The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-05-14

liquor men, who will, in the meantime
continue their business. There is likely to
be much disappointment for the irrational
roformers of Iowa. They should re'rac'
their steps and proceed against the liquor
evil by the surer method of high license.
The Special Grand Jury convened yes
terday morning and organized by electlng
Mr.. c. n. Hughes, foreman, and Mr.. Thos
Winter, clerk. The other members are j.
II. Gossman, Joseph Steagala, Phil SauP
Thos. Lovett Daniel Hartman, P. Fitzger,
aid, John II. Foster, Chas. Feuchter, John
Walker, Henry Waldsmith, VIM, Schaatz
Peter Saup, Jos. j. Abel, VIM. White, Fred
Teichman, John McNulty, W. E. Gho!son,
Chas D. Young, Samuel Rosenwater, Geo
Dunn and VIM. Ludwig.
The annual report of Mr.. Rabb, Super
intendent of Public Instruction, shows that
Illinois has 1,540,9lS minors, of whom
1888 are males and 16l ,0SG are females
The States is divided into II SOP school
districts, and schools are held in all OF
them except sixty-four; 7,74O male and
14,S07 female teachers are employed For
the support of the schools drstrict tax
levy of 5000, 97274 was made in August
last During the year 907 school buildings
we're erected. In addition to the public
schools there are 731 private schools, with
an attendance of GORE pupils and 1,754
teachers.
A switchman named W. II. VanAllen
was killed on the Wabash track near the
Union Depot yesterday morning about
one o'clock. He was in the act of stepping
onto the foot board at the end of the fiat
car attached to the switch engine the board
was wet, his foot slipped and he fell back
wards between the rails while the car and
engine passed over him leaving him behind,
a shapeless mass of flesh aud bone and rags
stepped in blood. The CHASTITY remains
were gathered up and taken home to the
wife and child on Tenth Street. Deceased
was about twenty-eight years old. He had
been raiIroader from boyhood and had
been for many years on the Wabash Roat.
About three months ago he married HE
present wife at DanviLle, H. He came
here imme ilatelylafter and has been in the
Wabash yards here ever since. He has
mother and sister living at Dan7ille, and
his remains were taken there by last even
ing's train, accompanied by bis wife.
Young Van Allen was another victim
Of the inexcusab.e habit among switch
men, of standing between the rails feeling
an approaching engine or car and stepping
upon the foot board Just in time to prevent
it from striking their shins and sending
them to eternity--his life was but another
sacrifice to the sheerest fOOlharilness.
Swtchmen seem to vie with each other to
see who can perform the mostreckless tees
in the course of their duties, and some OF
them are utterly oblivious to the danger
attending them. Only few days ago one
Of them in an uptown yard stood between
the rails with his back toward an engine
that was approaching him at rate con
siderably beyond the legal limit, and with
out turning his head, entirely disregarding
the cries Of terrified lookers.on, he waited
quietly until the foot board Of the engine
nearly touched the calves of his legs, then
stepped upon it and was borne away as be
cast a smile of mingled contempt and
triumph at those who had manifested Sc
much needless concern about his safety
In view Of the fact that such things as THU
occur almost daily in one or other of tn
several railroad yards in the city, it is mat
ter for surprise that more Of the fooIisl
| fellows are not transformed into minc'
meat by the cruel wheels of cars and en-
| glnes, and it is difficult to resist the con
viction that men who will handle the precl
GUS jewel of life SO recklessly deserve t
lose it.
The citizens of Metropolis failed
ratify the compact proposed to be mad
between them and the Illinois Souther
Railroad Company, and the Democrat !
therefore, rending its garments in extreu
displeasure. The Democrat may dlscove
however, after little that perhaps the Pc
pie know best what was good Tor them.
levee would, no doubt, be Metropolis sa
walton from floods, as it has been Cairo
but it is doubtful if such a levee as W
proposed to be built at Metropolis by Il
: Illinois Southern Railroad would be at Z
G equal to the emergency intended to provit
+ against. Those who have had much e
j. perience with levees here, feel safe in sa
D. ing that levee fourteen feet wide on Il
l. and having slopes only of the natural ia