to second {reading. Ha Bflcggreal till to amend the lawia relation to criminal jurisprudence was ordered to a third reading in tlie Senate, Feb. IT. Mr. Tnbb's Mil to amend aeetkm 63 of the sot to establish and maintain a system ot free schools, by requiring school Treasurers to make annual instead of semi-annual reports aa now required, was recommitted to the Committee on Education. Mr. Torrance's bill to empower Boards of Educa­ tion to acquire title to land by light of eminent domain was ordered engrossed for a third reading. Considerable discussion was had on the bill introduced bv the Revenue Committee authorhdng the Governor to appoint an aaent to collect old war claims ont- stamliiiK aeainst the United States Government, he to be allowed 20 per sent, of the first $20,000 collected. The bill had been laid upon the table, and, on motion of Mr. Needles, the bill was taken therefrom, and, on motion of Mr. Merritt, was made the special order for Feb. 21. Senate bill No. 70, presented by Mr. Merritt., was, on his motion, taken from the table and referred back to the Committee on ,Tudlciary. The bill is for an act to establish Apellate Courts by providing that certain cases may be appealed from the Circuit to the Supreme Court. Bills were introduced by Mr. Snyder to establish and legalise drainage districts, and by Mr. 8haw to provide for the election by the peo­ ple of masters in chancery. The House was not in session on the 17th. A qcoai» failed to show up in the Senate on Feb. 10, and aa adjournment was voted with­ out attempting to dispose of any business. Is the House, also, there was only a handful of members. Mr. Littler, of Sangamon, astesd leave to introduce a bill appropriating $10,000 tor the relief of the Braidwood sufferers. The bill was read and advanced to a second reading. It provided for the appointment of a Joint committee of the two houses to disburse the fund to the sufferers. Mr. Murray, of Sangamon, introduced a resolu­ tion relating to the better inspection of mines and for )>etter means to prevent accidents to miners. His resolution called for a committee of inquiry into the question generally and to re­ port to the Legislature at the earliest practical moment. Adopted. A LABUE number of bills were introduced in the Senate on the 20th Inst., among the most imjiortant of which were the following: To ap­ propriate money tor the relief of the sufferers st Braidwood. This bill appropriates $10,000, and was read the first time under suspension of rules and referred. By Mr. Whiting, to enable counties which made drains under the old Swamp I<and act to maintain them by special assess­ ments. By Mr. Bell, to elect public adminis­ trators, and two bills, one to make telegraph COMPANIES more dilicrent in the dnliv«nr of HUM. one very important MlL t« StatelaSiito He cxtemtsdon the State«| tion and all others on the county equalisation. Mr. Archer's hill to extend to deeds for swamp lanus tne same provision ot law as is now pro- vided in regard to other deeds was passed. Mr. Bovrest's bill to provide t hat the road and bridge t^x shall be extended on the last year's assess­ ment passed. The order of second reading of bills occupied nearly the entire session. In the House, bills were introduced: For the licensing Of commission merchants; to prohibit County Judges and Clerks from practicing law in certain cases; to regulate insurance companies; to appropriate money for an asylum for deaf and dumb children in the city of Chicago; to appro­ priate $l'\ooo for the widows and orphans of the victims of the Braidwood disaster; to provide for the publication of a report on geological sur­ rey. Mr. Curtis offered a resolution calling for a sub-committee from the House Committee on Mines and Mining, to investigate the con­ dition of the coal mines throughout the State and to make an investigation of the cause of the Braidwood disaster. Mr. Herriugton offered a substitute, which embodied pretty much the same ideas. Har­ rington's resolution was adopted. Mr. Clinton Offered a memorial resolution 011 the death of the Hon. Thomas O'Mallv, a member of the Thirty- first Assembly. After a few appropriate remarn by Mr. Clinton, the resolution was adopted. The High-license bill coming up, filibustering was indulged in for two hours, until the patience of the supporters of the measure was exhausted, and the House adjourned. FOUR bills were passed by the Senate ana sent to the House on Feb. 21. The first was the measure requiring the State's Attorney of Cook county to make report of all fines and forfeit­ ures collected by him to the Criminal Court. Whiting's bill taxing telegraph companies % per cent, of their gross receipts passed without dis­ cussion by a vote of 34 to 5. Walker's Compul­ sory Kdvcntlon bill also went through--yeas 32, n-'vs x. Tlf bill orovides that phildren between the ages of 8 and M years must be sent to school not less than twelve weeks in each year, and provides penalties for parents and guardians who neglect their duty in the premi­ ses. A bill permitting Boards of Education to secure school sites by condemnation went through with the emergency clause attached. Mr. Gillham introduced a bill to encourage tree planting by exempting for twenty-live years all waste places, hill sides, ravines, etc., if the owner will plant them with trees. Mr. Needles offered a bill requiring cities, towns, etc., to put up a a bond when taking an appeal. Mr. Lemma introduced a bill to encourage the construction of good roads in Illinois. In the House, the day was wasted in listening to a debate between Messrs. Morrison and Haines in regard to the verification of the minutes of the previous day's session. Mr. Haines wanted to refer the minutes to the Com­ mittee on Rules, but, he was defested--67 nays to 6'i yeas. Mr. Morrison then moved that the journal of the House be approved. The yeas and nays were called, and the Democrats refused to vote, no quorum voting. The Repub­ licans, headed by Mr. Morrison, charged the Democrats with obstructing legislation. Mr. Herrington, from the Democratic side, arose and declared that the Democrats would not be re- 3>onsible for the waste of time being made by aines. The Mil appropriating $10,000 for the relief of the sufferers at Braidwood was water­ logged by an addition of $2,000 for the Coulter- ville unfortunates, and $2,000 more is wanted for the families of four men killed by s boiler ex­ plosion at Tayiorville. t _ Gov. HAMILTON sent » message to bota houses of the Legislature, on Feb. 22, in regard to the possibility of granting relief to the suffer­ ers by the Diamond mine calamity, urging prompt action, if it shall prove that there is no constitutional prohibition in the way. The message is accompanied by the report of Ad­ jutant General Elliott upon the actual condition of the bereaved families. In the Senate, bills were intrndittsd by Mr. Bell, to amend the act in re­ gard to water-works taxes, and by Mr. Gillham, to am°nd the law in regard to the administra­ tion of estates so as to make six classes of debts instead of seven, as now provided. Senate bill No. 1, by Mr. Archer, in regard to proof of deeds ;'iid other instruments on writing when,attested by witnesses, was passed. Senate bill No. ill, by BIr. Bell, to amend the law in regard to roads and bridges, was passed with an emergency clause. Senate bill No. 15, by Mr. Fifer, to amend the act to extend the jurisdiction of County Courts, passed. The dead-lock in the House was continued by the filibustering taeties of the Democrats. Im­ mediately after the reading of the journal. Mr. Sexton moved a call of the House. The yeas and navs being demanded on the motion, the Democrats refused to vote. The call showed that sixtv-seven members responded to their names--no quorum. Fuller and fourteen other Republicans demanded that the doors lie closed and the Doorkeeper sent after absentees. Speaker Collins granted the request. Cronkrite, of Stephenson, made the point that no call had been made, only the or­ der for one, and therefore the sending for the absentees was premature. Sexton claimed that the Speaker of the House had violated his duty in refusing to recognise members for the pur­ pose of debating a proposition. Collins retorted that he did not know that Sexton was present. The replv created a shout of laughter. Cooke, of Cook, jumped to his feet for his customary set speech. Speaker Collins told him there was pnt.hTwg before the House. Sexton shouted, "That's literall? tone; nothing but ths gentleman from Cook." at Cooke's expense. Bmtagkm, of Kane, shouted that the Doorkeeper aT the House was making himself a Uttb> too Mterl--B by locking the doors without authority therefor, and he wanted to inftsaa that gentleman that it he wanted to leave the House he would not permit himself to be Stopped by any one. The Door­ keeper by this time had completed his count, reported that he had found fifty-one ab- dnoe the last roll-call and a quorum was The doors were then opened, and Collins ordered another roll-call on Sex­ ton's motion for a c*" of tlie House. Thi» was lost by a vote of yeas 57 to nays 63. Tlie wordy dispute continued for some time. Finally a mo­ tion to adjourn was carried by a vote of yeas 73 to nays 65. Aatkers's Trials. There Is one trial which touohee the finest sensibilities oi an author. The reader who has adopted him as his favorite or his object of admiration, has formed an ideal of his person, his ex­ pression, his voice, his manner. How rarely does any author correspond to this ideal picture! Now, as to all these troubles of au­ thorship, there are two ways of dealing with them. An author has a perfect right to say: "I am not on exhibition, like the fat boy or the double-headed lady. If I were I should charge the usual price of admission to the show. It is not my profession to write letters to strangers who consult me on all man­ ner of questions, involving their private interests. These people have no right to appropriate my hours of labor, and I will have my rights, even if I am an au­ thor." This is one way of looking at the question, and I am by no means sure that, hard and almost churlish as it seems, it is not, on the whole, tlie wisest for all concerned. Sooner or later the burden of correspondence becomes so heavy as to be insupportable, unless some short and easy method can be found of dealing with epistolary aggres­ sions ; such, for instance, as a printed formula, or a number of such formulas, which the author can sign by the dozen, and which will, in the large majority of cases, answer every purpose. This ie the plan Willis adopted and announced long ago. It must not be forgotten, on the other hand, that all human beings have a cer­ tain claim on each other. The writer who has attained success owes some­ thing to those who are struggliug to attain it. It is perfectly true that the greatest number of young persons who write to noted authors are entirely des­ titute of any exceptional talent which gives them any claim to be encouraged to devote themselves to literary pur­ suits. Still, they are fellow-creatures, and if nature has denied them the gifts which they fondly believed themselves to possess, they are entitled, not to our scorn and ridicule, but to our tender consideration. We never laugh at the idiot, but we are too ready to make sport of the weaklings. On the whole it is better to handle the feeble literary correspondent gent­ ly, and let him print his little book-- for that is the natural crisis of his com­ plaint. Let him, did I say? The power of the universe could not prevent him from doing it. He asks your advice, and all the time he has Iris proof-sheets in his desk or in his pocket. And it must never be forgotten that in the midst of the weeds and vanity and folly, at any time, in some unexpected way, in the place where you you never thought of looking for it, may spring up the shoot which will flower by and by a genius. Fortunately, {as a general rule, medioc­ rity betrays itself in the first line or the first sentence of its manifesto.--Dr. Oliver JIVh/JC// ~ ? • * • : • v • 4 * flhe Philosopher's Adriee. »; , : A Merchant who found that he must either increase his sales or close his doors and beat his creditors, hunted up a philosopher and asked him what course he should pursue. "Have you lived long in the town?" asked the old man. "Yes, four years." . * "And you know everybod^f1*1 ; ̂ 7f "Every man, woman and child."* "Are the people all at peace with each other?" "They are, oh t wise man. There has not been a word between families for years." "Then you must return home and slyly provoke quarrels and hard feel­ ings. Do as I say and your trade will increase four-fold." The merchant wonderingly obeyed the injunction, and in a week there were scarcely two families in town on speak­ ing terms. Mrs. A. gave a card party and did not invite that Btub-nosed Mrs. B., and Mro. B. gave a coffee and left Mrs. A. to drink cold tea at home alone with her monkey-faced daughter. Mrs. C. suddenlv ceased to lend to Mrs. D., and Mrs. 1). discovered that Mrs. £. was wearing dresses sent her by a rich sister in Boston. The result was as the philosopher had predicted. There was a sudden de­ mand upon the merchant's stock for cofifee-mills, flat-irons, fluters, axes, shovels, groceries and other things, and one woman ordered a set of cups and saucers, an eight-day clock and $10 worth of knives and spoons with the ex­ planation : "Being that one of my neighbors has started the story that I had to hire my husband to marry me, and the other has affirmed that we are so stingy that we starve a dog to death every six months, I will now show my independ­ ence by neither borrowing nor lending. You may also send me some quilt- frames, a new tea-pot, two stove kettles, a steamer, a dozen fruit jars and a dish- pan." Then the merchant had to hire two extra clerks, build an addit-on and speculate in mining stock to get rid of some of his money, and drummers traveled hundreds of miles to see him, and the Commercial Agencies rated him good for a million. Moral: The howl of a neighbor's dog is unnoticed until the owner refuses to lend his wheelbarrow.--DetK&il Frm Pres*. ' Hair aai Haads. Mr. Watts says in the Nineteenth Century: Hair is beautiful, and Greek poetry is full of allusions to it and its value as a splendid possession; but it never will be found that the size of the head of a Greek statue is much en­ larged by it; it is closely confined to the shape of the head, so as not to ma­ terially increase the size of it. Hands are not more beautiful for being small than eyes are for being big; but many a modern girl would ask her fairy god­ mother, if she had one, to give her eyes as big as saucers and hands as small as those of a doll, believing that tlie first cannot be too large or the last too small. Tiny feet and hands are terms constantly used by novelists in the most misleading manner. CANADIAN dairymen are preparing to manufacture milk sugar, or to condense whey so as to make it valuable for making bread. It is estimated that a pound of sugar can be made from three gallons ol whey. ( Aa American the tea-trade lived *ith his several years at Foo-dbow, i meroial centre in China, and'dewsnbee the domestic difficulties of InriBfrinft up children than w both dk&refc&gand ludicitms. He was forced by necessity to empfcnr native servants, and from ihem the utile Americans learned to not » only chatter in Chinese, but to waddle as they walked, and even to wag their heads with a hopelessly amiable smile when found out in a fault. One governess alter another was im­ ported from this oountry, at heavy coet; but before she iUl been in China a month--no matter ho# old or ugly-- she hsd her cordon of suitors among the many unoaRMEngM and Amer­ ican merchants in the Flowery King<- dom. "The arrival of a pretty Ameri­ can girl sent a thrill of delight through them all from Foo-ehow to . Hong Kong." "Meanwhile my poor children," says the merchant, "were left untaught. Their mother, it is true, Spared mo pain* to teach them the Christian swiigiaa;' yet she once found two of the younger , constructing an altar on a table in the ' kitchen, and burning squares of red pa- per on it in order toget fair weather top their picnic next day." Sometimes these little would-ba heathens would fall sick, and when their father's medical skill and their mother's "Book of Family Practice" failed, they were fain to call in a native ' physician. One of the boys had typhoid fever, and the Chinese doctor admmistered a powder made from a burned scorpion's • tail, and a drop of blood taken from a woman while in a melancholy humor. * The doctor also, however, advised the removal of the patient from the house, which he stated was built on ground ac­ cursed by the demons; whi prescrip­ tion proved effectual, as the ground was ; found to be undrained. Toothache was treated with a mix­ ture of dried roses and the powdered i daw of a tiger. * ; In Japan, the English system of medr ' icine has been adopted for several vears,' " but China still holds to her cumbrous pharmacopoeia of superstition. There is the same difference of advance in al­ most every point of social and domestic ̂ life. "Yet no one," says this American i merchant, "can live among the Chinese ; people without honoring their impreg­ nable self-control, their kindliness and courtesy, and the profound reverence of » children of all ages for their parents. We have many useful and ennobling lessons to learn of John Chinaman."-- Youth's Companion. , Practical Keenemy., W tv ^ X may remind yon that one of us, and almost every one of oar neighbors, has a favorite or pet economy f of his own which usually serves to in­ terest and often to amuse his fellow- men. Thus many of us, perhaps, are* , accustomed to save up paper and string; others are on the watch to prevent waste of fuel, of water, of gas or other light, and of many other things too numerous to mention. Some of these : instances, indeed, are historical and famous The poet Pope wrote the rough copy of his Iliad on backs of letters and other stray odds and ends, >. by which, says I>r. Johnson, in six yean he saved perhaps six shillings. The great Duke of Marll>r»ro wa* nniw visilad inJiis tent by a foreign nobleman^who desired to receive a lesson on We caii talk over that in the dark, said the duke, and immediately blew out the candle. His guest immediately rose and took his leave, remarking that he had learned enough for one session. In one of Miss Ferrier^ novels a Scotch peasant woman refused to allow her4 husband to take the new medktme or­ dered by the doctor until he had finish­ ed the old, which was prescribed the day before. But, without dwelling on such incidents, let us try to formulate some general rules which the rich and the poor may practice alike with ad­ vantage. 1. Never allow anything to be thrown 3 away or destroyed which can |>e made useful to any one. 2. Never allow expenditure to exceed income, and never run in debt without absolute necessity. 2. In estimating income and expendi­ ture never trust to mere probabilities, but only to experience and to facts on which you can depend. A man who wishes to keep within his income, says Lord Bacon, must set down his < ditures at one-third'or at most 'one of that income. 4. Keep in mind that there are some things that you cannot afford, and others that you can, if necessary, do without. Such are tobacco, intoxicating drinks, theatres, etc. 5. Remember, also, that there are some other things which yon cannot afford to do without. Such are health, good food, good clothing, good water and fresh air, and, above all, a good conscience. You cannot afford to leave your debts unpaid, or to refuse help to those who need it when it is in yMf power to give it.--J. 8. Ropes. Concerning Mashers. Mr. George Augustus Sala on "The Masher:" "One French Creole lady suggested that it might be a perversion f of'ma chere,'and another that of the % 'masher' was apt to speak affectedly and to masticate hjs words (witness the Bostonian 'cultchaw' for culture; I don't ̂ say that the Bostonians say so, but the ' iv New Yorker declares they do), he might I '= t- have been originally a 'macheur.' In c ' the United States the term is applied to ^ ; r two different classes of admirers of the fair sex. The 'society masher* is • • -: merely a good looking and rather fop- f| pish 'ladies' man,'somewhat of a 'spoon,' > ' | and occasionally a 'muff.' He is sweet, t " *: civil, not unamnsing, and harmless. He [ , > will marry, and never ask for a latch ' key. But masher No. 2 is, in the States, , f rather a fast-going, champaigne-supper- ordering, Pink-Primfnoes frequenting, ' burlesaue-extravagansa-admiring young 1 man. He rosembles ourjsttaasso aoreo, 1 or 'stage doory,' as Mr. John Hollinge- head calls them, with a slight toneh ̂ t, ' Don Juanism." A Statesman's CoadHsteas. . \ It was 2 a. m. when Mr. Ginnenr i tumbled across the threshold of his ' wife's bedroom, and without making any effort to rise, lay there, conducting | an animated argument with himself on \ the subject of reducing taxation. Mrs. : Ginnery was a woman of few words, bat her methods were prompt and decisive. ; She got out of bed and removed the wash pitcher from the basin and dashed the contents over Mr. Ginnery. Then he arose slowly to his feet, and dripping at every extremity, observed with a most solemn and impressive air: "Yesh, Mrs. Gin'ry; we musht takB the tax off whisky (hie) and put '«?r i wasMti*%*#rvofcJiw £<***: expen- me-half V..-1