himself. Capt. John Gunsollis of St. Louis, who was killed about three years ago in a steamboat accident, was paid at the rate of $1,000 a month for piloting on the Missouri River just after the war, He was well known in Kansas City. In 1883 the old sidewheel steamer Fannie Lewis was condemned as unseaworthy. Capt. James Kennedy, agent of the present packet company here, and Capt. C. B. Tilden persuaded the Lewis's owners to have the boat repaired and run another season. The owners did as requested. Capt. Tilden commanded and Capt. Kennedy represented the boat as agent at Kansas City, and in six months made $10,000 profit. This was the last year for the Fannie Lewis. The boat was afterwards taken apart at St. Louis and the machinery used elsewhere.

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS

WASHINGTON ON CLOTHES

This and the two following letters relate to the making of a full-dress military suit, which Washington desired to have ready for his birthday. The suit was to be prepared in accordance with the specifications of the Secretary of War for such a dress, and Washington's desire to have it finished on time was in all probability for the occasion of the marriage of his adopted daughter, Nellie Custis, to his nephew, Lawrence Lewis.

The letters show that the suit was not finished in time, and the last letter, under date of July 14th, 1799, intimates that the impossibility of procuring the proper gold thread embroidery might necessitate sending the coat to Europe, in which case Washington desired to be advised before such action was taken. Whether the suit was completed according to directions is not definitely known, but it is thought that the only dress uniform Washington owned at any time was the buff and blue suit familiar to all Americans.

Written the same year in which he died, these letters are remarkable for their fine condition; the chirography is scarcely indicative of the advancing age of the author, being exceptionally firm and handsome, with perfect alignment.

Mount Vernon, February 10, 1799.

To Mr. [James] McAlpin, Fourth Street, Philadelphia.

Having requested in a former letter that you would make me a uniform suit of cloaths by such directions as the Secretary of War would give; of such kinds of cloth as I mentioned to you in that letter;and moreover that they might be with me by the 22d of the present month; I hope my desire in all these particulars will be complied with Let them be packed in a Portmanteau to be made for that, &

occasional uses thereafter, of very stiff and thick leather of the following size, etc. Transmit your account of the cost of all the articles required, and the amount shall be remitted to you, by Sir,

Your Hble. Servant,

G. WASHINGTON.

Mount Vernon, May 12, 1799.

Having heard nothing from you since my last request (now more than two months ago) that you would complete, and send on my uniform Suit so soon as the gold thread, which you informed me was expected in the Spring Shipping, should have arrived; I give you the trouble of receiving this letter on the Subject; and to request that no unnecessary delay may prevent the accomplishment of it.

Send the cloaths in such a Portmanteau as I discribed [sic] in my former letter, & by some Person (if you can) who may be coming through, to Alexandria;—to be lodged at the Post Office, or Stage Office in that Town;-with the Bill of cost, etc. I am sir, Your Hble Servant,

G. WASHINGTON.

Written exactly five months before his death, and five months after the first letter, [ante.] ordering his military dress suit, still undelivered.

Mount Vernon, July 14, 1799.

Your letters of the 24th & 27th ulto. have come duly to hand;— and persuaded as I am that, you have used your best endeavours to furnish my uniform Coat, agreeably to the regulations of the War department, I thank you for your exertions; although they have failed. of the desired effect.

Some years ago (while the Government was in New York) I had a cloke well embroidered there (at the instance of a Mr. Bahr, who was then my Taylor)—possibly, the same person, or some other, might be found there still, to do it, if Mr. Bahr is living and was applied to.

If a failure takes place there also, and the coat is not already embarked for Europe, let it remain as at present, and inform me of the state of, and what can be done with it.—I am Sir,

Your very Hble. Servant,

G. WASHINGTON.

TEPHEN, the son of the Rev. Eden and Abigail (Davis) Burroughs, was born in 1766 at Killingly, Conn., where his father. was pastor from 1760 to 1771. Stephen's early adventures, which foreshadow his future career, has as their scene, Hanover, N. H., where his father was pastor of Congregational churches from 1772 till he retired from the ministry in 1810, about three years before his death at the age of 75: and it can hardly do injustice to Stephen, and is certainly very illuminating as to his character, to give in his own words the first exploit which he records in his "Memoirs." "My thirst for amusement was insatiable, and as in my situation, the only dependence for that gratification was entirely within myself, I sought it in pestering others, especially those who were my superiors in age, and in making them appear in a ludicrous situation, so as to raise the laugh at their expense, and partake of the general diversion which such a matter created. My success in these undertakings was so great, that I became the terror of the people where I lived, and all were very unanimous in declaring that Stephen Burroughs was the worst boy in town A neighbor of my father, an old man, had a fine yard of watermelons, which had been purloined by somebody for three or four succeeding nights; the old man, being of a hasty, petulant disposition, was determined to watch his watermelons with a club and severely beat the thief. One night he took his stand in a convenient place for watching, unknown to any one. Accident made me acquainted with the old man's situation, and suspecting his intention, I went to a son of his, a young man of about twenty, and told him I saw a man in the watermelon yard, whom I suspected to be the thief, and advised him to go cautiously to the yard, and peradventure he might catch him. Accordingly the young man went; but no sooner had he got into the yard, than the old man, supposing this to be the thief, rushed from his hiding-place,

-So scarce is the Memoirs of this remarkable man, that probably few of our readers have seen it. We are glad to be able to preseat this interesting summary of the book, by Mr. Eno. (Ed.)