davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
PERSONAL.

Mr.. Rafael de Goicoechea of the Ho-
tel Victoria, New York, is at the
Langham, accompanied by party of
Mexican gentlemen.
G. NJ Arthur, st. Paul; Henry j.
Collins, Chicago, are registered at the
Langham to day.
Colonel James Motlock Scovel of
New Jersey is in the city gathering
material for a sketch of Senator ingalls,,
which will appear in ''Lippincott' s
Magazine" for May.
Mr.. Richardson of the Maryland
Lower House says he Gan get $4,000
signatures in Baltimore to have any
member of the Legislature hanged.
Gathereole is. the name of one Of
Pennsylvania coal barons.
It. johnson of Englewood, Humboldt
County, Cal, owns calf with three
horns. The animal has two more
started.
Uncle Joe Haddon, who is still living
in South Carolina, was sent out to
America in 1888 by an English company
to take charge of the first locomotive on
the old South Carolina Railroad. He is
now SO years old and still does hard
days work as miller and machinist
on Carolina plantation.
Emperor Williams riding horse is
shod with new and singularly con
structed shoe. 1t is in two parts, and
has on its lower surface a rubber like
composition, the object of which is to
prevent the horse from slipping, thereby
preserving the animal. The monarch
on being shown the new invention, at
once ordered his fayorite horse and six.
teen others of his stud to be shod with ii.
A Catholic Indian missionary, Father
Jerome, of the Benedictine Order, has
compiled a prayer book for the Sioux,
II will be published by Bishop Marty,
and will be printed in the Sioux Ian
guage. Besides the ordinary Catholic
prayers, the book will contain cate
chism of Christian doctrine and
Catholic hymns, with appropriate
music Five thousand copies of the
prayer hook will be published
Prince Victor Napoleon has just come
into possession of number Of interest
ing relics Of the first Napoleon. They
! comprise the red velvet robe which the
| first consul wore on great occasions no
tably during the TIE Deum sung at Notrt
/ Dame in honor Of the concordat; the
saddle and holster used by the Emperor
at Austerlitz, the cashmere girdle worr
by Napoleon at the battle of the Pyra
mids, cane chair from st. Helena, the
cup, teapot, saucer and candlestick used
in the bed chamber of the dying exile
as well as the sheet and pillow of hi
deathbed, the handkerchief he used il
his last moments 20 wipe his face anC
the case of. mathematical instrumett'
he always carried,
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
THE SOCIAL WORLD.

Mrs. Harrison will hold her last pub
lie reception tomorrow from to )
o'clock
Postmaster General and Mrs. Wana-
maker have invited n party to meet
Vice President and Mrs. Morton to-
night at dinner. Later in the evening
several hundred guests will attend the
reception which follows the dinner.
Representative and Mrs. Hit will
give dinner party this evening.
Senator and Mrs. Mandersou have in
vited large number OF guests TO re-
ception tonight in celebration Of their
silver wedding.
Mrs. Henry Strong gave q ionquil
luncheon at ] o'clock yesterday in
honor Of her sister, the wife of Secre-
taIy Noble.g The other guests were
Mrs Justice Fuller Madam Romero,
Mrs. Lucius TuGkorman, Mrs. Hazcn,
Mrs Bakhinetieff Mrs. Mcmillan, Mrs.
Wordep, Mrs. Mcnocal, Mrs. Williams,
Mrs Manderson, Mrs. Condit Smith
and Mrs. Mum,
The French Glass, which meets to-
night at the residence of Senator aud
Mrs. Jones, will render the play lie
Klephte,' with Miss Nab Bigelow, Miss
Sewell, Mr.. lie Breton and Mr.. Dumaine
in the cast
Mrs. Lyman Tiffany entertained a
party OF ladies at breakfast this morn
ing.
General and Mrs, Spinola have issued
invitations for tea from to Z Wednes.
day afternoon at the Arlington.
Miss L. Grace Burns of Baltimore is
the guest of Mrs. James f. Barbour.
The Empress of Austria has caused
her wedding dress to be cut up and
made into a set Of priestly garments for
the Church Of st. Matthew, in Pesth.
The dress was of white brocade, with
silver threads, embroidered all over
with beautiful garlands of roses in
silver. Her bridal wreath encircles
an embroidered picture of the Virgin
Mary, which is to be hung up in the
Loretto Chapel of the same church,
which the Empress selects for her de-
votions. The garments will be used
for the services in honor of the Virgin
Mary in May. A red velvet cushion,
| for the altar, bears the donors initial
| letter and the coat of arms of Hapsburg
and Wittersback.
.. The dancing reception on board the
Dale yesterday from A to was the most
| pleasurable event of the afternoon.
The vessel was decorated with flags and
bunting and the upper deck, where
Mrs. Hoff received the guests, was fur.
ther beautified with profusion OF
palms. Cosy little seats, covered with
the Stars and Stripes rigged up around
the deck and in every nook and corner
afforded opportunity for the guests to
rest in the intervals of dancing and en-
joy brief snatches of conversation
Commodore Hoff welcomed the com
| pany at the entrance to the lower deck
which was reached by covered
gang, plank, assisted by DR.. Guy Whit
ing and Lieutenants Dillingham; and
Knapp. The Marine Band was sta
toned at one end of the upper deck
behind an effective drapery of Unior
| colors. The tea table was set on the
lower deck. The attendance at the re
ception included nearly every one prom
inent in the naval and resident society
| of the city.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
DANGEROUS DIsrILLER.
A Desperate Who Runs a Distiliery i
Old Virginia.

A Desperate Who Runs Distiiiery in
Old Virginia.
A dispatch from Lynchburg says that
warrant has been issued by the United
States Commissioner for the arrest of
N. B.. Gose of Brewster, Russell
County. Gose is whisky distiller and
a desperate character w. d. Martin
of Big Island, who was storekeeper,
was sent TO Goses distillery to take
charge. 1t seems recently that at the
close of the days work there was what
the distillers call an "overplus,' that is
more than so per cent of the distillery
had been produced.
When not held to strict accountability
the distillers claim the "overplus" and
sell it at retail and pay no tax on it.
So common has this become that a
great many distillers think they have q
right to it and demand it of officers.
When Gose demanded the "overplus'
whisky would be placed in govern
ment warehouse and he should have
none of it. Gose used some violent
language and said he would see about
it and left. He soon returned, followed
by his two brothers.
Seeing Martin he said "There is the
d. d rascal; am going 10 kill him, y
and drew a pistol and fired. Martin,
who is a very large and muscular man.
knocked Gose down. While falling
Gose fired another Before he could
fire a third shot, however, Martin Sc
cured spade and knocked him insen
sible and chased the other brothers on
of the distillery. Martin came here to
day and reported the facts to Collector
Mauell and posse will be sent to arres
the parties Immediately. Gose, 1t il
thought, will fight before he will b,
arrested. His distillery is located in {
very wild part of the country.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
SOME SECRET HIsroRY.
How the Seven Million Dollar Pur-
chase of Alaska Was Effected.

chase of Alaska Was Effected.
From tie 81. Louis Globe Democrat.
1t has long been known in a general
way that the purchase of Alaska from
Russia during the Lincoln Administra-
tion was more political than a finan-
cial transaction. Fortunately, it has
turned out TO be'a good investment in
the latter sense; but at the time that it
was made the question of the ultimate
value of the Territory in itself was not
seriously considered. To be sure, Sec
rotary Seward pretended TO believe thlt
it was worth great deal more than the
price paid for it. and Mr.. Lincoln, with
all his honesty, did not scruple to humDr
this view of the matter.
But in fact the purchase was au a l.
venture in diplomacy which involved
the very existence of the Government.
Chief Justice PaXson of Pennsylvania
has lately rehearsed all the facts in an
entertaining speech, and they serve to
recall one of the gloomiest periods of
the war and to remind us how easily
that momentous struggle might at one
time have had different ending, but
! for the secret and unsuspected sagacity
by which foreign intervention was pre-
vented.
Those who were living at that time
will readily recollect what a protest
went up from the people when the
| Alaska project was announced. 1t
looked like wild and culpable squan-
dering of $1,000, 900 when the Govern
ment was sorely pressed for means to
feed and clothe its soldiers. The great
popular prayer just then was not for
more territory, but for the re,establish-
ment of the national authority in ter
ritory already acquired. Mr.. Seward
was denounced and derided everywhere.
But he went ahead with the trade,
nevertheless, and as soon as it was con
summated fleet of Russian war ships
appeared in our waters.
/ Nobody knew why they had come
except the President and his Cabinet;
even the officers in command of them
was ignorant of their purpose, for his
instructions were sealed We know
now, however, that had England and
France recognized the Confederacy, as
was feared and anticipated, the Russian
commander would have opened his in
structions and found therein an order tC
iOpOit viii hio nplcnuioi uccb iOI uuty
on the Union side.
There is little reason to doubt that
the foreign recognition of the South
which the Lincoln Administration ap
pretended, was averted by this pro
ceeding England and France medi
tated such interference, unquestionably
but the timely appearance of a Russian
fleet on our coast in friendly attitude
was notice to them which they wert
wise enough to heed Thus W,
escaped the only thing which coul(
possibly have turned the scale agains
us.
We know now, as we could no
know then, how adroitly and yigilantll
Mr.. Seward guarded our interests a
that vital point. Perhaps foreign in
tervention would not have, been fata
to the Federal cause; but ii was Ger
tainly the gravest danger that hovere(
in our sky from first to last, and w
owe everlasting homage TO the memor.
of the man who was chiefly instru
mental in protecting us against it.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
AN ABLE SPEECH,
But IL Failed to Convict the Dark
Hued Georgian.

From the Ne,D York Press.
Charles Hill of Atlanta, the talented
son of the late Senator Ben. Hill of
Georgia, was in New York last week to
attend the wedding of his friend,
Howell Cobb Glenn, son of Atlanta S
Mayor and nephew of the famous
Howell Cobb of Confederate fame, from
whom he takes his name. Young Hill
is lawyer, slender in form, nervous in
temperament, with large head and
much the same brain fibre for which
his father was distinguished. He has
already occupied several high positions
as a public official in the line of his
profession, and was at one time the
prosecuting attorney for the couuly
in which he resides.
He told while here a story of expert
ence in that office, where the joke was
ON himself, but, as he declared too
good TO keep" He was called upon in
the discharge of his duty to prosecute a
big thick Tipped, low browed negro for
thieving. The man. while apparently
ignorant, had fervid flow Of langua q
and an unctuous piety such as bla tx
men affect in many portions of The
South. Hill fastened the crime on him
by evidence which seemed to be unim-
peachable, and then made one of the
few speeches of his life with which he
himself was satisfied.
He regarded the speech as having
quite as much weight as the evidence,
and was utterly astounded when the
jury brought in verdict of not guilty.
While he sat in his chair, stunned by
the foreman's announcement, the big
darky got up and shook hands with the
attorney who had defended him, and
then in turn with each member of the
jury, vociferously and fervently thank
ing them. When he had also shaken
hands with the judge he turned to Mr..
Hill, extended his hand and rambled
away in this sort of talk:
81 suppose, Mars Hill. ought toh
thank yoh, too. Fob God, Mars Hill
] b'lieve but foh yoh speech ] would a
bin Convicted
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
rnn rnxNnssrn VIEW.
The way the Phelan- Fleming Quarrel
IL Looked At ut Home.

From ue Ndstri1e Amaicaa.
Elsewhere we publish the correspond
ence between Hon James Phelan and
Colonel John NJ. Fleming. We have
before had occasion to regret the state
of feeling between these gentlemen, and
heartily deplore this latest development
of the bitter quarrel. The difference
arose over Colonel Fleming's criticisms
of Mr.. Pheans History of Tennessee.
which were exceedingly severe in their
character, and betrayed, as Mr.. Phelan
believed, a degree of personal animus
inconsistent with the character of an
impartial critic.
Perhaps the truth is that Colonel
Fleming was not SO guarded as he
should have been in his use of Ian
guage, and Mr.. Phelan was overhasty
in resentment and intemperate in reply.
The denouement Is MIR. Phelan S fierce
denunciation followed by virtual
challenge to fight duel, and Colonel
Fleming's caustic rejoinder, in which
he evidently seeks to add fuel to the
already blazing fire of Mr. Phelan' S
anger. II is certainly not the scrip
tural soft answer which turneth away
wrath.
We think Mr.. Phelan was unvise In
attempting to force the quarrel to a
bloody issue, but there is much to be
said in his behalf. In the first place,
Mr.. Phelan is by nature a sensitive and
passionate man, and for some months
past has been in precarious state of
health. 1t was while in this condition
that some of his personal enemies
sought to get even with him by assail
ing his book and seeking to defeat q
bin by which it was sought to make it q
text book in the public schools.
There can be no doubt that the oppo.
sition Of Heating and the Memphis
Commercial was purely personal and
malicious, and the fact that Phelan' S
personal enemies were taking this mean
advantage of an opportunity to do him
an injury was doubtless calling in the
extreme. He made the mistake of a
high. spirited, quick tempered man who
has been bounded by personal enemies
until he loses both patience and pru-
dence. We do not, of course, mean to
include Colonel Fleming in this class.
We sincerely trust that the quarrel
will now find an end. To pursue it
further would he unprofitable and per-
haps lead to consequences which neither
of the gentlemen in his cooler moments
| can desire
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
WASHINGTON, APRIL Ii, 1890.
a MATTER-NoT OF PARrY-BUT
HONOR.


The Chicago Times very truthfully
says that the neglect of Congress to
make an appropriation in payment of
the amounts found TO be due by the
Court of Claims under the French
Spoliation act, is discreditable in every
way to every member who controls or
permits 1t. There is no politics in the
matter. Nothing but plain debt,
acknowledged over and over again by
Congress and courts--a debt long de-
feued, it is true but all the more
obligatory from its very neglect.
BY some persons the charge is made
that the Democratic party is responsible
for the delay, but the facts are that
members of both parties have at differ
ent times and for different reasons op.
posed their payment The bill referring
them TO the Court of Claims was
passed by the Forty eighth Congress,
which was Democratic, and was re-
ported TO the House by General Cox
of North Carolina from the Committee
ON Foreign Relations, whereof Gov
eTnor Curtin was chairman. The
measure had no more jealous and able
advocates Than Broadhead of Missouri,
Dibble Of South Carolina and Hunt OF
Louisiana. Since the Court has passed
upon some of the claims and the ques
lion has been on their payment, no more
eloquent advocates have appeared than
, Breckinridge of Kentucky, Hooker Of
Mississippi, Russell of Massachusetts,
O'Ferrell of Virginia and Rayner of
Maryland.
Few questions have elected ADLER
constitutional argument than that Of
Wise of Virginia, against the power of
Congress to submit these claims TO the
Supreme Court
In the Ian Congress, which was
Democratic, the Committee on the
Judiciary. through Mr.. Collins Of Mas
sachusetts, and the Committee on
Claims, through Mr., Mansur of Mis-
souri,. presented two of the strongest
and best considered reports which the
subject has elected. That of Mr..
Collins was confined to the ques-
lions of war between the United
States and France and the desirability
Of reference to the Supreme Court,
and is regarded as conclusive of both
questions; whilst that of Mr.. Mansur
was an extensive discussion of general
questions. involved, and has been fol-
lowed in the present Congress by one
from the same member even more
elaborate and erudite.
The amount involved is so small
comparatively that Congress can better
afford 10 be honest than. dishonest, and
should allow no appropriation to take
precedence of it.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
A POLITICAL MARK rAPLEy

United States Treasurer Huston went
out home to vote. On his return trip
he was waylaid and interviewed at Gin
cinnati. The interview is interesting,
in that ii shows Mr.. Huston to be a
very Mark Tapley among politicians.
Republicans generally feel very
much fiattered over the outlook for
'92," says this exuberant and happy
Hoosier. True, the reason he assigns
is not that the Republicans are particu-
larly enthusiastic over the Administra-
tioD, or that they are really united in
regard to any great public question,
such as the tariff, silver or the method
# dealing with onerous monopolies
Oh, no; it is that 1.-THE rupture in the
Tammany ring in New York Is very
hopeful for themr
Mr.. Huston's cheerful optimism was
but family dashed with gloom by the
result of the spring elections in Indiana.
He admits that he felt "a bit chagrined
over the result, only bit, but he is
NNlJ ohlb lhoN hOOOh1 Nuh d1
tribute the reverses TO any unpopularity
Of General Harrison" 1t is probably
safe to say that much of the cheerful
sense of resignation over the untoward
result in Indiana which Mr.. Huston
feels is due TO the fact that he had the
wise foresight to resign the chairman
ship of the State Committee last year.
Mr. Huston declares that he does not
intend to resign as Treasurer. We hope
he knows his mind and will stick tc
this determination resign.
By the way, Mr.. Huston doesn't say
anything about the Congressional nomi
nation in his district. Yet the conven
tion comes off this month and nomi
nation in that district is equivalent t.
election. Last February a little bird
probably a wicked English sparrow
chirped a story TO the effect that Mr.
Huston was anxious to write IN. O.
officially after his name
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
MORE MONEY WANTED.
Republicans in Caucus Consider I
nf SIlvar OuestIon

Republicans in Caucus Consider the
"' Silver Question.
The Republican members of the
House held caucus last night at the
Capitol, and the principal matter con
sidered was the silver question. Chair
man Conger of the Committee on Coin.
age, Weights and Measures said he
favored the Window bill, and believed
that measure would meet the public de-
mand for more liberal supply Of money.
The proposition of the Senate Com
mittee to coin four and a-half million
of silver monthly was generally dis.
cussed. The point was made that the
coinage of this amount would consume
the entire annual product of American
mines and would satisfy any one who
wanted practical, and not theoretical
free coinage.
Before the caucus adjourned, at II
o'clock it was decided to appoint com
mittee of sixteen, including the Repub
lican members of the Coinage Commit
tee of the House, to consider the entire
subject. Another caucus will be held
on Monday evening next.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
oEoRe1A,s FAMOUS SWAMP,
Some Account of a Region That i
Strangely Dismal.

Some Account of Region That is
Strangely Dismal.
Down in the wiregrass, where the
stately Georgia pine mingles with the
spreading Florida magnolia, lies the
great Okeefeenokee Swamp. larger in ex-
tent than any county in Georgia and
surprising in wild desolation the Dis
NAL Swamp of Virginia, says the At
lanta journal. No white man has ever
traversed its hidden recesses, and even
the untamed Indians, when they
roamed unmOlested the broad savan
nahs of the wiregrass, summed it as a
land which the Great Spirit had made
to tremble under his curse,
II is dense swamp, impenetrable as
the jungles of India, where the pine,
and The cypress, and the maple, and the
black gum and the tupelo are clad with
trunks the plant rattan, the clambering
bamboo. the deadly poison oak, the
running fox grape, and the thorny
touch me.not twist, and cling, and
climb. Briars of rank growth and the
gnared roots of the sun palmetto and
tufts of luxuriant wiregrass afford a
DhulHE pIaCe lOr mOCChslnS, ana SCOT
pions, and spiders Where the under.
growth is not so dense near the margin.
of the sluggish waters the football of
man or beast makes the earth tremble
fora half dozen yards in every direction.
and still nearer the quagmire becomes
so yielding that, in the expressive Ian
guage of a native. lit would bog a
saddle.b blanket"
But there are some islands of high
hummock in the Okeefeenokee where
the soil is rich, the sugar cane. corn,
black seed cotton, rice and sweet pota-
toes will grow in great perfection.
These hooks, or inlets of high land, are
called COW houses. The name was
given them because in the old times,
when the country beyond the Altamaha
was sparsely settled, the pioneers who
owned large herds of cattle were accus-
toned to drive them into these inlets,
where they could find abundant pas
turage, and one man 1.-THE gap or mouth
of the inlet could guard hundreds of
head of cattle from straying OFF,.
The Washington critic., 1890-04-11
LEARNED FOSSILS.
Some of Their Opinions Concerning
Steamships and Railways


Some of Their Opinions Concerning
Steamships and Railways.
1t has only been sixty years since a
great mathematician demonstrated that
a steamship could never cross the At
iantic, because it would be impossible
for her to carry enough fuel to last dur
ing the trip. Before he had hardly de-
duced his calculations a steamer from
America glided into port. The follow
ing "cautionary instructions" were is
sued by the Royal College of Bavarian
Doctors within the memory Of mid
dlc.aged man: "Do not ride on railway
carriages. Such modes Of travel should /,
and will In time, be forbidden in the in
ierest of public health. Therapid move
ment cannot fail TO produce the mental
affection known as delirium furi0sum
Even if people are willing to incur the
risk the government should at least
protect the public. To look at
train in motion is likely to cause
cerebral arrangement, II Is
absolutely necessary to build fences
ten feet high on each side of railways
TO prevent people seeing what is more
than likely TO cause diseased"