davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
KNOCKED INTO A COOKED HAT.
Ex- Commissioner Oberiy Says the Civil
Service Law is a Dead Letter.

ExsCOmmissiOner Oberiy says tne Civit
Service Law is Dead Letter.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.l
WASHINGTON August N.-Ex-Civil Service
Commissioner Oberly, speaking Of the new
plan of the Civil Service Commission to make
public the list ofIeligibles. said to-day: That
ends the civil service law. 1t is the end of the
system. The publication Of the list Of eligibles
gives to the public all the information which
has rendered the civil service system efficient
1t destroys the system Of competitive exami-
nation, and prevents the successful competitor
from receiving the appointment which is due
upon his merits. The publication Of the list of
eligibles involves giving to the applicant, and
to all the public as well, information as to
when the different States will be called in their
order; and in the absence even of specific in
formation Of that sort, the publication of the
list OF eligibles allows anyone inferentially TO
ascertain the other facts, so that the Congress
man in whose State an eligible stands near the
head OF the list needs only to use his influence
before.
sit is easy to see how the whole plan of the
merit system can be destroyed by this new de-
the eligible list as bookkeeper, and is rated at
%. be looks at the published list and sees that
he ranks higher than any other of the eligibles
on that list. He can then go to this member of
Congress and suggest to him that he should use
his influence in the proper department to
have bookkeepers asked for. II would not be
at all dlmcult 60 have any department or bu-
reau omcer call for bookkeeper. whether one
is really needed or not. 1t is not necessary that
the person certified as a bookkeeper shall per-
form strictly the duties of a bookkeeper. He
car can . pe put y to any other kind Of duty. That,
ments now A particular eligible might not be
at the head of the list and might be one of the
three TO De certified at the same time, but the
three"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
A DEAL IN REAL ESTATE.

The news that King Leopold, of Belgium,
has got so tired of the expensive sovereignty
of the Congo Free State, that he is ready to
throw it aside, or turn it over to anyone who
wants it, is little surprising if not at vari-
ance with antecedent knowledge. Inas-
much as Leopold has just concluded ar
rangements for building a railroad that
bids fair to make the Congo organization
self-sustaining, and as England and Ger
many, if not France, Italy and Portugal
stand ready to snap up that very large
sized morsel in the way of an African
colony, it is safe to conclude that if the Bel
gian King wished to rid himself of that
great river, he would not need to advertise
his desire in the cable dispatches.
However, the statement suggests one point
that may. perhaps, prove a new develop
ment in the line of royal acquisitions. That
eminent American railroad king, Mr.. c. P.
Huntington, has of late shown DISPOSE
tion to acquire extensions in the Eastern
hemisphere. He is reported to have bought
German Prince for his daughter and has
made a liberal subscription to the Congo
railroad. If King Leopold is in need of
cash, why should not Mr.. Huntington buy
up the Congo State and be king of the
Congo regions, as we'll as of the Chesapeake
and Ohio and Southern Pacific royalties?
The water privileges of the Congo Valley
are understood to be excellent, and the way
Mr.. Huntington could load up that de-
voted district with watered stocks and sub
sidiary monopolies, would remove all
doubts whether he could make the invest
ment profitable.
If the Congo Free State is for sale, we
nominate Mr.. Huntington to be the pur-
chaser. Why should not the monarch of SO
many railroads own an African river?
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
The Knickerbocker Family.

The heseveral generations Of the Knickerbocker
family, as they took their places in affairs Of
the government, made them conspicuous rep
resentatives of the New Netherlands, but
irving in his humorous history Of New York,
immortalized the name, giving it generic
term that now applies to all descendants of
the early Dutch settlers Of the Hudson valley.
Herman Knickerbocker. known as the Prince
on account of his lavish hospitality, was an in
innate friend of Irving's. Very many anecdotes
are related by Irving of this typical representa-
tive of the old-time Dutch. The Knicker-
bockers were landed proprietors, but one of the
conditions by which they held their estates was
that once year the Mayor and Council of the
city of Albany should 1e feasted at the family
mansion. The Prince was to entertain, and
on the arrival of the guests, with appetites
sharpened by ga long. cold drive, pretended he
had forgotten the day, and was utterly unable
to receive them. He allowed his guests to over
hear him in an apparent dispute with the but
Ter as to how to make one pair Of chickens
suffice for SO many fsmishlng mouths. The
CONSERVATION of the guests may be imagined,
but when the dining room door swung open,
and feast sumptuous and lavish was dis
played. the practical joke was no doubt en-
joyed.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THAT specimen of Southern statesman
ship who figures out that the way to solve
the Southern problem is, first, to disfran-
chise all the people, black and white, who
have not stated amount of property, and
then to confer the franchise anew upon the
white people who are disfranchised by the
first act, is evidently possessed by the opin-
ion that the Constitution of the United
States can be whipped around the stump
whether the devil can or not.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
TRI-STATE TRIPLES.

A PARKERsBURG man went up to Wheeling
with party Of friends and some Of them, who
had no use for their hand satchels, gave them
to him to care for. In this manner he acquired
about half q dozen satchels. The Wheeling
police had received Information that morning
that several valses had been stolen in that city
the night before and to look out for the thief.
The Parkersburg man was arrested, but re-
leased after explaining. He was badly scared.
MRS. MANDA CONNER, of Ellis, Gilmer
county, w. Va, had near her house a nice
martin box, which was filed with martins, and
one day missing the pretty little songsters she
scrutinized the box and observed the head of a
blacksnake peering out of it. The pole was
cut down and the snake slaughtered. Soon
thereafter, being at her sons, she related her
adventure, and her son having martin box
also, went out to examine the same, and, be-
hold, huge blacksnake was climbing the pole
to devour the inhabitants of the box. This
snake was also soon laid low in death. It
measured 61S feet in length.
A ASHEPHERpsTowN, W. VA, COW witched
her tail of, and thereby reduced her milk
product from five gallons to one gallon per
day.
THERE is a story going the rounds about a
SaPpSoca
seen near Mount de Chantal Academy, near
Wheeling, at various times recently. 1t de-
scribed as being about % feet long and as thick
as a mans body. People in the vicinity say
they have seen 1t and there is no mistake about
the size.
+ AN Akron parrot keeps the whole neighbor-
hood uneasy by shouting "Fire," about a dozen
times day.
h
JOHN PORTER, q landlord of a Williamsport
hotel, compile Of nights since was bitten in
the corner of the mouth by small black
spider. When he woke next morning he
Thought his face would burst so badly was it
swollen
WHILE Coroner White, of West Chester, lay
dreamiy ON the bank beneath q tree a couple
of days ago q four-pound bass darted on with
his SIS dshing pole. The splash and spiutter
sufnced to wake him. and he recovered ish
and tackle
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
NOT EVEN ABLE TO FLOAT.
The Batfleship Texas Might Make a Good
Submerged Fort.

submerged Fort.
ESPECIAL TELKGR1M TO THE DIsPArcHi
WASHINGTON, August N.-The new battle
ship Texas was estimated to cost, in round
numbers, at least s.. OOO, ,000 and the organs of
the last administration were loud in their
praises of the success Of Secretary Whitney in
securing plans from an English concern which
promised SO much in the way of giving the
United States q vessel which would compare
favorably with any in the foreign fleets. Soon
after work was begun on the vessel, in the
navy yard at Norfolk, naval experts began to
point out alleged imperfections A technical
examination was made and a report followed,
which made 1t appear that the plans were all
right Work. which had been suspended, was
begun again, and up to the present time there
has been expended upon the hull upward of q
quarter of a million dollars
Secretary Tracy has had experts at work for
some time in calculations as to the displace-
ment of water which will result from the at
tempt to float the Texas with her full equip
ment OF guns. There is a great deal of reti-
cence about the matter at the department in
the absence of the Secretary, but it is learned
that the most careful examination of the plans
has convinced the construction engineers that
the Texas might possibly make good sub
merged fort, but that it viii be impossible to
are radical changes in the design. She cannot
be of the least possible service as a man-of-war,
and as consequence, the officers of the navy
and officials OF the department are anxiously
waiting to learn what course the Secretary will
adopt when he discovers the exact situation.
There is certain to be an interesting Congress
sional Investigation.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
The Sleepy Hollow Of To-Day.

The contrast between the primitive dreamy
neighborhood of legendary times and that OF
to-day is great, yet Sleepy Hollow is still very
much the same lazy road. Following the turn
pike we come to Beckman's mill pond and
crossing the picturesque Poncantico, on the
bridge over which Ichabod galloped, come to
the queer looking Dutch church. where, ac-
cording to the legend, "the Connecticut school
master led the singers on the Sabbath" The
story is too well known to need repetition, and
the plump Katrinas and spruce 1chabods of
the nineteenth century have little sympathy
for the faint hearted hero of Sleepy Hollow.
Suffice it to say that Ichabod loved Katrina
Van Tassel; SO did Brom BONE, stout young
Dutchman. With a tender word in Katrina's
mansion late one night and departed for home,
soon to discover that he was being followed by
a horseman "who carried his head on the POM
mel of his saddle"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
Think. Fleming win Win.

Senator Kenna, of West Virginia, was at the
Hoffman House to-day. when will the cleo
tion contest for Governor be settled in your
State?' he was asked. VERY soon, think.
The committee on the contest will soon be
through with their work. having only two
counties to canvass Mcdowell and Mercer.
The Democrats have never claimed general
fraud in the State. oIn the counties Of Nc.
DoweIl and Mercer. adjoining Virginia, they
claim that many negroes from the latter State
came over and voted for Goh. They were
illegal voters, and am told that many Of them
had registered in old Virginia. On the face Of
the returns Gof was elected by ITO votes. If
the committee succeed in getting at the bottom
facts think it will be shown that Fleming has
a small and legal plurality. Work so far seems
to have been conducted in spirit Of fairness.
There are many transient negroes in the two
counties mentioned, and many Of them were
not legal voters.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
KISSED AGAINST THEIR WILL.
Prohibition Campaisner Gets Into Trouble
Through His Osculation.

ESPECIAL TELEoRAM TO THE DIsPArCH.i
READING, August N.-Foreman W. J. Di-
vine, Of the chemical works Of Keasly & Matti-
son, was charged before Squire Biting. of
Amber, to-day, with having kissed Mrs. Eliza
beth Keller ON four different occasions against
her will, and having also kissed her pretty
daughter Lizzie against her will. A. R. Gift
Esq, represented the prosecution.
1t appears that Divine rented house to the
Kellars, and he and his wife boarded with
them. Mrs. Kellar testified that one morning
she was getting ready to 60 to Cape May. when
Divine sneaked up behind her, when his wife
was not present, put his arms around Mrs. Kel-
lar, and gave her hearty bss. On another oc-
casion he did the same thing, and when she was
visiting Chalfont he Kissed her twice again, in
rapid succession,
Miss Lizzie Kellar swore Divine was an ardent
Prohibitionist, and he invited her to distribute
tracts with him. She and a servant, Nettie
Stoner, accompanied him. He treated them to
ice cream. When they reached home, and
when in the house, he sat between them and
kissed them against their will. The girls then
slipped of to bed. The present suit of assault
and battery followed, and Divine was held in
$500 bail to answer at court. He is 85 years old
tall and slim, bushy-whiskered, and claims
that the women were not averse to the kissing;
that they were only common kisses of farewell
and that the suit was the outcome of some sort
of quarrel. The magistrates Office was
crowded for several hours by merry throng.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
CLIPPED BITS OF WIT.

n -
A lawyer oepenos on woius' sne reai
estate man on deeds.-Aerch6nt Traveller.
Goea u;thont savino-The Young man
too bssbful to non the auestion.-Tezas Strings.
Wv
Inc reason some men can "aAe posn enus
meet is because they are too busny engaged In
making one end drlnk.-od@'"'0'e A"e''e 'eeA".
The burglar who was caught Ia snoe
store after midnight asked to De dscnargeo oy tne
Judge on the ground tnat II was n''ins pace i0r
everybody 6ntsTPT1Se'
Dashwood-I am going to do something
noble. and get INV name In the papers.
Merritt-if that's what you're after you'll have
70 do something bad. --Rarper's Bdzar.
h.tora uz
wnat trial. are to come.
But each day passing o,erus
Briurs some new kind Of gum.
-CAfcaoo Tribune.
A.. r,-,,, a., On;cio,
daon Onance ~ - - = -.
Mrs. Gadabout-Wna nat klno Oh neAs nOor' sie suo'e
whs have moved ne1i aooi 70 you
Mrs. hewer1ous-l oon kn"". .ney netens
had wash out on the line yet.--0os'oH 0o1''er.
saThis seems like a sweet dream" he
r,nt.rously remarked as he fingered with her at
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE announcement that Cousin Ben
Folsom will not be disturbed in the posses
sion of the consulate at Sheffield is some
what disturbing alike to the aspirants tor
that position and to the critics OF the admin
istration. 1t is yet to be explained whether
Cousin Ben is retained in his place because
he is an able representative of the national
game of baseball, or to indicate the present
administrators approval of the policy of
appointing family connections to fatofices.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE organization of new bank on the
Southside, to take the place of the defunct
Farmers and Mechanics, shows that the
commercial requirements of that part of the
city, for banking facilities, are not to be
balked by one miscarriage. We take 1t for
granted that the officers of this bank will
not do any speculating, for some years to
come, at least.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
A POWERFUL PRESSURE
Brought to Bear on the President by Friends
of Three Schemes.

Brought to Benr on the President by Friends
of Three Schemes.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
WASHINGTON, August E.-President Harri-
son is occupied in work on his first annual
message. A powerful pressure is being put upon
him to force him to exert the influence of his
Recommendation in favor of three schemes,
and it Is questionable whether he has the
courage. If, indeed, the inclination to resist.
The friends of silver, of the Blair bill, and of
unlimited pensions are clamoring for him to
take up their respective causes. The more
earnest movement Is that of the West to COM
NIT the administration and Congress to an un-
limited coinage of silver. Party lines are lost
sight of in this question largely, and it becomes
a fight between the West and the East with
the sympathies of the South chiefly with the
former.
Mr.. Cleveland's antt-silver message was re-
sented in the House by the friends of silver in
both parties, and the proposition to limit the
coinage was overwhelmingly defeated But
the silver men were not satisfied with this
They wanted unlimited coinage, and they
would probably have passed q bill through the
House If it had not been for the attitude of
the Speaker. They now propose to make the
most OF their opportunities.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE fact that, after all Chicago's BOOM
ing of the Worlds Far enterprise, paper
of that city editorially bewails the fact that
the millionaires have done nothing for the
project, is made much of by our Eastern CO.
temporaries; but curious coincidence.
which is not noticed by the Eastern press, is
the fact that exactly this same booming, and
exactly this same absence Of subscriptions
by the millionaires is the record of New
York's progress in its similar enterprise.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE assertion of ex-Commissioner Oberly
that the publication of the eligible list will
mark the end Of civil service reform, is
slightly tinged by the adverse disposition of
the "outs" to crit1cise the action of the
Gins" 1t is not likely to harm anything to
have the results of the civil service exami-
nations and the selections made therefore q
public matter.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

HIGH pressure Is bringing.the Exposition
into shape for the opening, a week from
to-day. A week ago it hardly seemed
possible that the building could be got
ready in time. But work against time has
wrought wonders, and the prospects are
excellent for fine Exposition next week.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
DEATHS OF A DAY.
VIM. Z. Rowe.

William e. Rowe, an old civil engineer. died ut
the City Poor farm, Monday night at the age Of
60 During the war he was sent to Pittsburg by
the Government to superintend the building Of
number of Runboats which were built by Tomlin-
son, the well-known contractor. Mr.. Rowe re-
ceived his education In the United states navy.
After the war he settled in this city. and was st
one time formidable candidate for the once Of
superintendent of the Water Works. News OF his
death was sent TO bis friends In the East
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

The idea that the laws of the State of
New York concerning capital punishment
can be permitted to conflict with the inter-
ests OF an electric light company is produc-
ing storm center in the lower part of Man
haitian Island.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
AN AGED LADY'S HARD LUCK.
A Woman Who Used 10 Work for Lincoln
Asks for Frce Lodging.

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPArcH.i
NEW YORK, August TIA woman who said
she was Mrs. Catharine Eliza Wright, 72 years
old, from Louisville, Ky., applied for lodging
in the Jamaica town hall on Saturday night
last. Mrs. Wright lived in Jamaica before the
Long Island Railroad was built She was
twice widow. and Is the mothero Of ten chill
dren, eight of whom are dead. A son and
daughter live in Riverhead. Mrs. Wright says
she lived in the family of Abraham Lincoln in
Springfield, ILL., Her second husband, William
w. Wright, she says, worked for Horace
Greeley in printing Office in Q basement In New
York City.
Mrs: Wright says she walked part OF the way
from Louisville in order to save her money.
The overseer OF the poor will send her to her
relatives in Riverhead. Her maiden name was
Weeks. She was born in Jericho, L L
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE offer of two prizes, of $4,000 and
5000 respectively, by a Spanish descendant
of Christopher Columbus, for essays with
regard to the discovery of America, is inter-
esting to ambitious writers. Those who
think they can do better than Washington
Irving may set to work on their essays.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

THE announcement of an esteemed cotem-
porary that one of the nominees of the DEM
ocratic Convention yesterday belongs to q
family which has resided in Allegheny
county for the past 15O years, conveys in
teresting information. Fort Duquesne
having been first built by the French 1876
years since, this credits that old family
with decidedly aboriginal ancestry.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
AN IDEA OF MR.. WANAMAKER'S,
His Postal Package Station Scheme to be
Tested in Boston.

ESPECIAL TELEeRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.i
BosToN, August N.-Boston is to be made an
experimenting station for new scheme which
Postmaster General Wanamaker has decided
to try. Fifteen package stations. so-called, are
to be located in different parts of the city, for
the use of those who have merchandise to mail
and who would otherwise be obliged to 60 to
the main office for stamps and to secure the
safe deposit of the packages.
The agencies will be located in drugstores
news stands etc. and the agents will receive
salaries of 500 per year.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
THE remark of the Boston Herald CO.

THE remark of the Boston Herald con-
cerning the presence of three ex-Confederate
soldiers on the Republican ticket OF Vir-
ginia, that it is only when the brigadiers
are members of the Democratic party that
"they appear to become obnoxious or dan
gerous," naturally provokes the retort that
the once independent Herald has adopted
the regulation Democratic idea that it is
only when the former Confederates become
Republicans that they are regarded as OBJ
noxious 10 the Democratic and lost cause.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
THEY HOLD THE KEY.
Pennsylvania Congrcssm May Dictate the
Next Speaker.

From the Philadelphia Record.I
Congressman Charles O'Neill returned from
Washington on Saturday. where he had been
taking a survey of the Speakership fight. and
In speaking of the situation yesterday Mr.
O'Neill said.
'There are a good many new men elected to
the Fifty-hr Congress, and while presume
they will generally fall in with their colleagues
from the same state il is not absolutely certain
that they will. In all the calculations of the
candidates for Speaker a good deal more has
been taken for granted than il is safe to trust.
I do not know how the Republicans from
Pennsylvania will vote in caucus. They have
more votes to give than any other State, and If
these q votes are held together as appears
likely, they will represent IS per cent of the
vote necessary to nominate"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28

The advance in wheat at Chicago pre-
dicted upon the shortage in European crops
may be all right; but as the European short
age has been known for sometime is it not
little suspicious that the advance comes just
at the time when it is PRACTICAL lie to squeeze
the August shorts?
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-28
A Modest Great Man.

A modest air never disappeared either from
the works or the character of this writer. who
modestly answered the question, "Who reads
an American book % by giving to
the world an American book which it
was delighted to read. Neither the public
honors that were heaped upon him, nor the
prosperity that rewarded him, had any charm
to wean him from his taste for the pleasures Of
simple country life. In his writings he re-
fected his life. Mirthful, tender, droll, he
could make himself at home with anybody, and
put child or a bore at his ease. It is told
that, as the great writer was walking one day
in his orchard, small boy accosted him and,
with confidential air, offered to ''show him
the old mans best tree" if he would shake it
for him Irving agreed, and adds: by George,
sir, If the youngster didn't take me to the very
best tree on my place"