THE OLD E03IAN GONE
DEATH OF ALLEN C. THURMAN.
OF OHIO. "
:Je rsM Away at the .RJpe Afire of 82
War. Konjf in Poor Health. Bat, "Sot
for omr Time, Conidered Seriously
Mk The Many Responsible Positions
to Which He Had Iteen Called.
Ieath.of Allen G. Tharman.
Ci.umbu5. Ohio, Dec. - 1. Ex-Senator
Alien G. Thurman died very
sudUci ly at 1:1-1 o'clock this afternoon,
lie had Jong been in bad health, but
his iilcess had not been regarded as
dangerous for some time.
, Mr. "-Thurman -was 82 - years old
November 13, but his health was such
at that time-that- for the first-time in"
years there was no public celebration
here in honor of the "Old Roman." "
- - Judge Thurman's death is directly
traceable to an accident November 1.
In walking- from his room to the
library he tripped in some unaccount
able manner . and fell heavily to the
floor. He 'did improve to some ex
tent, but a werk after the accident he
suffered a relate and since then it
had been realized among1 his family,
that his days were numbered.
Mr. Thurroan'i Career. .--
"The. Old., Hum an,' as Jlr.. Thurman
wiil ever be reverently and affection
ateiy remembered by his political ad-inirt-r.s.
came of a proud old Virginia
fa-niiy. He was.. born - November-13,
lsia, in Lynchburg1, his father being a
minister of the Methodist church,
liut his father became early in life
impress-fed against slavery and he dis
posed of his colored help. In 1819 the
father removed., with -.his-family --to
Chili icoihe, Ohio, where he secured
employment as a school teacher, and
hi- sou became one of his pupils.--Later
vluhl' Alien attended the Chil-
licoUie higa school, and afterward
was a ktudcut in the academy of that
town.- lie - was proficient in all his
studies, but especially advanced in
mathematics, on which account he
was kr-A-n arnong his school fellows
:---VViiiangle triangled Thurman."
Mr. Thuruian's mother was the half.
sUter of Williaux Allen, who-, durine
Lis life served in the House of Iiepre-t-entatives
in Congress, 1832, jn. the
Senate in Congress ,1837-1849, and as
governor of Ohio, lo'f4-l878, and in 1818
refused " the Democratic- Presidential
uominati n for the reason that he was
committed to the support of General
lewis Case, who was subsequently
nominated by the convention and de
feated. Mrs. Thurman was a woman of
remarkable ability and learning1, and
did much toward the instruction of
her son and the guidance of his early
life. - -
At the age of la young Thurman at
tached himself to a land surveying
corp- and thoroughly mastered the
mathematical side of that science dur-7
ing the three j'ears he pursued it. In.
Irs 24, ju?t when he had attained the
age to qualify, Governor Lucas ten
dered him the office of private secre
tary, which he accepted, entering. at.
the same time as a student at law in
the oliice of his uncle, William Allen,
completing his studies subsequently in
the ofiice of the afterward . distin--guished
.luJge Swayne. After his ad
minion to the bar young Thurman
returned" to Chillicothe and entered
into partnership with his uncle, with
the result that he soon acquired one of
the bet-t praetices-in JJhio, his uncle
having practically abandoned the pro
fession when he entered politics
Mr. Thurman entered politics in
li-ii when he was nominated for Con
gress by the Democratic convention ot
his district, and was elected, entering
the House of Representatives Decem
ber 1, Ie-45, .as its youngest member.
He declined a renomination and con
tinued to practice at the bar until
1-.11. when he was elected to the Su
preme court of the State, in which
service he remained four years, during
trie last two years of the time being
cnief justice. At the end of this term
he resumed practice, which he con
tinued until 1G7, when he was unan
imously nominated by the Democratic
convention for the otiice of governor.
His opponent in this campaign, one of
the most exciting in the history of the
State, was Rutherford l. Hayes. Mr.
Thurman was defeated, but he cut
down the normal Republican majority
in the State from 40.000 to 3.000.
The Legislature beingelected at the
hacic vote being Democratic, however,
Mr. Thurman was chosen United
States Senator to take the place of
llenjanin F. Wade and be took his
seat March 4. 1G'J, there being at the
time only seven Democrats in the
body. His ability was at once recog
nized, his speeches on the Geneva
award bill and on the Pacific railway
funding bill, especially attracting
public notice and applause. He served
two terms in the Senate with great
distinction and honor, closing the
twelve years period on March 4, 181,
with a reputation which stood among
the highest for judicial fairness, dig
nity and strength in debate, especially
on questions of constitutional law and
for patriotism and probity.
Thurston's Pacific Bill
Washington, Dec. 3 3." Senator
Thurston of Nebraska to-day intro
duced a bill for the settlement of the
I'ac.'.'c railroads debts. It provides
for the sale of the Government inter
est in both the Union and Central Pa
cific railroads July l, iS'Jtj, to the
iiigjiest bidder, and that there be no
s,ale unless thj bid be at least 60 per
cent of the Government's interest.
Tne bill is very long .and devoted
mainly to the details of -the transfer
and manner of sale.
uepcrts rrom New York say that the
Heine fountain is still out of site.
Sa s i kaxcisco, 13, The attor
ney for Theodore Durrant moved for a
wri of probable car.se in order to pre
vent the prisoner's removal from the
county jail to the State prison at San
Onentin. The court denied the mo
tion and subsequently signed Dur
ranfs death warrant, fixing Friday,
February 21, as the date of the execu
tion. ...
NEWS IN BRIEF.
Mrs. D. B. Culberson, mother of the
: ........ ... rr x ,j i
Dr. and Mrs. Levy Kahn were struck
1
r V A train at Mil fnrA IwiA anA lr!l la!
- -KANSAS CHOIU.S.
Topeka Wildly Excited Over the Grave
Kobberie Militia Under " Arms.
:TrjEKA, .-Jvnn.., Dec. . 13. Governor
Morrill last night called- out Battery
B of the State militia, stationed here,
to protect the Kansas Medical College,
which was threatened by a mob. He
also, wired - Captain McClure-of ,tho
trooDs at Lawrence to "hold his sol
diers in-Teadiness to take the first
train for Topeka. Chief of Police
John Wilkerson stationed a squad of
patrolmen, in charge' of Sergeant
Frank Ellison, about the college, and
a sheriffs posse was also placed on
duty. The Governor retired toward
midnight, having notified Captain Mc
Clure that his services . would not be
required.
The trouble was caused by the dis
covery; la the dissecting-room of the
college of the bodies of three women,
which had been - stolen from cemeteries-in
the "vicinity of" Topeka. One
body was that of O. C. Van 'Fleet's
wife, -another was that of A. L. Dake's
wife, and the third was that of Mrs
Patrick Lillis. The cases of the first
two named haye beeriv previously re
ported. I
-
- The Dody of Mrs. Liilis was identi
fied" by .her son, John-Lillis, at o
o'clock last evening. The husband of
the dead woman is foreman of Santa
Fe blacksmith shop at Argentine. Mrs.
Lillis was buried last, Friday. When
her son read about stolen bodies at the
college he feared for the safety of his
mother. In company with Father
Hayden. ' the" well-known Catholic
priest, he wen; to the cemetery to
make arrangements to have the grave
guarded, lie noticed that the mound
had been disturbed. The grave was
opened and the coffin was found to be
empty..- 'Lillis-went to" the 'office of
-Justice Guy and obtained a warrant to
.search the college. The- -result - was
that he found a mutilated body which
he identified as that of his mother.
The city was already greatly excited
on account of the previous discoveries
and the news of the Lillis case, which
spread like wildfire, was the signal for
a general outpouring of the populace.
The streets were thronged by. angry
men, who made threats against the
college and those connected with it.
The authorities were alarmed by the
crowd, and steps were promptly, taken
to prevent'an outbreak.- Deputy Sher
iff Tom Wilkerson," in the absence of
Sheriff Dave Burge, called, upon , the
Govern or .fori assistance, which was
granted as stated. - .-.
. Date and" Lillis are members- of the
A O. U. W. A- mass, meeting of the
eight lodges of the order had been
called to consider the Dake case.
Nearly 2,000 members were present.
Ci A. Starbird was chosen" chairman,
and J. W. Gibbons" secretary. The
Lillis case was announced upon the
organization - of- the -meeting. This
added fuel to the flames.- Men growled
in --their" anger and became demon
strative, but cool heads "were in the
audieace and good order was main
tained. Speeches denouncing theout
rages were made. A. committe com
posed of Judge Ensminger, S. C
Miller, A. C. Siler, T. A. Beck, H. T.
Davis, Charles M. Brown, B. A. Wilson
and II. L Fletcher was appointed to
draft resolutions.
Probably 2,000 men, mostly railroad
employes, stood in the street in front
of the hall while the meeting was in
progress. When those who partici
pated in the meeting- came ont and
went their respective .ways" in .a quiet
manner, the crowd outside took up the
cue and dispersed.
A M ISSIONARY TO U R.
Contributors to the Work Will Visit
Stations in the Orient.
New York, Dec. 13. A unique and
interesting pilgrimage to both home
and foreign missionary workers is soon
to be made' by the representatives of a
number of wealthy contributors to
missionary work.- It will be under
the auspices and- guidance of the Eev.
Dr. Henry M. Field. It is to en
able persons interested in missionary
work. to know, by actual observation
exactly how the missionary conducts
his labors that the trip is to be made.
The party will not exceed twenty,
all told, and will start for Japan, via
San Francisco, about April 10, and
will be absent several months. The
tour will be under . the immediate di
rection of Messrs A. D. Thompson
nTJI..lL Elliott. The itinerary will
include typical stations in the home
missionary work, giving the members
of the "party, as they cross the conti
nent, object lessons in the evangeliza
tion of the negr-, the Spanish-American,
the Mormon and the Chinese.
To Punish Train Robbery.
Washington-, Dec 1 1. Represent
ative Uroderick of Kansas has intro
duced severalbills which are of great
interest to the West. One touches
upon the federal punishment of a
train robbery in all" United States ter
ritorial reservations. " The bill makes
it a felony to shoot at or into any lo
comotive, caboose, coach or car of any
train,-or to throw any rock or other
missile at a train, or to derail or forci
bly obstruct a train at any place with
in the- exclusive jurisdiction of the
United States or in the Indian reserva
tions. This does not save the criminal
from more severe punishment if any
person is killed or injured severely by
the train robbery or wrecking.
Reformers In Convention.
Washington, Dec. 13. The Nation a
Civil Service Reform League began its
annual meeting at the Cosmos Club
tcfday with; an -unusually large at
tendance of "delegates. The morning
sessions are "private; but the afternoon
sessions are open to those who desire
to hear -the papers and addresses on
civil service reform topics. President
Carl Schurz of the league will deliver,
the annual addres& - - "- - v" Z . -
' .Got au Oklahoma Divorce..
Perry, Ok., Dec. 13. Delphin Mc
Leod Cobb, a wealthy manufacturer of
Brooklyn, N. Y., was granted a dt-
I vorce here yesterday from his wife,
t-ncBDe AL-uobb. The plaintiff is a
nephew of Congressman George T,
Cobb, of N ew Jersey.
Billy Myer Knocked Ont.
J zrFEBSOWiLLE, Ind., Dec. 13.
Billy Myer, known as the Streator
Cyclone, and Tommy Stuart, of Henry
ville. foucht seven rounds neir
f last night for a purse and gate re-
ceipis. Mnjer was icnocicea out.
.ST XOTJIS GETS IT.
AND JUNE 16 IS THE TIME AN
NOUNCED. When mnd Where the Next National Re
publican Convention Will lie Held It
4 Required Five Ballots to Reach a De
cision One Half Hoar Given Delegates
to Present the Claims of Their Respec
tive Cities.
At St. Lonis In Jane.
Washington, Dec 11. On tne fourth
. ballot St. Louis was selected as the
place for holding the next Republican
convention and June 16 as the date.
Washington, Dec il. The Repub
lican politicians assembled early in
force at the Arlington hotel this morn
ing to pull convention wires and in
cidentally to promote the interests of
their several Presidential candidates.
There was nearly as much talk about
candidates as about which city would
win the prize.
Shortly before 10 o'clock the poli
ticians gathered in the flag draped
banquet hall of the hotel, and were
seated in a semi-circle, with members
of the National committee in the cen
ter. At 10:30 o'clock Chairman Carter
rapped the meeting to order and the
roll of committeemen was called.
There was no response when several
States were called, the absentees be
ing Alabama, California, Delaware,
District of Columbia. Kentucky, Mis
sissippi. Missouri. New York, North
Dakota and Wyoming, but it was said
that there were committeemen or
proxies for most of these States in the
city. Alaska had a representative.
Chairman Carter asked the delegates
to agree to a - half hour limit for pre
senting the claims of their cities.
General Butterfield for New York re
sponded: "It will take but a very brief
time for New York to demonstrate her
superiority" and representatives of
other cities agreed to the limit sug
gested -
Powell Clayton of Arkansas moved
that delegations be heard in alpha
betical order by states. His motion
was carried.- '
At this point Chairman Carter said
that he was not accustomed to notice
the many "silly, unfounded and ma
licious stories" put afloat at times with
a purpose to arouse prejudices and ex
cite ill feeling. But a reflection had
been made on the members of the Na
tional committee and they had been
placed before the country in an un
enviable position. "Undei such cir
cumstances." he went on emphatically,
"I desire to state in" behalf of this
committee that at no time, under no
circumstances, directly or. indirectly,
has any person or persons urged that
the good graces . of this committee
should be influenced by- any mercen
ary considerations' whatever. "
There was a ripple of applause at
this announcement. Mr. Carter pro
ceeded to state that geographical ' con
siderations largely influenced the feel
ings of the committee. Aside from
this, the only purpose of the commit
tee was to consult the purposes and
requirements of a great gathering and
to make a choice based wholly on fit
ness. The preliminaries over, the oratory
began. General N. P. Chipman of
California was introduced by M. IL
De Young to present the Golden Gate's
claims. Samuel Allerton and Mayor
Swift did the same for Chicago. St
Louis was urged by Mayor Walbridge,
ex-Congressman Frank and S. M. Ken
rard, and then New York attractions
were set forth by General Daniel But-
terfield and Murat nalstead. .Then
Pittsburg,- the ' last of the big four,
had her case urged by Representative
Dilzell. .
The speech making closed by Repre
sentative William A. Stone seconding
Dalzell's renresentation of Pittsburg's
claim., and then the committee ad
journed until 2 o'clock, "when ballot
ing was begun.
Each of the cities was prepared to
offer the Republican ; . committee
enough and more than enough to pay
off the old debts of the committee.
This debt is variously placed at from
$32,000 to $.)4.000.. Pittsburg has a
fund of S75.O00 subscribed, St. Louis
and Chicago have $."r, 000 each and
ban Francisco is said to have S200,0:0
and more if money will avail. Each
city declares that it will pay anything
in reason to secure the convention.
The Reed' influence was S3id to be
secretly . against Chicago. The Reed
feeling was declared to be that Chicago
was a hostile territory, and that any
other place would be preferable.
Pittsburg would be satisfactory but
for.the discovery that that town was
saturated with. McKinley sentiment.
Simultaneous with that discovery
came the disclosure of lack of hotel
accommodations. .. San Francisco be
ing - geographically , impracticable,
Chicago supposedly hostile, and Pitts
burir dangerous. St. Louis was picked
out as the most neutral point in sight
bv the Reed men.
. . Reconstruction of the ; Pension Roll. .-. .
Washington, Dec 11. Congressmen
Bailey of Texas,, proposes during
the present session to make a deter
mined effort to bring about a recon
struction of the pension rolL He has
introduced a bill " iri Congress which
provides that no person siiall be en
titled to receive any pension from the
Government of the United States who
has, independently of such pension, a
net annual income of $500 or. more, or
who owns "property to the value of
3,000 or more . The names of all per
sons having such income or property
of the value stated and who are . now
receiving a pension fror- he Govern
ment are to be stricter jra the rolls.
Stricken Dead While Driving.-
Wakeensbubg, Mo., Dec 11. A. M.
Zimmerman, aged 79 years, wealthy
and influential, died of apoplexy while j
driving yesterday. He was a large,
stockholder in light and water plants
and owned a business block in War
rensburg and property in Harrisburg,
Pa.
Small Cotton Crop. ;
Washington,- Dec LI The Decem
ber report of the Department of Agri
culture, issued to-day, makes the cot
ton crop 67.3 per cent of last Tears, mr
. ITS. 000 bales.
IMPEACHMENT DEMANDED
Two Massachusetts Congressmen Sensa
tionally Attack Ambassador Byard.
Washington, Dee. 11. Soon after
the House assembled to-day, Mr. Mc
Call of Massachusetts offered a reso
lution calling upon the President to
report to the Ilouc whether he had
taken any steps to ascertain whether
reports of speeches that Ambassador
Bayard had delivered in England and
Scotland were true, and if true, what
steps, if any, had been taken to recall
or censure Mr. Bayard.
Mr. McCreary of Kentucky immedi
ately objected to consideration.
Mr. Barrett of Massachusetts, came
forward with a question of privilege
and sending to the clerk's desk had
read a resolution for the impeachment
of Mr. Bayard.
Both resolutions complained of Mr.
Bayard's reflections on America's pro
tective system, as state socialism, and
his reference to the United States
needing a "real man" like Cleveland
to govern a "a strong self-confident
and oftentimes violent people." The
Barrett resolution declared" these ut
terances were in manifest disregard of
the proprieties: and calculated to in
jure the national reputation and
directed the foreign affairs committee
to examine "the utterances in that
speech and to draft and report articles
of impeachment to the House.
Mr. Crisp of Georgia objected to the
Barrett resolution as not privileged,
but S eaker Reed overruled him and
Mr. Barrett made a brief speech de
claring that Mr. Bayard sought to
aggrandize, his party at the expense
of his country and citing the senate's
action in Van Buren's case as justify
ing his resolution.
Mr. Crisp defended Mr. Bayard and
accused the Republicans of simply
wishing to air their protective theo
ries, lie defied them to pass another
tariff bill
There was a sharp colloquy between
Mr. Crisp and Mr. Dingley of Maine,
the latter declaring that Mr. Bayard
had . violated his duty in denouncing
half of his countrymen, and when Mr.
Crisp pressed him hard to know if he
believed Mr. Bayard's words were im
peachable, Mr. "Dingley replied that,
in his opinion they were, but the pol
icy of doing so he (Dingley) doubted.
The first vote on the Rarret resolu
tion came on a motion by Mr. Crisp to
refer it to the judiciary committee,
The motion being defeated on a rising
vote of eighty to 20G. The Republican
plan was to eliminate the reference to
impeachment and them send the reso
lution to the committee on foreigD
affairs.
THE SANTA FE SOLD.
The Great System livings Sixty Million
Dollars.
Topeka, Kan., Dec. 11. Probably
1.000 people were assembled on the
platform of the railroad tracks in
front of the Topeka passenger station
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
railroad at 2 o'clock this afternoon,
when John B. Johnson, special master
in chancery in the celebrated receiver
ship case, appeared to sell at auction
the company's vast system of railroad
pursuant to the .decree of the United
States Circuit court of August 27 last.
Judge Johnson took a stand in the
stairway leading to the dining room
of the passenger station. Back of him
were the visiting lawyers and bond
holders or their agents, and W. H.
Rossington, Charles Blood Smith, and
other notables of Topeka who had
had a hand in the litigation. To his
left stood Edward King, who was des
ignated by the reorganization com
mittee to bid in the property. Close
by were Mrs. Johnson and Miss Mabel
Johnson, and not far away George R.
Peck, who for so many years was con
nected with the road.
When Special Master in Chancery
Johnson announced to the assembled
multitude that he was about to sell
the property to the highest bidder and
had begun to read the federal court's
decree, of foreclosure and order
of sale and his own published
notice of sale, he was interrupted
by Fuller & Whitcomb, a local law
firm, with a notice which they read
on. behalf of the minority bondholders
of the St. Louis and San Francisco
protesting against the sale. The
crowd stood silent and Mr.' Johnson
listened respectfully " while the pro--test
was read, and then proceeded
with his appointed duty.
Judge Johnson was not equal to the
ta..k of reading the notice of sale
throughout. In twelve minutes his
voice failed and he turned the paper
over to W. n. Rossington who read
eight minutes, and then was relieved
by another, and so on until the read
ing was concluded.
The Santa Fe road was then sold
for SG0,000,000 to Edward King, repre
senting the new company. His was
the" only bid, and the master declared
the property f-old.
INDIAN OLA TERRITORY.
Hill to Provide a Government for the
Five Civilized Tribes.
. Washington, Dec 11. Senator Ber
ry and Representative Little of Arkan
sas introduced a-duplicate bill in the
Senate and House to provide a tempo
rary government for the five civilized
tribes country, the proposed territory
to be known as "Indianola."
The usual executive officers are pro
vided for, .together with a legislature.
It is proposed that the country shall
be divided into twenty-one counties,
with county seats as follows: South
McAlester, Atoka," Oak Lodge, Tali
hina, Wheelock, Antlers, Tishomingo,
Stonewall, Ardmore, Wynnewood,
Duncan." Chickasha,. Nowata, Clare-more.-
Vinita,. Talequah, Muldrow,
Muscogee. Sapulpa, Wewoha and Che
cotah, and it is also provided, that the
county seats may at any time, be
changed by the territorial legislature.
The town of South ; McAlester is made
the temporary capital of the territory.
Insane Pastor Preaching In a Swamp.
Atlantic Highlands, N. J., Dec ll
Rev. B. C Lippincott, pastor of the
M. E. church here, started for the
Foresters Lodge ' on Saturday night,
and did not return at the expected
hour. He acted" strangely ' before his
departure. ' Edward Johnson .and
George CL: Henry found him knee deep
in a swamp between Bedford and Port
Monmouth, half a mile from his home.
Be was preaching a sermon to a flock
of birds. He was taken home and pnt
under the care of a physician. The
cause of his mental disorder is at
tributed to overexertion in the pulpir
HANGED AT MIDNIGHT
HAYWARD PAYS THE PENALTY
ON THE CALLOWS.
He Makes No Confession bat Hopes God
Will Forgive Him for All the Harm He
.IIii Kver Done The Condemned
Laughs and Jokes on His Approaching:
Kxecution His Statement on the 8caf
' fold
Harry Hay ward Hung.
'Minneapolis, Minn., Dec 12. Hay
ward was hanged at 2:05 o'clock this
morning. He made a statement of five
minutes' duration, and while not mak
ing a confession, said he hoped God
would forgive him for all the harm he
had ever done. Before dark last night
morbid crowds had assembled in the
vicinity of the jaiL There was noth
ing to see except the gray walls, and
the occasional opening of the heavy
doors to admit some officials, yet they
lingered in the vicinity, waiting for
the tragic event. At midnight the
throng numbered several hundred.
The murderer went to the gallows
with a laugh on his lips and went
down with the trap just as he uttered
the words lightly: "Let her go. Me
garden." The command was directed
to the chief deputy. Prior to the ex
ecution the condemned man main
tained the nerve which has made him
famous. He took his last supper
shortly after 1 o'clock and was sur
rounded by the deputies and the death
watches. Just before the death war
rant was read Hayward turned to his
brother, Dr. Thaddeus Hayward, and
said: You know I am a great be
liever in spiritualism. If I get safely
on the other side I will send a mes
sage to you. '
At 2 o'clock Hay ward listened to the
reading of the warrant. Soon after
Sheriff Holmberg entered and the
condemned man said earnestly: 'I
want to ask you a last favor. Please
let me pull the trap. It will save you
lifelong anxiety and will give me
eternal satisfaction." The sheriff re
plied: "I cannot do it, Harry. I
know my duty."
On the scaffold Harry made an ex
tended statement. He said that to
please the several pastors who had
called upon him he would say: "God
forgive me for what I have done."
This is looked upon as a confession.
The trap fell at 2:10 and the wonder
ful vitality of the man was shown by
the fact that he lived for several mo
ments after the trap fell. His neck
was broken
Hay ward's swell dinner, the "las t
supper," as he profanely expressed it ,
was served according to his desire
shortly after 10 o'clock, and he par
took of it with apparent relish. Rev.
Father Timothy arrived shortly after
not upon the summons of the con
demned man, but in case that at the
last moment a desire should be ex
pressed -by tne hitherto unrepentant
man for a spiritual adviser.
During the evening Hayward laughed
and joked on his approaching ex
ecution. As Captain hand berg was
covering the windows of the jail
looking into the alley, Harry noticed
him, and shouted:' That's right;
block out the gaping crowd.
There will . be visitors after 5
o'clock in the morning. People wish
ing to see me will have to call at the
morgue, as I intend to change my
quarters," and he laughed as he said
it. To the newspaper men he said:
"I would like to see the account of
how this thing came out and about
my actions on the scaffold," and again
he laughed as if he were going to a
-picnic instead of to his death.
December Crop Report.
Washington, Dec 12. The Decem
ber returns to the statistical division
of the department of agriculture re
late principally to farm prices Decem
ber 1.
The farm price of corn averages 26.7
cents, against 45.6 cents last year.
The average price of wheat is 53. z
cents per bushel, against 49.8 cents
last year; of rye, 43.7 cents, against
60.5 cents last year; of oats, 20.5 cents,
against 32.9 cents last year; of barley,
35.4 cents, against 44.3 cents last year;
of buckwheat, 40.2 cents, against 56.2
cents last year.
The returns show the average price
of hay to be $9.38 per ton, against
S3. 35 same date last year. The aver
age price of tobacco is returned at 6.6
cents, against 6.7 cents last year. The
price of potatoes on the farm is re
ported at 28.8 cents per bushel, against
55.5 cents last year.
The condition of winter wheat on
December 1, averaged, for the coun
try, 81.4 per cent, against 89 per cent
last year and 91.5 per cent in 1S93.
In the principal winter wheat states
the percentages are as follows: Ohio,
74; Michigan, 79; Indiana, 60; Illinois,
79; Missouri, 76; Kansas, a0; Nebraska,
90; California, 102.
The returns make the acreage of
winter wheat just sown 104.6 per cent
of that harvested in 1S95. This esti
mate, which is preliminary to the com
pleted - estimate of June next, there
fore, makes the area sown for the har
vest of 1$96. 23,647,000 acres.
Speaker Reed Finding- Much Trouble in
Placing- the New Members.
Washington, Dec J2. There seems
to be n- possibility now that the com
mittees of the house will be announced
this week and the house may adjourn
to-morrow until Monday. -
Speaker Reed has experienced more
difficulty than was anticipated in
making up the membership of the
committees, owing to his lack of per
sonal acquaintance with the new
members, of whom there are 163.
From a source close to the speaker,
the information is. given out to-day
that the committees will probably not
be announced until the latter part of
next week, just before the Christmas
holiday recess.
BAYARD. WILL NOT TALK.
British Newspaper Men Unable to Secure
Statements About Rarrett's Attach. .
London, Dec 12. Tho United States
embassy was besieged early to-day by
newspaper reporters anxious to obtain
the views of Ambassador Bayard upon
the demand for his impeachment made
in the House of Representatives at
Washington by Congressman William
E. Bar ett of Massachusetts. All at
tempts to Induce Mr. Baj'ard or his
staff to discuss the matter failed,
while the British officials also declined
to make any statements.
a rKiMisrn: GROCER.
Iranian tUreTW U'utuS Depravity.
i firm; iiieve iu the ntal depravity-
w human nut urn," ivinnrlied ua
fuiat. side gi'ot'eryui-in itj oiu of iiiri cus
tomers . In tho honring of a Kansas
City Star reporTer.
'W11, I don't agree with you," was
the response. "Why are you so out of
sorts with all the world":"
"Nothing more nor less-Jthan this,"
replied the irate man, "fortbe past
two weeks the egg box fcasbeeri rol
bed and we-couldn't find out "who did
it. This morning a. young hopeful of
five came in with an order from his
mother. "While filling the order 1 kept
a close watch on the youngster. In
stepping back to the money drawer,
he thought 1 was out of sight and
slipped three eggs into his pocket. I
came back, gave him the change and
packace. and then I started home with
the boy. I honestly thought his moth
er should know that her boy was a
thief, and would willingly correct him.
, When we reached the .door Mrs. J.
met Us. and I stated the case squarely
Mid tirmlv. What did that jwoman do
but laugh laughed until ...you could
have heard her a block away.
" 'Well, now.' she said, 'ain't that jest
too cute. Johmsy's been a-going with
Georgie and I reckon he learned it
from him. 'cause he's been selling
country egsrs "round on the avenue
litelv." Mv 'Johnny's awful smart, he
is.'
"Madam (I was angry by. this tune
explained the groceryirmn) your b.v Js
a thief and nothing else.- and you
should whip him or in some way make
him obey the law while he is young."
Whip mv Johnny:' ejaculated the
mother. Wo. sir: 1 wont whip the
dear, and his p:i won't, nuther. 'cause
Jolinnv done broke his leg six months
n-o No. sir, our lv's too smart to be
licked.' and with that she banged the
door in mv face. I repeat my former
statement to you. I lielieve in tV " toviJ.
dipravity of human nature. -
, A FAMOIS PAPER.
Made at Oxford, and It Secret
Khomi. to Only Three I'erun-
The printing house conducted by tuc
monks of Nen ville Moiitreuil-sur-Mer,
in the Fas de Calais province, m th
north of France, where th whole of
the service books of the Carthusian
order, for use throughout the world,
are printed, is unique. Copies of these
works cannot be purchased; they are
only issued to members of the :rder.
They are most beautiful productions,
printed on the finest paper, whicu is
hand-made, bearing the water-mark
of the order. They are made in all
sizes, from royal folio to smaller royal
quarto, in red and black type, with
music and initial letters. The monks
of this establishment also cast their
own type and bind their own books,
and carry out all' the different branch
es, even to designing their own let
ters, wood engraving and photo-typography.
The university press of Ox
ford is not only one,pf. the .most. re
markable printing establishments - in
the world, but also one of the oldest.
It makes its own type and its own
ink. makes its oii paper, and so on.
The famous Oxford India paper is a
marvel of compression and strength,
and the Reeret of its manufacture is
known only to three iersons. From
no printing press in the world are so
many l.noo.om of eat h Bibles and
pras'er looks, issued annually, and
types are set up in 31! foreign lan
guages and dialects.
PARTED II Y A CIGAK.
I
A Hair-Smoked Weed Kffeets an
Estrangement Between Lover.
Not often is a cigar the cause of an
estrangement between lovers. This is
a tine tale, related, by the Tobacco
Leaf. At one of the colleges of mu?ic
in the West a physician was called in
to prescribe for one of the pupils. As
he was leaving, another pupil bogged
for the halfburnt cigar he held. With
a laugh and jest he gave it bvher. She
laid it in a conspicuous place on th
parlor mantel. After a while the lover
called. As she had intended, he no
ticed the half-burnt cigar, and instantly
concluded that the other man must be
on a very familiar footing to bring his
weed naif smoked into the lady's pres
ence. His call was brief, and he never
returned. When the thoughtless girl
realized that he had taken her joke so
seriously she wrote him, telling him
how it happened. But the young man
believes the letter a ruse to cover co
quetry, and declares he never again
will seek her company.
Varied Climate in South America
A Philadelphian recently ret -.i rued
from an extended tour of South Amer
ica tells an interesting story of the
queer climatic conditions prevailing in
certain parts of the lower half of the
continent. "Of course, it is pretty well
known." says he, "that while peo
ple north of ihe equator are sutt'ering
Hie rigors of winter, those people liv
ing south of that imaginary line in
the midst of summer. and vice versa.
This rule ..howevor. so far as South
Airc-rica is eoneerned. applies only to
Ihe coast, for in the mountains i f the
interior a peculiar condition of allairs
exists. Up in the Andes the natives
are in the midst of winter when mid
summer prevails on the const, and
when winter reaches the coas! it is
! summer in the mountains. Of t- turse.
neither thf coast nor mountain winter
is very severe; but the distinction be
tween the two seasons . is decidedly
marked. It is a very remarkable cli
matic condition." Philadelphia I!oc
ord. " ?
New I'ne of the Bloomer.
A small boy has discovered a new
beauty of the bloomer that hts here
to fore gone unseen. A lady bicyclist
was riding out Third street the other
day, clad in the bloomer costume, pr.v
voking some comment among the pass-ers-by.
but everyltody in hearing wa
paralyzed when she passed a couple
of small loys and one of fhem ex
claimed: "Gee whiz! wouldn't them
be fine things to steal apples in? Vou
could just chuck 'em on both sides
and carry away a.ieck in each legT'
Louisville Commercial.
A Pertinent Qnentlon.
"Do you think." the aspiring young
woman eagerly inquired, "that I can
over become a great actress?"
"I don't know." -eplied the manager,
thoughtfully: "who Is your dressmak
er?" Washington Star.