The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-05-10
IN AN OLD ALMANAC.
SOME CURIOUS FACTS cULLED FROM
A PUBLICATION OF 1885.

OSWc SONOOo THS . SOLLCO FHSM
A PUBLICATION OF 1885.
A Dramatic Incident In the House
of Representatives - Anecdotes of
Washington - Old Time Postage
Rates-Men Who Rose to Fame.
Among the finds in a recent rummage
through a secondhand booksellers stock
was a copy of the American Almanac
and Repository of Useful knowledge For
the Year 1885," the contents Of which
were. its publisher assured Its readers,
"of permanent and indeed Of increasing
value" Certain it is that they are of in
terest now, although in u way hardly ex-
pected by the industrious compiler.
First, of course, come those astronom-
zeal calculations and predictions, which
furnished the excuse for almanacs then,
as now. To these is annexed an extended
account Of the meteoric shower Of Nov.
13, 1888. The almanac records that some
of the fire bulls ON this occasion were
so bright as to be visible after the sun
had arisen, and a DR.. Smith of North
Carolina is quoted as declaring that he
saw one 'larger than the full moon ris-
ing"
Furthermore, the account continues, Eat
Poland, o.. luminous body was dis
tinctly visible In the northeast for more
than an hour. 1t was very brilliant, in
the form Of pruning fork. and apparent
emily 20 feet long and Is inches broad.
1t gradually settled toward the horizon,
until it disappeared. At Niagara Falls a
large, luminous body. shaped like a
square table. was seen nearly in the ze-
NTH. remaining for some time almost sta
tionary. emitting large streams Of light"
Passing to the department Of useful
knowledge" II Is recorded in the "Chron-
icle of Events" that on July 8, 1884. the
weather was extremely hot and eight
persons (and on the 9th II persons) died in
the city of New York In consequence Of
drinking cold water"
A dramatic incident Is also set down as
having occurred at the capitol at Wash
ington Feb. IL. On the preceding day
Thomas Tyler Bouldin, NJ. c.. from Wiz.
ginia, had been censured by a colleague
for emitting to call the attention Of the
house to the death Of his immediate pred
ecessor, John Randolph. On the 18th he
had risen TO reply when he was SEIZED
with a paralysis, sank down into Q chair
and died Immediately"
The rates of postage in 1885 would
somewhat startle our postmaster gen.
erals present patrons. For a single let
ter composed Of one piece Of paper the
schedule was as follows:
CentA
For any distance not exceeding 30 miles,. 9
Over 80 and not exceeding 80 miles. 10
Over 80 and not exceeding $50 miles. 12h
Over 100 and not exceeding 400 miles. Ism
A letter composed of two pieces Of pa
per was charged with double these rates;
of three pieces with triple, and Of four
pieces with quadruple. One or more
pieces mailed as a letter and weighing
one ounce were charged with quadruple
postage and at the same rate should the
weight be greater.
As an encouragement to sobriety and
righteous living the almanac gives DR..
Franklin's moral code and Mr.. Jefferson's
ten rules Of life. brief essay on the
"Punctuality OF General Washington" Is
added. The latter recounts that when
Washington assigned to meet congress
at noon he never failed to be passing the
door of the hall while the clock was strik-
ing IL. Whether bis guests were present
or not he always dined at 4. Not infre-
Quently new members of congress who
were invited to dine with him delayed until
dinner was half over. and he would then
remark: Gentlemen, we are punctual
here. My cook never asks whether the
company has arrived. but whether the
hour has,
Captain Peasp the father Of the stage
establishment in the United States, had a
beautiful pnir of horses which he wished
to dispose Of to the general, whom he
knew To be an excellent judge Of horses.
The general appointed 3 o'clock In the
morning to examine them. But the cap
tain did not arrive with the horses until
6:l5. when he was told by the groom that
the general was there at 5. and then full.
filing other engagements. Pease. much
mortified, was obliged to wait a week for
another opportunity. merely for delaying
the first quarter of an hour"
1t Is interesting to go through the roster
Of the national and state governments
and note what men were holding Office in
1884 whose names still live In American
history. Andrew Jackson was president
and Martin Van Buren, vice president
The cabinet. headed by John Forsyth Of
Georgia. secretary of state. included six
members counting the postmaster gen.
eEal. who. the almanac says, has for the
most part not been considered a mem
ber"
Among the senator's the most famous
now were DANIEL Webster of Massachu-
sets. John c. Calhoun of South Carolina,
Henry Clay Of Kentucky and Thomas H
Benton Of Missouri.
John Bell of Tennessee was speaker OF
the house. and among the representatives
from Massachusetts, were John Quincy
Adams, who had already been president
and had been defeated for reelection by
the then occupant Of the White House:
Rufus Choafe. the great lawyer. soon to
succeed Webster In the senate. and Ed
ward Everett. just beginning the career
which was TO include governor Of his ma
tive state. minister to England. president
Of Harvard college. secretary OF state and
United States senator.
New York sent Willard Fillmore. later
elected vice president. and by President
Taylor's death to become the chief execu-
tive. From Virginia came Henry A.
Wise, under whose administration as gov
ernor of that state John Brown. Is years
later. paid the penalty for his heroic IA
naticism. rHvid Crockett. to whom the
coons came down from the tree tops. was
O member from Tennessee. He had only
o few more years of life. az he was fated
to be killed al the Alamo In 1896. James
K Polk also future president. was one
Of Crockett's colleagues. Polk was elect
ed speaker in the next congress after the
one whose membership is given in the al
manac.
In 1884. also. John Marshall was still
chief justice of the United States SUI
preme court He died July Of the fol-
lowing year. Few of the governors vt
the states then are remembered now. Ev-
ceptions are William L. Marcy Of Now
York and Robert Y. Hayne of South Car
olina Haynes famous debate with W. b.
ster had taken place four years earlier
New York Mail and Express.
The Legs and the Liver.
The liver deDends upon the legs for cN-