THE wnavn AND STABLE. Foot-80, or Hlaligonnl Foot-Dl»*« n P* r —«jrn^tom»—Fro gno.l.—Treatment. IRom Our Special Correspondent, CHAMPAIGN, 111.. KOV. I4 FOOT-BOT, OK MALIGNANT FOOT-PISTEMPEB- The disease known hy the name of foot rot is a chronic inflammation of sheep, bnt principally of those U.e feet known by the name of coron«terim the hoofs join tho skin. It has e originally only in bigbly-imi.rosvfl sheep wUh tine wooh especially in Mormos, and is said to be developing a contagion alrtad} during the first few days of Us existence. This contagion is supposed to bo bound to the secretions of the sores and ulcers on the feet; its physical properties however, arc not known. It has alsohecu asserted that the disease is communicated hy those secre tions or exudations Icing brought in con tact with the feet of healthy sheep; and that those exudations, deposited or wiped off on the grass of tho pasture, on tho hay, straw, orluanure hi the sbeep-peu, etc,, will bring on tho foot-rot to healthy animals, if tho latter pass over those infected sub stances, and como in that way into contact with the contagion. Artificial inuoculations, however, have given hut very un certain and doubtful results—uncertain, at least, in so far as the same re salts probably would have been obtained if auyothericUorousmatterliadbeenimiocu lated; therefore it xa'tS'ery possible that th« contagion or tho infectious properties con sist simply in the ichorouscouditiouof those exudations, and that an infection is accom panied in the same way in which it will be if any other matter of the ichorons charac ter, such as comes from decaying or mortified tissue, is brought into contact with a fresh wound, or, what would make no material difference with such a loose and porous skin as that of the extremities of Merinos, es pecially if'that 5 skin has been previously softened and loosened by the influence of wet continued moisture. It is a fact which cannot be denied, that the influence of moisture and wet, of mud and dirt, pastur ing fine-wooled sheep on swampy and wet land, and keeping the same in wet and mnd dy pens and dirty stalls, will, to say the; least, advance the disease considerably» whereas dry weather, dry pastures and pens, and clean stalls, have a beneficial influence* bring the disease to a stop, and prevent a farther spreading. Therefore, notwithstand ing that a communication by means of the contagion is generally considered as the principal cause and the means of propagation, it is very possible that jl continual exposure of the feet to wet and moisture, especially in swampy fields and sloughs, wet and dirty yards and pens* constitutes the primary, and, maybe, the principal cause; for, first, the discing never occurs—provided the same is not mis taken for the aphthous foot-disease (foot and month disease)—where the sheep are neither kept nor driven on wet ground, swamps, or sloughs, and have in their pens or stalls a good bedding of dry sand; secondly, dry weather diminishes the disease in spite of tho contagion; and, third, a mere surgical treatment is perfectly sufficient to etlect a cure, if we consider, further, that highly* improved sheep with lino wool, such as the soft, tender, and effeminate Merinos, which have a more delicate skin than any other breed o£ sheep, ore attacked almost exclu sively: that continual wet and moisture, as also long travel over rough and muddy roads, must exert tbeir influence u great deal sooner, and in a more destructive man- Her, upon the soft skin, and also upon the whole constitution, of those delicate and highly-improved animals, than upon any other known breed, we necessarily must come to the conclusion that those injurious influences are well able to cairso morbid changes, and even ulceration and destruc tion, not only in the coronets, but also in tbo interior parts of the feet .of those fine-wooled Merinos. Moreover, m flamation ami external injuries have in sheep always, but especially in Merinos, far more than in an v other domestic annual, a great tendency to lead to decay, and to ter minate in ulceration and gangrene. Hence, the hypothesis of tho existence of a specific contagion, such a one as wo find in tho aph thous foot-disease, is not at all necessary to explain the propagation of foot-rot, especial ly os the matter orexcudation produced from /decaying and mortifying tissue will al ways assume more or less infectious proper ties. It will stick to the healthy skm when coming in contact with it. and will, cither by closing its pores, and being partially ab sorbed, or by directly introducing decay- and decomposition, soon exert its corroding and destructive influences, and produce sores similar to those from which it came; in .other words, will produce foot-rot. SYMPTOMS. tThe animals generally commence to limp win one foot; the hoofs of that foot show increased warmth, and the coronet ajjd the skin of the cleft of that foot are reddened. IN ithm a few days, we dud on the coronet, on rather, on the seam between the coronary ligament and the crust of the hoof, an exudationof a turn and viscous fluid or matter; and within the cltio between the hoofs we hud, es pecially toward the heels, already more or less separation of the hum from the com- Imrv ligament. That thin and viscous fluid soon aisumus a discolored appearance and corroding properties; therefore, althouia ii self originally n product of the diswoftf,. it soon becomes an agency in the fnrther de struction ot the connection betwiv i the coronary ligament and tho hoof and. b\ yieuetratsng the fleshy .parts of tin, f"> 00 low, it also effects within a short t;nie .1 seoaration of the crust of the hoof from tbp fleshy land me of the foot. Consequently, deep ulcers are formed inside of tlie hoot and ns the exudation aud production ol that ichorous fluid or matter, which, in tho progress of tho disease, has become very let ol and still more corroding, m constantly iiictvflaiog. the destruction m the interior of Ihe hoof iii also progressing, till dually all the soft mi its lif the hoof, even the tendons and ligaments, have been destroyed line severed, tl?e Ss opened, sod the bones necrosed, or till the whole hoof has been sepanited from the porta Within, aud lost. Kye.n if it should not come to these extremes, ji dc fomiaiinn of the Imofs UOf avidid, —for oidy morbid horn, oi a 11 Irons substitute. ran bo I>r duel whore the coronary ligament .md tbi fleshy lamiuie, which may be galled tin xuitrix ox the crust of the hoof, arc oeucroy eu. cr degenerated and diseased. The bools Boon In-come shapeless also. i*ii account oi irregular growth effected puffer the of the ichorous matter. If, as m 'enetclly the case, the other feeu become .diseased also, then the patients cither can-j not stand, or have to use the sore foot, no j matter how great the pain may be; hence, ihe sores and ulcers arc constantly irritated, which, of course! must increase the ulcera tion and make thoevil worse, r mally, how ever, the poor, suffering animals arc not aide to stand upon their feet; thev Uay«* to drag their bodies forward upon their knees, can not follow the dock, do net get their shave of tho food, and run down ami emaciate rapidly to real skeletons. Arrived at that fitflge of the disease, the poor creatures pre fect a very pitiful appearance. The facts, that the loot-rot generally com- lu only one foot; that the other feet oliic disused afterward, and not at once, o< be case in the contagions or aphthous nnwiea-e; that the morbid process fre one and. the same foot rc- SmidVveu after new Wn has been pro and,-dually, the s*««t cinacia and the 8 e2 -al runuing-uo, crippled annuals, can*- the: duration dj SL .a>»e to be u long one. miA.its destiw ma lo bo very severe aud lasting. Jbei\ ir foot-rot has made its appejojmee take a Jou£ time oto t b ero is an ond of it; it, perhaps, jnay iw romo to a close, ami the owner, at jni>nite will suffer severe losses unless tho Pdtutg’aro subjected time- 1 Jv to a rational treati iufc a ..d proper care, .although but comparably few animals may die. It the patients ;a\, e g^ tf elcd the suffer ing will be great, and tui osses of tho owner of the diseased llock Wiiibo heavy,—for a sheep that, has its feet d, e £\ernt ed from loot xot, or has lost its hooff, isalmost good 101 nothing. rBOGXOSUU I foot-rot is eirly enough attended to and rationally treated, then the progup s:h is favoivible, ami cure urn be easiij effected If, jipwovexv tbo disease lias been allowed to maki3 progress and to cause sen oil) morbid changes aud degenerations in the feet, then the prognoSs. at least nslai as perfect recovery is coteerued, is unia vonUc. la a largo flock, uwhich the-foot rot has once gamed a footlold, ft thorongi extermination requires ver* much cure unci the strictest attention. __ treatment. The treatment ib a mere burtfeal one. At first, and above all. all disease* or morbitm changed, hut especially all loosoaml severed, pans of the hoof must he carcfUly removed hv cutting them away. If the separation ot the hoof Irum the fleshy partb'above auu. hcucalli is so extensive that aiossoftnc whole hoof is iuuuinent, it is hotter to taKe ihe latter away at once. This cutting and paring process lias to he repeated ax often as it may ho necessary; that is, as often as any l hum may he foimdiooseucd or partially sepa rated from the tissues beneath. After that has been £oue,the sores and ulcers must he thoroughly cleaned, andthen some astrin gent and corroding medicines may be ap plied, in order to stop the production of the ichorous matter, and to change, or to de stroy. the old ulcerous surfaces. Which remedy mny be chosen is of less importance than a good and careful application. Pow- 1 dored sulphate of copper, a salve of powder ed sulphate of copper and tar, chloride of lime, butter of antimony, nitric acid, and e--p ‘cially creosote and carbolic acid, consti tute the chief and most reliable remedies. Extensive ulceration and morbid granula tion (so-called proud flesh) of the la*uium is lw*st treated with either mine acid, creosote, or a concentrated solution of carbolic acid. These acids, however, (must be applied verv carefully, which can be done Very well by means of asmalpieco of a fine spongotied to a stick of convenient length. In less se vere cases a more diluted solution of car bolic acid will be of good service. Still, the VOLUME 25. more thoroughly the knife is used, tho less medicines are required. Strict cleanliness is always oue of the most essential points. Vetkkinakiax. THE APIARY. Wintering of Bees—ln Cellars, in Booms, and on Summer Stands—Care of Ibe Surplus Boxes and Frames. From Oor Special Correspondent. Rural Home, IU., Nov. 17. There are several modes of wintering bees, each of which has its advantage under cer tain conditions. If we have a dry, cool cel lar, with windows that can be darkened, we need ask no better place in which to put our hers for their winter quarters. In such a 1 place they consume less stores than on the open stands] that are exposed to all storms and changes of temperature that winter brings in its train. When wo put them in this, the top, or cap, of the hive may be re moved, in order to allow of a free ventila tion upward, while the entrance may bo 1 nearly dosed. If the room is kept darkened, i the bees will make no attempt at dying, and will remain in their quarters. The room should he kept at nearly the freezing point, or If it freezes slightly it "nil! make no difference: the object is to keep the room as near as possible at an even temperature. When wc tad forty or fifty hives, this mode of wintering pleased us; but, os the number of swarms increased, and the demand for cellar-room became more pressing for other purposes, this mode had to be abandoned, and, for two or three winters, they have been wintered on their summer stands. When wintered in the cel lar, care must ho had to guard agaiust mois ture. Our cellar was so dry and well aired that I supposed it would gather no moistnre. as it was under a wing of the house, the library room and separated from the main cellar by a wall. And then the bottom was paved with brick, while three sides of the wall were exposed to the weather, and the cellar was but two feet lie low the natural surface, with five feet above, and the walla of brick. Most assuredly such a cellar could not gather moisture: hut it did, and wo lost several swarms by mold from the dampness. The 4iives had rested on scauiltug 2x4 inches; consequently were two inches from the brick door. In February, they were fully examined, and several dead swarms found in the bottom tier, and others were badly molded. They were at once overhauled and placed two feet from the bottom, and air freely admitted on pleasant days. This ar rested further injury and taught the lesson that the hives must be raised up from the bottom of the ccllar.S&Thc following winter 1 the bottom tiec-of hives were placed sixteen inches above the floor, when there was no t appearance of molding. I mention this to 1 show what precautions are to he taken in i regard to the use of cellars in the wintering j of boes. But, as few farmers have suit aide i cellars for this purpose, they are compelled 1 to look fer the next nest place, 1 WINTERING IX A ROOM. _ I A dry, cool room, from which the light is i excluded, is also a good place in which to winter bees: but a room in a house were hot 1 air can reach it. as an attic or upper room, is unsuitable for the purpose. A fanner I friend of mine had given to him a hive of 1 bees late In the fall, and, in order to safely j winter, the hive was put in a dark recess 1 over the kitchen, just under the. roof. In j the spring the bees wore all dead, though j I having ample stores of honey. These facts j goto snow that bees must be allowed plenty of fresh air, and free from dampness, we hear people talk of wintering bees in the ground or outdoor cellars all of which may be true. I once knew a beekeeper who was 1 always successful, and who wintered his bees 1 in the ground; that is he lived on a sandy 1 plain, where the forest-trees were all pine. 1 The bee-cellar was excavated some three feet iu the sand, and the walls were built of pine 1 logs, and the cellar covered with sand, in the usual manner of 1 our out-door cellars. In this cellar the bees alwavs wintered iu good condition; but, if we should attempt to winter them in our 1 common prairie soil in this manner, the failure would be most signal. TIIO condi- 1 tions are so entirely divergent that one is not a criterion by which to judge the other. WINTERING OUT OF DOORS. This is the most natural mode of winter- ing bees, and requires the least care; con sequently, is the best adapted to the masses lof the people, though at the cost of more 'honey; and yet we must need look well to i some of the conditions that are presented in I the premise. A hive exposed to the winds land rain, the sleet and snow, the alternate 1 thawing and freezing, of omlchangeablc win ders, is not in the most secure condition to insure success. If the swarm survives all 1 these, it may be so weakened in numbers that it will make but poor progress in honey gathering. For this reason, wc must see that aV guch hives have the proper shelter. My bee-stands aromatic by driving down six stakes, three in each row, sixteen inches Mart, and eight feet the long way. These nr.* twenty inches above the surface. Ten aixtecu-feet fence boards are nailed to these, upon which the hives are placed, only six cii a stand; but, iu winter, hives arc placed dose together, that they may shelter each other. A belt of evergreens and deciduous trees breaks the force oflhe wind, and they need no further e re iu this respect. tint, when more fully exposed, they should have a slolter of hoards, or of corn-stalks, to break the force of the winds, to protect them from sleet, rain or molting snow,—for none of riiesp must be allowed to enter the hive: and, most pf all, we aippt sec that the entrance must not be blocked up l»y vb’Ct or melting snow, that would dose the access ci air. Wo need but little air, however, and the entrance shonl d bo-' nearly closed, but not entirely, for, if the supply of air ia entirelj cut on the bees will die of suffocation. In putting i!iern, that docs not supply sufficient egg to make m> full swarms, wo must exchange tier for a better .piapn ns early in tho season ns practicable.—for fhis in tifo only remedy that ,B Soniepeople till tho top of the hlye full of dry cobs, for tho purpose of absorbing tho moisture that may arise from the boos. Others make a coyer of these, by cutting and fitting them in frames, and putting them in plage of thohoncy-bdard. This is a good plan when moisture is liable to gather 111 the hivo, bat otherwise i» pt no practical value. We need gome good, dry room, 111 wlacu to j store the surplus boxes and frames for win ter for these must not bo allowed to get wet and W.conuj musty, as that unfits them for use; fortbob.ees dUliko a musty hive, and would rather try their chances el«owhere than to remain in such an unpleasant apart ment. While they aro willing to clear tho decayed wood ffom tbp hollow free, or amopth aver rough’ hoard?, yet fjioy arc averse to Buustincsa or unpleasant odors. Ella.' Gmlnin’i 'Winter Fnahiont from the New York Mail, Nov. 16. fVKSIXG IlllfiS, Dress coat a are made rather longer, nar rower, and atraighter in the skirts than was fashionable last season, 'i he inpei i s small at the to» mid pointed, rolls low to the wrist seam, and naan medium cnrvn on the front edge. o’y-mapart is cut suflicicntlvnanow to admit of tho land laying well hack ou the breast. Bide-cdgesaro introduced on the skirls as a novelty, and the slcovu is liuished with a fiOse can. having two holes and hut-1 tuns worked at tho i.nst. a blue-block I West of England cloth of moderate soli- 1 stance is -the correct material, with plain I Hevihle buttons ami single-stitched raw' edges. Silk breast facings p, the button-' holes, though stiff fashionable in Europe, arc here the exception. and find hut little dress vests there .is a decided inclliia- Hon to depart from plain black, and neatly embroidered patterns are now very fashion vigome aye ooged n ith coni, hoard very narrow, dr have a wavy. serpeutmo I,paid laid Hat ou the edge, they are not worn l.olte so low as formerly, hut still suOlciently men to show- three studs and button three huVttons. The “Quiz'’ o. under-vest 13now ‘‘‘ftoWegroow’iuarricd in toll-dross should I A vu white vest, a neatly embroidered W i‘ te MareeiUcs heingthe most appropriate, white Mtwsmim pcut moderately easy to Dress trolls tj iam SJir i„ g over the hoot, and afe fm«™tly made with aeord orhraul taidou the side fomalogcasions the o£ ain Wtle Pnnco of ft breast-facings and dressed cloth. double-breasted worn buttons. distinctly above tac j waistcoat, ‘k°w> n Z d layen turnover of c s? r l- improved satloi s tnotrrSal Dmm’' and gloves to “fhow. of.“«£S tbey look very itylUh. TITLES AND ABSTRACTS OF TITLE, To the Editor of The Chicago Tribune The question of tho restoration of titles has been ably discussed in your editorial columns and in communications from well known lawyers, hnt it seems to me lias not yet been exhausted. There seems jto be an impression with many that titles may bo re-established by an act of the Legislature declaring the abstract books which have been preserved public records and evidence of title. Of course these books might bo made public records; but they would be no more valuable as evi dence of title than they now ore, and the in formation which could he obtained from them as public records would bn no more re liable than that which may he derived from them at present. The abstracts made by any of the convey ancers who have preserved their books are, to-a certain extent, evidence of title; hut in very many coses they will not be satisfacto ry,citber to a lawyer, a purchaser, or a money lender. Supposing the county should purchase these books and the Legislature declare them legal evidence, would it strengthen any man’s title f Would it add anythingto their value! If, then, in any instance, a person should be able to show, either by written or oral testimony, that the books were not cor rect, he would unquestionably have a right to do so. The Legislature cannot set aside rested rights, or declare who is the owner of a piece of land. The question who has the title, if disputed, is a judicial question, to be determined by judicial decree, rather than by legislative enactments. Such a decree must be by a court of compe tent jurisdiction, and after an investigation of the facts. The evidences of titlo cannot be fully set forth in the brief abstracts which have been made from the records. Judco Scales, in his article published m The Tkiiujne some days since, says: “Land owners do not need judicial controversy to establish title. They simply need a restora tion of the evidences of title as they existed at the time.” Which is true, hut the estab lishment of tho evidences of titlo establishes the title itself, and these evidences, where they have been lost or destroyed, must he re established by a court, for the Legislature cannot restore lost papers or take proofs as to their contents. Again, would tbo possession of these hooks by the county in any way essentially aid the land-owners? I think not. Korns but expertsean understand them. Let any man not familiar with tin* business of making abstracts go and examine the books of any of the conveyancers, and although he may get an idea of the condition of the title. X think he will soon satisfy himself that ho could not buy a piece of property from what he can there learn unaided. Ihoy contain many interlineations, alterations, and refer ences, which cannot bo read or explained except by men experienced in the business. lam oven informed by experts that the re spective linns would, in many coses, ho mi ablo to understand each other’s books, and in making up abstracts of title the man who took the minutes from the record. and sometimes the record itself, would have to be resorted to in order to cxidnin the books. On ibis ac count they would be of little use as public recoids. Again. Before a man can cither sell or bor row money on his property he must obtain an abstract of title; and would any lawyer be as well satisfied with an abstract made by the Clerk in the Recorder’s otlico from the abstract books or copies of them,as one made by the present owners of the books Would any lawyer be willing to say a title wasi good ami merchantable upon an abstract made by a clerk unacquainted with tbo rules under which the books were made, and who would not be pecuniarily responsible for any mis takes Once niorc.ltissaidwemusthavethobooks to preserve them. Our recent experience bus proved tbeir owners more capable of preserv ing them than were tbe authorities of pre serving the public records. Another question arises. Three sets of these books have been saved. Are all. or is only one of them, to he purchased. If all, then in a case where tiro hooks do not agree, which will be taken as correct I I have intimated above that doubtful inics tions of title must bo settled by a court of chancery. hut it does not follow from this, that every property-owner in Cook County will ho forced to this resort. Where parties have abstracts made before tbo tire, or when copies of abstracts can bo obtained, and the evidence of uninterrupted possession for a n umber of years.togctherwith an affidavit of the owner that the abstract shows all the conveyances, nothing more w-ill bo required in many cases to press the title. There are also a large class of real estate owners in possession of tbeir property who will neither wish to gefl or borrow money on it,and their title will 1)6 straigteued )iy time and limitation laws. lint it is useless to attempt to conceal the fact that manv questions will be raised by the destruction of the records which'must lie settled bv evidence not contained in the abstract hooks—by documents and liy oral testimony, and to meet these cases judicial) proceedings as summary and inexpensive as may lie practicable ought to he provided, j Coiihl we not. by increasing tbo number of .Masters in Chancery anil modifyingthe laws in regard to notice am' limit;iliou,aecopi|dish the object through the ordinary channels, without resorting to the experiment of ap pointing Commissioners f Witli reference to property of which nn ab stract of title has never neon made, I am told that there is nothing on the abstract books to show whether married wmuen have released their dower bv proper acknowledgement, or when the title came through a married wo man whether the conveyance was acknowl edged so as to make it valid. Again, when the title comes through a chaneerv proceed ing or is derived through a foreclosure, eifiieV by sate or tndieinl decree, there is nothing to show Whether hie ponce was siu lielent. Or it the title i 6 derived through a will, or sale by administrators or guardians, there is nothing to show whether the pro ceedings of these persons were regular, lint in these and other doubtful case’s. parties proceeding under the ordinary chancery rules, winch may ho made somewhat morn sanmiaify .tnd less ex pensive, will find hilt little difficulty in es tablishing a title more satisfactory than was shown hr the records before The lire. Where the lit 1 was good before the tiro there will bo rirely any litigation, and the fact that parties may establish their lilies now white tbe evidence is within their con trol ’will have a tendency to prevent contro versy. Delays will giv,o oiiikirtpuity to those disposed 10 clbud-the titles. Audi would suggest’ th;itto'prevei)t iielitions.chtinishcing made against real estate, any narty asserting snob a claim should he compelled to pay the fees of the attorney of the real owner of tlio laud. This would servo to protect prop 'wners against dishonest speculations in tlflesV f Q. K. A. UvTCtuxsox. t Which Flan Shall W« Paranc T) the Editor of The Chicago Tribune Tm: Tnmuxß said, with groat truth, in an editorial ou tho 12th, that tho question was narrowing down to a choice between the chancery* process, pf which Judge Gary is the exponent, and the more simple ouu pre sented in my communication of November 4, published 10th, wherein I called attention to ito fact that it was not a new title we needed, but a restorationof such record evi dence of title as would enable us In an easy way to show the world that we had title. The chancery decree proposes to force everv lot-owner and every person having any‘interest in any lot in £obk County, whether his ownership or interest js a sub ject of dispute or not, to run through the fearful mill whereby they shall invite all the world to contest with them their right, and leaves the burden upon the owners’ shoul ders of proving ftSlruptiyely their rights, heretofore undisputed, and in' most cases in disputable. The cost of such process is incal culable; the time consumed in grinding through a single case before decree can be obtained piauy months, and. if litigated at all, many yearn, while pll the courts that could be created in Cook County, pud nil tin* lawyers of. America, If put at workto’-dav upon Judge plop ‘or any modi ticaiiop af. it. heretofore presented, could not. witliua s lin ordinary lifetime, accom plish the Voric, and enable us to read our 5 title clear, dv our* lulo at pll, .to jhe almost half-million different tracts In Cook County. few, possibly, might live to -got through and rejoice over the worthless decree to ba obtained after years oi strug gle, and wasted'time and' fponoy; hut it would be left fox* our children, aiidbur child, ren's .children to hold jubilee fifty years heppe (if in the meantime the lawyers and courts iiod not swallowed up all the value of their property) over the closing up pf the business. I said worthless decree. Proceedings “in reni, 51 ca contemplated by Judgo Gary ami almost all who have favored any chancery process, whether by regular courts'or Com* 1 uiissioners, cannot, attempted to bo aidod by legislation, exclude, any-claimants in ecpmy from asserting their claims and obtaining an ndjudicat jou thereon, whenever they become possessed *f tbp evidence or the I means to prosecute. No legislation can close the doors of our courts against them, and, therefore, the decree which, through such summary proceedings “in i’rw.” promises us a ftraim ncjc title, dear* and unclouded, is not only .worthless if any equitable claim exists agaiust it. but is a cheat and a delusion. The claim that a limitation late such as is proposed, ran debar claims iu equity, is a snare, and whoeverliopas by this means to remove donas upon hial title will do well to ascertain whether ho is himself de ceived, or whether ho is not trying to play a confidence game upon others, Isay boldly that no chancery decree can bind any person having interest in the prop- CHICAGO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1871. erty who is not made a party in fact (not constructively) to the suit. Then who can he aided by this process! Shall we all bo compelled to go through this fearful warfare, ana be ground between the upper and nether mill-stones, to enable the/ctr whose titles are clouded to obtain a decree by which they can play the confidence gome upon the innocent and unwary! Shall we all go through purgatory to keep com pany with the few whose burden can only he unloosed by that fearful passage! It is well said, “J Usery lores company but pray excuse us; we prefer to travel tho safe and clearly lighted road, and leave those who prefer tho other to go alone. Why should not the ninety-nine sheep, which are safely folded, be left there in se curity, while the strayed one is sought for and restored Now what we want and must have, and what we will have (if lunacy does not prevail over sanity in this as it has done in another question only second to this in importance,) is an acknowledgment that unclouded titles before October 9, were not clouded by the fierce heat of that day; and that titles then clouded were not relieved from the clouds by any purifying process consequent upon the destruction of our records; but that ev ery equitable, as well os every legal* claim upon our property which then existed still exists; ana we do not ask either the Legisla ture or the courts to assist us in repudiation. All we ask is that the eri deuces of all such claims which tho fire destroyed, and which the county covenanted to preserve safely for us, shall be restored—if not perfectly, as nearly so as it is possible to restore them, in the only feasible mode, and at public cost, instead of by special and unequal tax upon us, who have already paid fully forthe prom ised preservation. Wc do not wont to ho told that the county is unable to do this, for wo know to the con trary. We are not satisfied to be told that we shall spend the remainder of our lives, and tho remuant we havo saved from the ruins of most of our possessions, cither In obtaining a decree that wo may possess our own, or in gathering up whatever we can find scattered throughout the world, of tho deeds of transfer of our property,—from A, who i purchased of government, to B, from whom we purchased—and of gathering proofs im- I possible to obtain of the contents of such [deeds, in the chain as we cannot recover. We know that not one in a hundred can estab- I lish all tho links in tho little chain of his title [by any such process, however tedious and I expensive; and wo know that with most of us whoso interests ore small, it would be far better to surrender all, than devote our lives and the remainder of our possessions to this iuntossiblc task. I Wo know just where exists the evidence that shows our title, clear or clouded, just as lit stood on the Bth day of October, and we insist and demand that the County of Cook, m whose charge wo were compelled by law to place our reliance, for the preservation of I tho record evidence, showing all tho links in tour chain of title, shall comply with the trust wo gave her, and which she contracted faithfully to perform, and shall restore to us, [as our right, these evidences, which, fortu [natelv, private enterprise preserved. These I books and maps must take the place of those destroyed. Wo can have no records which will be of any practical value in any other I way. And whether wo must all hb ground thiough tho chancery-mill in any of its iiioditicatioiis or not, these books and these maps must, of necessity, bo our chief, and in many cases* our only, re liance, to protect ourselves in our right to the realty we know is ours, but which it is ne cessary that we shall bo ablest® show to the whole world is ours beyond dispute. Recol lect that it is not chiefly that we may rest “easv o’nights” that we want these proofs to exist because wo are not greatly con cerned about any person stealing away from lus who are wide awake what wo know wo owl, but that it is a necessity for the restor ation of our credit, that we can show to others bv public record that our assertion of ownership is true, and that if they loan us I money, or purchase of us, or give us credit in any way upon tho faith of our ownership, they will not rely upon a broken reed, j It is said bv some. “Go to Messrs. Chase Bros., Sbortull Hoard, Jonas Sellers, and get a full abstract from tbeir books, aud whatever credit you are entitled to will be apparent to all who examine the abstracts.” \cß, this is tmo in n measure, biituot to tbo extent that it would be, If our abstracts could be shown to correspond with public records. But whcu can we oil get our ab stracts* All these tirms were continually busy, and more able to supply the demand before, when the public records existed, and the pressure was only from the few who needed to uso the abstracts for loan or sale then. Now, our conditions are changed, and wo all want abstracts at once, and, if we must wait for our abstracts before wo can use our land as a basis of credit, the delay will be as interminable as the chancery mill of Judge Gary. But these books are indispcusiblo to tbo public. Our interests aucl our safety require that thev shall become the property of the county. And there is no other way of estab lishing our records than to take these for a substitute. They are perfect as were those destroyed, in essentials, and if not full in details, we have no other dependence. Nor should we lose valuable weeks and months of timo in securing them. Almost all our business traußaptjoTiswheti real estate becomes an element of calculations, arc at a stand-still, because w'o lack just what the possession of these records by the county, and their legalization as county records, will give us. Wo