davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

SENSIBLE TALK-The New York World
the leading democratic paper in the country,
talks in this plain fashion about the foolish
agitation concerning the Presidents title :
:" If any respectable democrat has the least
doubt left in his mind as to the dalnnabe
folly and wickedness of attempting to make
the title to the Presidency Il political issue
in this country at this time, we advise him
to read and ponder the following deliverance
of citizen Conroy, one of the chiefs of the
so-called Workingman' meeting in Temp
kins square. and the colleague of Mr.. Swinton
of the Sun in the management of that inter
this intelligent citizen, addressing an audi
ence at the Germania Assembly Rooms, that
he don't represent the workiug-classes of
America. Let no man obey the mandates
issued by him. He is not President by the
voice of the people, but by chicanery and
fraud. Therefore don't obey his proclama-
tons. If he attempts to call seventy-five
thousand men we will all enlist, and then
let him take care that he does not have to
leave Washington as Louis Philippe left
France in 1915 Every honest and law
abiding man who calls himself democrat
has the upshot here clearly presented to him
of the poisonous drivel which handful of
twaddling demagogues have been trying to
make the country accept as the political
g
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

A COOP FIGHT.-We are informed that
new potatoes, of excellent quality, were re-
tailed about our streets on Saturday last at
thirty cents bushel, This reminds us that
early in the season fears were widely enter
tanned of failure of the potato crop. Re
ports were prevalent that multitude of
farmers were discouraged by the prospect of
an invasion of armies of tn, Colorado beetle,
and were abandoning the idea of planting
potatoes. 1t was currently reported, indeed,
that some husbandmen who had planted
early ones, had plowed up their fields, and
were sowing them TO something else. II
turns out, however, that our farmers, as a
vanguard of their foes. On the contrary.
they braced themselves TO meet them with
such means Of resistance as were at com.
mand. Paris green was in great requsition
They also seized the young, and by vigor
Gus Manipulating in many quarters routed
the invaders. The result is now visible
Heaven has seconded mans exertions b,
ample showers and genial warmth and now
bountiful and healthy crop seems assured
Not for years have we seen such large ant
tempting potatoes as are now in the market
Thus it often happens in life's experiences
Even formidable dangers yield before per
sistent energy.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08
The Famine In India.

The Indian famine, instead of having been
warded off, is raging with increased severity.
The Marquis of Salisbury, Secretary of State
for British India, in recent report to the
home government, takes a gloomy view of
the situation. The promise of few weeks
ago that the worst was over has not been
realized. The Secretary now greatly fears
that it will be impossible TO prevent wide
spread suffering from actual famine. And
to add to the horror severe epidemcs are
feared, which will complete the devastation.
The stricken and threatened districts extend
over nearly all Southern India. Rains have
been exceptionally light during the entire
season. Cattle in large numbers have died
Of the drought, while the crops have been
dried and parched up where it was not so
dry in the early part of the season as to rem
der sowing and planting out of the question,
With the loss Of beasts of burden communi-
cation with large and remote districts, where
the suffering is likely TO be most intense, is
extremely difficult. The railroads of India,
"hiNh "NiO '"iiN ShiVhy ioi miIltaly pui-
poses, do not extend through the southern
sections SO as TO afford much help in trans
porting supplies. A second year of famine,
with all its frightful horrors, is therefore
impending. The canals are without water
the river-beds and channels of the streams
are baking in the hot sun. Nothing but the
promptest action on the part of the authori
ties can prevent repetition of the devas
tating famines which have heretofore
scourged that land. The home government
has in the past, committed grave mistake,
in dealing with these emergencies. 1t is t.
be assumed that now it will profit by forme
blunders, and deal promptly and vigorousl,
with the great and commanding question.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

A CHARLATAN AND A FRAUD.-ln eight
or nine states afflicted by the great railroad
strike, the blue jeans demagogue of Indiana,
Governor Williams, is the only Governor
who has made disgraceful exhibition of
weakness. All the others exhibited dignity
and force He is the most conspicuous ex-
ample of trucking and impotence on record.
lie argued little with them in friendly
way and then sat down. The rioters in his
state were the most audacious. There pas
senger trains were first stopped, and the
United States mail interrupted. There were
no militia, and no attempt was made to or
ganize the law-abiding citizens, as in st.
Louis where rebel and Union officers raised
five regiments that could have taken an hon
orabe share in a great battle. Finally, Gov
ernor Williams undertook to call on the ma
tional government for aid, but he was either
ignorant or tricky, for he did not observe
the terms obviously required by the consti-
tuition and he tried to dodge treating Pres
ident Hayes as President, by writing to the
Secretary of War. His request was refused
and he was referred to the constitution.
This is characteristic of the candidate who
paraded himself in blue jeans, and prefer
red to dine in the kitchen when visiting to
show that he was only "one of the people.
Something is the matter with the people
who can prefer him for Governor to General
Benjamin Harrison, grandson of President
Harrison, an honorable soldier, lawyer and
politician.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

A GREAT UNDERrAKrNG.-The scheme
for tunneling from England to France which
was so widely talked about not long ago,
yields now to one for building bridge. 1t
seems the substance of the channel bottom
is in spots a porous rock, and by conjecture
there are riffs and assures and soft places
to be met, so many as to keep the tunnel a
canal Moreover the tunnel estimates were
five million dollars for experiments and one
hundred million dollars for the real work.
The bridge people only ask for two hundred
thousand dollars to experiment WITH and
then will go on and build, if it bids fair, for
sixty million dollars. The plan proposed is
for bridge twenty-one miles long. The
average depth will be sixteen fathoms, and
the shoals, the Varne and the Colbart, will
be useful. Fokestone and Cape Gris-nez
are the termini as arranged. 1t is not spe-
Gifted whether navigation is to be suspended
after the bridge is done, but that might be
agreed to safely
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

HORACE GREELEY's BIRrHPLACE.-A cor
respondent of the Watertown Times, who
has recently made a pilgrimage to Horace
Greeley's birthplace in New Hampshire, de
scribes the house as brown from exposure to
sun and rain, but in excellent repair 1t
stands with its caves to the road halfway
up steep hill, and is like all the early farm
houses of New England, Around the i'm
mense chimney-stack are three rooms each
with gaping fireplace, and little hall in
front opens into a parlor and sitting-room,
with a kitchen in the rear. The sitting
room in which Horace Greeley was born has
two windows in front and one on the side.
The huge fireplace beside which he used to
read during the long winter evenings is still
standing The frog pond back of the farm
house is still uureclaimed and the old or
chard beyond the marsh still bears the
"spicy fruit " mentioned in the " Recollec-
TONS The present occupant, William
Brown, bought the estate one year after
Zacheus Greeley was compelled to abandon
it. He has lived there tifty-three years.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08
A Startling Estimate.

A gentleman connected with leading
bank in New York city, and member of
the clearing house, has made an estimate
of the losses occasioned by the strike, which
is. perhaps, as nearly accurate as any that
can be obtained. These losses are estimated
on the latest returns of the different roads,
and include perishable articles destroyed and
contracts annuled destruction of oil and
other valuable freight, cattle and other live
stock killed for which the taxpayers will not
be responsible. The losses, as given in the
New York correspondence of the Boston
Traveller, are as follows Baltimore & Ohio,
three million two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars; Pennsylvania Central, four
million five hundred thousand dollars Chi
cago & Fort Wayne, one million two hun
bred Thousand dollars; New York Central,
two million six hundred thousand dollars !;
Erie, two million dollars Lake Shore, two
million seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars Michigan Central, one million five
hundred thousand dollars Canada South
ern, seven hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars; Delaware, Lackwanna & Western, two
million dollars Delaware & Hudson, one mil
lion two hundred thousand dollars Jersey
Central, nine hundred thousand dollars; Rock
Island, three million dollars. But going be-
yond these items looking at the loss caused
by the suspension of traffic, we find the fig
ures sweled enormously. The loss to bust
ness men throughout the disturbed states is
put at twelve million dollars. The destruc-
ton of rolling stock and other property
which must be paid for by the taxpayers, is
estimated, all told, at twenty million dollars.
The entire estimated loss from all sources is
placed at no less than sixty million dollars.
Aud enormous as this sum seems it has been
reached by several highly competent author
tiles. Thus then this immense amount of
value has been destroyed by the strikes, and
there is so much less left in the hands
of those who directly and indirectly give
employment to large numbers of working
men to pay them with. Has it not, indeed,
been most disastrous experiment ?
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

RAsCALLY DEyELoPMENTs.-N one fa-
miliar with the political history of South
Carolina during the past ten years can doubt
that there was vast amount of rottenness,
rascality and theving there. The new state
government in seeking to expose it and pun
ish the perpetrators, is only doing its duty,
however much of political feeling may enter
its action. II has already discovered evil
dence sufficient TO warrant the arrest of some
of the former ringleaders, and Ex-Governor
Moses, it is announced is prepared to turn
states evidence and has discovered papers
which will implicate men who have hitherto
escaped serious suspicion. Let no guilty
man escape" but where, meantime, are the
Edgefeld and Hamburg murderers 7 Have
they all been elected to Congress or other
! offices
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

A FEW months ago Stanley Matthews had
an excellent reputation, and he might have
had it still, if he had not given his whole
attention to destroying it. He frittered it
away by his political maneuvers last spring,
and his meddlesome ofliciousness in setting
himself up as the keeper of the Presidents
conscience and dispenser Of his patronage
he made an utter and final wreck of what
was left of it by his performance in the eau
Gus of the Ohio convention, when he pro
posed that the convention should surrender
to the inhationists. Garfield, Foster aud
Cox withstood him to his face, and prevailed
against him. Matthews may have been a
success as Judge, but as a politician he is
the most disgraceful failure of his generation.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08
The Sparrows.

There has been very general complaint
among our people that since the introduce
ton of English sparrows in this section the
humber of our singing-birds has sensibly
decreased, the theory being that the pug.
nacity OF the sparrows is so great as to drive
the latter away How much truth there may
be in this view of the case we do not know I;
but it is very evident that from some cause
there are fewer singing-birds hereabouts
than there formerly were. The sparrow,
Mr.. John Calvin, city forester of Boston,
After going on to say that the trees on Bos
ton Common owe their very existence to the
devouring of worms and lice by the spar
rows, he says: " say without hesitation the
sparrow does not modest or interfere with any
other bird. 1t does not trouble the robin or
blue-bird, or manifest any animosity against
either. All summer long they are together,
and it would be impossible for this to be
done without my men or me noticing it, yet
| never witnessed anything of the kind.
| have not noticed any decrease in the mum
beers of any kind of bird, but, on the con-
trary, a very marked increase in various
kinds. The robins were more numerous on
the common last summer than ever before.
The little chip-sparrow has become very nu-
merous, and seems to be very fond of the
sparrow, often feeding on the same bit OF
bread The small martins have very greatly
increased in numbers on account of the mum
Der Of boxes. These they take possession
OF whenever they want one, and drive the
sparrow away. Before the sparrow came
there were no bluebrds at all. Now they
are becoming quite common, and often treat
the sparrows very badly, taking away from
them their own boxes, and breaking up their
nests. The sparrows of course show fight
but the bluebirds are always too strong fol
them. ! am in favor of the sparrows.
believe that they do no harm, but a great
deal of good. Thousands of dollars would
not pay the city for their loss, aud would
be very sorry to see anything done to preju
dice people against them or permit their de
struction."
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08
,URNAL WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1877
,RMONT wATCHMAN & STATE JOURN
Our Foreign Markets.

From recent article in the Demsche Re
vue, we compile the following statistics
Germany has followed the lead of England,
and has changed from grain exporting to
grain importing country, so that some po-
litical economists begin to feel alarmed at
her future. Great Britain passed through
Germanys present experience exactly one
hundred years ago. From the year 1900 to
1770 the annual expectation of grain from
England exceeded the importation by forty
one thousand nine hundred tons--the ex-
cess of expectation over importation being
twenty-three thousand tons annually from
17G0 to 1910. In France the importation of
wheat has been larger than the expectation
since 1880; only between 1850 and 1860
they were nearly equal, an excess Of imports
of only 0.3 per cent, being reported. Ger
many from 1910 to 1860 exported annually
seven million three hundred thousand bush
els of wheat more than were imported, from
1860 to 1870 the exports exceeded the i'm
ports by five million six hundred and sixty
six thousand bushels annually, while since
1871 there were imported per year one mil
lion bushels more than were exported. The
importation of rye, the grain chiefly raised
in Germany, has exceeded the expectation
since 1910. While the price of wheat in
England was from 1921 to 1910 hundred
per cent. higher than in Germany, this diff.
ference has dwinded down, through a small
falling off of prices in England and very
great rise in Germany, to four per cent. The
importation of German wheat to England has
consequently decreased from forty-fve per
cent. in 1880 to thirty-one, twenty-one,
eighteen and nine per cent in the last de.
cades, while the importation of American
grain has in proportion increased from 1913
per cent. to twenty-three, 1858, 352 and Ala
per cent. Not only in regard to the impor-
tation of grain has great change taken
place in Europe, but also in reference tc
other products. Australia sends her WOO
and depresses the production of Europe
and American beef and pork will shortly
compete heavily with meat raised ii
Europe. With this hope before us, of be
coming in the near future the granary Of
Europe, and of finding there ready marke
for the beef and pork which we ourselve
can spare, we have all reason to expect re
newed prosperity for our land.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

The WAR.-There seems to be but lit
tie doubt that the Russians encountered
last week most disastrous defeat at Plevna,
a few miles from the river Danube, the num-
Der of their loss being set as high as seven
thousand. General Schilder with portion
OF the 9th corps, consisting OF an infantry
brigade with cavalry and artillery, was sent
against the place, aud seems to have APP
preached it in a slovenly manner. The
Turks took the offensive and repulsed the
Russians with heavy loss; and it is possible
that the Russian army is so badly crippled
as to enable the Turks to follow up their ad-
vantage by recapturing their lost fortresses
1t is said that the result at Plevna ends all
hope that the war will terminate this year ;
and, also that interference from Austria and
England is not now apprehended for the
present, as those powers will not strike "a
blow for the Turks as long as they can take
care Of themselves.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

A Coon lNvEsTMENT,-Mr. Vanderbilt
has done well to recognize the loyalty of the
men on the New York Central by special
payment on account of their fidelity. These
men submitted to the reduction of ten per
cent, which provoked the strike on the other
roads but they did so because the announce
ment of the reduction was accompanied by
a statement of the reasons and by an assur-
ance that they were temporary, In his cir
cular announcing the distribution of one
hundred thousand dollars, Mr.. Vanderbilt
takes care to say again, Your pay will be
increased the moment the business of the
country will justify it," A good master
gets good service.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

BRoTHERHooD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGIN-
EERs.-Mr. p. NJ. Arthur, grand chief of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
writes to the New York Herald, to correct,
as he says, certain misrepresentation current
in regard to that organization, from which
we learn that it has been in existence four
teen years that its main object is the
relief of the needy and unfortunate among
its members and their families that it is in
part mutual life insurance company, pay
ing to the family of each deceased member
three thousand dollars. 1t has paid out for
that purpose nearly one million dollars, and
some fifty thousand dollars more for the re-
lief of destitute members The Herald is
informed that there are about thirteen thou
sand members, and the general fund amounts
to about five hundred thousand dollars
The qualifications for membership are good
moral character, ability to read and WRITE and
occupation as locomotive engineer in good
standing for at least one year. Mr.. Arthur
says. ave have reclaimed the fallen, re-
formed the drunkard, and furnished the
public and railroad companies with better,
more skilled and trustworthy class of engin-
GERS than they had previous to the inception
of the brotherhood" He denies that the
brotherhood had anything to do with the
great strike or did anything to instigate it.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

Tue ORIGINAL INVENTOR Hon, Clark hllson,
ex.mayor of Worcester, Mass, says Z" the time is
not far distant when history will accord To Cap
tain Samuel Morey, OF fairlee, Vt, the honor OF
being the originator of steam navigation In
America" Captain Morey WAS of General
Israel Morey who emgrated from Hebron. Conn,
To Oxford, n H., in October, 1865, thence soon to
Fairlee In 1872 Captain Morey applied steam To
a small boat on the Connecticut river, and after
ward ON Fairlee pond History shows conclu-
sively," SAYS Mr. Jilson, that his rude boat was
improved upon and developed directly into what
we now admire rs the modern steamboat" Cap
tain Morey took out certain patents in 1875 for
application Of steam 10 navigation" the records
Of which were burned with the patent office. In
1890, or thereabouts, Captain Morey went to New
York to show Robert Fulton and Livingston his
model of a steam-eugine to he put in the bow of
the boat They offered him one hundred thou
sand dollars, If successful in making the applica-
ton n the sides of the boat lie succeeded aud
again went 10 New York, before 1900 and pro
PEELED his boat four miles an hour, which Fulton
said could not be exceeded Fulton had visited
Fairlee, meantime, and made no further offers of
money In the laoonic language of Captain Mo-
rey, " the eusses had stolen my invention" Full
ton got his letters patent In 1902
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

The Governor of New York has pardoned
out young Frank Walworth, the fellow who
shot his father few years ago. 1t appears
that the young man is a miserable epileptc,
worthless, uncomfortable, virtually insane.
The father that he killed was insane
too. No doubt about that Experts and
testimony both agree to these facts, so the
Governor says. OF course il they are so,
and if the Walworth matter was only fight
between two lunatcs, it is now eminenty
proper, one having been removed, that the
other should be set at liberty again. In
deed it was scarcely logical, this locking
him up at all.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

ARnfsT or a kERsEvnLE BANK BuHGLAR.-A
man who gave the name OF Oscar Peterson, was
arrested in New York, on Friday for shopfting
On his way To the police station he drew pistol
ON the officer got away from him and was recap
tured only after long chase The fact that over
a thousand dollars in money was found upon him,
as well AS his desperate efforts to escape indi-
Gated that he was no common thief aud the de-
tectiye soon recognized him as one Jim Brady
who has been called the King of the bank burg
lars, having il is said been concerned in some
half dozen OF the heaviest robberies of banks, in
Guiding the Gens Falls Northampton, Great Bar
rington and keeseville robberies. lie Is now in
the rombs.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

The Chicago Tribune is forced to the hui
humiliating confession that the riot, blood
shed and reign of terror in that city with
half million population was caused by
mob of men and boys which, all told, did
not exceed one thousand persons. The rail-
road strikers there, as in most other places
were entirely separate and distinct from the
hoodlums, communists and yagabonds, who
resorted TO violence for purposes Of plumber,
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

TnE Pittsburgh, Pa, Commercial says, pa
thetically, that to put the entire loss OF the
recent riots there upon Allegheny county
would bankrupt it, and would also be in
equitable, as the causes which produced the
trouble were general and widespread rather
than local. The Commercials notion is that,
as the state authorities managed the affair,
the state should pay the bills.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

WHILE the last remnants OF the strikes are
fading away in different localities the legal
investigation of the bloody acts of the riot
ers is in progress. 1t is to be hoped that
thorough work will be done, and that the
outside vagabonds and miscreants, who are
responsible for the many deeds OF violence,
win get their deserts.
Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08

TmE revenues of the harbor Of Montreal this
year compared with those oil last show a decrease
Of more than fifteen thousand dollars, mainly ON
account Of the reduction In exports