davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

duct and the increase of the governments
work, which gets heavier each year, are
some Of the causes Of this great number
Of appointments that are made annually"
The report of the commission for the
year ending June 30, 1897, shows that af-
ter an experience of nearly Is years the
hopes of the advocates of the civil ser
vice law have been largely realized. "In
Iractice,' it says, ''the law has proved
to be constantly exerted and effective
force in the direction of economy. Con-
siderinR the few charges in the service
under the merit system and the whole
sale rem ovals under the patronage sys-
tenn the economy and efficiency of the
one stand in striking contrast to the ex-
travagance and inc fticiency of tn
other"
1.-THE whole number of persons exam.
ined during the year was 40, 145,of which
%, 1913 passed. The number of appoint
nents was 4,136"
"Here is a chance for you. No influ.
ence is needed. Influence would do you
no good if you had it. One citizen has
as much right to government position
as another. Now one citizen has not on
4 To- kNo ;1hA Soh ho hoa
but the opportunity to get the position
by his own exertions and because Of his
own merit"
We have reached that point in our ma
tional history, when it has become the
duty of every citizen to make himself &C
quainted with the principles of the sci
ence of government. The elements OF
law and craftsmanship should be taught
in all our common schools and our young
men and young women should be encour-
aged to prepare themselves for positions
of honor, usefulness and trust in the var
ious departments of the civil service. To
serve ones country intelligently and
faithfully is always honorable, and the
permanence and stability of our govern
ment demand that it shall be administer
ed upon the same sound and Christian
principles as those by which wise, good
man conducts his own private business
and regulates his home.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

trains, had sent them into Wyoming on
the range. Hundreds of such special
trains went speeding over plain and
mountain in 1897, as they had been do
ing for several year,, and IS they will
continue to do for many years to come.
The statistics of the year show that
295, 900 cattle were brought into this
country from old Mexico in response to
this movement, and an estimate has been
made by the cattle experts at Kansa
City that in the same year, 1897, no less
than 925, 900 cattle were brought into
Kansas to go upon the graziDg-gr0unds
or to be fed for killing. A Dodge City
correspondent of the New York Evening
Post told, in an article published in the
middle of December last, Of the trip Of a
wealthy young Kansan to Texas to buy
cattle to place upon the rarge. He took
cowboy band to Fort Worth In q
special Pullman car decorated with cat
tie horns and banners. He bought
45 600 cattle. His band paraded the
streets and made music typical of the
return of good times. The correspond
ent added,
Ten trains brought the first install
ment of the herd northward, and the
animals are now eating Kansas grass"
This movement takes place in great
magnitude when the national quarantine
is lifted. One of the officials of the San
ia Fe Railroad in Topeka told me thai
in the first seven days after the quaran
tine was lifted that railroad alone
brought into Kansas no less than 30 .00(
head OF cattle, and that the other rail
roads brought in about the same number
These cattle were distributed in all parts
of the State Franklin Matthews, il
Harper's Weekly.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11
The Civil Service.
A PAPER BY REV o. o. WRIGHT. READ
BEFORE PooTATUCK GRANGE.

1t takes ~ army of more than 100000
civil officers to administer the general
government of these United States.
These ofliccrs receive from $4,000 per
year, all tie way down to a few hun
drec dollars: but the most of them gain
their living out of the public treasury
The civil service of the state of Msssa-
chuletts has about 1000 officers, and is
probably fair example of state govern
meEts thro ughout the country. Consid-
er that thee are now 40 states, five ter
rito ties ard one district, having their
own local Ulcers of government, and we
have ano her army of $4,000 or more
public Officials who live out of the treas.
ury of the people. Add to this all the
officers of the city governments and of
all the town governments throughout
the land, nd then imagine If you can,
what the politics of such a country
means and what dangerous temptation
the government itself Is when two great
par ties nearly equal In numbers are
striving to possess its powersl
It has been estimated that there is one
civil oflcec to overy one hundred voters,
unGer the general government, and it is
always q problem of exceeding interest
as to how many voters in every one hun
dred are seeking some office which draws
an order on the public treasury.
There are, perhaps, 100000 to 49,
100000 of voters, and no doubt to some
extent the great representative parties
stand for different ideas on vital ques-
tioIs Of political science; but for most
part the Issues Of every campaign are
made to win the balance of power in or
der to possess and hold the patronage OF
the government, from the election OF
president down to the annual town meet
Ing.
1.-The government of the people,by the
people and for the people" is not, az 1t
should be, the supreme interest and OBJ
Ject OF patriotism, but politics has be-
come trade, and not even respectable
trade at that. Ambition for power, the
pride Of position and the greed Of mon
ey--the great causes OF national decay in
every age stare US grimly In the face. II
often seems as though every public posi-
tion which pays for seryice, from the
chief executive to the most petty office
Of the country town had become an OBJ
iect OF prey, and the question ia not who
win best serve the public welfare, but
who shall pull the strings Of the public
purse.
IL cannot be doubted that party poll
tlcs, under the ao-called, and itlY called
.saUoIls system haA become . curse TO
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11
Fairfield County Chat.
STAFFORD.

DEATH OF CHRISTIAN GODFREY GUNTHER.
Christian Godfrey Gunther died at his
hcu'e on Lower Main street, last Friday
afternoon, aged As. Mr. Gurther has
been i'll for number of years, but before
his illness, was we'll known in our S ocisl
circles as a fine amateur musician and ar
authority on literary matters. His
father was at one time a roted mayor OF
the city of New York, and the family
have been we'll and Ifsvorably known in
that vicinity since the first settlement of
the country by the Dutch. Mr. Gunther
married daughter of the late Asa Sey-
mour Curtis. The wife and daughter,
Miss Mollie, are left to mourn their loss.
Capt William Austin has his new boat,
which is being built at Bonds wharf,
nearly completed. He expects to have
her in the water by the 1st Of the coming
April Good judges say she is perfect
model, and without doubt will prove her.
self flyer.
George B. Clarke of Milford has been
appointed administrator of the late
Robert E. Thompson.
Miss Isabel Curtis is still very i'll al
her home on Elm street, with but slight
hope of recovery.
Mrs DR. Garrish of Naugatuck has visit
ed her mother, Mrs Phillip Lewis, at hel
home on Clapbcard Hill.
Mrs NJ. NJ. Egleston of New York has
visited Mis- Dunbar at her home on East
Broadway.
The East bound station has been com,
pletely overhauled, and now compares
favorably with any other on the road.
Miss Celeste Chevalle is visiting friends
in New Haven.
d. P. Rhodes has presented the Libra
ry association with complete file of the
Tribune Almanac, from the year 1865.
Rev Joel S. Ives has been appointed
administrator of 1.-THE estate of the Late
Mrs Won Tagen of Academy Hill.
William Stage conducted services a
the Advent Mission, last Wednesday
evening.
The 10th anniversary of the Grange
was held at their rooms, last week.
Mrs Henry G.. Stevens is recovering
from a severe Illness.
The W. G. T. U. held an interesting
meeting at the lecture room Of the Meth
odist church, last Wednesday afternoon
Delegations from Milford and Bridge
port were in attendance.
Undertaken Frank L. Curtis was il
New York on Saturday.
The regular monthly meeting of the
w. q. L. U. was held with Mrs E. A.
Barsram, Thursday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs Bedell Benjamin accom-
panied by Admiral Gherardi, expect tt
start in few days for trip in the South
Several new houses are being built OF
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

the Huntington road. A new street has
been laid out, running through &c
Curtis property, from the old road and
it opens up some desirable building sites.
The coming summer will no doubt Sc.
great changes in that locality.
The o q. A. M.'s,gave another of their
pleasant sociables at the Town hall, last
Thursday evening, which was largely
attended.
The Y. L. NJ. circle of the Congrega-
tienal church met last Monday, with Miss
Constance Curtis on Bro&d street.
There was a large delegation of our
people who went to Bridgeport, last
week, to hear the address of DR. Lyman
Abbott at the South church.
J. Harvey Crossley and A. D. Good
sell of Bridgeport took chs rye of the scr
vices in the Congregational church on
! Sunday evening of last week. The at
tendance was large and the service en-
joyed.
The guild of Christ church held a meet
ing at the rectory, last Wednesday after
noon.
The Congregational church Sunday
school have contributed over $40 for the
relief of the suff irers in Cuba
Mrs w. J. Pitts has been i'll at her
home on Stratford avenue, but is report
ed as better.
Miss Blake Of Bridgeport took charge
of the regular Wednesday evening pray
er meeting, held in the Methodist church.
Stratford WAS better represented at the
Republican club banquet in Bridgeport,
last Friday evening, than it will be again,
unless there is change made in the
caterer. Paying so cents for 1O-cent
lunch is not satisfactory.
| George t. Jewell and wife entertained
the Uptown Whist club st their residence
on Main street.
D. c. Wood entertained large num-
Der of his friends at his residence on
Main street, one evening last week.
There was large delegation from the
members of the Advent Mission.
Mr. and Mrs George Botsford of Tory
Hill are tenderly caring for new daugh-
ter.
Capt Bedell has a new stesmer nearly
completed at his yard for Norwalk
parties.
Mrs Davis of Long Island is visiting
frie nds in town.
Henry Blake is again in his accustom-
ed place at the coal yard of Robert L.
Wheeler on Broad street.
William o. Brown has been appointed
administrator on the estate of the late
Jessie Douglas Cole.
Harold Holmes has rented the house
on Broad street belonging to Chester
Dorman.
The Hubben property st the east end
of Washington bridge, will probably
soon be placed on the market for sale.
A magnificent spot for first class sum-
mer hotel.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11
The Mysterious.
WRITTEN FOR THE BEE I

In the first place, "God is love-" and,
when we see that His law impels all ami
NAL and vegetable life to incorporate,
we are sometimes compelled to think
that the Almighty Himself must have
been in love when creating the universal
law, that in order to perpetuate the
species, love should prompt and compel
the sexes to fulfill His law. In the very
first glimmering of life we read of what
we consider the ridiculous ideas of the
beginning of life, and to-day our greatest
scientists speculate thereon.
The sum of these conclusions is {:
Chemical activity arose and increased
as the heated ocean was formed, and
changed the first simple substances into
compounds of gradually growing variety
and volume. With the cooling of the
primeval ocean and the increase of sum
shine, came organic chemical activity
| ETC., etc. Well, the more the wise study
the less they know about the beginning
of life. We imagine that the molecules
came along early, and that the jelly fish
are quite along in years. We can with
Darwin, strike in to find the genus homo,
first begun in the monkey! But no mat
ter where man began, he is now, in his
own opinion, the king of this earth. But
what of men or gods that live upon the
planets of other solar systems? There is
no limit to space, and it is perfectly rea-
sonable to suppose that in the millions
of other solar systems, there are men
somewhere among them nearly akin to
their Creator. But, when we think of
man as he is upon this little speck of
earth, we sometimes blush to think that
he will rush in "where angels fear to
tread" 1t would seem that evolution
would, in the millions of years to come,
make all Macedonians Alexanders, all
Africans Hannibals, and all Frenchmen
Napoleans.
Why is it that every germ of the genus
homo is not a Shakespeare, or a Napo-
lean? This is a mystery now, but will it
be mystery trillion of years hence ?
win the world advance in every cycle of
hundred years as it has in the past
one hundred? Will there be innumerable
Morses, Fields, and Edisons? Shall we
relapse and have again the Dark Ages ?
God only knows; and when we read
Wendell Phillips lecture on 1.-The Lost
Arts we are somewhat tset back" while
looking into the future In our schools
to-day, academies and colleges, we are
giving our girls and boys the Had, the
Eneid, and Caesars campaigns How
many thousand years more will these
classics prevail and be ranked higher
than any modern literature or general
ship?
It is said by Drummond, that total
eclipse of the sun is coming next August.
We witnessed one when small boy;
when the chickens went TO roost, and all
the animals were filled with fear. We
hope TO see the next, and we are so adj
vanced in astronomy now that even ordi-
nary children will have no fear. But,
ages ago, some big armies were struck by
fear and defeated because the other cap.
tain was foretold of this phenomenon.
This is the mystery to-day, as it has beer
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

consideration which my merits de-
serve"
After this deliverance the house, which
had stared at me for several minutes with
vexed Impotence for not "pressin the
buttod," was convulsed at my expense,
and gave him unremitting attention to
the end From "Reminiscences of Emi-
nent Lecturers" by Joel Benton, in Har-
per's Magazine for March.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

from the beginning. Why is it that man
still strives with man, and still remains
in ignorance? The Nautilus taught him
to sail, the BEE, one way to govern.
re-. W.B.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11
"reminiscences of
Lecturers.
Eminent

HORACE GREELEY AS AN ORATOR.
Mr. Greeley was not an orator in any
scholastic sense. He had q poor and
somewhat squeaking voice; he knew no.
thing of gestures s; and he could not take
an orators pose, which adds such empha-
sis sometimes to the matter and argu-
ment to be set forth. Not all his years
of practice on the platform and on pub
lie occasions ever changed his habits and
methoda as a speaker, and he ended as
poorly equipped in the respects named
for the vocation as when he began. But
he had one prime quality, without which
all the others are exploited in vain. He
invariably had o nething to say, and he
said it in such clear and wholesome Eng
lish, with such sincerity that he was an
orator in spite of all the rules.
To state It briefly, of all the eminent
speakers L have introdueed--and more
than once-there was not one who gave
better satisfaction, different and notable
as they were, than Horace Greeley. AS
consequence, he came to me oftenest
and wore the best. We might or might
not agree with some of his peculiar prem
ises, as when ne says, sThe moment q
drop of alcohol ID received into the hui
man stomach, that moment the stomach
recc nizes deadly enemy; but he sets
his audience thinking, and illuminated
his theme.
HOW A FEE WAS FORCED ON GREELEY.
AT the conclusion Of his first lecture in
our village, when we were struggling to
sustain the course, ! was surprised 4
had not informed him Of the situation
to hear him say:
81 want nothing for my services.
Your town issmall, and your association
cannot afford money for these things
ssBut," said I, ssMr Greeley, this was
true enough when yon came, and we ex-
peoted TO pay You nevertheless but ii is
20 longer true. Our receipts from your
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11
EEwTCwN, FRIDAY, MAR. II.
The Home Circle
MOTHERHOOD.

Mark'st tho the strange, sweet radiance in
her eye?
She has b, en- near to Heavens Shining pOr-
tll.
And there, while Death and Life stood watch
g by,
II, tn pluaked, with trembling hand, a
now'r immortal
-[E5ther Cottren in March Ladies' Home
Jour nal.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

HORACE GREELEY's ECCENTRIC IDEAS
Even his eccentric ideas were made
plausible by his treatment. Iheard him
say once that what was then thought to
be the Great American Desert ought to
be planted with Canada thistles so as to
give nature some sort of green start,
| when other vegetation might be made to
follow. But the trouble is, Canada thist-
les, like any other thing inspired by
''pure cussedness," will only grow and
thrive where they ought not to. Find d
place where their presence would do
some good, and, as in the Humpty
Dumpty case, sail the kings horses and
all the kings men'n,could not fasten them
there. This perverseness suggests, in a
certain way, the small boys conception
of good and bad-his enchiridion of ma
tare and life.
"What's fup," he said, sis always
wicked; what we don't want to do is
pious."
Mr. Greeley would cut down his alders
in the spring. When L mildly suggested
to him that our agricultural authorities
preferred the autumn for that work,
when nature could not so well aid their
struggle for existence, he thought this
reason was q mere excuse for not cut
ting them at all.
MARK TWAIN AND COUNTRY LYCEUM
MANAGER
| Before we left the anteroom he particu-
larly requested me not TO introduce him
to the audience, and told him (for he
called 1t "a whim of his") that his little
within should be respected. When we
reached the stage began, after while,
to feel not little nervous for fear that
he would never introduce himself. But
he at last arose, and taking semicircu-
lar sweep to the left, and then proceed
Ing to the front, opened something like
this:
ladies and Gentlemen: -have-1ec-
tured -many year,, and in many
towns, large and small, have tray-
elled -north southeast andI = west.
I-have met great men very
great But-I-have-nev
yet -in--all-my travels met--the
president -of-a country -lyceum-
who could Introduce me = to- an 3
audience with that distinguished =
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

HORACE GREELEY's HANDWRITING.
His handwriting I early learned the
alphabet of, giving him in reply as
some who thought they knew said ''as
good as he SENT" His chirography was
phenomenallv and preternaturally afro
cious; but when you once got the trick
of the hieroglypLics, it was not so very
difficult to read. The stories about it
outnumber the fables of Il ,op. 1t ia
claimed that the presidents and secreta.
ries Of some lyceums would occasionally
get letter from him announcing that
he could not come, which they read af-
Tentatively, and to which they would
reply that the date named and price men.
toned were entirely satisfactory, and
then proceed to make public an announce
ment Of his lecture.
The Newtown bee., 1898-03-11

effort not only clear us from debt, but
there are about sixty dollars left"
"Well, you will want that" he replied,
"for next year,
Only by the strongest insistence could
make him take a fair remuneration,
and by telling him that when we were in
debt again we would consider his gene
rosity. One thing which said to him,
and which deepened his habitual smile,
was 1.-The effect that there was q very
grave reason why he should take the
money. my friend Mr. c. and my
SELF" l remarked, loosely, who are
really the whole Lecture Association at
present, are also the Democratic Com
mittee of this town; and if you leave
this money In our hands, L am afraid it
will make deplorable havoc with the
next election returns"
Evening star., 1898-09-07
COOLER WEATHER PREDICTED.
Definite Assurance of Relief Given
by the FOrecaster.

The weather bureau makes the definite
assurance of cooler weather for the balance
of this week, beginning probably tonight.
The promise is based on the existence of a
large area of high barometer and low tenn
perature which overspreads the entire coun-
try west of the Alleghanies
Frost has occurred as far east as Nebras-
ka, and there has been drop of from 10 to
20 degrees throughout the lake regions and
the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Prof
Garriott of the weather bureau said this
morning that there Is no doubt about the
cool wave coming, because the area OF
high barometer is widespread that it
cannot miss Washington.
Prof. Garriott was inclined to the belief
that this change in the weather will mark
the break in the hot spell. He believes the
extensive high which is now moving east
will be followed by others. and, at any
rate, will break up the stagnant conditions
responsible for the continued hot weather.
Today did not start in ausDiciously, At
o'clock this morning the temperature was
just about where It was yesterday, and it
began to climb rapidly until 10 o'clock.
Then it lost its mold, and by noon was 3
degrees below the record of yesterday.
Evening star., 1898-09-07
HOnors to a Santiago Hero,

Appreciation of heroism was evincad last
evening by the assembling at Montobello,
Prince Georges county, Nd, ths home Of
Mr.. Milton E. Smith. of over a hundred
friends and neigkbors to greet his son, NJ
L. Griffith Smith-or, the boys call him,
''Toney''-of Company d, 18th United States
Infantry. He is one of the survivors of
that gallant charge at Ell Caney, when the
United States troops captured the celebra-
ted block house from the Spanish at the
point OF the bayonet and drew the compli-
ments of Capt. Paget of the British army,
who said: Grand, magnificent There new
er was anything like 1t since the charge at
Balaklaya."
Mr.. Smith is at his fathers home on sick
furlcugh, his health having been terribly
shattered by the very severe hardships in
Cuba He is a typical American soldier
who through love ard devotion to the flag
willingly sacrificed health and homa com
forts and went to the front