r," said Grace. "I'm going to appoint men who know their business."

This started a quarrel between him and Tammany Hall, but he managed to
carry through the reforms on which he was determined.

He put the Louisiana Lottery Company out of business in the city, by
raiding their place, and when he found no one there to arrest he carted
off their safe to the City Hall, and refused to give it up until the
company withdrew from the city and promised to stay out.

He took the street-cleaning department from under the control of the
police and made it an independent department with a special head. The
local machine tried to stop him by holding out the inducement of another
term. But he sent back the answer:

"I'm mayor now, and I'm going to run things in the interest of the city
and to suit myself. There is no use leaving any work to a second term."

The next election he was defeated, but in 1884, when Cleveland was running
for President, Grace ran for mayor as an independent, and was easily
elected. The work of his second term was along the same lines as that of
his first.

His business interests with Peru continued to increase in importance, for
his brother, Michael Grace, had established himself as the leading man in
the country. He helped develop the banking system, railroads and mines of
the country, and also aided in founding a regular line of steamships
between there and New York. In 1890 he organized a corporation which
assumed the Peruvian national debt, and in return for doing this the
company was given control of the canals, roads, and other sources of
revenue in Peru.

Although much of his time was given to his business with South America, he
was also interested in many home enterprises, and was a director in a
score of big corporations.

LETTERS FAMOUS FOR BREVITY.

A Few Pointed Lines Written by Sharp-Witted People Have Been Effective in
Taking the Conceit Out of Their Correspondents.

Almost telegraphic brevity distinguishes some of the most famous letters
that have ever been written. A writer in _Notes and Queries_ gives a sheaf
of these laconic messages, with such editorial illumination as is
necessary to make their meaning clear.

According to Campbell's "Lives of the Admirals," Sir George Walton was
sent in pursuit of a Spanish squadron, and reported what took place in the
following dispatch to the admiral in command:

SIR--I have taken or destroyed all the
Spanish ships as per ma