Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-05
aJnv.u,fcr II. SteDllenS.

rObbcr so!dlery.
Alexander II. stephens.
The condition Of Hon. Alexander Ii. Ste
phcns who is lying i'll at the National Hotel
Washington, appeared to be worse yesterday
but an encouraging change set IN last n'ght'
and at o'clock this morning he vas secpl9g
soundy, aud was 10 better condition than he
had been Tor twenty. four hours previously.
The WASHINGTON Republican Of this morn
lug says the President on Saturday afternoon
called upon MIR. Stephens, whose last days Tor
there il very little prospect that he will recover
from his present ilncss, are watched by Mrs.
Coleman. who is the daughter OF John ). Cnt-
tender, Kentucky's famous Senator.
Some days ago the President, IN conVer5a'
ton with Mrs. Coleman, said to her that he
would like 10 call upon MIR. Stephens II nc
were strong enough to see HIM. Mrs. Coleman
intimalpd that he was, and that she 1cii mr.
| Stephens would appreciate the Wait. men
| the President entered the room OF INC Tying
! tx Vice President Of the COutederacy Mr. Ste'
picnS was too weak to even rise 10 MS peu 10
receive him After the sautation and ex'
change of c0urtcsleS which tho occasion sug-
| arstcd. MIR. Stephens inquired particularly tor
| Mis-. Grant, and then the conversation, "hich
was very hrir!, turaed upon The interesting
and absorbing political topics OF The time. MT.
| Slcphcus sai,i he felt that his life was drawing
| 70 a close and that it was cause OF great con-
ISOLATION to him 10 know that the result CT the
Presidential contest would be 4 peaceful one,
and that the hour o.! supreme peril to the
country had passed away.
The President, in reply, SAID nc was cx-
! ,Lop iiul hnt
shancG, and that from the moment the coul-
mission vas agreed upon peace was tureshad-
owed. President Grant then said that from
| now uaiil The 4th Of March the days were
geariSOme to him. and he was anxious to es-
| cane from the cares and trlbuatiOns CT office
and would gladly lay down his power. Ihc
next four weeks" said he, will be very long
! 10 m:, and | am impatient for the end. The
conversation closed with an expression on the
mart of the President that he hoped to sec Mr..
| Stephens soon again.
4 Fatal. MIsTAKE.- esterday afternoon
two young men walked into EntWlse's drug
store, corner OF Twelfth street and Peunsylva-
MIA avenue, Washington One of them said
to the clerk that he had drank poison solu-
ton of nitrate Of silver and kyaDltc OF potas
sum-and he sat down on chair by the c0un-
ter and appeared very uucoDc:rncd about 1t.
The clerk hastily produced antldotes and sum
moDed medical attendance Very soon the
Young man who was poisoned tell from his
chair to The floor in great agony.
4 crowd gathered about the windows CT the
store with horrid curiosity to witness the
throes Of diving MAD. y hack was summoned.
The crowd rartel as the man, With pald face
and fixed eyes, was carried out to the curb and
lifted into the carriage. lie vas driven hastily
to Providence hospital. His pa!lld lace grew
more boodes5 and his eyes became more
CLASSY. In one Of the corridors Of the hospital,
where the soft step of the Sister Of Mercy was
the only thing that broke the silence, the last
struggle of vigorous life was made. The sweat
Of death stood out on his forehead, and in
few moments he was dead.
Ills name was Harry Z. Bennett, and he re-
sided in Philadelphia. He was visiting this
city and while walking on the Avenue stopped
TO see friend named Clark in the store III the
Shepherd building, occupied at present as an
auction room for the sale of silver plated ware.
lie convcrsol With his friend for moment
and feeling thirsty picked up jar containing
what he thought was water, aud swallowed
portion Of its contents. He discovered his mis-
take Immediately. lie had drank mixture
used in cleaning silver warc-a deadly poison.
With great self possession he started directly
for the drug store on the opposite corner. The
results OF the draught have been told above
WdSh Republicans.
The OLDEST STONE Tools YET FoVND.-
One of the problems which geologists now pro-
pose to themselves is TO ascertain definitely
whether the existence of msn before the close OF
the glacial epoch can BIO certainly proved. The
method Of proof consists IN the examination OF
formations older than those of THAT epoch IN tho
hopes of finding in them bones or implements
of human origin MI S. B. j. Skertchy thinks
he has done this In the valley side around the
town of Brandon, in England, are proserVed
patches of brick earth, which are valuable rs ]
atfording the only workable clay in the district
Whenever these beds are well exposed they are
seen to underlie tho chslky boul der-clay OF
glacial age. Ofthis there cannot be the slighteat
doubt, for the glacial bed is typlcally developer
and not in the slightest degree reconstructed:
In these beds l have been so fortunate as to ina
pslseolithic implements in two places, and in
one of them quantities OF broken bones snd
few fresh water. shells The implements are OF
the oval type, boldly Clipped, but without any
of tho finer work which distinguishes the better
made paiaeolithic implements. Although 1t
would bo rash to lay too great stress upon the
characters of these implements, it is nevertheless
worthy Ct remark that they DO belong TO the
crudest type. Equally rough specimens are
found in the gravels above tho 0oulder.clay,
and even among neolithic finds. Still these
very antique implements certainly do seem TO
belong 10 an earlier stage OF CIVILIZATION, II We
regard them as examples OF the pest WorhmSh.
ship OF their makers" These, he thinks, are
tho Oldest specimens ofman's handiwork known,
md prove him to have lived before the culmlna-
ion Of the glacial epoch.