The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, October 08, 1890, Image 6
THE GREENWOOD TRIBUNE.
rmi.tshkd -weekly at
Greenwood - S. C.
Ixo year since 1S79 liad so small an
amouut of sunshine in England as 1SSS.
The German government has an agent
in London to report on English manners
?not customs?but the manners of society.
According to figures published dv the
English Registrar General, the most
healthful occupation is that of ministers
r\f rf>lirrinn.
In spite of tlie increased efficiency of
the Fire Department made possible by
the use of the tclegrapli, modern fires in
England show a more destructive tendency
and an increase in the percentage
of lives lost.
"Can any legislator of auy State" asks
the New York Telegram, "beat the Kansas
man who has introduced a bill appropriating
a lot of money for drilling
four deep holes in the ground 'to see
what cun be found?' "
The depo-it of nitrate of soda along
the Peruvian coast is so great that centuries
will be icquired to exhaust it. It
is four or five feet thick for unmeasured
miles, is broken out with crowbars, then
g7?wnd and run in solution into vats of
sea-water, when crystallization takes
plate.
The Kansas Senate has passed unani
mou.?ly a bill to restrict the ownership
of real estate in that state to American
citizens and those who have lawfully
declare ! their intention to bccome such,
and to limit the quantity of land which
corporations might hold or own to one
sccuoii or
Professor Jlulinll gives the following
figures as to tlie a;?*c i:iiml>cr of children
to a marriage in the chief countries
of Europe: Ireland, 5.20; Russia,
4.S3; Spain, 4.05; Italy, -1.51; Scotland,
4.4G; Holland, -1.22; Sweeden,
4.12; Germany, 4.10; England, 4.OS;
Austria, 4.04; Belgium, 4.01; Switzerland,
3.94; Hungary, 3.70; Denmark,
4.CI; France, 3.03.
The baggage-men of the United States
have passed resolutions about the necessity
of the proper roping and strapping
of what they call "frail trunks." "What
the great array of travelers want to do
now, suggests the San Francisco Chroni- j
clc, b to adopt resolutions in regard to j
the baggage-smasher whose ingenuity in
wrecking strong as well as frail trunks
increases with every season.
The New York Historical society has
just purchased from the Richmond (Va.)
Whig Publishing company the files of
the Richmond Whig and the Richmond
Enquirer from 18W4 to 1SS8, inclusive,
for about $2500. The volumes cover
the history of the war of 1812-14, the
Mexican war and the war of the states of
the Union. No such opportunity for
securing a current history of this United
States has perhaps ever occurred.
The Atlanta Constitution thinks that
4,the New York World is simply silly
when it proposes to defend our harbor
entrances by flooding the water with petroleum
and igniting it, thus creating a
sea of fire to envelop the enemy's fleet.
The enemy would make false attacks
until the petroleum was exhausted, and
then go to work in earnest. No city i
would care to keep on hand an unlimited
supply of oil. It would bo dangerous."
Henry Labouchcre, the editor of Lou- j
don Truth, makes public a hitherto unpublished
fact concerning the death of
Napoleon III. lie says: "A correspondent
writes to me to point out that
in a li-1 which h:is been published of
the sovereigns, ex-sovereigns and princes
who have di* d mysteriously, the name of
Napoleon III. has been included. The
latter, though I bcli-jve the fact has
never been publicly stated, died while
under chloroform, which had been administered
to hint when lie was about to
undergo a painful operation.
There is yet no public railroad in
China. The single private track existing
is a curiosity. The young Emperor
of China an:uses himself now and then
by whisking around his palace grounds
in Pekin on it, an affair in miniature,
and enjoys a monopoly of it. The
French government has just made a very
handsome present to Li Hung Chang in
the shape of a complete railroad tram;
but if the Chinese statesman makes ihc
present available he will have to grade a
road-bed and buy some rails, and thus,
as France hopes, break the ice for the introduction
ol' railroads.
Luring the year fi''c persons died
in Great Britain who left estates valued
at moic than $0,000,0(10. The largest
una tVrif. of Rriron ;le Stern, of London.
who left a fortune of ?17,724,8S0.
j TflE SINGULAR SAMOA?.
j A people WHO hatte aroused
PUBLIC INTEREST IN AMERICA.
Handsome Men with Primitive
Ideas as to ( loiliing'?Both Sexes
Tattooed?Tiie Native Towns.
I "The Sa:::oan luca," says a writer in
j the C'MiwjiolUiiii, "are very fine speci|
mens of the genus homo?tall, broad,
j well-developed, and with prepossessing,
line, agreeable features. They have the
custom of applying lime to the hair,
which makes them all red-headed. There
are various shades, from auburn to a
; darker shade, which resembles sealskin.
The hair is trimmed close on the crown
of the head, leaving front, sides and
back long, which, surmounting a really
fine bronzed face, produces a handsome
effect. In the matter of clothing they
are quite primitive, as, for the most
part, they wear nothing but a strip of
cloth wound about the waist, falling
half way to the knee. The original
material used was tapa, and mauy use
that now; but the majority have substituted
calico, and, as would be expected,
choose large ligures and brilliant colors.
All the men are tattooed from waist to
the knees, the pattern being identical
and very elaborate. A few wear garI
lands of flowers across the shoulders,
I and some head dresses of leaves standing
| up like feathers. These, we understand,
j are chiefs.
"The great majority of women wear
nothing above the waist, and nothing
below the knees. A few, perhaps from
deference to foreigners' prejudice, peri
h:im throucrh vanity, aitempt waists,
but it is such a recent innovation that
no well-defined fashion has been established,
each aspirant to better things in
the way of clothing following her own
fancy or that of her particular set. The
most pleasing, perhaps because the most
simple, garment for upper -wear is a
straight striped thin material with a
hole cut in the center for the head, the
ends hanging down over the bosom and
back.
"The women are tattooed, also, but in
a more merciful manner than the men:
that is, there is not so much of it, only
?mall figures some distance apart. Many,
b-'.'-h men and women, have their names
t.'.ttoocd on the forearm, the letters being
the same as o:.rs.
"The custom of putting lime on the
I r.:;ir is not >o common among the women,
but many do it. Wc learn that the
change in color is only incidental, this
ob.ect being cleanliness. Cocoanut oil
is freely used, both upon the hair and
[ body, and the odor of it pervades the
j air. The people bathe a great deal and
seem generally to be cleanly."
Ilere is a neat description of an interview
with Tnma?esc, the so-called
usurper, whom the Germans are supporting:
"While we were visiting one of the
tents Tamasese approached. The family
saluted him by crossing their arms upon
their breasts, remaining in that attitude
until he Had passed. He greeted us
with 'Kalofai,' which greeting we
returned, lie is a verj7 large man, but
has a less intelligent face than many of
the others. In his hand he carried a
handkerchief with which he kept off
the flies--theso injects are very numerous,
small and pestiferous. His only
companion was nis wue, wno wuircu it
few steps behind, r-die was dressed in
the prevailing style."
The description of the native towns is
full of interest:
"As we passed the houses the inmates
invited us to enter, and we visited a
number of families. These houses, or
huts, built of bamboo, are very well constructed,
the frame-work is tied firmly
together, and the mats and thatching
which lorm the roofs are really artistically
woven. There are no wa'ls, but
when it becomes neccssaiy to shut out
wind, rain or sun mats made of cocoanut
leaves are let down. The floors are
made of pebbles gathered from the I'eds
of fresh water streams which come down
from the mountains. There appears to
be a number of people to each hut, and
when needful to form rooms tapa scieens
are hung up. They have no beds, but
?lwn on mats pnread nnon the floor. One
would suppose these would make any
tiling but downy couches, but the native?
evidently tmd thrmi comfortable, for at
any hour of the day some members of
tin.; ;amily are sure to be found asleep,
'ilicir piliows?which consist of a length
of bamboo supported at either end on
legs ?form a part of the very meager
furniture, the other part consisting of a
strong box in which arc kept the finery
and valuables lu the Taiuasese villages
: we noticed that every hut had its riile or
rifle.*, so that the men arc ready at any
moment for a call to arms. The King's
palac e differs from the huts only in size,
and the possession of several Kuropeau
| trunks"
The following as to the betrothal of
, "the belle of ;he islands," should inter1
est the ladies:
,;A few days since a very novel and
i interesting entertainment?which we
j were fortunate enough to witness?look
. place on board the Ameri'nii mav-of-war
j in ihc harbor. Asi, a native chief, visited
| the .ship with his household, ami gave a
: native dance and some plays on the
I quarter-dc k. As: is a 1:1:111 ofherculean
I build and line beating; ho has a strong
j fact-, rules his people perfectly, and is
an ideal ravage chief. Kaapia, hisdaughj
ter, is ratlif;r petite, has a bright and
j laughing lace, and is full of life and
1 grace, she is said to be the belle of the
; island, and has hud many chiefs as suit:
ors, but until now no one has pleased
1 her father, wlio.se \v;l! is tn?: only one to
; be consulted in the matter. At la-t,
! however, a favored suitor lias appeared
I who is soon to bring his present.-, to the
! chief. If ihey are accepted?for the
j gifts constitute the proposal?the suit is (
I encouraged. (Jivinga daughter in mar- ,
riage here is somewhat iti the nature of
a barter, and the number and value of
; the pre-ciits have often as much to do
j with the decision, of paterfamilias as the
! character of the young man. The young
woman is not- consulted as to her feelings
1 or wishes. When Faapia came on board
! the ship with her father, her costume
! was the usual tapa about the bod v. with
a waist made of the same materia'. 1
s>ay made, bccamc it was shaped like a
waist and sewed on a machine. Kven the
Samoans have sewing machines, and 1
t...... n_fl.it* tvliii.li vnnc itv rlnfili.
j work."
Of 20,00? criminals arrested in Par's,
| liVOOO had not attained the age of
' twenty.
WISE WORDS. j
A lie has no legs.
One crime: begets anothei.
Goodness is love in action.
A stitch in time saves nine.
As you brew, you must bake.
Fame is the perfume of heroic deeds.
Filence is the perfectest herald of joy.
I cople show their dislike for others by
I flattering them.
Unselfish acts are as rare as icicles are
; in summer time.
I Correct society is an equal service
toward each other.
| Censure is the tax a man pays the pubj
lie for being eminent.
They are never alone that are accom
panied by noble thoughts.
We are not rich or poor by what we
possess, but by what we desire.
lie who thinks his place below him,
will certainly be below his place.
MnrWntinn is the silken string run
\ ning through the pearl chain of all vir:
tues.
Humility is a virtue all preacn, none
| practice,and yet everybody is content to
j bear.
Beholding the bright countenance of
! Truth is th-j <|uiet and still air of dcI
lightful studies.
i Prosperity is the touch-stone of virI
tue. It is less difficult to bear misfor!
tunes than to remain uueorrupted by
pleasure.
New Chcmical Discoveries.
It will be a long time before the farj
mer finds himself supplanted by the
; chemical laboratory in the production
! of such commodities as sugar, tea, al o;
hoi, drugs and dye stuffs, thoign sanj
guinc chemists tell us that the recent triumphs
of their s icn e indicate the
; probability that these and other articles
: will some day be profitably produced
! from purely inorganic materials. Synthetic
chemistry, or the forming of compounds
by recombiuations of chemical
elements, is making steady progress, and
j has u:ready a acted agriculture, says the
London Tit Hi's.
: A ttealiou was recently called to the fact
j that the cultivation of madder has been
! almost destroyed l>y the chemical d.s'
covery that its identical coloring matter
cm be cheaply procured from coal tar.
The production of indigo is :d-o threatened
by an artificial production whi< h
the chouiists have discovered. A while
ago 1: was found the cinchona tree could
be prilitnbly planted in India, and a line
new licld of industry w.i* believed to
have opened for the farmers of that
country.
! Scores of chemists, however,have been
| at work upon the tyrithc:is of quinine,
, and their researches have advan ed so
j far that the prediction is now confidently
made that the manufacture of the
I principle of quinine will soon be a < omj
men ial success, and that cinchona
I planting will be omc a thing of the
j past. These < ommer ial rcprodu tions
I of the valuable principles inherent in
J natural products arc often easier to han!
die and utilize than the products from
j which they have hitherto been derived,
I and thus the tenden-y of manufactures
j is to substitute artificial for natural
! sources of supply.
The problem of sugar mrskiug from
j inorgani" materials has engaged soma
j chemists for a number of years. The
j synthesis of glucose by Fischer and Tafel
is said to promise an ample supply of
this commodity without the aid of
grapes or star h. Two years ago some
German chemists announ- ed that they
had produced saccharose, the equivalent
of (ane sugar, by passing an ele trie
current through a mixture of stanh,sul
phnric a-id nnd writer. Nothing has
yet been heard of the < ommer ial rahie
of this new* produc t, and there is no rea|
son to think it will prove a dangerous
rival to the sweets we derive from the
cane and the beet.
Some sugar growers, however, have
been propherying for years that something
would happen to ruin the sugar
industry, and their alarm rereives a
fresh impetus at every new discovery
like that of Remsen's saccharine, an exceedingly
sweet article produced from
coal tar. The day may coinc when processes
of sugar making by the use of inorganic
materials will seriously affect
the sugar planter, but there is no reason
! as yet to believe that his industry will
soon be imperiled.
A Wooden Iter's Enterprise.
A strange financier, who lives in a forest,
has just been discovered in the Department
of the Seine-i t-Oise, France,
lie is a man named Vaillant, and lately
' put in a claim for over $-10(1,000 which
i lin nlloan.l had been donosited with 51.
Bex, the official stock broker of 1'aris
who recently committed suicide. (>uc 1
i of the official Trustees in the "Hex bank- j
I rupicy," a M. -Moreau, went clown to see
! the rustic financier, ami found him in n ]
i kind of log cabin, surrounded b}' l;ooks j
; and pipers, nor only of a Jinaueial but !
j of a philosophical, literary and scicntilic '
character. Among the documents in his |
possession was a number of printed prospeciuse?,
ready for distribution, iu'which
| Vailbnt olVcrcd to transact legal and
monetary business or householders iu
j town ::::d country. This cxiaordinary I
, Arc:??l??11 man of business was arrested j
by the gendarmes, ami has now been
tran.-fcrred from his rural rendezvous to
Ma/as Prison. lie was, by calling, a
woodcutter, with a tusle for books, and
: passed among the peasants as a man of j
light, leading, and learning. It is be- I
lievt.'vl that, either through ignorance or
intention, he joined a band of ''long
linn" sharpers, who prevailed upon him
to dabblu in finances for their own prolit.
?London J' U'jrtqjh.
(Jims Tliat. Siio'?t Thirtoen .Uilos.
Two monster Kussianguns have hf*cn
I sent to Scbastopol for the purpose of be!
ing placed in the new iron, lad Sinope,
' ami although some of the details must
! he inaccurate, the official description is
1 too interesting to be ignored. They are
! twelve-inch piocc-% weighing fifty tons,
j and throwing projectiles of nearly halt' a
: ton. Tim powder-, harge i3 - pounds,
I and ths initial vcloi ity HO'JU metres
: tiw. ri.cf in o n!' tlu> cnnnnn'.s
J W11UU mv * V w. . ? - .....
ranges is said to be twenty versts, or
over thirteen miles. As a consequence
the lire of the suns can only he directed
by the map, the oh ectllrcd at being out
of sight. Two men. however,suliice for
each :;un, as they are worked by hy]
draulic machinery.
'LASTOTTHE BUFFALO.
A 2EAGNIFICENT A27I2IAL NOW
j ALMOST EXTINCT.
The Indian and the "white Blan
Joined Hands in the Slaughter cf
the EufFalo.
Dr. "William F. Carver is probably
responsible lor the death of more bison
than any other one man. For a number
of years ho hunted them on the plains,
j and in shooting them he developed that
I wonderful skill in handling lirearms
i which has made him the best all-round
shot in the world. To a Kansas City
Times representative he told the followj
ing stoiy of the bison, and how they
i were formerly hunted by the Indians,
i AV*1\t? 4-lw. n-liifnej
| LilCJU UY tliV- "niuo .
"Before the invasion of civilization'
tlie Indian relied almost entirely upon
the bison for his subsistence. The red
man, although daring in his attempts to
hill game, was yet the complete slave of
the'medicine man.' How did he rule
them ? I will tell you. When the Indian's
supply of builalo nvat began to
give out, or the season came to lay in
! the winter rations, the medicine man
1 was notified, and he ordered a builalo
i dance. It t'le tribe was a large one
the festivities would oiteu last for
weeks, and all sorts of can-cans would
Vio in.liilwul -in At thn clnse of the
feast the medicine man would gather
all kinds of herbs, roots, 'leaves and
grasses find retire to his tont. Exactly
what his process of preparing the medicine
was no white man has ever found
out; but the faith in him was so strong
that even the most powerful chief would
not be followed by a dozen braves if
the medicine was wrong. From time
to time the medicine man would come
to the door of the tent and announce to
the waiting chiefs what the mixture
indicated.
"Upon the final announcement that
the medicine was right, the whole camp
would be broken up and the tribe would
I start in full force upon the hunt. A
I few sharp-sighted old scouts would be.
j in tho van and keep tin trP-o posted us
! to the location ami number of bison by
[ riding in circles of dliferent sixes and
; points of interseetiov. When a suitable
; herd was found, t!:o warriors would \
i stop, mount their favorite hunting!
| horses and prepare f-.r the slaughter. 1
i The bow was made o." hiekory ooil, ;
about four l'eet !:? :. .% covered v.iih a;
1 paste made of the boiled sinews of a;
bison, and still" euoagh to serve as a j
| jumping pole. Notwithstanding this I
I strength, the Indian would bond the j
' bow almost double before sending the.
arrow to the winds. It v. as strung wii.li
the cord which runs from tho top of a
bison's hump to his tail, this cord being 1
first wrapped with small strings of
sinews. The arr nv was from thirty t:>
thirty-six inches in length, almost tho j
size of a lead pencil, tipped with several
feathers and having the familiar tlint
head tied on the front end. From the ;
head grooves are cut in the arrow, so as
to let the blood flow lively. The great
warriors sometimes had arrows made of j
I bone, and in later days tho white men
| taught the Indian.; tj ussteel arrow;
i heads.
...... ..... .
! l)lc the hunters se k s.<;i!c e ml place for
' rest and the squaws hike charge of the
game. They skin tic animals, cut the
I llcsh into strips and Jiang them in the
! sun to dry. When the most became'
crisp enough to break it v>;is p.'ac< d in a
rawhide pouch, covered all over with tallow
and put away for winter use. In ;
that condition the meat is very good t*>
eat, but when boiled for a short time it,
absorbs the water and rot.irns to its for-!
mer size and tosies almost lika freoii
meat. The squaws also tan tlie hides or
dress them up to be traded. Tlio fur'
dealers would get them for a few pieces :
of common jewelry worth possibly CO
cents.
"As the Indians hunted them, the
race of bison would probably have lasted i
forever, but about lotJG the white men !
turned their attention to the shaggy
monsters of the plains. Large Eastern
firms organized hunting parties and
paid the shooters ?2.50 i'or each bison
whero ho lay dead on the plains. I then
went to Southern Nebraska and became
a professional hunter. The bison consisted
of two large divisions, the one living
in the south and the otfier in the
north. Their only common feeding
ground was along the Republican River
and its branches in Nebraska. The Indiaus
were well aware of that fact and
I lincJiln +,i-ilir>s lin.vo had maiiv a fiu'llt for
that territory. It was not until 1873 |
! that the Government put an end to this ]
I by sending llio Pawnees south and the i
I Sioux to their northern reservations, j
Prior to that time we had to do all of j
; our hunting at the risk of being scalped ;
at any time.
| "Our favorite grm was an army model j
of [-the Soringiicld rifle, 45-calibrc and;
loaded v.itli iiiwty grains of powder. !
J T!>e whites pa'terni-d after the Indians j
'and hunt; d on hoi\s<back. Having
| wagons to haul our game, wo did not;
i care to Viivlc' them as the Indians did.
"When a herd v. as located wo would
mount our best horses and as quietly as
possible approach the herd from the leei
ward side. As soon as they saw us tho
fun would liegiu. Although of a low
lmild, the bison will make a very interesting
race with a horse for ten miles.
Vt'o v.vuhl press up on tho right flank
i of lh<- herd and ride so close to tho ani|
Dials that our .trims would touch the side
when tired. The mo-t deadly shot was
j to tiro quartering through the hmg
i r.o that the animal would bleed to death,
j In tliis way wo would follow the herd as
; long as our hones could stand it. On
i mm .a' fit. in niim T killml 1 I;] liison.
j nono of which were more than 100 yards
i apart. In riding back an awful sight
! was presented to theeyo. The trail was
marked by dead and dying animals. An
; occasional big bull would have a broken
I bark so that lie could only got up on his
\ fore logs, and nothing could look more
; furious than his shaking head with coal
i blank eyes glaring in a death stare from
j his shaggy front. AVe received our pay
| for the animals d ad on the plains and
I wagons followed us up, quartered the
- ' ' l--' 1 <1 I ll 1 +..1
| UlUItmiS IllHl Iiu; r>uuiuu tuiu itixI
low to K:i<t"ni markets.
| "About li-7i 1 ho liitle Imnt in.<7 bnpran.
Prior to this j im Iii 1 lo or iso attention
was paid the >kins, but wliou t!ic iloni
i> IK I for tlirm eivated a hi^h prico the
meat was hViowmI t<> rot upon the plains,
ami this magnificent race was ex tin
guishod simply that extravagant tastes
might bo satisfied. With tin? improve- !
men Is in firearms an entirely different ;
mode of hunting was adonfed. The .
Springfield army gun w..s su.vrrc.Vd i
by a Sharp SO-caliber an i loji [? ! with i
110 grains of p:?wd?r. hunter n-vd j
his lnn^o osily in ii:idi:?;.' a herd. Ti.is j
d<>?e, we would t:> t w leeward side so
that the rent of tin- p.nvd r and report
would not reach t!.e animals, and find a
suitable shelter about 1,00:) yards distant !
from them. I have killed them at a dis- ;
tance of a mile. Hunting in this way
we had to be very particular and watch .
the herd closely. Like a herd of cattle, j
the bison are always on the go and are
apt to walk out of rille range in a short i
time. In moving, however, tliey always j
have a leader, and the trick was to kill j
any one that started to load the others I
off. By thus killing the leaders we j
could often shoot for nn hour from be- I
hind one clump of grass. When they \
had moved out of range the skinners ;
iji ?? i
WUILIU. CULlie Up, UUb tUU llJLU.tJ in i/?j.v> UJ.U1- i
nary way for skinning, tie the animal's !
head to a stake, hitch a team of horses j
to the hide and jerk it off". No one will i
ever know what immense numbers of !
bisnn were killed by these hide hunters, i
but to my certain knowledge 3,000,000 |
hides were shipped from the banks of |
the Frenchman River in one winter, j
The hide hunters, by a system of fires, '
kept the bison from the streams until ]
many of them perished and thousands ;
of others wore easily killed. At the ,
olos:> of that winter a man could go i
along the banks of the Frenchman fori
lifty miles by simply jumping from the I
carcass of one bison to that of another. 1
Considering facts of this kind, it is not j
surprising that a small tame herd and a
few old circus animals represent the
great herds which, less than a quarter of '
a century ago, blackened miles of prai- j
ries as a thunder cloud darkens the sky."
The Lord and the Nimble Gossoon.
Here is a scene wliioh I witnessed, J
says a writer in the Brooklyn Oitizen,
when I was a boy, in Phenix Park,
Dublin. There was a grand review, I
and Lord Cardigan and his dragoons I
were there. In those days the old
musket known as Brown Bess was in
use, and it used to kick so that it was a !
very common practice for the soldiers ut |
a review not to fire. They pretended !
to load, but instead of doing so, dropped j
the cartridges on the grass. After tlie j
review was over the young fellows went
round and gathered up tho cartridges. J
On tho day 1 refer to the review was |
partly over, and Lord Cardigan was i
walking up and down, lashing his boot |
with a riding whip. The brother of the j
old lady you have just seen was then a |
stalwart young chap, and he was hunt-i
iiitf for cartridges. Walking along with |
his head down, looking for the cartridges, j
he went unwittingly in tho direction !
from which Lord Cardigan was approach- i
iug. ile saw a cartridge on the grass. |
At the same moment Lord Cardigan j
espied it, made a quick ttep toward it,
and picked it up with his left hand just
as the young fellow was preparing to
grab it. Lord C'ardigafri smiled. Tho
boy was somewhat taken aback, but
when Lord Cardigan held out the cartridge
toward him his countenance
brightened, and he readied o it his hand i
to ia!:e it. At that moment Lord Car- I
ditrail brought his whip down upon tho j
hand of the b.iy, who doubled himself j
up and howled with pain. Lord Cardigan
passed on. Vengeance was burning
in tiie boy's soul, and, quickly
turning, he raised his foot and adminis- J
t;'fed a terrine kick to ins loniMup. t
Utterly astonished, Lord Cardigan
wheeled round, 'nut the boy was a dozen I
yards a-vay, with his thumb to His no-;e.
His lordship started in pursuit, but tlio j
1><>y was r?.-ady, and yelling out, "who j
stole the lady I " lie started on a gallop.
Lord Cardigan called a dragoon and
bade hi-u follow and capturo the offender.
The dragoon put spurs to his
horse, but the boy nimbly scaled a
fence, and, before disappearing from
view, again p!ru:ed his thumb to his
nose and twirled his fingers insultingly
at the dragoon as he drew rein at the
fence.
Ducks in a Cyclone Pit.
Captain Tngraham is a well known citizen
of a thriving littlo town on tho
Huntsville branch of tho Birmingham
Mineral. Conductor Smith, of the Village
Springs accommodation, tells in the
Birmingham, Ala., Ifcics tho following
story on tho captain:
Tiie captain lias a ueep cvuiouu [ut us
a place of refuge in time of dangerous
storms. The pit lias a trap door which
opens when touched, and closes itself.
Three weeks ago the captain purchased
seven ducks and two chickens and placed
them in his yard. The next day they
were nowhere to l.o found. A careful
search for the missing fowls failed to j
give tiny clew as to their whereabouts, j
and, thinking they had been stolen,
nothing more was thought about the !
matter.
Just nineteen days after the fowls disappeared
the eaptain had occasion to
open his cyclone pit. The first thing
that met his gaxe were the seven ducks
and two liens. They had stepped on tho
trap door and h :d be?n dumped into tii9
jut, the door closing behind them.
The wonderful fact of it is that although
they had been in the pit nine- j
teen davs without food or water they j
^ - XI... r i ,..r I
wore aavc. aiht uiu mnn ?<. !? u
moved from the pit it was noticed that j
they walked very awkwurdly. A careful j
examination revealed the fact that they i
wore all as blind as bats.
Wliy the Emperor 7/rote for Money. !
In 1883, durin g a tour in Europe, Dom
Pedro IX., the r?>r of Brazil, spent
some time at Cunncs. It is said that the
editor of a Freneh scientific magazine
waited on his Maje !y one morning and
begged him to wriif a series of papers
on Brazil for Jiis . i<xlic:il. The Emperor
was quite. wi.i ng to comply with
the request, but a-ked what he would
bo paid for the article^.
On the editor naming the priee whieli
ho was in the l a'- t of paving, Dom
' 1 *' 1 VI |
l'euro sam mar ;i v-o-.uu uu ?u,? ..v..,.
and then went <<n t> tell why ho had j
raised tlio quc-t.'t'i < !'pnyniont. "You'
see," ]ioiviu:i']:< I, "i -.vniildgludly write
for nothing, bi.t I.sim not at liberty to
do .c(?, :is o\'(T s'lici' t began writing I
have given ev.-p j>e: :iy i liave earned
by my brain to a.i o :?! :i n asylum in my
capital" (Itio de Jam aoj.?Little Folks.
/
OIL OX TROUBLED Yf ATEItS.
Two Experiments by which raany
lives were Saved.
Lieutenant Y.r. II. Beohlercxitvibntes v
t;> the Cm hi;/ an ? .': of the ercpeiini''!:ts
made with oil in r mg'.i water.
We quote tin1 following awmnt of two
rescues: "The captain of the ship
3Iiivth:i Cobb, Ion led wi!h petroleum,
fell in with a sinking vessel d:;"iug a
heavy gale: in the North Atlantic iu December,
186(5. Ti c signal mad said
the vessel was sinking and t'.;a:nll her
boats had been st >v.<. The Martha Cobb
hud lost her large boats, her bulwarks
washed out, and decks swept in the
same storm; the only boat left was a
small sixteen-foot dingey, which could
not possibly live in the sen \ hat was then
running. The captain says he was puzzled
and lay by for some hours hoping
that the gale would moderate; but as
wne r^n nn^ooyonon Ivf.fpr U'Pfttll
UUCJ.O nua uu l(|-,|',v'wluuwv ?????? ?
er and night coming on, he decided to
make an attempt to rescue the crew of
the sinking vessel. The Martha Cobb
had a cargo of petroleum, some of which
leaked, and the captain had noticed that
the sea in the wake of the ship was much
smoother when the pumps were worked,
"Ho signaled to the other wsel to
haul by the wind while he luffed to get
to windward, and at the same time
started the pumps; but the ship drifted
faster than the oil, and while the oil
made the sea comparatively smooth to
windward, it did not cover the sea leeward.
He then ran down across the
other vessel's stern, hauled up close under
her lee, and started the pumps again;
at the same time also he emptied a fivegallon
can of fish oil down the scuppers.
The effect was magical. In twenty minutes
the sea between and around the
vessels was broken down. The long ^
heavy swell remained, but the combers ^
and breaking seas were all gone. The
little dingey with tliree men had no difficulty
in pulling to windward and the
crew were saved. The boat was deeply
loaded and did not ship any water, although
the sea was breaking fiercely
outside of the 'charmed' space in which
the vessels lay on oiled seas.
"In June, 188-3, the British ship Slivemore
took fire and had to be abandoned
when eight hundred miles north-east of
the Seychelle Islands, Indian Ocean.
The people took to the boats and made
for Seychelle Islands. The third day after
leaving tho vessel a cyclone came up,
and no one believed that tho boats
would live through it. Before they left
the ship the boats had been supplied
with oil for just such an emergency.
Each boat got out a drag made of spars
and oars lashed together, for what is
known as a sea-anchor. Oakum saturated
with parafline was stulled in long
stockings hung over the bows of the
boats. Before the oil was used tho boats
had been several times nearly filled with
water and tho occupants had to bail for
their lives; but when oil was applied no
farther trouble was experienced. An
oil-slick formed around the boats, which
rode in perfect safety on tremendous
swells which took the place of the previously
breaking seas. Little if any water
came over the sides of the beats, and
the occupants could lie down and sleep.
Tho boats eventually reached the islands,
but every soul would have perished except
for t he forethought of Captain Conby,
the captain o? the Slivomore."
Brigades ir. a Snowball Fight.
*Meeting
with one of the followers of
troii. Lieo yesterday, ana vmue wniumng
tho little hoys snowball tlte passers,
we ask i; he over saw anything like
it. Tlio >'?' s.)ldier said:
"I was in tho Army of Northern Virginia.
I< -u may not believe it, but those
that wore at Guinea's station, near Fredericksburg,
will know that I tell the
truth when I Bay I have seen 10,000
snowballs in the air, at ono time. We
wero in camp at Guinea's, station, south
of Fredericksburg, in the winter of 1863.
A great many had built little huts to
keep them warm, but the majority depended
on log tires to keep them from
freeing. Theiv came on a snow storm,
and it was not many hours before the
earth was covered a foot deep. The
jii/or boys would hug the tire and wish,
they were back at home. Occasionally
a song would break the monotony while
the snow was falling thick and fast.
Next morning the boys, who had only
snatchod a few hours' sleep, and were
ready for anything, even to marching:
up to the mouth of a ten-inch Colum*
biad, commenced snowballing. It Srsfc
started in Company A. Second Georgia
Regiment, who turned loose on the
fllwifol-oo "Rivwrn
"The fight with snowballs was very
desperate, and each one who engaged in
it fought with the same vigor that he
fought the Yankers. One of the two
companies surrendered and then joined
the victorious company, and the two attacked
the next company. This captured,
the balauee of the regiment was
attacked and captured. Then the Second
Georgia attacked the Fifteenth,
Georgia, which they captured, and with .
this additional force the Seventeeth and 1
Twentieth had to succumb. These four ^
regiments next attacked Gen. Anderson's
brigade with snowballs, and a desperate
light ensued. The Seventh and
Eighth Georgia had never been known
to lower their Hag to the enemy, but
they had to lay down their arms to thesnowballers.
They were at last conquered,
and joined with Toomb's brigade,
who started the battle. They next
tackled two more brigades of Gen. Longstreet's
corps, and the fight went on until
the whole Army of Northern Virginia;
was more or less engaged. Some of tliff
parties engaged did not get to their
?iixiw f,n- fwmlnvs."?Athena(G<i..)Ban
no' 'Watchman.
A Left-Handed Violinist.
The "Bostonians," an opera company
now at Maeauley's, have a ouriosily. It
is a left-handed violinist, a member of
the orchestra. So far as I remember, he
is the only ''southpaw" fiddler overseen
in this city. He looks a little awkward,
and at first you wonder if he is really
playing, and presently discover that he
is ii skillful musician and is one of the
leaders of the accompanists. He a I tracts
considerable attention iror.i mo ironc
rows. Tin4 arrangement of thostrings on
liis violin is the reverse of the ordinary
way, the (r string heing on the right,'
oti\ ]>nt he gets there just the same.?
Louisville (A'y.) 1'oat.
S
/