davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
Meeting of Board of Aldermen.

The Board of Alderman held their
regular monthly meeting on Monday.
After the consideration of several un-
important matters, the board went into
the election of sanitary policeman. On
the third ballot, Mr.. A. S. Caldwell was
elected.
The pay of the city engineer was fixed
at $35 per month.
Messrs. Miller and Johnston was granted
the petition to erect verandah along the
front of the Butord House,to extend to tie
curb of the sidewalk, to be 80 feet long
and 16 feet high, with iron railing-orna-
mental and uncovered.
Alderman Osborne moved that the city
purchase hose reel for the Hornet fire
company, provided that company sells its
horses. e
The Harrison Watts company No.
petitioned for hose and reel. Referred
Tor consideration to next meeting.
The E D. Latta hose company No. 6
also petitioned for hose and reel. Alder
man Long said that the board would
give the company $500 and Mr.. Latta
would give like amount. Referred to
next meeting.
An ordinance was passed relative to the
city water works and fines and penalties
were fixed for all Offences, as meddling
with the by ydrants, drawing and wasting
water, etc.
Alderman Wilkes moved to continue the
street lights until dark of the moon in Sep.
tember next. Alderman Scott moved to
discontinue the light except on We'd
nesday and Sunday nights. After
some discussion the matter was refer
red to the street committee with power
to act.
The board took no action in regard
to the acceptance of the city water
works, not being ready to consider that
matter.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
w- The correspondent of the Rich

a. The correspondent of the Rich
mond Dispatch says that On Saturday,
Gov. Vance's special committee further
examined into the crookedness in the
sixth North Carolina collection district,
and elected good deal of testimony
going to show that there was good reason
for the investigation. For example, W.
Ell. Kestler testified that while he was
only employed month and received $65,
vouchers were filed in the department to
show that he had received l,125. These
vouchers were duly sworn to by the col
lection officials. Capt Ramsey testified
that he only received 800 month from
March 1st, 1872, to June Sd, 1873, but
vouchers were filed which claimed that he
had been paid sl5oa month during the
period named.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
Strange Phenomenon.

On the evening of the 1lth inst, about
dark, a strange phenomenon was witnessed
at the residence of Mr.. Daniel Gay in this
town. The family (Mr. Gay was absent)
had just gotten through with supper and
one of the girls was engaged with one of
the smaller ones in the dining room
(the house has four rooms, all under one
roof these two persons being all there was
in the room at the time, when Mrs. Gay
and other members of the family in the
adjoining room had their attention at
tracted by report in the dining room
similar to the bursting of a gun cap; look
ing in the room from whence the noise
proceeded, they were astonished to see
blaze Of fire ascending from the floor, near
where the two children were seated. The
blaze apparently ascended to the roof and
went out. Some of the neighbors were
called in, and diligent search was made to
ascertain, if possible, the cause of the
strange exhibition, but all to no purpose.
The neighbors thinking there would be no
further trouble, went home, and about an
hour afterward, Mrs. Gay returned to the
dining room, when bali Of fire, nearly as
large as child's head, came in the direc-
tion of her and seemed to strike her In the
breast, then burst in three or more streams
of fire, the fire quickly going out. The
alarm was given and the neighbors again
collected, but no clue whatever could be
had to the mystery. Mrs. Gay was con-
siderably stunned, and it was several
hours before she recovered from the shock.
Several members of the family, all there
was in the house at the time, witnessed
| the strange display, and there is no doubt
whatever that the occurrence was real
and not imaginary.
1t was, of course, a display of electricity,
but the strange part of it is why should
there have been two displays at intervals?
I-Rockinghana South.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

PAYING MAIL CoNTRAcToRs.--Th
joint resolution which passed the q. s..
Senate reappropriating $a75,OOO appro-
priated in 1877 to pay certain Southern
mail contractors, authorizes the Secretary
of the Treasury at once to pay to the late
contractors of the States of Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi Missouri, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennes-
see, Virginia and West Virginia, the
amounts due on their respective contracts
for the years 1859, 1860 and 1861, with
the proviso that no payment shall be
made for mail service rendered after May
81. 1861, or after the Legislature of any
State or any State convention had passed
the so-called ordinance of secession. The
resolution also prohibits the payment to
these contractors of the one months ex-
ira compensation usually allowed in cases
where the mail service is discontinued by
order of the government.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
From the Fayetteville Examiner.
Monument to the Mecklenburg Patriot

4
The subjoined letter from Senator Bayard,
of Delaware, to Col. w. J. Green of this
place, explains itself. 1t pertains TO a
subject that touches the pride of every
true son of North Carolina. The whole
people of the State ought to join in the
erection ofa monument at Charlotte, which
shall hand down to coming generations the
names of those patriots who looking
through b the nists of coming war in l775
beheld the sun of liberty and independ-
ence rising to the zenith.
UNITED STATES SENATE, ! II
Washington, D. C., May 80, 1882.
W. J. Green, Esq, Fayetteville, N. c.:
My Dear Sir:-It is very pleasant tor me
to know that my address at Charlotte on
the Goth awoke such responses as your let
ter to me indicates. -..s.,. - ...=.
Imade the agreement to go there with
great hesitation and In violation of my
habit to enter into no engagement pending
the sessions of the Senate that should in.
volve my absence from my seat. You can
also understand how the constant pressure
of legislative work units man for that
kind of reflection in which he can best pre-
pare his mind first to comprehend and then
express the meanings of history.
lam greatly reassured in my very sim
pie and sincere effort to aid the better inn
pulses of the people of North Carolina, by
your generous appreciation.
From lack of organization / do not
know what dissemination will be made of
my Address. The newspaper publication
had naturally good many errors, some
obvious, others annoyingly obscure. But
it was corrected and sent back to the pub
Usher (Mr Jones of the Observer) who is
to put it iE pamphlet form. | have order
ed number of the copies, and when re-
ceive them will send you the copies you
desire. But, really, ] do not want to stir
| merits of other communities are over
looked we must not blame NJ massachusetts,
for not overlooking Tor exaggerating) her
own. .,....
"The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars
But in ourselves"
| Will it not be possible to have a strong
| impressive monumental column raised at
Charlotte to the memories of the "signers.' u
The Lion of Luz-rne, by Thorwaldsen,
is the most admirable type OF such COM
memoration, and it digni6es immensely
the ninety-odd Swiss who were only mill
tary police at the Palace of Versailles,
serving for money only in foreign coun-
| try, but who fell at their posts
We may not perhaps expect such a
work of genius just now at Charlotte, but
something should be done to mark the
| place, arrest the Imagination and enforce
the memory. Shall it not be?
| Believe me very truly yours, "a
| .%-ss 5'5s T. F. BAYARD. 8
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

The present administration in levying
forced contributions on office-holders for
political purposes, far surpasses all former
experience. We stated in former issue
that the pages in the House of Repre-
sentatives were assessed two per cent.
The party managers, realizing the neces-
slty for large sum of money, have taxed
the scrubbers in the treasury, the poor
stltchers In the government printing office
and the counters in the Bureau of En-
craving. Most of these are very poor
and helpless outside of their actual en-
ployment. Compromise for poverty,
sickness or suffering is not tolerated.
Some of the employees in the Navy Yard
at Charlestown, Mass, seven hundred in
number, have been called on to contribute
prescribed sums varying from sll to $25.
We wonder if any of this immense amount
of money will come to Charlotte.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

SENATOR Brown of Georgia, is advocat-
ing bill to provide each Senator with a
$1,000 clerk, and among those who voted
in favor of it were millionaires Fair and
Jones, of Nevada. The country might be
induced to provide these two with the
clerical work, they cannot afford to pay
for out of their salaries The Georgia
Senator also contended that Senators
should have private rooms to which they
might retire, "not only to labor, but to
think" We are fearful if each member
was provided with private room to re-
tire and think, the Senate Chamber would
be OF little use, and in answer to roll call,
"retired to think" would too frequently
prevent quorum.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
Taxation.

We have prepared table of the money
collected in some Of the counties in 1874
rs, before the new system Of county
government went into operation, and of
moneys collected in 1ssO-sl, according to
the statements contained in the last Au-
ditor's Report. Our object in doing this
is to show that the new system has been to
the advantage of the counties generally,
particularly in the east, but in the west as
we'll. We do not claim that the figures
for any one year show with absolute accu-
racy how county finances are managed,
but they serve to indicate the general
drift. Viewing the subject in that light,
we find that the general effect of the
change has been to lessen taxation for
county purposes and to tighten the bur-
dens of the people. Some of the counties,
it is true, were so well managed by their
Democratic commissions, even under the
was impossible. In other cases doubtless
there were some special reasons for high
rate of taxation. The figures, therefore,
only indicate a general result. This re-
suit speaks for itself 1t proves that
the new system is economical, and does
not require such heavy drain on the
people as tHe OIu SYSTEM ms Is paf-
ticularly observable in Republican coun-
| ties.
But one of the greatest evils was that
county script was almost always below par,
and could not be paid except after some
member ofthe court house ring had bought
it at heavy discount. Now, we know oi
no county where county script is below
par, or where it is not promptly paid after
it has been properly audited and authenti
| Gated. It is for the people to say whether
they want to get back into the old way OF
doing business. We append the table,
which our readers will do well to examine
| with care:
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

az There is corn whiskey and old rye,
and whiskey manufactured from wheat,
and various other kinds of whiskey, but
whiskey from smoke is new article. A
Milwaukee dispatch states that party of
New York capitalists has purchased a
large tract of land in Shawnee county,
Wisconsin, and that $25, 900 plant is to
be established at once to be utilized in the
manufacture of alcohol, acetic acid and
charcoal. The capitalists referred to have
secured the right to the use of retort
that will condense the smoke of the burn
ing timber, and by a peculiar process ex-
tract from one cord of wood six gallons of
s5 per cent alcohol, fifty pounds acetate
of lime and residue of acetlc acid, leav-
ing sixty bushels of charcoal. Work is to
begin at once.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
County Government.

The Charlotte Obseryer of the 18th
inst contains an editorial with sentiments
which, emanating from Democratic
paper, savors strongly of Liberalism" if
not Republican. It says:
"The Observer has stated that the introduction
of the question of the present system of county
government, into the political canvass about to 1
be initiated is Republican "ruse," and so it is.
but it is one which will be likely to be handled
with gloves OF, during the next few months.
Briefly we are opposed to the present system
OF the appointment of magistrates by the Legis-
iature, and the election OF county commissioners
by these Justices of the Peace We have sub
mitted to it in years past as a matter of party
expediency, but the system is undemocratc, and
cannot be defended upon any principle of justice
or right We have always been willing to bow
TO the DEGREES OF our party conventions, as Iona.
as they aoere right, but as long as we conduct an
independent paper, we shall not hesitate to con-
denim unwise or unfortunate decisions even with
In the folds OF the party, and the present plan of
county government though born and nurtured as
Democratic measure, is both
To-day we desire simply to place the Observer
on record as opposed honestly and conscientious
iy to the present plan of county government"
We wish our neighbor to be more ex-
plieit in defining his position. He can
didly tells us s'he has been willing to bow
to the DEGREES of our party conventions
as long as they soere riqht.' Then by an
adherence and fealty to the party within
whose folds "the present plan of county
government was born and nurtured," he
has unqualifedly sanctioned that system.
Who at this present time has enlight-
ened and convinced you of this great
wrong that you now announce your
intention of denouncing it with un-
| gloved hands as unwise and undenao-
cratic ?" If, through the elucidation
of the matter, from the enlarged views
entertained of this REPUBLICAN ruse,"
by parties who are anxious to con-
vert the whole Democratic party, the
| Observer sees the errors of his lifelong
party affiliation, let him come out square
and honest and show his hand. We want
no equivocating, no specious pretences of
Independent. ..... s........
The Wilmington Star admonishes the
party of the danger of the change,
and In a concise manner clearly shows
that the question at issue involves
the success or defeat of the demo
cratic party in the coming election.
1t says:
The Charlotte Observer is out squarely
against the present system of county
government, and in favor of remanding
the negro-ridden counties to the tender
mercies of the negro voters who control
Let the West play on that string and you
may give up the campaign before it opens.
1t would be suicidal for Eastern tax
payers to support any party that would
dare favor such political injustice and
folly
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

~ Between sunset on Thursday and
noon of Friday the second week in May,
the Fish Commission sent out from " ash
ington 100000 shad and 100000 her.
ring to Austin, Texas, all of which will be
placed in the Colorado river. The Ap-
pomattox, the Rappahannock and the up
per Potomac are also to be stocked, 30O,-
900 having been sent to each. Of shad
alone the distribution of the present sea-
son will be over sO,O0O,OOO, while the
herring sent ont are in numbers far ex-
ceeding this In the present high price
of meat it is reassuring to reflect that if
one form of animal food must be dispensed
with substitute too little used may be
found in fish, the demand for which
steadily increases.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

AT the funeral of the four children in
Chicago who were murdered by their moth
er the crowd was immense, all anxious to
get inside. Some one suggested as the
father did not have money to defray the
burial expenses, to open the door and in
vite the mob to fall into line and view the
bodies for ten cents. The crowd assented
with an eagerness that was painful, and
two men stood at the door taking the
dimes for more than an hour. The collec-
tion amounted TO $50, and one of the men
who suggested the plan remarked, ga re-
spectacle funeral can now be gotten up
for all of them, without applying to their
rich relations" Chicago is prolific in
novelties.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
$651,3O2.6O $424,126.68
$424,126.65
$227,176.O5

It will be perceived that in the above
counties, under the old system, the people
paid for their county matters se5 ,so2.s5
in the year 1s74-75, and that they paid
only $424, 1860 in the year 1sso-sl.
The saving to the people of these counties
that for one year only. During the past
FIVE years it has amounted to one million
of dollars. The ordinary expenses of the
government Of the State, not counting
the asylums, ETC., is less than the amount
saved, according to the above calculation.
These figures are more eloquent than the
words of any orator.-RazeS9h Observer.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
Tw The House has passed the bill a,

a. The House has passed the bill ap-
propriating 500, O,OOo,ooO to pay pensions.
This makes some $16o,OOO,oOO thus far
applied in that direction, and no one knows
when the great leak will stop, or how wide
it will become. It is estimated by some
that it will assume such proportions as
would alarm any country in the world but
our own, and would alarm and arouse the
American people if they were not practi-
cally asleep. The sum that will be ex-
pended will probably exceed 100000, 900,
and half of this amount will be either
stolen or paid to fraudulent claimants.
The people are being taxed very greatly,
and because it is the old Republican party
that does it they appear to think it all
right. 1t is surely time to cry halt in this
wild extravagant mania that governs the
Congress.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

THE famine in Patrick county, Va, is
distressing. The number of sufferers is
estimated at 5000 to 5000, A special
from Danville says:
GA few days since, when few wagon
loads of corn reached Patrick county, and
were being distributed, women and chill
dren when they received their portion
would thrust their hands in the bags and
eat the dry corn to relieve their hunger,
not being able to wait to have it ground
and cooked. Two families, known to be
in past days well-to-do, have been existing
for weeks on wheat-bran alone. Large
families go for days without morsel of
bread, and ride along any road in the
county will show travellers hundreds OF
poor people whose wan, pinched faces show
the want of food.
deaths have occurred, possibly not
from actual starvation, but through disease
brought on by hunger"
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

THE House has passed the joint resolu-
tion appropriating $4,000 for memorial
shaft at Washington's headquarters in
Newburgh, New York. There is also
appropriated $4,000 for the celebration,
to be held there next year, in honor of the
hundredth anniversary of the declaration
managers to buy 100000 worth of rum
and tobacco, should the patriots require the
same amount of stimulating as the York
town guests.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

THE funeral took place at Alex andria,
Va, on Wednesday last of COL William
R. Mclean, who had the singular fortune
to own and reside upon the fields of Bull
Run and Appomattox when the two armies
met at these places at the beginning and
end of the war. After Bull Run, antici-
pating continued hostilities in that neigh
borhood, he bought farm near the Appo-
mattox River, to which he removed his
family. 1t was on this farm that Gen
eral Lee completed the formal act of sur
render
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23
The Prospect.

Some of the colored speakers in the re-
cent Republican convention struck the nail
on the head when they declared that they
were entitled to more consideration at the
hands of their party, because they fur
nished 10000 against 10000 white Re
publican votes. Without asserting to the
entire accuracy of these figures, the state
ment is sufficiently accurate for practical
purposes. The highest Republican vote
cast is about 10000, and the darkeys
claim that they cast 10000, leaving q
beggarly 10000 for their white associates.
1t Il against this coalition of 20, 900 whites,
under the lead of Mott, Ike Young and
the revenue people, and 10000 solid
darkeys, that the white folks have to con-
tend. The situation is, then, the reve-
nuers and negroes on one side, and the
almost solid white population on the other
side. In such a contest is it possible that
doubt where victory isgoing to be found !?
Even taking Napoleon's maxim as the
embodiment of truth, that svictory at
tends the heaviest battalions," we find
the situation full of hope @
There are in North Carolina about 1S0,-
900 white voters. All that the white men
have. to do will be to stand together
and make their heavy battalions effec-
tive Give the revenuers twenty thou
sand white voters, and there will remain
160,o 900 white voters, which allows sur
plus of $4,000 over and above what is ne
cessary to beat down the opposition Of
20. 900 whites and 10000 of the colord
brethren. From these figures it appears
that all we need to make success doubly
sure is to poll heavy vote. We have
everything in our favor And a strong
canvas will bring out a white vote thai
will swamp the revenue cutter and bury
the colord vote beneath the surging tide
of "white squall." ."-Raleigh Observer.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

8
az A colored resident of San Fran
cisco dying left moderate estate of $4,-
779, and by his will appointed Roderigo
Wilkinson and Henry NJ. Smith executors,
lnstructing them to divide up his money
among themselves and certain other per-
sons and one church and Mutual Benefit
Society cas- they might deem proper"
AS it unhappily CHANGED when the testator
died Smith was serving term in the
State prison, and could not act, much as
he would have liked to. The other day
the other and sole acting executor filed
his account for distribution, giving to the
parties named as follows: To Mr.. smith,
Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Nickens, 800 each;
to Zion Church, $3.50; to the society,
$3.50; to himself the balance of the estate,
$3,779. An unfeeling court refused to
confirm the distribution on the ground
that it was unjust, and ordered that the
estate be more fairly distributed.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

DELoNG's BURIAL PLAcE.-It is
thought by many officers that the bodies
of DeLong and his companions cannot be
brought home at this season. Melville
told Danenhower he intended to bury
them In the frozen ground near Bulun. 1t
is singular fact that the ground thaws
only to the depth of few feet, and below
the ground on which the crops are raised
in the summer it remains frozen through
out the year, and at this depth organic
matter would be preserved from decom-
position.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

W In the North American Review for July,
the leading article is profound and sympathetic
study OF Emerson as Poet" by Edwin P.
Whipple. The author has scarcely word to
say about forms and modes of expression. and
cheerfully comedies that Emerson had command
only of two or three metres; but he brings all
the resources of his extraordinary critical acu-
men to prove that as seer. as one who has in
tuition of the deeper truths of nature and the
moral universe, in short, as poet in the highest
sense of the word, Emerson must take rank with
the greatest geniuses of all time The Review is
for sale by booksellers and newsdealers generally.
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

ONE of the trunk railroads is said to
have put free library on some of its
through trains, to help while away long
evenings for it's passengers In that case
it should also give them good light to read
by. If a railroad company will only light
it's cars so that a passenger who attempts
to read need not find his eyes ruined, he
may be safely left to procure his own read
inn
Charlotte home and Democrat., 1882-06-23

THE CoNvENTIoNs.-The State Con
vention will be held in Raleigh, July
5th.
Judicial Conoentions.- District
Hertford, June 27.
Third District-Magnolia, June 27.
Fourth District-Fayetteville, June 81
Fifth Dlstrict-Durham, July 4.
Sixth Observation-Disclosures June %.
Confessional Conrentsons.-First Dis
trict-Elizabeth City, July 20.
Third District-Warsaw, July 20.