The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, January 22, 1879, Image 1
ABBEVILLE PRESS & BANNER.!
BY HUGH WILSON AND W. C. BENET. ABBEVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1879. ^0. 33. VOLUME XXVI. If
. V
B r .i. |
Ij Snow flakes.
kiry, ohiogeful hosts of snowflaKes
I Past E.o Flit,
Flit,
Flit,
I, attentive to the pageant, with obserran
I gaze I sit
Noting how these wintry elves
bo disport and blend themselves;
Finding varied moods and fancies
In each flake that near me chances.
Here come wild, hilarious snowflakes!
F.'ding Fast
Fast,
Fast,
ightly clinging to the bridle of the bitter,
northern blatt
In their cloaks of fleecy fur,
Plying whip and rein and spur;
With a mad and reckless haste
Eounding o'er the wintry waste!
There, gathered some timid snowflakes,
Lightly Skim,
Skim.
Skim,
iwn the icv. winding river they go, catching
I at its brim,
With & half a pause at every turn;
As questioning, with soft concern,
How far upon the road thoy be
Toward evening and the distant sea!
Now, & group of giddy snowflakeB
Try a Waltz,
Waltz,
Waltz,
ot a danccr seems reluctant, weakly hesitates
or halts;
Hand in hand they madly whirl,
Prance and curvet, till a twirl,
Ending in a trip and fall,
Sends them reeling to the wall.
ri/MT-n a hand rvf anntrflnkPH. nnn-likfl.
I Dumbly Float,
Float,
Float,
,s might angels from some upper sphere, toe
high and too remote
For sympathy with common crowd;
With attitude attent and bowed,
These seek some dim, Becladed place,
And kneel with rapt and hooded face.
Gome some flakes with bnsy ardor,
Now, to Search,
Search,
Search,
very corner, chink and crevice, with a bri.-k
important lurch,
Every pounce does plainly ppeak.
" Surely, here is what we seek!"
But, their object still ucfound,
Off they go with angry bound !
Others still, with fixed intentue*.\
Downward Drop,
Diop,
ith an earnest, soulful purpose that can nei
ther rest cor stop;
Whose wings seem heavy with the weight
nnbnArm .r,^ nri/wlon
H These most be messengers that go
3 To oomfort faithful flowers below.
n Farther out are other snowflakes,
H Falling Still,
^Limned against the somber background of the
H steep and wooded hill;
9 These seem working hard to bury
B Whirling leavos that, brisk and merry,
H Will not fold their hands and keep
? To their quiet, winter sleep.
9 Now, some cunning snowflakes slily
3r Past me Glide,
gE Glide,
Hfj Glide,
HChasing fiiful gusts And eddies with a swift,
mischievous r-lido!
Tbes? aro tbey that piy, ut will,
Under door and window-sill.
That will push a line of snow
Where none others think to go.
let are these but vague outriders
Of a Vast,
Vast,
Vast,
And unending best of snowflakes that still
steadily drift past!
That with silent, solemn power
Fill the measure of each hour;
And, with soft, unquestioning grace,
Fit themselves to any place.
?S C. Ftone, in Wide AicaAe.
MY AUNT'S WILL.
" We are none of us perfect, thank
goodness," said Caroline, my eldest sister,
with an aggravating laugh. " I do
not claim to be a paragon, by any means,
and it would take qualities little eliort
of a saint's to poke down in the oountry
and hobble through life at the beck of a
o/iftana a!/1 tttamor* T a Via 11 nnf nr\ f/vy
iiOVIIlVUO Viu TTVIlUlill *. DUMA* UVV ?V4
one!"
"Caroline 1" said mother, in a mild
tone of rebuke.
Poor little soul! She rarely ever
asserted her authority before the elder
girls. They were all Rushtons, every
inch, and poor little mammy had learned
all about the Rushton blood years
before I was born. They were a stern,
proud, arrogant set, and, in her meek
eyes, were more like queens and ogres,
than her husband's relatives. How Gerald
Rushton came to marry a poor
country curate's daughter remained a
mystery to his family to the day of his
death, and with a woman's instinct
freshened by the memory of my mother's
sad face and tearful eyes, I think
she bad puzzled over the enigma
through many lonely hours, only the
. question might have been put to her
consciousness a little differently. As,
how was it that she had been brought to
hold in idolatry a man of my father's
temperament.
He was very unlike her imagined
hero, quite unlike the lover she had expected
would come up the rose waik at
Aubrey rectory to ask her tomarry him,
My mother rarely ever spoke of hei
later years as a wife, but often witl
even enthusiasm of their first meet:np,
AiiU tlAC childish fondness with which
she regarded him.
Tl IvAnn rv?o/7o o moffnf nf
1 b uau lyCOiX UiOrUC u muuvv,* VI
to her alwavB by his relatives, and mj
father, I think, never entirely forgav<
her for her sbare in his alienation fron:
his family. He died with that antagonism
in his heart, and my mother hac
Buffered silently, rearing her three girls
as well as she could on the slender pat
rimony left her, with just enough ol
the old curate's dignity of character to
restrain her from appealing to the greal
people doyn in Kent.
Caroline, now in her twenty-thirc
year, had been waiting some years
rather impatiently, for a duke or vis>
count to come down into the country
and marry her for her peachy cheeki
and sloe-black eyes. But nowadayi
dukes prefer a bad complexion anc
?10,000 a year to a captivating younf
person whose sole dower is in mere per
sonal attraction.
Edith was already twenty-one, ant
felt aggrieved at her sister for not hav
, mg rnaae a matcn, leaving me neia n
her.
Not strong like Caro, Edith was, how
ever, a pretty girl, with fine, ladjlik*
hands, and a carriage a princess migh
have envied.
I believe I was seldom thought of ty
any one until it was discovered I wai
too milch grown to utilize the cast-of
frocks of the other girls, and was now i
tall, awkward girl of eighteen, witl
large elbows and a sandy complexion
like the Aubreys. It was also disoov
ared about this time that I had mad
mnoh of my musical chanoe, and, wha
with a few lemonB from the village 01
fe ^ . V
Bfea&sassSafeaJ-ir:
j ganist and the drummings through long
; winter evenings on the old harpsichord
I in the sitting-room, I had suddenly bej
come proficient in a small way; enough
I so, at least, to admit of my taking a few
t I of Miss Harmon's scholars in the after!
noons. The money I earned in this way
seemed, no doubt, a prodigious sum tc
i poor mammy, whose common condition
was a state of perfect impecuniosity.
Mother had often declared that both
] Caro and Edith possessed the hands ol
' musicians, so slender, supple and white,
| while mine were overgrown from the
I wringing of dish-clothes, and red from
I boiline water.
' i Providence had given me my bonj
nanus with mnsic in them, and a won^
; (lerfnl voice, which Mies Harmon had
! declared made me almost seem pretty.
; She never knew, kind soul, how she
I made my heart ache with a dull, horri;
ble pain, when she dealt me this depreI
catory praise.
j The girls and mammy were in the
1 little dnn-colored morning-room, which
; ! had once been my father's study, with
' | closed blinds, ripping up an ancient
J chair, upholstered in a grand Arab pat1
tern of scarlet and gold, to construct an
! overdress for Caroline's cherry silk, the
i sleeves and bodice of which were qaite
beyond repair. The chair had been
: shrouded in gray holland for the last
! dozen years, and the silk really was un|
worn.
Who ever thought a letter would find
i its way from the outside world to our
j sober little house behind these pollard
I willows, like so many transmigrated
Rushtons, tall and angular, still keeping
: guard over mammy and her brood.
"Do open it, mamma," said Edith,
i impatiently. "Very likely it is from
some forgotten creditor of poor papa's."
i Poor little mammy's cap-ribbons trembled
and flattered while she read the
| few words, written, it might be, by an
> ! articled olerk in Lincoln Inn Fields, the
letters were so aggressive.
| "Well, girls"?with a faint attempt
, at cheerfulness?" here's a chance for
: one of you, at last. This letter is from
; yonr aunt Ruth Rushton, your father's
; eldest sister, who never married, and
who never spoke to him after he married
i me?though I do not remember it
against her now. I have always thought
of Ruth as being a superior woman?a
very superior woman. I hav?3 heard
your father say that she spok9 four
languages in her yonng days, and that
1 6he was a great belle then."
This brought out a contemptuous
j " Humph !" from the girls. This was
i the letter which proved the turningi
point in my life :
"Sister-in-law: I hear you are bless|
ed with three daughters. I am a child.
less, bedridden old woman with no one
i to care for me. I need some strong,
! active young person daily and hourly,
j Send me a niece. She shall be paid for
! her trouble. I suppose you consider
i them all paragons; but beauty is not
j indispensable. Honesty and good morals
j are. Let me know at once. Your
; obedient servant, Ruth Rushton,
" of the ' Pines,' Kent."
" What an insult 1''said Edith. " Hor
1 rible old woman ! After all these years
of neglect, she would now make a maidservant
of us. I shall not go."
Then Caroline delivered the address
; at the beginning of my story.
* i - j a. ~
i i'oor mammy picteu iu? wuuuuig
i from the back of the Btuffed chair like a
i bird pecking at barley; all the time a
j cloud creeping over her pale face.
I "No; of course you'll neither of yon
| go, after this letter; but it seems like
1 flying in the face of Providence to refuse.
It is not like going out to service,
; you know, after all. The coming winter
' will be very hard on me, and I can't see
: my way out very clearly. There's Agnes
?we might let her go; although I should
miss her sadly. And she has not a
i decent gown to go in. Her next quarter
will not be due for a long time yet."
" What does it matter ?" I said at last,
I I my heart tilled with bitterness. " I
| f.honld not be expected to dress greatly,
j I am ready to go just as I am."
41 Oh, I dare say," said Caro, in high
| disdain. "Playing Cinderella is quite
I in your line; but there's to be no godmother
nor prince in the story. You're
going to drudge and slave for a hideous
old tyrant, and wear her ridiculous finej
ry for pay. But anything for an excuse
I to leave the drudgery here to Edith and
I, you ungrateful thing I"
" I've done it all my life uncomplainingly,"!
plucked up spirit to say, confident
it would not help my case, however.
"Don't quarrel now, just before
separating," said poor mammy, almost
sternly.
j And so it was settled that I should
j leave home; (he letter was posted to my
hard aunt, who was to look for me Tues!
day fortnight, some little time being
[ allowed for my preparation. These
were ridiculously simple. My few
things were to be "gotten up" as the
clear-starehers say, and I turned a
changeable silk gown of mammy's the
snuffy side out, and conld have wept at
the thought of how I should look in it.
This, and my old black, and one or two
prints, were what I packed in my mean
little trunk, with many sobs and tears at
bidding farewell to poor mammy, who
cried so bitterly, her thin arms wound
about my neck, as if all her poor heart
left her by misfortune was bursting in
twain.
"Good-bye, mammy darling, 1 shall
i write often, and if there are any earnj
ings they shall come to you."
"One would think that Agnes were
' on the eve of starting to America,"
' I sneered Edith, shaking my hand coldly,
j and giving me a dabby kiss on my tearI
stained cheek.
Oh, I never knew what a dear little
; dun-colored home it was, until I had
: turned my back upon it in the chill
j September rain.
t A gray-haired servitor, in gray stock,
: ings and rusty Bmall clothes, met me at
i ! the station, with. an anoient affair on
j four wheels, drawn by an animal not at
i ! all unlike the solemn old man, who said
r | his name was Dark, and whom I Rhocked
> I unutterably by calling him Mr. Dark,
i! I had plenty of time for reflection as
- ! we left the highway, turning up through
I ; an avenue of paternal hemlocks, to the
} ! no less forbidding old house, with a
j quantity of wings and windows, a rami
1 bling porch at the side, and one or two
> statues on the terraces all soggy with
i | rain, and littered over with droppings
' from the pines, whose funereal branches
I had for years kept the sunshine from
, that gloomy portal.
A staid, elderly woman, in a respectar
ble silk gown, met me at the door with
3 the intelligence that my aunt was quite
i put about at having kept the tea wait1
iog a quarter of an hour, which I acj
cepted as an omen of a bad beginning.
She was already sitting at the head oi
the table in the dining-room?a gaunt
1 apartment, with a high ceiling, heavy
- mahogany furniture, and tall silver can>
dlesticks.
A pallid old woman, with snow-white
- hair and burning black eyes, with all
} their old fire still smoldering in theii
t depths.
She held out one hand, shrouded in a
7 black laoe mitten.
s " Oome here 1 And so you are mj
f nieoe ? But you are no RuBhton. She
i has sent me the plainest one, of course.
i Well, I cursed your mother for hei
, beauty years ago. I am glad I shall not
- be reminded of it in you. Sit dowi
a thero, at the foot, don't keep me waiting,
t Hand her the tray, Stevens."
- The pale, ghostly glimmer of the was
psf'-y'i'- * - v. -v c:'j ' i - * ' _ '..s .
; lights on the Rashton plate, the whis- a
pering of the wind in those gloomy ?
trees, the rustle of the silk gown as
i Stevens came and went between my o
' new mistress and I, taken with the v
strangeness of the situation, and the o
' remembrance of poor little mammy's n
> tearful speeches, and the plaintive song
i of the robin, deprived me of all appetite, a
and 1 only minced at tne currant jam ?
t and biscuit. h
t Stevens cleared away the things, j(
, leaving the cloth and the candles, and,
i standing at the back of MiBS Rushton's p
l chair?I could not accept her offhand as n
an aunt?she wheeled her nearer the M
' light. My aunt was a paralytic then. f,
In spite of that hart) face and those 8
[ fierce eyes, a sudden, strange pity filled b
me. How hard it must have been, how ^
hard for one in whose veins still flowed r
the wild current of the Rushton blood, p
She beckoned me to her side impa- g
tiently. M
I "I want to say, Agnes, that if your ^
| mother sent you here thinking to make n
I much of it, she is mistaken. I take you B]
i into my service as I would any worthy g
! and disinterested young person. I shall rj
j pay you your wages quarterly, ?A0 per
year and your living, which is all you
will be worth; and I do not intend to add
one pound or promise any favors from
the fact of your being Gerald RuBhton's Ik
daughter. You understand?" ci
I nodded silently, feeling too much p
I I hurt to trust my voice. n
"Stevens, my cabinet?" n
1 She unlocked the box and took out tl
[ Bome bank-notes with her gloved li3nd. &
; "I make it a rule to give one quarter h
in advance. Here are ten pounds, si
StevenB will acquaint you with your u
duties and show you to your oliamber, p
' I shall not require you before nine in h
the morning. Good-night," w
i Not tired, but glad to escape from tl
that room, I ventured to raise one thin b
i hand to my lips, but shrank back?those f<
fingers were icy-oold. p
; I was not naturally a timid girl, but w
the lofty corridors, highly - vaulted t(
passages, and shadowy room, hung with si
i moldering tapestry, made me feel cold I
and frightened. Everything about the o:
room was dark and ponderous. Some- w
how, the canopied bedstead, with its s<
blood-red curtains, made me think of ai
the tower where the prmces were b
strangled. I declined the Assistance of hi
a maid, and Stevens retired, leaving me di
one waxliglit, which threw gigantic p:
shadows on the wall. My duties were ro
not hard or various. I was to amuse my h:
aunt when Bhe bade me; be always at ei
! ber chair back, and speak only when o^
spoken to. I fell asleep at last thinking hi
of poor little mammy's delight when r?
she should receive my first quarter's al
salary. ni
My life was an uneventful one at the ci
Pines. I was never absent from my qi
aunt, but grew no more intimate with bi
her than at first. We had no company ic
save Miss Bushton's surgeon and Bolic- hi
itor, who came once a month to dinner, w
I sang very little, and only in secret, as is
the grand piano had not been opened in n<
twenty years, as Miss Rushton did not tl
tolerate music. te
One evening, when she dismissed me, tc
my aunt saia, sterniy: m
" Agnes, I expect the son of my dear- sa
est friend here to-morrow. He is to be ci
my heir, and I caution you against de- fe
signing or trying to gain his favor." in
" Oh, aunt "? the hot blood rushing ki
to my cheeks. hi
" Be still. Do I not know what the m
Aubreys are ? But Hugh is an admirer ai
of beauty in woman, and I do not think ni
you will fascinate him. See that 01
you attend to my affairs, and leave Hugh m
alono." bi
But Hugh would not leave me alone. ar
I scarcely looked at him for a week. w:
Then, as he sat recounting adventures di
to my aunt, I saw that he was a hand
I some man of thirty, with orisp, black
hair and thoughtful, gray eyes?magj
netic eyes, whose glances troubled me
for days, and haunted my dreams. 0f
One bright November day, while my a;
aunt was Bleeping, I sat in the decayed
summerhouse, at my knitting, flinging B6
on old Scotch song mammy had sang in m
happier days. A shadow fell on my Bj
work. Hugh Kenedy stood before me. pi
? What a sly little thing you are! b,
And so you are Gerald Rushton's 0l
daughter ! What are you doing at the cc
Pines ?" a!
"Do you not know? Let me paBS, pi'
please." * 8t
'' Why do you always fly from me ? q
You have a wonderful voice, which w
ought to be cultivated. You should
sing more." tr
,? Miss RuBhton does not like singing; b,
and I am paid to keep silent."
"You have a Scotch wit. Please jv
promise not to hide yourself away, or 0f
run from me again." <1,
"I cannot." W(
With easy grace he stepped aside. n(
" Well, go. I shall find you out, ^
wherever you are." ^
I almost had it in my heart to hate
Hugh Kenedy for his cruel pursuit of q
me; yet, oh, I learned to love him so. Vf
He came into my life when it was bar- j>(
ren and cheerless, and my heart grew a
around him, until I felt that it would ar
kill me to go away. Yet go I must.
My aunt would never forgive me. She ^
had higher aims for Hugh. Here was er
a prince for Cinderella, but no god- ^
mother. I hugged my mad passion to fr
my bosom and fled faster and faster
from Hugh. One night my aunt's bed
UUrUUUO UUU^llli uu uiCj auu iu itouutug ^
her I burned my hands and face terribly. ~
She -was wheeled out on the terrace, Qt
while Dark extinguished the flames. ^
When I came to, Hugh was holding pj
me in his arms, pitying my poor scarred ^
hands, and kissing them passionately. aj
I rushed from him and hid myself in ^
j my own room, with my great joy and cj
I great sorrow, thinking only that Hugh BQ
had kissed me, and that I must leave
I him forever.
Oh, if I could have flung my arms
! around poor mammy, and cried myself
i still. tl:
Hugh wub in the corridor the next te
! morniDg as I came down toward my ee
aunt's door. 8t
I "Agnes, darling, you shall hear me ! r?
| Agnes, I love you truly, as God is my hi
| judge ! I mean right by you, my girl, cc
Will you listen to me ?" at
" Oh, Hugh, I cannot! Let me go 0(
?let me go, if you pity mo!" cm
"Agnes, first answer me. I am an cl
honorable man. I claim the right to be l,
heard. Do you love me ?" ir
He was crushing my hand in his. 51
His breath came in quick gasps. &
Should I throw away my only chance of hi
heaven ? But my promise "? g
i " You shall not go ! Do you love me, 5Agnes!
Why torture me?" fr
" Yes, yes?I love you, Hugh ! Let g
me go now." B
One passionate embrace, and I fled to S
i my aunt's room. h
" You have come, Agnes, to hear me ri
thank you again for Bavin g my life. But 2
you did me no service." 4,
> "Oh, no, nol I came to tell ycu, 0
1 aunt, that I must go way?to ask a re- d
: lease from you." n
" Is it Hugh f If he has proven die- I
1 honorable I shall disinherit him." S
"It is not that?only I must go I
' away." 2
> " And what if I will not ?" 2
"Oh, aunt, you cannot be bo cruel!" 1
: She took my hand in hers?still cold 3
ii and clammy. 0
1 "You love Hugh, Agnes. Well, you a
, shall go home to-morrow, if you wish it. 0
Leave me now." n
Hugh had an interview with aunt, g
nd wrote me the resalt by the hand of
Itevens :
"My only love: I have nothing to
ffer yon now bnt my life?my undiided
heart. We canoe happy in each
ther's love, for yon mnst and shall be
aine 1 Hugh."
This letter I wore ou my heart. My
nnt's solicitor came that night. We ail
new the will was being changed. Hugh
ad offended- the hard, cold woman by
aving an Aubrey.
That night my aunt died suddenly of
paralysis. I cannot tell how it shocked
qtrtwana t A rnoacirj vlat in ft
ic? kjuoroua uuu a uavuuv? M
rhite satin bridal dress 'which had been
aided away for thirty years. This
troke was a retribution for assuming to
>e what she was not, as eho had never
een a paralytic ! She was to be maried
in a fortnight to a man she loved
assionately. He forbade her dancing,
he went to a hustings ball, and while
raltzing received the intelligence that
e had shot himself. She took a vow
ever to stand on her feet again, and
lie never had. Stevens told me this,
he had made me her heir, and I maried
Hugh and gave it back to him. j
i Savage Queen's Devotion.
The palace of the native queen of the
[arquesas group of islands in the Paific
has lately been visited by a corresondent
of the Louisville Courier-Joural,
who writes of the place: Altogether
. is a charming retreat. Sauntering up
le street, the queen's house was pointi
out to me, and I concluded to call on
er majesty. The house is built of j
jwed timber, and is large and airy, set >
pon the usual pai-pai, an elevated ,
iece of stone-work, about three feet ,
igh, and Bolid as stone can make it, \
ith rough-hewn stone steps leading to
le doorway. The queen was not in;
ut I was informed that Bhe could be ,
mnd at the king's grave, which was (
ointed out to me, situated ou a knoll, ,
ith stone steps leading up to the top, (
) the left of the house, and almost be- j
de it, as it were. Asoending the steps,
found her majesty seated by a grave
r tomb, superintending some workmen j
ho were building a large tomb of ma- f
?nry. The queen was very gracious ad
good-looking, having remnants of j
eauty in her person, and seemed to f
ave been very pretty in her younger ]
ays. She has a grave, benevolent exression
of countenance, and her deleanor
bespeaks her rank. The king ,
as been dead about twelve years, and j
?er since his death she has kept a watch (
rer hi? grave; the most of the time she ,
erself keeps her silent vigil over the t
?Bting place of her love. A light is \
ways kept burning beside the tomb; j
Bver allowed to go out under any oirimBtances,
and attended to by the
aeen's retinue, who live in a native- ,
ailt house adjoining. She is now hav
ig a larger tomb built, and intends 1
aving the remains put in it, together j
ith her ohild, when finished. She also
leaving a place for herself and son, *
3w living. She was the second wife of
te king. What more touching and (
nder spectacle than this quiet devotion ]
i the memory of her love, by this grave
id sad-looking lady? Generally the
vages of the South Sea islands are not
edited with having much sentiment or j
eling, or even affection; but I think the
apression has arisen from the want of l.
lowledge of their domestic life. I :
iv e witnessed many instances when
aternal affection has been exhibited (
id wifely devotion has shown itself to c
i extraordinary degree. There was c
ice a native woman, who swam twelve J
ilea with her white husbtrad on her 1
iok to save his life from hia enemies,
id instances are not wanting where the
ife has remained true to her dead love r
xring her life, refusing to be comforted i
7 another affection. ]
? I
A Compunj of Heroes.
The active and probationary members ,
' the life-saving corps of this city, says ,
New York paper, met on the Dover !
)ck for the purpose of bringing their
rvices before the publio, so that they T
ay be enabled to obtain monetary as- 1
stance to aid them in carrying out the
iJiouituv^iw wwa m ITUAVU nuvj ?->-?*. w
;en for over two years engaged with- '
it recompense. The captain of the ?
>rps is William O'Neil, better known \
i "Nan, the Nowsboy," who sella 1
ipers and magaziiies on the Harlem I
eamboat dock. His assistants are e
ilbert Long, who is employed in a tin- ^
are factory on Old slip, and Edward ^
elly, another newsboy. No one of the T
io is over twenty-two years of age, c
it their gallant efforts in saving 2
owning men and women from the
ast river, place them in the front rank
heroes. Since the winter of 1876 t
isy have rescued twenty-two men, i
omen and children from the river, if
jarly always risking their own lives in o
ie attempts, and their only recognition t
is been an occasional newspaper para a
aph giving the details of the rescue. a
'Neil has been decorated with the sil- t
>r medal of the New York Life-Saving t
enevolent association; but thiB is only t
Blight recompense for the danger, toil f
id hardship which he has undergone j
his noble work. In June last O'Neil,
ong and Kelly agreed to work togeth,
and from that time till now they s
ittq ninViHiT nnfrnllorl fViA rivPl". E
p-"-'- ? > om
Battery to Oorlear's Hook, no mat- t
r what the weather might be. From t
eir own small earnings they purchased r
ireo ropes, each 120 feet loDg; a set of c
appling irons, life-saving hooks and t
her apparatus for rescue, and have t
red a boat in which they row from c
er to pier, ready to pull to the rescue, t
bey have a number of newsboys who i
d them in patrolling, but who cannot i
3 elected regular members of the asso- c
ation until they prove their claims by. c
ving a life.
The Population or Great Cities. j
The population of the great cities of
le world is a matter of perennial in- *
reBt. According to the latest official j
itimates in each city, or the latest cen- ,
is, where these are not attainable, they t
inge as follows: London, of course, ^
eads the list with its 3,533,484, Paris rj
>mes next with 1,851,792, by the cen- ^
is of 1872; then Pekin, with 1,500,
)5, and Canton, with 1,300.000; next r
)meB New York, with 1,069,362, and c
oses the list of those having more than fl
000,000 inhabitants. Of those haviglessthan
1,000,000 and more than J
30.000. Berlin comes first, with 994,- v
43 ; then Philadelphia, with 880,856 ;
exfc Tokio, Japan, the Yedo, of the old
eographieB, with800,000; Vienna, 690,18;
St. Petersburg, 669,741; Bombay,
14,405; Kioto, Japan, 560,000; Glasow,
555,933; Ozaku, Japan, 530,000; ?
Irooklyn, 527,830; Liverpool, 527,083. e
t. Louis claims 500,000, and, fi allowed
er own estimate, heads the list of those
anging downward, from 500,000 to
50,000. Then follow Naples, with
57,407; Chicago, with 440,000; Cal- ]
atta, 429 535; Nanking, 400,000; Ma- 1
ras,397,552; Hamburg, 393,588; Bir- i
lingham, 377,346; Manchester, 359,213; i
Baltimore, 355,000; Boston, 354,765; (
hanghae, 320,000; Dublin, 314,666; 1
Suda-Pesth. 314,401; Amsterdam, 302,- ?
66; Son Franoisco, 800,000; Leeds, f
98,189; Rome, 282,214; Sheffield, 282,- i
30; Cincinnati, 280,000; Breslau, 259,- (
45; Melbourne, 250,678; Havana, 250,- i
00. Thus it will be seen that there (
re thirty-nine cities, each having 250,- j
00 inhabitants, or more, supposing <
one to have been omitted, and an ag- <
legate of about 24,000,000. ]
TIMELY TOPICS.
The commissioners have footed up a The
I08B of $10,572,509 to New Orleans by ,hl
the yellow fever. T1
etor;
From the debris of their coal mines ture
France makes annually 700,000 tons of kno^
excellent fuel, and Belgium 500,000 tie ]
tons. com
etea
The registers show that in fifteen ,
months the Richmond bars have sold . e..
1,897,205 alcoholio, and 3,093,52d malt m "
drinks ; total tax, $55,650.61. wfn
ed a
41_ Froi
"6" - soon
Mr. Harper, who owns the famous f?8?'
. noning horse Ten Broeck, says that he ~\.J
iball not again enter him for a race. P '
The animal is in excellent condition.
Se has been removed from the training _
stable to the stud farm. Not long ago r% ,
le weighed 1,142 pounds.
An immense grave or vault is being "jTj*
nade in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, P..
n Paris, in whioh to place the remains ,
)f all the forgotten combatants of the ,
vnr of 1870. It embraces an area of
WO square feet, and will be surmounted ? ?
jy a monument, the design of which
ias not been chosen. ^jie
1877
A girl working in a paper mill at oppo
Delphi, Ohio, found $100 among the foe
vaste she was sorting. Thtf proprietor an(j j
>f the establishment took them from was(
ler, but she sued him for them, and the jng j
iupreme court has finally decided the cbe6
:ase in her favor, holding that the pur- fr0?n
sbase of waste paper does not give the jje w
jurchaser a right to unknown valuables |arm
ound in it as against the finder. ^
An |Indianapolis (Ind.) man nasap- Qpojj
)lied for a patent for his air-ship, which, tr0
hough buoyed up like a balloon, is con- boro
lectod with the ground over which it fl ^
?~ " tTIn aamiaI rtnw -iff \ r\ V?o Hftrfln
lilVClSi i i in actiai vux ia ?v *j\j octcuiij" 4 ( -i
ive or one hundred feet long, is to ac- sommodate
more people than a railroad ji ^
ioach, and he is going to ask tbe city
sonncil for permission to exhibit it on a
>xperimental line between the city and ? *
he stock-yards. Loni
there
Some Spanish newspapers have an- qJcq
lounced tbe marriage of King Alfonso waa
vith tbe Princess Christine de Mont- Ban<
lensier, eldest sister of the late Queen detet
Mercedes. Other journals have denied scrip
he report. The Epoca, however, seems livjni
o confirm it in announcing that the what
ting will remain some time faithful to for t
he memory of Queen Mercedes before conn
ulfilling the duties which are imposed 1878,
ipon him by the exigencies of the mars
rionarchy. wher
robbi
On tbe 5th of October, 1854, Mr. and
ieorge T. Walker, of Santa Clara, Gal., pigg;
jave Mr. William Hood a note, sccured bette
>y mortgage, for 81,850 at six months; 4 Rec
nterest at the rate of three per cent, crimi
>er month, to be compounded and add- aid 1
id to the principal if not. paid at tbe end the I
?f each month. Mr. Walker went to dccid
ilexico before the note became due, and ! priso
7hen he returned a few weeks ago his supr<
ireditor sued him and got judgment for State
>9,000,000. conic
thirt;
The observatory of Prof. Palmier, knew
he courageous savant, who has devoted with,
lis life to the study of Mount Vesuvius, floor.
5 situated ou a long and narrow ridge
f rock on Mount Contaroni, almost at 'owe<
be foot of the actual cone of the volcano,' as ?
nd about half a mile from the hermit- resti<
ge of San Salvatore?the extreme point
o which carriages can ascend the moun- Jaij?1
ain. In spite of the risks the professor
ias remained at his post and chronicled u.8uaeatures
of the eruptions of the last six
ears. ?
in tc
In Germany school children are in- ne<re.!
truoted to distinguish the most com- wai^
aon noxious from beneficial insects, and .
o collect and destroy the former. In disap
he district of Segeberge, Holstein, the came
lumber of May beetles taken by the Hrgfc
sbildren last season amounted to H.196 gaDg
cilogrammes (about 31,250 pounds), were
jesideB 500 pounds weight of the larvae Rtiilfc
ir grubs of the same insect. Taking
ho number of beetles to the kilogram- "live
no at 920, we have the astonishing office
mmber of 13,000,000 of these enemies rever
>f the farmer pnt out of the way of Iesse
loing harm. longt
and i
la his "Notes of a Tonr in America," " ^
tfr. Hnssev Vivian, M. P., says : "So
ar as I am able to judge, America Kam
>romises every principal mineral, ex- n
sept tin, in great abundance. Her coal "H0,
ieldB are gigantic. The quality appear- EjivT
>d to me to be excellent, and the price "hii
tt which it is sold to the Pittsburgh dParfl
vorks proves that it is cheaply got. of cot
There are, in fact, few parts of England ,
vhere coal of like quality can be proluced
at this moment at so cheap a rate. , P8?
The cost and quality of coal is the basis , ? ,
>f almost every manufacturing industry, ^ut 1
md I cannot see, therefore, what is to m?n (
)revent America from becoming not (*J
>nly entirely self-supporting in all ?*cKi
jranches of manufacture, but also a 1
argely exporting country, if frail men armei
fill leave nature's laws to have their r<
rce sway. America possesses iron ores "?e '
>f the finest steel-making qualities, and
n vast abundance. That she will ever
igain depend on England for iron or his ]
itcel seems to me impossible. shoul
cet a
shool
Iowa's Walled Lake. tive.
The greatest wonder in the State of hunt*
[owa is what is called the "walled a sho
ake," in Wright county, twelve miles butt!
lorth of the Dubuque and Pacific rail- no h<
,v?.y, and 150 miles west of Dubuque getti]
rity. Tho lake is from two to three feet from
ligher than the earth's surface. In charf
iome places the wall is ten feet high, stage
ifteen feot wide at the bottom, and five agair
ivide on top. Another fact is the size land
)f the stones us?d in construction, the dian,
ivhole of them varying in weight from On 1
hree ton's down to 100 pounds. There was
8 an abundance of stones in Wright made
county, but surrounding the lake to the and 1
uctent of five or ten miles there are some
lone, him 1
- - " '& j ' ' ' ' '
ix me sumpies 01 uuguiwwo rwouiy ....
analyzed at Richmond, Ya., and only flUt
three found sufficiently free from min- ^nt
eral salts to be wholesome. fwo
low*
A Liverpool firm is reported to have Pn?'
purchased a steamer for the purpose of or 1
importing live pigs from America. The ??0f
vessel is beincr fitted up to hold over ?\f
2,000 pigs, as well as cattle. "r.?
self
King Louis, of Bavaria, is building trair
on the island of Herrenworth, in lake an?
Chiemsee, a castle which will cost P?m
$8,000,000, and be the moat sumptuous ?box
royal residence in Germany. ^
Andrew Jackson's old iron clock that u
sed to mark time for the White house 1
was discovered the other day in a heap J
of rubbish and sold to a patriotic Wash- ^1
icgtonian for twenty-nine dollars.
There are over 7,000 Americans study- t^en
ing in German schools and universities. P??*
rhe American consul at Wurtemberg
estimates that over $4,500,000 are thus UcfA
innually expended by Americans in ?s,tI
Germany. late*
J cessl
Think of what an agricultural fair I.611,1
nust be in California, with cabbages ? (
Ive feet in circumference, pumpkins a,, j
weighing a hundred pounds, cucumbers . .7
i yard long and peaches and pears as 111
arrro no unnr Vioncl OuCC
A DESPERADO'S CAREER. where
the an
Romantic and Criminal Vicissitudes In petitlo
b Life of Reddy; the " Road Agent." the W8
tie Chicago Inter- Ocean prints the turned
y of the life, crimes and recent cap- him ti
i in Ohio of Robert McKammie, trial,
wn on the Western frontier as " Lit- ing lo
ileddy." He was born in Highland murde
lty, Ohio, and began his career by tice ar
ling a pocketbook from a justice of daavoi
peace, but was not prosecuted. At voke t
breaking out of the war he enlisted to do e
le Federal army, and his regiment crimes
t to Texas, where " Reddy " desert- remem
nd joined a gang of horse thieves, pired I
3i Texas he went to Utah, where he the Ut
td a man and was sent to the peni- St. Ge
iary for fifteen years. After serving agent
years he escaped with several fel- again.'
prisoners, one of whom killed the
on warden. This escape was two In
hree years ago, and "Reddy"at pr
) became associated with a company j
obbers and murderers known as BUkiec
ad agents." The gang occupied it- meij f
with much success in robbing wagon hen8i0
is on the road between Cheyenne womei
Deadwood, and' got much booty, ^ ^n(j1
cipally in gold dust. The citizens rpj16 Cf)
it Deadwood becoming very much we
irnest in their desire to rid them38
of these freebooters, tl>ey made
nprofltable and uncomfortable for enc0 u
robbers,many of whom were caught. f h a
August of last year "Reddy "was
d of in Philadelphia, where he sold tbin*? ^
rge quantity of gold dust at the eiai^j
The trace by the detectives was nnma .
lost, but a few days later he aped
at his old home in Ohio, and,
;e a good citizen," says the Inter- ^ifen
in, " he put his money in the near- ,juce(j
lational bank. He dressed in the 8carce]
it fashion, and seemed a most sueJul
young man. Rainsboro is about e
niles from Hillsboro, where 'Red- habits
circulated the story that he owned forme(j
ge stooK iarm in ^.ezas, ana toia ma(je
is new friends about his ranch down wj1ici1
ie Southwest. McKammie was at peri0(j
voted a very clever fellow, and ^harac
won many friends. To add to his Becon(j
ectability in that quiet community 0f alco
)ined th6 church, and as the Mur- u9fere
temperance movement was carrying usea 0j
ything before it, he donned the rib- reckje?
and became an easy and enthusias- jant8 f
onvert. The folk about there pet- womeD
lim; but some of the cooler, older
s fought shy of the boy. He was men(ja
ed to all tbe parties and social a reS(
erings of the neighborhood, and all on^_ c
sort of thing. The prejudice of the rji^e
nen continued, and was not dccreas- co^it
hen 1 Reddy' ran off with a young
of a thing, sixteen or seventeen togjjoj
3 old. Olara Ferguson was an or- man
1, and the rich fellow won her heart. aver'
elopement occurred December 27, perate
, Her guardian was very much f0Wfl .'
ised to the match. The day after jftborjn
marriage the runaways returned, tra(jerfi
then began to talk of settling. It y
inite romantic for a erav and dash
fellow, with plenty of money and fourtee
k, to elope with a young lady fresh
school. The Benedict concluded habitui
ould become a sedate, old-fashioned fnnum(
er, and to purchase a place he had peranC(
aw he drew $7,000 out of his bank, women
;he farm was his. He never lived on ^
i it, however. In two weeks he had rapjfliy
ided off for a country store in Rains- Bnj
, and made a new start, this time as f^Q^a
al merchant formed
Meanwhile the stage oompany of hopelef
Iwood had been doing its utmost to device
t out the road agents. Sheriff stroys ]
Dck heard of 1 JReddy,' the news her ind
ng from Texas. But the bird had others,
l. This official trailed him to St. by won
s, and then to Philadelphia, where serves
) was a running stream, and where, The ev
urse, the trail was lost. The chase but pei
given up for a time. When Mr. and thi
3ck was on his way West he met a race,
stive at Omaha, who gave him a de- drinkin
tion of a ' crooked man' who was countr
i? in Ohio. This was near enough fession
tne ueaawoou snerrn was loosing reform
ind he started at once for Highland social c
ty, which he reached January 18,
With a deputy United States
hal he proceeded to Rainsboro,
e they called on the reconstructed Ooloi
er. The sheriff scarcely knew him, service,
would have passed him but for the youth :
y, white-lashed eyes, which told "On
r than any other description that Helen !
Idy' was corraled. The captured race an
iial had money and legal ability to soft gr<
aim, and for two weeks he fonght ness an
Jlack Hills officials. Bnt the judge told he
led McKammie was Mr. Bullock's hopes a
ner. An appeal was taken to the wonder
ime court, Ohio being the only beautif
i in the union where such a thing " ' A
I be done. This gave 1 Reddy' a sure ?
y days' lease. The Western man cannot
the slippery Jim he had to deal " ' V
and wanted Bob chained to the ing m;
To this the gentle jailer objected, unothei
' Reddy V youthful bride was al- "'Si
I free access to her bandit husband you km
ften as she desired. 'ReddyV "4T
jss disposition once more showed "1N
, and one fine evening he broke Captair
3hot one of the keepers in the face, mother
was out of reach of the law in his " Mj
I style. Sheriff Bnllock was at that shocks
visiting in Michigan, waiting for to spea
hirty days to elapse for the hearing reachec
.e supreme court. It is scarcely Yes, sh
ssary to add that the court is still was nol
ng to hear that appeal. U,T
STot long after McKammie's sudden "
ipearance the Ohio authorities be- stone (
alarmed in Pike and Ross and *ier Par
iland counties by the deeds of a mor
of daring maskeJd men. Rewards k?r guc
offered for the apprehension of the watche<
y persons, and the utmost vigilance I ""V?
lised to obtain their bodies, dead or I unt^ h
. Detective Norris, an experienced ! ^.V.
r, caught three of the gang, who "Th<
iled the whole thing. They con- P9or ?*'
d that the band to which they be- ^is ^y
;d consisted of twenty-two men, tc
that Little Reddy' was the chief, herit hi
?he hunt was renewed. Sheriff fused t<
>ck was telegraphed for, as Mc- "'Al
mie was said to have remarked that en? 'J-c
lan but Seth Bullock could take the
The counties infested with the tempori
ing gang were thoroughly aroused. mat3,
e some men were in the more
ely settled districts in that section
mtry they discovered smoke issuing Next
an old cabin, and wondering who order tc
1 live there approached to make a obelisk!
r inspection. By this time the modern
' of the strange, dilapidated log of Heli
was telegraphed around and 150 near C
sollected. One man entered the cabin line of
atood face to face with ' Reddy' side anc
ammie. The visitor was in a jiffy sen I.,
? n.~ ?ii? TT7.ia Thfl ins
jribUUtJJ." Ui tilt? uunan | huv nuu ??
ilwith a brace of murderous-look- tion, is
evolvers. Bob showed his face at of wasp
windows of the hut and a hunter the car
d away, bat without effect. Authori
Idy' then camo out of the hut with but sixt
prieoner and a six-shooter. He as the
ted to the crowd that he wanted to Bey. I
way, and that if they attempted to buried i
; him he would dispatch his cap- posited
A colored man, who was one of the at the
srs that flushed the game, gave him sad evi(
t in the breast from a squirrel rifle, by repe
he renegade was desperate^and paid opposit
ied to the wound inflicted. He was uremen
ag away, and had made 150 yards inch an
tho nnhin xuhpn ho reeaived another (rives si
je, this time in tbe face, and that his find
;ered him. The road agent was souther
i a prisoner. The sheriff of High- preserv
county was soon ' Reddy's' custo- worst <
and started with him for Hillsboro. scaled
;he way to that place this official rhis ol
stopped by a party of men, who at the
) a bold attempt to get MoKammie the sun
rnng him. The sheriff was a man of Bemnai
grit and kept his prisoner, taking of this
to the town and putting him in jail, delphio
/
he was heavily ironed. This tin
thoritiea of Pike county at on<
ned Governor Bishop to revot
rrant by whioh ' Reddj ' was to t
i over to Sheriff Bullock and t
aken to Cheyenne, Wy. T., f<
The governor did so, and Wyou
at its opportunity to bring tl
rer of Johnnie Slaughter to ju
id a rope's end. Mr. Bullock ei
ed to get Governor Bishop to r
he revoking order, but he refuse
io. He is to be tried in Ohio f<
i committed there, but it will 1
ibered that ' Reddy' has an une:
term of thirteen years to serve i
ah penitentiary for the mnrder <
orge, and before long the roa
may be on hiB westward wa
temperance Among Women,
Stephen Smith, of New Yorl
ias given mnch thought to tl:
t, says: Thoughtful medio)
requently express much appr<
n at the prevailing tendency <
), and especially young womei
llge in the use of alcoholic liquori
uses of intemperate habits amon
althier class are twofold: Tb
i social wine-drinking customi
exert an especially strong infh
pon young women. At the perio
ding womanhood the nervous syi
peculiarly impressible, and anj
vhich produces a state of nervou
;ion will, if repeated, readily be
t fixed want. No one except
ian can fully appreciate the sui
ility of young ladies at the ag
they are conventionally intro
tn fashinnahlfl sooietv. There i
ly anything so liable to impree
rvons system at this time as mill
xhilarating wines. Oonflrme
of drunkenness may now now b
1, bnt permanent impressions ar
which will never be lost, an
too often revive at some late
and make sad havoc of persons
ter and domestio happiness, i
exciting cause is tho prescription
holio stimulants by physicians
nee is not made to the scientifli
alcohol in medicine, but to th
is habit of recommending Btimu
or all the trifling ailments o
The physician, wearied *itl
portunities of patients, recom
wine or beer, brandy, or whisky
oription easily made and gener
implied with.
effects of intemperance upon th
ntion of women are of the mos
e character. Intemperance tend;
ten life more in woman than ii
Competent authority gives thi
a duration of life of the intern
after drinking is formed, as fol
Among mechanics, working an<
g men, eighteen years; amonf
i, dealers and merchant, seven
sars; among professional men an<
nen, fifteeH years; among women
in years.
ills of women accustomed to th<
al use oi aicononc DeverageB ari
jrable. The effects of intern
s upon the mental faculties o
are not less disastrous than up0
physical system. It ver]
brings her will power undei
>jection, and often before he:
are aware that a habit has bee:
she is already its helpless anc
38 victim. She will resort to ever]
to secure its indulgence. It de
lier purity of thought and makci
ifferent to the good opinions o
Tbe use of alcoholic beveragei
len is a growing evil which de
tbe most serious consideration
il ft not limited to the individual
,-petuates itself in her offspring
is leads to the degeneracy of thi
In England, where wine and bee
ig is more common than in thi
y, the voice of the medical pro
has been raised against it. Th<
must begin in the home an<
ircles.
His Grandmother.
iel Thornton, of the East Indii
, tells thus the romance of hi
e clear starlight evening in June
md I were walking on the ter
long flower-beds that were cut 11
een turf. Inspired by the still
d odorous influence of the air, ]
r my heart's secret, with all iti
ind fears. She looked np at mc
ingly, and tears glistened in hei
nl eyes as she said :
b, Captain Thornton, are yot
JDo you?do you love ma? I
be. No, never.'
Thy,'I cried, impetuously press
Y suit and her; 'you lov<
:?'
r,' she said, almost sharply, 1 dc
dw who lam?'
he loveliest girl in England.'
o, sir; I am not. Great heavens
1 Thornton, I am your grand
!'
'grandmother! Talk of suddei
after that., won't you? I triec
k, but my voice failed me. ]
I out my bands and touched her
e was there, real enough, and 1
; dreaming.
ell me all!' I gasped.
d standing there by the broac
soping, she told me all. Ho*
ents had died when she was lit
o than an infant, and Sir John
irdian and my grandfather, hat
3 over her with jealons care, al
coping her at school, however
e brought her home?a youn?
2n, while I was in India, th
J man fell suddenly ill, and or
ing bed persuaded his joung
> marry him, jnst in order to in.s
vast estate, which sho had re)
take as a legacy.
ad, believe me,' said Mrs. Hellid
it only to keep it for you,
ltful heir, whose wildness 'had
iriiy provoked the old gentle
The Oldest Obelisk.
after the greatest, it may be iu
> notice the oldest of the existing
3. This is the one close to the
village of Matareeah, or the site
opolis, in the land of Goshen,
airo. A single perpendicnlai
hieroglyphics ornaments each
I records its erection by Osirtaor
probably about B. C. 3000.
cription, with one slight excepthe
same on all sides. A myriad
b' nests now completely obscure
vings on two of the surfaces,
ities differ regarding its height,
iy-eight feet two inches is given
latest measurement by Mariette
Nearly six feet of the length is
in the accumulation of soil de^
by the Nile; and the stone, even
surface of the ground, presents
lences of the destruction caused
ated visits of the water. The
o oi^pn nnlv are eanal. the meae
ts at the base being six feet one
<3 six feet three inches. Pococke
x feet and six feet fonr inches at
ing in the same connection. The
n side of the shaft is tbe besl
ed, while the western is in th<
jondition on account of having
to a height of about fifteen feet,
belisk is supposed te have stooc
entrance to the great temple o)
, where Moses studied theology,
ats of the temenos or inolosun
sanctuary still remain,? Philai
Bulletin, y
**< - $
/
> -
le QUEER WHITE HOUSE YISITOBS.
je
C6 Oddltlea of Inaane People who Call at the
)g Presidential iHualn.
>y Every now and then an item is pubx
lished giving an account of the antics of
i. some crazy person who finds his or her
ie way to the White house. Not half the
g. calls of people of this class at the exec
a- ntivo mansion are recorded. The visits
e- are almost the daily rule rather than
id the exception.
:>r I Among these is an old gentleman who
>e lives a short distance out in the country,
t. near Bladensburg. He wears a large
in soft hat, salt-and-pepper pants, and a
3f short black coat. His eyes are bine and
kJ mild, with nothing wild about them,
y and his hair is gray. He calls regularly
once in every two monthB. He oomes
in the door solemnly. Being asked
what he wants, he replies, "I have
oome to take my seat." * He then tells
r? how he has been regularly elected
l? President and would have come to cn"
ter on his duties sooner, but work on
3! his farm prevented his leaving home.
" The ushers talk to him seriously about
l? the matter, and as a general thing he
3* soon leaves perfectly satisfied.
8 A man comes down here from Penn6
svlvania about five times a year. He is
about thirty-five years old, and dresses
' neatly and comfortably. He demands
d to see the President. The treasury and
h the White house have been deeded to
r* him, ard he wants the possession of
0 Tim Inof ftrna ha pftllprj hfl wnro
Y a pair of badly used up shoes, and got
8 slightly noisy. When put outside the
door he said : " I will submit this
0 time, as I do not wish to make Hayes
houseless; but the next time I come I
B want no foolishness. I want him to
? move out promptly. I hate to be so
? harBh, but my shoes are wearing out,
d and I must have my rights. Just tell
e him how the case stands."
? A woman from Maine walked in one
4 day, in a dress like that of a Quaker.
* She stalked into the east room and
^ spreading a large Bible?which she car*
ried under her arm?on one of the win11
dow seats announced her text and be'
gan in a loud voice to hold forth on the
0 necessity of being born again.
6 A man from Ohio called a few weeks
" ago. He had a theory that the world
r was coming to an end in a few days, if
1 he was not made superintendent of the
naval observatory,in view that he might,
? by hia knowledge of astronomy, avert
the impending collision of the earth
with all the planets. He was promised
? the position, and left satisfied.
1 A raw-boned fellow from Maine is
a seen no more at the White house. He
1 used to be a regular visitor. He would
9 march in every morning, -walk up to
one of the ushers, and hand him a let"
ter. The letters were addressed to " R.
1 B. Hayes, from Ohio, President of the
* United States, U. S. of America, Westj
em Continent, White House, Distriot of
1 Columbia." These letters were always
> opened, but were such scrawls that no
one could read them. This probably
3 suited the man exactly, as all he seamed
3 to want was to deliver the letters
I promptly at nine every morning.
1 The " goddess of liberty just stepped
down from the dome of the capitol," has
7 already been introduced to the readers
r of the Star. She came back the other
r week, and being refused admittance to
| the President's room, threatened to
1 bring down her 41 reserves." These con^
sis ted, she said, of all the statues in the
old hall of representatives and that of
| Columbus in the east front of the capitol,
and of the group of the backwoods9
man and Indian fighting.
A hard-looking male customer?he
' was about forty years old?came in one
? morning. "I am the man," he said in
' a roar, who closed the rebellion. It is
3 a matter of necessity that I should see
r the President." He was told that the
^-feflsident did not receive visitors at the
Whim He saw every one who
! oalled at No. ?3?*?*ifcJjsetreet. This is
the number of the po*^%^gtation on
that street. The man went prSwtfly to
No. 414 Tenth street and took
After Bitting there a while the keept^
a asked what he wanted. "Oh!" he said,
B " I have just called to see the President."
The keeper took in the situation
at a glance, and, saying, "step this
I way," conducted the visitor into one of
j the cells. As he turned the key in the
. lock the man inside said : '' If the
[ President comes just ehow him right in,
3 will you?" " Certainly,"said the keep,
er. and went back to his desk? Wash'
r ington Star.
i Wonderful Walking.
' In these days, feverish with pedestrian
excitement, the following statement of
j facts and feats, which occurred over one
hundred years ago, Ere of special inter>
est: Foster Powell was an Englishman,
born in 1734. When thirty years
of age he walkeJ over the Bath road
fifty miles in seven hours, running the
[ first ten miles. This was better time
than was made by either O'Leary or
Campana, during their walk in New
j York. In 1773 Powell walked from Lon
*/\ Vrn-k nnr? ha/ilr n. rHsfnnPA of 400
miles, in five days and eighteen hours.
[ In 1778, jaet one hundred years ago,
this man attempted to run two miJes in
ten minutes, but failed by only thirty
I seconds. He was at this time forty-four
r years of age. In 1786 he walked a
match on the Bath road, one hundred
miles in twenty-four hours. He won in
| twenty-three and a quarter hours.
In i787 Powell walked from Canterbury
to Loudon, 112 miles, in twenty'
four hours. In 1788 he again walked
1 from London to York aDd return, 400
miles, in five days, fifteen and a quarter
, hours, being the best time in which he
r had ever accomplished that distance.
; In the same year he walked six miles in
, fifty-five and a half minutes; also, in
the same year, he wagered to walk one
, mile and run the Dext in fifteen minutes.
He walked the mile in nine min[
ntes and twenty seconds, and ran the
. other in five minutes and twenty-three
seconds, thus winning by seventeen
seconds. In person Powell was tall and
thin, being fivo feet and ten inches in
height. He was powerfully built in his
| hips and legs, and was sallow in his
' complexion. He never slept but five
1 hours each night. This truly wonderful
1 walker died on the 15th of April, 1793,
in the fifty-ninth year of his age.
"Pith and Point."
* Ka/inmco a nroaaman I
A COHipUBllUr ucwmvu M
' whenever he hugs bin sweetheart.
Why is half a pie like a natural vacuum
1 in a pine board ? Because it is knot
hole.
The fellow who "makes no bones
about it" is evidently not a professional
grave robber.
Now who can tell bow much the
i horned horse gnu ?
1 Nobbs says that whenever he goes to
1 harness his mare, he takes a bridle
1 to?her.
( "Thus runs the world away," but
, our landlord sticks like shoemaker's
J wax.
i When the mountains strive for prizes,
; the Alps will draw a Blanc,
i Of course you never saw anybody
; swallow a barn, and yet you probably
often saw a b.-rn-swallow.?New York
1 News.
I '
A man is going to have his name
5 stomped upon 50,000,000 toothpicks
. That man's name will be in everybody's
mouth.
;
Items of Interest.
" Life is reel," to the spinner.
Ex-crescents?The old moons.
Did you ever hear a peachblow ?
Always in fashion?The letter P.
Always " at home "?The life prisoner. M
A paying teller ? Edison's phono- V' '!
graph.
There are 948 paper mills in the ^
United States.
Dried apples are used for dessert at
all swell parties.
New York car horses on an average
j last only four years.
A paper tbat is always foil of good
points?a paper of needles.
To remove paint from door poets, bade'
up against it when it is fresh.
A young man with his first goatee may
be said to have a tuft time of it.
Fashion item: This season, aa last,
lamps will be trimmed with shears.
There is in the Ohio lunatic asylum a
young lady who is heiress to $700,000.
There were 103,015 bankruptcies in the
United States while the law was4n-fo*cg^
Up to the present time over 20,000
silver mines have been located inArizona.
In the hurly-burly of life, it is well
to avoid sitting down on a three-legged
chair.
An exchange says that "onan average
a man eats annually eight bushels of
wheat." -'^3j
If there be " no foundation for the
stories," what's to beoome of the resiof |j|
the house ? ^
Anybody can catch a cold now. Tha^[
trouble is to let ago again, like the
man who caught the bear.
The value of the packing boxes manu- .
factored in the United States in the
year 1877 exceeded $1,000,000.
The Brazilian government has granted
a privilege to a gentleman for the manufacture
of paper from the wild fig tree, -ftWhen
your captious neighbor tells
you there is no such thing as an honest
man, you may be sure he is himself a
knave.
Phosphorescent paper, writing ox
print on wbicb can be read in the dark,
is the substance of a late European invention.
Boiled onions Tire-prescribed in Eng.
land for a cold in the cheats and onions ;;
either cooked or raw, for chroi?ie~llil)B*"^
matism.
A Frenchman has invented an apparatus
by means of which telegraphic
messages in the actual handwring of the O
writer can be sent.
A fellow out West got a sentence of ,
twenty years for stealing horses. That
is what might be called an Evarts sentence.
It was very long.
awe* lu a a cm In
ilAUIt) 11UU1C UU1QGO UiV tu vv www..
New York's business streets than in any
commercial or political capital of the
Christian world.?Scribner'8.
Mother (notioing ber son's greediness) '?3
?" George, yon should always leave the- 7.
table feeling tbat you could eat a little
more." Son?411 do, mother."
An obvious improvement on fihakspeare:
" Ory havoc, and let loose the $
cats of war." They will be much more
likely to oome up to the scratch than
A weather-prophet is the only^Bip*^
who never gets discouraged. If henf?^/1
the case once in fifty times, he is per-*' A
fectly satisfied there is a great future :
in store for him.
"My dear," said a wife to her bus- ,
band, " I really think it is time we had a
greenhouse." " Well, my love, paint it
any color you please?red, white or
green will suit me."
Bardette, the Hawkeye man, is lec- J
turiug on the "Rise and Fall of the
Mast ache." He gives an illustration of
his subject every time he takes a bite j
out of a pumpkin pie. ^
There is now living in the province of
Ontario, Canada, a Catholic priest
named John Macdonald, who is ninety*
seven years of age, and has been more
than sevc-nty years in the priesthood.
' A very oxuious plant is the desmodium
gyrans, or moving plant. It is a native
of India, and is enriousiron tho rotarymovement
of the leaves, which, during
the heat of the day, are in constant motion.
It used to be the patchwork quilt, but
now it is a feather cloak. This particular
feather cloak is in St. Louis, and is
composed of 38,961 feathers, furnished
by quail, wild dnok and prairie chicken.
The cost is $500. Cloaks of a feather
flock together.
The remains of huge glaoiers have - ^
been discovered cn the east side of Wind
river peak, Wyoming Territory, and on
the east base,of Fremont's peak. Prof,
E. V. Hayden thinks that on the west
side of Wind river a gigantio glacier
onoe existed eighty miles in length and
twelve in breadth.
The lightning-rod man applied to the
president of a railroad to put lightningrods
on all his cars. "Lightning-rods
on onr cars ?" asked the latter. " Why, i
certainly!" "What in the world do
we want them for ?" "Becanse they
make good conductors," replied
man, as he closed the door hastilyBHp^
And now the Chinese claim that^^^H
telephone is nearly 2,000 year* ofci?
having been in use about that tittfiflHK!
their country. Oh, pagans with: ihe '"-i
almond eyes, there is something tijatifl..^
older than the telephone. Lying^'SKa
is older than the city of Pekin.
old as the first Chinese historian?and
filvnifc as reliable.?Burdetlc. A
A teacher was practicing her youthful
class in original composition, and gave
one pupil the subject " Boy " to writo
upon. Tho subject was to be treated of
in three parts?href, What is it ? Second,
What is its use ? Third, What is ^
it made for? The boy wrestled hard
for a few minutes in desperate perplexity,
and then wandered up to the teacher's
desk radiant with enthusiasm and
submitted tho following: " A boy is
an animal; his use is to carry in wood ;
he is made of bones."
A French Paper's Joke.
A young and rich American lady,
with her three children, boarded one of
the Mississippi steamboats which have
the dangerous habit of enjoying a little
racing when a couple of tnem are .
careering up or down the stream. * ?
" Captain, I will make the trip with
you on one condition?give me your *
word that you will not race.
" Madam, I pledge my word." v *
They start After half an hour tfoother
steamer begins to overhaul the
- . !_ 1 t 4..:?11?
first, xne iaay ru&uea uauiuan; tu
the captain.
44 Captain, d'ye see ? d'ye see?"
" Zee, madam."
" And will you endure it? Will you
allow her to give you the go by ? No !
Impossible ! You will at least try."
"Heavens! madam," replied the captain,
coldly, 441 don't race, but if I did
I have no more wood to pile on and show
her onr heels, unless "
"Qnick! quick! What is it?"
"Unless I burn one of your chil- ..
dren." *
"Very well, captain," she cries,
straining over the railing and looking
wildly at the advancing steamer;44 hurry
up ! Bnrn the biggest 1"?Part* '
Itgaro.
- 1