Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-08

REAR ADMIRAL E. T. NICHOLS is acting Secre-
tary of the Navy.
THE DISPATCH left the Washington Navy Yard
yesterday afternoon for New York.
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE RAuM.
who has been on trip west will return to the
city next Monday.
THE CONTRACT for the carriage of dutable
goods at the port of New York was to-day
awarded by the Treasury department to Messrs
G b. Deane, w. IL. Anderson, and G.. H. Morgan
ofNew York. These were the lowest bidders.
VIRGINIA POsTMAsTERs.- Commissions were
sent to-day from the Post Office department to
the following newly appointed postmasters in
Virginia: c: L. Bunting, Big Stone Gap. Wise
county, and William s. Matthews Temperance
Vile, AccOmac county.
A SUIT AGAINST CAPT. Observation-Disclosures
Mr.. A. S. Worthington filed a suit for James B.
Winner against H. W. Howgate, to recover
81 600, and a writ of attachment was issued
winner is a clerk in the Signal office, and claims
to have placed in Howgate's hands $500 to in
vest in mining stocks, but Capt. HOwgate
neither bought the stock nor returned the
money.
PASSED THE EXAMINATION FOR ASSISTANT PAY
MAsTER.-The board which has been examining
candidates for appointment as assistant paymas-
tiers in the navy, and which has been in session
at the Navy department for some time past. adj
journed yesterday. The following candidates
successfully went through their hands and have
been recommended for appointment: B. s. RAN
doiph. Livingston Hunt. (sOn of the Secretary,
Geo. W. Simpson. w. s. Gibson, and Midship-
man John A. Mudd.
MUTn.ATED SILVER COIN-Treasurer Gilfillan
is receiving large number of letters inquiring
what the government will pay for mutilated
silver. These letters are from people who want
to go into the business of buying such silver
which now cannot be passed in trade. The gov
ernment buys the mutilated coin at so much for
the amount of bullion contained therein. There
Is a suspicion that the same class of people who
made a business OF cutting out small pieces of
silver from the minor coins and then passing
them, are now turning around and buying in
those coins at such low figure that they can
sell to the government at its bullion rates and
make money. Thus they have scheme profta-
BILE at both ends.
THE NAVY AND THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRA-
TIONs.-The Navy department to-day received
the following communication dated New Lon
on, September 9th, from Rear Admiral Wyman,
n board his flagship, the Tennessee: II have
the honor to report that upon the completion of
the ceremonies attendant upon the GrOtOn CEN
tennial celebration l shall sail for the port of
New York with the flagship Tennessee and the
U. S. ships Nandalia and the Yantic arriving
there upon Friday, the 9th inst. The U. S. S.
kearsage will, at the same time proceed to the
port of Philadelphia. General instructions will
be issued for all vessels ordered to participate i'm
the Yorktown centennial to rendezvous in
Hampton Roads by the 25th of September, 1884,"
THE TRIAL OF LIEUT.. H. O. FLlPPER, (colored
OF the 10th United States cavalry, will begin on
the 18th inst. at Fort Davis. He is charged with
embezzling about 81 700 of government funds.
The following court has been appointed: Colonel
Galusha Pennypacker. 10th infantry; Lieut.. Col
j. +. Wade, 10th cavalry; Surgeon WE. Waters,
medical department.; Capt. Fergus Walker 1st
infantry; Capt. r. g. Heiner, 1st infantry; Capt
l.. o. Barker, 1st infantry; First Lieut. w. "
Richards, regimental quartermaster, 18th infan-
try. Capt J. W. Clous, 24th infantry has been
appointed judge advocate of the court.
NAVAL ORDERs.-EnsignW W. G. Cutler. to the
photographic office; Commander B. ]. Crom-
well, from the Ticonderoga and placed on wait
ing orders; Lieut.. G. T. W. Holman to the Bos-
ton navy yard: Leuts. E. w. Sturdy, H. L. Ire
main. +: J. Drake. Kossuth Niles and C. E.
Vreeland, Ensigns W. s. Hughes, David Daniels
and F. A. Fletcher, Passed Assistant Surgeon r.
A. Urgerhart, Chief Engineer F. G. Mexican.
Passed Assistant Engineers J. p Mickey and
Samuel Gragg. and Cadet Engineers G. W. Nc
ElrOy and j. Il. Wilmer. from the Ticonderora
and placed on waiting orders; Cadet Mid
shipman s. H. Williamson, to the Richmond. per
steamer of the 10th inst: Passed Assistant Pay
master II. T. Stancliff, from the TcOnderOga
and ordered to settle accounts; Passed Assistant
Engineer John Love- from the Washington
navy yard and ordered to temporary duty on
the Dispatch; BOatswain III. p. Grace, from the
Lancaster and placed on sick leave; Sailmaker
q. c. BOerOm has reported his return home
from the Onward and has been placed on sick
leave.
THE TORPEDO DIsAsTER.-Lieut. Commander
Ben. Long Edes, U.S.N., whose death at New
port sjust sent thrill of horror through the
hearts of this community, was one Of the most
promising and exemplary officers of the u s.
Navy. He was born at Baltimore. Md, April
list, 1S47, and was the youngest son of Robert
Cary Long, a we'll known and highly esteemed
architect, who in the year 1916 removed to the
city of New York, and died in 1S49 At the dying
request of an uncle, Sam. C. Edes, of New York
the name of the victim, whose memory we would
honor, was changed by the legislature of
Maryland to Benjamin Long Edes, to keep
alive the name of the revolutionary patriot,
Benjamin Edes, of the Boston Gazette, whose
share in the tea party is famous, and whose race
in the male line was likely to be extinct. Lieut.
Commander Edes was the fifth in descent from
this ancestor. The patriotism of his ancestors
was inherent in the character of Com. Edes. His
two grandfathers, Benjamin Edes, of Baltimore
and Robert Cary Long, Of the same served in
the famous defence of the town against the Brit
ish September 12, 1S14-the first a captain at
North Point, the other volunteer at Fort Nc
Henry. In person Com. Edes was comely, in
heart tender and loving. in mind intelligent and
wise, rather than brilliant. In character he was
a lover Of discipline and order, and by nature
| cautious, and Obedient to known law. He mar
ried in 1875 daughter OF Arthur Fletcher,
| esq, and niece of Admiral Poor, U. S. navy.
loving and faultless husband and father, he
had too large stake in life not greatly to desire
| its continuance. He had just completed his
| studies in the torpedo class, in which he had
taken SO warm an interest and showed such
| proficiency that Admiral Porter had requested
/ his continuance with the class through the
month of September, assuring him of orders for
| the ordnance department at the Washington
| navy yard for the next winter. The mother of
CON- Edes, Mrs r. Cary Long, is not unknown
| In the literary circles of Washington. The in
| vestigatiOn of the disaster, however it may re-
suit, from the natural instinct to shift RESPONSE
biity from the living to the dead, can do nothing
to shake the faith of Com. Edes' friends that
his part was we'll and faithfully done.
PERsONAL.-Mr. G. G. Cornwall left the city to-
| day for New Lebanon, N.Y.-Mr. StilsOn Hutch
ins, editor Of the Post, arrived here yesterday
! from New Hampshire. George w. Adams
1 left TODAY for Cana Nav xxharo his fom;yV c.o