The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, May 06, 1882, Image 1
TRI-W EEKLY EDITION. W INNSBORO. S. C. MtY 6. 1882ESALHD184
SLIPPING AWAY.
They are slipping away-those sweet, swift years,
Like a leaf on the current cast,
With never a break In their rapid flow,
We watch tiem as one by one they go
Into the beautiful past.
As silent and swift as a weaver's thread,
Or an arrow's flying gleam;
As soft as the languorous breezes hid,
That lift the willows long golden lid,
And ripple the glatsy stream.
As light as the breath of the thistle down,
As fond as a lover's dream;
As pure as the flush in the sea-shell's throat,
As sweet as the wood-birt's wooing note,
So tender and sweet they seem.
One after another we then pass,
Down the din lighted stair;
We hear the sound of tizeir steady tread
In steps of the centuries long since dead,
As beautiful and as fair.
There are only a few years to come,
k hall we trainple them under our ruthless feet
These beautiful blossoms rare and sweet,
IBy tae dusty way of life?
There are only a few swift years-ah, let
No envious taunts be heard;
Make life's fair pattern of rare design,
And fill tip the measure with love's sweet wine,
But never an angry word i
A SEWING-GIRL.
"Now, girls, this won't do!" said
MadL~me Molini, pouncing in upon tho
ix pale sowing-girls, like a wolf into a I
fock of lamLs. "No it will never do
in the worl! I I don't pay you all exor
bititut wages to sit with your hands
folded like fine ladies. Miss Sedgowiok, I
we are waiting for that lavender silk I
polonaiso. Lucy Lisle, why doyou not I
go on with those buttonholes? Miss
Fox, you will be so good as to change I
your seat from he window to the mid- f
die of the room at oncel"
"But, Madame I'can't see there to lay
on these fine bias foldst" pleaded Miss
Fox,
"You mean you can't see the carts and i
carriages in the street, and the type-set- h
ters at the windows opposite!" retorted
Madame Molini, whose true nomencla -
ture was 'Mullons,' and who had been a c
Milliner's apprentice, in the goodly city
of Cork, before she set up on Sixth ave- I
nue as a Franch modiste.
Luoy Lisle caught up her work.
"I stopped just a mimuto Madame,
with that bad stitch in my side," .she
said and began to stitch away with i
eager haste.
"If you're sick, "said Madame,severe- I
2 . J1 1 hi"b? omuo and send
your tImo is miue,bunght and paid fort" l
While Miss Sedgewick,in self-defense
urged that she *had not enough silk
gimp to trim the polonaise and was wait
ing for more.
"Not enough," shrilly repeated mad
ame-'not enought I measured that f
triniting myselt, and I known there is
enough. You may just rip that off again,
and Sew it on higher op, and more eco
nomically; and I shall deduct this morn
ing's lost time from your wages! What's i
that, Flora Fay-the mode colored silk I
dress? Finished? And where are the
two and a half yards which wqrd left?"
"I folded them up with the drevs,ma
dano,said Flora Fay an innocent, blue
eyed young girl recently from the coun
try, who stood, in an unconsciously
. graceful ettitudo,beforo the fat and flor
id dressmaker.
"Thou you u crc a goose for your
pains,"shortly retorted Madame Molini,
as she unfastened the parcel, abstracted
the piceo of glistening uncut silk, and
whisked it awvay upon the shelf. "Two
yards and a half isn't much, but it isa
better thann nothing."
Flora Fay opened her innocent blue
eyes wide.
"What is she going to do with it?"
she asked Miss Fox, in a wvhispor, as
madame rnstled off to scold the errand
boy for putting too much coal ou the
gratofire.
"Don't you know little silly?"laughed 1
Miss Fox. "It is what she cabbages I"
"Ciabbages?'"repeated Flora, in amaze
ment. "'I don't understand you.'
"You will when you see the modoe silki
made uip into a sloovaless basque for
madame," said the other, 'trimmirt'i with
the gimp that was left from Mrs. Au
brey's dinner-dress, and the pearl fringe
from Mrs. Ossott's white damasso ball
costume."
"Btut you don't mean," said the
breathless Flora 'that mnadame takes the
silk that is loft from the customers'
dressea?"
"Goosiel" eried1 Miss Fox, "don't
talk nonsense any longer. It is what
every fashionable dressmaker does, and
"There's the reception-room boll,"
shrilly called madamo. "Miss Fay, an
swver it at once!"
Hairy Drake was standing in the
room, all glistening with satin drapery,
gilded mouldings and huge mirrors,
when Flora camie in-Harry Drake, the
young soa-cap~taim who boarded at the
same quiet and inexpensive house where
Flora was allowed a hall bedroom at a
reasonable rato,on account of Mrs. Dodds
having once boarded a summer atfho
old Fay farm-house up among the Berk
shire hills, and still r statining a kinid re
collectton of Mrs. Fe) 's kindness dturmng
an illness wvhuch overtook her ther-e.
"Oh, Miss Fay, is it you?" said Harry.
"Do you work here? Upon my word,
you seem to be in very comfortable
quarters."
"Bu~t I <don't stay here all the while,"
said Flora, noting how his glance wan
dorred from gildinlg to freso. Azxmnnia
ber carpet to bronzed chandelier. "I sow
in a little dark roo-., where there is a
stifling smell of coal gas and no carpet
:n the floor."
"i'ye come for a dress," said Captain
Drake, plunging headlong into his sub
eot, after the fashion of men in general
-"my sister's dress, She is to be mar
ried next week, and some of her friends
3onxed her to have her dress made hero.
Uiss Fortescue-she's only my half-sis
ber, you know,' in answer to Flora's
ook of surprise; "but she is going ' to
narry well, I hope."
"Its the modo colored dress," said
Filora with brightening eyes. "I helped
:o trim It myself. :'Yes. it's all ready."
And presently madams came smiling
1n, with the bill, and the dress folded
icatly in a whito pasteboard box, and
Japtain.Drako departed with a dim idea
,hat Madame Molini perfectly compro
iended the art of high charges.
Miss Fortesoue herself came the next
lay. She was a lady 'not lacking in
luiet resolution. She knew her rights,
md was prepared to defend them.
"Where is the material I sent?" said
ihe to Miss Fox, who 'was in attendance
n the reception room "It is not made
ip in the dress. I had purchased enough
or a new waist and sleeves, and it is not
dll here.'
"You must be mistaken,' said Miss
Pic A with an aspect of polite impossi
>lity. "The bias puffs and folds cut up
Io material shockingly, and-"
But at this moment, little Flora Fay
vho vas packing some tullo capos and
ichus into a bandbox, at the back of
he room, roso and came forward, with
leepening color.
"There are two yards and a hal? of the
node -colored silk, Miss Fox," she inter
upted-'don't you remember? on the
heif in the back rocm."
Miss Fox colored and bit her lip.
Madame Molini,with ominously dark
med face, twitched the two yards ai nd a
ialf of bilk off the shelf, folded i- into a
>aper and handed it to Miss Fortescue,
nuttering womething about a 'mistake
nado by one of her young women;' and
he young lady departed,a little dubious
A to whoher or not the fashiolable
lressmaker had intended to cheat her.
She had hardly clos d the door be
ind her, however, when Madame Mo
ni turned upon poor Flora Fay-, with a
*-I& X%^. 'Winwinst in eaochee~u
pa GlOROyCompreuah cheek and
"Young woman," said she, "you are
ischargedI"
"Dischargedl" echoed Flora. "For
rhat?"
"I want no one in my service," said
andame, "who is too conscientious to
ulfill my wishes. You have intermed
Lied unwarrantably in the matter of that
ilk, and I repeat that you are no longer
n my employmontl"
So poor little Flora went crying home,
vith a vague comprehension that she
iad been discharged because she had
ipokon out the truth.
It was nearly a fortnight afterward
hat Captain Drake noticed the absence
)f Miss Fay from the table of the board
ng house.
"Is your little blue, eyed lodger ill,
.ies, Dodds?" he asked. "I don't think
nave seen herof late."
"No, she's not ill," said tho landlady.
"That is to say, not exactly sick. But
he will be if she don't look out. She's
>Oarding herself, Captain Drake, on
)read and crackers, and such like, poor
Lear I and wasting away like a little
had ,w, because she's lost her situation
bt that dressmaking place, and don't
eo her way clear to another.. And she
von't run into debt, she says, not even
or a meal of victuols. Ak !" the good
voman added, "I can remember when
ho was the pet and darling of the old
olks at home, before they lost their all,
unmng about among the daises rand
>Uttorcups like a sunbeam."
'But how did she come to lose her
>lace?" asked Captain Drake.
And Mrs. Dodds, who liked to hoar
~ho sound of her own voice, told the
vhole story.
"It's a shame!" criqd the captain.
"Just what I say myself," nodded the
andlady.
And the next day, M~iss Fortescue
(whio was Mrs, Awkright now) came to
500 Flora Fay.
".It was all my fault," she said, with
affectionate vehemence, "that you lost
your situation-andl oh, if you would
come and stay with me. and help me
with the sowing for my now house, I
should esteem it such a favor I Would
you, please?"
"Are you quite sure that I can make
mnyvlf useful ?" said Flora, a little hesi
tatingly.
"Yes, quita," said Mrs Awkright.
And, in the sunny atmnosp~here of th(
bride's p~rotty home,the young country
girl Loed to expand into a different
creature. Captain Drake, the most de.
voted brother mn the' world, came thiere
nearly every dlay; and little Floram, all
unconscious of her own feelings, began
to watch for his daily visit 'us a hlio
trope- blossom watches the gan.
Until at last, there was talk of anoth
or long voyage to Japan, and then Flora
grew p~ale ando nervous again.
"I-I have been here long enough,'
she said. "If I go to the Exchange
Bureau, they will perhaps tell me of a
new situation. And I need a change.'
"Flora," said ho, "are you unwvilling
that I should sail to Jeddo?"
"I always had a horror of the usa1
whispered Flora. hanging down he
pretty head. "But of course Captait
Drake, you must do as you please."
"Yes, of course," he answered, ab
sontly. and - when he was gone, Flor
shed a tow quiet tears over the tabl
linen she was hemming for Mrs. Awk
right.
"How bold and uumaindonly it Is c
me," she thought, "to lot myself car
for a man who does not think twice o
me ? If he had cared one iota for me
would he not have said so Men?"
But the next evening, at dusk Captaij
Drake sauntered in with that swinginj
gait of his, as if he were still troadin
the deck of an outward-bound vessel.
"Don't run away, Flora," said he, a
the girl caught up her work, and pre
pared for a precipitate retreat.
"Did-did you want to -peak to me?
she faltered, with downcast eyes.
"Don't I always want to speak to you
Sit down, Flora," said he, "and hea
what I've been planning."
"Now it is coming," tbought Flora
with a sick feeling at heart. He is goi
to be married, and he is coming to to]
me 13."
"I have decided to give up the sea
faring business," said Captain Diake.
"Have you?" muttered Flora, faintly
"I am so glad."
"And L'v'e bought a farm In Connooti
cut," he went on-"the old Berkshiri
farm, Flora, where you were born an(
brought up. I'm going to be a farm
or I"
She looked up at him, the roso ani
lily followingt each other acioss he:
cheeks.
"Oh!" she cried, Involuntarily, "If:
could only see the dear old place one<
more!"
"But I won't go there to live." sai
the captain detei minedly, "unless you'l
go there with me, Flora. as the farmer'j
wife I What do you think of it, littli
girl? Shall it be a partnership ?"
And when Mrs. Awkright came in
the papers were all sealed, signed an<
delivered, the "partnership" was a fore
gone couclusion!
"I don't know how I shall sucqeed al
a farmor," said Captuin Drake, to hil
sister; "but if little Flora here is onlj
with me, there's nothing in all th<
world that I haven't courage to under
take."
And when Mrs. Awkright took Flora'
hand in hers, the girl whinArbf..
in all the wide world to-night. Because,
dear Mrs. A wkwright, he loves me ?"
London Names.
So far from Blough being a corrup
tion of "slow,"the place, as might hav
been expected, had a name long befor
a coach. or even a wagon, trundle<
through its rutty street. As far back a
1442 the villiage was called "Lei
Slowe," and the bricks with which Eto
College is built wore made, accordinj
to authentic documents still extant, a
"Slowe." Thus the local derivation -
the name of this ancient hamlet, which
at the first blush, could havo deceive<
no one, falls to the ground. Etymolo
gy, indeed, is a dangerous pastime fo
unpractised hands to plaRy at. It some
times leads to awkward consequences
At one time the railway authorities in
sisted on naming a station not far from
Cambridge Oakington, though the
country folks in the immediate vicinit;
know the locality as H-okington. This
however, was deemed a Cockneyist
until a sceptical, antiquary discovere<
that the name was derived from the
family of Hocking, and that in realit'
the rustics were right and the railwa;
wrong. Again, no belief has bee
stronger than that a court of Ludgat
Hill wvas named in honor of Pocohonta
--"La Bcile Sauvago." Unhmappily
how~ever, furthb-r rerearch p~roves thi
the spot has no association wvith thi
beautiful daughter of Powhatan, "En
perour of Virginia," but was tha
quondam slit of the "Bell and Savaga
public house. If the world was to b
dominated by scholars of the Sloug:
type, Hampsted, instead of being
corruption of t'he Saxon "hamstedo,
or home place, would be named frol
somebody who once lived there, an
preferred pig's flesh to mutton. Agaii
Holborn is "Old Bourno" or river, an
Hackney has nothing to do with coacht
plying for hire or tales twvice told, but
a long-doscondedl memory of Hakoi
the Damshi Jarli, who, following tl,
ways of his race, 1,500 years ago ai
propriated the "cy," or island. Clai
ham hooks, at first sight, to the etymoJ
ogist wecll read in old1 chronicles easy t
associate with one of the old lords <
the sodl, Osgodi Clapa, the Dane, a
whose daughter's marriage feast Hard:
canuto drank himself to death. But n
are at, once silenced when we find thi
in the Chertey Register the placei
named Clappenham as far back as tI
reign of Alfred, and that by the tin
the Domesday Book was compiled ti
name hand become transformed int
C~opeham. (Picondfly is in no way coi
nected with pickles. But after settli
this poinit, there is left us a wide choic
among '-peccadilloes," a word whic
Butler at plies to the collar in the pi
lory; Piceadilla Hall, a shop for the sal
of "peccadillas," or turnovers, a ont
fashionable article of dress; or "peecai
dallas," a cake for.erly hawked in ti
filds now oovered with a proyiMee
bioa
r -The Itussian 4ahilfsts.
The trial of the two men concerned in
- General B-relnikoff's assassination ter
m minated. very quickly. The following
D facts are gathered from the evidence
- given: -The deceased was sitting on a
seat in the boulevard quietly contempla
f ting the sea, when his murderer ap
e proached and fired a revolver. The
f General was shot through the neck, the
, ball entering his brain. He expired in
a few moments afterwards in the arms
a of some persons who had hastened to
z his assistance. After' committing the
g crime the murderer jumped into a
droshki which was awaiting him on the
s boulevard. He was stopped, however,
by a onan called Korriga and was arreast
ed, together with his accomplice, who
anoted as coachman.. A citizen named
Labsine, a soldier named Nokrasson,
and a Custom Hqisc clerk named Igna.
r tovitch also played a part in the capture.
LIabsino and Nelr.-assan were wounded
by the murderer in the struggle. The
droshki had been hired by the two men
1 for a day and a half. The horse had been
bought for 25 roiibles two days previ
ously. On searching the assassins
three revolvers, three daggers, and
several flasks of poison were found on
them, One of them was stopping at
- the Hotel de la Crineo, where General'
Strelnikoff also stayed. The accused
I declared that the General's death had
been resolved on because of his activity
in prosecuting inquiries into crimes
I against the State. He was an obstacle
e to the successful propagation of revolu
tionary doctrines among the working
[ classes of Odessa. The two captured
3 criminals, who gave false names, were
brought before the military tribunal at
Odessa, and on the 21st of April were
sentenced to be hanged. Ger.eral
Strelnikoff's funeral took place with
3 great pomp on the 2d instant, at the
Cathedral. The hearse was escorted by
a large detachment of infantry and ar
tillery, and was followed by thousands
of spectators.
The execution of the murderers took
place the next morning, after the son
tence had. been approved by General
Gourko. At 7 o'clock on Monday morn
ing the prisoners reached the place of
execution, wearing oa their breasts
placards, on whioh was the inscription
"8tato Criminal," The hangman, who
bkAA- av.-slia 2 A . Qmight, from his
during the ., ,' according to custom.
was dressed ihe red shirt of the Rus
sian moujiks, io wide trousers tucked
into high - boots'. The scaffold, which
was approached by live steps, was a
3 rough platform resting on trestles.
) Two gibbets rose above it and two black
I posts. The local authorities were sta
i tioned in a circle around the scaffold,
3 The arrival of the prisoners was herald
' ed by the shrill sound of files and the
Z beating of drunis. Each prisoner was
t attended by a priest. On ascending the
f steps, they were received by the hang
man and bound to the posts. In three
minutes the execution was over,
r A Clever Chinnlan.,
- i8m Ohanglo, a C.ianese laundryman In
St. Louis, is something of a genIus. He
- possesses a ktowledge of paimting, clock
mnaking, eng~ineering, engraving, fancy
Ssewing, and Is well up in the arts and
sciences, including chemistry and other
y branches of learing. At present Chaneglo
is engaged in completing what lhe pleases
a 10 term the "Worhd's iFair." Tis curi
osity consisti of a miniature Chinese
house containing towers and verandas,
3 and possessin;( other features peculiar to
,Maongolian architecture. The structure
rests on a table. it Is about four feet hish
and five feet lonig, and its rooms arc all
open on one oide, in' order that the spec
tator may see swhat is taking place within.
aDirectly in frdnt of the house Is a yard in
~which two Ohinamen are represented as
t -playing a Mongolian game, andi two ot ners
in the act of building a brick wall. On
the steps two ladles are standing face to
face, in the, adt of ratuting each other.
e T'hrce Chinese la'.hes alt on the Veranda
engaged in close onversation, while two
nwmn en the veranda directly over thel:
Sheads are lean'ng forward and endeavoring
to o rerhear what, they are sayin. About,
a Lhe building butttties, that look as natu
ral as life, are scen with wings outstretched
in the act of flying. Thils is what the ob
d server finds on the exterior of the build
ing, but he beconmes more aceply inter
4 ested when he inspects the contents of the
1l apartmnents wiL inuir In one apartment lie
sees an army of lodlers iiounted on horsies,
in another a solemn procession of priests,
andI in another a lot of wild animals, etc.
b When the clockwork that operates this
e0 vast establishment is wound ip and
> started, tLhe effect produced is deciedly
,. striking. The butteriltes tremble on invis
Ible wires, and appear to be flying about
'in the air; the men at the brick wail work
a vigorously, the characters In front of the
,f main entrance bow gracefully, with their
t hands clasped before them,Cnilnese fashion;
i. thme soldiers move around brissly, the ami
mals runa swiftly, and the wonmen on the
verarcda over the main entrance vociferate
wildly. In fact, everything connected
5 with tao establIshment is natural and life
0 like.
to "fow long did it taske you, Mr. Changlo,
tomake that concern?"
o"Oh, it took me not longer than a month.
0 work very fast and can make such things
m- very q ajck. The house, you see, is coin
glosed of wood, All the trimmings are of
a silk. Tfho:- pictures you ace on the table
h ctoth hiding the legs of the table, I
painted, They are oil paintinge. One
- represents a Chinese castle. The other
eo two are landscape representations of moun
o talns. There are in the building and yard
in front of it just 150 fIgures, whlih move
when the house is wound up."
.0
fT wo Captains in ono ship will surely
*hink har.
A Nigh; With A Rat Catcher.
One of the' most expert rat catchers in
New York is a little man with a thought
ful face.
"I constantly thinks about 'em, sir," he
says, "and .1 lose no opportunlty for a
(Indin' eut their curious ways, which is
quite remarkable, 1 do assure you, sir."
"Are thet e many in your )ue here?"
"There is many, sir, which has the auda
city to call themselves rat catchers, which
they ain't, notwithstanding. I should say
there is about ten of 'em."
His hair is long and tangled; he has a
scraggy moustache, and his hands are un
commonly large, with monstrous knuckles
and long nails; they are scarred in many
places. He is much under the average
height, and as quick as a rat in his move
ments. le does everything with abrupt
gestures. When puttiog on his hat his
hand moves with great rapidity. le walks
leisurely to within two feet of a door, and
then his hand flies out and the door opens
like a flash. His speech is as slow as his
movements are rapid, and the muscles of
his face never seem to change. His ruling
passion is hs great pride in his calling.
"Which it's looked up to on the other
side," he says, "as it should be, bein' a
perfession requiria' unusual abilities."
He invited the reporter to go with him
on one of his expeditions against his en
emy, the rat, and a few nights later they
met at a stable in West Fortieth otreet.
The rat catcher woze a pair of light cloth
slippers, heavy trousers, flannel shirt, and
vest. lie had a kit of tools with him, and
at about 11 o'clock he went to work.
First he went carefully around the edges
or the floor, and learned every rat hole.
Thera were a numbt-r; some at the edges
of the partitions between the stalls, others
at the washstand, and a number in the
harness closet. I'le rats had ruined val
uable harness. Many effrts had been
made to exterminate them, but without
succ as.
"I guess I'll get 'em out, sir. I just
cleared 217 rats out of a private residenceJ
on Tenth avenue in three night." he said.
le then took a number ot little wire
doors out of his bag. They were about
four inches square. One of these was
screwed over each rat hole at an anrle of
forty-five degrees, so that the rat could
easily raise is on coming out of the hole,
but could not get back into the ho'e agatn
after it had dropped in place. When
every hole had been thus covered the re
porter retired to the top of a shelf of a
long step ladder and smoked, while the
rit catcher turned down the lights and
cleared the large floor of the stable of all
the small objects that could be readily
piled in the carriages or on the shelves.
"Are you sure the rats will come out?"
"Oh, yea, sir. Thay cornes out every
night. -Scme men professin' to call them
selves professiona's claims that they have
a poison that will make rats como out o'
their hole an' die, but it can't be done.
rous poison causes most horrid thirst, an'
the rats comes out of their holes an'
drinks, an' tben goes back an' dies. Then
there's a pretty how-to a, an' whole
floors must come up at great expense."
lie was moving about in a most stealthy
manner, now trying one little gate and now
another. A large bag of coarse material,
witn a string with which to close the
opening, hung on a harness peg, and he
had sprinkled alittle powder down several
of the holes, which was designed to make
the rats thirsty and cause them to come
ou-t for water. lie lighted a stub pine
and perched himself on the bottoti of the
step ladder with his chin in one hand,
while lie slowly opmed and closed a pair
of tongs, nearly two fcet long, with flat
blades.
Everything was quiet for a few iwinutes,
and then there was a slight scratching at
one of the little do:,rs, and a monstrous
rat, as fat as an alderman, slowly camne
out. The door" diopped to behind him;
he turned quickly, tried to get back, and
ran squealing along thme wvall.
"lie's a good one," remarked the little
man in a whisper, going out into the
middle of the room, layilug lis pipe on the
sntelp and turning up tho gas. "il tell
you what fill do; ll catch this one mn my
hands."
ie began to squeak throukh his teeth,
making a noise like tihe squeakmng of a
rat, and slowly approached the fat intru
decr. The rat backed into a corner and
stood with his little eyes gleaming and
tail swishing rapidly from aide to side.
The rat catcher slowly drew closer until
the rat suddenly bhot oil along the wall.
In an instant, the little miau had sprung
forward with a bounmd that was entirely
reckless, and went, head lirst, for the rat.
Uoth his hands were outstretched, and he
pinned it to the floor with a force that
made it squeal. Tihe bouind was lae that
which ra cat, would make.
"Ilo is indeed a fat one, air," lie said,
getting on his feel; "yoai'hl observe-"
"Keep) ii awa.5l Ain't you afraid
he'll bite?"
"Atfraidl, sir? 1 do assure you nothing
Is J urther f rom my thoughts. Ifesides, it's
very rareiy that they bite if you know
how to handle 'emn. You mght, let this
one run all over you and not get, hurt."
"Y es; I might, but I won't.''
"1 will, then," ho said, calmly, and be
fore the reporter could interfere the little
Englishman had thrust the rat inside bis
clothing, and the creature emerged from
his right trousers leg and( shot, like a me
tL'cor behind the ste~p ladder. The reporter
raited his feet, one step higher, and the
i at catcher crepg up toward the rat withI
the same quict nmovemnent that a cat dim.
plays. Thle badgered aniumal shot one
way and another until it reached the
corner, when the little an pounced on
it anid dropped it into the bag. Theinre it
iqiealed Ior a time and then became
q ,iet. while the little rat catcher reiind
his pipe.
" W crc you ever badly bitten?"
"devral times. Once I suffered long,
but I deserved it, for I let tuhe beast bite
imc through carelessness, you know. Ills
bite poisoned my arm, an' I had a dread
ful unhappy tlIme for four months or so.
It was in Pittsburgh, Pa. Rats? Well,
there a as rats theme an' no mistake. .1n
the St. Clair hotel I caught 120 ini one'
night, and 437 in ix nights. I caught
169 in the lBevenmh Avenue hotel .in two,
ights, and in five I got, 211 out of the
Mlonongehela hiotet,"
"fTe hotels there seem to have been'
very fairly stocked.''
"Well, yes, sir, but it's almost as bad'
hero. i've been five years employed by
Earlo's hotel, Oleared out the BL. 8tenhnn.
in' get regular jobs at the Fifth avenue,
Windsor, Brunswick. in' Metropolitan
otels. Rlats In abundance is not de.
mirable."
He laid his pipe on the step again and
aid, reflectively:
That's as ugly a lookin' customer as I've
aeon this many a day. 11e'll tight, but
I'll get him bare-handed just to show you
the sport."
Another rat, much larger than the first,
with scrawny legs and an emaciate1 body,
was standing by the hole he had just
emerged from, and trying to open the
little wire door. When the little man ap
proached him the rat elowly retreated, but
did not go as though frightened, as his
fat predecessor had, but rather as a savage
our retreats, turning half around toward
his pursuer every few steps. When he
had reached the corner lie stood at bay.
'he man edged up towaid him, but be
fore he got within jumping distance the
rat shot off along the wal!. 11e was
driven back several times, and he became
uglier at every defeat, until at length the
littlq man was ready to spring at him,
when the rat made a noisy squeak and
jumped strahcht for his throat. it bounded
iron the flor with a spring of extraor
dinary strength. and shot at the mnan's
throat as though driven from a cannon
with its teeth all showing and its long tail
straight. The rat catcher threw up his
arm, hitting it a savage blow, which drove
it against the wall, whence it fell to the
floor with a thud. In an instant it got on
its feet, and made another furious spring
At the rat catcher's throat. This time he
itodged it. The rat, when it came to the
tloor then, started for its hole, but, failing
to get in once more, ranalong to the corner.
rhe little man was circling about it, con
Itantly uttering the squeaking call through
I's teeth.
"I'll get him this time," he said calmly;
lc's a bad one, but I'll get him."
He slowly approached the rat, wuich
was again at bay in the corner, but when
ver the animal sho wed any disposition to
ump he would retreat. These tactics
were kept up. for some time, till the rat
itarted once more toward its hole. That
was the fatal step, for the instant it started
he catcher threw himself forward and
)inned it with both, hands to the flocr.
1is recklessness in diving forward was a.
-emerkable as his success in always catch
ng the rat.
"Ah you big villain, youl"
"Will you keep away from beret"
"All right, sir. He won't hurt you now,
vill you, me boy?" and be gave the beast
wo or three vicious slaps before he depos
ted it in the bag with its fellbw. "i've
ackled many, but lie was as ugly a house
at as I ever seen, an' a man who don't
inderstand handlin' of 'em would be ap .
o get hurt, sir. I'll shiw you now how
cateies the most of 'em."
The reporter noticed that nearly half a
lozen big rats were on the floor, huddled
aehind the harness closet. They had
the fight. The catcher took his long tongs,
and.crept toward them with the Implement
>pea and held well in frent. Oe of the
rats started along the wall, and the catcher
;prang after it ani caught it by the tail as
x, ran aloag with his big tongs, and held
.t dangling up to view. This was thrust
nto the bag, and the others soon joined it.
"Now we'll have ,the pleasure of
vaitin'," observed the little man, as he
prinkled more of the thirst-inspiring
)>wder in the holes, relit his pipe, and.
urning the gas altnsst out, seated himself
)> the lower steps of the ladder and fell
nto deep meditation. Fo)r an hour he sAt
hus, without speaking, and, while the
'eporter roosted, listened to the occasional
licking of the little door and the nionot
)nous phtter of the rats' feet as they scam
ered to and fro on the bare floor. When
,he little man turned up the gas, there
was a sighti At least half a hundred
lack and brown little animals were scud.
lung around on tne floor. The repugnance
hat men naturally feel for rats seemed to
iave no place in the feechngs of the stumpy
ittle rat catcher, who sailed inito his work
with great vigor. O ily twice did lie en
ouiner any opposition, and then it was
short, lived. At the expiration of halt an
iour they were all rq icaking together in
dhe big bag-'a turbulent mass of ra's,
Lie went outside in the yard, andi broughit
an a little terrier to guard the lace till
:norning, and then, singing the bag on
lis shoulders, he went out into the street.
"What do you do with them all?" we
uked.
''I have a number of dogs- for trainiu\,
en' they're very fond of rats."
The little man went trudging up the
itrect in the early mnorning, with his huge
burden of scrambling rats overshadowing
als igure.
The 'Tainaiutt.
This tree is indligenous in various parts
f Africa and [Indma, and it grows wily ini
several parts of the Easst Indian lslands.
Lt is a handsome tree, 60 to 80 feet in
kieight. its compou'nd hiavos of ten to
twenty pairs of smiall obient lallets formi
4 dlense foliage. The tlowers are white
when they iirst open, but soen turn yel.
Low. The frmit is an indlehiscent, legume
or 1)od, 8 to 6 inches long, straighut or
somsewhat curved, anid with a hard. brittle
exterior shell. Thhe seeds, iroms four to
tweive In number, are cacti surrounded
by a tough, peppery membrane, outside
of wihich, bet ween it and the shell, there
Is a firm, juicy acid pulp, traversed by
strong w xxty tibers, wich start, from the
fruit stalk. 'rho ripeness of the fruit is
knowna by the brittieneas of the outside
shell.
in the West Indies its fruits is picked,
deprived of its shell, and packed In casks,
and boiling airup is poured over thenm un
tii the vossel is full; when cooi, the pack
age is headed up anid is readly for market.
A botter kinal, rarely founti in imarket,
is prepared b~y packing the esoctt fruilt in
stone jars ithi alternate layers of sugar.
Tihe pulp has a brisk acid instc,mnodilted
more cr less by the amnount of sugasm used ;
it contains tariaric, citric, and other acids,
andI some principle not well ascertained,
which gives it a laxative property. Taum
arnde are used in tropical couintrie's ton
prepare a refreshing drink by p'aring
boiling water over the fruit. 'This drink
Is also used as a laxative and refrigerant
in fevers. The wood is usetul for timber,
and makes a flue charo~h. l'hie shell of
tlie seed contains tannin, and the kernels
are used as food in uindia in times of
scarcity.
A fly is notldug, bt it eJpoils $ho aip
notite.
An Insigat Iuto Commerotal Fertiluuers.
A few years back dealers in fertilbzers,
placed upon the market cortain gradeu
which they claimed to be espeoially adapt
ed for all crops. It was sjou discovered
that sone of the causes of dissatisfaction
on the part of the users were due to tie
fact that a fertilizer might be very good
for certain crops and not benefloial to
others. Nearly all fertilizers contain ni
trogen (as ammonia), phosphorio seidt
potash, lime, soda, magnesi., s'ilphurio
and other acids and organic matter. 'The
aeids, with the lime, soda, maguesia aid
organic matter usually comprise about 75
per cent. of the whole, leaving the re
maining 25 per cent. to be apporLinied
between the phosphoric acid, nitrogen and
potash. Now, the chief value of a fert
lizer consists in this matter o1 apportni
mont, the slightest variation affectina, its
commercial as well as its economic value
several dollars per ton. If iiatrogen be ia
excess It greatly Increases the worth of
the fertilizer; phosphoric acid and potaph
come next in order of value as leadaig
constituents.
We can at once by noticing the ar
rangenent of these ingredients in their
several proportions, understand why a
fertilizer for potatoes should cost inore
than that intended for fruit and vines. 8o
we learnt also, that instead of any particu
lar fertilizer being adapted to all soil:, amt
all crops, each crop has requirements of
its own, and the most economical nethod
of using fertilizers I, 'to apply them
in proprtiois adapted to mneet the wints
of the crop. The fertillaurs formulated
for potatoes are so proportioned that not
only must the sabstance for the growt't
of the tubers be ihpplied. but that for tni
vines also. The proportions of ingredients
for a complete lertilizer for potatoes la
usually aboit. 4 75 per cent, of aiouli, 9
per cent, of phosphorie. acid, 7 per cn-t.
of potash, and about 80 per cent, of iime.
organic matter, etc. Theso proportiond
vary slightly with different manufactures,
but they are about the quantities required'.
The price of such a fertihzar, according to
present cost of ingredients, shouid be
about $17 per ton of about 2900 pounids.
It is very different with fertilizera fof
frusts and vines, for they are formiulatod
with about 2.50 per cent. of amnoula, 7
per cent. of phosphoric acid, 0 5j per
cent. of potash, and 84 per ceut. of fimie,
organic ntatter, etc. The vricu shouid be
10 tinV neig.aborhood of $36 per ton. This
dilference in cost arises zroen the different
quaMitLes of amnUonia in the two forti
ZerS-Lhe one being 4.75 per cou. and
the other 2.50-whicii seems like a
very small amount.
Another look into the bape, and we stop
to consider the kind of ferizA.r we are
buying. S lubility of the ingredients is
the main object to b considered, but it
does not follow that the farier has beun
cheated because tue ingredients are not
ait soluable. Ilia want is t. at once sup
oly gis.rop g alg d jgcg erod, and
available as desired, it may be in a goij
condition for a succeedIng crop. It makes
a great difference what form of aanionia,
phosphoric acid or potash take In the fer
Liuzer. For instance, if ammonia exists iu
the shape affordinug good Peruvian gusao,
or as nitrate of soda or sulphate qf itiUo
nia, it is in a form to be readily hvailable
for plant food ; but If it existed In pow
dered leather it would not be so sitisfac
tory, for time would.be req ilred t'),dissoivo
it in the soil ; and yet iu buying such a
fertilizir tW- farmer would not really be
wronged, for analysis by a cheniusi would
show it to contain its proper proporion
of anionia. But the fertilizer wousd not
be available for early action; yet the moa
ey woull not be lost in the end, esp-e.ciatiy
it the dressing was applied on a clay b.h.
Two per cent. of nitrogen in a boluic
conidition is ordinarily better than 10 psr
cent. In an improper state..
Coznf,rtable Shoes,
L. 't women take into consideration the
p:ropriety of buying comfortable shoes.
T'his matter is of na pmatl impor:ance when
we consider how many ills may result
from being unproperly shod. A yonug
lady perched on "i'rench heels" mnits
surely have wveakc ankle joints. A p)re"
tical physician says: "If the enemy or
righteousniess is now looking for schemes
by which to ruin our race p)hysicailly, noe
need only encoutrage smaller and highuer
heels and sualier waists, so that the future
mothers will be neither able to walk eor
breath naturally." And not only the~
helghth of the heel but the width of tihe
sole and the thickness of the leather are
matters worthy to be looked alter. Coid
feet are often the cause of untold suffer
ing among women, and yet our girik - -
intel'igent girls-can haidly be p~rcvaded
upon to wear leather shoes and warm
stockings in winter, with warm overshoe 4
when they go ot, but cloth their fhet
pretty much the same the year round.
Home-kmit overshoes of double zephyr, o~r
Germantown wool, with cork soles are
neat and comfortable,and half the ingeniu
ity spont on foothers, braids and iaces
would provide them. W'ithsou thies
promoters of health andt comfort a woaan
us poorly provided for winter weather.
Ice.
Mr. B3ergh has drawn attention to the
powerful agency exerted by ice In sever
amg rocks, of which he gives a strlimg
instance, occuring on the Aalesunel ini
West Norway, where a low ledge risir;
out, of the fjord p~romnontory is all that
remains of a onice extensive ijord promou
tory, which, In the year l1717, was sud
denly blown up and precipitated into the
waiter by tne force of the ice witina thme
literstices of the stone. The winter h i
been nuld, anti during a rapid thaw a ca1n
siderabie streamn had welled upj fromu the
ice-covered summit of the Ijueld, andi ciir -
ried its waters into every creviccof the rock,
when a sudden change of wind brought
about a sharp frost which turned the do.
sce'ndiag waters of the newly formed
stroami into ice, arresting their course
withain the intestices of the rock. Tlhe
result was (nc ezplosion of the entiro
fjnc d below the outbreak of the streani,
auud its projection from a hieigr t of more
than 1,500 feet into the neightiorlog I jo:d,
which inguite.d the whole of tihe prom mn
tory, with as cultivated fields and harem
stead. Simaulaneously with the disap.
pearance of the land below the surface of
thme fjord a huge mass of waters wias pro.
pelled against the opposite shore, carrying
with it rusly anchors, boat rafters, andI
punmerous other objects,