The New York Herald Newspaper, September 13, 1875, Page 4

4 GEORGIA. The Negro Emigration Move- ment Explained. {HE STATE FINANCES. | The School System and Its Local | Importance. | INDUSTRIAL CONDITION OF THE BLACKS, Auring, N. J., Sept. 11, 1875. “Yo rmx Evrrok ov rae Hina -— Among the latest news from Georgia I notice a re- port of an emigration movement among the colored | people of the counties in which the rumor of an insur- | rection recently excited alarm. I think it probable | tbat the excitement in those counties will alarm some ef the blucks and lead them to think of removing to Dither States; but it would be a mistake to suppose that the westward movement took ita rise thus, I men- tioned in a previous communication that at least 25,000 colored people had left the State in the last five or six years. In Atlanta I had some conversation with ™ negro who had been of the leaders im this movement, and he gave me a number of instances where colored farmers had removed to Mississippi or Arkansas, taking with them mules and farm tovls, !n some cases enough to fill two or three cars, This man remarked tomo that when he was | younger and during stavery times, he had noticed that many white people, even planter's sons, removed from | the State, und when any of them returned for a visit ome they proved usually to have prospered by the Bhange. ‘I thought if it was good for the whites it | Would be good for our folics, too,” he said, “and so I always encouraged all that wanted to try it” He had Started a son-in-law to Louisiana, where after two years | he found him prospering. He had visited Arkansas and Mississippi also, and confirmed to me my own observa- | tions that in these States the colored people thrive, and ure generally secure in their rights, He thought Ar- kansas the best of all the States for his people, but showed me also pamphlets recommending certain parts of Mississippi, which be was distributing among his people. 1 do not know, by the way, what better evidence one ‘ean have than this of the generally sutisfactory condi- tion of the colored people in those States. The test mony of a colored man—a sufficiently shrewd fellow, I Judged him, who had travelled through the regions he | spoke of, and whom I saw from his conversation to be astickler for the “rights” of his people—ought to go very far to satisfy Northern people. Such disorders as are now happening in Mississippi will injure that State, Dut they are strictly local and sporadic. He wld me, what I knew otherwise also, that emigration agents come Into Georgia from different counties in the three States Ihave named in search of laborers I know myself a Single county in Northern Louisiana which bas drawn in the last seven years not less than 4,000 colored peo- plo from Georgia and Alabama, These agents make known the fact that rich lands lie open in the sections they represent, and not infrequentiy | they are ready to pay the expense of a family’s re- | moval The late fall and winter, afler the crops are ‘made, is the season of removal; and the man I speak vf thought, from what he knew, that not less than 5,000 would leave the State next winter. This, bear in mind, ‘was long before the so-called insurrection. 1 confess that to me this readiness to better their for- tunes by emigration seemed one of the best signs I saw In the South of the real independence of the negro, and I found it most fully developed in the very State where, According to the commonly received reports of republi- tan politicians, the negro 1s still in a condition litde Petter than slavery. If this were true, of wourse, he would not be moving away, for he ‘would be tied to the soil. Nor do I belfeve that Georgia will sustain a serious loss by this emigration, It will make room for white emigrants, and Georgia is peculiarly fitted to receive and utilizea white farming nd manufacturing population, Itis not properly a Planting, but a manufacturing State, as I have before aid. one NEGRO PROPERTY OWNERS. I recur for a moment to the retiarkable return of over six millions of propery owned by the negroes of Georgia, to say that it is the only official report of the kind 1 have found in any Southern State, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, long under republican rulers, yielded me no such information. Ouly in demo- cratic Georgia had the rulers sufficient intelligent curi- wsity to ascertain what practical progress the negro bad made under freedom. The result is, ef course, very gratifying and surprising, It Speaks well for the negro’s industry and his Browing power of accumulation, and it speaks well for the justice and fair dealing of the whites toward the blacks. Georgia has at this moment but one repub- Jican journal, and that is a weekly—the National Repub- tican—printed in Atlanta, From that I take the follow- 4ng editorial commeut on the condition of the colored people. It seems to me a little harsh, but it comes from a republican: What is the record of ten years of freedom? In the Matter of temperance has th been progress? Nay, in this respect the frecdmen are a thousand per cent worse Off than they were in slay Rarely do we find a strictly temperate man, Very negriy ail drink, in town and out, young men and old, and the women, too. Thousands spend a dollar for whiskey through the week, and on the Sabbath put a nickle or nothing in the contribution box. The — freed. men of Georgia spend in a half year for liquor as mach as they have paid for schools sinc emancipation. Is this a matter of which they should be roud? To whom is the intliction of this wrong due? hat has been done for schools? A little money has Deen raised, but not a hundredth, if a thousandth part of what has been spent for tobacco and shows and shot- uns and fines. One show here last winter is said to ‘ave carried away $33,000 of the colored people’s money, more than their yoluniary contributions to schools in this city since 1865. In ten years not more than one im nine or ten has learned to read in the State, or out of ,000 not more than 60,000 or 70,000, and these very largely through the aid of Northern missions, This year taxes will be paid on an uggregate of $7,000,000 of property, or less than $13ahead. This is ‘the showing of a decade of freedom and tair opportunity. For it in some measure the whites may be responsible, but the responsibility lies chieily with the people themseives. They have probably earned from $35,000,000 to $45,000,000 a year | and out of jt should have a large percentage. | ut there has been ituprovidence and waste on every hand. No poor and ignd- | rant are th pated, and | y, quite as much as the | Whites, serve to keep and what they are—hewers of | woud and drawers of wat If a democratic journal ad said these things it would have been called prejudice, and 1 should not have | thought of quoting it, They are the words of the repub- licam’and colored organ. {THR STATE PINANCRS AND PUBLIC scnoo.s, While I am speaking of the democratic management of the State, I think it right to call attention to the sat- Isfactory financial statement, which compares remark- ably with the condition of Louisiana, Arkansas and other Southern States which lave been under republi can control ‘The State debt is but $8,000,000, and tho credit of the State stands high in New York and abroad, In January of this year there was a surplus in the treasary of over $1,000,000. The cost of the Stat government for 1874 was but $776,000. The counties have oo debts of any consequence, The cities have Soine, but nota very Leavy indebtedness, It ts alto- | wether such @ showing as these democrats Beed not be ashamed of It a8 one weak spot | SHiy—the expenditure for schools. Georgia bad | fo free schools before the war; and the systein makes but slow headway In the State, The | present Superintendent of Public Instruction (a dem- | Yerat) is a zealous and efficient vilicer, and he looks Jorward to betier days, There was apportioned vy hiro for the support of schools in 1874 only $265,000; and the schools are open, in general, less than three months im the year. Yor tue present year the school tax will yield only $270,000. \.ast year there were 135,000 chil- dren tn the public schools, an increase of 40,000 over 1878 In 1873 thore wore actually attending school only 63,922 white and 19,755 colored children; in 1874 the gumbersstood 95,167 white and 42,74 colored chil fren, This was out of a total of 218,733 white aud 176,306 colored children within the school ages, There is still ip many counties some prejudice against colored vehools, but it constantly decreases; and you will | Yotics that more than twice as many colored children | Attended schools in 1874 as in 1873, Atlanta has a polored aniversity, and the Legislature appropriates yearly towards its support $8,000, the same amount whieh is given to the old State University. The Gov- | ‘enor aod Soperintendent of Schools both desire that | | he urged bis hearers / ‘ re NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1875--TRIPLE SHERT. this appropriation shall be diverted to a colored normal school; andthere is some ignorant prejudice in Atlanta against the teachers in the University, on the ground of their sitting at table with the colored students, which is thought to promote ‘‘social equality.” It is not¢ nied, however, that the school does good work; and imagine the teachers can best instruct the pupils in the | minor morals by eating at the samo table with them” One cannot help feeling alittle contempt for the people who hore in the South make themselves needlessly un- happy about “social equality.” I was amuse a sensivie planter—a democrat and native Georgian—who said to me “It is absurd in us to make such a fuss; there is scarcely a man of us whose children are not suckled by negro nurses; our playmates were negro boys;, all our relations in the old of the most intimate; and for my part I would as soon ride in a car with a cleanly dressed ne- gro us with awhite man. It Is all stupid nousense, and makes us absurd in the eyes of sensible people.” ‘The feeling takes the most ridiculous forms, too, For instance, in Atlanta and Augusta colored people aro al- lowed to ride in street cars; in Savannah they are for- bidden, Why the difference? Is a Savannah negro at leas clean, or is a Savannah white man a more noble | being, than those in the other two cities? As showing the relations of the two races, I found on a Augusta a poster giving notice of a colored railroad ex- cursion to Port Royal, stating price of passage and timo required, and at the end a notice that a special car would be provided for such of the white citizens as would like to take advantage of this opportunity to see Port Royal, and especial accommodations fur their comfort would be at hand. The whole affair was under the conduct of colored men. The Su- perintendent of Schools told me that there was less preju- dice against colored schools in the Southern counties, where the negroes are the most numerous, than in the northern part of the State, CONDITION OF THE BLACKS—WAGKS. ‘The negroes in and near the cities and towns are usually prosperous. There are many colored mechan- tes, and they receive full wages where they aro skilful. Near Atlanta and other places they own small “truck farms,” and supply the market with vegetables. There are fewer black than white beggars in the cities; and a missionary clergyman surprised me by the remark that the blackberry crop, which was ripening, was ‘a bless- ing to dozens of poor white families of whom he knew,” who lived half the year in a condition of semi-starva- tion. He explained that these people would uot only sell blackberries, but that in the season they largely lived on this fruit. These are the kind of people to whom factories would be @ blessing. Iw the cotton country the planter usually pays his hands $10 a month, by the year, with a house and ration. ‘The ration consists of three pounds of bacon, a peck of meal and a pint of molasses per week. The laborer has also # “patch” of land for a garden, and Saturday afternoon for himself, with the use of she pianter’s mules and tools to work the garden. They work from sunrise to sunset, and ip the summer have twoandahalf hours for dinner. The cottoa pickers receive ifty cents per 100 pounds in the seed and are | fed, or sixty-five cents per 100 pounds if they feed themselves. The ration costs about fifteen cents a day. Most planters keep a small store, and sell their laborers meat, bread and tobacco on credit, the general settle- ment being made once a year. The women receive for field work $6 a month and a ration, and I was told that they insist on receiving their own wages and will not let their husbands use their money. They form an important extra force for pressing work. One of the most intelligent plant- ers I met in the State told me that his laborers cost him about $15 a month—wages and ration. He added (what surprised me) that the best planters prefer to pay wages rather than let their land on shares, and that the wages system was growing in favor also with the negroes. Tfound this confirmed by other testi- mony. It is very different in the other States I have seen—except, indeed, North Carolina—and I imagine the poverty of the soil is a main reason fort. In Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas the planters told me it would be poor policy to pay wages. Certainly it is the poorest system for the negro. PLANTING ON SHARES. ‘Where the negroes plant on shares the planter fur- nishes the land and mules and feeds the mules. The negro furnishes labor and feeds it and gets one-third the crop. He pays for one-third of the fertilizers. The planter gins the whole crop. Where negroes rent land they pay 750 pounds of lint or ginned cotton for thirty-five to forty acres of land—as much as they can cultivate with one mule—and they keep up the fences and pay for the fertilizers “On this Jay,” said a planter to me, “I know one man who made $250 clear ina year over and above his support, and another who Jost $150." He added that the negroes, on the whole, preferred the wages system; and this is mainly, I im- agine, because the artificial manures are costly and an uncertain element in making the crop. This means really, of course, that it costs more money to make cotton in Georgia than in the other States I have named. A third of a bale to the acre is the average crop in Georgia, but in Mississippi they expect to get from three-quarters to a bale per acre without manure A planter from one of the “black counties,” wher the negroes are most numerous, told me they were a most quiet and docile population, “I live in the midst of several hundred,” he said, ‘with no white family within several miles of me, and my people are never in the least alarmed. I have nota firearm inthe house halfthe time. Treat them honestly,” he eaid, “and they are all right.’ This man amused me with some stories of how the blacks were deceived by a set of white rascals for some years after the war. Among other things, these fellows brought red and blue sticks, which they sold for $l cach to the negroes, wherewith to “stake off” the laud which the government was to give them. The blacks used also, when they t to the polls to vote, to bring halters with them, for the mule which General Grant was to give them. I would like to know what graceless wretch it was who spread all over the South, among the blacks, the story of “forty acres and a mule,” which has caused bitter dis- appointment to many thousands of credulous ne- groes, and appears to have been used mainly to induce them to vote the republican ticket. In Louisiana sev- eral negroes told me that General Butler, they under- stood, would make them thie gift; but usually it is from General Grant that they expect it, and they are very ready to vote for him. ‘The planter of whom I speak told me that the young | negroes who had grown up since the war wor less: steadily than the old hands, He added that in his county some blacks owned ad much as 250 acres of land, and many were doing well on their own farms, ‘Jf it were not for the petit larceny they w 4 all do well.” He kept a colored school on his own plantation. ‘The biack people liked it, he said. ‘They are fond of hoard- ing coin, especially since the Freedman’s Bank failed, which caused loss to many of them, and they are quite ready to buy gold and silver coin at a premium, CHARLES NORDHOFF, BLACK AND WHITE. A COLOR LINE TROUPLE NEAR HOME—INTEM- PERATE SERMON AT THE FUNERAL OF THE BROOKLYN NPGRO KILLED BY THE POLICE. Considerable excitement prevailed yesterday among the colored people of Brooklyn, the feeling did not manifest itself in a noisy manner, There was a quiet'earnestness observable in the sombre assemblag that stood about the sidewalk at noon in front of the African Methodist Episcopal church, from | which took place the funeral of overt Gilmore, the colored coachinan who was shot while endeavoring to cape from Patrolman Joyce. Tho colored people have ever since made capital out of the tragical ut on tending that it was a brutal murder and that the act would never have been committed had the prisoner been awhite man, The chureh 1 Ubronged to excess at noon, when the were cornmenced. Key, W. T. Dixon the sermon, und spoke of the oppression to whic mien were sabjected. Lt was ligh t h that they lad the rights whieh tt recognized by their white fe to the great riots m July 1863, when the to! a the Colored Orphan Asylum, and the poor litue iny wero thrown int the fire and roasted by the t thirsty throng, The congregation was ‘very stirred by the tenor of Brother Dixon's remarks, pastor having eventually subsided, Professor Jolnson, of the Colored Asylum, make a few remarks in which ct promptly und sarely in this instance, and the way to do that was to put their hands in their pockets and contribute liberally toward proso- cuting the officer who took the life of Gilmore, The remains were interred in Kvergreon Cemetery, East New York. A CHILD DROWNED. Kate Weeks, aged eleven years, whose parents reside at No. 619 West Thirty-ninth street, nocidentally fell into the North River y Fortieth street, and was drowned, Her body was re+ covered, . times were | all in | erday aiternoon, at the foot of } WAR IN COLOMBIA. LANDING OF AKMS AT ASPINWALL—SERIOUS TROUBLE APPREKENDED, ASPINWALL, August 31, 1875. ‘The situation of affairs in Colombia is by no means encouraging. ‘The revolutionists continue to collect re- inforcoments at Barranquilla under General Santo’ Do- | | A FOGY ON THE FOOTLIGHTS. mingo de Villa and President Baena, of Bolivar. From | @ despatch rec at Panama from Bogota it would appear that the ral government has ordered tho number of truops to be increased to 10,000 nien and that General Delgado bas been reinforced in the Magdalena, 1t seems pretty clear that everything depends on tho tact witb which the general government may act, 48 | any effort at compulsion might tend to drive other States into rebellion, A serious struggle is nevertheless | anticipated, although peace commissioners have been | appointed by the President of Cauca and have under- | taken to reconcile the diffleulties between the govern- | ment and the States which at present assume appear- ances of hostility. | TRY LANDING OF ARMS. The Pacifie Mail steamer Colon, which arrived here | on tho 28d inst. from New York, conveyed 500 rifles and ammunition to this port, which were said to be con | signed to Amapala on the coast of Centeal.America, In- ; formution was forwarded to Captety Simpson, of the Omaha and commander of the naval force of the South | Pacific station, that these arms were destined to be uscd | by the States of Bolivar and Magdalena, now at war | | against tho federal government, which is alone recog- | nized by the United States of America, Captain Simp- | son, upon receipt of what seemed to him ! AUTHENTIC INFORMATION, | promptly telegraphed to Mr. J. Thorington, United States Consul at Aspinwall, to the effect that the decree of the President declared that Panama was in rebellion against the Union and that there were cases of arms on board the Colon invoiced to some port in Central America, He also set forth that parties were in Aspin- wall with the bills of lading, trying tw divert the prop- erty from its original destination and to deliver it to people on the Isthmus, Believing tat the arms were | destined FORK THE USE OF INSURGENTS | Captain Slinpson asked the Cousui whether it would | not be a proper act for him to see that they were not | allowed to be diverted from their original destination, or, Seing powerless in that matter, to prevent them from being landed subject to instructions from Washington. Mr, Thoring »n the receipt of Captain Simpson's telegram, at once proceeded to Panama, and after con- ) sulting with the naval commandant held an interview with President Miro, the purport of which was reduced to writing. Mr, Thorington inquired whether it was the intention of the government of Panama to obtain | possession of the arms in any other than a legal man- ner or in accordance with the known laws and customs of trade and commerce in Colombian waters; if so he should regard it as A BELIMGERENT ACT, and would take such steps as would prevent their being | taken possession of, or, if taken, to retake and hold | them, subject to the orders of the United States gov- ernment. ‘To this the President replied that the arms in question belonged to tho Stato government, pur- | chased from a firm in Panama, and not in violation of | any international treaty, He also stated that the arms | Were to bo used in | | DEFENCE OF THE SOVERRIGNTY OF THE STATE, of its legitimate government and the federal constitu- tion, ratified on the 8th of May, 1863, and which was the national constitution in force.’ He added that, with | the State troops, he would afford to interoceanic transit | the necessary security which the nation had guaranteed. ‘This, of course, settled the question as to the seizure of the arms, It was evident that they gpuld not be kept out of the hands of the government of Panama without an arbitrary act onthe part of Captain Simpson. Sub- | sequently Mr, Thorington xddressed a communication to | Colonel W. P. Tisdel, General Superintendent of the Pacitic Mail Steainship Company, stating that he had arrived at the conclusion not to’ disturb the status of the arms and munitions of war conveyed by the steamer Colon, mainly on the ground that he had not been LEGALLY OR OFFICIALLY NOTIPIED that tho arms in question were to be used by insurgents against the national government. In fine, Mr. Thor- ington contended that the arms should be treated as ordinary merchandise, How long this state of aftairs will last itis difficult to conjecture. Captain Simpson, in view ofthe present crisis, has telegraphed to the Navy Departinent for instructions, Consul Thorington, who left for New York on the steamer Colon, will pro- ceed to Washington in order to present the case in all ils. It may be as well to add that the ssity of ying a vessel of the Narth Atlantic squadron con- stantly at anchor at Aspinwall is very apparent. Matters are Ina inuddled condition, and the issue may be much more serious than is at present anticipated. As the State government of Panama had not committed any overt act both Captain Simpson and Consul Thorington, were reluctant to interfere, und, besides, any violent ac- tion might Nave seriously ailected the position ef the foreign residents of Panama, PERU. "HE POLITICAL OUTLOOK—-THE BANKS AND EX- PECTATIONS OF MONEY FOR THE EXPROPRIA- TION SCHEME—SERIOUS ILLNESS OF MR, HENRY MEIGGS—SUSPENSION OF RAILWAY WORKS, Lota, August 21, 1875. Just at the present time there are only three matters of general interest attracting the attention of the Peru- vian public, and these relate to the rapidly approaching election for the next Presidency, the condition of the banks in the Republic and the expected news from the Commissioners of Peru abroad, Dr. Rosas and Don Emilio Althaus, who, it is hoped, will be favored by the great financiers of London and Paris with a sufficient sum of money to help the government through its diffl- culties and enable the Treasury to pay off the debts due to the banks, in which case these institutions would soon be enabled to refill their depleted vaults with gold and silver. As the time draws near for TUN SELECTION OF THE RLECTORS on the two opposing tickets the people are beginning to manifest a disagreeable degree of activity. Already in Arequipa a serious row has occurred, as was related in during the past week the ex- neral Prado and Admiral Montero ve indulged in several free fights, in which son verely bandied. No deaths, however, have to be chron- o far, but the outlook is dangerous. The success of a candidate in Peru depends principally on the ac- tivity of his party in gaining possession of the polling booths. T re erected in different parts of the city. W no troups, or police. even, r head: ear of what is ‘Acc , and down ae the howling pa- triots on polis, pistol and knife in hat The victorious party holds the stand, qualify- ing its own members as electors, and of} course turning a cold shoulder to all who present | the supporters of the opposite ticket, da, 18 then drawn out and signed, sent the Interior for transmission to ared legal or null and void by this s may lean; 80 that, in spend almost’ entirely on long purses to animate and sustain the muscular element, ‘The minute, or in to the Minister 8 and a according ax its syinpath PRADO rently, far more powerfal than the gallant Neverthe tigable in bis (fforts, and is how persoually visiting the Departments Arequipa, Puno and Cuzco, where, itis reported, he I reception. ‘The govern- | |} upon by First and Second idents, has taken no active steps in st, and, probably will not, as M. Prado too anxious to get out of the bed of thorns which ars ago presented itself to his ambitious gaze as acouch of down, rose garianded and golden hung. It | seoms strange that any sensible man, powsessing an am- | ple private lortune and profitable occupation, should xs | pire to such a id thankless honor as the Chief stracy of public. The impulses of true pa- | s only solution of the problem, and in degenerate days even that quality is called in of the t | doubt. SUSPENSION OP THE BANKS, { In spite of t ‘al uneasiness entertained when j nks suspended specie payment on the Istof the issued by these Institutions 18 | yosite are still ing made at t month, the pa nt as before. frow three months’ to a year’s time, and, fortunately, } | nove vsladow of & run has taken'place, It 1s | jeared, that whea the period wes for the it by the — government | for - 2 next, @ postponement must | be resor , 08 it is a matter of simple ossibility | 1in com'for importation with the scauty means eal of the banks. Should the government to obtuin the loan or advance de- , then the national obligations to the ut be paid off in bills om London, which would instantly be sent to But that is sulla question, The off S that an arrangement has been AL d:fterent bi payable in spect Peru for the expropr: government bein tion between salypetre and guano, of the former tu the advantage of the latter-named fertilizer, This news wants contirma- tion, Mr. Henry Meiggs, the famous railway contractor, | jously iil for several days past, but at pres- Ysician® as almost compiex—an attack of erysipelas in the head, y Mr. Meiggs in Lima, aud the univers pathy of the people, have been | more than ma during his tines, | SUSPENSION OF RAILROAD WORKS. | On Saturday last, owing Yo tho inability of the gov- | ernmentto supply i nds, and the impossibility on the part of the contractors to’ incur farther losses, the works on the Oroya Railway were stopped, Thoxe of the Chimbote and Huaraz, aud Jullaca and Cuzco will siso be suspended Gutil such time as the national Treas ury may be in a more promising condition, factories of Tar to lias be ent wr out of di | 4 CHATS ABOUT BOOKS, Hutton'’s Reminiscences of Plays and Players. + “Playing the Mischief,” “Eglantine,” “Ward or Wife,” “Moira Fergus.” The Book Club met at the Doctor's snug quarters on the main street of Ourville last week. ‘The Doctor feels it such an honor to have bis bachelor apartments taken possegsion of by the club that whenever it is his turn to entertain he makes an especial effort to have a sur- prise in store by the way of a new book or the advance sheets of one about to be published, or something of that sort, The Doctor's friend, the Critic, will often send him such matter from New York, being on the friendliest terms with the publishers in that city. After the members had seated themselves around-the evening lamp, for the weather was cuol enough to stay idoors, the Doctor opened his desk mysteriously and Drought out a brown covered volume witb a dainty gold opera glass stamped on the cover, “Here is a book that is not published yet, though Hurd & Houghton will bring itout in a few days, It is entitled ‘Plays and Players,’ and is written by Mr. Laurence Hutton, amember of the Arcadian Club and a friend of my friend the Critic, Seo how beautifully it ts gotten up. lhave read it with the most intense pleasure, You must know that 1 have not always been a village sur- geon, My early years were passed in New York, where 1 was a devoted patron of the drama in its ‘palmy days.?” Avaustus Cnantes—My dear Doctor, I beg that you will spare us a dissertation on the “‘palmy days;” we are perfectly familiar with the subject and the way it is treated by you old fellows. Your recollections will be listened to with the greatest atrention; but if you are going to prate of the superiority of the past over the present we will vole you an old fogy without more ado, Tho Docron—All right, my boy. Although I think we could casta comedy some fifteen years ago much better than can be done now, I won't say so if it hurts your young heart. To any one interested in the stage this book of Mr. Hutton’s is an inexhaustible source of pleasure. He can take it on his knee and turn it over page by page, each leaf recalling scenes and faces that are indelibly impressed upon pis memory, You young people never saw Burton, Barrett, Blake, Mary Taylor and @ host of others who were the public pets of twenty years ago. You will geta good idea of them by reading this book, Mr, Hutton has spread out a lot of old faded and time-worn playbills before him, and about these he gossips and moralizes like a true amateur. He is only ayoung man, my friend tells me, but he has beon frequcnFing theatres from his early youth till the present day, and saves all his programmes, and has the picture of every actor and actress whom he bas ever seen. He is an enthusiastic fellow. You can see that by this sentence: old playbills to us, very tenderly, these faded, silent records of old friends and of old times; records of old friends with whom we have never exchanged a sentence in our lives, who have never even known of our existence or the good they have done us, but still old friends, who were very real and yery near to us in their day, who have afforded us much harmless pleasure and enjoyment, and who are still very pleasantly remembered,” ‘The Lawyer—Very nicely said. Tell us of some of these old playbills, Doctor. The Docrox—The first bill is dated Burton’s, Chambers | street, Friday evening, March 5, 1362. Highest price for cushioned seats, seventy-five cents. The play was the “Serious Family,” with Lester Wallack, Bland, Levere, Burton and Mary Taylor in the cast. The “Serious Family Polka?’ was performed by sixteen ladies and gentlemen in the piece, To quote again:—“Of the great cast of the ‘Serious Family’, given above, only one actor is now left to the New York stage—Lester Wallack, Bland, the best Jacques of his day; Burton and Mary and Emma Taylor are dead. Mrs. Hughes, ke whom there has been seen no ‘old lady’ since, took her fure- well of the stage some time ago full of years and bonor, * * * The Miss Weston, afterward Mrs. Dolly Davenport, is the present Mrs, Charles Mathews, * * * The Miss Malvina, who danced at Burton’s in 1952, was Miss Malvina Pray, now Mrs, William J. Florence.” ‘The PaRsox—Allow me to say, sotto voce, that at the risk of severe punishmentI lowered myself out ofa second story window one night when I was a lad, and sneaked down to the old Park to see the “School for Scandal,” my favorite comedy, played, with Placide, Burton, Barrett, Barry, Blake, Peter Richings, Wolcot, Hunt, Povey, Dawson, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. John Gilbert, Mrs, Winstanley and Mary Taylor in the cast, That was a glorious performance. Although I arrived late I got a good seat in the gallery, next to a boy who divided his peanuts with me, and together we stamped, and shouted every time the curtain was rung down. Miss Aumaviva—I am astonished at your confession, | Mr, Creed, Would you do such a thing now? The Pansos—No; that is, 1 would not climb out the back window, I would walk boldly out at the tront door and take aseat in the dress circle to see a piece played like that was’ again. I have no desire to see tho “Black Crook” or “Formosa,” but I enjoy a good old English comedy or a bit of tragedy occasionally as well as any other rational being. i Miss Ecrugata—I am glad to hear you speak that way, Mr, Creed. I would not like you, as a clergyman, to be aregular theatre-goer, but I don’t see why your “cloth” should prevent your attending a good theatrical perfurtnance occasioually. The Docron—Mr. Hutton gives an amusing account of Brougham’s ‘Row at the Lyceum” I was taken there one night and completely fooled. The next night Ttook a greenhorn to see the pieco and was fully rov venged by his utter confusion. The Lawyex—I see in turning over the leaves that Mr. Hutton bemoans the fact that Jefferson plays nothing but Rip Van Winkle, and speaks of his New- man Noggs with the highest praise; and well he may, for a finer performance never graced the stage. Agnes Robertson comes in for a large share of Mr, Hutton’s prai She certainly was a beautiful woman and charming actress ten years ago, and is yet, for that matter. The Docror—Mr. Hutton mentions the names of over 500 actors and actresses in this book, and has a pleasant word to say for each, He has not made a volume of | criticism, and bas not attempted it, He merely talks | over the good old days of the drama; not so very old | either, for there are few of us who have not seen some | | of those whom he mentions, Ho writes with intelli- gence and enthusiasin, and has mado a book that will be read with a keen relist by every one who feels the | slightest iuterost in the history of the stago in t country, His style 1s easy and agroeable, and the | whole book is murked by the most uuaffected candor | and natveté, “PLAYING THR MISCITIRV.’? Miss Ecriemia (to Augustus Charles, with whom she had retired to a quiet corner)—You have read J, W. De | Forrest's “Playing the Mischief? (Harper & Bros.); what is it about and what Is it like? | AvGusTus CuakLes—I could tell you the whole story | in two words; but if you would have me do as the au- H thor has done I will spin it out further. Mr, Do For- | Test might easily have said his say in just one-tenth | | | | the space he bas occupied; yet instead of that he has spread his words out like the batter on the griddle cakes we used to have at boarding school, When he | describes a crowd he tells you just how many people composed it, the color of their eyes and hair, who were their ancestors, how they push and scrouge, why they | push and scrouge, and everything they do or say. . By | that means he keeps you waiting at the gates and in | the anterooms long after any other man would have | gotten you well inside. | Miss Eurunmra—After wading through the slough | of words, what do you arrive at? ! Avoustvs Cuantus—The story of a rather handsome, | rather clever and it seems fascinating widow, Josephine Murray by name, who successfully lobbies @ claim through Congress, Josephine’s claim 1s for a barn burned during the war of 1812, which she valued at | $20,000, and which, with interest to date, | would amount to $100,000. Well, she — flirts | with all the Dilworthys and jardweil Slotes | in Congress and engages herself to one and another of | | Tregarvan does well by the girl whom he has taken | but ends vy reatzing her claim and gives the mitten to the politicians whom she really does not care for, As much as she can she loves one Bradford, a high-toned Politician, whe loved her at one time but has become disenchanted and has given his heart and hand to another and a worthier, None of the characters in the book are drawn with any delicacy; im fact there are no delicate people among them, ‘There is one queer indi- vidual, called Squire Nancy Appleyard, who dresses in semi-thasculine attire and is supposed to be a sort of Strong minded creature, but who is weaker than a kit- ten, She loves one of the most Sloteish Congressmen, who, of course, can feel no yearning toward a diluted Dr. Mary Walker, particularly as he loves the charming widow, Miss Euraem1a—I don’t see how the author could be expected to make a novel out of that material. Avavusrvs CuaRries—to has not succeeded in making @ very interesting one, I am told that he can do a great deal better and win glad to hear it, for this is about the poorest production I have come across lately. Yet for all that there are parts of it that are amusing, and, as I said at first, if Mr, De Forrest had only learned the art of leaving off his book would have been twice as inter- eating. “ROLANTINE.'? “Eliza Tabor has never written a stupid book, and I don’t believe that she evor will,” said Mrs, Creed, tak- ing up a stitch in her knitting, “ ‘St. Olaves,’ Jeanie’s Quiet Life’ and ‘Hope Meredith,’ wore each far ahead of the average novel, and now comes ‘Eglantine’ (Harper & Brothers), which, if not quite up to ‘St Olaves,’ 1s not one whit behind the others, ”” “A most charming story,” said Almaviva, drawing nearor to the speaker. “I do not think the heroine, Eglantine, is quite what the author intended, but she is @ sweot girl for all that, A little highflown, to be sure.” Miss Evrumaa ing the group with Augustus Charles)—-What work is it that you are talking about? Mrs. Craxp—Eliza Tabor’s ‘‘Kglantine.” The story is written in the first person by Dora Leslie, a most ex- cellent and natural character, who writes the heart his- tory of Kglantine Wear and Jobn Elpbinston. ‘The two ure great, pets of hers, and make her their confidante. Dora’s father is p scientific man, and they live at Cove Rossington, on the Knglish coast’ Dora once had the shadow of a love affair herself, but she did not know of it until all was over. Rae Morrison, a seafaring man, had loved her when she was quite a child and asked her father for her hand. The father replied that she was too young to think of such thingy. So the brave sailor left the village without speaking to Dora. Her father told her about the offer and she was satisfied at what he had done, for she was almost too young to think for herself, Sho often refers to this little romance and feels that her life has not been altogether loveless in consequence, She has the smallpox and is disfigured for life, but for all that is married to Rae after fifteen years, Miss Gusmrxeron—I should call that a roniance, very decidedly Married after fifteen years, notwithstanding that her beauty was all gone—how very touching! Mrs, Creep—Dora was such a lovely character, that if every feature had been destroyed she would have been beautiful. Well, ayoung curate, John Elphinston, comes to Cove Rossington and wakes up the sleeping souls by preaching at them in away to stir them up as, they had never been stirred before. He boards at Dora’s house, and although he is nothing of a lady’s man, every woman in the village makes a ‘dead set’” for him, and of course he cares for none of them but Eglantine, who at first cares nothing for him. Thore is one gushing creature, Birdie, short for Bridget, Ulla- thorne, who, with her mother’s assistance, tries hard to capture the curate, She is a poor weakling, but is, like hundreds of girls one meets, one of the confiding sort who are always depreciating themselves in words, while they are really the essence of conceit. This is a specimen of her conversation. Dora asked Birdie to sing, just to stop her talking. She goes to the piano, “But I am afraid I shan’t find anything that I can sing. You know, Miss Leslie, intellectual people, like your-’ self, always have contralto voices, and I am too stupid for anything but a soprano, Isn’t it dreadful to be so stupid 2”? Aveustvs Crartxs—I can just picture her—one of those sweet little creatures with flowing, light ringlets and big, round eyes, who always will sit on footstools so that they can turn tneir eyes up at you—it is so telling, youknow. I’ve met them. (Giving his mustache a conscious twirl). ' Mrs. Crexp (laughing)—That is just the sort; they pretend that they are such dear little young things, hardly able to be out without their mammas, when in truth they will never see thirty again. Birdie used to make poor Elphinston tramp with her for miles through the country, and it made Dora laugh to see how quick they would be getting back, The Rever- end John must have walked her like a racer. She got a yery pious turn and trimmed the church and sang in the choir, and gave undeniable proofs of her adapta- ability for being a parson’s wife; but to no purpose. Eglantine, who was plain spoken, matter-of-fact, with just a dash of sentiment, stole the man’s heart, and he proposed and was accepted. ‘The plot is not so very ex- | citing, but the interest is well sustained. There are a number of good characters introduced, There ig Mrs. Fitzgerald, called “Fidger? by the villagers; Mra! Ullathorne, an unabridged edition of her daughter; Old Rollekins, a sort of proverbial philosopher, and others, who play their brief parts well. ALMaviva—The German governess, who married the dandy curate, and was so devoted to her charge, while he went on oblivious to his selfishness, is a good char- acter, Mrs. Crezp—Thero is nothing out of the ordinary in “Eglantine.” The motto is quiet and pretty and the story lives up to it:— When all the world is old, lad, ‘And all the tre brown, And all the sport is stale, lad, And all the wheels run'down, Creep home and take your place there— The speut and mained among; God send you find one face the You loved when all was young. Atmaviva—I am sorry that Rae Morrison died after waiting fifteen years for his happiness, and that after fifteen more yeurs poor Dora has to shut her eyes to see any of the old familiar faces, i “WaRb OR WIPE?” AvGusrus Cuaris—it took me just forty-five min- utes to read “Ward or Wife’? (Harper & Bros.), and I consider the time was poorly spent. The story is as old as the hills and told very crudely. The writer is evi- dently new to the business. His sentences are fearfully abrupt and he uses bis French like a schoolboy. Miss Evrizaia—I wonder when writers will earn that it is no sign of cleverness to fill their books with French sentences. It always looks silly to mo and Prejudices me aguipst a story. AvGostus Cuanies—The plot ts not very hard to fathom, Captain Jumes Tregarvan 4s the black sheep of a noble English family and keeps @ fencing and boxing school ina French town. He i thirty-four when his ward, Minnie Goring, i# Ofteen, Minnie is the daughter of a friend of his, anothor outeast sprig of nobility, care of for ten years, He sent ber wo school and daring vacations they had a jolly me together, living a sort of Bohemian life among the restaurants and gardens of Malaise, Tregarvan is always puffing forth great clouds of smoke from a short pipe or a cheroot, and Minnie is always smiling on him through the clouds, When she | is fifteen years old bo thinks at times that some nico lady should take herin hand. So he settles somo | money that has been Jeft him upon her and makes her | over to his old friend Colonel and Mrs. Ferress, who happen to be in Malaise, They take Minnie to England and after her education is Mnished they bring her out in | society. Tregarvan stays ip France and his ward writes him very gushing letters from her | English home Finally he crosses the Channel and is surprised and delighted at the beauty and cul- ture of Lis young ward, He ta very fondof her and she of him, though each thinks that it is merely a friendly feeling that the other bas One day arich young fellow, heir to a title, &c., asks Tregarvan to bless his suit ‘The guardian finds that he isa lover himself, but he gives his blessing and young Dano proposes and is accepted by Minnio, Miss Evupiemia—You should mention that almost the first words Minnie speaks to her lover, after his pro- | posal, is a request for him to light a cigar to drive the | flies out of the suinmer house, | Avoustus Ciantes—I had almost forgotten that bit | of farce, The way that titles and coronets lie around in | this story, just waiting to be worn, is a caution. Every- | body hasa title of some sort, Tregarvan becomes a | baronet among the rest. Well, he goes down to tho | country to say a last farewell to Minnie, and, as luck | will have it, hears her, alune in the garden, calling | upon his name in the most approved stage fashion, | “Darling Jim!” and “Come to me, before it is too | Jato!” Hearing all this there was nothing left for him | to do Wut to step out {nom behind the shrubbery, which | Dane, the accepted lover, was an innocent witness of this scene—not down on the bills—but he bore it man- fully and left England for New York to be out of his fair charmer’s sight. Minnie is transformed from ward to wife, and Dane, in all probability, recovers from the blow upon his heartstrings, Mrs, Crxep—I think that you have woven quite an interesting tale out of it all, Aveustvs Cuartes—No doubt my style is more agreeable than the author’s, and I have not attempted to sketch character—a thing he has done most unsuc- cessfully. There ig no.cxcuse for either Dane or Tre- garvan loving Minnie—she don’t amount to a row of pins, “QoIRA PERGUS.’? “Miss Almayiva and Ihave almost come to blows about ‘Moira Fergus’ (W. F. Gill & Co.), this last story by William Black,” eaid Augustus Charles, “and I appeal to you, Mrs, Creed, to know if] am not right,” Mrs, Cresp—You will have to tell me the story be- fore I cun decide. t “Avuusrvs Caamuxs—The scone is laid In a litle Scotch fishing town, Moira Fergus is the heroine and Angus MeEachran the hero. Moira ‘was a quiet little Highland girl, not very pretty, pgrhaps; she was fair, freckled and wistful of face, but she had a certain inno- cence and ‘strangeness’ in her lug eyes that pleased people.” Angus was “a tall young fellow, broad chested, yollow bearded, good looking enough and grave and deliberate of speech.” Moira lived with ber father, a miserable, cross-grained old fellow, Who seemed to be possessed with a devil. Ho was deter- mined that Moira should not marry Angus, though he was the best “catch” in the village. There was noth. ing left for the lovers but a clandestine marriage. They were, therefore, married by a parson and im the pres- ence of the “great folks’’ of the village, Mr. and Mrs, Lavender, who were very much interested in the young people, After the wedding Mrs. Lavender went to sce Fergus herself, and tried to bring him round, but he cursed and swore at her so that her husband felt that # was his duty to knock him down. Mrs, Crznp—Was there any objection to Angus? Avaustus CuARLEs—Not the slightest. He owned a share ina fishing boat, had money in bank and waa going to build his wife a cottage. Moira felt pretty badly at the secret marriage, but Mrs, Lavender said to her:—‘‘Now, you must keep up your spirits, Moira, It is a bad thing for 4 young wife to be downhearted, for a man will soon tire of that, because he’ may not understand the cause of it,” . Notwith- standing this ‘good advice Mofra moped’ and brooded and made the honeymoon a very inélanchdly time, At last Angus got tired of this sort of thing, and expostulated with his bride, but to no purpose. Sho never had a laggh or agjoke for him when he ‘came’ in from his day’s work; so finally he gaye up work and took to drink, The good parson talked with her, but her eyes were not opened till Angus left her and went to Glasgow. There he went from bad to worse, until he was recalled to his senses by a temperance lecturer, and signed the pledge and began to leada new life; but he had no thought of returning to Moira, who was now living with the Lavenders, She finds out his address one day, goes to see him and they make up. Now, I contend that her conduct was shameful and un- natural, and enough to drive a young fellow to the bad. Miss ALMaviya—I, on the other hand, think it quite natural in a girl brought up as she was, Her father to her was a little god, and his displeasure was next to the wrath of heaven. AvGustus CuHarLes (interrupting)—Yes, but her father was a brute, and she knew it. In the first place T don’t see what Angus wanted to marry “such a moody creature for, any way. ALmaviva—I enjoyed the story so'much that I forgot any little inconsistency. It is so charmingly told, with so much feeling and appreciation of the heart troubles of the peasantry, that I read it eagerly, dialect and all. Avavstus Cuantes—Mr, Black is unquestionably a strong writer, but I think that the heroine of his present story needed a good shaking. What do you think, Mrs. Creed ? Mrs, Crzxp—I agree, in a measure, with both of you, Ido not think it so unnatural for Moira todo as bhe did, neither do I think it strange that Angus left her. She was fortunate in getting him to return. Come, my young friends, we are the only persons not yet ready to go. Good night, Doctor, many thanks for the treat you guvo us in Mr, Hutton’s book. LITERARY CHIT-CHAT. G. P. Putnam’s Sons have in press for publication during the fall season, of travels, “The Abode of Snow,” observations ona tour from Chinese Thibet to the Indian Caucasus and through the upper valley of the Himalaya, by Andrew Wilson ; “Notes of Travel in Africa,” by C, J. Anderson; “Travels in Portugal,” by Jobn Latouche, and a third edition of Mrs. Henry M. Field’s “Home Sketches in France.” In biography, in their series of “Brief Biographies,” “English Radical Leaders,” by R. J. Hinton; “French Leaders,” by Edward King; “German Political Leaders,” by Herbert Tuttle, Berlin correspondent of the New York Tritune and London Daily News. In science and medicine, “The Borders lands of Insanity,” by Andrew Wynter; “The Taxider. mist’s Manual,”’ by J, Brown, in the series of popular manuals, In the advanced science series, “Building Construction ;” “A Manual of Metallurgy,” part 2, by W. H. Greenwood; “Pare Mathematics,” part 2, by Ed- ward Atkins; ‘Inorganic Chemistry,” part 2, by T. E. Thrope; “Acoustics, Light and Heat,” by W. L. Davis; “Magnetism and Electricity,” by F. Guthrie, and “Ge- ology,” by John Young. They also promise some new volumes in the elementary science series, series of clini- cal lectures and series of atlases. ; Mr, Charles Lanman, author of the “Dictionary of Vongress,” “Private Lite of Daniel Webster,” &c., has nearly ready for the press a volume of ‘Biographical | Annals of the Civil Government of the United States During Its First Century,” from original and official sources, This work will contain about 7,000 biographi- cal sketches and 8,000 additional names of persons who have been connected with the government since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It will embrace in its scope the Delegates, Representatives and Senators who have served in the continental and federal Congresses, the federal and State judiciary, ministers to foreign countries, executive officers in all the depart- ments of the nation, as well as all the Governors of the States and Territories, together with a very large ‘amount of tabular informiltion, gathered from official sources, calculated to iMustrate the growth and present condition of the government of the United States, Bret Harte has just put the finishing touches to his play. A number of actors who have read it are enthue siastic in their praise of it as a good acting play, and one that will unquestionably be a success, J. B. Lippincott & Co, have just issucd new editions of the “Tatler,” “Guardian” and “Spectator,” and Major Hall’s “Bric-4-Brac Hunter.” They have nearly ready Lempriére’s Classical Dictionary,” “The Amas zon and Madeira Rivers,” “Allibone’s Prose Quota tions,” “The Nervous System,’ and ‘Under the Stork’s Nest,” from the German of A. E. Katsch, Dr. J. G, Holland has written a new lecture for the coming season entitled, “Hobby Riding.”” ‘Yhe October number of Harper's Magazine will con tain a poem of several pages, by Jean Ingelow, entitled “As One Again.” Sol, Eytinge, Jr, will furnish the ilustrations, Scribner's Monthly for October will contain an inter- ing, gossipy article on Liszt and Von Bilow, with por- traits, Von Balow is described as having a wonderful | memory and will Jead an orchestra for an Gntire evening without losing a score, He is very fond of kittens aud had visiting cards printed bearing the name of one of | these pets, with address in full, which he sent to inthe mate friends, Bayard Taylor will edit ‘“Appletons’ Europe.” By way of general literature G. P. Putnam’s Song announce the Collins edition of Shakespeare, in six volumes; the same in two volumes; a compact edition of “Lempriére’s Classical Dictionary; “The True Order of Studies,” by Dr. Thoinas Hill; a new novel by William Warner, author of the “Wide, Wide World,” en- titled “Witch Hazel,” In illustrated books and juve- niles, the parts in continuation of Mrs. Greatorax’s “Old New York,’ which 1s to be complete in ten parts; “The Realm of the Ice King,” “The History of my Friends,” by Emile Achard; ‘Roddy’s Realities,” by the auchor of “Roddy’s Romance,” and The Big Brother,” by George Cary Eggleston. ‘The review of Tennyson's “Queen Mary,” by Henry James, Jr., which appeared in the @alazy, is said to be the most elaborate aud most important that has yet ap. peared. ad the Carleton & Co, have a new humorist to spring upor* , us. His name is John A, Kingsbury, and his wit is # the Danbury News man’s order. Osgood & Co,, Boston, have nearly ready the “Din courses on Architecture,” by Engéae Violiet-le-Dug, Picturesque \ the mombers for the purpose of getting Ler bill through, | he did, aud clasped ber to bis bear, Now, young | illustrated by plates,