known member of the committee that arranged the dinner at O'Eller's Tavern, wrote the phrase for the program of toasts, merely as he wrote the other fifteen sentiments, and sent the copy to the printer, or to the speaker assigned to toast No. 13. He had no thought whatever of the fame by error that he was to put on General Pinckney. Feb. 25 (1781)-Bank of the United States established at Philadelphia, year 1781. The first president of the bank was Thomas Willing, a partner of Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution. Feb. 25 (1836)—First patent for a revolver granted to Samuel Colt, inventor, year 1836. The new weapon was used with great effect by the Texans that same year in winning their independence from Mexico. Feb. 25 (1913)-Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution adopted. It reads: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration." Feb. 25 (1917)-Cunard steamship Laconia, 18,000 tons, bound from New York to Liverpool year 1917, car-. rying a cargo of food stuffs, cotton and war material and seventy-three passengers, was torpedoed by a German submarine off the southwest coast of Ireland, at 10.30 p. m. and sank in forty minutes. Two of the passengers and four of the crew were Americans. One of the passengers died. All others were saved. This was the first deliberate act of war by Germany against the United States after the severance of diplomatic relations, and it led directly to the later declaration of war by the United States. Feb. 26 (1869)-The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was adopted by Congress, year 1869. Vote in House-145 ayes, 44 noes. Vote in Senate-39 ayes, 13 noes. The Amendment was afterwards ratified by thirty States. It was rejected by California, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon. New York ratified, but rescinded the ratification in 1870. Tennessee did not act upon it. The required three-fourths having ratified, the Amendment was proclaimed on March 30, 1870. It reads as follows: "Article XV, Sec. 1. The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. "Sec. 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce the provisions of this article by appropriate legislation." Feb. 27 (1807)-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poet, born at Portland, Me., year 1807; died at Cambridge, Mass., March 24, 1882. Recognized by a majority of American educators as the most popular, if not the greatest of American poets of the 19th century. Feb. 28 (1827)—Charter granted by the legislature of Maryland to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, the first railroad in America, year 1827. The petition stated that it was proposed "to construct a double track railroad between the city of Baltimore and some point on the Ohio River by the most eligible and direct route." One month later the company was organized with Philip Evan Thomas as president. The work of construction was commenced by laying a cornerstone on July 4, 1828. Feb. 29 (1704)-Deerfield (Mass.) massacre, year 1704. Three hundred French and Indians from Canada surprised the New England garrison in the night, killed 47 of the inhabitants, burned the town, and carried away 120 captives through the northern wilderness. One of the objects of the raid was to get possession of a bell which hung over the Deerfield meeting house. This bell had been shipped from France, intended for the Catholic church in the little Indian village of Caughnawaga near Montreal, but the ship was captured by a New England privateer and taken to Boston with all its cargo. The bell was sold to the Deerfield congregation, the members of which did not know that it was valued as sacred by the pastor of the Canadian Indian village and his flock. The bell was borne to Caughnawaga where it still hangs. MARCH March 1 (1780)-Bank of Pennsylvania, the first bank in the United States, was chartered, year 1780. Mar. 1 (1837)-William Dean Howells born at Martin's Ferry, Ohio, year 1837. The foremost American novelist of the last half of the 19th century. He was appointed by President Lincoln consul to Venice, Italy, where he lived from 1861 to 1865. Much of his work has Italian coloring. His best known novels are: “A Foregone Conclusion" (1874); "A Modern Instance" (1883), and "The Rise of Silas Lapham" (1885). Mar. 1 (1845)—Act of Congress passed and signed by President Tyler, admitting Texas into the Union, year 1845. Mar. 1 (1867)-Nebraska was admitted into the Union, year 1867. Mar. 2 (1793)-Samuel Houston, pioneer, soldier and statesman, born at Timber Ridge Church, Va., year 1793; died at Huntsville, Texas, July 26, 1863. He was the leader in the rebellion of Texas against Mexico and was the first president of the Republic of Texas (18361838). He was governor of the State of Texas, 18591861. His birthday is observed as a holiday in Texas. MISSOURI COMPROMISE ACT PASSED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AT WASHINGTON At the beginning of the year 1820, there were twentytwo states in the Union. Of these, ten permitted slavery. In January, 1819, a bill had been introduced to admit Missouri as a State, without restrictions, as all other States had been admitted after the adoption of the Constitution. But the anti-slavery movement had grown powerful in the North, and a New York congressman offered an amendment to the Missouri Statehood bill |