VXJSXPJSOTJSD TERDICT. I" VeMtratca Divorce Cato Cause * Much Surprise. If LOXDON , Dec. 20. Sir Charles Russel con I cluded his argument for Lady Colin Campbell in her divorce suit against her husband to-day , and the judge proceeded at once to sum up the case for the jury. He said Lord Campbell denied his wife's charge of Infidelity , which depended chiefly on the testimony of Lady Mile ? . Whatever might be said of Lady , Miles by the defense , it would have to be admitted that she was until lately Lord Colln's fr'snd , thatfche had done all In her power to dlscoar- * age the. bringing of an action against him ; that ehe had only taken Lady Colln's part when she had become convinced that unjustcarges were to be brought against the J.idy. The testimony given by the doctors that Mary Watson was a virgo- intact.i did not negative the testimony given by Lady Miles that she saw Lord Colin and the girl in such a position as to warrant the belief that the pair was guilty. Suspicion , however , was iui-uiliclcnt. If adultery were not proved as a fact the jury were bound to liud that Lord Colin was umoceut. At the last trial , In which Lady Colin secured a decree of fccpcnitlon , it was shown that Lord Colin had given the jJuintiff disease in Mich a manner as to amount to the ciuelty which she had alleged as the basis of her petition for separa tion. In the present case , the judge continued , the evidence against Ludy Colin depended ou what the family servants hail said. This should he received with susp'clon. In rcgrd to the Purllcct incident , there were * o many impurtant , examples of mistaken identity that the jury would I.e compelled to carefullv con- aider whether stifiiclunt evidence had been ad duced to reliably establish the statement that the woman who was there with the duke of Marlborough was Lady Colin , Cntapball. If Neptune Blood's testimony was true that he saw Lady Collu on that day at his home , then the Purfleet story was demolished. Referring to the allegations concerning Latlv Colln's conduct at Leigh court , the judge eaid they all depended again oa stories told bv servants , and principally ou those told by Hose La.er. Her own fellows described her as a chatterer , and shi ; hail contradicted herself , and other witnesses had contradicted heron important joints. She had first swore that the duke of Marlborough aud Laily Colin occu pied the same apartments for an c-utire week at Leigh court , and afterward the testified that the duke of Marlhorcrgh was at Leigh court only two niirhtp. The judge 'e- clarcd that be believed that Rose Baer had . invented the fetory about Lady Colin and the duke of Marlborough f-itting together likclov- ors ou a bench iu the Paddiugton station. LorJ Colin's conduct towai d his wife while she was in Paris on the occasion when lie tele graphed the Paris police to arrest her and Joclge her in the prostitute's prison , Judge Butt characterized as outrageou * , remarking that he hart never kuoun of anything more Hsb.onet > t than Lord Collu's allegation to the Pari * officials that his wife was livins In open adultery with one of the co-respondents and should be ii'-rcstcd and treated as a common woman of the to-.vn. The story told by the man-fervant O'Neil that he once saw , through the kevhole of the door of the dining-room at Cadogan place , Chisf Shave and Lady Colin in criminal Inter- cqursa the judirc said he could not reirnrd " n-jth.fjvor. The jurv must consider whether O'Neil's letter to Lady Colin , after his dis charge by her , seeking re-cniployniont , was not an attempt at blackmail , aud the jury should further consider the question whether Chief Shaw's testimony in denial , as a state ment of a distinguished public servant , was not worth as much , if uot more , than the statement of Riich a person as O'Neil. General Hutler , the court thought , should have come into court and given testimony as to his innocence , but so long as he choose to remain away , there was no power in England to compel him to come. It would , however , be impossible to exaggerate the meanness of General Cutler , if he was innocent , in remain ing away from tincourt , because , iu doing so. he deserted L-.dy Colin. But the jury should not take General Butler's absence : is evidence of guilt on either his or Laity Colin's cart. Replying to a question of a jurvm in , the judge said Unit General Buth-r was beyond the jurisdiction of the court and that a subpoena couid not compel him to attend and testify because , being nude a co-resiMindeut , he was protected bv the clause of the law which made it impossible to ask an incihniuating question \ , unless the witness was a voluntary one. The case was then given to the jur.and they retired. After a short absence they re turned and reported that they could"not agree upon' a verdict Thev again icJirril to reconsider th ? case and returned at 10 o'clock with a verdict. They found that Lord Colin Campbell had not committed adultery with any of the co-rc pondcnts. The jurv added a rider that the conduct of General Butler was unworthy of a gentleman and otllcijr and had caused the only dilliculty which the jury experienced in reaching a do- cision. The announcement of the verdict was received with applause. A DESPERATE PRIZE FIGHT. Boston dispatch : The mostsavage prize fight , without exception , that has ever been fought in this part of the country occurred at a late hour last night in a disused loft r in one of tho wharves in this city , the principn's being Rick Cronin , of Boston , and Abe Htimer , champion light weight of the United States navy. The pugilists' hands were covered with the lightest of kid gloves and they fought until both were un able to stand , when the referee declared the contest a "draw. " Eight desperate rounds were fought. There were several knockdowns and blood was freely drawn on both sides. The 'aces of both men were terribly cut and disfigured and both had to be carried from the spot. Early in the day police got wind of the affair and on three occasions during the evening when the preparations had been completed for the lijht they appeared and prevented it. There was btid blood between thepiinci- pas7 ! however , and finally the loft was se- Mired. into and from which fighters and spectators had to descend and ascend hand over hand on ropes. Ten well known eporting men contributed a purse of § 200 , mid only { .hay besides the seconds witnessed fitrllh. DIRECTED TO THE KXIGHTS. Giicago dispatch : An important secret circular has been received by district assem- lilies 2-1 and 57 , Knights of Labor , from Master Workman Powderly , concerning the factional quarrels which have existed in the organization for some time. Tho circular touches upon several matters , atod the most important political questions , And in regard to the condemned anarchists. "When the order is promulgated the con servative element of the organization will "be pleased with Powderly's commands. while they will fall like a wet blanket upon lhe radical wing. Powderly has ordered the muster workmen of d.istrict assemblies 24 and 57 not to allow any money to be -collected for tho condemned anarchists , . tind instructed that if any funds have been lierctofore collected , that such moneys be returned to the assemblies and persons who contributed the same. The general master workman's orders are said to be imperative. Powderly's action settles for ever the question of the relation of the Ivnichts of Labor and the condemned an archists. It also explains why , in joint meetings of these district assemblies last Monday , at the hall on Halsted street , that tho sympathy for the anarchists mat ter was not brought up , when the meeting was for that special purpose. : The collections of internal revenue dur ing the first five months of the present fiscal year amounted to 548,005,800 , being § 792,500 less than the collections during the corresponding period o ! the last fiscal year. ZEGISEAHTJS NEWS AND KOTES. A Record of Proceedings in Jtolh Branches of the U. 8 , Congress. SENATE , Dec. 38. The aenate was not in session. House , Dec. 18. Dibble , of South Caro lina , jisked unanimous consent to put upon its piiHsage the bill appropriating 5500,000 lor public buildings at Charleston , South Carolina. Objection was raised to consid eration. The Oklahoma bill was then con sidered until expiration of the morning hour. A this juncture a hu.sh fell over tho house mid all eye * were turned upon Morri son , who , arising in his seat , said : "ifr. Speaker I move that the house resolve itself into committee ol the whole on the stnto of tho union for the purpose of con sidering the revenue. " During roll call , ab solute silence reigned in' the house , and many members with pencil in hand were figuring up the vote. The announcement of the result was received withapplause.on tho republican side , which was quickly sup pressed. Herbert of Alabama , attempted to call up the na nil reorganization bill , but was antagonized by Crisp with the Pacific railroad funding bill , and the speaker ruled that the question must firut be taken on calling up the latter measure , as it was a prior special order. Springer opposed tho measure. Unwished its consultation post poned until after the holidays , at which time he hoped to have the privilege of sub mitting some remarks upon the bill and perhaps somo amendments to it. If its consideration was pressed at this time , he would resort to all parliamentary means to defeat it. On a standing vote there wns a majority of 117 to forty-five in favor of jls consideration , Ilolnian demanding theyeas and nays , ponding which Springer made a motion to adjourn , which wad , at 2:15 , car ried. SENATE , Dec. 20. On motion of Mr. Hoar , the Pacific railroad funding bill was postponed as a special order until tha second Tuesday in January. He expressed the hope that in tho meantime the matter would be taken up in the IIOUHO and be dis posed of one way or the ot'ier. The houso b 11 for the relief of the survivors of the ex ploring steamer Jeannette , and the widows and children of those who perished in tho retreat from the wreck of that venae ! in Arctic seas , was taken up and passi'd. The piohidont pro tern announced the following appointments to committees : Committee on claims Speaker as chairman of Pike , deceased , and Cheney in place of Spooner. District of Columbia Cheney , in place of Spooner. On improvements of tho Mis- f. fcHJppi river Williams , in place of Piko. On transportation routes to spabord Williams , in ulace of Mnndcraon , resigned. HOUSE , Dec. 20. Mr. Forney , of Ala bama , on behalf of the committee on mili tia , moved to suspend the rules and pass the senate bill amending tho statutes making an annual appropriation to pro vide arms and cquipnicnis for militia , with an amendment proposed by the house commit tee making annual appropriation of S-illO.OOO. Agived to yeas 198. nays 49. iMr. Townsend , of Illinois , on behalf of the committee on patents , moved to pinpe.'id the rules and pa-s the bill limit ing tin * jurisdiction of the United States courts in patent cases , and to proti-ct persons who , without notice , are bona fide manu facturer * , purchasers , venders and users of patented articles. The matter.vent over. The committee on ban ing and currency reported back the Weaver resolution call ing on the Hi-cretary of the treasury for in formation whether any money appropri ated by the sundry civil bill hns'been ex pended in issuing treasury notes ollaige denominations in lieu of small notes de stroyed or cani-nlied , a.id by what author ity notes of small denomination were de- Blroycd. The resolution was adopted. SENATE , Dec. 21. Among the petitions presented was onn signed by sixty minis ters of the Nebraska conference in favor of the Chinese indemnity bill. The senate bill relative to the location of tho town of Wal lace , Kas. , was passed. Among papers laid before the senate was a communica tion from the Mipervising architect of the trensmy as to the necess ty for add tional vaults for the storage ot silver , and for tho. purchase of additional ground for public Imililiims at St. Paul. Al.so acommun'ca- tion from the assistant secretary of t..e in terior , with the report of the government directors of the Union Pacific railroad com pany nuking attention to suggestions con tained therein concerning legislation affect ing that company. A resolution for a hol iday recess from to-morrow to January 4 was presented and agreed to. HOUSE. Dec. 21. The army appropria tion bill was diacussed and passed. The Indian pension bill was reported and re ferred. Mr. Weaver ( Xeb ) . , as a privileged' question , called up the president's veto on the bill granting a ° pension to Simmons. Mr. Bragu ( WLs. ) , raised the question of consideration and the house voted to con sider the bill. The committee on foreign affairs reported the diplomatic anil coa- nular appropriation bill and it was re ferred to the co nmittee of the whole. On motion of Mr. Buchanan ( N. J. ) . the sen ate amendment to the bill for the relief of the survivors of the Arctic cxploringsteamer Jeannette , was concurred in. SENATE , Dec. 22. The committee on for eign relations rcnorted a bill providing for the execution of Article H of our treaty with China , of November 17. 1SSO , on I ho subject of the opium traffic , and gave notice that he would aslc for its considera tion soon as possible after the holidays. The committee on pensions reported a bill to amend la s relating to pensions. A resolution was introduced by Dawes on the second day of the session instructing the committee on finance to inquire into t ; and roport what specific reduction can be I made in custom duties. Internal taxes that will reduce the taxes to the necessary f e : and economical expenses of the govern ment without imparmg tho prosperity of i t home industries or compensation for homo s labor , was taken up and adopted , and then i at 12:35 the senate adjourned until Janu t ary 4. f HOUSE , Doc. 22. Tne bill passed grant- Jj ing to the St. Paul , Minneapolis & Mani toba railroad company right of uay through certain Indian reservations in . > Northern Montana and Northwestern Da kota. The committee on post offices and post roads reported a bill requiring all land grants railroad companies to contract , maintain and operate telegraph lines. The house went into committee of the whole. The house then resumed consideration of the Oklahoma bill. Proceeding to argue in favor of the bill , Springer declared that the ; reat obstacle to the passage of the meas ure was the lease of the Cherokee strip to a : cattle company. That company leased it For § 100.000 and sub-leased it for $500.- 000 , leaving a margin of 5100,000 with which to corrupt Indians andto send a : powerful lobby to Washington. The ques ; tion to be settled now was whether the land . should be held for white people or for tho special benefit of large cattle syndicates. A.t the conclusion of Springer's remarks tho ommittee rose and the matter went over , ; ind the house at 3:30 adjourned until Jan uary 4. John J. Fox , of. St. Paul , leaped from a lim ited express train in the suburbs of Pittsbunr. : jscapinjr with a slight wound in the scalp. lie tfaims ' that Le was followeJ by suspicious c tlranCATi. * A. FOUXTAm OF FIRE. Hint Sends Up Flame to tha Altitude of One Hundred Feet. Helena Of. T. ) special to the Omaha Herald : A Medeara special to the Inde pendent says : A great curiosity was dis covered yesterday and reported to-day by a bun ting party. Tli < * j niters , who liavo been camped in that region for several weeks , were awakened by a terrific shock and a roar that soumk-d like the rushing of a mighty torrent. Runidng out of their camp they saw a stream of fire over 100 feet in height shooting into tho atmos phere. This immense blazepourcd through the earth for over an hour when it ceased. In about five minutes after the cessation another eruption took place , tho flames being about thirty fcot high , but this was followed in about ten mibutes by a blaze nearly as largo as thu tirst. It is the great est and most interesting discovery made in tht * northwest for many years , and is tho first "geyser of fire , as it has been christ ened , to make its appearance in the land of endless wonders. It is accounted for by the fact that thero aro numerous belts of coal constantly burning in the "Bad Lauds , " and this is the result of a burst ing forth of the ignited gases. All who have passed the "Dad Landt. " by way of the Northern Pacific have been interested in tho burning veins of coal , which tho rains and snows of years have failed to extinguish. The phenomenon which made its appearance yesterday is located tun mils south of the Northern Pacific road. The flames were being emitted about every fifteen minutes , and varied in length from ten to forty feet. The aperture in tho ground is small and the noise Ihat accom panies the eruptions is like llic roaring of a cataract. The column of fire lends a ivuSred aspect to the bin-rounding buttes for miles. SOWS irASUIXQTON GOSSIP. A special says : There is still talk about a revision of the tariff durin , ' the present session of congress , but it is chielly con fined to those democratic members who voted with Mr. llandall against consider ing the Morrison bill. It is stated by Mr. McAdoo and others of this class that though they voted against the consider ation of tho Morrison bill they do not want to be knoivn as being opposed to any and every kind of tariff reduction , and it ie proposed to hold another conference for the purpose of seeing if some reduction ol the tariff cannot bo made when the Hewitt ttdminihtr tion bill is taken up. The supremo court of the United States has granted a motion to advance tho im portant bank tax caso of the Mercantile National bank against the city of New York , involving the question of the legality of state taxation upon national bank shares. The case isot for argument the first day aflor the February term. The estimates of the supervising archi tect for the lepairs of public buildings have een sent to tho senate. Among f heai aro Ihu following : Chicago customs houso , extension of ventilation andrep.iirs.SlGS- 000 ; Chicago Marine hospital and break water , § 31,500. PACIFIC JIAILKOAD DEKT3. Washington dispatch : Representative Crisp of Georgia says tho bill extending and fixing the time for the Pacific railroads' debts to the government will bo called up as early as practicable in January , and ho has no doubt it will bo passed. Ho esti mates that the number of members of the house uho are opposed to the bill is about forty. In reply to a suggestion that it had recently been charged that the bill was in the interest of the railroads , he said he did not know whether the railroads were satis fied with it or not , but he did know that it would enable the government to secura payment of the principal and interest of their indebtedness. It protects the government as to every dollar of in terest. We pay out now one million and a half annually more than we receive , and under the present law ill have to continue that losing business for eleven years. In stead of wailing eleven years the bill re quires tho railroads to begin paying at once a portion of the principal and in terest. If they accept this bill they will give the government a lien on all their property ; if they fail to accept it it will be necessary to increase to 50 the percentage they are required to pay under the Thur- man act. The bill is approved by tho gov ernment directors of the Union Pacific rail road , the United States commissioner of railroads , tho secretary of the interior , and by ex-Senator Thurman and McDonald , who were members of the senate judiciary committie when tho Thurman act was framed ; and it was unanimously reported by the houso committee on Pacific rail- roads. JIY A DIOli. CixcijTN-A-rr , Dec. 21. Xews comes from Eaton. O. , that citizens gathered in a body about tin ; court-house to-night , and , assault ing the jail , broke into it and took out Will iam Musscll , and at S:15 o'clock had his dead body danglin : from tne clue-trie light pole in frontof the court house. There "wasan un ; controllable spirit in the crowd thai over whelmed entirely the rffoilsof theollices to protect tbu prs-oncr. A plan had been made ; t i-emcre Mussel to sonic other jail tonight -'i the ini ratbrred and acted before it s > J be * . . . . : - . " * The Present Responsibility. "We can no longer shut our eyes to the fact hat the American democracy is destined to jurdensof which none of its members dream- d five years ago. It must Jve nc'.r problems or the'race , aud it must do it , as it has sup- jorted other burdens of thu kind , sobcrlv , nanfully , undcrstiuidinjrly. It mubt , then , tudy anew the ast and jiracticu of considcr- nsr the circumstances of a case piojHJunded ) el'oro giving n deliberate judgment. That 'raine of mind which is shown in JTOIMI ; oil at lalf-cock iu a hasty verdict of approval or Oi1- ipproval ou a half view of surface circum stances AV.IS never so dangerous as now. There s a new responsibility on our newspapers , on urderjrymen and other teachers , ami it'be- loovcs them to meet it anil to carry on tliu con- ! iciousness of it to the generations which are iressing on for the future. Deuce alone can ve have thnt sober and trained public opinion vithout which democracy is a foredoomed fail- ire. The Century. Indcpcmlcnco in Politics. . The entire tendency of the times is toward nilcpendence of thought and action in politi- al matters and , though the general emanci pation of the people from machine politics , practical jxDlitieians and partisan organs joaies slowly , it Is coming surely. It s not the success of this party or that , of this icket or that , but of the particular candidate . .vhosc candidacy promises the more houcst ad ministration of the qflice for which he has jecn nominated. It is good government , not paity supremacy , that is to be ! he political pstie of the near future. The revolution of lbS4 , which was but the common protest of intelligent , patriotic citizens against forcing in improper condfdate into the oflice of president , \ \ ill not go backward. Civil service eform is to be wrought out to a successful onelusiou at the ballotboxbv the independent rotcr , who has determined that the law of the ilcction of the fittest shall be the law of the and. 2'hiautfyLkii Telegraph. A UHAFTY WOMAN. One of tho Greatest Confidence Opera tors ofjlcr Time How Slio Bo- cclvcd an Old Man. A Philadelphia dispatch of Nov. 20 to The New YorL Times 5.13-3 : Charles Dayton Talmage brought his romatic and peculiar connection with the no torious adventuress , Mrs. Annie Wall ingford , to a most dramatic climax this afternoon , when he appeared as a wit ness in a suit affecting his interests which was on trial before Judge Fell. Ele testified to the fraudulent and crafty methods by which the subtle adven turess got him in her toils and secured from him an assignment of all he own ed on * earth. The old man's frame shook with excitement and his voice trembled with emotion as he declared "it was a fraud and a cheat. I never owed her a cent of the § 15,000 said to have been a consideration for the assignment. She has robbed me of 20roOO. She has seventeen husbands and twenty different names. " Mr. Talmage said he knew whereof he spoke , and his knowledge was acquired by long and bitter experience. The public lias had only scraps and inklings of the most remarkable chap ter in the life of the woman who is sasily ent-.tled to the distinction of be ing one of the greatest confidence operators of her time. She met Charles D. Talmage in Paris in 1878 , and their relations oon became quite intimate. In less than a year there was a quarrel , an exchange of rings and gems. A ! awer put things in shape and the two ictors in the drama separated. Six fears elapsed before they came to gether again. Tho meeting was in r. Doarding-house iu New York , where both were living. Mrs. Wallingford aas concealed the ravages of time with sosmetics and a tawny wig , and for nearly a week she passed before Mr. 1'almage's inatleutve eyes unrccog- nired and unknown. Meanwhile she hail taken the measure of her intended victim and formed plans which contemplated nothing less than the gutting possession of his entire fortune. When tho time fvas ripe she revealed herself , brought np pleasant memories of tho past , and prevailed upon the old man to go and live with her in a flat on Sixth avenue , near Twenty-e'ght street. Then she commenced to carry out her well-plan- aed schemes. She knew that at an jarlicr period of his life Mr. Talmage's mind had been unsettled , and that he ivas constantly in more or Isss dread of i recurrence of his mental inahury vhich might land him in a mad-house. 1'his was the string on which she play ed. She d scovered that Counselors George W. Arundel and 11. O. Moon , of : liis city , had in their possession about SOlJO "which they had recovered in a su.Cin wh'ch they had acted as Tal- mage's counsel. To get this money was her first object. With all the in fluence she had over her deluded vic tim this seemed an easy task. She told mm that Messrs. Arundel and Moon tvere his enemies and would conline him in an insane asylum if he came to Philadelphia , fohe assured him that u.s relatives ami friends had already instituted proceedings to have him de l-hired a lunatic. Sha hired men to track him on the streets of New York , and then pointed them out to him as detectives sent over to entrap him and ct him back to Philadelphia. Uy these means she pcmiaded him that he could not safely come to this city. The rjiicsl'on then arose how he was to get Llie money from Mr. Arundel. To this she proposed an easy answer. There was nothing to prevent her coming to Philadelphia , therefore give her a judgment note and let her collect it from the attorneys. Talmage still hcs- itnted , so ho was taken to a lawyer's oiliee and browbeaten into acquies cence. Past experience had taught the ad- renturess caution , and she 1'ortilicd her position until it seemed impregnable- Not satisfied with getting Talmage's signature lo a judgment note for $8.400 , he also made him bign an ailiilavit stat'ng that the judgment was for bor rowed money and that IIP. luid no de fense lo it of any kind or sort. Pear- rul that this might not bind If s real es tate she took in addition an assignment sf all his property. Besides all this she ; ot h m to write her a letter , dated n 1879 , admitting that ho owed her nonoy. To give ill's paper the proper ippearance oi"age she explained that iho would dip it in tea and carry it in jer pocket for awhile. These papers she brought on to Philadelphia and pread upon the records of the common jleas court No. 3. No Philadelphia awyer would assist in the conspiracy , o that she was obliged to act her own ittormiy until she brought a lawyer ver from New York with her. bhe ssued an attachment against Mr. Arun- lel , and expected that she would got noney immediately. Mr. Arundel siir- > rised her by making a most vigorous nut persistent defense. Without hav- ng any precedent for his action he tood between the woman and his for- nnr client , held on to the money in spite if the orders and protests of the latter , itid was fuliy sustained by the court , lire. Wallingford made repeated efforts o force him to give the money up , but vas always balked. Finally she got lisguslcd and kicked Talmage out of he1lat. This was just what Mr. Arun- el had predicted to the court that&hc ronld do as soon as she found herself inable to get the monoMr. . Talmage hen came on to Philadelphia , and Mr. Irumicl explained to him the true con- iition of affairs. lie was duly grateful .nd became as bitter against "the wo- aanas he had formerly been strong in lis passion for her. He retained Messrs. Lrundel and Moon to assist him in get- ing the court to open the judgment ntered on | | the § 8,400 note. Ucposi- ions were sakcn , in which he described low it had been extorted from him , .nd declared that he owed the woman : lolhing. The court promptly granted lis application aud opened the judg- aent. ) Mrs. Wallingford , however , has not ' ct given up 'the contest. Although : he has no judgment , she has the note , he affidavit , and the tea-stained letter , ) pon which she intends to ask a jury o give her a verdict. Her eflbrtsare. at iresent directed to securing a lawyer yho will content to represent hen. ' EXPLORERS ASTONISHED. Rcmnrknblo Discoveries that Some of Tlioni Ilnvo Recently Made. It . ' ami then that happens nov. an ex plorer makes a sensational and wholly unexpected discovery. Several mi quo facts with regard to curtain tribes of savages have recently been ascertained. Mr. W. Montatjn Korr , for instance , has found among the Makorikori tribo in in Africa , whom he is tho first to de scribe , gunpowder which they make themselves for use in the Hint-lock mus kets which they obtain from .native traders. This tribe lives far from tho east coast and quite a distance south of tho Zambesi river. Their gunpowder burns slowly , and its explosive force is far in ferior to that of ours , but it answers their purpose very well. They mix the efllocescence of saltpeter with charcoal which they make from the bark of the mufati tree. This mixture is baked in an earthen pot for several hours , and then it is pulverized and spread in the sunlight , where it is left for some time. It 5s not at all likely that the Makori- koris , like thu Chinese , discovered tho art of making < riinpowtler. Their fath ers doubtless learned it from the Portu gttese or from slaves who had livei among white men ou the coast. "Wi : hear strange things once in a wh loof African tr bes , but it was hardly to bo expected that a wholly unknown tribe , hemmed in by the mountains of inner Afiica , would be found engaged in the manufacture of gunpowder. A few years ago Lieut. Vrissmann came home and told a remarkable story about tribes he had met With south of the Congo river , who were far more civilized than mo.st African people. Jin report is now fully confirmed by the travels in the samu region of I/cuts. Kund and Tappenbock. TIiefound last year , between the Coniro and Sau- kurtt river , many street villages , with large , gable-roofed huts standing squarely on , ciliier side of the street inhabited by brownish-red , line-looking people. These villagers have advanced notions of comfort. They sleep on. wooden bedsteads instead of on the lloor. Their homes are the largest yet found in Africa , and arc kept clean. Their streets are about lifty yards wide , sometimes two or three miles long and are carefully swept. Eeftise of all sorts is taken away aud thrown into pits dug for the purpose. They are clever hunters , and tram their dogs to follow game. They carve pestles out of ivory for pounding manioc , aud they have astonishing skill as wood carvers. Lieut. Kund brought home two wooden cups representing negro heads , which might readily be taken for European products , owing to their superior workmanship. Behind the houses of this populous Z-juge tribe are neatly kept gardens and plantations of bananas. When Lieut. Holm visited an isolated settlement of East Grcenlanders two years ago he was astonished to liud among those natives , ot whom the world had never heard , walrus spears of which the handles were made of wood , although no timber grew there , and tlic of . He points hoop-iron. as certained that the sea current had brought Ihese useful commodities to the poor Esquimaux in the shape of wreckage and. iron-bound boxes. It has recently been shown that in parts of Chili where European trees and plants have been introduced the native llora is actuallydisappearing and the imported vegetation is nourishing in its place. Exporters are often surprised to sec the familiar plants aud fru ts of other regions growing as exotics where they did not dream of finding them. Kerr discovered the t-nnato in the far exterior of Africa , and Sehwehifvrth was much astonished to iind tobacco in the heart of the continent , where it was raised and enjoyed by natives who had never heard of its American home , though the name by which the weed was known among some tribes jwas doubtless derived from our name for it. 1'ork Sun. Had'a Taste for Tar. "Can I do anything for you ? " polite * ly inquired the young man in charge of t e cigar factory ofiice as a strjuager entered. "Why , yes , I guess so. " was tho rather slow replr. "You make a brand of cigars called the 'Joax.1 don't you ? " ' Yes , sir , we do. " "And you.kuep adverts"ng : that you are bound to preserve the excellence of the brand ? " "Yes. sir. " "Well , I've been smoking the 'Joax's' for a couple of years past , and it's onl\- lately I've noticed a change in the taste. t thought I'd drop in and see about it. " ' Why , sir , we are using even better tobacco. " "And the same fillers ? " "Better fillers , sir. " "Well , that's probably the 'matter. Up tn a fortnight ago they had a beau tiful taste of tarred rope , and my wife used to inhale the smoke for catarrh. Since that time they seem to have a sort of sheep-twine taste , and the smell is like an old towel on lire. I was go- ids to say that if " "Our cigars are made entirely of choce tobacco , sir ! " "No rope inside ? " ' "Xo , s'ir ! " "Oh , well , then , I guess I'll change my brand. Tarred rope lays over sheep-twine any day J.n the week with lue , and there's my wife's catarrh and Jie baby's whooping cough to ba con sulted. Sorry to have troubled 3-011. sir , but all of us have our taste , you . ' ' Delroii Frca Press. Increase of Population. In round numbers the population of he United States increases at the rate if 1,000,000 a year. The census of 1880 showed a population of over $50,000.- )00 , and close estimates based 0:1 local censuses give iu 1SS6 oG.000,000. Oi his increase about one-third is from ibroad. Two natives reach the stage f action for one foreign born resident. Lhe ratio of native increase must in the iu'turc be greater , as the native clement s constantly growing larger , while the 'oreign is about stationary. HERE AND THERE. 'Work has been commenced on the bulldln * ' for the Arlzoua university at Tucson. i The city of Brooklyn , X. Y. , derivci $07- 000 revenue from doglicenses last year. "Peek-a-Boo" has brought in W. J. Scanlaa $30OJO in royalties on thu printed cooles. 11 Is alleged that parties iu Newport , Ore- pon , are canningdobalinon , which are worth less. About § 100,030 worth of Improvements will be made on school buildings iu Washington , B.C. The farmers of lititto county , California , propose to plant olives extensively ueil spring. , The amount of vacant lands subject to original entry hi Dakota is estimated at 18- 500,000. Our country Is bigger than China. "Wehava 300,002,000 square miles , and Chiuu has only li.OJOOiW. The establishment 01 an 'orphan' home Is talked of by wealthy cilteiius at Little Itock , Ark. An Ausni a , ( la. , lawvor tins defended for- tv-thrce men charged with murder and clear ed fortv-one. The weg'jn roads to Albany , N. Y. , arc nearly all Impassible , owing lo the hcavj thaw of snow. The largest codfish ever taken at Twlllin- pate , Xew Foundland. was caught lately aud Weighed 11jxMimls. . The oldest type-setter in Utli-a , N. Y. , ha ? Worked at thu case forty-nine years , and in one ofiice thirty years. Trallic on the Wullaml canal slows : an la crease for last season of thirty-four per cent , as compared with ] 8S. > . In IJoaton , the other dav , a tntnr > refused the gift of a hat because it w as "too low hi the crown to he in style. " Of the .vj fetiidi-iits at the University of Ber lin , Germany14 ! ) are Americans , a largct number than ever before. Several influential Georgia citizens ara makiuir an cllort to have the Iv&'slaturc ca- blMi a state labor bureau. Osgood Bradbury , who died In New Glou cester , Me. , on Sunday , aged W 3caw , was bom in the town where he died. A Buffalo. N. Y. , citizen owns a large spitz dog which he is willing to wa cr $ TX ) can walk a rope stretched acres * thu Niagara Falls. The cotton crop of Arkansas has Increased 150,000 bales thisear. . Arkansas encourages the immigration of colored people , It is said. The Mexican arniy , when tin a war footing has lXOu3 ( , men , divided as follows : Infantry , KM , 5 ± J ; cavalry , 25,7'JJ , and artillery , Il.GOO. Probably the largest Hock of sheep in York state is that owned by : i citizen of Columbia , lie has under cover and in good kccpiug-.J,7u3 sheep. Frank Mordaunt is playing "Un-l Tom" on thu Pacilic Co.ist. He carries with him his ovrn cabin oa a special car , at : : ii expense "ol over CojOJO. The contract hat been let for plowing and grading a trail twelve feet wide from Ki-giua to Saskatoon , Northwestern territory , a dis tance of IOS miles. A farmer in Monroe county , New York , owns a 130-acre farm , fioin which he sold this sea son100 worth of beans , $ SOJ of wheat , auc ! 61,000 , of barley. Tne Scotch shawl , instead of overcoat , am ! the Highland cap and streamers make a fash ionable costume worn by tome New York society young ; man. The nearest approach to the North Pole , made by Lieutenant Lockwojil , on May KJ , 18s3 , was 31M miles , or a distant : . : iiw greater than that from Alluur to Wu hii.toi. One of the largest bird shows of the sea son s a great bird-cage show in London , In which the total number of birds exhibited is more than 1,1200. The crested canary form * the chief feature of tuc canary cxli bit. Joseph Armour , brother of the millionaire porkpackcr of Chicago , left IOf,0.J on his death , for the establishment of u kindergarten and free dispensary , with a physic ! 1:1 in charge. Phil. I ) . Armour added ? ! ; WOJO , to thu fund. President Ewell , of the College of William aud Marclaims that the earliest Chair of. Law at any American scat of learning was established at hh college in 1T7D , thirty- sir years before that of Ilarvar I. One of the largest toboggan slides in the world is the one at Saratoga , N. Y. It is a half mile long , and the sleds cover the disr tance ifi about nineteen seconds. A restau rant has been built near the slide , and a French cook will have charge this winter. A New York theater manager has engaged Iu a commendable effort to induce ladies to laj aside their hats during the performance. He has constructed a hat and cloak room , and hired ladies to take charge of the hats of all those who wish to encourage the new practice. One of the novelties in Paris is a big wooden cow built in front of a cafe. The milkmaid milks a steam of milk punch 1:1 a glass , and a placard proclaims the astonishing fact : "France has sent BartholdPsgod-less to Amer ica , and America gratefully sends iu return & milkmaiu. " In Washington dwell tvvo women who own so much bric-a-brac that they have moved into a larger house to accommodate it. Among other rare things is a scrci-n , such as is usesi in eastern harems , made of carved wood , with curious little windows which open and shut like doors. ' The most ridiculous sights at the Greek play , " says a New York dramatic paper , "were some Vassar girls , who came down from Poughkeepsie and exhibited th'cmseivej iu tbu horse-shoe boxes , arrajcd in classic costumes that very much resembled colored . " night-dresses. In Luzerae county , Pennsylvania , a Polish couple called on the clerk for a marriage license. The next day thu maiden returned with anotheryouncman fora 1.censeexplain ing that her lirst cbofcu was too ix > or to marry , and he relinquished hid right to her for the consideration of § 3. A man is not safe even when he Is in prison. One night list week Ham West was locked us in the jail at Lubling , Tex. , bei itiseof drunk enness , and before morning . oaieoae broke into his cell and robbed him of ? 300 , a gold watch , and a diamond ring. He proposes tu make the city pay him for his loss. In Fayette county , Georgia , lives Ubezla Slaton , the father of thirty children. Hu ha * been married twice , his first wife bearing him eighteen children and the second twelve. Five of his sons were iu one Georgia comoany during the war. He says he is unalilu to remember all their names in the order of their birth. A ragged old document dated No10 , IS ! ! , and conveying from the people of thu state ol New York to George Snydcr and Jasper Un derbill 2. > 0 acres on lot ISO of the Onondaga reservation , was left at tho county clerk's of iice in Syracuse Tuesday. Tha signature ot Gov. George Clinton , "trusty and well-bclov- cd , " is attached to the paper. I f- - - - '