Evening Star Newspaper, November 21, 1883, Page 2

EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY. NOV eee ee CITY A TWEVEY-FOUR KeUR DI A Froposed Reform in the Method of Time-Keeping. ET RID OF THE TIME-HONORED NIENT “AM.” AND “P.M.” —wuat < Sk¥ Amery IT—STEPS TAKE A MOVEMENT To the hours Already dopted this new em were in 10N OF PROP. NEWCONE. at his de: having just re- be very e&nvenien orter finished epeaki ¢ ially when peo- rtium of such action of wolves a ch n accust be slow in maki ne to, and need Prof om one. or there is w! . continued the pro- itute some thing that can be y adopted, and the 24 system i atural and convenient one. You see there i be no absolute necessity for changing es of the cl could be of the a ions of All that would be ni sary is math- i enonzh to substract 12. and I y every one can do that ona ir stnited the pape nse the repor-er perfor acting his CLEVELAND ABBE’S View sity for this change,” remarked or Clevelind Abbe, parsing a moment fm his work, “arises from the very appreci- at the present divi- - ‘The first of obviously the necessity ch the word forenoon or dentify the portion ot ur mentioned is t €al feat of sub PROF. f from bis presence. ar the ext » from thes: stisguishing on a road time afterncen and the forenoon times. and fs a continuation uniformity into all nt. In Ttaly the and haa bee Thev be: to twenty-1 this div 1 OF p. the ait § hout this coun- I think, of great con- sted the listener, adard has not been “that in this city the new sta accepted.” “That is true.” was the qniet response, “and it was expected that there must be some legal sition of the proposed chanee, At first of the new standard wanted to go to at once, and secure the adoption of mizht arise. largely in- at the new time Cox 3, and I i receive the sanction bt but that it w asked the reporter. * responded the professor, “In in | the stand- A OF UNIFORMITY. “The geodetic convention now in session in ed the professor, “is composed of all the governments of the The delezates are not only considering Questions of uniform time, but of weights and Measures, and other matters relating to inter- 1 Congress has authorized onvention to be held in this nd to be composed of repre- on, for the purpose of y of the adoption of a anit, to be applicable throughout globe. The § ary of State has sent out eireulars with the view ot ascertaining whether the ditt ms wonld participate in such a convent Ai think that it will be heid. ‘The object of the adoj @ common unit of time is to fx u line or meridian at which one da for this globe and an- that a Le placed at 180 degrees from how the system of uniformity owanls pertection,” continued the at the earth be divided also desire to make respond with the hour into 100 minutes and ads, and so adjust the t 100.0% seconds would be 6 hours.” things goin, +t vil 5 equivalent “Are all asked the to be done?™ ment A MILLENNIAL PROSPEE through his glasses, “some people vis sounds too much like the r this sinful world, but you see the as been made, and no doubt we will Ke prowress.” “Nov : jon of chaning the di- vision of the day Inte twenty-four ours, which you frst asked about. i have already puinted out the alvaniae of sach a cli The chief obstacle in the way of its at once being received into yeneral u-e will, probably, be that It is nd that the people are not ae- That obstaci«, however, can be e, and if the railroads use it in their will soon get accustomed to ons. The change expense, perh the iptroduction of a new wheel, and that wo ome about wore slowly.” The repotter, at this juncture, concluded that be bad about used up the extra eizht minutes Which the professor, in cou: ii every one @lse. had guinea that morning, aud thereapoa left bin to undies. Prof. Abbe has always taken an active inter- act in matters of tine reform and he divides think beginning cont! id sa it Tesnits are | . | on . | gether at the close of the round. vm of uniform time prevail in | " said the professor, his eyes tifldly j mor with Prof. Peirce, of Harvard, of hi ing first suggested the hour belt system. JEWELERS OPPOSED TO THE PLAN. The jewelers of this city do not generally look with favor upon the proposition to do away with the present tweive hour division of time and adopt the twenty four hour system. | “It Is but idle talk,” said Mr. Moore, the Ave- | hue jeweler, while discussing the change of with a Star reporter last evening. ‘There is no good to be derived from changing the di- vision of the The scheme is utterly useless a and would prove very unsat- Why, just think what the There are not less than thirty sons of watches with the twelve hour scale marked upoa their dials now worn in the United of them being very valuable. Then r's no end of clocks scattered ail try. All these would have to be chanced. They would have to have new dials J an extra wheel and other additions to the rhs to reduce the motion of the hands to one- at rate they travel around the dial.” vat would be the cost of this shange?” the reporte en or elzht dollars for each uh the work on the clocks would t cost quite as much. There, you thirty million warches to be re- Seach. Just think of all the watches ¢ countey going to the jewelers’ shops at one time. Oh, the eb d_be very ab- | surd. Moreover. the tim nt be reekoned | with aay acenracy upon a smail dial; the watches Would all have to be very large, or they would be inaccurate.” ‘Why would this be?” “For this reason: twenty-four flcures around asmall! dial woul most ran into each other, and it would be difficult to tell when the hand | Was just on the dot. With the bands going so | slow the least variance wouid mean a great deal intime. Say the distance between the hours is about the thirty-secoud part of an inch, then five, ten. or fifteen minutes variance ‘could scarcely be discovered.” THE PLAN NOT A NEW ONE. “The idea is not a new one,” said Mr. Karr, | upon whom Tite Star next called. “No, it is | by no means a new idea; it was the method tried in Enziand a hundred years ago, and discarded | on account of its Impracticability. Watches with | the twenty-four hoursmarked upon their dial were very common at that period, but they were hot satistactory, and the number was reduced to | twelve for the sake of convenience. That is the st rational and convenient division of the “Are any of those watches now in use?” asked | the reporter. : that is they are in existence; they may not be u: Tought to have one somewhere, | but idon’t know exactly where to put my hand on it. However, here is one of the dials, which j will do as well,” he said, as he took froma little vox a large white porcelain watch face, marked with the “twenty-four” hours, and | stamped “chronometer, Finer & Nowland, Lon- don.” This. he said, was 73 or 100 years old, j and had bee eded by the 12 hour dials. He thought it very foolish, he said, to talk of adopting the 24-hour scale: it was far less accu- rateand less convenient than the twelve. A NEW KIND OF A CLOCK, One twenty-four hour ciock has been In- | vented which has a double dial consisting of two concentric circles—one to mark the time in the style in present use and the other on the 24 hour plan. By a very simple calculation the hour band wiil only move haif as tast on the old clocks, and the dial on which the old style time | is marked will have two sets of twelve numbers, | So that when the hour hand points to 18 on the r fe dial it wiilmark one on the old style, until the 24 and second 12 come to- ies Wanted For Getting Out and In | speak to the people at large is through the press, I therefore take this method of calling | the attention of men of business, men of capi- j tal, all classes that have aay Interest in the |p welfare and future prosperity of this, | the capital city of a grand country, to the fact @ | that there fs no city with one-tenth the popula- | tion or wealth that W ) even without the adva shington has, and some | getting tn and out than Washington. The coun- | try Is rough, roads the poorest in America—in | dry weather dusty and tn wet weather muddy. | About all of the people who can get away from | the city are really forced to go to distant parts, and those who cannot go so far owing to the nature of their business have to remain or send thew families to places so distant, and where hying is high, and be separated from them; whereas, if there was cheap’ and rapid trans portation to the various sections of the sur- rounding country they would take advantage of such fucilities to live in the country and be prac- tically in the city at the same time. Per- sens of moderate income could secure & home near the city where tands are cheap; Dusiness men could locate their families in the country during the summer and be with them every night, returning to the city in the mornings in time for business, If prop- erty owners think that such an arrangement would reduce the value of their property such is not the fact, as I have seen in many large cities, where scores of accommodation trains are run daily—on Sundays church trains—to accommodate just that Class of people. And the more such facilities are provided the greater do those cities prosper. Now L would make this Suxzestion, build narrow-gauge railroads, ra- a. i divections, extending as far into as would seem wise; they can hardly io too far. Manage them economicaliy, run them, in fact. for the benetit of the people and the city, and there is no doubt but the stockholders wouid reap a rich reward. A narrow gauze road can be built much cheaper than the standard gauge, making shorter curves, saying | expensive cuts and fills, climbing steeper grades than the standard sauze roads. I have served a great many years on railroads and helped to clop fa for the movement of city people who wistied to live in the country contig- uous, and know the many advantages in such ; @vangements. I throw out these suggestions | With the belief that if public spirited men should.| | take hoid of the matter many advantages to all | classes, and very fair dividends, would be real- Push the thing along, you newspaper in for your interests are in every way identi- cal with ali others. ‘There are many advantages I could mention, but space forbids, and will let others give their views. “MILES GREENWOOD.” ————— Visible Speech Again, Correspondence of Tux EVENING STAR. Legssvra, Va., Nov. 10, 1883. The recent articles in THz Star on “Visible Speech” recalls some experiments made here in asmall way bya teacher who invented an al- Phabet for the occasion, to teach his pupils to articulate clearly. The principle of bis alphabet was to have characters which would be rough pictures of the position of the vocal organs, so that a child would pit his mouth, tongue, teeth, throat, etc., in the position pictured on the board and let the sound come, and the word would be pronounced. For example the word “man” was written on the board in these characters and the pupil was told to put his lips, tongue, teeth, etc., in the j Telative positions pictured end let tne sound »meé—no intimation was given what letters these characters stood for, and in some cases the boys readily pronounced ‘the words indicated—as in the word “man.” The first character looked like our B- without the vertical line at the back: tle pupil closed his lips—the next character, like an A turned sideways, opening to the right, the pupil opened tas mowh—the last character was like lan N turned sideways, left side up, right side down—looking like roof of mouth with tip of tongue pressed against {t, lips slightly apart, character open at the back indicating nasal escape of air. The pupll put his vocal organs in that position, and was surprised to find that he had pronounced the word “man,” with a slight! affected drawl to the a. If any ‘anpreludiced observer will examine the capital letters of the Greek alphabet he will be surprised at the like- ness between certain letters and the position of the organs of utterance in pronouncing them— notably sigma, point of tongue close to opening of the teeth, asin hissing; Meta, point of tongue between the teeth, as in pronouncing the ee “the,” Molen the close of the word “teet;” omikron, open mguth; Keen oy if turned sideways, the stile en aieod (house this may be only two omikrons Join ‘ogether, denoting long °) I won't bore your ly beta (our B) repre- readers with any more, on! het dps no sents closed lips and back of mouth escape of air at all—a nearly perfect mi Our Roman letters also show like resem- blances. WwW. we of being the capital _| | of a county, but what has better facilities for | \TERVIEWING GEN. BUTLER. ‘The Washington Headquarters of the Governor of Massachusetts. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE STAR REPORTER IN GET- TING AT THE VIEWS OF THE GOVERNOR—HE EX- PLAINS HIS OONNECTION WITH THB OIVIL RIGHTS BILL—BUT DECLINES TO DELIVER HIM- SELF OF ANY POLITICAL UTTERANCES. The stately granite residence of Gov. Benj. F. Butler, on New Jersey avenue, looks down con- temptuously upon a small squatty brick struc- ture in its rear. That meanooking little build- ing is the office of the noted politician and law- yer. ASrar reporter, who was sent in quest of Gov. Butler, was directed to his office. The tront door was open, but there was neither beil nor knocker with which to herald one’s approach. Peering into the hall, asmall tin sign, bearing the word “Private,” was observed upon the door of the first room. A door turther down the hall indicated another room, and it bore a cheap tin sign with “Gen. Butler” painted upon it. At this door the reporter ventured to knock, and a sort of tremulous “come in” was uttered from within. Entering. Tae StTaR man found-him- self in a room about the ordinary office size, dingy and poorly furnished, like the office of a westera frontier lawyer struggling against ad- verse fortune. It was cold and cheerless. One of Gen. Butler's clerks sat writing ata table, with an overgoat buttoned up to his ears, and it was his voice, shaking with cold, that’ had bade the reporter enter. THE GOVERNOR ARRIVES. The reporter was invited to await Governor Butler's return. About a quarter past ten a. m. Governor Butler and his partner, Mr. Bar- rett, entered together, but the tormer went di- rect into his private room, without bestowing so much asa nod upon any of the several gentie- men who had assembled during his absence for the express purpose of seeing him. A half hour passed and yet not a sound came from the inner sanctuary. Nor did any of the visitors mant- fest impatience; they seemed to know the man and to understand that they must bide his time. At last a bell summoned the office boy. “Call Captain Grant.” said the governor, as if ordering the summons of a witness. Captain Grant had his interview, followed in order by the others, the office boy preceding each one to learn the governor's pleasure, until Tae StaR man’s time caine. The reporter entered the private room and discovered the governor scanning closely the card he had sent in. DON'T CARE TO SAY ANYTHING. Looking up, the general extended his hand half mechanically, but said not a word. “Goy- ernor,” began the scribe, “THe Star has sent me to obtain your views upon some questions of publicinterest, as your opinions and sugses- tions are always interesting to the American people.” Gen. Butler darted a sort of disdainful look upon the would-be interviewer, as if to say: “Young man, you might catch some states- men with such taffy, but you are wasting your Sweetness now.” He didn’t say this, however, but, instead, remarked, somewhat bluntly: “Four gentlemen of the press have been to see me already, but I believe there’s nothing I care to say at present, unless (after an instant’s hesita- tion) it be to correct the report, extensively published, that I was the author of the civil Tights Dill. ay I say that ?” inquired the reporter. il give you the means to say it authorl- tatively,” replied the governor, as he picked up a volume of the Congressional Record. “You can take it trom the Record.’ THE SANCTCM. While the governorsought the page he wanted the reporter took some observations of his sanctum. It was more neat, more comfortable, than the other room, but still very poor quarters fora man worth millions. The middle portion of the floor was covered with a faded and much- worn carpet, thread-bare in some places. The governor's desk was plain, as were all Its sur- roandings. al portable stands of law books stood nea is desk, and an old-fashioned book- case, well filied with legal volumes, occupied one corner. A good fre burned in the grate, 1, seated in the only comfortable drawn up in front of it. Not description hung upon the ‘They were as bare as the day the build- completed. walls. Ing was THE GOVERNOR'S RECORD ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL. “Ah, here it is,” said Gen. Butler. “I read from the Congressional Record, volume 8, part 2, second session 43d Congress, February 3d, 1875 (reading ‘The House resumed consideration of the civil rights bill.’” 2 He then read the proceedings of that day, showing that he (Butler), by instruction of the judiciary committee, yiélded for a motion tosub- stitute the provisions of the Senate civil rights bill for the bill_ then pending in the House. It being decided that the provisions of the Senate bill could be substituted, Gen. Butler addressed the House, saying he did not rise to discuss the principles ot the bill. He continued: “Of the justice of the principles of the bill I can have no doubt. I cannot understand how there can be a class of American citizens en- titled to all the privileges and immunities of Ameri¢an citizens who can be or ought to be deprived of any privilege or immunity or right that appertains to any American citizens.” He scouted the idea that social equality was in- tended or thought of, and said “social equality is not effected or affected by law.” In his re- marks to the House Gen. Butler contended that there was no social association In meeting people at inns, In the cars and in theaters. He said the question of social equality in to prejudice the bill, and added: argument to prejudice I desire once for all to repudiate. I put this question upon a strict basis of right. This question will clear itself— make itself entirely mght if It can be let alone and taken out of the dominion of politics.” HOW THE BILL WAS PASSED. “You see,” said the general, closing the Re- cord, “I carefully avoided any expression of opinion as to the constitutionality of the bill. Now, then, to explain all this you will under- stand that the Senate bill was on the Speaker's table, and, as the session was drawing toa close, we would not have been able to reach it in the regular course of business. By substituting the Senate bill—the provisions of it—that was passed, !t went back to the Senate, passed that body, and so became a law. Well, then,” con- tinued the general, reverting again to the Re- cord where he had left off reading to make this explanation, *‘the debate went on and we got into a general scrimmage. Some man called me murderer,” and at this the general laughed in @ peculiar chuckle that shook him all over, as if he relished the wordy combat even at this dis- tant day. ‘“Yes,he said I murdered aman in New Orleans. Treplied that I hung one man und I gloried in it, and that I made a mistake in not hanging more,” and this seemed to please him more than the other, for he tucked down his head and shook all over for the space of half a minute. BUTLER AND TILDEN. Having cleared himself of the imputation of drafting an unconstitutional measure, the gov- ernor intimated that he was done with the re- porter. But the latter was pot satisfied to quit without getting something about politics. The governor could not be moved, however, from his position. He would not be drawn into de- livering himself of any opinion. At last the reporter thought to provoke him into saying something, and so he fired off, “‘And so, gover- nor, It was Tilden and his influence that de- feated you?” “T've never said so,” was the reply, uttered in a dogged manner. “I’ve never made that charge. Ineither make" It nor deny it. No, sir; I have said I have no political views for the press Just now. Good morning.” —___---____ The Wicked Clerks Must Ge. To the Editor of Tux Evexrna Stan: In connection with the recent recommenda- tions of the Commissioners in relation to the evil effects of buying lottery tickets, allow me to suggest that they go further and ask that all government clerks be discharged who chew tobacco or say bad words. There are hundreds of clerks in the departments who chew tobacco, smoke and swear; there are hundreds who never go to church or read the Bible. Now every sensible person knows that no man who chews tobacco or éwears can properly attend to his work. What a blessing it 1s for the ee men of this community that they are watched over so zealously by our dear good Commissioners; few cities are so fortunate. It is to be hoped that the heads of the differ- ent departments will turn out all the bad, wicked, naughty people. The wicked men must go. Moraurrr. We read in a western market report that Col- orado stock is thin this winter. If it means mining stock, we believe every word of it with- ae looking up referenoes.—. York Commer- GRAVEYARD FANCIES. 3 ’ Sights and Sounds in a Cemetery. - = 4 CHEERFUL CHAT WITH A GRAVE-DIGGER—THE SEPULCHRAL AND PROPHETIC HOOTING OF MID- NIGHT BIRDS—S8TRANGR:/THINGS SEKN BY AN OLD VETERAN OF THE SPADE—SCENES FROM LIFE DRAMAS ENACTED: AMONG THE TOMD- STONES, ETO. “Did I ever see anything strange about a graveyard? Well, I-guesa if you had seen may strange things as I have you'd not be ask- ing me such questions.” The speaker leaned upon his spade and eyed Tue Stax reporter cn- riously. “Strange things? Well, I should think so! I've been digging graves here nigh onto twenty years, and I shouid think in that time I'd had opportunity enough to see em. Strange things! Strange in more ways than one. It's all strange. Strange folks are buried here; strange folks come to the funeral; strange folks come to visit the graves afterwards; and stranger still are the things that happen when every one is gone away and the gates are shut for the night—when long shadows stretch across the gravel walks and the white stones stand out against the gray sky like so many dead people etting out of their graves In their shrouds. Then it’s 80 awfully still. I've lived i« chat little house out there by the gate, as I said, nich on to twenty years, and ['ve never heard a sound alter dark except the screeching of the owis. Speaking about owls, it’s a mighty wonder how they like to stay about a graves ard.” “Do they stay around much?” asked the re- porter. "Why, yes. It seems like the graveyard is their natural element, especially when there's lots of big trees and iyy-grown vaults. To hear an owl hdbdt in the night here,as I do some- times, when everything is, still, would make Jour blood run cold. The¥ don’t keep it up Tight along through the night, 80 you can get used to it; but it will be quiet for a long time— s0 still that you ge: almost afraid to breathe, and the falling of the leaves startles you—then all of a sudden you'll hear a long hoot-too-toot and a dull rushing in the air, as a big owl sails by and drops dowao upon a vault beneath the hill. Then all ts still again—as still as them that’s buried there.” “I can always tell when there’s going to bea busy time here,” he continued. ‘When the owls are particularly plenty and keep up an awful hooting during the night, I look for the funerals next cay. ‘They alwayscome. When the owls hoot it means funerals.” “I don’t like owls,” the old man went on, scraping the red clay from his spade with the toe- of his boot. “I d&n't like ’e.n; they don't mean good. Dead people are good enough in their way, I get used to them. But owls are a kind of half-dead and half-alive bird, and if "t’warn’t that I knew that they can’t get at’em, I'd believe they lived on dead people.” PEOPLE WHO GO TO FUNERALS. “Don't you see any strange things besides owls!” asked the reporter, seeing that the old man had run off at a tangent, and was likely to talk about owls all the evening. “Yes, lots of ‘em. Strange people come here. Some people seem to have a kind of liking tor graveyards,” he replied, looking at the reporter asif he thought he might be counted in that class. Then, being convinced that he had never seen the scribe before, he went on: “Yes, there are lots of people who I know have no friends buried here, and I don’t believe have any dead ones In the family, comeihere and go about sighing and looking miserable over all the graves that have big stones. Then they go out as if they had had a treat. Then there are other people who go to all the funerals. They always go with the mourners, and cry and take on as if they had lost a dear friend, and when itsall over they go away and wait for the next. They are always on hand, and I get to know ‘em right well.” 5 “Don't many people come here who do not take any Interest whatever in the place for its associations?” asked the reporter. ‘Lovers. for instance, who come here to find some secluded place where they can talk without being inter- rupted?” “Oh, yes; there are lots of lovers. I can al- ways tell them when they come in. They walk very slow and close up to each other, and as soon as they get into the grounds they make for some secluded spot, as far trom the gate as pos- sible. Then they try to look as if tney cot there by aceldent. Oh, yes; there are lots of em. But new couples are coming all the time. The old ones get married and then they never come back again until they have to, as sometimes they d “It's awrul sad then,” he added, as he bowed his head and looked thoughtfully into the deep hole he had just been digging. “Yes, it's aw- fully sad when one of these lovers dies; the other takes on so awfuily.” A DRAMA FROM LIFE. I remember when I first came here, nighon to twenty years ago, there was a young couple used to come here regularly every Sunday after- noon. They were always so sweet and loving to each other—so romantic. They used to stroll around the paths, talking very low and earn- estly, and always seeming so happy in their quiet way. They seemed as it one could not lve without the othe:. They wern’t like the others, who make love just for fun. I used to watch them all the time, but they did not know it. They never saw anything but each other at these times. Yet there was something kind o’ sad about them that fascinated me, and I took a deep interest in them almost without knowing it.” As he went on, the old man’s voice became subdued andtremulous. ‘OneSunday I missed them. The next and the next, and they did not appear. One day after that there was a funeral. 1 could tell it wasa young person. Then, when the mourners zot out and stood by the grave, I saw my young lady among them. She wasn’t crying, but she was in deep mourniug, and looked awfully pale. Then I knew all. They went away, and I could hardly keep from erying myself as I shoveled the clay down on the coffin of my young man, Well, the next Sunday she came all wrapped ina black veil, andstaid by the grave until it wasalmost dark. It was cloudy, and had commenced to sprinkle a little, but she did not seem to notice it. So I went up to her and told her it was time to shut the gates and she would have to go. I can never forget the way she looked as she lett that grave. Some- tin I see that white face at uight. No, she vas not crying. She went away and I never saw her again, but that morning as I cleaned off the new grave I picked up a bit of paper with something written on it. It was poetry, and she must have written it while sitting there. It had been in the rain all night, but I dried it out and folded it away in my wallet, where it has been ever since.” Here the old man took from his wallet a piece of folded paper, which he un- folded carefully, as if @ sacred thing, and si- Jently handed it to the reporter. There, written in pencil in a delicate woman's hand, but so dim hae it could scarcely be read, was this curious irge: Let not the moon to shine; Darkness alone 18 mins Here will I sit and twine for his head, Let not tho stars to peep,— See ye, the heavens weep! Leave ine alone to Keep ‘Watch with the dead, Let not the flowers bloom: That hangeth oer the Compe it e vom! ‘My love is dead, Let there no music be, Save the sad cypress tree, a Inge to me— ‘A dirge for my dead. Peruana ot 10] Yor thou areblack as night — ‘Thou cruel gravet ‘My love ts dead Leth a ptlow of Gump vold clay. a pillow 2 O! death, thou art 80 cruel, ‘To take my love away. 0, cruel Death! O} jealous Death! To take my love away. Let not the moon to shine; Swill at and Uwine a= Wreaths for his head. The old man became silent and the reporter left him leaning on his shovel looking into the empty grave before him. ‘ Arrangements are being made to form a joint atock company to run the Scotts: Albemarle county, agricultural fair annually. The last ex- hibition was complete success. Mr. W. W. Pigg killed @ swan on his mill-pond last week, which measured over seven feet trom tip to tip ot her wings. Her plumage was as white as thedriven snow, and she presented a most graceful and beautiful appearance as she swam on the pond. The authorities of the Norfolk and Western railroad—the president and each of the directors —have been summoned to appear in the U. 8. Cireuit Court. at Norfolk, on the tirst Monday in December, to answer in thesuit against the com- pany to compel the transportation of dynamite over its lina, THE RICH MEN OF AMERICA. How Vast Fortunes Were Made. MILLIONAIRES WHO HAVE ACCUMULATED THEIR MONEY IN ALL SORTS OF ENTERPRISES—MEN WHO HAVE STARTED POOR AND HAVE GROWN TO BE WEALTHY. The rich men of New York—ihe Vanderdilts, the Goulds, the Astors—everybody knows about, The New York Sun has got together an interesting collection of storles about the rich men of other cities, men who have not sucha national reputation. There is no one in Phila- delphia, according to the Sun, who is par- ticularly noted for his wealth. The average Philadelphian would be puzzied to teil who are the richest citizens, but in 34 street, where the brokers are accustomed to sizing up fortunes, the wealthlest men are reported to be Mr. William Weightman, Mr. Frank Drexel, and Mr. 1. V. Williamson. These zentlemenare sapposed to be worth ten or twelve million each, tt is curious that not one of these men has a hobby of any sort. All live comparatively quiet lives. They are not fond of fast horses, of yachting or of coaching. Their names are never mentioned in public meetings and they are never neard of in politics. Mr. Weightman has made his mouey outof quinine. The firm of Powers & Weight- man for a long time practically had a monopoly of this business. Oid Mr. Weightman can be seen In his shirt sleeyesat almost ary time in his chemical works, at 9th and Pat streets. Mr. Powers is dead. Mr. Weightman has grown up in the business, and avisitor at the works would not know him by his dress from the foreman ot a department. His fortune must be accumu- lating rapidly. He may give away money, but if so he does it in secret. He makes no dona- tions in public. His daughter is the wife of R. J. C. Walker, of Williamsport, Pa., an ex-Con- gressman. Mr. I. V. Williamson ts a different sort ofa man. Heisa director of the Philadel- phia and Reading railroad. In early life he was @ dry goods merchant and invested his money in railway stock. He never purchased on mar- gins. His plan was to buy stock outright when there was a break in the market and hold it. He has been very successful. Mr. Williamson Is very benevolent man. He gives a great deal of money to all sorts of charitable institutions. Mr. Francis A. Drexel is at the head of the banking house of Drexel & Co. He lives in a handsome “house in Walnut street, above 15th. His life is very quiet. He is passionately fond of music and is never happier than when seated at his organ and surrounded by a large collec- tion of musical works. He is a devout Catholic and gives largely to charities, but always through ghurch channels. ABENEVOLENT MAN AND A MISER. The richest mandn the District of Columbia 1s probably the venerable W. W. Corcoran. His creat start asa capitalist was made during the Mexican war, when he bought government bonds when they were far below par and held them till they were redeemed at their face value. Since this fortunate speculation he has spent his business life in banking and in the care ot his property, which is reported to be worth 83,500,000. Of late years, however, the active management of his affairs has been in the hands of an agent, himself an aged and wealthy man, while Mr. Corcoran has indulged his taste for art and fondness for public charities. It would be difficult to find two men more un- like in disposition and habits than Mr. Corcoran and the man who is supposed to be his rival in wealth, Joseph A. Willard. Mr. Willard alone knows how much he ts worth. The conjectures of well-informed citizens vary by millions. Some guess he is not worth a million; others believe he is worth anywhere from five to ten millions. “Joe” Willard is an odd cliaracter. He lives all alone in a plain old-fashioned house in 14th street, near F street, which ts always kept closed. He has no friends and no haunts, takes part in no public or business enterprises which involve social relations, indulges in no sports or soclal engagements, never goes to church, has no fumily, except one son who lives’ away from home; never speaks with his two broth Henry and Caleb, with whom he quarreled long years ago, and, In short, meets the world at as few points of con- tacts possible, His sole aim apparently, 1s to accumulate money, and tn this he has been mar- velously successful. He owns one half of Wil- lard’s hotel and a large quantity of real estate in the District, and 1s the largest holder of gov- ernment bonds in Washington. Few residents of Washington have ever seen this odd millionare, for one of his eccentricities is to rarely leav his house in the daytiine. After nightfall, how- ever, it is his custom to sally forth and walk about town to inspect his property, and Mrs. Grandy observes that he always goes back into his house by the basement door amd then bolts everything carefully up for the night. He at- tends to his rents himself and as fast as he col- lects his money goes toa bank or the Treasury and buys government bonds. GREAT FORTUNES IN BOSTON. The names of rich men of Boston stand in about this order: Fred. L. Ames, John M. Forbes, Joseph B. Thomas, J. Montgomery Sears, Benjamin P, Cheney, Augustus Hemen- way. The list of plain millionaires containssome one hundred and eight names, according to the assessor's lists, a ratio of just one In one thou- sand of the number of persons assessed. Mr. Ames {s the only one whose name Is familiar to the public and he is known chiefly as the son of Oakes Ames and the brother of the millionaire lieutenant governor. The best estimate of Mr. Ames’ fortune makes it between $22,000,000 and $25,000,000. He is assessed for $15,000,000. He is a quiet, unassuming business man, about fifty years old, The nucleus of his fortune, some five or six millions, he obtained by inheritance, and his chief aim has been the development of his father’s great enterprise, the Union Pacific railroad. Business men estimate John M. Forbes’ wealth at about $15,000,000. He is a man of whose per- sonal life nis business associates learn but lit- tle. Heis an old-fashioned Boston merchant. He made money first in the carrying trade, then in the commission business, and the bulk of his fortune in western railroad enterprises. Mr. Forbes’ residence isa fine old country seat at Milton, whence he often drives into Boston office. His summer house isa most delightful spot onthe islandot Naushon, in Buzzard’s bay. J. Montgomery Sears is one of the youngest of Boston millionaires. He is not yet 30, and on attaining his majority he received his mil- lions from the administrators of his father’s es- tate. Notlong ago he was made the victim of 8 most surprising attempt at blackmail. This is the first public aliusion to the case that has been. made, and the detailed facts are almost beyond reach, This much is known, that enormous de- mands for cash were made, and a plot to place Mr. Sears in a compromising position was lald with great skill. The blackmailers spent some thousands of dollars in preparing itand carried on a voluminous correspondence with their in- tended victim and finally lost all they had risked and fied from the county. The chief of the conspiracy was driven mad by the failure of his great strike for riches and is now an inmate of an American insane asylum. One or two of the leaders of the conspiracy were the most dangerous of Parisian blackmailers, and part of the plot was laid abroad and Mr. Sears’ detec- tives were compelled to make one or two trips to Paris hetore the conspiracy was fully broken up. ? RICH MEN OF THE WEST. John D. Rockefeller is the richest man in Cleveland and {s worth tn the neighborhood of $15,000,000. Every dollar of this vast sum was made, directly or indirectly, out of the Standara oilcompany. Br. Rockefeller ts forty years of age and comes of Scotch ancestry. When a young man he was acommission merchant. He started a small distillery as an experiment, the nucleus of the Standard oll company. He is superintendent ofthe Second Baptist church, and his wife, a former school teacher, teaches the infant class. H. Wade is the second richest man in Cleveland. He is werth perhaps 5,000,000. He was originally a poor carpenter. Forty years ago he became an amateur photo- grapher and portralt painter, and thirty-seven years ago hetook the first daguerreotype ever made west of New York City. Mr. Wade was the originator ofthe Western Union Telegraph Company. Few persons familiar with the great estates of Chicago will question the statement that the largest is that of Cyrus H. McCormick, which is estimated by financiers at from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. He made it In manufacturing reap- ing machines. Probably the second in rank is Marshall Field, whois not over torty-elght years ofage He isa native ot Conway, Mass. an early day entered a dry goods store. Potter Palmer, during the war, decided to abandon mercantile life Mr. Field had $35,000 or 80 with which to hase the chief interest in the valuable plant. It soon became ap) at that he had financial abilities ot the order, and he now stands at the head of the merchant basi of Chicago. His wealth is eati- mated at from 4,000,000 to $7,000,000. There are many shrewd business men who insist that the second richest man in Chicago ia Philip D. Armour. He has had some wonderfal kes of luck and has been known to hint th: had $10,000,000 in cash with which to work corners. It is quite well known that he bas been caught on the oaing Se this year to the tune of inil- this he would probably take the Hons, Bot second instead of the third rank. Hehas made his money pork packing. Alexander Mitchell 8 by. all odds the richest man in Milwaukee. He is, in fact, the richest man tn the northwest. His wealth is variously estimated, all the way from $30,000.00 to &50.- 000,000. He is certainly worth about @15.000,000 in solid property. Mr. Mitchell is a short teh- man, with around ruddy face, and is a good liver and a man whose one great hobby | ness. He cannot exactly be called self aS he was backed by a great corporation, which furnished to him the means of embarking In the banking business. Still. thirty years ago. whea Milwaukee was a struggling a little office, which for mi years bh out and took care of himself. Half of his w: Was made in the banking business and the other haif out of railroads. He boasts that he never | pecuiation. Louis, an Englishman, is helor. The foun- prtune was laid in the fur trade, | made a dollar vy but the bulk land investme: perhaps, $5.00 Mit was acquired by fortunate | David Sinton, who is worth, | ti 000, is the richest man in Cincin- nati. He made his money in the manutacture of iron. John Hill, of St. Paul. president of the Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba road, is | worth probably $9,000,000. Three conservative men, two of them presidents of lance banks, gave estimates of Mr. Hill's wealth, which ayer- aged $9,500,000. In answer to the question, “Who are the one put Mr. B Dennis Ryan came sec ond, with no definite figures. One banker said “All we know is that he shows immense money at times. He ts a myster Commodore Kit son, (owner of Johnston, 2:10,) came third, with about €3,000,000. RICH MEN OF THE SOUTH. There are anumber of rich men in the south- ern states. The richest man In Baltimore is the venerable but vigorous founder of the Baiti- more Sun, Arunah 8. Abell. It is difficult to say how mnch he is worth; not less than a dozen millions certainly, and the amount of his for- tune is variously estimated at any flgure up to 9,000,000. Te second largest purse in Baltiznore ‘obably carried by Ross Winans, the sou of | the famous Thomas Winans, who made a matter of 320,000.00 in building railroads for the Czar of Rus: and left as much to his chiidren, Roes and Celeste, when he died some ten years azo. This fortune has not been allowed to crow less. Mr. Winans has recently built himseif a castle in St. Paul street. James B. Pace is the richest man in Richmond. His fortune ts estimated at $1,200,000, and all of it has been made since the war out of tobacco. His absorbing interests are the Methodist religion and politics. Charles E. Whitlock is ranked as the second richest man. Ils wealth is estimated at $750,000. He made his mouey by saving his earnings while a clerk for ten years, | on Ci chest men in St. Paul?” alPbat | $3 A SUCCESSFUL EXP! MENT. ‘The First Electric Light With Undere ground Wires a Dazzling Succees. From the Philadelphia Presa, November 14, After fighting the most formidable obstacles 4 sectional eleo- in establishing the claim it sition to convey underground electric lights telephone and telegraph wires was first made to city councils, W. H. Johnstone, president ofthe comp: promised to Lave a sample electric light on Chestaut street, with the wires undergroadd, threes days alter the street was Opened for laying the conduits, Work was be gun on Saturday night. and at 9 o'clock lass night there were three lamps in eration one tuut 6 . wrnet is at Mh and Chesty southwest The light withont the pract yerior to the overhead li gas lamps. The pro tion appears to have etwork of wires in the hts as they duits ass vehicle for It uses the system of the ly uses the rrying its wires. Excelsior company, of New York. The Under- ground company will continue to lay its a sped by the frost It is conf. that before Decem- en inclosed by Lich streets ‘w In front of ev a ia the the wire ean be drawn out. « lighting apparatus made com; hour. uy and the ¢ inside of an A Beuer Ty pe. From the Craftsman, Nov. 17, It is refreshing, now and then, to} of kindness on the part of empl though rare, prove that some mer — tting thelr heart against the Kindly feeling which the right thinking man should have for his neighbors. There are empl —porhapa many of them, although it is not apparent— who consider their workmen in in their business, and never wv kindly acta and friendly sympa show that they take a sincere interc their weltare. ey show this not al kindness and good treatment, t substantial manner, throu to in by vst and then cautiously embarking in the lumber business. Mr. Willlam B. Smith is generally conceded to be the wealthiest citizen of Charleston. He is rated at between one and two millions, although he is down on the municipal tax books at only” $275,000. This, however, does not include his bank stocks and other non-taxable property. Mr. Smith has three daughters, all married. He owns a wharf or two and carries on the business of a cotton factor. By popular opinion, as well as by the record ot the assessment rolls, Col. Ed Richardson, president of the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, is declared to be the richest man in New Orleans. _A large part of his wealth is in plantations In Mississippi, bat he owns much real estate, and the firm of Richard- son & May, cotton factors, of which he is senior member, pays taxes on a capital of $3,000.00). Col. Richardson is a native of North Carolina, and was born in 1818. He became a clerk in a dry goods store in Danville, Va., in 1832. ee —— ‘The American Boy. From the Chicago Journal. ‘What shall be done with the boys? 1s one of the most important questions that now con- fronts the American parent. The American father is censured by every census report for not ratsing more children, and !nvidious com- parisons are made between his own and the family of the foreign-born citizen across the street, while for hisown part he is at his wits’ end to know what he shall do with the two or three rollicking young fellows already on his hands. If he is wealthy, and would be glad to see the boys go throuzh college and adopt some one of the “learned professions” for a Uvell- hood, the youngsters are either opposed to It themselves on general principles, or those polite callings are all so full already that there is not room even in the upper stories, where Daniel Webster is quoted as saying there are always plenty of vacancies. If he thinks of teaching them trades he ts met with still greater opposition. He can find plenty of collezes and universities in the land which will gladly undertake the pleasing task of graduating his boys for a reasonable consid- eration in ready cash, but if he wishes to ap- prentice them to some useful employment he tinds opposition where he least expected it. His plan Is objected to, first, by the family, who do not wish to have them engage in a service that is classed as manual labor, and, while the boys do not care to become lawyers, doctors, or min- isters, they would like something light and re- spectable—the last term meaning the kind of employment that involves a good living, the wearing of good clothes, and the admission into good society on an equal footing with the best of people. But the American parent finds upon investigation that all these pursuits are quite as full as the “learned professions,” and unless he can get situations for his boys through favoritism, or by reason of his own social posl- tion, he is thrown back upon the trades, or the young gentlemen grow up in idleness and are wasting the formative and most important period of their existence. And if he settles down upon a trade that re- quires two or three years of appreaticeship betore the learner is proficient in it and has mastered all its details, the boy is destitute of the reauired tenacity of purpose requisite to accomplish the work, or perhaps the trades- unin will interpose its objection, andis_oppo- sition often settles the matter. Men who under- stand only one kind of business and expect to do thetr life work in It have a natural repug- nance to seeing it overdone, and are naturally jeaious ofall sorts of competition in it, and to keep others from learning It is one of the ways in which they butter their own bread. The consequence Is that two results follow, namely, iirst, that there isa large number of American fathers who are still puzzled with the conun- drum, “what is to be done with our boys?” and secondly, the American manufacturer is com- pelled to go to Europe for skilled workmen. A gentleman who is engaged in silk manu- facture in this country writes toa New York paper in explanation of the employment of so many foreign artisansin the silk business, and | Says that it is one of the necessities of the situa- tion. He finds our young men and women ob- Jecting to spending two or three years in be- coming expert in the business. Of course every one with common sense sees that we are matzing agreat mistake in not preparing ourselves to fill the ranks of skilled labor in every de ment where it is needed from the ranks of our own people, rather than to be obliged to depend on our too willing neighbors across the sea. And herein is another strong argument for the tariff protection of our home industries, because cash. Remember Childs, the pro of the Philadel clined to tal ums stances which compelled the printers of Phila. deiphia to reduce their scale irom 45 to 40 cents per thousand. Mr. Childs remarked, when the reduct considered his printers entitled to all t being paid to them, and instructed his to estimate and make out the bills at thousand. And that is stil! the price pad on the Ledger. Such an empioy: prosperity. ‘The proprietors of the Evexixe Sryn, of this city, also have a record th well be proud of. as regards their treatm ld and fathtul employes. No salaried mau in their employ ever been docked for a day's time ic ness, althouzh in one case at least such illness extended over a year, and we know of our own knowledye that at one time, for about six con- secutive months, not less than 28S a week was paid out every Saturday to iful men who were slowly nearing the grave atier years of faithful service. We honor the proprietors of Tue Stax for the spirit which prompts such ac tion, and are glad of the opportunity to publish it to the world. It isa notable fact, by the way. that the full- est measure of prosperity generally rewards the enterprise of such empioyers, white a large pro- was brought to his attention, that he at WAR portion of the skinflints, who would grind their workmen down tu pauper wazes, sooner or later are overtaken by what t may call “hard luck,” but which more properly way be termed “retribution.” The Atb: The friendship ot s in- concruous animals is well illustrated by the al- batross, which 1s of a most voracious dispo- sition and tyrannical natare. He is one of the largest and most formidable bird Atriea and America. W sometinies mi He lives upon fish and sm They have the str able (riendsh guins. They breeding, whieli is s island, where the ground slants to the sea, as the penzuin can neither climb nor fly. In’ the Falkland Islands, which are in the South At- lantic, which the birds had undisputed posses. sion of for many years, these birds are seen liy- ing together in the greatest harmony, Their nests cover acres of ground, aud are laid out with the regularity of a plantation. In the ndd- die on high the albatross raised its nest on sticks and long grass about two feet above the surface; round this the penguins make their lower settlements orrather holes in the ground, generally eight penguins to one alb: Thouzh most virds perch on ti sleep, or crawl into holes tn the wren, which is found in the hole of the prairie- dog of the plains, the albatross is said to sleep, in the air. At night when pressed by slumber, they rise into the clouds as high as they can, then, putting their head under one wing, they beat the air with the other, apparently like the girl of the song on the flying trapeze “floating through the air with the greatest of ease.” Soon, however, the weight of their body only half supported brings them down, and they are seen descending with a pretty, rapid motion to the surface of the sea. They then put forth fresh effurts to rise azain, and cend and descend at ease. N. while in this sleeping state th board, and are easily captured! During the late war, whenGeneral John Mar- maduke, of the confeder: was transferred from the army of Virginia to’ the army at Ten- nessee, some of the soldiers of the latter army were talking about the new geveral and won- derlug what sort of a looking man he was. Ouly Her age gest and most wuaccounte , hewever, for the society of pene iwa: one of the group had seen him, and his descrip- tion was that he was a great ‘tall fellow with white hair,-“"Why, he’s an atbatross,” he said, He meaut albino. "The story got out ‘and some ot his officers used to annoy iim considerably bycalling him the “Albatross General.” The very white hair, raddy complexion, feet three, and oaly weighed 119 From the Brooklyn Eagle, Our esteemed contempory the Sun takes ex- ception to the idea that a man is necessarily old at the of 70; and the exception ts well taken. Three scoreand ten is merely a ripe manhood for one who unites a_ cheerful spirit with vigor of body and mind. There are man septuagenarians better entitled to be call young than some men of 45 or 50. Old age, by such a policy the list of employments is largely in the opportunities for young men are greatly multiplied, and the prob- lem In a measure solyed—“What shall be done with our boys?” Copper Hoofing. The decline in the price of copper is likely to lead to the increased use of ttat metal in build- ing. At present the material fora copper roof costs, at the outset, only about twice as much as tin, and asthe latter must be repaired and painted about once in three years, and in 15 or 20 years must be renewed altogether, the cop- per, which never needg painting, and Is practi- cally indestructible, is much the cheaper mate- rial in theend. There are at Boston many cop- per roofs, put on about forty years ago, which show no Bi of deterioration; and the metal {s still much employed in that city for cornices, gutters and rafn water pipes, as well as for covering bay windows, and in many other ways, in place of galvanized iron, which is much inferior in beauty and durability and not very much cheaper. The copper has the additional advantage of needing no paint, so that the deli- cate lines of artistic work are in no danger of being filled up, and the metal increases rather than diminishes in beauty, by the slow forma- tion of a bluish green patina over it. For flash- ings, as well as other portions of roof work, copper is much superior to zinc or tin, and with the aid of a certain amount of lead the most dif- ficult problems in roofing can be successtuily and permanently solved. ———— oo A Manvat Lasor Scuoot.—An effort ts being made tostarta manual labor school in Salti- more, in connection with the public school sys- tem. It will be opento boys in the grammar schools. Intellectual and manual training will be united. The! willlnclude drawing, arithmetic for mechanics, geometry and The manual training will be con- the first year to working in wood. ee your taxes or get into the army is the ‘Madagascar. Pay law in properly so called, does not supervene in case where ail the faculties have been wd served by judicious exercise and a careful ob- servance of the laws of health. Until the vital powers begin to decay, until the spirits lose their exuberance, until the step falters and in- terest in surrounding things shows signs of failing, a man cannot with propriety be called old. The lamented Peter Cooper at 80 would have scorned the aspersion. David Dudley ains the visor freshness of middle life. Charles O'Conor at about the same age defied the efforts of balfe dozen doctors to kill him, and the veteran Samuel J. Tilden still preserves the playful dis- position even if he does not possess the physical elasticity or the lamb. No, old age is not 80 mnuch @ matter of years as of temperament and fevling—of mental and bodily condition. — or oes Yes, Good for Something. From the Philadephia Call. “are advertising circulars addressed to houses any good?” Se rind ceonons. Yes: cir- cuiars are very ¢ for the Job printer. They show his taste and skill, aes | add both to his reputation and revenue. But for advertising arposes circulars are of little ifany value. The are the cheapest method of advertising— so cheap, in fact, that those who receive circu- lars treat them accordingly. No matter ifon the mailed envelopes.are “‘Iinmediate,” “1 4 nal,” “Importaut,” “Don’t Throw This Away,” “To The Lady ot The House,” “Special Dispatch,” “By Telegraph,” ete., etc., the cirewar within is readily suspicioned by the recipient. He tosses the unopened envelope out of his mail, or if he opens it he barely giances at the circular as he throws it Into the waste-basket. But after all advertising cirenlars are some good to others thaa the Job printers; they may please the children who pick them up and paste books, which Ina few aes 3 aes — . Therefore, in this pl ol rat peer we answer our Inquirers that ad- vertlaing eircuiars are of some good—they make money the printer and often amuse the children—if they happen to rescue them from servant's the quarters.