banks. The largest vessels could no longer reach New Orieans, even by the deepest channel of the river.

This difficulty was overcome by Captain James B. Eads, who had built a splendid bridge across the river at St. Louis. He proposed to narrow the river, so as to make the current swifter and cause it to deepen its channel. This he was permitted to try, and he succeeded by building jetties, or sunken walls of wicker-work filled with earth, along each side. The result was a great success. The narrow and swift stream swept out the sediment from its channel, which became so deep that the largest vessels were able easily to come up to New Orleans.

Yellow Fever in the South.-A terrible epidemic of yellow fever broke out in portions of the South in the years 1877 and 1878. It was particularly destructive in Memphis and New Orleans, largely on account of their lack of sanitary regulations. More than fifteen thousand people died in 1878. Since then strict laws have been enacted, and the healthfulness of these cities has greatly increased. In Memphis new systems of drainage were adopted, the city was thoroughly cleaned, and rigid sanitary methods were applied.

The Election of 1880.-In the Presidential election of 1880, James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur were the Republican candidates. The Democrats nominated General Winfield S. Hancock, a distinguished soldier of the war, and William H. English. The election resulted in the success of the Republican party, whose candidates received two hundred and fourteen electoral votes against one hundred and fifty-five for the Democratic candidates.

4. The Garfield and Arthur Administrations.

Assassination of the President.-President Garfield1 took his seat on the 4th of March, 1881. He found trouble awaiting him. The feeling in favor of reform in the civil service had grown in the country, and met with the sympathy of the President, but applications for office came to him from all sides, many of them supported by members of Congress. The Senators from New York offered a candidate for the post of collector of the port of New York City. The President would not appoint him, and the angry Senators resigned their seats.

JAMES A. GARFIELD.

The thirst for office ended in murder. On the 2d of July, while the President was standing in the railroad station at Washington, he was shot by a disappointed office-seeker

named Guiteau (ge-to). For weeks he lingered in suffering, the sympathizing people in hopes of his recovery, but at length, on the 19th of September, he passed away.

Civil Service Reform.-This dastardly murder had one beneficial effect, that of inducing Congress, in 1883, to pass

1 James Abram Garfield was born in Ohio in 1831. The family was very poor, but by hard work he managed to obtain admission to Williams College, where he graduated in 1854. He became a professor in Hiram College, was elected State senator in 1859, and in 1861 entered the army as colonel. He took part in several battles, was made majorgeneral in 1863, and soon after was elected to Congress. Here he became prominent as a statesman of fine ability. In 1880 he was elected United States Senator, but before he took his seat was elected President.

a Civil Service Act, which was intended to take the appointment to offices out of the President's hands. It provided for a board of commissioners and for the appointment to office by examination of candidates, those who passed highest to have the first chance.

The act also provided that office-holders under the government should not be asked to contribute money for political purposes, and should not take an active part in political contests.'

Arthur Becomes President.-The assassination of Garfield lifted Chester A. Arthur2 to the Presidential chair. It was the fourth time a Vice-President had succeeded the President. Arthur had been nominated for political reasons, and was looked upon as a mere politician. But he proved himself more than this, and filled the high office which unexpectedly came to him to the satisfaction of the people.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

Anti-Polygamy Bill.-In 1882 Congress passed a bill

1 In 1881 there were in the country (including post-offices) about one hundred and forty thousand office-holders. Since then this number has been increasing. At first only a few offices were filled under the new law, but the number has steadily increased, and now nearly all the minor offices, except the post-offices, are filled by competitive examination. Garfield was a martyr of the spoils system introduced by Jackson. His death gave the inspiration to a great reform.

2 Chester Alan Arthur was born in Vermont in 1830. He graduated at Union College, became a teacher and then a lawyer, and during the war served as quartermaster-general of New York. He was appointed collector of the port of New York in 1872 and served six years. He was a candidate for the Presidential nomination in 1884, but was unsuccessful. He died in 1886.

for the suppression of polygamy by the Mormons of Utah, many of these having more than one wife. It was opposed at first, but has since been carried out, and polygamy is at an end.

Industrial Exhibitions.-During Arthur's administration several industrial exhibitions were held in the South. One of these was held at Atlanta in 1881, and one at Louisville in 1883. A more important one was held at New Orleans in 1884, under the title of "The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition." It was a large and interesting exhibition and demonstrated that the South had made great progress since the war. In 1784 the South exported eight bags-about equal to one bale-of cotton. Just before the Civil War the crop reached about five million bales. In 1884 it had increased to eight millions. In 1860 there were scarcely any manufactures south of Maryland. In 1884 there were millions of dollars invested in manufactures in the South. And agriculture had greatly advanced under free labor, vast quantities of corn, wheat, fruits, and vegetables being raised.

The Washington Monument.-Another interesting event of the Arthur administration was the completion of the Washington Monument. This had been ordered immediately after the death of Washington, but the corner-stone was not laid till 1848, and it was not finished till 1885. It is an immense obelisk of white marble, five hundred and fifty-five feet high, and forms a striking feature of the architecture of the city of Washington.

Standard Time.--An important event was the adoption of standard time, for the convenience of the great railroads running east and west. In 1883 the country was divided into four sections, throughout each of which the same time was to be used, while the time would vary one hour from

one section to another. Thus, when it is twelve o'clock in New York, it is eleven at Chicago, ten at Denver, and nine at San Francisco, and the same in all parts of each section.

Election of 1884.-In the Presidential nominations of 1884 the Democrats selected for their candidates Grover Cleveland, governor of New York, and Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana. The Republican candidate for President was James G. Blaine, of Maine, a prominent statesman, who had been three times Speaker of the House of Representatives. John A. Logan was nominated for Vice-President. There were nominations also by the Prohibition and the Greenback parties.

A number of independent Republicans,' who were opposed to Blaine, voted for Cleveland, and succeeded in electing him. The election was very close, the result depending on the vote of New York, which went for Cleveland by a few hundred majority. Blaine received one hundred and eightytwo, Cleveland two hundred and nineteen electoral votes.

5. Cleveland's Administration.

Electoral Count Act.-The administration of President Cleveland 2 was marked by some important legislation. The

1 These independent voters were nicknamed "Mugwumps." This is an Indian word, meaning “chief," but was applied to the independents as a term of contempt.

2 Grover Cleveland was born in New Jersey in 1837. Soon after his father moved to New York. At eighteen, his father having died and left him penniless, he began the study of law at Buffalo, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. He began his political life in 1863, becoming successively assistant district attorney, sheriff, and mayor. His high reputation for integrity won him the nomination for governor of New York, and he was elected by a very large majority in 1882. His increasing reputation for unswerving honesty brought him the nomination for President in 1884.