Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-22

GO-BOthersOme NewSmOncers-The
Sad Side of the Greedy StOry-Atlan-
ta's Postmastership.
Correspondence Of tie No7aing Neaos.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.-Secretary Fol-
ger was asked by your correspondent to-
day if he intended to take any steps to-
wards consolidating some of the customs
districts. He replied that he had given
the matter good deal OF attention since
he had been in the Treasury Department.
This year he had been more than ever
struck by the necessity of cutting off some
OF the districts, which are no more than a
burden upon the public treasury, without
performing any useful functions.
The official statement showing the
amount of money collected i'm each
customs district and the list of its coIIec-
tl0ns during the last fiscal year, which
was prepared under his direction, was, in
his opinion, sufficient reason for a reduc-
ton of a number of the districts. He said
that there were several more reasons why
the number of customs districts shOuld
be reduced than there were for the recent
consolidation of internal revenue dis
tricts. at is absurd" he continued, "for
the government to continue paying annu-
ally all the way from 81 to $50 for the col
look at the figures you will see that the
most expensive customs districts are those
where the customs offices are located in
the interior. will certainly recommend
that Congress take the matter i'm hand and
enact legislation by which there can he a
cropping off of the useless and expensive
districts and putting them under the juris-
dictiOn of other customs houses where
the duties levied by the government can
be collected without much additional cost
The President thinks the same way that
do about the matter. | think that Con-
gress will take the same view" 1t may
he mentioned that as it costs much more
to collect dollar at Atlanta than any
where else in the United States the Gus
toms office there will doubtless be one of
those that will have to 20 as soon as Con-
gress shall enact the necessary lc@sla-
tiOn.
SECRETARY CHANDLER
has way about him that generally par
alyzes that class of newspaper men who
have gay and festive way of dropping
in upon public official without anything
particular to question him about, SAYING:
MIR. Secretary, have you got any news? p
This class of able news hunters are more
bothersome than flies. They don't seem
to have any object in life except to worry
people by the old ''gOt-any-news''in inquiry.
| was in Mr.. Chandler's office to-day for
about three-quarters of an hour
looking over a document which
had asked his permission
to have access to. During that time
no less than five drOp-in-and-hy-aw
newspaper men came in in rapid success
sion, and asked Mr.. Chandler if he had
any news. Chandler replied grimly to
each: 81 don't make memorandum of
a tn 1 vl.,sI. l..
given out to anyone who may ask me if
have any news. But if you want anv
information upon any particular sub
ject, | will be glad to give it to you
If it is possible for me to do so.
i am not getting up points for men who
are employed to do that work" Only one
of the five newspaper men was equal to
another question. The other four slid
away without anything more to say.
The one who stayed a little while longer
could only get his wits sufficiently to-
gether, to ask if any relief expedition
could be sent to Lieutenant Greeley and
his party, who are now in the Arctic re-
giOns. And that question had been of
ficially settled the day before! Secretary
Chandler won't he bothered by either of
the five again, warrant.
A GENTLEMAN OF THIS CITY
told me a very curious story the other
evening. He said that it was absolutely
true in every particular. This is the
story: "There resides in Washington a
certain gentleman and his wife. They
occupy good social position, and are re-
spected by all who know them. They
have always lived together very happily.
A score of years ago, or more, boy was
born to them. He died very soon after
his birth. rhe mothers reason for awhile
left her. The best physicians attended
her, and i'll the course of few months she
was apparently wholly restored to mental
health. Now comes the curious part of the
story. The lady had in her employ mu-
lattO servant who was the mother of "A son
born about the same time as that of her
mistress. When the latter saw the baby
she at once claimed it as her own. The
real mother, after hard struggle, allowed
her TO take possession of the child. The
lady's husband has repeatedly endeavored
to prove to her that her child is dead, but
she will not listen to him, or any one who
tries to rid her of her halucinatiOn.
The boy with negro blood III his veins
has grown to be a man. During all
this time the lady has cared for him with
Il mothers love and tenderness. She is
perfectly sane on every other question eX-
cept for the embarrassing hallucination
referred to. The husband has had fire.
HuCnt COIbuibdblOuS Nlbll SUlIlC vi lilt IilOSI
eminent physicians in this and other coun-
tries. The general verdict of the medical
men has been that to attempt to destroy
her mild phase of insanity would probably
result in completely destroying her rea-
son. The young man is employed in one
of the departments"
THERE Is ONE VERY SAD FEATURE
in connection with the loss of the Proteus
and the necessary leaving of Lieutenant
Greeley and his expedition in the Arctic
region for another season IN danger of
perishing. Lieutenant Greeley is the son
of widowed mother. The old lady's
whole soul is wrapped up in her son. She
did all she could to prevent him from
going on an Arctic expedition She fol-
lowed him to st. Johns, Nova Scotia.
from whence his expedition took de-
parture. Last year, when the vessel sent
out to reach Greeley with fresh sup
plies failed to get through the ice
and had to return, she was almost
inconsOlable. She said that she knew
her boy was dead. She went to the Secre-
tary of War and the Secretary of the Navy
and prayed them to try again. The other
day when the news of the loss of the Pro-
teus was first printed in the newspapers,
the mother, who is nearly 20 years old.
put on her bonnet and rushed around to
D
Howgate's husband, Captain Howgate,
who induced Greely to head this expe-
ditiOn. For about an hour she blamed
Mrs. HOwgate between her tears for allow
ing her husband to kill her boy. She
quieted down during the evening, and has
been very quiet ever since. She says that
she knows her son has perished. She was
advised to see the Secretary of War. She
replied that it was no use, because that
official could not nelp a dead man, and
even if her son were alive he would not
do anything if he could.
POSTMASTER GENERAL GRESHAM
is not paying much attention TO the At
lanta post office matter. He has refused
COnley's request to be re-
instated, He has told Col. Marcellus E.
Thornton and deX-Representative Freeman.
two of the many who want to succeed Con-
ley, that it will be sometime before he will
consider that question. He told me to.
day that there was no use in applicants
for the place coming on here to talk to him
about the matter. No appointment would
be made until the meeting of Congress,
he said.
Bat and Ball
WASHINGTON, sept, 21.-Games of ball
played at the following places to-day:
At Philadelphia-Phila 3; De-
troits o.
At New York-New Yorks 10; Chicagos
At BOston-BOstons ?; Buffalos 3.
At Observation-Disclosures 6; Cleve-
lands 3.
AT Columbus-MetroDolitans 6; Colum.
buses /.
At Observation-Disclosures 10; Balti-