Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, March 02, 1876, Image 1
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VOL. IV. NO. 13.
Two Weeks Off.
" Did I lore hor ?" Jack, my boy ;
Yea, with all my heart, air.
Two aV>"t week* of summer joy;
Then we had to part, sir."
Silks and jewels blushed and smiled f?
O ie of the fashion's scholars;
Jack, the rainbow round the child
Cost a thousand dollars.
Summer spreads ns royal feasts;
What of winter weather ?
Butterflies and working beast*
Can't be yoked together.
j
I ON THE RIO GRANDE. .
1 \
The Sirlp of Country that the Mexicans Rob
of Cattle?An Interesting Description.
Capfc. McNally, the commandei of the
Texas State troops enlisted to prevent
depredations from the Mexican frontier,
gives the following interesting account
of the country:
^ "A strip of eounfcry'abouttwenty miles
wide on each side of ihe river is covered
with what is called in Mexioo ' chaparral.
' It is a thicket of tropical or semitropical
shrubs, which, on account of
its density and the immense thorns with
which is thickly covered, is literally impenetrable
except where trails have
been cut through it. I hardly know how
I can convey to you a definite idea of its
character, but you may judge something
!of the difficulties of campaigning in
such a country when I tell you that, al
though two trails may extend almost
parallel with each other and not more
I than fifty yards apart, still it is often
\ necessary to travel as far as seven or
eight miles in order to find a point where
it is possible to pass from one to another.
It is like a thicket of enormous
thistles fifteen feet high, with thethorns
hard and woody and as large as your
fioger. It is almost impossible to get
one's way through it The best corps of
sappers and miners that I ever saw
would hardly advanoe one hundred
yards a day through this chaparral.
Ah)Dg the river banks there has been
constructed a road, but the river is so
crooked that this trail does not follow all
of its bends, so that, while at times it
touches the brink of the river, at others
it will be from half a mile to a mile away.
, This road itself as it extends through the
chaparral is far from being straight, so
that it is rarely possible when riding
along it to see any object more than a
few hundred yards ahead.
" Extending at right angles from the
general course of the river through the
chaparral, are trails ten or twelve miles
^ apart, and sometimes at shorter intervals.
These ?ext nd out into the open
Bp prairie, and are the only means of comw
munication between the grazing lands 1
and the river. The Mexican raiders 1
rarely cros3 tho Rio Grande in force.
Th^y meet t some point on the Mexioan
side and agree to reassemble several
days later at some ranche or river on the 1
American 3ide, each one driving in the ,
cattle which in the meantime he may ,
have stolen. Having arranged their i
plans, they cross the river in squads of 1
two or three, or five in each, at different
points, and pass on through the ch&par- (
ral from 100 to 150 miles into tne interior
of Texas. Each squad selects i
from the herds iu the section assigned <
to it the beit cattle, and at the appoint- !1
ed time proceeds to the redezvous
agreed upon. The cattle are then all
placed in one herd, and, everything being
ready, they start for the river as
rapidly as prssible. Generally the raid- 1
ers r^ach the river, or are very near to 1
it, before anything is learned of their <
movements by those in command of J
troops ; and then, owing to the character
of the country which I have de- J
scrilied, and the rapidity with which the <
Mexicans move, it is seldom that they J
I can be overtaken. With my men I have (
often arrived on the bank of the river i
after a long chase and seen the Mexi
cans encamped on the other side with i
the cattle in their possession. They are '
very saucy, and sometimes challenge us <
in a very insulting way to come over and '
get the stock, knowing very "well that
we cannot do it." i
44 Yon remarked that these cattle ]
thieves penetrate from 100 to 150 m les i
into Texas," said a reporter; *4 is it not 1
dangerous for them to venture so far 1
away from the river?" <
** There is very little danger," he re- '
plied. 44 These depredations have been '
going on so long that nearly all tho '
cattle in Texas which formerly grazed 1
on a belt of country from fifty to one j
hu ndred milt s wide, and bounded by the
river, have been stolen and the ranches f
destroyed. That belt of oountry, three '
hundred or four hundred miles long, is I
almost destitute of population. The
st ttlera have almost no means of com- '
muuication with each other, and even if >
it was known that a baud of Mexicans ]
w rs about to make a raid, it v ould gen- <
e.ally be impossible to get together a ?
sufficient force of Texans to make any
determined resistance. Besides this, 1
t he Texan rancheros do not dare to make <
any resistance, or even to give informs- >
tion when they have been robbed. ;
44 From my description of the charac- i
tor of the country you will see how diffi- 3
cult it is to intercept a band of Mexi- :
_-_v /
cm lis, even wnen uiiuruiauuu wuo ?.? (
these incursions has been obtained. On
one occasion I informed the commandant
of the United States troops that a
raid in force was to be made at or about <
a' certain date, and that the cattle would l
lie driven across the river at a given ]
point. He stationed two companies of j
cavalry in the chaparral at a short dis- ]
tance apart, deployed men on either ]
side, in order to intercept the party as |
it passed. But the Mexicans passed be- i
tween the two companies without being
discovered until they had nearly
reached the river. Then the soldiers i
followed them, and arrived just in time j
to see them drive the cattle out on the i
other side. A few shots were exchanged,
and fhe M xicans were obliged to abandon
a few ot the cattle that were mired
in the mud, but escaped with most of i
them."
" Are these Mexicans good fighters ?"
I asked.
"Yes, sir," was the reply, "they will
stand hilling as well as any people I <
ever saw. If any one expects to gain
much glory iu fighting superior numbers
of these Mexican raiders, he will be rery
much mistaken. It is a fact that the
Mexicans of the interior are not very
INDA
ft
good'soldiers, but after four years' service
in the Confederate army, and most
of the time at the front, where I had an
opportunity to know what good fighting
was, I am prepared to say that these
border Mexicans are about as formidable
adversarie; as ever I saw."
Tie Burial of Washington.
The following story of the funeral
servioee on the occasion of the burial of
George Washington we cut from the
K ngstcn (N. Y.) Gazette, January 4tb,
1800:
WASHINGTON ENTOMBED.
Geoboe Town, Dec. 20.
On Wednesday last the mortal part of
WASHINGTON the Great?the Father of bis
country And the Friend of man, was confined
to the tomb, with Bolemn honor and funeral
pomp.
A multitude of persons assembled from
many miles, at Mount Vernon, the ohoioe abode
and la?t resting place of the illustrious chief.
There were the groves?the spacious avenues,
the beautiful and sublime scenes, the noble
mansion?but alas! the august inhabitant was
now no more. That great soul was gone. Hie
mortal part was there, indeed; but all! bow
affecting ! how awful the spectacle of such
worth and greatness, thus to mortal eyes
fallen! Yes, fallen! fallen! In the long and
lofty pc tioo, where oft the Hero walked in all
his glory, now lay the shrouded corpse ! The
countenance, still oomposed and serene, seemed
to express the dignity of the spirit which
lately dwelt in that lifeless form. There those
*ho paSd the last sad honors to the benefactor
of his country took an impressive?a farewell
view.
On the ornament at the head of the ooffiu
was inscribed, Suboe ad Judicium about
<,? artflrn 4 Ot/iot Titn ' nn iVia
kUO UUUUIO VI vuv Wiuu, vomvtm* , Vsilver
plate?
gexkhai.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
depabtx d this life ox the 14th of decembeb,
1799. &t. 68.
Between S and 4 o'olook the sonnd of artillery
from a veesel in the river firing minate
gans awoke afresh oar solemn sorrow?the
corpse was moved?a band of music, with
mourufi J melody, mellowed the son] ioto all
the tenderness of woe.
The procession was formed, and marohed in
the following ord>r:
Cavalry, )
Infantry, >- With arms reversed.
Guard, J
Music.
Clergy.
The General's horse, with his saddle, holsters
and ] istols.
Colonels g ; '; g Colonels
3 ;W * u
S.mmor.e. g :?: S Gilpin,
o ; S5 ' .2
Ramsey, s ; 0 : = Marsteller,
ftt h
Tarne. Li tie.
Mourner^.
Masonio Brethren.
Citizens.
When the procession had arrived on the
Lottom of the elevated lawn on the Potomac,
where tho family vault is plaoed, the cwalry
baited, the infantry marched toward the Mount
and formed their lines. The Clergy, the Ma-ouic
Brothers, and the citizens extended to the
Vault, and the funeral service of the Chnrch
was performed. The firing was repeated from
toe vessel in the river, and the sounds were
echoed from the woods and hills around.
Three general discharges by the infantry,
tho oavalry and the fourteen pieoes of artillery,
which Lned (be banks of the Potomac back of
the Vault, paid the last tribute to the eminent
O.unraandfr-in-Chief of the Armies of the
United States, and to the departed Hero.
The tan was now setting. Alas ! the son
of olobt ws? set for ever! No?the name of
WASHINGTON?the American President and
HeneiaJ, Will triampb over death; aub uu:!oude<l
brightness of history will illuminate
the fat are agee!
I
A Romanes of Chicago.
Odo evening a pale, thin woman,
meanly clad, was seen shivering on the
iloorstep, of a fashionable mansion on
Ashland * avenue. Her whole appearing
betokened poverty and misery.
The master of the house, a comparatively
youDg maD, clad in a costly furoverroat,
ran up the steps at the same mo- {
ment and gave the poor creature a
quarter, which she took with profuse
manifestations of gratitude. It seems
romantic, but it is a fact that, eleven
years ago, that young woman lived in
that same mansion, the beautiful, accomplished
and idolized daughter of
wealthy parents.
Two suitors sought her hand? one was
a fasliiouable youDg man, the other the
plumber's apprentice, who, while visiting
her father's lordly mansion to thaw
cut the water pipes, saw and loved the
beautiful apparition. He proffered his
suit in a blunt, manly style, told her
that his time would soon be out, and
showed her how the bills were made out
to meet her objection as to bis lack of
fortune. The haughty and infatuated j
girl rejected his suit and married the j
handsome young man with whom she
sat up housekeeping in the costly man- \
won on Ashland avenue. Wonderful are i
the fJtei#tions of fortune.
The plumber rose steadily, became,
wealthy, and purchased the family man- ;
don, when the young husband was compelled,
through going short on No. 2
spring at an inopportune moment, to
sell out his property. The young husband
took to drink, and finally was
buried in a pauper's grave, and a few J
evenings afterward bis starving widow !
asked and received alms on the doorstep !
of a house formerly her own from the !
bands of her discarded plumber lover, j
now its owner and a millionaire.
The Maine Liquor Law.
The new liquor bill before the Maine !
Legislature prohibits the manufacture ;
of intoxicating liquors under penalty of I
&5C() fine or* six months' hard labor, and j
for the second violation both the fine !
and imprisonment, or a year of hard
labor. The exception is that anybody {
may manufacture cider from apples)
grown in the State, and sell it in quantities
of a gallon and upward. The
bill is severe on people who have liquor
for any purpose. Liquor may be seized !
at any time, in any place, and destroyed i
at once. The burden of proof that the
article is not intended for sale rests j
with the owners or claimants. No mat- \
ter how the case is decided, no action I
will be permitted to recover liquors j
seized and destroyed. City marshals i
may enter all dwellings, and, if he finds j
liquor, may then and there pour it into
the gutter. A marshal can awaken passengers
in a sleeping car to search their ;
ca?pet-bags and smash their flasks. The !
penalty for selling is not less than for '
making. A becond conviction carries j
imprisonment with it, and clerks and !
assistants of persons who sell liquor *re j
to be treated as principals,
POH'
RD A
n-n i TTTiAnm n
B-ttAUr Ulll. o.
A New Swindle, J
Police Superintendent Walling, of
New York, received letters from C. P.
Sperry & Co. of Bryant, Ohio, and D.
D. Beebe of Hudson, Ohio. Each inclosed
a letter from W. H. Parker, 712
Broadway, giving a list of prices of
groceries. The letter is written on a
paper beaiing the printed bead, " W.
H. Parker, wholesale dealer -in groceries,
163 Market street." In the right
hand corner is the word "Philadelphia,"
with a blank for the date, but a penmark
is drawn through this and "New
York, Jan. 15th, 1876," written under
it. After an injunction of secrecy, the
writer says he has an uncle of the name
to which the letter is addressed, who
went West years ago> and he indulges
U/xwrv a4 ilvA wcrtAiTrnr nf fVin lof_
in tut; uvyu i/uuv iut x uwx v* iuv iv?
ter is that person. He goes on to say
that after doing business sixteen years
in Philadelphia, he failed for $96,000.
His creditors refused to grant him an
extension, and were so mean that he determined
to swindle them. This he did
by shipping to New York $9,000 worth
of the stock. Although suspected, nothing
was proved against him, and he
wants to turn the goods into cash as
speedily as possible, so that he can spend
the winter in California for the benefit
of his wife's health. The goods are
offered at fifteen per oent. below market
rates, so that they may be dold rapidly,
and one-third allowed to the seller. The
cash is asked for every sixty or ninety
days. The letter closes with an affectionate
inquiry whether the person addressed
has an uncle in California.
Detective Kealy learned that a room
at 712 Broadway, inscribed " W. H.
Parker," was hired and frequented by
a man named Matthews. The detective
found a young man there addressing
envelopes. Matthews soon entered,
and Kealy took them both to
police headquarters, with a large quantity
of letters from all parts of the country,
and the envelopes which the young
man had been at work upon. The pris
* 1 T* T>
part of the train are four gathered 1
iiounces bound with blue. The front 1
breadths are blue, and arranged in imitation
of quilting by means of small
gray faille scarfs, trimmed with blue 1
pipings, crossing each other and fastened <
together by knots; on the sides are bows
and ends of blue ribbon. The Lamballe 1
fichu is trimmed with lace. The blue (
sleeves are trimmed like the front of 1
the dress, and finished at the wrist by a
shirring corresponding with those upon <
the back of the skirt. The hair is
dressed high on the top of the head,
and low over the forehead; the top and '
back puffs are surrounded by beads.
On one side there are four small loops of J
blue ribbon, two lying downward and 1
two upward! At the back are curls, J
with blue ribbon loops and ends falling 1
over the curls. '
A Misunderstanding. 1
At the breakfast table the other morn- |
ing a Detroit landlady gave Mr. Jones a
severe look and skid :
" Mr. Jones, I understand you have ,
been circulating injurious reports about
my house."
" How, madam ?"
" I nuderstand you said you had used ]
better butter than I have here to grease
wagons with."
" I did say so, madam, but not to injure
your house. I have used better 1
butter, madam, to grease wagons, but I 1
wouldn't do it again, I'd sell it to you 1" 1
She accepted the apology. 1i
oners aeecnoea inemseives as sr. x>.
Matthews, and M. H. Douglas. Their
plan was to send worthless packed boxes
by express, C. O. D. The letters seized
had been received in response to an advertisement
offering a book called
''Kwaint, Kueer, and Kurious," for two
postage stamps. This devioe served the
purpose of supplying Matthews with
postage stamps, and the addresses of
fools whom he could tempt with other
schemes.
Agriculture in China*
Chinese agriculture is of the most
primitive kind. A one handled plow,
making a small furrow and penetrating
but a few inches below the surface, is
drawn by a cow to which it is harnessed.
But the most work is done with the
I tined hoe of large size, and the earth is
thoroughly prepared for planting and
sowing. Every foot of available ground
i3 worked like a garden. The side plain
of the Yangtsc, embracing an area of
about three hundred by 3ix hundred
miles, and with an estimated population
of twenty-five to thirty millions of souls,
is one of the most fertile sections on the
j globe; it has been worked thousands of
years, and by means of thorough irrigation
and fertilization the strength of the
soil is fully maintained, yielding two 1
cr jps a'year, almost invariably in abundance.
Kice and ootton are the principal
products, but some wheat and other <
cereals aro also grown, a variety of vegetables
and the various fruits of semi- <
tropical regions. The Chinese get all
that is possible from mother earth. The
tea sections are mostly upon higher I
lands, but the culture is carried on extensively
upon the uplands which ap- ;
pear in different localities in the midst
of this great plain. Silk culture is also
a great industry in some sections.
There is no labor saving machinery; i
everything is done by the most toilsome
hard work, and the rudest implements 1
are employed for that purpose in all the
processes of agricultural and* manufacturing
industry. The ownership of i
all lauds is vested in the government; '
they are leased to tenants for a long
period at stipulated rates, their rental i
averaging, perhaps, three to five dollars !
an acre per annum. Few horses are i
seen excepting those owned by foreigners.
The Chinese buffalo is employed 1
largely for the transportation of the pro- <
ducts of the soil and articles of mer- i
chandise. They are larger than ordi- :
nary bullocks, their large flat horns running
backward from the head, reaching i
nearly to the neck. They are harnessed i
to great cart3, and draw very heavy
loads; often they are packed like i
camels and led by coolies.
A Dinner Dress,
A useful dinner dress, says a fashion \
journal, may be of gray and blue faille.
The skirt is of gray faille; across the
back breadths are two bands of fine shir- 1
ring of blue faille; these bands raise the '
on/1 r?nf?H Oil fchfi lflWftr I
r ro'
lND <
C.. THURSDAY. M
A WAGGISH CROW.
A I 1.G?*nn? Pot onH thn Wnrfintonl
it Delighted in.
A lady in Beading, Pa., was the owner
of a pet crow called Jim, whose history
she tells as follows : Sitting in the
trunk of a tree beside the cabin of a
woodchopper in the Alleghanies, I first
saw him. He was too young to fly, and,
only partially covered with feathers,
looked so queer, so helpless, and withal
so mischievous, that I bought him, tied
him in my handkerchief, and, hanging
him on the pommel of my saddle, rode
twenty miles home. It was the amusement
of the family to fill up " Jim
Crow," which meant to take pieces of
clover heads, bread, and indeed anything,
drop it into his wide open mouth \
till his crop, throat and month were filled.
Then he would sit with his bill j
wide open, unable to shut it until the
food slowly digested, then recommence
his caw, caw, caw. With the wings i
came?what the quiet twinkle in those (
black eyes foretold?mischief, sly and '
deep. 1
He delighted going into the cook's '
room, where careless habits made that '
place a paradise to him. He would gent
ly put his bill under the lid of her sew- i
ing-Dox ana turn on tae cover on tne
floor?and then the ftui began. The
needles were all carefully stuck over the
bed, one by one. The cotton was hid
in the woodhouse, and the scissors nicely
tucked under the pillows in the room
quite removed from the scene of his
labors. Tne wax and thimble ^ere
dropped into the aquarium. And, after
all this delicious fun, he one day took a
little pot of hard pomade in his bill and
hopped to the edge of the veranda roof,
ate the pomade with evident relish, and
then dropped the glass pot on the stovepipe
below with a satisfied air at its demolition.
He then flew down and carefully
picked up each piece and put it in
the grass.
During the short illness of one of the
family, regularly at six a. m., Jim Grow
hopped along the veranda roof, gave a
quiet tap on the closed window, and, on
being admitted, gravely brought with
him to the bedside a chicken bone or
leg, or something equally tempting.
Seeing that he was duly observed, he
would raffle up his feathers, make himself
appear li&e a large round ball of
black feathers, caw, and then open his
mouth wide for a portion of the invalid's
breakfast. After stirring up things for
half an hour or more, opening the clock,
picking at the hands, stopping the pendulum,
dropping the soap in the water
pitcher, and takiug all the pins out of the
pincushion, he would take his leave.
The flsli iu the course of timo disappeared
from the aquarium, and although
all the haps and mishaps of the house
were attributed to demure little Jim
Crow, no one suspected that he was the
cause of the fish mystery. One morning '
he was discovered taking a bath in it and (
afterward a fish breakfast. The mystery *
was solved, and when the aquarium was (
emptied there came to light two thimbles,
a pair of scissors, a penknife and a
spoon.
To carry away small chickens, drop
them into holes, and cover them with t
dirt, was his intense delight, and when i
we saw a distracted hen rushing madly i
about the barnyard, ^ome one looked up i
Jim Crow and went to the rescue.
After a day's Ashing, we were cleaning f
the Ash on the race bank. One little ^1
fish was thrown into the water. A duck i
quickly seized it by the head, and Jim i
took the tail, and then they pulled and i
pulled for a few seconds. The scene was }
exceedingly amusing, for Jim planted i
his little black feet firmly on the edge of J
the bank, and was slowly drawn into the ?
water, holding on to tho fish. As soon (
as he found he was getting in too deep, t
he let go his hold and fiew to a tree to <
take his nsnal revenge in scolding, and ^
with his head on one side he scolded till <
all the fish were cleaned. Jim's scold- i
ing consisted of a succession of low, gut- 1
tural sounds, said over and over with a ?
very solemn faoe and very mournful 3
mien, and has moved many people to 8
hearty langhter because it was so in- 1
tensely droll. While he was quite young 1
he was tyrannized over, and all the 1
fowls, large and small, had a pick at J
Jim. But one dAy he took a large straw t
in his bill and chased the geese, who ?
flew before him, and Jim reigned su- i
preme from that day, and often repeated 6
the scare, we thought, for his own 8
amusement. t
Jim's strong point was butter, and on f
churning days he stayed at home and 1
behaved himself. Ho could eat about (
half a pound; but one day he ran his 1
bill through a pound, and tried to fly h
away with it, and from that time he was !1
banished. j I
As the summer faded into autumn |T
Jim stayed away more and more from y
home, and occasionally would return with t
friends, evidently showing them aronnd.
One Sunday afternoon the attention of :
the family was drawn to vigorous cawing
on the veranda roof. There was Jim
with three friends, all cawing. They f
solemnly walked in the cook's window
and remained in the room some time,
keeping up the conversation. When (
they left, all moving things were fouud .
overturned, and the room left in the
state Jim always left it in. The pleas- ,
ures of that place bad no doubt been ,
described by Jim to his friends, and he
lud brought tbera along for a frplic j
His visits from home became more and
more exteuded, but whenever he came
ho scolded as much as ever and seeming- *
ly tried to talk. He would sit bo- J
fore the house and deliver long
harangues on subjects and iu language
too abstruse for us to comprehend. One
rainy September day he sat for hours on ,
the apple tree delivering, it must have
been, a farewell address, for when night ^
came he flew away and never came home
again. .
The Spring Elections.?The State
elections of the Presidential year begin
with the three New England States, f
New Hampshire, Connecticut and s
Rhode Island. New Hampshire holds c
her election in March, the other two in
April s
When a dealer asked a lad, who came
with a basket and wanted three cents' r
wertn of coal, why he didn't make it t
hve, the boy replied : "Dad never was
my hand for speculation," f
3 0 M A
ARCH >, 1876.
THE EXPRESS BOBBERS.
How They were Prepared lor their >'efa- j
rloas Work.
Speaking of the recent attempt to
rob an express car, which was so successfully
foiled, the Toledo (Ohio) Blade
aava Ah t.hfi flrftnir were all armed to
the teeth, and provided with every essential
necessary to the snccessfnl robbery
of the car, and subsequent operations
in making their escape, it is a matter
of interest to the public generally to
know what were the instruments and
how they were made. A description
written from the "kit" itself is herewith
given. The " billies " with which
they proposed to assault or defend
themselves are made of a piece of lead
about the size and shape of a small
hen's egg, woven around with twine
similar to that used for trout line, the 1
handles are from eight to thirteen inches |
in length and about an inch in thick- ;
ness, made by braiding the twine round
either a piece of whalebone, leather or
wood; there are straps of webbing from
an inch to an inch and three-quarters in 1
width, fastened on the handles at such
an angle as to leave the handle straight 1
in the hand while the strap easily rests
around the wrist. This is a favorite 1
weapon with roughs, thieves, and assas- f
sins. It makes no noise and is readily '
used with murderous force, if desired,
and can easily be made away with in '
case of ar rest. Their revolvers were of ]
the latest improved "polioe pattern," !
carrying balls at lea<-t three-eighths of ]
an inch in diameter. The gags, with
which they intended to silence the messenger
or messengers, are made from
the ends of maple broom handles, some J
six inches in length. The ends are flattened,
have notches cut near them for 1
' ..... ]
the purpose or aiiacning ine ropes ,
which were to fasten them in place.
Cords remarkably pliable, of bed-cord
size, some eighteen inches in length, are
attached to the gags.
Masks were prepared for themselves
made from the tops of boot legs. There
Eire holee for the eyes and month, and
slits made perpendiculary for the nose.
On the face and miming across the nose
ire the mysterious letters K. K. K.,
ind under the mouth the frightful
motto, "Death." There were quite a
number of pieces of soft half-inch rope,
svidently intended for tieing their victims
with. A key had been extemporized
which would fit on a square bolt
such as door-knobs are attached to, and
probably was fitted up for such purposes.
The auger with which the holes
were bored is an ordinary three-quarterinch
pod, with shank fastened upon the
Handle with a nut, and is such as carpenters
use for boring holes for mortising.
There was the panel saw used on
:he door, and another one of similar
nake, only a little smaller, that could
He used for almost any purpose from enarging
a gimlet hole to cutting off an
>rdinary prison bar. There were no
;ool8 for blowing safes or wedging them
>pen found with any of the gang.
I
The Little Tiger-King. 1
The attempts made by adventurers to !C
imuse and interest the public are often !
nore ingenious than agreeable, and it
vould be well if all those depending
ipon cruelty and oppression for success j
ailed as signally as the intended per- j
ormance in Paris of the miniature y
riger-King. A respectable working .
voman was returning home one afterloon,
says a French journal, when a ?
rery little child, apparently a prey to the j
vildest terror, clutched her gown, cry- j
Dg: " Take me away, take me away !" j
[jooking at the little fellow more closely, T
.1 i i ? j :iu 1
me perceivea mat ne was cuvereu wii.ii (
leep scratches. " How did you get (
hese?" she inquired. "From the l
?ts," he exclaimed, " the four cats!" 11
lu ill-looking man now advanced and i j
ilaimed the child; but at the same mo- j
nent a locksmith came forward and, f
udely addressing him, said: "Youhave j
jot a tine piece of work out of me, but (
rou shall make use of it no longer;" and (
in altercation ensued, during which a (
ittle knot of interested persons, guided y
:>y the locksmith, made their way to the j
louse whence the little boy had escaped. .
[t then appeared that the child had been *
rained to act the part of a dwarf in a j
niniature circus, in which he was to x
mitate Bidel, the lion-tamer, on a very
imall scale, by exercising hft sway over .
k number of cats, stained to resemble *
igers. To this end the unhappy little ^
ellow was daily shut into a cage, sup- r
died by the locksmith to his cruel guar- (
lian, with four cats, whom he was di- j
ected to whip into submission, but
?ho, after the manner of their kind when ^
mable to escape, nearly tore him to }
)ieces between them. While all this
vas explained to the spectators the in- g
renter of the miniature circus managed fi
o disappear.
How Scandal Grows. \ s
This is the way scandal grows and j
ipreads : A young Pennsylvania pastor j
joarded in the same house and roomed ,
vith a dry goods merchant, and was fre- j 1
luently in his friend's store, and often j '
issisted him. Not long ago he bought: j
brty-niue cents' worth of goods, leaned j v
>ver the counter, dropped a two-dollar ; 1
vill into the money drawer, and took out j j
ha Viatica. Some customers saw him, I i
,messed lie was stealing, and circulated {1
lie story in the village. And from this j <
ijieedily grew the tale fyat the youDg 1
>astor was a veteran till tapper, and had , ^
aided on nearly every money drawer in j s
own. But the church and the pastor i t
vent straightway to work and traced the I
icandal back to its starting place, the j 1
itorekeeper and his two clerks explained 11
he circumstances, a vote of confidence j i
vas unanimously passed, and the little 11
ullage is quiet onoe more. 11
?_ ; t
A Good Voice. j
" Madam, do you know that you pos- I f
less one of the best voices in the world?" ! s
iaid a saucy fellow to a Chicago woman ; c
>ne day. 11
" Iudeed, do you think so if" replied i t
he, with a flush of pride at the compli- j e
nent. i
" I do, most certainly," continued the r
ascal, " for if you hadn't, it would have <
>een worn out long ago." ^
For the first time in thai woman's lj/a :
he hadn't? word to wty. (
1ERCI
$2.00 per 4
THE TURKISH PROVINCES.
Advance of the .Ttitklsh Armtes?Frlnbtial
Depredation* Upon the Christian*.
The rebellion in the Turkish provinces
ia cfill alicA ftrtrl mnr? vigorous than
ever, and the insurgent chieftains man- j
age to keep a considerable armed force :
together, and now and then win an advantage
in encounters with such small
detachments of troops as the Ottoman
government had in the oountry when the
outbreak began. But the hard struggle
is yet to come. The Turkish forces are
advancing from two directions?from the
province of Bosnia on the east, and from
the seacoast on the west.
It was the latter force which encountered
a body of insurgents between
Ragasaand Trebigne and dispersed them
after five hours of hard fighting. The
army in Bosnia appears to be making
slow progress, and is accused of committing
frightful depredations and outrages
upon the Christian population of
the region along its line of march, sparing
neither women or children in the indiscriminate
slaughter. When these
two armies form a junction in Herzegovina,
as they shortly must, the insurrection
will be reduced to a desultory
mountain warfare; but such is the rugred
and impenetrable % nature of the
country that the insurgents can, like the
patriots in ?uba, continue the stiuggle
is long as their ooru> ge holds out The
most interesting feature of the war just
now is the attitude of Servia. Kindred
in raoe and religion, the people of that
principality sympathize ardently with
the Herzegovinians, and are so eager to 1
lake part in the contest that their sovereign,
Prince Milan, is in danger of <
osing his throne because he insists on l
remaining neutraL Servia, which the i
nap-makers persist in representing as a
rurkish provinoe, has enjoyed a perfect
autonomy since 1834, and has no obb'ga- ]
iions to the Porte bevond the payment j
if a trifling annual tribute. It has an
urea about equal to that of the State of ,
Maryland, a population of 1,338,000? ,
nearly all slaves by origin, and Greek Christians
in religion. The standing '
irmy is 12,000 strong, and the enrol ed
lational guard of the first and second ,
evies numbers 150,000. Most of the
refugees who have left the insurrection- !
ury provinces as the Turkish army ad
ranced have gone to Servia. Theynum- 1
:er many thousands. Should the Serbian
government-decide to aid the in- 1
jurgents their affairs would wear a very <
lifferent look, and the war would be- ]
:ome so serious ah affair that thejselflsh I
ind tardy diplomacy of the great powers
vould be spurred into some decision re- J
yarding it. The most probable and per- <
laps the most desirable issue of the con- i
est, in case of interference by Austria ind
Russia, would be the erection of
Herzegovina into an independent princi
pality under a joint protectorate, or its ,
mhexation to Montenegro or to Servia. ,
iny settlement which loosens the grasp j
)f the Turk upon the Christian popula- (
lions in the northern portion 01 ms misgoverned
empire and crowds him down
lowards the Bosphorus will be welcomed 1
jy the public sentiment of tie whole 1
uvilized world. 1
<
Cruelty to Children.
The New York Observer gives a jast J
ebuke to over indulgent parents, in a <
ew timely words, to one of the class \
vho belongs to the society f or the sup- <
iression of cruelty to animals: ]
He is the father of one little girl now
ibout four years old. He doubtless j
oves her dearly. He thinks that loving (
ler is shown by letting the cLild have |
ler own way. She has it. She is never i
estrained, never governed, never cross- j
id, always petted, indulged, and obeyed.
The child rules the house. Father, j
nothor, servants are all her slaves. ,
CVhat comes of it ? Is the child happy ,
>ecause she lords it over the whole fam- ,
ly. So far from it, she cries with pas- j
(ion or pain a large part of the time. ]
She is never contented She goes from
)ne thing to another in a constant series
>f searches for something to do that she 1
)ught not to do. And when she wants 1
vhat it is impracticab!e*to get?as the !
>oy who cried for the moon?then she J
goes into tantrums and screams lond .
; nough to split the ears of the neighx)rs.
Thus the family are annoyed; the
leighbors are annoyed; the child is
wretched, peevish, fretful, impatient,
)assionate, dissatisfied with everything,
ind generally miserable. And she is
rcry disagreeable. It was on ill-natured (
emark of Jerrold to a mother who apol)gized
for her child cryiog in the paror:
"Oh," said he, " I like to have ,
children cry in company, for they are
aken right out of the room." And |
vhenever I visit my friend, and his
;hild sets up a roar, I think of Jerrold, j
ind wish that his observation were in ^
iccord with my experience, which it is ^
lot, and to impress upon a child the {
luty of obedience is the first of all les- j
ions. j
Jurv Cases and Libel Suits.
Among the bills introduced into the
S'ew York Legislature is one entitled
' An act to protect the right of trial by
ury," which contains the following provisions:
In no action, civil or criminal,
lereafter tried with a jury, shall the
udge who presides at the trial, by intination
or expression, submit to the jury
lis own opinion upon the weight of the
evidence which has been produced beore
them, of as to what should be their
verdict upon such evidence, except in
mch oases where by law he is authorized I
o direct a verdict. !
Another bill of general interest rentes
to the law of libel, and is as folows:
In all actions for libel or slander
a which issue shall hereafter be joined,
he plaintiff shall have the right after
laving served notice of trial, and upon
;wo days' notice to the defendant or his <
jounsel, to move before any judge hold- ]
ng the chambers in the court in which i
tny such action is brought, to have 1
!uch action set down for trial for some t
lay certain, which shall not be less than ]
hirty days or more than ninety days <
hereafter, and it shall be the duty of any 1
inch judge before whom the application <
s made to grant an order complying i
vith this provision, and it shall bo the 1
luty cf the clerk of the coart upon 1
vliom such order is served to place such (
lotion on the day calendar of tne day in- 1
iieated is wco craw, t'
AL.
ziiizziiziiziiiizzzizz:. -
mom. Single Copy 5 Cents.
Punching,
" Condnotor, when you reoeive a fere, *
Panch in the presence of the paeeenjare'
A blue trip slip for an eig it-cent fare,
A buff trip slip for a six-cant fare,
A pink trip slip for a three-cent fare ;
fUI'ULl lu tun ^ronouuc Ul tug pKggujag .
CH0BC3.
?
Punch, brothers! punch with care!
Punch in the presence of the passenjare 1"
Mark Twain makew tbe above lines
the subject of a lengthy article in the
Atlantic Monthly for February ; bat
what it is all about seems to puzzle
everybody.
Items of Interest.
To confide too much is to put your
lemons into another man's squeezer.
The main building at the Centennial
will be decdr&ted with ten thousand silk
flags.
Of the 88,000 persons employed in
watch making in Switzerland one-third
are women.
When a man dies nowadays ^orth
81,000,000, the first question everybody
asks is : " How maay wives does he
leave ?"
The recent death of a Canadian judge
makes it necessary for forty cases which
he had taken into consideration to be
tried over agsin.
An art has been introduced in the ?
Pennsylvannia Legislature to protect
minors, learning useful trades, against
the tyranny of unions.
Some spectators got to blackening
Bach other s eyes at a Staten Island dog
fight the other day. The other dog very
sensibly stopped fighting to look on.
At Fort Wayne, Bernard Martin,
"after eating his sripper sat down to
read his paper and dropped dead." The
paper is believed to have been the .
Some people will be over polite.
" Don't trouble yourself, I can find the
way myself." "Oh, nonsense, my dear;
I'm very pleased, indeed, to show you
out"
A poor but intelligent ?. m named
Tompkins, now tending bar in Montana,
claims the poem "Beautiful Snow."
Let him take it and be happy. It's no
iflair of ours.
One of the brightest signs of the
times, and which proves that the tendencies
of things, to-day, are, in the
main, healthy, is that the people are
growing to love facte.
In a country churchyard there is the
following epitaph: " Here lies the body
of James Robinson, and Ruth, his wife;
and underneath is this text: " Their
warfar; is accomplished."
A justice of the i>eaoe at Green Bay,
Wis., charges $10 for marrying a couple
rod $*2.50 for divorcing them. He
nrn'fofl ??misrenresentation" across the
face of the lioense, and the thing is
lone.
Chinamen stand by each other in this
sountry. Those em ployed in shoeinaking
in North Adams have contributed
out of their scanty earnings $347 to
defend one who is entangled in law in
Nevada.
The creditors of a Boston bankrupt
liesitate about accepting twenty five
oenta on the dollar cn the flimsy pretext
that the bankrupt went to the meeting
of creditors behind a stylish pair of
horses and a driver in livery.
The report of the Bhode Island State
roditor shows that in a population of ?
ibout 250,000 there are 101,635 depori
tors in savings banks. The asset1*in the
saving banks are $53,272,731, and were
increased about ttcee-natilioufiin 1874.
"For One Only." This, gleaming
from the back of each parlor chair, is
what met the astonished gaze of Mary
md Charles upon their return from
meeting Sunday evening. It is said to
iave been the wo:rk of an eoonomioal
mother.
A Sacramento detective dressed himjelf
in rags, and fell in a disreputable
street, as though helplessly drunk, as a
levioe to catch a g.ing of thieves who,
ie thought, would attempt to rob him.
What he did catch was a sound whipping
from a real bummer who tripped upon
his body.
Just .the Difference.
A short while ago, says a writer, I
met with a German of imposing personal
appearance, who was pursuing his humale
calling of a barber in a humbler
basement. The man's face struck me
with admiration; it seemed to have been
made up of the best points of Humboldt
and Thorew&lden. I finally expressed
my surprise that with such
latural ability he should be following
the tonsorial art "My friend," said
the German, " I had some money once,
ind was most comfortably situated, bat
n an evil hour I met with sharpers who
literally stole my property. I went to
law, but oould get no justice. When I
i'v?d in Prussia if I called the emperor
i thief or a knave, I would be put in
prison, bnt no one in Prussia could
jheat me out of a cent. The emperor
iad his righto, and they were protected,
md I had mine, and thev were defended.
Here in America, 1 can abuse the
President with impunity, call him a
scoundrel or a cheat, and no one arrests
ne, but I can't get any protection
}gain3t scoundrels who invade my personal
righto. If the sum total of the adrantage
of democratic institutions is
the privilege of abusing the President,
but don't afford me protection against
swindlers, I don'is like them." "And
neither do I," added the speaker.
. A Frank Advertiser.
A blacksmith and farrier in Charles
country, Md., begins the centennial year
with the following unique announcement
n his county paper: Has just made a
arge stock of winter shoes, of all sorts
ind rizes, of the best quality of iron.
So machine shoe? or nails used. Cures
rn*hfls. corns, oontrao
;ion, low travelers, or stumbling horses,
linking, sand crrcks, quitters. No cure,
10 charge, ou bad-footed horses. Will
rork as cheap as any in the country,
white or colored, for I have no Sally to
icold, no children to squall, drinks no
vhisky, pays no rant, and keeps bach
riw'itaJT
J