The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-24
WASHINGTON BRIEFS.

sugar tdrlu lb 10 De COQblQeT6Q dt an early
day by the Ways and Means Committee, and
the sugar men, who have been in Washington
in force all winter to secure a revision Of the
sugar schedule. will have an opportunity to ad-
dress the Committee.
Mr.. Cox, who has the Apprortionment Bill
In charge, is very anxious it should pass this
session, as its enactment will save the conyen-
ing together in extra session of twenty-five
State Legislatures. Mr.. Cox believes that the
House will finally settle down on 307 members
as a basis of apportionment. A table has been
prepared, which Mr.. Cox will present, with
exact calculations, which shows that 307 makes
the gain East about cancel the loss West, and
the Southern loss little or nothing, while the
whole number Of unrepresented people in the
United States will be only 279, ,814, while at
311 it is 433 1885, and at 319 it is 289, 409. Also
at 319 the loss to the West is a third Of the
ratio, or q Congressman and q gain to the
Pacific of two-thirds of ratio, or Congressman,
while the East gains q third of q ratio and the
South loses two-thirds, SO that 81 and 319 and
301 may be discarded and all may yet unite on
some number between S01 and 307. The worst
number Of all is 294, where 779, 168 people
would be unrepresented. The best is between
3O1 and 3O7. However, as New York, Pennsyl-
vana, Ohio Tennessee and North Carolina Gall
large States on voting in the present House)
gain a member each at the stages between 301
and 307, it is believed that the last number will
become the choice.
AN amusing feature in the Cannon-Campbell
contest, over the territorial seat in Congress
from Utah, has Just come to light. 1t will be
remembered that Governor Murray gave the GER
tifcate of election to Mr.. Campbell, although
Mr.. Cannon had received ten votes to Campbelrs
one. When Cannon heard of this he took steps
to serve notice Of contest on Campbell, having
thirty days under the law to perform this cere-
mony. Campbell left Salt Lake ostensibly for
Washington, but never reached there. This
put Cannon off the track. Hewas duly looking
tor hall an III, lnfI of oct
but Campbell came not. Cannon telegraphed
to New York, Chicago, Omaha and Salt Lake.
but could not get the run of Campbelrs rapid
movements. He accidentally heard of him at
Circlesville, Kansas, and telegraphed there, but
the bird had flown. Becoming thoroughly
frightened for fear the thirty days would
expire, Cannon sent four notices of contests to
Salt Lake. each to some particular friend, with
instructions to hunt Campbell, regardless of
expense. One man took the train east, and
accidentally met Campbell at Green River Sta
ton, on the very last day of the thirty. Camp
bell was about to sit down to breakfast, in
fancied security, but the man with four wives
and seat in Congress was too much for him.
The gentleman was so upset by being discovered
that he could eat no breakfast. Had he been
able to avoid the service of notice of contest,
Cannon could hardly have maintained his con-
test.
A PRIVATE letter from Elgin, Ill, gives some
interesting statistics in regard to the construc-
ton, cost, and operation Of the grand expert
mental sorghum enterprise of Commissioner
lie Due. IL seems that he secured the ruins of
an old distillery, and on the stone foundation
erected o battoned, boarded structure, which
became known throughout that section as the
"Great Northwest United States Sorghum De-
pot" The report among the farmers is that
this building, with few secondhand engines,
a feed pump or two, crushing roller, and a
vacuum pan, with other articles of Govern
ment machinery, cost $4,000. The farmers
throughout that section were prevailed upon to
plant sorghum and furnish the cane to this
Government institution. The agreement with
the farmers was that they were to receive the
value of their cane on delivery, and the bal.
ance in ninety days. This limit of time passed
long since, but nothing, 80 far as the farmers
have ascertained, has been paid to any one in
pursuance Of this agreement. The syrup was
shipped to Chicago by Major Mcdowell, the
Superintendent Of the sugar mill, and the
farmers who furnished the cane from which
this syrup was made are very anxious to ascer
tain the amount for which it was sold, and the
amount which is to be turned into the Treasury
and the proceeds of the first year of thii
"Great Northwest United States Sorghum De
pot" The station agent at Elgin also prefer
claim of $50 for board Of the Superintendent
and foreman, and portion Of this he also says
is chargeable against Commissioner LIE DUO
himself for subsistence during times when ht
has inspected the important agricultural post
certain question has also arisen in regard II
the non-payment of drafts in the purchas
money of the valuable collection of machiner,
alluded to above, with which the United State
began this great sugar enterprise in the North
west.
FERNANDO WooD.-Mr. Woods death wa
not unexpected by those in Washington VIII
knew anything about his condition Of healt
| during the present session. member Of tn
| Committee on Ways and Means says that whel
he left the committee room the last time it wa
| apparent that he was in the grip Of death an
| they would see him no more. His last Con
| gressional work was to conduct through tn
House the pending Refunding Bill. 1t wa
| a work requiring Of him in his condition O
health a fortitude Justly characteristized as he
| roic. His whole frame was racked with pain
sometimes excruciating in its intensity, bu
| whether in the committee room or on the foo
of the House he preserved the same dignife
| and impassive demeanor, and, save in the pa
| lor that would sometimes overspread hi
countenance, and the involuntary contractio
of the muscles of his countenance, unnotice
except by those who got near him, he gave n
evidence of his suffering, but fought the figh
for his measure as coolly, attentively and pa
tiently, as any other man in the best conditio
might have done. Mr.. Wood was one of th
best known members of Congress. He wa
serving his seventh consecutive term, and wa
a member of the Twenty-seventh Congress
1841, and of several intervening before his ele'
ton to the Fortieth. Always q strict and eve
an extreme partisan, and not thought to
overscrupulous in politics any more than
business, he has been distinguished for h
courteous bearing toward his fellow-member
although his manners were naughty, and
seldom relaxed into anything like commonalit
Tall, slender, erect, always faultlessly dressed
with face and bearing that at once attracte
attention, he was one Of the first to be reco,
nized and identified by strangers who visite
the House when in session. He did not ofte
take part in the debatet, but he was watchful
| the proceedings, almost constantly in his plac
and when he spoke he received a good degrt
| of attention