Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-21

and could not be helped. I had tried to suppress my feelings and I would have done so if had not found that Lena, my wife, loved Richter and that Richter loved Lena We did not quar- rel; we arranged everything. We met, all four, Richter, Mrs. Richter, my wife and myself, at Richter's house, and there we talked the matter over until we concluded that the best thing to be done was to seek di. vorce.'' Dr. Baumuller is a reputable phy. sician with large practice. Richter has been street commissioner and is wealthy. In one respect he seems to get the best of the bargain, for his new wife is %, while his old wife is 50 and he is 60. Baumuller is B.
 Mr. Charles A Dana, the editor of the New York Sun, who has been to Cuba, gives some interesting information concerning the progress of the emancipation of slaves in the island. The abolition of slavery was decreed by an act of the Spanish Cortes which re- ceived the royal signature on the 18th of February, 1880. By this law the title of the owner to his slaves is transformed into what is called a patronate This is to last during eight years from May 8. 1880, at the expira- ton of which term the former slave becomes entirely free. During the patronate the master is required to house, feed and clothe the servant, to give him medical care, and to pay him for his or her labor at the fixed rate of $3 per month, gold. He is no longer al lowed to whip the servant or to infiict any sort of corporal punishment without the pre- vious assent of magistrate or magistrates who are established for the purpose in each district. The patron may, however, dock the monthly pay of his former slave when he either cannot work or refuses to work The patron is also obliged by law to maintain the old and inirm who cannot work, as well as to provide food and clothing for the children and to give them primary instruction and the education necessary to exercise a use- full art, office, or occupation" These obli- gations he cannot escape from by any voluntary renunciation of his authori- ty over the servant. This authority he can only renounce in the case of those who are of age and able to work. He can sell his patronate, but in so doing families must be kept together. The obligation to provide for the old and infirm and to educate the children goes with the sale of the patronate servant can buy his freedom, and with freedom he acquires all civil and political rights, except that for four years he remains under the oversight of the authorities so far that he is bound to be engaged in some satis- factory pursuit ofindustry. The working of this law, which has been in force now for nearly year, is thus spoken of "The abolition of slavery appears to be going forward in Cuba in perfectly regular, peaceful and encour- aging manner. There is no interruption of labor and no disturbance of public order. The former slaves everywhere do their work as we'll as before. Indeed, was told that they do it much better; and I could not learn of single instance in which any trouble had arisen from the change in their relations. The receipt of wages affords stimulus which they ardently appreciate. Spaniards long resident in the island, who had always been strenuous opponents of abolition, admitted to me that the success of the measure is complete. Indeed, the fact that whereas under slavery considerable proportion of the sugar crop was annually destroyed by incendiary fires. while under freedom such incendiarism is thus far un- known, is more conclusive on this point than the mere opinions of any number of per sn0a O