jl JJia ROLL FOR SOMEBODY.
"Looking After An Estate Said to J3e Talued
* . at $500,000,000.
Dayton (0. ( ) dispatch : For the last sev
eral days meetings of several persons from
various sections in this state , and from
Pennsylvania , Indiana , Wisconsin and Now
York , have been held in this ci y , nt the
residence o ! Mr. J. D. Mercer and at the
Soldiers' Home , for the purpose of looking
after an estate said to be valued at § 500-
000,000. The estate is that of John Mer
cer , ol Pennsylvania , which became so well
known throughout the country through
the Vanderbilt suit , when it was claimed
the railroad magnate was desirous of get
ting possession of about'$50,000,000of the
property. The object of the above meet
ings was the establishment of the legiti
mate heirs to thir wonderful estate , and to
devise some means of a settlement. There
were in all about 200 pe SOPS present ,
tamo of whom were represented by attor
neys nt law. Considerable interest was
manifested by all who wcropresent. Prom
ono of the Mercers the following synoptical
history of the legacy was obtained :
John Mercer came to this country from
Scotland before the revoluiionary war ,
and settled in Chester county , Pennsyl
vania. He n/tcrwards came into posses
sion of some estate in or ( as it was then )
aiear 2sew York City , which he leased to the
sovprnment. Amos , who inherited this
fortune , had five children David , Joseph ,
Tune , Polly and John. Some of these sons
went to the war of 1812 and were never
heard of afterwards , and ihe remainder
scattered , some of whom , among them
.Joseph , came to Ohio over fifty years ago ,
smd thus came the present Mercers , who
3ay claim to the original estate of John
Mercerwho , came from Scotland in tho
colonial days. Mr. J. D. Mercer , of this
-city , and Miss Mary Lance , of Fairfield ,
this state , seem to be the principal heirs.
The matter was brought to their atten
tion in the following manner : Miss Lance
was in Now York recently , looking up the
estate on her mother's side , when she
learned that the lease of the original John
Mercer to tho government had run out in
1S7G , and that Mr. Y.mderbilt had tried
to get possession of some 550,000-
000 of the property , when , after
a , long litigation , the courts decided
against him , when he had the matter car
ried to the supreme court of New York ,
which decided that it belonged to tho heirs.
This decision virtually gives over the re
mainder of tho larger estate , which on
iiccnunt of tho valuable property which
lias been placed upon it , is said to be worth
* omc § 500,000,000. Miss Lance is now
' in the east looking after the matter and
eteps have been taken by those who are
interested in the matter to have it pushed
-to a speedy settlement , as there seems to
be no obstacles in the way since the deci
sion of the courts has already been ob
tained.
A letter from a wealthy member of tho
family in Wisconsin gives the authority to
Lire the best legal talent if necessary to ob
tain possiission of the property , which
rightfully and unquestionably belongs to
the descendants of John Mercer , formerly
of Chester coupty , Pennsylvania.
The legal me.nbers of the family , who are
now holding a consultation at Jamestown ,
liavc the settlement or looking up of the
family record , the publication , and full
\ power to proceed with the settlement ol
the. estate at once.
TT-ir DOIP2VSOOTH 2A" DIXIE.-
fTJtcre the Crops are Reported to be Simply
Immense.
The Baltimore Manufacturers' Record
publishes nearly five pages of special re
ports , covering the whole south from Vir
ginia to Texas , showing that the prospects
for crops and outlook in business for that
section are remarkably good. Not only is
the acreage of cotton , corn and tobacco
-crops the largest on record , but the reports
are almost unanimous in stating that the
yield of these crops , as well as the smaller
crops , excepting wheat , will greatly exceed
the best crop ever before produced.
It it ill also show that the crops have
jeen raised at lower cost than in any pre-
-cedingyear and the liens on the crops for
money advanced to farmers were much less
than heretofore.
Oflicial repoits from South Carolina
tliow that while the state will produce
.about 4,000,000 bushels more of corn and
prohably over 300.000 bales of cotton
more than last year , the aggregate amount
of agiicultural lirns given to .obtain ad-
v-.tnces upon the growing crops is § 3,000-
-000 less than in 1SS2 , notwithstanding
the fact that the intervening years of 1883
-nnd 1S8-1 were unfavorable crop years.
Ill Georgia the agricultural department
-estimates the corn crop at 40,000,000
bushels , against 81,000,000 last year , and :
24,400,000 bushels in 1883.
.Regarding corn , reports from the whole
* outh are of the most flattering character ,
some of them stating that the yield will be ;
the best for years , others the best known
for twenty years , and many the best ever
Icnown. It is thought by the United States
-commissioner ol agriculture that the in :
creased acreage in corn over last year and
splendid yield which is now assured will
ivc the south not less than 50,000,000
Bushels of corn more than last year. [
The cotton crop , it is believed , is safe ,
"Tor much the largest vield ever made , and
.for at least 1.000,000 to 1,500,000 bales
jnore than last year.
In tobacco , fruits and vegetables , the :
crops are the largest ever made in the
outh , while rice promises a splendid yield ,
nd sugar a far more satisfactory and
profitable crop than in 1884. Stimulated )
iy unprecedented crops , business is al-
i-eady showing a decided improvement and
iprospects throughout the south for fall
* uidn inter trade are reported as usually
= good. )
In the 'organization of railroad and man-
lacturing enterprises , there is great activ
ity , and the outlook for industrial inter
ests is narticularly oromisine.
PLEUEO-PNEU3IOXIA.
1 4
< Tattlo Afflicted ivttli tlie Blsease in
S ;
Kentucky.
w !
Louisville dispatch : Dr. J. N.McCormack , tl
secretary of the Kentucky state board of 8C
healthwho has returned with the commis 8Cq
q <
r sion appointed to inspect the herds of cattle ol
-afflicted wite contagious pleuro-pneumonia olni
aid : niti
"The disease is confined entirely to a small tibi
district in Harrison county , where it has ex' bi
ti
isted for more than a year ; but it EO severe tiQ' <
and has sained such a foothold that , unless Q' '
4he efforts now being made to control it are Q'vi
successful , the entire cattle interest of the vi
tl
state will be in serious danger. In con
TV
sequence of its existence even to & TVol f
limited extent most of the western olW ;
states and territories have quarantined T ' :
aganst all Kentucky cattle , and as fiiai
these states constitute the principal ai
markets lor our hi ' < : h-bred stock that branch' BC :
trade is nearly a't a standstill1' dc
"What is the character of the disease and 'be
where did come fromJ" tv
"It is inns-fever limited
a highly-contagious -
of E
strictly to the bovine genus. It has but one ofT ]
cause contagion from cattle sick wih the
disease , or pastures , stables , cars or other PI
nlaces or things Infected bj sucfh sick cattle. sp
It was brought to this country first in 1843 , in
and * fresh Importations have taken place irom
time to time , but as the current ol trade in
cattle has always been toward New York and
the east , it never appeared west of the Alle-
Chanics until about two years ago , when a
herd In Troy , O. , was Infected by a cow
brought Irom Baltimore. Cattle from this
herd were out in a large sale at Virginia City ,
111. , in April , 18S4 , and from this place the
disease , was carried to various parts of Illi
nois , and to Callaway county , Missouri.
An attempt is now being made by leading
cattlemen of the blue grass country to raiso
enough money to pay for all the infected cat
tle and "have us stamp out the disease at once ,
and it is to be earnestly hoped that they will
succeed. If they do not we'will do our best
to prevent anyf uither spread of the disease
until the legismarc'meets , and will put the
responsibility of stamping it out upon that
THE PERPLEXITIES Of J3USL\ESS.
The City Ifatlonal JianJc of Fort Worth ,
Texas , Closes Il Doors Suicide of t/
Teller of the Institution.
Fort Worth ( Texas ) dispatch : Tho
sensational disclosures in relation to tho
the affairs of the late John N. Nichols , vice
president and teller of the City National
bank , resulted in a run on that institution
to-day. As soon as tho doors were opened
a steady stream of anxious depositors filed
through the bank , and about 1 o'clock tha
crowd , seeing the bank was paying every
one Mho applied , quickly began to disperse
and the run ceased. Some business men
made large deposits to show their confi
dence in the bank , and the matter seemed
to be progressing favorably for the bank ,
when , about 2 o'clock , to the surprise ot
every one , the bank's doors were closed
nnd the following notice posted :
"This bank has suspended payment by
order of the comptroller of currency , as per
following telegram :
WASHINGTON , D. C. , Augr.20. A. If. Britton ,
President City National Hank , Forth Worth ,
Texas : An examiner has been ordered to
take possession of and examine your bank.
Close the doors and hold the assets as they
ore until his arrival. J. S. LANGwoimir ,
Deputy Collector.
President Britton says that he notified
the treasury department of the defalcation
and received the above reply. Britton and
a number of other bankers in this city im
mediately framed a telegram to the comp
troller , asking him to rescind the order
closing tho bank , but justtis their protest
was about to be telegraphed they discov
ered a forged check for § 2,500 , also a note
for SGOO , and concluded to allow the doors
to remain closed until a thorough examina
tion is made. Nichols was also city treas-
tirer , and an examination of his account
to-day revealed the fact that he was also a
defaulter to the city of Fort Worth in the
sum of § 31,300. His bondsmen are re
sponsible men of Fort Worth whose wealth
aggregates § 75,000.
His unsecured loans from outside parties
will bring the shortage up to § 100,000 or
over. He owned considerable property
here and at other points in Texas , but it is
believed that everything was mortgaged to
secure outside loans , the aggregate of which
no one knows at this time. There no long
er exists a doubt that Nichols committed
suicide. Physicians say the symptoms of
his death indicate strychnine. No explana
tion as to how or when the dead banker
lost all his money is yet forthcoming. It is
said he was interested in silver mines and
other hazardous enterprises. The proba
bilities are the city will lose nothing. In
cluded in his shortage to thecityare5,000
in city bonds , which are missing , and twenty
Tarrant county bonds for § 500 each , ag
gregating § 10,000 market value. Thesoare
supposed to have been sold in the east. It
was also discovered that Nichols , in Ins
capacity as vice president of the City Na
tional bank , borrowed § 13,000 from three
other banks in the city. These loans were
immediately paid by the City National
bank. It is believed that Nichols hypoth
ecated for personal loans all his shares in
the bank and in other corporations in
which he was a stockholder.
Tiro SOLLION DOLLARS LOST.
Charges of Mismanagement Against the
Texas State Land Hoard.
Galveston dispatch : A morning paper
makessensational charges against the
state land board. It alleges that , through
neglect or mismanagement , about $2,000-
000 has been lost to the school fund of the
state. This money should have been col
lected from the cattle barons during the
month. The paper mentioned states that ,
in February , 1884 , an act was passed di-
reciing the land board to appoint grass
commissioners , whose duties should be to
ascertain by constant inspectionjtho area
Df free grass belonging to the state and be
ing occupied by cattlemen without leases of
my character. Under this law all oc-
upiers of such lands were com
pelled to pay an occuption tax.
fwenty million acres of free-grass lands
af this character have b en constantly
razed upon since the passage of the law.
Fet the land board only last week ap
pointed and sent out the grass commis
sioners upon whose reports only the tax
ould be collected. The law makes no pro
vision for back taxes , hence the state has
ost nearly § 2,000,000 , which has simply
emained in the pockets of thebullionaires.
p stating these facts the paper referred to
n one breath acquits the members of the
and board of intentional wrong , but in tha
icxt breath it says : "The loss of $1,750-
300 was not accidental , and not being ac-
idental it is presumably the result of intel-
igent design. " This language is interpreted
is a direct charge of corruptionagainstthe
and board , and creates a sensation. The
oard is composed of Gov. John Ireland ,
state Treasurer F. R. R. Lubberek , Land
Commissioner W. 0. Walsh , Controller W.
5. Swain , and Attorney General John D.
Dempleton. This galaxy of names com-
rises the most distinguished politicians in
Cexas.
SINGULAR FATALITY EV A FAMILY.
7iree Sons of An Aged Widow Sleet Violent c
Deaths in One Day ,
Martin's Valley ( Pa. ) dispatch : Mrs. [
iarah Truby , of this place' , is an aged
idow. Her son John , aged 34 , works on
he East Branch railroad. Jason , another
on , aged 30 , was an employe in the slate
uarries. Wyman , a third son , 38 years
Id , was a miller. They lived with their
lother , having no families of their own.
'riday night last , John , while running to
urn a switch , fell into a cattle guard and
roke his neck. Saturday morning , before
he news of John's death had reached their : '
ome , Jason was drowned in a pit in the
uarries , recent rains having filled it with
ater. James Whittaker arrived in the
at 9 o'clock :
Ulage Saturday morningwith
he news of John Truby's death , and met
Till Jackson , who was bearing the tidings
Jason's fate at the same time. The two ;
alked together to the mill where Wyman ;
'ruby worked to break the news to him
rst. There was a crowd about the mill , '
nd as the two messengers arrived on. the
ene men were carrying Wyman Truby's
sad body out of the buillding. He had
eon suffocated in a grain-bin. Less than
velve hours intervened between the death
the first brother and that of thelastone. )
he news of the death of her three sons so
rostrated Mrs. Truby that her life is de-
paired of. The three bodies will be juried
one grave.
UP XY S3IOKE AXZ > FLA3IE.
Six Teasels Formerly Belonging to the
United Stales JBurned.
Fire causing a loss of over § 100,000
broke out on board the steamer Colorado
lying off Plum Beach near Port Washing
ton , on tho 21st. Flames spread from the
Colorado to the following ships , all of
which were burned to tho water's edge and
sunk : Minnesota , Susquehauna , Congress ,
South Carolina , Iowa , Lotta Grant nnd
'Fairplay. All with the exception of the
last two , formerly belonged to the United
States navy. They had been condemned
and were bought from the government by
Standard & Co. , who wore to break them
up for tho old iron and planks they could
get out of them.
The fire broke out on the forward deck
of the Colorado , where men were at work
burning up planks to get iron spikes. On
the right of the Colorado was the Susquc-
hanna , to which the flames spread rapidly ,
and before cither it or the Colorado could
be towed out , tho flames had spread to
other boats. They all burned liko tinder ,
and the sky was red for many miles
around. The heat was so intense that it
was impossible to go anywhere near the
burning ships , while the crackling of tho
flames sounded like the sharp crack of
musketry. The flames crept along tho
decks and bulwarks of the ships , and ate
their way up tho shrouds into the rigging.
- The picture presented of eight burning
vessels outlined against a bank of inky
clouds was one long to be remembered.
The fire burned so fiercely that within three
hours nothing was left of tho once defenders
of the United States but a few charred
planks and floating timbers. The hulls
sank at once to the bottom , going down
with hisses and gurgles , amid clouds of
steam from tho water as it swept over tho
burning wrecks.
The Colorado was the first to sink , and
as the waters closed over her , a mast of
tho Minnesota toppled over on the Con
gress and together they sought the sandy
bottom of the sound. The Susquehauna
burst loose from her moorings and at one
time various fishing crafts , anchored along
the shore appeared to be in danger. She
floated about fifty yards from the shore
and , after trembling a moment , keeled over
and sank. The South Carolina and the
Iowa followed her to the bottom in short
order , but before going down the flames
spread from the Iowa to the Lotta Grant
and Fairplay , two schooners lying ncarthe
shore , and they sank. Who the owners of
schooners arc could not be ascertained , as
the crews became so mixed up in the crowd
of spectators they could not bo found.
Mr. Stannard , in conversation with a re
porter , said : "The loss to mo is not less
than § 100,000. af , it was only for the iron
in them that I bought them. Had tho
boats boon serviceable the loss would have
footed up into the millions. "
The loss on the schooners , it is said , will
not ? be less than § 25,000.
MATIC1I OF TOE CHOLERA ,
Its Rapid Course Tlirough the Province of
. France.
Madrid dispatch : The places in Spain in
which the principal increases of cholera oc
curred yesterday as compared with Friday
last were Tarragona and Valladolict. In
tho former there were 77 cases and 30
deaths yesterday , and in the latter 61 new
cases and 10 deaths : OfBcial returns show
that in Granada the disease reached ita
lieight and remains stationary. In Alba-
: ote yesterday there wore 28 new cases and
23 deaths. In Castellon do la Plana , 22
new cases and 17 deaths ; Cuenca , 154 new
cases nnd 32 deaths ; Teruel , 45 new cases
nd 32 deaths ; Valencia , 82 new cases and
49 deaths , and in Madrid 20 new cases and
2 deaths. All of these returns show de
creases in the number of both new cases
and deaths.
Returns from the cholera-infected districts ,
of Spain show a total number of new cases
on Saturday of 4,706 , and a total number
of deaths from the disease of 1,758. Tho
plague has made its appearance at Barce
lona , where 23 cases and 16 deaths are re
ported.
The governor of Granada has been at
tacked with cholera.
There has been slight riots atLagronaon
account of the resistance of tho populace to
certain sanitary regulations.
Cholera reports for to-day show that
there were 15 new cases and 12 deaths in
the city of Madrid , and 65 new cases and
80 deaths in the province.
The slight panic which broke out a few
days ago has subsided and the epidemic
shows no further signs of an increase. 1
Wherever the disease prevails the most 1X
stringent precautions are taken to prevc *
its . 1
spread.
1I
PROHIBITION ZST KANSAS. I
The aiilitia Wanted at Lcavenicortli to En. ,
force the Laic.
Leavenworth ( Kas. ) dispatch : Somi j
weeks ago the attorney general of Kansas j
filed petitions for injunctions under tha
thirteenth section of tho prohibitory law
of 1885 against Patrick McCrystal and B.
Black , "who occupy the building near the
depot , corner of Main and Cherokee streets ,
and the in absence of District Judge Crozier
the application was made to the probate
court and tho question came up for argu"
mcnt last Monday , the state being repre"
sented by the attorney general and Col-
McCrea and the defendant by Messrs. Lu-
cian Baker and Thomas P. Fenlon. The
court took the matter under advisement
and this morning'roached its decision , de
nying the injunction and holding tliat the it
probate court has no jurisdiction
in tho case ; also holding that
if the jurisdiction had been con
ferred by the act of 1885 , either upon the
district or probate courts such a power
ought never to bo exercised when tho sub
ject matter is a criminal prosecution in its
essence and effect , and where the party ac
cused is entitled under tho constitution to
a trial by jury. This is the second failure
of the prohibitionists under the new law to
close the saloons here , and the case has at
tracted tho attention of the entire state ,
t was supposed that the injunction and
nuisance clause would work here if any
portion of the law would , and this defeat
will result in the reopening of many saloons
over the state in places where they are not
already running. The practical result of
bhe new prohibitory law so far is free
whisky , as there Is no license , no bonds ,
md no responsibility attached to keeping
% saloon , and a multitude of scalawags >
have gone into the business. In a few cities
bhe saloons voluntarily pay a small li-
ense. The prohibitionists are clamoring ;
'or the calling out of tho militia by the
joyernor to enforce the law in places where
t is openly defied , but he shows nodisposi
ion to do so.
_ _ William Kelly , employed at Ar en- '
ine , was badly injured Sunday while
rying to board a train ut that place.
3e missed his footing and slipping ,
'ell under the can His arm and head
vere badly cut and he received inter I
lal injuries. He was removed to this o
iity and taken to the Sister's hospital , 61
vhere his wounds were attended to 61b
y Dr. Richer. It was found that it t <
vould he necessary to amputate his o :
irm. It is not thought that his in- ii
uries are fatal. Kansas City Jour-
They Want Their Wives * Setters.
From the Chicago Herald.
"The fhird man I've sent away mai
this morning , " remarked a clerk at ihe
general delivery window. "Ho called
for mail addressed to his wife , and we
wouldn't give it to him. We are not
allowed to , unless he has an order. I
tell you , it is an eye-opener to many
men to discover that their wives have
any rights. 'What ! ' they will say 'a
man can't get a letter for his own wife
without an order ! ' 'No , sir , it is a rule
of the department. ' And then they
boil with rage. You see , most men are
in the habit of opening their wives' let
ters. They don't think it is wrong.
Sometimes a married women wants to
carry on correspondence without hav
ing her husband a party to it , and to
protect her rights that role was made.
Of course , it is none of our business
what her correspondence is about. It
may be with her relatives , lady friends ,
her lawyer , or with an admirer. We
don't know , nor care. All that tho
department knows is that sho
is a woman , entitled to have
her letters delivered into her
own hands. If she wants her husband
or any other person to have them she
can write an order. Sometimes tho
husbands will go off and come back ,
after a while with an order which they
have written themselves and signed
their wives' names to. In such cases
we get ahead of them by making them
sign a receipt , and the similarity of the
writing in the surname gives their little
game away.
"I remember a case where ft woman's
foresight was teo sharp for her husband.
Evidently suspecting that he know she
was getting mail here , and that he
would present an order in a woman's
handwriting , presumably her own , she
left here a written order that her letters
were to be delivered to nobody but her
self. When Mr. Husband came around
with his little order we presented his
yife's order , and he walked aw ay as
quick as he could. But manytimes when
men ask for their wives' letters here or
at the advertised window they do not
know of the rule , and tho honest amaze
ment that comes on their faces upon
discovering that their better halves
have some privileges not shared by
them in common some rights which
even the husband cannot interfere with
is quite comical.
"I have seen men who get jsad at first ,
but who , I would be willing to say ,
started into a train of thought upon
calming down that resulted in increased
respect for their partners and in the re
alization that the husband is not nine-
teen-twentieths of the family team. "
The Lime-Kiln Club.
For some time past there has been ill-
feeling between Pike Boot Perkins and
the Hon. Justified White , caused by a
dispute over the query : "Is Life Worth
the Living. " As the meeting was ready
to open Brother Gardner called the
pair to the head of the hall and said :
"One reason why some people decide
dat life am not wuth de libin' am be
kase dey make life a burden to deir-
selves an' werry onpleasant to odders.
One real mean man in a community kin
make 500 people doubt if virtue am re
warded on eaith. One canting hypo
crite in a town kin keep a slander-mill
grindin' night an' day. One infidel in
a county kin cause 5,000 well-meinin'
people to kinder doubt if dar' am a
Heaben or a hereafter.
"Bekase you two differ in opinyun
yon go at it an' help to make life on-
pleasant to each odder. It doan' strike
you dat anybody else kin be right , or
dat you may be entirely wrong. Brud-
der Perkins calls Brother White a fule
bekase he can'fc agree with him. Brud-
der Wnite calls Brudder Perkins a bigot
bekase he won't accept his opinyuns.
Each has his friends an' supporters , an'
dese supporters divide off an' feel aige
wise toward each odder , an' before wo
know it do quarrel has involved 200
people. Gem'len , de pusson who ar
gufies dat life am wuth de libin' must
prove his argyrnonts by his ackshuns.
He who feels dat life ain'fc wuth de
trouble of hangin' aroun' on earth can't
dp better dan to walk down to de wharf
hitch a grindstun to his neck , an' jump
into water twenty feet deep.
"You two brudders take each odder
by the hand. Now shake. Now go to
yer seat ? . Each one of you has a right
to his theories an' beliefs , butlieither
of you have de right to denounce de
odder. De world am big'nuff to hold
all de theories of all de inhabitants.
We have plenty of room for all de be
liefs we kin believe in. Dar am acreage
ftlr all de argyments we kin argy. When
we realize thiswe must feel how silly
it am fur de Hon. Centrifugal Johnsing
to call Judge Merriweather Tompkins
charlaton , bekase Mrs. Johnsing had
thirty-two pussons to her high tea , and
Blrs. Tompkins couldn't count but
thirty-one at her low coffee. "
The reports of commercial papers all
igree that for some reason or othpr the
trade of the present season has beeii be
low the general anticipations and even
below that of last year. A large vol-
ame of merchandise has been disposed
jf , but there has been little or no money
in it. Stocks of merchandise continue
lieavy ; there is no profitable line of in-
restment ; everybody proceeds with ex-
ireme caution. And yet all the condi
tions appear favorable. The prospect [
f a short wheat crop ought certainly to
nake a good price and a quick sale for
he large surplus. In the situation geu-
2rally there appears to be no cause
whatever for tha present stagnation ,
md so remedy suggests itself. The
problem will "work itself out in due
ime , but ifc is dull work , this "waiting
'or the wagon. "
The wife of an habitual drunkard in
Buffalo , N. Y. , has obtained a verdict
f $1,000 .damages against a liquor-
leller who persisted in selling her hus-
jond whisky after he hod been notified
0 desist The verdict is a righteous
me , though two of the jurors rendering
were saloon-keepers.
EIPE 1H" HAVAHA.
Tho Social Iilfo and Cnrioas Customs of
tho Cabana at Homa Extravaffant "Ways
of DoingThing's. .
Prom a Havana Letter in tha New Haven
Courier.
The Cuban matches are way behind
the age. I have never yet succeeded in
lighting one without burning the tips of
my fingers , and have concluded that
their one redeeming virtue is the per
sistency with which they burn when
once lighted.
No true-born Cuban will carry his
satchel to tho depot , however small it
may be , or however short the distance.
I hear refined ladies ejaculating "Dios
mio"or ! "Jesus ! " or"AveMaria Puris-
sima ! " over the slightest occurrence
with the same innocent nonchalance
with which I have heard the French
ladies say "Mon Dieu ! " and the German
ladies say "Mein Gott-This fashion
of making common use of names that are
sacred is demoralizing the world over.
The Moslem wondera "if God is go
ing to have it rain to-day , " and even
the Bedouin robber prays that "the
peace of God may rest upon you ; "
and this show of piety has robbed
sacred themes af all their power with
those people. The Catholic church
has gone further in Cuba , and even the
streets , the stores , the people , the ships ,
the sugar plantations are named after
saints or Christian virtues. As in Can
ton , China , the translated names of
some of the streets are high sounding
in the extreme , as for instance that of
the " street of Pious Works. " Hotels ,
brick-yards , jails , regiments and tobac
co shops all advertise themselves under
such titles as Sacred Heart , Faith ,
Hope , Charity , Conception , Annuncia
tion , etc. ; while likely enough the pro
prietor's first name was Jesus. Thus
the people come to be careless in the
use of hallowed names , although a ca
pacity for literal profanity is not one
of the accmplishments of tho Spanish
language.
Whatever the people do they do ex
travagantly. I have seen a young man
with three monster gold rings on one
little finger ; and both ladies and men
piaster their faces with powder till they
look ghastly beyond description ,
If you look into the sitting room of a
well-to-do family you will observe two
long rows of cane seat rocking-chairs ,
placed exactly opposite each other , and
leading usually to a window. The ar
rangement has an aspect of stiffness
which you will at once feel ; but this as
pect of stiffness is sensibly emphasized
when you learn that it is an inflexible
Cuban rule for the ladies to sit in ono
row and the gentlemen in the other.
There is no twilight in Cuba. The sun
drops redly out of sight in the gulf ,
and itis night. The day has no after
math ; the stars hurry to supply the
place of the departed orb , and away to
the south the southern cress augments
then : industrious twinkling.
One would think Havana harbor
would be full of excursion.steamers ,
but I have never been able to find one.
The Havauese have not yet discovered
this popular American variety of amuse
ment.
Nature is very kind to the lower ani
mals in these latitudes. The hair of the
pig comes out , leaving him sleek aud
shining , while the wool of the sheep un
dergoes a change in texture. But na
ture does not single out the Cuban hen
for such favors. On the contrary , the
feathers of the hen remain as numerous
as anywhere else , and in view of tho fact
that there is no cold weather , the hen
is deluded into layiujr all the year
around , her product being such dim
inutive eggs as you may see at any
bodega in town.
It is customary to keep the volante
and the family horses in an apartment
in the house.
You will have no difficulty , if you are
out bright and early any morning , in
seeing the Cuban milkman about sup
plying his round of patrons. He drives
his milch kine before him from house
to house , and directs the lacteal stream
into such a dish as the family may pro
vide , right in the presence of the house
maid. Thus the citizens are assured of
an undiluted liquid , though I sometimes
fancy I would prefer to have the pro
duct of those emaciated , bruised Cuban
cows dilated and that very sensibly.
I have seen the same system in other
countries , notably with goats instead of
cows in the cities of Athens and Cairo.
Gambling is as popular here as in
New Orleans , and I guess more so , al
though I have not entered any dens
analagous to those of the Ene Boyalo
as yet. Monte is the only game pro
hibited by law.
The street cries are extraordinary ,
though not to be compared with those
of Japan. You will not hear them at
all , perhaps , at one of the swell hotels ,
any more than those of Yokohama in
one of the foreign hostelries there.
But once get into real Havana , and you
will fancy a riot must be brewing. You
hurry down stairs expecting to witness
some shocking atrocity , but find that it
is only the man with fruit , onions , or
eggs for sale , complacently notifying
his run of customers of his readiness to
serve them. Sometimes he is on foot
loaded down , and again he is accom-
panied by a shambling old crate of a
horse who bears the burdens while his [
master does the bawling.
Akin to this is the method of signall-
ng by a shrill hiss so common in Paris , :
Ihe newsboy a block away , the cabman
on the other side of the street , the wait-
sr at the further end of the cafe , are all
summoned by the everlasting "Ps t ! "
A.nd , strange to say , there is apenetrat- [
ing quality in the signal whereby it .
may be heard above sill the rattle and
rear of the street traffic , and at times
when an ordinary "Halloa ! " would be
impotent.
I cannot educate myself out of notic-
ing small things , and must therefore
confess that it always makes me mad to
see the natives wear the heels of .their '
shoes flattened under the heel of the ;
foot after the heatnenish fashion of the
lurks and Arabs.
Of course there is a perfect passion [
for military display. I o )
And yet I have not witnessed a drill I s
or parade jot that was equal io the
average amateur torch-light procession ,
in American political campaigns. The
bayonets point everywhere and nowhere
in particular , and the dangling arms *
suggest motions such as Florida tree- 4
moss mightjbe supposed to make when
agitated by a shifting cyclone. The
Cubans pay nearly twenty-five millions
a year to keep up this empty show.
I believe it is in bad taste utthe States
for a person to say "Miss" in the case of
a married lady. "Senorita" may bc\
used instead of "Senora , " however , and
the person addressed accepts it as one of
the fulsome compliments which these
people are always bestowing.
Beggars are numerous , though not to
the extent characteristic of most tropic
countries. I have seen ono Chinese
leper by the wayside craving alms.
Gorgeous-plumed peacocks practice
their unearthly screeches on tho roof
tops , ungainly buzzards wander over
the suburban fields , and jerky green
lizards are liable to leap upon your hat
when you sit down under a tree.
THE BTJIiIi BUIT BOUT.
How the Gallant Boys Coma Back from
tho Pirst Battle of Manasses.
From Advance Sheets of & a Cox's uThreo
Decades of Federal Legislation. "
"With bated breath Congress awaits
the issue. Its business lags. Its mem
bers gossip in tho rear of tho seats
and in the cloak-rooms. At length des
patches come. They are read at the
Clerk's des"k. Then Bull Eun comes
in preceded by the Pickway contrac
tor's cattle on a stampede. Then come
intelligent contrabands and an incon
gruous array of wearied soldiers in
muddy uniforms. What of the Sena
tors and Eepresentatives ? Chandler ,
Wade , Eichardson , Logan , Gurley
Morris and Eiddlo return safely. Ely
is borne by his resistless patrict-
ism , darkly and fearfully afar.
The Black Horse Cavalry of tho
enemy carry him into Bichmond. Lib-
by Prison receives him , and his good
ness of heart nnd ample means enable
him to aid 1m fellow-prisoners. Mr.
Eiddle relates how his company had
been charged upon by wild ridern and
and sable horses ; "It seemed , " said he ,
in a deliberately penned description , "as
if the very devil of panic and cowardice
seized every mortal soldier , officer , cit- '
izen and teamster. No officer tried to
rally the soldiers , or do anything , ex-j
cfcpt to spring and run toward Centre-
ville. There never was anything like
it for causeless , sheer , absolute , absurd
cowardice , or rather panic , on this mis- ,
erablo earth before. Off they went ,
one and all ; off down the highway ,
over across fields towards tho woods-
anywhere , everywhere , to escape.
Well , the further they ran the more
frightened they grew , and although we
moved on as rapidly as we could , the
fugitives passed us by scores. To en
able them better to run , they threw
away their blankets , knapsacks,1
canteens , and finally muskets , car
tridge-boxes and everything else ,
we called to them , tried to tell them
there was no danger , called them to
stop , implored them to stand. * We
called them cowards , denounced them
in the most offensive terms , put out our
heavy revolvers and treatened to shoot
them , but all in vain : a cruel , crazy ,
mad , hopeless panic possessed them ,
and communicated to everybody aboub
in front and rear. The heat was awful ,
although now about nix ; the men were
exhausted , their mouth gaped , their
lips cracked and blackened with the
powder of the cartridges they had bit
ten off in the battle , their eyes start
ing in frenzy ; no mortal ever saw such
a mass of ghastly wretches. As we
came on , borne along with tho moss,1
unable to go ahead or pause , or draw
out of it , with the street blocked with
flying baggage-wagons , before and be
hind , thundering and crashingt , we
were every momon t exposed to imminent
danger of being upset , or crushed ,
or of breaking down ; and for the
first time on this strange day I felt a
little sinking of tho heart and doubfc
whether we could avoid destruction ini
the immense throng about us ; and
nothing but the remarkable skill of our
driver and the strength of our carriage
and endurance of our horses saved us. '
Another source of peril beset us. As
we passed the poor , demented , ex
hausted wretches , who could not climb
into the high , close baggage-wagons ,
they made frantic efforts to get on to
and into our carriage. They jrrasped
it everywhere and got on to it , into it ,
over it and implored us every way to
take them off. "
No more graphic picture has since
been presented of the race of this army
from an imaginary pursuit. The pencil
af a David could not do it justice. "No
zolors can bo harmonized for such a
2haos. De Quincv's ' 'Flight of a Tartar
Tribe" is far less veracious and not more
ihnliug.
Senator Vest's Seniariable
S7asliington Letter to the Memphis Appeal.
' "Ihave a dog , " said Senator Vest ,
ivho had just heard a precocious crow
story , "who is very sagacious. One
norning he watched intently while a
icgro boy blackened my shoes. The
allowing morning he came to where I
was sitting with a blacking brush in his
mouth. Yon may not believe it , but
hat dog got down on his haunches , spit
Dn my shoes , took the brush in his teeth
md rubbed away like a house on fire.
But I must admit that he did not get up
auch of a polish. One Sunday , while
was living at Sedalia , this dog fol-
.owed me to church. I noticed that .he
Tatched every movement of the preach-
jr. That afternoon I heard a terrible
jowling of dogs in my backyard. I
vent out to see what was the matter.
My dog was in the woodshed , standing
m his hind legs in an old dry goods box.
le held down a torn almanac with one
'ore paw and gesticulated wildly with
he other , while he swayed his head
md howled to an audience of four other
logs , , even more sadly that the preacher
heard that morning. " The narrator
the crotr story "threw up the
iponge. "
