Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. II. - MANNIN(. CLARENDON COUNTY, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1886. NO. 22. A CENTURY oF 111611T WOMEN. FRO331. RTHA WASHINGTON TO Ro-E ELIZABETH CLEELAND. An Interestin; ,ketcht of tie Romen W. ho Have Been Mistrew-e of the Wfhite Houme. (From the Phil~ae:phia Times.) The announcement that the President will marry Miss Frances Folsom in June recalls the historic series of White House nuptials. Washington, it is well known, married long before he became Presi dent, or even general of the army. He met the lovely Widow Custis at Wil liamsburg during his service as a mei ber of the Virginia Legislature. Mrs. Washington presided over the Executive household at the seat of government, first in New York, then in this city, with a good deal of formality. Their house in this city was one rented from Robert Morris, on Market street, between Fifth and Sixth. It was here the Friday levees were held, and the rules were very rigor ous. The first President's wife was born a Jones, that of the second a Smith-Abi gail Smith-so the Republic, so far as the domestic head of it was concerned, was ushered in with a certain democratic simplicity. John Adams married his wife when she was twenty, and her fath er, who was a clergyman, preached a sermon on the Sunday after the wedding -so a historic old chestnut relates-from the text, "'John came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye siay he hath a devil." During Adams's term of office, in 1800, the Government was re moved to Washington. Mrs. Aatqms was the first lady of the White House, but she never liked it and lived there alto gether but four months. Her picture, by Gilbert Stuart, represents her as a cheerful and not unhandsome looking woman of fifty, with cap, and ringlets of curls wreathing the edge. Jefterson went into the White House a widower of nineteen years' standing, and his diary lately published by John Bige low shows he understood thoroughly the domestic economies which were necessa ry in the matter of providing for the wants of the mansion and its hospitali ties. His wife was the widow of Bathurst Skelton, a Virginia gentleman. and the daughter of John Wayles, of Charles City County, Virginia. She was said to be -a.beautiful woman, and Jeierson to have won her over other suiters through his musical voice and ability to play the violin. Dolly Madison was one of the most popular of the White House women, if we believe tradition, and yet she certain ly was not pretty, if Prudhomme's en graving from the picture of Herring is to be accepted, with the queer turban. pro fusion of ringlets, large nose and positive mouth. There is, however, a glimpse of a prettily rounded arm and a classic neck through the lace and drapery, that perhaps may have combined wNTh her well-attested tact and vivacity to have given her the reputation she certainly enjoys among the President's wives. She was an F. F. V., Dorothy Payne, al though born in the Pine Tree State, and in early life her parents lived here and Dolly actually joined the Society of Friends in this city, although no doubt a rising young Quaker lawyer, one John Todd, whom she afterward married. had something to do with this. Todd died and left her a widow with one son, so Dolly set her cap for some of the fine looking young members of the Congress then wont to come to Philadelphia to transact the public business, and in 1794 married James Madison, one of the most talented of the body. Mrs. Monroe was the daughter of a British army officer named Cartwright, distant relations of the Philadelphia Cartwrights, who settled in New York after the peace of 1783. She was one of four girls. One of these married Mr. Heyliger, Grand Chamberlain to the King of Denmark; another a Mr. Knox, of New York City, whose only daughter was the wife of the late Alexander Hamil ton, son of Alexander Hamiilton, the first secretary of the treasury; a third married Nicholas -Gouverneur, of New York, and the fourth Senator James Monroe, of Virginia, afterward Presi dent. The first White House wedding was that of President Monroe's youngest daughter, who married her cousin Samu el L. Gouverneur, in 1820. It took place in the East room, and was a Knick erbocker afair, stylish and hightoned for: the day. A miunber of brilliant recep tions in Washington were tendered to the bridal couple, and the cards were out for a very swell one by Commodore "Essex" Porter and wife, when it had to be given up, owing to the untimely death of Commodore Decatur, killed by Barron in a duel. The dead officer had giv-en the young couple a brilliant party but- a few days before at his own home. An older daughter of President Madison married Judge Geo. Hay, of Richmond. Hortensia Hay, a beautiful girl, daugh ter of this match, was the wife of Lord Rogers, of Baltimore, whom ol society people of this city remember. Lady Rogers died in Paris. and is buried in Pere la Chais.. Most persons who have read the vol mninous diary of the "lu mn eloquent" know more or less of Louisa Catharine Adams, his wife. She was the daughter of a Maryl-ander named Johnson, who lived in London during the Revolution, where she was born. Charles Francis Adams was her third son. She accom panied her distinguished husband dur ing much of his diplomatic and official journeying abroad, andl did the honors during his Executive term, and was a wo man of varied accomplishments. A fine painting of her by Leslie is in possession Qfth + oston ii-y nd represents her as iretty wolnll. (iuMIltly relneu, a jewelled tiara in her hair. neeklace orna ment and lace shawl. with a hansoine gown, eut far more decollete than Rose Cleveland could possibly approve of. Mrs. Adams died in 1,52. and is buried with her husband at Quincv. General Jackson's wife died before lie went into the White House. and, as Ie had married before she was forniallv di voreed, the iron-hearted old Democrat was, with her, often the sibjeet of piti less political (ahlnm1y. She was a plain woman, but undoubtedlly possessed the undivided affection of the great Presi dent, who never was so happy as whei praising her meniory or defending it from slander. Van Buren married a w oiianl who. like himself, came of Dutch stock Hannah Hoes. She died early in their married life at Albany, and her brilliant husband never after took another partntr. The wife of Major Van Buren was the lady of the White House u-ring her father rn-law's tenure, and ably filled the place. Ann Svmnes was the wife of (eneral Harrison and was a Jersey girl. born near Morristown, her father being a Con tinental army officer. She never entered the White House, for when the Presi dent came East in 1841 to be inaugurated her health was precarioas and would not permit the journey. He died a month after he became President. while she lived until February, 18b4. President Tyler's first wife was Letitia Christian, daug'hter of Robert Christian, of New Kent County, Tirginia. Tyler was at the time of his marriage a young law graduate from the office of the cele brated Edmund Randolph. but his polit ical prospects were bright, as the son of Governor John Tyler, and to this honor of the father the son succeeded, and from thence to the Presidency. Miss Christian was a noted Eastern Virginia belle, and when her husband became President assumed the White House duties. Her health was feeble at the time, and she died there in September. 1842. Elizabeth. third daugiter of President Tyler by this union. was mar ried in the White House to a Southern gentleman nanied Waller. Three grand chil.-en of this President, sons of Lightfoot Jones, who married the eldest laughter, fought in the Confederate army. One of them. Robert, received three wounds at Gettysburg. Mrs. Robert Tyler, a daughter-in-law of this President, acted as the mistress after his wife's death. She was a lady of great culture and manners, the (laughter of the tragedian Cooper. Her elkest child. Letitia, was born in the White House. President Tyler remained a w,%idower but a short time, paying the Johnsonian compliment to his first spouse by soon selecting another, 'Miss Juliet Gardiner. of New York. She was the daugiiter of the wealthy gentleman who owned Gar diner's Island, familiar to inany naval people as near the roadstead in East Long Island where the naval practice squadron, with the Annapolis cadets, spends much of its summer cruising and exercising. Although Mr. Tyler was the first President-and so far the only one -to marry in the high office, the cere mony was not performed in the White House, but at the Church of the Ascen sion in New York, June, 1844. After the wedding a grand reception wa~s given in the Executive Mansion. Mrs. Polk, now living at an advanced age in Nashville, was one of tihe moist admirable mistresses the White House has ever had. She was Miss Sarah Childress, born near Murfreesboro', and married James K. Polk, then a member of the Tennessee Legislature, in her 19th year. He went to Congress the follow ing year, and for fourteen sessions con tinued there, being elected Speaker in 1836. In 1839 he became Governor of Tennessee, and Mrs. Polk presided with grace at the State Executive Mansion, so that when in 1845 they came to the White House she proved one of the most agreeable and popular of hostesses. Many innovations or rather changes in old custom% of receiving were introduced during Mrs. Polk's residence at the cap~i tal, notably the one of dispensing with refreshments during the levees. The wife of old "Rough and Ready" was a member of the extensive family ,of Smith's-Margaret Smith, a Maryland gir-daugihter of a plain farmer of that State, and their married life for many years was the prosy one of an army cou ple on the frontier. The first home they had really was when in 1840 Coh. Taylor went to the United States barracks at Baton Rouge. It was while stationed here that Jefferson Davis nmet and wooed old Zach's second daughter. much against the father's wishes, who disliked to see his children subjected to the sanme wandering existence he h~ad led his spouse as ain army officer. Lient. Davis was then a handsome young subaltern, and the seceding element wa s so strong in him even at that time he ran away with Miss Taylor, who died shortly after their marriage anid before t' e stern old parent had become rec'uciled to the elopement. Miss Betty Tay'i , he yourngest daughter', was the n: :es of the White House dm-ing P'res a: Taylor's shoi't incumbency. She ;" -am:e the wife of Major Bliss, Taylor's adjutant general in Mexico, and was acharming woman, well known in her youthful days in this city, where she went to school. The wife of the President never received or went out much in 'Washington society, andl, like Mrs. Garfield, never liked the White House or enjoyed the life there. Millard Fillmore married a New York school teacher, Miss Abigail Powers, be fore he became, like Cleveland, a Buffalo lawyer. She performed all the public social duties devolving upon her by rea son of her husband's political eminence wit great grace and ;ntell1;nne. When lie became Chief Magistrate she was nc in very good health, and a few -eel after the Close of his term died at Vil lard's Hotel, Washington, of an ilhie.: probably mach hastened 1y her attentio: to the ont0rous requirementir. of her stU tion. President Fillmore survived hi wife twenty-one years, dying in 1874 a Buffldo, and b othi lie buried, with m oIny daughter. in the beautiful Fores Lawn Ceiceterv of that city. Franklin Pierce-pronounced Per., up in Bloston-was a classmate of Haw thiorics at iBowdoin College. Tie presi dent of the college then :tnd for man: vears: was the Rev. Jesse Appleton Teinny Appieton, a daughter of this col lege president, became Mrs. Pierce, an her husband, at the time of the miarriag a young New Hampshire lawyer an Cfolngressiaun, became afterwards Presi dent of the United States. The firs few years of oflicial life was shadowei with grief, owing to the death of thei: onV sol, a few weeks b cef ore the inaugu ration. in a frightful railroad accident in which Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were aist injured. This cast a glooim over th< early year, -f the social regime of thei' term. Man- living persons relelbll cel th< incidents of society life of this period the quiet, graceful manners of Mrs Pierce and the hearty cordiality of th< President, at the levees and State recep tions. Mrs. Pieree died at Andover Mlass.,m-ig the war, and the ex-Presi dent at Concord in 1S69. Both ar buried in the cemetery, not far from tht spot where the embattled farmers fire the shot heard round the world in tha pretty New England town. James Buchanan was a 1cacelicor. an everbodv recall, the presiding lady o. his stormv career in the White House Harriet Lane. his niece-who was vdi known in her youth iii the society of lii city, Lancaster and Pittsburg. It wa at Bedford Springs she met the younL Baltimorean, Johnston, who married hei at Wheatland in 15. The Whitc House never had a more accomplished, domestic and social head than this voung Pennsylvania girl. It was while she wa, hostess that the Prince of Wales visitcd the United .States and was entertained ai the President's mansion. Al'ert Ed ward bore away with him, so the story of the day comes down to us, warm a p preciations of the grace and beauty (d Miss Lane. With the history of Mary Todd Lin coln, the wife of the Great Emancipator, of Mrs. Johnson, who was Eliza MeAr die, and of Julia Dent Grant, the wift of the Si lent Captain and President, wic has so lately passed away, the public oI to-da- is familiar. Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Granlt both took part in the social duties of their stations, as 'Jid Mrs. Haves and Mrs. Garfield-the fornei Lucy Webb, daughter of Dr. Jame Webb, of Chillicotie, Ohio, the lattei Lucretia Rutolph, daughter of Zebulon Rudolph. of Garrettsville, in the salmc State. Lincoln lost a son, his favorite Tad, in the White House. Nellie Grant, the General's beloved daughter, was mar ried-a brilliant wedding-in the samc place. President Arthur assumed the Chied Magistracy a widower. and, althoug rmnvior was very free with his name dur ing his term, he did not marry. Hit deceased wife was a daughter of Captair H-erndon, of the United States Navy, the galant officer who went dowif on the Central America. .Jamnes Buchanan and Grover Cleveha were the only twoc bachelor Presidents, and if the latte1 marries Miss Folsom this year it will leave the Pennsylvania President alonc in the cclii ate list of Chief Magistrates. Four Presidhents were widowers at theii inauguration1-Jefferson, Jackson, Yat Buren and Arthur. Sixteen were mar ried when they went into the Whitt~ House. One alone, President John Ty Ier, married while holing the Executive title. Thec Juov, ofMnrriedI Life. Referee D). R. Shiel has reported in favor of awarding a degree of limited di. vorce to Mrs. Henrietta F. Hartman, 01 Mount Vernon, N. Y., from her hus band Jacob. The testimony in the casc revealed a long course of treatment o1 the most inhuman, ingenious, humoroum and lingering cruelty on the part of thc loving husband toward the unfortunatt Mrs. Hartman. In his jocose moment? he was accustomed to slap) his wife, strik< her with his fist, pull her hair, knock hei around the room, jmpnI on her, throu~ cold water on lier, lire dishes at her and enmpty slops on her. On several occa sions, while eating is meals, he hurleJ his dinner pilate at her, shied the teapcoi at her head. lired knives and forks a1 her, heaved a platter of fish in hier face. poundced her with a broom, threatened to shoot her, smashed dishes against the wall, kiceked the table over, cut and burs1 open packages of tea, coffe~e and sugar. and scattered them on the fioor; bea1 her whlen in a delicate condition, anm causedl dangerous illness; thcrew a lighted lamp at her, setting her on tire. whet sick in bed: made her lie down on th<t bed and jumpedL oni her, and threatened toi kill her if she screamed; presented revolver and threatened to kill her if shc ever told anybocdy about his abuse threw munstardl in her face, 1broke hiea bedroom windows, sio that she caughi cold and laid the pneumonia, and com nit ted divers other acts of violence whiel made it impossible for her to live witl: him. -An English statistical writer say~ that while population in Europe and the. United States has risen :34 per cent. sinec 182, working power has increased 10Z per cent., and as a consequence of thi five men can now accomplish as much ai six in 1870J or eight in 1850. The wold'h steam power is now five and a half timnes what it wa in 1850. A z'A'rI-:'S I.ETTM~I. s Io Paternal frmttteitt Giivenj it, a Ve'ry Oriri nni1 Maner. (I;i~i Nye in 'he Graphie Ncws.) M DrAn Sox-Xour letter of last week found your mother and me fairly well, thoughi I canl see that I ain't the lse man I used to 1,L hv any means. 1 Every Spring T have trouble with my hmgs. One of myv l1ungS is entirely gon. and tle' other one i.; hepatized. so the doctor tells me. I've tried most everything in the way of medicine for to renew mv lungs, but tuey worse and worse all the time. But still I eat a good hearty meal of victuals. You refer. casually, in your letter, to a misspelled1 Word in ily last communication. You speak of graiimar also in a reproachable way, which is annoying to a man like Me. I am not great on the spell, I ad nit. Henir, for when T ought to been learning for to spell at the spelling schools and great orthographical retorts of our section of country, I was licking the smart Alceks from town that seemed to be smar-ter than their parents. No, Henry, I never got a meddle for spelling long hard words with great fluency, but I've tried to he a well-be haved parent. In my poor weak way I've aimed to be a -good father to you, Henry, anld so has your mother. 1 think I may say, with pardonablo pride, that I have been more successful in that line thtan sie has. WVe have Ibtotl tried. in season and out of season, to so live that we would not bring your gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. I, for one, have tried to shun the demon rum for your sake. I have come home early nights, so that you could know where I was, and I have always been willing that you should smell of my breatth if you felt so disposed. I have iever dlled a drunkars grave or brouglit reproach upon you. Spelling is not always my best holt, but I aim to please as a parent. I have tried not to bring the blush of shame to your fuzzy cheek, and wish you would try to do as much for me sometime. When I was a boy. they didn't sugar coat edjucatioi and make it one long dravwn hallelooger to go to school as they now d. On the contrary, the straggling ideas of the roodiments which I now have. was socked into me by main strength and awkwardness. To get the roodimients of ain edjucation we had 4 possess great physical strength and r mal eourage. When I see the student to-day with a big picture book done up in a shawl strap. wearing one of those little cigar ettes in his mouth, and riding on the hind end of a boss car towards the big red fenale seminary, I often think of the days when I did a day's work before breakfast, and then walked two miles in order to be ready to get licked when the (d cast iron cuss that presided over our school felt like it. He was a noble brute. He taught our school. I reckon, because he hadn't edju cation enough to engage in other manual pursuits. He is now dead. I do not go over to the cemetery every Spring to decorate his grave. Spring is a very busy season with me. If he bad died in the Winter, about forty years earlier than he did, I would have gone out of my way to dec orate his grave. It would have been a pleasure to me. When he died, your mother asked me if I was going to the funeral. "No," says I, speaking up in that droll way of mine-'"No, says I,' I shan't go to the funeral, but, as the feller says, I approve of it." That's the way I aila about everything. I speak my mind right out anti nobody ever knew me to hesitate about saying what I thought of a man, even if he was dead. With better edjucational advantagts, I always t hought our schioohlmaster would have made a good pirate; butt his parents was poor and so he had to hustle for himself. lie had an earnest desire to advance in his profession, but he did not succeed in carving his name oni the heights of fame. He yearned for glory and grub). I ~'eimber that he used to teach school Wiinters and wvork out Sunm nmers on a farm. In this way lie kept up his muscle all the time; and though he frequently got mixed up in long division, he was never successfully licked, up to the time that old MIr. Bright came along with his justly celeb rated disease xid in troduced it into the schoolmaster's daily life. Then lhe yielded gently. Like a flake of ice cream on the bosom of a fat man, the schoolmaster began to subside. IOne by one his kidnies began to fade. 'Paler and paler grew the great educator, till at last, one evening in Spring, just as the bull-frogs over in the north mtedder had unwvrapped the red Ilannel from their throats and sounded '"A," our old schoolmaster sknn out for the sweet ulti miately. Hundretds of his old pupils all over' the State telegrafted their consent. It was the nmtost harmionious thing I ever knew of. I regarded it as a great suc cess. So you can see, Henry. the kind of a ttooter I had, and that is piartly why I soimetimies spell words eroneously if the ink has been froze. I hope these few lines will tintd vou int good health, and that in your subisequent letters von will devote moie space to telling of the things you know, instead of telling me about the things I don't know. Your mother also joins me in hoping so. -Eight thousa persons attended Sam JTones' first meei tin in Bailtimore~ on Sunday night. The meetings will continue several weeks. -A rose seventeen antd a half inces in circumfereuce is the attraction of a miltees were formed. The delegates to the Conference embrace some of the most prominent divines of the Southern Methodist Church. H. C. Hernandez, lay delegate from the Mexican Border Conference, is the only active Mexican in attendance upon the Conference. RicH3own, May 6.-In the Quadren nial General Conference of the M. E. Church, South, to-day, after divine ser vice conducted by Dr. Hiinter, of Ar kansas, and after the transaction of rou tine business the secretary called the delegates by conferences for the intro duction of resolutions. A resolution was adopted for the appointment of a com mittee to devise a plan by which the en tire Church can be called on to- con tribute to the expenses of the General Conference. The special committee on rules reported rules of order for the gov ernment of the Conference. The dis cussion of the rules occupied the entire day's session, and after thorough revis ion and amendment they were finally adopted. PNEUMONIA. What a Well-Known Mredical Journal Han to Say About It. The prevalence of pneumonia, its rapid increase, and fatal consequences in many instances, says Hall's Journal of Health, have led a number of our abler physi cians to carefully investigate the pecu liarities of this alarming disease, and some of them have published the result of their observations in a way to benefit the public, not only by pointing out the best methods of prevention, but likewise of treatment, in the event of its occur rence. Dr. John T. Nagle, Deputy Register of Records of the Health Board of the City of New York, has given much at tention to the disease, and has prepared valuable statistical tables concerning it. "The prevalence of pneumonia," he says, "may be owing to a lack of ozone in the aiz, or it may be because there is too much ozone. Sudden changes of weather and high winds, particularly from the north and east, certainly have much to do with it, and draughts of all kinds are bad, and should be avoided. Smoking may be a predisposing cause, as tobacco is certainly an irritant. Any thing which irritates the lungs should be avoided. If people would breathe through the nose instead of through the Inouth, especially wheui in the open air or facing a cold wind, the lungs would be less irritated. "One great cause of the fearful death raoe among children from this disease is undoubtedly the criminally foolish way in which they are dressed. Many moth ers seem more anxious to make their children look pretty than to dress them comfortably. On a par with this is worse than folly of.low-necked dresses among women as viewed from a health standpoint. Ladies so dressed will rush from a heated ballroom or theatre into the open air,.and then wonder that they have colds or pneumonia. Wear season able underclothing, and don't remove your heavy flannels too early in the spring or defer putting them on until too late in the fall. I should not advise peo ple to coddle themselves, but one should dress according to the season, and should cover the body evenly. Add to this a proper regard for the general health and an avoidance of draughts, and one need not worry much about pneumonia." Prof. A. L. Loomis, in his "Practice of Medicine," says: "It is a well-known fact that the disease attacks' the poor oftener than the rich, the private oftener than the officer, the sailor on shore oftener than on ship, the soldier oftener than the civilian at the same post. It is unknown in the polar regions and com mon on the Mediterranean, increasing in a direct ratio from the poles to the equa tor. Elevation above the sea predispos es to it; north and east winds favor its development; rainy seasons or damp and marshy districts do not seem to influence it. Periods of steady and extreme cold have little effect except upon the old, but sudden changes are very disastrous. The first predisposing cause is age, the disease being most common in early childhood, from twenty to forty, and after sixty. The proportion of male to female victims is as three to one. Any general condition of the body which de bilitates is a predisposing cause. The complications which render the disease so dangerous ar those which diminish the nerve supply or weaken the muscu lar power of the heart Bad sewerage and miasmatic influence are potent causes. of the disease." e Pneumonia usually begins with a chill, intense and prolonged, generally at night, and followed by a corresponding ly high fever and sharp pains in the sides. The disease is very rapid in its progress, reaching a crisis in from five to six days, and sometimes causing death within three days. .Usually but one lung is affected, and often the disease is confined to a single lobe. A person may have "double pmnen uoia," or pneumonia of both lungs, ma recover from it, but the chances are against him. When the disease spreads to all of the lung lobes, death is certain, s the patient cannot breathe, and dies f suffocation. The diseased lung, at irst inflamed, soon heeomles hard and hathery, and incapablde of performing its natural functions, A curious fact is that usually no second chill occurs when aother lobe is attacked, and there ap pearts to be no rele.tion between the aount of lung affected and the intensi y of the symptoms. All physicians gree in saying that the disease is ntot ontagious, but mnay may be epidemic, ad it has been noticed that it is devel- c ,piedl under the same conditions as iphtheria-that is, the conditions which produice dip)htheria in the young are apt s o cause pnieumionia among aidults. Dr . R. Laming, ecoial cnsnltingrj TILE QUAIDRENIAL CONFERENCE. THE G .iEAT COUNCIL OF THE METHO DiST ('iURCH. SOUTH. Four Bimiops amd Tn o Hundred and Fifty Lay Dele;:ate- Asmemnble in Richmond. (special to the News and Courier) R1eMroNs, May 5.-The General Con ferenev of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, met to-day in Centenary Church. Nearly all the delegates were present. The thirty-eight Conferences, under the control of the General Confer ence in the United States, reach from Maryland to the Republic of Mexico, and from Florida to Washington Terri tory. There are two other Conferences, one partly in Texas and partly in Mexico, and the other entirely in Mexi co, with headquarters at the City of Mexico, making forty Conferences in all the Southern Methodist Church. The membership of the Church, ac cording to the last report, received only a few days since, is nearly one million persons. It has increased to this from 400,000 persons in 1865. Besides, there is mission work among the Indians and sparsely settled districts of the West, on the borders and in Mexico, and in Brazil and China. The General Conference represents the Church. It employs nearly three hun dred missionaeies, and expends in the maintenance of missions and the per rormance of mission work some 8,300,000 annually. Its church extension board, with headquarters at Nashville, has been organized only four years, but in that time it has expended about $150,000 and has assisted 550 churches. The publish ing operations are conducted at Nash ville, where the largest printing-house is situated, and operated by the Church. It is interested in a large number of educational enterprises, the largest of which is Vanderbilt University. The General Conference is the chief legislative body of a large Church scat tered over a vast domain. It is, in reali ty, the Congress of the Church, having supreme power in forming and main taining the Church polity. It is com possd of delegates selected by each of the annual Conferences in proportion to their membership. The Conference comprises about 250 members, divided equally into clerical and lay representa tives. Secretary L. Q. C. Lamar is a prominent delegate. The whole work of the Church in its various departments will be reviewed at the Conference and plans devised for future operations. In fact, the whole polity is subject to the revision of this body. The Discipline of the Church will be gone over, and any advisable re visions made. A resolution was made at the last Con ference to change the name from the Methodist Church, South, to the Metho dist Church of America, but was over whelmingly defeated, and the matter will probably not be brought up again. The general drift of feeling seems to be conservative, and there is not likely to be any radical change. The relations with the Northern Church are most cor dial. The Conference is charged with the duty of electing all the general officers, and will probably elect five new bishops, who hold their offices for life; three gen eral secretaries and editoys of the vari onis organs of the Church, besides filling the various hoards, the membership of all of which will be revised. The bishops will preside over the Conference in turn, but are not prop)erly members of that body. They have no right to vote. They have the privilege of the floor, however, but rarely avail themselves of it. The secretary of the Conference, an important officer, is elected after it meets in regular session and is not necessarily of that body. The Conference, which meets only ever-y four years, will last from twenty to thirty (days. MInch interest has been arousedl on account of the important business to be transacted. The election of bishops has especcially attracted a great deal of attention, as there are sev eral candidates for the high honor. The Conference was called to order by Bishop H. N. McTyiere, of Tennessee, senior bishop. Four other bishops of the Church were presenti, to wit: Keen er, of New Orleans, Wilson, of Mary land, Grandberr-y, of Missouri, and Har grove, of Alabama. Besides these there are about 250 delegates, clerical and lay, present. The Conference elected the Rev. Dr. .Tohn S. Martin, of the Balti more Conference, secretary, with the following assistant secretaries. Dr. B. B. Crawford, of Alabama; Rev. Dr. W. A. Candler, North Georgia Conference, and Rev. .John C. Vincent, Missouri Confer ence. -The Rev. D~r. A. C. Bledsoe, of Bi'oad Street Methodist Church, Richmond, deliveredl an adldress of welcome in be half of the people of that city, aind Bishop McTyiere responded and in the :nme of the Conference returned hearty thanks for the welcome from a peole so p roverbial for their hospitality and from a city so rich in historic associations of Church as well as of State. The address of the bishops was read by Bishop Keener. The rapid growth of the Church in the past hundred years and the attractive simplicity of Meth odism were favorably commented upon. The history of the Church and its pogress to date were fully reviewed, and condmnatorv terms were used in eon nection with violation of marriage vows by obtaining divorces; of gambling in futures;" of neglecting to attend chiurch and of Sabbathi desecration. Attending theatres, balls and matinees were referred. to as growing evils. At the natenon session various com physician in chest diseases in St. Luke's Hospital, has published a little pamphlet concerning it, entitled "Endemic Pleuro Pneumonia, as seen in New York during the past ten or twelve years." In that pamphlet Dr. Leaming holds to the theory that the pneumonia of the present day, or pleuro-pneumonia, as he calls it, is the same as the epidemic which caused such havoc among the troops in Canada during the war of -1812-15. That the weather has much to do with pneumonia is apparent. The number of deaths in New York city for the first seven months of last year was as follows: January, 375; February, 486; March, 587; April, 512; May, 337; June, 229; July, 150. After August there is usual ly a steady increase until March, the most fatal month of the year. The death rate, too, is very high. The statis tics so far published, both in hospitals and private practice, show an average death rate of at least 20 per cent., or one in five of those attacked. The theories concerning the nature of the disease itself are many and varied. Some physicians hold that pneumonia is only a local manifestation of a general disease, others that it is a specific disease caused by a specific poison, while still others hold as tenaciously to the germ theory. Without speculating upon these differ ent theories, from wiat has been said in which all agree, it is plain that anything which lowers the vitality of the system is conducive to the disease, and should be carefully avoided. Overwork, either physical or mental, has much to do with it, and this explains why so many busi ness men and brain workers become its victims. Sudden changes of the weath er and draughts of all kinds are also to be guarded against. In a word, live temperately, dress warmly, avoiding all manner of imprudences, and you need bave.no fear of pneumonia. BLOODY WORK OF THE SOCIALISTS. Sixty-Three Persons Killed or Badly Wounded, Forty-One ef Whom are Policemen-Arrest of Fire Ringleaders of the Riot. CmcAGo, May 5.-The Anarchists of Chicago inaugurated in earnest last night the reign of lawlessness which they have treatened and endeavored to incite for years. They threw a bomb into the idst of a line of 200 police officers, and It exploded with fearful effect. Almost before the missile of death had exploded the Anarchists directed a murderous fire with revolvers upon the police, as if ,heir action was prearranged, and as the atter were hemmed in on every side unbuscaded-the effect of the fire upon :he ranks of the officers was fearful. When the police had recovered from the Irst shock of the attack they charged ipon their would-be murderers, shooting it every step and mowing them down, as ;heir fellow-officers had been laid low by :he bomb. The Anarchists fled in dis nay before the charge. The collision etween the police and the Anarchists was brought about by the leaders of the atter, August Spies, Sam Fielden and . R. Parsons, endeavoring to incite a arge mass-meeting to riot and blood ied. From Socialistic headquarters here issued late in the afternoon the fol owing circular, which was distributed aroughout the labbring quarters of the ~ity by thousands: "Attention! Workingmen: Great mas neeting to-night at 7.30 o'clock, at Hay narket, Randolph street, between Des >laines and Halsted. Good speakers ill be present to denounce the latest trocious act of the police in the shoot ng of our fellow-workmen yesterday fternoon. Signed: Executive Commit August Spies, Schwab, Sam Fielden nd other Socialists (all foreigners) iarangued the crowd in a blatant and ~eckless manner, when thdi police march~ ad up to the wagon containing the ~peakers, and Captain Bonfield said: "In he name of the State of Illinois, I comn nand this crowd to disperse." Almost mmediately a bomb fell between the two solums of the police and literally mowed hem down. -Sixty-three persons were ither killed or badly wounded, forty e of whom were policemen. Several stores were raided andi the en ire contents carried off. Dynamite )ombs were found in the office of the trberter Zeitung, and all parties found n the premises were arrested. Threats f burning the city are freely made by he Socialists. The Vigilants are aroused. Two even ng papers publish the following: HEADQUARTERS OF THE 49TH VIGILANT JoMTEE, MIay 5.-MIeet sharp at 1.40 L R. 78, 5th inst. Business of great sportance. Spies, Parsons and Schwab, sd others of their kir.d beware! The . ope does its work quick. The masacre >f our brave policemen must be aveniged. 3y order of the Executive -Committee. ;igned: ** Several of the leading Socialists have een arrested on the charge of murder nd will be held without bail. No Hope for Clnverlus. The counsel for T. J. Cluverius, con ieted of the murder of Fannie Lilian Jadion, entered a motion in the Sn >reme Court of Appeals on Friday for eheaing of the ease decided on Thurs ay, in which the judgment of the lower ourt was fuly alirimed. No rehearing vill be allowed unless one of the Judges rho concurred ini the decision is dissatis led with it and desires a rehearing. -The latest form of brutality which Sin danger of becoming popular is the hin-kicking matech. Why not have ear lipping, or eye-extinguishing, or rib reaking matches. too? WThere is this ort of thing to .stop?. -MIiss MIary Anderson is negotiating ralargesk rnch in Nebrsska.