GRAMS AND LUNATICS. tUT HimiBBOrstT INFK8T CHCLB SAWS PATENT omc*. vf , ' _ ' " _i Qawr Chanctor* Who Apply for PfttmU 4-TWO MM* Stars to Be Shortly ADDED to OM FLAG--A Variety of Interentina J' ' Co»»ip from the National Capital. WIT. [SPECIAL CORBESPONDRHCK.] F W A S H I N G T O N , March 21, 1890. i./.V'"Speaking about lunatics," said an •official in the Patent Office who has been placed on the force Bince the advent of ihe present administration, "you chaps In the newspaper business, with all your spring poets and phnnnygram editors, •don't know what the word 'lunatic' stands ior. How, if you'll come around and spend a day with me, I'll shaw yon some Of the real old article." "Is it because you hare something pe- «nli^rly attractive about you, or because you look as if you might easily ba bul- dozed, that you have a daily gathering of 1. ^eranks' about you?" asked the writer. "Well, you see, I'm a new man here, 4Utirl all the old clerks in the office, when Hme one comes into the office with a auspicious manner about him, turn him over to me. Of course we're bound to tEe->t everybody courteously or we'd get into heaps of trouble. For instance, do; you see that individual just coming in the door? Ten chanoes to one you would think he came in here to get a patent on a hay-twister, and, of course, you couldn't be blamed for any lack of ex treme politeness. Well, now, that's John J*. Laccy, of Iowa, who is making quite O reputation in the House as an olt'-hand talker. So you'll readily uuderstand that ,\i we have to be polite to everybody, as you can't tell just who a man is by his ap- • pearance. It is wonderful the variety of „k people who come in here and the char acter of their business. The other day a man came in, and at the first glance I thought it was Chauncey M. Depew, of Hew York. My first impression was to fit up /and make one of the graceful bows have been practicing ever since I saw the antic performed at one of Wana- makers receptions last month. The * man had every appearance of health, in tellect, and wealth, so far as could be . judged fiomthe outside. The man had 7 a box under his arm, and I soon found it ^contained a model for an invention he bad perfected. I saw at a glance that it wag utterly valueless--ridiculous--nnd yet for half an hour he talked and ex plained to me all about it, in the most j. wandering, foolish manner, and became 0///lib excited that I got nervous. "Hundreds of just such as these come thousands of miles to get a patent on some insignificant trifle like a pie-cutter, Ail apple-parer, button-hole puncher, etc. Sometimes I have listened for an hour While one of these poor fools would nar- ' rate to me in the most scientific but un- intelligible terms how he invented a ticket punch or a corn-sheller and how much he expected to make as soon as he could get his patent right. And all the time he is telling me of it he is lookiDg continuously aboutto see if any one is listening. The next one that comes in may be n man who has a scheme for mak ing a million of money if he can only get some one to go in with him and put up $500 to perfect his invention. He comes to me because he knows that I am ac quainted with everything in the shape of fBi invention, and, being as I was right in the office where I can Bee that the papers v fere all straight, he'd give me first chance. "* And then the chances arc ton to one he would unroll a bundle of paper and re- -- . ..gale my ears with a minute description of some apparatus for cleaning gum boots. , r ; "These cranks are not confined to the * " inale sex by any means. You would be .astonished at the number of women who d upply for patents during the course of a month--generally for some worthless contrivance. In fact, only about one in twenty erf all the inventions for which Government patent rights are obtained 'oyer amount to anything in point of use fulness, and only about one in every live . "^•flttuidred axe a success financially." One of tte most popular placet for flirting in Washington are the House cor ridor*, and especially the elevators. The •levator man lias some curious tales to / tfell. He takes his ups and downs with * smiling philosophy, and makes a study of humnn nature in motion. "I see lots Of Curious people," said he to a reporter the other day. "Lord knows how many women and young girls ride with me every day. I take people up and down from all parts of the country, from the backwoods and from the city, and I hear their talk, and I tell you there is no place like this •levator for flirting. Why, I take folks in at the top floor and before tbey get to (he 6econd Btory down they have become ' afcquainted--Congressmen are the most Epular in this respect--and before they ve reached the basement they are ready to take lun6h together. Some of the girls come here every day Congress is in session, and you cau't count the times they r.de up and down. The most par ticular time is between one and two O'clock. I don't know why, unless it is because that is the time members are go ing to their lunch. Some of these ele vator Acquaintances have queer endings, and many a Congressman owes his blast ed hopes to affairs growing oat of them." protest against the ratification the Russian treaty, ^hich the Sen- The of ate, over President pro tern. In- galls' adverse ruling, permitted . Sen ator Cockrell to present in open ses sion last week, is an interesting docu ment, and contains come strong state ments. The instrument is trom the Wood-working Machine Hands* Union Of St. Louis. The roasons given for the 'protest are that the signers consider tnat the ratification of the pending treaty would be a mistake, because a state with out nny regular system of justice--a state ta which there is punishment of the se verest nature withqpit the least judicial process as' a governmental institution-- can offer no guarantee for an honest use of an extrad tion treaty. The memorial . accompanying the protest presents a supposititious case, in which Russia is represented as being anxious to get back a political fugitive from this country. He is accused of a com mon felony, and according to the terms of the treaty the United States is bound to give hi'm up. The victim is ' then prosecuted, not for a political crime, but for felony, and no Amerie in Minister can save him. To back up this reasoning tb<? memorialists refer to the well known books on Siberian exiles by George Ken- nan and Prince Krapotkin. In conclu sion the memorial says that it should be sufficient to Americans that the Russian people are subject to the arbitrary rule of the Czar, nnd that therefore a govern ment which has to represent law cannot Miter into an extradition treaty with law- lass despotism. ^ . S i n c e t h e r e c e n t d e f a l c a t i o n o f S i l c o t t the office of'Cashier of the Sergeant-at- arms of the House of Representatives has gone a begging. At least the position iB not what it once was. The place was re- - fused the other day by a Nebraska poli tician, after a brief investigation, who Claims that it has been queered by. the absconding cashier. There was former ly a big rake-off. There are two classes of Congressmen, financially speaking. One class depend on their silary nlone, and frequently draw large sums in ad vance; the other class have ontside re sources and were wont to leave their pay in the hands of the Sergeant-at-arais. In this way the cashur was able to do a sort of a brokerage business which netted him * something handsome. Since Silcott's dis appearance the first class borrow funds elsewhere and the second class draw their •alary as soon as it becomes due. This loaves but the salary for the pay clerk, and a very ordinary one at that. ' "Senators feel mfghtily relieved sinee |e Slair educational bill has been gotten - v rid of. Almost every one of the states men has a pet measure of his own which he wants to gat before the Senate, but they have been bound hand nnd foot ever since the New Hampshire Senator got the floor. . 41 * * It may be stited as a certainty that two more States will be added to the Union in a few weeks. Bills admitting Wyom ing and Idaho have been favorably report ed in both houses of Congress. By reso lution ihe House to as agreed to take up these bills on Tuesday, March 25, and continue action until they are disposed of. Congressman Springer is also pushing the claims of Arizona and New Mexico, but with little prospect of success, as there is a feeling among the Republican members that the latter two ara unpre pared for the duties of statehood. * * Senator George Hearst will go down in history as "the man who listens i to the Blair educational bill in its entirety." It is a mighty interesting themeordinaiily that will keep the millionaire "Senator of California in his chair for any great length of time, and many of George's friends are wondering what has come over him. Senator Blair has noticed the interest taken bv his brother from the Pacific slope, and in order to secure his vote thought to tickle him by asking him to make a speech, knowing the old vet- eTan had never made a speech, and never pretended to be abldto join in a discuss ion, especially on a subject of this na ture. He expected, of course, a refusal. To his utter surprise and consternation, Senator Hearst, with the utmost sing froid, accepted the invitation, and stated that he would commence immediately after morning business on ThurSdny, and thought he would be able to say all he had to say in about three hours. This almost petrified the New Hampshire Sen ator, as the bill comes to a final vote on this day, and he had expected to occupy the afternoon himself in refuting state ments made by the opposition. He is now almost frantic for some way to sup press the irrepressible California man. Notwithstanding "the newspaper talk about the change in the office of Ser- geant-at-arms as sOon as Senator Quay returns from the South, there is little likelihood that any change will take place this session. Considerable skirmishing is being done, however, among the vari ous candidates. « * * The Interstate Commerce Commission has recently added a new feature to its working force in the shape of a secret service. Thus far one man constitutes the entire force, and his name is Frank G. Kretchmer, one of the brightest young newspaper men of South Dakota. Mr. Kretchmer has had considerable ex perience in the railro d business, which peculiarly fits him for the duties of tfie new position. His principal work con sists in personally %isiting points from which complaints of discrimination in freight rates are heard, and making re port to the commission of the result of his investigation. After sufficient trial, if it is found the new departure is bene ficial to the service, the force will be gradually increased.^ A certain Senator* from one of the Western States is preparing to spring on the Soiiate a resolution calling for an in vestigation as to what becomes of a large proportion of pnblic documents and the wanner in which they come into the hands of brokers. The Senator referred to has recently received a letter from a well-known second-hand book dealer, of fering for sale 3,500 volumes of the agri cultural reports of 1888 at 7 cents per copy, nnd several thousand volumes of other Government reports at similar r ides. He proposes tp fin i out just how these came into the possession of the book- dealer, and will then suggest the enact ment of a law prohibiting the sale of such articles in the future. * There is a peculiar rivalry between two distinguished personages from Massa chusetts, Senator Hoar and Representa tive Henry Cabot Lodge. Each has a Federal election bill, and «ach bill is so manifestly directed at the Southern States as to be particularly pleasing to the New England heart. The Lodge bill is sure to pass the House; the Hoar bill the Senate. Only one, of course, can survive and in the melee perhaps neither will live. It has now become the ques tion whether, in the final outcome, the surviving measure will be known to his tory as tho Hoar bill or the Lodge bill. Both statesmen are jealous of the title. * The hatred of Senators Call, of Florida, and George, of Mississippi, for Senator Chandler is a matter of common talk in public circles, brought about to a great degree by the discussion of the race ques tion aud tho resolution ctlling for an in vestigation regarding the alleged out rages committed in some of the Southern States. On Monday last both of the Southern statesmen, who are members of the Committee on Immigration, of which Chandler is Chairman, resigned from that body, and announced their refusal to far ther serve on the aforesaid committee. * Senator Ingalls has introduced a bill providing that a soldier who has lost both eyes or one arm and one log may f.et married at any time he may so desire to some one to take care of him, and at his death the soldier's widow shall receive $12 per month as long as she remains 6ingle. If the soldier's wife refuses to live with and care for him, he may after her absence of six months procure a di vorce from any County Court upon pay ment of $5. * * * Senator Plumb has nothing if not a wholesome respect for the Fish Commis sion. In commenting upon the appro priation asked for by the commission in the urgent deficiency bill, last Tuesday, he became very sarcastic legarding the growing power of the commission. He stated that it might be as well to turn the Government over to the commission at once and be done with it. It had already got control of the navy, and was now reaching out after the railroads, and it was a serious question in his mind whether the Government was a part of the commission or the commission a part of the Government. Jos. C. MOODY. AFFAIRS IX ILLINOIS. I1TTEBI8I1NO ITEMS GATHERED IVOX VARIOUS SOURCES. It Wasn't an Even Thin?. "This isn't a fair deal," howled a man on St. Paul street tlie other even ing; "you fellows ain't treatin' me square." The bowler was in the midst of a crowd of young men, and his battered! face presented a woeful spectacle. His antagonist stood near in fighting posi tion. "Well, why don't you go on with the fight?" asked one of the spectators. "No more figlit for me," said the. pummeled individual from where he sat on the sidewalk. "You fellows said that it was to be a square stand- up fight, and that it was to be an even thing, didn't you?" "Yes, we did. Well ?" exclaimed the crowd. t * There's nothing well about it. The other fellow has been doing all the standing up and knocking down, too. I ain't been farther up than my knees since this thing started, and I got enough of this crowd," and he man aged to gain his feet and make a bee line for the Court street bridge.-- Union and Advertiser. A MAN in the town of Franklin, N. Y., is taxed nine cents on real es tate and $3.50 on dogs. EBON T. MARSHALL, of Binoon, CAL., suffered so from corns on his little toes that he had the toes cut off. What Our Neighbors Are Doing--Matters of General and Local Intermit -- Mar riage* a^xl Deaths--Accident* anil Crime* --Personal Pointers. --Moses Fra ley, a St. Louis grain speculator, recently telegraphed to Gov* Fifer referring to dispatches eeni out from Springfield in ie:ertnee to the con dition of winter wheat iu the State, say ing that the reports are of an alarming nature, and intimat ng his* belief that someone is manipulating the agricultural department for speculative purposes. The Governor turned the te'egram over to Secretary Galrard, of the State Agri cultural Bo <rd, and that officer sent the following reply: All the information concerning the in'cry fo the growing wheat by the repent freeze gKe.i to the prees (hiring the Hat week by u:e was gath ered froiu members of the Stale Roanl of Auri- cultur<j residing in the - c-etMr.tl and southern divisions of the State of Illinois bv personal in terview. The Illinois State Foul of AgiiJiiituve is composed of t:entien.en who Rive their time to tne promotion of ngricrlture and horticul ture gratuitously, and coi.M not be iiiflm-n< ed by any sucti motive as charted in vonr ule- gram. In fact, voti nre the fti-st man whoever intimnt.'d '.hit the Illinois l>« partment of Agil- ct:lture, which is controlled l>> tLe State Board of Agriculture, could be manip^lnted in spe2u- lative interests. The reports of this department are not compiled in the interests of speculators on the boards of trade, but ior tho public at large, aud are based on the best possible infor mation obtainable from reliable souicds. They are Riven in advance to tae press regardless ot their effect on the market. --The suicide of Miss Jessie Z. White, of Joliet, and the attendant circum stances have been productive of a big sensation in the usna'ly quiet community where she bad spent her life. The par ticulars of the distressing affair are thus recorded by the Joliet correspondent of the Chicago Daily Xetr,*: She was noticed driving rp and down Chicago streit in a bugey early in th"> evening. \Vh<u rpposite the opcr.i hous? an I ir ar the entrance; t J the Hotel Monroe phe was seen to rein Iter horse and stop. She U aned forward and picked up a pasle'ooar.l l>ox from the bottom of the buggy, opened it. took out a re>olver, and plac ing the muz;:l.' a;a:nst her left t r-ast nved. Her anus flew up in the air. aDd as she fell for ward in the butgv the revolver dropped intw the street in the rear i f the 1 u.gjy. A poiiceinan had picked up the revolver from the street. It was :i short, ugly-looking bulldog pattern, braud-uew, and of ;,2 caliber. The officer stepped to the buggy, noticed the pa^fe- ixardbox, and opened it and found a ladv's poclet-l>ook aud a letter, the envtlopeof which was addressed "To My Hear Ones at Home." Miss Jessie Z. Wnite. t.ho deiul girl, was a daughter of James S. White, -who has been a resident of tho city for many years. About threo years ogo Miss Jessi? was brought prominently oefore the public Ly the persecutions of ah anonymous letter-wiiter. Evei y ycujig man who met the girl at » party or u dance," or who even received an introduction to her. v as the recipient of scurrilous let ters. The young men receiving these letters--alt written in an assumed liana--turned them over to the State's Attorney or the father_of the per secuted girl. All the local newspapers received letters di- recttxi iiL'ainst the girl by the' saino person and in the same handwriting, and of similar pur port. Police and detectives Mere put on tho watch for the persecute!-, and finally the eousin of Miss Jessie, Mr. David White, was arrested and tried ill the Circuit, Court, the result being that he was simply bouud over to keep the peace. Nmnerona letters wore read in court from the unknown i>er seen tor of Miss White, warning her that he would kill her 011 a certain day ; that ho had opportunities to k:ll her at the opera house, but was afraid of kilting sjuie one else. Letters fiotn the Rame person in the same hand, but purporting t.i come from Miss White, were also read. They were addressed to under takers, to liverymen, and to local newspaper?, giving directions as to her funeral, shroud, and place of burial, with date of death at.d funeral. After the trial was over it was hoped by the friends of Miss White that she would he left, in peace, l ut the persecuting letters still kept coining to her and all the young society men ill town. Isetters were dropped 011 the doorsteps, shoved under the doors, and sout in every way, till the girl was afraid to go out of the house. finally Miss Jessie was sent away for awhil" to the Rant, but this did not stop the tetter- writer, nnd after three years of this kind of tor ture the poor, hunted girl lK)(ame so distracted that she could stand it no l iuger and took her own life. Procuring a revolver, she wrote her last words to her loved ones and set out to ride about the town to greet her friends for the last time. The letter found in the liox was as follows : "Dear mother and all the dear ones at home, I am tireii of life and am going to shoot myself, aud deny tho letter-writer t-lie pleasure of doing it. Three years is long enough'to be tort r. rod by hini. and there nr J no prospects'* for any peace to long as I live. Inasmuch as he has promised to take my life-aud 1 really think he moans to--110 never shall, and if he found any pl nsnre in torturing me, I hope he will be sat isfied now. He has driven me to destroy my soul. All I have to say now is for you to forger and forgive mo for the wicked act I am about to commit. "Now. dear folks. 1 love yon nil so dearly that I could not live if any of yon woie to be- taken fiom me, so 1 want you ali to think it is all for the best that I should lea\« the world first, l'lease grant me thesf few tei]Uests: Do not bury me on a rainy day. for 1 never liked a ra ny funeral day. Ktigagu Mr. Chamberlain for the undertsker, and have Mr. Camp preach my funeral at the Kpiscopal Cliurch. Sister flrn?- vive knows what srn-"s 1 want sutig at my fu neral. Have the following voting men for pall bearers : Julius Westphal, Harold Moon, will White, Will Cashing, Will Woods, and James Calais. 1 will now bid the world and all of v< u my last good-by. JKSSIK WHITK." Miss White was but 10 years of age. --A Chicago paper tells of a funny couple who stopped at the Palmer House, in that city: They registered from a small town in Illinois, and told tne clerk that they were on their bridal trip. The husband was a quiet little chap with long, auburn hair and pomttd beard, and his wife was a comely, quick-spoken country woman. That she was the business manager of tho new Ann was demonstrated at the start. "We want a middling-priced room," she said;' "nothing high-toned like drummers have, but the best for the money. We'll be here two days, and like as not over Sunday." After selecting tlicir room the woman asked where a first-class millinery store could be found. She wanted a place where they kept the latest city stylos. From the Monroe street hall of the hotel there aro entrances leading to two millinery establishments, aud to these places the strangers were directed. As they walked through t lie corridors, baud in hand, they left any amount of merriment in their wake. On the dror leading to the first bonnet store there is this sign: "Latest Styles for Spring Wear." Directly under this sign is a lithrgraph repre senting scenes in a comic o]>era now being en acted in Chicago. The gayest costumes adorn the pretty girls in the picture, nnd the most elaborate features of their make-up are the im mense umbrella-like hats. It was this picture which caught the eyes of the couple while look ing for the milliners. 'Ihe woman closely ex amined every bat on the chorus girls with an appearance of disgust. Her huslmnd stared at the picture without uttering a word. After standing like statues for some time the woman exclaimed : "If them's the latest hats you can bet our old town is stylish enough forme! Why. I wouldn't wear one of them hifahitin bonnets if it didn't cost a dollar. Come along; this hat is good enough." --Governor Fifer, accompanied by Hon. John B. Tanner, Col. P. Warner, of Clinton, Dr. A. T. Barnes and Benjamin Funk, of Bloomington, Captain -Abe Cantrell, of Danville, Col. Tom Scott, of Fairfield, and Dr. Elrod, of Anna, left last week for a trip to J ohnson City, Tenn. --Wesley Welch, the colored man who attacked the family where his wife was stopping at Fosterburg, Madison County, with an ax, was tried at Edwardsville last week and was sentenced to foar years in the penitentiary. --Washington Abner, an insane man, escaped in an entirely nude condition from the officers who had him in custody at Lincoln. He is a violent madman. --The Order of Tonti held a district convention at Springfield last week, twenty delegates representing four States. John Long and Ignatz Baum of Chicago were appointed delegates to the meeting of the Supreme Lodge, which meets April 28 in Baltimore. The Auditor of the State has decided that the organization is an insurance society, and if that deci sion is maintained it mil have to make a deposit. --Following Is a summary of the last Illinois weather and crop bulletin wait out from Springfield: - The freezing weather of the early pert of the month injured tne wheat and fruit crop some what. Extracts from observers' reports follow: Bond County--Weather has been favorable to the growing crops. Beads are almost, impass able. Champaign County--The dry. freezing weather the first of the month injured the wheat somewhat. Carroll County--Ground covered with snow and frozen. Cumberland County-- The temperature has affected the wheat inju riously. 1 toads iu a terrible condition. Coles County--It is thought that thin wheat is killed, but as'a whole the prospects are good for an av- ! erage crop. Douglas County- The wheat looked ' well until the freeze, which damaged it serious- j ly. Fulton County -- It is tne impres sion here that the wheat has tieen. I badly injured by freezing weather. Kd- j wards County--The wheat was so very rank j that the last severe cold spell cut it down, kill- 1 ing some of it. Many fruit trees hare been in bloom a 11011th "r two. and were injured by the last cold spell. H ?ni y County--No crops sown yet; frost about out of ground. Laballe County --There are no crops in this vicinity that can be affected by the weather at present", except win ter wheat, of which but little has been sown. Xjike C n.nty--There is no feature of special in terest here. At the beginning of the week the gio jud was covered with snow. Logan County --The cold weather of the first of the month, with alternate freezing and thawing, was hard on winter wheat. Mi Henry County--No farm work has bofn done; ground Ft ill frozen. Mar shall Couuty--No signs of spring yet. Pike Coun- ' y--Weather of last week affected crops favora bly. Perry Count v--The wheat crop looked excep tionally well anil was so far advanced that much of it had begun to joint, when the severe weather froze all the blades ; the heart or stem is still alive, but has made 110 growth. It is feared that all early wheat is permanently in jured ; rainfall. 3.1'inches. Pope Countv-- It Is too soon to tell how much wheat has been In jured by the freezing 011 the first days of tile mouth. It is very vellosy. but where It cov ered the ground well it shows a little green at the root, ltichland County--The weather has affected the crop favorably. Sangamon County --Stock looking well. Wlieat injured somewhat !>v the late freezing weather. Schuyler County -- Wheat supiKised to be in fair condition ; the excessive growth of last fall has protected it in absence of snow. Peaches mostly killed. Taze well County--Weather favorable to growing crops. Frost is all out of ground. --The hafd, freezing veather of March has proved more fatal to Illinois wheat than was at first supposed. A Springfield dispatch sajs: Never in the history of wheat-raising in the State of Illinois has the prospect for a gpod crop changed more materially than within the past two weeks. Up to the second week OT | March the winter had been mild, nnd the wheat I plant was never in a more healthy and ap parently prosperous condition. The'plant had been advanced by the favorable weather, and the time of year having arrived, was just ready for a vigorous start 011 a spring growth. The plant was full of healthy sap, wlrch ha 1 raised to such an extent that, it was very susceptible to the hard frost when it came. Then came the fatal freeze. Kamples were presented at the meeting of the Stato Board of Agricul ture recently from seven different coun ties in Central artd Southern Illinois. In these, paniples tuat were taken up by the root, it was found that the bulb of the root, at the top at the ground a mass of gum or jelly, snowing conclusively that the germ of the plant had been killed." This condition was formed more extensively in the Faltz wheat, of which variety a large proportion is seeded in portions of the Slate where the land is, or has been, inclined to l>e swampv. It is a swamp wheat and does not seem to have stood the frost nearly so well as the < ld golden chart or Mediterranean. The frosf, which has been still more severe within the past few days, ha * certaiuly not improved the prospect, lleports irotn c mnties in the central par; of the Stato iu.licate that the dam age to the crop is v<ry borious. --Chicago papers chronicle the death, nt the age of 78years, of J. Young Scam- mon, who had lived in that c ty for fif.v- five years. In the death of Mr. Scam- mon, says a local print, Chicigo loses a pioneer who led the way in many great fields of commercial, industrial, and social activity, and laid the foundation for the marvelous growth that continued after his hand was removed. What he has done for Chicapo has been tol opened as a chapter of sorrow. beiong other business transacted in rela- to the death of Worthy Matron °len M. Smith, the following testimonial °respecb wfts reported by a committee the sisters and brothers and unani- -a-ujufcuf-vete..- -- - testimonial of m?i>ect by Osborne tlapterNo. O. E. b. in memory of oorthy Matron, Ellen M. Smith, deceas- ^With hearts filled with sorrow we bow ^ Reverential obedience to the supreme extcm V1' ,.4^0 una been done. This is the third time wilhiu a year this un lucky firm has been victimized by flames, the losses l>y the two former fires being respectively $">0,0(KI and $02,000. They still continue in. business at the old stand, however. - A branch of the United Mine Work ers was organized at Lincoln last week by 1'. McBride, of Pittsburg, The ob jects of the organization are to federate the miners of the Springfield district, to ask for a unifoim price of 721 cents per ton for mining coal instead of the pres ent rate of 60 cents, and to demand the enforcement of the eigSt-honr system on and afttr May 1. The organization em braces two-thirds of the active miners of Logan County. The operators aro dis posed to resist both demands, which position presages a strike of all tho miners in Illinois, 75,000 in number, as the organization is being perfected throughout tho State. --Ex-Senator A. B. Gillham was dan gerously wounded by a midnisht burglar who entered his residence in Alton. --Gaether & Co., of Washington, I>. C., are making a desperate attempt to gather in the farmers' hard-earned shekels* They send out a notice to the farmers that the titles to their farms are not good unless they have a patent from the Gov ernment, which has never been given in their case, but for the sum of $."> they will secure this patent and forward it to them. Several farmers throughout Central Illi nois have, it is said, been swindled in this way. There is no such a firm iu Wash ington. --A quarterly dividend of 1 per cant., payable on the 1st of May. has been de clared by the Rock Island lload. --An authorization of the issaanee by the Peoria and Eastern Railway of $4,000,000 income mortgage bonds, and-a mortgage securing the issuance of $10,- 000,000 first consolidated bonds have been filed at Springfield. --An Illinois Central freight train was wrecked at Makanda Hill, forty miles above Caito, and seven cars piled up on the track. The accident delayed passen ger trains into Cairo eight hours. --John F. Smith, one of the most prominent Democrats in Northern Illi nois and over • quarter of a century a well-known business man of Froeport, is dead, aged fifty-six years. --The Republicans of McLean Count; will nominate a county and Legislative ticket April 29. --The proposed construction of a great Masonic Temple in Chicago is now an assured fact. The ground, located at the corner of State and Randolph streets, hag been secured at iTcost of $830,000, and work on the great building will be inaugurate! as soon as control of exist ing le ises can be obtaiued. It is pro posed by the Masone to make it one of the most ornamental as well as substan tial piles in the city of palaces. --Mrs. Sarah McKee, one of the oldest and most widely known women in Cen- tralia, died at hmt hoate in hpreightj?- fifthyear. DEATH OF GEN. CROOK. TBS HOTKD INDIAN FIGHTER IS STKICKBX DOWN. An Attaek of Heart Failure Brines a tlod- den Termination to an Honorable and BilUlaut Career--Hl» Record as a Brave Soldier. Chicago dispatch: General George Croak, commander of tae department of the Missouri, expired suddenly at the Grand Pacific hrttel at 7:15 Fnaay morn ing, the 21st inst. Heart-failure is said to have caused his death. The news of his death was a great sur prise, as it was supposed that the gen eral was in the very best of health. The shock was all the more severe be cause Gen. Crook had ^eon apparently in the best of health and spirits up to the moment he had retired the previous night" All day Thursdav be was at his desk at the army headquarters, perform ing his usual labor and directing the affairs of the division of the Missouri, of which he was the commander. He was in his usual happy frame of mind and wore, his old-time smile as he greeted his PERU MASSACRE DEATH IN AWFUL FORM. ELKTXM PERX8H UC AM XHDIAHAP- OlalS BlaAZK. GBK. CBOOK, WITH HIS STAFF. friends. Thursday night, with his wife and her sl9ter. Mrs. Reed of-Oakland, Md., he attended a small social gather ing at the home of a friend, and after his return to the hotel chatted merrily in t he corridor with some acquaintances. When he arose Friday morning he stepped at once into an adjoining room, as was his habit, to exercise with Indian clubs, dumb-bells, and other gymnastic devices, before putting on his clothes. As Gen. Crrwk walked Into the little gymnasium he called to his wife. Ho spoke^qnlekly and Mrs. Crook jumped hastily from the bed. She ran into the room to find hor husbaud had fallen to the floor. 1 ' Mrs. Crook called to her husband as she leaned over the inanimate body. Receiving no response she screamed, and. running to the door, called for aid. A moment later a score of guests and employes of the hotel were there in re sponse to Mrs. Crook's repeated calls. Tho house physician was present almost instantly, but he saw at the first glance that Gen. Crook was already dead. Major Ely McClollan. the army sur geon, had already been summoned from oV rooi lb to F dquarters, and he arrived with all te possible, only to find that it was that Gen. Crook was beyond modi- aid. "lie news was broken gently to Mrs. Chok and Mrs. Reed, who were led to spen apartments of sympathizing lady In ituls. Major McClellan gave orders aire t no one but friends be: permitted to grrt either of the ladies, and he at once brk MJhoned Adjt.-Gcn. Williams, to nat om he reported tho facts, and who at the *e telegraphed to Secretary of War thei " tor. r 'he cause of Gen. Crook's death was v. irt failure resulting from indigestion. He had been troubled in this way for many years. Gen. Crook was appointed from Ohio to the military-academy at West Point, July 1, 1848, and graduated in 185^', and was appointed brevet second lieutenant, July, 1852. After serving awhile iu gar rison at Fort Columbus, New York, he was sent out to Beneia barracks, Call fornia. He was transferred to Fort Jones, California, where he served until 18f>». His principal duty while thero was escorting the topographical party that was making a survey of RogUo river. He was on this duty from 1855 to 1850. On March 11. 18r»f>, lie was promoted to first lieutenant, and was In command of the Pitt river expedition In 1857. In a skirmish with the Indians he was wounded with an arrow. He had two other little Indian fights, one on the 2d of July, 1857, and the other July 2»\, the same year. He was transferred to Fort Terwataw in the latter part of 1857, and in March, 1858,went to Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, where he took part in the Yakiino expedition. lie was then transferred back to Fort Terwataw, where he served until 18'ii. In 1801 lie was made captain in the Fourth infantry and came East and was assigned to duty in West Virginia. Sept. 17, 1802, he was made colonel of tho Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteers, and was put in com mand of the Third provisional brigade. He participated in the action of Lewis- tyirg. W. Va., where he was badly wounded. For his gallantry thero he was made brigadier-general of volun teers, the commission dating Sept. 2, 1802, and brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. He was engaged in the battle of South Mountain, Sept. 14, 1862. and Antietam. Sept. 17, 18<i2. He was then transferred to the Army of the Cumberland in command of a division. . On Jnly 4, 1863, he was in command of the Second Cavalry Division. He wig at the battle of Chickamauga from Sept. 18 to 20, 1863. After Chickamauga he had three fights with Wheeler's cavalry--one on Oct. 3, one on Oct. 4, and one on Oct. 7. In November, 1803, he was transferred to the command of the Knnawha district in West Virginia. The £rncipal fights he had there were Cloyd's lountuin and NewRi\er Bridge. These occurred while he was on a raid against the Virginia aud Tennessee Rail war. In Julr, 1869, he was pat in command of a'l the troops in the Department of West Virginia and l>re*etted Major Gen eral in the United States, Army. After nkirmish at Snyder's Ferry and at Kernstown and a sf arp fight at Hall- town he was captuied at Cumberland. When he was exchanged, which was ID August, 1864, he joined Gen. Sheridan in his Shenandoah campaign an'd was in all the battles of that campiign. He waa put in command of all the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac and was made a Major General of volunteers Oct. 24, 18C4. He participated in the battles of Dinwiddie Court Hduse, J Fisher's Hill, Jetersville, Sanders < reek, Farmviile, and Appomattox. He was in I the last battle of the war, at Fanny.lie, » April 7, 1865, and was present at the capitulation of Gen. Lee on /pril 18t>5. On July 28, 186(5, he wns" innde Lieutenant Colonel of the Twenty-third Infantry, and on the 29th of October, 1873, he was made Brigadier General, te- j ing promoted over half the lieutenant colonels of the army and all ;v,e colonels, ( and assigned to the command of the Platte. Subsequently Gen. Sherman put him in command of the Department oi Arizona, and about a year ;; <> General Crook was placed in command of ttM Department of the Missouri. ' A Stmrm Of Firemen Carried Dwwa hit v tho Burninjr Rains by the Falling; of a Wall--The Sufferings of a Stan Who Was | for Fourteen Hoar* Under the Debris. Indianapolis (Ind.) dispatch: The shocking catastrophe during the fire at Bowen & Merrill's book store has thrown a pall of gloom over the entire city. One more dead body has been taken from the debris and thijs increases the number of killed to eleven. Others are thought to be buried under the pile of masonry that fell Into the alley. Many people were standing in the openipg be hind the Brunswick billiard hall wheu the crash came and it is said that some of them were buried under the falling mass. Search is now being made for them. • Shortly after midnight the searching party discovered a man in the ruins, and as a large beam had fallen across his body he was somewhat protected from the piles of bfick and stone that came down with the. wall. He was pin ioned to the ground, but the weight upon him was not sufficient to crush out bis life. He could not be reached, how ever, on account of the pile of stuff that was above him. and life would surely be extinct before he could be rescued if he did not receive some bodily strength. A peculiar device was resorted to. A rub ber tube was lowered to the unfortunate man's mouth, and in this manner he was fed with wjiiskv. For over fourteen hours he lay In his dangerous position. Every minute It was expected that the .hugo piece of timber would sink and crush out what life remained in the man, and the res cuers worked heroically to release him. At intervals of a half hour the manwas given a little whisky through th6""€ube, and he was able to bear up nntll he was released. It was 9:45 o'clock Tuesday morning when he was taken from the ruins, and a cheer went up^ from the. crowd when they saw that he was alive and would probably live. The excitement was intense during the many hours the rescuing party was working hard to get at the man. All this time ho was conscious, and ho look ed up pleadingly at the men who finally succeeded in saving him. The building occupied by tho book company was a four-story and basement marble front, facing Washington street just west of Meridian. The fire started shortly before 8 o'clock, near the fur nace of the sub-basement, and the de partment, when it arrived, seemed at a loss to locate the flames and began pour- iTig water Into the front of the building. For two hours the fight had continued In this way until a majority of the spec tators had loft, under the imprcsssion that the fire was out. About 5:30 o'clock, however, there was a terrific crash and the'tentire build ing, with the exception of the front wall, fell inward. At the time a number of firemen were on the roof and were bur ied in the debris, which was piled forty feet high within the walls of the .burned building. The work of rescuing the living and extricating the dead was immediately begun by at least five hundred volun teers. At a late hour the following ten men had been taken out dead; GECRGE FAITLKKEB! ULYSSES GLAZIER. ' ' AL HOFFMAN. "S/*, I THOMAS S. BRKKHABDT. IF EVSEY STORMER. T " V.: RICH AKI) LOW III L. OHAKLES JENKINS. THOMAS A. BLACK. ANDREW CHERRY, sujwriatcndeht ot fire alarm system. An unknown man. The injured are: ^ ;v»: ANTHONY VOLTZ, pipettMu ti,. LKW RAFI:HT. fireman. , * ; THOMAS MARKETT, fireman. ' " • ' A, C. MEHCKR. captain fire department. SAMI EI, W. NEAI,. pipcnian. • THOMAS A. HR.ACK, plpeman. • WEBB ROBINSON, pipcnian. WII.LIAM 1'AKTEE, pipeiuan; Internally hurt; may die. HENRY WOODRUFF, pipeman; badly hurt. EBENKZER LEECH, pipeman; cut and bruised. - TOM TAI.RNTYRE, foreman engine No. 2; fatally crushed. WILLIAM LKOXO. pipeman; slightly hurt. CHARLES JENKINS, pipeman; badly bruised. WILI.IAN IIKINSLEY, pipotnan; budly hurt. JOHM IU'RKIIAUT. pipeman; badly hurt about the head. The IloWen Merrill Company carried a stock valued atSl~5,000, on which there was an insurance of 870,000. The build ing was owned by Silas T. Bowen, and the loss on the structure will be $30,000. H. P. Wasson, dealer in dry (roods, suf fered a loss of $10,000 by smoke and water, and Byram & Sullivan lost half that amount. Several smaller stocks arc badly damaged. &SMARCK RESIGNS, TEKBtBLK RLA17GHTKK " PXKXD KKD riKSDft. Pollttfsl yoHfi B molts Owf If* Resulting; in the Butchery of o HnndrtC Porsons, the Dentruetton M(i FS- lose of Froportar--Mists&s Sctaw <sa : Streets. * Lima cable: The antagonism Istlng between the two candidates foe the Presidential nomination has result ed in a battle in the streets of Huant* between the two parties and many our both sides were killed, among them being Senor Lazona, deputy of Congress and head of the revolution, and Dr. Urbfoa^ chief of the Rosas party. Dr. Urbina, having seen five members of his family fall at his side during the eight hours of the combat, left with th« remaining members to seek refuge at" the Matrise church. There he found a number of women, children, and old: people. The priest before the horribto tragedy took place, exhorted tho Indi ans to desist, in the name of humanity, from their horrible mode of procedure, but when the Indians are drnnk they are most furious and incapable of re*- soning. As they drew near the church, . threatening to burn it, Dr. Urbina, un der terrible emotion, knowing that ho had been the only cause for such action on the part of the Indians, and wishing to save the lives of the many innocent persons who had taken refuge in the * church, resolved without losing time to sacrifice himself and terminate the anguish of his friends. Leaving tho church he addrcsed his enemies in the following manner: "I am Urbina, for whom v#u are look ing. Kill me if you like but the per sons in the church are not my accom plices. Do not injure them." The priest, to whom he announced his determination, gave him his benediction * and accompan ied'li im to the door of the church, opening a wicket and bidding him good-by, sobbing as he did so. The ? priest intended to return and close tho church, but as he arrived at the porch he became deprived of reason. A few moments afterward the head of this victim of the implacable hatred and bar barity of his countrymen was to bo seen on the Plaza de Huanta. The guerrillas, in their dranken fnry, not being satisfied with the murder oit f Dr. Urbina, continued to slaughter tho inhabitants and to sack and burn the town for many hours afterward. Over 100 lives were sacrificed to the old ran cor existing between the famlUittHtif., Lazoua and Urbina. UNDER LIBERTY'S SHADE. ^ Why Bcdloc'i bland Is a Good Potat Receive Immigrants. Washington dispatch: At the first joint meeting of the Senate and House committees on immigration Secretary Windom and Solicitor Hepburn, of the Treasury department, were present, and the first named gave a statement of the reasons that had induced him to. take charge of the landing of immigrants at New York. In the coursc of this statement it was developed that the Ford committee of the last Congress iu their report recommended " that the (national government take charge of this matter. The reports of the manner in which operations at Castle Garden were conducted and of * the condition- ^>f affairs there, the Sec retary said, also seemed to waitant, If not demand, a change. ' The Secretary was asked why he had selected Bedloe's island as the land! place for immigrants under the new ar-] rangement. He answered that Go nor's Island would have suited him ju as well; in fact was examined by hina with a view to locating the landing sta tion there; but the military authorities objected to giving up control of the island and he was compelled to look elsewhere. The Treasury Department had a foothold on Bedloe's island, and it was in addi tion deemed, to be tho proper place to land immigrants, under the shade of the statue of Liberty. The island contained thirteen acres; five of them are devoted to the park surrounding the statue, and the remainder may be utilized for the necessary buildings for the accommoda ted of immigrants and the transaction of business. These buildings will hp erected on the west side of the island. ' I * _ vC:>-; •w.'#. All tho Ministers Also Present Their Resignations. Berlin cable: A report is widely curront that Prince Bismarck has ten dered his resignation to the Emperor. Cologne cable: The Gazette's corre spondent in Berlin says lie believes that Prftirc Bismarck will immediately retire from all the posts now held by him. A meeting of the Cabinet, the correspondent s«ays, was held yesterday afternoon, at which Prince Bismarck presided, to deliberate upon the position which would arise from the Chancellor's resignation London cable: A dispatch from Berlin says it is reported that both Prince Bismarck and Count Herbert Bis marck have tendered their resignations and that Emperor William has accepted the resienation of the Chancellor. All telegrams from Berlin are said to be rig orously inspected by the authoritles and are stopped if they go beyond announc ing rumors. The immediate and ostensible cause of the resignation of Prince Bismarck is a divergence of opinion between the Chancellor and the Emperor concerning factory inspectors. It is reported that the Emperor has refused to accept Count Herbert Bismarck's resignation. Gen. von Caprivi is mentioned as th$ succes sor of the Chancellor^ The Times' Berlin correspondent says: "Something must have occured in con nection with the labor conference to cause Prince Bismarck's unexpected action. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, who arrived yesterday, appears to have failed In his attempt to mediate between the Emperor and the Chan col lor." The Standard's Berlin correspondent says: "The German officials dccliuo to forward my message." London cable: Tho bankers here have dispatches from their agents in Berlin assuring them that the report cf Prince Bismarck's resignation is true. Whether tho Emperor has accepted it is still a matter of donbt. There is in tense excitement on the Berlin hours* over tho crisis. Everything will be in suspense tantil a definite announcement Is made. A rumor comes from Berlin that iu consequence of the resignation of llismarck all of the ministers and their colleagues have resigned. LATER.--The Emperor has accepted the resignation of Prince Bismarck. Count von VYaldersee will probably succeed Prince Bismarck as the Im perial Chancellor. DOLPH'S COMMITTEE AT W0RK._ Mr. Halford Qalzsed as to How State 8o- crets Get Into tho Papon. Washington dispatch: The llotpjh "committee, Investigating secret session leakages of the Senate, examined Pri vate Secretary Halford, O. L. Pruden, executive clerk of the President: Thomas W. Cridler, chief of the diplomatic bu reau of the State department; Julian Taylor and James W. Philip, clerks In the Sta-e department. Mr. Halford and Mr. Prnden were asked about the method of transmitting treaties to the Senate, and the questions asked of the State department people related to the possibility of a leakage at- the department through which the treat ies would reach the newspapers. Tho committee got little satisfaction. O. H. Harris, of the Evening Star, was a^ked if he had stated to the ser- geant-at-arms that three members of the committee had revealed secret ses sion news to him and he declined to an-' swer the question. SAW A MIRAGE. ^ iMgo City . Suspended In the Air Near Ashland, Pa.--Visible for Some Time. A remarkable instance of a mirage was witnessed at Ashland, Ohio, the other day. It presented a picture of a clear and well defined city, full sized, though of oourse inverted, and appear ing like a large city suspended in tho. air or falling through it, as the ground on which it stood was not reflected. Church steeples and walls of houses were slightly inclined. The phenomenon seemed be only » few hundred yards above the earth and: was visible for nearly three-quarters ©t an hour. The day was clear and calm' with a cloudless sky. Many spectators claimed that the city reflected was! Mansfield, thirty miles distant; others say it was Sanduskv, eighty-five miles away, and each party professed to recog nise buildings in those places. " ; OVERRUN BV^LOBBYISTS. ^ Tho Persuasive Geutry Thicker" Thaa i Itefore in Washington. Washington dispatch: Old timet* : about Washington say they never knew* a Congress in which lobbyists were as thick about the capitol as at present. It is impossible to walk to walk through the corridors without running across a dozen or more of those gentlemen whof gain a living by promoting legislation | The evil of lobbying on the floor bw ex-members of Congress has become so} great that Speaker Reed is detcrminedj* to drive the lobbyists and claim agents; from the floor. Under the rules. ©a-| members of Congress have the right to? go upon tho floor provided they are oofci interested in any pending legislation. Iff the Speaker shall strictly enforce thla> rule some of the most distinguished and? prosperous of the long list of ex-statesK men who live in Washington wtii had least a part of their occupation gone. :' ' •% - 3 1