Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 6, 1872, Page 2

THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 187 THE LATE CAMPAIGN. Reminiscences of Horace Gree- ley. The Cincinnati Convention--The Fifth Avenno Conference--The Octo- her Speeches, ete. DY HENRY WATTERSON. Trom the Louisrilie Courier~Journal, My first mecting with Mr. Greeley, after his nomination at Cincinnati, was in New York, the day before the Fifth Avenue Confersnce. He had sent for me to come to the Lincoln Club in Wwenty-first streot, and, meeting Tilton by chance in Grosvenor's room, we twent over together. The “old gentleman” bad settled himeelf in the comfortable back perlor of thab comfortable club house, equipped aud ready for wer. As 3 proof of his innocence in_the noble art of political management, and his virtuous 1ack of information concerning the most ordinary details of the just-opening canvass, it may be stated, as a fact, that- he was profoundly igno- Tant of the real purpose and the nctual composi= tion of the Fifth Avenue Conference. There o8 an outside, and there was an _inside to that celebrated gntl\erini of intellectual nonen- Yities. He, though most interested in tho result, understood the outsde, nob the inside, He thought that Schurz, Torece White, and myself, (I _am ing in the way of gabbling frankness, which ecsssarily ogotisticel, but Which merefy pur- posts to a4d a hint or two to the trath of histo- v concerning a much-misunderstood man who a5 been laid in his grave _under circumstances ©o strangely realistic and drematic), he thouglht, T cay. that Schurz, White, and I, Tepresentin v differest clements, had come to New York tho Froc-traders, Tepre- 3 Atkinson, Nordhoff, and Godvin, headed by Mr. Bryant, and the ul- tra-Democrats, Leaded by Governor Randolph, of New Jereey, Governor English, of Conuectic John Forsyth,of Alabama, Hill and Hilliard, <orgia, and Governor Walker and Bradloy f Virginia, A combination of this £ made, would, perhaps, have been sirotg enough to turn the conrse of the stream Srhich hed sctin favor of the newly-launched i Tt it was, primarily, an impossible con- Sunction; and, this apart, it wes contradicted by 21l the cireimstances and festures of the sit- wation. T am freoto say,thatT wentto the Fifth Svenue Conference with one single purpose, snd het wes the purpose of giving Schurz an _ocea- <ion to take, gracefnily and opportunely, what I conceived, 85 his friend, an_inevitablo position. No man in Cincinnati was riper forrevolt the af- ternoon cucceeding the nomination of Greeley end Broyn than I was. . Every one who knows or remembers anything sbont thet eventful po- Litical +* Black Friday * knows how it was. That dismel, disconcerted portion of the hopeful, light-steking period in the aspirations of those of ua who, defsing pertisan nntecedents ond party orgenisms, hed dtood for certain clear-cub Teforms, was miserably muddled by the unex- pected nomination of Mr, Greeley, by the way it as done, and by the dizzy tumult which fol- lowed it.” I havehad oneor two controversies since es to what actuelly heppened; for my own part, I rtetain an indistinct Enleidoscopio vision in _ which I re- call the red face of Frank Blair perched upon the long legs of Murat Hulatesd, snd catch tho eharp voice of Sam Bowles spesking out of the Yips of Cazl Schurz in 8 soothing, patronizing way, befitting the admonitions of 21 old heed to @ young heart. I know thst my proposal to re- pudiate the whole thing was not encouraged in any quarter which gave on assurance of ade- ‘quste co-operation;; end that, under the solac- ing infinonce of my old friend’ Governor Robin- con, of Ilinois, who had been 2s sadly Gisappointed as anybody else, and, cheered by the glittoring assurances of Brank Bleir, I, for cne, gave aver the iden of reform, for the timo Toing, and, having accepted the phantom of re- conciliation, adapted my spirit and movements %o the demands of the situetion speedily and rosolutely. Having thus given my faith and ord, I did not propose to equivocato; zor to be idle; but to go in vigorously, and make tle very best of what, in my judgment, was a very ‘bad bargain. Bo I went to the Fifth Avenue Conference with one eingle purpose, and that was to help White, Grosvenor, and Dorsheimer to captare it; to make it, by capturing it, the point of Schurz’s departure; to convert it from an engine of di- vision into & vehicle of good-fecling and bar- mony, being well assured 1n sdvanco that, for Letter or worse, Mr. Greeley's nomination ab Baltimore was & foregone conclusion. “All this was Greek to Mr. Grecley. WhenI entered the Lincoln Club-house with Tilton, he Togarded me s ono of his ‘boys” who had ‘gone back on him; he believed that Schurz was ia enemy ; he thought that White disliked and Gistrusted him. Ho seemed to be divided by two considerations,—one eentimental and the other precautionary. He felt personally sg- grieved because a clump of striplings, who had grown up, as it were, under his eve, Sentimentally at least, thrown him over. PBut he considered fthat these _striplings “were identities, of some public conse- quence, end mot to bo tsken across Yiis knee in the paternal fashion. In my own case, ho united & whimsical, quasi-paternity to & sort of ironical and really comic deference and respoct, which was altogether curious. White, it seemed, had made a_most unceremonious de- mend npon him; bed bluntly required that ho ehould writeno Jetters and makeno speeches; had seid, in so many words, “IfIam to stan throughout the campaign for you to shoot apples off my head, I mezn to get out of the way.” g Greeloy made this the theme of his onset on me. TIn his peculiar, rapid, treble tone, he began be- Fore I was fairly seated— “A protty sat of boys, youare! Eavious of a0 old man because b can_write and talls befter than you can! Want to stop his mouth! Want to drive him out of the profession! Well, well; ‘have it all your own wey. Bub there are some ‘people who know as much as other people, and there are men, old enough tobo the father of yon all, who could teach you something about Politics ;” then, with a droll panse—‘and ews- papers, too!” “Ihis'was about the strainin which he talked, to- 4ally uninformed os to the actual business in hand. There hadarison a little, hazy unplens- antness botween him and Schurz. Tho thing to be done, &t once, was the smoothing oat of this chance 'obscuration of the perfect cordielity which had previously existed. When I explein- ed the case, and urged its importance, he eaid with unusual apimation : * T'll do anything, go anywhere ; it shan’t be said that I have thrown any stumbling blocks in the way.” He scemed much interested whilst I explained the work to be done, and the prospect, in the just assem- bling Conference ; changed his half-allcctionate, balf-bantering tone at once ; and, before I guit- ted him, was addressing himself to tho serious business of the occasion Wwith esrnestnoss snd decision, placing in my bands some documents which hé thought might come to be of service, snd giving mo some minute, and_ really shrowd Lints, 28 10 certain possible contingencies. Ho was, 1n ghort, another man ; and I went away & little puzzled tomake him out quite cloarly. The result of the conferenco was all that tho friends of Mr. Greeley could wish it to be. It s Dot until it had sdjourned that tho meeting with Schurz was had. At thet meeting the letter on Civil Scrvice Reform was arranged. Schurz was escessively frank and explicit; Mr. Greeley a littlo constrainod, bub commun cative. They seperated civilly, but not cordial- Iy. Thus Mr. Greeley was fairly launched npon ihe deop waters of the cempaign.’ Schurzand Vhite went home, not happy but resolute, to prepare for the canvass in which both were to what they believod, and what proved to be, 2 most heavy burden. 'Mr. Greeley, out of the ghallows of amateur statesmanship at lest, laid saide the quaint, familiar guise which Le had fssumed with Lis juniors, and equipped himself to meet, with scrious and proper deportinent, bis old adversary, the Democracy. From this time forward he was & changed man. When I saw bim noxt, the few days preceding the Baltimore Convention, be woro a serions as- pect; he had grown thoughtful, and was soberly, Dot ca&ricio\uly, conciliatory, and displayed & 1ess self-willed and more compromising turn of mind, that gave him an air of solid diguity, ~shich his nervous, overflowing, heedless abund- ance of epeech had been wont_somewhat to mar. Bchurz had written him the note agreed upon 3 but b had supplemented it with a letter full of excellent and really kindly-meant suggestions. Mr. Greeley, still feeling uncertain of nsfooting ith tho Senstor, scomod hurt, but ho observed to the littlecompeny, composed of Horace White, 3r. Reid, Mr. Bamuel J: Tilden, and Colonel Jilson P. Johnson, who had met him at break- fast, s"»nd"mmc'mmg;:"d without pettishness: '} will read yon first the instructions of my schoolmeater, and then you will see how closely T have followed them.” There were many revisions suggested to his Jetter; every one had a chanceatits but, ex- cepting & few lines inserted by Mr. Tilden and a chiango or two aiterward made by Mr. Schurz, 3t went a5 ho hiad Writon it aad must he admwit- -derstanding with Mr. Greeley. ted to be an admirable production. It ought to be stated that, as soon as Schurz was advised of what had happened and of how Mr. Greeloy felt, he ran over to New York and had & perfect un- I have a letter from Mr. Greeley, written shortly after the opening epeech of the Libere] statesman, in wl 0 says: It is all well again between Schurz and me. _His St. Louis spcech is & ‘monster speech. I do not think it has ever ‘been assed. I certainly feel that ho is a great and good man.” One of his Inst letters was to Schurz. It was in snswer to & note of kind condolence, and, as I re- member it from the Senator's_verbal 1epeti- tion, ib read: ¢ My Dear Sir—With an agony of emotion I can only ai;in myself, yours faith- fully, Horace Greeley.” Lolling on the hills just outside of New Albsny and running over, remin- fhcontially, theso thinge, Schurz and I compared Botes of opinion on Alr. Greeley, having origin- ally agreed in our view touching his unfitness fof ths peculiar duties of the Prosidercy, and to this conclusion, that we, in common with num- bers of thoughtful observers, had been much doceived by the coutm@.\cto:{‘ elements in his Character; that he was, in reality, less whimsical and more practical even than his intimates concoived him to be; and that, had he beon elected, hewould have surprised the country in the large-mindedness and_incorruptibility of his administration, dissppointing the expectations of his friends and his enemies. The third and final epoch of the canvass was M. Greeley's journeys in New England and in tho West. Al of his personal friends, headed by White, hed feared his ont-spoken garrality. Tt was the opinion of everybody who knew him that discretion was one of the items which nature Thad left ou of his make-up. I do not know hosw it was that ho evaded the promises he made in this matter ; but Ido know that his conduct and utterances speedily reconciled those wha had enjoined him to hold his tongue and pen. From Boston to Portland and back, from New York to Lonisville, and round by way of Indigua- polis and Cleveland homo again, escepfing only $hat characteristic, fonrless, truthful, impradent Pittsburgh speecli, be hit tho nail right on the hend every time he struck at it. At Cincinnati, whither I 'had gone to meet him, and in reply to 8 serio-jocose remark of mine to the effect that I vwas still 'in_doubt whether the Pittsburgh speech indicated total lunacy, or a mere momen= tary mental sberration, ho broke out in & vehe- ‘ment, hopeless wey : “What else conld I say? Did I say anythin now or strange? Did I tell any lies? e I Dot always spoken so and written g0 ?” Then, throwing ihe towel with which he had been wiping his faco testily aside, he sat down and continued, in a forlorn, dnpracator{lvny: 1 have always thought 5o and have said s0. It o people want their indopendence lot them have it. I nover believed you Southern %fupln wauted anything of the kind. I never believed wu thought you needed snything of the kind, thought you were a lot of fools to(fit;to WAT abont the negro. I thought you were dragooned out of the Union. But I dlso thought, and I still think, that, if you dosired to go, peacefully and fairly, it was your right to do as yon pleased sbout it.” Now, the man who does not bolieve that, isno Republican, and, s I have always ex- pressed that opinion, what harm is there inre- peating it now 7 T do not undertake to reagon with this view of the subject, end he turned to another matter which disturbed bim greatly. This matter was 2 palpablo absurdity; but ho would not be con- vinced, and was not convinced until conclugive proof was farnished him a fortnight later. His physical condition at this time was weak, He a8 quernlous and nervous, sometimes abstrated. Governor Randolph, of New Jersey, and Gover- nor Walker,of Virginia, who accompanied him, could give. many suggestive incidents of their journey, all of which would go to show o un- usually escited state of his physical and mental system. The sentimentsl element in Mr. Greeley’s character was strongly manifested by tho fecling ho displayed with respect to the ne- gro vote. I romember that, carly in tho can- Sies, I talkea with him on tho subject, and assured him that he wonld not only lose the negro vote, but that all effort to~ secure it ‘ould bo just so much time, money, and labor fhrown awny. He did not wish an effort made, he kaid ; he deserved the s\;&)gcrt of the blacks ; 1f they withheld it they would show themselves the most ungrateful people in the world ; and 8o on. He must have received the same assur- ance, which I had given him, frommany others ; ‘but, when he came West, the subject wag still in his mind, and ho seized tho opportunity of his speech 2t Louisville to address himself di~ rectly, and he did so confidently, to the colored people. Iem of the opinion that at this time he was more disturbed about s sentimental, fiopulm' vindiecation than ebout anything else. e con- spicuous glare in which’ his nomination had thrown Lim was grown dim to him ; the novelty of the place of a Presidential candidate was gono; apd other and painful considerations were beginning to fill his mind. He said to me ab this time, impulsively : God knows that I would never have con- sented to run if T had known what it would cost me, and if they can supply my place with s bet- ter candidate I will withdraw at any time.” T amm suro he believed that this was bis opinion ; and, therofore, I donot think the loss of bis election, the material disappointment in the loss of & coveted prize, had a great deal to do with his rapid and startling decline in health. It was not that; it was something deeper and more touching. The result of the popular votareveal- ed to him a cruel fact for which he was not pre- pared; a fact the sudden and unexpecied resli- zation of which, in the reduced state of his strength of body and Bpirit, quite broke him Govn. Ho conceived himself to be, 8s he was, man much loved by the people; he miscalcu- Tatod the forco and direction of fhis popular re- ard; ho believed that tho political munagers, s natural cnemies, had always defied thispopu~ Be felt thet, at lnst, he the reach of local pre- Judices and partisan intrigues; & Jindidate for the Presidency, = flat- Zooted, before tho entire American peopie. Tho resalt, which he misconstracd intd & verdict of personal censure and rebuke, cut him to the Boul: his wifo wes dend ; his bitherto unflagging animal spirit was dying, and what was left to Teep him alive? It i not surprising that, al- ready physically exhanated, Le withered from sy to day. When wo consider the uncortain- tiea of the politioal cpoch—apparontly s o, and cortainly & very much involved political epach— Swhich lies before us; when we consider the pe- euliar relations which Mr. Greeley held to_the resent structure of parties; when we consider Pt he corld not reconcile Lis conduct snd his Journel to the one side without atultifying bis actof candidacy as ‘e nominee of the Liberals and Democrats, or adapt it to the exactions of fhe other side without sbandoning chemshed life-lorg opinions on the lending issue in the political thought of the time, we can clearly un- derstand the force—to him the dreadful mean- ing ond reality—of Dhis words. Nothing was 1t for him to do which could bring him happi- ness, comfort, or promotion; and, to & busy mind liko his, this was death. And o, with whet we sentimentally call & broken Lieart, he faded out o lite which had been uncommonly strong, but which had always hung by a tender cord. "The moment of interment is not s moment for conclusions. As we seo the coflia_go dovwn into {hie grevo, carrying with it the mortal fragment of that which, but yeaterdsy, was a living thing %o s, we are in no mood for abstractions, which a7 not composed, more or lese, of deluding, of aifectionate sentimentalisms. I loved AIr. Grogloy well; 1 did not love him less whon, uring the civil war, I was engaged in “* another lino of business,” and quito & cifferent line of pusiness from that which had drasn me, a lad, 10 him, & velcran, in moro peaceful times, Nor &1 19ve him léss when, at Cincinnati, I was illing to lead or to follow a rovolt against tho Jar sentiment; was out of Gueer, (e impossible, and, what I thought, the extraordin placement Which ~chanes, Provideace, = Frank Blair, Tanid a fow ‘ofher gontlemen,” ~had aseigned him. It was my Dg:nion that he could not ie clected, and that he did not represent the newly inaugurated movement ; and there I was Tight, 1twas my opinion that, if bo could be eclected, he would mske an indifferent, uncer- tain President; and thers I now think I was wrong. But it ie all over; “it is done;" and, thongh prematurely, for we live in telegraphic {imes, wo mey spesk our mind out freely. With many personl peculiarities, Mr. Greeloy was s ‘men of courage, sagacity, and common sense in great and serious affeirs. He was an eccentric 2s to the details, In matters of pith and moment, he was neither little nor heedless, and be would have grown in poweras he grew in guthority. Mr. Greeloy bad an undeveloped entity behind his visibleand journalistic self, which, I think, would bLave come out strong, if, OVerstepping the frets and worries to which his overy-day life ‘had been exposed, ho hed found himself, in Lis old age, like Thiers, the ruler of & great people. 1 do beliove, and Ido not thinlk the balief is the Tresult of & pitying, regretful epirit, that he would have made an imposing Chief Magistrate in the larger points of administration, and & fairly successful one in tho lesser details ; be- Ccause his very elevation would have lifted him out of his personal oddities, and, those apart, 2o had a rich sub-stratum of patural resources, hich bed been kept constantly subdued by the mistaken view ho entertained of his newspaper Vocation. His life was & ceaseless internal re- bellion azaingy & fancied dopendence upan the | to the removal, induce rotten mwhinurglpf parties ; his election would Jave unloosed him from these, leaying him, With his splendidly equipped and active mind, 2nd supported by o purer, younger, and stronger race of public men, to carve out a New polity and destiny for his country. - To be sure, this is but_a surmise. I write at yandom, but T do not write merely to toss use- less flowers upon o closing grave. . Gree- Ioy's ncconnt with the world is closed. In set- tling up tho books it 15 best nof bo wait too long, and with perfect candor and fidelity I give in my testimony for what it is worth. Very like it i8 worth nothing at all. BLOOMINGTON, ILL. The Shops of the Chicago & St. KLouis Railroad. BrooMINGTO, IiL, Dec. 3, 1872, Few, it any, of the lesser cities of the State possess as great railway interests as Blooming- ton. ‘Besides being the centre of & splendid system of railways, composed of the Illinois Central; the Chicago & Bt. Louis, with its Jacksonville and Missouri extensions; the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western; and the La Fayette, Bloomington & Missiesippi Roads, it is also the point st which are located the extensive machine shops and car works of the Chicago, Alton & 8t. Louis Company. Throngh the courtesy of Mr. J. E. McMullin, General Superintendent of the Road, and Mr. J. H. Jackman, Superintendent of Machinery, Iam ensbled to make the following description of these shops : Tt will be remembered that, in the fall of '67, & fire occurred in the shops, which destroyed many of the buildings and much of the valuable mochinery. Their Temoval from this point was st that time seriously contemplated by the Com- pany, and Chicago, Sprinfield, and Alton, each made large offers of moneys, lands, and bonds to secure the shops. But the liberal aid offerad by the citizens of this city, com- bined with the central location of Bloomington on o road, and tho oxpenso, and delay incident the Company to com- ‘mence the re-erection of the Bhogs at this point. Daring the fivo years sinco tho fire, thoy have completed thirtdon new_buildings, all of Joliet stono, with Vermont slate roofs, supported by fron trnsses of tho most perfect design, and lighted with gas, 0s also & rolling-mill for the ‘use of the rosd, of no mean dimensions. During my journey oyer the twenty-thres acres of groand occupied by theso shops, I wa- accompanied b’g . Frank White, Superin tendent of the Pattern Department; and I do not know that I can pursue my description with oator certainty of success than by stating in otail just where we went, and, 08 far s poesi- Dlo, what Mr. White and tho various heads of departments informed me as we passed along. e began our journey with the store and_of- fice building, which is of stone, 60 feot by 120, and two stories in height. On the first floor is the general storc-room of the Compsny, in charge of Mr, Robert Bell. The stock under his charge consists of ~supplies for locomo- tive, car, snd rosd work, including all wood and coal, car-wheols, and foundry work, amounting to an sverage value of £325,000. Passing from this floor to the second-story, we entored a fine, broad hall, extending the léngth of the bnilfling, on cither side of which were the offices of the heads of the operating and mo- chanical departments of the road, whose names aro as follows: O. Vaughan, Assistant Superin- tendent and Train-Mastor; O. H. Seaver, Super- intendont of Telegraph: J. A. Jackman, Super- intendont of Machinery; R. Reniff, Superin- tondent of tho Car Department; and M. F. Booth, Chief Engineer. From this ~ building we went to tho . car _ shop, _which is 263 foot long by 85 wide. It is of stone, withs wrought-iron, open-comb roof, covered with Slate. A mote imposing manufncturing strue- fure, whetlier viewed from the exterior or the interior, is eeldom seen. It is heated by stoam, lighted with ges, and is_provided, as aro all the ghops, with a complete fire department. All the passenger and freight cors of tho road are con- Stracted hero, giving employment to 175 men. Tho charncter of the rolling-stock is suf- cient evidence fhat the omployes n this shop are among the most gkilled in the country. Mr. White informed mo that the Company had introduced into the constraction of their passenger coaches all the recent im- Provements, thercby hoping to make every P oach & palce-cer in comfort, s well ag finish. Just beyond this shop, and separated from it by 8 transfer-table, is the building of the paint department, Wwhich is & duplicato of the Par ghop, with 'the exception that it i 95 feet in length. Tbis building contains the puint shop, varnishing, and trimming rooms, sud the material room. The paint shop is & very imposing room, being 270 feot in longth, and lighted from above. This building, like the car shops, is heated withsteam, and provided with_water-founts at either end, %0 which aro sttached firo-hose. Seven tracks enter this building from transfer-tablo, which connects them with the same number in the car shop opposite- Tomediately west of the paint shop is tho ploning and . cer. machine shop, This is & Fwo-story building, with iron roof, measur- ing 200 foor by 7. The planing room iy furnishod with planers, shapin, ‘moulding, and mortising machines, matchers, scroll-saws, and every conceivable pieceof machinery naces- Bory to complete an extensive planing mill. The ar machinaghop is in the south end of this ‘building. Mr. White informed me thatthore were many skilled machiniets employed in this do- partinent, whose work it is to do all the iron Planing, turning, bolt-cutting, drilling and Punching, and brass ornamentations for cars. Wo noxt visited the elegant engine room, whorein s located an 80-horse Corliss engine, Shich s & murvel of mechanical genins. I move =0 silently that, if one had not seen the powertal machinery it operates, he would bo P imost persuaded thet it poseessed little power. This engine is also usod to drive the fans for the foundry and smith shop. - Crossing o portion of the switch-yard, we camo to tho foundry, the main building of which fs 180 by 60 feet, with . an L-shaped wing 40 by 60. ‘Theso buildings uore constructed of iron and stone, and are fitted Fith six large cranes for tho moving of heavy castings, two capolas, and two cono ovens. DT, White informed me that_it was one of the most completo_foundrics in the country, and certain- Iy it was the_tidiest I ever visited. Just south ot the foundry is the blacksmith shop, a build- ing of stone and iron, 200 foot long by 100 wide. 138 o vory elogant building (for a blacksmit] shopy, and, " despito the ringing sovil, could’ hardly believe Mr. White that the building we bad entered was msed for that purpose. It is ftted with 50 forges, 2 farpaces, and 8 steam hammers, one of ‘hich strikes 3,000 pounds. Water pipes ex- tend around the inside of the building, snd the forges recoive air from & fan driven by the Cor- lis engine. This shop i perfect in 6very way, and hos 1o rival in the world. T was most interested in visiting the machine shop, This ot prosent is in o brick building, 270 Teol long and 40 wide. A new building of stone and iron, 260 feet long by 100 wide, will shortly bo_erectod, with two wings_for engine, boiler, end pattern rooms, each 45 by 80 feet. Among the many pieces of superior machinery I saw there, wag most interested in the driving wheel latho, which turns two wheels at once, turning off long spirals of stecl and iron, Sometimos 40 fect long. Near by this will be built sn extensive boiler shop. ‘There are three round-houses on the grounds, all of stone and iron, snd each containing 28 stalls. TFor want of space, I must omit mentioning fhe oil house, the dry house, the brass foundry, and ilie genefal armangement of the switching grounds. This hasty account falls far short of what may Do seen in & day's visit ab thoshops of the Chi- cago & St. Louis Road, bub it may serve to in- form how complete tho manufacturing dopart- ments of this rosd are. gBAcox. Ao i P STEAM-PROPULSION ON CANALS. New Yomrg, Nov. &) 3872 To the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: Sin: Bteam-propulsion on the cenals has ab length yielded to the inventive conception of ‘mechanical brains, in the absolute and practical golution of the problem by the device and machi~ nery placed in what is called by cenal mena bull-hesd boat, by the name of George A, Feeter. This boat left Buffalo shont ten doys_since, freighted with 6,000 bushels of corn, arriving in this city, in good order and condition, this morn- ng. . “ The boat, I am assured, passed throngh the water without a ripple or wave aft, or along the sides of the boat; and, in fact, the surface of the water in the immediste rear sppears as smooth a8, if not smoother than, in front. The bost absolutely overcomes all wash to the bsuks, or injury to the works of the canal, Persons along the line, in witnessing her demonstrations, were at & 10ss to determine how sha was pronelled. s there were no visiblo sians of the applicationof power, excepting the escape of steam from the smoke-stack, and the noise of the cog-wheols of the machinery. The device of this steamer 18 considered the best and most practical yek sdvanced, and, in the fnture, is destined fo revolutionize canal navigation, which has .remsined stationary for the last forty years, whilst every other branch of industry, and the arts and sciences, have made rapid strides. team, a8 & motor, in my_opinion, never will be made profitable introduced and operated in o single boat ; but, when roperly devised ‘machinery is placed in s boat having'_sufficient pover o propel herselt, Ireighted down, and tow others, like 2 locomotive attached to & freight train, the rosults must prove highly satisfactory in the shape of profits and dividends to stockholders. _The inventor, I am moma:;il'l resides in Cin- cinnati, Onio. _I send you & fi description of the steamer, which may be of interest and profit {0 parties bonting on canals, aa well as others, who will rojoico fo see the day come when ani- mal towageis done away with, and our ‘boatmen are protected from pelting storms. '-l'r}_lidy yours, AL T From the Buffalo Courler. Yesterday we were permitted to examine the Iatest improvement in steam canal-boats, the in- ventor of which is Mr, Lowis Stagg, of Cincin- nati, Ohio. The inventionor device of Mr. Btagg consists of channel-ways placed in the bottom of the boat on either side, starting from & point one-third the distance of the length of the and thisis based, asitis claimed, upon & hydrostatic 1aw that water drawvn diagonally from the sides of the boat, and re- volving in_opposite directions, will pess_out in straight lines without lifting or agitating the surface of the water, absolutely preventing the wash of the banks and working 1o injury to the structure of the canal, The channel-ways are each sboub fifty-two inches in diameter, and unitein one channcl sbout five feet from the stern, making & figure resembling tho letter Y. The full channel between the confluence snd the stern measures about seven feet wide and fifty-two inches in depth. The propeller wheel oneach Eideis located about ten feob from the opening in the channel and hasa di- ameter of forty-eight inches. Both wheels turn out, throwing the water in opposing directions, and discharging it in straight lines at the stern, 28 alrendy suggested. One of tho effects of this discharge is to lift the stern of the boat, a fact of considerable importance. The eniine i8 & new one in make-up, and was designed by Mr. W. H. Meredith, of incinnati. It is known as the Gothic inclined, has two cylinders 10 by12 each, and its power>is 60- horse. Its fittings are steel, 80 as to admit of a Ligh rate of speed. The boiler is of the return flue order, with si% 6-inch flues, 72 return tubes, 16 feet of grate surface, and @ water back con- nection. The weight of the engine, or, more properly spesking, the two engines, is 5,500 ‘Pounds ; they occtipy s oross section of the boat, Ind are as compnct ns possible. They look strong and simplo, and exe expacted to propel ;‘.lhu boat at the nverage rate of four miles an our. Tn six feet of water the boat will crrry 200 tons esclusive of engine, water, and fuel. CLINTON, 10WA. The IMorsesDiscase — Wagon-Bridge Across the Mississippi—City Xmprove= ments—The Citizens’ Association— Manufactures — Lectures — Lumber— The Chicago, Clinton & Bubugue Eailrond. Special Correspondence of The Chicago Tribune. Crrxrox, Towa, Dec. 2, 1872 Clinton has been reached by the horse-disease, and to eay that it is raging here would but ex- press the truth. Itis of & mild type, however, and no deaths have &s yet occurred from its ef- fects. It has broken out in the Horse Railway stables, and some fifteen or twenty equines are unfitted for work. The liverv stables are unable to turn out a single team, because of the sick- ness of their horses. One stable has twenty- five cases. Our veterinary surgeons and horse- men are entirely at & loss for a remedy, and are a8 useless in these cases as though they had never seen a horse. Nearly all of Eastern Towa is afflicted with the epizootic, though but few deaths have resulted from it 80 far. The disease eeems to be pro- grossing westward, but has not, as yot, reached the centre of our State. * o pooplo of this city have been making an exeltion, for a year or_more, to have s wagon- bridge pht across the Mississippi at this point ; 2nd the effort wasmadetohave the sameconnect- o with the new Chicago, Burlington & Quincy bridgo, which has been_ located just below our prosent one. It will bo two years or morebeforo Tho new bridge will be completed, and our citizens feol that, in waiting so long, they will Joge & large trade from the Illinois side, ‘which ould come here in the meantime if & good croseing conld be had. In view of this, a com- Sitteo has been appointed by the Common Council to negotiato with the Chicago & North- western Railrosd Company for the erection of & Vagon-bridgo in connection with their existing structure. &P nderstand tho company entertain tho proposition favorsbly. By giving the Ilii- nois farmers near us s proper and eafe crossing of the river, our country trade will be more than doubled, and our people propose to take ad- vantsgo of this. Clinton has the reputation, I beliove, of being one of the progressive towns of Iowa. The year just closing has been one of nnusual pro- gross, and the many improvements that have $een made have been of a very substantial char- actor, consisting of fine brick blocks and valus- ‘ble residences. The new Post Office Block is perhaps the ‘best business bn.'\lrlinfi erected. It It & large three-story structure, and includes two store-rooms, 25 Ly 120 feet, and the new Post Offce, occupying the same amount of room as one of the stores. It is snid that this Post Office is the finest one in Iowa. The building has @ fino gray stone front and iron cornice, ¥. I Woodworth, Esq., is the projector. Soven toro.rooms have been filled with now concerns, and the enlargement of old ones, here, sinco Day. The now mansion of Chauncy Lamb, Esq., ono of Clinton's lumber kings, is the admira- tion of the city. It is of brick, and cost between $30,000 and $40,000, Several new factories have been located hero during the present yéar, prominent among which {8 the extensive chair factory of E. Seymour. A cotton mill and & tub and pail factory are to be t in on the river bank early next summer. A ot and shoe concern has also been making ar~ rangements to open operations here ins short time. This unusual progress of Clinton is due to the efforts of our Citizens' Association, which ig, in fact, & combination of our business men Jorthe advancement of the place. The whole asgociation, numbering about 150 members, is divided up into committees, each one to attend 1o & department which is assigned to it. One Committes has commerce in view, snother the ‘manufacturing interests, ono railroads, one river Davigation, aud 5o on throughall the different dopartments which seom of importance. When these committees mature a project, it is brought beforo the Association, and acted upon. William Lake, Esq., has been sent East to look up manufacturers snd capital, and his ef- forts bave been crowned with success,—our cot- ton mill being the principal one of the results of his work. We can geo in the future the time when the eat manufacturing interests of our country il be located, in great part, in the Mississippi Valley, and mony of them immediately on that streain, a8 it furnishes the very cheapest trans- ortation to and from the raw material, such as fron, copper, timber, cosl, cotton, etc., s well 2 dizech_conmection with the markefs of the world. The live towns on the river see this, end are working for thut greatly desired end. The first move by them i8 to obtain connection with Chicago, the great distributing point snd mar- Kot of this groat valley, by competing lines of railway. The efforts this city has made have received the active co-operation of every citizen. Espe- cially is thisso of our newspapers, the Herald and the Age. delivered 8 lecturs on Baturday bout, from the stern; Du Cliaiiin night, before the Ynnn%nglen‘e Asgociation in this place. He plessed_his audionce grestly. The Young Men are having s popular conrse this winter, They have employed the best lec- turers, sometimes paying $200 a night. I under- stand they are running out of money fast., Three inches of snow fell here on Saturday night. The warm weather since has nearly melted it. The extensive saw-mill here +will run through the winter. ®The large lumber-trade of the past summer has made this extra manufacture neces- sary. Togular trains will be put upon the Chicago, Clinton, & Dubuque Rosd, betwcen this city an Dubugue at once,connecting hore with the North- western Road. is_completes a continuous line from St. Paul to Chicago, and, from sppear- ences, I should say it will be a popular one. i3 Qum NuUNC. e KiR. GREELEY AND HIS SON “PICKIE.” To the Eiitor of the Chicago Tribune: Sm: My eyes filled with tears ss Iread, in sour lournal tho death of Mr. Greelev, A sood man is gone. While Iwas thinking of him, it occurred to me to look up the following, which 1 saw in a little book written for private circula- tion “1To this day, Horace Greeley is ready to turn away from the most gifted and enthtaining guests, and to talk by the hour, with any one who will listen, about that beantiful and idolized son, ¢Pickie,’ who was puried about twenty years ago.” T know of few finer passages from Mr. Greeley's prolific pen than the following, with which he closes a statistical sketch of Lake Superior and its shores ¢ Who shall then know or care that T, o tired wan- derer from tho city’s ceaseless strife, omce roamed slong these shores, patiently turning over the pebbles and sand in search of agates and eornelians, or joy: ously gathering the red berries of the mounfain nah, and a1l for thee, dear son of my heart! polar summer of my rugged life] then so anxiously awaiting me in ur distant cottage home, a8 now more calmly in the radiant Land of Souls? God keep me worthy of thy love through the weary years, till T meet theo and greet thee in that onld hero the loving reunite, to be partedno moro orever.’” THE SIGNAL OFFICE. YWhat ¢ ©@ld Probabilities’” has to Say sbout His Department—Complete Exposition of the System of the Offic The Chief Signal Oficer reports that instru- ments in military signalling, telegraphy, and the duties of the service inrelation t0 practical meteorology, has been continued during the year at the school of instruction at Fort WhiTpXe, Va., upon the plan related in his last annual re- ‘A phncipal duty of tho school e drill and instruction of the observer sergeants and tho nssistant ob- gorvers for the signal service, In the preparation for these duties each man is required to enlist in the eignal detachment at Fort Whipple as & private soldier, and to pass aftorward s preliminary educational exeminstion before he is put under especial instruction. Ho is then given some knowledge of the theories of meteorology, and is taught the practioal uso of tho various instruments, forms, etc., in use ab the several stations of obsoryation, While he is practiced at tho gnme time in his rogular drilla of the service. When considered competent a8 an assistant, he is ordered as an assistant ob- Borver fo station, where, in addition to per- fecting himself in the practical details of ort. as been the ~ duties at _ the _ station, ho continues his studies, reciting ragnlxfll {o the Observer-Sergeant _in chargo. gervice of six montha in this capacity renders an aasstant eligible as a candidate for promotion. Ho may then be ordered back to tho school to reviow his studies, and to appesr for his examination before a board of officers appointed for the pflose. . Passing this oxamination, he 18 promoted to the grade of observer-servant, na is considered competent to take charge of & station. This course has been followed success- fally during tho past yeor, and ench man's fit- mosy has been clearly determived by his pro- bationary service a8 assistant ‘before his assign- ment to s more responsible position. Lieut. Charles E. Kilbourne, Acting Signal Officer, has been in jmmedinto_cherge of the instruction ab Fort Whipple, and has labored assiduously in tho discharge of bhis important dutics. A now and commodions hospital has ‘been erected at Fort Whipple since the date of the fast roport. New quarters and a_now house for tho men, & guard-house and stables are in pro- cess of erection. The Chief Bignal Officer re- commends the early construction of new and Suitablo quarters for the oficers, and a building for instruction purposes. Those now occupie ar in bnd condition, snd_csnnot be repaired. The roport of Fort Whipple on September 30, shows thirteon non-commissioned officors and ‘ninety-six privates ot that post. Tha maintenance of tao post of Fort Whipple, properly oquipped & a sehiool of ipstruction, ig consilered of high importance. s« the signal service at its widely scattered stations throughont the United States depends upon the Tigid performance of the duties st this post, and tho thoroughness of the instruction there hed. The dutiesof tho military telegraphy—s prominent duty of the posi—increaso cech day To importance, as the utility of such duties 18 izod in armies. The applica- edge gained by the discharge of that of the other branches of touses of public benefit in ‘been sufficiently demonstra- everywhere reco; tio;’;; the know! these duties, with tho signal sorvice, thflle of peace, has ted. The favoreble expressions of scientific men, tho popular credit. given the publications of the oflice, and the surprise and almost irritation ex- Ribitad, if at any time they chancoto boin er- o, a8 inust somatimes happen, bave sufficient- 1y evidenced tho skill and care these officers have manifested in the discharge of their duties. ' ‘comparison of the tri-daily foreeasts, or « probabilities,” as they havo been styled, with t1io moteoric condition afterward reported. and, 50 far 8s known, has given average of 69 per cent s verified up to Nov. 1, 187L. Since that date to the present time (Oct, 1, 1872), _the avarage of verifications has been 76 8-10 per cent. If re- Fard be had to those prodictions verified within 2 fow hours after the time for which they were Thado, this porcentage is increased. In view of ihe deficiency of telegraphic facilities during the year, and the great irregularities of the workings, it was not anticipated that these pre- Jiotions, based as thoy are upon the tri-daily Solographic reports, would increase in accura- ¢y. Whatover success has been attained maust be considered an indication —of whit success might be with well organized and fall tolographic facilities. The difficulty of tele- graphic communication with the stations was greatest, and was most geriously felt, during the months of July and An&uflt. It then not unfrequently l:?penud that the most important and wide-spread of the Press “probabilities,” % e, those drawn st midnight, from the mid- Hight reports, were made in the absonco of sny current telegraphic information at that hour due from the observers west or south of the Alle- hanies. It is on this section that the office is & o8t dopendent for the intelligence which_sug- osts the meteoric changes ponding in tho East- o, Middle, and Southern States, and upon the lakes. Three hundred and _fifty-four . cautionary signal_ orders have beeo iseued during the year, onch display of the cautionary signal at any station being considered & separate order. This signal was_announced 2s to be shown * when- over the winds are expected to be as strong as fwonty-five miles an hour, and continge so for goveral hours within & radius of ono hundred miles from the station.” The percentage of the Cantionary signals verified by the occurrence within & few hours after the display of the winds described, either at the port ab which tho signal was_exhibited, or within the radius of one hundred miles from that port, is estimated to have been about. geventy per cent. The instances of signals disployed, reports not verified, are those in which they have not been proven necessary at the station where exhibited. The signal is wholly *‘cautionary,” forewarning probable danger. It has been aimed to err on the side of cantion. Tho delays such errors may cause aro retrievable,—the disasters of shipwreck are not. Since the 1st of J\fliof the present year thirty- two cautionary signal forewarning the approach of six different storms have been displayed at different points. Of these storms five were de- structive, justifying the display of twenty-eight of the signals,—one in advance of which four signals were displayed was not considered dan- gerous. Soon after the date of the last annuel report, arrangements were made with Prof. G. T. Kings- ton, of Toronto, Chief of the Dominion Meteoro- ological Bureau, in compliance with an official request from that bureau, and in view of & con- siderablo appropriation contemplated by the Do~ Tninion of Gnada for the purposo of a system of observation and report sumilar to that existing in the United States, for an exchange of reports with his office a8 rn,pidlinnx the system may ex- tend in the Dominion. accordance with these arrangements, telegraph reports are mOW re- ceived from seven Canedien stations. The observations are made synchronous with those in the United States, and sre sentin the same cipher. These reports have been forward- ed ragufuly to this office_after concentration ab Toronto, and have proved of much value in con- nection with the lake region. So%unta reports e Qirmished from Montresl by Professor Charles Smallwood. Director of the Montreal Obgervetory. Returned reports are furnished by this office, ss_requested, to both Toronto and Montreal, Warnings announcinj probable meteosio changes, and prepared Wil especial reference to the Ca.mvgim ports, are sent to Toronto whenever any serious disturbance is in- dicated. A notablo instance of this co- operation was had in_the progress of the great storm of September 28, 29, and 80, of this sear. Warnings were given in sdvanco atthe lake ports of the United States, and similar warnings were st the same time tel phod to Cansda. The advantages resulting g;n oth Btates from this arrangement are highly estimated. Aside from the sentiment of intornational comity and good: will incident to_its existence, it i8 of practical vlue. To the Dorinion, located aait m&f.ha ex- changed reports received from the Unite Btates are easential to eafoty. To the United States the roporta received from the Dominion arelikethose of vidette stations against the storms moviny upon the lake region from the north an thence traversing the Northern, Middle, and Lasters Staten. and the adiacent resocsaty The ‘The success of | appropristion made by each nation: , without in any way lessening its valne to the people who mads it, i3 in effect supplemented by the sums similarly devoted by the other by tho mutual benefit ncerning to both. It i8 to be hoped the system may be extended in the Canadas, 2nd the co-operation be much closer, this union of the services becoming the firat link in that grand chain of interchanged internationsl telegaphic reports, destined with a higher civilization to Dbind together the signal seryices of the world. Arrangements of & similar description ore contemplated, or to be made, for the exchange of observations by telegraph with various points in the West India Islands. Theso arrangements will be carried into effect, if possible, before the opening of the stormy spring season. ‘Governor Rawson Rawson, of Barbadoes, isin correspondence with the Chief Signal Officer in reference to_ an exchange of reports when- ever rendered possible by the establishment of telegraphic communication. A reference to international exchanges of this charscter was made in the last annual report of the office. A system of exchanges with foreign_socioties Thas been institnted during the year, and, on the part of the Office, over 500 eets of tri- deily maps and bulletins have been sent abroad. Arrangements have been mado to supply proper blanks to all vessels whose officers will supply the office with & copy. of their observa- tions. Fifty records have been received from the officers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com- pany, which will prove valuable in tracing the movement of the cyclonic_storms before _ they reach the coast of the United States. Similar roports aro invited from all ship-owners and oth- ers interested in commerce. ~ Bince Jan. 1, 1872, statements of the changes in the depths of water in the principal Western rivers, being in direct relation to the meteoric changes, have been reported daily from all sta- tions established upon those rivers. These re- ports_are carefully prepared, and have been re- ceived with a marked degree of interest. Numerous applications for sdditional reports and stations are under consideration. Experi ments are in progress o provide a suitable self- registering water-gaugo, and several designs are Deing tested to assure the best rosults. B JACK SHEPPARD CAGED. The Great Burglar and Jail Breaier in the fl1linois State Prison. From the New York Times. There is not in the country to-day a more ex- pert or dangerous criminal than John McAner- ey, better known as Jack Sheppard. His mother is & respectable, industrious Woman, who for ears endeavored to reclaim her desperate son. cAnernoy has been an inmate of slmost every jail in the country, and has succeeded in sseap- ing from almost every prison in which he ‘has been confined. When he was a boy, 14 veara 014, he escaped from the Tombs, He gaincd the sobriquet of * Jack Skeppard,” by which he is Xnown all over tho country. In April last the store of H. M. Day, in Chestnut_street, Phila- dolphia, was broken into snd 5,000 worth of §oods stolen, which wero shipped to this city. ack Sheppard and another presented the Phila- Qelphia receipt for the two cases and were ar- rested, Both men were locked up in What were fermed the ‘strong _ rooms,” opposite the detective office. ~ McAnerney efiectod fhe most daring escape of his life Ho broke a leg of his iron _be stead, and sent the doorman out for some Cigars. During the absence of the doorman, he forced theiron barsoff the fanlight over the door of Tis cell, and got out intotho ballway. When the doorman came back with the cxfim and, opened the iron door leading into the hallway, cAnerney, who was crouched behind the door, slipped out }ehind the doorman, and ran through the corridor and escaped. . The dotectives do not now know where he is, but a Times reporter learned that he is caged at last, end confined in 8 prison from which he | will mot easily escepe. Shortly after he left New York, McAnerney committed & burglary in = goods store in the town of Blgo Island, Ill, He pro- cured & wagon, and, filling it with the stolen foods, drove round the country peddling them. $ro was pursued by two constables, who at length overtook him; but McAnerney drow his revolver and fired on them, shooting one officer in the le$. and the other in the arm. T'he Sheriff_then followed McAnerney and ar- rested him. He was tried and sentenced to four gears in State Prison. He was at once taken to tho State Prison at Joliet, 1., where he now 18. In the prison ss Deputy Warden is Mr, May- hew, formerly keeger in the Charlestown Prigon, Mass., from which McAnerney escaped on two scveral occasions, Two weeks before McAnerney's arrest a buggy drove up to the Joliet Prison and McAnerney jumped out. He asked a d permigsion to Tiait the prison, and the guard informed Deputy Warden Mayhew. McAnerney, on_entering the ante-room, was at once recognized by Mayhew, Sho said, » What brought you hers?” McAner- ney replied, * I cam to look at your — besu- tiful face.” McAuerney ran out of the ante- room, foliowed by Mayhew. On lesping into his wagon, McAnemey drew a revolver and snapped it at Mayhow, who mfihc up a Spencer riflo and sttempted to shoot McAnerney, who drove rapidly round ecorner andescaped. On the dry of his conviction, & woman who claimed to be his wife came to the State Prison, and asked Mr. Mayhew to treat Mc.AanaL kmilx May- hew roplied that if McAnerney behaved himselt e would be treated like any other prisoner, but if he cut up any cspers he wonld not live many days. On MeAnerney arriving at the prison, o the day following, Warden A. W.Edwards in- formed McAnerney he wonld be harshly dealt with if he ventured to_break the rules. He'was fhen put to work in the cigar shop, snd has for pide partners Billy Forrester and Tom Scott, all of whom are behaving well. Warden Edwards, Whose administration of the prison is parfect, declares that “ Jack Sherard " hasnow found & prison strong enough to hold him, and that he wilel ‘e securely kept until his sentence is served ont. _—————— Women in Government Offices. Wasmyoros, Dec. 1,—Postmaster General Creawell has addressed the following letter to tho Director General of Posts, Prussis ; ‘PosT OFFICE DEPARTAMENT, ‘WasEINGTON, D. C., Nov. 30. S : T have the honor toinform you, in answer to the inquiries made in your letter of the 12th Septomber last, that the number of women now in the postal service of the United Btates is not large, and probably does not exceed 700 in all, their employment being restrictedto theposition of Postmistress, clerks in local Post Offices, and clerks in the General Post Office Department at Washington, The number of women holding the office of Postmistress at local Post Offices i8 about 500, out of a total of over 33,000 local Post Offices, and_the number employed as clerks in local Post Offices does ~ not exceed 100. The number at present employed in the General Post Office Department &t Washington a8 translstors, copysts, &c., i8 sixty-three, ont of & total clerical force of 310. The telegraph seryice in the United States is 1ot now connected with the Post Office Depart- ment, the respective lines of telegraph being Swned and worked by private corporations, and, therefore, T am unable to state what number of women are employed in that service. I have Farther to inform you, in answer to your inguiry on the subject, that the women employed in the postal sorvics of the United States discharge the duties of their respective ‘positions to the general acceptanco of the department, and it is roper to state that thereis s growing public Sentimont in the United States favoring the em- ployment of women in clerical and and other minor positions_in the civil service, the duties o “Which can be ns sppropristely and sntis- factarily discharged by women as by men. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Jomx J. CRESWELL, Postmaster General To the Director-General of Posts, &c, &o., ‘Berlin, Prussia. Ghastly Ingenuity of Thieves i In« dine From the Pall Mall Gazette. Why is death commonly ‘barbingored by ap- paritions in female ehape, according to the su- perstitions of the East ‘and the North, 88 well as f classical antiquity? Tho Greeks held, that ‘human life was controlled by the Fates. Northmen had their Valkyriur, or female choosers of theslain. The companionsof Anas- tasius in the prison 8t Constantinople saw ¢ the fhghttal hag” the harbinger of tue vlague, horering with her bat wings Dva'® their drear sbode, and with her hooked _tslons numbering ome by one her intended victims.” And now we are told that the thieves of Indisn cities have found out & way of utilizing this weird fancy. Some *old offenders,” in female disguise, g0 about the Otreota of Madras exactlyat 12 si night, and imock at ths doors of houses inhsbited by na- fives. *Thore isa strange belief among the un- educated natives that the she devil Dengue the name of the glmuflin epidemic), raps at their Joor at that hour of the night, and that if any inmate opens he will be struck desd b: her.” The unsuspecting natives—forgetting the hour —open, sea_the ominous figures, and_ ¢ many of them drop down in a fainting fit.” The visitors ‘make the best of the occasion. —_—————— California Bailrond Work of the Year Francisco Bulletin, Nov. 23. e . oat whi wing £0 & close the hich is dra oge th .c«'fi:fiifi«hfii%m gomnm hag laid 230 miles of track on its twomsin lines, in the north- orn and sonthern portions of tho State. The Southern Pacific is mow operating _to Salinas City. and in 8 few days twcntg—five miles more of road on tbislinewfl!baogcne , makmgfl.\qlangth of the Southern Pacific beyond San Francisco 145 Siles, Work is still steadily prosecuted-on the Breann road, which has now reached the head of the Sacramento Valley, We believe work i also continued on the Ssa Jozquin Valley branch. It is probable that there will be still more railway track laid in tho State during 1873. The Cen- tral, of course, will push the roads above named towards compiation, and, may build the Banta branch to Oaklend. Work will be nnder wsy on the North Pacific Coast Road, on the narrow- auge roads projected porth and south of San rascieco, and on the Ssn Diego end of the Texas Pacific. These varions enterprises must have an important influence in quickening in- dustry, trade, snd immigration. - GREELEY’S GOLD MIHE. His Farm in Virginia o Vast Bed of Auriferous Ore. C dence of the Richmond Whig. Perhaps there are very few peopls in this tate who are aware of the fact that Mr. Horace Greeley is a land-owner in the County of Buck- ingham; yet such is the case, A few months Tavious o the breaking out of the war, Henry I. Bayard, of Delaware, brother of the old Senator, and uncie of the present, came to the County of Buckingham, and verbally contracted with O. 8. and J. H. Ayres to purchase of them their farms, for the purpose of mining for gold. Hho war coming on. interfered with the comple- tion of the contract. Soon after its closo, Hen- . Bayerd and Abraham Rex, of Philadel- phis, came to Virginia and entered into & con- fract with seid AjyTes, in accordance with the foregoing agrecment, ~Bayard soon commenced operations, hired stzong force of negro labor- ers, purchased extensive machinery, sdapted to @ golden ore, and spent about 360,000 in undertaking to devalop the resomrces of his mining_lands. They continued operations il thio spring ond summer of 1870, when H.3IL Bayard sold his interest to Mr. Greeley. In tho fall of 1870 Mr. Greeley paid the balance of the purchase money—about $2,500—and under the contract assigned to him snd according to its terms. The tract contained about 250 acres, bub in addition to the $2,500 paid by Mr. Greeloy, he had advenced to Henry Bayard about 89,000, with the understanding that tho contract heid by Bayard was to be assigned to him in part consid- eration for the edditional 3,000 paid him. Den- mead & BSon, of Baltimore, instituted suit sgainst Bsyard sone time in 1870, and sitached his interest in this prop- erty, which attachment was several months X[rxilor to the payment of the purchase-money by -. Greeley, and while the title was still held by the Ayres; Mr. Greeley, by his counsel, Major Garland B. Haines, filed his petition ot the October term of the Cirenit Court_of Bucking= hi in this suit, setting forth his claim and sights to Jand, and was made & party dofendant in the csuse, in which condition it now stands. 7+This land is said to be very valuable, au it i known to contain underneath its surface vast beds of suriferous ore. It is situated on the road leading from New Canigp to Buckingham Court House, and one o west of the old Buckingham Female Institute, It is now occn- picd by negroes, who live on it and are not Pharged with any rent, and yet, strange to say, they went to the polls on election day and Yote: solidly sgainst the owner, the then Liberal cen- didate for the Presidency. General Porter’s Farewell to the 4 President. {WasErvaTox, Dec. 1.—General Horsce Porter having accepted the Vice Presidency of the Pullmen Palace Car Company, the following Ccorrespondence has just taken place between ‘him and President Grant: WASETNGTON, D. C., Dec. 1, 1872 My Dear GexEraL: The proposition whick I recently received to enter into business in civil life is of so advantageous z nature that I cannob help fecling that in Tejecting it I should do 2 waong to my family and an injustice to my- self. ¥ have, therefore, decided, with your approval, fo tender the resignation” of oy commission. It is not mecessary for Tma to assure you of the extremn reluctance with which I bring my mind to coneent to interrupt the personal intimacy and sever the official rela- tions which have 8o long existed, and the memory of which I shell always regardas the most cherished_recollection of my life. For many years it has been my privilege to be & daily witness to those transcendent qualities which & grateful people have repestedly Tecognized by o bestowal of the highest offices within their gift. I feel conident that » continued exercise of the_ eame qualities cannot fail to render the remaining years of Sour offcial life as brilliant in resulta as your Previous achievements have been fraught Tith advantage to the true interests of the na~ tion. My best wishes ghall slways aitend you, and your countless acts of kindness shall alwaya ‘be remembered with gratitude and esteem. I ghall always remain your obedient servant and devoted friend, (Signed] To the t. Horacz POBTEB. My DEAR GENERAL nofigyin% me of your desire_to quit the public service, to accept & mors advantageous position in civil life, and expressing regret at severing a connection of such long standing as has existed ‘between us, is received. It is With regret also on my part that our official relations have to cease, though I am glad to believe that our per- sonal relations will through life remain as in the past. You have my con- gratulstions that you have teceived E0 favorable an appointment. Your services ix time of war and since the close of sectional hos- tilities, and your services in time of peace, Iy in & military and civil capacity, have been of 8O satisfactory a nature to mysel in official or personal relations with youss to give assurance of Ymu' eminent fitness fr the Sow and responsible trast you are abont under- taking. My best wishes go with you for your success in life and for the continted dealth and Tappiness of yourself and family. With great respect, your obedient servant, U. 8. GRANT- To General Horace Porter, U. 8. A —_—————— A Queer Storys e Here is a queer story, the truth of which is absolutely guaranteed by one of the most re- spectable of Paris newspapers, ILe Temps. A ottain M. do B, hss long been insane. Ho imagined himself a Chinese, wore the costume of the Celestial Empire, and spoke & strango jargon inveuted by himsel?, and which he seri- onsy believed to be pure Chinese. This waa = SesFimoffonsive monomania, His fumily hed therefore taken no precantionary measures for- ther than that of preventing him from ‘fol}l Sut. M. de B. awoke the other dsy covared witl oold swest, declaring thet the Emperor, Tchong- Tcheou, had_condemned him_ to impalement. Heo asked to be left alone. When, 8t the end of two honrs,his friendsre-entered his Toom,he was fonnd on # chilr, sitting bolt upright, with his ‘hair standingon end. * Hoavens! how I suffer,” gasped ho; I it is going tbrom h and through Ble A dsctor was sent for, and 2. de B. was Dlaced by force in a reclining position. P o late” he cried, the stake is brolen in my back ! " and he expired under the full conviction that ko was actually impaled. ———————— Ymmigration to Ontario, The Ontario Government deserve credit for the varnestness and energy with which they ‘have taken up the subject of promoting immi- %ra\‘.ion. Ten agents are to bs © pointed to dif- oreat European conntries, England, Scotland, Trolind, Germany, Alsace snd Lorraine, and it is to b4 hoped to Sweden and Norway. Persons de- siroas of obtaining laborers, can do 80 _through the 3overnment agents, by’ depommg $21 with tho Commissioner of Agriculture an Tmmigra- fion, which with, the $10 granted by the Domin- fon bc assist oach immigrant, will pay the pas- 8886 Jus en immigrants arrive, $6 are al- lowe;, for exch statute adult, and the assisted immigrants have to work ont the balance of the adveres made by their employers. The import- ant faature of the scheme i tho extension of the fii1d of operations of the Provincial Immi- gratioa Agents. i Iy S The Sanitary Relations of Water. Dr. Lotheby, one of the highest Earopean authadities on the senitary relations of water, considers water of moderato hardness prefer- able S0 very soft water for domestic purposes. ‘About six grains of carbonate of lime per gallon is deiirable. He finds that the desth-rate i8 lessn cities supplied with modsrately box water than those supplied with soft water. It is ™ tamiliar facs that itis & great advantage, in ak.ng tes oF coffee, to use water of abont five degrees of hardness; that is, cotaining about fi76 grains of carbonato of lime or its equivalent ‘n the gallon. The fine flavor of tea made with water poassessing this quality 18 due to the fact that the carbonate of Lme prevcnts the water from dissolving the astringent msbter contained in the tes, without interferring with the extrac- tion of ths theine and the other desirable constit- uents of the leaf. - e —President Grant's €0n Robort, & Harvard genior, has just heen elected class-Doet.