, 1873-01-03

bolted tho regular ticket in his native State has
| been calling On the President preparatory to Ills
7aast nazslan tp HIS ,S sactsa
have been profferipg advice as to the proper
connection between cold water aud st. Peters,
burg >
POSTAL TE1EonAPur AND THE cnoRPEsS1So
Tho fight about postal telegraphy began in a
respectful way, and has got down to be bitter,
scandal-nlaking contention. Mr.. Orion and
Cresweu interrupted each other at 3 recent
hearing, and, taking advantage Of the situation,
the advocatea of the Chorpenning CHIN are
again demanding that it DO revised and
passed. Judge Black superintouds this job,
amongst the innumerahlo others in which ho
is retained, and now the newspapers ere taking
suspiciously accordant views with ~Black and
Chronicle here, think, has launched book
upon the equity OF the Chorpenning caso; and =
Dom Piatt has aasailed Dawes for doing just
what Piatt praised him for at tho time II. G..
other reason for wishing this claim again adIu-
dicated, it is that he may slip ont from tho very
ugly Rituation in which he put himself to pass
it. uo is the most ambitious man in tho Cabi-
net ind does not want Mr.. Chorpenning's
new reasons to argue this claim to bo
pudont and aged swindle. - John
Cessna, the man who set mp this claim, between
the Postal Committee md the Post Office, has
been reelected to- Congress by a dull conatitu-
ency, whom he amused on the stump with
stories in dialect Cresweu and Cessna on ono
side, with Jerry Black retained on the other,
will make gallant trio when they come to press
this claim and, to add to the motley character
Of the assemblage, they hare got q spiritual mo-
dium along with them, who shows the ghosts Of
their grandmothers, and gires large scances to
the conscript fathers. Hero VIC have postal
telography, old mail-contracts, and animal mag
notism performing in unison upon the Public
Treasury.
SOME CURIOUS THINGS
are leaking out about tho telegraph, no matter
who gets tho control OF it. I have been told
that, in tho case Of two Of the rival news nsso-
Citations which send matter from this city, one or
the other employs couple OF mon to be alter.
mates within hearing OF tho main instrument ut
the Capitol, and read OF by car whntever the
9th othsr 4% side sends end awa Hsrs Fer s sh hint to oqs
ncnt,-which is said to take about two
weeks,-and then take lodgings next door
to tho telegraph Office, when aho
will have the o.: earliest news which
comes to town or gots out Of it. In distant
city lives luxurious young nlau who Was once
III operator, but made bounce in life by con-
yeying information which he derived at the in
strument to cer tain spectators. Long attach
Inent to his mechanical nvocation suggested to
him that ho might Us we'll have private inatsu-
ment at homo and a wire Of his own. So there
he lies in bed till II o'clock, and. wl1ilo he takes
his breakfast, tho news Of the world passes
through his ears; and, il this information which
am giving you had been put on tho wire instead
OF going by mai, he would have known it as
quick as myself
F1nE-pRooF MATEE1A1.
Tho recent destruction of tho most valuable
portions OF three great cities-portland, Chi
cago, and Boston-has had marked influence
in turning the attention Of inventors to sume-
thing which shall prevent like caIamities in the
future. One OF my old associates amongst tho
army correspondents, William II. Merriam, has
been explaining to me q very remarkable con-
trivance in this direction, which seems to be
combination Of asbestos, lme-putty. and paper
pulp. The paper pulp is dispensed with except
as q covering for boilers, steam-pipes. etc, while
the aansa9s and ao Gny arc used =, to eGa
ings, safes, etc., exposed to fire. This
invention, although very simple, ia coming into
use throughout the whole country, and I refer to
it Is mstter Of some moment to the Chicago
people, who are still at work rebuilding and re-
habilitating tho town
Tho inventor OF this patent is u Mr.. John Ri
Icy, whose attention WA turned in this direc-
ton By the growing terrors Of frcs ut sen and in
sites n ;at;n ana he songh; st to accomplish 5ea
tended tho patent in the line Of edidces which
are liablo to conlagfation from the proximity of
heat Asbestos is an ordinary. but not q common
mineral, ranking With ornoblende, aud consists
OF silica, magnesia, lime, and oxide
of iron, and has q 1no fibrous
character, with color generally whitish or
grecuish. It was formerly used in woven
form to wrap up the bodies Of the doad, and to
preserve their ashes through centuries. It has
also been use 4 for 1amp-wicks. Savoy. Corsica,
t he SHETLAND Islands, and parts Of Scotland pro
duce this remarkable mineral which seems to be
presented to Us in the nick of time.
It is assuring to the public to know TINT an
absolutely AMI incontestably fre-proof material
has been discovered, and is now in use, that will
put period to the possibility Of these large con-
fiagrations. GATH.