The New York Herald Newspaper, December 30, 1878, Page 3

“” AROUND THE WORLD, General Grant’s Visit to Madrid. CHANGES IN THE CAPITAL. Recollections of the Republic Un- der Castelar. CEREMONIES AND ENTERTAINMENTS Evils of the Gambling Spirit in Spain. Manni, Nov. 15, 1878. General Grant's visit to Madrid may te summed up briefly, so far as the festivities and ceremonics were concerned. James Russell Lowell, our Min- ister, met him at the station, when the General was welcomed on behalf of the King by the civil authori- tivs, and especially by Colonel Noeli, a Spanish officer of (istinction, who was detailed to attend him. The King had not arrived, but was in the north visiting Uspartero and reviewing his conscripts. Mr. Lowell gave the General a dinner and a reception, where men of all parties came to pay their respects to the ex-President. It seemed like a truce in the heat of Spanish politics to see Canovas and Castelar in Mr. Lowell's saloons in long and friendly converse; but I presume there is a life behind the scenes in Spanish politics as ip our own, and that patriots and national enemies may talk opera over cakes andale. There was a dinner at the Presidency of the Coun- til, the only State dinner given since the poor Queen died. There were arsenals to be inspected and picture galleries, the royal palace and the royal stables, There were long walks about Madrid and long talks with Mr. Jowell, whom General Grant bad never met before, but for whom he conceived a sincere attachment and esteem. ‘There were calls from all manner of public men, especially from Captain General Jovellar, with whom the Gen- eral had satisfying talks about Cuba, and one from Castelar, whom the General was most anxious to see. Castelar had been so friendly to the North in our war, and he had been also a constitutional Presi- dent of the Republic, and the General was anxious to do him honor. He contemplated a dinner to Cas- telar. But Spanish politics is full of torpedoes, and the General was in some sort a guest of the nation, and it was feared that the dinner might be con- strued into a republican demonstration—an inter- ference in other people's affairs—and it was sban- doned. CHANGES IN MADRID. ‘There were excursions to Toledo and to the Escurial, of which something may be said at another time. ‘What impressed your correspondent in Madrid were the changes that had taken place since his former visit, five years ago. It seemed to have become trans- formed from s Spanish into a French town. New stores had sprung up on the Alcala, and new hotels advised you that they gave mest and entertainment inthe French fashion. Street railways traverse the narrow highways, and it seemed a desecration, almost, to hear jangling car bells in the drowsy old alleys along which I used to pad my way to the street of Isabel the Catholic to hear from Sickles or Adee what had happened to Spain during the night. For poor Spain was then in an interesting condition and the strangest births were then coming to light. And when we had nothing else to do we used to go out and join the people when they went to demonstrate before the public offices—generally betore the palace of the Interior, on the Puerta del Sol, where there was room to shout and hustle and carry our banners, and where, moreover, Pi y Margall was in power. Pi, being a friend of the people, was sure to give us a welcome and tell us to be patient and we should have bread and work. Sometimes we used to go down to the Cortes and demonstrate in favor of more radical measures and more speed in making the Republic, and wait until Castelar and Salmeron and Garrido came out that we might hail thein as friends of liberty and | saviors of Spain. Pi was arrested the other day as \ @revolutionist, and Garrido is in exile, and Castelar, most alone among republicans, is tolerated in the Cortes because of his marvellous eloquence, and be- cause, as Canovas said when he sent word to the gov- ernment agents not to oppose his return, “A Spanish Cortes would be nothing without Emilio Castelar.’» And goin five years the world wags its curious course. MEMORIES OF SPANISH MADRID. In those days Madrid was a Spanish town, and it was pleasant to walk in the streets and see the quaint, picturesque life so new to Saxon eyes; to sec the varied costumes of the provinces, to hear the odd cries, to visit the cafés, with their curious drinks of almond and pomegranate and orange, temperate and tasteless, and see damsels and wrinkled women gorging ices and grave men smoking cigarettes Pleasant was the Prado when the evening shadows came and all Madrid was out to take the air and see the wonderful beauty of the skies, which have a beauty of their own in this captivating Spain. Pleasant it wae to stroll up and down the Prado and see the maidens, with veils and mantillas, grouped in couples, with demure, gazelle-like eyes that looked at you so shyly, and if they spoke at all it was with glance or with the fan, which, in the hand of a Span- ish lady, is an organ of speech. Pleasant it was to see the nurses in Andalusian peasant costumes, their brown faces and ripe, bonny bosoms, which children were draining, ranged in chairs and watching the ®swaying world in unconscious, innocent wonder. Plessant were the dancing groups which you met in the public squares or the denser parts of the town, dancing their slow measured step to the music of a guitar and the time of the castanet. And the bull fighters on Sunday afternoon! Was anything more pleasant than to stroll up the Alcala and study the hurrying crowd, hurrying on to the arena to see the bulls, tobe there in time for the procession, Maidens, duchesses, beggars, statesmen, priests, workingmen and soldiers, parents and their children are hurrying to the ring. Pleasant were the even- ings at Café Fornos, with old Dr. Mackechan, the oldest American resident in Madrid, at the head of the table, and telling his recollections of a generation of Spanish life, especially his recollections of the dynasty of American Ministers under whom he had served, from Barringer to Cushing, and bow he had seen Soulé fight his duel, and how he hated a certain secretary of legation. I have never, by the ‘way, seen an expatriated American who did not have some cherished hatred which he nourished and worshipped—as the Hindoos do idols of evil im- port—and generally it was another American, But there was no kindlier or friendlier soul than the old Doctor, and nothing pleased him more than to celebrate the Fourth of July. Pleasant were the dinners Adee and I were wont to have with our mysterious friend, who lived in an upper story—our mysterious friend, whose business every one was Qeeking to know, and no one could discover—and who always ronsted his partridges himself after wo had arrived. Pleasant were the brisk walks with Forbes over the windy plains around Madrid and the strolls with Austin in the narrow streets of the old town. Pleasawt it was to hear the Minister throw his leg over his crutch end preach about Spain and the Republic, and marvellous preaching it was, for he knew Spain well aud believed in the Republic. But how changed ? Cold winds drive maidens and nurses from the Prado. ‘Tho Fornos table, with the good Doctor at the head, las vanished in the State Department, and Forbes is in Afghanistan aud Austin in India, and a new Min- ister reigns in the stead of the Seventy, and as I passed the old legation on Isabel the Catholic street By 1 was informed by public placard that if I wished to and rent the building I had only to say the word and take P Yeuiness NEW LIFE IN THE CAPITAL. en the bull ring bas youce—the clumsy old bull News wit ite narrow entrances and dingy boxes and ‘est smells, and blocks npon blocks of imposing post surge m mortally witty ite site, There is a pew bull ring a cuttle for th NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1878.—-WiTH SUPPLEMENT. half mile further out—a spick-and-span affair of brick, which does mot look like a bull ring, but a Moody and Sankey tabernacle of the Chicago order of architecture, New avenues stret:h in all directions paved with curbstones, and young trees; and build- ings, everywhere artisans at work—new builaings in every part of the town. The aspect of the city has wholly changed. ‘There is the Calle Mayor and the old Plaza. I ulways visit that antique enclosure, be- cause it reminds me of the days when Spain was really governed by kings. Plaza Mayor was where the heretics were tried and sentenced to be burned—and there was the balcony where those sovereigns of seinted memory Charles II, Philip II. and other divinely-vouchsafed princes were wont to perch themselves and see the trials goon and hear monks denounce heresy und appland with tingling fingers as the poor wretches, in their cos- tumes of degradation were led to thé stake, It was here, too, that Charles I, of England, also of blessed memory, came to witness a bull ight— one of the most famous exhibitions ever given—tho fighters being gentlemen of quality, and one of the:n @ young woman, who attacked a bull singly and killed it with her dagger. This Plaza Mayor seemed to have outlived any fear of change, and it was pleas- ant to wander under its arches and look at the trees and study Philip UJ. on horseback and sum- mon back the phantoms who once made it their holiday. But even the plaza is changed and has become a mere market, with shops, where you can buy cheap jewelry and clothes, and prominent are placards in eulogy of American ma- chines and canned meats. All the color and repose of the old plaza have vanished, The sewing machine has taken the place of the auto de fé, and, as an an- tiquity, Plaza Mayor has no more interest than the Fulton Market or Tweed’s ancient Court House oppo- site the City Hall, RED REPUBLICAN DAYS IN SPAIN. There are fewer beggars on the streets and not 60 many newspapers. We have now a government of order and virtue which is fatal to newspapers. Nearly all the journals I used to know are gone—the papers which used to call Amadeus Macaroni I., be- cause he was an Italian; the extreme papers which used to tell scandalous stories about the Pope and the Jesuits, and print gruesome pictures of the In- quisition. There was a paper which I used to read called Descamisados, or the Shirtless, which was the blood red organ, and whose editor began his leaders by demanding for the Republic 500,000 heads, It was a wonderful combination of brutality and crime, and one fancied that it was edited by some royalist and supported by royalist money to bring scandal on the Republic. The whole school of journalism, so unique and fluent, has vanished, and what you have are a few decorous papers in bad type, with politics of a neutral tint, living from day to day in dread of a summons from Canovas stopping the press and marching the editor to the courts. So journalism has wilted, and if you want to know what Spain thinks and says you must go to the cafés. THE LOTTERY IN SPAIN, Thad gone the other morning to pay my devotions tothe Virgin, not our Lady of Atocha (the Virgin from Antioch) nor any of the manifest virgins in brocade before whom candles burn in Madrid churches, but our Lady of Raphael, as you see her on the walls of the Madrid Gallery, in the picture called “La Perla.” This gallery is one of the glories of modern civilization, and whenever my mind in the years of absence reverted to Spain I found that it rested on the Museum in the Prado. I have friends on those walls whom I could not miss seeing without feeling that I had transgressed the sacred righis of friend- ship—‘‘La Perla,” ‘The Meninas,” ‘The Surrender of Breda”—all the works of the incomparable Velasquez. I am afraid I worship there more than in the churches, for there really are no churches in Madrid, no more than in New York or Boston. I had made my devotions, and was strolling home through the Culle San Geronimo when an unusul bustle attracted my attention. Newsboys were shouting extra newspapers and loungers were running out of the cafés and wayfarers stopped to read— to read with strained and breathless atten- tion. Ithougnt the King had been shot, or the Min- istry had resigned, or the favorite bull-fighter had died, or that there was some other incident of a tran- scendent character. So I purchased an extra and stopped to read. and found it was only columns of figures and that these figures recited the prizes in the lottery. The lottery had been drawn that morn- ing and all Madrid, all Spain was palpitating over it. HOW LOTTERIES ARE MANAGED. If I were asked to name the first evil in Spain, the first that should attract the reformer’s eyes, I would say the lottery. The government manages it. I asked a Spanish friend whethcr the management was perfectly honest. ‘‘Yes,"” he answered, “it is the most honest thing in Spain.” As I had no interest in the lottery I took my paper home and studied it. I discovered that lotteries were frequently held in Spain. In this special drawing there were 1,894 prizes, and the value of the money distributed was $166,440. There was one principal prize of $16,000, and three others, respectively $10,000, $4,000 and $2,000. There were three of $1,000 each, two of $810 each, and 1,847 of $60 each. The paper did not say how many tickets were sold, but there were numbers on my prize list running as high as 38,000, Each ticket is divided into ten parts, each part costing sixty cents, making the value of a complete ticket $6. If, therefore, 38,000 tickets were sold at $6 apiece there would be a reve- nue to the government from this lottery alone, after paying all the prizes, of $61,500. 1 observed that the first prize, No. 959, had been drawn in Cadiz, and that of the other great prizes one was drawn in Seville, two in Madrid and one in Getafe, a little country town on the way to Andalusia. This, how- ever, was only a small lottery; the great one comes at Christmas. The first prize in this is $500,000, and the price of each ticket is $100. The government gives the great lottery once a year as a Christmas present to Spain. As you cannot buy one-tenth of a chance in this grand prize for less than $10, and as $10 is a good deal of money in Spain, many a Spaniard will bave a dinnerless and supperless Christmas in his daring venture for for. tune. One hates to think of the moral effect of a venture like this upon the character of a people. If it were now and then, for a special purpose—a hos- pital, achurch or an asylum—it might be pardoned |-¥8 @ venial sin, like dram drinking or failing to vote on election day. But this appeal to chance every fortnight, and at the end of the year a supreme ap- peal, with fortuncs in the wheel, cannot but deaden the moral sense and the pride of # community. The lottery, however, is feature in Spain. Wherever you go—to the cafe, the church or the railway station—you are pursued by cripples, children, women—all vending their lottery tickei#, The night before the drawing the streets ring with their cries, as Broadway during the war was wont to ring with the cries of newsboys shoutiug tidings of @ battle, There is, however, an awakened sentiment on the subject of gambling in Spain. When I was here in the time of Amadeus there were gambling shops over every café, and gambling was an established industry wiich even revolutions could not disturb, The gambling houses have beon closed. I suppose the lottery would go also, except that the government feels on that subject as Napoleon did about his revenue from brandy or England about her revenue from opium. It is a profitable vice. In the national budget I find that out of an estimated reve- Due of 657,000,000f., 55,000,008. are expected from lot- teries. emniyrenont ENGLAND MUST STAND FIRM. SHE MUST MEET THE FINANCIAL DEPRESSION AS AMERICA DID IN 1873. {From the Pall Mall Gazette.) Tt is not very pleasant to read in the American Newspapers speculations on the decline and fall of England’s commercial and manufacturing suprem- acy, which are entirely in accord with Mr. Glad- stone's ill-omened predictions on tho same subject. Those who are said to be our heirs ave already in im- ayination entering upon the succession, But, as the more sober commentators hasten to point out, Eng- lishmen individually show as yet no sign of decay, and the capacity and energy which put them at the head of the world may yet suffice to keep them there. We also, as well a8 the Americans, have vast arcas of waste land to make valuable and plenty of scope for our spare population. But, undoubtedly it is the yreat drawback to our modern society that so 86 large = &S—Ssiprcoportion of the — work. ing class are little adapted to on twit mode of life, Factory hauds asa rule make t) worst of colonists; and thns those who first feel the pressure in bad times are the least capable of striking out new paths for themselves elsewhere. sides, even in America itself, too much capital and too many people are employed in manufacture; and the im- provements in machinery are such that under present conditions the market will be easily glutted, even when the long looked for revival of trade begins. Itis during ne pegiod of accommodation to altered circumstances that the gravest difficulties may arise, Our present distress come upon us gradually after along succession of good years, and people have trenched upon their savings in the hope that every day might bring an improvement. But, since it is too probable that no speedy change for the better can be expected, we must look matters in the face as the Americans did in 1873. FRANCE AND EUROPE. M, WADDINGTON’S SIGNIFICANT SPEECH IN THE FRENCH SENATE. [London Standard’s Paris letter of Dec. 15.) A statement of the present position of France as regards Eastern affairs was made by M. Waddington in the Senate yesterday, in reply to a question from M. de Gontaut-Biron. ‘he following is a full report of the salient parts I regard the Berlin Treaty as a transaction which will, I believe, last longer thau is supposed, but which, however, is yet exposed to many more dun- ers, We are convinced that it anybody departs rom it, that if between this and next spring it is not completely carried out, the whole of Europe aay find itself again in face of formidable perils. This is why we think that the interest of peace is involved in the highest degree in the com- plete execution by all parties of the Treaty of erlin. There have been on various sides lurking de- sires to do something else, to do more or less than the treaty was intended to do; but all the Cabinets and stateamen of Europe, ail who had something to win, a8 well as all who had something to lose, ail in succession have ended in acknowledging that there was only one course to follow which did not com- promise the peace of Europe, and that was the onmnilateral execution of the treaty. M. Waddington then touched on the Greek ques- tion, He said that the protectorate of Greece had always been traditional in the policy of France. It was, therefore, the duty of France not to abandon that Power. The Foreign Minister went on to de- ve 6 reasons which had imposed that policy on ce, He reminded the House that when the crown of Greece was proposed to King Leopold His Majesty refused it, saying that he could not ac- cept that throne so long as Groece did not possess proper and adequate frontiers. M. Waddington cou- tinued: “We demand what King Leopold demanded. In solving the question of Greece we shall relieve*the Eastern question of one of its principal causes of danger. The Porte, moreover, is greatly interested in this affair.”” The Foreign Minister, after promising to pub- Msh the correspondence on this point as soon as the negotiations admitted of it, concluded as fol- lows :— “What I can declare at once is that the French gov- ernment has taken its precautions so that the assist- ance of France shall not be isolated, and that the prudence which it has exercised in the affair shall be continued. We shall act with the assistance of all the Powers. It will be a collective action of Europe under the initiative of France. Hence I can reassure the Senate and the country that Europe has conti- dence in us.’ “GAS-LIT BUOYS. [From the Pall Mall Gazette.] ‘That the buoys which mark channels and wrecks are sometimes destroyed or displaced by vessels running along the coast on dark nights is well known. After two trials of lighted buoys, therefore, the Trinity Board have resolved upon sending a buoy, of which the lantern can be kept continuously burning, to a station off Dundee. The first of these trials took place in August last at tho Trinity Wharf, when the light lasted uninter- ruptedly for twenty-eight dys. Water was pumped upon it from @ steam engine, to see what would be the effect of the shock and drenching, aud no harm was done. The buoy was then sent down to the Nore, there burned si for twenty-four days. The same buoy has now left London for its Provision has keeping it alight without any interference for irty-four days. It is a of most awkward construction; but this does not lessen its usefulness, and others are being more skilfully made to receive the same illuminating ap- tus, This is a modification of what is known as intsch’s compressed gas system, which was first brought out in Germany. it is proposed to make the buoy itself the recipient for containing tho compressed gas, with its regulator (which is one of the most important points of the invention), and the lantern at the top of a short conducting tube. A buoy of ordinary size will burn about three months night and day with only one filling, and the light is visible at a distance ot about four miles. There is, however, in existence un electric lighting apparatus which might beemployod, #o that the light could be extinguished at wuniibe and restored at night, giving, of course, # much longer duration to the wo: ofthe buoy. It will be in- teresting to see the result of this experiment, as the success of the scheme would be a buon to navigation. AMERICAN WINES ABROAD. (From the London Times,} ‘The Egalité (Marseilles), speaking of the prospecta of American vintages, says that the wines produced in North America have generally been made from the grape of the V. Labrusca, the least valuable of all American vines, and that their remarkabie flavor has prevented them from gaining any position in the esti- mation of connoisseurs. The wines of South America, however, promise much better results. That pro- duced from the variety or family known as Zistiva- lis has lately improved greatly in‘ quality, and is likely to enter into general consumption. The Cor- difolia has produced good wine; the Elvira is de- clared to be “equal to the best vin ordinaire of French vineyards;” the Cuni ham is a white wine which, with special care, i & made as good as the best white Roussillon. Jacquez, Black July, and Cythiana yield a wine of ordinary quality, of deep color, and tree from any peculiar flavor. Tle Herbemont is a light, alcoholic wine, which will make an excellent dinner wine. The Clinton has Jens delicacy and a a flavor, which may, how- ever, be cured by fermentation and by cul- tivation. Ali American wines are suid to be im- proved by mixing several kinds of grapes, and, though French vintages ure said to be beyond reach of any serious competition from this quarter, it is ad- amitted that wines produced on the other side of the Atlantic will, with careful preparation, one day merit a high place among wines for ordinary consumption. The coarse Labrusca wine sells in the United States for 200f, to 250t. (£8 to £19) per hectolitre (twenty-two allons), and the production is about 600,000 hecto- itres, half of which is grown in California, “YOUNG RUSSIA.” WHAT THE STUDENT AGITATION IN RUSSIA MEANS—-THE HOPES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CZAREWITCH. To tne Eprroa or Tar HenaLp:— Among your “Cable Notes,” which are always se- lected with great skill by your foreign staff, there is one to-day bearing much weightier import than could be discerned by any person who had not re- sided for a lengthened period in Russia and been in- timate with its government, its people and its language. You say:—-It is stated that the students’ demonstrations in Rassia buve caused an unpleasant- ness between the Czarewitch, who is suspected of countenaucing them, and the Czar.” Your readers have been fully informed of these students’ demon- strations and the striugent measures that have been adopted to suppress them. It is well known that this “Young Russia” is not anxious for a ae tat nor for the subversion of the reigning family, but confines its demands to the establishment of # constitution and @ representative Assembiy elected by the peoplo—not necessarily by universal suffrage for the present, but with one restricted by a property or an educational qualification. ‘The Czare- witch is, no doubt, favorable to this alteration in the government of the country, und wishes that this step toward the higher civilization of his country and tor the alleviation of the overwhelming responsibility of the autocrat should be taken by his father, It is now several years since it was whispered in court circles in St. ersburg that the heir apparent to the throne had expressed his opinion very freely to the Emperot upon the advisability of granting a constitution to the people, and his wonder how his father could support the responsibility and labor of reonal government. Indeed, upon one occasion he declared that he could not, and if led upon to do so he would not attempt it for himself, During the late war it was natural to Le eg that home politics did not occupy the mind of the Czarewitch so much as the duties of his high command in the army, and many feared lest the liberal views with which he had been credited should be blunted by the military ardor begotten by the Turkish struggle. Now, your ‘cable note” brings the rumor, which I believe to be @ truth, and therefore an assurance that his views upon this question of @ constitution for his country remain unchanged and undiminished, and that when in the conrse of nature he shall be called upon to ascend the throne of all the Russias he will do so as a constitutional sovereign, and not as an autocrat, ‘This is certainly @ bright hope for Russia, and it is sincerely to be desired that the anxious spirits in that country may seek to rest upon it in quiet rather than disturb the peuce of the country by calling into action the repressive forces of the powers that be. They owe it also to the present Emperor, who has done so much for his people and for humanity during the past fifteen years, in which brief period he has in fact done more for them than was ever done before by all his predecessors. Icould say mtteh upon the port ly aly Alexander has done for the C mg his », but fear to trespass upon your space. Yours, Sbediontiy, ANGLORUSSIAN, New Yous, Dec, 28, 1878, IMPOSTOR OR LENAMIC 2 —_——e——— A Visit to the Curious Inmate of Easton Jail. GREAT LEARNING AND SMALL GAME ca RS The Man Who “Bought” Machinery and “Sold” Manufacturers and Savans, ahaa Thore is at present in the Northampton County Jail, at Easton, Pa., a person who is known there as | “the man from Poru,” but who calls himself a native of France. He is at once the wonder and the mystery of the place. For some months past the papers through Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and ‘New York have contained occasional references to an individual who went about the country under various aliases, living by trick und device, and who some six weeks since brought up in the Northampton County Jail. His victims were numerous, yet his chicane had such a dash of the ludicrous about it that they, generally speaking, pocketed their slight losses and let him go on his way. Indeed he almost always went before ho was considered in any other light than a patron and benefactor, It was in his failure to go far enough and fast cnough that he came to grief. It was hinted that he was slightly crazy, bat at least one matter-of- fact hotel keeper of Easton, whose hospitality he had exploited to the extent of $17 75 during a residence of four days, thought that his enterprise was too great to be put to the credit of insanity. The Grand Jury of Northampton county has found a true bill against the distinguished travellor—and his trial will come on next month—for absconding without settling his little bill, and he stands a chance of remaining in his present quarters for some time longer. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. A few days ago formidable roll of manuscript reached the Hxeratp office. It was from the pen of the prisoner and began as follows :— NortHampton County Jatt, Easton, Pa. To THe Eprror oy THe Heratp:— In your issue of the 2d ult. I noticed an article en- titled “Machine Mad,” in which article you gave an account of my extensive commercial operations, and in concluding which you stated that I was evidently insane. Thinking that it might be of interest to the readers of your valuable paper, and wishing to state the reasons I hud in making my purchasing tour in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey nia, I have prepared # short «ketch of may career, which, if you think proper, you may pub- sh. A PUZZLE. The article he refers to was a despatch from Read- ing, Pa., detailing his arrest and briefly telling his mode of operating. The career that he went onto sketch was an extraordinary one and its apparent frankness in the portion relating to his questionabie operations gave a color of truth to the greater part of it. It had its weak spois, to be sure—queer blunders in the spelling of ordinary French words which one would not expect from an alleged graduate of the famous Ecole Polytechnique of Paris, which, by the way, he occasionally spelled ‘Polythecnique,” and soon. Notwithstanding these blemishes it showed a well read, travelled man, a close observer and a master of the mechanical sciences. But at the same time it left in doubt whether the fellow was ®@ practical joker on a tremendous scale, a scientific swindler on a small scale, or @ man of great but slightly deranged intellect. He was a puzzle. ‘Hence it was that the writer rang the bell on the ponderous door of the sombre hued, battlemented prison that looks down from a hill on the prosperous town of Easton and over the Delaware River. Stout built and Pleasant faced Warden Whitescll opened the door, and cheerfully consented to granting an interview with the strange prisoner, A. L. Barrand, alias Louis Ramel, alias Honri de Courcelles, Artium Magister, Civil Engineer and soi-disant Director of the San Juan Mines, Arequipa, Peru, whose stupendous orders tor machinery, bridges, steam engines and rails seemed at one time to promise a trade revival in all branches of the iron and steel manufactures, IN THE PRISON, The little preliminary of entering one’s name in the visitor’s book showed that one of the names of the object of the visit was there also, for he had in- spected as an amateur what he was shortly destined to enjoy as a professional. “Take this gentleman to Peru,” was the Warden’s rather startling order to the jailer, who carried a bunch of keys, and forthwith led the way up a wide but gloomy corridor. Faint daylight came into it through a small gate of stout iron bars at the extreme end. With a clatter in the lock and a grate on the hinge, this door was opened, and I stepped into the prison. With a clang the door was locked behind me, and I looked around. It was much like the run of county prisons, two tiers of cells running around an oblong, but was cleaner, tidier and handsomer than usual, and would look comfortable if it were not for the heavy double doors before each little residonce and the great bolts that shot to and fro with s chilly clang. It was floored with great slabs of dark slate, which must be a relief to the eyes of the respective drunk and disorderlies, assault and batteries, petty larcenists and burglars, when they are tired of look- ing at the white walls of their cells. Some, indeed, of these gentry have decorated their enforced abodes with pictures from the New York weeklies or with hanging chains of colored paper artistically arranged, and at least one had covered the walls with cheerful frescoes of his own design. The place is warmed pleasantly. Some of the inmates, the Jailer said, were in another part of the prison making brooms and carpets, but those awaiting trial were taking their ease. We furned to the right and stood beforea cell. Tho jailer opened the door of wood and then the door of iron lattice work. There were two men inside. “Pnt on your coat and come out,” said the jailer not ankindly to one of them, and a tall, thin young man with dark eyes stepped out. “Now, go in, sir, the other's your man.” BARRAUD-RAMEL COURCELLES. Tentered ; the door clanged behind and a curious lite tle personage in his shirt sleeves came forward with a slightbow. Perhaps there was ashade of disappoint- ment in the effect of his appearance. A more magnetic bearing, # more dashing appearance would have been expected in the outward man of so brilliant an im- postor, About thirty-five years old, of the middie height, though his puny body and slanting shoulders made him look smaller, he was not at the first glance attractive in any degree. But his head was long, large and remarkable. His complexion was dark. He wore & neat brown mustache and side whiskers, large and = very dark gray eyes with heavy » © hooked nose that was prominent without being long, a weil set mouth and # flat chin. The eye at ouce, however, rested on his towering, square forehead—‘‘s regular double-decker,” as his quondam host, the Easton hotel koeper, ed it—and which seewed the higher that he is bald on tho crown of the bead, trom which the thin hair of a dusty brown fringed down. Add to this that he has large feet, or at least boots and small hands and that his clothes were pitifully seedy, althongh he wore a clean shirt. He invited mo to a seat on an apology for @ stool and sat down himself on one of the low beds in the cell, Ona peg hung a — coat with the red ribbon of the Legion of Honor on ti ¢ lapel. HOW AE TALKS, It is not necessary to detail the entire interview that followed, for, after a brief talk about his prison house, which he declared, with a shrug, ‘comfortable for a piace of the kind,’ conversation was directed mainly to Someta weak points in his story and to ob- taining light upon others. He talks well, with @ deciled foreign accent, and is realy to branch of into the discussion of scientific points or a description of natural scenery, persons or public buildings in all quarters of the world, He talked of his “operations,” as he loves to call them, with great gusto and from time to time broke into an unpleasant sound- ing, harsh laugh at the discomfiture of some of his victims, when his dark eyes Rated aed unpleas- pe D the right eye apparently turnin; mighty in- ward. His explanations of the doubtful points in his autobiogray hy were ready if uot plausible, and it may be Se ged that an adventurer without money or baggage who would stroll into an office, ask for one ox the firm and proceed to order a lovo- motive or some miles of railroad iron, giving a worthless dratt in payment, would not be nonplussed over a mere question of spelling or an error of dates, When asked why he spelled ‘faites” with two t's he said coolly it was spelled both ways. When it was urged that a graduate of a famous school would not ve Likely to misspell its name he asked, “How did 1 & and when informed remarked, “Well, we .” draw ny forth a Manufacturer and Builder, where the name occurred. Seeing his error he dropped easily into the question of Greek derivations, dodging the main question, Brought back to it he hesitated, as it about to make a confession, but he bristled up and said he gratuated No, 8 in tho class of 1861; that on ‘Thursdays and Satur days the beys were slowed out, but only in ; that, however, he aud others used to climb “It is very easy to wire if you are in doubt,” he added. HIS MOPLVES. ‘The most difficult point to decide was his motive in undertaking a career of imposture when so many promising flelds were open to a 1mwn of his undoubted talents and deep technical knowledge, He answers with a laugh, “You see Lhave always been fond of some fun. Then I wanted to know all about American machin- ery, which 1 adinive very much, and it was the only vay Lcould get into the shops. I made the firms for a litte while with my big purchases— y overwhelmed me with hospi- hI appreciated, As to my drafts that oh, See did some poor devils of notaries 7” you know it costs a dollar to protest a and ‘I kept them pretty busy.” id you not adopt it as a means of living 0; Ttell you it was fun. [had $30 or $40 when I started out on the Lith of August, but { found f did not Want mach mon ‘Those tellows took care of # yood customer like and he langhed loudly with yrating sound, but evident enjoyment. ‘I asked no- hody tor money; they took me to their own homes or to hotels and, of course, I left them to settle the bills, I carried no baggage, for L knew that would be seized, . and got from poiut to point generally by the men I bought machinery of uuying the tickets for me. I knew the next fellows to look for by this little book (taking ont # small pocket Directory of Bradstrect's). I went for none but the largest concerns, and I think every fellow who has his name in this should curse for putting it in. (More loud, harsh laughter.) See, L have quite 4 collection of return tickets which I have not used, if you have not gota return ticket to New York I— ah, pardon. Well, you sce, 1 have plenty tickets, ‘They took all my other papers away from me. There Was one thing was fun, too. When I would leave a place after a biz order the local papers would give me # kick (gicefully), Wasn't that ungrateful? You kecp all the papers on file; you can sec.” CRDUNAL CYNICISM OR LUNACY ? “Are you not ashamed of all this “Oh, no; it is notacrime; it is not dishonorable; these ‘people invited me, Even supposing they did uot, which I deny, just look at it; two years ago it Was not even a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania, Can it beacrime now? I assure you these people were even more anxious for my ‘trade revival,’ think you call it, than I was for their dinners. It was their. own covetousness they were paying for."” THINGS HE DOKS “About the prosent charge against y “Rascally! Iwent to tue United States Hotel on Mr. Wilson’s recommendation—his card and his compliments. He owes the money. I will not pay it. ut only think. I stop there four oo and the bill is $17 75. When they catch me with their detec- tive and put me in prison Mr. Haydon comes here and tells me it is $50, ‘How has it grown so fast while I was away?’ I said. “Ine extras are for catching you.’ Now, only think of that (look of what might otherwise be culled virtuous indignation)—make me pay $32 25 for putting me into prison! ‘That is ras- cally, Six months is the most, and I will stop here that Jong sooner than pay them one cent, I wrote to my mother in Paris for some money, but she bas sent me word that she has none. Here is her letter, (showing one dated Paris, written in # fine hand and pertect French, signed, ‘a pauvre mere.”’) ‘You gave a check for $5,000 to Lafayette College?” “They were so kind to me (laughing long and loud), They said they wanted money and I thought I would make them happy for a couple of days; but my draft came back so s00u it spoilt most of the sport. I was going to have a grand timeon Founder's Day, and had a neat speech for the faculty and students ready with references to ‘my illustrious countryman, Lafayette.’ But the jig was up. ‘They were badly: sold’ as it was, ‘That was all fun.” ‘ou got a note from Professor Drown?” Yes,” (quickly); “but I did not use it. He wrote it as accretary of the American Institute of Mining En- —-. introducing me to Charles Parrish, of Wilkesbarre, and to any members of the institute, Yes, it was @ valuable letter, but they took it away from me. Ah!” (A pause, indicating the great loss he had sustained.) 18 HE INSANE? ones they had you in Flatbush Asylum were you ee? “Not at all. Iwas never in any other asylum. My father was never insane; there is no lunacy in the family. My health now is very good. I was weak for a long time after the typhoid fever which I had last spring at Duluth. Iwas in bed two months and a halt and was not well for four months. I was very sick; why, I was delirious for a fortnight.” “Did you operate out West?” “No; Tonly began last August.” As the man sat there on his miserable cot, with his bp igi legs crossed, swinging one great boot and turning from one memorandum to another, he certainly did not look 4 successtul operator, however ‘‘uncrushed” he might seem to be. HARD AT WORK—A DISCOVERY. “I have made a great discovery,” he said, suddenly. “T have written to one of the professors about it. It is something used every day all over the country on small scale, and I do not see why it cannot be used on a gigantic scale, The laws of nature, you know, are immutable. ‘True, the ratio of increase has to be looked at: but, allowing ten per cent for friction, I can make it a success. Of course, it is my ‘| secret yet. I have written, too, a couple of polkas for the Easton Grays. Sce, Iam writing a Brazilian romance (showing some sheets of wrap} paper with the heading, “The Exiled Lovers’). 1 have coin- menced a work on the colleges of America, I may write on American industry, too. lam teaching my cell companion the manual of arms and tactics.’ “You doubtless have ideas upon the state of our “You have numskulls in . Look at the absurd navigation laws. Protection is a good thing, but you must not abuse it. You cannot buy iron vessels abroad, and John Bool mouopolizes the car- rying trade. South America! there is a field for you (as a Peruvian mine director of course he knows). four cotton goods should go there, but you have no vessels, They must go through John Bool. Your cloth is better than the English; 5 rf make. You pay higher ‘wages, but you have better machinery and the English manufacturers must more for freight of the raw material. I often felt like order- ing an American ship for the South American trade, just to show you where your interests lay.” ‘This overwhelming proof of his esteem for our nation brought the interview, which had wandered all over the world in a pleasant way, to # close. WHAT THE HOTEL KEEPERS BAY. A visit to the United States Hotel disclosed one cu- rious fact—namely, that,while the proprietors would pursue one poor devil over the country for his board bill they would refuse to accept any return tor a chance newspaper man’s dinner, which seemed rather illogical in an innkeeper. They say, more- over, that Mr. Ramel is a “beat,” and that his whole bill is only They only claim $12 25 tor bringing their late guest back to be at the expense of the county—a magnanimity for which the manufac- turers of the United States will owe a debt of grati- tude to Northampton county, Pa. ‘THE JOKE ON LAFAYETTE. Rev. Dr. Cattell, the learned President of Lafayette College, is as handsome and cheerful as he is good and benign. He was, it was discovered, very busy on the day of the writer's visit. The fine group of college pe gy on the hill overlooking the Delaware stood out in fine relief aguinst the clear sky; was long and the wind was cold” on to the college. It was not impossible, however, to near from a discreet member of the faculty in town some funny things about the prank ~ § by the inmate of the prison whi ands on the hill on the other moe nay “We mh men iff Inay use such 9 worldly, sxureesion. way in which he deceived the acute Silliman was perfect, and be did not pretend to piety either, but thrust his atheistical views forward persistently. He took Silliman to dinner and entertained him with yood cheer and science. After Ramel had fied some wags procured @ billhead of the United States jot end sent it to Mr. Wilson, of the Warren [ron Works, who had sent Ramel to the hotel. Among the items was ‘dinner, cigars, wines and liquors Professor Silliman.’ Now, Wilson is a stanch religious man, and he said ke would not pay the bill ut all; but, above all, he would not pay for the ‘et » Wines and liquors’ of # professor. This was bad enough, but poor Silli- man, who does not even swoke, and looks on liquors as draughts of Belial, was to be pitied. You may fancy his feelings. ‘TOO BAD, TOO BAD. “As to the ‘donation,’ we were all delighted with it. Never did we feel so proud of tte and his ‘illustrious countrymen.’ Dr, Cattell took us into his confidence and showed cach of us the note he had received. It touched some of us almost to tears. Five thousand dollars given on an impulse and by one who did not share our religious views. It seemed noble. Visions of wealth, coming in a ktream to endow the ¢ and found scholarships rose betore our minds, and made the crash of the dis- covery terrible when the draft came back dishon- ored. Ah, it was food for laughter among our friends, but in the way it happened not one of us could jaugh at the other; so we smile at ourselves, YROVESSOR DROWN'S DILEMMA. “Only to think of Professor Coffin taking that acape- grace Ramel over to the jail as a visitor and to hear him preach to the prisoners. The good man has preached to Ramel sevoral tines since as be sat among the convicts. And then Professor Drown’'s letter. He says that Ramel is an engineer of profound at- tainments, but how he did not see through his as- sumptions is ineredible, When Kamel ran away Profewor Drown thought of the letter and was filled with s«pprehensions. He had handbills printed and scattered through the country at considerable cost, warning the seven- teen learned societies and everybody else against pay- ing any attention to his note. the onergy of the Professor was mainly the cause of Ramel’s arrest, and no discovery of a goid mine on College Hill could havo brought him the same joy us when he laid his hand upon that document once more.” Rumel, as will be remembered, looked on the recovery of the note from a diametrically opposite view, With this, by way of introduction, we may direct attention to the satobiography of this curious per- sunage who sent such # comical flutter through the great dovevote of Lafayette College and raised so many, fy" expectations elsewhere, all for the sake of a little food, a little fun and, perhaps, for some experience. It is not possible to give this document in its entirety for obvious reasons, Having shown some reasons for suspecting the truth of some of the sepresentations—o*, for instance, his being # Hreachmau at li, vite of the Reole Poly. technique, it is as well to summarize the early tion of his career, He was born, he says, in in 1842, and claims te be descended from the old noblesse of France, to have been educated at a Jesuit school, afterward at the College of Louis le Grand, and then at the Ecole Polytechnique; that he spent a number of years as assistant on the Suea Canal, and hid charge o: amine in the Oral Mountains Russia; that he retired to France on the outbreak of the war and obtained a command in the artiller: He was at Woerth, Gravelotte, and Sedan, w! i escaped disguised’ as an Italian after ol 6,500 francs for four horses he pretended had been killed, pursuance of an alleged device on the part of the meh to empty the military chest. He took part in the siege of Paris, was wounded and received tha Cross ot the Legion of Honor; he also tot t againss the Commune. After the war he went to to put upapump. On returning to Paris he fell in love, and after an elopement married in England, His wite died, He accepted a commission to come to America to look after some exhibitors’ goods at the Centennial Exposition, and travelied over the coun- try. We regret to have to omit the many appreci- ative notices of American institutions of and also his protoundly learned criticisins of the various machine shops and’ machinery he inspected, At Vas- sur he also saw Professor “Maggie” Mitchell, of whom he thinks very highly. He made quite a tour then thro’ ‘ew England and paid his respects to Harvard Gol hich he also appreciates, At the close of the Exposition he returned to Paris and trav- elied through Germany, visiting Herr Krupp’s cannon, foundry aud other places of mechanical wonders, He returned to Paris, His story proceeds :— TO AMERICA AGAIN. “Ll was offered, after my return, to canvass the United States and Mexico for the sale of a new patent laccepted the offer and left for New il, 1877. On my arrival I proceeded to Paul, and from thence by the North- ern Pucific Raitroad to Bismarek, D, T., where I tooic the boat for Fort Benton, M.'T, ‘I visited the great silver mines of Montana and Idaho. I stopped several at Holena; from thence I went to Lodge, City, GCovinne, Denver and through Colorado ore crusher, to tral City, Thence to Nevada. I had tha greatest success in that State, selling twenty- six machines, From thence to Tucson, New Mexico and into Sonora, Mexico. £ stopped at San Luis de Potosi three weeks and sold several machines there. Then 1 visited Guaymas, where I sold five move machines, and then proceeded tothe great upper mine of Nacosari. From thenca I returned home by way of Mexico, Mazatlan, Panama to New York, From New York I again started and went to Rio Janeiro, where I sold several machines to the Dom Pedro Railroad Compeny, to break stones for their track. I returned to New York in March and proceded to the Lake Superior copper region where immediately on my arrival C was taken sick with the typhoid fever. After I became convalescent I sent my ace counts to my employer and intended to return to dear Paris this tall, But Uhomme propose e Diew dispose. Instead of being in Paris I am now in tha Northampton County Boarding House, Easton, Pa, When I shall see beautiful Paris again I know not, yet I trust that I will some day. If God has any syme reed fora poor sinner He will hear my cry, fo: like the beautiful but unfortunate Queen of Scots, repeat every night :— © Domine Dous speravi in te Carrisime Jesu nune, libera me, In dura catena, in misera pana Dexidoro te. Languando, gemondo et genutlectendo Adoro, iurploro, ut liberes me. Amen. Before taking up his own story of his peculiae operations we sail leave him at his prayers for the present, A FIREMAN'’S FUNERAL, The funeralof George T, Yetman, the fireman wha met a frightful death ata dre in Newark on Christe mas morning, took place yesterday from the North Baptist Church, Newark, The church was crowded to overflowing, the firemen of Newark and the Com- mon Council being present in a body. The casket was imbedded in floral tributes. Conspicuout among the latter was ® beautiful representa- tion of a truck with ladders and # fireman's hat over all. Rev. Lansing Burroughs officiated and delivered an exccedingly impressive discourse, in the course of which he paid an eloquent tribute to the worth and character of the true fireman who, like George Yetman, was ever ready to sacrifice even, his life for his fellow men. The interment took placa in the firemen’s lot, at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, and ‘was attended by a large concourse of people. BURIAL OF A SUICIDE. ‘Tho remains of Anton Bergmann, the young mam who shot himself at the Market street depot, Newark, were interred yesterday. Two of Anton's step-uncies came “gm Boston, and County Physician Hewlett delivered the man’s effects to them. “Anton was & fool,” said one of them to a reporter, ‘to kill himself on account of any woman. We might expec® better from one of mature years.” “Them it was @ love affair; how was it?’ asked the reporter. The step-uncle replied:—“Anton was a handsome looking fellow. He worked with me at Pranks & Co. lithographic establish- ment, Boston. He was a good workman and earned $26 w wovk. He was rather impulsive at times. About three years ago he became engaged toa in Bos- ton, Diise Pauline Staub. She was thirty-five years of age, while Anton was but thirty. A few days be- fore Christmas Pauline was urgent to have the mar- @ hurried on; Anton became morose and acted rather Ciao se when spoken to on the subject. He had an appointment with Pauline on Christmas night. Before leaving home on Christmas he told us he would not return. He was secn about half- ten o'clock, A. M. on his way to the Providence depot. Wessw in the papers the account of the suicide of an un- known man, and Pauline’s brother came on to New- ark and identified the body as that of his intended bg pen himeelf Bergmann rushed th: ih Before 5! jm roug! the train which arrived from New York and scruti- nized the passengers 4s if in search of somebody, Could it have been Pauline he expected? It seems, however, that an overdose of stepmotherly interfer- ence and love will drive even # Bostouian to suicides A HARD TIME OF IT. THE STORY OF A POOR LAD'S EFFORTS TO GED WORK—GRATEFUL FOR A COMMITMENT TQ THE ISLAND. All the prisoners had beon disposed of and the Essex Market Police Court room was nearly empty when a young man, poorly clad and thin faced, with @ slight limp, stepped up to the bar and said that he wished to give himself up. “What's your name ?” asked Judge Duffy. “William Cook," replied the young man. “Where’s your mother ?” “Dead.” “Where's your father ?” “Dead.” “Where do you live ?”* “In the street.” “Well, what do you want me to do with you ?”* “Give me soni ig to cat, please, J mn “How long since you had anything to eat?” teNoe a bite since ‘ast Friday nigh » Judge,” sai@ the youth, with tears in his eyes, “Ts dinner over inside?” usked the Judge of the 4 Nery near, Your Honor.”* re this boy in and don’t let him want for anys thing. Fill him up,” and the half-starved boy wae taken into the and given o hearty ner, after which he was committed to the Offa wold the following — reporter a fe’ wl to the afew moments after in the Essex Market prison:—“My name is William Cook. 1 have no residence. My mother died about five years ago. When alive father used to keep @ tailor shop street, where he did quite well, but never gave any money, as it ee all that he cou!} up to keep the family together. After father ‘* an to Sea’ alive. Last May I left the city for a abors time, beating my way on acoal train down into Con- necticut, to see what 1 could strike. Loould find brain 2 and returned during the samo month to the city and worked along as before, but was barely able to crawl.” ‘Have you any trade?’ ther comnenced to teach me the tailor’s trad but hoe died before 1 had time to learn an: at a you know how long I will be kept here?” he “You are committed, I believe, to the Commissions ers of Charities for three months.”" ba mouths. Let me see,” said he, as he counted on his fingers; “January, February, March, That's just right.” “Just right for what?” “For a trip West. I'm going to start for Cincin« nati the Ist of April, and i'll fud something there of bust,” said he, as he turned away. wae iu Stanton to PUGILISTIC PEDLERS, Over two hundred men were massed together in @ vacant lot in the vicinity of 116th street, between Second and Third avenues, on Saturday night. Ia the centre of the crowd two men, stripped to the waist, were exchanging the compliments of the prize ring. The scene was illuminated by lanterns, heid by @ number of the spectators. Officer Monihan, of boy 2a Precinct, arriving at a late hour, drew mn and, ‘sounding an alarm, into the midst of thee party. A Pe | stampede followed, and, with one excep« tion, the participants in away into the obswuelt of the night. One of the | seers. in the match stumbled aad, ab Ox- wusted by his labors, fell an easy prey to the te In the 126th street station house he gave bis aa John Ryan, twenty-three yeare old, living in Rast Ninety-vighth street, near Second avenue. He said he was @ pedier, and on the night in question had been insulted by another man of the same profession, whose name ho did not know, while they were mu- of their wares in tually trying to dispose Third Harlem invited his Sees avenue, near the compact waa made, nwa ack were oe oes a ae ot the two were ts ther ie Suit held tae So the faded rival, who wae an Italian, in vindication brisuuer ior examination,