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About Oregon City enterprise. (Oregon City, Or.) 1871-188? | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1873)
"-"''jif -' .. -,u--- V"7' .J-1 t-W""1 O O C c rr-rtvi it a o VOL. 8. OREGON CITY, OREGON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1873. NO. 4. J ' - ' ' ' - : ' ' '' ' . , :.: : - : . - - - ' - o t J 1MT W 1 1MT W fl Ifiift' l':r": ' ' o o o n O G O O o o o o F O C o State Board of Equalization. UEPOBT OF TnE HOARD TO MS EXCEL LENCY, C.OVEKNOK GROVER SOME V ALU A RLE HINTS I5ECOMMEXDATIOX THAT ALL COUNTY OFFICERS BE SAL ARIED AND TUAT FEES BE AROLISIIEI) PIFI'ICCLTIES WHICH EMBARRASS THE HOARD RULES FOR COUNTY BOARI'-i AND FOR ASSESSORS. Office State ISoaroof Equaltza- ) tion, Nov. 1, 1S7:$. J To H:'i Eccellency L. F. (1 rarer, Chernov of OreionSm: The law makes itiihe duty of this Board to j cornmuiScate with you "in relation to the Assessment ami collection ot revenue" In compliance therewith we are gratified to be able to sav that thev'i has been a positive, though partial, improvement, at least in the manner iu wliich the result" of the Q work of assessing has been prepared for the' examination of the Board. Instead of various sized and unsuita ble books, and in some cases only sheets oi. paper loosely fastened to gether, arid all more or less differing from the form prescribed by law, which b.'fore comprised the record of the Stn'e assessment, this year the assessment rolls are uniform in ap pearance, strongly and neatly bound in volumes, and measurably after the tabular form require 1 by law. For the first time in the assess ment of the State, the different kinds of property are shown in detail in different columns. This is chiefly due to the! measures adopted at the last session of the Board to accom plish such ,an end. We re-r?et to observe that too mmy of tlW Assesors are inefficient, e ther through incompetency or d's inclinatiov.i to do their duty in t'.ie manner directed by the law. Their Ctieglect or E kilure in the performance of their o'laidal service is shown in the under valuation of property; carelessness- in not balancing each page of the assessment roll, so that the addition of the sum total of the column of 'gross values;" a disre gard of the proper manner of quali fying a taxpayer when rendering an account of liis property, and indebt edness, in not administering the oath in the form of an aOMavit setting forth the item- of taxable -property, as well as indebtedness, instead of a verbal oatUj; deducting exemption from the assessment of real instead of peroM d . .property. Battue most serious inoijicicney rf Assessors is in assessing property far below its Aork, although t!ie complete cash va'u iti;n is vet to be readied. We are sensible of the ungracious ness of the work that is assigned us, that the more evidently we may do our part the more may prejudice and sdf-interest disparage anil misjudge. Yet we have no choice other than to do our dntv to the best of ourknowl- e.K'e an 1 ability, am 1 leave the re nit tf the determination of experi- It is one of the objects of good government that its burdens should i borne equally by all that no one should be compelled to sustain more thau a just proportion of it expen ses. When all property is complete ly listed at the true value, inequality and nnfairr.ess in taxation will be no longer experienced, ami the less the expense of government the less should be the tax. The accomplish- ; inent of an object so desirable and beneficial as a reduction of the ratio of taxes cau only be attained by a full ami complete exhibit of all the assessable property of the State at it actual cash valuation as the law requires. The more numerous the sources of rlvenwe the easier is the obligation of the taxpayer fullijled. . The larger the amount of assessable property the less will be the rate of txes the givler t!i- relief from that ob.irthen. To illustrate: if the tax able property of the State could be returned at e hundred millions of dollars which the Board estimates to be nearest the cash valuation than the amount actually returneu there would be no necessity for a further continuance of the State tax at rive and a half mills, as it could safely be red iced under such cir cumstances to less than one half that figure, with a corresponding reduc tion in the taxation for county pur poses. It is suggested that incompetency ' is the cause oi iuelliciency in Asses sors that under the present system no better ability can be obtained without increased compensation. In view of future legislation, we would advise that Assessors lie paid an an nual salary sullicient to insure that talent and competency so essential for a position ;of such importance. There is no c.oi nty official whose in telligent and energetic service com prehends more beneficial results, or whose duties ire of move vital con sequence. The term of office should "be extended to at least a period of four years to make the incumbent more independent of interested in fluences, and to enable him to secure to the public the value of his experi ence. . In connection with the subject of taxation ,ye would further suggest the advisibility of paying all county ofiicials by a stated yearly salary, ita- ' stead of by fee as at present, and that the fees for services be collected as usual and transferred to the Coun ty Treasury. "Vfe are as.sured that after paving liberal compensation for the very best ability there would re main in the Treasury, under such an arrangement, iq a majority of the counties a largo surplus of money with wliich to liquidate county lia bilities and thus relieve the oppres siveness of county taxation, It would also be a movement in the . right direction and-a help to the tax o actual cash! value, lhose assessors who have IVrinitted themselves to be guided 1.- the rules framed by the Board fr that purpose have more sat isi.etorilv performed their payer to consolidate rather than in crease the the number of oflices. The necessary legislation should be procured that would require the number of positions of a similar class to be consolidated into one, especial ly in counties wdiere there are city franchises, so that in such counties there would need to but one Asses sor, one Collector, one Treasurer for county, city, and perhaps school dis trict purposes. The Board was very considerably displayed in the work of equalization, in the first instance by the inaccura cies and incompleteness of the great er number of the assessment rolls. the correction of which occupied a good deal of time and attention, and in the second place this session was prolonged by the failure on the part of some of the counties in the trans mission of their assessment rolls, several of which were not received until late iu the month of October. Additional rules have been form ulated for Assessors which it is hoped may render their duties more intelligible and secure greater effi ciency of service. Some of the connty boards of equalization have misintepreted the. law under which they act, and while they were in session for the fall period of the term, they sat to hear and answer complaints only, and did not " examine and correct the assess ment rolls of their respective coun ties," or " increase or reduce the val uation of property assessed," where such action was necessary as the law provides. Attention has been called to this omission in the performance of their duties with the hope that hereafter greater efficiency will be manifested on their part, for without it the labors of the State Board are largely increased and to some extent ren-.l e red mi ga t o ry . The revenue system of the State is very defective. Its thorough amend ment is of the first importance. The necessity of the case is so imperious as to demand a complete revision of these laws as soon as possible. They were enacted from time to time with out reference to the present system of equalization, and the State and county Boards of Equalization seem to have been created without regard to the revenue laws, and consequent ly difficulties are constantly arising to retard and embarrass the action of those organizations in the exercise of their functions. The j lowers of the State Board should- be enlarged or made more definite. The number of its mem 1a.vs should be in "reast'd to at least live one from each judicial district which would have a tendency to dace the Board in possession oi in creased local knowledge for the more satisfactory performance of its duties, more certainly insure a quorum at all times during its session, and in the wider division of its labors secure a much greater efficiency. It v.:as undoubtedly the intention of the Legislature, in making it the duty of the Assessors to deduct from the taxable propel ty of the taxpayer his indebtedness within the State that the indebtedness so deducted, in the form of obligations to pay in the possession of the creditor, should be subject to taxation as the. proper ty of the creditor. If otherwise, the law is invidious and unjust, and should be repealed, as many of our merchants, having liabilities due elsewhere, are precluded from the leneiit of the law. The Board have therefore directed Assessors here after in all cases not to deduct in debtedness unless the names of the creditors are given. It was com pelled to this course as a matter of right to the State and to the taxpay er' as well as justice to those who are excluded from taking advantage of the law, and more particularly be cause of the enormous amount of in debtedness appearing as an oil'set to assessments. The aggregate indebted ness throughout the State, which taxpayers have the benefit of, amounts to .1:3,021,111, while the column of "money, notes and ac counts," where said indebtedness should appear, aggregates only $9, U:;i),f'.72, which is too sufficiently sig nificant of itself to need futher com ment. The assessable property of the State for the present rear was return ed at o7,bS:2,Oil. "Deducting in debtedness and exemption amount ing to 810,982,532, the total taxable pronerty amounted to 810,700,109. The result of equalization increases this sum to -15,088,924 91. With the exception of Multnomah connty, the assessments in the out side or border counties were nearer a cash valuation than in the counties situated in the "Willamette valley, which include the more desirable and valuable lands, because of culti vation and convenient means of transportation of products to mar kets of exchange. The assessments of agricultural lands generally, with the exception of five counties, were so palpably below the actual valua tion as to make an equalization, by an additional per centage on the gross assessment, a matter of the sheerest justice. So imperfect ami unfair have been some of the assess ments, that lands for which 820 per acre have been offered and declined, have been assessed at 88 per acre; and in no county in the Willamette valley, have the agricultural lands been assessed at any figures approx imating a cash valuation, bnt as there was no assessment in a single instance approximating a cash val uation of such property, no increase could be made, the Board having to do only with the equalization of as sessments. These facts must be borne in consideration in reviewing the work of the Board in the matter of equalization. For the first time in the statistics of the State there is an exhibit of the number and value of the different kinds of live stock. It affords grat- vSfiedntfrmati?n- The more i the L PToJts of a country and "Star" " itS H,6 conntitt'east of the moun tains the assessment of live stock generally approaehed ' nearer the cash value than elsewhere, save in the one county already named. In three of the chiefest agricultural counties of the State, convenient to water and railroad transportation, the average assessment of cattle was from 4,8 9b to 811 50 per head; while in the two extreme southern counties, Jackson and Josephine, the average exceeded 810 per head; in the conn ties of Clatsop and Columbia 819 50 and .21 98 respectively; and in Ba ker, Grant an! Wascocounties, from 815 CG to 817 50. In equalizing, the assessments of the lands belonging to the" grants to wagon road companies, comprising 4S1.502 acres, tile Board took into consideration the fact that they were withheld from present settlement for speculative purposes, and deemed that the Government price, 81 25, at which they were assessed in one county, although at a higher price in another, was a proper assessment for such lands, excepting those in Was co county, which were equalized at 40 cents, on account of their remote ness and inferior character of soil. The lands of the European and Ore gon Land Company, embracing 192, 514 acres, were likewise viewed as lul l for speculative purposes, and their a-sessment was e pialized to the highest assessment 81 50 in the central counties, and in other localities at 81 25 per acre. Some of the lands of the railroad grant have been sold at much higher figures; they were all conveyed to the present company at 81 25 'per acre, and are held for sale at a price beyond that rate. In conclusion, we have the honor to submit the accompanying tabular statements as part of this report. It is believed that they contain valua ble statistical infoi matiou that may be useful in the future, in legis lating and otherwise; at all events they will serve to show in part the labors of the Board in the duties of equalization: Exhibit "A " is a table of the acre age, average value per ncre, and gross value of land, exclusive of grants to corporations, in each coun ty of the State, and per cent, of in crease after equalization. It shows an aggregate oi :-,5S9,:i91: acres,, and the assessed value of 819,010,508, with the value as equalized of 822, 220.381 50. Exhibit B " is a table of the number and gross and average val ues of stock in each county of the State, and per cent, of increase after equalization. It gives 05. 789 horses; assessed value, 82.589,(517; equalized value, 8o.OSO,227; cattle, 232. 132; assessed value, 83, 410,910; equalized value, 83,783,001; sheep, 388.241; assessed value, 8905,401; equalized value, 81,011,199; swine, 72.825; as sessed value, 8115,011; equalized value, 212,354. Exhibit "C" is a table of the property of corporations showing description of property owned by each company, the assessed value thereof, the per centage added or deducted, and the equalized value. This exhibit gives 4273a miles of tel egraph line; assessed value. 827,950; equalized value, 842,750; 257? miles of railroad, equalized atiro.MJ.j bb.oi per mile, or 81,494,500; 192,514 acres of land of European and Oregon Land Company; assessed value, 8140, 099 93; equalized' value, 82GS. 121 49; 585,502 acres of lands of wagon road companies; assessed val ue, 8305,401; equalized value, 8477, 925. Exhibit "B" is a table of the ag gregates of property in each county of the State, w ith the values assessed and equalized, showing the total taxable property of the State as equalized to be 815,088,025 91. All of which is respectfully sub mitted, N. H. Gates. Geo. L. Curry, W. F. Alexander. RULES TOR COUNTY HOARDS OF EQUALI ZATION. Bule 1. The County Board of Equalization of the several counties in this State are requested to cause a certified copy of the assessment roll of their respective counties, af ter equalization by them, to be for warded at the expense of the county, to the Secretary of State, before the second Monday in September of each year, for the examination and action of the State Board of Equalization. And the collection of taxes should not proceed until said rolls have been examined and passed upon by the State Board of Equalization, w hich, in all cases will be done with out delay. Bale 2. In order that the present inequality in the assessed value of real and 'personal estate, in the va rious counties of the State, may be remedied, and the subsequent labors of this Board facilitated, the County Boards of Equalization are recom mended to enforce the rule that the actual salable cash value shall, in all cases, be the standard assessment of both ' real and personal property. The root of the inequality complain ed of, is in the arbitrary standard of appraisement fixed by Assessors, more or less below cash value. Bule 3. The Assessors have been required to add up all the columns of the assessment rolls and show the arro-ie-ates. The County Boards are requested to see that this duty is not neglected by the Assessors . Rule 4. The County Board of Equalization are required by law "to examine and correct the assessment roll of their respective counties and to increase and reduce the valuation of property assessed,", and not alone to sit, hear and determine complaints of over valuations." Rule 5. Assessment ' rolls, after equalization by County Boards must be transmitted to the Secretary of State on or before the first day of October, or the Assessor or Clerk, as the case may be, will be proceed ed against for a failure to perform his duties as reqnired by law. Rule 0. That ' the State may re ceive its due proportion of the tax on property omitted to be assessed by the Assessor, and afterwards found and taxed by the Collector, it is di rected that tiie County Boards cause the Secretary of State to be notified by the Collectors on the completion of each year's collections, of the amount of the assessment and col lection. Rule 7. To insure, the improve ment of the system of assessment, the County Boards are requested to cause the Assessors to conform to the rules arid regulations framed by the State Board for their observance in disdiarge of their duty, with more strictness than heretofore. RULES FOR ASSESSORS. Rule 1. Connty Assessors are re quired by law to commence their service on the first day of March, and a failure to do so, or to complete without delay the assessment of their counties and return their assessment rolls to the County Boards before the first Monday in August, is not only contrary to the law which they have sworn to observe, but seriously embarrasses and delays the work of the County and State Boards of Equalization. Rule 2. It is essential that the assessment rolls of the various coun ties should be alike in form and style and in order to insure this the Sec retary of State will transmit three blank assessment rolls to each county and the Assessor is enjoined to ob serve the form, and make his entries in accordance therewith. Rule 3. The assessment of every piece of property assessed must be placed in some appropriate column of values before it is placed in the column denominated "gross value of all property,", in order that each page or the assessment roll shall show that the sum total of the col umns of values, w hen added together equal and correspond with the ag gregate column of "gross value of all property," and each Assessor is required, to add up the columns of his assessment roll, and prove in this manner, that each page balances before presenting it to the County Board of Equalization. Rule 4. To avoid the numerous omissions now maile in the assess ment of real estate, Assessors are re quired to procure the maps, as the law directs, of the real estate in their respective counties, showing the ac tual present owner of each town lot, and tract land of which the title has passed from the United States or the State of Oregon. Rule 5. Xo taxpayer's name should appear in different places on the same roll, but all his property should bo assessed continuously af ter the entry. of his name. Rule 0. The description of real estate on the assessment roll should show the section or part of section, the township, range, the number of acres, the cash value of each piece or parcel, and the total value. Rule 7. Town and city lots must be described by the number of lot and bhx k, with the name of the place and must be assessed separately from other real estate, and the cash, value of each lot or part of lot be entered by itself in the appropriate column and the cash value of the improve meats upon each lot, must be enter ed separately in tha column of "value of improvements." Rule 8. Mills, canals, mining ditches, telegraph lines, railroads, etc., must be assessed at their cash value, and entered in the assessment roll in the column denominated "val ue of all improvements." ; Rule 9. Assessors must require names of creditors and the sums due to them to be given, in all cases where the indebtedness within the State is to be deducted from the tax payers' taxable property, or the said indebtedness must not otherwise be allowed. And the said creditor or creditors must be assessed for the amount due them in case they have made no previous return of the same in their statement of taxable proper- ty. Rule 10. When a taxpayer owns taxable property in two or more counties, he should have the benefit of his indebtedness, after naming his creditors, in proportion to his taxa ble property. Rule 11. On entering upon the discharge of their duties, the As sessor shall furnish by mail or other method, to each taxpayer within their respective counties, a blank form, substantially as follows requir ing the said taxpayer to fill or cause to be filled the blanks in said form with a true statement re sponsive to each question therein, and the Assessor shall give reasona ble notice of the day or days when he will be in a stated precinct to receive the said statements of property and administer the oath to the taxpayer, which said statements and affidavits shall be preserved by tne Assesor, and turned over to his successor in office. form. . Statement of assessable property of (name of taxpayer) in the county of , Oregon, for the year 187-. Description vf Real Estate. If ag ricultural land, state section or part of section, township and range and number of acres?. If Town or C 'iti'- Property. Num ber of lot, lots orparts of lots, block and name of town or city? , ' Description of Personal Property. If merchandise, goods or implements state what? If money, notes or ac counts, .state what? If household fnrniture, . watches or pleasure car riages, state what? - - : :r- COURTESY OF BANCROFT LIBRARY, Stork.- Horses, how many? Cat tle, how many? Sheep, how many? Swine, how many? If any other species of property, not heretofore enumerated, state what? . If indebted within the State, state to whom, and in what amount? State of Oregon, County of ,1 ss. I , do solemnly swear that the foregoing list includes all my real and personal property within the State of Oregon, and that the statement of my indebtedness, here to appended, is true, and that no part thereof has been deducted from my assessment in any other county in the State. Subscribed and me this day of sworn to before , A. D. 187-. , Assessor. " Rule "12: The Assessor as Boon as he receives a statement of any taxa ble .property situated in - another county, must make a copy of such statement for each county in w hich tho same is situated, and transmit the same by mail or express to the Assessor of the proper county, who must assess the same a3 other taxa ble property. Rule 13. The Assessor must col lect the taxes on moveable personal property in the following cases: 1. When from any cause he be lieves that the person who owns or controls', the property is about to re move or dispose of such property, whereby the tax may become delin quent; 2. When, in the exercise of a sound discretion, he believes that the pay ment of tho tax depends on its im mediate collection. Rule 14. The Assessor is govern ed as to the amount of taxes to be by him collected on moveable property, by the State and county rate of the previous year. , Rule 15. In assessing property, due regard should be had to locality nearness to market and to all partic ulars affecting the salable cash value of the same, and in all cases the standard of valuation both of real and personal property shall be the actual cash value. Rule 10. The Assessor shall de duct the 8300 exemption allowed by law only from the personal property of householders, and to be allowed to householders only, and not to bu siness firms, and where the personal property is less than 8300, the amount noted on the roll should on ly epual the amount of such persoual property. Rule 17. The Assessor himself and not the assessed, should be the judge of values by personal inspec tion, whenever practicable. Rule. 18. The capital stock and other property, of all banking and other companies, were not otherwise more convenient, should be assessed to each company in its corporate name. Rule 19. In cases whore parties are bondsmen or sureites for others, such obligation do not constitute an indebtedness to be allowed as a set off against taxation. Rule 29. Assessors are reminded that the law requires them, to collect the poll tax as it is assessed. Rule 21. The law makes it the duty of the State Board of Equaliza tion, in case "there is reason to be lieve that any Assessor has failed or refused to do any of the duties im posed upon him by law," to "make a thorough investigation, and if, "after such investigation, it appears to said Board that such officer has failed or refused to fully discharge the duties of his office, the Board shall certify the fact to the District Attorney," etc. A ""Vitness IVho tlocs to Funeral. We clip from the Manchester Times the following testimony of a witness on the Tichborne case, who seemed to have a dismal line of duty to fol low: ' George Idickman, an undertaker, living in Mile End Road, said: I formerly lived at Waping, and know Arthur Orton. He had lighter hair than the defendant. During the last trial I was brought here-to see the defendant, who I was told was Orton. but I found he was not Orton. Ar thur's upper lip protruded much. Dr. Kenealy Were there any marks upon his face? It was marked with the smallpox. Looking at the defendant's hands do they remind you of Arthur's? Xo, thev are much smaller. '. What kind of a walk has Arthur? A "slobering" kind of walk. What kind of a voice? Gruff; quite different to the defendant's. Is the defendant at all like your friend? Xosir. . Cross-examination bv Mr. Hawk ins; I last saw my old friend in 1852 or 1853. The defendant's voice is unlike that of any of the Ortons. Arthur and Edmund were very much the same size. I don't know if Ed mund wore ear-rings or pockmarked. Where were .you when you last saw Arthur? On the pier-head at Wapping. I was waiting for a funer al at the time; I sometimes attend the same funeral a dozen times. Laughter. Do you, how is that? Laughter. Do you want to Know .' Yes. Very well then. Laughter. I go to measure, don' t 1? Laugh - ter, J Well? Next I go with the coffin, don't I? Increased laughter. Well? Next,' I go with the pall, don't I? Great laughter.. Well ? Next, I go to bury, don't I ? Greater laughter. '- Well? And sometimes I have got to go for the money, haven't I?Roars of laughter. J Mr. Hawkins: Very well. Ton may go Mr. Hickman. Laughter. J The Sultan-mother is about to pre sentdon't blush sixty Krnpp guns to the Turkish War Department. ; General News Items. The mint at San Francisco coined nearly 830,000 in dimes since the 1st instant. . Next week they, will com mence on half dollars. A vessel of 300 tons ' burthen, has been chartered to take a cargo of California golden syrup from San Francisco direct to Hamburg. It is rumored that R. C. McCorm icks, Territorial Delegate from Ari zona, will soon marry the daughter j of Senator Thurman, of Ohio. i. Several adults have, died of scarlet fever within a few days. The disease is still very prevalent and very fatal amongst children in San Francico. Mr. D. C. Beaty, of Olymnia, has been appointed farmer in charge of thePuyallup Indian Reservation, ;at the head of Tacoma Bay, vice B. Bar low. Laura Keene the once famous act ress, is reported to have died atMont clair, N. J. on the 0th. She had for some time past been suffering from consumption. Rev. Mr. Minley, who went out to Africa in 1809, has returned. He thinks he converted one heathen, but isn't sure, as the convert would insist on keeping a fighting dog. A Washington dispatch of Novem ber 5th announces the death in that city the night before, of Brigadier General Delafield, who had been on the retired list since 1800. Advice from Eureka, Hurnbolt County, represent that there is great excitement at that place over the dis covery of diamonds on boulder Creek about thirty mdes from town. Senator Kellv arrived in Washing ton Thursday, the 23d, only ten days from Oregon. He is in good health aud spirits, and is looking for a resi dence this Winter. His family are in Massachusetts. The Utah Northern Narrow-gauge Road is being extended from Brig ham City, its former terminus,, to Ogden. Track-laying is now pro gressing rapidly, and will probably be complete in one month. ' : J. W. Pattent, clerk iii the Fost Office, cousin of Senator Sargent, and Herriek, another clerk, have been arrested for- stealing money from the Post Office. They are in custody of the U. S. Marshal. The amount taken is not stated. A special to the . New York Post says: The Government is anqdy se cured against loss by the suspension of the First National Bank, and Jay Cooke & Co., but will lose by Clewes Habecht &. Co. probably less than a hundred thousand dollars. f " Tho North Pacific Railroad Com pany claim 2,088,000 acres of land in Washington Territory ami Oregon, and 5,120,000 in Dakota. They also claim now to have 558 miles of road built, of which 105; miles are in Washington Territory and, 200 miles in Dakota and the remainder in Min nesota. Col. Kimble, Inspector of Indian Affairs, has suspended Gen. -R. II. Milroy, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Washington Territory, and appointed Marshall Bliun, Superin tendent, temporarily, during an in spection, which we understand will be made into the affairs of the De partment. The obsequies of Mrs. Mary Cus tis Leej .widow of the late General Robert E. Lee, took place on the 8th in Memorial Chapel, Lexington. Her three sons, W. F. Lee, Custis Lee and Robert E. Lee, and her daugh ter were present, besides a large concourse of friends. The remains were deposited by the side of those of her husband in the Memori alroom. Mrs. Lee was 70 years of age. Business entirely suspended, and many places were draped in mourning. Looking at the Bull's-Eye. The power of the human eye, as exercised by woman over man, is, doubtless, irresistible, but when a man imag ines that his own eye can exert the same influence over the lower creation and that he has only to gaze fixedly on a wild beast to subdue its feroeitj he occasionally miscalculates his chances. Thus, a professor in Ver mont, who was a firm believer in the power of the human eye, realized the truth of the doctrine to his sorrow. Determined to convince the skeptics of its truth, he selected a ferocious bull who was the terror of the neigh borhood as the object of his experi ment. The result was not altogether successful. Surrounded by a retin ue of disbelievers, ihe scientific gen tleman sauntered into the pasture where the thoughtful bull was peace fully grazing. He fixed upon that bull his eagle eyes, but the bull quailed not, neither did it retire in-melo-dramatic order, but the last thing seen of the professor was his arclueological form tossed twenty seven feet into the air aud coming down on the other side of the fence. His physical injuries were slight but his faith in scientific mesmerism as illustrated in bulls has been greatly weakened. Dreams of an Edttor. The slowly-starving editor of a paper in Biat tleboro, -Vt., drops into poetry as follows. " We had sweet dreams the other night When all around was still ; We dreamed we saw a host of folks ! Pay up their printers . We wish the dream would come to pass, And our empty pockets fill Tar da ntup a te'diddle dum, Te tump te diddle dill. . ' ' "Husband, where shall I get the ticking for our, new feather bed?" ."Any place where you can get ihe tick." . , Lost by Rail. a newly married man's disagree able adventure. . , , O From the Sj.ringfield (Mass.) Republican One of those sad exhibitions of hu man passion and suffering -which never appeal in. vain for synvpathy cast a gloom oyer the depot in this city on Saturday. A young man had daringly wooed and won his unap proachable blissfulness; the wedding raiment was prepared and paid for; the bridal tour marked out; Saturday morning he ignorantly promised to provide provisions and drv goods; she to love, honor and 1 "be gay." Then they took the smallest compart ment in a draw ing room car, bound West; but, just before it started the groom rushed over to the Massasoit House, and came back as the last car of the train containing his bride w ent out of the depot. A panic seemed to break out of his countenance, but with an awful yell, he hurled his umbrella, like a patent bsrkoner, and plunged into the crowd. The first leap brought him to one of those compound milking stools promiscu ously scattered about the depot, and over he fell headlong against a woman in a leap frog attitude, fixing her shoe. She with undescribable sud denness, kicked up her heels, and dove into the railroad track; while howling and clawing dreadfully, her assailant brought the point of: his umbrella with fearful violance upon the gouty toe of an old gentleman, who instantly shook off his wife and daughters, and began to utter tho most appalling oaths. Meantime, the report circulated like lightning that Our young man was a Northampton maniac escaped from bis keejer and we immediately climbed into a passenger car to meditate;. Terror stricken women alternately smoothed their bonnet strings and wrung their hands; wdiile several pale, resolute men seized sticks of wood from an engine, and gazed about wth horrible intensity. The train was nearly to the bridge when, with exaggerated leaps and gleaming eyes, the youth bound toward the waiting men shout ing to the train; ''Hold on!" in tones that made the refreshiaent room windows wink. An instant of sus pense, and he was in their grasp. "The old Harry 1" fairly shrieked the youth; "let me go; O! .Miss no, my wife. Thunder and .furies! Stop pinching 1113 hands." , "Poor thing, how he raves," said the ladies, and a small man wdio had been behind them now rushed to the prisoner and grabbed his coat. It tore, and our friend, now fully alive to his surroundings, wrenched him self from his captors and caught the little man by his hair. It was a w ig, and came off so suddenly, and left such a shining poll, that everybody supposed he was scalped. Clapping both hands to his head, the small man ran like a deer toward .Main street, and our. hero after him, flour ishing the wig in his hand. A stam pede instantly ensued, and nobody knows what might have happened. At this juncture a friend of the sup posed maniac entered, the depot and greeted the matrimonial beginner. People held their breaths for an in stant, but there was no ontcry, and presently the true state of thing was noised aout. The young man lias gon out West, but the folks at the depot don't- tell what they know about maniacs. - ': . Looking Through the Keyhole. ( - .. . Evening Post. . . . A young man. once .thought , he would ike to write, things for ihe newspapers, so he went to see a man who had a paper, and'who was fond of publishing stories about what people did in their own houses. This man told him to go" to a certain "house, and to jieerj in the keyhole, and then come back, and tell him what he saw.: And lie gave him some paper and a pencil to w rite it down, so that he would not forget it when lie came back. The young man was very glad, and went off to put. his eye to the keyhole.i Bat the gentleman who , lived in the house heard a noise, and looking out of the window saw this young man with his eye to the keyhole. So lie walked out cautiously and kicked the young man down the steps of his house. He had on very heavy boots, which hurt the young man very much.! The person who owned the paper, when he heard the young man's story, laughed at him, and told him he should get used. to that if he wanted to make money by writing for him, and he showed him a pad which all his young men w ore when on what he called special duty. The pad was fixed so that when anybody kicked the voung men they would not bo hurt! 1 ut the - gentleman's boots bruised this one sd ninch that he got disgusted and went out to work in the fields, for he thought he did not care about writing things any moTe for the paper. ! ' The man, who answered an adver tisement to the following effect, says his curiosity is satisfied: "If you would learn how to make home happy, send a postage stamp and twenty-five cents to P. O. Box, No. , Cincinnati." He did send the necessary cash. and soon "received the answer: "If you are as big a fool as we think you must be for giving us your money, you can make home happy' by leaving it and going West by yourself." Hearth arid1 Home. Stands Up. A "darsted rival" of the West, states that the editor of the was kicked last Saturday and now stands up to do his scissor- Jerusha Peck, a maiden miser of Riverside, Conn., died recently hav ing old which 6i had hoarded for thirty years. ' .. 0 o o o o o 0 c O o 0 o I; O o o o o o o O o o o o