Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-06
JACKSONVILLE JOTT1~cs
The Retiring COngress-Has II T.arne
ANYTHING ?-Figures oD.1 r..

Lie Ao'AAhS SohgreSs-Has il Learned
Anything Figures and Facts from
the Late Election-A Beacon for 1884
A Boiler ExplOsiOn-A Greeting to
Pensacola-NumerOus Odds and End
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Dec 4.-Congress
will assemble to-day. 1t will be some
what melancholy assembly so far as the
Republicans are concerned. Nemesis has
already Overtaken many of those members
who engaged in the revolutionary pro-
ceedings of last session. The public ser
vices of many have ended, and they will
sink into merited oblivion The people in
their sovereign might have spoken, and
the arrogance and presumption of leaders
and bosses have received a wholesome
and necessary rebuke. The efforts of pet
~ individuals against the popular will is
ike the whistle of penny trumpet in the
teeth of a tempest.
Have the lessons enunciated on the 1th
/ OF last month been needed? VIII those to
whom they We're addressed act with
greater prudence and discretion. or will
they, governed by their ancient preiudices
and guided by the old interests. pursue
bllndly the same path that has brought
them to the edge of the precipice upon
which they are now standingy Or win
they right about wheel, and coneede
gracefully what they have heretofore de-
MED? This latter course is by no means
improbable, and it is quite likely that an
attempt Will be made to capture cOnsid-
cradle amount of Democratic powder and
| turn their guns upon their former owners.
surprises will be the order of the day,
and unexpected things are likely to occur
| between this time and the 4th of next
March. If the Republicans can find a rat
which 81, ..,,I
/ escape from their present predicament,
thay will bow their naughty crests and
become humbly submissive. To retain
! their waning power, no eXpedient will be
untrled, and no scheme too humiliating
Place and power are falling away from
them, and the pedestals on which they
have stood are crumbling and falling. So
we shall probably see during the next
| three months some very remarkable ac
robatic performances and som ersaults.
The State Returning Board will meet in
! Tallahassee to-day. Upon the face of the
returns, Col. Bisbee is elected from the
| Second district by majority of 300 If
Duyal county had pOlled six Votes more
for Gen. Finley in 1889, than she did in
/ 1880, that gentleman would have been our
/ member of Congress. This county alone
fell off 294 on the Democratic vote of two
years ago, and this in the face of an in
creased population, and considerable aid
| from conservative Republicans and
negroes. Col. Bisbee's vote in Duval was
also 250 short of that Of 1880, Gen. Fin
/ ley's vote in the entire district including
| Sumter, fell behind 2S2, while Col Bisbee's
was increased /, 1,l69
The election here was lost by sheer
| apathy and want Of eXertiOn, and the re-
| suit is and should be a standing disgrace
| to the stay-at-homes of this district 1t
/ should also be a beacon to deter us from
| similar catastrophe in the future. Such
| lethargy two years hence will work de-
| feat Of the entire ticket, State and Con-
! gressiOnal. 1t cannot be denounced too
strongly and condemned too severely.
! 1t is somewhat early for those who are
! chuckling over the number Of Indepen-
dents who have been elected to the Legis-
lature, and who are anticipating a cOmbi-
nation'between them and the Republicans.
/ Such proposition would be rejected with
scorn, for by far the majority OF these gen
/ tlemen are Staunch Democrats, and will
act with that party in caucus. The Re
! publicans are not yet in the saddle, and
/ they will neYeE again be allowed to con
| troll tue destihies Of Florida. Theirpalms
will continue to itch for an indefinite
| period.
| Two or three heavy frosts have fallen
| during the past week, and ice was visible
| for two mornings, The prospects are that
]
| than the last. Its influence north of us is
| quite apparent in the great increse of
7 travel. The hotels are already doing
! good business, and will be well filled by
Christmas. The Windsor is the only house
of note yet closed.
A striking evidence Of the expansive
| force OF steam was shown here last Satur-
/ day in the explosion of the boiler of the
| steamer NOlusia. This vessel was moored
at her wharf when the accident occurred
and fortunately there were but few per-
/ sons on board or in the vicinity. The roar
and conclusion We're tremendous and ex-
cited great CONSERVATION, Many were
impressed with the belief that their
houses had fallen, others imagined that
1t was the shock of an oarthquake
On arriving at the scene l found the river
wharves and the buildings near by covered
with lnnumerable fragments of the vessel
Most Of the wood work was split into
kindling wood, and heavy iron pipes were
thrown to a considerable distance. 1t was
generally supposed for some hours that
several lives had been lost, but the miss
ing parties We're finally accounted The
| list of casualties was small, aud the iniu-
| ries not of serious character. Had the
boiler burst an hour or two later, when
the passengers and crew were on board.
! ana the vessel on her way up the river.
there would probably not have been n sim
gle soul saved. The destruction was total
and absolute, nothing but portion of the
caolh remaining Of the steamer, The ac-
GIdent is attributed to the caTelessness of
the negro engineer, who had lighted the
fires in the furnace and then gone ashore.
1t is pleasant again to receive the Pen
sacOla papers, and to learn that the citi-
zens are returning. 4 four months dura
tlon OF the yellow fever is sufficient to ruin
the business of almost any community.
1t is an appalling scOurge. Pensacola
possesses so many natural resources that
the injuries received, save in the valuable
lives that We're lost, will speedily be
repaired. Meantime the Pensacola and
Atlantic Railroad has not been allowed to
lag, but has heen pushed with the greatest
vigOF. one hundred and thirty miles. of
the road have been finished, and it is
thought that the work Qf tracklaying will
be completed carly in January. They
intend 10 have some amusement in Pensa-
cola, as an opera house, with seats for
twelve hundred persons, will soon be
completed.
Thanksgiving day passed off quietly
ana pleasantly. The merchants generally
closed their stores in the afternoon. There
We're services in two or three churches.
and St, Johns (EpiscOpal) was hand
Ssomely decorated with fruits and vegeta-
bles. There is large Northern element
here, who still observe the day in the old
style, and think there is a growing dis
position on the part of our Southern peo-
pie to honor the holiday religiouslY and
socially.
n cotton seed oil mill will soon be in
operation at LlOyd's station, near Talla-
hassee, If the seed Can be shipped to
Europe and be prOfitablv worked, after
the freight across the ocean. it would |
seem that the manufacture here would |
also be remunerative. l hope the time is
not far distant when not o single |
bushel of this valuable material will be |
shipped out of the stare. but will be made !
to constitute a valuable adjunct to the |
crop OF every planter.
1t is very much to be hoped that the |
weather on Wednesday will be clear and
bright, so that accurate observations can |
be made of that interesting phenomenon. |
the transit OF Venus, There are two par
ties of scientific men now in Florida for
that purpose, one French at st. Angus |
tine, and the other American at Cedar |
Keys. 1t will be an event of exceeding !
interest to astronomical circles,
1t is to be hoped that the recora,nenda-
ton of the grand jury Of the county, that .
house of correction be provided for tbe |
benefit Of youthful criminals. can he car
RED INTO effect. There are scores OF IfttIe /
negro Eagabonds roaming the streets ap- |
parently without hOIQes or friends. grow /
ing up in vice and ignorance. ready to |
pllIef anything, and ripening for the peni- I
nN lNo