The Lenoir Topic from Lenoir, North Carolina • Page 1

OUR KEW YORK LETTER. CmcsniiBt tin Pension Act The Civil Service Commission. THE RIGHT WAT. Meeting of the "Sttliirts." i. i To the Editor of The Lenoir Topic i On the i 15th the Houck family held a tery pleasant and en- joyable reunion at the old homestead five miles West of Lenoir.

By 12 o'clock every member of the family of twelve was present with their children as follows Julius Poovy and wife Martha, and 7 children coun- ty. John M. Houck and wife, and 3 children, Robt. C. Houck and wife and Tchildren, rom Gantewell; Henry L.

Houck and wife and 4 children, from Glenburnie Frank i Houck and wife from Hickory; Kel-' ly Houck and wife and 3 children, Morganton Robt. Powell and wife, Mary and! four children, Lenoir; Eli Curleo1 and wife Laura and 1 child, Cilley Walter L. Houck widower and 1 child, Morganton Jas. A. LaFevre and wife Anne, i Glenburnie Ella, twin sister to Anne, Glenburnie; Algernon Sidney Houck, Glerburnie; Anne Catherine, widow of the late Leander Houck.

1 After the greetings were over the whole assembly, the children, and grand children of Leander and Anne C. Houck their sons-in-law and i I daughters-in-law, numbering 52, proceeded to the long table loaded 1 with good things, under the shade of the old apple trees and partook of the feast. After the dinner and smoking were over the old members engaged in various athletic sports, such as they practiced in the days i gone by, pitching iron bars, lifting anvils with one hand, doing the giant Bwing on a trapezbar, summer- sault and throwing, jumping, Best three jumps (standing) 42 feet. Best jump half hammond, standing, 41 feet. Best one jump, running 21 feet.

After these sports, hunting was next in order and visiting the old papers every morning say that something is "a sheol of a thing," and it is now reported that even never rused the strong and sulphurous old Saxon word, use this Hebrew "'sheol" without imagining fur a moment that they are profane. THE MOST POPULAR CONGRESSMAN. The Hon. S. S.

Cox Cox) is no! doubt the most popular Congressman and one of the most popular men in the Union. Ever since the President appointed him U. S. Minister to Turkey, his constituents and friends in this city has been begging both him and the President to relieve him of that duty and to allow him to remain in: Congress. He has served in the House as long as any but one or two ever served in the whole history of the country.

He would have been elected Speaker if he had not for so long a time been regarded only as a. wit. He and Senator Vance are beyond all doubt the two wittiest men in public life. Mr. Cox has received his commission and taken his oath and will sail for Constantinople early in June.

Before he sails a large number of prominent raeu will give him a complimentary dinner. Mr. Cox has always been a member of Tammany, but somehow he hasneyer been a John Kelly kind of a man. He has been the character of the organization. He is also one of the most pleasant writers of all our public men.

TAMMANY DEAD, PERHAPS FOR GOOD. The old Tammany 6achem, John Kelly, has long been sick. He is better now, but he has seen his best days and the period of his power is gone. lie is so near the end of his remarkable career, that a follower and worshipper has written and published his "life." He has been a man of as great po wer as any other man in politics during the last dozen years or more. i With his career closed, the Tammany dictatorship will not again be heard of, most likely, and the great division of the New York Democracy will be healed.

CAN YOU CURE. CANCERS The only distinctively cancer hos pital in the country is the great institution here devoted exclusively to the treatment of' that disease. The report that has just been made of its work is both astonishing and alarming. The terrible disease is increasing enormously. In 18G9 there were only 304 deaths from this caupe in New York in 1882, there were 731, and during the last 14 years 6,843 persons have died of this disease in this city.

All the other large cities-show a similarly alarm--ing increase. This hospital has offered prizes for a cure for cancer other than the knife. The knife does not always cure and what is known as a genuine case of cancer is. yet considered incurable. heard and you have heard of "cancer doctors" in the Southern States who undoubtedly have cured cancers.

They ne some simple vegetable remedy. Is there not something in their knowledge and treatment that may be worth something EARLY POLITICAL TALK. It is very, very early for; such gossip but the politicians here have already begun to bet that Cleveland be renominated in 1888 and elected and that Blaine will be the Republican inominee again. The first part of the prediction may be true, but the lastthat will hardly be. It is pretty well established that President Cleveland sent a secret messenger to California to find out for him the precise situation there, to help him to make his appointments wisely.

The wood work of "turnine the haunts of childhood, not the least among these was the ancient site of old Avington Baptist Church, where many of the children heard their 1 first sermon, when John Powell and Cornelius Livingston, Bro's Bohan- an and Grayson, Medlock and Hol-f 1 A 1 BCiaw, most oi now rest; ing beneath the green sod, preached in their youthful' days. No vestige; of the building remains, the outdoor" seats have moulded to dust, but the; book board of the outdoor "stand," a heart pine plank made by Solomon i Crisp, and placed between two oaks, bv wtinm cfill rpmaiTia BnrjTf1 firmly clasped by the growing ivood of the two oaks, which has grewn but along the 12 inches irom 'the bodies of the trees as if trying to cover ine entire Doara. i Auditor's Depabtment, Raleigh, If. May 25, 1885. As numerous enquiries are being received at this office almost daily, as to whether widows whose husbands ied from natural causes, while in the serviceof the late Confederate Stated are entitled to the benefits of thef pension act, ratified March 11, I take this method of informing tjhe boards of enquiry, named in the act, that it is a -question which will have to be considered and determine by the State board, composed of governor, auditor and at its first meeting, which will nqt be held before July or August.

Ij have consulted with the attorney-general about the. matter, and he thinks it would not be proper for hirri, now to express an opinion (even if he had one) as he is a member of the board and his colleagues on it are entitled to be consulted before he gives a formal opin-ifn. .,1 The State poard, however, will require every person claiming to be entitled to the! benefits of the law ta make formal application before the boards of enquiry composed of the commissioners clerks of "Superior courts and sheriffs (as per forms furnished) to the end that each case may be considered on its particular facts; Let the widows set forth with as much particularity as possible the times, places and circumstances of their, husbands' death, the diseases, and whether they died from wound 8 received in battle or hot. These facts wijl enable the board to intelligently pkss upon each application separately, and the applicant will- be notified, so that any fact lacking may oe supplied if possible. The opinion! of the board, and hot of its individual members, must be had before the question can be finally disposed ot Very I ITT 1 1 1 I VV.

ir.UXOBEKTS, Auanor. Give Him Tims to Fining his Work. The following from the Courier-Journal, Mr.i Watte rson's organ; is the conviction) of a man who has had a peep behindjthe scenes. Hear him; If I had been given the making of it I could notjbetter have suited 'Indeed! I have been so well pleased that have been content to stay at home and play at philosophy, leaving to play at patronage, quite satisfied that the President and the eminent jind accomplished men with whom he has surrounded himself might be trusted to give a civil service capab and clean to hahdle the public business with fidelity and efficiency, and to discharge adequate- ly their obligations both to the peo-, pie and the party." Personal contact and opportujiities for getting on both siofes of points of criticism, and dispute hav( strengthened these original impressions. (After our years of absepco from power pe Democratic party has, by little less than a miracle, come into the custody of the national government.

Whether it retains that custody Jwilt depend upon the success or failure of the men it ias delegated to represent it. The party' is on trial." Jnevitably it is bound to stand or fall by its administration. It cannot afford to quarrel with this upon matter of detail, or lightly to criticise it. There will be time e--hough to disown it when it violates its pledges. In the mean time Demn ocrats shouljd remember that it; is; composed Democrats, that jthe Democrats ivho compose it have their rights with the rest, and that no one of them has given the smallest reason for anybody to distrust' him.

I have encountered but one spirit here, and my opportunities for forming sa judgment have been the most ample, and this is a spirit of loyalty to ithe party and the country. I will stake my life upon the sincerity of thi and I assuro the disappointed anjd the doubting among Democrats that, if the President should go faster than he is going, he would surel ran his bark ashore. One story is good till another is told. The administration that starts out to please everybody will "end by the pleasing of jnobody. Beset on all sides by complications and badgered day inand dyout by importunities, it has kept its temper passing well and has made no more mistakes than are common to new-comers in office, and not so many as, might have been expected.

A celebrated architict, in passing a new chur4h, was asked what he thought of the building. His reply was, "I can tell better the Btuging is uwn. fV Fist Elcycla Tics. Ohaelotie, N. May 25.John S.

Prince, of -Washington; D. 6hampion bicyclist of America won a four-mi 'race against four separate trotting horses on the grounds of the Caroyna Fair Association and beat his world's 'making one 'mile and four yards in the unprecedented' time of 2 min utes 35' seconds. His1 time was members the Charlotte Bicycle Club, the watches only quarter of and the slowest time only being A' handful of common sensed is worth a bushel of learning. Swells cf Seyeral Sorts Qn who' Bobbed Cscar Wilds The Brewers and the Teapertnce Men Oceans of fissr Female Oaths aai Ihe fow Bible The L'ost Popular Congrsssnan-TamGiany Decaying Pclitics A Southern Book. New York, May 25.

To the Editor of The Lenoir Topic: This is the kind of a swell we see coming to the surface in New York every once in a while. 'he other day while the races were going on but at a park a few miles from the city, a howling swell rushed to the depot just in time to see the last train move off. He swore a little. Then he smiled. "No other train today "No, sir; no other train." So he went to see the superintendent of, the road and chartered a special train to pull his pretty self down there for which he very willingly paid $60.

There was another; kind of swell whose "swellery" was exposed in the courts the other' day. The plain English of it was, he was only a gambler. But he played big, and he duped rich game. The way it all came out was through his wife. She was a woman of character and of accomplishments and of unusual beau ty.

He married her, charming her by his elegant manners and making her believe that he was engaged in some legitimate business and was wealthy. She soon found out that he only wanted her in order to play the fine gentleman the better. Her hospitable. lie got into good so- i i 1 1 i uietjr, very greaiiy oy ioe neip oi nis wife's accomplishments, and his house was a charming place to visit. But he turned it to a good business use you bet he "did.

When he had elegantly entertained a rich man, he managea somehow or somehow else to draw him into a gambling game and he won all the fellow had. A man that had been so duped felt a-shamed to confess ic, and so. this fellow went on playing this kind of a game until he had fleeced a great many elegant gentlemen of leisure several English Lords among the Test. His wife became so disgusted and so miserable that she sued for a divorce. THE MAN WHO ROBBED OSCAR.

AVhen Oscar Wilde was preaching the gospel of sunflowers in America, a sharper, known as "hungry Joe," one night got him into a game and took a round sum from the English estete. Oscar's friend i to keep the thing a sort of a secret. Nobody knows what "hungry Joe real nam: is. For a long time he has been a notorious character, and he has passed under dozens of names. He has stolen hundreds of men's moneys I but lie- -always i did it 8J gracefully that he never got caught, and never had the b)d luck to get caught in the clutches of the law.

But the other day he openly robbed a young Englishman of $200, and it is now likely that he will go to the. penitentiary. He is an accomplish-ed fellow, and he had reduced fleec ing people to an exact science. THE LIQUOR WAR. Thn fnll forces of the prohibition- iets andi of haye been exerted' Here "these few last days.

'The brewers of the United Mates held their annual association here. Two thousand of them clinked glasses together and vowed to whip out the prohibitionists in every State. How much beer do you suppose is made in the United States every year Nearly six hundred millions of gallons a'bout ten gallons for every inhabitant of this country. The brewers conduct journals, write tracts, publish books and do every- iu: V.oir i nan tn nrnvfi that when ypeople drink beer they quit the use of wnisKey ana get iuu. Their literary fund last year, which they spent in this way more than $15,000.

The day they adjourned the National Temperance Society published its 20th report. The Temperance Society, had less than $9,000 last year to spend in its work. But it has 1383 different Temperance publications. The Brewers; raise more a-nA ffiAv hold the most of the territory, but the Temperance Soci-d ety iceeps up its laim uu to fight-the brewers predisely as it fights, the distillers. TJJE NEW BIBLE.

I While all of this hasbeen going on the new version of the Old Testament was published, ahd put on sale. -But the Sales have really heen TerV small. There is not much. curiosity: about People read; the chief-etianges which were published in theitewspapers; aijd seemed 'content tonse the old version. Did you eyer hear 6f man who bought a revised New Testament as a family Bible Or oi3 man who auoftiK ft revised passage on hit deatkheu The old version seems disposed tahold its owtf against the new LIJ The most important change tnat the revisers made was the substitution of the Hebrew word "sheol" for the word "hell." One preacher has already said that thish change has increased profanity.

The news News aid Observer. On Juno 16th there will be held at Goldsboro an examination of applicants under the civil service rules. Having; recently received inquiries about the matter, it-may not be uninteresting to state once more the main points in relation to it. The law, requires that appoint ments in certain departments at Washington shall be apportioned among the States, each State may. have its fair share of patronage-; and to this end examinations are held in those States' whose quotas of clerks are not yet filled under the terms of the law.

At the examinations, all persons who have made" application in conformity the regulations are given a set questions whicn they are required to answer in'writing in the presence of the 1 examiners. The papers containing these answers are sent to Washington, where the commissioners pass upon them and determine which show that a degree of proficiency that would warrant an appointment. The names of the persons passing the examination successfully are then enrolled and when a head of any department needs a new clerk, he notifies the civil service boaYd who furnish three names from which the selection is to be made. The clerk so selected is taken, however, only on probation after some months' trial, if found apt, he is regularly appointed. After that he is not to be turned out except for good cause.

The law has thus established a sort of corps of government clerks who once getting in can remain in as long as they behave themselves. Nor are they denied hope of promotion. They can from time to time be examined for promotion and can rise to the very highest grade. Such Lare the main points" in 'civil service act. As North is entitled vto some more clerkships, those, who desire to enter the "civil service" should send to Capt.

D. Graham, clerk of the civil service commis-r sion, at Washington City, for blank applications and for instructions. rWhen these are obtained, they1 will proceed according to the directions, sand, eventually will have to; present themselves at Gold sborof for, examination. The examinations, are not difficult. The questions are framed by sensible men to test profi- iciency of clerks.

A certain amount of information is requisite to pass 'successfully a Certain standard of literary culture must be evidenced a certain acquaintance with the geography and territory of the United States, with arithmetic, and with ordinary topics, must be shown, or the applicant will hardly pass. the requirements are not unusual and the questions are not so difficult that any one fairly qualified for a clerkship need hesitate to make the attempt. Ladies afe eligible equally with men. There are, however, some limitations as to age. A Sunday School Scholar.

i jrfere is the pith of a talented "youngster's paper on the "Good Samaritan "A certain man went down from jerslam to jeriker, and ihe fell among thieves and thethorn3 sprang up and choaked him whereupon lie gave tuppins to the host, and praid take care on him and put him non his hone hass. And he past by on the other This and the following aretiot, as might be supposed, American exaggerations, out authenticated instances of examiners' experiences. The last specimen is in answer-to the question, "Who was Moses "He lived in a hark maid of bullrushes, and he kept a golden calf and wor-shipt braizen snakes, and he het nothin but qwhalea and manner for forty years. He was kart by the air while ridin under a bow of a tree and he was killed by his son Abslon as he was hanging from the bow. His end was peace." A-Narrow Escape.

From the Chicago Herald. "Poor Gordon," remarked Jenkins as he finished reading the foreign column in the paper, "his was a sad fate." 1 I-' replied Johnson, "very sad. But he was lucky in one thing, after all." "What was that "Why, died in time to escape reading Tennyson's epitaph on John Cray's First Seraca Boston JPosbi "Sairy," observed John; Gray, as returned from his first visit church, "fl heard a funny thing' up to the cHurch." "Wliat, was it Why the minister was telljng about a friend of his whose hoy ran away from home and left the old man and -his brother to do all the work, hut, after awhile got sick of 'it and came back," and when he got home the old man: gave him a big dinner. I swo'w -if he'd a been my boy I'd a give him a good 'IWhat was his name, John, did the minister say Yes, he said as' it was The Prodigal Son You don't know 'em, do you Bill Arp. It is right pitiful to see how some of the incumbents struggle against fate.

I am sorry for them. I saw one the other day going around town with a petition, asking to be retained. He was a Republican and a partisan, and worked hard for Blaine; but his daughter ran the (office and reaped its benefits, and shei was popular and pretty, and many.iDemo-crats had signed the petition on her account. Her father called on an old; solid, blunt gentleman, who never concealed his thoughts nor minced words, and when be read the petition he quietly opened! a drawer that, was near him, and took out a long, pocket-book, and after slowly untying the string, took from it a picture a picture of Cleveland hanging a The culprit was a pretty TBeeent looking fdlow, but Cleveland the sheriff, was a hard-looking case, a i horrid caricature, and underneath, was printed; in large type, "American people do you want that man to be your President I The old gentleman held jit up before the postmaster, and said with slow, emplatic words: 'My friend, you sent me that you put that in my box you took advantage of your office and your position as a public servant to insult me. No, sir 1 I shall not sign your petition, but I shall send this to the Postmaster General and let him know where I got it." i Civility costs less and sells for more than auythiug.

A man ought to cultivate it, even for policy, if nothing else. It pays. have a friend who has held a good office for thirty years. He is kind and obliging to everybody. Sometimes an aspiring fellow will- try to raise a sensation and say he has held it long, enough and ought to rbtate, and my friend will reply that it is all true and he is willing that the office is not his, but belongs to the people and he is' their servant, and is ready to vacate when they say so.

But they never say so, and I reckon he will die in harness. I know 4 a Republican postmaster who.has never given any offense, and is a good citizen and has raised five boys who are' exemplary in their conduct; and are all Democrats. And now there are half a dozen men going round with their petitions and want his place just because they are Democrats-nothing else. i Well, I declined to sign, for. I am sure the incumbent ia, competent and is honest and is no partisan.

In facC, he was recommended, by Democrats and urged to take the office at a time when we were all under the ban, and he was doing all he could tq soften the persecution that was. us. the rascals is. the watc)iword, but until as good a or better applies, let a good man stay. That is the spirit the civil service rev form, and ought to be in all parties.

This is the way to make qon verts from the opposition ranks, and converts we must have. The small majority by which Mr. Cleveland; was elected is entirtly too small to bank on for the election. Civility and toleration willwin jnore votes than revenge. Let the disap- Eointed howl.

Let Senator Eustis ickout of the breeching if he wants to. The party can't pleaseevery-body thero are not offices The wagon is new now, and the wheels will look on the axles a little at first, but Mr. Cleveland is a good, driver and goes slow and'keepd putting on axle greese, and he has splendid stock; and by-and-by the six-horse team will move along like an old Virginia tobacco wagon. Ha Ran Away. London Tropical Times, -v i Workhouse boy who had been apprenticed to a small farmer, brougnt up, as he had run away.

Guardian WDid they beat you?" "No, sir," Guard why did you run away Boy "Please, sir, after I got tnere a pig died they salted it, and we had fur to eat it. Then a calf died, and they salted it, and we had fur to eat that then master's grandmother died, and I seed 'em taking some 4 salt upstairs, so I run' away." i Kot sa New York Mll end Express. On day a solemn man' entered a Washington saloon, and asked "Is this the saloon where Booth got a drink brandy before killing, the president "Have yott any of the sam.e hran- dy left rf Yes.sir.!.!:;;.;:;! "Giye me some of the, same bran dy out of 'sanie dfearterf V-' It is given td' him and: he puts down the fifty cents and' the Is that the" same brandy that OV air A '4 xes, lItw. r'is. ifAnd theti he went out and shot the "president -V! -Iv? itXK "Yes, "I don't; wonder; pne drink of, that brandr would a man go-out and kill his grandmother." i i 9 1 1 'I Letter from Watauga.

Watauga. May'25. To the Editor of. TJie Lenoi Topic As I am not at home nor any where else permanently, oannot fjve you an item of news, Jut( as I aye seen some interesting cbrres- pondence f.om Zionville, I will tell readers something of that Zionville is a promising little ville at the head of Cove Creek it has one store, a nice church, a blacksmith shop, and a good mill and is populated by good citizens, for it is so near the State line, when man gets there he goes on to Tenn. (I did when I was there.) i i A mile and a half below Zionville is Church P.

O. They have a good school house and another mill there. Now speaking of mills, at Zion ville they have taken advantage of the water fall, and have an over-shot wheel, and also the same at Coun-cill's mill on Brushy Fork and at Elizabethton, the corn mill is run by an uhder-shbtwheel, but the mill at Church is different the water strikes the wheel about the middle, and as water shows but, lit-', tie inclination to run up hill, of course it does hot go over. Now it seems to me that should be called a "center-shot" wheel, but there I am wrong again, they call that a "breast wheel." I The weather has been very dry in Watauga until last week, during which there has been a ood deal of rain which has been considerable hindrance to the many farmers that are not done planting. N.

The prisoners all escaped from Boone jail last Thursday night, by cutting out another window. Bat of course uncle Hallelujah will give you full particulars. (N. B. He calls himself "Old Hal' But both the adj.

and abbreviation (Hal) sound too harsh therefore I am constrained to writeit in the le-spectful manner I do.) I was deeply moved to sympathize with friend "Phlete'' upon reading an account of his many mishaps in fishing." It seems he had a better day for fishing than for catching When he sufficiently recuperates to go again I hope he may have better luck to infoim us of. F. cf CircIIza. The Catalogue of the University of North Carolina for 1884-'85- shows an; increase I of students, 230, as against 210 the previous year. Announcement is made of the in-' election before the beginning of the next session of four additional full Professors and three Assistant Professors, which will greatly incdi-, fy the distribution and enlarge the scope of instruction.

i rascals out" has lately begun so vig- OJUUBiy in iigiiiii vuaii lit 10 eaiu uj some here that the President has sent a similar messenger into the Southern States to fina out precisely who are the proper men to appoint. Men of all parties here, except the few rabid bloody-shirt fellows and organs are loud in their approval of a clean sweep in the South and it is thought that the President and the Postmaster-General have now fairly begun that job, -and that they will not stop until the service of the National Government in the South is made respectable and clean. who wrote it The North and South novel, "Across the Chasm," which was very recently published here is attracting a good deal of Virginia lady, it has been guessed, is the author. But nobedy here Jcnowg. It has been pronounced a very oleVer book, Dr.

McCesh, the celebrated Pres-Irlflnt of Princeton College, said here in a lecture the other night that he, i i ii thongnt gins ougnt io naye preity much the same training in colleges, as boys and there is much talk in educational circles abouMhe splen-t did record made by the female pu-pilg of the University of Mississippi and one or two other institutions where they; are admitted along with the young men. Caldwell. The failure of one man is the; opportunity of another. 1 He who pretends to be everybody's particular friend, is nobody's. i.