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 margin. Yours, etc., G. WALTON. Horace Walpole, in one of his papers in "The World," praises the following letter, written by Lady Pembroke in the reign of Charles II. I quote from memory, but think that Lady Pembroke wrote to Lord Arlington, who had insisted on her allowing Sir Joseph Williamson to be returned member for her borough of Appleby: SIR--I have been bullied by a usurper, I have been neglected by a court, but I will not be dictated to by a subject. Your man sha'n't stand. ANNE PEMBROKE. I have some memory of a story that some person wrote to the first Duke of Wellington, threatening to publish certain letters of his, and that he replied: