A MIG HIM MAN,
The Herculean UnnteJ of the ?rent Amrrt
oan Plaina*
The St. Louis Evening Boat says:
About three miles down the Illinois
shore, near the Ifttle town of Cahokia,
lives a vet y queer Indian, who has a
history as remarkable as it is romantic.
He is a full-blooded Cherokee, and,
according to his own assertions, ?is over
100 years old. His name is John MOO
DOO, and he was born in the county of
Jefferson, Mississippi, where his tribe
resided over a century ago, and from
which region they were transported to
the Tndiftti Territory. John, or the
"Big Indian," as he is familiarly term
ed, is an extraordinary person in ap
pearance, being six feet four inches in
height, weighing about 190 pounds, and
in spite of his age is erect and compara
tivey robust. Hts hair is now perfect
ly s ow-white; he has but a few teeth
left, and within the last two or three
?ears he has grown somewhat bald,
le is a fisherman and frog hhnter by
profession, and has a wife about sixty
years of age, a French woman, who
does not speak English. His first wife
was an Indian half breed, by whom he
had two children, both living in the
vicinity of Cahokia, and hunters and
sportsmen by vocation.
At the age of seventeen Meehoo had
already become noted for his physical
strength and great powers of endurance.
Unfortunately he became involved in a
quarrel with the chief of the Cherokees,
Mabanatal, and Blew him. Meehoo,
while making an effort to flee, was ap
ftrehended by his tribe, and, after a
rial according to the forms common to
the Cherokees, he was condemned to be
burnt at the stake, but during his short
confinement, preparatory to his under
going this terrible penalty, he escaped.
He went to the northern part of the
territory of Mississippi, where he joined
the Ohiokasaws. Here, too, his belliger
ent disposition broke out again, and he
killed two of the Choctaw chiefs and
made captive a woman of the tribe, with
whom he fled. His life since then has
been a series of wandering from one
State to another. From Mississippi he
proceeded to Louisiana, from thence to
TA??, Mi<t from TeaccJ-to Mlpaonri, ?nd
for the last fifty years/he bas been liv
ing in the vicinity.."* St. Liouis, where
he has followed the precarious avocation
of frog hunting. He has always been
famed for hiB remarkable strength.
During his earlier lite he was able to
lift 1,000 pounds on a derul level. On
one occasion he carried on his brood
shoulders a barrel of pork weighing 800
pounds, from the landing at East St.
Louis to his then home below Cahokia,
a distance of six miles. Several years
ago he lived in the old town of Kaakas
kia, in Hlinoia, where be was employed
in the flouring . mill. Remarkable
stories are told of the wonderful feats of
muscular strength performed by him.
It is said that he was in the habit of
placing upon his shoulders two bags of
wheat, weighing 200 pounds each, and
carrying them up a flight of stairs.
This labor he would perform for two
hours, never seeming to tire.
While roaming through the woods one
day his dogs, whioh were following him,
bayed a huge stag in the bed of a dried
creek. Meehoo was unarmed, and after
several ineffectual efforts to club the
door with such bludgeons as he could
Eiok up, he seized this infuriated beast
y the antlers, and by mam strength
hurled him ovjr his head, bleaking the
. animal's ueoki *, . ? XJ raft* ir -?
-twmdfcvq.. f/-"loTjablj imf
mightiest hunter that roam'e? the wilds
of the American bottom. Forty and
fifty years ago bears were plentiful in
the thick forests of the swampy regions
skirting the eastern shore of the Miss
issippi, and bear-hunting was Meehoo's
favorite sport
He still carrion upon him tue marks of
more than one terrific contest with sav
age bruin. To a reporter who visited
him on Thursday last, he gave a recital
of a remarkable struggle he had with a
bear in the winter of 1829. while hunting
through the Dry Creek bottom, about
seven miles south of where Oenterville
station is now situated. It was on the
24th day of December, and a light snow
covered the arnm^L Meehoo had gono
out for tbaj^HflBtf bunting wild hogs,
and had S wafl
trained foj| Rai- sport. While
traversing^] Hke was soddenly
confronted oJ^HrgeT black bear. The
dog rushed ut^rrro, but the bear at one
blow of his powerful paw stretched the
poor brute dead, and at the distance of
thirty feet brain poised himself on his
hind loge Mit totora* ?own the gaunt
let o? battle. Meehoo immediately
palled down upon him with his rifle, bat
to his dismay the powder refused to go
off. T'.'e oap exploded with a loud
noise. It was immediately replaced by
a fresh one, but before Meehoo could
fire a second time the bear was upon
him, and in such close proximity that
it was impossible for him even to use
the rifle as a club. The man and beast
closed in a terrific struggle, the bear in
his characteristic game of hugging, the
desperate Indian struggling to draw his
knife from his belt. Meehoo laughingly
said to the reporter, "I tell yon, my son,
the ho pr that bear gave me was the
worst I ever had in my life. At first I
thought my very nbs were broken, and
I felt aa if my entire body was mashed,
to a complete jelly. My breath was en
tirely taken away, and for a moment I
was entirely exhausted, but realizing!
the deaparato nature of my situation, I
made a struggle to free my right arm and
succeeded in drawing my knife. Before
I could use it the bear hugged me again,
but I managed to get a small out in Upon
his shoulder. The animal released me
and began to snap at me with his teeth,
and he struok at me with his fore paw.
One blow felled me to the ground andj
almost stunned me into insensibility.
By the time I rose the bear was upon
me, but I had my knife in time and gave'
bim a thrust that made him growl with
anger and howl with pain."
The old man then proceeded to relate
to the reporter the several details of the
fight and its result. The contest lasted
ten minutes, the bear getting in blow
upon blow, knocking his antagonist I
down, but never sncoeding in getting in *
a hug upon bim. In the meantime
Meehoo used his knife in savage desper
ation, though for a lc jg time unable to
touch a vital part of the monster. Final
ly hw managed to stab the bear in the
heart and kill him.
Meehoo now owns forty acres of land
and lives in a very primitive cabin. He
is an inoffensive old man now, and con
tinues his daily avocations, molesting no
one. ^^^^^
Tact.
Tact literally means touch; it ib that
quality by which one "feels" his way.
I lt 1B oomo ticing more than ok ill- -eo mp-,
thing more than judgment-it is spon
taneous common sense. It is that power
by whioh one knows how to do the right
thing in absence of prededentsjand rules.
It delights in emergencies and glories
in exceptional coses. It arrives at a
conclusion ?Q quickly for analysis of
the steps that lead to it, and you recog
nize it only when it has accomplished
its object, as a bullet which is seen only
Tvhen it hits the target, not in its passage
through the air- Syllogisms are useless
?gui JpmilajjMBjgs ignored. Tact is to
tElent why JBB is to knowledge, tho
one forges InrBlhapes what tho other
gathers. Tact creates, talent accumu
lates. Tact invents, talent discovery/'
Talent knows what to do, tact knows
how to do it. Talent is wealth, tact is
ready money. The one is momentary,
intentional, the other is long and labori
ous. Tact presupposes quick perception,
lively sympathy, versatility and ready
adaptability to circumstances. It can
be cultivated but is largely a natif?
quality. When cultivated it is apt to
become onnning, craftiness, manipula
tion, and degenerates into insincerity.
It will never do to lose the innocence of
the dove in the wisdom of the serpent.
Tact is always truthful, legitimate and
honest. I lt studies rWportanitfJft, a?*?
sion, to the persons with whom it deals.
Forethought of Swallows.
Bird stories are in order. As a farmer
was getting in his hay, he noticed an
unusual commotion among the swallows,
whioh had built a long row of nests under
the eaves of his barn. They appeared
greatly excitV, flying rapidly about,
and Alling the air with their oriee of dis
tress. As the load passed into the barn,
he saw that a young swallow, in a nest
directly over the door, had caught its
neck in a crook between two shingles,
and was unable to liberate itself. He
stopped his team, and set the young
bird free, restoring it to the nest. Upon
his return to the barn with his next load
of hay, noticing that the swallows were
auiet, he examined tbe crack, and found
ley had filled it completely with mud,
so that, no matter how enterprising or
how foolish the young swallow might
be, he could not again endanger his life,
or the peace of that community, by any
experiments on that oraok. Iustinot is
a wonderful sense.
TIMELY TOPICS.
The cotton crop of last year is worth
$250,000,000.
The Chinese are at length going to
mine for coal themselves. A mandarin
has permission to noe all modern ap
pliances for it and lay a line of rail to
the Boa.
Scarlet fever has killed 23,829 people
in Massachusetts during the last twenty
years, according to a paper which Dr.
A. H. Johnson, of Salem, contributes to
tue report of the State board of health.
South' Carolina supplies nearly half
the rice product in this country.
Georgia is next, or nearly seven million
pounds ahead of Louisiana. Nearly all
our rice comes from these three S tates.
The chinchona bug is the last pest.
It has been ravaging Japanese planta
tions, and also has a taste for tea. It
"saps the chinchona bark and the leaves
wither and die. Quinine is frightfully
dear already, and if this bug gets the
upper hand it will be quite beyond the
reach of the million.
The sea between Norway and the
Faroe Islands, from Mayen and Spitz
bergen, has never yet been distinguish
ed by any special name; but since this
s ea has been constantly navigated for
more than one thousand years by the
Norwegians, and Tunco natives of Nor
way have undertaken its scientific ex
ploration, Prof. Mohn proposes that it
be called "The Norwegian Sea."
Some boys in Markland, Mich.,
started a show in a cellar. The ad
mission was two cents. The perform
ance ranged from recitations to somer
saults, and a feature was markmauBhip
of the kind that killed Volante. A ton
year-old boy held an apple on his head
for a larger boy to shoot at; but the
attempt was a failure. Just as the
marksman took aim, the target-boy felt
the apple Blipping off, reached up to
catch it, and had a bullet hole put neatly
thiough his hand. The wounded lad's
mother made a raid on the show, and
closed it.
A correspondent of the London
Miller states, as the result of some
thirty years' experience with flour mills,
that he has seen and known many mill
fires, tho majority of which have taken
place in the night, and most of them
after the mills have shut down several
hon- s, many of these breaking out of a
Sunday morning, and even as late as
the evening, or after midnight-that is,
on Monday morning. The cause ot
suoh a long interval he attributes to the
smouldering of dust around some hot
bearing until it hus assumed a body of fire
and charred wood,when a slight draught
produces a flame, which, before being
noticed, is spread too far to be stopped,
the mill and its contents becoming a
heap of mins. The remedy for thit,
of course, is an inspection of all the
bearings, before locking up at night.
The King of Sciva, in Africa, has
sent some remarkable gifts to King
Humbert through the explorers repre
senting the Italian Geographical Society.
One bracelet, a wonderful production
to oome from the heart of Africa, is of
silver, ornamented with a truncated
tte'andAa^e?rk.m, t?&^j^t
fl?t lu. A silver cartridge bept of simi
lar design is not less remarkable. A
cover for the king's mule is of blue
velvet, fringed with fine chains and
silver bells, which produce a tinkling
music as the animal moves. A similar
trapping for his horeo is of red leather,
ornamented with green leather with
holes cut in it, through which are seen
plates of gold. These products, both
in design and manufacture, are appar
ently the work of a highly cultivated
people, now nearly extinct.
The Goa j ira Indians, who inhabit the
seacoast north of A spin wall, are a fierce
and fighting race, numbering about
80,000. In their domestic lile tho most
singular feature is the fact that tho
father has no control over the children.
The mother's brother or the next nearest
relation on the mother's side usurps the
authority, of the father. In inheriting
rank or property, and in the distribution
of valuables, the testimony of the
mother as to the rights of the children
outweighs th tt of the father.
Fashion Notes.
Changeable silks are amone'.h omo
mer fabrics.
Elegant parasols are made ot ?atm
and fin?8hod with straw fringe.
Fringes of two distinct colors are pnt
on some of the new costumes.
New parasols are made of black mata
lasse ails: and lined with white silk.
Old fashioned yoke waists are again
in favor for drosses warranted to wash.
Silk dresses are trimmed with narrow
flounces in front, almost to the waist, at
he moment, by Worth.
Colored drees bonnets are lees need
than white ones, and are almost confined
to beige and mastic shades.
The trains of full dress toilets measure
three yards from the waist to the extrema
end of the train in the back.
A dash of Jacqueminot red is the only
spot of bright color on many of the most
fashionable hats and bonnets.
Plain oV polk? dotted white silk, with " "
white satfn trimmings and accessories,
is the bridal dress of the moment.
The novelty in handkerchiefs is of
pale blue or rose-colored linen batiste,
with white borders scalloped to match.
Everything is embroidered in Paris at
present-shoes, dresses, gloves, bon
nets, corsages, cravats, wraps and trim
mings.
Dark bine cntaway snits, with waist- .
coats and silk skirts made very plain,
" tailor fashion," are affected by young
ladies.
Beige-colored brocaded or damcssee
silk makes a beautiful waistcoat to be
worn with any dark cutaway jacket cos
tume.
Porte bouquets, which do double duty
as a brooch or fastening for a shawl,
are seen in some of the fancy goods
stores. . r
The girl of the period wears a cntaway
swallow-tailed jacket, and leads an Eng
lish png with a silver ohain and a blue
ribbon.
Those negligee corves of hair on the
forehead and temples, a la Montagne,
are becoming to young and pretty
faces only.
Cardinal capes reaching to'the elbow
of Sicilienne, and trimmed with flutings
of black French lace, are fashionable
light wraps.
Balbriggon stockings are seen in lead
ing hosiery departments, hair-lined hor
izontally in color and ohooked on the
sides in the same.
Beize and mustio gray tulle veils, dot
ted with chenille, are worn around the
crowns of dressy bonnets, crossing in
the back and made to form strings.
Amber beads strang at intervals on
black silk fringes are effectively used
for trimming black Sioillienne mantles
intended for ceremonious occasions.
Worth's) latest drosses are short,
sheath the form in front, but have
small paniers in the back, or looped
draperies formed by catching np the
demi train.
The novelties in children's hats are
pagoda-shaped crowns, peaked Mansard
roof orowos, and sharp-gabled crowns.
Their names are Pekin, Alps, Mer oed es,
Savoy, and Ohin-Chin.
White Swiss and organdy toilets,
trimmed with fine Mireoourt torchon
lace, ar? to ba worn over colored lawn or
Silesia nlips for summer fetes, flower
shows, Afternoon concerta and croquet
j Debts of t??e Narara** *.?
France ls the most burdened, having
about $4,687,000,000 to pay. England
ably seconds Franee with $3,880,000,
000. Russia has $2,500.000,000. Rus
sia's debt has trebled within the last
twenty years, but her income has not
even doubled. Spain owes $2,050,000,
000, and together with Greece and
Turkey cannot pay the interest due.
Italy comes fifth with $2,000,000,000.
The debt of the United States has been
more than quadrupled within the last
seventeen years. Austria is next with a
borden of 81,771,000,000. Prussia has
$1,116,000,000. Turkey stands about
the eighth on the list, but, until the
Eresent difficulty is settled, it will be
ard to tell just where it stands, or
whether it will stand at all. The range
of debt comes in the following order :
Portugal, Netherlands, Bavaria, Bel
gium, Roumanie, Wnrtemburg, Sax
ony, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Nor
way and Switzerland, the latter little
country having only $5,520,000 of debt
on her shoulders.