The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-07
CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.
CUIcACO Nav / 1868

ShiOaco: AJOc'
Suddenly as magician trick summer
has come upon us. A day or two ago cold
winds and rain made all nature seem
gloomy. To-day soft, warm breezes like
those of June, caress the spring flowers,
and in the shade Of a cool room the Their
mometer indicates so degrees. l begin
to fear my theory that religious conven-
tons in our city bring rain. Such has
been the rule heretofore however, and at
the beginning Of the Methodist confer
ence, Eow in session, there was foe en-
couragement that the precedent would be
followed. This fifteenth general confer
ence Of the Methodist Episcopal church,
is one of the finest bodies of denominations
al representatives which could be assem-
bled in this country. Comprised of nine
bishops and 235 delegates from all parts of
the United States, representing over l.
046, 900 members of their church it is al
SO attended By leading men Of the II. Il.
church of Great Britain aad Canaaas, and
its deliberations are in the highest degree
important. It's sessions began on Friday
last, and among its first knotty subjects
was the question of the admission Of the
delegates from the southern states These
10 not come from conferences recognized
by this body, the southern VI. Il. church
having set up for itself, but there is now
mani tested disposition to coalesce and it
is believed that this will be satisfactorily
arranged. One small difficulty there Is,
which although not a serious obstacle, is at
least little of a complication, viz: that
two OF the southern delegates are black
men. The whole matter was referred to u
committee on Friday, but up to this time
they have not made any report. Yester-
day the members of the conference preach
ed in the various churches all over the
city, and enc of the most popular preach
ers was the celebrated Peter Cartwright,
the brave old man who has done such
mighty service for his church all over the
country, and who is famed Tor his power
manifested ON more than one occasion, of
using very substantial arm of flesh to
WELD the spiritual " sword Of the Lord
and Of Gideon" Cartwright has whipped
more than one sinner into repentance of
trying to " make game Of his faith.
The excitement of the national republi-
can convention, now near at hand, is al
ready beginning to be felt. Members Of
the committee, newspaper men and promi :
nent politicians, are beginning to be bored
with applications for tickets Of admission
Applicants appear in person, by their
friends, and by letters, and If half the peo-
pie get tickets who seem to want them, the
Opera house will be filled with layers, sew
eral deep, of delegates, lobbyists and spec
tators. No doubt is entertained here OF
the state convention at Peoria, on We'd
nesday next, nominating Gen. Palmer for
governor, and instructiug for Grant. The
Cook county delegation is unit on both
questions.
The Chicago board Of education made
an important change last week in the text
books in use in our common schools, by
throwing out all the readers now in use,
and substituting in their stead Prof. Ed
wards admirable analytical series oil
readers published by Messrs. Geo. & G.
W. Sherwood, No. 105 Madison street
These " analytical " readers have already
received the highest concentrations oil
teachers, college principals, and state SUI
perintendents in all parts Of the union, and
are by all impartial judges conceded to be
the best works of this class ever offered to
the schools of this country. Messrs. Shel
wood are, with the exception of one firm in
Cincinnati, the only actual publishers of
in which these are issued reflects credit on
their ability and taste. They have here
also very extensive factory for the man
} ufacture of school furniture ard apparatus
in which they arc quite beyond the reach
Of any eastern competition. Their fur
nishing of the new Carpenter school in
this city is pronounced superior to any
other in the country, yet it is in no wise
superior to all the rest of their work, while
in point Of price the inducements which
they offer are very great.
A few days ago the Tribune published (
rather spicy little story about the manner
in which one Of the sworn weigbmastcrs o.