davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
PERSONAL.

The widow of General Custer is spending the
winter in Detroit, the guest of her late husbands
sister, Mrs. Calhoun.
DR.. Alba Raymond, president of the Academic de
Langue FRANCHISE des EtatsUnis. of Boston, has
been decorated by the committee of the Foreign EX-
hibtIOn for his poem, EAmerique' Tecited by hun
on the French day. lie has also received gold
medal and diploma.
Miss Emily Faithful Is in San Francisco,
after visiting the MOrmOns Mt Salt Lake City. Pres-
dent Taylor and the leading officers of the Mormon
Church courteously afforded her ample facilities for
her inquiries among their people, and she lectured
to a large audience at the Salt Lake Theatre.
Ex-Governor Fenton has been for some time in
the city under medical treatment for malady
which has troubled him for several years. Yester-
day Dr. Edward L. Keyes, assisted by other physi.
clans and surgeons, performed the operation or
lithOtrity upon him successfully that he Is ex-
pected soon to be restored TO health.
Frederick Douglass, in spite of his age, walks
about Washington as brisky as boy. He weighs
more than 200 pounds, his HAIR is white, and his
health is perfect lie ivesin the oldmanor house of
Van Hook who 80 hated negroes that whenever he
sold land he stipulated with the purchaser that no
colOred person ever should become the owner of it,
The well-known Democratic politician Edward
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
examination of the defendant by them, ana
the circuitous and distorting hypothetical cases
should be discarded.
THE RENT MARKET.

The statements Of leading real estate dealers
given in to-day's TRIBUNE show that there Will
be no decline this year in rents, except where
the property is undesirable. In what is known
as the dry goods district leases expire on Febru-
ary 1, and renewals have been made in many in
stances at a small advance on last years rates.
There are very few vacant stores in the market.
The demand for desirable property of that kind
indicates healthful condition of the dry goods
business.
Notwithstanding the large increase in Office
property in the city within the last few years, it
has not kept up with the demand for frst-class
Offices Real estate dealers report stiff rates for
Offices in fire-proof buildings. There are sew
eral reasons for the increased demand for such
property. Nearly every large business enter
prise in the country now finds it advantageous
to open an agency in this city. That serves
continually to augment the number OF offices.
Then, with the improvement i'll the methods OF
doing business and the increased value OF time,
professional men are no longer inclined to CLIMB
Ticketty stairs or to run the risks incident to the
transaction of business in buildings that are not
fre-proof. Hence new buildings with eleya-
tors and all the modern improvements find
plenty of tenants who are willing to pay fair
rates.
The increase in rapid transit facilities, the
opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, the erection OF
new exchange buildings and similar improve
ments have added materially to the value OF
real estate in the lower part of the city.
THIS additional value has led to higher assess
ments, which, with the large increase in taxa
ton this year, would naturally lead TO an In
crease in rents. No doubr, as stated by real
estate dealers who are quoted elsewhere IN to-
days TRIBUNE, general Improvement IN bust
ness before May / will lead to higher rent
market But at the present time there appears
to be little change from last years rates. What
is true of Office and store rents is also largely
true of dwelling houses. The agents indicate
a probable slight decrease in the rates on third
class apartments and tencments, but no mate
rial change otherwise. This Notwithstanding
the fact that 2,023 new buildings were erected
last year. Perhaps the erection OF 1,2Ol new
Hat and tenement houses Will account for the
slight depression in the rates on such property.
New-York is growing rapidly, as shown by the
fact that business is creeping mp Fifth-aye.
and other leading streets devoted to residences.
The city is deficient in business streets and
avenues as compared with other large cities.
This has led to remarkable changes within
few years on Fourteenth and Twcnty-third-
SITS. SHch changes will probably continue
with even greater rapidityi in the future. But
gToat deal of good property on the west side
and in the upper part of the city WILL as a result
of this change, be occupied by fine residences.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
MUSICAL NOTES.

The ballad concerts given mt Manuel Han
by Mrs Agnes stous Yeder meet with favor. The thd
concert was given on Saturday evening when hrS'
Vedder had the assistance Of William Courtney tenor
Dr Carl Martin bass and others Scotch ballads we're
an enjoyable feature Of the programme.
The second evening of the three evenings OF
English glees announced by the English Gieo
Club at Chiekering Hail will take place TINS
evening instead OF February at first proposed In
the programme will be two old madr:as, one by fou
and one by'Morey. glees by Atwood and Dr. C.uooe
and part-sOugs by sullivan Hatton, GOldbeeA LtSsen
and CaldeOtt. Miss Beebe VIII sing
Mr.. Henschel, who has introduced number
OF novelties to the Boston public In his symphony concerts
(the last being Rats posthumo"s winter synphonyb
will, I'm his last concert on March % give the Choral sym
phony and the music written BY sehuInanh Tor bioh
Manfred"
This is ,he last week of "The Beggar STU
dent at the Casino Next Monday II VIII give place 70
rba Merry War" better operetta. aud the manage
ment promise unusually brilliant decorations
The New-York Orchestral Society Is plainly
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

Kearney. whose influence in Tarnmany Hal Is ace.
ond only to that of John Kelly, has gone to Hot
| Springs. In Arkansas for few weeks. He will be
in New-0rleans at the time Of the Mardi Gras eele-
bration, and will be joined there by Police Comma
siOner Sidney L. Nichols aud other Tammany chief
| tains.
The late Representative Mackcy. Of South Caro-.
lima, is said to have first mot Miss Sumter. who
| afterwsrd became his wife, when she was twelve
years old aud he twenty-three She was beautiful
but uneduoated and poor He obtainedher mothers
permission to have her educated at Oberlin at his
expense, and she spent five years there, during
which time he did not see her until the day before
she graduated, when he and her mother went 10
0bern to witness the exercises and bring her home
On their way back to Charleston the party stopped
at Philadelphia, Bishop simpson ascaled in and
the young couple were made husband and wife.
The Rev. William Fisken, Presbyterian minister
at Stamfordham, Northumberland, England, ia dead
at the age of nearly eighty years. He and his
brother Thomas, who survives him, were the In
ventsrs Of the steam plough. IL is little singular
that the appliance which perfected tho plan Of the
brothers, who had been working together at tho
steam plough, suggested itself 70 each of them indie
pendently and almost simultaneously. The late
Mr.. William Chartres Of Newcastle-upOn-Tyn the
solicitor employed by the FIskcns, used 20 tel how
the two brothers wrote 10 him on the same day
about the final discovery, but that he received
Williams letter first. Mr.. FiskeD also invented
pOtato-sowing machine, an apparatus for heating
churches, and the steam tackle" which has helped
TO render the steam plough of much practical use.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
THE IZTEC HIEP0GLYPHICS

A dispatch from MatamOras Mexico, says
that " the Rev. Father DamaZO Soto, Of Con-
cOrda, in the State OF Vera Cruz, has discovered
the key to the Aztec writings" 1t is not pos
sible to judge from this vague statement the
Significance of the alleged discovery Solar as IL
known there is not much in the strictly Aztec
writings that requires a key. The hieroglyphics
in use by the occupant of the Anahuac valley
at the time of the Spanish Conquest were not
of a reconcile character. The principle was
that If syllable phonetics joined with a crude
symbolism akin TO that of the North American
Indians. The Aztec heroglyphics were for the
most part not beyond the slender attainments
of the ecclesiastics who followed in the wake
of the Spanish conquerors, and these eccles-
iastics learned the art themselves so well
that for considerable period many
of their picture writings were confOunded by
modern psychologists with those of the Aztecs.
Ii may be- however, that the discovery refers
not to the Aztec but to the TOltec writings and
if this be the case it may lead to interesting de-
velopments. The Totecs, who were the pre-
cursOrs of the Aztecs in Mexico, and who flour
ished in Central America, where they have left
marvellous relies at Palenquc, COpan and Yucca
tan, were of higher civilization than the people
who succeeded them, and they had pure sys-
tenn of ieroglyphics, of which, unfortunately,
few specimens are known to exist, the most
accessible being in the Dresden Museum.
The fragments of TOltec writing which have
been preserved, however are sufficient to justify
the conclusion that this people were accustomed
to employ for their religious and astrological
writings a special hierOglyphic corresponding in
some respects to the Egyptian hieratic script.
We are not aware that any of this priestly text
has been deciphered fully, though enough is
known Of it to warrant the belief that much of
the language employed conveyed an esOterc
meaning and was intended to conceal supposed
truths from the eyes of the vulgar much as
alchemists used to conceal the real significance
of their speculations and formulas in the Middle
Ages. Could this TOltec hieratic writing be
deciphered, it is probable that new light
would be thrown upon the religion and
science of that ancient and inter
esting people, and such information would be
particularly welcome in this era Of analytic in
quiry. But the Aztecs appear to have nothing
to conceal, and we know as much about them as
iscithern necessary or desirable. They were semi
civilized; they had sangunary religious rites;
they possessed but one form OF picture writing
they were inferior in all respects to the TOltecs.
Unless therefore, Father Soto has penetrated
the esoteric hieroglyphcs of the latter, there is
not much reason to anticipate important results
from his alleged discovery. Central America
has still much to teach us, but Mexico compare
lively little
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
GENERAE NOTEN

The Albany EueRiag journal calls the atten-
ton Of the Civil serye Commissioners to the fact that
on the floor OF the Capitol which their Office
is situated the doors opening into committee
bear the msspeed signs miscellaneous, ami "Greiy
ances."
The recent decree of the Project of Police for
bidding private individuals to collect contents Of Paris
dustbns has been suspended much the delight OF tho
thousands Of ragpekers whose OF subsistence
Threatened It is said that 500 merchants who
poy the ragpckers realize several millions OF dollars
annually by the sale of this refuse.
The San francisco Bulletin states that while
there has been falling OF in the aggregate immigration
In California the dimnutiou is In the Chinese supply,
and the irfux Of white immigrants has increased As
compared with the year preceding the enactment Of the
Restriction Act loss Of 29,32o all tho arrivals
shown Bat taking into account only tho white lmmlga
ton during the same period Of seventeen months net
gain OF 1920 appears
The Rev. Samuel w. bikes suggestion, lately
published and approved by The TRIBUNE that Congress
appoint Commission TO investigate the facts OF mar
rage and divorce preparatory 10 legislation the sun-
oct finds hearty encouragement ia The H'dependeaA
which remarks: The provision that 4 now made for tho
study and treatment OF tne rpened harvest oil crime
should be accompanied with consideration OF its origin III
weak or corrupt homes"
A recent description in THE TRIBUNE of the
Bohemian colony Of New-York stated that there were
$4,000 persons Of that nationality in this city. 1t Is
rather surprising learn from The Creidnd Herald that
the Bobcmians Of Cleveland number 10000 ana that no
other city in the country except Chicago contains so
many. They support two newspapers, one Repubhcan
and Democratic, maintain theatre ID steady pros
pe rty ard several churches and nearly every mead OF
FAMILY who has lived in the city for any considerable time
has house of his own.
A few days ago gentleman who was about
leaving Coustantnople for London with manuscript
COPY of the Koran five hundred years Old which had
been in the possession of his family for hundred years.
was despolled Of his treasure by Customs Official, tho
latter with many dcvOu ordinations, selling II as state
property Nor has the gentleman been able to recover
the manuscript or to obtain the smallest recOmpene, and
the treasure which ~ said that SO GOO was recently
offered and which would probably have enriched before
long European museum, now reposes al s"uiI
Kiosk.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
"FnGEWOOD FOLKS.D

Atthe Grand Opera House on Monday night Sol
Smith Russell made his temperance for weeS engage
ncnt % Tam Di,lo,roy IA " EdgewoOd Folks" He was
yreoted with a comfortably nlled house. which fell int
an easy-going enjoyment of a wel-worn piece when
rather nspd and depends for about all OF its spice upon
the principal actor Mr. Russell was as amusing rs ever
and kent the audience IN state Of laughter led by boy
who occupied an orchestra chair and nearly went INTO
cnnvul ons of merriinent and by large man with a
heavy voice. who kept everybody in good humOr near
him Mr. RIsselPs cOcal facial expressions were per-
etal solrce of delight for the evening, and his songs
Down where the Tadpoles Dwell" and Sophia PhlaI
Phla" and Huldas love story received with spon
tlneOus bursts OF laughter and with recalls.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
GENERAL GORDOWS NILE JOURNEY.

| GENERAL GORDONS NILE JOURNEY.
General Gordon's Nile journey to Khartoum
will occupy about fortnight, If the itinerary
given in the cable dispatches becOrrect. From
Assouan on the southern edge of Egypt proper
he will ascend the Nile to KOroscO, where he
expects to arrive on Monday next. Thence he
will take the desert route to Abu Hamet,
avoiding DongOla. the birthplace of the False
Prophet, and the district on the great western
bend of the Nile where the population is re-
ported to be labOring under religi Ous excite
ment and where the Kababyeh Arabs are in
open revolt. Allowing five days for this ride
across the desert, he hopes to make rapid
Journey up the Nile. Abu Hamet is 220 miles
below Berber and 420 miles below Khartoum
In the Berber district he will be exposed to the
greatest danger and the time Of his arrival at
his final destination is purely a matter of con-
lecture. General Stone, in the course of his in
teresting lecture in Chickering Hall, predicted
that General Gordon would never reach Khar-
toum alive. With the country in revolt be-
tween Suakim and the Nile, and with the
False Prophets forces approaching Khartoum,
the journey of this heroic soldier to the
mouth OF the Blue Nile without an army,
and attended only by a slender escort,
seems desperate undertaking. His progress
will be watched by Englishmen with anxious
solicitude, and if any harm befall him the Gov
eminent of the day will deservedly be exposed
to relentless criticism.
The present emergency does not, however,
cal! for a greater degree of intrepidity than
General Gordon displayed in entering Soochow
unarmed, or in appearing without an escort in
the stronghold of Suleiman and the slave
dealers The courage of the man has been sub
jected to so many extreme tests that this new
undertaking is not TO be hastily condemned as
foolhardy adventure. He is, moreover, man
of cool and calculating Judgment. He knows
the Soudanese and believes thathis prestige is
something to conjure with. He considers the
general instruction which has broken out in the
great Empire once ruled by him as political
rather than religious movement. IL am con-
vinced," he remarked before leaving London,
"that it is an entire mistake to regard the Mahdi
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
ForprFrNTH STREET THEATRE.

Mr. Thomas Kean's play of "Unser Fritz,
the bohemian" with Mr.. j. X Emmett IN the chief part
maintains Itself in favor With the local public at the
Fourteenth Street Theatre The story Of this play Is
romantic even to the verge OF wild exaggeraton Tbs
language, instead OF being exactly matched with the
characters that speak it, and ia that way widely diver
fed is mostly OF and the strain. The movement
Is impeed by situations that are improbable and incl
dents that are forced Conduct and manners among the
nobility Of Germany receive portrature of the most
startling description Nevertheless the piece Is well con-
strIcted for the purpose OF showing Mr. j. X Emmett.
and arouses aud sustans interested curiosity to SEQ
how it will end the acting Mr. Emmett occasionally
drops into feeble imitation OF Joseph Jefferson but no
ia quite original in singing number Of songs all TO the
same tune and in swinging string Of sasuages TO
entange the neck OF negro servant The acting of his
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
GERMAN TRAGEDY AT THE THALI!

The patrons of the 1halia Theatre were
treated last night three hours OF achymose tragedy IL
Illustrating the story of The Patient Grssel" theme
frequently handled before Friedrich Hahn wrote the
tragedy enacted last night. The German tragedy Is
gloomy without ray 20 tighten II and iearfnly oppressive
with its weight OF sOrOWtul her0es. The occasion or ls
revival Is the engagement OF Nine Magda Irschck an
actress who shows thorough schooling, although she Is
deficient IN emotional warmth As performed. the usg-
ey compelled generous tribute of tears from audi
ence that was humorous and of excellent character
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
company Is uniformly queer. Thi. is the east I.
COMEDY THEATRE.

This is the place that lately was the San Fran
cisco Minstrel Theatre. Fun on the Bristol Is gwen
here this week. by what Is syed the Rice Trayesty Com
pany The incident is not precisely suggestive OF early
spring Vegetables s il be noted with the rest OF
the theatrical facts " Fun the Bristol" Is mere
froIc and old one, and II still makes people laugn-
who are easily pleased.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
CONE OF THE FINEST.p

Gus Williams, as he spleased toannOunce him.
self took no once Monday night the atulent role
of John MiShir abenevolent German policeman. In One
OF the Finest at the Third Avenue Theatre There are
evidently people who are pleased with this style OF pro
ductiOn. for there was large audience present MI
Williams was appauded by his audience when John M.sa
fsr became drunk and carried of the head OF turkey
ner tbe sunpOsiOn that he had the whole bird TheEe
were other equally laughable attractions IN the piece
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31
Amusemenis Co. Might.

AMERICAN MISUNDERSTANDING Rink.
BiJoU OpERA HOUSES" orpheus and Eurydice'
CAsNo-s-" The Beggar Student"
DAYS THEATRES" Seven-Twenty Eight"
GRAND OPERA HOUSES" Edgewo0d Foks"t
MADISON SQUARE Alpine Roses"
NEW PARK THRATRE-S-"ThatM Man." $3.50, f.,
NETWORK COMEDY THEATRg-s-"f Fun on the isy'stoi'
NIRIo's GARDYN-S--" Richard Ill"
STAR THEATgE-S-"wanted o Partner = 80.
errIxvAy UAIy-lI Ieoture-3-R ecital-S-Concert
ITALIA THEATRR--e-" Dc Kirdsfrsu."
THEATRE CoMoUE-S-" Corieia's Aspirations
U>Iox sorkgE THEATRE-S-" separation
WAIIacK,s NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
an Ayr,IrF TIIEATRE-S--" One OF the Finest"
6Tu AVENUE THEATRE--S-" Confusion.
ISTu sfRytrr TJfE AIRES" Unser Fritz"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

t;on affecting American meat products abroad
until further information has been obtained Oh
the subject, is safe and proper, though perhaps
unnecessary. The report of the commission
which has been considering this subject Is soon
TO be presented to Congress, when 1t VIII De III
better position to deal with this matter. H.
in the face of clear proof that our meat pro.
ducts are not deleterious but promotlve Oh
health, foreign governments should refuse 10
annul their DEGREES against the Importation Oh
such products, then Congress would be Justiheo
in taking action on the subject. But there
ought to be no hasty legislation on such an III
portant question.
The Assembly wasted a good deal OF time
Yesterday in the discussion of bill regulating
the hours of labor for street-car drivers anu
conductors. The bill makes 1t unlawiul ior
street railway companies TO exact more th'iu
twelve hours of labor daily from such en-
n,oyes No nerson will dispute the justice OF
sucb measure. But if it becomes law 1t VIII
he a dead letter. Nearly all street railroad
compapies pay their drivers and conductors so
much for each round trip. And such legislation
rs that proposed by the advocates of this meas
ure will in no wise affect the present condition
of things. The Legislature has no right to pre-
vent n driver or conductor from working as
many hours as he may choose, nor has it any
right to abridge his earnings. We should be
clad to see the condition of such wOrkmen I'M
proved, but special legislation Of this kind Is
mere waste of time.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

1t is a good sign when an old and notorious
offender, such as "Billy" sicGlory, is convicted
for violating theiExcise law. If the District-At-
torney will bring few more such prominent
offenders to trial, and convict them, he will do
the public and the cause of good government a
great service.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

Four hundred Paris Socialists have resolved
that revolution is the only remedy for the present
strngency in the labor market. That is tOsay these
brilliant creatures hold that the only way TO help
the poor is TO pat stop to the employment of labor
entirely.
THE TRIBUNE ALMANAC for 1884 contains one
table which would nave brought n flush of pleasure
10 Mr.. Gre ey's face, If he could have been per-
mitted TO see it. A compact statistical table was
the delight Of his eyes and on page 80 is to be
found one of those remarkable exhibits of facts by
means of figures which invariably excited his adj
miraton. This table gives the votes of the House
of Representatives general Tariff Acts by States
and sections from S42 to 1888. The Tariff history
Of the country during the last forty years is clearly
brought before the eye of the reader in this orderly
table, 1t is an admirable Illustration Of the infor-
native virtue ofstatistics.
How would this Democratic Presidential ticket
do
For President, WILLIAM Z. MORRISON. Of Illinois
For Vice-President, SAMUEL J. RANDALL, of Penn
sylvania.
Platform, Horizontal reduction,
Perpendicular drinking.
Considering the general tendency of the people Of
this country TO shift about from one place to an
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

The Democrats in the New-Jersey Legisla-
ture have followed their brethren in Ohio in
attempting to straddle the tariff question. They
have declared themselves III favor of "a tariff
for revenue limited to the necessary expendi-
ture of the Government" Practically, these
Democrats favor free trade, but they are afraid
SO TO declare themselves.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

Considering the general tendency of the people of
this country TO shift about from one place to an
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-31

The advice of Secretary Frelinghuysen, that
Congress talas no legislative action on the ques-