The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-21

denee of close application and devote,
research.
| To look at Thurman one would suppos
that his favorite reading was "Rox's Bool
OF the Martyrs" and ''Baxter's Saints
Best, for Thurman's face certainly car
rles o heavier pressure OF solemnity to tn,
square inch than any face / ever saw
Moreover. there ie in the Senators manne
deep and abiding gravity. which woult
suggest that he fed on almost any sort o
intellectual pabulum, rather than tha
which does in fact delight him most.
Thurman is undoubtedly the bes
French scholar In the Senate. A large
portion of his reading is made up of Frenct
literature, and that nottof the most solemn
character either. / don't mean to say
that in his fondness for the volatile lore Of
the country Of Voltaire, Chateaubriand.
and Renau. Senator Thurman ne elects the
more necessary studies OF English liter
ature. merely mention his fondness for
French literature to show how utterly ai
variance with the appearance OF and
manner of q man of his tastes aud prediIi.
cations in literary matters may often be;
| for certainly anyone would as soon suspect
an elephant of foudness for the minuet ss
to imagine that SENATOR Thurman was
a devotee OF the lighter varieties of
French books.
Next 10 the list of patrons of the library
comes Senator Edmunds. of Vermont.
Though one of the youngest in years. Ed
munds is one of the oldest appearing men
in the Senate; tall, slim, angular. and
dried up. Edmunds looks like the last
man in the world whose literary proclivi-
ties would lead him almost exclusively
amepg the poets and more exalted classes
of 6ction-writers. This peculiar taste of
Senator Edmunds 10 probably due to the
fact that his legal reading in earlier life
has been so close. and his application to
the dry and juieeiess thsmes OF Vermont
law practice so dense that be has found it
necessary to resort to the literary aperients
above alluded to. to keep bis mental bow :
els open, SO to speak. have read and
heard great many speeches OF Senator
E3munds', both in and out of the Senate,
and they are models of dry, terse, SEN
tentious, and undramatic English.
They are invariably stripped of even
ornament, and shorn of all orstorical sur
pIusage Such q thing as poetical quota
ton in any of Senator Edmunds' speeches
| would seam as much out of place as would
one of Arsene Houssaye's epigrams 10 the
midst of chapter of Revelations And
| vet the man who delivers these speeches
has at bis tongues end an exhaustless
repertoire of poetical quotations, and in the
course of an evenings social converse. will
quote more scraps of poetry. and apply
them more charmingly to the subject OF
discourse, than any man l ever saw.
NOMINATIONS.
The Senate confirmed Levi p. Morton.
Minister of France: 8. ID. Horton, Ohio,
Secretary. Commissioners of Monetary
Conferepce-R Receivers of public money
Henry Ell. Griffith. DesMoines; VIM a.
Somers, Beatrice, Neb.
SENATE
The vice president presented the com
munication from the Government of Wis
consin relative to the death of Nj. FL. Car
penter. 1t was read and laid on the table.
and the Senate went into executive session
and afterwards adjourned.
PENNY ANTE.
New YORK, March 2l.-The propri-
| etors of the Hokekers Democrat have
been sued for libel by the mayor
| of the place The latter official has been
charged by the paper with ipdulRlng in a
little game of draw" poker, commonly
known as Penny Ante" The mayor
denies that there is any foundation for the
suit for damages. The defendants gave
bail for their appearance at the next term
OF court
BOSTON 'CULCHAW."
a letter to the Springfield, Mass, Re-
publican contains the following:
Some of the Boston girls of the period
are giving their attention TO the severest
sort of literature. There are reading
clubs of Is or Is year old girls here. the
order of exercises of which are so crowded
that is m axe ones head whrl to contem-
plate it. 4 card notifying the members
of one of these clubs of a meeting has
fallen into the hands of another friend of
mine, The programme arranged for this
meeting is as follows: ITO be read by ALL
'Hypatia;' to be looked mp, 'Gibbon.
'Chaldee.' 'Chaldee Astrology.' 'Parsee
Dualism,' 'Brahmsnic Spiritualism last
three briefly" The good faith and slm~
plicity in which this card is written and
received amaZes my friend. They must
read "Hy9atia" and look up the other
three trlning things in q week. Verify
the Boston girl. if these reading club girls
are specimens, is taking to culture with
terrific energy. But oDe thing Is observ-
ed-the severe application for self inn
proyemert and mind training is not effect
ing the health and beauty OF the Boston
girl as much as formerly, for she is pretty,
robust, and altogether charming,
A RELIC.
New YORK, March 2l.-While digging
ND fruit tree in the woods at SiverLake.
Staten Island, a few days since, Mr.. Hail
unearthed heavy piece of some mineral
substance, resembling soapstono. On this
substance is chiseied a human feminine
face. The eyes and mouth are finely cut,
and the former are very expressive
Some ching resembling a crown cnclrcies
the brow, and though the face represents
young person the brow is furrowed. The
figure was concealed with a large stone.
and must have been in the position it was
when found, for generations. 1t was re
moved TO the office of Justice Casey, Brook
street, New Brighton. The Judge will
have it sent 10 the Central Park Museum
for examination IN few days.
A RAPID COW.
Jeffersonville. Ohio, March 20-The
people of New Washington, this county,
are greatly excited over cow that bas
become wild with bydrophobis The COW
belonged to a Mrs Harper. and was bitten
bu q rab,d dog last fall On Thursday the