p. 318 | News and Notes

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 22, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 20.

News and Notes.

RELIGIOUS.

—A prominent Jew expresses the opinion that if Christians would exemplify what they claim as Christian teaching, the Jews might soon be converted.

—The Christian Intelligencer remarks that the real work of every denomination is performed by a minority, and it will be found that of this minority nearly every family reads the denominational paper.

—The African M. E. General Conference, now in session at New York, has deposed Bishop Hilliary of California, on charges of financial dishonesty, drunkenness, and other immoral conduct, preferred by his own church in San Francisco.

—There is a Bible still preserved, written on palm leaves, in the University of Goettingen, containing 5,376 leaves. Another Bible, of the same material, is at Copenhagen. There were also, in Sir Hans Sloan's collection, more than twenty manuscripts, in various languages, on the same material.

—In the Methodist General Conference the Committee on Itinerancy have reported a resolution that direct negotiations between the pastor and churches in advance of making appointments by the bishops, are contrary to the spirit of itinerancy. The committee found it inexpedient to take action as to licensing women to preach or ordaining them.

—The Protestant churches are represented to be making rapid headway with religious work in Mexico. The Presbyterians have fifty-six missionaries, over 7,000 communicants, and 400 children in their mission schools. The Episcopalians report forty-five places of worship, 1,500 communicants, and 400 scholars in their mission schools. The Methodists have eighty-six missionaries and teachers, and a large number of members in their churches. Other denominations are meeting with equal success.

—The Mormon missionaries are said to be making great headway among the lower classes in Calhoun and other counties in Mississippi. A Chattanooga, Tenn., special of the 17th inst., says: 'To-day Elder Roberts left for Mississippi to attend the first conference ever held in the South. He states that at this conference it will be decided whether annual State conventions will be held. He favors them, saying that the church is growing with such marvelous rapidity in the South that such conferences have become necessary.'

—A prominent part of the business of the Methodist General Conference at Philadelphia was the election of four bishops. A motion to fix the time to proceed with the election brought out a lively discussion. The Bible Banner says: "Rev. Dr. R. M. Hatfield, of Rock River Conference, got the floor, and spoke decidedly, directly charging that unchristian and improper methods had been and were being resorted to in order to bring about the election of certain persons to the episcopacy. A dead silence prevailed as he proceeded. 'I am deeply impressed,' he said, 'when I consider how seriously the reputation of the church is assailed by what is done in the election of bishops. Time was when the delegates spent two or three hours in prayer and then cast an informal vote for bishops. Alas! those days are no more.' The speaker protested against 'caucus-ing, log-rolling, and wire-pulling.' Bishop Andrews, who was presiding, looked amazed, and there were cries of 'order' on every side, but the Dr., turning and facing the conference, continued: 'My brethren, the eyes of hundreds of thousands of Methodists in the United States are turned to this body, and there is nothing that will so interest all Methodists as this very subject of electing bishops. Proceed to it, therefore, in a manner that will not shame all persons who love the church. Let us take up the election at the earliest day, so that there shall be no opportunity to prolong these outrageous methods.' Cries of 'shame' and 'order' rose on every side; but the Dr., raising his voice, exclaimed: 'It is an outrage, I say, that a man can hardly get out of a car here before he is button-holed by scheming delegates and all kinds of combinations suggested.' Here was a storm, a fourth of the conference on their feet crying 'order.' When Dr. Baldwin had spoken to the question of order, the bishop quietly declared: 'The speaker is not out of order.'" The following were subsequently chosen as bishops: Rev. Dr. Ninde, of the Detroit Conference; Rev. Dr. Walden, of the Western Book Concern, Cincinnati; Rev. Dr. Mallalien, and Rev. C. H. Fowler, D. D.

SECULAR.

—Congress has appropriated $1,000,000 to the New Orleans Exposition.

—During a recent revolt in Yemen, Arabia, over 300 Turks were massacred.

—A Louisville woman advertises to furnish "essays" and valedictories for graduates."

—Bismarck's resignation of the presidency of the Prussian Cabinet has been accepted.

—Fifteen men were killed by a railroad collision, near Connellsville, Pa., on the 14th inst.

—The U. S. Senate has passed the bill placing General Grant on the retired list of the army.

—A bill establishing free trade with the United States has passed the St. Domingo Congress.

—Chas. O'Conor, the eminent New York lawyer, died at Nantucket on the 12th inst., aged 89 years.

—Grizzly bears are said to be killing cattle at a discouraging rate in Sprague River Valley, Oregon.

—The prospect of a large wheat surplus in South Australia is unusually good, on account of late rains.

—Four men were killed, on the 17th inst., by a cave in Forest Spring Mine, near Grass Valley, Cal.

—Two witnesses in the famous Hill-Sharon divorce case, San Francisco, have been committed for perjury.

—In Leavenworth, Kansas, three men were convicted of murder on the 14th inst., and sentenced to be hanged.

—British seamen are beginning to complain that Chinamen are being employed as firemen on English steamships.

—The Anti-monopoly Convention, which met at Chicago on the 14th inst., nominated General Butler for President.

—Another batch of Mormon "missionaries" have been sent to Arizona to "take in" converts and "take up" land.

—Three vessels, the Bear, Thetis, and Alert, have started for the Arctic regions in search of the Greeley exploring party.

—It is said that the existence of a society having for its object the freedom of Poland, has been discovered in Paris.

—Cyrus H. McCormick, head of the great harvester manufacturing company, died at Chicago on the 13th inst., aged 75 years.

—On the 16th inst., two murderers were hanged at Ashland, Ohio; three (colored) at Greenville, S. C., and one at Morrison, Ill.

—The Society of California Pioneers is using its influence to secure for General Fremont a place on the retired list of the army.

—The Massachusetts Legislature has enacted a law to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against colored people.

—There are reports of rain in this State on the 14th inst., from as far north as Yreka, in Siskiyou County, and south to Los Angeles.

—During a thunder-storm in the northern part of Colusa County, Cal., on the 17th inst., a large, new grain warehouse was completely destroyed.

—The Gatling Gun Company, at Hartford, has twenty guns nearly finished, ten of them for the Chinese, and the rest supposed to be for Egypt.

—W. B. Cash, the notorious South Carolina outlaw, who has been evading and defying the officers for several months, has been killed by his pursuers.

—It is proposed in Congress to appoint a committee of experts to examine the coal-fields recently discovered on the White Mountain Reservation in Arizona.

—A servant girl in the house of Harry Bowring, at Salt Lake, gave a baby a box of morphine pills to play with. It swallowed some of the pills and soon died.

—Wall Street, New York, has had a panic, and several heavy speculating firms and some banks have failed; but it is claimed that the solid business of the country is not affected.

—A San Francisco boatman fell from a wharf last week, and through the shock bit off half his tongue. A surgeon at the receiving hospital sewed on the piece, and it is thought it will recover.

—By the burning of a malt manufacturing establishment in San Francisco, on the night of the 15th inst., two men lost their lives. They slept in the building and were surrounded by fire before they were aware of the danger, and were suffocated before they could escape.

—Laying the corner-stone of the new Odd Fellows building in San Francisco, was the great event of last week. Nearly every county in the State was represented, and the procession numbered over 6,000 men.

—A bar of bullion estimated to be worth $1,200 was found recently in the tailings pile of the Justice Somers claim at Stillwater, Esmeralda County, Nev., by the creditors of the mill, who were working the tailings.

—The Papachoag Mill, Worcester, Mass., was burned on the 15th inst. It was used for the manufacture of woolen yarn. Loss, about $150,000. Many girls, it is said, were injured by jumping from windows.

—Germany declines to recognize Portugal's claim to sovereignty over the Congo country. That extensive and fertile region promises to be a subject either of contention or compromise among the powers of Europe.

—A movement has been started by the New England Tobacco Grower's Association, in which they anticipate co-operation from all parts of the country, looking to a removal of all internal revenue taxes on that article.

—Earl Granville has instructed the English Embassy at Peking to inquire into the report concerning the terms of the Franco-Chinese treaty. England will demand equal rights with France to trade with the Chinese in the southern provinces.

—Miss Charlotte Stephens, while visiting a friend in this city last week, assisted her in cleaning up the house and yard. Then, in setting fire to the trash, the flame caught her dress and she was burned and strangled to death before she could be rescued.

—It is generally conceded that General Grant is an innocent victim in the failure of the firm of Grant & Ward, New York. He knew little about the business, which was entrusted entirely to his partners; and great advantage was taken of the use of his prominent and reputable name.

—Judah P. Benjamin died in Paris on the 7th inst., aged 73 years. Before the Rebellion, he was a leading U. S. Senator, representing the State of Louisiana; during the war he was the leading mind in the Cabinet of the Confederacy; after the defeat of the Confederacy, he went to England, where he has since been a prominent member of the Bar.

—The Grand Army of the Republic commander of this State has issued a circular deploring the fact that eight churches of San Francisco have arranged for a union picnic on Memorial Day. He considers this an "innovation," and "disrespectful to the memory of those who fought and died for the preservation of the Union." Lincoln Post, G. A. R., has also expressed "surprise and regret" in a series of resolutions.

—A Gypsy woman attempted to steal a little child one evening last week, in San Francisco. She was sitting down in a vacant lot, when discovered, with the child covered in her shawl, and had a chloroformed handkerchief to its mouth. The almost frantic nurse girl had a hard struggle to get the child away from her, but finally succeeded, the thief threatening to take her life if she did not leave her alone.

—Lloyd L. Majors, the double murderer, now confined in this city, and who is to be hanged tomorrow, made a desperate attempt to escape last Friday night. He knocked down the jailer and watchman with a slat from his bed, seized the keys, and got out. He ran several blocks, when he was recaptured and returned to jail with a broken arm. He struggled hard, and begged his captors to shoot him. He had that day received news of the death of his child.