Evening Star Newspaper, April 28, 1883, Page 2

EVENING STAR: WASHINGTO: AC il i | * ~ SATURDAY. APRIL ‘28, 1883—DOUBLE SHEET. —_——— CITY AND DISTRICT. THE MORSE CAR POETF. Rhythmical Ride With the Sweet Singer he “Bob Tail.” The subject of this sketch Is a born poet. and thronchont his strange life has been a favored child of the graceful Polyhymnia. A grasping, soulless monopoly has for many years kept this mod Milton hid away amid the rubbish of a bob-tall car, wasting bricht gems of imperish- able truth and virtue, carelessly tossed to the common herd who daily hear but do not appre- ciate the choice cadences of rhythm and beauty that fall from the lips of this sweet singer of the bob-tailear. The statement that the Jehu of No. #5) is an inspired genius ix not a mere Bnsupperted assertion. The poet is proved by his work Tt was the afternoon of a May day—cloudless sky. soft zephyrs, bricht flowers, snd warbling birds—when a passenger on the bob-tail, hav- ing put in one share of stock of the six he had Just bought for twenty-five cents passed to the front and put himscif just behind the horse along-ide the i, the uncon- stony of tH ¥ @ polite but came th at day to this, p the These wer ation which hae continued sweet intervals, lal ys of thi r is of the bard in man. reply: “yt © When tTised, but not ventured Tavel on tt a “Haye you and nsiy, Come in ent r tickets? this favored son fon of Hand 14th tthe rear door. She ).and this was eyi- dently her first trip with the Poet Laureate. After she had placed her pastebward in the or- gauetiec in the corner of th . and the bard had «= him to put her in, ft shall b a little run. at do yon mean * she sa ? Please » you 3 vonerete.” was more proveh unused, as one see from th nh her nervens way in wh nation of th wheels roile he door A fw clapper the 0 —the one sadly, on tothe Boundary. who had a ox 1s Sure! To pay the ture They bring Thus this mod 1 people peare discusses the be day in quantrains that iful in ri sm and sentiment and for cht Into ltman character and motives power only to b mortal Wiliam or George . And to think that such t Le forced to stand and work a brake. @rive a harse, a Jangle of a horse cu f Pling of the comi subject sleeps! hed for a man like the , When he wrote: ‘The Ficktc Yionth ef April. heh of their inspiration Funning | Personal rec: period, tho very wm could | century, less th ver ai, and twice told, I that @ reliable foreeast on, or con no record t. As tothe required to one that it was 310 the date of this wrtt- colder than fng—the 23d sei, on this very day one ear ave I find this i : “Rain in igbt and 1 and then two inches until 3p.m. A winter day, and fatal, perhaps, to fruit.” To-day the lowest with conting ears 7 ‘One of the of winter bevan at avout Until nearly 10, some two or ti ing.” The lowest inercury was 3. April snow came on the 13th and I find this rure has been misty raid. = Turning erest snow storms and raged on a m.: the ground white with snow at 6, and falling fast until 9. th and, at 4 p.m. Ike more snow yet on that ve Jowest being 54 jor raiu; that of Feeord: “Rain, bali, sleet, snow and wind nd | a clouds until after 1, 3 it re the Aprit of 4 was noted? and winter 5 for warm showers. In the leaves at random) een no snow, but the in- ” came on the Sth. In 81 There was snow th, from 6:0 to 11:30 tag and on the 13th I tind this entr backward spring, “A strange, | never fails to maintaia rt of the Parepax. some sald to be the famous “Star of Bethieher,” and whose appearance is to take place between now and the year 1885, fs undoubtediy Identital with the brilliant star that made its sudden appearance in November, 1572, in the constellation of Cas- slopeae. It was first diseovered by Tycho Brahe, the great Danish astronomer, and attained a brightness equal to that of Jupiler or Sirius, being visible to the naked eye even In daytime. ‘The same star was observed in the sameregions of the heavens about the year 1264, and also in 945. From these data we may infer that it bas alternate periods of re-appearance of 319 and ‘803 years. The long period is between the years ‘945 and 1264, and the short one between 1264 and 1572. We now have the long period of 319 fears, and by adding the same to 1573 we will that the next re-appearance of this star —_— — the year 1891. y substracting from 1573 each lod alter- Bately, beginning with the poll iam of 308 Fog we see that this star was visible about he year 10 A. Chr.: we can therefore not say with decision that this star ts identical with the famous star sald to have Deen visible about the time of the birth of our Saviour, although it does not exclude the possibility when we take into consideration the long peritdds of eppcar- ences. the passenger ions of Vennor are un- | sical records And | nd this entry under | inches fall- | In 75 the | ving promise of nothing but | BASS FISHING. Unnecessarily Stringent Laws Subject. To the Editor of Tar EvextxG Sta. In your issue of the 18th inst. you gave, at some length, the laws restricting the taking of bass by hook and line and other methods. The principal points of interest In said article are that the laws of Maryland prohibit taking bass during the month of May, and those of Virginia for a certaift time, commencing the 15th of May. I contend that the angler’s rod exerts but a very small influence in thinning out the bass, andthat consequently all legislation on the subject is wholly unnecessary, as will be bereinatter more fully set forth. It has been about thirty years since bass were first placed in the headwaters of the Potomac, the tacts pertaining thereto, as procured from one of the parties who assisted in their introduction. being as follows: Fourteen bass were procured from some of the western waters and placed in a mill-pond near Cumberland. The stream was sinall, a mere creek. Atter some years the dam broke and a nuinber of the fish finally found their way into the Potomac river. At this time there were no | fish In the Potomae that fed on other species of ‘fish to any great extent. The river being well-stocked with tobacco-boxes (sun perch), mullets, suckers, &c.. carnival and, as a result sed very rapi Consequently the me weil stocked with them before the people were aware ot h nee, as they were not accustomed it T fis this kind of fish. But, after a few ir numbers in the vicinity ©: Cumbe ch to tell on the fish upon” wh d,and it was noticed that as the: correspondingly searcer the bass rs aso, and it | ly prohibited ttle in saying that they would as plentiful as former! means be devised to 6 ish upon which they nipply of food gives out hother, and fe 1. they turn stulate their numbers ‘n if there be not one taken with t to have previously swallowed a bass some five or six inches long—large enough to catch with ahook. Jt could not swallow more than three- fourths of the little bass, there being from one to two inches of the protrading above its throat. Although th gorged, it sought an- other bait and was cauht, as stated. This cel brated Ss caught at what is known as the | Stubble Field Falls, about three miles this side | | or the Great Falls. With such voracious fish prowling around how can the smaller fish main- tain their requisite numbers, and unless they do | this how can the bass procure the neces: y amount of food without feeding on each other? | Will our law-makers give us some information on this subject? The fact is that every basa taken leaves that many more small fish for the others, and therefore correspondingly the necessity for feeding on each other. ‘nts in the vicinity of the Great Falls tell t suckers. tobacco-boxes, &c., &c.. are much less pientifal than they were before bass were introduced into the river, and the pre- sumption is that but for the larze number of bass that have been taken in this vicinity by ‘hook and Tine said fishes would long ere this been almost.or quite.exterminated. There- fore, if our lawmakers would maintain and even increase the number of bass, let them provide the necessary hatching-houses for propagating mullets rs, tobacco-boxes, &e..&¢. Keep fishes up to the demand, and { themselves in spite of on this point. y the fishing laws should be it the condition of the weather is frequently such as to prevent spring fishing until wiout the time sud laws take effect. Iu + the time that fish are spawn: ing they need no laws top , for all that nok | bite at ‘They | ire for food, | urn the most touching bait that can | d. I have offered a hook to several species of perch while bedding. T would take the hook into their mouths and carry it out | of their beds and drop it. No bait that could be found would tempt them into a bite. These same fish at other seasons would bte raven- ously, I am credibly informed by others that they have, in the same way, seen bass refuse the best bait that could be offered. What, then, is the use of laws to protect them at atime when they will not bite? There could be nq harm in laws that would prohibit bass ishing from, say, May 15th to September Ist ? Adopt necessary measures to supply them with plenty of food and their numbers can never be materially lessened by hook and line. ANGLER. —— Canned Vegetables and Fruits. ARE THRY DANGEROUS TO HEALTH? ‘The questicn as to whether there is any danger of Polson in eating canned fruitgand vegetables from the action of the acid upon the tin cans 13 being agitated and will probably lead to a thorough chemical Investigation. A Baltimore canner says there fs no danger if tne fruit has been «nned more than a year. Prof. Stuart, of | the Hiincis Microscopical Soctety, says that | the appearance of the upturned Id of a can of lima beans in my Kitchen “attracted my atten- ton, and on examining the interior of the can more closely I found that the coating of the tin had been almost entirely dissolved trom the tron, only patches rematuing in places to show that 1 had ever been tinned. A vortton of tts contents Was submitted to proper chemlcal tests, which revealed the presence of tin in Large quintity.” Professor H. B. Hill presented to the Massachu- State Board of Health, several years nd Tmpuritirs of Foo |” on to the action of fruit ribed a fact, known Is, thoit when Of SE 15 ofte pened the inner surfa with crystalline fsures, produce elds on tin. Soryskaliiz, Ue moiree metalizue, F ted LO hin tat poastbly acid tri enough, would take Into solutic Jurious quantities of metalic tnpurity, He svere wes si89 of Ovlnion that tinicht take up tead trom | tne solder. In examining Ave cans of tomttc he found tead, Un and copper in every case, and 10 can of peaches he found Ue same metals The | unts found, however, were very small, Ce | ‘opper and lead betnyg only “traces,” and the tn ystnall that It was dificult to state it quautita- tvel: sinsist there is no danger, @ ferling of unessiuess that will probably b= satisfied with nothing short of | thorough sclenufic texts acc Vital Statistics of the I ict. THE FIGUKES FORK MARCH AND FOR THR FIRST | QUARTER OF THE YEAR. | During the month of March there were 432 | deaths in the District of Columbia, an estimated Geath-rate of 27 per 1,000 per annum. Of this humber, 112 were white males, 124 white females, | 89 colored males, and 107 colored females. The death-rate for the white population (2242) was 1.70 greater than the mean death-rate for the month of March during the past nine years, while that for the colored population was 3.29 less than the mean death-rate for the same pertod. ‘There was 1 death from smallpox, § from diph- thera, 18 froma scarlet fever, 8 from Lyphoid fever, | 4from malarial fevers, 4 from diarrhce 1] diseases, 2 from whooping cough, 2 from ¢rysipelas, 7 from inanition, 1 from alcoholism, and 1 from scurvy. | Rheumatism caused 3 deaths; cancer, 7; consump- tion, ‘uberculosis, 4; scrofula, 4; meningitts, rf | } congestion of the brain, 5; convulsions, 12;trismus, } art disease, 24; bronchitis, 12;pneumonta, 61; spgestion of the lungs, 7; pleurisy, 2; diseases of the digestive organs, 20; diseases of the urinary organa, 6; developmental diseases of children, 14; of women, 9; diseases incident to old lage. 91; _ accidents ) homicide, 1; and sutctde, compa’ son of the above causes of death will show that the unusually high mortality 15 due to dis- eases of the lunz, consumption, and acute lu diseases, having caused over 40 percent of t umber of deaths. The average ave of the w! Gecedents was 36 years, of the colored 2+ years, The average dally mortality for the month was nearly . | ‘There were 36 white and 26 colored tharriages re- | ported during the month. ‘The births reported were G4 white males, 68 wiifte femaies, 67 culured males and 74 colored females. Durin: the quarter | nding March 31, 1868, there were 1,200 deaths from. | all causes, which was 112 more than during the first quarter of 1662. Small-pox caused 2 deaths, 11 less than in the frst quarter of tae preceding Year; scarlet fever 44, an increase of 83; diphthe- Has, 4 decrease of 16; croup 7, a decrease of 14; 1 and 3; 57, a decrease of decrease 5 aiid violence #9, an'tacressy ot 8 Lee bas bade man out for a fire-escape statistica, and The Rochester Jong time looking le rep has at last reported that abl Loutsa BR. Stephens Is the first woman to be- come presilent of a bank. She succeeds her ‘ate husband in the First National bank of Mar- fon, Iowa. Mr. Baillie, of Dochfour, one of the largest in died at Florence afew days ago, He owned ‘acres, prin- ROD AND GUN. ‘The Woodmont Roa and Gun Club. SOMETHING OF ITS HISTORY AND PURPOSES—AN ELEGANT AND ATTRACTIVE RESORT FOR GEN- TLEMEN. For several years past the readers of Tue Star, which means the people of Washington gen- erally, have been hearing from time to time the name of the ‘‘ Woodmont Ciul but compara- tively few of them, it may be assumed, know anything of the organization or the purposes of its existence. As, however, public interest In such assovlations 33 rapidly increasing, and as more attention fs being paid every year to the Importance of provagating and protecting fish and game, a slighs sketch of this Club, which, if not the oldest, is certainly the strongest and most prosperous on the whole length of the Potomac, may be regarded as not unseasonable at the present time. ‘ The character and purposes of the Club will be pretty well understood by its title; but they are still further emphasised by its corporate seai, which includes aa its appropriate device an an- Uered deer’s head agd two conventional dol- phins on a shield,whtch Is supported by a herald- ic vil, bearing the legend ‘Protect and En- Joy.” This is in plain English, as it ought tobe, in order that the honest unlettered hunter or angler may be able to understand it without securing the services of an interpreter or referring to an English-Latin dretionary on the sly. Like most of the successtul and useful organ!- zations of its class the “W. R. & G, ©.” began in a modest and humble way, though Its founders took the wise precaution to secure at the begin- ning a well located and ample field for its opera- tions. This was found in a large old estate ituated in Washington county, Md., bearing the appropriate title of “Woodmont.” It lies 2 little above and nearly opposite Great Caca- pon station, on the Baltimoreand Ohio railroad, about 106 miles west of Washington. The ori- inal purchase consisted of 2,023 acres, but thi amount has since been considerably increased ly later purchases; and, in order to extend the luntins privileges as well as to properly protect the control of a large additional acre- a een secured by lease. The estate is situated on the north or left bank of the Poto- mae, as already stated, and extends from the river on the front tothe old National Road in the rear, aud from the base of the Tonoloway nioun- non the east to the crest of Sideling Hill mountain onthe west. Less than ten years ago this estate was valued at and was sold for $22,000; but of course it cost the Club no such sum. With the exception of about 100 acres, the entire estate, with its leased dependencies, is hi ly wooded with fine large timber, and in places with dense undergrowth, which furnishes a most excellent cover for game of all kinds to be fonnd anywhere ‘1 that section of the coun- try. Deer and turkeys are by no means scarce, while sinall game,both fowl and animal, abounds in the woods, and in season ducks are plentiful on the river. The advantages presented by Woodmont as a resort for anglers may be at least partially un- derstood when it is stated that the estate has a frontage of three quarters of a mile on the famous Potomac fishing grounds in THE VICINITY OF DAM NO. 6. The locality affords opportunities for both deep or still water and rapid water fishing. Be- low the high dam the river runs for several miles over arocky bed, thus furnishing a long stretch of tumbling cascades, circling eddies, and quiet pools, ever greatly affected by game fish of all varieties, and always so tempting to the anglers eye. level or pool extending some thre westward. In which the water and still, and beyond thi water wee has miles to the aly lake-like shee js and a swift running curren met again, All these several divisions ure filled with THE SMALE-MOCTHED BLACK Bass, whieh now recog! by both 5 and anglers every where as next in game q ties and delicacy to the spotted trout, and by some placed even above that universal favorite. nething of the quantity and size of the fish in wtlar locality may be Inferred from the 2 ies of the Club for last season. The sum- mer of 1832 was not regarded as a favorable one for anglers, nor was there much fishing done by members of the Club or its guests. In fact there was seeminuly less than the usual indulgence, whether numbers or time be considered, yet the catch for the summer added up 1,206 bass, weigh- ing 956 pounds or nearly haifa ton fn all. haps the majority of these were taken with live bait, but a very fair proportion fell a victim to the seductive fiy,—not a few of the members de- clining to use any other device. OTHER GAME FISH. In addition to the bass, which, having been there for nearly thirty years, may Dow be consid- ered as acclimated and thoroughly at home, the Potomac at this point has been liberally stocked during the past two years with land-locked sal- mon, and large numbers of young brook and California trout have been placed in the streams emptying into it in that locality. 1t1s too early yet to Judge of the final results of these experi- ments, but a number of small salmon were taken last year, showing tnat at least some of them are alive and thriving, and there {s every reason to believe that the enjoyment of the angling fraternity will be soon and greatly augmented from this source. TUS CLUB QUARTERS. The living accommodations of the Club con- sist of a large new and fine Club house, situated on a high bluff overlooking the river and a beautiful range of country beyond, which cost, with Its substantial fittings, about 86,000. The building contains a fine Club room, a large din- ing hall, a magazine room, store room, linen room, servant's room, and ten large fine cham- bers, all comfortably furnished. In front, and running around each end of the buliding, is a covered portico twelve feet deep. In the rear of the main building, and connected therewith, isthe kitchen. and also ample quarters for the superintendent and his family. In connection with this establisiunent there is a stable and other necessar outbuildings, an excellent cement-lined cistern, holding more than 12,000 how stocked upwards of 100 tons of excel- ine ice. Near the center of the estate, two mi the best shooting, is a comfortable hunting lod; containing six rooms, suitably furnished. This und two or three other houses situated at differ- ent points on the estate are occupied by the game wardens of the Club, who look after its interests generally, and see to the enforcement of the came and fish laws ot the state. GAME PROTECTION AND THE RESULTS, Already the efforts of the organization in this direction have been productive of the most encouraging results. Immediately upon enter- {ng upon proprietorship it turned its attention to the general protection of game inthe vicinity, uader the provisions of the Maryland laws, and the prevention of poaching on its own premises, which are formally “posted,” in accordance with legal requirements. Through its efforts tres- passers and lauw-breakers have been arrested and punished so that now close seasons are beginning to be observed, and private rights are respected to a greater extent than ever before. Ta Consequence, game has steadily and rapidly tnereased on the estate, not only by natural in- crease and the protection of its own premises, but by additions to it from other and more. frequently hunted sections of the country; and the woods Inay Dow be said to be fairly well stocked with deer, turkeys, pheasants and all kinds of small game, HOW WOODMONT 18 REACHED. To make all these advantages available fre- quent and quick means of access are of course necessary. These haye happily been secured through the valuable co-operation of the man- agement of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, which was not slow to see the benefits whicl would accrue to itself from a liberal icy in this respect, but was wise enough also the importance of aiding an organization which had a higher ee ae merely the pleasures of its own mem! in view. Understanding the extent to which the lon and preser- vation of food supplies is beeoming a factor in national economy, it has shows ey. tion to aid and encourage the Club in in this a Above the dam there is a | na of water, andan ample iee-house, in which | les back from the river, and in the midst of | ———— pile distant, has;been secured—a matter of great convenience to the members of the Club and their guesta, ‘WHO ENJOYS ALL THIS? The members of the Club who first started it as a private association soon saw the necessity of a stronger and more flexible organization, in order to holdteal estate and otherwise better carry out Its objects. - With this end In view a spectal act of incotporation was procured from the legislature of Maryland in March, 1882, and under this charter dt now exists and carries on its affairs. By the terms of its constitution the membership is limited to thirty-three, and the initiation fee ig pow fixed at $500. To each member one share of stock is issued, the pos- session ot which entitles him to all the privi- feges and advantages of the Club and to a pro- portionate share of its property, as in other cor- porations. It may not, however, be sold or dis- posed of as other stock, in open market, but under the by-laws can only be transferred back, in the event of resignation or death, to the Club, at such price as may be fixed by the com- mittee of management. ‘This provision is neces- sary, a8 Any One can see, to secure only a desir- able membership; and in order to still further insure harmony and congeniality in the Club It is provided that a single member's objecting voice shall prevent the election of any applicant for membership. At the present time the roll-call contains twenty-nine names, leaving only four vacancies, and these, it fs understood, the Clnb is in no hurry to fill. The members at this date are as follo F. A, Ashford, A. W. Bacon, Marcellus Bailey, John A. Baker, J. H. Baxter Bright, R. C. Drum, B. E. J. Eils, Earl 5 A. H. Evans, R. D. Evans, T. Harrison Garrett, George P. Goff, 8. H. Kautimann, William Lee, ‘iter, B. McGuire, W. C. McIntire, D. R. MeKee, Warner Miller, Crosby S. Noyes, H. F. Picking, George M. Robeson, George P. Rowell, Thomas Kuss Franck Taylor, J. M. Tinker, W. C. Wood, Levi Woodbury. To the most of the gentlemen comprised in | this list the people of Washington need no In- | troduction; for the benetit of strangers it | may be id that it includes prominent private | citizens, members ot both houses of Congress and distincuished officers in the military and naval services of the country. As would natu- rally be the case, most of them reside in or are identified with Washington, but the list comprises enough of membership belonsi elsewhe a) liberal and cos- mopolitan character to the Club, the prime ob- jects of which are goodfellowship, healthful re- creation and rational enjoyment. These have already been largely secured, not for its mem- bers alone, but for their friends, as well, who from time to time are entertained by them, Indeed, hospitality has already. strongly marked the histery of the Club so far. Among its guests, or ests of individual members last | summer, were many persons distinguished In all walks of life. including the President of the United States, and the coming season promises | to be even more brilliant and pleasant in this respect that any that have preceded it. AT THE ANNUAL MEETING of the Club, held Thursday evening, the follow- ing officers were unanimously elected: HH. Kanffmann. t—H. E. Picking. Thomas Russell. Seeretary-—W. C. Metntyre. Committee of Management—The President and Treasurer, ex- d Messrs. Levi Wood- bury, W. M ) B. McGuire. By the oficial reports presented the Clab wa: shown to be Ina prosperous and flourishing condition, financially and otherwise; and meas- ures were taken by the meetin ich was un- full and spirited. to make still further | additions and improvemen will greatly incre the value and desira property and promote the cx ment of its Before ad were unanimous dent, Mr, A. £ and earn LL. Ze Treasure t and enjoy- | sts. in recognition of bi: otion to the interests of | n, of which he has been the chief ive cBicer since its founda! ery m at the Connell chamber, Washington ner 3d street and Pennsylvania avenue it, Thursday evening. Worthy Chief Hud- son called the meeting to order, and handed the | Savel to Past Chtef Darragh, the chatrman of “the | Sood of the order.” who made un address of wel- come. Prof. 8. H. Jecko presided at the plano, and the entire audience united in signing two stanzas of “Farewell to Old Rye.” Vice Cnitt Horn was the orator of the evening. The following perm was successfully carried out, the agsem- iy manifesting Its approval with loud and tre- quent applause :—Quartette, by the Freer family; speech by Mrs. Chambers; duet, by Misses Cook and Gray; recitation, by Miss Ida May Rogers; solo, by Mra. Kalstrom; stirring address by Mr. Frank McNerhany; battle song, by the Glee Clud of St. Patrick’s Total Abstinence society; remarks by Dr. Karshner; song, by Mrs. Kalstrom; speech by Past Citet Thomas P. Marche; Scotch song, by Brother Burrows; recitations, by Mr. Ripley, caus- ing much merriment; solo, by Mr. McNerhany, of St Patrick's Total Abstinence society, and a chorus by the Gice club; recitation by Miss Clara Price; closing ode of tne orde Sg Battles in the Air, From the New York Sun. The tornadoes that swept away villages and country houses, and killed scores of people in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South C: olina on Sunday possessed some peculiar fea- tures which render them particularly worthy of attention. The first noteworthy thing about them was their number, and the great extent of territory they covered. As inthe case of the tornadoes of last June in the region ly- jing southwest of the great lakes, a perfect | nest of atmospherie eddies seems to h. been suddeniy formed oyer the uli 3 on Sund: d swiftly | and the tornadoes across the countr’ clean swathes many miles long and only a tew hundred yards wide. Some general canse must of course Haye been at work to produce th meteorologi- cal conditions favorable for the sI S velopment of these storms, so widely separated, and yet so similar in their character and effects. ‘This cause is found in the conflict between the |eold storm current which was at the time sping across the whole country from the ward, and a less extensive but powerful ‘m current advancing from the Gulf. Where currents met there was a sort of straggle | for the mastery, which resulted in the formation | of tornadoes along the line of meeting. Another fact of special interest is the wonder- | ful electrical discharges which accompanied the tornadoes. Electricity is always strongly de- veloped during such storms, but in this case the lightning seems to have been incessant, remind- ing one of accounts of thunder storms in the tropics. Books and newspapers were read and letters written by the almost unceasing illum!- nation in the clouds. There seems to beno means within human | reach to cope with these powers of theair. A tornado cannot be arrested in its course. The only thing to do is to get outof its way. Butat present there is not even any means of predict- ing their coming. The signal service can cals deal with ordinary storms that sweep in an most unvarying course clear across the continent. The telegraph can give warning of the approach of such a storm, but tornadoes spring into being and rush away on their career of destruction in the most nnexpectod manner. Still, if the theo- ries of the rologists are correct. and tor- nadoes are generally formed where opposing currents meef, and as offshoots of a main storm, it should be ‘fos to obtain some warning, even though short, ofthe times and places where sess frightful battles in the alr are likely to be fought. * ‘The Planets in May. ¥rom the Provid nee Jdurnal. ‘The planetary records of May are fall of mat- ters of excit interest. Two of the giant planeta, Neptune and Saturn, reach conjunction. Mercury arrives at eastera elongation, and is visbile as evening stgr during nearly the entire month. Venus and:Mars are in close conjunc- tion. Every tin the system, viewed from the earth, is ju the northern declination. The moon comesin for distinguished honors. She is very near she occulta Beta Scot and she gets = for @ favored few in the far the southern Pacific wi for six precious mim her dark that Soe fom view the Gosees orb of ay. ———o+___ Fariouws Driving in Paris. ‘Paris Dispatch to the London Times. Furlons driving is disgracefully frequent in Paris, and is not confined to cabmen, but it is respective horses, eee > aN yn & race the opera. On the Place do ‘Carrousel one of them \gocked down a woman, baer ypors Poteet broken. Both drivers were arrested, the declared them equall; the accident pasicentueir onal vehicle only victim demanded | fancy | other side of the At LITERARY NOTES. of the fifteen, and when . TL died ye man. I bat ted in the ¢ Of Commons wach santa, a Canning and George Stephenson opened his first line of Tailway some years after e asaociated with the and the Reform bill of 1862 fvugd me on the comm dered middie are. Thave seen many changes. Old Time and I have been so long acquainted that it does not ecem presumptuous to hope anay be matter of interest in cor- cerning work I have seen him do.” It must follow that a person who has been so long before the public,—whose life-time covers 80 many stirring events in the world’s history, and whose position as a journalist enabled him to see and understand not only movements but | the secret springs which caused them,—has an _ interesting story to tell. It is to be regretted - that the author kept no notes, and writes en- tirely from memory, as he tells us. Otherwise many things now forgotten would doubtless have had a place, while others Included in it would probably have been omitted, as they could have been without serious loss to the reader. Still, as it stands, the book will have a charm to the old for what it recalis and to the young for what it reveals of the past. Mr. Hall does not believe In the good old times, and he tells a hundred anecdotes of their brutality and lawlessness. One of bi the profanity of the time describes an interview between Queen Charlotte and an old sea captain who had conveyed the princess royal to Ger- many and wished to be strictly correct in his demeanor in reporting the voyage to her i, mstam, yer mejosty," reptied he, in some con- fusion to the opening 5: ; *‘yes, ane bore tne yoyn very well. y there was 8 capful. Sea-sickt Ob, yes; in course a litte, As we were going: lock, she so iee w ir majesty—into stories of | MUSICAL AND DRAMATIO, THE CLOSE OF THE SEASON—SUMMER PLANS— NEW COMEDIES—ETC. — The National presents Rial’s “Uncle Tom's Cabin” Company on Monday evening. —The oratorio of “ The Redemption,” in Bal- timore, was a great success last night. Every seat was sold. —At the anniversary entertainment of the Odd Fellows, last Thursday evening, the John McCullough Dramatic Club performed “ Mr. and Mrs. Peter White” in excellent style. Miss Perey Haswell, only 12 years of age, was raptu- rously applauded for her admirable rendition of the Gobble song, “ Peek A’Boo,” and deservedly encored. — The Cincinnati dramatic festival begins May 2d, with “Julius Cesar.” The stars are McCul- lough. Rhea, Clara Morris, Mary Anderson, Bar- | Tett, Blisier and Goodwin. In “Othello” both Mary Anderson and Clara Morris appear. —A.K. Fulton, of the Baltimore American, has written a play for Carrie Levain, called “Nina; or, the Wild Flower.” It will be first produced at Pittsburg May 7. . — The most successfalengagement in tragedy | ever played in Denver was that of Lawrence | Barrett, last week, at the Tabor Opera House. The house was crowded every night. The net receipts of the engagement were $10,061. | —Miss Addie Randall, formerly of Washing- ton, and who Is now singing in the title role of Fortunio, an old burlesque, in New York, has been offered an engagement by Col. Maplason for next season. —Ruby Rogers, who played Lady Fla in “Patience” lately at the Fifth Avenue Theater, and eave says'she, “Captain, Tin | N.Y., issaid by Freund's Daily to have been “a do Legin, to sae Tae een ZOuE | Miss Ewan, of Washington, who belongs to one invam, Ser mates a, it wae, nowbine— | of the best families of that cit had ome on's ds me into | The performance in New York for the ben- vitae hing: it | efit of she endowment fund of the Washington blow tall high: {and Tee University, at which Mmes. Patti, ness xends for me seein to the . and eAyS Rho to wie, aysshe, “Well, cappen, d— my eyes if it don't Low now!” = Many of Mr. Hall's storlea of distingutshed men whom he has known are almost too good to pass by. He is by no means mealy-mouthed, and with much openness. LIVING ENGLISH POETS: ‘MDCCCLXXX&I. eure Robeits Brothers. Washiugtou: Kovert It is not easy to percetye why there should ba any need of a new yolume of selected poems; but the publishers must have felt that there was if not a demand at le: the one before us would not have been issued. Their explanation Js that its editors “have pre- pared an anthology which aims at being no casual or desultory assemblage of beautiful poems, but one which presents in chronological order examples of the highest attainment, and none but the highest, of the principal [English] poets of our own aze.” The collection begins with Sir Henry Taylor, born in 1800, and ends with A. Mary Robinson, born in 1856, and, as we are told, embraces in the list of thirty-six names given something trom all but two writers whom. it was proposed to include,—one of them de- clining “to be bound with others ina selection.” ‘The work of editing seems to have been judi- ciously done, so it goes; but whether the selection contains the very’ best and only the vest examples of contemporary poe’ pend very larze i It is possible, too, that m would have been feit on that point by the reader had the names of the editors been given, BARNOW, Stories by Kan 2 t Wishinet on: This remarka ches rather of life in eastern. Europe made ded sensation yehen they appeared on the and they caa hardiy ito attract wide attention in this country alone among the people to whom they di- rectly relate, but from all who are interested in the tendencies of the aze. They were written with a purpose, as the author ayows; and he has perfectly accomplished the extremely difficult task of presenting the elements of a weird and unfamiliar phase of life ina way thatthe reader Js at once putin sympathy with its conditions, and is thus able to appreciate if not to enjoy the insight they afford, aud at the same time under- stand and accept the moral sought to be con- veyed. Ry IN THE SHADOW OF TH! PYRENE®:! ‘Bseque-i and to Carcassonne. By } CENT, D.D. With Etchings and Maps. or Charles Scribner's Sons. Washington: Wn. Bal- lantyne & Son. The charm of this attractively gotten up book lies in the fact that it leads the reader along paths usually left untrodden by the ordinary tourist, and into sections of country essentially interesting in themselves. The author writes, too, Ina bright and pleasant. vein, and in addi- tion to an abundance of descriptive details gives an interesting account of what Is lett of the rapidly disappearing race of hardy French mountaineers who held out so bravely against all comers, from whatsoever quarter, in medieval times. A ees GUIDE FOR THE VACATION TOUR- 8 B T IN EUROPE. A Compact Itinerary of the im, Holland, Germany and the Intending visitors to Europe will find this carefully made up volume, the scope ot which is so fully described in its title page, a useful, con- yenient and reliable companion for general pur- poses on a hurried trip. From A. Brentano & Co. we have Kurtz's Mustrated Art Notes of the present Spring Ex- hibition at the New York Academy of Design, which is interé as well to those who do not expect to visit the galleries as those who. are more fortunate, since it gives nearly one hundred sketches of the principal paintings, from drawings by the artists whose works are produced, thus affording a very fair idea not only of the pictures thus represented, but also of the character of the exhibition as a whole. “India and Ceylon,” the latest issue of the “Lovell’s Library” series, gives in cheap but readable book form the entertaining and in- structive letters descriptive of the countries named, written last year by . BE. H. Haeckel, the distinguished German savant. They are not only a pleasant record of travel, but 8 valuable contribution to scientific knowl- edge as weil. Bince it passed into the hands of Ernest F. Birmingham & Co., The American Queen has appeared in a new and more attractive dress. Late issues have contained a humorous poem by Josephine Pollard, on “The Education of Woman,” with illustrations by Walter Satterlee, both so well known in connection with popular and attractive holiday publications. From the publishers, A. 5S. Barnes & Co., we have a copy of Prof. Ficklin's “Elementary Arithmetic, Oral and Wr'tten,” selea besides containing everything ysually included in ordi- nary Es lets or its als undertakes to make the science of numbers attractive to be- ginners by pictures, simple written illustrations, &0. oo A Wrister Party in Ma‘ From the Lewiston (Me.) Journal. Chase's Mills has hed a wristler party—“Hit o' miss,” Uncle Solon calls it, and his picturesque pencilsays: “A wrister party is a device to raise fg iittle moneyand have alittlefan. The Yankee 1s ‘close-fisted,’ but ts always ready to pay out something for fan. A wrister is as good for the people of Chase's Mills as Vanderbilt's gaudy baits are for the kings and queens of the é I : : 3 fr i fl E i i L a olink over the scandals and crimes of his time | st room for another, else | ¢ C0. * | before Queen Victor on of short stones or Sealchi and Albani and Sigs. Galassi, Ravelll | and Monte appeared, netted $4,500 to the fund. — Edwin Tooth’s summer season terminates at Vienna. He will visit Nuremberg and Frank- fort on his way to Paris. — Miss Clara Louise Kellogg will sail from Europe on June 17th in the Germanic. future arrangements will not be decided until her arrival in this country. —W. H. Gillette is writing a new comedy- eS of American life for the Madison Square, —A pang of regret will shoot through the breast of Young America when it learns that Buffalo Bill has closed his season. —Mile. Rhea, who is announced as ‘the great ‘society star,” began a week's engagement at the Chestnut street Theater, Philadelphia, Monday. —Marie Prescott has received drawings of the scenery and costumes of Vera from the author, Oscar Wilde, whois in Paris. ir. John McCaull's comic opera company, playing “The Queen's Lace Handkerchief,” = meeting with much success in San Fran- cisco. —In Detroit the advance sale for the Emma Abbott engagement for the last three nights of last week was unusually large. —Mrs. Langtry began ner farewell engage- ment of two weeks at the Fifth Avenne Thea- \ ter, New York, Monday evening, when she ap- | peared for the first time in that city as Galatea in W. ivert’s “Pygmalion and Galatea.” orge Henscliel has accepted an invi- tation to sing with the Bach Choir of London, at Windsor Castle, June Ii include the *Walpurgis Gloria,” and a scena from The program ht.” a Palestrina Bruch’s “Odysseus. —This is really the closing week of Booth's | Theater, New York, and the final performances of Signor Salvini and Miss Clara Morris had a peculiar interest. “The Ontlaw” was given on Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings and at the Saturday matinee. “Othello” was repeated on Wednesday evening. — Modjeska, who isa very agreeable woman to meet socially, is petted by many of New York's prominent citizens. This distinction she owes quite as much to her personal attractions as to her position as an artist. — Lizzie St. Quinten, who has been the prin- cipal attraction of the Hess company this sea- son, will have @ comic opera party of her own during the summer. She is a clever actress, and sings well enough for her line of business. — Mme. Janauschek, on Monday afternoon, gave an invitation performance of arie An- toinette” to the mill hands of Willimantic,Conn. About 1,600 young women attended, and were delighted by the excellent performance given by Mme. Janauschek and her company. — A few nights ago the poet Buchanan's new’! drama, “Lady Clare,” was successfully brought out at the London Globe. An American man- ager is already after the United States right to It. — Mr. Lester Wallack began the second week of his engagement at the Boston Museum Mon- day evening,\when he appeared as Huy Chalcote Ours.” Messrs. Reade and Pettitt’s melodrama, “Love and Money,” received its first American representation at the Boston Theater Wednes- day evening. — Anew comic opera will be brought out tn a tew months. The plot is taken from John Rodman Drake's poem of “The Culprit Fay.” Jndge Gedney, of New York, has written the Libretto. The music for the opera is written by John Alden, of Boston, a graduate from Leipsic. — Ernest F."Birmingham, a clever Journalist, has taken charge of the New York American Queen, which now appears in a new dress and greatly improved in contents. If the course indicated by the last twonumbers be persevered in, it bids fair to become the society journal of the country. —The Boston Id are playing a very profitable engagem fn Chicago and are charming everybody by the manner in which they are givi peas. The; ed wil “Fra Dingalot te cones house, which cet beautitully decorated for the occasion with natural flowers. —The Dramatic Mirror says: “Before appear- ing in London Mary Anderson will feel the British pulse in several provincial cities, begin- ning at Leeds. She will take over but afew people for her company, ouly one of them being now engaged. Wisely she has decided to leave metegeon 4 man, who, I am sure, would not go down with the English public. Downing, of Washington, is by Joe Jefferson. The latter, by the way, will extend his repertoire next doing Golightly and Dr. Pangioss, in addition to Bob'dores'and Zip. Her j FLORIDA'S MAKE-UP. to Got Its Queer ek ete anes he ‘Dives ‘From the New Orleans (La.) Picayune. An anerpected and novel proposition to divide Florida ts under discassion in that state. The Gulf Coast Progress gays that the child of to- day may witness the consummation of the pro- jected division before attaining his majority. It says: “Recent events point unmistakably to the fact that South Florida has no rights which the northern part of the state Is bound to respect. We have been despoiled of our lands to satisfy the insatiate thirst of the greedy cormo- rants of the northern and middle por tions of the state, and if we would save the remnant of our heritage from the hands of the despoller, we should be up and doing.” The Floridian defends the northern part of the state avainst the charge of want of respect for the rights of southern Florida, going into details on several points. It also opposes the proposed division, declaring that it would be mnstri It ingeniously gives reasons why there can never be harmony between the several parts of the state, but does not con- sider that sufficient reason for Separation. The following passage will be read with interests “The infirmity, as it were, of Florida ts ber geographical malformation! Territorially she is fearfully and wonderfull ymade, so to epeak. She woutd not have been so curionsly con- structed but for the circumstance that when the boundaries of Georgia and Alabama were determined the area ot Florida did not belong, to the United states, and hence the lines Alabama could not be'run down to the water's edge to obtain the port of Pensacola, nor thone of Georgia to possess the fair land ‘ot middie Fiorida with its gulf barbors—a coast outlet naturally belonging to those two states, and which they would doubtless have possessed, and the peninsuta alone have constituted Florida, So Florida Territ Decame a commonwealth of the Union in the same form as acquired from Spain, and here we are now, awkwardls ory eer but quite determined to stich together and hol on to what we have, though it is 80) miles long round the elbow, and more land than the six New England states have, and so arranged that question that there will 1s or entire mutuality of commercial Intercourse, and consequently po- litical harmony. Atlantic, eastern and northera connections pull one way, and gulf, southera rn the other way. One section is lous of another, for each has what another have, and each wants considerable of all, We cannot ail be satisied even as to thie location of the capital, as a geographical center js a prob~ Jem that deties solution by any measurement of this boot-shaped domain. Wherever the capital might be it would be too far off trom some part of the state.” ————+e.—_____ ‘The Great Falls Water wer, From the Baltimore San. Nearly fifty years ago the leislature of Vin ginia chartered the Great Falls Manatacturing Company, with @ prospective capital of one million dollars, and subsequently a charter was also obtained trom the legislature of Maryland. The purpose was to avail of the immense water power or the Great Falls of the Potomac for the establishment of cotton factories. Additional legislation by Virginia, which was deemed advisable before the commencement of ope- rations, was not obtalned for a numly years thereafter, and in November, 1853. the company was organized, and the site where it was proposed: to christened South Lowell. Maryland side of the river, containin acres, and some 850 acres of land 0 shore were purcha: and $109.00 of stock subseribed for. Like most of the southern en- terprises of the d rulshed, nothing further was done, and nothing more d,onthe about 53 was heard of the company until the United supply Great Fa ary of which rested on Conn’s Isiand. The company, or what was left of it, came to the front and claimed dam- aces. A board of arbitration, at the head of which was the late ex-Justice Curtis, of the Supreme Court, awarded $15,692 as damagea, and the Court of Claims confirmed the award, The United States government appeate the appeal is now pending in the SI Court. Some three or four years ago several shrew eastern men concluded that there micht some- thing be made out of the Great Falis company, A syndicate, at the head of which were General Ben. Butler, Col. John Cassels and William BE. Chandler, went to work and secured the con- trol of the majority of the stock, purchasing about 6,000 shares at an average of #3, the value being #100. They thus became the heirs of the $15,000 claim pending in the Supreme Court. In addition, they make the claim that their riparian rights will be still further im- paired, if not absolutely destroyed, by the exten- sion of the dam across Conn’s Island to the Vire ginia shore, which it ts understood will be done in the prosecution of the work already author- ized by Congress to increase the water supply of Washington and Georgetown. They art said, however, to be willing to waive this claim if the dam and the other envineering work is completed so that the waste water will inure to the company. General Butler and his asse- are looking ahead to the time, believed ny to be in the near future, when the electria will supersede gas, and justly calculating that water will be much cheaper thaneteam in the generation, storage and transportation of electricity, they hope to turn viles of honest pennies with the vast accumulation of water which the waste would give them. If the gov- ernment declines to make this arrangement, then they want @ corresponding equivalent. Bat it is asserted that interesting points of law are involved as to the validity of the riparian J on behalf ot the company. of the charters and of the pur by the company the boundary line between Maryland and Virginia had not been drawn. The line now established fixes the Maryland voundary at low-water mark oa the Virginia shore. and this, it is the water rights ferred by the ters. The Chesapeake and Ohio m both in its original rignt and as the snccessor and residuary legatee of the Potomae canal, which was constracted in the days of Washing- ton, that all the riparian rights accrue to it, and any damages awarded by the government must be paid to it. Gen-Butler and his associates reply that any rights descending from the Poto- mac canal to the Chesapeake and Ohio cana! have been forfeited on the ground of non-user, end assert that in this view they are sustained by the most eminent legal talent of the country. It ts understood that the canal company will in- sist upon a judicial determination of the ques tion. A physician writes in the ‘World of Sclence® some very interesting things regarding what te drink. The habit of drinking strong tea or black coffee directly after dinner is bad, and certainly interferes with digestion. At breakfast-time @ healthy man has all his sleep im him, and surely it ts then unscientific for him to inflict upon his system strong tea or coffee. At teatime tea or coffee may well be indulged in ‘tea, and bedtime fs not yet so near that is thereby interfered ni be — coffee largel, a ww skin, ‘tte carbona- drink am inclined to think that the matter of coffee, when #0 larzely and jaently taken, may perhaps have cecpeone wdbery! this. ie) hard- workii are corpulent, I should wt the t thick-flake sugzest cocoa as the healthiest and most nutritious breakfast . For those who do not — often hg z E E iE § : i : z 8 5 : Fa. eH i Ht Fi i Re ? Hh I i s i : if it E ! | | | [ i f | i i He i i i i E : i i it ! Hl Bek i i f I 5