Thk^Trontier.
JsiiKn Kvimv tim usd.w nv
: kiwixticu fHi.vnxo n>.,
•.- mrThkaT
Christian of Denmark, slnco
lent on the hunting field, Is
.ugly alluded to in London as a
>;i, “bully boy with a glass oyo."
’' , The flat pieces of iron shaped liko a
j letter 8 and frequently seen on the
walls of old brick buildings, serving as
girders, are sa'.d to havo been old-time
symbols of fhe sun.
General E. P. Uealo, of Wasliington,
has on his farm near llaltlmoro tho
celebrated stallion tho Sultan of Tur
key, presented to General Grant and
which Oeneral Grunt gave to General
Beale.
J? ' -»♦♦
fp The Germiin empress presented, on
Christmas day, each of tho llerlln Sis
f: ters of Mercy belonging to the horties
With a hymn book and a bible, and In
each of tho biblcs her majesty has
written a text and her name.
Princo Ilenry of Prussia, the emper
or's brother, has also affected a beard,
but, unllko his majesty, has diligently
let it grow. The young man is quite
simple in his habits and delights in
walking tho deck of his ship with bare
feet to copy the custom of sailors.
John Marchant Mundy, the blind
•culptor of Tarrytown, has completed
the model for a statute of Washington
Irving. He can scarcely distinguish
light from darkness without tho aid
of an opera glass, but his work has
been done almost entirely by tho sense
of touch.
a. .
The Island of Fowlcavo in the Gulf
of Siam has a peculiar kind of dog’s.
They are sleck-hglred and resemble
fox terriers in slzo and build, but are
[prick-eared, reddish brown in color
•(the female being of a lighter' shade)
'With black muzzles and dark lines on
the forehead, like those sometimes
seen in bulldogs:
\ A knowledge of the physiology of
the human larynx has made it possible
to [supply [artificial voices in people
who have been deprived of the one na
ture gave them, and a number of cases
exist where the cavity has been opened
end a larynx made of suitable material
with rubber membranes has been in
serted and become practically useful
In speech.
‘ The crown prinoe of Swedon, who
baa been in Cairo since tho beginning
of the present winter, has hopes of res
toration to health. The princess, a
coosln of the emperor of Germany, la
•uffering from a pulmonary disease,
. caused by the raw climate of the north.
She was ordered tospend the winter in
Egypt as the only possible way of pro
longing her life.
Kyrle Bellow is greatly changed,
says Labouchere in the London Truth.
He is no longer the dapper, well
groomed Bellew who was known by
the matinee girl as "Kyrlle.” There is
now a touch of the shabby genteel
about the once debonair beau and he
has changed greatly, the hair which
used to be only streaked with silver
being now almost entirely gray.
On the day of Cardinal Manning's
consecration as an archbishop an Irish
woman in the attendant throng au
dibly expressed disapproval after the
ceremony, basing her criticism on the
theory that he "had one foot in the
grave already.” The prelate, over
hearing the remaric, observed to some
cue beside him: "I think there are
^ twelve years’ work in me yet ” That
Was twenty-six years ago.
John Jordan brought a large white
■ewan from Pendleton the other day
and tell* a queer story as to how he
got it, aaya the Portland Oregonian.
While near his house, on East UirAi
■creek, he saw some eagles chasing the
awan in the air above ^iim. The un
fortunate bird in lila anxiety to escape
flew directly over the young man's
Stead, and, with a quick spring, he
managed to seize and bring it down,
the disappointed eagles flying away.
Chief Justice Bleckley, of Georgia,
recently indicated to the governor his
Intention of resigning on the ground
that he was getting along in life and,
ought to make a little more money.
Bis health and mental powers, how
ever, were unimpaired. Before formal
action was taken the chief justice was
persuaded to refrain from taking the
atep by some of his associates on the
bench and the leading members of the
bar.
Captain George Callaghan, an En
glishman who died a few days ago in
Valencia, at the age of 100 years, was
at one time a guard of Napoleon Bona
parte on the island of St Helena Cal
lahan entered the English navy in
1811. In 1810 he was sent to St Hel
ena to watch over the great emperor.
Callahan loved to relate his reminis
•ncea of Napoleon, and always said
that the fallen ruler had a great lik
ing for him.
A physician who spent some time in
the countries bordering on the Gulf of
Mexico found a curious body of men
among the Kit Ives called Curados de
Calabra, or the safe from vipers. Hav
ing been inoculated with the poison of
the serpents they were proof against
their venomous bltea The inoculation
was made with the venom tooth of a
viper and the bulb of a native plant
eaUed mano del sapo (toad's hand).
The preventive inoculation has beer
an old custom among the natives ol
that region.
. i r . .
NEBRASKA.
'Pa**® comity Is short of coal.
Genova is talking of electric lights.
Chase county will invoko artificial rain,
Clearwater has a pig with tha feet “of •
heaver.”
Kearney’s oat meal mill was started on
Monday.
Tho Evening Record is a new dnilj
paper at Jilair.
Valentine wants a sugar factory and o
starch factory.
Lyons has tho largest camp of Sons of
Veterans in the state.
Ponca has less poverty and suffering
this winter than ever before.
David Jones assaulted Wilt Beckman at
Fremont and fractured his skull.
K. L. Anderson cut W. H. Meeks with a
knife at Eiyria aird tho victim may die.
A German Evangelical church Is to be
dedicated this mouth at Falls City.
Richard Dawson, in jail at Beatrice on
charge of burglary, lins escaped.
O’Neill people arc enthusiastic over the
proposed chicory industry at that place.
O’Neill may buy the electric light plant
there and operate it under tho corpora
tion.
Fritz Barko, a farmer residing four
miles north of Crete, dropped dead with
henrt disease.
Brock is to have a now bank with a capi
tal of #20,000. It will be called the Farm
ers State bank.
Springfield's new opera bouse will be
formally opened Wednesday with a grand
ball and supper.
Fritz Thomas, a 9-yoar-old Fremont
boy, had Ills skull fractured by an ax falh
ing on It, but will livo.
A bichloride of gold company has been
incorporated at Norfolk with an author
ized capital stock of $50,000.
E. D. Stewart, principal of the Ulysses
schools, was arrested on tho charge of un
mere.fully beating his pupils.
Chief of Pollco Dinges, of Lincoln, has
been sued for $5,000 by a woman wlic.
claims to have been arrested without a
warrant
itviiuiiiuiiii iiuuiuu uaunm( uvu^
near Platte Center, has been arrested on 1
tho charge of attempting to kill John
lieagan.
The girl’s Industrial school building at
Geneva Is well along towards completion,
and U said to be admirably arranged foi
Its purpose.
John C. Morrow, the victim of an assault
at Ord on tbe evening of December SO.
died on Friday last Tho murder was the
result of an old feud.
A colored man stealing a ride an a
Union Pacific freight train fell under the
wheels botweon Silver Creek and Duncar
and was killed.
A female swindler Is working the coun
try near Superior selling common salt as
a chemical that will prevent kerosene
from exploding In lamps.
A gasoline stove exploded at Grand
Island while being filled. Dan Flshburn
had one hand severely burned and F. VV.
Vasa was slightly burner}.
The city marshal at West Point tooktwc
young girls, neither of them much more
than 14 years of ago, from a disorderly
house In that town the other day.
A cycling club has been organized at
Chadron with twenty members, and it Is
the intention to hold a tournament 1e
June In conjunction with the band tourna
ment
Tbe Huse Publishing company, of Nor
folk and Ponca, has dissolved. William
Huse, sr., will in future oonduct the Ponca
Journal and W. N. Huse will run the Nor
folk Neva *
Dr. Keeley Is said to be bitterly opposed
Vo tbe establishment of a second institute
for the use of his remedies and methods in
Nebraska, but O’Neill still has hopes of
securing the coveted establishment.
A Webster county real estate man has
placards printed with a blank space In
the middle. Then he has photographs
taken of tho farm he has for sale ana
pastes them on the placards. It is said
these pictures are more satisfactory to
purchasers than the vivid word pictures
in general use.
While temporarily insane, J. S. Love, an
old citizen of Wayne, escaped from his
daughter’s house and wandered around in
the eold until be was so benumbed that
be eould not move. He was discovered
after a protracted search, in an almost
unconscious condition and died a few
hours later.
According to tne independent there is
M opening at Grand Island for a distill*
ery, a mammoth packing house, a starch
factory, a cereal factory, a twine factory,
a glass factory, a paper mill and many
other kindred industries for which that
locality furnishes the raw material in
great abundance and of the finest quality.
A Chadron man bought some dry goods
boxes and was surprised to find in one of
them a number of home-made “ghost
shirts'4 ready to receive the war paint*
Chadron parties sold them cl 95 a piece
soon after the Indian war and the demand
was so great a new supply had to be
made.
Frank Hammond, of Fairbury, went
Hunting, and stuck to the railroad to keep
from trespassing. He came alongside a
patch of timber, where a man was watch*
tng a hole in a tree. He was after a squir
rel. At his suggestion, Hammond got an
ax and chopped out the squirrel. Both
Aten claimed it, but Hammond took it
home. The next day the constable ar
rested him and took him before a justice,
who proved to be the man he had assisted,
vnd also the owner of the land. The jus
tice fined Hammond 91 for trespassing,
and Hammond thinks it a put up joh.
Three accidents to Burlington and Mis
souri Blver railroad e. iployes In one day
are reported from Plattsmouth. D. M.
Milllken, a brakeman, while coupling cars
caught his hand and badly crushed it.
Amputation of some of the fingers was
necessary. Oswald Guthman, an em
ploye at the roundhouse, came near being
run over on the turn table. He jumped to
the pit to save himself and broke his leg
just belaw the knee. Brakemafi Let ford,
of the Llnoolu branch, fell from the top of
a car to a flat car loaded with iron and
broke a leg. *
C. W Allen, who formerly edited the
Chadron Democrat, has gone to Chicago
to endeavor to Induce the railroads to
adopt a stock car whlqh he has recently
patented. A company with a capital of
910,000 has been organised to manufacture
. the oar.
The dock on the First National bank
safe at Harvard remained stationary after
winding Saturday night until the cashier
tried to open the safe Monday morning.
Then it began running, and the bank had
to wait a day before they could get at
their cask
LET’ER 601 SAID M’ELVAINE
The Brooklyn Murderer Displays
Wonderful Nerve.
Reporters Present for the First Time at
an Electrocution In New York-Still
Taking Victims From the
Kulns of the Itojral.
New York, Feb. 8.—Murderer McEl
vaine paid the penalty of his crime to
day. . y
Six reporters witnessed the execu
tion.
A few minutes before 11 o'clock-last
night Warden Brown went to the cell
of the doomed man and read the death
warrant. McElvaino listened to the
reading of tho warrant without any
indication that the document was of
any importance to hizp. lie did not show
any sign of dread of tho doom which
was then fast approaching. Warden
Brown said he never saw such an exhi
bition of nerve. .ilcElvaine slept
soundly until 0 o’clock this morning.
He ate a light breakfast and spent
some time with Father Creeden in
prayer. After the priest left, Keeper
Connnughton entered into the ceii and
asked if McElvaine wantod anything.
“No, I’m all right,” said McElvaine,
“I feel first rate. I am ready to go at
any time.”
Atiio clock the witnesses went Into
the prison and the doors were locked
on them. This was the signal that the
time for tho execution was near at
hand. McElvaine went to his death
calmly. When ho was brought into the
room he looked quickly about and then
fixed his eye on the chair. At a sign
from tho chief keeper bo walked over
to it and unflinchingly sat down.
Then he stared straight ahead of him
as the deputies quickly adjusted the
straps and drew them tight
As the face strap was adjusted McEl
raine grew excited and shouted, “Let
her go!"
Instantly the current of 1,700 volts
was turned on and McElvaine was sil
enced. Steam began to rise from the
salt lister in the sponges on the elec
trodes. Tho current was turned off
and then applied again as in the case
of the previous executions at Sing
Sing.
The first contact was at 11:49 and
was continued for SO}4 seconds. It
was through the head and hands. The
second coutact was 43 seconds later
and was continued for 3G sec
onds between. the two contacts
sounds resembling groans came from
the victim’s lips, but the physicians
state that the man was dead and the
sound was caused by reflex movements
of the chest muscles. After the second
contact there were no sounds or move
ments. The body was at once taken
away to bo dissected.
Charles McElvaine is said to have
been the “toughest” man ever in Sing
Sing. He was sullen, ugly and defiant,
and when he first entered tho prison
he was openly rebellious. One day he
broke his bedstead, and when a keeper
entered the cell the murderer seized
the iron leg of the bed and knocked
the keeper down. It took three men
then to subdue McElvaine. He was
punished and kept in a dark cell for
several days.
McElvaine used to quarrel with the
other convicts, with guards and keep
ers and with everyone who came near
him. When Wood, who was executed
last July, passed McElvaine's cell on
his way to the death chair tho Brook
lyn murderer sang out to him:
“Good by,-you. You’ll get to
bell before 1 da”
He quarreled with his wife when
she visited him in his cell three
days ago, and cursed ner. The
only persons for whom he manifested
any respect are his sister and the two
clergymen, the Revs. Greeden and
Smyth, who have been very faithful in
their visits to him.
McElvaine has been in Sing Sing
over two years His crime was the
murder of Grocer Luca in Brooklyn on
the night of August 32, 1389. He broke
in to the grocer's house and when dis
covered stabbed Luca to death.
BURNING OF THE HOTEL ROYAL
An Appalling Disaster In New York City—
Many Killed and lujurril.
New York, Feb. 8—Sunday morning
the Hotel Royal, that well known
landmark which has stood for more
than a quarter of a century at the
southeast corner of Sixth avenue and
Fortieth street, was burned to the
ground, and a large number of people
were burned, suffocated and crushed
in the ruins.
At the time of the disaster there
were nearly 150 guests in the hotel.
The hotel employes all told number
fifty-five. The scenes were heart ren
dering and appalled even the firemen
and policemen who are used to ter
rible scenes. *
The sixth body to be taken ont of
the ruins of the hotel was found at 0
o'clock this morning. It was appar
ently that of a woman, but was so
badly burned as to make identification
well nigh impossible.
At 0:20 the seventh body was found.
It was that of a man. It was lying in a
mass of ruins and bad evi
dently fallen with a mass
of timber from an upper floor.
At 10 o'clock the eighth body was
found. It was that of a man. It was
lying among the debris in the cellar of
the hotel
How many charred and mangled
bodies are still buried beneath the
ruins is a question of horrible uncer
tainty. Besides the three taken out
this morning five others have been re
covered. Those of U. C. Levy and two
other men and two women, the last
four unidentified.
From a careful examination of the
hotel register and the journal which
was furnished by Clerk Underwood,
the number of persons in the building
when the fire broke out was 153. Of
these eight are known to be dead.
Eighty-one were rescued by the
firemen. and sixty - one are
still missing. Among those who
were rescued from the flaming build
ing are twenty-four who are more or
less seriously burned and bruised. It
is not improbable that a number ol
those who are still among the missing
today may have escaped the frightful
fate which so many are known to have
met, but the thought of the probable
loos is appalling. There are Immense
[ crowds around the ruins and the work
of digging for human remains la
watched with eager interest One
hundred laborers are engaged in the
work, which is going on steadily hour
by hour, it is a difficult matter to re
move the outer surface of the ruins
and get at the interior.
SPURGEON’S FUNERAL.'
Arrangement* That Will Tax HI* Taber
nacle to It* Utmoit Capacity.
London,'Feb. 8.—Spurgeon's funeral
will severely tax even the enormous
capacity of the Metropolitan Taberna
cle on Tuesday. coffin containing
[ the remains will be exposed in the
tabernacle from 7 in the morning till
7 in the evening. Wednesday there
will be a memorial service for the
members of the tabernacle and its or
ganization. Members of the church
will be admitted on presenting the
communion card for 1893, the members
of the tabernacle societies by special
tickets not transferable. At 3 p. m. a
service will bo held for tho ministers
and students of all denominations, and
at 7 p. m. for Christian workers and
church members other than members
of tho tabernacle, and at 10:30 p. m.
for the general public. On Thursday
at 11 a m. there will be a funeral ser
vice, after which the remains will bo
conveyed to Norwood cemetery.
Rev. James Spurgeon said today that
his brother left his family little save
his house and royalities on his publi
cations. The returns from America
are very few, though Spurgeon’s works
tre largely circulated there. Appli
cations for tickets pour in upon tha
committee supplying them and they
were kept busy till 3 o'clock this morn
ing. All denominations will be rep
resented. People who wish to send
flowers have been asked to send money
to the orphanage instead.
OPPOSE STATEHOOD
Utah Liberals Say the Territory Is Not
, Heady for the Dignity.
Salt Lake, Ut., Fob. 8.—The liberal
territoral convention, just held in this
city, comprised upward of 300 leading
citizens of Utah. It adopted a memo
rial to congress against the passage of
tho Teller statehood bill or the Faulk
ner quasi-statehood bill, and declaring
that the territory of Utah was Bcttled
by people who knew nothing of Amer
ican politics and who have never
learned to appreciate or conduct free
institutions. It directs attention to
the brilliant record of the liberal party
—how it has secured legislation
against evils rampant here; and under
these laws some progress has been
made, but not sufficient to justify turn
ing over complete control to those who
so'iong have been hostile, who are yet
imperfectly weaned from their old
ways, and who so little comprehend
the true spirit of Americanism. It
also calls attention to reasonable
doubts of the sincerity of the Mormons
in their present professions of party
division and rejection of polygamy;
represents that the territory is pros
perous nnder its present status, and
asks time for the changes that are go
ing on to become crystallized and
irrevocable before statehood, that can
not be withdrawn when once granted,
no matter how much abused, be con
ferred upon Utah. It resolved to send
to Washington a committee composed
1 of men representing the varied and im
portant interests of Utah to present
this memorial, and to protest before
congress against the passage of the
bills mentioned. The liberals now
have a complete chain of protest against
these bills, from wards, precincts,
cities, counties and the territory at
large. The city election here will
take place today with three tickets
in the field—liberal, democratic and re
publican.
UKIVbN r HUM T rlfc 5EA>
American Freight Vessels a CurLoaltj In
lllne Water—Only Funr of Them Left.
New York, Feb. &—The annual re
port of W. £1 Ferguson, of the New
York produce exchange, is a startling
document to the uninitiated in the
matter of grain carrying between
America and Europe. The report
shows that the American flag is being
being'driven from the seas by the com
petition of British freight carriers.
There were shipped from New York
during 1891 63,223,328 bushels of Ameri
can grain to feed the hungry
mouths of EuroDe. Not included in
this were 260,377 bushels of buckwheat,
which appears in the statistics for the
first time, buckwheat never having
been exported before in any quantity.
Of the 1,238 ship loads only twenty-five
were carried under the American flag.
There are only four American steamers
left in the grain-carrying trade. They
are the old passenger steamers of the
late American line, which used to run
from Philadelphia under the control of
the Pennsylvania railroad. These four
lonesome steamers—about all that is
left of the trans-Atlantic merchant
marine—made twenty-five voyages
during the year. Great Britain has the
lion's share of the world's carrying
trade, and no less than 792 ship loads
left this port under the British flag
last year.
COTTON PLAMTt RS SUICIDE.
The tow Fries of Cottou Causes Several
to Take Theirs Lives.
Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 8.—Farmers
in this section are despeiate over the
low prices of cotton. Farmer 8. Hall,
of Coffee county, on learning last Tues
day that cotton was still declining, set
his crop on fire and then committed
suicide by jumping over a bluff. John
Williams, a farmer of Limestone, took
his seed cotton to Athens to sell, but
because the price offered was so low
he drove to the center of the bridge
crossing Elk river and dumped his load
overboard. The staple is lower here
today than for forty-seven years past.
SILVER BRICK CASE.
The Writ of Mandamus Denied—A Blow to
Free Sliver.
Washington, Feb. 8.—The supreme
court of the District of Columbia has
denied the writ of mandamus in the
celebrated silver brick case to compel
the secretary of the treasury to coin
into silver dollars all silver bullion
presented at tho United States mints.
The decision is construed by those in
corested to be a blow against the free
J toinage of silver.
DANCED THE LINGERIE LILT
An Actress’ Sensational Escapade
in a St. Louis Hotel.
A Footilglit Fairy Arise* From Her
"loamy Coach and Plrouttes In the
1 at Ten In the Morning—
iv Be Bloodshed.
St. ).orris, Feb. 0.—The St. James
hotel, Broadway and Walnut streets,
yesterday morning, was the scene of
in exhibition of immodesty on the part
jf a woman and Indecent conduct on
the part of a colored boy, that is the
talk of the theatrical profession. The
woman in question was an actress, ac
sording to all accounts, and, as a gen
tleman friend of hers is gunning for
tho negro, further developments of a
bloody nature are not improbable.
Every effort was made to keep the un
fortunate occurrence from tho news
papers, but the unceremonious dis
charge of the boy is considered an evi
dence of the merits of the charges.
The city is quite full of strangers at
present, and the larger hotels have a
big patronage. This is one reason why
the troupe to which the victim of the
story belongs took apartments at the
tit. James, it is customary for actors
and actresses to indulge in a more or
less exhilarating luncheon after per
formances are Over, but in this
instance little, if any, time was spent
by those implicated at any of the
down town resorts. On the contrary,
liquid refreshments were partaken of
in considerable quantities in the hotel.
Every now and then the elevator boy
or one of tho bell boys was summoned,
the instructions being to “fetch an
other bottle,” or similar inspiring
phrasca This was continued at irreg
ular intervals from midnight till day
light. and the sounds of revelry on the
third floor were obnoxious to the other
occupants The complaints were not
persistent, and little attention was
paitLto them.
Uow many persons were responsible
for the uproar issuing from the room
can not be proven by eye-witnesses,
but one of them was a woman. Her
gayety increased hour by hour, and
her eyelids were not closed in sleep all
night. Quiet pervaded the corridor
shortly before 10 o’clock for some time,
and the floor appeared pretty mucji
deserted. Suddenly a door opened
quickly and a woman’s figure in snowy
white lingerie emerged. She tottered
with unmistabable unsteadiness, and a
forced laugh and unnatural prattle
showed that she was unaccountable
for her acta She staggered into the
ball, nature’s charms being displayed
to much advantage, and started to
dance up and down the carpeted floor.
The novelty of the overhead capers
caught the ear of the elevator boy,
whose cage was at the lower landing1
place, and prompted by curiosity he
gave the rope a downward whirl. The
lad almost fainted when he neared the
third story, and the sight that met his
dazed eyes was as surprising as it was
interesting. The woman peered
through the grating, and in the most
inviting way asked the boy to stop
The cage was brought to a standstill
after some difficulty and the frightened
employe bbeyed the command to “start
her.” He went up and down several
times, cutting the descent short when
near the ceiling of the ground floor,
and none of the few idlers, as far as
learned, caught a glimpse of the
strange freight. One person did, how
ever.
uonu jonuson, a iddk, si tilling col
ored boy of about 19, who bad charge
of the hat room, was amused and dazed
by turns as he saw the fair occupant of
the elevator. Could it be a ghost?
He did not wait to make inquiries, but
ran up stairs and reached the third
floor just as “my lady” was disembark
ing. She caught sight of the negro,
but ignoring him, commenced another
skirt dance. The boy’s knees . and
hands commenced the involuntary
tapping characteristic of the negro,
and step by step white and black
reached a common center.
. Propriety was forgotten, and in a
jiffy the two encircled one another in
the ballroom fashion. A bacchanalian
dance of a minute’s duration seemed
to revive the woman's nature, but
while between consciousness and un
consciousness of environments the boy
made a criminal move. The woman's
senses seemed to be restored at once
and she recollected in w at a com
promising situation she was. The boy
was hurled from her and she quickly
disappeared from public gaze.
The clerk or porter overheard and
saw part of the sensational demoue
ment, and the culprit was quickly
marched to the counter and there
bodily “fired. ” Although he generally
hangs about Stark's saloon, he was
lost to sight last night He has only
been at the hotel three wfeeks, and not
much is known of him. The manage
ment put all eye-witnesses under obli
gations of secrecy, and no police re
port of the affair will be made.
All the lady actresses now on the
local boards were intervied by a Globe
Democrat reporter, and all deny un
equivocally that they are implicated
In this they are reinforced by fellow
actors and managers
CREATED A SENSATION.
The Call of the Georgia Democratic Com
mittee for Mar. Ii 2.
Washington, Feb. G.—A special from
Atlanta says Chairman Atkinson, ol
the democratic state executive com
mittee. created a sensation by issuing
a call for a meeting of the committee
on March 2 to take immediate action
in calling a state convention to pre
pare for the coming campaign. This
call was accompanied by an interview
in which Chairman Atkinson points
out the necessity for prompt action,' in
view of the growth of the third party.
Unknown Steamer Wrecked.
London, Feb. 6.—A dispatch from
Hughtown, capital of the island of St
Marys, one of the Sicily islands, of!
the southwest coast of England, saya
that Greek steamer Embirlcot has been
wrecked off those Islands Fifteen
members of the steamer’s crew have
landed in safety, but the captain ol
the wrecked vessel and nine of the
crew are missing and it & supposed
that they have been drowned.
NICARAGUA CANAL,
Sensational Report! of th» «**-TII_ ^
Work on the Ditch Dem*? -
Saw Francisco, CaL.Feb. 8._c,„,, •
William L. Merry, ex-presid.^*?*
San Francisco chamber of com
was seen regarding the statem,^
made by B. T. Sparks, who has *
turned from Manoga. to the effect th»
work on the Nicaraguan canal £2
ceased. Captain Merry i» the loo,,
agent for the Nicaraguan government
and is also interested in the d
velopment of the canal He
the statement that work on the can ,
has ceased is incorrect The construct,
ion company does not profess to £
doing extensive work on the can.!
pending the neogotiation of their Jz
curities in Europe, or until their CoT
tract had been passed upon bv on*
gress. "But my advices from the diT
trict engineer in December last showed
that there were over .400 men on th?,
pay roll at that time, and that work
was progressing steadily if siowl_
The company has a concession from
Nicaragua for 100 years. Under the
terms thereof they were required to
expend 83,000,000 in work the first
year. According to the report of the
board appointed by that government
nearly 83,000,000 was expended by the
company, and the government not only
approved the work of construction ia
complying with the requirements of
the concession, but granted another
extension of ten years in addition to
that originally fixed for the completion
of the work and operating of the canal
Over 85,000,000 of the *12,000,000 of
capital stock of the company has been
expended in the work, which has been
economically managed and been pro
ductive of good results
“A. G. Menocal, representative of
the construction company, is now in
London, effecting the disposal of *100,
000,000 in bonds and 890,000,000 on
stock of the canal company, and pend
ing the disposal of these securities and
action of congress, which must necev
sarily modify the company’s projects,
the latter is unwarranted in making
any extensive improvements My idea
is that these statements detrimental to
the company have come from persons
interested in the numerous railroads
projected or constructed in the terri
tory adjacent to the canaL Such roads,
far from being a hinderance to the
canal, would develop the country and
commerce and would act as feeders to
the canal, and vice versa. It is confi
dently anticipated that the local trade
of Nicaragua alone will, within a few
years after the construction of the
canal, pay for its maintenance, and I
can say tltat, failing favorable action
by the United States congress, Eng
land stands ready to take up the
work."
“POLO JIM'S” CAKE WALK
Experts Throughout the Country to Meet
in Madison Square Garden.
New York, Feb. 8.—The next novelty
to be sprung on New Yorkers is a cake
walk for the championship of the
United States. It will take place in
Madison Square garden on February
17. "Polo Jim” will manage the de
tails, and it is expected that 125
couple will take part in the affair.
The competitors will Include the most
noted cake walk experts in America,
and as the first prize is to be a grand
piano the struggle will no doubt de
relop an ease and grace of carriage
never seen before in a similar contest
It is hinted that a southern couple who
hare carried everything before them at
eake walks in the sunny clime will go
there to win the piano and the New
York walkers are lnr a flurried state oi
mind in consequence. The judges will
be selected from the Manhattan and
New York athletic clubs. Polo Jim is
a medium-sized man and dark com
blexioned. He wears small side whis
kers and a smile as broad as Abe Lin
coln's charity. He obtained his title
in 1876 from personal attendance upon
James Gordon Bennett while he was
playing polo. He now fills the envia
ble and dangerous position of starter's
assistant at the race tracks. His ad
mirers cheerfully say they expect to
see him trampled to death some day.
The coming walk under his manage
ment is not international, because cake
walkers are not known outside of the
United States.
POE'S COTTAGE.
The Poet’s House Going to DecnyAn Ey«
Sore to Aristocratic Neighbors.
New Yobs, Feh. A—It looks as if tbs
famous little wayside cottage at Ford*
bam, just on the outskirts of New York
CHy, where Edgar Allan Poe lived
during 1846-47, and wrote some of hi*
best works, will soon be a thing of the
past. Until last autumn the cot
tage had been kept in comparatively
good repair by a widow—a woman of
culture—who took great pride in
the place, and lived in the house
But the lady moved away on account
of ill-health, and a “To Let” signi is
now tacked on the cottage The
wealthy neighboring residents now
look upon the little pastoral home as
as eye-sore, and are tired answering
the many questions constantly askeu
regarding it. The cottage looks for
saken; the doors are barred; across
the windows are nailed boards, an
everything about the place is g°jn»
into decay. As it was opened
few days ago, there was a mssty an
damp smell about every room. The tin
floor is giving way, and the grou
beneath exhales a malarial dampne.
through the room where Poe wrote,a
even the humblest people will not *
in the house, owing to its unheal .
condition. I was told that the P‘a®
still visited by nearly a thousand P
pie each year during the spring, *
mer and autumn months, and e .
thing is pointed out; the room w
Poe wrote his “Annabel Lee.
where, on January 30, 184".
leased his child wife, Virginia <■> '
from her period of suffering. *
historic pastoral [.cottage has ®e it
day, aud with the march of Prof tcnc0
will be demolished, and its exi ^
serve only as a memory, and to oo
of by the “oldest Inhabitant
years to coma
c ■ » ,r
He Stayed at Home.
Aunty—Why don’t you stay a‘ “
some times and play with y°nr 6
Little Boy—Oh, I do—oft*”
W’en soma hoy wants t lick