HARRINGTONS LETTERS. Emm Our Own Correspondent. Boston, Wednesday, November 22,18'1. tok doctors. Il t« strange but it did not occr rto the '‘rggu- Urs” who held an ii qul»W.o, yesterday, on the j homeopathists, to curry on their proceedings in i Latin. Then they have allowed t'ae report i ers to enter and make what they could of the proceedings. AU medical myaterUn ought who carried on by the use of a dead language of some sort. Perhaps yon retnembor how the pharma cists, last winter, fought for th* privilege of mak ing their reelpea in Latin. They said,—and this was plausible.—that Latin was the universal tongue, au.i that a .lose of thoroughaort could be called for bv its l^ttin name in Moscow, Constan 'tinople, .Icrusalom, Sen Francisco Md Madagas car, and obtained; the stillful apothecary being able to take the requirod article from his ahelr, when thus nawwi, without any risk of making a mistake. The suggestion that the patient might like to know what he was taking under the universal title was received with de rision. What was it to him? Only the phar macist was interested. So the proposition -was voted down Encouraged by this, the learned men made an effort to get a law passed, lucrearing the mystery and monopoly, bat in this they failed. B-ct this is a reminis cence. Why is the medical profession so much more absurd than any other? To be sure, the legal t»nd the ministerial class try to keep up the bars, and occasionally we hear of a trial, but we seldom have anything among them quite so Tidicuious as tho proceeding of yesterday. Yet it is defensible on all grounds except that of com mon sense. Surely, if the Massachusetts medical society disapproves ot homeopathy, it ought not to be compelled to “fellowship” with those who practice according to that system; and why should the latter, knowing that the society they belong; to disapproves ot their practice and de spises their dogmas, insist on retaining member ship? The rule laid down that it is unworthy an honorable physician and member to belong to a sect whose purpose is at variance with the prin cipies of, and tends to disorganize, theold society, ought to commend itself sufficiently to the homeopaths to enable them to see their way clear to withdraw. What do we say of the mm who stays in the company where he is not wanted, even though he tnay have legal right there? As for the statement that it is un becoming to “practice according to an exclu sive theory or dogma,” there may be a difference cf opinion about that. Pretty nearly everything in medical practice, on both sides, is dogma, and the absurdities of homeopathy are scarcely more ridiculous than those of allopathy. The careful grandmother who insists that her daughter's or her son’s children shall at certain periods of each year be dosed with—brimstone and mo lasses, for instance —works according to a dogma, the dogma of either school of medical practice. 1 know that the old school insist that they do not dogmatize; but they deceive themselves. Now, on the other band, what harm do Dr Gregg and Dr Talbot and Dr Thayer, and the others woo are on trial, and wtio were years ago admitted to membership in theold society on their general medical capacity,—what harm is done to any body bv their pracdcing according to Hahne man’n's’dogma—if they are credulous enough to believe in it? Their general capacity is not dis puted, but they have apostatized. They have made up their minds that there is something in homeopathy, or, what is perhaps truer, they see that the humbug is more popular than the old humbug,—why nut let them go their own way This is doubtless the way it strikes the large majority of the people, and accordingly nine men out of ten are cn the broad grin at the whole affair. Homeopath? spreads, not because people, when you pin them down to it, believe in it, but because it is a protest against calomel and jalap and bleeding, as Methodism was a pro test against the “grand old ugliness," (as Rev Mr Ames called it the other oay) of Calvinism, and as spiritualism satisfies the craving desire for a belief in another wond, which the common run of orthodox and liberal preachers have not brains enough to deduce from nature or revelation, or which, perhaps, cannot be ueduced from nature or revelation by any amount of brains. And homeopathy, like spiritualism, is peculiarly open to toe qnack. It rtquiresno great outfit of in telligence to practice it in the average country town, or in the city. If you can persuade the sick man that there is some mysterious way in which the spoonful ot diluted nothing works, that is all you want. You can find half a-dozen tum blers in every house, the pump is handy, and the youngest child can watch the clock, and al! the patient is required to do is to rake his spoonful every half-hour, or two hours, and then pay the bill, or let it be settled bv his administrator. Mr Emerson said once that the only difference between having a doctor and not having one, is this: If you don't have one you die; if you do have one you die, but in this last case your relations find out what you died of. Not unless a learned man is called in to make an examination, lor I take it the prin cipal trouble, witu allopath and homeopath, is, that the big or the little dose is given generally without the slightest idea, or with only a gm st, more or less shrewd, as to what ails the patient and what the effect of the medicine isto be. There seems to be something exact in surgery, but dosingds mostly guess-work. The laugh being all against the old-liners, we ought not to increase its volume, and really there is something so con temptible in the whole globule system, with its Simula similibus (derived, way back of Hahne mann, from tho man of Thessaly, who scratched his eyes out by jumping into onejbrier-bush, and scratched ’em in again by jumping into another), that we oannot afford to let the old society be laughed at too much. It has more learning than the new school, and learning is, in the long ran, the-foe to dogma and superstition, and ought to tie encouraged as against empiricism. THE LAWYERS. Akin to this subject is the claim of the legal profession to be the best judges as to who ought to sit upon the bench ot the superior court. I have been accused by the Plymouth Sentinel of making an ungenerous thrust at Chief Justice Chapman, in connection with the opposition to Mr E. IL. iPierce, which has resulted iu his rejec tion. 1 have never heard it intimated that Judge Chapman meddled in the matter, and, of course, I made no allusion to him in relation to it. It does not fallow that because the chief justice of the S. J. C. gave a ridiculous opinion on the sub ject of the nomination of Mrs Howe and Mrs Stevens, that be would enter into a mean in trigue to defeat a candidate for a judge of the court below turn. Not at all. Brigham and Chester4.-Reed were thejudges on whomlturned what the Sentinel calls my “malignant fury." I hear that Brigliam denies that be had anything to do with it, but nobody denies Seed's share in it. I presume he will readily admit it himself. And nobody has denied, as far ae i have seen, that the animus of the court, or of those judges who took apart io the intrigue, was a spirit of revenge upon Mr Pierce tor intimating, when he Ml pros'd the Wareham adultery case, that it was of no use to try a rich and influential man before such a tribunal for that fasbionalke crime. Some of toe councilors have, as I know, given this as a reasoa for rejecting him. If Mr Pierce ever committed any other offense in the eyes of Reed, or Brigham, or any other of the j ustun s of the superior court, the public has not beard of it. I o the estimation of lawyers he has committed offenses enough. The writer in the Sentinel does not like him, I suppose, because he opposed hie appointment to the office of district attorney. Lobbyists gen erally distrusted him on account of bis opposi tion to “Hartford and Erie.” The writer talks about the executive council as a body which had an “independent dutr to perfor.m, to judge of the fitness ot Mr Pierce fir judge, and were bound to inform themselves upon the point" Bab! The council would have had no doubt of Mr Pierce's qualifications if thev uai not been lobbied to oeath on it by bench and bar, and the writer in the Sentinel knows it. The idea that William L Reed, or Crowell, or Stoddard, or Underwood, or Winn, ever lost any sleep at night, or suffered any anxiety by day, lest the interests ot clients iu the civil courts should be neg ecu d, or the law in the criminal courts should be badly adminstered if Mr Pierce should be appointed an associate J“*’.ioe, is too absurd v, be considered for a mo- r a«nt. These are th? last things they thought of, and they will not thank any one for interposing any each cant In their behalf. Does this writer sup pose that tbepe.iple don’t know what the average councilor is m do of? He is Just like the average man of every other sort. In the present case, enough of them to turn the scale, allowed them- I selves to be made the Instruments of malice and I revenge by two or three or more mean fellows I who have judicial posh ions, and a squad of small I lawyers who by instinct are opposed to Independ ent men on the bench. The Sentinel thinks that I the testimony of lawyers is the most valuable that councilors can get as to the qualifications lor Judges. I don’t. I think it is the least valuable, next to that of the deputy sheriffs and door-keepers, who have just as much right to dic tate judicial appointments as the lawyers have. If their advice is best, let us change the constitu tion so that thev may e’ect the judges in bar meeting. The nretenso is absurd They are pe culiarly unfit. The Sentinel save I have sneered at “legal learning." Never L-gal learning in deed! I know the "average” lawyer of the city and the country town, having seen him low of times in toe Legislature. 11 there is anybody in the community who is foreordained and predes tinated to be ignorant of legal prin- I ciples, it is the small city aud coun I try lawyer, just as the small doctor is the last person' to be called In when you are ill, I and the smsll minister the last one to be entrust !ed with the duty of spiritual consolation. The i degree, the diploma, the “Rev,” the “M. 11,” or the certificate of admission to the bar, goes for nothing except in the estimation of the ignorant, on whom all these quacks prey. These factitious badges and signs by which a knave or an ass is enabled to impose on the community, ought to lie done away with, in the ease of the bar and j tho judiciary, advice by the former as to the proper person to be made a judge, o ght partic j olarly to be avoided. Instead of this, wo see councilors trying to screen themselves behind I the opinion of a set of men whose opinion ought I never to be sought for at ail, and always to tie received with suspicion. It is said that Mr Ba con of Natick, now one of the judges of the mu mcipal court, has been nominated for judge of the superior. We shall see if Mr Crowell and the rest insist upon going about to inquire of law i vers or anybody else what his qualifications are. Luckily the election is over, and there will be no need of postponement in order to ascertain what i effect confirmation or rejection will have on the I political prospects of any of the councilors, aud I so we may expect a speedy decision of the ques- I tion. ITEMS. There is little said about the city election. The old rotten borough city committee insists on I making a republican nomination for mayor, probably without any expectation of defeating Mr Gaston, butonly of getting a chance at some of the minor offices. The Radical club had a pleasant meeting at Kev Dr Bartol’s house cn Monday. Mr Cranch's poem was a good one, bitter against the papacy, las becomes a radical who has lived in Rome. Mr I Dwight and Dr Bartol talked pleasantly for a few moments in relation to tneir old college days with I the poet, and then, followed a conversation of I about the usual amount of interest, in which Rev C. G. Ames and Rev W. C. Gannett, new men attue club, spoke, as well as Mr Samuel Longfellow, I Mr Sargent, Mr Towne, Mr Alcott, Mrs Howe. Mrs Cheney, and others, who are frequent epeak j ers there. Mr Ames lectured in the Fraternity I course, last evening, on "Good Society.” Ido not think the papers quite do justice to what was i one of the bast lectures of the season, spicy, I witty and sensible. Mr Ames is a Dorchester i man, who now has a liberal Unitarian society in California, and is a preacher and poet of rising repute and capacity. He is to be about here two or three weeas longer, and is worth bearing. The republicans of Reading and vicinity had a good time, the other evening, at their political Jollification. They had speeches from G m Banks, Dr Loring, their senator, Cjl C D Wright, H H. Coolidge, Edward Appleton, the late railroad commissioner, and were ashamed of none of them, as I hear, except the last named. Mr Ap pieton is the man who made a rather extraordinary exhibition of himself, last winter, in the investi gation before the railroad committee on the Bos ton, Barre and Gardner railroad matter. If your memory is not fresh, let me recommend you and all others who think Mr Appleton’s opinions are valuable to examine his own testimony, contain ed in Senate document No. 277. It is rumored here, by the way, that a Springfield man has been nominated for railroad commissioner in Mr Appleton’s place. This is a great musical season. The Harvard musical association, which gives the best after noon concerts, and deserves the very highest praise for stimulating the taste fur the finest mu sic, gives its second symphony concert, to-mor row. The Handel and Haydn society give Elijah on Saturday evening, and Judas Maccabeus on Sunday evening, with Mr Sanday, Madame Paiev and others of the Dolby ballad troupe; aud next week, Wachtel, the great German tenor, comes for a concert (Friday, 24 h and matinee (the next day). At the Globe, Miss Cushman is de lighting' the old stagers, and the new as well, with her impersonation of Lady Macbeth. L >tta is nearly through with her engagement at the Boston, and Moriacchi succeeds her, in ballet Next week, Miss Cushman in Meg Merrilies. I see also an exhibition of a "talking machine” ad vertised at Horticultural hall. As if this was any thing new! The woman suffrage bazar is getting into shape. There is perhaps no harm in saying tnat the three evening ente tainments at the Music ball are nearly ready for official announcement. Rev Mr Murray is to lecture on one of tbe even ings. Mr Murray wears very well here. It is hard to tell wherein is the secret of bis populari ty as a lecturer. Heis a bright man, however, with little or no nonsense about him, a good up right and downright way of talking, without cir cumlocution or bombast—a healthy sortof a man, and the people always like to hear such men. There is to be a musical entertainment on one of the evenings, and on one there is to be good speaking—a sort of variety performance, the ex act character of which I don’t know. I believe the managers are also encouraged as to the pros pect for the bazar itself which is to last seven or eight days, beginning after these evening enter tainments, and closing just before Christmas. Two capital books for the young are published by Osgood Co., viz: Mrs Diaz’s William Henry and His Friends,and Real Folks, by Mrs Whitney. The Atlantic for December finishes up the con tinued stories by Howells, DeForest. and Henry James, Jr. The last “Watch and Ward” has run through five numbers and those who have skip ped it bad better turn back to it. People who like controversy will read Mr Meltne’s review of Fronde’s history, as far as re lates to Mary Queen of Scots, which Is just pub lished in a hanosome volume bv Hurd Rough ton. The English historian is a good deal cut up, to be sure, aud there are many who will be glad to believe that Mary was not as wicked as she has been painted. Perhaps, however, Fronde may have a word to say, as Macaulay did in the case of William Peun. If it does not make any difference to those abused and dead people, I hope tbe readable historians, like Froude, will be en couraged, in spite of tbeir partisan habit. It is impossible to approve of such annalists as Wen dell Phillips and Gen Butler, who make awful work of contemporary history; and livirg peo ple, or people who are lately dead, ought not to be shown up in wrong lights, hut really, can the great rising and liberal historians ot England be expected to turn away from their purpose of mak ing toryism and Hunkerism odious by any trifling matters of dates or names? Mr Meline is to he commended for his chivalry, and also and chiefly, because he has made a readable book. But we are not going to discontinue Froude. ior all that. Warrington. Tbe governors of New England aud the North western states, will meet in convention at De troit, on Wednesday, the 29 th day of November, for the purpose of inducing Congress to take measures for the construction of a continuous water ar.d steam navigation route of maximum capacity, iroto the Mississippi valley around the falls of Niaitara to the American side, thence by the wav of Lake Ontario, the river St Lawrence, Lake Champlain and rhe Hudson river, b' the nearest, cheapest and best route to tbe Atlantic ocean, and that Cotiiness shall have exclusive control of all tbe work.’ asong the pro? osed route, so as forever to regulate the rates if toll and transportation thereon. THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1871. FROM WASHINGTON. From Our iwn Cornupondont. Washington, November 21, 1871. CIVIL IRRVICI RirORM. The civil service commission And their work very difficult, if not hopeless. If the members of the commission were to speek frankly and fully their opinions, I believe they would confess that they have little hope of Immediate reform. Tbe politicians generally stand in tbe way, but that is not all—the constitution itself seems U> be in the way and some of the more sagacious of the advocates of a comprehensive civil service reform believe that tbe shortest cut will be through a constitutional amendment. Under the constitu tion, the president has the appointing power in connection with the Senate, and though it is quite true that Gen Grant may institute great re forms, there Is no guarantee for the future. What we need most Is security for permanency in the service. The government can never secure good officers who are liable to bj turned adrift at one hour’s notice, at the in stigation of a cheap politician. There is scarcely a man in all the departments who to day is safe in bis place. If his semtor or representative shall turn against him, he may Just as well pack up his trunk and go. If he does not know how to make himself useful to the new senator or the new representative, he bad better seek some other livelihood. This is not true of all clerks. There are a few who give a service worth double their pay, who cannot be spared, and they are certain of their places if they will keep them—until there is a new administration. What is needed above everything else is perma nence in ojice. How it can be obtained I cannot tell, but ii the commission can find tbe way to it they will give the country an efficient civil ser vice. Senator Morton talks anout the office holding “aristocracy," exciting the vulgar preju dices of ignorant people against office-holders as a class. This is demagogism, and not statesmanship. Nobody desires to give poor clerks a life lease upon their offices, but why shall not a good clerk keep the place he has so long as be does hie duty 2 Let him be sure that he can keep his place upon the seme terms that the bank of England clerk keeps his and he will be satisfied with a moderate salary. There is not ranch hope of any marked improvement so long aa members of Congress feel compelled to reward the most active of their political friends with clerkships and local offices. Nor is the representative in many cases very much to blame, for he is beset and besieged by bis friends, and denounced by his friends if he declines to recognize the claims of certain men to a share of the “spoils." The whole people are gone astray ia this matter. I have seen more than one honest representative, who tried to be a man in this matter of the offices, but if be did not insist upon giving to his district its full share of the offices to be had he was censured by some of the most prominent republicans at home. There are good reasons for believing that Gen Grant is sincere in his professions on this subject. He has nothing to gain by delaying a reform in the civil service for the class of offices to be affect ed is below that upon which bis attention has been bistowed. George William Cartis, who has been here some time investigating this subject and has talked it over with Gen Grant, believes that he Rneerely desires a thorough reform. It is nardiv probable that the subject will be pressed upon Congress in the regular message,but late in the session it may be the occasion of a special message. If so, Congress will debate the subject and do nothing. There is as yet no such crying demand from the people as will command the at tention of Congress,and it looks to me as if noth ing serious would be done till the question is made a prominent issue In a congressional cam paign. THE WOMEN’S CAMPAIGN. The ladies mean to make a lively campaign here, this winter, before Congress and the na liou. For when Congress is in session there is no finer theater for the advocacy of a cause than Washington. Tbe country is well represented herein various ways, aud the advocates of fe male suffrage do well to besiege Congress and hold conventions here. Besides, the ladies in the movement are fond of dramatic display, and like to pour their arguments into tbe ears of tbe national Legislature,where tbe whole country can see and bear. lam sorry to say that tbe Wood bull wing seems to have charge of this field. Toe Woodhull is not easily shaken off. as 1 presume Mrs Hooker has found by this time to her sor row. Now, of all the advocates of female suf frage who have been here, Mrs Hooker has made tbe best impression upon our best people, and people wonder how she can keep such company. It is no answer to say that male politicians sometimes keen bad company. What should we say of Mr Dawes if he gyrated over tbe country iu company with a man of loose morals, or with a notorious advocate of tree-love? The association does not affect the argument advanced, of course, but tbe proposed reform is retarded by such injudicious conduct. But Congress will be compelled this winter to listen to the claims of the women for the ballot. It is a pity though that the leaders have gone off on the wild notion that the constitution now gives women the right to vote. Our local courts have decided against the ladies, and with a good deal of flourish they have appealed to tbe su preme court. They will be beaten, however, all through, and it is a waste of time to make the tight in this way. The Woodhull may as well go at work tbe old way, first as last, and ask the state Legislatures to grant suffrage to women. There is no easier way than that. C ingress is not going to interfere in this matter, but will leave it to the states. THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRACY. In mv last letter I noticed the fact that our democratic daily, the Patriot, had so changed its tone of late that one could hardly tell it irom a moderate republican journal. Alas! the wind did not sit long in that quarter. There has been trouble in the stockholders’ room and a more vigorous podcy is demanded. The ^jAltimore style will be resumed, I presume, and in the place of reasonable criticism and sensible argument we shall have a supercilious, sneering tone charac teristic of southern rebels. You can make noth ing of these border democrats, try as you may. They are barbarians at tbeir best. They hate a negro unless he is under foot and are not willing, even to triumph over their political foes, to make the slightest concessions to the great facts of the time. There is in this city a staunch old democrat with as large a mind as his body (and be is nearly seven feet high),—a man who had the sense to side with the government against the South when the war broke out. He is a democrat of the school of Jackson and he still clings to the wreck of bis party, but he does bis own thinking and talking and he utters a sharp saying occa sionally upon politicians and parties. Speaking of some of tbe recent movements of prominent democrats in this vicinity he said: “We had the game in our hands a year ago, but cur leaders are fools, and no party can live long that is controlled by fools and thieves!” Gen Grant might scent danger in the bints which are getting into the newspapers of a scheme to put Charles Francis Adams forward as the con servative candidate for the presidency, but he knows well enough that tens of thousands of democrats would not swallow the bait—not even to bring the opposition into power. If tbe democratic party could be wheeled solidly into fine in support of such a man as Adams, there might be danger of enough dissent in the repub lican party to make the plan succeed, but the old-liners won’t agree to any such program. They know that Adams, if elected, would stand bv tbe rights of colored men just as firmly as Gen Grant does, and that is just wbatWieydc not want. This class of democrats hate negroes and equal rights, and if the administration is co -1 ing to stand by negro suffrage and suppress kuklux outrages,’they prefer that it shall be re- I pnbhcan and not democratic When fire and water will mx, yo« can form a new party, in dud’ng, on the one hand, such men as Sumner and Hchurz, and on rhe other, such fellows as Andy Johnson and Frank B air. THE CITT PRESS. Our newspapers begin to feel tbe approach of Congress, and their columns show new life. The Chronicle has got into a new dress, and is a hand- some sheet. Il) princ,pal editor, John M. Morris of Connecticut, baa been dangerously UI, but is recovering. It is said that be baa done very well pecuniarily with tbe Chronicle, though he paid 125,000 for It. He Is executive clerk of the Man ate, and has a sure salary there, whatever be- comes of bis paper. He makes an excellent Sen ate officer, and seems to knowhow to run anew) j paper as well. Tbe Republican Is smaller io size, but makes up in spice and variety. It has tbe regulation oi making money. Both Republican and Chronicle support the administration through thick and thin. The Evening Star is more of a business paper, but it stands by tbe new territo rial government, local improvements, and, in a mild way, by the administration, it, too, is mak ing nionev. Tbe Patriot is readable, bus a good sale, but is not yet a pecuniary success. Two or three of its owners have the right idea of publish ing a newspaper, but they arc In the minority, and are outvoted by stockholders who desire the Patriot to be extremely partisan in its course. The Sunday papers are doing very well. Tbe Chronicle beats them all in its dress. It is al- i ways bright and cheerful. Tbe others might pay a little more regard to typographical ap pearance with profit. The Capital, under Donn j Piatt, has a large circulation, but it is not ao in fluential aa it might ba. Donn tells a vast deal of unpleasant truth to some of cur. great people, but he caricature, so outrageously i that his influence is small. People say when they read one of his sharp hits at the president or some member of his cabinet, “O, that is one of Piatt’s j exaggerations. He is so fond of telling a good i story that he won't hesitate to sacrifice tbe truth for the sake of making his audience laugh.” There is some truth in this, but it is said by those who are inside tbe circle of big folks who govern i us that some of them feel uneasy every Sunday morning till they have glanced over the columns of tbe Capital and ascertainid that Piatt has given them a week’s respite. Washington shows in its newspaper press that it is a growing city i 1: is to tie expected that the administration jour nals will he somewhat hampered by contact with the men who govern. Indeptndent jour lalism at the capital is difficult, and opposition journalism here tends to bitterness and personalities. But we are improving and about the year 1890 we shall have a splendid city in every respect and our newspapers will equal these of auy_ large town. Yam. A SOUND STEAMER BURNED. THE "CITY OF NEW LONDON" DE STROYED. Ve«el and Cargo a Toial THIRTEEN PERSONS KNOWN TO BE LOST. The steamer City of New London, of tbe Nor wich and New York line, Capt Brown, caught fire on the river Thames, about five miles below Norwich, Ci., at about half-past 4 o’clock, Wed nesday morning. The flames were first discov ered issuing from one of the ventilators. The captain, who was on deck at tbe time, ordered the boat, to be anchored, and immediately set to work to extinguish the flames, and after a short time the efforts were apparently successful and a rigid examination discovered no traces of fire. The anchor was then hoisted, and tbe boat pro ceeded up the river, but when about three miles below Norwich, abreast the mouth of Pequeton nock cove, fire was discovered in some cotton which was on the deck. The donkey pumps were started, and the captain and engineer, aid ed by the crew, in less than one minute had three streams on the fire. Despite all their exertions, however, tbe fire spread with great rapidity, and soon enveloped all the forward part of the boat. The captain, seeing that all efforts to extinguish tbe fire were useless, ordered the boat to be beached, but the engineer could not start the en gine. The donkey pumps were, however, still kept at work, until the engineer notified the cap tain that he feared aa explosion of the boilers, in which event all would be lost. The fire extinguishing apparatus and life-sav ing appurtenances of the boat were in perfect or der, but tbe rapid spread of the flames cut off ap proach to the part cf the boat where the life-pre servers were, and the passengers and crew had to save themselves by throwing themselves into the water, and grasping such floating mat ter as fell overboard from the boat. Those who were- able to swim had not much difficulty in reaching the shore, ex ceot for the chilling temperature of the water. Some were picked up by boats from floating pieces of the cargo in an exhausted con. itiou, and taken to farm houses in tbe vicinit', where they were cared for and resuscitated. A number o&tbe persons on board, however, were not rescued, and the loss of life proves greater than was at first anticipated. The passengers were only seven in number, but of these William T. Norton of tbe firm of Norton Co., C. B. Rog ers of the firm of C. B. Rogers Co., a well known manufacturer, and Harrison R Aldrich, all of Norwich, were lost. Of the officers and deck hands known to be lost are William P. Ely of Hamburg, Ct., second mate, M. W. Baker ol Norwich, engineer, Henry Dugan ot New Lon don, steward. Webster Cooper of New York, second rink. Frank Flowers, residence unknown, waiter, Warren Mitchell, oiler, Driscoll, Sulli van, Patrick Mahony and Thomas Rourke, deck hands. The officers of the boat, particularly the captain and engineer, receive great praise for their cool ness and bravery in their trying position, tbe former escaping by lowering himself from the paddle box by heaving a line when all other avenues of escape had been closed by the flames, and clinging to the paddles until he was rescued in an exhausted condition, and the latter losing his life after giving a life preserver which he had got from his room on the upper deck at the last moment, to tbe only lady passenger, who, by its aid, was saved. The steamer drifted down stream about a quar ter of a mile below Walden's island, where she was abandoned by the crew, and lies fast aground Just below Pcquetannock cove. She lies from 50 to 75 feet from the river bank, and has been burned to the water’s edge, her cargo being en tirely destroyed. A train, with a fire engine, was sent down from Norwich, but too late to be of service. The City of New London was a first class side wheel steamer of 890 tons burthen, and was built by John Englis at New York in 1863. She was used as a ireight boat, although having accom modations for a large number of passengers, and had hut seven passengers on board at the time of the fire. She had a heavy cargo of miscellaneous freight, principally cotton rags, groceries, leather, etc., which, together with the boat, is a total loss. On account of the absence of the manager of the line from Norwich, it is impossible as yet to as certain the full extent cf the loss. There is under stood to be 8100,000 insurance on the boat. The origin of the fire is a matter of uncer tainty, but it is supposed to have in some way taken in the kitchen, when the cook went to kindle the fire for breakfast. Oie account states that the fire was caused by the poker, which had become heated by raking down the fires, being hung against a pine partition, but nothing re liable is known. The Fruit of Free Love. —The trial of John S. Blackburn for the murder, by poison, of Mary Jane Lovell, is now in progress at Chilocothe, O. The criminal is a man about 50 years old, with a wife and children, some of whom are married, and tho murdered woman was only about half as old, but a niece of bis sister in-law, and had lived in his house, and bad been criminally inti mate with him for a considerable time before her murder, which happened, last March. At the time specified, be rode out with her to a wild, un frequented glen, and remained with her through the night, returning, next day, and telling where be had been; also saying that sho had offered him poison, which he refused, but which she drank and died. Her body was found where be indicated, and he was arrested for the murder. He was indicted at tbe Mav term of the court, af ter an ineffectual attempt to obtain his release on the plea of insanity, and has been in prison ever since Much interest is felt in the trial, as Blackburn is a man of standing and intelligence, and brother of Maj C. 11. Blackburn of Cincin nati, late prosecutor of Hamilton county, O but more recently the attorney for the defense of Rachel M. Toei, who murdered her husband by shooting him through the brain with a pistol a> he lay asleep, but who was acquitted through Major Blackburn’s aid. Tbe New EIIM Family Newspaper. SPBiJwniiD Weekly keihblkh, BY BAMUKL BOWLES AND COBMIH. TWO IX/LLARH A VAAR: IM MW'S AW MAT RA I.WY i FOR AVBHV ViVM. Thh journal hl* fairly won it« claim a* thr dl tlncthf-and r'pr*iM‘ntaUv<‘ New E»«*la*i> Fawivt 1 Naw “Pap kb and it command# it-alf, bo*b a* a )*p3por and a* a frank and pxponent of tie thoufhtand movement of New Eng and n ali iaag* rla», mental and moral a ayu, to Uh* aub-criptioe* of people lnterMt<*d, by re»ldencA, aa*oclatlon, intcr^t. sympathy, or antagoDhrn, ’.hen in. Th* Rkpcrlh'an h, In all reappeta, a Journal, ranking with tho*«* iarg« r and morion* conteate. It to a large quarto abeet of eight pug 54. Milwaukee and st Paul pre- i ferred77J. foledo, Wabash and Western 63 loledo, Wsliad-'m-i'V-'te,r pr.i.-rn-i liti'-'. and Haute IS, Alton .nd Terre Haute preferred 50, Michi -aQ <'(-ntr.il 116. Michigan Southern and Lake chore 871 Panama 54, l!!!tio£i Central 32. New Jersey en-■ trai 11)95,.Cleveland and Pittsburs 127, cnicago, ti-Kk Island and Pacino 103, hicago and Northwesteri 60j, Chicago and Northwestern preferred sjq, Chicago and Alton n6i,Cntcacoand Alton preferred 120, Plus burg, Fort Wayne and Chicago 97, Ohio and Missis stop-42!. Hartford and Erie 2, Adams express cott uany -5 American Merchant- Union 59, United States 581 Webs, Fnrgo b' o Western Union telegraph comt-anj «Bj, l'actac Mail steamship company 46V. Cumberland coal company preferred 88, Mariposa 1. Mariposa preferred 1), Uantou 67, Quicksilver 24, Bos ton water power company 40. DOMESTIC PRODUCE. At Boston, the market for ttonr remains tbe same, but demand continues unite moderate; western .uper nne *5,75«6, common extras 6,75^7, Milwaukee and Minnesota extra.7sß.so, white wheat, Ohio, Indiana ami Michigan Illinois i,jos9,St Loubts 11. southern flour 7.®1ii,50; corn iirru a: BS®9 c. w, st era ye low 86so -4* pair; live stock duil at Wu,l4C. At the rec-lpts ot flour have exceeded the demand, and for the mos part the market ha« rn'ed iu favor of he uyer. fhi- demand h been general though moderate. A slight accumulation ot sio.ks is noticeable but not sufficient to depr ss the market tor anv grade except those of ow aluations. TJie latest caotaiions were: common stat, t46,20^5.i5. ■xtra tale 6<>6.75, extra cluo wh- at, trad, brands 7,26*7,75, amocr slate extras 7,6 *B, Michigan and Ohio extra* 60, Hty brand*, nxtra HaxalJ aud At LiAtm rye flour h al ad) al 85; buckwh'-at flour mm oft freely at #2 tt>«, corn ne*al Id demand at 81 ^>>Bo: corn dbudy, western mixed 7^ aROc; barb-v f**V‘ rUh at 75c0 *1,18; oat* dull at 52*£< Me; pork 8H<^16,50; 'ard l<9.25; wheat, No 1 spring No. 2 1.50^,1.55. whit** stat** l,o& ^1,75 winter red w^tern corn irregular but cluMing more eb-ady, miX'-d w*»*tern oat* finri< r at 88K068fe; beetqui“ pork firmer now n»o-a urdactireat butter -teady: whisky :Hc rice Ann at 8,M&8;C; sugar firm mv eovado 9^lf)e, refining oiffw firm, Rio 16M oIMJc; firm, New Orleans 63c; turpentine linn at 6sU: roc. LCXBER MARKET. At Albany, lumber comes in s owlv white tl e*hip m« nte are v^ry hire The market is rapid'-y aimin iahing, though it h ••ill fair in amour t and well sorted Sales are moderately active an buyers gener ally have got in their tock, expecting h gher ,>ricev in the spring. Prices remain firm with an advancing tendency many dealer-refining to sell except at or above our highest quotation*, preferring to bold their lumber and realize >ho expected a vance. Tbe clos ing eeJling price* were &«h black walnut B’sa"s: cherry 825^66*. chestnut fWoAO; mapte 825^30; oak 825(^45; pine shingles, shaved, pine B&asfi,fiO y aawed c (br3a&7s. *PKl5Grim.I) RETAIL MARKETS. F.readstufin—Wheat flonr, choice to fancy St Louis $10,5'*a'12.50, good to choice buckwheat flour 5c tp tb; rye flour 4c; graham duurfle; oatmeal 7c; corn meal a1,75 a1, 85 p cwt.; India meal bolted 31c ib: rye meal 3. lb.; corn, w^tern p bu.. 81, northern 81,80: oats nO^TOe; wheat f-ed, including middlings, 81-dl&2 cwt shorts rye teed 81.90idj2. Meats—Beefsteaks, sirloin 25e !b, rump 2 25c. round 16^18c; beef roast, rib 18^25 chuck 16>a48c; liver Ire: mutton, fore quarter i2jc, hind quarter 15^^5c; lamb, fore quarter 15c, hind quarter *2oc, leg 25c: veal 1 Oi^SSc, cutlets 25c; turkeys 20®25c, chickens 2fla2sc; lard 13a$15c; Iresh porx 124a15e; 'alt port tripe 10^12c; sausages 15x17c: corned beef 1(1^156: corn u toagnes 20525 c; haras 15 a 17c, sliced hams 2O«^c. Fresh fish- Maddock 8c lb.; halibut 20c; codfish !10e; white fish 3k; stripped bass 20c; eels 15al8c: flounders loe; pickerel 2uc; mackerel 20a25cfach: oyster?, Fair Haven ?oa4sc quart, Norwalk dOc: ecallops s*Jc; quohaug* V I clams 50c; shell oysters 75c. Salt fish—Cod 7n ft salmon 15§20c; mackerel l^^iOc; salmon trout 15c: toncues aud sounds 12c; sword fish 12c; smoked salmon 30ja35c; smoked halibut 20c; herring 10c dz. Groceries, etc—Butter, best lump 44a45c p tub 3B(g3»e: plain cheese l®c p ft., sage “gg-’ 42c doz.: crackers 10a 12c ft., fancy 14a44k: graham wafers 2’*^2sc; pick tes 60a,7*e V olives 62»8ic k* ^n; French peas s>)aK2c; canned peas 3.x:; lima beans I liiari'k ian picketed iambs' tongues G2c V bottle; pickled oystere €2c, pickied clams 4jc; pickled lob- sters 38§45c: -mga-. hard 7fts tor *1: coffee 7jßs fbr SI, brown Bto 8‘ ft* for 8'; molasses, Porto R»co I TOjaLSOc, New Orleans 90a^l. best syrup V>.aßl AO, common 67cSj8l,'^; black tea. Oolong 81^1,40, Japan 81^1,40, green 81.40^1.75; cotlee, .lava, 1 roasted and gronna, 35a45c, Rio 3i>as3c; chocolate' I 50^75c; c unamon 18a20c p quarter pound cream [tartar 15£17c; cloves 10ar.e p quarter; pepper ]o‘^l2C, mustard 15a2ik; cayenne 15a 20c; nutmeg? 35^42c: allspice 12c quarter; kerosene oil 35c»45c p gallon; candles T a^Oc ft. riuegar 35a.45 ty caL Vegetabies fruit, etc.—Potatoes, seedl: gs 6&(®7jC bu Jack’on whites and peach blow- 75& -c; sweet potatoes s#c p ft.: beets ioa4oc p pecs; sc; citron 7ud7sc: common prunes 2bc, imperial tEe box; figs 3 « -kin- Rl5O, aj1,75; lamb skins 51^5C@1,75; store cattle —yearlings 1 SB@ls per head, two-years-oids 12a‘28 three y-ars olds ‘5445; milch cow* ,50. dressed 6} a 7c. i THE FIRST M JRIGAGE JOINT SINKING SLND GOLD BONDS of the VERMONT DIV ISION of the PORTLAND AND OGDENSBURG RAIL ROAD TRUNK LINE offer a most safe and prafit able investment to all seeking to convert tbeir b-20'9 and o her high priced bonds into some absolutely ?af» security. For pamphlets, with full information, apply to, <3 E. T. Fairbanks Co., St Johnsbury. Vt., Fairbanks A Co., 252 Broadwiy. New York. Fairrakks, Brown t Co., 118 Milk st., Boston. Fairbanks Bw so, 715 Ches’nat st., Phlla. i iuancial Agenv.. FOK SALK BY Homer Foot A Co., Springfield, Maae. First National Bank. Boaton. j Rr^aBPSOS, Hill A Co., Boston. And i’l teaditig Ranits and Brokers, if S codSt 2w Special Notices. For Coaslo Had Coldo, Lung wAaJtJes. Pain in the bide and Kidney trouble-, the W bite Pine Compound i< unrival-d his piea-att t. the taste, and at all times perfcd'ly safe Ke® ’XiJrenisrmrnis eJNNECTI UT LITERARY ISBTITV- HON, SUF FIE D —Winter term begins I>-c. 6. The most ab e instruction g -en in the language*. Va’hematle*. sciences, Music aud Pointing. Send for circular to _ >343* E RKNJ. ANDREWS, Pdncplal^ VBkOTT ACADEMY —ihe winter term of •b Abbott Academv for young lad ips wV! com mence ths^ear on lm*da fee. n. Inqulri*-* may b- made of Prof E A I ak. And ver er ot Kev 1 r s. C. Jackson Sts e Library, state House, Bo^too. Ap phc*vona for admi-stou should b made to Miss PHI IE' A McKE^N, Principal. 21 ISIW F’AKM FOR SALE-Pleasantly locked of a mile from in« thriving vi a.e of North Brcoknoid. cents inint 1W merer, 10 of whkh are wood Laud rot bug, dark rich loam, mowing free from stone, bay ti st quality, pasture’* tint ra*e. A' UI &ep .0 cow- and team: 100 choice fruit trees Mod ern t wo-Hory hou-e with 13 ro m-. bas t o the beet msterial and in tw m-at thorovg i man'er; wuoa and carriage bouse a*tach P small Ue'iut house. B ru 100 bv 3, with od euiWl sol a homo ma ket. is ottjed ter sale. Subscriber desirous' s»H. T T. H V N 11N H I M scrth Brookfield Nev. IL lb