Evening Star Newspaper, January 6, 1872, Page 1

SHE EVENING STAR. Published Daily, Sundays AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, Pennsylvania Avenue, corner Lith St. THE EVENING STAR NEWSPAPER COW'Y. S. H. GACPF MANN, Prevt. ———— THE EVENING ST*K is eorved by carrier to their subscribers at TEs CENTS PER WEEK. or FoR- 71-Foun Cuxts PR MONTH. Copies at the counter Two Cxsts each. By mail—three mouths. $1.9: | tix mouths, $3.00; one year. 85 00 THE WEEKLY STAR—published Friday—@1% | year. SF Invariably in advance, in both cases, i} snd no paper sent longer than paid f: tication. | Che Loening Star. °. 5,868. _ DOUBLE SHEET. | Washington News and Gossip. Mrs. Corrax will receive on Wednesdays during the season, (commencing January 3¢,) from 2.30 till 5 p. m. Mr«. Secretary Delano will receive on Wed- wesdny of each week INTERNAL ReveNve.—The receipts from this senree to-day were £352 360.39. Tut Rerort that the War Department i | making active preparations for coast defense is not denied in that Department. Jenome Eckent, a brother of Gen. T. T. Eckert, lately residing here, killed by fall- ing under the wheels of a locomotive at Bod- kin’s station, Ohio, on Wednesday last. Jomx JASNeY, of Loudon county, who was president of the Virginia secession convention, died in Leesbarg last night. He was born in Alexandria, in 179%, and was at one time a prom- iment lawyer. Navat Oxvens.—Captain D. Lynch has been erdered to command the receiving ship Ohio at Boston, relieving Captain A. K. Hughes, who waite orders. Commander L. A. Beardslee has Deen detached from the hydrographic office. A Pow-wow.—By invitation of the Board of Indian Commissioners, the executive officers of he various religious organizations, and other societies throughout the country who take special interest in the Indian question, will meet the commissioners next Thursday, in this tity, for the purpose of discussing and Adopting measures for the improvement of the ition: ef the Indians. i Warts « Fert INvestication.—General Babcock, of the President's staff, has written a letter to the retrenchment committee asking that they make a most rigid investigation into ‘the charges made against him of participating im the profits of the general order business ot the Wew York custom-house, and he takes the liberty to suggest that the witnesses be examined exclusively by the democratic members of the ecmmittee. €ourtnorteR oF THE CURRENCY.—The first office of prominence which will become vacant, and consequently required to be filled by competitive exam under the new rules of the Civil service comusimion, wilt be teat or the Comptroller of the Currency. The head of this branch of the Treasury Department receives his commission from the President, which is effective for a limited number of years. commission of the present incumbent res next February. Tue Fees Anovt tae Fronmpa.—The cap- tain of the Shawmut writes to the Navy Depart- ment that there is no trath whatever inthe publi tatement that the Spanish i-war Nunez de Balboa tiredon the ateamer Florida after she left the port of St. Thomas, or interfered with or detained her in any manner, as alleged. On the eontrary, the Florida proceeded to sea so quietly that the Shawmat did not deem it necessary even to sonvoy her out ot the harbor. A STARTLING RUMOR was in circulation this forenoon to the effect that one of our gunboats ruising about the harbor of Havana had been fred into by the Spanish fortress Moro Castle, but no details whatever of this warlike story were given. As no confirmation of it could be received at either the Navy or State Depart- ment, it was set down asone of the usual canard which spring into existence whenever the public mind is a little excited by such speculations on ternational troubles as have been indulged in since the arrival in this country of Minister Sickles. Tae Scrrexe Cover will take up next Thursday a case whose decision will determine the validity of the recent Mormon’ trials. The question which comes before the Court is whether the grand jury which indicted Hosea Stout tor murder, having been summoned by ¢ United States Marshal, instead of the county authorities, was alawfal and properly ized body. The detendants in that ease claim it had no legal existence. The government counsel Will deny the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and if this plea is not sustained, will argue that the jury was Properly organized. The case ts entirely new in the courts and the decision will be looked for with much Interest. Society. This, the first week in January, and what is considered the orthodox beginning of the gay season in Washington, has not been very bril- lant. The efiort made by every one on New Year day to imitate Mark Tapley, and be jolly under all discouragements, seems to have ex- hausted their energies, and they have not yet reeuperated. It is small wonder that rest is needed, when we are told by one lady that she shook bands with eight hundred people. Al- though Wednesday and Thursday are important “ays in fasbion’s calendar, there was not, to be sure, as is usually the case on these days, whole squares blocked up by carnages. Of gentlemen vesiting on those days the number was very small. Some’ot the ladies thought they ought to wait for Divs. Grant to begin receiving; but this is not customary. Mrs. Grant is visiting in Philadelphia with her husband, but will return in ume for next Tuesday, when it is expected she will hold a drawing-room. These reeep- tions are looked forward to with pleasure, as they are always brilliant, and there are many ditlerent ways of enjoying them. — Yesterday the ladies of the West End held receptions. F and G strects are inaccessible to carriages, but by means of planks and steps by hich you go down on one side and up on the other, and temporary bridges across the ditches, you cam, if you are patient and have plenty of time at your disposal, reach your friends. In spite of all these difficulties Mrs. General Bab- cock and her friend, Miss Comegys, of Dela- ware, received mumerous calls. When you reach the General's house you find that he hasa pleasant home, and a bright little wife. who Wears his honors becomingly. Miss Comegys is & tall tine-looking girl, with good conversational Powers. Nothing is more important than the ability te have something to say to every one. On one occasion, some two or three years back, the handsome wife of a certain official one re ception day had quite « number of ladies to receive with her, and her husband was also present. A lady entered and was announced; the hostess spoke to her, saw it was a stranger, and left her standing alone im the center of the room, fu.l of people! Not one of the lady assist- ants came to the rescue. At first the lady could not fully comprehend the rudeness; but when she did, with a face flushed with mortification she left the room, rescued her card from the others which were deposited in the hall, and to the end of time will always assert that the lady im question has no manners. — Mrs. Ross Ray was at home yesterday in her elegant house, which has an elevation since last winter, but will not lose any of its attrac- tions as long as Mrs. Ray presides 80 gracefully and kindly. — Next Thursday night the theatricals, under ‘Mrs. Ray's auspices, will take place at the Na- tional Theater, and are expected to be @ great success: After the play Mrs. Ray will entertain the performers and a few friends at her house. ‘The proceeds of the performance are to be used in charities for the poor of the West End. -20e- S7 General Andrew Porter, United States army, mansh: union re) general - mittee bor igt2. — aad S7-A new style of India shaw! is call Pprersibley "and cat be worn in three didere it ways, and is of three different colors. S7 Men and women obey the unwritten rales of their social “‘set,” when they have very little regard for the laws on the staiute-books- s7-Forty-cight of the Spartanbu: -K1 were sentenced in the United States Court at Columbia, S. C., to sbort Cy of the ly of the former!: died at Paris Thursday. lof Stage and Stadi >. Between the German opera and Mrs. Moul- ton’s concerts we have a capital prospect in the way of amusements next week, and there can be little doubt that both entertainments will be successful, as well in an artistic sense as from the cash-box point of view. The reputation of the several artists enlisted fully justifies the former expectation, and in the fact that Con- gress will be in session again and the gay season fully inaugurated the latter will doubtless be realized. But, Messieurs Managers, isn’t one dollar extra for reserved seats verging a little teo nearly on extortion? It is very much like offering a man a good dinner for a dollar, and then charging him a dollar more for a place in the dining-room; and you must know yourselves what community would think of a party who played that little game. The fact is, the person who pays for an admission and secures a seat in advance of the day of performance becomes to that extent, and solely at his own risk, an in- surer of the manager against loss. He ought, therefore, to have the benefit of a discount, instead of being charged a premium for what he may not after all be able to use. Atany rate, he shouldn't be taxed so awfully heavy for his temerity, considering that the advantages in the case are about equally balanced. —It is whispered about that some of our lead- ing amateur vocalists are rehearsing /! Trova- tore with a view of bringing it out later in the season. The cast includes the names of several who figured prominently in the production of Martha last winter. J. 7. is a pretty heavy con- tract for novices, butour amateurs are not easily frightened. — We have thought at times that Washington audiences were a little demonstrative and dis- posed to get the full worth of their money by encoring favorite pertormers at concerts and opera; but could we hope to rival the Moscovians in this respect, even if we wanted to? While singmg Lucia m the old Russian capital in December last, Patti was recalled five times after an aria, six times after g duet, six times aiter the final scene in act 2, and fifteen times after the mad scene in the last act ! —Miss Nilsson received calls New Year day, just like other folks. She made her home for the day at the residence of her friend Dr. Doremus. — Fechter has gone to England to secure tal- ent for his new company with which he proposes to epen the Fourteenth-street theater, in New York. He hopes to be under way in the latter part of February. Whether he will succeed as & manager remains to be seen, but many of his warmest admirers believe he has no talent for that branch of the dramatic profession. But there’s nothing like paying to find out. — The shoal of criticasters who chatter stale platitudes about the pictures and statuary at the capitol may be interested in knowing that, ac- cording to Senator Sumner, Mr. Thackeray pro- nounced the paintings by Trumbull in the ro- tunda “the best pictures in the country.” This is doubtless extravagant praise; but it shows that they cannot be wholly without merit, as the chronic fault-tinders would have us believe. Mr, Thackeray undoubtedly knew more about the subject than most of the wiseacres who have ccme after him. — The portrait of Senator Anthony hasrecent- ly Leen added to the collection of Governors of Rhode Isiand, wh'ch the authorities of that state semetime since authorized to be made for the | state house. It was painted by Arnold, of Prov- | idence, and is said to be one of the best pictures of the series, whether considered as a portrait or a work of art. The portrait of Governo Sprague is understood to be alsogin the hands of the artist. — On exhibition at Barlow’s may be seen the painting lately presented to Mr. Sumner by Dun- canson, the well known artist of Cincinnati, as a test'monial of what Mr. S. has done for the cle- vation of the colored race,—to which Mr. Dun canson belongs. The picture attracts much at- tention, and elicits a variety of comment, as Mr Duncanson’s efforts generally do. It may justly be said of this one, however, that while it ison the whole a pleasing pictare, and possesses some good points, the qualities exhibited are of the +bowy order rather than those which character. ise the highest artistic efforts in landscape paint. ing. We fancy that Mr. Sumner has many better pictures in his collection, though possibly none that be will value more; but this on ac- count of association, rather than intrinsic worth, — There seems to be trouble about the Page picture of Farragut recently presented to Prince Alexis, as there was also, it will beremembered, about the painting given to the Prince of Wales when he visited this country. It seems that the e picture was originally painted with the view of having it bought and sent tothe Em- peror of Russia, and a committee was appointed to raise the money for that snobbish purpose,— the price to be paid being $10,000 gold. Through some cause the scheme miscarried, and nothing came of it. But the visit of Alexis revived the matter, and the requisite machinery was put in motion to have the picture bought for the son, as long as the father failed to get it. The thing worked all right, so far as the presentation was concerned; but (how those buts will come in in such cases!) it now turns out that through some oveysight or misunderstanding on the part of Mr. Bierstadt, who was a member of the com- mittee and also Page's agentor friend in the pre cs, only $6,200 was paid by the committee when the picture was delivered, and this sum they seemed to suppose was its full price. Mr. Page, however, expected to get his original figure of $10,000 gold, and accordingly applied ter the balance. Meantime Mr. Bierstadt has | gone back to California without making any ex- planation, and the secretary of the committee tells Mr. Page that they have no money left, and furthermore, that, in order to comply with the spirit of the presentation, the members will have to expend considerable money from their own pockets to ship it to Russia. And so the matter stands. Whether or not it will result in a lawsuit remains to be seen. If it does so terminate, and we are placed on the jury, we shail feel compelled tosay that Mr. Page—Presi- dent of the Academy, though he be,—has already received the full value of his picture, and some- thing besides. — With that keen eye to business which he never keeps but long at a time, Bierstadt, the artist, seems to have turned his connection with the Alexis reception committee in New York to good account by selling one of his paintings to the Grand Duke. The price paid for it is said to be $4,000, although good judges express the further said that Mr. Bierstadt expects an im perial decoration from the Czar. gunk Vincinia Dest ia house yesterday, resolution stopping the in 2 pee Vir- f i i i i i il i IncreaseD Nempze ov Dsatni Smari-rox 1x Exctanp.—The Sooo. ‘The ar me of31 ear Isetth he mebeat otras its is il I WASHINGTON, D. C., THE AUTHORS OF WASHINGTON. WHO THEY ARE, AND SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. From various causes, among others the mild- ness of the climate, the libraries and scientific collections for reference, the opportunity for government employment or newspaper letter- writing not incongenial with literary pursuits, Washington is growing to be a literary center. The list of writers who are authors—have writ- ten books—is a pretty long one, and if to these were added the magazinists and letter-writers who have written much and well, but have not yet figured in binding, the roll would stretch out almost indefinitely. We have here, and making their homes here, Walt Whitman, Albert Pike; Mrs. Lippincott, (“Grace Greenwood,”) Mrs. Southworth, George Alfred Townsend, (‘‘Gath,”) Professor Joseph Henry, Ben Perley Poore, (‘‘Perley,”) A. RB Spofford, Charles Astor Bristed, (‘Carl Ben- son,”’) Charles Lanman, Harriet Prescott Spof- ford, Helen C. Weeks, Dr. J. M. Toner, the three Piatts—Donn Piatt, John James Piatt and his wife, Mrs. S. B. Piatt, (formerly Sarah M. Bryan of the Prentice-Louisville Journal, galaxy of poets)—William D. 0’Connor, Mrs. Baden, Dr. T. 8. Verdi, John Burroughs, L. A Gobright, Mrs. Eastman, R. J. Hinton, Mrs Bouligny, De B. R. Keim, Dr. Howard, F. C. Adams, Miss Esmeralda Boyle, and others whose names do not for the moment vccur to us. As above indicated, a number of the writers here are Department clerks, or the wives of clerks. The great body of the clerks here in government employ are men of culture and in- telligence, and they form an element of our population not to be overlooked in estimating the position which Washington is destined to take in literature and science. It would seem, with such a large writing clement in our midst, that a first-class monthly magazine ought to succeed here; and, in fact, one has been se- riously contemplated and planned, to be called “The Dome,” with W. D. O'CONNOR foreditor. Mr. O°Connor, who isa clerk in the ‘Treasary Department, has displayed fine ca- pacity as a magazine writer, and very likely would do well as an editor, though the ability to write does not always indicate the ability to edit. He isa native of Massachusetts. JOHN BURROUGHS, who has been mentioned as a probable contrib- utor to the new magazine, is also a Depart- ment clerk, and is getting famous through his admirable articles on natural history in the Atlentic Monthly. He already takes rank as our most perceptive observer of American Nature, and raciest describer thereot. Mr. Burroughs is the author of “ Wake Robin;” and “ Notes on Wait Whitman,” being an enthusiastic admirer of “the good gray poet.” Mr. Burroughs, aged SS, is a native of New York. Then the poet WALT WHITMAN is a clerk in the Attorney General's office. His age is but 52, despite his venerable beard. For the present it seems to be his fate to be neg- lected by publishers, insultingly slurred by critics and sundry official magnates in his own country, but welcomed with admiration and applause both as person and poet by the best authorities abroad, translated in Germany and Denmark, republished in England, and pro- nounced by the Westminster Review “the first and only representative in art of American Democracy.” HELEN ¢. WEEKS, who is probably the most popular writer of stories for children next to Miss Alcott, is the wife of a department clerk, Dr. Weeks, the ia- dividual who brought down upon himself such a storm of popular objurgation for his plain speaking at the Social Evil Meeting at Lincoln Hall. Mrs. Weeks is the author of ++ Grandpa’s House,” “The Ainslie Stories,” ‘White av Red; a Narrative of Life among the Northwest Indians,” and is a prominent contributor to “Our Young Folks” and ‘The Riverside Maga- zine.” Quite certainly the name of no writer turns up oftener than that of George Alfred Townsend, whether as author, magazinist, or letter-writer. It is next to impossible to take up a newspaper without coming upon some extract credited to “G.A.T.” orto “Gath,” his Chicago Tribune nomme de plume : GEO. ALFRED TOWNSEND is of Eastern Shore, Maryland, extraction, and was born at Georgetown, in Delaware, 1811. He was educated at Washington and Delaware Col- leges, on “the Peninsula,” and at the Phila- delphia High School. He began to publish tales and verses in 1856, and in 1859, the day after graduating, went on the daily press, and was managing editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and afterward city and dramatic editor of the Press. In 1862 he was correspondent of the New York Herald with the army in McClellan’s and Pope’s campaigns. After this he went to Europe, and was a contributor to the Cornhill Magazine, Chambers’ Journal, the St. James, and the Social Science Review. After nearly two years’ absence he returned to New York and became the descriptive writer on the World, giving that paper the chief eclat of the kind it has ever had in letters on the close of the rebellion. Simultaneously he edited the New York Citizen, and made the paper ‘‘wicked” on Tammany Hall, where General Halpine bad made it merely lively. About the same time he published “The Crime of J. Wilkes Booth” and “The Real Lite of Lincoln,” pamphlets, and “The Campaigns of a Non-Combatant!” In this and the two succeed- ing winters, he lectured above 200 nights in every part of the country, on such topics as: “Europe Armed,” “The Lands to the North of Us,” “The Pennsylvania Dutch,” “What Governs Us,” ete. In 1866 he went to see the war between Prussia, Austria and Italy, and in 1857 attended the Paris exhibition ,doing his best work for the New York Tribune. In the spring of 1368 he moved to Washington. He is naturally anin. dependent political writer, and his presence here was instantly acknowledged. He signalized his advent by making a rupture between the President—apparent, Mr. Wade, and the West- ern republican journals, which lightened the fall of what were called the recalcitrant republi- can Senators. Vigor, diligence, versatile read- ing, a fecund fancy and a sweeping diction, oc- casionally let down to humor, made the new writer's audacity formidable in political writing. ‘Since 1868 he has published two bulky volumes: “The New World Compared with the Old” and “Lost Abroad, @ romaunt,” and a book of poems, andwritten for the general newspaper press, lead- ugh nearly equul merit, Mr. Townsend never appears to have anything on his mind, and he is the ing for an explanation or denial in Congress. He has declined to take editorial charge of lead- ing Journals in New York and the may ATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1872. TWO CENTS. for two years, where he acquired the art ani mystery of typography. Arriving at years of discretion, and having travelled all over this country, he passed five years abroad, frequent- ing courts and revelling with students, but all the while becoming more averse to his profes- sion, and the more pleased with a connection which he formed with the Boston Atlas, as its European correspondent. Returning to this country in 187, he married in Georgetown, which was the birthplace of bis mother, and where he bad first began to visit in 1828, when John Quincy Adams was President. He wrote his first letters for publication from Washington in 1838, "39, and “40; but did not become a regu- jar Washington correspondent until his return from France in 187, since when he has contributed a vast amount of metropoli- tan news, by mail and by telegraph. After the dissolution of the Beston Atlas he be- came the regular correspondent of the Boston Journal, and bis communications over the signa- ture of Perley” during the past nearly twenty years have added much to the deserved popu- larity of that paper. He also. before losing the sight of an eye afew years since, used to cor- respond with the New York Commercial Adver- tiser and the New Orleans Times, while his con- tributions have long appeared in Harper's ‘eekly. Major Poore has also written several beoks, among them “The Rise and Fallof Louis Philippe,” “The First Campaigns of Napoleon I.,"anda score or more of novelettes,which orig- inally appeared in Gleason's Pictorial, and were afterwards published in a more permanent form As clerk of the printing records of the Senate; he edits the “Congressional Directory,” the annual “A bridgement of Executive Documents” and the “Law of the United States” ina very aeccepiable manner. It is no se however, that his great work isto be his own “Personal Reminiscences,” which are based on his private Journals and his printed correspondence, and which will give some curious accounts of what he must have seen and heard here, behind the curtain of the congressional stage. MRS. SOUTHWORTH. The career of Mrs. Southworth, the novelist, has been a remarkable one, made up of bitter trials, hardships and triumphs. She was born in this city, December 26th, 1819, is consequently 52 years old, and though cheerfal and cour- ageous says she would not bea day younger if she could. Her father was Charles Lecompte Nevitt, at one time a flour merchant in Alexat dria, and her mother was a native of St. Mary’s county, Maryland. Of her unhappy marriage, and her subsequent career gas a “ Deserted Wife,” it is unnecessary here to speak further than to say that the history is every way credit- able to her. It was at this time, when she was struggling to support herself anil two little ebil- dren on the pittance of $20 per month as school- teacher, and by sewing nights, that she made her first venture for publication, a little story called The lish Emigrant,” which she sent to the Saturday Visitor, a weekly paper then published: in Baltimore. It was published, with a request tor ‘more,” and thus encouraged, she wrote for the itor “The Wife’s Victory,” in April, 1816. A few weeks after, the paper stopped, and the sub- scription list was bought by Dr. Gamaliel Baie ley, who had started the National Era in Wash- ington, an anti-slavery paper, and in which Mrs, Stowe’s “Uncle Tom's Cabin” first ap- peared. Mrs. Southworth’s story was trans- ferred to the Era, with the subscription list of the Visitor, and on her visiting the Era office to get a copy, she made the acquaintance of Dr. Bailey. He was very kind, and warmly encour. aged her to continue her literary work. She wrote several stories for the £ra in the summer of 1#46, and then finding other duties pressing and pen-work not remunerative, she wrote no more until near Christinss. Although her sto- ries were copied into many papers, showing their popularity, yet she could not aftord to write for glory alone, and she stopped, disheart- ened. The Era was not well established, and Dr. Bailey, though a liberal-hearted man, was not able to pay her for her work; the schoo fund, on which her miserable salary of $20 per month depended, gave out at this time, and she was reduced to great stress for the neces- saries of life for herself and little ones One dreary day in December, 1846, while she was writing, after school-hours, in the cold shool-room, waiting for the girl to bring her over-shoes and umbrella, a carriage drove up to the door, Dr. Bailey entered in haste and asked her to write a Christmas story for the Era, at the same time putting a sum of money into her handr—a very large sum to her in those gloomy days. When he went away she felt that her for- tune was made. Her anti-slavery doctrines— though born a slaveholder—had made her un™ popular with the patrons of the school, and somewhat so with the Board of Trustees. The situation, wearing and unremunerative at best, was also precarious in its tenure, and the visit of Dr. Bailey promised both freedom and congenial occupation. She wrote at this time astory for the Era called “Temptation,” which ran through several numbers. after this her abolition prin- cipies got her into hot-water again; she felt it héfduty to free a negro in dispute, and this in- yolved her in some difficulties so that she was hindered from writing for some months. In the meantime, John G. Whitticr, the Quaker poet, wrote to Dr. Bailey inquiring why Mrs. South- worth did not write for the Zra. Dr. B. com municated this fact to Mrs. Southworth, and she was again raised trom the depression caused by her difficulties and discourage ments, by the praise of an author of the standing of Whittier. She felt like going on again, and then commenced the novel ** Ketri- biition,” which made her known to the world She began, intending to complete it im two or three numbers, but it expanded under her h: and grew in popularity as it progressed. Several of the literary people of the north’ wrote to Dr. Bailey, and called his attention to its great merits. At that time serial novels were not re- published in book torm; but, encouraged by the good opinion of competent critics, Mrs. South- worth cent ‘ Retribution” to the Harper's, after ithad appeared in weekly chapters in the Era, though with no great hope of success, as they had never before published a novel under these circumstaaces. The Harper’s gave it to their reader, Henry J. Raymond, (afterward the founder of the New York Tisnes,) who pronounc- eda favorable opinion upon it, but advised an alteration in one of the chapters, which Mrs. Southworth could not, at the time, understand. ‘It was in the scene where Juliet escapes from a too ardent lover by setting her teeth into his hand. Raymond advised that it might be mod- ified or left out; but Mrs. Southworth, strong in her convictions of what was effective in the story, declined to change the passage. After Mr. Raymond's death, it was stated or him that acentury. Following upon the publication of “ i,” Mrs. Southworth was invited to write for the Evening the Ledger. He told her, in his direct off-hand way, that he did not know what she was receiving for her pen-work, but whatever it was he would double it. She named the pay she was receiv- ing, and he not only doubled the sum, but add- ed a handsome bonus and made it a fixed salary on a contract to write five years exclusively for his paper. As the Ledger grew in circulation, Mr. Bonner liberally increased her salary before the termination of this first contract. At this time her stories were all copied in Eng- land, and translated and copied in German and French papers. In 1856 an agent of the London Journal came over to get the manuscript, and it not, advance sheets of her stories. By the liberal consent of Mr. Bonner she was able to make an advantageous arrangement with the Journal. In 1859 she was invited to go to England to try to get authorship copyright there by residence, as her stories were steadily pirated by European publishers, She went over with her family for this purpose, and served an injunction on « guilty publisher, but got a chancery suit instead of a copyright. She spent three years in Eng- land, writing during her stay for the London Journal, but primarily for the Ledger. She took out letters of introduction from Mrs, Stowe to the Duchess of Sutherland, who received her very affectionately at Stafford House; and te Lady Noel Byron, who became one of her warmest friends. She also had letters to the Kingsley brothers, Charles and Henry the Martincaus, and others of literary note so that she had the opportunity of spend- ing as much time in distinguishes literary and social cireles as she could spare ftom her busy pen. The chancery. suit was finished in De cember, 1861, adversely to her, and she wa heartily glad to have done with the delays ot English laws and to get home. On reaching home in 1862, she found new work before her in. the necds of the sick and wounded soldiers in our hospitals, and she entered upon it with al the earnestness of her nature. It was in this work that she contracted the fever (varioloid that so seriously threatened her lire. Mrs. Southworth has by her hard and umre- mitting work with the pen reached comfortable cireumstances. She continues the leading con- tributor to the Ledger, and Bonner the most liberal ofemployers. Since she has been on the Ledger, Charies Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Ed- ward Everett, George D. Prentice, Henry Wari Beecher, Fanny Fern, James Parton and many others known to fame have ‘written for it,” but no one of them, nor all together, could ever send the circulation of that paper up at a bound asdocs the announcement ot “a new story by Mrs. Southworth.” It is common to account tor her success by calling her stories sensational, but if anybody thinks it an easy matter to write sucecsstul sensation stories, or any other kind, for twenty-six years continuously, let them try it—r let them try one, even! But let any on: review the Southworth novels and he will be surprised by the smal! amount of sensation mat- ter in them. No current writer in fact deals so little with, murder and bigamy, the standard material for modern sensation fiction, as doe: Mrs. Southworth. Since Mrs. Southworth commenced writing ir 1446 she bas produced no less than thirty-two novels. Of these ‘The Hidden Hand,” pub lished in 1859, is the most popular. it has beer dramatized in England and America, and sii! holds the stage. Capitola hats, Capitela fast horses, and Capitolaschooners have been name: for its heroine; and various points about the Isl. and of Mount Desert, down towards sun rice, have received their appellations from thy same source. Mrs, Southworth’s favorite, how ever, is her story of “Self-Made,” founded or the life of William Wirt, and which embrace many interesting particulars of his career known to her ancestors. It will be remembered that Charles Reade wa accused of plagiarism in his “Terrible Ten tion” by appropriating his mad-house descrip tion verbatim from a book called “illustration of Madness,” published in 1810. A simila charge is suggested by Mrs. Southworth in he preface to “Fair Play, or the Test of the Lom Isle,” on its appearance in book form. Her story which bears se mach resemblance to Reade’» “Foul Play,” as ‘ht lead any reader of both novels to suspect a plagiarism on the one side or the other, was first published in the New York Ledger, and coyed in the London Journal in 186 and 1866. ‘*Foul Play” was published in 1868, Mrs. Southworth in person is quite unlike the ideal of a “sensation writer.” Tallish in figure with full forehead, well-balanced head thoughtful gray eyes and a face denoting intel lect of the deliberate reasoning kind, she seem likelier to be a writer of the Martineau orde: than of the imaginative style. She has two children, Dr. Richard J. Southworth, a mach esteemed physician of Georgetown, aud Char lotte Emma Lawrence, the wife of Dr. James V Lawrence, an officer in the United States army. — But we are at the end ef our space, and ou: sketch matter of the authors of Washington must ‘‘be continued.” Se Tue New York Custom-novse INnvesTiGa TIox.—After our telegraphic report of this in vestigation closed yesterday, Mr. Lindsay fur ther ‘ified that he had no doubt that leading men took money for using their influence fo: obtaining tions for parties in the custom house; had heard there was collusion betweer the general-order people and the shipping in terest to get goods hurried into the stores so a- to increase the charges. He said that Mr. Stock ing was appointed superintendent of the cartag: bureau on the recommendation of Senator Mor- ton and others. Lindsay had been told by Grin nell that warehousemen paid custom: house in- spectors for hurrying goods into the public stores. Lindsey did not think it wrong for him and Collector Grinnell signing his (Lindsey’s) nam: instead of Leet’s, an forwarding the profits te Leet. He admitted that the object of himsel: and Grinnell was to cover the matter up in cas it was overhauled by politicians; still he consid- ered Grinnell a g officer who would do noth- ing improper. [Laughter.] fi. a. Eastman, a member of the assembly denied the statement of Greeley be he was in- fluenced by eustom-house offi to vote for Smith for Speaker, or that he (Eastman) had been told by General Ketchum that he musi vote as the custom-house never told any one so. He moved from the of the 3d district of New York. _———— Tae Lovisiana Law-makers awp La Breaxers.—The Eeesplitn the howe of eee War, Perea an aneeting im the state house at New Urileans, and the and demo- ‘rats in another lecation in the city, each fac- tion of course ‘tobe the real and Dove thes from odlce, Ohara a eee to the celeeneniae chair eeroaes house by the United States under the ku-klux law is represented to have eae a3 Ge atventans of ‘holding state house, has legisla- ing their only purpose to be the of the “nefarious schemes” of Governor Without attempting to decide as to fac. pay available, and ertonen of Se penees. Orieans yester- much diepotea towers conalot =m | ; i : Ei TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR. This Afternoon’s Dispatches. FROM EUROPE TO-DAY. Telegraphed Exclusively to The Evening Star. Labor Troubles in Botgiom. Brvsse cs, Jan. 6.—Dispatches Namar report that the workmen, of Sclaigneaux and Vezin have struck work for higher wi anda reduction of the hours of labor. There been much turbulence and since the strike commenced. The gendarmes have been stoned and some severely injured. The civil autheri- ties finding themselves unable to preserve order have sent for troops. Similar iabor troubles are imminent at Charleroi and as a precaution- ary measure companies of cavalry will be die patched thither forthwith. Thunder Sterm in England. Loxpoy, Jan. 6.—A terrific thnde> storm visited Portsmouth and vicinity last night. Hail fell to the depth of two inches. The giass in nearly all the windows in the city exposed to the storm was destroyed. The Prince of Wales Getti Well. Lospon, Jan. 6.—Bulletins from Sandring- ham for the last three days show a steady and ee ent in the.condition of the Prince of Wales. Death of the Steel Pen Man. Loxpos, Jan. 6.—Juseph Gillott, the steel pen manufacturer, is . The Wharton frial. HTH DAY—ADJOURNED TO MON- FYLICTED JURYMAN—WHEN THE the counsel for the defence, and for reasons that would hereafter be stated to the jury, the court would adjourn to mday at We'clock. | Adjournment then took place. After adjourn- | ment the sheriff informed the jury of the death of the wife of Stephen Beard, oné of the jurors. Mrs. Beard resided about ten miles from An- napolis, and dropped dead suddenly last night | from heart disease while attending a sister lying dangerously ill at her house. The mother-in- law of Mr. Beard has also died since the com mencement of the trial, and the father of Mr. | Sheckles, another juryman. | So far twenty-nine witnesses haye been ex- | amined for the ution, when the state | rested, and up to this time fifteen have been ex- amined for the defence. The number on the | list of the latter not yet called is fifty-eight, and | to-day is the twenty-eighth of the trial. From | the indications to-day it is not probable that | more than very few of these will be catled, and the case will be concluded next week. It is rumored to-day that the defence are disposed to submit the case to the jury without argument. There was a very large attendance at the opening of the court this morning, many ladies being present, among whom were a number from a distance, who attended the ball at the Naval Academy last night. bacniices sod The Situation in Utah. MINING EXCITEMENT—OPPOSITION TO STATE GOVERNMENT—A MISSING WITNESS, ETC. Saut Laxe, dan. 5.—There is great excite- ment bere in regard to the new mines recently opened in the southwest corner of Idaho, a hun- dred miles from the Central Pacific railroad. It is reported that ores assaying from one to two bun dred Gallons m per ton have, been found. The admission of Utah as a state strongly opposed, on the ground that it would give the Mormon church absolute authority in the new state, and it is contended at if the sap- pression of polygamy should be made a condition to admi the law making such pro- vision would become a dead letter. Influential persons assert that the resources of Utah will be ‘as well if not better secured under territorial organization. It is said Baker, the principal witness against the parties charged with the murder of Robinson has been spirited away. Robbers, garroters, and desperadocs of all descriptions abound here, and neither life nor wroperty are safe after nightfall. Brigham Young refuses to be interviewed. ‘There ave been no trains from the east for four days. recone ah esi The Fisk-Mansfield Scandal. STOKES ON THE STAND. RELATIONS WITH MBS. MANSFIELD. New Yor«, Jan. 6.—The Fisk-Mansfield libel case war before the Yorkville police court thi morning. Mrs. Mansfield was cross-examined by Fisk's counsel. She denied making an ap- pointment to meet Fisk and the Egyptian min- ister, ‘ge Batler, at one Miss Wood's; met Butler in California, and had never intended to black-mail Fisk. Mrs. Williams testified that the statements made that Miss Mansfield and Mr. Stokes had held conversations in her pres- ence about black-mailing Fisk were uatrac. E. 8. Stokes also testified that there was no truth in said statements. He testified that he had a family; first met Miss Manstield in New York at a dinner with Fisk; visited Miss Mansfield eight or ten times a month; had threatened to pursue Fisk in a legal, not physical way; have threat- ened to print his letters, and made propositions to settle with Fisk; witness’ relations with Miss Mansfield were not im) but he had often stayed at her house all night. ae The Presiden fA a in Phila. a. Pm avereniA, Jan. 6.—President Grant, a Cattell, had a formal reception at the Com- mercial Exchange to-day, which was attende: by a large concourse of merchants, who partici- ited in the collation. coger | introduced by ex-Senator Cattell and made an interesting address on the importance and necessity of maintaining such a system of taxation as will materially and constantly work out a reduction of the public debt. He said our public credit is the ovcca- sion ‘of national price, and. no security is better than that which bears the endorsement of the public faith of the American people. A number of were also delivered by President Comly, of the Exchange, and others, ou the prospects of Philadelphia. The New York Custom.House Iaves- tigation. A. T. STETART ON THE GENERAL oRDER SYSTEM. New York, Jan. 6.—The custom-house inves- tigating committee held another session this morning. A. T. Stewart condemned the gene- ralorder system, and complained that Leet at- tempted to charge $2.on packages, but consent- ed to receive $1.75. He submitted a written statemeut embodying complaints against changes made in the discharging of goods, which he alleged made an unnecessary expouse to merchants. ——— $600,000 000 of the New Loan Tak: Purraperrnia, Jan. 6.—Jay Cooke & confirm the announcement that a proposal to take six hundred millions of the new United States loan had been made to en. Co. | wonderful in our ci W..Lurretor, Det ritt a prominent citizen of ) ae esterday. He was conse at T an. ° The Run on the Third Avenve Rawk Naw Youk Jan 6—The ran on the’ Third avenue Savings Bank was not so heavy to-day Mow “Sunset™ Cox got his Nick. Name. Everybody knows that Hon. Samuel Sullivan Cox is called “ Sunset,” but few know how be came by the title. I originated from an edito= rial a published im the ¢ May 19. 1853, of which paper Mr. Cox was then editor. The article was as follows . A GEEAT OLD SUNSET What a stormtol sunset was that of last night! How glorious the storm, and how splendid the setting of the sun! We do not remember ever to have seen the like on our round globe. The seene opened in the west, with a whole horizon full of @ golden interpenetrating lustre, which colored the foliage and brightened every object into itsown rich dyes. The colors grew deeper and richer, until the golden lastre was t fused into a storm cloud, fall of finest tig which leaped in dazrling rigzags all > a over the city. The wind arose with fary, the sh nder shrubs and giant trees made o to its majesty. Some even snapped beto: force. The straw? deds and grass plow turned up their whites" tosce Zephyrus marca by. As the rain came. and the pools form and the gutters hurried away, thander roared grandly, ard the fire bells Ment and rung with heart and east received the copic west ail at once brightened ished belt of azure, w Presently « cloud appeared in the azure be!*t, im the form of a castellated city. It be: ae more tired, revealing strange forms of pecries fanes and ‘alabaster temples, and and grand in this mundane sphere. I us of Wordsworth’s splendid verse in cursion The Pes pearance instantancously disclosed, amighty city, i. A wilderve:s of buildings inks 2 te Aud elf withdrawn int a wontrous depth, lendor w ithovt +d Far eivking But the city vanished only t give place to another isle, where the most utiful forms of foliage appeared, imaging a Paradise in the distant and purified air. The sun, wearied of the elemental commotion, sank behind the green plains of the West. Ths —_— eye in heaven,” however, went not down hout a dark brow hanging over its departing light. The rich flush of the unearthly ligtet had pasted and the rain had ceased; when the slemn church bells pealed, the langhter of childeen er the storm is heard with the carol of birds; while the forked and purple POR Of the skies still darted illum’ nation around the Starling College, trying to rival its angles and leap into its dark windows Candies are lighted. The piano strikes ep. We feel that it is good to have a home—good to be on the earth where such revelations of Bea and Power may be made. And as we refrain from reminding our readers: + we have be our feeble etching « bh comes 50 rarely that its glory should be comuitted to immortal type. Oxe Briprcroom Too MAaNy.—The Co- lumbus (Ohio) Statesman ot December 2, say= A young man named Davis, of good family. an said to be well supplied with worldly govds, living near Dublin, in @his county, male his appearance at the ‘probate judge's office on Christmas to procure a license to marry Miss Cook, living im the same neighborhood. Miss Cook'not being eighteen years old, Mr. Davis was informed that he would have to procure the consent of the lady"s parents befere he could get the desired document. It has since transpired that Davis was quite objectionable to Miss Cook, but that his suit was encouraged by her father, who readily gave his cousent, and ased such persuasions as induced his daaghter to ‘accompany Davis to this city on Thure- day last, with avowed itrimonial designs. Miss Cook, however, had a “prior affection” for Mr. William W. Fuson, a worthy ye residing near Worthington, through ‘wl: route to Columbus lay, and while topping at the hotel there for dinner she managed to send him a note giving information of whut was guing on. On receiving the note, Mr. Fuson dispatched a friend to expostulate with the paternal Cook and himself immediately followed the lady and gentleman acco: Immediately upon abouts, he spirited the lady away, and se her till’ yesterday morning. his friend had been highly successfaal in b sion, and procured a full consent to his Fuson union with Mis: ¢ A license was procured at once, and at 11 o'clock, at the Zettler House, Mr. Fuson and Miss Cook were made one. New Year's Resovrions.—0 sons of menjt addicted to anything, (whether it be the smoking oF pipes, the quafling ot cups, the swearing of oaths, the playing of billiards,) let us swear of until the Fourth of July. The ist of Jauuary is sacred unto those perjuries at which Jove laughs. Now the tippler, stricken of conscience, says to himeelf, his wife, his sweet-heart, his mother or some boon companion, “ I'm going to swear ot and not touch a drop until ihe Fourth of daly ~ or * until next New Year's Day,” or some other specified date. He means to keep it. Far be it from the table-talker to cast the faintest shadow of doubt upon his honesty. But, of course, New Year doesn’t count. Gn the 2d he wakes Zz with a headache and a good resolution. He pessoverce in he noble course until about . nly for him do barkeepers sling the yay J cocktail or shake the artistic sour. ‘The sth devil, entering into him, saith do like Timo- po take a little hot Bourbon for thy stomach's e.” After temptations m: stroug resistance he takes one. The most average can picture the sequel. ‘This is no fancy sketch. Saloon-kee) ™ tell any one who inquires that daring the we after New Year's day—professionally k swearing-oft week—business is almost at still. Therefore, O young man, rejoice in strength of thy youth. Swear off. high will hit something. Si for the Fourth of July thou mayst reach the Sth of January, and thy cocktail shail be all the sweeter for tem. porary abstinence. Mawta-a-Porc in Hien Lire.—Mrs. Anna M. Ebert, wife of a wealthy cigar manufacturer in New York, lately died the victim of strong drink. With the exception of her passion for liquor she was a most extimable woman, bat would act in a violent manner when giving wa to this weakness. About two years ago she le home under its influence to throw herself under the wheels of aratiroad train, but was followed by her husband, who prevented the fatal act at the last moment. She has often threatened to shoot her husband and son, and frequently ta- ken a revolver to bed with her. At sach times her husband would fasten himself in his sleep- ing-room away from her until the fr was over. About a year ago Mr. E troubled with headache, for which his ended aconite, a deadly pois: ne He who ais recom! ten days ago an one ounce vial, sufi persons, was missed from’ its ten ny Is wife was so fario: with bis son and two other young men ed.themselves in a room, which she tried vainly for two hours to force open. She then bade her -bye and went to her room, where she Hevotutions,” thick ss plums in'e but we shall give no idea of the and Sy stoves that would “not bake enn om.” at Rockville, eight miles west of Har- risbarg, Pa., struck containing Jacob Baker and Julia Strow, Baker badly and Miss Strow ‘She was on oc wert cpt, Chere ae was to have bees oi Ip long bair be the, Of woman, then there isa young ican Boston. She was other beawiral bead of and wavy bieck bair. ahaa feet inches, Pp coe ry Fp Bose “e Seven de ince ong cint oes spomaiiee im “Witmingtent