The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-17
Current Events.

The conviction OF Gen, Boulanger, by
the high court of the French senate Oh
Tuesday, CT the crimes OF conspiracy EN-
bezzlement, Nc, has created great excite
ment among the doughty Generals adher
ents 10 that city. How far the genera
good sense of the French people VIII bt
affected by the conviction remains to be
seen. II was shown on the trial that Gen
Boulanger, while In the army, not only eX
hibited such INSTRUMENTATION, In his al
tempts 10 further his own political aggran'
disement, that he ought TO have been cash
Tered, but he accepted brides from supply
contractors, who recoupeu themselves by
furnishing poor quality and short weights
He Is also found to be short 10 his accounts
Further than that he Is accused of secret
communication with the Germans whose
aid he sought in his political plans. Lis
property has already been confiscated ana
he may yet be tried for treason.
The State Board of Equalization met at
Springfield this week, Edward Scott OF the
18th district being chosen chairman. The
absurdity of the present system OF assess
ing taxes Ia Illinois Is amply illustrated by
the tabulated statement Of the assessment
presented by the State Auditor. This doc
ument shows that while In 1878 the total
assessment of the State was $50 millions
wear II Is less than rs millions, notwith-
standing the growth OF the State In wealth
and population during the past 10 Or II
wears. In Cook county the total OF personal
property is only $2S,244,95S! The total
findings by the assessors OF watches, dia-
monds &c, in that whole county Is less
than j0000, while there are dozen stores
in the South Town alone that would be
ashamed 70 say they did business with
stocks of that size only. A building cost.
ing over a million Is assessed at $251 900!
The average value of improved lands Is
only $ll.71 an acre! A column could be
filled with this kind Of citation, The
whole business Is so manifestly absurd that
IL has come to be looked upon as a farce
from beginning to end. 1t explains, how
ever, how 1t Is In cities like Chicago taxed
10 the full limit, with water taxes, special
assessments, park taxes, &c, business men
can afford 20 pay State taxes and still DO
busin So, who IL taxed In proportion TO the
country towns and farm lands would be
ruined; and II goes Sill further to show
that the remarks of celebrated writer on
taxes Is substantially true, that the farms
pay three -fOurths Of all the taxes for State
purposes. Chicago holds onethird Ct the
population and probably more than that
proportion vt the wealth of the State and
vet the assessment Of Cook county Is less
than one -fourth that of the State, and that
OF Chicago itself probably not much If
any over one fifth.
The medical fraternity of the country
has abandoned pretty much everything else
10 give their attention 10 experiments with
the new Brown Sequard Elixir of Life;
and from all parts OF the country come re-
ports of experiments with the new rejuven-
ating liquid. The testimony is very con
dieting From one hospital come the
most encouraging reports OF old men made
new crutches thrown aside, while their
superanuated wearers danced and skipped
like the maskers at French bal masque
from others the elixir Is pronounced a
fraud of the first water. But, after all,
granting that Mr.. Brown-Sequard's dis
covery is, indeed, valuable addition to
science, DR.. Shaw of ST. Louis suggests a
difficulty which will largely offset the en-
thusiasm of the new elixir. He says he
HIS vi OhClcllu III u Shi vi
Brown-Sequard elixir within three hours
from the time the mixture was prepared
and this although the greatest care had
been taken to purify the mortar, pestle and
distilled water The insects are bacillus
tuberculosis, and millions of them would
be injected Into the human system with
each drop of the fluid, capable of indefinite
multiplication, and certain TO cause tuber.
cuiosis TO manifest itself In the patient
DIR. Shaw urges that no layman use the
elixir, and that physicians should exercise
great care, both In the selection of the ami
NAL and In q microscopic examination OF
every Ingredient and vessel used In the
preparation. Otherwise the new discov'
cry, instead OF being the elixir Of life, will
prove to be the forerunner of consumption
and death.
The quarrel between Judge Terry OF
California and Mr.. Justice Field of the L
s. Supreme Court eliminated on Wednes
day last In the killing of Terry by Deputy
Marshal Maggie at a railroad eating house
at Lathrop, California. The parties met
accidentally In the dining room, being pas
sengers on the same train to San Francisco
and while the dinner progressed, Terry rose
from his place aud, going over to Judge
Field, slapped him In the face and WAS Ii
the act of striking a harder blow, wher
Deputy Marshal Nagle shot him, killing
him Instantly The quarrel grew out OF
the famous Sharon. II III divorce cult, which
on the review by the L. s. Supreme Court
was decided adversely to Miss Hill. While
Justice Field was In the act OF reading the
decision of the Court, Miss Hill, seeing /
to be against her, arose In her seat and II
open court iasulted Justice Field by alleg
ing his decision had been purchased by
her opponents. On the Courts orderinl
her removed from the room, Terry, WHIT
was her counsel, and who subsequently
married the woman, Tet,steI the officers
drawing dagger to prevent arrest Boil
were thereupon sentenced to six months
imprisonment for contempt OF court ant
afterwards indicted for carrying weapons
and for assault. II was well known tina
both Terry and his wife had In mind tn,
ultimate killing of Mr. Justice Field, ant
on this trip from Los Angeles, where h,
had been holding court, the Marsha
deemed It safe to send Magic along as
body guard In case of meeting Terry,
precsutiOn fully justified by the event; TO
Mr.. Field bad repeatedly refused to carr.
arms himself, saying that when II became
~. a O..