The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-03-24

1886, the pOst.otfice building was
burned to the ground. With it went
the seven thousand models of the pat
ent-office. by far the noblest collection
the world could then show. When
the next fire occurred, forty-one years
after, the patent-office had obtained
building of its own, and the seven
thousand models Of 1886 lad become
two hundred thousand in 1877.
Among the earlier inventions was
that of the cotton.gin by Eli Whitney,
which revolutionized the world so far
as the culture of cotton was con-
cerned.
In view of the fact that Senator
Carlisle has expressed the opinion that
the next presidential election will
likely be decided by the house of rep
resentatives, it is interesting to recall
such a contest which took place In the
Sixth congress between Thomas JEFF.
ferson and Aaron Burr. Tedious and
costly as a journey to Washington
then was, the people fastened there
by hundreds. The single hotel, every
lodging house, every boarding house,
was crowded. In one. fifty men slept
upon the floors, with no beds but
blankets and no coverings but their
Overcoats. The house proceeded to
the chamber of the senate, and wit
messed the opening and counting of
the ballots. The telers reported that
slight irreguiarity had been found
in the vote of Georgia but, believing
it to be true vote, they had counted
it. No election was secured. The
representa- ives then, following the
speaker, went back to their own hall.
A call by states showed that all the
members but two were In their places.
Sumter, of South CaroIina, was sick
Jones, of Georgia, was dead. Mich
olson, of Maryland, was also ill, but
they brought him in on a bed, which
they laid in one of the committee
rooms near by. The gallery was
cleared, the doors closed, the delegates
from the same state took seats together
and chose teller if they saw fit, and
began to vote. As the ballots were
written, members deposited them in
that box which had been assigned their
particular state. When the will of
the state had been determined, q
duplicate statement of the vote was
made. If a majority was for either
candidate, his name was put down on
the tive slips. If the state were diyi-
ded, then the word divided" was
used instead. All being ready, the
sergeant-at-arms came around to the
representatives of the sixteen states in
turn. In his hands were two ballot
boxes, and into each ballot-box one Of
the bits of paper was dropped. But
the house had ordered that if more
than one representative from a state
was on the floor the two slips should
not be cast by the same hand. Having
~~--~~"~>- ~.I, VIZ SVs 5Oa1U PI.U~~ =
box on table at the right of the
speaker and one on a table at his left.
Each state then chose a teller, and
while eight were examining the con-
tents Of one box. eight were busy
with the other. The reports from the
two parties agreeing, the result was
declared the true vote Of the house.
On the first ballot eight states sup
ported Jefferson, and six, Burr. Yer
mont and Maryland were divided.
Six more ballots were taken in rapid
succession, but no change occurred.
The nineteenth ballot was taken at
midnight. The scene was now ludi-
crous. Many had sent home for night
caps and pillows, and. wrapped in
shawls and overcoats, lay about the
floor of the committee rooms or sat
sleeping in their SEATS. On the thirty
sixth ballot the long contest was
ended-James Bayard, of Delaware,
a strong Federalist, leading the bolt
which caused the election of Jefferson.
The prevailing tavern toast became
Jefferson, the Mammoth of Democ-
rscvS