Year: 1870

When Mr.. Welles, ex-Secretary Of the Navy,
embarked his goods and chattels in the Talla-
poosa and bade adieu to Washington, his
friends fondly hoped that he would quietly
return to Hartford and doze away the rest OF
his life in those peaceful slumbers in which 1t
was said he indulged while Secretary of the
Navy. It was supposed that when he severed
his connection with the government he would
consent to let the present administration run
the machine although it was feared that. hav-
ing been so long at the head Of naval affairs,
he would still endeavor to have finger in the
pie. short time before his political demise
the venerable Secretary was taken sick, and
he then and there sent for his attorney and
made his last will and testament, in which he
bequeathed the Navy Department, the navy
yards, Isherwood's engines, and naval debts
to an old aunt of his in Hartford, Conn.,,
who was solemnly enjoined to conduct the
navy on the same enlightened principles which
had guided the old son of Neptune in his bril-
liant career. Surgeon Hornitz and Lindsay
Muse were appointed his executors. 1t was
not supposed, under these circumstances, that
the old gentleman would willingly give up the
control; indeed, for weeks after his successor
had been appointed he fingered about Wash
ington, and day after day he would wander in
the direction of the department building where
he had spent SO many happy years, eating
apple pic for lunch, and drawing his pay,
which, during the eight years he slept
in office, amounted to the moderate
sum of sixty-four thousand dollars. How
ever, the old gentlemans friends always
caught him and carried him home, to repeat his
wanderlngs the following day. When be char
tered the Tallapoosa to take his effects to
Hartford it was supposed that he was carrying
off his clothes and the plunder of the war; but 1t
now turns out that he was taking away all the
accounts and former estimates of his depart
ment to be made use of on the first favorable
opportunity against his jolly successor, Mr.:
Robson. The idea Of any one in the Navy
Department being jolly ried the ex-Secretary
| extremely. He never laughed himself and he
never permitted such piece of indecorum on
the part Of any of his subordinates, and when
| he heard that Secretary Robson had kind
word for every one, and never put paper into
pigeonhole before having it attended to, he
said, 81 must get back there somehow and
| have matters restored to the old status"


His first act after reaching Hartford was to
| go to sleep, and he did not awake for seven
| months At the end of that time he opened
| his eyes and called for pen, ink and paper,
| to write his annual report. One can
| imagine his indignation when he heard that
| new man occupied his place and had
already written report, in which there were
some originalideas. The venerable man was so
provoked that he threw his wig at his house
keeper and was heard to swear. For eight
years he had rspudiated original ideas, and had
always ostracized any officer of the navy who
attempted to pass them off upon him. He
| had commenced the war by ignor-
ing naval officers and employing his own
brother-in-law to buy up rotten ships for
the navy, by which somebody pocketed fifty
thousand dollars or more in commissions. He
appointed sherwood to build piles and piles
| of engines, which now cumber the navy yards
! and are entirely worthless he built tons upon
tons of monitors, which would not swim when
| they were put in the water, and he made esti-
mates upon estimates which will not bear the
slightest investigation. Finding now that
some one was interfering in naval matters
over which he claimed entire jurisdiction, he
rushed into print and has taken to task the
whole Navy Department. Even the clerks in
| the Office smiled when they read his coal esti-
mates; for it was well known to all who had
served under him how little he knew of the
affairs of the department when he stood at the
wheel of the craft, which broached to or
| was brought by the lee when he undertook the
steering.


1t is sad commentary on naval affairs
when old Neptune Welles undertakes to criti-
cise them. Nothing was in such complete
muddle 40 the navy when. Mr.. Welles was at
the tail of it, and the only hope Of his friends
now is that he will go to sleep again for a
term of years and not again undertake to en-
] tighten the world with his estimates. He
is now engaged on model Of Noah's ark,
which he proposes to turn into an iron-clad,
and he has plan to make Isherwood rear
admiral and perpetuate his engines In the
American navy. Mr.. Dawes will have enough
to do to get out of the hornets nest he has
raised about his ears by quoting Mr.. Welles'
estimates, which will SO delight the old gentle
man in Hartford that it will keep him wakeful
for at least week. The public will not rest
easy until they hear again from Father Welles.
They hdd no idea that he had 80 much ''snap'
in him, and although his statements may moi
be true they are very amusing.


THE PNEUMATIC TUNNEL.-The great bore


company has been confronted by what is to
them another great bore. The Corporation


Counsel has applied for On injunction to re-


strain them from tunnelling Broadway.


THE New NATION Oh WINNIPEG. We pub


lish elsewhere an interesting account of the