Evening Star Newspaper, March 21, 1885, Page 2

CITY AND DISTRICT. a FISH STORY. How a Little Brandy Revived a Carp— A Wonderful Story Vouched for Offi- cially. One of the late official bulletins of the U.§ Fish Commission contains the following fish sory, mainly derived, it Is stated, from official correspondence: “An experiment by Mr. C. W. Beudder, of the United States Fish Commission, tnusing brandy to recover carp nearly on the potnt of expiration, which was described in| Bulletin Fish Commission, 1884, page 179, hav- Ing come to the notice of Mr. W. Oldham Chambers, secretary of the National Fish Cul- ture Association, of London, the latter con- ducted a similar experiment in the presence of several gentlemen at South Kensington, in September, 1884, and has recorded the verifi- tation of Mr. Seudder’s work as follows: Taking two Prussian carp from the tanks of the aqarium, he deposited them in separate Gry cans, adorning one with blue ribbon to denote its enforced temperance principles and fo dist Mguish it from the other, which was se- Jes for the administration of spirituous liquors. Aftera lapse of four hours the fish were THE TIME NOT CHANGED. Why the Proposed Reform of the Astro- nomical Day Has Not Been Effected— The Different Kinds of Time of Which Astronomers Have to Keep Track. Whether the day should be considered as be- | ginning at noon or midnight isa question which | will probably never disturb the ordinary mortal greatly, unless he has a note in bank, but it has for some time been a matter of grave discussion among astronomers. The civil reckoning, which is the only reckoning known fn the daily busi- ness of mankind on land, fixes the beginning of each new day at midnight. This division of time has been found to accord well with the Practices of men. To begin the date at noon would require a change in all dated records at @ most inconvenient hour. There are, however, other modesof peocenacys § to besides which prevaile in the general n. The legislative day is su; fairs of m | begin at twelve o'clock, and is very elastic, one laced in water, evident signs of expiration | ing apparent in both cases. A small quantity of brandy. and water was then given to the carp selected for the imbibition of intoxicating Nquors through the medium of a feather, and no sooner was the fish replaced in water than it as- sumed its normal condition and seemed to be Festored to vigor and strength. The carp en- listed under the banner of Teague’ to all appearances died half an hour after {ts more fortunate associate, and was taken out of the water and thrown on the ground. About four hours later, however, the fish was Picked up by Mr. Chambers, who observed it by varance to be in rigor'mortis. He then at once operated on the seemingly inanimate fish by mn! its mouth and pouring a dose of Drandy and water down its throat, and again inserting it in the water, when, to his utter as tonishment, he noticed ‘slight signs of anima- tion. For five minutes | 1¢ unfortunate object of the experiment flonted helplessly on its side, when presently, to the still greater astonish- ment of the secretary and those who watched the experiment, it gradually asserted itself in the water, and With considerable effort made Of its fins—feeb) b ergetically. Bc a show no signs of their Is prostration, now swim about with their confreres in the tanks as usual. The instantaneous reanimation the carp in the first instance was indeed remark- | & watch that did not ki able; but what can be said of the latter, which ered after remaining out of water for eight ours? Surely this discovery will prove of the greatest utility and value In restoring fish that would otherwise pérish, and be the means of Securing greater longevity amongst them. ‘periments in relation to brandy as a means of restoring suspended snimation with guick- dying fish resulted equ ssatisfactory. It was highly interesting to s , which a trout (S ferz) battled with his fainting eondition and came out the conqueror, Strange to say, the salmon (S. salar) did not once at- tempi to rouse himself after being dosed, the consequences being fatal to him; this was the only fish that succumbed under the treatment. The dace (Leuciscus vulgaris) was out of water i He was ex- but immedi- Stely after the brandy was given, te pulled him- self together, and in the course of a few minutes Bot only recovered, but darted round the ean with a rapidity positively amazin; It is suggested that a judicious administra- tion of brandy to a dace prior to being used for bait will not only restore an inanimate bait, Dut also increase {ts strength and vigor, thus roving of much service to the angling fra- Eos. Mr. Henry Lee, after the facts regarding the above experiments became known, published a statement that this mode of reviving carp was racticed long ago by the Dutch, and the recipe r this treatment was probably of ancient Origin. ‘The Dutch, he said, preserve carp by suspending them from the roof of a damp apart- ment ina bag-net filled with moss, which iscon- tinually kept moist. They are fed with vege- tables and bread steeped in milk,a mode of treatment by which they are not’ only kept Blive, but actually thrive and fatten. get ewan THE ROMANCE OF ROLLER SKATING. The Sensations Felt by the Gliding Skater—Skates That go so Fast a Man Can't Keep up With Them. “It's a dissipation; a most beguiling dissipa- tion,” sald a knight of the roller skates, as he came down upon THESTAR man witha rush ndabump and swung around onthe hand- rail. “A most delightful dissipation.” “That's all right,” suggested the scribe. “But next time don't be so violent. Begin putting brakes a little sooner. Don’t come down fe @ train off the track.” “Well, you'll get used to that,” replied the Knight, a8 one foot shot up and the four little ‘wheels sang a tune in the scribe’s ears. “You see they haven't any brakes, and the only time *re to be trusted is when they're in motion. They are always in"—crack, rattle, crash, bang, whir-r-r—* motion;” and he ent an érrati¢ figure around the hand-rail frisked about each other in eccentric curves and angles. “You see they don’t stay still.” He bit the last word off suddenly as his chin’ came down on the rail. Then he sat on a convenient bench and took botl feet upin his lap, as he continued the conversation. “It’s delightful. When you first get to going you think you are a waltz: then you are a Whirlwind, and then acyclone. You are whirl- ing through space. You aro happy. ¥ less. The music joins in, and You're ou are sail- through the clouds. Thete isan ecstasy of @elirium. You're intoxicated with mo- tion. You might drink champagne until you thought yourself a lord. You Inight waltz until you were a fairy; you might smoke opium until your fancies flew into the realms of dream-land, with all its flowers end music and crystal ntains—but all that Gon’t come near these rolling machines. They Wheel you into the ecstacy of the unknown. You gilde round and nd and round faster and faster, untilyour head turns, and you don't Know whether you are going or not. You'd forget about the wife and babies at home, you'd forget your dinner, you'd forget—ang Keep on going. Everybody else is going, the music's going, the walls are dancing, the ‘floor is slipping out from under ou. You are picked up and whirled up into he clouds. And then— Well, you wouldn't mind a Uke that. Just pick yourself up whirling. The girl who just sat down on ou puts her little hand ‘in yours (it don't tter if you never saw her before): you put our arm under hers and take hold of the little thing and go on and on the Then you go it double. You don't to say anything; every Found you make vou get closer together. You forget your five dollars a week and she forgets that her pupa’s a judge. Well, {t's delightful,” nd he let go his feet. that gad been stragglitig t away, and with a sudden lurch shot out into the whirl Ifa girl goes to a skating rink and don't elope with the rfnk muster, its because she can't stop skating long enough.’ Taz Star man puton a — Of rollers, and was at once seize: with a ire to elope. He might have doneso, if it hadn't been for the general cussedness of the skates. They are worse than wings for flying. They are more erratic than a mule. Goas faci gs ever you can, they e bound to be faster than. ou are, and they havea y of stopping to ick up when you are in the most interesting part of the performance. They are worse than Sbucking mustang. Their chief purpose seems to be to do something unexpected, and the best Way, t© learn how to use them is to sit down But that comes natural toa beginner. + ‘The desire to elop- strikes you the first time you sit down. There's lois of fun in roller Skating, all the boys and girls like it. It’s just thing fora girl with asmall fortune, anda great deal of romanc A Glimpse of Written for Tar Evexrxo Stan. ‘Me rode right onward looking not around, In bis shut teeth the fresh unlit cigar * Became a feature, characteristic, fur Above the rest. His horse seemed. on the bound, Part of himself and of the solid ground. He looked, indeed. no “thunderbolt of war,” No need to be distinguished by a “star,” But moving on the works, a hero crowned. He came to power, and sat as on a throne. But when misfortune’s blows rung hard with crime, He made the virtue then his own. He knew how strong the silent deed in time, The geius of hard work was his clone, Patience, and power, and sui nce sublime. —JOHN Savary. te the Ball. mt. ‘From the Chicago Herald. Among the jolliest dancers at the inaugural bali was a man from Buflulo named Louis Getz. No man was happier, none more liberal with his money. The busy waiters in the wine room saw him often. Friends were always with him, The wine loosened his tongue, and he said: “I've opened as many bottles of wine as there are in this room during the last ten years in my saloon on Main street in Buffalo. Grove Cleve land used to be one of my customers; one of ny best customers, too. I'm proud to say that for Yearshardly aday passed that Grove did not come in to see me. He was quiet and liberal. He Bever got drunk nor made trouble. I used to tell him that if he ever became President T would open acase at his inaugural ball, and bere I am. Waiter, another ttle. I saw Grove to-night. Did he snub me? Not much. He shook my hand, smiled, and winked justas be used to when he would come {n Kind of ‘thiraty like. Grover Cleveland likes good, rare = flee ee be sakes small drinks, and gets good of them. ¢ liquor was never made ‘that will make a slave of as le Was Nowhere. ¥rom the New York Times. A Washington hotel keeper was boasting of the amount of money he had made during fmauguration week. “What do you thinkof that?” he said, turn- ing to a stranger. ‘The stranger lifted his shoulders, but made no on’t the ‘blue-ribbon | | | roduced to | he plucky manner in | | while his feet glided and | | Young, of Princeton; Pro! day stretching sometimes over several calendar dates, The astronomical day begins at noon. For many years navigators rept still another reckoning, differing from both civil and the astronomical reckoning. In this sea time the new date began at noon, preceding the elvil day by twelve and the astronomical day by twenty- four hours. _The Practical astronomer has a rather hard time of it, between the different modes of reck- oning of which he has to keep track. He has to eat his dinner, go to bank or to church by one time, calculate his mght ascensions by ar her, and make record_of astronomical dis ries by still anotMer. Ifhis mind ever gave way to the distractions incident to so many modes of reckoning, all his right ascensions would be. wrong ascensions; he would go to bank at midnight, and get himself into contro. versies by dating his discoveries a day ahead. SIDEREAL AND MEAN TIME. Sidereal time is the time measured by the regular march of the stars through the heavens, It has no reference to the sun or to solar time. The sidereal day begins at any given place when the vernal equinox passes the meridian of that place. Sidereal time is counted from'0 to 24 hours, the clocks which keep the time having their dials divided into 24 hour spaces. ce a vear, on March 22d, when the sun. crosses the equinox, sidereal itme with solar time. ‘The reader of astronomical work: ifnot the astronomer himself, finds a source o: confusion in the terms “apparent time” and “mean time.” Men who boast of the correct- ness of their watches generally speak of them as being as true asthe sun. Asa matterof fact, p any better time than the sun would be considered nowadays a very oor time keeper. The habit of the sun, to he ahead of time during a portion’ o | the year and behind time at other sea- sons, has led astronomers to ignore It. alto- gether, and calculate time from an imaginary sun, which is always juston time. The time given by this: imaginary, but prompt sun, is called “mean” time, while that of the real sun 1s called “apparent” time. Four times in a year the real sun crosses the meridian just on time, but during the intermediate seasons 1s or siow, ranging from fifteen minutes on one side of the reckoning to fifteen minutes on the other. THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF TIME, The international meridian conference, held in this city last fall, besides establishing a prime meridian, sought to ameliorate the con- dition of the astronomer somewhat and to se cure harmony among astronomers of different nations, by recommending that the estronom!- cal day shall be considered as beginnin; midnight, the sameas the civil day. Suc! change, one accustomed only to the civil reck- oning, might think could be effected without much trouble, but the attempt to make the change In this country has raised considerable controversy. On the 4th of last Dec. Rear Adm, S. R. Franklin, superintendent of the U. 8. naval observatory, issued an order directing that “on and after the 1st df January, 1885 (in accord- ance with the recommendation of the inter national meridian conference), the astronomi- cal day shall beconsidered Fea at mid- night, corresponding to the civil date.” After considerabie Correspondence on the subject, however, Admiral nklin, on the 29th of De- cember, suspefded the execution of the order. The correspondence in relation to the proposed change of time was sent to the Senate by Secre- tary Chandler Just before Congress adjourned, and was referred to the committee on foreign relations. PROF. NEWCOMB'S OBJECTIONS, Immediately after Admiral Franklin's order changing the time for beginning the astronom!- cal day was issued, Prof. Simon Newcomb, superintendent of the Nautical Almanac, ad- dressed a letter tothe Secretary of the Navy arguing against the advisabilty of the change at present. Referring to the recommenda- tion by the conference that the astronomical dgy begin at midnight, he says it Bs @ change in the method of count- ing astronomical time which has come down to us from antiquity, and which is now universal among astronomers, The practice of taking noon as the moment from which the hours Were to be counted originated with Ptolemy. This practice is not, as some distinguished members of the conference seem to have sup- posed, based solelyupon the inconvenience to the astronomer of changing his day at midnight, but was adopted because it was the most natu- ral method of measuring solar time.” The existing system he says permeates all the volumes of Sonenieriaes and observations which fill the library of the astronome: le ints out that great confusion will result in the future, and shows that if the change is now made there will be for several years a lack of correspondence between the new system and that ofthe American ephemeris, which is prepared four years in advance. He urges that no change be made in the method of reckonin time until by tay international a1 emen a common date Shall be fixed by all nations for the change. HIPPARCHUS VERSUS PTOLEMY. Admiral Franklin, in a letter replying to the statements made by Prof. Newcomb, refers to the fact that the Astronomer Royal of England proposed to make the change on thé same date as that directed by himself, “so faras the count. ing of astronomical time from antiquity is con- cerned;” he said “4t is the argumentof eonserva- tism which desires no change in an existin order of affairs; yet, assenting to this argumien’ we might refer to a’still remoter antiquity—to the time, not of Ptolemy, but of Hipparchus, the ‘founder of astronomy,’ who reckoned the twenty-four hours from midnight to midnight, Just a8 the conference has p 4.” He ex: pressed the views that the dangers of error pointed out by Prof, Neweomb could be obvi- fated by care, and that It was eminently that the nation which called the coi shoul men per rence .be,among the first to adopt its recom- ons. THE VIEWS OF ASTRONOMERS, Then followed, in the correspondence sent to the Senate, a number of letters from leading as- tronomers of this country, evoked by a circular Sent out by Admiral Franklin, requesting an expression of views concerning the proposed change of the mode of reckoning, and especially es regards the date on which {t would be best to introduce the new system. Prof. Ormond Stone, of the University of Vir- inia; Prof. H. A. Newton, of Yale College; Prof. AM. W. Harrington, of Ann Harbor; Prof 0. A. 0 f. Louis Swift, of the Warner Observatory: Prof. 8. P. Langley, of the Allegheny Observatory, and Prof.’ J Porter, “of the Cincinnati wrote In favor of maki: the mediately. Prof, E. C. Pickering, expressed the view that a general agreemen upon the subject was of greater {mj than the mode of reckoning itself. Prot Ba. ward S. Holden, director of the Washburn Ob- servatory, wrote recommending that the chan be delayed till other nations had lized the and that in this country the change was not advisable until 1890, or such time in the future as MOO per the American Ephe- meris to be printed in accordance with the pro- d new system. Prof. Young, of Princeton, n his letter favoring an immediate change, suggested that a little care In using the epheme- ris would prevent any serious difficulty, Prof. C. F. Peters, of Hamilton coll ex- pressed the view that it was not ‘advisable 10 introduce the change before the = 1890. In bis letter he referred to the inconv which would be Soy the change, especiall generally adopte count the hours of body (except, perhaps, sick people will have patience cudugh thecun of the clock up to 24, not Mability of miscounti t le ‘ashington iver- sity, favored delaying the change until s gen: eral’ expression of opinion could be obtated from foreign governments and concert of action secured. The coi dence on this sul witha circular’ by Admiral prance, ee cing the decision, made after consultation with the principal astropomers throughout the coun: try, “that this observatory will make nocban; in the beginning of the astronomical date, t] weight of opinion being that it will be better to defer such 4 change until the cphemerides are constructed in accoi with the recom- mendation of the recent International Meridian conference.” So itis probable that will Cape yeoses bore ane bere few mode of reckon! @ astrono: pe RS been in vogue. ————ror—______ The Michigan Farmer's From the Chicago Hera ore smart of a “Them English are havin’ a right they?” re. Michigan, Years, to use the mical day which time over there in Africa, hain’t marked an old farmer from up in “Yes, indeed.” “Jv been s-watchin’ of ‘era all win @'ye know what their ifr of? No? Babess sir, I used to have a big shoat w! bad the durndest heerd tellon. The little shoats 4 BET 154, if i i DOLPHIN FOR DINNER. A Royal Dish of the Olden Time to be Revived. PORPOISE FLESH NOW BEING SOLD IN THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET—-A QUESTION OON- CERNING LENT—WHAT THE CURATOR OF MAM> MALS REVEALED TO A “STAR” REPORTER, In acosy laboratory hidden away in oneof the corners of the national museum building, ¢rowded with skulls, bones, stuffed skins and various memorials of the animal creation, a Sak reporter came upon Mr. F. W. True, the curator of the department of mazamals, just as he was reading a telegram from a life-saving station keeperon the New Jersey coast an- nouncing that a we had stranded there. “The men in the life-saving service are instruct- ed,” said Mr. True, ‘to notify us of any strange creature that may bestranded. If we want it we telegraph them to sew {t up in a canvas and ship it to the musuem by express, or sen it in any other way that may be convenient. “Speaking of porpoises,” continued the cu Tator, “here is something tha’ interest you," As he spoke he took from a shelfbehind his desk a black looking object, tied at the ends ike a large bologna sausage. t Js a sausage of porpoise.” he went on, “That one is one-third beet and two-thirds por: poise. Ihave another specimen here ofsmoked Porpolse, which you can try.” The curator soon found’ the specimen he wanted. The meat was dark and the fibers very coarse. It was very dry and very hard— so hard that the curator had to use a hatchet to chip off pieces of it. “The oil has not been all taken out,” he said, ashe handed a morsel to the reporter to try “and that gives it a strong taste, which might Ess Gisagreeable to @ person with a sensitive ate? The reporter ate his piece of Eros with as much facial composure as possible. It had a flavor something like a smoked herring mul- tiplied by a hundred. After regaling himself in this manner, the reporter inquired in the inter- est of boarding-house keepers and others who have a practical interest in such matters for farther particulars concerning porpoise meat. j_ihere ls. a company in Philadelphia,” said Mr. True, “engaged in the business of preparing the flesh of the porpoise for market. ‘The ex: periment is interesting in connection with the question of food supply. There are great num- bers of porpoises on our coasts; the supply seems tobe inexhaustible. Porpoise used to be con- sidered one of the delicacies of the king’s table, it Js mentioned in L’Estrange's household “Has porpoise been sold in the Philadelphia market as porpoise?” “I think the flesh was introduced under the name of buffalo. It is dark like buffalo mea and has a gamy look and flavor, but,” continue: Mr. Trre with a smile, “during Lent it was in- te duced as porpoise. ‘Trec: # cd a letter from @ gentleman interested in tie trade asking if it could not be introduced as a food which might be eaten in Lent, Among scientific men the Porpoise ts not, of course, known as a fish, but the scientific and the ecclesiastical definitions of afish may not, of course, be based upon the same distinctions.’ There was once, during the middle ages, a great controversy as’ to whether the otter could be eaten in Lent. 1t was held that creatures that swam in the water were fish, and it was decided, I believe, that the otter ola be eaten without violation of the rules of ate ftesWBSt Go you think of the quality of the esh.”” “The quality is as good as any in the market. It is not tender of course like the meat of ani- mals bred especially for the market. The por poises have to fight for existence, and that Makes them tough. There is no reason why this meat should not be cheap.” “Porpoise is not @ new dish?” suggested the reporter. “No. It has always been considered fit for food. ‘The Porpolse lives on fish, and eats only live fisn. In the arctic regions, you know, the natives live on white whales, eating fat’ and all. The Indians on the east coast of Maine have a fishery for flesh. In fact the Indians both on our east and On our west coast hunt the porpoise for food. It isa matter of fashion entirely. Three cen- turies ago when the porpoise was in fashion in England and graced the king’s table, it commandeda very high price. There is no Teason why it should not come into fashion again. I think Iam safe in prophesying that porpoise will again be generally eaten, I drank some of the milk of the porpoise at Cape May. It is very thick, likecream, and tasted very much like cocoa-nut milk. It is not unpleasant, but a triffe sickish—a little of it at a time is enough.” “Where are the porpoises captured?” asked the reporter. 3 “There has been a colony along the Hatteras reef, in North Carolina, from the beginning of | the ‘century, one of whose employments has been to catch porpoises,” said Mr. True. “They cut them up and get the oll from them in a rude way, and took the oll to Elizabethtown, orsome other town where they could find a ‘market. Abouta year ago a company was formed at Cape May, New Jersey for te purpose of obtaine ing porpoise ofl and leather. ‘This company, be- Heve, has not succeeded well. One ot the'men interested in thecompany wentto Hatteras and leased the fishery there for five years—leasing the grounds,the fishermen and everything—pay- Ingatacertain rate for every porpoise caught. He has his tanners and his apparatus for takin; out the oll. He saw that the flesh might be o some use, and has been successful in introduc ing it in the Philadelphia market." jie Porpolses are caught in nets. ‘Two high poles are erected on the beach about four miles apart, Men are stationed at these poles on the lookout, and when the porpoises into the fishing ‘ground, between tuese poles, the look- out shows. signal flag. There are two boats some distance out, which separate, giving out nets as they proceed obliquely towards other boats further inshore. These boats in turn move towards the shore, paying out their nets, and the result is the porpoises are soon surrounded, imprisoned in a huge pound of strong netting with coarse meshes. These nets are not drawn tothe shore. Sometimes there will be 800 or 400 porpoises in the enclosure. If they were stampeded, as they might be by an attémpt to draw the aet to the shore, they would make a break altogether for one point in the net and break fhrough it. ‘They are simply kept in the pound, and boats put out from the shore with smaller nets, with which they take out thirt gLoryatalime. The method is very mue like that used in catching tunnies at fisheries on the Mediterranean. This winter the man who has gone into the enterprise expects to get 1,200 porpoises, They are six, seven and eight féet long, and of the Kind Kknoirn as the botile- nosed dolphin. As soon as they are caught Sayers take off, their hides, Which are sent to New Jersey and made into excellent leather.” orpoise eather?” sald THE STAR reporter. ‘Yes. Porpolse boots in London cost three times as much as any other. The leather is perfectly water proof. If the flaying 1s done carefully a pretty big piece of leather can be obtained from each porpoise—enough to make several pairs of boots. One great difficulty, I believe, is to get a tanner who knows how to treat the hide properly. It has to be tanned with some pecullar process. - From one. por- polse thirty or forty pounds of edible flesh can obtained. I had a steak cut from a porpoise which was received here and it was cooked for me at the restaurant. It was very dark in color use I had not let the blood out, but it. was nevertheless, quite palatable. The flesh of that portion,” said the curator, pointing out on a Pi poise thé region near the tall, ‘is very tough, on account of the ligaments that run through it,the muscles that operate the tail. It is proposed, I believe, to utilize these ents In making glue. Then every part of the porpoise will be used for something, the hide, the ofl and the flesh. The skeletons are leit now on the beach, but they can be used. for fertilizing purposes. 'Take some more,” said the curator, again passing the smoked porpoise but the reporter, excusing himself on @ plea of business elsewhere, took his lea trick’s Day. Ode For BY F. M'NERHANY. Hail, Erin! pensive, lovely Isle, Still bright in song and’story— ‘The land ot heroes, scholars, saint Entwin'd with ancient glory! Lift up to-day thy drooping head, pana touch the harp ceatatic, raise thy lustrous patron in "The great Apostle Patrick! - For he who blessed the green old land, The cross effulgent rearing, Shed o'er the gloom of Pagan rites Religion’s light so cheering; ‘While with the shamrock’s triple leaf The Druid was confounded, And Erin hailed the Triune Goa, ‘By angel hosts surrounded! Thence trace the pure and brilliant beam wot ierced the clouded en To-day, mid sparkling wit and so! Recall Shaee gocien Shining, ‘While with the banner of the green Our starry flag is twining; For thus in battle’s stormy night rpoises, and eat their | MUSTY OLD CLAIMS. The Numerous Progeny of the Ship- Owners filed by the French. THE ROMANCE OF THE FRENCH SPOLIATION CLAIMS—HOW*THE EVIDENCE WAS COLLECTED AND HELD TOGETHER—CLAIMS WHICH REST O8 FAMILY TRADITION—HOW THEY WILL BE . ADJUDICATED, ac, There is a sort of romance attached to the old French spoliation claims, which are about to besettled in the courts through the action of Congress at its last session. From nearly a hundred years ago these claims have come down as heirlooms to claim the attention and tempt the hopes of the descepdants of the own- ers of the ill-fated ships that fell into the hands of the French, who, by the orders of the great Napoleon, prayed upon owr commerce in retali- ation for our disregard of treaty obligations. From the comparatively few ship-owners, who spent the remainder of their lives in thé vain effort to recover the value oftheir lost prop- erty, the list of claimants By descent has so multiplied that they are scattered all over the country. Each generation hashad its trial at the claims, and many have spent their lives in following ‘the swamp-lights that gleamed through the ribs ofthe sunken ships of their Kept them from sinking like many other hopes, beneath the The favorable reports of committees, which one since 1802, has kept them alive, and the failure each time being so near success, only added a fresh interest to them and inspired the claimants to renewed efforts. They have been mentioned in wills, talked of by firesides, until of the old coast towns in New England and old southern ports to have a French spoliation claim. Ingome cases even {t has been consid- ered the duty of the eldest son tu devote some- thing of his timeto an attempt to make the claims good. MANY ROMANCES have revolved around these claims, and they have been courted until they have become almost sacred. There were about seventeen hundred of them, but the records in many cases have been lost, and whole families have die@ out and passed away together with the records of their claims, Thus the number that will be presented for adjustment. by the court will be greatly reduced, while the number of claimants is Increased ten fold. In some eases where the claim was preity consid- erable there are now so many heirs to it that when divided among them ‘the share of euch would be so little that {t would not be worth Working for. For one claim of $11,000 there over a hundred heirs, and there are probably many cases where the original amount is les and there are many more for it to be divided among. One lady ‘describing the situation of her family claim says that her great grand- father, the original claimant, had nine children, her grandfather had ten, and she believes, as it ran fn the family, each of the rest did as well. Inagreat many cases the records have been lost, and there remain only family tradition upgn which to base the clalm, and nearly every- body who can trace his family back ‘to that time thinks he must have a clalm somewhere. In the early history of the claims each claimant appears to have pressed isown suit, and not to have gone to the trouble and expense of em= ploying an attorney or agent; but as the claims grew old the original claimants dropped out one by one in despair, The first man to make any systematic effort toget the claims recog- nized by Congress was MR. JAMES H. CAUSTEN. Having spent much time in looking up the proofs of his own family claim, he became s¢ interested In the subject that he went into the whole question, and got the history and evi- dence in nearly every claim, He became fuasci- | nated In the research, and devoted his life to it, collecting much yaluable information ahd keeping the matter before Congress. Finally, as other claimants gave up the struggle, the {dex occurred to him to put to. use the informa- Hlongie had possessed himself of and in 1816 he eStablished an agency for the French spolia- tion claims, having his office where Anglim’s kstore now stands. He then took charge of 800 of the seveteen hundred claims, and de- voted himself to their prosecution until his death in 1874. He was very intimately asso- elated with all the great men of his day, and enlisted their interest in behalf of the claims. Danfel Webster was his friend, and was very much interested in the matter, having, it is suid, assisted him in writing’ two books which he published on the subject. One of these, a volume ot over a hundred paze: ives a history of the seizures of the vessels bs the French, the negotiations, anda. discussion | of the legal questions, The'other, which con- tains a hundred and forty pages, discusses the effect of the proceedings under the treaty of April 20, 1803, upon the claims which arose pilor to 1801. "The only copies of the books lieved to be extant—two very musty old pamphlets, but invaluable—are in the posses- sion of Mr. W. E. Earle, Mr. Causten’s successor, Mr. Causten’s zeal carried him to the greatest extremes in following up the evidence of the claims. Heransacked the old prize court and got valuable information, and after the revolu- tion of 1848, when the public buildings at Paris were burned and the records destroyed or scat- tered broadcast, he sent his son to Paris to search all 3 THE OLD JUNK SHOPS and “Peter Funk” establishments for informa- tion concerning the claims. In this way he learned many important facts and got posses- sion of valuable documents relating to the cases, He bought all that were purchasable, and those the dealers would not sell he had attached and restored to the public archives. Causten was famous tor his work in the cases, In 1855 Senator John M. Clayton wrote to him: “The session of Congress having now closed,and, being aboutto return home, itoccurs to me that Tought to leave behind me’ some record of my recollections and knowledge of your services as agent of the claimants for spoliations commit- ted by the French prior to the convention of 800. The bill for their relief has again been defeated by the Executive veto, mosi unjustly applied.” [The bill was passed by two Con- jewes, and vetoed, firet by Polk, then by Pierce.) “But a board or court to’adjust, all claims against the government has been estab- Ushed, and perhaps the claimants may choose to submit their demands to the decision of that court. I have an abiding faith that these claims will, ere long, be paid” “Having been a faithful friend of these unfor- tunate creditors of the nation for a quarter of a century, and witnessed for a long period your indcintigable zeal, and the distinguished abil- ity with which you have sustained them on all occasions, perhaps at some future day, when they shall receive their money, they may pay some regard to my voluntary testimony as to the value of the services you have rendered them, This I think due from me to you now, as I am not in good health, and possibly may never return to Congress to befriend them any more.” * © © ¢ © 8 8 He further on refers to the fact that Mr. Caus- ten spent months in ransacking the mouldy correspondence in the State department, select- ing the documents transmitted to the Senate by Mr. Clay in obedience to the resolution of the Senate adopted in 1824, which filled a large octavo volume, and which converted the Senator to the claims. He refers also to the fact that Mr. Webster, “after he had long toiled for the claimants,” gave the thing up In despair, and refused 1 act ge chairman of the commit” tee appointed in 1846 to report on the claims, the writer having toserve in his stead. Chief Justice Marshall's opinion tn favor of the bill is referred to in the letter also. Just thirty years d after the writing of this letter before the ill for the settlement of these claims finally became a law, a few months since. VALUABLE OLD RECORDS. After Mr, Causten’s death Messrs. Earle and Picket succeeded to the agency and Mr. Earle has in his possession all the old documents,some of which are very curious. Among others he has Mr. Causten’s list of the 1,700 vessels and cargoes lost, showing names of captains, the Forts from which they sailed and the names of she Owners. Another book, the only two copies of which extant they have, and which he says they would not ell for $5,000, is “an address to the elie of the United States,” written b; Mr. jure, a member of the board of Ame: can commissioners at Paris, under treaty of The book was written to justify the -ac- tion of the in the controversy between them and Mr. Livingston, our minister to France. Jt contains many important docu- ments in French, relating to the claims, includ- ing a statement of the action of the American and French board, and a list of owners of ves- sels, the amounts of their claims and the com- ments of the board. The book isa mouldy and badly stained old pamphlet. SLENDER EVIDENCE FOR SUPPORTING A CLAIM. Since the bill passed sending the claims to the court for adjudication claimants are spring- ing up all over the country. Some have good claims with full proof, but many have nothing forefathers, The many almost successful efforts | toget Congress to recognize the claims have | ressure Of accumulating years. | have been made upon them every year but | it has become a matter of family pride in some | OFFICE-SEEK ERS DEFENDED. A Veteran Observer “Gossips About Of. fice-Seekers and Their Habits—A Le- sitimate Business, “There's no disgrace in having the @esire to hold a public office,” observed a veteram man of affairs theother day toa Stak reporter. “You would suppose from what you s“metimes read and hear that it was really an unworthy object ofa man’sambition. To some ears the term office-seeker is a reproach. Tnere isa good deal of talk about the office seeking the man and not the man the office. Perhaps one office in ten thousands filled in that way, but I don’t im- agine that the proportion is any greater. The meaning intended to be conveyed would imply thatthe President made the selection Without any suggestion from others, and this would require a very extensive pet ao quaintance on the part of the Executive. Ttis necessary, when an office fs to be filled, that the President'shouid be informed as to the persons: Who would like the place, as well as t nel Ot ness to discharge the duties, ant make an intelligent selection. With the possi bie exception of what are known as personal appointments, no appointments are ie un- less an application is presented in one form or another by the person appointed. It is @ very common thing to hear men say after they have i ved an appointment that It was a perfect surprise to them, and that they knew noth! about it until the appointment wasmade. That 1s all bosh, you know. It sounds well, but there is not a word of truth in it. If the President should say that he never heard of these gentle- men until their names were, presented to him 8 candidates that would undoubtedly be a per- fectly truthful statement.” THE UNDERGROUND METHOD, “Ofcourse,” continued the gentleman &s he became interested in the subject, “all this is explained by the different methods employed by men when they become office seckers. It is rather a curious study to notice the diversity of means to obtain a common end. Some men go ater an office in the style which is commonly known as ‘hunting with a brass band.’ They get up petitions, they organize delegations, they obtain rsonal notices in the heWspapers, and they secure endorsements from political organizations. They make a mighty fuss and flutter in the community Others don’t make as much noise, but pursue the same methods in a more or léss modified form. Still they are openly known as candi- dates for the place and are not backward in presenting their claims to friends and ac quaintances. There are other men whose names zge never heard in connection with the office, affd however long the list of applicants in the newspapers may be their names are not found among them. ‘Their method is by the underground system of wires, and by patient burrowing around they finally discover a con- cealed way to the White House leading directly to the President’s ear, While the delega- tions are marching in and out of the front door of the White House these unknown office-seekers are manipulating their Uttle wiresand really getting nearer tothe dent's attention than the front door visitors. When the appointment is made and_ the pro- prietor of one of these underground telegraph ines is the fortunate man, no one 1s more sur- prised than hiniself at this unexpected action Of the President. “In our system of politics,” resumed the speaker, who had evidently struck a hobby, “it is perfectly proper, and indeed itis a right o every citizen, if he wants an office, to announce his name tothe President, and then to adopt the proper measures to show to the President who he is and how he is regarded by his friends and neighbors. In the case of mer where a knowledge of this sort would be racher detri- mental to their Interests than otherwise, the President {s Infogmed simply who desires his appointment, or, In other words, what is his Packing: The latter consideration is frequently the all-powerful one in politics when the selfish, system of give and uke is in full operation. The amusing feature in the scramble for office, however, is seen In the cases where mén imagine that they are en- tilled to an office, and they happen to be the only ones holding that opinion, ‘They then go to work as they would in the pursuit of any thing else they desire, and the various expedl- ents resorted to are as diverse as the people themselves. There is a good deal of human na- ture in office seeking, but it is a perfectly legiti- mate object of ambition, and one that shouldbe encouraged rather than otherwise. soe DYNAMITE BOMBSHELLS. A Talk with the Man who has Invented a Terrible Projectile—A Gun of Small Caliber all that is Needed to Sink a Strong Iron-clad—Some of the inter- esting Peculiarities of Dynamite. Mr. F. H. Snyder, the general manager of the United States Dynamite Projectile company, of New York, speaking to a STAR reporter during the exhibition of firing dynamite from @ cannon made last week on the Potomac, near Ead's Mills, said his first experiment was made by using a breech-loading duck gun, from which a shell was fired containing from one to one and a halt ounces mite. He found that he coylg fre the gun from his shoulder. With tials chazge the size of the shell was nally tnoreesed until @ six-inch shell was fired, . ‘The size of the shell is only limited by the caliber of the gun, Guns of eight-inch caliber would. be as large ag would ever be needed to batter dovn the strong- est fortress or sink the heaviest of iron-clads, “By what means does the shell expiode?”” ask- E STAR reporter. “Good dynamite or explosive gelatine,” M vder, “explodes by concussion only.’ Will fire cause {t to explode?” “It will not,” said the dynamite man, and he demonstrated this by lighting a piece of Paper and placing itonaballor dynamite weigh! ng about anounce. The dynamite rapidly ignite: and burned with a sissing noise like that of damp gunpowder. “When nitro-glycerine or any explosive com- pounds using hitro-glycerine as the base ex- plodes,” continued Mr. Snyder, “the explosion takes the direction of ‘the’ least resistance, like gunpowder. but unlike gunpowder a solid of fers less resistance than the air surrounding It. To be plainer, a twenty inch thickness of armor on a Vessel offers less resistance to dynamite than fifty miles of atmosphere—for this reason, that dynamite is so quick In its action that the armor willgive way under the greatforcequicker than fifty miles of atmosphere. This has been shown by a recent illustration. By placing 100 pounds of gunpowder on a hard sur ‘then applying a light to it,an explosion would of course follow, and the explosion would take an upward course; but should you place ten pounds of dynamite iia like posiiiontand cause It to explode the action is so quick that after being fired it would tear up the earth for many yards before exploding?” “It would be utterly impossible to penetrate a hard substance like fron or stone with dyna- mite before exploding. This is clear to any one having a modicum of intelligence rding dynamite. The velocity of the shell froma cannon would necessarily have to be greater than the velocity of the explosion. of the materials contained in the shell, The velocity of shells tired from cannons are easily measured, and 2,000 feet per second fs the limit of velocity yet attained at a considerable distance from the muzzle of the y Yet itis known that a train of dynamite S08 teet long exploded at ‘one end destroyed the entire train {In less than 1-100 of a second, This gives a velocity of 20,000 feet.a. second, 18,000 feet a second fuster than a projectile can be driven by gunpowder.” Mr. Snyder stated that his objectin giving exhibition of the power of this explosive Is make war between nations so lous and in- expensive that the strongest power in Europe would be compelled to arbitrate a difference with the weakest. If shells loaded with dynamite or similar hard explosives can be safely fired from cannon Without exploding until they strilte the object aimed at, the cost of destroying a million dol- lar ironclad can easily be estimated by the cost of the shell and a cannon to fire it from, ‘The Evening Paper. From the Hartford (Conn.) Times. Theevening paper is destined to be the great Journal of the day. Its position naturally gives it that advantage; and with the increase of cable lines thtotigh the seas, and of land telegraph lines on shore, the aitnntage natu tends more and more to the aid of the event the to ii scoop in most of the im: t news from all parts of Europe, and often hasit rinted here befote the nomi he Occurrences pd more than @ vague tradition that there is a wi blac Re hone ni ome ra raced i hn | ig noble cause defende lies, and expect to get their claims allowed’on that. Som 1; ing, leaving to the acon’ the ded ot Fine son iting ay Gahan Maes | Subsea erator genius flashed trom humble birth | Srendea sen se Poneh, Hugnenots, ai com might phe aa rnnens To lofty fame and station; sequently must haveaclaim. Very few have | ons, an¢ Tell of her wondrous orators, . any idea how to go about getting their money. | $2 wad aT ae And poeta, ever glowing. 1, | Somecven ask the court fo send them Blank Srening Paper atin ‘Whence’ streams oflight ate flowine? ‘enue ona crew, tion these edvan mount plains, HOW THE CLAIMS WILt, BE ADJUDICATED, ‘80 far ptitinahot verdure rom The claims are to be tried in the Court of ‘out of 8! Her lim; Takes, fair and er glory, ‘er 'd story! bia Washington, hel Iped fields, % blood was: Tonumente” names are glowing! of Mon: ‘on the land, eerie in th’ ‘old ship Alliance! Tell of st) signed and First, othe nation! * Waabington, D. C, pias $ of dyna) WHAT THE CHILDREN STUDY. ‘Truatée Lovejoy Says There othing im the Public School System to Excite Unhealthy Competition — The Use Made of the Percentage Markings— ral Instruction Taking the Place of Text-Heoke—A List of Subjects Studied. “There is nothing in our system to excite an unhealthy competition among the school chtld- Ten,” said Mr. Ben. G. Lovejoy, of the board of Public school trustees, when asked by a STAR reporter what grounds there were forthe charge that injury was being done the pupils by a sys- tem of competitive examinations, “They are hot seated in the scnool-room according to scholarship, and their names do not appear on the teachers’ roll-book according to their stand- ing, but alphabetically; nor is thelr relative rank indleated or brought to their attention in any way. Percentage markings are not de- signed to awaken competion; they are intended and are necessary, expecially in connection the capacity, the application to study and pervising principals to find out the capacity from 50 to 60 puptis. It is tm ible to reach time, give an account of their time and labors, they will study and pay attentton to the reel tidn. These written examinations in this way are invaluable, besides enabling the teacher te acquaint parents with the progress of their children. system and’ methods are either misund or misrepresented. In the first place, m going on for years past a grac Fewer text-books are now in use than was f merly the case, and more dependence is plac upon the ability of the teacher to impart o: also in physics, anima The simplest form of bookkeepini cently substituted for the use of the ‘sampler, in which children co) or selections from Enzlish classics. language, penmanship, drawing and vo sie are Introduced in the first year, and tinued through the course. Oral ‘lessons in ography are given in the second year and th Year, in order to teach the simplest principle is taught with the aid of a text-book. History is not begun until the sixth your. tlee studies. are rather restful incident: pupils are examined anf marked for ages in their two years course are Eng ghage arithmetic, geography, history of the nited States drawing vocal music, physiology with reference to hygiene, and algebra, making eight subjects in all. Each of these studies may by ingenuity be subdivided into x or ‘things.’ Penmanship may be di ‘position,’ ‘pen-holding,’ ‘movement,’ ‘for mM,’ ‘small letters,’ ‘capital letters,’ ‘spacing,’ ete.; arithmetic into ‘oral,’ ‘written,’ ‘abst nominate,’ ‘integral,’ ‘fractional, grphy into ‘mathemé&tical,’ ‘phy: perc subjects may startled b; ivide those of other cities?” aske@ the reporter, “The real friends of the District pu gladly invite comparison with ‘system: methods elsewhere,” said Mr. Love) enced educators in the states, who have visited our schools, highly troduced in other 8; tems methods trict pgople fs that our } dulldings, whereas figures elsewhere show an gagending scale which in Boston reaches $28.42. C2 regard to reform, especially in a school bstem, time when; and second, the manner how. “niiddle of a schoo lyear does not seem to be an Eeppropriate time for agitating the question of ical changes, and the true spirit of reform is satisfied if ‘a living spring flows into the stag- ant waters,’ if innovation is conservative. “With regard to the temperance us to decide u ple ment in such a matter. Fenty, done by them, and we believe with the it results.” ———_+e+—_____ John Kelly and Cardinal McCloskey. New York Letter in Albany Journal. The incongruities of grouped men are often many excursioniststo Washington may be pre- sumed to have begun the crimsoning of the capital I saw their chief, John Kelly, walking slowly in Fifth avenue. His warming bad health had prevented him from making thetrip with his faction, and ae was out for his morning waik which his physiciansadvice. Mr. Kelly is physically broken down. Whether he willever regain that robust vigor which “used to be the soli d backing of his political feats and perversi- ty isan open question. There is no denying his Present inability. | His nervous energy is all gone, and he is forbidden by the doctors to do the slightest thing in the way of business or politics, He is trying hard to obey the order, and I found that, while unwilling to talk about the new Administration, he was anxious to learn everything possible on the subject. Here 4s one assertion which he did make: “I have not signed anything fora a seeker of office at e hands of Mr. Cleveland.” so?” I inquired. He at me in the sort of silence which a le beautiful heiress might affect on being asked if | she had received-any offers of marriage. Then he wended his way to—where do you suppose? An entire square in 5th avenue at 50th street is now covered with the ornate, marble archi- tecture of the Roman Catholic cathedral of St. Patrick. The church itself has two annexes, each big and handsome enough to hold its own when compared with the Vanderbilt and other notably fine residences close by. One of these is the home of Cardinal McCloskey. : The eccie- siastical state in which this venerable prince of the chureh exists is hardly known outside the is. His establishment has all the ceremo- nial formalities which are characteristic of car dinals’ premises elsewhere in the world. There isa pavate chapel as complete in beauty and appointments as though intended for pub- devoted exclusivel: to Cardinal His spiritual ani temporal retinue are numer- ous. The manners and customs of a royal court are Maintained. The cardinal is very rarely indeed visible to outsiders. This is ‘due to the feebleness of age, for he has — is seventy-fifth birthday, but more than t to the maintenance of potentate dignity. = mn he is the Meat —— oo gee oug! * spare, grave, ly though frosty, an tive of earthliness. Now, J the rude, uncultured, joskey contrast which must riage), the strong sent by him sitting familiarly table from the venerable prelate vividly in Promises in England London Letter to Chicago Tribune. Courtships in England are short and engage Mmentsarelong. No sooner is it understood that a young man and a young woman are in Jove than it s.given out that they are engaged. ‘The American custom of leaving young men and women free to associate together and keep with written examinations, to accomplish two | objects—first, to enable the teacher to find out attention to instruction of each pupil; secondly, toenable the two superintendents and the su- and industry of the teachers, A teacher bas | y+, every pupil in each oral recitation $0 as to cover “It seems,” continued Mr. Lovejoy, “that our | erstood life, minerals. hax been re- | fed original compositions glish of that subject. In the fourth year georraphy Algebra is studied In the last year. Penmanship, drawing | and music are subjects where the study is con- | fined to the school-room. They arc in one sense | oral studies, in another merely manual or prac- | In relation to other studies, they | ool life’ than | laborious oceupations. They ave studies, the | comprehension of which depend upon the ca- | pacity of teacher for imparting, und attention of pupil in receiving, principles and in applying m. ich the eighth grade ish lan- ny branches idea into eal,’ ‘politi- cal,’ ‘moulding,’ ‘map-~drawing,’ cic. The other ‘the narrative ail the attractions of romance. "be so di and the public! ports aw y array of details calculated to mis- | lead their Judgment and excite their apprelien- | “Will our schools stand comparison with ie schools and joy, “and appeal from fault-finders at home to éxperi- commended them, and in- | 3 which have | Scene is lai had thelr origin here. Not the least grounds for self-congratulation on the part of the Dis upils cost about $18 per capita a year, including every expenditure save that for purchase of sites and erection of think there ‘are two important con- | erations which should govern us—tfirst, the | te pledge pro- posed to be submitted to the children in the schools,” added Mr. Lovejoy, “my opposition is bi mainly upon the ground that a school tristee does not stand in ioco purentis to the ex- tent of encouraging a child to take this pledge. It would be an invasion of a parent's right ior pon the propriety of having this submitted to a child: The father or mother alone has the right tosay whether or not a child shall exercise an independent judg- The board long ago adopted a rule directing the teachers to {wcul- cate principles of teraperance, which is intelli- curious too, At about the time when the Tam- “Have you been asked by many men todo | LITERARY | WEIRD TALES. By ET, W. Horrwaxy. A New i Transintoon from the Germen, with « | feat Meme J.T, Rmavet, BA. | Scholar of Corpus Christi oe. Cambridge. Two Volumes. New York: Charles = Sona Washington : Wm. Hallantyne @ Son, In'choice of subjects, personal tastes, and lit- erary style, Hoffmann was a sort of heavy Ger man combination of Edgar A. Poe and Heinrich | Heine, possessing much the same gifts, and | yielding to the same vices and excesses. He was, however, something more than either, or rather, perhaps, he was betier equipped in some | respects, for, in addition to being a writer of | Tare grace and power in certain ines, and with- in certain limitations, hie wag also a clever mu- siclan, and a painier of no small merit, His vies are consequently often enriched by en- lertaining allusions to both arts, and their charm ts often materially heightened by this feature. Tn all collections of German stories one Pr more by. Hoffmann is pretty sure to be found, DUE this i, we believe, the first time that sd large a number of them ¢ been grouped to- gether and presented to lish readers. Sev- en) anon’ tnetuded are fair examples of his wk, and while most of them are fantas tic and improbable, they show an extraordi- ary imagination, coupled with an_ ingenions faculty for construction, and are healthy in tone, "They will find many interested readers pit it is 1S on tine hoe doubtful whether the ense of Nslation and publication will be stifled by the probable demand for the work, AND TRAVEL IN INDIA: Being Reooliec- the Days of Railroads, ie) fa Journey ‘before Ly ANNA HaKmuerre Lie he Enadis the Whole ground, but at the end of a week or) ee tue Sisite Court two weeks the whole school is given in writing pe Be he Marcem.” Philudelphta: questions covering the lessons gone over, and | Porter Contes. Washington: Wn, Ballantyne & each pupil is required to answer in writing. So) “On fong os the Pupils know that they soust atoms | As their title indicates, Mrs. Leonowens’ re ‘y is made'nowadays; but when it iene. ered that char in India are few mt ofsight, observations aud ex- Perlences will serve about as well for the pres- ent as for the time when her visit was made. In some respects, indeed, her narrative is more iu- | teresting’ and’ satistactory U) Most travel- ers could now furnish, for th M more than or instruction on certain subjects, This is mainiy | {iret amd st due to the fact that our teachers are, as a class, | especially thi cultured, consclentious, industrious and pro: | hich ars naw 2 r gressive.” | gers. She is c 7 Ne “What is embraced in the course of st Ber (oceir fete cee “The course of study for the rirst nine vears,” | Wide ner recoded earthy answered Mr. Lovejoy, “that is, in ail | [gether rece nge and interesting people schools below the high schools, embtaces the | {int fcr of sitange and interesting peop following subjects: English language, penman- Nauman se aprons ship, arithmetic, geography, United States his- OBITER DICTA. New York: Charles Scrmers tory, drawing, vocal music and algebra, In Sons, W Win. Ballantyne & Son. these subjects’ text-books are used. Orai in-| Bibliopbolists wili be iustinetively drawn to struction, i. ¢., instruction without teat-books, | this little book for its dainty and atterctive given with ee ee raae beset | getting up; but after they have acquired {t most with reference to te: ws hing ¢l hildren: ‘the laws o of them will be puzzled more than a litte to healt understand Just why it reached five edit! England in a few months, and why copies of the first edition should now be bringing more than three times their original cost. Mr. Bis- sell is evidently a cultivated gentleman, and he writes gracefully te tt y seven I e up his an Carly) >rofession, & rs not be dis- jens, “Obiter Dicta” is tocurrent Mterature, ful book-making it ve creditable to the pub- hose imprint It bears, POKAIONTAS: A True Relation of Writ bs At Tod@kill, Puritan and Pil rin, With 2 Jone bare’ Coucm, 4 joughton, 0. ington: Beall, In typography and binding this pretty ittle narrative story is in admirable keeping with the and attractive style in which it Is written, and in its way it Is a long time since | anything better has appeared. Mr. Gooke is always readable, and he here shows himsel master Of the stately wnd graceful English style pecniiar to the period of which he writes, and in which he follows the romautie history of the famous Indian princess with charming keeping close envugh to history to is in the hig lishing house MY LAbY Virg By Manoaner Vaw- siphia: Porter & Contes, Wash 2 Wm. Ballantyne & Son. An excellent story this for young girls, for | whose wants and tastes it is not always easy to provide. Their attention will be held by their | interest In the two heroines, the refined style of the author, and the air of truthfulness or proba- | bility observable throughout, ratherthan by in- trieacy of plot or sensational situa in the island of Santa hment of slavery there by the to the abol ish govern: an ent, and in telling the story the au- thor manages fo introduce some very graphic pictures of a social life which no longer exists, and not « litte useful information pleasantly conveyer 2 , BALLAD vith English Ralted, with ‘TATIVE GERMAN POEMS, YRICAL. Original Texts, by Various. Translators, °s, by Kanu KNoura, New York: Washington: Brentano Brothers. This collection is one of interest and vaiue to any lover of poetry, To one fond of German | poetry it must be pecullarly acceptable, because it includes the best of its class in that language; | and to students or those interested in transla- | tions it has an added value in the fact that the | original text and the English versiongre placed | on opposite pages in each case, It con tals also | briet biographical of the authors represented. There seems to be a steady and bf no means small demand for Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's | well known and popular novel, “ Pink and | White Tyranny,” to meet which Roberts Bros, have issued a hew and cheap but attractive edition In paper covers. Received through Brentano Brothers, Charles Scribner's Sons will soon bring ont @ new novel by Mrs, Julia Schayer, of this city, entitled “ The Story of Two Lives, ————+e+-_____ Still Looking for the Lost. A MOTHER WHO WiLL NOT BELIEVE HER SON PERISHED IN THE ARCTIC SEA. A correspondent of the New York Tribune writing from Springfeld, Mass, says: This city has not lacked a share in the sad romance of the late arctic explorations, Several yearsago @ promising young man here, the only sonof widowed mother, and a general favorite in | Social circles, canght the “aretie fever,” and | againgg the protests of his family and friends | joined of the relief expeditions. For atime all went well, but as has so often happened, the ships were frozen in and the men’ were forced to take to the ice to make their way out, On their dreary march to the nearest | station, a cake of ice on which the Spring- | field boy happened to be was detached from |the main five and he was carried out | to sea. His comrades were unabie to rescue | Lim and he drijted off into the @arkness, as they were only too sure, to certain death. 1e remainder of the party’ arrived safely at thelr destination. As soon as possible the news of | the young man’s loss was sent to bis mother, but she obstinately refused to believe that he was dead. Her faith was strengthenea by the arrival, some months later, of a letter her son had written her on Christmas day preceding | the abandonment of the ships, in which spoke confidently of being with her almost as soon as the letter reached her. As it had been sent by a roundabout way across Siberia and Russia, the delay was only natural, but the mhother saw init afresh confirmation of her hopes. ‘he belief had by this time grown into a ania, and she determined to leave no : tried of ascertaining if her son really lived. Without the knowledge of her paly, she went tea “medium” who happened to N Versions, in Springfield at the time and consulted her as to the whereabouts of an absent friend. Her excitement was inereased by being wid that the person of whom she asked had been cast away In a far country amoug savage tribes had pursed him tenderly through & lor ‘that he was still weak, but was on the health. Almost beside herself, the ay mother tried in vain to convert her family to her beliet, tage t os ae bie restr hol faith in ber son’s existence by argument, they tried | Cnange of scene aod Gavel. "er cnet ‘Bowe | ton she once more visited <2, lairvoyant, | strangely enough, confirm e | edum. "This a the former ms one de in dramatic terms, man in mid-ocean by a passing vessel; then « port: a distant lan ps in @ harbor, strange costumes moving about the ng @ foreign language, 4 small house near G water, in it the sae youth, once more covering from a severe iliness and home, but unable to find the to his own country. means to Henry Hoit ” ¢-