THE OMAHA DAILY BEE , FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 12 , 1886. JTHE DAILY BEE. OMAHA OmrKXo. l4 ASD 010 FAII.VA.M sr NEW YOIIK drricr , IIOOM C5TninUNK HOH.DINO OrtlUK , NO. 513 KOUIITEENTH ST , Pnbll liPil every mornlnir , except Siindny. Tlio only Monday morning imper pulillsliod 111 the etntc. TEIIMB nr MAIM OnoYenr. . . . $ in.OOThroo , Months . ? 2.r/ ) Flx > lontli . P.OU Quo Month . l.W THE WEEKLY HEP , PtiMMioil Kvcry Wwlnusrtnjr. TFI1JI" . POSTPAlt ) ! Ono Ycnr ( wltli premium . . . $2.f > 0 OnoYenr , without piftnlum , . . . . . . . . . . l.t > PltMnntlift , without i > rciiiiim ! , . . . . . 75 Olio Montll , on trlnl. . . 10 All comtmmlcntlorn rclntlntf to ntws nml fill- torinl mnltrrfl frlmuld bo addressed totliuUiu- ' /OK OFm : HKK. IWCIJiESS T.CTTF.nS ! All luiilnrs * letters nml rcmlttmicci should l > o iiudioficd to TUB HKK I'unMfiiiiMi COMPANY , OMAHA. Drnflc , cliocki nml po tnfllro onlnra to be inndo pnj nblo to the order of the compnny. m BEE PUBLISHIIlfcIPW , PBflPBIEIOflS , C , I103KWATKH. " \ViiAT \ No . " , novcr ? , novor. Stu JosErii GKOIIHI : L. MII.MK : Is still out of politics , but business with the interior - torior department will keep him in Washington for several days to come. "Tin : records cannot bo destroyed , " says the Herald. Kvidontly not , us the HUB'S cditorml correspondence from Washington published to-day prove ? . PADDY llrAN has i. iied another dial- leniro to John L. Sullivan. As soon as John sobers off sufficiently 1'athly wil have to put up his hands or shut tip. WITH-10 per caul of the skilled work- ingnieu of London out of employment , Mr. Chamberlain hag a heavy problem to solve as head of the homo department. A sonscuiiTioN paper , limit $ . " > , is to bo Started in Boston for the Irish parlia mentary fund. The Irish-American con tributions in Now York now amount to $50,000 and Tammany will turn in some $15,000 more. Tun orange crop is a failure , the pcacli crop is.rtiincd , the ice crop on the Hud son is none too good , and now to cap the climax comes the report that the banana crop will bo short this year. This will bo cheering news to pedestrians. AcconuiNG to the packing-house- - tide , J. 15. House , while a "practical stir- V03'or , " is incompetent to fill the sur veyor general's olllco. What was needed there , according to the Miller-Boyd pat ronage-peddling outfit , was a practical politician. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , GENEIIAL ScncmiiD : says ho prefers to remain on duty in Chicago. Wo violate o conlid.en.cn in saying that General Howard would prefer a. station at San Francisco or Now York to his present ono in Omaha , and he is likely to bo accommodated. Mn. BOVD is a very ready letter writer. His conlidontial letter to J. B. J. Ryan 'Jros ' Yoryintorcstingreadm < j , but his loiter to the honorable Mr. Crites of I'lnlts- mouth will bo nn oye-oponer to the packinghouse ing-house brigade. Why didn't Crites burn that letter ? ACCOHDINU to Dr. Miller's bosom friend Crites , J. E. House is apolitical uontenli- ty entirely unlit for a federal oilieo , but Pritchctt is a power in the land. In fact lie is the only democrat in Nebraska who is fitted by education to ( ill the position of United States district attorney. GKN. HANCOCK'S death leaves his fam ily practically destitute. His position as the senior m jor"goncral and the leading democrat in the army made heavy de mands upon his limited resources. A bill will doubtless bo introduced in con gress to grant Mrs. Hancock a pension. It should pass. "My DKAK Mit. LAMAIC 1 wish to say to you personally that I have known Mr. J. E. House all his active life , and while lie is a good practical surveyor I do not bcliovo that ho has the ability to conduct the oflieo of surveyor general GEOKOK L. MIUIH. : " Mr. House will feel highly ilalored by such a compliment. TIIE Boston Jlcacon , a religious journal , comes forward with the comforting as surance that the expression , "a hell of a time , " is not profane. The word "hell , " it explains , is a survival of the old Ger- .man word , which meant 1 , ringing , loud , noisy ; 3 , visible , evident , manifest. This settles the matter. Our ministerial friends will now bo at liberty to use the expression to their heart's content with out doing violence to their consciences. This applies with equal force to the city council. THE judiciary committee of the house of representatives which has under con sideration the KUmunds Utah bill , pro poses to add an iron-clad anti-Mormon nmmulmont in the shape of n prescrip tion oath which no Mormon could honestly take , and without which ho could not vote. The oath denounces as pernicious any dictation of the Mormon church , and pledges the voter not to act or "bo In concert with any political party 1 noting or which may hereafter act to carry out the political weal of the church or of any Mormon political party. " This is a premium on perjury. The Kdinunds bill is Htringtml enough as it stands. The Vjoposcd amendment will add nothing to itU ofllclouoy. Now that the ox-position building is nearly completed wo would suggest to the rolijiious people of Omaha that it would bo a good thing to secure the ser vices of Sam Jones and Sam Small to hold a good old-fashioned revival hero. Iu St. Joe the pcoplo raised $5,000 to purchase - chase ii circus tent and pay the other ex penses of the tiam Jones meetings. The business men of every description sub scribed liberally asthey know that the revival would bring to St. Joe many thousands of people who , while drawing religious inspiration from the lips ' of Sam Jones , would spend jrroat deal of money in ( shopping and board bills. Looking at the saattor from a business view , the bring ing of Sam Jonas to Omaha for a two week's campaign against sin and sinners would prove a profitable investment , and at the same time a great deal of good would be accomplished. Lot our religious brethren consider the matter and at once take steps to get Mr. Jotics here. 'Ho is a big card , nndhaq dates for several months ftheud.iu the large cities. * r Packinghouse Pinafore. lf. Miller nuthorl/es a reltciatlon of the statement that ho nercr recommended mi/- ] / lindu for the sHirci/or-f/cHcnil's / office , thcte- fore when Gardner ninkos a contradictory statement lie simply lies. Mr. Oli'w ? of Ilichardson county , and Mr. llamsey of Cnss county , warm friends ot Dr. Miller , were both candidates for the position of sitrvejor-g-eneral , and ho declined to lend his suppoit to either , to the detriment ot the other , although solicited by telegraph by Secretary Lamar to do so. llo now con siders his lefusal to choose between them tlio one mistake he 1ms umilo since a dem ocratic administration was Inaugurated ; for If ho had chosen tlu-ie would luuo been no Gardner In the public sei vice. # # * f I > r. Miller will slnko his word against llfty Gardners that no maiie\cr saw a letter dinned by him recommcndiuc uti > body for the survey or general ship and white Giuduer ought to thank his luck tlmt such Is the case ho ought also to icstraln his mendacity. Itcrnld , Jumiaru Will. , I told Mr. WIse that I would do by Mr. Itamsey what Iliad done by Mr. Clegg , and did so in a letter to Secretary Lamar. At no lime did 1 iccomnicml any man forstuvcyor- geiieial , nor didJamosE. Bojd do II in my name. 0. L. M. Herald , Janimiii 'JOtli. JAMES K. Bovu , Packer , Omaha , Maylltli , 188 , " ! . To the Honorable Secretary of the Interior , Washington. Mir : Mr. Basil M. Ramsey , of PJattsmouth , is nn appli cant lor the position of surveyor general of Nebraska. Sometime ago wo were asked in regard to the character and ability of Mr. Rolil. Clegg , of Falls City , Nebraska , to which wo at once replied byIre , stating that Mr. Clegg was a man of most e\cellont character , etc. Wo are now asked to endorse Mr. Ramsey , which wo most gladly do. Ho is a gentleman of the strictest honesty and integrity , and there is no man in the .state more competent or mote peculiarly fitted to fill that position. With great re spect , your obcdiotil servants. JAMHS K. Bovi > , Member Nat'l Dem. Com. Gnoitai : L. Mn.i.iu. : This is what might hayo been called Packing-house Pinafore : "I never recommended anybody for Iho surveyor general's ollice , " thundered Admiral Miller , of Patrick's torpedo licet. "What ! never I" did you sayJ "No , never I Well , hardly ever. " "No man ever saw a letter signed by" Dr. Miller , "recommending anybody for the surveyor generalship. " But Mr. Lamar did receive such a loiter , and nt least four persons ivho know Dr. Miller's handwriting read it and handled it. "Did you mean to say "novcrl" Sir Admiral ? "No , never 1" or "Hardly over ? " Wo shall not bo surprised if Packing house Pinafore should become more pop ular among Nebraska democrats than progressive euchre over has been among Omaha society circles. The Commission Farce. While Senator Cullom's bill for the regulation of inter-stato commerce is re ceiving cordial support from railway managers and trunk line commissioners nd arbitrators , Mr. Reagan's measure is meeting with the usual opposition from the agents of the monopolies. The rea son is not difficult to find. Mr. Reagan's bill , if put into active operation , would check the principal abuses in tlio man agement of corporate monopolies under which the pcoploi are suffering. It pro hibits discrimination and extortion and provides a legal remedy for violation of the law. It aims well directed blows at the evils of stock jobbing , excessive capi talization auil railroad wrecking , whoso cost in the end is taxed upon the patrons of the transportation system of the country , and it makes- the courts the arbitni'H between the people and the monopolies. Senator Cullom's bill on the contrary proposes a commission to celled statistics and make recommenda tions to congress. Its solo and only province will bo to compile facts , file away annual passes and draw handsome salaries. Such n body of ofliciuls would bo equally powerless to harm the railroad jobbers or to liolp the pcoplo. This is not the solution of the problem of railway regulation demanded by the public. It solves only the perplexing question which has been troubling the railroad managers of how to shelve the issue without arousing a slill greater an tagonism throughout the country. Tt is legalized inaction and nothing else. The commission syslem wherever attempted has proved a failure in redressing griev ances. In Nebraska tlio railroad com mission is Iho laughing stock of the stato. They have junketed over three systems , inspected track and stations through tlio bottom of champagne glasses and pub lished several worthless reports , The practical benefit in dollars and cents which the people of the state have de rived from Ihoir labors would not pay a month's salary of one of their secretaries. No ono knows bolter than the average railroad manager that the commission system is a more subtonugo lor railway regulation , whoso members arc more easily controlled than an entire legislature , and whoso decisions , unlike those of n court , can bo obeyed or ignored at will. This is the reason why the Goulds and Sages and Gurrotts are convinced that a national railway com mission is a pressing necessity , in the way of whoso 01 cation they will decline to place n straw. The public cannot bo hoodwinked bynnysuchnbchoino as that of Mr , Cullom , They know enough to know its real object and aim and whoso interest its passage is intended to advance , _ PKTITIONS tor paving materials are al ready circulating among property own ers In the now districts which tlio council created and ordered paved at its last ses sion. Under .the provisions of our law the decisions rests absolutely in tlm own ers of the abutting lots , There is no chance of jobbery on the part of contrac tors In forcing objectionable materials upon these who have to bear the burden of taxation. * The power of the council and board of public works In the ques tion is limited to making and approving the contracts for such a pavement as may bo decided upon by the lot owners. Under these circumstances , it is important thai the choice made should bo a careful and n discriminat ing ono , because it is linal. The list of materials ofl'erod covers all the classes of paving most in use in this country and ou the continent. In audi tion it comprises three classes of founda tions uion which the pavements can bo laid. The Bir. : urges upon the property owners in the now paving districts to choose Iho best pavement of ifs cla'ss , whatever the inateilal bo selected. If jdurablo and a satisfactory one , Nex.t to wood block bo selected , as seems provable in some ot the districts , a great mistake will bo made in chasing n plank instead of n concrete base. That is the universal experience of every city which has at tempted to use wood as a paving mate rial. London , which has the best wood pavements in the world , makes her choice of creosotcd blocks laid on a ce ment foundation with the spaces between the blocks hermetically sealed , Dand with a long guarantee of maintenance. This is an expensive pavement , but it is u it is n. well laid block on concrete. Thn other pavements offered have already been tried in Omaha and arc familiar to our people. Those Prnndtilcnt Surveys. The Jfcraltl , whose editor lias been making a personal light for tlio abolition of the surveyor-general's olllco at Plaits- mouth , principally because the present incumbent was nominated against the dictation of the democratic faction which ho heads , begs tlio question in discussing the issue raised by Mr. Sparks' letter which opposes tlio closing of the ollico. Mr. Sparks declines to recommend the abolition of the Nebraska surveyor-gener alship because he is convinced that the work of. the ofllco is not completed. There are the best of reasons for believ ing that many of the surveys must bo repeated. Extensive frauds have been discovered in tlio manner in which surveying contracts have boon performed. Largo tracls of territory in the state are without town ship and section corner stones. While the books of the ofllcc show that all the surveys in Nebraska have boon com pleted , investigation , on the ground , proves that a largo portion of the work pretended to have been done under Iho contracts has never boon touched. This is the issue Involved , and the solo issue in which tlio public outside of the contending factions in the democratic party lias any interest It makes no difference to the average settler tlor whether Gardner or Smith or Jon'os or Brown draws tlio salary of surveyor general , or whether the ap plication of the successful candidate was endorsed by G. L. Miller or J. Sterling Morton. But it does make a great dillor- enco to real estate owners in the newly settled portions of our state whether their filings on paper represent the land actu ally taken up. The government surveys are the only basis upon which possession and transfer can bo had. So long as there is a reasonable doubt whether they have been properly made , the closing ol tlio surveyor general's oflice would bo manifestly improper. That is the only avenue through which resurvoysand cor rections can come. Every ono who has watched the course of politics in this state for the past fifteen years knows that the government surveys in Nebraska have been made with scarce ly a pretension of accuracy. From the days of Boss Cunningham down to the era of Dave Stcphcnson , surveying con- Iracls have been honeycombed with fraud. There is not a , county surveyor in Iho portions of Ihe state surveyed dur- ng this period , who does not know that the work done was shamefully , inade quate and grossly incorrect in many in stances. Tlio charge has been made again and again , bill as Iho means of verifying it officially lay in the hands of the surveyor-general , the public has never been given a chance lo know Iho full delails of Iho surveying conlract iniquities. The opportunity cnu now ba afforded. The lirst attempt of the general land ollico to verify a few of tlio surveys of tlio old gang , by a careful re-survey of the territory covered by the last contract , will show very promptly whether the work of the Nebraska surveyor-general's ollico is completed. Tin : full report of Lieutenant Mans on the killing of Captain Crawford confirms in every particular the first suspicions and the subsequent charge of wilful murder. It shows thai llio Mexicans know perfectly well whom they were firing on and llial Iho attack was treach erous and premeditated. When the first shots wore fired Lieutenant Muus and Captain Crawford both ran out waving their handkerchiefs and calling that they wore American ofiiccrs. The Mexicans evidently understood them for they ceased firing and replied that they had made n mistake. All this time they were mov ing toward tlio shelter of the hill from which they again reopened the attack , killing Captain Crawford and then moved upon the camp. Being re pulsed with the loss of a major and four men , Ihoy asked for a Iruco and once more pretended thai Ihoy had made a mistake. Lieutenant Mans reports that when ho went over to the parley ho would have been seized himself if his scouts had not begun to strip for fight , when ho was allowed to return to his men. This is a straight story and calls for a searching investigation on the part of the government. The Mexican ban ditti on the frontier who masquerade as regular troops while bushwhacking on both sides of tlio border are more dangerous to lifo and property than Goronimo's copper skinned cut throats. Their murderous performances are carefully concealed as a rule , and the Indians often got tlio credit of the Greaser outrages. In the present case the proof scorns full and complete , and the military murderers should gel their dosorls. Diplo matic explanations are valuable in their way , but they will fall to fill the bill in the present instance. Tun Omaha exposition building is rap idly approaching completion , and will bo formally onenedon the 18th with a grand promenade concert under the auspices of the exposition company. Wo hope our oiti/ons will , by a liberal purchase of tickets ; show Ihoir appreciation of tlio public spirit of the men who have in vested ? 50,000 in an enterprise which will probably not pay any dividends for sev eral years. They Itavo erected a beauti ful and substantial building , 183 feet wide and 201 feet long. It is lo bo used for largo assemblies such as stale polit ical conventions , state and intor-stato gatherings of all kinds , mass meetings of all kinds , sangorfosts , grand concerts , balls , etc. , and for the Omaha annual exposition , It is just such n building as Omaha needs , and will answer her de mands for many years to como , We ven ture to say that there is not a city of 209,000 , people thai can boast of such a commodious building for public , assoni- , blies. With this largo hall Omaha Is now In shape to handle national conventions. That it willutlraqt to this oily rauny largo conventions that would otherwise not como hero there Is no question , and In this way it will prove' great benefit. PAitMAMr.XT stand ? adjourned until the 8th Inst. , when the question of furnish ing relief lo English labo'rcrsill ' prob ably take precedence over Irish legisla tion. Rioting m London will furnish both liberals and tories more material for hard work than isolated outrages across the channel about which Lord Salisbury's party was preparing o raise parlia mentary inquiry. To llnnuoek In ( "Mcinormiu. ItU an OH JJroMtr Officer. Hoi ii of an honored name Of old colonial fnme , To patriot hearts right dear , Without icjiioach or fear ; Like Paladin of old , Our knight lies co'ld. With recoid high and pure , With nothing to obscure , llo Illicit each place With soldier grace. And , swlftntdutj'scall , Gave heed to nil. Calm on the battle field , Yet willing self to yield , When called to lend the van , Detraction failed to plan Though worsted 111 the tight To bring a fault to light. Almost the nation's choice , With no complnlulug voice lie met his first defeat ; Yet with no base letreat Losing a place unsought To keep a Inmo iinbought. From simple cadet gray llo won his way To slilue amid the stars : Reached by the lea\es and bais Through grades well won And duty fahly done. That dauntless hcait lies cold The nation's Hag shall fold Ills pulseless heart to-day ; Yet o'er tlio senseless clay Will mourning comuules weep , And dear his mcinoiy keep. SOUTS. A chailty bawl "Mister , gimme a nickel. " A bu/zlng In your enr is not so bad when a handsome gill docs tlio buzzing. Money doesn't make Iho man ; and it Isn't every man that makes tlio money cither , It Is curious how much faster a btieel-car goes when you are running for it than it does when you aie ilding on It. Attoinoy General Garland Invaiiably tiunsaioimd when ho hears nnjbody holler "Hello I" The wealth of our language Is shown by tlio fact that "hang it up" and "chalk It down" mean precisely the same thing. Paper rails aio made in Russia , we hear. That is nothing astonishing. Whole rail ways aio made out of paper in this country. There is said to bo a haunted schooner in Fall River. What wlthj th6 bier and spiiit , there is all the malcilal tor a ghost in a schooner. " 1 can give you a cold bite. " said the wom an. "Why not warm it lip , " asked the tramp. "There ain't any wood 'sawed. " "That's so ? Well , give it to mo cold. " ' Mr. Todlumter has written , a play in which Mis. Langtry will appear in jlhe spilng. The namoot the author , by .the way , will bo ic- called to the audience every time a young man goes out between tlio acts of the play. 1 Bound to Hiivc AVntor. Hastinus QiizcUt-Jotirnal. If the number of towns nnd cities In Ne braska figuiing upon waterworks is any jn- dlcatlon , the piohibitlonlsts certft'Kly ' "haVO every reason t" be-tw.eotnagcd. A Great Discovery. Liulsi-illc. Courier-Journal. Senator Kdmunds lljids that wheie forty Bouatois will accept an Invitation to attend a circus not more than one or two can be be- peudedupou to go to a caucus. A Needed Defense. Chicago Mall. A Boston minister has lately been com pelled to make a defense of. cigars. The ci gars we buy in Chicago ought to bo defended by somebody. They ore probably causing nine-tenths of all the sudden deaths we read about. A Defunct Craze. St. P.iul 1'tonccr I'icts. It seems to bo quite evident that the roller- skatingcrazo Is defunct beyond tlio power of resuscitation. * * * It was lacking in all tlio uonulno popularity in a sport or a pastime. Its collapse was duo to itslnheicnt weakness. It never will bo missed except by those unlucky people who find themselves with links on their hands with which they know not what to do. A Wlwok nt Chicago. St. Louis Olobc-Dcmocml. Store rents are going up In Chlcago.aceoid- Ing to the nowspapeis of that cltv. The average - ago Chicago tenant Is supremely Indifferent on the subject of icnts. lie believes with certain extreme socialistic theorists tlmt "rent is " and ho knows robbery , by experi ence that it Is cheaper to move than to pay lent ; hence this motto : "Thousands for fiunltuio caits , but not a cent for landlords. " Senator Sawyer's Crest- . Chlcaun Tribune. A Now York conespondeul says that Sen ator Sawyer of Wisconsin has decided to fol low tlio com BO of ccitaln members of the cab inet and adopt a ciest. The senator has boon a lumberman , and the design lie has in mind consisls'ot "an embattled sawlog on an em erald pine foicst , with a pair of engialled bob-sleds on the dexter chevron. " II Is baic- ly possible thai the senator fiom Wisconsin Is making fun of the fools , llo does that sometimes. > . . . Controlled by the Other lliillroad. St. Louis HcphMKaii. The majority of the New Jersey assembly are lepubllcans , j-et they favt'9 denounced tlio piopo.sal that tlio United States government shall give the Bnltlmoioaud Ulilo lallioad the light of way into Stalou Island as a violation lation of state lights. 1'h.py demand the verystiictcst construction of the constitu tion In determining the pisea' > of the national government over the navigable waterways of the country. This IB fc'o funny tlmt it sug gests the Idea that the legl&luUuo Is coutiolled by the other railroad company. Greatest Authority cfn Hartli. | Chlcaao ttfUji In a newspaper Interview down east re cently , Dr , George L , Miller , the gifted and urbane editor of the Omaha Herald , vouch safed the Important and trustworthy Inlor- mation that the nation , ) ! administration was piovmg satisfactory to tlio Nebraska democ racy and would do much toward making JSo braska a democratic ) stata This assuiance confirms the suspicion wo harbored when wo heard last summer tlmt R. B. Hayes had pait- cd with Ids liquor Interest In Omaha ; we made up our minds then that that was the lirst symptom of lepublicnu disintegration In Nebraska ; w < felt gloomier still to hear , later on , tlmt ono or the Koifor family bad cml- grated from Ohio to NebiasKa ; that made us feel certain th t the republican paity was a gouer. It needed Or. Miller's assurance only that the democrat le party wns about to cap ture- Nebraska to convince us that the lepub llcans had no reason to count Nebraska as. thulrs In future. Dr. Miller is unquestiona bly the most reliable polyglot authority now On oarjh. ' ' " ' ' tnr'itTnr ' * itniTnt PPTITIT SLAUGHTER HOUSr , SERIAL , In Which the Burning Brands of the Pack ing House Are Plainly Visible , Choice Selection * Kroni Ilio Indorse- mcnls of Miller , Uoyd nml Crltci Treachery's Trnok Traced In Itlnok Ink. WASHIXOTON , Keb. 0. [ Kdltorlnl Cor respondence. ] "If you had asked what I have been doing since the 10th of Septem ber , " exclaimed President Arthur , "I would toll j on that my time has almost entirely boon taken up by applications from nrmy olllcer.s for promotion and with Nebraska. " "How is that , Mr. President , " said I ; "what is the trouble with Nebraska ? " "Trouble enough , " replied Mr. Arthur , "Nebraska is nil torn up with factional fights and your delegation never agrees on anjthitig. " This was four years ago when Valentino tine was at swords' points with Suuuders and Van Wyck , and Nebraska was ig nored in the distribution of federal pat ronage. The whirligig of time which landed Grover Cleveland in the white house has wrought a great revolution , but I imagine if Mr. Cleveland were asked to-day what he has been doing since lie became president , his answer would not differ materially from that given by his predecessor MX months after the dcatli of Garfiold. Ho has been wrestling with applications for promotion from army olllcers and both ering with Nebraska. To be- sure it mat ters very little now whether the republican delegation from Nebraska is at logger heads. Mr. Cleveland has not lost a min ute's sleep on their account , but lie is sorely perplexed and worried and vexed by the belligerent bosses who come hereto to represent the wants of the very hun gry anil very thirsty democrats that be long to the "packing house" and "slaugh ter house" factions. MIM.KII AND MOUTON are attracting considerable attention just now. Morton lias been hero for several days , and Miller is expected within forty- eight hours. Whatever the outcome of the Irrepressible conllict between Dr. Miller and J. Sterling Morton may be , is of little concern to 1110 personally Their respective friends and followers who read the BIK : more generally than any other paper , or for that matter all other papers , including Dr. Miller's own , are doubtless deeply interested. At this stage of the controversy Morton has by all odds the best of the fight. The vindictive assaults of his ambitious adver sary , who openly boasts his intention to crush him , has naturally created sympathy for him. Morton has warm friends in the cabinet and in the depart ments. He has refrained fiom pushing the claims of his friends , but usually manages to got in his work where it will do the most good. "Governor" Morton , as ho is called bore , has a wide range of acquaintance among congressmen , and by his shrewd tactics wields greater power than Dr. Miller with his paper. WHAT AIM : "WE n CUE rou ? Three days ramble among the dcpui't- mcnls has been amusing Well : is in- &cni { > tie. Outward appearances do not betray the fact that the confederates have captured the White House. The starry banner of our country still waves over the interior department under Secretary Lamar as it waved ten years ago when I called to pay my re spects to Secretary Zach Chandler. The ante-room of the cx-coufcderate secretary is still guaided by the same black republi can that formerly handed my cards to Sclmrz.and Kirkwood. Even President Cleveland , I am told , has retained the old republican door-keeper who was first cm- ployed by General Grant , and has ush ered into the executive ollico all the call ers upon Hayes , Garfield and Arthur. In other respects outward appearances are very deceptive. The postmaster general's ' room is still decorated with portraits of his predecessors from Governor Donmson down to Frank Hatton. General Grant occupies a prominent place among the military heroes that adorn the walls of the oillco from which Secretary Emlieott issues army orders. Emblems of loyalty and patriotism greet mo on nil sides and I should almost imagine that the "Grand Old Barty" was still at the helm if it were not for the tramp , tramp , tramp of veterans with unmistakcably democratic countenances marching through the marble tiled corridors from early morning till the department doors close. They are all ready to shout for the flag and an appropriation. The groups of congressmen whom I met in the postollico and interior department wore nearly all democratic and their search for patronage appeared , If any thing , more persistent than over was thai of the republicans of Hie l-'lannagan stamp DIPLOMACY AND DUl'UCITV. Among the most interesting and eurjous documents now on deposit in the archives of Uncle Sam are the loiters and dis patches relating to that big bono of con tention the surveyor-generalship of Ne braska. For months Dr , Miller's mud batteries have kept the democracy of Ne braska in a perfect uproar. ( Shot , shell and filth wore poured into the Movtonlnn camp promiscuously and every demo crat within range who docs "not triiiu under the "Great Dictator" was moioi- lessl.V flailed. The true inwardness of this toiriblo "slaughter" has at last come to light. When DavoStevenson resigned the sur veyor generalship , ho expected that his friend Clegtr , who was a "Weaver demo crat , " would bo appointed his successor. Uoyd and Miller were advised but they found themselves embarrassed by several applicants. The most competent of thuso wns J , K. House , but his location at Omaha wain the way of their scheme to make Pritchott United States district at- tornny , So they resorted to a bit of diplomacy , and worked the wires under cover. Wldlo they were playing fast and loose with Clogg anil Uamsoy , Gardner carried oft' the plum. Miller became furious. Ho protested , fumed and raged to no purpose. Then ho changed front and clamored for the abolition of the ollleo. In an interview that appeared in the Br.i ; about three weeks ngo , Surveyor General Gardner took occasion to say that Dr. Miller's denial that ho over recom mended anybody for surveyor general was llatlv contradicted by Mr. Uojd. who had read n cony of a letter to him ( Gard ner ) in which both Uoyd and Miller had recommended Clegg , anil another in which Ramsey was recommended for the same place , Or Miller at oneo made a point blank denial which reiterated that lie had never fccommjnded any body for the surveyor general's olllco , and ho fur ther declared . . .that no , man-eVw > aw a letter signed by him recommending any' body for this oliico. Dr. Miller will have to recant. I have not only seen his letter with my own eyes , but at leasi three other persons who can vouch for his handwriting have examined and read it with inn. They also will join mo in certifying to the cor rectness of the following copy of a tele gram : Anrll 2) ) , m--IIon. 1. . Q. C. Ltunni : Asked to state our opinion ol Itouci t ricRg , vo say , lutoiiilty uniitic tlnnud , good ability , sound democrat , niul excellent nmn. JA.MKS K. UOM > . Member Xatiounl Democratic Committee. GKOIKII ; li. Mili.Kit. On May llth , 1885 , the following letter was addressed to Mr. Lamar : Silt : Mr. Uasll M , Itnmscy , ot Plaits- month , Is an applicant for the position oC-nir- \ejorKeucialol Nebraska. Somotlmo ngo \\e wi'io asked In legaid to the elmineier and ability or Mr. llobt. t'lemr , ol 1'nlls nty , Xe- braikiti to which woittoni'o lopltcd by who , stntlmr that Mr. 1'leeg wns a limn of most ex cellent clmtapter , etc.Ve \ arc now asked to t'lidorco Mr. Itam ey , wldch wo most gladly do. lit ) is a gentleman oC the stilctest hon esty and Intent Ity , and Ilium Is mi man mow competent or iiioiepcciilhulv titled to llll Iho position.Yllh \ gioat U'sjtoct , > iu obi'dlciit tenants , JAMI : * K. UOM > , Member Nnl'l Dem. Com. DroiKir L. Mnuit. : In order to innko sure that no mistake bo made that would smash the packing house slate , Dr. Miller addressed : i hitter to Secretary Lamar on May ! 20th , 1885 , which concludes as follows : " 1 wish to say to yiiti peisoually that thave known Mr. ,1. 1C. House till his aetho life , and while ho Is a cooil mactlcal surveyor , 1 ao not believe that bo has the ability to con duct the ollicc ot \cyor-cunernl. . Cr.o. \ , . Miu.r.u. " _ Having stabbed House between the ribs the doctor linishes him through his friend Crilcs of Platlsmouth , who writes n long letter imlogi/.ing his brother-in-law liamsey. The following extract is all I need to quote : "A ecilaln clique of dumoeiMs who aio bent ou thn o\cithrow ot Into and tiled dem ocrats of this state like Dr. ( Jennie L. Mlllurol the Herald , and lion..lames K. Uoyd , national committeeiimn. who lias lauoied lone and fiiltlilully lor the piospenty and strength of Ids paity , nioafthcly piomotlnn the Inlei- e tsol J. K. House , a political nonentity In this state , foimeily eldet engineer ol the Missouri Paclllci.iilioad. " After flinging a volley of dirt at what Crites is pleased to call these "malcon tents" ho winds up as follows : "Mr. Piitchett Is tlm choice of nine-tenths of the active deinnciatsot' the state for ilis- tilet attorney. N'onuof the other aspirants are leally.suited for the place by education , chaiacter or experience. This letter is dated May 10 , one day ahead of Dr. Miller's left-handed cndor.so- mun of J. E. House. I am afraid I havf > placed the cart be fore the horse this time. In order to got a clear insight into the packing liotiso method of slaughtering , I must reproduce another loiter , which explains how Bob Clegg was neatly done up : OMAHA. Neb. , Miuch 23,183 , > . Hon. A.V. . Crites , Plattsmouth. Neb. My Dear Sir : I am in receipt of chctilar lennestlng my en dorsement and iecommcnd.\tlnu of Air. Basil W. Itamsey for sin\eyor gen- cial. I wish to avoid any unseemly haste In such innUcis , knowing lull well that anything I may do will bo sub jected to the snverest ciiticlsiiii. There is another applicant for tlio place , but 1 con sider that Cass county is entitled to it. 1 want j ( m to know that 1 am with you. If j on send in the application , icfor the secre tary ot the Inteiior to me as a member ot the national democratic committee , ami I will say all the good woids for Mr. Uaniboy that you deslio me to say. With kind towards and best wishes , 1 am , your obedient ser vant , JAJIIS : JC. Uovi ) . Why didn't ' Mr. Crites burn this letter ? This is a most distressing case of du plicity , and if it was not my habit to pick up stray letters this mystery about the surveyor generalship might never have been cleared up. E. UosnwATr.u , STATE AXP "rSlmiTOnY. Nebraska Jotting. D. P. Rolf has been clcc'icd president of the Nebraska City board of trade. The Cedar County Agricultural societv has a balance of $31,78 to start next fall's fair. Pawnee business men have made up a purse of $1.000 to secure the location of a foundry there. Two new towns will soon bo located in the southern part of Fillmore county , to bo known by the name of Media and Ohiowa. A high toned and short haired Celestial from Omaha swooped down on a brother Mongol in Fremont the other day and done him up for § 20. Residents of Plum Creek talk of or ganizing a grand hunt for the purpose of exterminating the coyotes that are nrowl- ing about that neighborhood. Mrs. Mariiuhi Jennis , of Nebraska City , a poor despondent woman left by a heart less husband to provide /or horeclf and three children , attempted suicide for the second time hist Tuesday. The prompt arrival of a doctor , however , saved her life. life.The The Stromsburg Republican comes out this week with a double edition devoted to the growth aifd prosperity of the town and Polk county. The churches ami schools and prominent business men are pictorially represented , while the statis tical and historical review prove the steady advancement of the community. The enterprise of the publishers 'is commendable. Last Saturday Anton Betan old resi dent of Cedar county , living a couple of miles south of St. Helena , was the vic tim of a runaway accident M'liicli will probably prove fatal. His team got the advantage of him , and while they wore running Mr. lletz was thrown between the forward wheel and the wagon. His head and face were badly lacerated , and concussion of the brain ib the dangerous result of the allair. An Omaha drummer afllletcd with u desire to exhibit his shape at night , crawled out of his bed in n Hastings hotel , strode through the streets in his stocking feet and mounted the derrick , eighty leet high , which surround * the now water tower. Iloro his flowing robes fluttered in the breoxo like a cold wave signal , while the mercury hugged Iho bottom ot the bulb , and failing to re- cch o the upphmsu of the silent multitude ho imagined surrounded his lofty peroh , ho descended and Juiulcd in Iho. arms of a vigilant policeman. Ho was promptly thawed out and snake root applied to his troubled soles The committee of the Plattsmoulh board of trade having charge of the scheme , has ropoitcd in favor of organ izing a fctook company to build a county court house. It is proposed to issue stock to the amount of § ? < > ,0)0 ( ) in shares of j''iO eaeh , the purpose being to erect a throe-story briok structure somewhere in the busmc.ss part of town , the lower story to bo used for business purposes for the bcnulit of the stockholders , the two upper stories to bo donated free to the USD of the county forolllcesand court room as long as the county scat remains in Plattsmouth. The proposition mot the approval of the hoard and the president was instructed to call a special meeting on Thursday evening , February 18 , to consider the matter. Iowa ItciiiH. Davenport is irrigated with -'IS licensed saloons. Manchester is moving for a railroad connection with Davenport , Seventeen candidates for mayor are announced in Missouri Valley. Cholera knocked thirty-four hogs in Ken Simpson's pens at Brayton , ono day lubt week. Kcokuk boasts of170 widows and 108 widowers. Green grass is puronuial in that neighborhood , Miss Josephine llaoppuor of Hamburg had both legs brokn.ii just above the . ankle's while coasting last week , . Dave DoLong has sued the editor of ( ho Farragut Sentinel for $0,000 damn/res for slander and alienating the affections of his \vife. The Har assoehillon of Delaware coun ty , in session nt Manchester on Saturday , pa sod a resolution favoring the abolish ment of circuit courts and substituting county courts. The census just taken Rives the popu lation of the towns of Harrison county as follows ! Dunlup , l-108j Logan , 787 ; Lit tle Sioux , -121 ; Missouri Vnlloy , 8,1505 ; Mondainin , 218 : Module , 871. Hon. Augustus Anderson , representa tive from Hamilton county , has Intro duced a bill in the legisluluro to provide for a monument to the memory of these massacred at Spirit Lake in March , 1P37. On Sunday at Linn , four miles north of Cedar Uaplds , while trying * to board a moving Until , n nmn foil uiidorneath the wheels and was horribly mangled , From letters found In hi * coat noekot it Is sup posed that the man was Will McKinney , the son of a well-to-do farmer at Hits- tow. DaUoln. There are seventeen saloons in Sioux Falls. South Dakota has thirty-three presi dential postollleos. A stock company has been formed to build u largo hotel at Dcadwood. Itoborl Crow , formerly of the Deadwood - wood Times , has purchased the Buffalo dap Advance and will publish it as a daily paper. Doadwood's business men have formed a board ot trade mining company. The principal object will bo to develop cer tain properties at the carbonate camp. Tlio artesian well al Forl liaudall spouts 1-lOD gallons of water per minute , with a force which lifts u solid column of water six feel above the moulh of the pipe. This is the most powerful well in Dakota and it is only ( HO foot deep. How the VuWIe Domain HUH Itocu KvliauRtotl. Chicago Titlmne. It was .shown in these columns a few days ago that twenty-nine alien landlords had possessed themselves of 22,000,000 acres of the public hinds in Texas. Wis consin , Colorado , Florida , and Dakota territory. It was then claimed that aliens hold at least 1)0,000.000 ) , acres of land throughout the United States. This was an underestimate. The figures are nearer 00,000,000. Hut though tlio alien landlords have been rapacious enough , they cannot compare with some of Uio homo corporations , syndicates , and mo nopolists. The outllo bin oils of the west have seized millions of acres of the pub lic domain in Nebraska , Wyoming , and Colorada on one pretext or another. Wo have seen how they tried last summer to appropriate to themselves a portion of the Indian territory. Land companies of various kinds , through agents pretending to act under tlio homestead and timber- culture laws , have obtained a largo ex tent of territory in the states auiitorri- torius already mentioned and in Dakota and Minnesota. Hut by far the greediest , the most rapacious , plunderers have been the railro.ul corporations. They are now in possession of three times tlio quantity of arable land left for settle ment owned by the United Stales. Since the lirst land grant was made to the Illinois Central in 1850 the railroad corporations have gone on appropriating big slices of Uncle Sam's farm through tlio aid of congress. In most eases Ihoso corporations have never fullilled the ob ligations which they assumed in return for the hind grants , and they are now in possession ot tons of millions of acres which ought ncrain to become the " "ty.i- erty _ of tilt ) Vl0u. l" ( 1'nis land grant business , when it was first begun , look Uio form of grants lethe the slates in aid of railroads proposed lo bo constructed through tlio states. In this way Louisiana , Florida , Alabama Mississippi disposed of 12,000,000 acres and Illinois 2,11(10,000. ( The latter was the grant to the Illinois Central. The aggre gate given to the railroads through the states was i0l,000 ! , ( ) ( ) ( , acres. These rail roads got directly from the nation 188- , 000,000 acres , making 172,000,000 acres in all. The direct crrants according to the records are : Acres. Union Pacollc 12,000,000 Contial lir.incli Union Pacific. . . . lar.OOO Union Piicilic ( as successor to Denver I'.iciiic ) 1,000,000 Kansas Pacific 0,000,000 Cential Piieilie b.000,000 Contial Pacific fas successor to Westci u Pacific ) 1,100,000 Ccnli.il Pacific ( Oiegon JJiunch ) . . a.ooo.OOO Ihulinston < fe Misseuil 2,411,000 Sioux Oltv it Pacific 00,000 Noitheru Paellie 47,000,000 Oiojron & California : i,5WOJO ! Atlantic it Pacific 4')00 , ( ) , < )00 ) SoutheinPiicIllc 'J,5 > 0,000 Total ii5.W,000 : Tlio railroads have in many instances disposed of largo ureas of the territory thus acquired , but they are yet in pos session of more than 100,000,000 acres , The Noithorn and Southern Pacilio ronus have not been able to dispose of their territory readily because ot tlio "cloud on their title" duo to their failure to carry out their contracts with the gov ernment concerning these hinds. Hut tlio territory 1ms passed out of tlm pos session of the .United States. It is not open for settlonu.nl. ll may bo by the time the 51,000,000 acres of arable land remaining are exhausted. This depends very largely on the action of congress ami the activity of tlie administration. Tlio Itomnnco of a Coal Htnvo. Dotroll Free Press : One day lasl fall , after talking until his throal was sore , a Detroit steve dealer Mieoeedod in soiling u widow a coul steve , but it was with the proviso that , if everything didn't ' work satisfactorily he was ; lo make it. Two days iiftor delivering the stove he got his first call , A boy entered the store and said : "Mrs. wants vou lo como up and fix thai stovo. The house is full of smoko. " A man was eent up and ho found the trouble lo bo witli tliu chimney. Only three or four days had passed when the boy came in o.fj.im and auldi "That steve is pulling ami blowing an scaring tno widow to death. Shu wants the same man to comu up again. " Ho was gent , and it wutuliscovaicd that she didn't know how to arrange the dum pers or drafts. Everything scorned to run well lor a week , and then the boy walked in to announce : "She soul mo down to have you send tiat ! man up again. The house is lull of coal gas , " The man wont up and applied the rem edy , but iiuido of three dujs thustovogol to pulling ; two day.- , after tlmt tint lire wouldn't dr.iw ; then it drew too much ; then gas escaped tigaln. At length the dealer wont to the houno and said : "Madam , jou gave me % 'JU for the Move- , how much will you taKu for HV" " 1 wouldn't sell it. " "Jlut 1 can't bo sanding my man up hero every two or three days all winter. " "Vou won't have to , I've ' concluded th marry him In order to have some ono hero in case of accident , " And three iluy < j they wore quietly and happily man led , The 1'orfcM'I Man. J'ltMiHiU ClirunMc-Tileuiaiih , 'Well. Jlr. Tuliimgo Is ecitalnly wrong lor once , " wid Mis , HII.IJJS * , look I UK up fiom leading that gentleman's last 'iund.iy'.s BCI- inon. "llrw so , my deai ? " iisled hei hus band. "Why , ho bays thuio m unopened men. " "And jou thlnl ; you lound 0110 when you married mo , 1 suppose , " beamed Mr. tSiiiiutfH. "Indeed 1 don t , was the quick i ply i "but I Know them was n jierlwt nmn unto , and lih mime w.is.M-uk. " "iliuk , " 10.- pealed Mr. , smvvs In astonishment. , YDS .Mark , tor the ftlulo distinctly apaak * op. " 'il.uk tlio p'oifect man. " , ' . >