The Aiken recorder. [volume] (Aiken, S.C.) 1881-1910, September 02, 1892, Image 6
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It i» ikul there sue 5o,0l>0.000
Tolutuc 4 in the public libraries of
America, while there are but 21,000,-
iu Europe.
Poplar trees arc being cut down in
Fresno county, California, because
they draw too much ou the fertility
of the soil.
A Hungarian journal quotes a list
of fourteen catea of suicide in a single
regiment of engineers as proof of the
bad treatment of the men hr the offi
cers of the Hungarian army.
The difference between the United
States and Mexico is strikingly shown,
remarks the Now York Witnes! 1 , in
the fact that with us 22 per cent, of
the entire population are in school; io
Mexico, only four per cent.
The statement that 10 per cent, of
the population of India are widows is
more important than it seems. In
former times widows were burned
with their dead husbands, and the
percentage of survivors was very
small indeed.
The American Farmer thinks, “it is
not very complimentary to the high
character cf sheepmen in intellectual
ami moral worth, but too near the
truth, that most of us are tagging
along behind the procession. We arc
hustled in wool by Australia, South
Amencii, South Africa, India, llussia,
and other countries. We are hustled
to find just what we can do profitably
Jhat everybody else is not doing. Wo
find a place once in a while, but when
we get around again somebody has
gotten there too, anil hustles us to
‘even up,’ There is a front, and we
need to find it.”
A deputy coroner in Philadelphia
the other day was called upon by the
agent of an insurance company fora
duplicate certificate of death in the
case of a child eight months old. It
had died of exhaustion caused by
teething. The request was such an
unusual one that the deputy coroner
asked if there was any insurance upon
the infant’s life. The agent appeared
to be suprised at the ignorance of his
questioner, and said: “It’s not at all
strange for such a young child to cir-
ry insurance on its life. Our company
insures infants from the day of birth.
In this c ise the parents have been pay
ing us five cents a week since Febru
ary last.”
It has been said privately by way
of expanation of the opposition to the
automatic coupler, says the Brooklyn
Citizen, that ou freight cars it could
not work well, because a great deal
of “slack” is required ou a long
freight train in order that the engine
at starting may overcome the inertia
of the cars. But it is easily possible
to construct a coupler that will join
automatically and still have just as
much “slack” as the present link and
pin by the use of which so many poor
fellows lose either their limbs or
lives, getting nothing from the com
pany for them selves or surviving
relatives by way of cotnpeusation. It
is a simple thing.
Soys the New York Post: Balti
more is becoming frightened at the
loss of trade with the country to the
southwest of it as far as Tennessee.
There was a time when the merchants
of the city waxed fat' from the profits
of this trade, but it has been diverted
elsewhere by the extensions of the
Norfolk and Western and the Shenan
doah Valley Railroad, in which Balti.
more capitalists hold only' an insignif
icant interest. New cities and new
industries are springing up like the
prophet’s gourd in the territory men
tioned, so that for Baltimore not to
have its finger in the pie is a serious
matter. This conviction came home
with humiliating force during the
decennial celebration of Roanoke re
cently. Here is a city whose popula
tion inis increased in ten years from
400 to 25,000. It is full of energetic
business men, and one industrial es
tablishment is being added to another
as fast as it can be built. Roanoke
boasts that in another ten years its
population will have lisen to 100,000.
Thoughtlessness.
Farmer Simpson was an exceedingly
mild-natured man, and would find
excuses for the shortcomings of his
neighbors, for the faults of his horses
and in fact for every unpleasant tiling
that came in ids way. He purchased
a cow and had the greatest difiieulty in
keeping her in the pa-lure.
“She’s kind of a rovin' critter, but
she means well,” lie said, after a walk
of several miles in pursuit of her.
One morning lie was milking the
cow, when she began to kick violent
ly, upset the stoo ! , sen* the pail fly
ing. and all the milk was spilled.
The farmer got up, and contemplat
ing the ruin, said gravely to a witness
of the disaster:
“Well, iii»\v, that’s the worst fault
this cow has.”
Then after a moment’s meditation,
feeling that perhaps he had been un-
necessarily’ severe, he added, “That is,
if you can call it a fault; maybe it't
only thoughtlessness.”
The Brighter Day.
When droary weatner, cold and wet.
Produces “blues” and melancholy,
Look back o’er life and don’t forget
That most of it was bright and jolly.
There never was a day of rain
But sunshine followed soon thereafter,
And gloomy mood or aching pain
Gave way to health and merry laughter.
The bells of Time
Will ring their chime
Of mingled joy and sorrow;
Yet the refrain
In hopeful strain,
Speaks sweetly for tomorrow.
When clouds of darkness hang their pall
Before the future you’re exploring.
With patience wait for them to fall,
In faith their threatening looks ignoring;
Their “silver lining” soon will show
As Fortune's breezes blow them over,
4.nd just beyond the rosv glow
Will light your pathway through the
clover.
The ringing bells
Have tolled their knells.
And now proclaim with pleasure
A sunny day
That's come to stay.
Filled high with precious treasure.
— [George E. Bowen.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s
Laughter.
BY MAKLTOX DOWNING.
The mines of New Zealand hare
turn’'*! «»ut $250,000,000 of gold.
llyppolite, the Insurgent General of
Hayti, was making bravo headway
against Legitime, the oppressor.
The patriot forces, or rebels as they
were then termed, had gradually hem
med the national army within the
precincts of Port-nu-Prinee, the capi
tal, but the navy was yet free to cruise
along the coast and harass the towns
and villages of the enemy.
Seven well-armed vessels comprised
the fleet. This squadron, however,
failed to have everything its own way
ou the high seas, being held greatly in
check by Hyppolite’s two irien-of-war,
the Mercedes and Jucque-Mal, under
command of a brave American who
had volunteered his services to assist
an outraged people.
The mode of fighting adopted by
the admiral of the Patriot General
was exceedingly annoying, not to say
destructive, to Legitime’s fleet. He
could not meet force with force, and
therefore was obliged to resort to
stra’egy and artifice to accomplish his
purpose.
In the quiet hours of night while
the Nationalist vessels were lying in
port with the greater part of their sea
men sleeping in their hammocks, the
dauntless American on board the
Mercedes would dash in among the
fleet; deliver a rapid fire from the only
two guns which he had, and be away
again before the eyes of the drowsy
Haytiuns were thoroughly opened, and
long ere the steam in the boilers was
powerful enough to move their en
gines, the patriots would be leagues
distant, seeking u safe retreat in some
of the numerous bays along the coast.
Time and again Legitime’s admiral
essayed to crush the alien commander,
but the latter always received timely
warning from the people whom he
was befriending at such risk to him
self, and invariably succeeded in
making good his escape.
One night, with bis two small ves
sels, the American was at anchor in
the harbor of Aux-Cayes. His fires
were brightly burning in thefurnaces,
and with “springs” ou the cables, he
was ready to slip and run at the first
indication of danger.
Throughout the day the wind had
been blowing a gale, one of those
fierce “Northers” so common in the
West Indies, but as evening approached
the tempest lulled, and when the
bright light ou the outer reef streamed
forth over the waters, a warning to
approaching mariners, the weather
hud begun to resume its wonted tran
quility.
Pierre Chapelle, the keeper, was
away from ins post of duty. Some
said he was supporting Legitime, but
those who knew the man best were
awaro that he was filling the position
of petty officer on board the Mercedes.
Yet the lantern within the old tower
upon the shore was never neglected,
for the delicate hands of his beauti
ful daughter Estelle trimmed the
wicks.
Several hours had elapsed since the
sun went down, but she lovoly Creole
still remained in the turret, gazing out
through the window at the su f which
was still beating heavily upon the
coral boulders. Suddenly she was
startled by some object striking ugain-t
the pane with such force as to shiver
the glass.
An instant only the young girl felt
alarmed, then she smiled, for she
know what had caused her momentary
fright. Some bird, in its nocturnal
wanderings, attracted by the glare of
the beacon, had flown headlong to its
desuh.
“Poor tiling 1" murmured Estelle
compassionately, “perhaps it is only
stunned. 1 will descend and see.”
Hurrying down the short flight of
stone steps the maiden i»sued forth
into the night and went in search of
the wounded bird. She found it
where it had fallen; and, picking it'|
up carefully, returned to the lantern-
room.
A glance convinced Estelle that the
victim of its own rashness was of no
ordinary species. She examined its
plumage more closely, and was
i&stouished to dud a piece of thin
ps.per irmly secured to one of the tail
feathers by a fine, hair-like wire.
Relieving the feathered messenger
of its burden, Estelle opened the mis
sive and read,—
“Legitime has learned that you are in or
near Aux-Cayes, and baa sent the Men-of-
War, Belize and Tausant, to attempt your
capture. They sailed this morning from
Port-au-Prince, July 10th.
A few moments, Estelle contem
plated the important despatch, while
the unfortunate bearer lay dead in her
baud. Then it dawned upon her that
the wanting must reach its destina
tion and she must speed it on, for was
not her own father on board the Mer
cedes? And another, a young sailor,
and the gir I’s heart gave a quick bound
as she thought of the brave mariner
who had asked her to be his wife
when the cruel war should draw to a
close.
Quickly thrusting the paper into
the bosom of her dress, and drawing
the light lace mantle, which was sus
pended to her shoulders, over her
dark, luxuriant hair, Estelle again
descended the stairs and hastened to
a sheltered cove, where a small skiff
lay moored to the drooping branch of
a mango tree.
She loosened the painter, grasped
the oars, and pushed out into the bay.
As the courageous girl rounded the
low point of laud the outlines of the
patriots’ vessels, the Mercedes ami
Jacque-Mal, became visible.
Estelle pulled straight towards the
former, but when within a few feet
of the craft which she sought, her
way was checked by the challenge—
“Qui va la?”
But only for an instant did our
heroine hesitate, then she recognized
the voice of her betrothed.
“Francois Maniqu&t! It is I, Es
telle I” she exclaimed joyfully.
“Where is your American comman
dant I I have a message for him. He
is in danger.”
“Danger, mademoiselle?” was
asked, in a voice that to Estelle bore a
strong foreign accent. “What new
danger threatens us? ’
Ere the girl could answer, her boat
touched the side-steps, and assisted
by Francois Maniquat site climbed to
the deck, where she was confronted
by a tall, fine-looking man, wearing a
long, broad-bladed sword, and with
two glittering revolvers thrust into
his belt, while his attire was a com
bination of naval and civic costume.
“This, monsieur,” returned the
maiden, placing the paper in the
Atneican’s hand, “was brought to the
lighthouse tower to-night by a poor
pigeon which beat out its frail life
against the glass of the lantern. You
will know whether it is of importance
or not.”
The commander took the message
and hurried with it to his cabin,where
he remained but a moment, then reap
peared and issued several orders to
ids men in quick succession.
Turning to Estelle he grasped her
hand and said with much earnest
ness:
“Mademoiselle, you have this night
performed a deed of heroism for which
every patriot of Hayti should feel
grateful to you. The warning sent
by a friend has come to our hand just
iu time. Now let the Tausant and
Belize of the whole of Legitime’s fleet
appear, we shall be ready to receive
them. But you, my dear young lady,
must hasten again on shore, for per
chance ere long this deck will present
a scene unfit for your eyes to witness.
Francois, you will see that Mademois
elle is safely escorted to her home.”
“Pardon, Monsieur Commandant,
can you at this time afford to spare
any of your force?” asked the young
seaman. •
“Monsieur,” interposed Estelle,
“Francois Maniquat’s duty is here
with you. I came alone, and fear not
so to return. An revoir!” and with
out further parley the daughter of the
lighthouse keeper descended to her
boat and pulled away in the darkness,
thankful that site had not boon too
late to accomplish her mission.
Ere Estelle reached the cove a rock
et ascended from the deck of the Mer
cedes. It was the signal for her con
sort to get under weigh and put to
sea, where there would be plenty of
room to manoeuvre.
When the girl reached her station
in the iaiitern-tower she saw the two
vessels of the patriots move slowly
out of the harbor. An hour later the
boom of a gun readied her ears, fol
lowed by another, and she knew that
the battle had begun.
Oh, how she prayed for the success
of her friends. All through the night
the brave girl remained at her post
of observation. Occasionally she
caught sight of the streaming trail of
tire from a rocket as one vessel sig
nalled to another, while the boom of
a cannon was almost incessant.
As morning approached, everything
becaUie q tiet, and she knew that the
struggle had been decided. But who
are the victors.
When the sun arose, Estelle descried
the smoke of two steamers close down
upon the horizon.
Slowly the vessels drew in towards
the land, and ere long the Mercedes
and Ja«que-Mal, battered and torn
from their recent fierce encounter 4
rounded the outer reef.
As they passed the lighthouse tower
each discharged a gun and dipped
their colon in respectful salute to the
heroine who had brought them the
timely u^&uing.
It had come none too soon, for
scarcely was the American clear of
the harbor ere he saw the Belize aud
Tausant coming down upon him under
a heavy press of steam. The fight
had been a dodging one. but the su
perior seamanship of the Insurgent
Admiral asserted itself, and although
he did not effect the capture of either
of the enemy, he succeeded in sending
them back to Port-au-Prince in a very
dilapidated condition.
Two months later victory rested on
the banners of Hyppolite, and after
the vessels of the vanquished had
been turned over to their American
ally, the lighthouse keeper, Pierre
Chapelle, and his young shipmate,
Francois Maniquat, asked leave to re
turn to Aux-Cayes, where a happy
and joyful wedding took place, join
ing the sailor who had taken part in
tiie memorable strife and the brave
girl who had carried the warning in
time to save the infant fleet of the
patriots. — [Yankee Blade.
The Desert Doomed.
Tt:c wotiderfal results of irrigation
have been shown in a most remark
able manner by a freak of the Colo
rado River. La-t year the mystery
of Sallou Lake attracted the attention
and wonder ^f the state until its
source was fotnd in a break in the
river bank. Tjiis year a phenomenon
not less woudeSful is to be seen in the
same region. .The desert has been
transformed. iThe bare sands that
have made the region terrible to
travelers and I stockmen have given
place to verdure. Underbrush has
covered the country in the line of the
inundation, a^d where only the hard
iest of deseit plants could before
maintain a precarious struggle lor ex
istence luxuriant vegetation now
covers the land.
The desert is doomed. Its disap
pearance may not be seen by this
generation or the next, yet the time is
coming when orchards and fields will
cover the thousands of square miles
now given over to desolation. The
infrequent desert plant and the occa
sional buzzard will give away to all
the products of the tropical and semi-
tropical lauds that its portion is fit to
raise.
The day may come when the pres
ent Colorado desert will be reckoned
among the most productive laud iu
California. There was a time when
the plains of Kern and Tulare were
held but little more in esteem-than
is the desert of today. The magic
power of irrigation has transformed
the old alkali plains into a garden,
and it will dro as much for the dreaded
Colorado 'desert.— [Madera (Cal.)
Mercury
How a Newsboy Collected a Bill.
There is a South Side boy who is
bound to be a Napoleon in finance if
he lives. His age is 14, and a little
while ago he ran a newspaper route.
A certain Soutli side doctor was his
customer, and wheu the physician’s
bill reached $1 the boy presented it.
It was hard to collect. The boy called
several times, but the doctor never
had the dollar. The physicim moved
away and the lad lost sight of him for
a time, but fi tally located him on the
West Side and renewed his attacks.
At last one day he told his r
lie would make one more effort, and
then if that were not successful he
would give it up. Accordingly lie
went to tho'doctor’s office and found
the doctor out. But inside the door
hung the customary slate. On it the
boy wrote, “Call at street,
William Smith.” The doctor culle t
and the boy saw him coming up the
street. He told his mother what he
had done, and said: “Now, I will
go and hide and you can show him
the bill.” “I will do nothing of the
kind, Willie Smith,” said the lady,
“and you ought to bo ashamed of
yourself.” A young lady visitor in
the family thought more of the scheme
and, confronting the doctor at the
door, presented the bill. The pro-
fe*sioual man said that the joke was
• >n him, paid the dollar, and went
away laughing. — [Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
BIRDS OF THE SEA
Storm’s Approach Throws
Them Into a Panic.
In Prolonged Gales Thousands
Are Sometimes Killed.
A Cent Well Invested.
Miss A. J. Anderson, matron of
the Door of Hope, a charitable insti
tution for girls, found a cent in the
street. At that time the Door of Hope
was contemplating buying a cemetery
lot in which to bury the girls who died
while in its care, and Miss Anderson
declared that she would consecrate the
cent to this cause.
She bought an egg and sold the
chicken that was hatched from it for
a dollar. The dollar was invested in
silk ribbons, cardboard and fancy-
articles.
Out of the cardboard were cut
Scriptural texts, and the siik was cro
cheted into little rings, which with
strips of satin sash ribbon made good
photograph holders. The fancy ar
ticles were sold at good profits.
Now Miss Anderson lias nearly $12,
and she hopes to have at the expira
tion of the year enough money to pay
for a centre-piece iu the cemetery lot
which has been purchased.— [New
York World.
A dairy, stock farm and agricultural
experiment station are to be estab
lished this year, iu connection with
the University at Leipzig.
The heavy storms of the sea trouble
not the ships which sail upon its
w’aters, but the many sea birds that
live and float upon the stormy Atlan
tic are greatly disheartened aud fright
ened by the furious anger of old Nep
tune. Along the rocky coasts of New
England, or the sandy reefs of the
southern states, the flocks of sea fowl
denote the approaching storm by wild
and unearthly cries, which later
mingle witli the roar of the surf, and
the wash of the raiu and spray. Far
out at sea the birds utter wild cries of
alarm wheu the ocean begins to darken
and the wind to moan across the ex
pansive waste of waters, and with all
the speed possible they fly toward
some point of laud to escape the dan
ger.
The few which are caught in the
storm, far from the land, make the
wild screaming of the storm more
horrible by their piteous cries and ex
cited calls. Washed hither and thither
by the relentless storm, they fly around
in hopeless search for some harbor of
retreat. Should tin light of some
passing vessel, or the flash light of a
warning lighthouse, attract their at
tention, they are lured on to a danger
far greater than that experienced from
the waves and wind’*.
Storms do not always warn the
birds in time to permit them to reach
the shore. The terns, petrels, gulls,
ducks and other sea fowl may be far
from the shore, skimming over the
water in graceful sweeps, when a
coast storm suddenly comes out of the
northwest.
At the first sign of such a change in
the weather the birds invariably seek
some barber of safety, but if the
storm shuts them out from the coast
they are forced to fly around in flocks
until accident leads them to a retreat.
Sea fowl at such times flock together,
and a lost company may number thou
sands of birds, representing a hetero
geneous collection of all the species of
sea birds. Such motley collections
frequently dash against the light
house of some exposed point, where
hundreds of their number are killed
by the collision. Ocean steamers
serve as an allurement for them, aud
they follow the light of the vessel as a
moth does the candle light. If not
attracted by any light the birds fly
around until exhausted by their exer
tions, or until the storm abates.
During prolonged storms thousands
of lost sea fowl are destroyed upon
the ocean through their inability to
reach land, or to outride the furious
gales. While a large proportion of
the flock would eventually succumb to
the fury of the wind and waves, there
are many others that would show
their marvelous powers iu outriding
the storm.
To fly against a ga'e that is blowing
at the rate of forty or fifty miles an
hour would require bones of iron and
muscles of steel, aud the lost birds
very rarely succeed iu holding their
own in such a storm. They buffet
with a gale bravely, circling around
and around to make headway against
it, but in time they are swept far out
to sea. The waves offer no resting
place for them, and they are forced to
trust entirely to their wings for
safety.
After heavy storms of several days
the terns and petrels have been found
a thousand miles from the shore, weak
and almost dead from their exertiens.
Others have been discovered floaiiii<r
on the water dead, the bluck-and-blue
patches on their bodies telling the ter
rible story of strain and hopeless ex
ertion. Thev fought bravely a«r-inst
the adverse elements and only suc
cumbed after a long battle. Incoming
vessels have brought solitary sea fowl
that would light upon the masts of
the ships when completely exhausted
after lighting against the storms. This
welcome place of rest is secured de
spite all presence of danger from the
passengers.
Floating spars and wrecks have
been the means of saving the lives of
such lost birds. They would tloat on
them for hours or days until they be
came thoroughly rested from their
labors, and then they would begin
their long journey toward some shore
at the first favorable opportunity.
Their instinct at such times is uner
ring, a id they generally make for th*
nearest point of land, although it may
be hundreds of miles away and they
are completely turned around. It
may be, however, that they take their
bearings from the sun while they are
floating upon the temporary resting
buoys. — [Detroit Free Press.
single item—au orchestra of fifty
musicians, always ready to charm,
aud shorten the lengths of the jour
neys. But it must be said that these
are singularly abridged by the extra
ordinary speed of the splendid ve.vsel.
The Polar Star travels ordinarily at
the rate of eighteen knots au hour.
On her trial trip she made nineteen
and a half. She made the recent trip
from Croustadt to Copenhagen iu
thirty-eight hours.
The apartments of the Czar aud the
Empress are of course on the starboard
side, the place of honor. The two
bedrooms are en suite. The first
things that attract attention are the
height of the ceilings and the im
mense size of the windows, and then
the incomparable brilliancy of the
woodwork. In the Czar’s study
there is a writing desk that one might
take for a beautiful casting of tortoise
shells. It is of maple and marvel
lously polished. A few family photo
graphs, a copper image of Saint Alex
ander, and an image of Christ form
the only decorations of the bed cham
ber. The same simplicity iu the
rooms of the Czarina. The walls and
furniture are of molcsquine; empire
design on a clear ground, parallel
bauds supporting crowns.
But the favorite yacht of the im
perial family is the Tsarevna, which
may be translated either as the daugh
ter or the fiancee of the Czar. This
yacht is commanded by Captain
Friedrichs. If the Polar Star is a
magnificent palace, the Tsarevna is a
retreat. It is made small purposely
for the admission of intimate friends
only. There is no room in it for
suites. It is on board this vessel that
the Czar, the Empress', and children
take refuge in the summer months
from the annoyances of imperial
grandeur. The dining-room is divided
into two pieces. Consequently, it is
also the parlor. As all the family are
fond of music, the little piano is al
ways open. The old music scores,
ranged upon a little shelf, are well
worn and thumbed. Sometimes the
Czar, when in a pleasant mo >d, takes
a part in the concert. He plays the
flute, not as a virtuoso, but without
pretension. — [Figaro.
A Model Colony Town.
American and English capitalists,
headed by I. G. Greene of Now York,
have begun a novel enterprise in
Southern California. This is the
foundation of a model colony town in
San Diego county, twelve miles
south of Riverside. It is called Ales
sandro, after the hero of Mrs. Jack
son’s “Ramona.” The town is to be
built on each side of the railroad, the
business houses ou one side and resi
dences on the other. Connection be
tween the two will be by subways
and liberal space on each side of the
railroad will bu laid out iu little parks.
To prevent speculation every pur
chaser of a lot must agree to build a
house to cost not less than $2000, and
this must conform to a certain style
of architecture. No lots will bo sold
until the streets ate all paved, side
walks laid, sewers completed, and gas
or electricity put In. This will occupy
about two years. The company con
trols 2000 acres, divided into twenty-
acre tracts, and these will be planted
with oranges aud other fruits. Fred
erick L iw Olmstead has laid out the
place, and the sewerage has been de
signed by an expert. If all provisions
are carried out, this colony town will
surpass Pasadena or Riverside iu
beauty. — [New York Tribune.
Kindness Tames Easily.
The faculty with which birds and
small animals are tamed by kind
ness is not generalIv apprec ated. The
robin sings by our doorway all the
Summer 1 >ng. yet we rarely think of
him or individualize him. The robin,
however, is a very kindly bird, and if
he is given a little encouragement he
will realily learn to come at your
call, and often take food from yo-$r
bunds. The brown-thrasher is another
sociable bird, which Ireqnentlv builds
In r nest m ar the haunts of men, and
i> Un twn to have allowed little ciril-
j dren. who have gained her confidence,
| to feed her on hi r nest. Some people
j seem to have the art of ga'n'ng the
: love of bird* an 1 little wild creatures
| o: the woods. Even a creature with
j so I t le intelligem’e as our comm n
i frog may he trained to know the dif
ference bitweiii individuals, anti will
*it for hour-* while you sc.a oh his
back an 1 feed flies to him. Even the
squir.fl, the most timid and wary of
all wild cr atures, soon learns con
tinence from kindness. — [New Yuri
Tr.buiie.
The Czar’s Yachts.
Emperor Alexander’s yacht, Poliar-
nays Zvesda, or Polar Star, is the
largest pleasure boat that has ever
been built. We might say that it is a
marine palace. It is 300 feet long,
draws nineteen feet, and is 4900 tons
burden. Ths crew numbers 300 picked
men, commanded by Prince Chak-
hovsky. The service is innumerable.
Au idea of it may be formed by one
A Linguistic Enterprise.
Sen or Do L uicinel of Mexico is
fitting out at his proper expense an
expedition into Central America for
the purpose of collecting data for the
study of the Maya language. The
work is to be done under the direction
of an international advisory commit
tee, and Dr. Hilborne T. Crcsson, the
well-known ethnologist, has charge of
the expedition. The Mayas comprise
sixteen distinct tribes in Central
America and Yucatan, possessing an
abundant literature, chiefly iu cul
tured tablets. It is proposed now to
photograph these so that students may
ponder over them at their leisure.
There are some Maya bqfijtfT^ong
sheets of paper “folded like a screen-’'
— [New Orleans Picayune.
Love’s Silence.
A flash of azure; a folded wing,
A waft of song on the winds of sprits:
Listen! I hear the bluebird sing.
A feathered arrow; a bolt far thrown;
The silent flight of a form swift flowp;
A pause—and I hear the wood-dove’i moan*
Bluebird, hued like the plains above; *
Summer's messenger, fleet-winged do ve; F
Hath autumn never a song of love? (
And the one replies from a bough breeze-
swung.
And the other the still green glooms s mong;
“sweet, oh, sweet, are the songs unsi ng.”
—[Charles Henry Luders.
HUMOROUS.
One article that no jeweller carries
in stock—the dog watch.
It is the sub-cutaneous moustache
which receives the most fondling.
The man who drives a cart is very
frequently interested iu real estate
movements.
“All I want is my hone,” as the
barber remarked, when he grabbed it
from his shopuia e.
The violinist is not necessarily pro
fuse in his manner; but lie doftflsa
great deal of bowing and scrapinL.
Persistency is the road to sucAess.
The only known exception to this rule
is the case of a hen sitting ou a cl\iua
egg-
“No,” said M.ss Ferula, “I am liot
much of a speller, I must ailmi.; Vet
then, you know, I’ve been a leachier
nearly all my life, and I’ve never h|uu
any time to teach myself.”
“Can you do this piece of workV'
asked Mr. Trotter of an applicant fiir
the job. “I guess so, sir.” “Well, I
don’t want a man who guesses, I wat t
one who knows ho can do it.”
Now doth the busy little moth
Improve each shining minute,
By bunting up your woolen stutl
And laying egg els in it.
He had struck a match on his boot
heel, and his wife remarked: “You
are as spry as a cat, arn’t you?” “Do
you think so?” lie returned, in a
pleased tone. “Yes. You light ou
your feet, you know.”
“I’d like a job, sir, as waiter,” said
the applicant. *’Y'ou have had expe
rience in waiting, I suppose?” queried
the restaurant proprietor. “Indeed I
have.” “For how long?” “Why,
sir, I’ve taken meals iu a restaurant
for 12 years.”
Daughter—Y'ou Know, father, they
■
are going to have a fair at the church
next week, ami I thought I would like
to get something for it. Father (hand
ing her a check)—Certainly, my
daughter. In the cause • of cnarity I
am always liberal. What were you
going to get? Daughter—TslftncTMug
in the way of a new gown.
I
Modes of Burial in All Countries.
The Mohammedans always, whether
in their own country or in one of
adoption, bury without coffin or casket
of auy kind. #
During the time of the old Roman •
empire the dead bodies of all except
suicides were burned.
The Greeks sometimes bury their •
dead in the ground, but more general
ly cremated them in imitation of the.
Romans.
In India, up till within the last few
years, the wife, either according to
her wishes or otherwise, was cremated
on the same funeral pyre that con
verted her dead husband’s remains
into ashes.
When a child dies in Greenland, the
natives bury a live dog with it, the
dog to bo used by the child as a guide
to the other world. When questioned
in regard to this peculiar superstition,
they will only answer: “A dog can
find his way anywhere.”
The natives of Australia tie the
hands of their dead together and pull
out their nails; this is for fear that
the corpse may scratch its way out of
the grave and become a vampire.
The primitive Russians place a cer
tificate of character in the dead per
sonas hands, which is to be given to '
St. Peter at the gates of heaven.—
TAtianta Constitution.
Electricity in Warfare.
A e’ever piece of work was recently
done by the telegraph battalion of au
English regiment in the course of
some night experiments. An exten-
sive cable was rapidly laid over the
roughest possible ground, and that,
too, without the slightest assistance
from searchlights, and the lieutenant
general was thus enabled not only to
find a lost brigade, but to control the
simultaneous advance and attack of
three separate brigades on an ea^
work at midnight. The telegraph,]
fact, rendered a most difficult
doubtful operation comparatively ej
and certain. At some late manaeai
too, a highly useful attempt was
to produce on a map at headquarU
plan of battle, step by step, as it
gressed many miles away, by
of reports wired from the field,
attempt did not succeed becaas^
maps available were not on a si
scale; but the feasibility of the!
was demonstrated, while its val
a general directing operations,
wide field is obvious. Wi
scale maps,a balloon and increa
serving staff it is likely to be i
most important aid to the st;
and the tactician.—[New York
mercial Advertiser.