Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-07
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS

1.-THE numerous prosecutions in Pittsburg
ano elsewhere in Pennsylvania of the Off
GERS and agents Of alleged fraudulent build
ing and loan associations have led to the
subject of such corporations being made
important in the present legislature" said
Henry r. Brown of Pittsburg at the Eb-
bitt House last night. '"There is no doubt
that some measure will be passed which
will prevent the public from being defraud-
ed by dishonest companies of the character
mentioned. One bill that meets with much
popular favor among those who invest
their earnings in the schemes so abundant
1y presented was introduced by Mr.. Cotton
Of our district 1t provides among other
things for the creation of department to
be known as the state savings association
department, with a superintendent at its
head. who shall be required to supervise
and examine the operations of all foreign
and domestic building and loan associations
doing business in Pennsylvania. Each of
these corporations, under the bill, will be
compelled to submit at the end OF each
fiscal year a detailed report of it's business
for the preceding twelve months, including
all liabilities and assets, all items of eX-
penliture. the shares in force and those
Cancelled, and full description of all
loans made and the character of the col
lateral held as security for such loans
There are many other stringent provisions
IN the Dill tCaI VIII lTduu
the loan and building schemes SO plentiful
in Pennsylvania, and 1 feel pretty sure
something of the sort will be passed IN
spite of the vigorous efforts being made
by many Of the companies Interested to
defeat such legislation"
when travelling in South Carolina re-
Gently" said Spencer +. Harrison of West
Virginia at the Metropolitan yesterday,
II was very much entertained by couple
of young men who were training some
game chickens to be fighters. l never
knew that pine-bred ROSTERS of the pug
nacious variety had to be taught anything
about their warfare. but it seems that it
is considered the proper thing to put them
through their training just like prize fight
ers. Well, the young men would take two
cocks and cover their spurs, those sharp,
horny excrescences that grow on the In
side of male chickens legs, with little bags
of soft wool that looked all the world like
miniature boxing gloves. They called them
muffs After having their natural weapons
thus guarded the chickens would be let
loose in the stable and at each other they
would go. They would fly and strike at
each other until perfectly exhausted and
would fall on their sides on the ground
and lie there In this condition each would
keep his eyes fixed on the other and if one
made motion if to rise the other
would be sure to follow suit. l saw many
contests OF this sort and in none of them
We're the principals apparently injured in
the least The young men said they were
giving their ROSTERS staying power and
wind preparatory to a real fight they were
going to participate In with fighters from
a rival neighborhood But they laughed
me to scorn when I asked if the better
chicken could not always be decided upon
In fight where muffs would be used and
the brutality lessened. If not done away
with, as in scientific boxing matches with
soft gloves, and it was evident they were
like the old Romans. out for blood"
An old man who has been telling a good
many people that he once ran a steamboat
on the Mississippi river has been cruising
around the downtown hotels for several
days. Yesterday evening he heard a man
reviling a bootblack for accidentally put
ting backing on his patent leather shoe.
Don't lose your temper, kunnel' said
the cap'n, gently. Don't lose your temper
1 did that fool thing once and lost the
like this 1t was in 1866, and 1 was run
ming the Belle Of Helena from Memphis to
New Orleans. She was a mighty boat for
speed, and she was pretty near the only
side wheeler on the whole Missysip. There
was rival boat, though, named the Deb
orah Burr, and that year they sent her UP
and had new bilers put in her. She was
laying down at Big Bend landing when /
saw her first after that, and when her
cap'n see us coming he just backed out to
the channel and footed three or four times
and started for New Orleans.
Il made up my mind to catch her, and
made 1t up still more when Bill Bryant,
the gambler, came to me and said if beat
the Deborah Burr to NatcheZ he'd give me
5000. Yes, sir. that was his offer. knew
l had that money sure, but l just wanted
to make old Carroll-he was the Burr's
cap'n-sick for the rest Of his life; so told
the darkies to tote some turpentine We
were carrying as forward deck load down
to the fire and throw her in. Well, sir,
one niger was sort O. skeery about it and
hung back; so I just caught him back
handed blow under the jaw and knocked
him overheard. We were right up along
side Of the Burr then, and about to pass
her, when doggone If something didn't get
the matter with our stabbud wheel There
was nothing to do but step and find out
what was the matter. 1t broke my heart
to see the Burr tearing On down the river,
and taking my 5000 with her; but I soon
discovered that it was all my fault. Yes,
sir, it was. That miserable niger I had
knocked overheard had got caught in the
business to pieces. 1 amt lost my temper
since. Now, remember that experience
KIT time you start to lose yours. Have
you got any chawing tobacco?"
1.-THE appointment of receivers to take
cFarS0 the business VI the WHISKY trust
probably marks the beginning of the end
of the last combined effort that will ever
be made to control the manufacture of
whisky in this country said A. ]. Gregg
Of Peoria at the National yesterday. 1.-The
Distilling and Cattle Feeding Company,
which is the name of the trust, was
ganized in 1856 in Chicago, but its first
annual meeting was held in Peoria in the
spring Of 1887. ]. z. Greenhut, the man
who has wrecked the concern through his
attempt to get everything for
himself by a manipulation of the stock,
was elected president then, and has held
the Office ever since. At first most Of the
stock was held in Peoria, but very little is
around there now. There was no reason
why the trust, with proper management,
should have not controlled the whisky
market just as the Standard Oil Company
dictates the price of oil, but Greenhut and
his intimates were hoggsh, and wanted to
become nabobs all of sudden, so they be-
gan to juggle with the stock until the
grew suspicious and demand
ed a settlement. What brought the pres
ent legal conditions about was the fact
that the trust had to pay about 81 100000
In rebates to purchasers of it's liquor, who
agreed to buy only of the trust in consid-
Grafton of a return Of certain percentage
upon each gallon bought after the lapse