The New York Herald Newspaper, December 24, 1876, Page 8

, “qn far to the eastward as Florida and the NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR All business, news letters or telegraphic despatches must be addressed New Yonk Henaxp. | Letters and packages should be properly sealed, a Nejected communications will not be re- turned. net LE oat PHILADELPHIA OFFICE—NO,112 SOUTH SIXTH STREET. LONDON OF HERALD- PARIS OFFIC V NAPLES OF ty fh Subscriptions and advertis received and forwarded on the same terms | as in New York, TO-MORROW. BATRE. doud byron, Matinee, 2 RoW THE BOSS, at $1’. P.M. GILME GRAND EQUESTRIAN F 1:50 P.M. ARDEN. VAL, at 8PM. Matineo, GRAND OPERA HOt BLACK CROOK sh M. Maw UM Tih RICHARD TIL, ats PM. Edwin LITTLE N NION MISS MULTON acs. SL st CONCERT at 2. M., ‘ AL PARK GARDEN, CONCHRT AND BALL. NIBLI ALURINE. Matio BKOOTH'S aS P.M. Matin CISCO” MINS1 DAN'L BR at8rM. » HE HEATRE, PRESTIDIGITATI I, Matt COLUMBIA VARIETY, at 8 P.M, M v VARIETY, at 8 P.M. zi VARIETY, at 8 P. THE NE TATTOOED G. P.M. AMERICAN Ipen daily froi RAGLE VARIETY, at 8 P.M. Mat NEW BROAD CORRINIA, ats P.M. RIUM. Dpen daily. PARISIAN SARIETY, at 81", M. PHILADELPHIA THEATRES. THEATRE. RIETIES. Matinee, 22. M. MBRA PALACE, £ TO THR EARTH. QUADRUPLE SHEET. , SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 187 From our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather lo-day will be colder and Watt Street Yestrrpay.—Gold was quiet at107 1-4. Government bonds were firm, and tailway mortgages in fair demand. ~Money on call loaned at 3 and 4 per cent. The stock market was irregular and in some of ment house windows to-night. Tur Boarp or Directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company have decided to destroy the copies of all messages after keep- ing them a short time. President Orton will explain the action of the company to the public in a few days. Tr Santa Cravs Mzans Bustyess there will be lively times in tenement house chimneys to-night. Attention, amateurs! Tae Late Canpinan Antonrint was the most abused and mos: suspected man of his day and generation, but in his last will and testament, which we publish in full, he commands the respect of his bitterest ene- | mies by the honesty, loyalty and affection | which he displays. Tae Stance ar Beruvenem was a palace compared with the home of many a New York babe to-night. Ix rae Covrr or Spectan Sessions yéster- day John Blair, of the Belt Railroad, was convicted of the charge of salting the-high- way and sentenced to pay a fine of two hun- dred and fifty dollars. Mr. Blair's counsel tried to show that no criminal intent was proved, but the salt was, and with it the misdemeanor. “Tne Wisr Men or tur East” carried gifts to the manger, and the mem of to-day will be wise if they follow their example. ‘Tue Weature.--The snow storm has now passed off the coast, vin Nova Scotia, and is adding to the difficulties of navigation on | the Banks of Newfoundland. But a belt of | precipitation continues through the lower | lake region, the St, Lawrence Valley and | over Northern New England, due to the | influence of the falling temperature on the tail of humid atmosphere that follows the wain disturbance. The pressure is | now highest in Dakota and lowest at Sydney, N.S. A depression is moving in | the western part of the Gulf of Mexico, | causing high northeasterly winds and heavy main along the coast. This, althongh as yet far to the southward, is without doubt a storm ‘Bonth Atlantic States. Another aren ot low re is evidently crossing the Rocky intains in the vicinity of Fort benton, will be noticeable this afternoon in ¢ Northwest. This storm centre affected mally the wind direction at San Francisco | Cheyenne, Neb., during the early part » Snow is now falling at North and Fort Sully. The temperature is low in the Lower Mississippi Valley, has fallen eastward to the Atlantic. We ot bad weather during tho greater part e week in the southern and northern sec- sof the United States. The weather in | York to-day will be colder and partly | | with | was sought to find a satisfactory issue from | the Crimean war, waged on the topie now in "| conference have not been made public it is ' presumable, from the circumstance that the | straint of facts—that it is absolutely impos- | person | or | ence at the conference, her admission of its The Conference at Constantinople. Conferences are not often of such impor- tance as the one whose sessions began at Constantinople yesterday. Commonly they are called to give diplomatic form to con- clusions reached without them ; or, if their function goes further, it is to soften the as- pect of desperate facts and to save national pride by contriving ways more or less grace- fulin which the vanquished may abandon untenable positions. This was the fune- tion of the diplomats who assembled at London in 1871 to re-enact the Treaty of Paris with the clause in regard to the Black Sea left out. Their purpose was to pre- tend that England was not dissatisfied Russia's action in that case, and that the grimaces which England had made over that action were not gri- maces, but only smiles misunderstood. Similarly the assembly which originally made that treaty had but one possible issue from the first hour of its existence, and its only duty was to record as part of the law of Europe the result of Russia’s defeat. Suceess on one side or another has gener- ally removed all doubt as to the proceedings to be taken in conferences or congresses called to make peace. In this respect the Conference of Vienna in 1855, in which it dispute, diffsred from conferences gener- ally and resembled the one now in session, though itis to be hoped this one may not resemble that in its failure to reach effective conclusions. Although the protocols of the preliminary body now in session is called a plenary con- ference, that it is practically without lim- itation of its powers in dealing with the important case before it. It may agree upon the terms of a permanent peace, or, disagreeing, adjourn to the sound of the first guns of a great war; and, with such possible issues to its action, the tendency of H its deliberations is so little under the influ- ence of events—it is so free from the con- sible for any person to say, though that be in the English, Russian Turkish Cabinets whether the issue will be peace or war. There has been some doubt whether the conference was charged with such power that its action would be final, or whether it could only propose or suggest a course of action on certain designated problems, and leave it to Europe to accept or reject the suggestions ; and the fact that the body is still called a conference rather than a congress has given color to the notion that it is only a body with power to consult and recommend, But this opinion was scouted with such energy by the British press that it may be taken as certain that in England the body is consid- ered as one whose decisions will bind all the governments, Russia certainly takes the same view, for it has been announced formally that her representative has power to commit her fully, whether the event be peace or war, As the conference opens the Turkish Min- istry seems disposed to indulge in some ex- travagant antics, the purpose of which is made suspicious by their want of character and good grace. Declarations unnecessarily vociferous seem to be authorized, to the effect that Turkey will not consider herself bound by the decisions of the conference in case they assume an aspect disagreeable to her. There is a singular want of logic in these declarations. Turkey, it is said, will not for a moment consent to the occupation of any of her provinces by foreign troops, since this would be a limitation of her sovereignty ; yet what is the conference itself but an evi- dence that the Sultan is not sovereign in his own dominions—that his fate and his acts must be determined by others? And what is to be thought of Turkey's presence in the conference by her representatives ex- cept that she recognizes this limitation of her sovereignty? Surely, if she admits that the great Powers must judge on her case as really sovereign nations are accustomed to judge for themselves on their own cases, she admits that her sovereignty has one great and definite limitation, and, admitting this, there is no just occasion for her to prate about her sovereignty, because the Powers believe that the decrees of the con- ference will be of no effect whatever if left to be administered by Turkey. Her pres- authority to deliberate and decide upon tacts that relate strictly to her internal ad- ministration, would seem to coinmit her to acquiescence in its decrees, whatever they are ; and the fact that she declares she will not abide by them in a certain con- tingency implies that she does not un- derstand the nature of the preceed- ings in which she is engaged or that she has so little respect for the will of united Europe that she is prepared to treat it with bravado and contempt. Certainly the intention of Midhat Pacha, reported in our despatch from Paris, to promulgate the new constitution as the conference assembles and with it a pro- gramme of reforms including a promise to pay the interest on Turkish obligations “immediately,” is cnly a new evidence of the necessity of the conference; for nothing could more thoroughly prove that under any ministry or any Sultan it is still the same old Turkey than _ this empty show of an intention to do willingly what it is the province of the con- ference to force her to do; nor could any- thing be more thoroughly in the old Turk- ish style than the apparent faith that these promises will now be believed in, though Turkey has made them all fifty times before and never kept them. This perennial na- ture of Turkish promises 1s the one fact that now forces the demand for occupation—a demand that others shall execute the reforms that Turkey has failed to execute; and it is, therefore, a droll proceeding to parade a new rigmarole of empty promises ns « reason against occupation. It is the more droll be- cause the reforms now announced are wildly impossible. Reforms previously projected were commonly of asort that only needed good will for their exeention. But the new constitution is, as applied to Turkey, a mere visionary speculation. If there were the best will in the world ¢o enforce it it would fail. Itis possible to abolish the office of Grand Vizier, of course, or any other office, and even to parody the operation of minis- terial responsibility and representative gov- ernment; but ‘perfect equality” between all subjects and entire religious toleration can never be even fairly shammed in the Ot- toman Empire. Belgium, it is reported, has positively refused to furnish the troops with which the occupation of Bulgaria might have been kept free from the inevitable complications of hate and passion that would follow occu- pation by Russia. This seems to be re- garded as lessening the chances of peace. It was, therefore, evidently believed that Turkey would yield her objections to oceu- pation if the occupation were made as little offensive to her as possible. In fact, the in- quiry officially made of Switzerland and Belgium on this point indicates that Tur- key’s declarations not to submit to occupa- tion had not affected the preliminary con- ference, which was so far satisfied of the imperative necessity of such a measure that its only doubt on the point was as to where the troops were to come from, In the conference therefore, occupation is recognized as necessary; and Russia has only so far yielded her imperative demand for occupation as to say that she will give way if any means cqually effective can be contrived for the protection of the Christian subjects of the Sultan, which, in fact, yields nothing, as there is no other means; and in presence of this Turkey, misled apparently by the advice of Englishmen in her military service into overrating her own strength and underrating Russia's, assumes a position that if maintained will certainly lead to war. All Europe will be against her, but only Russia, perhaps, will take the field—that is of the great Powers; for Greece will certainly move, and in Asia the Persians covet Turk- ish territory. Our London Cable Letter. They are still afraid in London that peace is not secure, and hence their an- ticipations are not cheerful as usual of a happy Christmas time. Snow- slush is reported there, a slush, be it remembered, to which. New York's most sloppery slushiness is as walking | over a marble pavement compared with floundering through a mud scow. There | is slush and slush. Picture in addition to the indescribable miseries that reach the knees a murky pall of yellow acrid smoke miscalled an atmosphere enveloping the head and in- vading the lungs at every breath, clamminess everywhere, and our citizens may realize the heroic courage which enables three millions of Londoners to reach the mental altitude wherefrom they can wish each other a “Merry Christmas”—ay, and enjoy it, too. All the theatres are giv- ing the last daub to the gorgeous pantomime scenery, all the ballet girls are giving the last twirl to their toes, and all the boys and girls are dividing their moments not wholly given over to mischief between dreams of Christmas puddings, Christmas toys and the coming pantoe mimes. Mr. Irving is to give grown- up London a_ rehabilitated ‘Richard Ir.” That gigantic rogue, the Tich- borne claimant, again comes to the surface through the lips of the indomitable Kenealy. Sport reckons up its winnings in the papers and its losses in private. Litera- ture makes its many-headed announce- ments, Art jots down its discoveries and its projects. Smallpox devastates poor neighborhoods, and the doctors wrestle with it under government patronage. The most striking thing, per- haps, that comes to us, and still showing British pertinacity, is the recommendation of the Geographical Society that a new Arctic expedition should be sent out. After the paleocrystic fancy, the short lime juice, the admitted failure of the last expedition, the proposition for a new one comes out of the London slush with o heroism that would be absolutely appalling if the Royal geographers had to go themselves, Our Paris Cable Letter. If things theatrical are dull in Paris and nothing on the boards is new but an im- moral piece, we need not wonder that it follows Shakespeare's dictum, “All the world’s a stage.” and proceeds to make the grave diplomats who hold the peace of Europe in their hands ‘merely players.” Thus the new constitution of Tur- key becomes Midhat’s coup de thédtre, and we almost look for the blue and red fires to illu- minate the tableau. Perhaps they take the measure of the document in looking on it as claptrap, and in any case Paris will laugh over the position of the wise men of the nations with whom the Grand Vizier is play- ing a constitutional game of bluff. The home political difficulty does not trouble Paris as much as the forethought necessary to preparing amen. Tamburini, the singer, has gone to his long home after being twenty years and over ont of the world’s sight. He made a great deal of money and kept some of it, unhke his brother and sister of the dramatic stage who lately preceded him to the grave, Lemaitre and = Déjazet. To see the old favorites of the stage of twenty or thirty years ago potter- ing in toothless senility over the boards on which they once strutted as kings and queens of the Thespian realms is al- ways pathetic, and a faded child of song who dies quietly atter a long retirement, and is buried grandly, offers a pleasant change, The American colony has come to a sober sense in amusements when it confines itself to sipping mild cups of tea in clerical parlors and showing a few privi- leged Frenchmen what a fearful and wonder- fal difference there is between the French professional and the American actor, Fashion concerns herself with wraps and heels and shark sk Mr. Asnant S. Hewrrr testified before the Congressional committee yesterday about his troublesome letters, but nothing new was elicited. Happy thought—would not it be well for the committee to send for the steam ketties in the Post Office? Sr. Nicnonas Usep to come from an ice cave in the north, but if to-night be would come from @ coal mine and bring a smell cf | heads his home with him the shivering poor would indorse his change of base. | | of plunder. Our Municipal Government. | From the interesting review of the past methods and proposed future plans for “ruling our cities” which will be found in to-day’s Henaxp it will be seen that the im- portant work on which Governor Tilden’s “Municipal Commission” has been for more than a year engaged is now about com- pleted, and will be laid before the State Legislature at an early day of the approach- ing session. We are promised by this com- mission, of which Mr. William M. Evarts is chairman, a system of municipal govern- ment which shall be backed by constitu- tional provisions and shall apply to all the cities of the State, so that its stability will be assured. For many years New York has received too much attention from the State Legislature, Her large revenues and tempting patronage have fascinated our rural statesmen, and every new school of sharks that has floated into the legislative pool at Albany has been ready to take its bite out of the unfortu- nate metropolis. Charters have been made, not for the people, but for the politicians, and as one political ring after another has gtined the ascendancy in the city the laws have been changed and tinkered to suit the interests of those who have for the moment been uppermost. If Mr. Evarts and his as- sociates propose a practical plan by which we shall in future be protected against this selfish and varying legislation, which will make the machinery of the city government more simple and less expensive, and which will increase at once both the authority and the responsibility of our local rulers, they will do a good service to the people of New York. But these promised reforms are de- pendent on constitutional amendments, and some time must elapse before they can be put into operation. Meanwhile we must trust to the city charter as it now exists and to the new officers who will take charge of the government next month to give usa wise, progressive and efficient administra- tion for the next two years. Mayor Ely, Comptroller Kelly, President Purroy, of the Aldermanic Board, the Tax Department, and Corporation Coun- sel Whitney, who will be the real of the city government next year, are political brothers-in-arms, who smoke the pipe of fraternal love around the fire of the Tammany Wigwam. ‘There will be no clashing between them as public offi- cers, and the various departments of the municipal government will move as smoothly and harmoniously under their ruleas do the various parts of one of the Heraty’s famous Bullock presses. The people have, therefore, a right to expect trom them a strong and liberal government for the next two years—a government that will give us well-paved streets, a sufficient water supply, improved docks, decreased departmental expenditures and a sound financial policy. The city will then be ina better condition to receive the blessing of the Municipal Commission’s substantial re- form. Will Mayor Ely and Comptroller Kelly see that the hopes of the people are not disappointed ? Hy@rophobia and Spitz Dogs. Hydrophobia as a cause of death appears to have greatly increased in England as well as in the United States within recent years. In the five years ending with 1864 there was an average of four casés a year; in the five years ending with 1874 tne average was forty-three cases a year, and it is thought that it has been still worse in 1875 and 1876. For o disease to suddenly increase in so great a degree as this implies necessarily the operation of some very effective cause not in operation in the earlier years, and when an increase so great is observed in countries so widely separated os Eng- land and the United States all causes related to climate and to communication of the virus from one to another are of conse excluded. But if we find active in each country a recently introduced agent capable of originating the disease we may conclude with reasonable certainty that that is the cause of its inrceased prevalence. In sither country this reasoning points to the Spitz dog as the offender. In England, as well as in the United States, this animal is of recent introduction. But he has another name. He is called in England the Pome- ranian aog. This is because he was first known in Europe as coming from Pomera- nia, but he had reached Pomerania pre- viously from some of the neighboring Scandi- navian or Russian countries toward the Arctic Circle. In this country the date of his in- troduction cannot be definitely fixed, but if there were any specimens brought earlier than the return of Kane’s expedition there is no record of it. So far as known his spread through the country is due to the specimens brought by that expedition. In the case of each country the great increase of hydrophobia is coeval, not perhaps with the introduction, but certainly with the ex- tensive distribution of thisanimal. Hydro- phobia seems to be bred out eventually in countries where the animals are removed from possible contact with others ina wild state. In France and Germany it is constant, for there the starved wolves come down in winter and bite the dogs. In England it was comparatively unknown a few years since, as shown by the statistics quoted above, and .in the United States it was the same. But the introduction of an animal only removed by slight differences from his condition in a wild state, and a great change of climate, with its peculiar effect on his nervous system, have suddenly revived an old evil, which will continue to trouble us till we exterminate this species of dog. Patrols and Pistols. The operations of the masked bur- glars at Ravenswood Friday night shows every householder what may happen to himself on almost any evening this win- ter, It is easy to lay the successful issue of such rascalities to the negligence of the police, but the truth is that if there were several times as many officers on duty every night there would be noth- ing to prevent ruffians gathering them- selves together and attempting to rob any house that seems to offer a prospect Instead of wasting time in grumbling at the police it is the manifest President Wheeler, of | 4 dnty of citrzens to protect themselves as far as possible by arranging tor private patrols or special watchmen and by arming then- selves with weapons which they know how to use. One dead burglar is worth more as a means of prevention than the whole police force. A burglar, no mat- ter how desperate, always bas a touch- ing regard for his own life, and he scorns to abuse the hospitalities of a house which contains any one who shoots. At the same time good bolts on chamber doors are not ta be despised. ‘To be robbed is bad enough, but to be seared nearly to death is worse. Had Mr. Hiller slept behind double bolts he and his family would have been saved long moments of terror and indignity, besides having an opportunity for defence. The proper time to inaugurate precaution- ary measures is the present; to lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen is always a most depressing operation. Herald and the System. We reprint elsewhere an article from the Daily Graphic describing the manner in which the Hxnatp's shipping news is gathered, and giving some account of the origin of the ship news system. We trust we may not be reproached with egotism for alluding further to a matter in which the Henan feels so just a pride. To the Hznaty belongs the credit of originating this sys- tem, which, starting from the simple method of gathering the news of incoming vessels by the employment of rowboats, has grown to its present enormous proportions. That the Herarp has kept pace with the improve- ment which it inaugurated may be seen by a glance at the shipping reports for the year. Since January 1, 1876, the Heraup has re- ported the arrival at this port of 689 vessels twenty-four hours in advance of the an- nouncements in all other papers. In other words, about one-sixth of the whole number of arrivals have been chronicied by the Henraxp twenty-four hours ahead of the usual reports. The arrivals and departures of vessels from foreign ports have been an- nounced by the Hzratp in advance ofall other papers in nearly five thousand instances dur- ing the year. To accomplish this feat neither pains nor expense has been spared. Asteam yacht is kept constantly busy for no other purpose than the reporting of incoming vessels ; special telegraphic lines have been constructed to operate in connection with the yacht, and the Atlantic cable is freely used for the special announcements of the movements of vessels to and from foreign ports. Every available method is employed to get this news at the very earli- est moment, and the resnit is, we are proud to say, of almost inestimable value to the commercial and ship owning classes. The everyday reader who has no interest beyond that of general curiosity concerning those who “go down to the sea in ships” can hardly appreciate the eagerness with which the owner or part owner of a vessel or cargo scrutinizes the reports for news of his prop- erty. The simple line for which he searches may tell the whole story of his prosperity or ruin. To know that storyand to know it quickly is of the most vital interest to him. This is the function which the Hzraup is not least proud to have fulfilled. It would be interesting could an estimate be made of the amount of property of which the prosy looking shipping columns have told the safety or the loss for a single twelvomonth, As appliances become more perfect and mechanical facilities increase we shall con- tinue to improve this already serviceable system until the thousands to whom it con- veys the choicest of news and the most in- teresting information may deem it as effi- cient, prompt and trustworthy as it is our aim to make it. The Ship News Shall the Street Cars Be Heated? The Aldermen have proposed to take up in earnest the subject of warming the street cars during the cold weather, and compel- ling the companies, which make enormous profits out of the people and enjoy valuable franchises free of cost, to do at least thus much for the health and comfort of their passengers. If the Alderman who stands forward as the champion of this measure does not, like the famous Killian of ‘no seat no fare” notoriety, pretend to be on the side of the people only for the purpose of selling them out, he may compel this con- cession to the public on the part of the wealthy horse car companies. It is onlya question of the expenditure of a few dollars and alittle labor on each car, There can be no difficulty in devising a mode of heat- ing if the companies are willing to incur the expense. The most simple method would seem to be the insertion of an iron plate in the bottom of the car from end to end, under which should be placed a chaufferette, run- ning the length of the car, to be filled with hot water on éach round trip. At each end of the chaufferette should bea nozzle, throngh one of which the cold water could be let out, and through the other the hot water could be let in. Tho cost of these plates and chaufferettes, and of one boiler and two men’s wages would form the extent of the expense to the companies, some of which are making more than one hundred per cent yearly on their honest, bond side invest- ment. : Probably much of the sickness and death in the city might be traced to long rides in cold weather on comfortless, unwholesome, damp and crowded cars, which are one minute filled with foul vapors and the next turned into icehouses by cold currents of air, Rheumatism, con- sumption, diphtheria, fever and colds find their hotbeds in the cars of the Third avenne line. Many of them, espe- cielly those used at night, are old, rotten, offensive pesthouses, only fit to be broken up for firewood. Yet this company realizes enormous profits, a portion of which it uses corruptly to deprive the people of rapid transit year after year. As the horse car companies enjoy valuablo franchises from the people for which they pay nothing the least they can do is to devote a small frac- tion “of their large earnings to the public safety and comfort. The Aldermen can find some method to compel the heating of the cars in the winter if they feel honestly dis- posted to do sv, and we shall watch their action on. the resolution now before them with some interest, $ fe reg liceath —— Tt wouldbe well for some public spirited — member of Congress to introduce into the House of Representatives a measure for the abolition of the West Point Academy. This would have the effect: ot testing the true wishes of the people's representatives in roe lation to that much neglected institution ; Where we prepare the rough material of a future heroes. At present the Military Academy is treated with a coldness and indifference that gives rise to the belief that our sapient legislators consider a military academy as unnecessary in America, It ia true that nations renowned in peace and war, like England, France and Germany, are proud of their military academies, | where young men who choose the profession’ of arms are trained and educated to fit them for command, Perhaps our members of Congress imagine that generals are as easily mannfactured as are politicians, or they may have such patriotic belief in the superiority of the average American over the effete European as to think that he, needs no preliminary training or education to become an efficient general. If notions of this kind are entertained in Congress it might be well to give an opportunity for their free discussion, when, no doubt, those who hold them will be able to bring forward convincing arguments of the soundness of their views. In that case wé would willingly support a measure looking to the abolition of the West Point Academy. But if it can be shown that the average citizen of these» United States requires just as much training as a mere Britisher or Frenchman, not to speak of a Prussian, then we say the coun- try ought to do its duty toward the West Point Academy in a large and generons _ spirit and make it what it ought to be—the best military school in the world. The Elevated Railway Accident, As no one was killed outright by the re- cent accident on the Elevated Railway the matter will probably be dismissed with the brief newspaper notice, ‘The company may however be more successful in slaughtering some one on a second attempt, and pas- sengers are indisposed to act in the capacity of victims if it can be avoided. There were three persons who should have known that the switch’ was misplaced—viz., the one gineer of the up train, the lookout of the down train, and the switchman. The first saw the error too late to avoig collision ; the second, although lying within a few yards, did not see the danger at all, and the third was stupidly oblivious of the blunder under hig very nose. The engineer of the vj train seems to be free from blame, the look out to have been careless of his duties (um less he is meant to be simply an ornamenta{ appendage to the rear platform) and tha switchman probably a cheap incapable. The plan of backing the down train is full of danger, and should be put a stop to at once. If the lookout is incapable of seeing a faultin the line ahead when the train ig at rest what is to be hoped for from him when it is moving, particularly when the only communication with the engine drives” is by means of a cord and a bell, which oftentimes will neither pull nor ring? Two collisions in one week are two too many, and the swinging over sidings at fall speed occurs too frequently either for the satis< faction of passengers or for the success of the road. The Proposed Cable Monepoly. Mr. Lawrence Oliphant, the representa tive in America of the Direct Cable Company, gives to the Tribune his views in relation ta the proposed amalgamation of that company with the Anglo-American and the conse. quent restoration of a cable monopoly. Speaking only in the interest of the Direct Company's bona fide stockholders Mr. Oliphant condemns the scheme. The amal- gamation of the French line with the Anglo American, he says, was injurious to theshare- holders of the former and in like manner all the owners of stock in the Direct Cable Company who are outside a particular “ing” would suffer from the proposed con- solidation. While this is unquestionably true it is not so certain that the public would in the end be injured by the new amalgamation. An independent cable can be constructed by popular subsoription among business men and: the press at ar investment, according to Mr. Oliphant, only one-ninth as large os the capi. tal of the existing companies. Such a cable could do easily twenty-five per cent of the present business, and would, therefore, make on its investment more than double the profits of the existing companies, Mr. Oliphant’s estimate of the cost of a new business line is, of course, based on a single cable ; but if he is correct four cables could be laid with only half as much capital o@ would be represented by the amalgamated. Direct and Anglo-American companies. It is, therefore, probable that the proposed re« turn to a cable monopoly might, in the end, prove a benefit to the public by promoting the formation of a company that would not be hampered with watered stock and would have no other interest than that of doing the business of the public and the press at as low a rato of tariff as possible, _ A Domestic Mystery. Catharine Berth now lies dying of a pistol shot wound inflicted on her by her husband, Charles Berth, nine days ago. When the Coroner took the ante-mortem statement of the poor woman she acquitted her husband of blame and asserted that the shooting was, in her belief, accidental. The affair was consequently looked upon as one of those sad calamities that sometimes fall on us without any fault of our own, and no doubt those who read the account of the Chrystie street tragedy pitied the man whose hand had brought this desolation on his home even more than the woman who was the ime mediate sufferer, Death might come to her relief, But he would linger on with the pice ture of the terrible event ever before him, But a cliange comes over the story. Cath« erine Berth’s brother arrives in the city and hastens to the bedside of his dying sister to learn from her lips that the tale she has told the Coroner was untrue; that the husband” who should have been her protector delibere ately took her life; that the shooting was in- tentional, and that she is the victim of a cruel murder, This at least is the story of EA ~ 8