Evening Star Newspaper, December 5, 1891, Page 12

tbe PT ofS ee } i“ LLL pe alee + Sa GENERAL VIEW OF WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL. IN CATHEDRAL TOWNS! A Visit to Winchester, the Famous Old English Capital. FROM THE ANGLO-SAXON DAYS ‘The Old Town Cross—A Procession of Shad- ewsin the Dim Religious Light—St. Cross Chareh Hospital and Its Inmates—A Peep Into » Home of the Quadrangle. ‘Written for The Evening Star. pus Is A LONG, STRAGGLING HIGH street in Winchester which runs up and down bill and is checked by ancient town gates and bits of obsolete wallend then goss on again between quaint old cottages and smart new villas until it reaches the green country and is Jost beyond the little river Itchen. A crooked ‘old street it isand narrow sometimes, but de- lightfully picturesque under the overhanging eaves of seventeenth-century shops. There is hardly a building in the High street proper later | than King George III, and many of them go back to an incredibly longer period. ‘The last | new novel or the latest thing in bonnets is| displayed behind tiny leaded panes in the} most antiquatec and impossible of shop win- dows—here s jutting casement shuts off half the sidewalk, there an arched gallery fmpeding traffic still preserves the memory of some Elizabethan mansion. THE OLD TOWN cRoss {the Butle- czors, they call it,) stands about Bidway in the length of thestrect—a misshapen mdiev.: carving on a rude pedestal, with the | peaked. prying dormer windows of some ve Sid houses craning over between it and the | sky. Beside the cross an odd-covered passage- way, lined with tiny crooked shops. leads off | from the main thoroughfare. Follow this alley under low-bowed, black-timbered and you come out at onc’ upon THE CATHEDRAL CLOSE. At first nothing is seen but a double row of magnificent elms beyond a low stone wall, with smooth green lawns on either hand, where | an occasional tombstone er out above the | shaven Under the elms a paved walk Fans. and here the yellowing leaves are already beginning to drop and blow in the puffs of fumnal winds, although it is still August, We paus down the celebrated long walk, and pres- ently the stern gray front of the cathedral is | seer nthe interlacing branches, with a single small turret piercing the pale sky and the squat Norman tower just visible beyond. WINCHESTER CATHEDEAL is magnificent in its simplicity and in its vast- mess. It is mainly early Norman in archi- | tecture, but experts claim that parts of the | building date from the Anglo-Saxon period. twas founded in the fifth century. King was. here in 827, the first | in the cathedral which history re- Porte. St Swithin's name comes down from earliest times in connection with Winchester. It was here that a prolonged rain at the time of ‘the trausferral of his bones to a new grave gave | ise to the superstition which has even crossed ‘the ocean to America: “St. Swithin's day. if thou be fair For forty days ‘twill rain nae mair,” &c. ‘Walliam the Conqueror rebuilt the church in great partand from thence date its Norman ebaracteristics. Edward the Confessor and | Richard Cur de Lion were crowned here and | memories of He: VIII and Charles V of! is son Philip and “Bloody” Mary | and of many carlicr and later English mon- archs cling about the echoing aisles and vaulted ebapels of the cathedral. THE INTERIOR. The grest length of the nave, 254 feet, gives @ very striking effect as you enter and see the solemn vista before you, with the dim ancient | and tombs of varyin; it~ | cence fit chapels and nave and chote. "Under foot are countless slabs carven with forgotten names. We stand in avast mausoleum. What thronging shapes rise before us as we look for- ward through the great nave } splendid elms stood the church and ries: the flattery-hating | Canute, banging up his crown above the altar | in token of his subjection to a higher power. | ‘There at a side altar kneels the Contessor with } bis melanchol: ourselves in the court yard of Winchostor schoo! In the Roman days a temple of Apollo stood ou this spot with schools and sominarice about it, so even from these remote times Winchester has been a seat of loarning. The present school was built in 1987 on the site of a much earlier college, and is one of the leading educational institutions of England. A porter led us through the oid bails and rooms, empty, of course, in summer time, and showed us the woorlen trenchers still used by the boys instead of plates, and their odd little forms and desks. In the cloisters we saw many well-inown names scrawled on the walls in the boyish writing of men who became great and died centuries ago. ST. CHOSE CHURCH CHAPEL. After leaving the school we followed a grassy path, which led for a mile through water meadows, where a little river trickled between sedge and willows toward St. Cross Church and Hospital. It wasalovely glimpse of ‘THE REFECTORY. country. The fresh tint of the damp grass con- trasted with the richer color of groves of trees, from which peeped red-tiled cottage roofs, with blue smoke curling above them, and the irregular chimney tops of tho town and tho cathedral tower formed a blot of grays and purples against the sky. Before us amid — alm house, for such the old word “hospital” here means; an institution founded by Henry do Blois’ in 1136 for the perpetual maintenance of thirteen poor men, the daily feeding of one hundred paupers by an ¢ ample | dinner, and the giving of a horn of ale and « manchet of bread to whoever might ask for it at the porter's lodge. The old bequest still re- mains in force as far as concerns the thirteen old men. TRE EIGHTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD BABY. One of these individuals met us at the ivy- hung gateway and led us across the emerald turf within to the church. He was a strange figure enough, small and shranken with age, his white hair flowing from beneath his black velvet skull eap upon alongand ample black cloak, on the breast of which was sewed a large Maltese cross of silver, the badge of the broth- erhood, and itself 500 years old. We were more interested in him than in the church, which he showed us with much pride and carefulness, insisting 1) every window aud chapel should receive due attention. There had been rather too much restoration done here, we thought, and the old place had lost all ir of antiquity under its new dress of paint and gilding, but the brother himself in his black cloak might have stepped out of the fif- teenth century. He told us, innocently garrni- ous, that he was the youngest member of the ears old, brotherhood, although eighty-four and they called him the “Baby.” was really by far the most sprightly and ju- venile. IN THE OREAT KITCHEN. When we, in company with n severe British matron and her fir through the church brothers in # to the great kitchen brethren are cooked, and in former times those of the 100 poor men kept the cooks busy as well. It waa a big, gloomy place, all built of stone, with a monumental fireplace, where some modern saucepans looked very mueh out of date. There was no cooking going on then, dinner being over and supper being still i the distance, but our guide told us that tho medieval regulations as to diet still existed, with very little amendment. “A leg of capon” is decreed to each old man on certain days of the week, and it is only re- cently that a delectable firtcenth century dish called “gin plums,” doled out every three days, has been changed’ to plam pudding to suit the brothers’ modern tastes. Five times a day the great gong sounds from the kitchen and the black-gowned figures come meekly forth from their little dwellings to receive their rations— smoking hot—for consumption at home. Whea we had looked into the cardinal’s hall, built by Cardinal Beaufort, o room with the ecclesiastical hat everywhere in its carven ecorations, and seen some wonder- fal leather bottles or blackjacks preserved from time immemorial, the ‘baly’ invited us to Visit his wife, aud thus see the interior of one of the thirteen houses THE ISTERIOR OF ONE OY THE woUsEs. They are all together on one side of the quadrarigle, these curious little houses, each of two rooms, with a door and # window opening nd at the back bages searlet runners. In the rather dark little parlor of the baby's house, where the light fell dimly from the greenish lattice upon decorations of much gay crockery, we fom woman ina black lace eap, who was crouch- ing over a tiny coal fire, though the suulight glowed outside, and drinking tea. Something was lying on the sofa beside her, over which she bent with great solicitude— a child we thought at first, but it proved to be asick cat. ‘The poor old soul talked of her pet with unconscious pathos. His name, she said, was Jambo and be was of the it age (fora cat) of twelve years. He had lately wandered away, with the restless desire to die apart of all sick animals, but had come back again. to their great joy.’ At least they would know his fate now. She stroked his tabby back tenderly and we saw the shadow creeping into the poor little circle where loves were so few, and Jumbo inted texts and ® neat littie old iy face and effeminate air, and | 28d been the one touch of youth and bright- bere the weary old Conqueror wanders list-| 20s We felt sorry for the old —. n lesaly down 2 aisle. ‘The wild, red- Vearded figure of William Rufus starts from be- Iyad that distant as his A LONG PROCESSION OF SHADOWS Passes slowly through the dim vastness of the wave, duappearing behind some sculptured touab when we would view them too closely. Cwur in the silent quadrangle, where life must be as nar- row as their tiny house. ON THE HIGH ROAD. Our walk back to the ancient capital of Eng- land was by a bigh road old inns und timbered cottages, whose rattled past us carrying pretty, gaily dressed girls tou garden (party, which was got somewhere beyond the water the summer twilight we found the quaint coffee room of the George Fax Soviting coceat, with ite little white-spread tables, each with candles massive silver wicks. “the soft ims mellow in ‘beams of the REVENUE CHEATING. Country. OTHER CONTRABAND GOODS, And How They Arc Got Inte the United States—Tragedies of Chinese Importation— How New York Dressmakers Make For- tunes—Growth of the Opium Vice. ‘Witten for The Evening Star, 0 LONG AS THE PROFITS OF sMUG- glers are big their business will flourish, notwithstanding such an occasional capture a8 that of the exporter of illicit opium in New York the other day. The customs detective service, controlled from Washington, cannot possibly keep under guard the entire frontiers and coasts of so vasta country as the United States. It is only now and then that they can strike a blow at the trafic by exercising not revenue inspectors in Puget Sound dressed themselves up as fishermen and started out after herring with an equipment of nets. Their purpose was assisted unexpectedly by a tre- mendous storm that came up, capsized their boat and cast them upon the shore of San Juan Island. They were taken care of by the resi- dent fisher folk and lived with them for some time, partaking of their oceupations and amuse- ments. Incidentally they discovered that the hospitable inhabitants were engaged in smug- gling opium and liquor from Canada, the whisky being sold to the workmen in the great lime factories there located. As a result eleven persons have been arrested, and it is to be sur- imised that in future the people of that locality will be on thoir ganrd against rescuing sbip- wrecked strangers. OPIUM IN STICKS OF THBER. Not long ago a novel and very interesting method of smuggling opinm was discovered by officers of the revenue marine in Puget Sound. Large sticks of timber were suwn in two length- wise and hollowed out, the halves being after- ‘ward fastened together with wooden pins, 80 that no one would have supposed for a mo- ment that the big logs were filled with contra- band material. ‘The scheme was only found out by the chance of coming across some of the empty lo;zs floating about on the water. After their contents had been removed of course the hollowed timbers were of no use for any purpose, and so they carelessly thrown away instead of being eut up and burned, which would have been more prndent. Doubtless, however, the same ingenious plan is still being pursued.’ Two or throe ed logs will hold many thousands of dollars worth of opium, and they are not likely to be picked out of a vessel’s cargo of timber by the most vigilant inspector. ‘Tho firemen and stokers on board of the trans-Pacific steamors do a great deal of smug: fling, because they have so many convenient ding places at ‘their disposal. ‘They hide } opium in the coal, whereit is almost impossible to find it. Tho customs officers cannot very well shovel over hundreds of tons of coal on board of a ship in order to discover whether there is anything contraband concealed among it, Hollow iron maste frequently afford of concealment for cans of opium, the pumps of vessels, down which’ the stuff is lowered with strings. Between the walls of State rooms and the “skin” of # steamship ex- cellent hiding places are found. DROPPING CANS OF OFIUM OVERBOARD. Once brought into port, there are various ways of getting the opium ashore. A favorite method is to drop the cans overboard with sinker attached to them, so as to keep them from drifting far, and floats of cork or wood to mark them. Then small bosts come along and pick them up unostentatiously. For a long time before the dodge was found out the drug ‘Was carried off the steamers in buckets by the sailors. A jolly tar would come along with wooden pail full of odds and ends, and the in- 8 would empty them out, only to find at the Fag omen contained nothing besides. In reality, bowe' the ordinary-looking bucket a double shell, and between the in- side and the outside opium was concealed. Some of the most remarkable incidents which have come under the observation of the revenue marine have to do with the smuggling of Chinese into the United States. Certain instances came to the knowledge of the gov- ernment net so very long ago, where the crews of vessels engaged in affording assistance to this sort of surreptitious immigration from the orient actually killed threw overboard raany unfortunate pig-tailed ngers when in danger of capture in order to destroy all evidence against themselves. Some most ex- truordinary expedients are resorted to for getting these people from the flowery land through. On one occasion several of them were hidden under the boilers of a steamer en route from Vancouver. On the way they literally roasted, and their cries of agony at- tracted the attention of the inspectors who came aboard at Port Townsend. They were dragged out and some of them died from their burns. Another time a Chinaman climbed into the space in a steamboat'’s paddle box, where he had just room.to cuddle up and hold ‘on, secreting himself before the vessel started from Vancouver. It was a cold day in Feb- ruary and every revolution of the wheel deluged him with icy water, so that he was soon rendered insensible and was taken out more dead than alive. After spending some mouths in the hospital he was sent back. SMUGGLING ToBACco. A new game for smuggling tobacco has grown upsinee the adoption of the McKinley tariff law, which imposes a duty of €2 pound on wrap- rod tobacco and 35 cents a pound on filler to- co. The surreptitious importers conceal wrapper material in bales of filler, and so get it through cheap. A great quantity prepared in that way was recently captured at Tam; With cigaren method is frequently practiced similar to that followed in the case of opium; they are thrown overboard at quarantine in rubber bags with floats attached, and men in boats piss them up. A revenue tug on the watch for such dodges captured 18,000 in a sin- gle batch one day last summer. The duty on Cigars is $3.50 a pound with 25 per cent of their value additional, so that it pays well to get them in free. Opinions differ so much as to the value of cigars that the customs ofticers would find it very hard to set accurate valuations upon them, were it not that the Cuban manufac- turers have liste giving the names and prices of all their goods. Customs inspectors have copies of these lists, but persons who desire to swindle the revenue have a way of getting around the difficulty. A dealer will go to Havana and say to a manufacturer: “1 want so many thousands of certain | brand of your cigars, but I must stipulate that you put upon them the name of a pore brand.” PThis The manufacturer does and the goods pass the cus- tom house for a fraction of the duty they ought to pay. Not long ago it was learned that a cigar merchant in Denver was undervelling the trade largely. Complaints reached the author- ities on the subject, and, suspicion being aroused, the next lot imported by him was sub jected to an examination by experts. It was found that the cigars were invoiced at one- fourth of their value. It is usually by under- seiling their competitors that fraudulent im- porters attract attention to their doings, DEVICES OF DRESSMAKERS. Quite recently there has been an exposure of smuggling on o large scale by fashionable dressmakers in New York city. These enter- prising persons have been accustomed to em- ploy women to travel to and from Paris, who would come 9 fine ladies, with inany trunks containing claborate wardrobes, whi thoy claimed as private ty and ‘merel: ‘merely wearing apparel suitable fo their condition ia life. ‘These agents would go to the Fifth Ave- Sabeequeatiy, dcliveriag. the, tanks tr foe subsequently delivering dressmakera. In this manner many of the lat- ter have accumulated large fortunes. Queer ways of smuggling are only limited the resources of human ingenuity. have been known to bovesth eee i f i i |: cf How Opium is Smuggled Into This | front THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C. SATURDAY. by. afterward: — A story that is probably untrue Marie 34 pelican which brought somo priceless through the custom house in its pouch. BOW LACES AND GLOVES ARE HIDDEN. Laces and gloves are often found inclosed between the leaves of books mailed from abroasa. A while ago an inspector found hidden in that way half of « pair of silk tights for stage uso—that is to way, tho covering for one leg. He thonght he would wait awhile and see af the other leg dia not turn up, and, sure enongh, it came along about a fortnight later in another volume with the same address. Customs officers are always on the lookout for trunks und boxes with false bottoms, this being a favorite device with smugglers. ‘They assert that women are all born smugglers. There are no expedients to whiei: they will not re- sort tor beating the revenne. Their favorite hiding places are on their persons, and many 4 time is the inspectress in charge obliged to take a lady of suspicious proportions into her private quarters and compel her to di tobe. Costly point Ince sewn upon the underclothing is only a commonrlace device. Sometimes their bodies will be wareped around and around with lace, and the fat woman who has gone into the pri- vate room to be searched may come out thin. Importations of large value were often carried in bustles when those artificial deformitics Were in fashion. On the frontier ferries, from Windsor to Detroit and from Sarnia to Port Huron, the women passengers are constantly smuggling goods across, So popular is this form of evading the law that American silks are actuully largely imported into Canada, pay- ing the duty,and smuggled back into this coun- iry to be sold as foreign goods at fancy prices. Nevertheless, it is a rule that women shall not be prosecuted for such offenses. ‘They cannot help doing so, because they arc built that way. SMUGGLING BY NAVAL OFFICERS. Naval officers doa good deal of smuggling. When a vessel comes from a foreign station euch of them is likely to have filled a few little commissions for his friends in the way of rugs, silks, sets of china, &c., not to mention wines and cigars. When the ship reaches the navy yard theso articles are shipped by express with- out having paid a cent of duty. A few years ago $6,000 worth of cigars which had ‘been brought from Havana by the Kearsarge were seized at an express office in Boston. When Mr. Sherman was Secretary of the Treasury he asked Secretary of the Navy Thompson to join with him in making a rule to the effect that all naval vessels should be examined by the cus toms officials upon reaching port. Mr. Thompson was at first inclined to regard the proposition favorably, but, after dis- cussing the subject with several officers of the navy, he changed his opinion and refused to accede to Mr. Sherman's suggestion, In the last Congress, when it was proposed to hai the revenue marine, which isasort of em: navy attached to the Treasury Department, over to the Navy Department, Senator Sher- man opposed the motion, declaring that it would be absurd to transfer an institution for Protection against smuggling to persons who were themselves smugglers. Secretary Thomp- son's view of the case was that naval officers ad small pay and ought to be allowed to get a few things in free if they wanted to. Diplomats accredited ‘to this country are per- mitted by law to import whatever they please without paying duty, and the property they bring over is not subjected to examination. ‘They have more than once been accused of taking advantage of this permission to smuggle things which they disposed of by sale. United States consuls and ministers abroad are given a certain license through courtesy in such mat- ters, and it has been charged that they also have profited by illegal importations very fre- ently. Most of the opium smuggled into this coun- try comes from Canada. ‘The business of get- ting it across the border employs enormous capital and industry of hundreds of men who have acquired expertness by experience. It is vastly profitable, as may be conceived from the fact that the importation of 100,000 Fonnds duty free represents a clear gain of €1,200,000, the tariff being 12a pound. Thus the per- sons engaged are wiling to take considerable risks, and these need not be so very great with caution, inasmuch as the customs officers cannot keep 3,000 miles of frontier constantly p trolled.’ The stuff can be conveniently shipped to any place along the line and conveyed over the border whenever it is dosired. How OPIUM 18 BROUGHT FROM CANADA. Where there isa river men in boate ferry it over by night. It is shipped across in every imaginable disguise—as household goods, sta- tionery, desiccated vegetables, pianos and what not. There is almost no limit to the ingenious resources of those engaged in the traffic. On ‘one occasion two men were arrested and twenty cans found in their possession were confis cated. The cans were stored for safe keepin ., and in order to get r © parties concerned their confederates used bribery and obtained access to the captured goods, replacing the opium in the cans with wooden blocks made to fit them. Fortunately the scbeme was discovered imme- diately afterward, else the prosecution would have been put to ridicule by the exhibition of the blocks of wood in court and the accused would have escaped. Some months ago an opium smuggler was oxsenied who confessed that ho had jon en- gaged for years in carrying it across tho fron- tier by the satcbelful at atime. He traveled toand fro by train, concealing his handbag from the customs officers when possible. Other- wise he let it lie openly on a» seat vther than that which he himself occupied. If a eus- picion as to ite contents had ever occurred to the inspectors, he would simply have denied that he owned’ it or knew anything about it. In this simple manner he bad imported more than $100,600 worth on his own account, ‘Most of the opium brought from Canada is manufactured at Victoria, where alone 125,000 pounds of the crudo article is annually trans- formed into about 70,000 pounds of the pre- red product. It comes chiefly from ‘Turkey, Being inferior in quality to that imported from China, and arrives in shape of bails. EXTENT OF TUE OPIUM HABIT. After the petals of the opium poppies have fallen the seed pods rapidly develop, inci- denfally producing « gummy juice. ‘This juice is gathered by cutting open the pods at the proper time, and scraping it off with knives when it has exuded. It is collected on leaves and dried in lumps. Finally it is made into dalls of certain wolghtand the belleare covered with poppy agglutinated with a paste opitin waste and other substances, After being dried in the sun the balls are packed in chests for export. It is in this shape that the opium reaches the factories at Victoria, where the balle are removed from their coverings of petals and the material is boiled to a thin paste with water. This paste, with some cold water added, is per- mitted to stand for fifteen hours, after which it is filtered through bamboo fiber paper. The resulting brown liquid is concentrated by boil- ing down until it resembles molasses in con- sistency. After Being kept for a few months it {s ready for smoking purposes and is put up in cans for market. To make it ready for the pf it is merely necessary to take little of the opium treacle on the end of a little instrament made for the purpose and twirl it deftlyfor. two or three moments in the flame of acan dio ‘Thus it is roasted, and the- small pellot, bein, trunsferred to the bowl of the pipe and ignited” affords thé half dozen inbalntions which seni the smoker off into a dreamland paradise. ‘The extent to which the smoking of opium prevails in the United States is not generally Tealized. It is usually asecret vice, and its effcets are not apparent when it is indulged in very moderately. ‘There is reliablo statistical information to the effect that neurly 1,000,000 people in this country smoke the drug, while at 85,000 eaters, i 70,000 pared article produced at Vi all is wold and used in Unclo Sam's dot and tothe Droment 5, hacia WANDSOME BUSINESS BUILDINGS TO BE ERECTED— FOREION POWERS AS OWNERS OF WASHINGTON REALTI—SUBURBAN SCENERY AS VIEWED FROM THE PRACTICAL STAXDPOINT OF & SUBDIVISION ownxER, OME IMPROVEMENTS OF IMPORT- ‘nce are proposed in the business section of the city. A fine large structure is to be erected on the site of the rink building on New York avenue between 13th and 14th streets, ‘The present building covers an ares that has a frontage of 109 feet anda depth of 152 feet. ‘This great ground space will be tripled in the building, which is to be occupied by Mr. Julius Lansburgh. There will be three stories instead of one, and the floor space of each story will be the same, the whole affording an interior area that ix seldom found in the ordinary business establishients. The erection of this building end its use for business purposes will no doubt he!p on the movement which has started business in this direction New York avenue has been settled upon in the opinion of | some ay the northern boundary line for the Present, at least, of that business section of the city. This iimit isa generous one, especially | when it is considered that the business region begins at Pennsylvania avenue and sweeping north with a wide swath includes all the north and sonth streets as well as the cast and west | thoroughfares, Some assert that this claim is a heavy discount on the future, but ite reuliza- tion ‘does not seem so very ‘remote after all When ‘the progress of the improvements is no Another old land mark on F street is to be removed, and in its place ig to be erected a modern building for business purposes. This new structure will occupy the southeast cor ner of 12th and F streets. The owner, Mr. Charles G. ‘Thorn, has had_ plans prepared for the ereetion of a fine building. ‘Ihe southern end of the present building was more or less | involved in the wreck caused by the fall of the walls of the new Metzerott Music Hall, but it was unoccupied at the time. tion of the building on the opposite corner by Hnyler this corner was the only one of the four on the block which was still oceu- pied by an old-fashioned structure. The mod- ern improvements were begun at the south- west corner by the erection of the Moses build- ing, which, by the way, was the pioneer ofthe modern business buildings on F street. Then the building occupied by Mertz was erected and Huyler purcbased the property at the northeast corner and adapted it for business as earried on in the modern style, and now Mr. Thorn’s improvement willround out the re- maining corner in that block with a handsome architectural design. MR. MEARST's PURCHASE. Recently Mr. Hearst, the son of the late F street, where his office has been located for some time. He needed the entire building for his business and so he purchased it. Somo time ngo it was understood that Mr Hearst was thinking about buying ground in a central locality and erecting a large building especially planned for uso’ as offices for’ news- Paper | correspondents. | It was stated hat his own business offices would be in this building. is purchase, however, is taken as an indication that he has abandoned the idea of erecting an office building for the present at least. There is, however, no doubt that such a building will be erected here before long. If Mr. Hearst does not undertake it some one else will. A majority of the corre- spondents, and at least one of the press associa tions are now occupying quarters which are not suitable and the only reason is there is nothing better offered in the locality. THE PURCHASE OF A KING. During the past week s deed was placed on record by which his majesty,the King of Kofea, became the owner of the residence on Iowa circle occupied by the legation from that coun- try. Owing mainly, no doubt, to the fact that the Koreans, in respect to dress and other de- tails of manners and customs, have different ideas than those that prevail in this country it was suspected that they were not Foxe up to our civilization, But they have shown a marked facility in reaching the con- clusion that real estate in Washington is worth | having. There are other countries having le- gations here which are supposed to be abreast of western civilization, but with but few excep- tions they have failed to grasp this very exsen- tial and practical idea. ‘The government of her Brittani majesty tome twenty rears ago dise ed its fore it in acquiring a property Enis is now me] the ane valuable in the city. The German government and the Mexi- can government some years later followed this example, and their investments, if they wished "to renlize in cold cash, would pay a handsome profit. Not such a Profit, however, if they had bought some years before. The Korean legation only been accredited to thie government for a short time and it must be acknowledged that they have not wasted their opportunities. It might be stated for the benefit of diplomats atill occupying rented houses that the Koreans have displayed a prudence and & business sa gacity which is valuable as an example, and that they can be followed in this respect’ with the unquestioned faith that if thereis not mil- lions in it there is a good, reliable investment. If la a good ways to go to‘obtain evidence as to the desirability of Washington realestate asan investment, and although there are plenty of competent opinions to be obtained nearer home, yet it is gratifying to know that the King of Koren in the midst of his engrossing duties ‘cops posted in regard to real estate values in this city. EXTENSIVE GRADING OPERATIONS. ‘The picturesque scenery which is the fea ture of the country constituting the suburbs of this city is muchadmired. It is very pretty as the eye looks it over when driving along tho country roads. The wooded heights and shady glens, however, take on an entirely different aspect wher ® man so much an cro, or square foot, with the’ scenery and wants to make a subdivision. perhaps thrown in, 5 ‘Then he is inclined tosigh for thelevel rectangular squares of the city landscape, which may be ugly to the a artistic eye, but which has a beauty that in ca- pable of being turned into hard dollars with wo extra expenditure, However, the diversified country is there, und it must be taken with ali its natural advantages and disadvantages. In consequence there has been some remarkable work dowe in, grading this refractory land so that the growing population can bo kept sup- pliet with building sites. Some people may, perhaps, remember Kalorama as it used to be, with ats ‘rolling hills and deep, wooded hol- lows. Now, however, there are paved side- walks and curbed strects running throngh it from the boundary to Rock creek. ‘The city streets are iaid out through it and there are squares of building ground. Perhaps Kalorama is not so pretty as when it was the country seat of Joel Barlow, but if he was alive he would no doubt be reconciled to the lows of mere beauty Since the renora- | and by the golden roturns which his acres now bring as sites for residences. Reference has beon made to the extensive engineering work that has been done in order to provide a road~ Ded for the Hock Creek railroad along the direct line of Connecticut avenue extended through the Rock creek country for” three hago is now bei An extensive piece of grading is now done by Mr. Waggaman on the and along the Woodley road at the entrance to the bi across Htock cfeck. Tho tract contains onl eleven acres, but as left by nature the entire aren was the baso of « sugar loaf elevation thot looked like an exaggerated ant hill covered with a growth of troea, ‘There was no tion of town lots about this property when the work was began. Now, however, the hill has 1891—SIXTEEN PAGES. ‘Hart OFFICE BOT. 4 Week's Cumulative Evidences Agsinst Bim. From Jude. These are the remarks of Mr. Scuff, senior partner of the firm of Scuff & Bamper, show- ing his opinion of the new office boy: Monday—The new office boy is a perfect treasure. The first thing he did when he had & moment of leisure was to wash out my ink- stand. Ithadn’t been cleaned fora year, and it was a real pleasure to write when nice fresh ink was put in it, While I was at lunch John- nie dusted off my desk and put everything in its place. He's the best office boy I ever had, olite and obliging, and very neat in appear- nee. ‘Tuesday—Yes, I think Johnnie is a model office boy. He was here this morning bright and early and had my desk as neat as a new pin and everything in its piace when I arrived. He said."“Good morning, Mr. Scuff,” in such a mtlemanly manner, too. His ay pearance was rdly as neat as on Yesterday, but I can over- look that if be continues puncturi and does his duty satisfactorily. ‘ednesday—Johnnie was hal! sn hour late this morning. He said bis motuer neglected to call him as early as usual Inope it will not Occur again. Asa consequer.ce my desk wasn't dusted, for I nadn’t time to leave it while Joha- nie put things to rights. ursday—Jolnnie was hore when I arrived this morning, but I noticed that my desk wasn't dusted. He was reading the morning paper when I came in and didn’t offer to get up. Friday—Johnnie takes an unconscionably long time to go on an errand. He managed to patina whole hour this morning going not more than five blocks Saturday—Johnnie is making a creat nuis- ence of himself as a whistler. At first be was iige Aud quiet, Lut be seems to have outgrown Monday—Oh, ree; I had to discharge John- nic. He wasted his time awfully. Why, on Saturday he consumed three-quarters of an hour going half a square to the post office. And then he never pretended to mind anything 1 said, and Tcouldn't get to see the morning Paper until after he bad read it. Then he whistled all day long when he was in the office, | and regularly distracted me. He was no good Ihad to discharge him. You don't know where I relia Phere T could get a good, relisble boy, do ps ea ed FANAMPOANA, Oldest Sort of Slavery Known—It Hangs Over the Head of Every Madagascarens. From the Fornightly Review. Not only is slavery universal throughout | #0 Paris. Having little confidence in ber and | mains fo Madagascar, but also is there » still more Bigantic evil, and one which is even more surely crushing the manhood and stifling the life of that curious and beautiful country. “‘Fanampoana,” or forced isbor, has s Pro- | #* she was before her marriage, m spite of the | tean shape, It may best be understood by de- scribing it as partaking of the nature of the corvee; it is also applied to conscription, to all | kinds of government service; it is part of the feudal system, and it even sometimes takes the shape of a “logging bee.” It would be unjust to the sstute old man who presides over the destinies of the people of that country if it were not stuted that he has more than once considered a plan by which it might be modi- fied and reformed. But the system ix too deeply woven into the inner life of the nation to be dealt with except by a master hand, and then only with the assist- ance of outside and friendly financial support. For instance, it is one of the main character- istics of fanampoana that it supplies the place of the payment of oficials throughout’ the island. “In fact, in all M no secre- tary, clerk, artisan, soldier or civilian serving the ‘government, in whatever capacity (with the exception of ‘a trifling percentage received | Ly some of the governors or even fed by the state. them by employing them” phemism rans), and they themselves. But when loyalty takes the shape, as ig constantly the case, of carrying vast weights of wood, iron orstone on rawand bleed. ing shoulders, ‘along goat tracks (for roads there are none), through swamps and forests, up and down hills 5,000 feet high, then the ad- ditional stimnlus of shackles and I f districts), is paid neen honors irons is needed to persuade the poor captured peasant that on the whole he had better a cept the “honor,” half starved though he must be. If he rans away he brings family and becomes a fugitive anda bush- ranger; the numerous robber bunds are mainly recruited from such runaways. Hundreds of instances could be cited, especially within the past twelve months, to show that this tyranny | becoming more and more unsupportable. In the first place all the land in . with comparatively few exceptions, belo: nominally to the queen, but actually to many years past the government is and hes n completely centered in and despotieally ruled by th prime minister, Reinilaiarivorny, Who, besides his original wite, has married two successive queens of Madagascar. Fortunately for himself and his family his rule has, on the whole, been wise as well as vigorous.’ In the Sakalava expedition out of tens of thousands of nts who were summoned, assembled and even partially drilled throughout. the country only about two thousand could be actually laid hold of, and a few months of fever and numerous desertions quickly reduced this number. Similarly in the alluvial gold ficlds, which are being worked by forced labor upon the enormous nominal royalty of 55 per cent to the government (45 per cent is divided among the toreign shareholders, directors and super- intendents), immense exertions have to be con- stantly made to keep up the supply of forced labor. Thus it comes about that this most im- portant branch of the nations! wealth is not velopéd. Here, as elsewhere, seridom spelis poverty. , in the case of craftsmen and artificers. Madagascar possesees and could produce plenty of men whose talent would compare favorabl: with that of almost any people in the ay f But the moment they show proficiency in their art they are “fananipoaned,” that is, they are honored by being employed by the government or by some powerful official, without wages and without food. Aclover craftsman from whom you buy a work of art, in whatever metal. begs you not to say from whom you purchased it, solely for fear of the honor” which would be in store for him. So if you want @ good tin- smith, carpenter or jeweler, you must not search for him among the tradesmen of his own. craft; but the clever jeweler is found among the washermen, and so on, in an amusing “bo: pegp” of industry. ‘The queen honors “Raini- ” or “Bootoo” by taking him away from his Tice fields just at the season when his labor and supervision are most required for his crop. So ‘the unfortunate “freeman,” who is not allowed to send his slave as his substitute—mark the grandeur of the distinction conferred upon Lim—is remorsely bled, even to his penulti- mate dollar, if he desires to procure exemption from the bonor. ———_—_o- Made Him Kiss the Rod. From the Philadelphia Press. “Not so fast, Prince!” ‘A young lady passing the state house yester. aay held s magnificent mastiff by the collar. He was anxions to trot off and dragged her. eS unishment on bis, NAPOLEON'S SISTER PAULINE. ‘The Bad But Beactiful Princess Whose Statue by Canova ie Famous Paria Letter to Chicago Herald. The most famous though not the most pre- cious work of art in the Borghese collection is the Canova statue of the Princess Pauline Bor- ghese. She was the second daughter of Charles and Letitia Bonaparte, therefore a sister of Napoleon I, and it was apropos of this statue, if T mistake not, that a famons anecdote got into circulation. Some of the ladies of the im- Perial court were discussing the subject, wh: ‘one of them, braver than the rest, ventured to ask the Princess Pauline, who was then in Paris, how could she possibly have posed naked for is. “Why, the studio was kept very warm,” was ber reply. Whether the anecdote is a trac one or not does not matter much. but certainly the bewitching Pauline posed for the Canova statue in a state of nudity. It represents ber arranged as to expose her symmetrical form in all its beauty. tere and the least virtuous. With the hot blood of the south runing through her veins abe ripened to maturity long betor out of her teens and attracted numerous admirers. rest, writing of her, says: * the loveliest woman Lever beheld. not the slightest imperfection | face, to which was joined an cleg: e | the most seductive grace. She was an inco! | parable beauty, but she had little or noinstr tion, no conversational powers, and her mi | ners were exceedingly dissolute.” It scome j only too probable that there was truth in the | terrible acc [lovely but. pr jhe had redeeming qualities [frailties sho was not a mischief might put out her tougue to her belind ber back and ery because Jos: finer jewels than she bad, bat she never tor- | tured her like her brother and sisters did, and | never allowed her to be swayed by political motives to do a bad act. In 1797, when Napoleon was at the chateau | of Montebello, already playing the sovercign he sent Joseph to Marmont with the proposa that he shouid marry Pauline. Marmont de- ¢lined, and the offer which be refused was no- cepted by Gen. Leclerc, a brilliant young offi- cer of no great stamina, who may have been ignorant of Pauline’s liaisons, thoagh that with the actor Lafont of the Theater Francaise had made noise enough. Gen. Leclere died in St. Domingo of yellow fever, and Pauline returned | anxious that she should conduct herself de- | cently at all events during the time she would | have to passin mourning, Napoleon confided | her to the care of his brother | worthy wife, but she soon became as proiligate | threats and remonstrances of Napoleon. ‘Then | came the chance to marry Prince Lorghese, the | liaison between them having become vo public that a wedding was necessary. wedding caused quite a flutter among the old families of the Faubourg St. Germain, who felt them- selves suddenly brought into contact with the Bonapartes. Strange to say, no official notiti- cations were made of this marriage. The cer- emony was celebrated without «uy pomp at Joseph's country resideuce of Mortfontaiue, in | the absence of Napoleon, who was at the camp | of Boulogne. | _It was the statue of this princess that Canova esteemed as one of his best works, and if I reter to it today it is because it came very near being | thrown on the market afew days ago, some- | ting that was only prevented by te Italian government. Fancy a prince of one of the most patrician famulics that Rome has ever | known finding himself bard up, but that is what ails the Borghese. He owes $5,000,000 and wants to sell his celebrated gallery of pic- | tures and statuary, but as the government of Italy opposed his’ doing so family relatives have managed to raise 13,000,000 fraucs or so with which be may ~‘tand oi’ afew of those | who are pushing bim too closely. } ———— +02 — COAL FKOM ALASKA. Great Expectations Indulged in at San Francisco. From the San Francisco Post. Iteeems to have been demonstrated that there are enormons coal deposits in Alaska, some of which are of fine quality and so situated as to make mining easy and inexpensive. Some of the great ledges crop out so near the shore ‘that vessels can be loaded at the very mouth | of the tunnel through which the drifts are | reached, thus reducing the cost of handling | the coal very materially. One grest reason why manufacturers in this | the cost of coal. The supply of coal in Washington | has been limited, either naturaliy or by com- | bination of the producers, and the British Co- | lumbia coal has been in the pool. Foreigu‘coal | has cost too much to get here, and the same has | been true of coal from the eastern states. If, however, great coal deposits are discovered and developed in Alaska, there can be no reason why this city should not have cheap coal and plenty of it. The water carriage of coal from Alaska to this port during the summer months when it would be brought here should be very inexpensive. A vessel can load coal and bging it here cheaper than a railroad can haul it from the Pennsylvania mines to New York. If the ts are as extended and as varied as has been represented it will be practically im to pool them with the British Co- ton coal. We have bad from deal of talk about the duty on foreign coal, but it is evident that a duty of 75 cents a ton will not account for an increase of 69 or $10 a ton, as we have seen in this city. It is combination, not tariff, which has made British Columbia coal rule so high. The climate of Alaska will not prohibit the working of coal mines, even in the winter, after the drifts and shafts and tunnels get well under the surface, for there the temperature is nearly uniform the year round. In the interests of this city it is to be hoped that Alaska coal may rove to be all that has been claimed for it, Poth an to quality and quantity, Written for The Evening star. Here on the Earth I am s Stranger. - Ty Jesu oe Thou Sues oad Bere on the earth, a piigrum stranger, To Heav'n, which is my fatherland, I press me on, through toil and danger, My pilgrim staff within my hand, And I, at last, by grace shall core, ‘Where I with God shail be at b - ‘The world has naught that can be given, °Tis but ap inn, where brief our stay; A few more years, and then comes Heaven, For death will summon us away. ‘We came to earth with empty hand, ‘We ewpty go to that far land. Have J on earth no sure abiding, I shouid be ready to depart, Beneath God's mighty wing confiding, Be where my treasure is, my heart. Bince soon this world will from me slip 1 will make sure Heav'n's citizenship. ‘Not long on earth, indeed, my dwelling, A little while a pilgrim here! ‘To fruit, the harvest will be swelling, I've scattered oft, with pray'r and tear. Here blooms my hope, a little hour, ‘There stands eternal faith's fair fower. God's will on earth, should I be witling, ‘What e’er may be my human lot, ‘My transient hopes within me Submitting constant to His thought. ‘Why should I long for Egypt's fare, ‘When Eschol clusters wait me there? as Venus Vietrix, boiding in her hand the gol- | den apple as the prize of victory. When I Went to look at it Ifound her caressingly re- | posing on ensconced in drapery, osten- Sibly as acover to her nakedness, and’ yet so ine was the loveliest of Napoleon's six | Joseph and his | | city have not advanced more rapidly has been | government. At the present moment and for | * STORIES OF PARNELL. Amcidents Drawn From the Irish Questies Told by Chauncey M. Depew. Prom the Now York Tribune After Mr. Depew bad spoken bis fine eulogy on Parnell in the Academy of Music be went te the Union Square Hotel, .n company with the members of the committee, to eat a sandwich and to drink ® gloss of champagne. While there he told many good storios of incidents @rawn from the Irish question. “Twas dining in London not long ago,” said Me. Depew, “with the family of an earl, who Lad large landed estatos in Ireland. “How is it Mr. Depew,’ said Lady ——, the wife of my host, ‘that you are such a per- | sistent enemy of our house?” j} “Wehet? said Lo An enemy of your chance over there im | Amer vtators, who are | more Le Lefore all this trouble about | land aud the reduction of rent began—and I am never knew what ft meant be! we | own ot rented.a much larger and more jepaciows town house than this in Port- jiand Squar another in Dub- i we bad @ nted villa ow se preserve, ough which ras ands lands, where we tm speut Six wecks or two months each " I exclaimed, more and more a» — “Bat now,” this is the first don my own table Hlow can you be so cruel, Br. " enid ihe, meditatively, “ae I T had innocent the noble lord, | “the Irish questio: indeed the most far- | reaching ramific Winch, like the ghosts | in Macbeth, seem to stretch out to the crack o | doom. A TAWYRR WHO PLAYED 3m. PARNELL. In this Little party of listeners were two men | who have won some fame in nat | Timothy Campbell and William Campbell it was who 4 ed himeelf im Congress ing to know “What is a little | matter like the Coustitution between friends” } while m McAdoo there re- nent in de- the Mills asion was called, in voting ure with @ courage tuzen of the imperial commonwealth | nouncing on the floor of th Dill, and wi of N 1m another story,” said Mr. De~ Campbell inched up closer te d the thumb of his left band in et, leaving his fingers free to play a tattoo on “the ints ar.” “You Tewember when Mr. Parnell was here tu 1880,” said air. Depew, noddin who stood 0} bany he staye te House Hw same rooms ceupied—you know where I he said, turning to ¥, pe said Mr. Campbell in- nocently, while the eatire company burst into | @ fit of inughter. “I knew I was right,” said Mr. Depew, and continued: “A decanter of whisky was put on | the table and newspapers and writing materials Parnell had occa- Prev wn Irish-American lawyer of name Were scattered all around. | sion to leave the room for a little while. ently a well-k | this city, who: Tem not at likerty to Mention, thinks: he was going to his own quarters, wandered into the room by mistake. | Surveying the decanter and glass. he sented | himself fora moment. Touring out a little of the whisky, he marmured tohimselt: “Theland- Jord of this here place must know me.° “There came a knock. “Come in!’ said the lawyer. ‘The door was pushed open and the newcomer walked boldly forward and grasping the lawyer by the hand said, with an air of confidence and in accents that were uumistakably Irish: “Are you Misther Parnell? ‘Lam,’ said the lawyer. “Sit down.’ | *Misther Paruell,’ began tae stranger,while | his voice trembled and tears stood in his eyes, | “Lhave a wife an’ a helploss little family. 1 was jevicted four years ago from me farm by @ murtherin’ villin of a iandiord in Tipperary, and had ayther togo to th’ poor house or to | vome to America. I'm very hard up, Mistber Parnell, so 1am, an’ I hope now ye'li do vome- in’ for me.” “ “Me poor fellsh.’ said the lawyer, as be took his band in bis and squeezed it, “I have tasted a little bit of eviction meself;” so we're brothers in distress, Take a shlug out o° that, man, an’ be thankful for whatamercifsl Provi- dence bas thrown in our way * ‘Au’ can 1 say whin I go home that Thad @ @hrink wid th’ uncrowned king av Ireland? ** You can—you can—vou can!” shouted the lawyer, jamping up excitedly and thrasting the old farmer out through a side door, caring little whether be landed on bis head or on his feet. Then he rushed to open the other door by which he bad himself entered, and there before him, tall, thin, pale and with wonder | ing eyes stood— Parnell !” A CRITICISM AND A REMINISCENCE. “Would you like another little story?” sald Mr. Depew. “Go on, Mr. Depew,” came the answering chorus from the little company, now thoroughly interested and amused. “This is @ criticism and @ romiuiscence, rather than fanny story,” said he. “I have often thought that our House of Kepresentatives bas lost en- tirely its character of # debating society. The introduction of desks killed that completely. With the present arrangements there ts little more excuse for a member of Congress who is taken unawares in an argument than there would be if he were seated in his library at his own home. Pens, ink, paper and ne and books of history, of statistics and of reference, to au unlimited extent, may be stowed away in his desk How’ different it is in the house of commons those of you who have been there well know. It is as primitive in its conveniences in this t as at was when Edmund Burke thundered forth hae famous impcachment of Warren Hastings 100 years ago. You all remember the great speech of Giadstone, lasting three hours and « halt, when, in April, 1886, be mtroduced his femous home rule bill, which involved virtually a re peal of the union. ‘The grand old man from head notes only. Though these of them- selves made quite a pile of material, of printed and of written matter alike, be bad to arrange them for the most part as best he could om bie knees. “He had time for previous preparation, of course, but what time or what convenience did he have in sitting out the long and memorable debate which followed, and im stramn, I should fancy that in his place even the ablest of our members of Congress, past or present, Would find himeclf in a quandary. FEALTY TO PARNELL. “I was in tho strangers’ gallery one evening uring « debate on that most intricate of all subjects of English le, tion, the irish land question. Sexton and liedmond, and O'Connor and Sullivan and Healy—in fact, all the bright- est and most eloquent ay} the members of ‘the Irish party had spoken. 1 forget what the jon was which had come from the treasury benches, but every one of these men rejected jt It was » tory government, ber. consultation with his colleagues that I fide, and as “he “eat down cated “te Ka be Zid s0 vote! andiis colleagues did actually follow him into the division lobby? I never before saw such an exhibition of party