The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-10-19
WASHINGTON.

General Dent, who has been forty. years
in the United States army, has asked to be
retired at the end Of November.
President Arthur became an expert in
military law while connected with the ma
tional guard in New York, and says that
at one time he would have preferred the
judge advocate generalship of the army to
any position in the country.
General Sherman, after travelling 10, 67S
miles. inspecting the military posts In the
Far West, has resumed his duties at WASH
ington. He will attend the reunion of the
Army OF the Tennessee at Cleveland, and
give place to General Sheridan before the
meeting of Congress.
News was received at the government
printing-ofiice Monday OF the death of q. ID.
Fletcher at ManitOu Spring, Colorado. Mr..
Fletcher was foreman of the specification
room In the printing.of and proprietor
of the Centralia Sentinel. He was about As
years old, and was held in high esteem In
the printing-office.
The whereabouts OF the notorious Maj.
Nickerson has been ascertained: he is re-
siding in Thorold, Canada. Upon this in
formation being received, the secretary Of
war ordered him to proceed at once to
Washington and report in person. An an
swer was received from him Saturday. In
which he declined to obey the order. He
defes the authorities, feeling sure that he
cannot be extradited. No further action
has been taken in the matter, but in all
probability hewill be dropped from the army
as deserter. He has reported false adj
dress to the department, disobeyed General
Sherman's order not to leave Washington,
and now refuses to obey the Secretary OF
War.
INVESTIGATING OUR HOG PRODUCTS.
The Secretary of State, in behalf of the
President, on Tuesday addressed letter to
the Commissioner OF Agriculture, stating
that 'nasmuch as certain foreign govern
ments have charged that the hog products
of the United States are affected with dis
ease and not proper for export purposes,
the President has decided to appoint COM
mission to thoroughly investigate the curing
of pork in this country, and has named as
Prof. G. +. Chandler, Eliphalet w. Batch
ford, Il. ID. Curtis, and Prof. X. ID. Salmon.
The President states that he has no author
ity to guarantee the expense of the commits
sion, but has no doubt that, in view of the
magnitude Of the interests involved, Con-
gress will meet all bills. incurred fol. this
purpose. The Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, as chairman Of the commission, Is
directed to summon his associates and pro-
coed to work without delay.
AN OFFSET TO REDUCTIONS.
There are differences between the reports
of internal revenue made by the internal
revenue bureau and those made up in the
division OF warrants and appropriations,
due apparently to the fact that the informa-
not received simultaneously at the bureau
and the division. Sometimes the figures OF
one are higher, and sometimes those of the
other. For the first three months OF the
current fiscal year the reports of the bu-
reau Of internal revenue have been the
larger, being 500, 415, 679. against S26 9l2, al
reported by the warrant division. 1t hap
pens that during the same quarter Of last
year the warrant division made the larger
reports, so that the decrease of revenue this
year as compared with last year Is greater
than the decrease reported by the internal
of revenue reported by the warrant divis-
ion is at the rate Of S3s, 600, 900 year,
which decrease reported by the internal
revenue bureau Is at the rate of about 1885,.
000, 900 year. The large amount of whisky
which must be Withdrawn from bond dur
ing the next nine months, amounting to
over thirty million gallons, Is expected TO
make large Offset TO the reductions effect
ed by act Of congress.
cARBoNIzED CONDUCTORS.
A decision was rendered Tuesday by the
commissioner of patents In the important
interference cases Of Sawyer and Mann
against Thomas A. Edison, which involved
ian incandescent conductor for an electric
lamp formed of carbonlzed paper" The
commissioner awards the patent to Sawyer
and Mann, and in so doing reverses the do
cision of the board of examiners in chief
made July %, 1855, by which priority was
awarded to Edison. and affirms The de.
cision Of the examiner I'm favor of Sawyer
and Mann, rendered June 3 last. The In
reference was originally decided in favor
OF Sawyer and Mann Jan. 2, 1882, but the
case was afterward reopened for the adj
mission OF rewJcvidence. tIpon a second