Houston Mercury (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 259, Ed. 1 Friday, July 4, 1873 Page: 2 of 4
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JULY 4, 1873
-R KXOHASGES.
T-' wnntisue to be sent to
. ... fh ?,-L :'Sf wrffEro concluded
o, >tith f$<* uudcrstaiiftkuj: We
e postage on every paper received
s/ai.J our eschanjics to pay postage on
jr. IT. Bakes,
Proprietor.
tbi5 w
The Houston Mekouey wiH
hereafter be represented in the
principal cities of Missouri by A.
G. Kerr, Geo, D. Willis and the
Hon. Jackson Prouty, gentlemen
whom vre can confidently recom-
mend to the coiifidence of the
pnblic. They wm also correspond
Kf Lonis, Kansas
prominent places
. , -<*. ♦ . • m
columns
^-Advertisers slio^
eulation of thai
en that o£ any:
ocr a
exas.
[d interesting
lews from all
, and lopal mat-
ports, agricultural,
interesting news,
e. instructive and
Joseph H.
it as Asso-
we publicly ac-
talent. energy
are indebted,in
vement made
typographical ap-
Wg to-day plac? tt'J
"Wilson at the head of
ciate Editor. Ia doln,
knowledge that it is to
and ability, that the pril
a large measure, iur the
in the tone, character
Bics of tho TTxics since it came under
■ control, aad for the appearance of the
*CUBT. j,
Mr. "Wilson is a professional newspaper
, having begun at the case and passed
rough every branch of the profession.
He was apprenticed to the printing busi-
B333 wiggn eleven, years o£ age, in the town
o§ Belfsftfirsland. and after serving seven
years, at the age of eighteen, he was selected
to 'ill ac im^SPkant position in the Queen's
2'rinting oSEcgi Dublin. Thence he was
irsnsferrgc^icJtne Daily Repress. When in
tlisi petition, he started a paper, called the
jrish T^aJeir Advocatc, which was published
i n Cs«I -treet, Dublin, and had among its
« outribsiors, J. Do Jean_JPrazer, one of Ire-
Iaud*%$weetest poets.
Becoming Monlilied with the Young Ire-
' lud party, ifr. WitSQX emigrated to this
li.uintry ia lSjfe, and was employed witli the
late-Joseph ^kesk'X and others on the
D:'ta in New Orleans, in which city
Jio has constantly lived, with a brief excep-
tion of time spent to regain lost health
im the continent of ■> Europe, until
j lareli of this year, when he came
lo this State as the correspondent of the
New Orleans PkayunBeaching Houston!
TIr. Wilson" was attracted by Itsbeauty and
Iregress, and '-jftme to stay."
At the coinQierfeenient of the war he- pub-
lished and largely owned the New Ohleaxs
luiip.os, which, "i n the advent of General
3ntler into that ci if, succumbed. Since
then he was one of the directors of the Com-
mercial Batic'ln irai President of the Na-
tional Republican Printing Company, which
'■ t'ompany issued the National Republican,
-edited by Col; Gc-o. W. Carter and him jointly.
In commercial life, 5Ir. Wflsox was one of
the largest j^uor manufacturers in New Or-
leans: was President and a large stock-
holder uf thii Loan and Pledge Association.
tfucf^edoiT Gen. Longs treat as President of
*hs Southern Mercantile Association,
itnd bouglit out • the large stock
of dry goods imported by the late John
Gaucho of that city, winch he transferred
om file Moresque Iron Building to one of
'he palaces on Canal street, where for
rears he led the dry goods trade, accumu-
lating large wealth, whicls, however, he lost
"by the natural disasters that appear to be
tivertaking most of the old merchants of the
Crescent City.
In politics. Mr. Vilsoa is a Republican.
He \ra< a member cf one Constitntiona
Convention, and wes Cliairmau of the Ju-
diciary, Committee, the Committee on Im-
peachment and one speaal eommittee. In
1SG6 he received the entire vote of the
JJcftocrats in the Louisiana Legislature for
t'ij United States Senatorship, and only
>ost his escc-tion to that body by three votes.
•Appointment to public office has been fre-
tiitenjjy' tendered to him, but he always
declined acceptance. One of his reasons
i'or leaving Louisiana, which has been his
icoma'&r upwards of a fifth of a century,
is a desMfeo se.-k repose from the political
ize-iternerfli which ho is convinced wiU
ngitata the State during the term of office
of Mr. Kellogg.
Mr. Wilson came to Texas endorsed by the
l«st men of Louisiana, and his stay with us
has pjuwPthat he is richly entitled to the
liiajcojiiplitnento paid him by those with
whom his former life was cast. Thoroughly
Versed in aR the complicated phases of
nffairs in Ljjaisiana ; well posted in T^xas
aiFair*, an^honpgiily versed in tb#>T>res-
!ut stitw. of affairs at ' home aud
abroad, and totally disconnected with or in-
terested iu the political squabbles of parties
in this State, Mr. Wilson is, in our opinion,
•me of thf-Jbest men in the Sonth to assist
in building up siteh a paper as we desire to
. :n ke sad intend the Mbrcusy to be.
While eve assisciate the name of Mr. Wil-
F.m with oar own iu the editorial manage-
ment of the pape>r, wo-wish it distinctly and
••mphaiieaily understood that he is no way
responsible for tho course of the paper, or
for. any arttcic therein appearing. It is oar
intention to direct that uurself, and we alone
iir& responsible tor what shall appear in its
columns.
*We make this announcement that we
.IEay not lie bothered in the future by par-
Jies seeking to find who wrote this.or that
article. Trusting that our assoc i te, Mr
"Wilson, may receive the same recognition
which has been extended to us, we remain
the people's servant.
J. H. Bakxi?.
We clip the following from the Tele
graph:
The Legislature did not give Mn.New-
«oinb, Secretary of State, the privilege of
having his office to go out of the State on a
■visit. Gov. Davis made the absent; of Mr.
Honey from the State at first, the only
jiiound for removing him from office, and
-we wonder vrhut he will do in the ease of
2fewcomb, and more, if Col. DeGress, as is
jxp .rt-d, has dsn gone visiting beyond the
J^.ate, what will he do in the case.
Tbe GalveKton correspondent &{ the Hous-
ton Union uiakas some serious charges
■s.yaiiist James I*. Newcomb, which he should
_ Jy answer. Wo shall await his re-
flp&en jndgc- the matter.
oktast to Tkachees.—Teachers
jesd their registers to CoL DeGreSs for
pn before their vpucbeis for May can
SttK ifjii'tvmo- Express*
^Degre??r'h2s gone.off on a trip
an-:' who knows when be will be
oaiims Steet cieaifkr.—a New
L ; ;&n has inventwl a street cleaner
TKsit •• it) ekfiii s imJe of *tfeet a day, doing
5 he vetM flfsgiti mm. The eontrivance^iai&J
F V le by 'side,
' - . lUiiS mo •: •: s wbecii, aaeh one ria'ng or
r, as tbaaatar..-«-f Hih t.aveaj«|# may
;ie(i^tiUy of - -acL <ilh2?,thejfe>reai-
J by tho weigitt of "
So aad rwri^tiMS^ig itptf|||pi^H
to ta'e
:*0ig's 150
ihc mar.. ' ■■■
d othi
State.
Any contract made with them
for advertising or subscription will
be honored at this office.
CHANGE
NAME—INCREASE
SIZE.
IS
We to-day enlarge the Union
and change its name to the
houston mercury.
In doing this the proprietor feels
tliafche owes to his patrons some
explanation therefor. The reasons
are these: ,
1st. It is his desire to build up a
commercial paper—one which shall
be creditable to Houston and re-
munerative to himself. Both ex-
perience and observation have
taught us that the Houston
Union has become so obnoxious
to a large portion of the popula-
tion of Texas, that it is not per-
mitted to enter their houses, offi-
ces, stores or workshops, and it
would take -yeaps of time to re-
e this feeilng.
I'd. A paper is valuable to a
community in exact proportion to
the influence it exerts, and is valu-
able to its advertisers in propor-
tion to its circulation and the
number of its readers. For these
reasons we desire to secure a large
circulation, and we shall spa
neither time nor money to secure
the largest circulation that can
possibly be obtained. This, in our
judgment, will be greatly facili-
tated by dropping the name of the
Union, and with it all the animosi
ties of the past, all the ill ftjelingj
and the came of them. The change
in the course of the Union took
place on the day that we became
proprietor, and as over two hun-
dred new subscriber a have handed
in their subscriptions since the
change, and as not one single per-
ton has discontinued his subscription
on account of said change, we are
justified in believing that our
course meets the approval of an
appreciative public.
price reduced.
Believing that the time has
come when the rail facilities with
New Orleans and St Louis have
thrown Texas journals into
healthy competition, and that a
large circulation at a moderate
price is more remunerative than a
moderate circulation at a high
price, we to-day fix v
the price of the mercury—
" single copies, five cents.
One year .$1# 6®
Six months, /.. * * 5 25
Three months 2
One month 1 00
cash in advance,
On these terms 'papers will be
delivered in the city or mailed in
good wrappers. No' news boy or
news-agent will be perautted to
charge over five cents per copy,
and any person charging more will
be refused papers at this office.
Thanking the public for past
patronage and favors, we solicit a
continuance of them so long as we
prove worthy.
The course of the Mercury will
be, "Independent in all things,
Neutral in none."
J. H. Baker, Prop'r,
MINERAL WEALTH OF TEXAS
•RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.
The wealth of Texas is in her
mines. Large deposits of gold, ant
silver, and coal are conceded to be
buried deep in the bowels of the
earth. The energy and capital to
dig up these minerals have so far
been wanting, but the net-work of
railroads which now encircle the
State afibrd the opportunity for
men from other sections to pros-
pect over the country, and the re-
sults are now becoming apparent.
At Calvert, about three hundrec
yards from the railroad on the
Browning League^coal of a bitu
njinous character is taken out of a
bed of three or four inches.
Half a mile north of there, coal
has been discovered at a depth of
from twenty-five feet to a depth of
eight feet, and yet the bottom of
the vein has not been reached.
At Owensville a vein of twenty-
seven feet has been struck.
Crossing the Big Brazos, at
Bracken's Ferry, great deposits of ,
iron are located.
These discoveries, property work-
ed and utilized, will doubtless
tend t« enhance the value of land
in these sections, and populate
aud enrich our citizens. But they
are only a few of the recent dis-"
coveries. Other sections are
known to have large mineral de-
posits within them, and we expect
daily to hear it reported that gold
and silver have been found i
those neighborhoods.^^5*
Saat^rvba county now gives us
i—Filth Bats. Orei* Crowded—No
Beds—Rata. No Air—Rata-No Ventila-
tion—Poisonous Exhalations and Rats.
A Public Maerace.
We yesterday morning, in com-
pany with Sheriff Hall, paid
another trip to the county jail.
Since our last visit many prisoners
lave been discharged or sentenced
lo the penitentiary, and there be-
tignow but twelve prisoners in the
— ~ improved the
opportunity to clean up, aud the
jail was admitted to be in a better
condition than it had been for a
year. This being the case, and
the floors and passage ways being
stilljundried from the scrubbing,
and every hole and corner being
strewed aud sprinkled with lime,
we are convinced that no one,
however interested he may be, will
have the effrontery to charge us
with improving an unfavorable
opportunity to attack this institu-
tion. We have taken the best day
it has seen for the past year, and
we now wsh to present the
county jail of harris county
to the consideration of the
people-of Texas and the tax pay-
ers of Harris county, and appeal
to them to remedy the evil.
the jail building
is situated on Preston street, aud
is a small one-and-a-halt story
building, never erected for the
purpose for which it is now used.
The building is only 30 by 24 feet,
four feet of which are used for a
passage way, so that' the space in
which the prisoners are confined is
limited to six rooms averaging 9
by 11 feet, three rooms being on
each side «f the passage way. I n
some of these .rooms 9 by 11, six,
seven, and sometimes eig hi persons
have been confined, at om time.
ventilation.
These cells, so contracted m
space and so crowded with human
beings, have only one small win-
dow about one foot high by twen-
ty inches long.' The wiudows are
secured by a row of one-inch iron
bars which-are placed perpendicu-
lar, being only half an inch apart,
consequently just two-thirds of this
small opening is closed. But as if
fear is entertained that they might
get a little air, the window is still
further barricaded by a second set
of gratings placed behind the first.
This would seem to be bad enough
even if the windows were so situ-
ated as to receive the fall force of
the breezes which frequently bless
our eity; but this is/ not so. The
grated Openings, one to each room,
are only about five feet from the
ground, while the walls are on one
side ten feet high and on the other
k fifteen feet, and are placed so close
to the jail building as to leave
only a passage way, thus cutting
off every opportunity of the faint-
est breeze ever reaching the reek
ing, heated, parched and fainting
prisoners. -.- -
the food
of the prisoners as witnessed by
us, and testified to by the prison-
er^, was abundant in quantity and
good in quality, consisting of soup,
beef, bread and coffee f and every
man had eoough to eat, and those
who had been in there for mouths
showed that they had been well
fed Wfcife there.
rats.
* The jail has been thoroughly
riddled and undermined by rats—
rats which, for size, rapacity, au
dacfty and voracity have no supe-
riors, and are to be equalled only
along the docks of New York and
Boston. These rats not only de
stroy everything which can be de
stroyed, but they fight with the
prisoners for their food, aud fre-
quently attack the inmates while
sleeping. To keep these pests
out, necks of bottles, pieces of tin
and other articles are thrust into
the holes, but one is no sooner
stopped up than two others are
made.
* general decay
The building, when erected, had
the floors laid on joists which
rested on. the top of the ground
and this, while exposing sills,
joists and flooring to decay, also
left the spaces between the joists
as a receptacle for all the filth and
decaying matter which finds its
way through the cracks, seams
and rat-holes of the floor. This
decaying matter is not only con
tinually sending up a most sicken
ing stench which must be not
only deleterious to the health of
the inmates, but dangerous to the
whole community, but has causec
J the rotting of all the wood-work
£0 that the end of an urn
brella handle could l& and
was forced through the floor
with ease in several places. This
rotten condition of some of the
rooms has prevented many pris
oners from being confined therein
and therefore other rooms are fre
quently overcrowded from this
be found who will do any work for
the county.
-bedding.
There is not a mattress in or
about the jail either for the pris-
oners or the guard, belonging to
the county. One prisoner has a
bed' which was furnished by
himself or his friends. The only
bedding about the entire premises
in which 39 prisoners were lately
confined is about ten blankets.
These thread-bare blankets are
the remnants of fifteen pair pur-
chased just after the poor female
prisoner froze to death in the jail
last winter; and*these apologies
for blankets are all that is to come
between the bodies of the prison-
ers and the uneven, rough, rotten
and worm-eaten, hard plank floors.
A SICKENING stench.
We hare spoken of the purifi-
cation of the jail; of the lime and
disinfectants just used and which
had been applied within three
hours of our visit; we have men-
tioned that the rooms had been
thinned out by the CriAiiual Court
which has just adjourned; yet
when the solid wooden door of
one of the cells was opened, we
were greeted with such a sicken-
ing stench as to nearly prostrate
us, while the room was hazy with
a reeking, steaming moisture
caused by the exhalations from
the bodies of the four prisoners
and the wet decaying substances
beneath the floors.
This is a correct sketch of Har-
ris county jail as it appeared
cleansed, purified aud scrubbed
for an inspection.
In our next issue we will show
who are here confined, the offences
committed antl some rather start-
ling statistics.
THE PO1T PRIEST FiTHER RYAS
ON GENERAL BEAUREGARD'S
"NEW DEPARTURE."
The Morning Star and Catholic
Messenger, edited by Rev. A. J.
Ryan, whose name is a household
word in every Southern home,
contains a'personal protest from
its able editor against the "Xew
Departure" movement in Louisi
ana, which has been fathered by
Gen. Beauregard. Father Ryan
says it is "a 'complete surrender
of every thing iuto the hands of
those who have played upon the
ignorance of the colored people
an& have preyed upon our rights."
me then adds, that it will make
worse the very condition of affairs
sought to be bettered, and forces
the acceptance of principles which
are completely anti-Southern. "The
almost universal sentiment of the
South," says Father Ryan, "re-
echoes our protest. Voices rise
all over the land, aud, with no'fal
teriug accents, speak' out against
the new movement. And there
are voices that come from count
less graves where they are'resting
who died to defend principles now
so easily surrendered; and these
voices speak with us "
In speakiilg of Beauregard he
says: '.'There is a signature at
tached 1 that we are sorry to
see. A soldier's name is there
In past days faithful and
tried and true—a name that
wears the glory of many a
battlefield—a jiaine that honors
the man who bears it—honors the
country that breathes it—honors-
the cause to whose invaded rights
it was so nobly consecrated. 'Tis
the old story. The good soldier,
as a rule, is a bad politician. We
cannot but remember now how
General Beauregard, in a conver-
sation with ourself, blamed Long-
street for his action. If with a
full knowledge and deliberate will
he has indorsed the policy set
down in these resolutions, the
glory that rose around his name
on many a proud battle-field has
gone down forever. The name or
names of no man or men can sanc-
tion the surrender of Southern tra-
ditions—the desecration of South-
ern principles—the degradation of
Southern manhood."
In a religious point of view, the
Father thus criticises the move-
ment : " It is against the custom
of the Church of the South. The
Council of Baltimore recommends
separate schools for colored peo-
ple." •
The article is a very able 6ue,
arid the subject is treated in a
manner wrhich leaves no doubt
upon the mind as to the opinion
held by the learned priest. t
We have discussed the matter
at length in these columns before.
Our readers know oar views, but
regarding the movement as one of
grave moment— one likely to influ-
ence for good or evil -the whole
South—in justice to the readens of
the Mercury, we place Father
Ryan's#views before them.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We issue to-day a larger sheet,
with an increased circulation. For
the next thirty days we will arint
five hundred extra copies for gra-
tuitous distribution, which wf will
send prepaid to prominentfmer-
chants throughout the State!
is an opportunity of which
tisers should avail thei
Our Sunday issue will cont
usual Literary, Commercial
and Family Reading, and
prepared with extra -care,
who advertise are* the sufl
men in commerce, trade,
professions. Our frienc
oblige us by sending in
vors early. ' '
Good to do Something.
The Mercury has Battled the
Dry Bones of the Stale
Jonrnal.
" The Devil Can Beat at Hail-
ing."
Newcoinb and Welch.
Veto of Bridge Bill.
What Bridge^ Bill it Was.
A HIGH COMPLIMEN!
We take great pleasur^
forming our readers that]
low-townsman Dr. L.
lias been appointed Exai
the Galveston Medical
He will leave our citytd
Galveston to attend to liij
and will return day afl
row.
The Journal on Major B. Rush
Pluiftly. ,
m m-
ur fel-
dspetli
er for
ollege.
ilay for
duties,
to-inor-
The Galveston j>
placed us under obli:
friendly notices. It apj
tie hard for the News
stand how a paper cau
pitching iuto politics,
cury makes no ,pr
being 'A political shee-
our own views r®gard
of the day, and on tl
Ave shall speak* from i
But it is our opniou ^
political paper is as
any community
change opinions or
and only stirs up s
ness. We entert;
same views of profe;
iws lift's
ions for
ars a lit-
o under-
e without
The Mee-
ntions of
We have
|g the issues
|se subjects
line to time,
fiat a purely
nuisance in
it does not
affect votes,
'e and bitter-
:i about the
x ^iional politi-j
ciaus. If the press \fiould dissemi-
nate useful information and items
of news, and the politician would
Quit attempting tof control the
universe, and get into office, store,
work shop or cotton field, the
world would wag o« a little more
smoothly.
4i '?
Kansas City LiyE Stock
Market.— Green Texas steers
have been in good; supply, the
highest price realized being'$2 50
per 100 lbs. Corn fed Texan cows
$2 95 to $3 per 100|lbs. On the
28th there were sold 100 green
Texau steers averaging SS91bs., at
$2 50; 21 green Texan cows and
steers, averaging 840 lbs., at $2 50;
55 fair Texan cows, per head, at
$12 20.
Indians on the War-Path.
—By our dispatches it will be
seeh that the Ute Indians lately
got oi* the war-path, in Wyoming
Territory, but the citizens .got,
after them, killed several, wound-
ed as many more, captured eleven
ponies and arms. ?
a silver ore, that is valued at
$3000 a ton; and McCuIloch coun-
ty will return to us the old Mexi-
can silver mine, which once was
profitably worked, but has for
sometime been idle and neglected.
Railroad Rumors.—l^xe m-
mor that the Centr«A-Saib'6ad had
l>ough| u\>. ttre Galveston, Hender-
cause. These rooms and tliu^^i^ _S0if and Houston Railroad, and
was about to move its office to Gal-
veston, is unfounded. There are
certain negotiations pending for a
change of ownership of the Gal-
veston, Henderson and Houston
Railroad, but they are not of the
kind referred to, and the Mer-
cury will inform the public of
any change that may appear likely
to be made.
ing itaeK uave been patched and
pieced time and agaiu with pieces
of planks and boards, and every
individual piece of board nailed
on represents a petty debt against
the county of Harris still unpaid.
In fact the credit of this wealthy
counts" has been permitted to sink
so low that not a mason, carpen-
ter or j^Hfcinic of any kind can
Gulf, Colorado a|td Santa
Fe Railroad.—We %e friendly
.to all railroads, but fhe heavy
paid communications {jf this in-
tended company leaves us in a
quandary as to whether the sub-
scription list or the advertising
bills are increasing the most rap-
hi.,-, j - jy *f
—■—j -1
It is rarely that wo see tltg editor of a
newspaper so thoroughly re&gnizing the
situation. Under tbe new ftqime of the
Uniox, however, better tilings? are prophe-
sied for tlxat joumatl and we ale pleased to
see Mr. Baker earnestly attemj|,ing to cor-
rect past evils, and placing his feet in the
pathway that leads onward au upward to
a true conception of journalsm and the
noble duties devolving on thejjoarnalist.—
Galveston News. > W
We have buried tie Union,
friend 'News, but Ft oenix-like,
from its ashes arises the Mer-
cury, which wings its way into
your sauctum, the mej senger of
Commerce and Progresl.
Old and New Telegraph)e
from Houston to the lollop
To Old
Austin, Texas fr
Atlanta, Ga 2
Brownsville, Texas 1
Corsicana, Texas..
Chattanooga, Tenn 2
Cairo 2
Charleston, S. C.. 2
Cincinnati, Ohio.. 2
Columbus, Ohio... 2
Chicago, 111,...... 2
Dallas, Texas...'..
Galveston, Texas..
Indianola, Texas..
Jefferson, Texas,..
Jackson, Miss
Indianapolis
Knoxville, Tenn...
Kansas City.......
Louisville, Ky
Little Rock
Lake City, Fla
Marshall, Texas...
Mobile, Ala
Memphis, Tenn....
Montgomery, Ala..
New York........
New Orleans.... t.
Nashville, Tenn
Omaha, Neb......
Philadelphia, Pa..
San Antonio, Tex..
Shreveport, La
St. Louis, Mo
Savannah, Ga
Tyler. Texas
Vicksbnrg, Miss.
Waco, Texas
TariH Bates
Ing Points.
New Tariff.
$ 50
1 25
75,
50
25
25
50
50
50
50
50
30
50
50
The Mercury has the Journal
on a Pin.
Gov. Davis at New York.
Major Ochiltree Safe.
Santanta and Big Tree.
Where Shall I Go ? Saith Gov.
E. J. Davis.
Galveston, July 3,1373.
Editors Mercury :
Illness in the household have suspended
the letters for two days.
It is a good thing to do something, even
if yon e-annot do all yon wish or all that
should be done. If the Meucuky accom-
plishes nothing else, it-will have snceeeded
in rattling tho dry-bones of the Staff Jour-
nal, and in compelling that paper, in
its last spasms, to imitate the Mercury
"headings," oven if it cannot in decency
and sense. The Stutq Journal thinl:s it has
discovered the name of your Galveston coi-
respondent, and thereupon, the Journal be-
gins to vituperate and lie, as isnts wont.
Said St. Michael to St. Jade: "never
bandy words with the Devil, for he will
always beat thee .at railing."
The Mercury and your correspondent
might profit by that admonition and not
notice the Journal, for when Newcomb and
Welch arc joined, iu political billingsgate,
there must be a conjunction of dirtiness, for
the expression of which there can bo no
expi
vocabulary but their own. t ijjje
They say, "tbe Governor vetoed Plumly's
Bridge Bill." Major Plumly never had a
Bridge Bill before the Legislature for his
Excellency Davis to approve or veto. The
renewal of the " Karanpua Bridge Charter '
was asked by Judge John S. Jones, E. Mc-
Clane and Thomas McKinney, three of the
oldost Texans in the State, to whom the
charter had been granted years before. The
bill was passed,and a certified copy furnished
by the Secretary of State, which certified
copy is now in the hands of the parties. After
said nopy had been issued and the expen-
ses thereon paid to the office of the Secre-
tary of State, at the last hour of the session
the Governor sent in a veto of the bill.
The veto was proper, bccause there were
sections in the biil that might, have been
misconstrued: the effect of which had toot
been observed before. It was therefore
not the veto to which Major Plumly ob-
jected, but the manner of it and tho mean-
ness and fraud of the Secretary of State in
issuing a certified copy of a bill, whi jh he
knew was to be vetoed, and in receiving tlie
expenses thereon—expenses which he never
.refunded. In that bill Major Plumly had
no interest whatever, except the interest to
■erve tha corporators, two of whom were
his constituents,and friends, and old Texans,
the third being also a personal friend, and
an old Texan. So much for the vetoed
"Bridge Bill." and like unto it ase the usual
accusations of the Journal.
As to Major Plumly lumng been a failure
as a Legislator and editor, both may be so.
Failure is a question of opinion. Major
Plumly knows well, that he fell short of
his own ideal as a law-maker, and whenever
. he did succeed in being useful as a Legis-
lator, he did so, in spite of the arrogance
and cupidity of the Secretary of Stajte and
the falsehood and pig-headedness of the
Governor. •
' Men might wonder, however, why a man
so astute as Secretaiy Newcamjj should
bring bills that he desired passed into the
House to that very "failure," and beg him to
"take espccial charge of them and pass
them," which was always done. Whatever
may have been or may not have been Major
Plumly's success as a legislator, he is willing
to leave the determination of it to the whole
body of the 12th Legislature, and to Secre-
taiy Newcomb himself, whenever That gen-
tleman shall have been cured, by defeat, of
the "rabies" of ambition and greed, which
now convulse him. But it would be hardly
fair to ask Major Plumly to refer the de-
cision of the question either to a twice-
paid rtuder upon the State Treasury when
negotiating its securities, or to an official
highwayman, who broke upon "Limestone
and Freestone" to rob the people of their
liberties and their substance in the name of
"Martial Law," illegally proclaimed.
* It is the usual resort of culprits and of
cowards when they are driven from all other
ground, to fall back upon personal abuse of
an opponent. The Mercury has cornered
the Journal and driven it to that position,
and the Mercuby may be content to leavell®
Journal where it is, as a naturalist does a
bug stuck to the wall by a pin, and twisting
round and round, exhibiting itself, until it
dies.
? Gov. Davis left Washing!on for New
York on the 1st of July.
It is much cooler iu New York than in
Washington, and the Governor was greatly
heated Finding Major Ochiltree, United
States Marshal, too strong to be removed,
tho Governor graciously condescended not
trt tnlro V>ia Vtinr rail CAftln " filllP. SO
1
10M.
2 30
1 50
2 50
1 25
2 #
1 25
2 30
1 !50
1 %
75
2
1 25
9©
50
1 73 A
1 00
I 73
\oo
2 00
1100
2 50
I 2$
75
2 50>,
1 2^
2 50f
1 50
' * --x ' j
2 50
90
50
90
50
-
1 20
2 00
1 00
2 50
1 25
2 50
1 50
90
50
1 25
75
75
50
The most plausible defence of Frank
Walworth, says tiie New York Commercial
Advertiser, has its origin in the circumstance
of liis having been a law student. The tor-
tuous windings, contradictions, and endles*
technicalities of this majestic science gradu-
ally undermined his young intellect, and
two days before leaving Saratoga, while
endeavoring to comprehend an opinion of
the Cofirt of Appeals, his mind utterly gave
way and he becamua hopeless lunatic.
to take his " big red scalp,
Ochiltree continues in peace.
this time, so
From the telegrams it would appear that
Gov. Davis will not be allowed to trade off
Santanta and Big Tree for Federal patron-
age in Texas. If not, so much capital will
be lost to him. and having lost the United
States Marshal's office in this District, if he
should lose the Postoffice at Houston an(l
here, he may say with " Webster on D ss°"
lution." " Where shall I go?"'
Yours, WahI!e\\
QUERIES.
Editors Mercury:
Please inform me, when^lfiff—'tfKSo
" Phidias " painted 1
" Iphegenia at Aulis," as spoken of in an ar-
ticle commenting on McArdle's 'Lee at the
"Wilderness." I would ltke to know how
"Phidias" became reiMBted as a painter t
when history speaks ofnim as a celebrated
sculptor. I am anxious to know when
painted! Artist.
Tho Austiil State Journal, a disappointed
"sore head" sheet of the defunct Radical
stripe, makes a faint attempt to be witty
over choice for Governor. As a comic illus-
trated paper, to please the children, the
Journal is a success: but its attempts to
■WfifatT a i-pegfalty. ronOeij_:,V; sayings
redieulous.—/«dianola Bulletin.
The Union Pacific Railway Company
sold during the month of Mnv 10,423.71
acres of land, at an average price of $5 154
per acre, amounting to $5.1,742 SO. Sales
averaged 7G 8-100 acres to each purchaser:
Total sales to Juno 1st, 1873, 725,332,1*7
acres, at an average price of §4 30 per
acre, amounting to $3,118,619 SI.
They must have had "a loud" time at a
college commencement in Iudianola, Iowa,
last week. A girl opened the exercises with
au oration on the "Congressional Salary
Grab," tho poet laureate of the occasion
followed it up by a vivid description of the
throne of perdition, and tho closing speaker
dwelt on the <:Pfogress of Republics Amid
the Ruins of Empire.''
THE FOURTH OK JULY.
To-day being the anniversary
of our National Independence and
a public holiday, it will be observ
ed by ourselves and all connected
with Our office, therefore no paper
will be issued on to-morrow; but
on Sunday we will issue'as usual -
llOKSE JOCKEYS.
Some < f the Tricks of the Class—Nine
Thousand Dollars for a Wind-
,. Sucker.
from the Spriucli Id Republican ]
The trial of the suit of Miller agt. Smith,
to recover damages on account of the al-
leged unsoundness of Nonesuch, occupied
all of yesterday before the Superior Court
The testimony was of considerable interest
to the men who own, drivte, or talk horse,
and the audience had a large proportion of
these.
John E. Boty, one of the most noted
jockeys, who drove Nonosuch at the races
on Hampden Park last fall, testified for the
plaintiff that the mare's cribbing and wind-
sucking habits so impaired her for racing
purposes that he would not give 83000 for
her. The witnesses for tho defense were
then put on, the first being J. S. Parks, of
Providence, who thought that the wind-
sucking did not detract more than a thous-
and dollars from her value; she was cheap
at §9000. P. J. Shumway, of Webster, was
of the same opinion. Henry G. Allen, a
Hartford veterinary, declared the wind-
sucking not a disease, but a vice, and so
slight in the case of Nonesuch that, under
proper care, it would not hurt her speed or
value. W. H. Harrison, of Westfield, re-
marked that all the mare was worth over $300
was because of her speed, which the mild
cribbing she was addicted to would not hurt;
the habit would not make five per cent dif-
ference in the horse's market value. Parks,
Shumway and Harrison all professed consid-
erable acquaintance with the mare.
TURF TESTIMONY.
The richest thing of the day or the trial
was Tom Carpenter's testimony. Carpenter
was a quarter owner of Nonesuch when
Miller, the plaintiff, paid $9000 for the other
three-quarters to Smith, and he had charge
of her for two years; the wind-sucking or
cribbing trick never injured her ,a whit, or
made her worth a cent less. Then Tom
went in to explain me'failures the mare had
made, and told, with the utmost noncha-
lance, how he "threw" the race at Prospect
Park last year, in which he was her driver,
because he had a bet on Sea Foam, one' of
her competitors, and couldn't afford to have
Nonesuch win the second money, though
she could have done it easily. He said,
concerning tho purchase of the mare, that
he was employed by Miller to buy her, and
received a roan horse for his fee. On cross-
examination he said he did not tell Miller the
mare was a cribber, because he supposed
everybody knew it, for she was 4 notorious
cribber and wind-sucker. Tom's talk was.
"turfy," and his unWushing confessions of
the rascally way he lost the Long Island
race justified the ordinary traditions about
jockeys.
Mr" Miller, the plaintiff, told his story of
the purchase afterward. He was persuaded
by Carpenter to buy the mare, or three-
quarters share iu her, for §9000, Tom saying
that the mare to that price was the cheap-
est animal in America, and could trot in
2:18; he always held her back in driving her.
When the bargain was effected Carpenter
took the roan horse in payment for his
fourth, agreeing to buy a fourth back and
pay §3000, which he has not done.' Billy
Larry, the boy who took care of- Nonesuch,
testified to another trick of Carpenter's, in
having him take off from the mare's neck
the strap she wore to prevent wind sucking
while Miller was inspecting her.
VETERINARY LORE.
The evidence was rested here, and the ar-
guments began, Mr. N. A. Leonard speak
ing for tbe defense with a liberal use of
veterinary theory concerning cribbing, elab-
orating the claim that the habit or combina-
tion or habits did not render a horse un-
sound; and that at all events, this particular
horse had it in a very mild degree, so slight
that many who knew the horse familiarly
did not know she had it The extent to
which she was affected was extremely over-
stated and exaggerated, for the purpose, it
might he conjectured, of
his losses on the anim
damages. - ^
Mr. Steams' reply was oDe of his most
characteristic efforts, crammed with scriptural
lore, and scathing with satire on horse trades
and horse jockeys. No abstract could" do
justice to it. He dwelt upon the way there
had grown up about the honestest thing
God ever made—that's a horse—an atmos-
phere of lying, deceit and misapprension
never equalled in any other* connection, so
that pebple who have a conscience in other
matters have come to consider it the regular
thing to lie in this business; and if a man
tried to get legal judgment against another
who cheated him here, he was hooted down
for crying baby on a horse-trade.
1 THE DATS OF SOLOMON.
He was glad to see that Rev. A. L.
Stone, Herny Ward Beecher and Rev. Mr.
Murray were trying to bring back the
standing of the horse to what it was in the
days of Solomon, when he had companies
of horses. His learned brother (Mr. Leon-
ard) talked about something new and
strange in this suit; he hoped there was,
and that hereafter, when a gentleman ia
robbed, he will come forward and sue the
robber, that, when he buys a cribber on a
warranty deed for a sound horse, he will
promptly seek legal redress. His learned
brother wondered why the suit was brought
here, arid not in Hartford: it was the most
natural thing in the world. Here the hor?e
.was sent; here his owner (Miller) first had
a chance to get hold of him, when they de-
tected her habit. Miller was cheated; he
was inexperienced, whereas Smith belongs
to them the prophet' EzelSel told of, the
house of Togarmah, that traded in fairs
with horses. In dealing between a man
who knows nothing about it, the case is
bad enough, but when the devil throws
Tom Carpenter into the bargain, the green-
horn is sure to be robbed ; they've got him
between the upper and the nether mill-
stones, and won't leave him until he is thor-
oughly ground. The history and the ethics
of the case were reviewed in a style which
may be imagined from this sample.
The jury brought in a verdict of $5000
or the plaintiff. •
Tilos. B. Franklin, 78 Main St.
of trying to cover up
limal by §10,000 in
TH| HOUSTON KSBCOBY,
W
E WILL OFFER
FRIDAV, TXTJSTiD OO tlx.
SIXTY PIKCKS OK
WHITE VICTORIA LAWKS,
AT 30 CENTS A YARD,
By tho plcce. Theae Goo3 are veil worth
41 Cent*.
BLACK SILKS,
AT si sr. AKD OO PFR YARD
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gan Half Hose,
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Oi(i: HUNDRED AND FIFTY PIECES OF
I. jtrWIOSQUITO NETTING,
at^t?
A Daily and Weekly
Commercial," Literary
OOMMBROIAL
AND
LITERARY
DEVOTED TO THE
Agricultural, Mech an ical,
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—AND—
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f
Containing Daily the latest market reports, tho
latest Telegraphic dispatche*, from y part of
the State, £ao a try and World connected *ith as
bf Cable.
Containing a DaDy summary erf the News, both
at home and abroad ; Cotton Statements, Reports
Estimates and Statistics, financial and Commer-
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50 A BAR,
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AT >i3 CENTS.
ANOTHER LOT OF THOSE ELEGANT*
ORIENTAL SUnSNQS!
Tho handsomest and cheapest drew jfor ordinary-
street weai.
THE MERCURY WILL
Also contain Correspondence from all portions of
the State, and will as well contain the best Po-
etry, Stories and Oesenl Literary matter that pen
scissors can procure or capital couimwd.
Our Fashionable Department
Will be nnder the direction of one of thebtg^.
fashion Editors in the City of New York, and
will ever be found the latest and most rel aMc^
THE HOUSTON MERCURY
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Possesses the entire circulation of the hoc&XPX
UNION, to which has been added hundreds cf
Kb9:ribors whf,through prejodice.wnll ftrandal
refined to mtscribe for that papv*
TR". MERCURY
Offers to Merchants at home aofrabroad the bf?t
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Baker, J. H. & Wilson, J. H. Houston Mercury (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 259, Ed. 1 Friday, July 4, 1873, newspaper, July 4, 1873; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth233250/m1/2/: accessed May 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.