Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-01-06
TEIEGRAPHIC a
Condensed Tor Convenient and
Ready Reading.
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON.
A. ). LOGAN, a lineal descendant OF the
/ historic Indian chief, has been appointed
to position in the interior department.
BRIG.-GEN. RANDOLPH B. MARCY, in.
spector general. and Col. Jno. 3. Barnard,
Of the corps of engineers. were placed
upon the retired list by the president, the
retirement to date from January 2.
A FINAL conference was held at the in
! terror department on the 4th inst with the
Indian delegations, relative to obtaining
| right of way through the Sioux reserva-
tion for the Chicago and Northwestern and
the Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul rail
road. All the Indians agreed to the
terms proposed by the railroads,
and signed an agreement granting
right of way. Under its terms the Sioux
/ nation will receive s. per acre for every
acre of land taken by the railroads.
GENERAL HOWARD, since his designa-
tion to West Point, indicated the course
which he should pursue as commander of
the academy. His own experience as a
cadet was unpleasant. He was ostracised
or sent to coventry" for nearly two years
by his class, of which Curtis Lee was the
leader. HOward's Offense was the recOg-
equal, who was then a sergeant IN the
j corps of engineers stationed at West Point.
| Howard committed an additional offense
against the pro-slavery cadets at West
/ Point by his opposition to the extension of
slavery. Howard thinks that there must
/ be an abandonment OF this policy of sepa
ration, and that, without surrenderlng dis
| cipline. there must be a closer relation be-
| tween the officers and the cadets. The
| spirit Of caste must be broken down.
ONE of the most interesting election
contests in the next house Of representa-
tiyes will be that of Lynch against Chal-
mers from the sixth Mississippi district.
The contestant is a colored man. He was
in early life slave. He was member Of
congress from the same district before
Chalmers obtained the seat. Lynch has
already fled his notice of contest and
Chalmers his answer. Both claim to be
elected from the ''shoestring district" So
called because of the gerrymander of the
region Of Mississippi bordering on the
river. Chalmers asserts that he is entitled
to his seat, and holds his certificate of
election on the ground of illegal republi-
can ballots which were thrown out in the
count. If they had been counted Lynch
would have had majority. These ballots
were thrown out on the ground that they
bore distinguishing mark, in violation
of the state law. The mark consisted of
printers dashes. Gen. Chalmers saws in
his an8wer that there were republican
tickets printed in Jackson, Miss, under
the supervision of the state executive COM
mittee, like the democratic tickets, with
out any mark on them. He holds that the
contestant could have procured such un-
marked tickets III Jackson for his district
at 81 per 1000, and yet he paid 81 per
900 in Nickshurg for these marked tick
cts
The state dinner-set at the executive
mansion has been enlarged by the addi-
tion of 800 pieces. making the whole num-
her now nearly 1000. The set originally
contracted for by the government with the
house of Hayiland Il CO., the details of
which were arranged by Mrs. Hayes, was
delivered last summer and comprised
all it was intended it should form
the state dinner service. The original de-
signs were to illustrate all the fauna and
fora of the United States, but the presi-
dent thought the set incomplete without
some reference TO the matter, and so to-
day, in the midst of driving snow-storm,
Mr.. W. L. Briggs, of the house of Havi-
land 4 Co., arrived with two large casks,
direct from Limoges, France, completing
the order with fish, game and dinner
platters, salad oyster and Indian
plates, and individual butter plates,
sauce boats, and Ice cream trays and
plates, the latter IN the form of a Can
adian snow-shoe, which will be, the presi
dent remarked, "a perpetual reminder of
the Canadian prophets prediction of
| eleven feet of SNOW" The set is now the
most complete and orna mental of auy in
! In i
value by the services of gold and silver
owned by tbs Europeen potentates.
The court-martial in the case of Cadet
| Whitaker has been ordered to convene at
| West Point, Tuesday January IS. The
| following is the detail for the court:
| Brigadier Gen. n. A. Miles, president of
| the court; Colonel I'll. A. Morrow, Twenty
| first Infantry; Lieutenant Colonel Pinck-
ney Lugenbell, First Infantry; Lieutenant
Colonel J. NJ. Brannan, First Artillery;
Major Lewis Merrill, Seventh Cavalry;
Major e. B. Sumner, Fifth Cavalry;
Captain K. I. Frank, First Artillery Cap
tain J. n Craig, 10th Infantry; Captain
4. B. Gardner, Judge Advocate ef court.
| The Cabinet was not united on the ques
| ton Of giving Cadet Whitaker a court
martial, Secretaries Evarts and ShurZ both
| strongly opposed the proposition, and ad
vocated Whittaker'S dismissal in accord
ance with the recommendation Of the
Court of Inquiry The President said
| that up to this time Whitaker had been
treated as though guilty, and common
| Justice demanded that he be regarded as
innocent until his guilt was proven. He
would, the :efore, order a court-martial,
land ii Whitaker was shown to be guilty
of the charges preferred against him, he
would be dismissed from service; and that
if finnocent. he should not be made to sui
fer. In army circles the opinion is that
the charges against Whitaker cannot be
proven, and that he will be given another
chance at West Point under General
| Howard