The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-02-21
NEWS ITEMS.

Congress has refused to reduce the tax on
distilled spirits,
John Jack has leased McGuire's opera house
in San Francisco.
Hon. Gideon Welles, ex-Secretary of the
Navy, died in Hartford, Conn, on the 18th.
There are twenty-four Democratic Govern
ors in the United States, out of thirty eight.
The mansion of Daniel Webster, at Marsh
field. Massachusetts,, was destroyed by fire on
the 14th.
Senator Jones' of Nevada, on the 14th, made
brilliant speech in favor of the remonetiza-
ton of silver.
The authorities of the Black Sea ports have
removed all restrictions on the export of grain
and provisions.
San Francisco was visited by severe wind
and rain storm on the l4th doing some dam
age to shipping.
The funeral of Hon. Gideon Welles, ex-Sec-
rotary of the Navy, at Hartford, on the 18th,
was largely attended.
The South Carolina Legislature on the 14th
elected six Circuit Judges, five Democrats
and one Republican.
Bismarck has instructed the German Am
bassador that Germany refrains from all in
reference till the new Pope is elected.
Trade dollars have been refused by the
Brookly tradesmen, and the conductors on
horse cars have also refused them.
Bids for mail service in Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho Territory were disposed of on
the 9Th. The contracts will be awarded next
week
Foreign Cardinals arriving at Rome an
nounce that public opinion in their respec-
tive countries is favorable to a conciliatory
policy.
The bar at the entrance to San Francisco
hareor has been so rough that several vessels
are compelled to lay outside, waiting for pilot
boats who dare not venture out.
During the Nez Perez war Chief Josephs
band is said to have slain 247 whites. This
entities them to be fed, blanketed armed and
amunitioned by the Government for all time
to come
Ex-Governor Washburn, of Wisconsin, has
made the handsome New Years gift to his
State of his residence and grounds at Madi-
son, valued at 100000, for the purpose of
reform school for girls.
Col. Chesney's celebrated prophecy set
forth in The Battle of Dorking" is substan-
TALLY fulfilled before its time. Long before
1900 European questions are being settled
without consultation with England.
Beeton and Barnard, directors of the Brit
ish Columbia milling and mining company,
have sailed for San Francisco to order thirty
stamp mill for Cariboo- Carboo quartz milled
at Portland produced 5000 to the ton.
few weeks ago the Quartermaster Gen
eral of the Turkish army issued rations of
soap to all the regiments in the army of the
faithful. The astonished warriors took it,
looked at it, felt it wondered what it was, and
finally made soup of it.
The Philadelphia Record thinks Congress
had haff hrarr hi
last advices silver in London was 5315d-mak-
ing our daddy dollar worth 50 6-l0 cents. At
this rate ii will soon take two of that kind of
dollars to buy one dollars worth OF bread.
The Standard charges that Senator Mitchell
lodged the vote on Mathews silver resou-
ton But Senator Grover didn't dodge it:
and in voting for ii he didn't properly repre-
sent Oregon farmers, who like twenty dollar
pieces for their wheat better than ninety cent
silver pieces.
Thirty years ago J. W. Mackey left Ireland
penniless boy. Twenty years ago he was
travelling in this country as drummer"
Sixteen years ago he was bankrupt Now
he owns some of the richest mines on the Pa
eitie coast and has yearly income estimated
at nearly sl4,0OO,O00.
Great losses have resulted from the food in
the Sacramento valley. The Alta estimates
them at nearly million dollars Much live
stock has been lost. But as an offset il is
claimed that the benefit for the flooded dis
trict alone will be five million dollars since
great crops are assured.
During recent gales outside the Golden
Gate, five pilots have been carried away on
vessels, because they could not return to
Frisco. One went to Liverpool, one to Aus
tralia, two to China and one to Puget Sound
The wages of these pilots during their absence
are computed at eight dollars per day.
The New York Star, the organ of Tammany,
whence flows the balm of politics that leav-
ems the Democratic loaf SCOTS at Hon. sam
uel Jones T1lden, Esq, lately a demigod as
worshiped as the green dragon with pink
eyes of the Chinese, and calls him IAN emf
nent statesman, whose political services are
no longer in demand" and actually applauds
his purpose 6 going to Florida to suck
oranges.
The San Francisco grain markets seem to
be steadily falling; wheat, barley and oats |
have declined very materially in values, par
tcularly the former, even in the face Of active |
export demand The decline in oats is at
tributed to heavy and continued supplies |
from the north. Barley, it would seem, had
been forced up too high by reported short
crop supplies, which do not appear to be fully
justified by the facts, unexpected arrivals |
from the southern coast causing collapse
Mr.. Beecher has seen reason to reorganize
his original remarks on he'll, and, as usual, |
complains that the reporters misrepresented
him. One of those reporters suggests in the |
World: The singular thing is not that he |
should have been misrepresented but that |
four reporters, sitting in different parts of the
church, and who had no previous or subse- |
quent communication with one another, !
should all have misrepresented him in the