Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, September 12, 1875, Page 4

4 . e e et L S o ot S TR e Mt s s all this business; the only regret is that it TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RAWES OF STESCRIPTION (PAYABLE IN ADVANCE). Pestage repeid ar this Ofce. WaNTED—Ope sotive agent in cach town and village, Bpocial srrangements mads with such, Specimen copies sent free. To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure and give ‘Post-Office sddress in fall, including Stateand County. Remittances may be made either by draft, express Post-Offica order, or in registerad letiers, at our risk, TFRXS TO CITY BUBECRIBERS. Dafly, delivered, Sundsy excepted, 25 ccnts per week. Dauly, delivered, Sundsy incitded, 30 cents Fer week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Carner Madison &nd Dearborn-ste.. Chicagn, TIL. TO-MORROW'S AMUSEMENTS. ADELPEI THEATRE—Dearborn street, corner Monroe. Variety performance. ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted street, between Madison apd Monroe, Engagement of the Marian ‘Taylor Combination, * Bulls and Bears.” MCVICKER'S THEATRE—Madison strest, between Dearborn and Btate. “ Runniog a Corner,” BOOLEY'S THEATRE—Randolph strest, between Clark and LaSalle, LEogsgement of the Californis Minstrels, CHICAGO TEEATRE—Clark street, betwsen Ban- dolgh and Lake, * Pauline.” ; JBEUM—Mouroe street, between Dear- Do e Rt ke Worid n iy Daye.” WELL HALL—adison strect, between Clask sod Tatatia. Goncert by the Kennedy Famiy. INTER-STATE EXPOSITION—Laks shore, £00t of 4dams strest. VIEW 'APTER, No, 161, B. A. AL—A stated m:‘?gum flfi?! hd‘fi{ their ball, corner of Cottage Grovear, and Thirty-eventh-sta.. on Mondsy even- Loy, Sept. 13, 1675, ai 8 o'clock eharp, Work on the Alark Degree. V:lifin;g(ym:‘plmn EB‘PM, invited. order FANY, [ P. Sytedic B AoTER 3. £ CHADWICE, Sec. NTION, STR ENIGHTS !—Special Conclave of Ehl‘ngvm;ammnflery, No. 19, K. T., Monday evening, Bept. 13. 1875, for inspection and work on K. T, Order. e i of . G o invit y order of the sourteoualy By are LAFAYETTE CHAPTER, ¥o.2, R. A. M.—Hall 12 Aonroest.—Stated convocation Monday evening, Sept. 13, for business and work on the M. F; and AL E. De- grees. By orderof the H.P. 4 E. N. TOCEER, Sec’y. GOURGAS CHAPTER, ROSE CROIX, 180.—Thers ‘will be a regular conclave of this Chapter on Thmq_xy evening next, at hllf-x-utd g s];!u"pi. };-\';:g\lg\ !LEQ {e th 4 18th degrees. By order L ND, M., *) ¥ O ED GOODALE, Gr. tod The Chitags Tribune. Sundsy Mormng, September 12, 1875. = At the New York Exchange on Saturday the price of greenbacks fluctuated considera. bly. The opening price was 85} snd the closing quotation 853. Sales were made at one time during the day as low as 853, Secretary Deraxo and Professor Mazsw are &aid to have hed a hot debate in a Washington hotel, where they met by accident. County ‘Commissioner McCarrary will be grieved to learn that the Secretary neglected the oppor- tunity to completely vindicate himself by ‘Vratally pounding the man who exposed him. The cable has taken adventage of the lat- et chance to mangle a proper name in the most fiendish manner. Despite its assurance, vo well-regulated mind will believe that the daughter of Bryarck is, to marry a man named Count WeNDrzUENtARBERGE. The Count by some other name is doub far wore agresable. The story of the disaster caused by the storm of Thursday night is completed by a terrible chapter from Point au Ssble, 180 miles north of this city. The propeller Equinox foundered off that point at 2 o'clock Friday mornicg. Twenty-four lives were lost. The shricks of drowning women rang above the roar of winds and waves, but no elp could be given. To-day some thousandsof Chicagoans will spend the afternoon in saloons. If the art- gallery of the Exposition were open, a large pert of these thousands would go there. It is difficult for the carnal mind to understand how the interests of religion are promoted by shutting the art-gallery, built on ground be- longing to the people, to the people an the poople’s only day of rest. ‘That conservative, Puritanical old town of Salem, Maes., now and then hits upon some very practical, common-sense notions, worthy of imitation in other places which boast of being progressive. Its latest notion is to make trampspay for lodgingsattha police sta- tions by sweeping the streets. There is no surer remedy for this great and growing evil than work. The class of vagabonds known &s tramps do not want to work. Their idea is to live upon the community without labor, &nd, if necessary, by theft. They sponge , their bed and meals upon the ground of im- ! pecuniosity and the plea that they are travel. ing to some other place to obtain occupation. Now that Salem hes set them at work, it is #afe to assume that they will give that city a very wide berth. The withdrawal of Gov. Tarsor from the -1iet of candidates before the forthcoming Re- publican Convention of Massachusetts gives & gleam of hope for the Republican party in that State, s the indications were fuvorable to his nomination, if he had run. This with- drawal lesves the Prohibitionists out in the cold, and takes the Prohibition question, .which gave the State to the Democracy last fall, out of State politics. The withdrawal shows Mr. Tatnor's good sense, for, if he had run agein this fall npori a Prohibition issue, he would have been beaten so unmer- *cifully that he would have never been heard of sgainin politics. He wonld have sunl out of sight os completely es Garoxer did sfter the subsidenco of the Know-Nothing .dssue in that State. As he could neither sarve the Stalo nor the party, he did the best thing he conld do by quietly stepping down andout. This leaves the race forthe Repab- lican nomination between Dr. Lormva and Aurnasper Rick, with prospects favoring the latter. The candidates on the other side are Gustos, the present incumbent, and CrizLys Fraxams Avaus, with prospects fo- ‘voring the former. The Chicago produce markets wers unset- tled Saturday, but most of them were stronger. Mess pork advanced S0c per brl, but closed weak, at $21.60 cashand $21.00 for October. Tard was quiet ang a shade firmer, at $12.85 per 100 s cash and $12.90 for October. Wwers quiet and easier, at 8@8c for shoulders, 113@113c for short 'ribe?fidhm&c for short clears. Highwineg were inactive end fe lower, at §1.17 per gallon. Lake Ireights were active and steady, at24c for corn mBnflflc.A Floar was in fair demand and o sbods easier, Whest was less active and St3anger, oloding as §1.15} for Septemberand - THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 1875.—SIXTEEN PAGES. $1.12} far October. Corn was active and irregularly stronger, closing at 593c for Sep- tember and 58%c for October. Oats wero in moderate demand and firmer, closing at 86c for September and 33%c for October. Rye was easier, at 75}@75jc. Barley was quiet and steadier, at $1.12@1.12} cash, and closed at $1.063@1.07 Yor October. Hogs were in moderate demand at Friday's closing quotations, with the bulk of the sales ot $7.40@7.75. Cattle were steady undera fair local and shipping inquiry. Sheep sold at fally former quotations, the supply being short of the demand. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $116.75 in greenbacks at the close. The Chicago Athenmum is quietl} but very effectually doing a great work in this city. Althongh it has been in operation but ashort time, it has already been placed upon a pay- ing basis, and will soon be able to meet all its current expenses from the dues of members without appealing to the outside public. Iis growth in this regpect may be inferred from the fact that its receipts far the year ending August, 1874, were $3,656, while for the year ending August, 1875, they were $6,550, or almost double,—an increase which slso ex- presses the actusl increase of its practical work. What that work is may be inferred from the following statements: It has a free reading-room open daily to the public, which is well supplied with the periodical literature of the day; a circulating library for the use of its members; a chess-room, occupied by the Chicago Chess Club; a gymmasium and three healthlifts. It has evening mess ! As some have objected to our calling foran outbreak of honesty, we will takea more theological word, which means the same thing,—a being right with God and man. In other words, what this community needs is a renewal of right character; not mem]y of right opinion (or orthodoxy), or of right emotion, but of right character. We are sure thus is what is wanted, when we see evi- dence of so much wrong character, in dec_ep- tion, lies, frands, embezzlements, forgeries, briberies, and sensualities, inside of the Church as well as outside of it ; and have reason to fear that a low tone of morals is pervading the land more and more. Andso we call on the noon-dasy prayer-meetings, here and elsewherz, to sy more erxaphasis on tho old Bible doctrine of Tspentance, which simply means forough reformation ; or, s the prophet put it—** Cease to do evil ; learn to do well” And did not one of tho Apostles affirm, thatit was of no use fora man to claim to love God if he did not love man ? That was next door to saying that a man must be honest before he professed to be pious. We beg, then, that the revivsl which is to be may be thorough, and may run throngh the Board of Trade, the lumber market, the wholesale and ratail stores, the banks and insurance companies (to say noth- ing of the mewspaper offices, secular and religious), and put an end to all the little and great dishonesties of the day. A friend has placed in our hand a very similar testi- mony published by President Faircrrp, of Oberlin, that centre of revivals; and as many will listen to him who will turn a deaf ear to us, we give an extract from his classes in ancient and modern languages, literature, vocal music, elocution, drawing, phonography, penmanship, and English branches, and also gives special instruction in some of these branches, like music and elocution. It also has regular sociables and entertainments, free to all members of the Society, and lecture courses to which the public can gain admission at a merely nomi- nal price. The membership is now in excess of 1,000, but the Society has ample accommo- dations for a much larger number, and, as there will undoubtedly be a large number who will desire to avail themselves of its ad- vantages, we furnish them a few hints from the Society's circulars. The fall term opens Sept. 20; the winter term on the first Mon- day in January; and the spring term on the first Mondsy in April. There aro three classes of membership, viz.: $1, §5, and $10a year. The $10 membership includes the privileges of the gymnasium, henlthlift, chess club, attendance on any two of the evening classes, attendance at the sociables, and books from the library. The $5 membership includes all of the above privileges except the gymnasium, health-lift, and chess club. The §1 membership gives the use of the library, attendance at the so- cisbles, and admission to evening classes by paying $1 per term for tuition. Upon such favorable terms as these, we have no doubt that the Athenmum will greatly extend its blessings this fall and winter to that large class who have no leisure during the day and can only devote their evenings to the obtain- ing of education. A REVIVAL NEEDED. All agree in this : the difference is, as to what it shall be arevival of. The merchants and manufacturers complain of hard times and no trade; and they want & revival of business. It is & seasonsblo desire. Poli- ticians have found o long-continued apathy in the people over the struggles of parties, and they are busy agitating to produce a re- vival of politics preparatory tothe next Presi- dential campaign. And their arguments are not withont weight. Earnest Christian men are mourning over a wide-spread indifference to the claims of God, and are calling fora revival of religion. That, too, is a rationsl and seesonable demand. But let us not mis- take words for things in any of these realms. The business men must not consider speculation and an increase of paper-money a revival of trade; mor must party leaders imagine that an empty struggle for place and pelf is o genuine re- vival of political principles and aims. We are doing our best, every day, to expose such delusions, and to bring both business and politics back to a sound basis of reality,dn an exchangoof the products of actual indus- try, and in the use of specie or its true equiv- 2lent for currency. Shall we be less practical in the matter of religion? A secular paper msay be a little awkward, sometimes, in handling religious questions of this kind, and our phrascology may not always have boen the most happy for our purpose. But we know what we mean, and what the pub- lic good requires, and what common scnse teaches, and we have faith that clear-headed Christian men will find themselves in harmo- ny with our real doctrine, when they come to understand it. Let us see’ if it be not so. ‘What would be the use of a revival of mere dogma? Religion must of course have some doctrine, preach some truth, or it would be gush and sentiment. But who wishes a ro- newed zeal for abstract, metaphysical state- ments, such as the scholastic divines used to make, and such as zealous theological logom- achists still delight to fight over; asthough an intellectual approval of a creed filled with them made even an approach to that grand virtue which the New Testament calls faith ? An attempt to have a revival of dogma would only result in arraying the revivalists in hos- tile squadrons, in a very few weeks. At present, they are keeping very pleasant com- pany, largely because they have consented to waive their mutually repellant dogmas, and to come together upon the basis of afew sim- ple facts and truths. Do we want aritual revival? Not much. Tt is altogether to0 shallow. ‘We have learned that the mistake of the ages is to identify re- ligion and religious ceremonies. The old prophets of Judaism thundered against that, and the whole New Testament is a protest agrinst it. . Shall we have, then, a revival of religious fervor? It is rather a luxury to have a rousing excitement. Some minds take to it a8 men do to liquor or opium. It gives a nervous pleasure. Trath requires us to say that, psychologically considered, the mesting-going of one class of people is often very much like the theatre-going of another class, though they do not suspectit. They like to be excited; they will go, evening after evening, for weeks, to sscure this. They like a scene, also, provided it be in a church. Nothing s0 rouses them as the chance to be in the midst of a great demon- stration. This is human nature,and we have nothing to say against it, except that it must be kept within bounds, and must not be con- founded with religion. Fervor may go with religion, as with a score of other things, but it is not religion ; end there maybe a great revival of it and no real advance in piety. ‘What kind of a revival, then, do we need ? Weanswarbaldly : 4 Renioa! of Rightsous: * Needed Phases of Christianity,” as follows : We need to embrace anew the truth that, * to obey is. ‘better than sacrifice, and the keoping of the command-" ments of God better than burnt offerings,” We must understand and inculcate the doctrine that righteous- ness alone is piety, and obealence is saving foith ; that the higheat Christisn sttainment is nothing moro and the lowest nothing less ; and that the sole purpose of the manifestation of God in the soul is the fruits of the spirit, the virtues and the graces of the Christian life, The Church needs tobe turned toward the ex- perience of obedience, and righteousness, and duty- doing, 88 both conversion and ssnctification, . . . ‘Would it not be a blessing to our land thst the next great revival should bo specially a revival of righteous- neas, 0 that men under ita _intense heat shall be con- verted to honest and soulful obedience, rather than to any other experience ? There—we could not have said it better ourselves ; and we came near to saying it, ‘unconsciously, in the very words of a leading reprosentative of modern revivalism. It must be that we are right, and we beg all the brethren to say Amen ! RESTRICTIONS UPON MUNICIPAL DEBTS. Chieago, notwithstanding the great calamity of 1871, may be said to be in a financial con- dition that compares favorably with that of any other large city in the United States. ‘We have before us the annual statements of the Comptroller of New York City and the Comptroller of Brooklyn. The account of the City of New York to the close of July, 1875, exhibited the following figures: >= ‘Total bonds issued Less in sinking fanc ‘True total of bonds.. Dus to the State. The expenditure of year amounted to $44,207,651. Of this sum $8,501,553 was for taxes due to the State, leaving a net expenditure of $36,706,098. Of this $9,114,782 was obtained from the proceeds of bonds. The total income of the city from all sources was $40,133,614, and the difference between the receipts and ex- penditures is represented by the addition to the public debt. The city during the last year paid $8,257,050 for interest alone, which is GO per cent greater than the entire expend- iture of the City of Chicago. The City of Brooklyn has a bonded debt which, after deducting the bonds in the sink- ing fund, amounis to $22,600,264. It has also outstanding temporary loans for im- provements amounting to $10,685,500, which are to be paid ont of special assessments levied on the property benefited. We have no figures by which we can compare these results with the past, nor is there any state- ment of the sum expended, nor the amount raised by texation. The city bonds include $9,000,000 for Prospect Park, $3,000,000 for New York bridge, and $1,000,000 more for ‘Walabout Bay and Kent avenue basin. The New York papers think the $10,000,000 of temporary loans' must eventually become a permanent debt. The city now pays interest thereon. Compared with these the debt and expend. itures’ of Chicago seem to be insignificant. Our debt is $18,456,000, of whica $4,577,000 are water bonds ; the interest on theso bonds is paid out of the earnings of the Whter De- partment, which also supply a sinking fund for the extinction of the principal. This leaves a debt of sbout 9,000,000, upon which the interest has to be paid by tax. The annunl sppropristions for all pur- poses, including interest, averages about £5,300,000, of which $300,000 is derived from licenses and penslties, and the rest has to be paid by taxation. The salvation of this city from the enormous debt, annually increasing, and from extravagant expenditures, has been in the wise prohibition of the Constitution of the State, which prohibits the creation of any municipal debt beyond 5 per cent of the assessed value of the property within the mu- nicipality. This absolute limit has worked admirably. It arrested the crestion of any debt in this city since its enactment,and forced the City Government to live within such expenditure as is authorized by the an- nual tax. The doctrine of pay asyou go hes boen & success all overthe State of Illi- nois. The issuing and selling of bonds had become a disease. There were towns in this State issuing 10 per cent bonds to an amount which excluded the remotest possibility of payment. These bonds were a double frand. They were a fraud upon the commu- nities in whose names they were issued, and frauds upon the persons who were induced to purchase them, even at the low prices at which they were sold. The result is that, in many instances, neither interest nor principal will be paid within the lifetime of any one now living. The Court-House bonds of Ma- coupin County are a cage in point. Unless the holders accept new bonds for a reduced rate, these bonds will never be paid. The effect upon the communities thus over- whelmed with debt is disastrous, The limit- ed amount of taxabls property makes lgeal taxation to meet the debt oppressive. Capi- tal moves off to other points where there is 1o such excessive debt. No new capital goes there for investment. Lands and lots being practically mortgaged to the bondholdess, purchasers go elsewhers to buy lands and lots which are not thus mortgaged. Popula. tion does not increass; on the contrary, de- clines ; and the great misfortune, partica- larly if supplemented by practical repudis- tion, ruins the prospect of the growing mu- anlcipality. The new Constitution stopped had not been adopted ten years before. In the distress of Chicago following the fire the constitntional restriction was consid- ered by meny as a great injury to the city. 1t was its salvation. Had there been no such prohibition, the City Government would have taken occasion to have created a debt that would have had no limit gave in the ex- haustion of the credit of Chicago. It is not sn idle speculation to say that, had thero been no constitutional prohibition, the debt of Chicago at this time, instead of being $18,456,000, would have been $60,000,000. The capacity of a municipal government to issue and sell bonds is enormous, and experi- cnge has shown that no system is so demor- dlizing as that of paying current expenses by borrowing inoncy. The New York Zimes, in an article on the debts of New York and Brooklyn, refers to this policy of covering up a portion of* each year's expenditure by the sale of bonds, and condemnsit. It says: This whole business of issuing bonds 13 s mistake, Itwilldo in wartimes, Lut mot in peace. As was well expressed by Mr. Daxa when declining the nom- ination of an independent party for the office of Mayor, while TweeD and CONNOLLY robbed the city, HAVE- MEYER and GREGN have slowly been strangling it. The policy of elther is sure to bring bankruptcy, Let 1t be the motto of our new reformers topay as we go. The freedom of this city from an excessive debt such as overwhelms other cities is due to a wise constitutionnl prohibition which compels the City Government to incur no lia- bilities beyond the amount of tax levied an.- nually. TRUTE WILL 0UT. A story with several morals comes from ‘Windsor, Conn. Forty years ago there wasa bank at Windsor. One morning the Cashier opened the locked vanlts and found every- thing in perfect order, including an envelope that held, the ovening before, $50,000. But the money was gone. Detectives were sum- moned. They struck what they thonght to be a trail, and followed it straight to the houso of Tmoyas Exxmsoy, the President of the bank. The evidenco against him was wholly circumstantial, but it seemed pretty clear. Within a few short weeks, EMEBSON ex- changed his home at Windsor fora cell at ‘Weathersfield,—one of those terrible 4x9 cells in which Connecticut used to suffocate as well as starve her felons. The cx-President lived several years within those gloomy stone walls, and then came out to find himself an outcast, hated by the plundered community which had once honored him. He lived to be an old man ; but his crime was never forgotten, and he went down to the grave with * thief” stamped upon him. The verdict was on rec- ord. Every one knew of it. His feeble pro- tests were vain to shake the settled conviction of hissin, Years after the grass grew over his body, a chance stroke of a worlkman’s hammer proved his innocence, and showed that he had been one of the many victims of circumstantial evidence. The Cashier of the bank, the man who discovered the theft, died about the time the ex-con- vict did. The odor of sanctity hung about him. His memory was cherished at ‘Windsor as that of 8 truly good man. Inan evil moment for his memory the present oc- cupant of his old house decided to have it re- paired. While the carpenters were at work, on Monday of last week, & misdirected blow with a hammer sank the head of that tool in- to & secret cavityin a wall. A moment’s investigation showed that the hiding-place held the money stolen from the Windsor Bank forty years ago. Unless circumstantial evidence is again playing tricks With the truth, the Cashier stole the money, hid it, al- lowed a perfectly innocent man to drag out his life with the terrible curse of a conviction for felony resting on him, and was afrmd to ever use the money for the sake of which he barteredhissoul. The Springfield Repubdlican says that thera is “‘quite s semsation” in ‘Windsor on account of this revelation. The {act is not surprising. THE LARE-SHORE DRIVE. Among the damage done by the late severs wind and rain-storm, Chicago has suffered from the serious brecks that have been made in the lake-shore drive all the way from North avenue to the northern limit of Lin- coln Park. From North avenue south to within two or three blocks of the Water- ‘Works, the shore has been protected by a line of piles which have been placed imme- diately adjoining the roadway. Along the line of the park, however, from North ave- nue to the north, the practice was adopted of placing a continuous breakwater along the shore .in the shape of a box filled in with some siéne and a good deal of sand, dirt, and rubbish of one kind and another. The re- cent storm has demonstrated the uselessness of these boxes as & protection for tho beach. The Park Commissioners have expended sev- eral thousand dollarsin work which onestormy night sufficed to destroy. The waves acted like a vast scooping machine controlled by the resistless elements. In some places they broke down the breakwater box altogeth~ er and in others dashed overit. In both cases they fastened upon the sand and, in re- turning, scooped it out into the lake by car- loads at a time. The danger of a severe storm to the lake-shore drive must have been well known, since more than one residence built along the shore had been abandoned in form- er years on account of the insecurity of the foundation and the difficulty in providing protection at a reasonsble cost. The Com- missioners of Lincoln Park probably thought they had overcome this difficulty, but the first bard storm has shown them their mistake. ‘There is but one of two things to be done with the damaged drive-way. One is to drive piles along the edge of the road, as hes been done in the stretch from the Water Works to the entrance of the park. The other —and we think the better way—is to go out sbout a quarter of a mile from the shore, drive piles, and fill in with stones, thus inclosing a basin bounded by the ‘park on the west, the breakwater on the east,” and piles reaching out from the northern end of the park. This would make s boat-park ‘which would be practically a part of Lincoln Park, and fornish a plessant and safe basin for rowing and sailing ; the piles wonld also serve &s & landing for tugs and little steamers taking pleasure parties to the park. This plan would cost but little more than the driving of piles immediately adjoining the lake-ghore drive. The additional expense would consist mainly in the greater length of the~piles and perhaps a larger amount of stone. The stone could be obtained at com- paratively small expense. They could be taken on tug-boats in the canal, southwest of Brighton, where they have been thrown out of the bed of the canal, and thence carried directly through the river to the point along the lake where they are to be deposited. The superior advantages of this plan will more than offset the difference in cost. The lake-shors drive along Lincoln Park is probably the pleasantest feature of our entire park system, and the one which the pecple would dispense with at the greatest reluc. | bar, or the political stump. tance. It cznnot bemaintained if the storms of every fall are to wash it awsy in places and impose an expense and loss of several thousand dollars a year. It is much better that a little more money be expended at the start, and thus mssure it protection. The boat-park which the piling in the lake will provide will also be an additional attraction to the drive, besides. furnishing a safe and delightful place for pleasure-sailing and ama- teur regattas. We hope that the Lincoln Park Commissioners may recognize the ad- visability of this course, and proceed by the plan we have suggested. THE CUSTOM~HOUSE: TESTS, The tests of the pressure of the Custom- House piers, under the supervision of the present Government Commission, are more thorough, and promise to be more satisfac- tory, than any that have been made hereto- fore. They are testing the capacity of the conerete, of the concrete and the soil, and of the soil alone. In the case of the concrete a o pressure of twenty tons per square foot, or sbout six times what the actual pressure will be, has been superimposed without causing the concrete itself to give way. This result is to be noted with sincere gratification, for, 50 long as this enormous weight does not cause the slightest deflection in the solid con- crete on which the building rests, there is no possible danger of injury to the building, much less a tottering of the walls. In test. ing the soil alone a pressure of four tons was made to the square foot, and it was found that there was & settlement only of 1% inches; when the pressure was reduced to one-half ton, it was found that the soil re- covered itself about 3-16 of an inch. From this it will probably be concluded that there is a limit to the compression of the subsoil, which is reached when all the water has been pressed out. After this the solid clay is left, and no sccumulation of weight can make any greater impression upon it than upon so much solid rock. This was the theory of the local architects and the City Engineer, and not only does it appear entirely reasonable in itself, but the tests of the present Commis- sion scem to confirm it. The only difficulty that presents itself in case this theory is correctis that, the pressure of some piers being greater than that of others, it may be that the lighter piers will not exert sufficient pressure to squeeze out all the water in-the sabsoil. In such case the heaviest piers would exert a depres- sion of, we will say, two inches,—the highest posgible compression ; the lighter piers will depress, we will say, not more than one inch, or sbout helf as much. Then there would De some slight cracks in the walls, perhaps. We believe that all builders and engineers will agree that cracks of this de- scription cannot jeopardize the safety of such Titanic walls a3 those of the Custom-House, Testing upon a solid bed of concrete. They may be offensive to the nice and critical eye ; they may reflect upon the original srchitect of the building, and they will mar the archi- tectural beauty of the structure; but they will not endanger its safety. Aforeover, there is reason to believe that the continuous and steady pressure of the lighter piers will in time express from the clay all the water there is in it, and then there will be a uniform set- tlement at the extreme limit, and the cracks will disappear. If the tests of the present Government Commission bear out this theory, as we have reason to believe they will, there is littla doubt but that the Commission will report adversely to the demolition of the walls. We think that the majority of the Commission are satisfied that the people of Chicago pre- fer to confront an oceasional slight crack in the wall, or a discoloration in the stone, if the consequences are to b&no more serious, rather than to incur the loss of several years’ time and $1,200,000 in money incident to the tearing down of the walls and beginning all i over again. If the Commission, after the most thorough tests, become satisfied in their own minds that the walls finished on thej present foundation will stand securely, and that the building will be perfectly safe for all time, we do not doubt that they will recommend a resumption of work. It is likely that they will, as they should, asnimadvert severely upon the stone-inspection, and the manner in which the work has been dome so far. It is also probable that they will suggest the re- moval of the worst stone, and the exaction for the future of a better quality of stone than has been accepted heretofore ; they may also suggest some other valunble changes; but we do not believe that mere architectural defects that do not jeopardize the safety of the building will induce the present Commis- sion to recommend a sacrifice of $1,200,000 to remedy them. THE LAY PREACHERS. The practice of Lay-Preaching is becoming very general in this country. The ambition to stand in the pulpit and exercise the influ- ence peculiar to a ‘“dim, religious light” seems to be rapidly supplanting the mania ‘which has been known as cacethes scridend. ‘Writing for the newspaper or printing a brochure for private circulation no longer sat- isfies the amateur. He longs for the greater satisfaction of personal contact, and the op- portunity of appealing to the strongest emo- tions in the human character, with the advan- tage of an auditorium and suwrroundings that command the respect, and foster the atten- tion, and excite the enthusiasm, of his hear- ers. The pulpit offers advantages immeasura- bly superior to those of the lecture-room, the It must be the observation of something of this kind which heas led men of other pursuits to take to preaching as a sort of diversion. The success of a few of those who have tried it has stimulated others to a gimilar effort, until the practice has become notable. A well-known banker who was in- timately associated with the panic of 1873 supported several Episcopal churches in order to indulge occasionally in a part of the ser- vices. The editor of Harper's Weekly, and one of the most successful ULtterateurs of i America, presides regularly over Sunday ser- vices. Nearly every large community counts several business or professional men who have taken to the pulpit as an occasional res- pite. Not to go out of Chicago, we may count a dozen. Mr. Moopy himself wasa business man, and began preaching in the fervor of personal religious enthusinsm. Mej. Joserr H. CoLx, who has taken up the canse in England where Mr. Moopy left it, ap- proached religion from the extreme opposite dircction. Messrs. JonN V. FARWELL and B. | F. Jacoss, one a large dry-goods dealer and theothersn activereal-estateagent, occupy the pulpit from time to time with marked suc- cess, A gentleman well known in local newspaper circles occasionally reads an essay of a Sundsy in a Unitarian church, and gives the religion of Buddhs an equal hearing with the religion of Chnst. There are two or three lawyers who enjoy conducting Sabbath servioes mare than managing an intricate suit | in court. The latest accession to the ranks of amateur preachers is a gentleman who has hitherto been prominent for his connection with politics and base-ball. There are advantages and disadvantages in the growth of Lay-Preaching. The disad- vantages are mainly on the side of the professizzal preachers. The continuance and popularity of Lay-Preaching can hardly foil to make an inroad upon the gorgecus edifices, church formalities, theological hair- splitting, and enormous salaries. Lay-Preach- ing so far farnishes a practical demonstration that long preparaticu, dogmatic schooling, controversial discussions, and exclusive devo- tion to the ministry us a profession are not es- sential to success in the pulpit. If this notion gains ground it will do much toward thinning out the ranks of a large class of professional preachers who have not the talent or brillian- cy to command good positions, and who are {astened upon poor communities with scarce ly enough pay to eke out an existence. It would be & blessing to these people and to the communities in which they live if their thoughts were turned towards making a liv- ing in some other field; and, if it comes to bo felt that strong, earnest, and energetic men can make a living during the week and hold the attention of their neighbors to re- ligion of a Sunday, the ranks of the profes- sional clergy will be considerably weeded out.” Sosoorr as the idea prevails that a straight-cut coat and a white band about the neck are not necessary to pulpit success and religious fervor, there will be fewer hangers- on in the clerical profession, with advantages to the pulpits and the congregations. The success of the Lay Preachers is not so surprising as it would appear at the first blush. The only resson why it is regarded as remarknble is becanse of the lack of pre- liminary training and great learning. But experience proves that these are more than counterbalanced by the acute personal inter- est, the great religious fervor, and the prac- tical knowledge of the world which they bring to their new work. The ambition of the reg- ular preacher is professional ; he desires®to excel in the defense of the particular dogma ho has espoused, in the advancement of his denomination, in the popularity of his own Church, in the literary merit of his sermons, and in all directions which a lawyer, a physi- cian, or & journalist takes in his profession. The Lay Preacher, on the other hand, usually goes at his work as a labor of love, with the single purpose of touching the hearts of the peoploand infusing into others the same re- ligious zeal ho hes himself experienced. He is restrained by no formalities, and does not stumble over dograz and technicalities. If embarrassed, it is an embarrassment that wins the sympathies of his hearers. He is a practical man who is in actual daily contect with the temptations and selfishness of the world; not a recluse wrapt up in books, buried in his study, and engrossed in the burning of midnight oil. He is divested of professional formalities and peculiarities, and appears on a plane with his audience. The Lay Preacher, however, is nothing if not natural. The errov made by the latest Chicago accession to the ranks is that he fell into one of the common professional errors,— that of attributing to the influences of re- ligion the advancement of science and civili- zation. He could not enter upon this ques- tion (which is not at all essential to the maintenance of moral influence) without waking a labored effort. History does not sustain the position he took, and able and more experienced men have attempted theological demonstrations of it. It is not the field for a Lay Preacher. It is the subject for a thesis, a proposi- tion for formal discussion, in which the clergy would take one side and the historical student the other. Mr. Gasserre should not have attempted in his very first effort to con- trovert Buckre and Leckre, Tysparzr and Draver. He should have left that to the professional preachers, whose business it is iz some sense to stand by the mystic power of the Church. The province of the Lay Preacher is much better conceived by such men a5 Moopr, CoLg, Farwerr, Maj. Ware- rrx, and Jacoss, who appeal to the religions element in the human character without con- fusing it with the problems of civilizaiion or the doubts of science. It requires special preparation to handle these questions on the part of the Church. The success of the Lay Preacher must depend upon his natural fervor, his personal magnetism, and an ab- sorbing desiro to impress his own faith and devotion upon all who hear him, and imbus them with the same sentiments. Such were the style and devotion of Jomy Buxraw, the author of the immortal * Pilgrim’s Progress,” and the best of all models perhaps, for the “Lay Preacher.” OLD FROBABILITIES, The following weather predictions for Thurs- day last were given by ** O1d Probabilities ” from the nstiona! office at Washington : For the Lake Region and the Upper Mississippi Val- Jey, falling barometer, southeast Pls‘loum'utpgindl, increasing temperature end cloudiness, with light rains, followed by clearing and cooler weather, north to west winds, and higher barometer, For the Missouri Valley and the Northwest, slowly rising barcwmeter, northerly and westerly winds, lower temporature, and light rains in the Missouri Valley, Let the scoffors at science compare these pre- & bytheincreasea appropriation which wij asked for, to enable the United Smel:l Z?N Service to attain still greater perfection, jf l.uc 4 8 thing be passible, in predicting the vcenrry a of such “Jight local reins”as have ncq::" besn experisnced all over the Northwest. ! —_— Inssmity is not always an ade sgainst & charge of murder. The K:hd:“ which certainly cannot be called Beverely =, tical, have apparently taken & pew dopum?:n this matter, and resolved that mialico and inun? gence shall together be held restonsible fmm; acts. A workman of Toulouss hag Tecentiy condemued on these grounds, thongh firg dog- tors accustomed to deal with lunatics declarag bim to be oat of his mind, and recommendag by iostant removaito s lunstic asylam, A .m; doctor, the only other one who examineg thy case, testified that the defendant, if not ma: committed the offenses charged 3R3inat hig while laboring under a bigh faver. The § however, refused to be influenced by thig gz": mony, and rendered a verdict of guilty withgyg axfennafing circumstances. The naturs of thy orimes indicates that the man was Teally ogt of his mind, and it is a serious Qquestion whether the Franch jury did not err on the side of tg verity. . —_— VIckERS' experionce in Quincy hag him in the opinion thathe ia an mfii‘i;‘““’ VIckERS is the man who was shot in the AToy between Judge Mrrcuers and Mr. Cratesy lcmz days ago, being himsalr as innoceat of offencaty either party us a babe unborn. He wag ‘mare) u bystander, yet he was shot all the B8ama, t 10 the misdirected zeal of the combatanta. When Vickens had partially recoversd from by astonishment at being thus rudely hit, ha reco). tected that ho had been sot once bofora iy merely looking on at a row, and ou still farthey examination he remembered that his first injury, Like his second, was caused by s love affairpg. tween a migister and & female member of hig flock. Now Vickess is down on preachers, Es wants no mere of them. His advics i, “ Physician heal thyself, and curer of sonls do thoa likewise.” e The extraordinary length to whe '~ wilt carry its rider a3 soon a8 it reaches [ portions of s manis is illustrated in the cass of a noted leader of woman's rights in thig city, This lady writes a. communicytion to Tz Tem. UNE advocatiog & systemstic slanghtar by the Health Department of all children born ont of wedlock. The ladyis well known in this city, and ia seriously in earnest. Her proposition i one which, in the days of King Himop, might have popularized female suffrage; but King Hreopis not now regarded as amodel soven eign. He died hard, too. Court revelations of the reigns of Wi and 3Br and Queen ANSE of ZEngland 'y promised. The Earl of Beauchamp has discor- ered among his family papers the lsttersct Samam JENNINGS, the Mrs. FRERWAN of Quem Axxe’s friendly hours. They will be published under the title, *Private Correspondencs of BaraE, Ducbess of Marlborough.” Itis lixely that they will contain a great deal of usefal po- litical history, but will not be as vividly intersat ing 28 the ** GrEviLLE Memoira.” The personal considerations are not weighty enough to make any scandal of that day very intaresting afte the more modern exposure. —_— Canadian soldiers who were promised Turkish medals for meritoricus conduct in the Crnmean ‘War must feel flattered at receiving them. Itis jusc twenty years since a vesse! containing them was sunk, and the Brizish and Turkish Govern- ments have been busy discuasing the need of having the medals replaced. Neither, how- ever, desir d to do the right thing. Gres Britain, however, gave way, as nusual, and the Canadian soldiers have their medals at Iast, Al of which must be very encouraging. All the Year Round tells of 5 singular super’ stition prevailing in Northern India. The ma- tives who there live by dyeing faucy that their Iuck ia good in proportion to the number of lice they can tell whils the indigo is in the wvak ‘What a Incky body the Chicago Common Coun- cil must be pending an investigation! They go beyoud the heathen, nowever. They lie, aad, in addition to doing 8o, swear till ali's blus. A highly-respectablacitizenof Great Bend, Pa., has been on a bender ot a startling charactar. While in a somnambulistic stats, he arose in his night-clothes, mounted ahorse, and rods several miles to the house of a friend, where, his con~ dition being recognized, be was put to bed. Mr. Howe—that being his name—is 67 years of age and has a wife ; otherwise, what a husband he would be for Bessie TurNER! 5 The English sre much concerned for their *‘lake region,” where SouTHEr and WomDe- WORTH, and other ** lakers,” were accustomed to scribble. The complaint is that the railroads and factories ure ruining it with their coal smoke. The English lakes wounld make s poor showing beside ours, bat they are rich in 280 ciation and romantic beauty. —_— The Boston Journal curtly remarks : ** Among the causes of deatn in Boston during the past week, the unusual record appears of one desth by starvation.” Not so very unusual. Not loog ago a similar record appearod. Bpt how can you expect & city which provides food for the mind of the universe to procure edibles for its own paupers? The Providence Journal is gallant enough od to believe that ladies paint. 1t thinks that pcs- sibly a fow old ones may, but not the young and beautifal. Mercy ou us! What s countless number of old ladies this continens must coa- tain to annually use up the tons of cosmatics imported and manufactured. North-Siders who suffer from the sickeniog odors of the Chicago River's North Branch may find consolation in the thought that Boalon dictions with the facts a8 reported in Tre Tri- usE of Friday, and then hide their dimin- ished heads in eternal shame. Wo admit that the prediction was slightly exceeded by the facts, but that was to be expected. Your genu- ine scientific man is always modest, gnd puta the caso as mildly as possible; justas the gentle- man, boililg internally with rage, will 83y, ‘I am sorry to be obliged to confess that I think you are somewhat mistaken,” when the boor would exclaim. *You are an in- fornal har.” The record of weather predictions made during the past year amply testifies to the uniform politeness with which Gen. Myxm (** Brigadier General, Brevet Assigned,” s we are laboriously informed by every ome of the daily bulletins) and his sble staff of assistants treat the subject. They handle it with kid gloves, na ought to be expected from gentlemeu who are paid for their services, and think that the compensation should be doubled. We take special plessure in making thess scknowledgments at this time, becsuse the occaston demands it. The success of the American storm predictions has been so im- mense that the system is now being extended all over the civilized world—which desigaation does not include the mentally acd morlly be- nighted Bonthern Hemisphere. The scientific aristooracy of Europe has hitherto been nnwill- ing to concede that an American can bo s gentle- msn. The miserable misrepresentations of Dickexs on one side of the Atlantic, and the bull-dog stubbornness of the Abolition party on the other, haye chiefly brought aboat this feel- ing, which, we bope, will now fade out of exist- ence without delay. We admut that the conduct of the gentlemen who represented so politelyin Europe tne claims of the Northern and Southern railroads to the Pacific, and who beas even Crzo- PATRA'S pearl trick by using two or three pints of dismonds ss if they wers so much “salt,” did much to remove the unfounded impression, and thus made it easier for the United States (** light rains ") Sigoal-Service to complete the task. But our debt of gratitude is w1l 0 great that we fear it will searcely be paid has a Back Bay equally fragrant. What cacnok be avoided in the centre of the univarse should be patiently borne in this insignificans fraction of it. —_— A Louisville Juage kas decided that ]m!:flfl‘ iats are justified in carrying rovolvers. Thisds- cision will be concurred in by the people of Chi~ cago. Reporters who venture smong such wild bessts ss are to be found among the County Commissioners should be armed to the teeth- gy e The extraordinary succeas of Saratogs, Cspe May, Newport, Long Branch, and other fashioo- able resorta this year, is the more remasl becsuse in the East, ss well as the West every man had his own watering-place at boma supplied by daily showers. oo i R City policemen shoot mad dogs becsuse thsy are dangerous to the community. L4 rabid bully, lixe Commissioner McCArsast, b8 - treated with more consideration ? t PERBONAL Rountree defends McCaffery. He cught 0, or be inconaistent. The charge againat Rosai, the Italisn trsge dian, ig that he i3 very fat. : George F. Robison, of the Detroit Fros Press, ia a guest at the Palmer House. Gen. Frank Morey, member of Congress from Louisiana, is at the Grand Pacific, F. T. James and John 8. Wilson, of the Bar mudas, are a¢ the Tremont House. 0. 0. Merrimau, Mayor of Mionespolis, Mion. 18 a Iate arrival af the Pairer Honse. Krupp’s great gun to be cast for ths Canten- nial will weigh, sltogether, 1233 tons. L. 8. Seargeant, General Manager of bt Grand Trunk Railway, is at the Pacific, The alligator who swallowad a corset is dasd- 1t stayed on his stomach and bustsd him. « A physician has discoversd that the Japsnese- ! bave inmanycases double chéek-boass The