The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, June 16, 1886, Image 1
V
BY HUGH WILSON. ABBEVILLE, S C ., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1886. VOLUME XXX. NO 50. ^
winn n i
CUBAN MULES AND OXEN.
THE INFAMOUS ABUSE OF DUMB
ANIMALS IN HAVANA.
Diminutive Mules Whlcli Have Keen
Founded into Absolute Submisslvouesn
?A Cart with Wheels Ten Feet in
Diameter?Torturiug an Ox.
But it the treatment of the poor by these
people is exceptionally tender, their abuse
ot all dumb animals is inlamous. There is
110 exception to this. A horse, a mule, or
an ox i6 a beast of burden to bo drived and
leaded to the last limit, and then pounded
und goaded incessantly. Centuries of this
sort of thiny have positively given these
animals hereditary traits of demure patience
and characteristic humility that are pathetic.
A cabaliero will spur and lash hi>
nonv to its utmost speed, disn ount at his
destination with a parting kicli at the animal,
which is no bigger than its rider, and
the panting pony's head will instantly drop
between bis knees, while it will actually
go to sleep there with a look upon its t'aco
which says as plainly as words can, "1 am
sure to be awakened from this needed rest
by a blow." And tho mute prophecy comes
true. The Cuban mule has leen pounded
into a submissiveness that has actually removed
frum his character all of those
marKed eccentricities which have mado the
mule the helpful friend of the paragrapher
everywhere else in the world. Here tho
latitude and longitude of his ears, the quiver
of his under lip, the restlessness of hu tail,
or the sudden curvature of his spine mean
nothing. He is shorn of dynamitic powers.
He is not worth illustrating. '1 he ox and
the heifer are worked and goaded to desperation,
while the bull is reserved for life that
bis life may be taken from him by demoniac
lortura
\ou will find hero the most primitive
methods in the application of the use of do
mestio ammais to the needs of agriculture
and commerce, liavunua is a great city,
but could you bave waikwd tho streets oi
old Granada, Madrid, or Larceloua ;0J
years ago, you would have viewed precisely
the saino street sc< nes as you v.-ill see
here to-day. You can not tind in (Jul.a a
dray or a t'our-wheeled wagon. The twowheeled
cart is u&ed for all hauling purposes.
It is realiy a groat all air. The
wheels are frequently ten feet in diameter,
the felloes six inches broad and as thick,
the spokes are big as your leg, and the hut)
like a hair-bushel basket. The bodies of the
carts are enormous. Many are covered
like those "emigrant wagons" our ancestors
"came west"' in, and aro also provided with
great rush pouches which dangle and sway
underneath, while the shafts are together
larger thau tho little mule's whole body.
J ...I. Iksm.l ?f
An iron pin is suovtu luiuu^u uc tuu v>
the axle to bold the wheel in place, and
when "greasing" has boen overlooked the
shrieking and groaning of a bevy of thcs_>
carts are e.ual to the mailings of the old
lied river trains that cnce trailed out of St.
l aul to the far-away Hudson's bay couutry.
1 onies are rareiy used in these carts.
The mule, heifer, ox, and sometimes bull,
are the rnotivj power, und when it is remembered
that everything brought into
Havanua in the r.aiure of fruits and produce
by the guajiros or country people,
bave that portion transported in huge packs
and pouches lashed to a mule's or a pony's
back, all cartage between wholesale and retail
establishments, all the moving of household
furniture, and all the vast movement
of freight to and from the docks of this, the
eighth ranking commercial capital of the
world, are accomplished exclusively by the
use of such methods of conveyance, some
id--a of the primitiveness and picturesquenes3
of the every-day working of sucli a
system may be formed.
1 have stood at ferry entrances hours to
study all sorts of Cuban people: but the
carts, the way they are equipped and
rfrivon thpir rontent<. and. above all. these
carreteros, who are here at tbeir greatest
because of the crowding and blustering,
have always possessed the liveliest interest.
Here inay be a mule-cart loaded with
lodder from the country, the little mule
absolutely obscured with cart, harness
which weighs as much as the mule, and
corn-stalks, the motive power a mystery
were it not disclosed by the bells hung to
the hidden animal, with the driver running
along on one side and a helper on tho other,
both yelling like demons and prodding savagely
beneath the overhanging cornstalks
wnere the mullled bells and animation are.
Here is a great open cart piled ten feet
high with bales of tassa;o or South American
jerked beef, and drawn by an ox. The
animal is inside ol immense shafts, the ends
ot which rest in iron loops depending from
? ??l.? nonl* Knf nnnn Viia
head. His legs seem spread with the load.
Every step is taken as if doubtfully plung-d
into space. The vibrations of the shaft
keep his neck and head trembling as with
palsy. His eyes bulcu from their sockets
and his mouth is half opon. A ring is in
his nose, and cor.ls of plaited grass, as
lines, run from this ring to the right and
left Letween his horns through rings set in
tho huge yoke, and thence to the carretero's
left hand, while his right holds a long poll*,
lipped with a sharp iron brad, like a picador's
pike in the bull ring. The face of
that ox as he trembles and glares under his
I burden is a sad sight to a man with a heart
under his ve>t, but when this bold carret*ro
awakens to the fact that his standing
among men involves his asserting himself, it
is then that the thunders <jf his voire are
beard, and tho helpless brute is
piked and prodded until the blood spurts
iroirt his ranks ana ne squats liat m ins
. tracks bellowing piteously in paia I never
prayed i.od so fervently for a sound body
and my old :.UU pounds weight as in the
presem c of scenes like this, and if my prayer
Lad been answered I would have made tussajo
out of some ot these noble carretorors, if it
had involved the two governments.
' You will frequently see several mules at1ached
tandem to a huge cartload of freight,
when three or four carreteros or inuieteros
are lequired to produce, with scores of unmusical
bells, the hubbub necessary to proKiesa
The incessant howling and larrup1
iug by those muleteros usually prompt unimpeded
headway; but once let the affair
come to a standst.ll and all Christendom
can not furnish another such a din. A score
-O ?? ,I_:?,?;n .lu
1VL IJCl^aovrill^ Uli>Vlo ou^v.*.?nj ?_4??
tcend upon tbe scene, and tho whacking,
bell janglin<*, and howling become simpiy
' indescribable. it is an exceptional thing
to see Lulls harness? 1 to tho cart, but they
sometimes are; and then it is curious study
to note the national trait of critical obser \
ation of tbe animal by all, tho most distinguished
ladies included. '1 hey will contemplate
a bull with as quick and unerring
a discernment and summary of value?and
a bull's Aalue in Cuba can enly be estimated
on tho basis of his possib e lighting qualities?as
an American turfraan will judge of
the "speed and bottom of a horse.?Edward
L. Wakeman in Chicago News.
A Chinaman'* I'uii hi English.
Tbe secretary of the Chinese legation a1
"Washington is named Mr. Lang. He is
civilized enough to know how to mako a
pun in Engliih. At a reception the other
evening he told a lady that "Atdd Lang
bju?" was one of hJj ancestor,
. /
j
| GERMAN COLONIES IN NEW GUINEA.
! An Old South Sea Trader's Account?
Settlers and Natives.
Finsch Haven is an open anchorage, but
could bo made a good harbor at considerable
expense. Tho settlement consists of six
Germans and fourteen Malays, who are located
on a small island in the bay, conJ
nected by a main road with the mainland.
I The settlers are forming plantations on the
j mainland, but as yet only yams, corn, and
other things are planted to supply present
necessities. Only a few acres are as yet
j divested of timber. The soil is splendid, ,
; and the land is high and not densely ;
: wooded A water supply is obtained from ,
j a large river about a nido to tha north- ,
| ward. j
The natives are numerous, and appear to i <
I be not, on the best terms with the Germans, | ,
who have erected four sentry boxes oil tli9 ;
island, which are occupied by sentries every j ,
I night This precaution is fouud to Le necessary
in consequonce of an att nipt having
| Leen made recently by the natives to suri
round and massacre the settlers. The j
! steamer Samoa arrived in the harbor just
j as the attea.pt was about to be carried out. J
I The natives were driven away, and now I
' are not allowed to co ne near the islan-.L
| All trade with them has been suspended lor j
three months. Iso force was, however, j
| used. '
After a stay of five days at Finsch j ,
Haven, tho Truganini steam jd along the . ^
; northwest coast about -'ill miles to Samoa ; j
I Haven. Tho tcenery along the coast is ' .
most beautiful, surpassing anything in the ! j
j south seas. The coast line is hi^h, and ves- j (
I sels can steam close alongside, the water be- j j
! ing deep and freo from impediments to navi- ,
i gation. >'o river or creek was seen for the j .
i wbole of this distance. Several islands were j
j passed, all densely inhabited, tiie land b> ,
; ing all cleured and studiled with houses, j
l buitt in regular Now Gwnea fashion. ( ;
j Portions of the mainland are densely ; j
I wooded, other portions being covered with ,
a luxuriant growth of grass. There were J ,
apparently a great number of natives ,
j ashore. I
j B:inioa Haven is a far better barber tban j
' Finscb Haven, but will require a large ex- i
penditure to make it a good port. Tlio na-. j
i tives are very friendly. They follow a^ri- .
: cultural pursuit?, and bave well-cuitiVated
gardens. The German settlement is on an i
| isiand, tlio only means of communication I
' being by boats. Tbe settlers, who number
fifty Germans only, are occupied in clearing j
j this island, which is about half a miia long :
: and a quarter of a mile wide, with the obj
ject of lorining a townsbip thereon. Their j
j efforts bavo not yet been directed to the i
i mainland except in the way of trade, and ,
I not much of this has been done except in j
S tobacco leaf, of which the native* grow a
j great quantity, taking in oxcliange p.eces ot j ,
; old hoop iron, which appear to be their ' j
| only requirement The occupants of the
; settlement were healthy and happy. Tha .
j climate at the settlements, although warm,
j is very healthy, and the pioneers speak well j
j of it. The pros;iects are exceedingly bright,
l and there is every probability of agriculturists
reaping a rich reward. The great I
1 drawback is the want oi harbors, which can
only be overcome by an enormous outlay.? ,
Melbourne Argus.
Nuns of a liuddliist Monastery.
Strange to say, though wo must have visited
scores of monasteries, I am not con!
scious of having ever entered a Buddhist ]
I convent, though th?so aro lvally numerous, i i
and we occasionally fell in witi small par- ! i
ties of nuns, m horn, however, it was dilli- j I
cult to distinguish from the holy brethren, ;
! save by their diiniuutive size. Their dross
j is precisely th-j same?namely, a long gray
j or yoilow robe, white stockings ani thick |
shoos, like those worn by men, and their j i
poor bare heads are closely shaven?a pro- |
cess to which the little 10-year-old novices 1
are partially sub'octed, and which is com- ]
ploted when, at the advanced ago of Jii, tlio <
full blown sister takes the vows of per- |
pt-tual virginity, of vegetarian diet, and <
| strict obedience to the percepts of Uuddha.
I Those vows are ma.lo in the presence of
| Koon Yam, the goddess of mercy, who her
! self was a canoui/od Buddhist nun, and
j thenceforth the soie duty of these litr i
I tlo nuns seems to lie in going from hou.<o
j to house, wherever their servi.es ure re- 1
quired on behalf of dec-cased women, for ]
whose benelit they chant prayers to Kooii (
| Yam the live long day. ]
When this exciting work Is not required i
they are said to spend their dull lives in a <
state of utter vacuity, being literally with- i
out occupation, savo that some of the i
younger sisters employ their leisure upon i
silk embroidery. I have s?en Buddhist
nuns make a pilgrimage to many shrines, j <
never, apparently, pausing for one moment
in the ceaseless reiteration of the foursyllabled
charm, "Orni-to Fu! O-mi-tu Fu." i
You would probably have taken such lor
gibbering idiots, but they were only de- i
j vout little nuns accumulating stores of co!
lestial merit by ascribing praise to To, i
I alias Buduha.?Foreign Letter. | ;
A Substitute for tlie Telephone.
A baker who docs an immense business at
Brusseis, having a chief depot and fifteen
brunch establishments in-that city, applied
to the telephone compuny for un estimate
of the yearly co^t of communication be- <
: tween his different shops. The charge
| asked by the company seemed to him so exorbitant
that he resolve 1 upon starting a new
means of communication for himself. He
had read in a military journal of tho experiments
with carrier pigeons, and it
struck him thut tho innocent birds might
bo ju>t as well subsidised lor the art of j
: sustain.ng 1110 as loriue nrs 01 uesiruymg.
Ho had a pigeon house erected at bis head!
ijuarters, and purchased liity carrier pig- 1
; eons of the best race.
Every morning each branch has throe <
; pigeons, who are sent off to tho head escab!
lishment with tho list of orders wanted by | :
the hotels and families in connection with |:
the branch. Iiacb pigeon, at its arrival on j
its own domestic lloor, touches a spring j1
which has an electric communication with
a bed in tho manager's oil ice. '1 he system i
is reported to succeed so admirably that it i
will probably be adapted by other yreat
! houses. Tho in\entor writ.-s that tho cost i
j of his fifty pigeans was less than the tele- I
phone company asked for two months' sub- j
scription. It is strange that the breeding j1
I and training of these usoiul birds have
inado as yet but slight progress in this
country.?San Frail' Leo chronicle. i
A Full llr;ul <>r Steam On.
I In his lecturo before tho Yale theological
students a short time ago, tlu iiev. l?r. iiur- |
ton said: '1 toll you, young gentlemen, a
man must have a lull head of steam oil and I
keep his whistle open \vid.;or a modern congregation
will go to sleep over one of his
sermons. Times have cbangod, and a
preacher cannot pray an hour and then
preach an hour, and then pray another |
I hour, without disgusting a congregation of ;
I the present day. \ ou must so conduct your !
I services that an hour spent in church will i
j not amount to imprisonment."?Cleveland i
[ Leader.
A Natural Shampooing Water.
Earbers near Mono lake, California, whoso
1 water is heavy with salts of sodium and
borax, use it as a natural shampooing
water, to the satisfaction of their customers.
t .
IN EVENING ATTIRE.
ARISTOCRATIC AND RESERVED LOOKING
YOUNG CLUB MEMBERS.
An Illustration of tlio AstonndinR Airs
\Vhlch Sorao of tlio Younger New
Yorkero l'ut on Wlion They Obtain
Any Social llecognltiou.
A small club, of which I am a charter
member, grew rapidly under tho manage
ment of a lot of popular men, who had beon
taken into the organization, and moved into
* new club-house with extonsivo surroundings.
The event was celebrated by an entertainment,
which began at 'J o'clock at
ui^ht, and which consisted of recitations,
music, stories, and speeches. Tho day of
the great occasion was very warm, the previous
night had been somewhat oosLreper3us
and dillicult to subdue, and I had just
5ot back from a look at the new athletic
grounds at Staten islan l, with a good-na
lurea oia rounaer, who was uuo ui mo i.wu .
men who bad starte.l the club. He has an
interest in a steamship line, is easy-going
md pleasant, an authority on club matters,
md has the entree everywhere in IS'ew
York. Wo went to a little ale-house in
l'birty-fourth street, and ate until 9 o'clock,
ivhen we both thought of the club reception.
We drifted up to tho new
tiouso and went in. There were 150
y oung men in the place, and all but ourselves
were in evening dress. I don't think
?ither one of us looked very distinguished
in tweed suits, but thon men don't care
particularly about thsir attire in a club
with which they have boen familiar from
its infaucy. At all events we pushed our
way into the rooms on the first floor.
A dozen pale faced, small-featured, and
slim young ln^n staroil at us haughtily, aud
refused to make room. We looked about,
md neither of us recognised an acquaintance
within shaking distanca. They were
ill fellow-members, but they were all a lot
i>f the most aristocratic and reserved looking
youngsters that 1 have ever seen, and
it was evident that we had not created a
ijood impression. Una or two of tha oider
club servants saw us, ami hurried in with
jhairs, but they met with stubborn opposition
from the dainty young men who were
seated, as well a.i from those who stoo I in
the way. I turned to the young man who
stood next me, and looked at him timorjusiy.
Ho wore a white waistcoat with
;old buttons, two cat's-eyo stud-,,
x black tie, a well-fitting clawuanimer,
wide satin strips down
the sides of his trousers, bows on his
boots, and pearl-colored giove.;, with blai-k
stripes half an inch wide aiong the back of
tha h:m,L lie wus al)0iit six tcot high, and
presented u mean average girth or' about ten
laches. His face was decorate 1 by an exclusive
looking mustache, and bis ejes were
partially closed, as though Le was very
much bored with lifa Hj must have been
nearly years o d. After looking him
aver carefully, I ventured to ask, in a meek
iiul respectful tone, it tiio president of the
dab had spoken yet. Tiw young man
turned very sJowly, lixed his glass in his
;ye, examined my companion an I myself
Rith the utmost care, and then said: "Aw."
"How's that?" my friend said, sharply.
"Aw."
We both looked at him inquiringly, but
tie dropped his glass and deliberately turned I
nvay. At this point we wore recognised
Hid rescued by some friends farther away,
but neither one of us forgot the haughty
young man in evening dress.
WHEN WE SAW HIM AGAIN*.
We were walking up town briskly, towhan
wn shw him a^ain. His mus
taciie was there, as were his slim neck and
liis reserved expression of tbe face, but all
Lhe glory of apparel had departed; his
boots wero run over at the side, ho wore a
>hiny ortico-eoat, and under both his arms
be carried big rolls of cloth, which ho was
Bvidently taking lrom one importing house
to another. We saw him from afar, and
waited. Ke was smoking a cigarette, and
was rushing along at a violent rate with his
bales of goods. We stopped him and begged
a. light from his cigarette. Ilo leaned over,
hotly, in the most undignified manner, so as
to hold one bale of goods on his knoe while
be removed his cigarette with his free hand,
and each of us consumed as much time as
in tob-in r n liwlifL Then mv friend
wu??-/5 ? ? o-- ^
asked him if he was well, amd he said "Yes,
sir," clearly, respectfully, and with an indubitably
Now York accent Wo talked
about the weather and the affairs of tho
club, while he fretted and famed at tbe
waste of time; and then we examined the
cloth, and asked hira its price a yard. After
we had learned it, we went on our way.
I relate tho incident as an illustration of
the astounding airs that some of the younger
New Yorkers put ou when they obtain any
social recognition. The assertion that Is'ew
York men are ill-manuered and shoddy is
true as far as it concerns a few thousand
young sprigs, ana who depend ver7 largely
for social ^.'cognition upon their clothes,
was a ?0 a week errand boy down town,
lived in a cheap boarding house in Fortylirst
street, and was supported by small remittances
from his father, who keeps a j
small supply store in ilackettstown, N. J. j
His up-towu acquaintances only know him as
a rnau of great elegance of attire, and he got
into a club of some position, as many other
men have, simply becau e h-j was unknown,
l'ho man who was with ine on the night of
the reception is so well known in clubdom
that any man of acquaintance in New York '
must know him at least by sight. Yet ho
was snubbed and insulted by an errand boy
in a club which he had holped to organize, i
because ho were a tweed suit instead of
conventional evening attire.
There seems to bo a wide difference of
opinion about evening dress outsido of New !
York, but thoro is no que*tio:i of the man- j
nor in which it is regarded hero. A young j
man who is unknown and who has social aspirations
would do well to wear evening
dress invariably after dinner. Men who do
not have to depand on their clothes for
social recognition lioat about in frock coats,
and, when the warmer months come, in
light sack suits, to entertainments of all ,
sorts. If a man accompanies a lady or a
party of Jadios to the tboatre he usually
wears evening dress, but hundreds of men
of unquestionably high social position go to
the theatre, and even to the opera, when J
thay feel inclined that way, in morning
suits.?blakely Hall in iian Francisco
Argonant.
Tho Sirln; of Frisco's Pooplp.
'i 136 wniri ami sm.is ,uaa
of tilings here reminds 0110 very much of !
the great western metropolis?Chicago. |
Everything is rush, rush, rush, and nervous 1
excitement 1'roin early morn till close of
day, und everybody excepting tlie Chinoso
seems to be auected in this same way. .Even
the ladies catch tue contagion, aud they,
too, co brushing uloug the streets as if they
were sent for and must ''get there'' ou tirao
under fear of the severest penalties. Wo '
must say wo rather like the swing of tha
peoplo in th.s respect. Aside from the heavy
Chinese element here, the jieoplo of the city
seem to be largely American, and a brighter, |
cleaner-cut looking lot of businoss men wa j
never beforo iav; in tho streets of any city !
in the Union. They are sharp and as keen 1
as a two-edged sword?Saa Francisco CorClbvclaad
Loader.
A GOVERNMENT POWDER MAGAZINE.
A Brief Sketch of El: is Island?A Brave
Quartermaster?A Bull Life.
Elli3 island, or Fo *t Gibson, as it was ^
formerly tailed, is nor ;h of Bedloe's, island,
about (jUO yards distant and close to the
Jersey shore, although included in the First
ward of New York city. The fort formerly
mounted twelve guns and was garrisoned by
a detachment of United States troops until
some time during the "lifties," when it was
formally transferred ;o the ordnance department
of tue navy ,o bo used as a magaziua
Until 18'i0, however, the army nominally
controlled the fortiiication, which was i
annually visited by an ollicer connected
with tbo military service. In 1681 an order
was received directing the removal of tlie
guns and tbo dismantling of the fort; Since
then the island has been, under the absolute
control of the chief ol the bureau of ordnance,
navy department, Washington.
During the war of tae rebellion immense
quantities of powder were securely stored
upon tbo island, while the shell rooms were
literally packed with projectiles of every
description. There are at present five compartments
used for thi manufacture of
charges of powder anil tho storing of shell
and other projectiles. Notwithstanding the
dangerous character of the material, no instance
has yet been reported ot" an accidont
by explosion sin.e tht island was used as a
magazine. This is dut> to the extraordinary
precautions observed by the employes under
ilio direciion of the oll cer in charge, who in
each instance has been sclocted lrom the
ranks of t he gunners of the navy.
Notwithstanding tho care u'lsorved in
handling shell several narrow escapes from
accidont ha\o been rDporte.l. Lpon one
occasion wtilo unloading some sixty pound
shells from a sloop vjuarterman Cook noticed
a wliito smoke iss uing from the tjo.t
containing tha projectiles. Hastily snatching
it up ho passed it lrom the hold to the
do. k above shouting ti< the men at the shellwhip
to "thiovv the blamed thing overboard."
The men fled for their lives, while
Cook, cooily climbing on deck, threw the
smoking shell into tha river. For this brava I
action ho was coinp iinented in general |
orders by the chief of ordnance.
There aro at present but lour watchmon I
employed about the island, one of whom is !
constantly on duty to jrovent the landing of !
pleasure parties without permission and in 1
noting singula. The island is reachod by j
1 * r .1.. T ?u?. ?
iiiuuiib Ui u iuwuuut Xi viii iuu at'izvy suis. u,
a small rod liug on tlie flagstaff near tbo
lamiing notifying the man 011 watch of the
presence or visitors. As it is necessary for
every ve.-sol of tiionavy when leaving or
riiteritig the navy yarl to discharge or receive
powder and ammunition from El.is
island, thj place is sometimes enlivened bv
the prescn o of naval ollicers. Beyond tbia,
save whatever amusement may be derived
from a cruise on the saucy little sloop
Torpedo, belonging to the island, a residence
of three years at the liaga/.ino is devoid of j
excitement. ?.Now Voik Times.
Tlio Agony of a Drug Store Clerk.
When I was a youn nun I hail an experience
that imprinted a degreo ot! taro in |
me that bus probauly been wortii thousands I
of dodars in after life. 1 was a clerk in a j
drug store at Grand Rapids, Iilicb., and my >
duties kept inj there from T in tbe evening '
until about ~ in tbo morning. One nigbt!
in-it at dark a *otnan with a sbawl over her
head came in, and, giving me a prescrip- i
tiou, toid me to put it up quick. 1 hurrie.l I
it tnrougb and >>ho paid uij and w^-nt out |
About hull' an hour later a very well-known ;
physician of tbe place came rushing in ani !
;;aid: "Did you put ui? a prescription lor a. i
woman a bit ago:" "i'es, hi;-," I 8j.i<l "Did j
you uo it in a hurry?" "les," 1 answered
again, with a pang of fear. "Give lue some !
tartar emetic, quick!" bo exclaimed, 'tbe!
man it was for is dying!" I got tbe drug I
mechanically, and ho toro out, leaving me J
in an agony of douot and fear perfectly in- I
describable.
A man poisoned through mistake, a coro- !
ner's inquest, jail, trial, penitontiary, a j
ruined reputation, my wife and children |
beggars, all paved in galloping delile be- j
foro mv whiriinir brain. I thought of
suii-ide or flight; 1 paced up and down the 1
store and. gnawed at my nails. A couple |
of hours elapsed and the doctor came in i
again. "How is that man:" I gasped. "Oh, |
he's dead/' ho replied indifferently. My j
liod! 1 lelt my heart stand still lie walked j
back toward the stove while I stood dazed by
the door. Presently he strolled up and said: j
"You put up that prescription, I believe;"
"Yes." "Well," ho went on, "she never came |
back with the medicine or the change j
either." The world suddenly grew brigut
again. I Logan to breathe at my normal
rate of respiration. 1 thought that doctor
was the loveliest human being I had over
looked upon, iiut do you see this hair
watch-guard I wear' "When I looked at it j
next day I found that in those two .awful I
Lours my hair had turned win to as tlio
driven snow.? Dr. (Jhas. Harvey in (ilobeDeinocraU
The Luck of a Noviuln Senator.
"I've always believed in providence sinco
one day, years ago, when I was sheriff over
in tibea county. It was a roaster of a day,
and I wa- returning on horseback from a
hunt for some sluice robb. rs. I was siowly
following a faint mountain trail, and the sun
was .mat baking me, and the hor.-e was in a j
lather. 1 came under the shado of a big rock, |
anU thought it would be pleasant to get off
and have a smoke. I sat down on a cool
boulder, cut a pipeful from my plug, filled
my pipe aiul felt for a match. Well, Joe,
tiiire wasn't a match any where in my pockets.
I searched and searched, but there was
no match. I tell you, Joe, 1 felt worse over I
that disappointment than I've done since,
when the market has gone back on mo and
hit me for lUit,000 at a clip.
;Hut while I sat there on that boulder
wrapped in gloom, what d'ye suppose my
eyes suddenly fell on.' A match, by heaven, j
lyiug on tlio trail not sis foot away from ;
me! I used it?though; I wrts a little I
afraid to touch it at lirst?an.i had ray !
smoke. So you needn't worry about how !
this political light is going to como out A j
man for whom Providence will go to the 1
trouble of providing a match for a smoko in j
the wilds of the iSierra 2sevadas, where j
man's foot scarcely ever treads, isn't likely
11/ QVU " ?? ... ? , .
little thing liko being elected to tho luhed 1
.States sen&te. 15'. er since that time." con-1
eluded tlio ( omstoeker, "1'vo never refused '
a dollar to u parson, and have generally j
done my I est in a quiet, unobtrusive way, j
to make myself so.id with the people who
have tho pull on 1'rovidence.? Senator Jones j
in iiixn Fii-ucisco l'os*
Tho Jules Verne of tli? Future.
Tho imagination of a "<-y oar-old 1 oy is |
often a slui-endous thing. On:- can't help j
wondering how much a child of that uge j
believes of his own big stories. This one
for example: "i went out in do front yard !
dis morning," said Benny, "and 1 saw 'naw- i
ful big horse up in a tree, and 1 tooked a |
gun and 1 shouted it, and I tooked it in do
house anil my mama picked do fedders oil!
it and cooked it l!or brokr.it!"?[boston
llecord.
Mexico's I,?>:irl-Ii'ihbiii^ Monopoly.
Fix large boats, all carrying tho Mc'tican
are working on the pearl fisheries oil
the Mexican Pacific coasi. A monopoly
controls tiie iishing ground
?I?MH
NEW YORK'S "FINEST."
SAID TO BE THE MOST EFFICIEN1
FORCE IN THE WORLD.
CrofTut Writes Concerning: Their Vigilance
and KfTcctivonea*?Unusual liberty
of Action?A Liberal Interpretation
of Law.
Perhaps it has never occuiTod to the
reader that Now Yori: is tao bust policed
city ol its si:.e in the world. Yes, our po
lice are larger und finer-looking men, bettor
dressed and belter mannered, beUer paid
and more vigilant than the protectors of
any other of the capitals of civilization. II
may not be generally known that our police
have unusual liberty of action; much more
uuurijr wjuu llto luuuuu puuio?uiux d, o?ou
than the gens d'armes of Paris. In the ef
fete despotism 0? H. M. Queen Victoria, the
police do not dare to lay a hand on a mar
unless he is violating the law. In New York
men are frequently nabbed and marched oil
to the station house when guilty of no of
fsns.9, merely be.-ause they have been knowi:
to have been law-breakers and persons ol
bad character.
Well-known thieves and burglars marct
defiantly past the guardians of the law ic
London, conscious that their persons an
' sacred" uniess they are caught in the verj
act of plying their vicious calling. A hun
dred pickpockets may rush through tiu
crowds of Hyde park or jostle the tarongi
at the Derby races and tho polico are helpless
unless they catch them in tho very act
of picking pockets. A howling mob of ;>0,(JJO
may gather with riotous and destructive
purposes?in fact, just such a mob did
gather last fall in Trafalgar square and
threaten to sack Birmingham palate, and
tho police merely stood arouud and waited
for the overt act?w&ited for them to upsel
the monument, tear down a fen.-e or attaci
ih - palace windows.
Tho New York policeman is not forbear
ing. He feels that his business is to keep
the peaco, and that he is a cross between a
patrolm.in and a supreme judge. Ho can,
and uoes, arrest on suspicion anil at pleasure.
Iuthetim : of tuibulonee he keeps people
moving; if three men are talking togethai
lie orders them to separate and go aboul
their business; if one is loitoring un
necessarily he makes him hurry up or go to
the station-house. If men or women who
are too notorious enter places of amusement
a policeman is very likely to order them to
get out or be locked up, coupon or no
coupon.
AN "ABUSE OF AUTHORITY."
When George W. Walling was superintendent?and
our police never had a more
eilicient head ?lie sometimes made broad his
phylacteries in the maintenance of justice.
Un every holiday, and in the presence ol
all processions, lie would issue a blanket order:
"Arrest all known pickpockets on the
screec to-aay ana l?ko mom m: iuhi b wiu
a j^ood deal of grumbling;and lawyers wer?j
hired to prevent such an "abuse of authorty,"
but thj courts interpreted t:io law liberally,
and the order was supported, and it
is enforced to this day.
This accounts in great part for the orderly
character of our election nights anc
our great public gatherings. "When Mather
Arnold was hero, he was taken out to see
the crowds on election night. With some
trepidation, he took the ladies of the party,
"though, bless you! such a thing wouldn'l
be heard of in London:" His guide, Henry
Bergb, took the party down to Chathan
square, on the elevated road. There they
got o:r, not knowing where they were, and
looked around
"oh, yes!" broke out Dr. Arnold, "this is
all very well in this aristocratic part o? the
city, but it would Le different if we were tc
go to seme of the noisy centers of your pop
ulution, where the tatterdemalians and
roughs hold carnival!"
The princo of Wales and Duke of New>
castle expressed their astonishment at thf
case with which i\'ew York police con
trolled the disorderly; while at the recep
tion ol' the prince and princess in London,
tlu mob overpowered the police, seven per
sons were killed and hundreds wounded.
At the exhibition of the Groat Eastern iu
England, pickpockets swarmed all over the
ship, and thousands of pounds were stolon
At iho exhibition of the sumo vessel here,
she was visited by 100,(MO people, only six
police wore 011 duty, and not a dimo is
known to have been stolen. The Kew York
policeman believes in the great valuo of an
ounce of prevention.?Croll'ut's Letter in
Kansas City JournaL
Compulsory Prayers ?t a College.
Tho enmpaign against compulsory prayers
at Harvard is being waged furiously by
the students. One cf thorn tells this incident
to illustrate the hardships of the sys
tem;
' The prayer cut is busted," said a sopbomoro
when his girl asked him last night to
come with his bicycie und join her with her
tricycle for a morning spin, "I can't como.'
"The wh? wiiut is bustedr"
"The prayer cut Lou't you know what
the prayer cut is.' It's cutting the morning
prayers. Boii'c you know/ .Not going to
chapel."
And you've actually got to go to the
chapel every morning."
"Yaas, got my prayer warning yesterday."
"And what's a prayer warning?"
"Uh, it's a thing about so long and about
so wide, and looks something like a postal
L./vmfltliirvf fcriMiner ii!ra t.linfc* Imt
what is your horror when you take it uj
al ter a while to lind that it is a warning thai
you have alisontod yourself from prayers all
that is permitted, and that your attendance
at chapel will be required heroafter."
"And you'vo got to go to prayers after
this.'"
"I regret to say that I have. You can
only *.ut prayi rs just so much, and I've
used up my cut, as 1 said. Oh, I tell you
those involuntary prayers are ihoono tyrannical
survival of barburism that disligures
the otherwise fair and pleasing aspect of
the nineteenth century. They iiave got
to go.''?.New York fciun.
The Fastest Shaving oil Kocorri.
"Just wait till yoa hear from im," said a
low-browed, tough looking passenger. "For
seven years I shaved in a shop where one
barber run the razor over an average of
sixtv faces an hour. What do you think of
that;"
"Impossible," oxclaimod sovcral listeners
in chorus.
".No, it ain't impossible," continued the
low-browol man. "This barber didn't do
anything but uso his ra.or. "'ho men
lathered their own faces while waiting their
turn, and a boy handed him freshly honed
razors. Seven or eitjht slashes Mas a shave,
and the customers wiped their own faces
after leaving tlio chair."
"liow much did thu barber charge a
head
"Nothing: and he got no wages. He was
tho barber in Jell'ersonvillo prison."?Chicago
Herald.
Hard to Hold Up Agt'.iust.
M. Pasteur is under a strain very hard
to hold up against. His door bell rings
every two minutes and people press in on
all sorts of pretext*,
in???hi
k BETROTHAL.
aI love you," b? whispered low,"
In joy, for a moment bold;
And suddenly, white ns snow, .
The warm little hand grew cold.
"I love you," again he said,
And touchod tho soft finger-tips;
Eut shyly she bent her head,
To Wide the two trembling lips.
"I love you"?she turned her face.
His heart overfilled with fear;
i "When lo, on her cheeks the iruca
1 Of one tiny passion tear!
"I love you," he gently spoke,
[ And kissed her, sweet, tearful-eyed;
> The rose-blossom-fetters broke;
; "I lo.e you, too," they replied,
j ?Frank Liempster Sherman in The Century.
J TORTURE OF A "SCAPE-GOAT."
A
> Good' Friday's Kepentanco In Mexico?
I Punlslilnq: the Wickedest Ulan.
'< Once a year, on Good Friday, the Mexi'
cans select a victim for the whipping, and
- sometimes more than one. The selection is
' made by taking the worst one of the lot.
This is determined by all making a confession
before a priest of the year's mis>
deeds, and the one decided to be the worst
t sinner is selected as a sort of ''scape-goat" to
> bear the torture.
The martyr is prepared at the church by
being stripped nearly naked and by being
? prayed fOr. Then ho is made to carry a
i heavy cross full ten feet high, with the cross
arm of five or six feet in length, and made
> of wood six to eight inches in diameter. Ho
carries this cross for a considerable dis'
tanco to a place selected for the purpose,
I where there is another larger cross erected.
I Arriving at the upright cross, he carries his
i cross around it and Is then permitted to lay
! it down. Here the business takes a turn not
quite *o agreeable to the candidate, for he
finds a crowd of worshipers surrounding him
Two of these worshipers are armed with large
cactus bushes of wliat i3 commonly called
i "tree cactus" or "cane cactus," on act
count of its being used to mako walking
sticks of. This cactus grows to the hight of
three or four feet and is armed with thou?
rands of needle-like spines fully an inch
' long. The main stalk is as large as a man's
; w rist at the ground, branching otf as it
rises, and each branch having many lateral
branches from three to tive inches iu length,
1 all fully armed with needle-like thorns,
i which are very poisonous, the prick caus'
ing very painful, festering wounds in a short
1 time.
Seizing one of the cactus bushes by the
butt and which has been trimmed for the purpose,
two begin the ceremi#jy by striking
> the candidate on the naked back and marchI
inir him ornnnH t.hft rrnsq tha rest keBninf?
up a continuous shouting and singing, with
' music by a sort of wind instrument. Having
whipped him around until their bushes
> are broken up, they lorm a profession and
> inarch him back to the church door, where
1 he is stopped. Here, with sticks like laths,
the adhering pieces of the cactu3 are
scraped off of him and placed on the ground
> in the door where he is next to enter, walicir.g
barefoot on the pioces of cactus, After
this the victim is allowed to be taken to his
LI home to get well or die, as the case may be.
' He is not allowed to pull out the thorns un>
til they come out by fostering, and it fre>
quently occurs that six or eight months
i eiapso before he recovers.
' I went to see one of these ceremonies
' through curiosity, and I am not curious
> ' enough to go to see another. The sight of the
| Dieeain^ vicum, auujucu vu a wnuio wcu
I I far exceeds burning at the stake, is no atI
traction to me, though the poor victim never
J; uttered a single groan during the per>
f ormance. ?Mexico Cor. Kansas City Times.
Sarali Off In a liluze of Glory.
L lime. Sarah Bernhardt has gone off to
London en route lor Spain, and has quitted
Paris in a bla/.e of glory. Her brilliant suc?
| cess in th? revival o? Fedora, which closed
the series of her impersonations at the Porte
I St Martain, was more than sufficient to
, ! e:l'a:e from the minds of her adorers all
I memory ot her failures as Marion Delorme
and as Ophelia. The great actress was never
II greater than she was in that role, wherein
> Sardou has fitted her talent like a glove.
She has introduced a new and startling effect
, j into the death scene. When the dead Fedora
: | rolls off the sofa she does not, as formally,
i fall prone upon the lloor, but remains with
: her head and shoulders resting on the edge
l of the sofa, the dead face fronting the audii
ence in most ghastly fashion. Also, Sarah
which she makes full use in fedora. She
has learned how to cry. Tho first time she
visited England she remarked to Miss Ellen
Terry: "Ah, Miss Terry, you possess an art
which I long to be able to use myself?that
of shedding tears at will."
She ha3 lound out the secret now, and in
the last act of "Fedora" the other night she
, wept so profusely and so realistically that
. j all t.:e rougo and cearl powder was washed
i from her face by the continous showers of
tears. She might have gone on playing
; 1' eJora to crowded houses for weeks and
months to come. Lut she has taken her departure,
and she will be gone a whole year,
to tho sincero regret of tho play-goeis of
, Paris, since she is the sole actress of gonius
that now adorns their boards. What a
strange compound is this singular woman? j
a female Baruum backed by a great dra
matic artist?Kachel mixed with a strolling 1
player. I cull I rom the columns of an evenI
I...- noraii' t.liu nnewlotri rosnoetinsr
I I "*o o ?
i! her: Une eveniug \vh n her drawing-room
i was crowded witb journalists, ono or them
; a.-ked las bostiss wiiat hud become of h.-r
[ coilin. "It is worn our," made answer Mmo. 1
b'arali Bernhardt, "i ou used to sit upon it
and uso it as a b.-n; h. I have an urn now .
. instead. -My ashes shall bo deposited in it,
and on it shall be inscribe !, '^ho is at rest'
i ?or rather 'They are at rest'?meaning
i you, gentlemen.Lucy II. Hooper's i'aris
Letter.
millionaire Flood's >*ob Hill Hon to. >
i Mr. J. C. Flood will enter upon the occupancy
oi bis now housj 011 2sgL> Ilill, S;tn
1'ranciseo, next 1'iiil. 'iho Alta California
says: '"Tbis building is probably tho most
expensive private resideu-o in America
The structure is of veritable >.ew York
swelldom brownstone, and tlio dimensions
in tho clear are about HiUxlJj feet, with |
I su.'Jicient surrounding gro.md for a floral
j yaradiso. Tlio artist in ilmrgo is the same
I gentleman who sup. rintenueil tlio Iiiilsfting
I of the mansions of \ auuerbilt, Stewart,
' | Villurd, and other eastern millionaires: and
! liis delight over Lis piesent task is s>uch that |
ho declares th-it the parlors of any oi them '
1 i would l?e paled l>y comparison with tho i
I back hall of tho Flo'.d palace. It is idle to
estimate in particular tho coat of any of tho
parts of tins magnificent editke or sot a j
valuo upon the whole. Tue contractors for
1 the interior decorations are s-aid to have
made an i intlay of ov.r >SOU,0;xi for their
work and material alonj."?Exchango.
j
The Savannah .News says that the |
| real reason why southern men wear their !
hair long is to keep tho sun from tanning I
their necks.
To do a kind act is tho proof of a good
; man; not bragging about it afterward, howj
ever, is the proof of a noble man.? Jud
j Lafagaa.
THE ARIZONA SHEPHERD. I
A LIFE WHICH PRESENTS BUT FEW
ATTRACTIVE FEATURES.
No Great Manual Lauor ana s>uu i^esa
Mental Exertion?Camp and Cooking i
Utennlls?Preparing the Modest Even- I
inj Meal?A Night's Lodging. . -.>JB
If the ancients deemed this life one of the
happiest that man could engage in merely* I
because it involves no great manual labor1 I
and still less mental, I most heartily Ogre'} I
with them, for I can imagine no life, unleaj I
it be that of tho professional idler, that ro- 1
quires less of these ingredients than that of I
the sheep-herder. There may be one or twd - I
months in the year when be is compelled to I
make a pretense of exerting himself, but 9
during the remaining ten months his lifd |
work is to wander la^ilv ud and dowri I
through tho woods, kicking small stones ou6 N 'ijfl
of his pathway and whistling till the very 1
trees around him groan His only care is w- 1
see that the flock does not wander too far I
from tLe camp and that no wayward sheep . I
strays from the main band. It gives him' 1
no particular trouble to keep them at u.1
reasonable distance from the place of ren-. - -'
dezvous, and should any black sheep become'; I
so perverse as to attempt to sever all cod- *
nections with his fellows, and to wander out 1
into the wicked world all by himself, a mere I
' shoo, there," and a stone well aimed quickly 1
strikes terror into his rebellious heart and j
causes him to seek once more the society , ]
from which he sought to separate himself.
This, then, constitutes for the greater part I
of the year what the sheep-herder is pleased j
tsrcall his daily labor. But bis labors do j
not cease witu the day, for when darkness j
approaches be returns, not to the "bosom of j
his family," but to his lonely and uninvit
i ing camp, where he prepares his frugal .
i meals ami indulges in tha 'halmv " to use a 1
favorite e^presoion of the poetic Mr- . j
iSwiveiler. ' ?
The camp usually consists of a small tent,
in which are stored tha scanty provisions jiS
and the necessary cooking utensils. Eetora j
the tent a few sapling pine trees, if they can 1
be reaaily obtained, are arranged in 6uch a
manner as to form a small inclosure, and ' j
within this indosure a blading fire of pine I
logs, which answers tue triple purpose oC heating
stove, cooking ;-tove, and lamp, i?
kept burning during the lonely hours of thor .
long winter evenings, and its lambent Ham> ?
light up the forest far and wide with a sort
of spectral glow. *
A J1EAL AND NIGHT'S LODGING. .
TTnon reaching canrn the herder's first
care is to prepare his modest evening meal.
With tbis and in view he melts a quantity . ;a
of snow in a tin kettle, thus obtaining suilicient
water with which to ina^e bread and
coffee. The bread is baked in a sort of irou t
oven, having a closely fitting iron cover.
This oven, in which the dou^h is placed, Li covered
with glowing coals, and in a very
few moments a well-baked, but extremely ,
unteinpting loaf, is turned out The bread
| and coliee bomg iu readiness, B'thj would-b>
cook applies himself to the cooking of meal, * ^{jj
which is, except on state occasions, mutton. .. . >'3p|
j The meat is cut into large pieces and placed .
in a frying pan over the coals, where it
allowed to remain until the external portion j
at least have become browned. It matters
very little whether the interior be cooked or.
not. ,
To such a repast, with the possible addi- .
tion of a few potatoes, onions, or beans, the
i sheep-herder diligent.y applies himself each
morning and evening of the greater part of .
| me yenr. xijs taoio is cuo uaio ^iuuuu, u? .
| table cloth?such an article is utterly uui
knoniL He usually eats from the dishes iu
| which the food baa been cooked, and, though
knives and forks may always be found ia
the camp, he prefers his fingers, acting on
the principle that "lingers were made
| before forks." After this barbarous rite is s
concluded, he is at liberty to indulge in his
favorite pastime of whistling, or, if he be a .
Mexican, in brushing his teeth with an in- .
! strumeni which ho calls a "harp," but which
; in musical circles is generally designated as <
the "villainous mouth-organ,"until he feels
disposed to retire. This is a very simple .
operation, and does not require much prepaI
ration. Two or three sheep skins that serve
I as mattress are placed on tUe ground, and a
I few blankets are placed over these, _ which # v
with a coat for a pillow, make up the royal
couch. Divestiug himself of no other articles
of apparel except his coat and boots, the
herder wraps himself in his blankets, and i?
I all prepared to receive the god of sleepwhenever
his majesty may be pleased to ap:
i>ear. He sleeps in blissful unconsciousness|
of all around uutil the new-born light tellsi
him that another dav has beuun. Then,
| casting bis blankets aside and drawing oa
1 his boots and coat, he immediately proceeds
! to prepare breakfast, which is essentially
i the same as the m.-al of the previous even|
ing. This being finished, he drives his
bleating flocks to their pasture, and perj
forms the same round of duties as on the:
preceding day.?.11. J. ltiordan in ChicagoTimes.
Effects of Impurities in Metals*
In a rjcont lecture Mr. W. C RobertsAuscen,
chemist of tha British mint, remarked
upon the wonderful effects often
prodjeed upon meta'.s by minute quantities
of impurities. Slight impurities in metallic
copper would render ocean telegraphy impossible.
When purified, tin loses its wellknown
"cry," or noise made when bent A
trace of arsenic increases the liuidity of
lead so that it will roll itself into small shot
in sliding down an inclined plane.
fc-tandard gold melts at about 10 0 degree*,
but if a lifth of 1 per cent, of silica bj added ^
it will soften in a candle-llanie. A trace of
had added to gold forms an alloy much
dl eaded at tho miut, the breaking strain of
the gold beir*' reduced from twenty tons to
five. Some metals have a reiuarlcaole pow.-r
of taking up ga^s, palladium being capable
of absorbing WW times its volume of hydrogen
and giving it out again when heated. A
remarkable discoveiy is that an alloy of
rhodium and load will absorb nitrogen and
oxygen, and when heated give them off with
explosive v.olence as gun-cotton does.?
Ariian?aw Traveler.
Throwing Effect on tho Balcony.
Clay Greene once played Romeo. He
was to play it to a very beautiful J uliet, a
lady who has been known on the New York
stage for some tim\ Just bolore the curtain
rose in the balcony scene the man who
looked after the theater?this took place at
San Kafaol?discovered that the footlights
had been put out. This was dono, I suj>pose,
to throw effect on the balcony. Concluding
that something had happened, the
studious and zealous guardian of the hall
went out and got a candle. Clay was heaving
bis whole soul up to that balcony and
Juliet Capulet was leaning gracefully on
the balcony, when the janitor calmly
walked in with a pair of big boots on and
a candle in his hand and deliberately
walked along shutting out the actors ami
lighting the 1'ootligbta. Clay will kill thas
janitor when he gets money enough to buy
it jury to ae>;uit him.?Sau Francisco
Chronicle "Undertones."
Moonshine whisky distilleries are reporter}
to bo cropping out in all the moubtainouiparts
of Pennsylvania ^