The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, April 05, 1881, Image 1
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IRI-WEEk(LY EDITION~ WINNSBORO, S. C., APRIL 5, 1881. ESALSE
IT NEVER COMES.AGAIN.,
'I here are gains for all our losses,
Tiere are bAin for all our pain,
But when youth, the dream, depart.,
It takes something from our hearts,
And it never oomes 'again.
We are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign ; -
Still we fe el that something sweet
Followed youth, with flying foot,
And will nev er come again.
Somethkag beautiful Is vanished,
And we sigh for it in va na
We behold it everywhere,
On the earth and in the air,
but it never comes again.
Casta Diva.
- "Heigh, ho," sighs Mr. Patron, "what
a forlorn thing it is to live alone I and he
drew his easy chair close to the fire and
ensconcing himself toerein, wrapped his
tr-colored dressing gown about him. "I
wish I were narriedl I know a lady
boards in the same house, ton--and I be
lieve she'd have me, if I were to ask her.
I mean the pretty music teacher. She is
young, delicate and amiable; only there
seems to be something meilancliholy about
her, as though she had. known sorrow: be
sides she le a widow. I like her enough,
and I beoeve she likes pe. I'll think this
over. I have plenty of money and nobody
to spend it upon. Yes, I think I will ask
pretty Madame Victor to marry me."
Rap, rap, rap I
"Come in-who's there?"
''Clean clothes I and pray who are you,
my little cherub, and where do you come
fron I I
"I am Lauretia, air; and I live with
Bridget, who washes your clothes, and she
sent me with the basket to-nght."
"Yes, I shoula think she had, you little
duckling; and the basket is bigger tan
yourself I Comie and sit (Iowa in this cha.r
by the fire and warm your toes-there now,
1 want to talk with you. Are you Bridget's
childt"
"Oh, no, sir;" and a look of care passed
over the little face.
"No, I thought not. Washerwomen's
children don't have such eyes, nor such
broad foreheads, nor such soft hair. Well,
birdie, how came you with Bridget? 11ave
you no parents?"
"I don't know. I only dream I have,
Bridget lets me stay with har because I
can sing. Oh, sir, I sing iny. songs in great
houses, and they give n6 six-pences and I
cany them all to lridiret."
"Aia I you pay your board, then ? Well,
little Lauretta, will you sIng for me now?"
"Yes, indeed ;" and the little one stands
up In the middle of the rug, and, opening
her resebud mouth, she sang Oasta Diva.
"Bless my stars. what a voice ! I know
ameth4ng of music inyreif ; at least enough
to know that such a voic sLould be a for
tune to the one who posbesses it. Where
did you learn that 1 "
"Xurse? Who is nurse?"
"Nurse'is dead." The dark eyes illed
with tears una the rubyr lips are quiver
ing.
Mr. Patron walks up ard down the room.
His curiosity is excited as well as his pity.
"Please, sir, shall I have my basket?
Bridget will scold, if I stay so long."
"No, little one, I will carry the basket;
I am going home with yohl"
"It's up five flights of stairs, sir, and
there is no light In Lhe passage-way."
"All tile more ieason I should go with
you. Now I am ready. Come, my little
singer, you and 1 will be better acquainted
before long. Don't fall down'these stone
steps; keep hold of my hand ; here we are
In? Broadway. Now where do we turn.
Down Prince street, hey F and now down
Crosby. W hat I do you live in this alley?
Oh, unever fear, little Casta Diva, I 81hal1
tread safely enoftgh, while this little hand
leadis me. Ugh I how .miany nmore flights
are there? only twoi Well, well, I can
cimnb thenm if you can. So is this the
door?"
"Och, and is it you. 4ir, that would be
afther connng to see a poor wvoian at this
houri Will 30ou be seated sir? said Bridj
et, wiping a wood(en chair with her apr'oi.
"Your shirts were not ironed to be suiting
ye, may be?"
"Shirts all right, Bridget. I came to
bring home your little gui, and1( to ask you
something about lher. She has been sing
ing to ine. Will you tell nmo wvheke shle
camie fromi ?"
"Ye take a deal o' trouble f~r a lone bit,
of a chiad, indeed, sir; but her story is
not so very long. She lived with a furrin
Tvomian in the room below, named TIher'esa,
The wvomun said she was waiting mid In
Lauretta's fannly, iu Italy, somlewhlere,an.d
while she was out with the child, thlen
two year's oldI, for' the sake af the air, there'
caime a big row in the city, ad theo.chiki's
father wa in the middle of it, and got kilt;
and whlen she reached the house, all in a
fright,sure it, was aill on fire,and the miother
of it gone, andi niver was she able to ll
her at, aill. So she kept the child and came
to America with it,: ior she heard tell how
the streets were paved with gold; and
when she came and found nary gold, nor
food bat, for the working, she had to go to
work as aill we poor crathiers do, anti she
took In washing in the 01ne room dlowni
stairs; but never a bit wouldi size lot this
child do for herself, but wained on It like a
slave, andu only taughat It to sing as its
miotheor did before it, she said; and Iast
year Th'leresa died. 'iThis poor little crather
' Mok hen mneself, onily ll be bintging her
'Terenitly enatirely; i'll tachie lien to
"e'id at azy rate; and so I sends
v"day to sing to the great frolks,
htellp to carry round the
-11, sirn"
id in you Bridget, to
oui have savedi her
'" be rewardedi,
and dropped
'iva, as Mr.'
'11er, bid
bear heri
-demani
'ness
me
yet
seated In his easy chair before his bright
coal fire, with his dressing gown once more
folded around him. The only difference
is that he smiles Instead of sighing as he
did before.
"Ah, yes," he says, "I see my way.clear
1 ean now without hesitation call on Madame
Victor In her 1oom, to interest her about
my little Casta Diva. I will tell her the
story'ilud eighgb hOr to cultivate the voice
of my little profege. I will see her to
morrow morning, and perhaps she will ac -
cPipqnY, me to Bridget's lodging. Not a
very inviting walk to invite the lady of iny
hea-t to share, but thqn the circumstances
are peculiar."
"Now I think of it I must engage of my
landlady the little bed-room next mine. I
am determined to adopt that singing che
rub for my own. I will change her name
to Casta Diva Patron. It sounds musical,
and she Is music Itself. If sweet l'ne
Victor only sees in her.what I do, we shall
be an exceedingly happy family. I declare
I feel like a husband and father already. I
shall find enough to do with ny money,
after all.
And so lie goes to bed and dreams of his
future Joys till lie fairly laughs aloud in his
sleep.
Now it is morning; and if you will put
your head out of your door you can see him
going along the hall. le stops at No 6
knocks gently; but the rich toned piano,
touched by a thrilling hind, does not allow
so lovelike a tap to be heard. This time
he knocks louder; the music stops, and the
door is opened by a beautiful woman, who
invites him to enter. Well, I don't won
(er lie fell in love with her I Let you and
I go peep in atthe keyhole and hear what
they say; I'll never tell-will you? Hark?
Well, after all, I can't tell what they said,
because I promised 1 wouldn't; but Mr.
Patron has staid in there a great whileand
lie didn't ask her to play once.
Now the door opeus again and they come
out together; .he in hisoveicoat and hat,she
in her cloak and bonnet. 116 looks very
muck excited, and she looks pale and
trembles so she can scarcely speak. She
takes his offered arm and goes down stairs
and out tne street door. I do believe they
are going t6 Bridget'a
And so they were.
Good Mr. Patron walks slowly with the
ladj, for she las every reason to tremlle;
she believes she is Lauretta's mother; for
she hns been telling her friend how her
husband was killed in a mob one dreadful
day because he as a great politician, and
when they burned his house they took hou
and threw her into prison, where she re
mained a whole year, and only made her
escape when, during terrible troubles in
Italy, the prison doors were unbarred to
all.
Bho had sought frantically for her child,
but in vain; believing .that both I'auretta
and her nurse were crushed in the same
mob that killed her husband, she came to
America to try to learn a livelihood among
hospitable strangei-n by her fine musical
education and uncommon voice.
M'me Victor believes that Lauretta is her
strangely alike. Five years have passed
ince she left Italy but she knows her eyes
will not deceive her. I1er baby's features
are indelibly engraved upon her heart.
Her kind friend supports her up the five
hights of stairs, and then lic stops to take
a breath and nerve herself for either intense
happiness or heavy disappointment.
They are about to enter the room when
a little voice greets her ear singing, with a
wonderful power and expression,an Italian
melody which the lady herself used to sing
in hur own sunnf land. She stops and
grasps the a rm of her friend.
"Oh wait," she whispers, '-let me try.'
and with a great effort, she continues and
completes the unfinished strain in a voice
that angel's might not exceed.
He opens the door.
Lauritta stands in the centerof the room,
alone, pale and agitated; her great eyes di
lated wihth emotion long irepressed. 11cr
mother':i volue has reached a spot in her
little hoar-t which vibrates on her memory
like a glimpse of heaven.
Em~e Victor sinks upon a chair and mrazes
.onag andl earnestly upon the little motion
less fIgure ; then lie stretches out her arm-ns
and whispers. '-Come here."
Lauretta slowly advances, and when she
Is close to the beautilui lady, she nestles
her head upon her bosom and draws a long
deep sigh.
"Troll 'no your whole name, sweet one."
'Laurett .a Victor."
The lady preasv the little form still
closer.
"Darling, I 'am your mother."
"I kcnow it," sighs the child.
"You knaow it, mny angel 9 "
"Yes;' I have seen you in my dreamsa,
and always called you motheri-; and wvheni
you sting just now it brought It all back."
Ghood Mr. Patron went to the window
and wiped~ his (ayes.
Once agamn we see film sitting in his easy
chair before the bright coal fire. By his
side sits a beautiful lady; one hand lies in
his, and the other is tendcerly stroking his
hair; btut her eyes arc resting upon a little
fairy who sits at the piano, silently dream
ing over some of llandlel's music which
her "papa" has brought home to her.
The little fairy is "Caita Diva."
'rhe Ujoma in IRussian flouseholdsR.
A lucrative branch of thie Moscow un
dertakers' busines's is the repahi- and~ hire ot
cofins. The dealings in these necessary
articles are for the most liart, in other .au
ropean cap~itals, coninledl to one permnennt,
and final transaction. Butt it would aippear
that many of the wealthy Mtiscoyltes pur
chase then coffins (luring their lfetime, and
keel) them at home, whore they are used
by careful housewives as rcposltoies for
groceries and othecr edlible stores. The
Rlusalan rat, however, has a sweet tooth.
with which lie indutstriousty gnaws lis way
into'-these grim receptacles of sugar, raisins
and spIces, dloIng such dlamage to thenm In
the course of Jii forays that they are con
stantly In needl of repair. 'ihe "hiring de
partment" of the establishments above al
hiudedl to is chiefly supported by wIdows of
merchants and tradlesmen, who house the
mortal remains of their "(lear departed" in
cheap deal cofins, lbut lure for -the funeral
ceremony maugificent "caskets," richly
dlecorated with' velvet and gilding, in w hach
the plain wooden b~oxes actually destined
foa' intei-ment are inclosed. At the church
raid gate the~ aecommodating undertaker
4tes back his splendid shell, which has
'led its puspose by conferring distinc
pen the rohlut of its temporary occut
iuring Its transport through the pub.
'q, apd-the deceased i. consigned
a inonnlval.
Navigating the Air,
It is hardly necessary to say that the in
troduction of a locomotive machine which
would transport a large number of people
through the air in any direction toquired,
at tbe rate of thirty miles an hour, would
be a startling novelty In our travellbig ar
rangements. Let us glance at the advan
tages it would offer. Comparing it fist
with aquatic locomotion, it would be far
quicker than any boat hitherto made, vast.
ly less expensive in first outlay and cost (f
working, would require no harbors, would
produce no sea sicknecse and would Oecape
the greatest dangers inherent in water nav
igation. Viewing it, secondly, as a means
of land transport, it would be quicker than
common road travelling, and would con
paroefairly with the ordinary speed on rail.
ways, while It would entirely dispense
with the enormous and edstly provisions
requisite for both these modes of getting
over the ground, and -be free fron the
multitude of liabilities to accident attend
ing them. But it may uiaturally be object
ed that such a mode of locomotion would
have peculiar dangers of Its own. No
doubt balloons have hitherto been very sub
ject to accidents, and the bare idea of any
thing going wrong at a height of thousands
of feet above the earth has in it something
very appalling. But much of this impres
sion will vanish before coin'non-sense reo
soning. It must always be borne in mind
that, fpr the purposes of locomotion, there
would be no reason for ascending high into
the air; it would only' be necessary to keep
a suficient altitude to clear terrestrial it
pedients. and this would not only do
away with milch of the terror of the idea,
but would greatly lincrease the probability
of a safe escape from accidents of what
ever kind. Let us see in what direction
danger might, in extreme cases, lie. The
loss of gas by ruptfire of the envelope or
otherwise is a remote possibility ; but the
experience of many actual cases has prov
ed that the resistance of the air to the large
surface exposed has sufficed to prevent, any
rapid fall; special measures might be easi
ly provided, and at low elevations over
land no serious catastrophe need be feared
on this ground. In crossing over water,
precautions would sill be possible and the
case would not be so hopeless as in many
marine casualties. The danger of fire, if
properiy guarded against,need not be great
er than in a ship at sea. Indeca, if we be
lieve M. Giffard, who has tried the 6xperi
ment, the idea of such danger is quite
an illusion. The accidents that arise
to ordinary balloons almost always occurin
the descent, which, if the wind is high re
quires great care and skillful management.
In this case the propelling power would be
inost'especially useful; the aeronaut could
ghoose his plac'e of landing with precision,
and, by turning his head to the wind, lie
could avoid the dragging. which is so dan
gerous, and which has so often brought a
fatal termination to balloon voyages. The
worst conjecture conceivable would be a
break down of the propelling machinery at
a time when It was wanted to aid the do
relik dowubuidbd nihde i'ry siigat; by
ordinary mecliailoal precautions. On the
whole there can be no good reason to be
lieve that the dangers would be more for
midable with this than with other kinds of
locomotion, and when we remember the
frightful casualties that so frequcntly now
occur in land, river and sea traffic, and
consider how many of these causes would
be absent in the free paths of the air, we
may probably even venture to assert that
balloons would be the safest as well as the
pleasantnest mode of traveling. As a set
off against all this, however, there is one
great objection to aerial locomotion, naue
ly, the uncertainty it must always be liable
to in consequence of the effect of the wind.
We must not ignore this; on the contrary,
we will endeavor to estimate its exact
value. We will assume that we can steam
through the air im any direction at the rate
of thirty miles an hour ; but this will only
count for useful locomotion in a dead calm;
if there is any wind, by carrying'the bal
loon aloing with it will clearly influence
both the effective durection andl the elice
tive speedl.
The israss Hand Oratitou.
Bob Toombs, as lie is familiarly called,
hadl been1 attending college in Georgia two
years, andl was within a week oaf graduat
ing, when in a difliculty, ho stabbed one
of the students, Iilicting a serious but
not fatal wound. For thuis act lie was ex
pelled by the facult~y, who soon after were
p~etitionled by the graduating class to allow
him to finish with them, as lie had so
nearly compiletedi his course, and hiad iilso
been given a speaker's place. T1oombs
himself petitioned them, but, both were
ref used. ie apparently submitted, but
on commencement day, when the chapel
was crowdled with visitors, and~ the seniors
vehemently orating p)reparatory to reeiy
ig their diplomas, he stationed a brass
band undelr the spreadiing limbs of the oak,
whose music succeeded in bringing scores
of town people, who were not then in the
chiapel, and also of clearing it of nearly all
its audiience.
Thlen, in as cool a manner as p~ossible,
lie phuacedi liimsdf in a chair and made an
oration, such, it is said, as was neover
spoken by a student here, before or since.
lie never received his diploma, though
atfter his cehlbratedi Boston speech it was
scat to himt, but wias returned with the
answer, "llang the dhpA~nma; when it
would have been an lhon i sto mec I was re
fused it ; now, when I am an honor to it,
it is oifered mec." lie was afterwards-re
conciled wvith the faculty, and is now one
of the statunchiest stupporters of the college.
1(a:at~ys manel Population
A table constructed by Professor Stur
mner of Brombery shows the length of rail
way in several of the dcit counies of the
wvorld and its proportion to the population.
'In E~urope, on thie average, there are 4.6
,kilogietre~s of railway to every 10,000 ini
habitants. Greece has the least proportion
to the population, having only 0.08 kilo
metre to every 10,000- of thie p~opulation,
Next conmes T1urkey wIth 1.6, Portugal 2 3
ilouumania 2.4, iluissia -2.8, Italy 2.9, and
so upward in the scale, France having 0. 3,
Germany 7.1, Great BritaIn 8.1, and Swe
den headiing the h'at with 10 8, though its
total mileage us not one-fifth of that of
Great Britain, In Asia It 'appears that
only 0.16 kilometre Is averagedl to every
10,000 inhabitants; and hi1 Africa the pro
portion is only 0.17. In the Unitecd States
the proportion is 82.9 to every 10,000 of
tile people; while the whole of Amneric$
has the average of 17.9 and iin Australia
the proportion ia 10.0.
An Act or True Uevouon.
Fred Olds, now confined in the Kansas
state Penitentiary, makes a rediarkable
statement concerning the umurder at Topeka,
of one D. W. Farris, in March, 1874,
which, it will be remembered, created such
a sensation at the time. Olds, a boy then
of 10, confessed to the murder at the trial
of the case, and Is now undergoing the sen
tence for the crime. But if his statement
Is to be believed lie is innocent of the
crhue.
The boy's statement is a story of a son's
devotion and a father's cowardice. lie
states that on the day of the murder his
father sent him home after his loaded gun,
which lie got and placed in the murdered
man's store about noon. . Later in the af
ternoon he met his father, who told him
that Fairis had gone off on a trilp, and
wanted him (fred) to run the store during
his absence. , Th father then gave the son
the key of the establishment, and instructed
him to ppen the store bright and early the
next inorning. le also gave the boy $25,
and told him to go off and play billiards
the rest of the afternoon, and to the opera
in the evening. The youth then went on
a regular spreo, and was with a crowd of
friends all night and until breakfast tune,
when lie went home, and afterward went
to the store and opened up for the day.
Shortly afterward the father came in and
told the boy that he had to use the horse
afnd "do a job," and wanted the boy to
assist hunt. The "job ia supposed to be a
plan of the old man to get ri of the body.
About that time the officers apl)eared in
the estabiishment and arrested the pair.
They had been put on the-track by a friend
of Farris, who doubted that the merchant
would go out of town so suddenly without
telling him. A search of the collar was
111 and a mana's leg was found. The
father and son were then escorted to jail to
answer to the charge of murder. On the
way the father cautioned the non to say
nothing. 'The boy says lie became con
vinced at once that his father had comnnt
ted the murder, but at the Coroner's n
qucst he shielded his father and convicted
himself. Olds, senior, then got out on ball,
and thd boy remained in jail live months.
During his conllnoment, the father visited
tWe son frequently. On'one of these visita
the boy was told that there was a bag con
taining a pair of boots on top of a cupboard
in the jailer's oice, and he wanted them
secured and burned. Ticre were two doors
between the prison and the olice, but to
the surprise of the boy the jailer strangely
left these two doors unlocked, and the bag
was very easily gotten, and in the presence
of other prisoners burned in the stove.
Two of these witnesses are now in the pen
itentiary. These boots, it seems, -were the
father's, and bore marks that pointed to
his gult. After that the fat her made his
son another visit, and the boy was per
suaded to sacritico himself to save his
father, upon the promise that a pardon
would be procured in a few years on the
ground of the youth of the nrisoner. Af
terward the mother vitiltd to her that ie
had killed Farris in a quarrel. Whoa the
case came up for trial young Olds pleaded
guilty to the charge and wholly iOnerated
his father from all complicity in the bloody
deed.
After the prisoner had been In the peni
tentiary a year, ins father and mother went
to Micidgan and from there to California.
After live years Airs. Olds came back and
endeavored to procure a pardon for her
boy, but failed. This intelligence was
conveyed by letter to the father, and in a
month after lie killed himself.- The know
ledge of the suicide, however, did not
reach the boy until some time last summer.
Uuloaditngc Animais.
"Unloading your nenagerie, Mr. Fore
paugh ?" said a reporter, approaching him
recently, at a wharf in New York.
"ies; but the biggest are yet to come.
Mr. Cox is dowvn in the cellar there (point
lug to the steamship) getting them out ; go
right down andl see them."
The scene in the hold of the vessel was
lively and amusing. A crowd of German
stevedors was apparently tryinag to hoist to
the open air portioans of the framework of
the steamer; but their real object was to
get the bigr boxes up the narrow hatchway.
i'Te lions and leopards resented the affront
to their dignity in being shaken and jarred,
and~ filled the air with their angry protests.
Ileavy ropes andl tackle were fastened to
the boxes, and they were heisted to the
(leek and swung to the pier, wvhere a nunm
ber of curious spectators hasd gathered.
"Now for the dromedaries I" sid~ Mr.
Cox, the agent, as the last of the closed
boxes p~assed out of sight. Nearest the
hatchway stood a large,' ungainly white
dromedary, whmose hump raked tihe beams.
An attendant seizedl the halter and cried,
''ComeI"'I'lThe brute wvas finally br.ought to
the hathway,bumt he declined to mount, the
low laltformf beneath it. After many at
temapts lie was made to knecl and creep for
ward in this p~osttion, thus clearing the ob.
stuctio'ns overhead. As lie rose 'to his
feet a canvas sling was quickly passed tin
der his belly aind securedl the tackle. As
he rose to the opent air the animal presented
a most ludicrous ap~pearanice, hIs long legs
hanging, his body arched, his head and
curved neck swaying from aide to side. This
one was comiparatively quiet, but another
big fellow kicked vigorously as lie cleared
the deck, scattering the steve~loros right
and left, and 'fr~ghteninag several women
who were crossing the gang plank. One
stubborn brute deliberately sat dhown, and
had to 1)e rolledl over before the sling could
be passed uinder him. . Another ene's legs
had1( to be tied. All of thq ten utteredl un
eairthily cries, more or less angry.
T1he two ''baby" elephmapts went up in
their boxes quietly, but ilmch diplomacy
was necessary with "Citrley," who had
attained his nmajority. 110 made a tour of
the compartment, scattering thme workmen,
before lhe was cajoled with iump sugar to
enter lii box. "iBetsey,t' his mate, was
'1es3 troublesome. On thtepier an exciting
scone occurred. The roaring of the lIons,
the t .umpettng of the elc hants and the
cues5 of the camels caus 1 the spIrited
horses to paw the planmks ntmd kick. The
two large elephants wlmch were tied to
gether and secured to the 4il of a truck
were constantly growing more restive, and
suddlenly sunapped the ~out rope, and
started for the steamer at a quick trot,
smashing windows in the ustom inspect
or's otilce, and dispersing te crow'd before
thien1. The keepers turned jal, but did not
-flmnch. The huge -bruit e, driven away
Iltom the stesamet, rushed bor a -huge side
opoiinaR of the freight house. The specta
tors expected .(t see the go into the
trainer, pursued them, struck his sharp
goad into the huge ear of the neareast one,
and with blows and shouts turned the dan
gerous yoke-mates aside, and they were
then secured.
The cavalcade subsequently moved to
he Pennsylvania railroad station, where
the animales were shipped to Philadelphia.
"I'll never bring over such big elephants
again," said Mr. Cox; "I won't take one
over six feet in height. Week after next
I'm going back to Berlin for eight trained
horses,and I have another elephant coming
on the Oder."
Theo "Mlogardus Surpriub.-'
This is a very simple piece of machinery.
It can be attached to any sort of sleigh or
cutter in three minutes, without the aid of
any tool except a % rench. It Is neat and
compact, able to stand a very heavy strain,
and is furnished at a very reasonable price.
The objcct and workings of the invention
were clearly seen within i ye minutes af
ter the party was on the ground. One was
attached to a cutter, the horse started off
on a trot,and several children belonging to
the Clay school at once rushed for the
vehicle with the cry: "Here's a hitch l"
A boy about twelve years old had only
Just caught on when the "Surprise"picked
him off his roost., turned himi end for end,
shook him till his teeth rattled, and heaved
him clear over the walk into a snow-bank.
It was jnst three minutes from the time
the boy was picked up until lie got breath
suilicient to remark: "Oh ! you think
you've done it, don't you?"
The next victim was a boy with a quart
of molassea in a tin pail. The machine
given an extra pressure. as the boy was
was strong and fat, and lie -was turned end
for end three tines and pitched over the
port-quarter in just seven seconds by the
mayoti's watch. The pail .of atolasses
struck a hitching-post and was scatteredt a
distance of eighteen p)aces,as paced by oneI
of the clergymen. In two minutes fron
the time lie was seized, the fat boy rose to
his feet with the remark:
"I guess I'd better walk the rest of the
way hoie l"
In the course of an hour the "Surprise"
was worked on fifteen different boys, none
of whom will ever "hitch on" again as loig
as lie lives. Total surprise and utter an
nihilation were complete in every instance,
and yet no victim received a fatal injury.
Orders for filly were given the inventor
on the spot. The mayor said of it:
"It is simply immense. I shall now drive
from sunrise to sunset."
One of the savants passed his cigar-case
around and remarked:
"It will be more valuable to the world
at large than a hundred-thousand dollar
telescope. '
One of the eminent divines gave an order
for two, and added:
"It's effect on the moral status 'of the
next gencaation cannot be appreciated In
n it is promatie t'lat at iean, iu of these
machines will be at work on the principal
streets before the week Is out, and if your
bny conies home limp [and reserved and
humble minded, you needn't believe that
a delivery sleigh ran over him unless you
want to.
Eblat Funeral.
Any one walking through the streets of
London lately can hardly tail to have been
struck with the number of people of both
sexes who have adopted the military style
of mourniug, and wear a band of black
cloth round the arm, just above the elbow,
in place of the conventional black broad
cloth hatband for men and heavy swathings
of crape for women. Probably no counLry
in the world is more wedded to old-fash
toned observances than this, and I have
been surprised, therefore, to see how rap~id
ly the newv fashion has found favor; which
is, undioubtedlly, largely owing to the ef
forts of the Church of England F'uneral
and Mourning Association to restrain the
extravagance so frequently dlisplayed b~y
p~oor peLople im their method of burying and
mournmng for their deceaised filende. it is
a singular fact that the lower classes In this
country consider it a for greater disgrace
to be0 buried by the parish after they are
dead thani to be supp~ortedl by it while they
ate living ; and the way In wvhich poor
people1 will strip themselves of everything,
anmd run in dlebt to boot, in order to "cut a
show" at, the funerals of relations, Is almost
incredible. An Illustration of this caine
iindei imy notice recently. A man in hum
ble circumistances diied, heaving a wiilow
and several children. TIhe relict, in ordei
to honor thle memory of her late husband,
gav, e him a funeral described by a paroch
ial relieving ofllcer as "'li, for a Duke."
Th'lere was a htearsme drawnm by four coal
black steeds, three pair-horse, mourning
coaches, black velvet pail , noddinmg plutmes,
etc., etc. All the emplj~oyes of the under..
hiker wore black kia gloves and scarves,
for which the widow p~ahd. i'hoe dead
muau's income when lie wits alive was per
iiapls $10 iper week-certainly not, inore.
Th'Le expenses of his funeral amounted to
over $l50. Of course all the family went
inte mourming too, and almost equally 'of
course., went ito the work- house a week
or two later.
Why U,o Pralraos aire Tfruniong
A curIous and interesting explanation or
the absecec of trees on the great Western
.p~rairies was given at the meetting of the
Academy of Natural Sciences by Tihos,
Meehatn. Numberless theories have been
advanced by students in natural history
why the great feeding grounds of the buf
falo should be without, arborescent vegeta
tin, the pi incip~al one whIch Is supported
by distinguished authors being that, of ci
innutic intluetices. Mr. Mechan's theoory Is
tbat, the absence of trees is due to artificial
catisca altogether. Taught by their neces
sities the early Indians mnade It a practice
to anuially lire the high grass of the
prairies, which had the elfect of making
time growth more luxturianit and consequent
ly miore inviting to the vast herds of bufifa
ho, On which the aborigines depended
greatly for their sustenance. Ii, has ben
conclusively settled that no vegetatioc,
save the hardy prairie grass, will appear
on ground over which lIre has swept until
aniothter acason, so that the yearly prIairie
fires extended the area of the plateau until
they had become almost iasulroloss. Mr.
Meehan cited soveral instances where trees
had grown wheni the fire had been dis
contmutd, The hbypot~hosls was both
pleasing an#l . plausible, andi has e3xcitedt
Bome. dicus.,ion amngr the savants.
'i ho Stoty of a Wolf-Trap.
At a recent pioneer meeting in Varsar
ilchigan, Mr. Hart exhibited a steel-tral
with this history: "'The trap was made b'
I brother of Mr. Hart, while residing It
,he state of Now York, some 45 years ago
md Is considered a fline piece of workman
ihlp, and made of the best steel. It wa
given by the maker to his brother, L
L1art, when, soon after, he removed t<
iHichigan, thinklag it might be of servic4
in the wilds of the west. Mr. Hart locatet
)n a farm in the township of Tuscala,
where lhe now resides, over 40 years ago,
rho country was then a wilderness, ant
infested with wolves. Mr. Hart caught ir
tis trap the first wolf caught in Tuscoh
:ounty, and several afterward about th<
mine time. 1le again set the trap in th(
woods not far from his house, on the spot
where now.stands the residence of E. W.
White. It was fastened to a heavy clop
A wood, but it disappeared suddenly auc
nothing more was heard or known of 11
antil about forty years atterward, when ii
was discovered by a man chopping in tht
forest near Mount Morris, Glenesee county,
;one 13 miles distant, suspended in the
,rotch of a tree 36 feet from the ground.
When the tree was felled the trap was di.
xovered, released from its long captivity,
mad borne lionme in triumjiph by the sturdy
ixeman as a lawful prize. When found
the chain attached, and which was wound
tround the tree, was concealed from sight,
>wing coml!etely grown over and imbed.
led in the glowing wood and bark. Thc
rap hanging on one side of the crotch,
otd the ring at the other end of the chain
langling on the other side, were all that
vere exposed to view. Speculanons as tc
he manner in which it carke there may
iave ample scope ; but the most natural
,heory seenis to be that soie powerful an
mial must have carried the tral) and clog
ip the tree to the crotch, passed arounu
he tree and through the crotoi again, thus
vinding the chain completely around the
)ody of the tree, and shortening it so as tc
)o unable to extricate itself from its peril.
>us situation, and there hung until it died
>f starvation, and its flesh and bones de.
:ayed and dropped from their imprison
nent, uii were devoured by ravenous beaste
>r bird When dilEcovered, some nmositb6
tgo, no tii ccs of its victim remained, savc
onto little bits of hair between the jaws of
We trap. Tli astonished discoverer cut
>fI a section of the tree, containing the
.rotch and Imprisoned trap, and took it
iome for exhibition, but its history was in
rolved in mystery. At length it caie tt
he knowledge of Mr. Liart, who recog
iized it as his trap, which lie had set iieai
uis house 40 years before; and his brotlie
who had also come to Michigau, know it t
)o the identical trap that he made in NoN
eork state, as already stated, and gave tc
iis brother. The section of the tree con
aining I lie trap shows it to be beech, ant
,he main trunk is about live Inches in di.
imeter, while the branch is soei two in.
:hes across. A hole is cut in the body
)r inore beneath the outer bark.
So IHungry.
"Recently," said Policeman Doyle, o
.ew York, "I was walking in Broadway
icar B->nd strect. It was about sundown
tly attention was attracted by a crowd o
ionic 400 people around the entrance <
lie straw hat factory of Bill and Ray a
4. Everybody was yelling up at thi
iocond story of the building. I looked up
Lad there I saw a young woman standinj
>n the cornice outside the second-storj
window.
"'Illullol' says I.
"'I'm awful hungry.' says she.
"Then she said that she and four otho;
.irls were locked in. A man of man
vords who stood directly behind me kep
houting : 'I hear It's a tire. If so be as Il
5, pitt it out I'
"Thlen the young woman shouted down:
'We are all locked in, and we can't get out;
mid whatever shall we do? When the)
:losed up the building they lockcd lve o.
is In, and we're so veiy hungry.'
"'If so be as they're hun.ry,' says th<
nan behind me, 'give 'cim food.'
'"The girl In the window went on:'h
Iaitor went home with the key about,
)'clock. "ie cried "All out I" and theri
ocked the dooer ann wvent home. We wer<
10t out, and we're very huingry.'
" 'If so be its they can't get out,
tays the man behind tiy ear, 'call oun
he Fire Department and get a hook and
"'I learned front the girls that one o:
lie proprietora of the place, Thoiumnas L.
Blall, lived at 117 East 1 28th. I liinedi,
itchy ran to the station and told the der.
lcant. lIe telegraphed to Mr. Ball, andr
attle lates he conmes (downi to the scene.
"'Oh, AMr. i3.dl, please let us out,
cause we're s') very hungry,' saidl th<
fonnmg hadies.
"Mtr. Dlall said It hiadni't any key, and
ic (ldin't know where the janitor liVedl. A
imall boy ap~peatred who said lie knew thn
lanitor, aind woul fetch him, which lie did,
mad the gIrls were let out,. Wheni they
went awvay the man behind my car says he
to them, '.Now, if so be0 as your hungry,
why, go and eat.' "
TIhomnas L. B il was four~d at 0 o'clocla
in tho afteirnoo'n at his place of busi,
sest, and lie corroborated the policeman '
itory. Whilo e wa is speakiny, live gIrli
shipped out of thte door andI ran downi th<
itairs. The reporter followed tnemn. Thle)
were all staimhing together, talking anc
'mughing, on the sidewalk.
''AreC you the unlortunate--"
"'Oh, please don't speak to us I" saId th<n
>Idest one.
"WVhy not ?"
"'Cause wve don't want to lie prInted,
md we're very, very hungry."
1'mbiic kibrary or e ar Is.
The Public Library of Paris contans
~,000, 000 volumes, and adds 50,000 a yeiti
o Its store. Thlere are 54.000 books of
pecial dIstimction, of which 6,000 behong
o thec fifteenth century, and 20,000 arn
a clf 'uorc of Illustrious prninters. Soint
re wondlerful specCfiens of the blider'
rt, othefs belonged to famous historical
>ersonages; among thtem are two of
luttonberg's Bibles, printeni before 1457,
whose vailuo may be Inferred from the faci
hat an Inferlor copy has juist been sok
ut London for $10,000. TIhere are 90,00(
nanoscripts, 5.000 of whIch are liluatrateu
wIth mInIatures; If these were for sal
nany of them wvould be valued at $10,00(
vid over, There are more than a millIom
wtographs, 2,200,000 engravings anm
100,000 medals, many of them most costly
...40nW wnmlhamis fo , 000nn
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
The trunst end of life is to know the
life that never ends.
Love, faith, patience,- the three es
sentials to a happy life.
All philosophy lies in two words,
"sastain and abstain.
Low as the grave is, only faith can
climb high enough to see beyond it.
Great souls hold firmly to hesyen
and let the earth roll on beneath them.
It is right to be contented with what
ye have, but never with what we
are.
Nothing IQ further froqn the earth
than heaven; nothing Lia nearer thtan
heaven to eal th.
The grca problem of life is for each
wau'to do his,8hare of the wordi's work
and kep well.
lie who has created us with a thirst
after the knowledge of linm will cer
Lainly satisfy the thirst.
Notiig is m:Pre fatalto self advatkoe.
nent than a stupid conservatisma, or
servile luitatlon,
When a man Is conscious that he does
no good hiimsel, ti next Lntng Is to
cause others to do sone.
The talent of success Is nothing more
than doing What you can do woli,wltU
out a thought of fame.
Uod iULtLons are the seed of goad
actions, tiougli they do not always
Produco LUui1.
lie wil ilrd himself t a great mls
Lake that eitler seeks for a iriend in a
palace or tries himn at a toast.
You will gain a good reputation if
you avoid tUose accions whien you can
consure and blame in others.
If you have talents, industry will
strengthein thee M; it uoderace abilities
industry will suIply &le deliUlenoy.
Flattery Is often a tralia of mutual
meanness, w here althougu boh par&tes
intend decptUoni, neiti0r is deoivyd.
11 you would be miderable, look
within. It you would be distraced,
oox around. I you woUnd ba happy,
luuoL Up.
Moen must know that in this theatre
of manas life It remainthtl. only to U -d
and te angels to 0e luolcers-oli.
Ignorance is a blank sheet on which
we must write; error, a scriboled oU
from whicli wo must erase.
While ciroumstances may make og
mar a man, it Is equally true tuata j
m ty of en make lia caroutustances.
Never attempt to convey the impres
atom that you are a genius, by iuiaG
ing the faults of distuingulied IeIn.
Somec philosophers, in seeking for
truth, to pay homage to her, have soen
tuir own image and adored I in
stead.
A pohtician weakly and amiably right
is no maLh 1or a polatitlan tena0ously
and pugnaciously wrong.
Care should be taken not that the
,,11,4r understaud, whecasr hie will or
note
Man will bear every oalamity with
misfortune when he knows himself
to be the author of his own misfor
tune.
Iy a man has transgressed one law,
and speaks lies, and scoffs at another
world, there Is no evIl ho will no-do.
We do not believe immorality because
we have proved it, but we forever try
to prove it because we believe it.
I know of but two beautiful things
-the starry heaven above my head,
'nd the sense of duty within 'my
heart.
There are tines in the history of
communitlos, as well as of individuals,
when silence is sin, and submissiou a
cr1ime.
Tihere are a great many persons in \
the world who are well enough to go to
a ball, but too sick to attend a prayer
uueeting.
If anger arise in the breast,instantly
steal up) thy lIps, and let, it not go forth;
ior. like lire, whien it wants vent, l.
will suppress itself.
A zealons soul without meekness is
like a ship In a storm, in danger of
wreck. A meek soul and without zeah is
like a ship 1:n a calm, that moves not so
hast ais it ought.
Obstacles and perplexities every man
must meet, and he must either promlp
I ty conquer them, or they will conquer
We are fond of those who have given
us pleasure,not that wve have anyuaig
to say, but because the subject la pleas
ing.
Itallgion is the .best armor in the
world, but the worst cloaa.
To lIve without a purpose Is to-lead a
restless, unhlappy life.
Itisa rugged highways that call out
one's sirengti, not the -valleys of semi
suouis ease.
A 'aith in sympathy is the genius of
the heoart-inore, the kernel of Uhrist's
religion.
Th'lere are inscrip ions on all human
hearts which are niever to be seen, ex
cept at low, dead tide.
Friendship in some people0 is cruel.
ty, like feeding a thirsty man with the
beaded loami in the wine culp.
The crowning fortune of a m an is to
be born with a bias to some pursuit,
Iwhch linids himi In enjoymensc and
if there is anything more poignant,
c han aL body agonizing for wiqof
oiread, it is a soul watch isda 1o
hunger for light
Tnere is a gift that is almost a' blow,
and there is a kind word that 1i n.
deicne; so much is there in Lhe way
we do things.
A gentle person is like a river flow
ing cainily along ; while the passion
ate mani is like tile sea, casting up mire
and dirt coniauail.y.
Some p~eople never have a story to
coil, because of their quicksand nature s
(reom which every new wave washes
Out, tihe old imp~ression..
Bieing sometimes asunder heightens
(riendsniip. Tno greater cause of the
frequenG quarrels among relatiyes Is
their being so much toge:,ner.
Thae force, the mass of character,
I ilnd, hear t or soul, that a man cau Pu
I ito any work, is tihe ist imgortant
factor in that work.
IHavingsa home that is all preaching
enano pleasure--all duty and no fdn
I i a dull old tread mill which wIll
uivo the children away sooner or i
ter.