The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-13
CHAT.


General FurlOng, who was an aid on the staff
of General A. J. Smith when the latter went
| up the Red River to help Banks ont of his
serape. tells me he is about to start upon an
extended tour Of the old world He viii spend
two years abroad, covering the ground from
Scandinavia to Persia At the fight at sabine
Crossroads he was dangerously shot in the
foot He told me yesterday of a singular cir
cumstanee, which probably had much to do
with the failure of operations west Of the Mis-
sissippi. 1t appears that General Banks COM
mission as major general Of volunteers ante
| dated that Of General sherman by two days, or
Old Tecumseh might have had finger IN
that pie.
! General Grant has great faith in the CON-
mercial treaty with Mexico. He does not think
any Of the objections made to it are we'll
founded Said he, day or two ago; a. hear
/ that the Florida Senator's were opposed TO the
treaty because 1t admitted oranges fres. Now,
the fact is that the Mexican orange does not
compare with that Of Florida in qaalitg. and
besides it does not come in the same season.
The Florida orange comes in December and
remains till spring, and then we see no more of
it till next year. In the meantime we import
I
In my travels around the world never saw
any oranges to compare with the Florida fruit,
except in the vicinity of Joppa, aud even that
was IN no sense superior to the Florida orangs.
! -
understand also" continued the General.
that the people of some Of the tobacco produc-
iHg States have feared damage to their inter-
ests from the effects Of the treaty. The fact il
that our tobacco interests could be benefited.
Mexican tobacco is now bought by Havana
cigar makers, and We finally purchase it in
the manufactured state after paying a high
duty"
The General has so far recovered as to be
able to take trip South. where warmer at
mosphere may moElify his rheumatism. He is
at Newport News He expects to go to Mexico
again in May.
The attitude of Thomas Nickerson, of Boston.
president Of the Mexican Central Railroad,
toward the press is attracting considerable at
tentiOn just now. The road is about 70 bs
opened, and viii mark an epoch in the inter-
national affairs of this continent. The country
i practically terra jHeogaita to the mercantile
classes Of the United States, and it was sup
posed the management Of the Mexican Central
wo1id invite every facility for the widespread
publication of anything Of interest to our
people about the country which the road viii
open up The surprise of newspaper publishers
may be imagined, therefore, upon receipt of a
circular from Mr.. Nickerson to the effect that
representatives of the press would be invited
TO go over the road at half fare. IN other
words, they might get an emigraat ticket to
witness the opening ceremonies and write up
the country, and the railroad company would
put q few millions IN its pocket from the free
advertisement it would get There is an indi-
cation IN some quarters that Mr. EieSerson
has rather oyerdOne the regulation Yankee
thrift this time
The latest sensation among pIay-goers is the
announcement of the dramatization of Bret
Harte's famous sketch, The Luck of Roaring
Camp" from the pen of the consul himself It
was this story that made Hartes reputation.
1t was hardly mere than a score Of pages in
length, but he has never added anything to his
laurels that it did not give. He might as well
have quit there, as Poe should have dropped
his pen with The Raven and The Bells
Barnum begins his season this week, but the
white elephant is not here vet. 1t is generally
believed that the latter creature viii be a dis
appointment. Mr.. Barnum admits that it Is
not white in the sense that COW is white. but
it IS as near it as they make them and it is not
his fault If the Burmese trifie with the facts
little IN this connection.
80
The old st. Nicholas Hotel is finally to 90.
1t yields to pressure Of business. The struc-
ttre is 70 be RACED to the ground and business
block erected in its place, fronting a hundred
feet on Broadway. to cost S535, 600 1t IS TO be
rented by the Haight heirs. who own the site,
for stores. The proprietor Uriah Weieh, It IS
ruu1Ored, viii move on Up town, as every one
else is moving. and open new St. Nicholas
He is prince among hOtel-keepers and has
: thousands of old friends who viii always go
to his house should he open at q new place.
The Hon George G. GOTham who was the
. subject of a national controversy for some two
: years prior TO the election of secretary Of the
United States Senate last December. has
eschewed politics for lie, it seems. and identi-
fed himself with tive great enterprises, the
Florida Ship Canal, aud the Draw5augh Tele-
+ phone Company.
, The telephone question promises soon TO DO
the great sensation OF the day. and some time
/ viii write you more about il. / say it viii
make sensation, provided of course. that
| the testimony OF over fifty men from little
) town in the interior of Pennsylvania Is to be
j relied on.
4 Communism took new form Of Eruption
: mere a couple OF Gays ago. A dOWu-t0Wn St0re
I announced that after certain date It would
not close till o'clock instead of s in the
g evening. 4 committee of some Organiza-
ton waited on the proprietor and informed
s him that he was expected to close as usual at 8
e o'clock. As the Committee did not appear
i to represent any one in his employ. and IN fact,
: did not seem really TO hare any business with
: the matter, be paid no attention TO their in
structions. The next night $1,000 worth OF
a piste-glasS windows were simultaneously
$ smashed at the front of the building The
proprietor still proposes to open and close his
y store when he pleases.
J The panieky feeling about the export of COLO
. has practically subsidized, although the gold
y goes on its trips abroad every day. The bank.
= ers seem TO regard the matter much Is rainy
e day is accepted in Spain.