The Darlington herald. (Darlington, S.C.) 1890-1895, November 16, 1892, Image 1
HERALD.
“IF FOR THE LIBERTY OF THE WORLD WE CAN DO ANYTHING.”
VOL. III.
Azrael.
With quiet Step, and features vailed
and hidden
From all of mortal mold,
He cornea once more whoever comes
unbidden,
A Presence gray and cold.
Before him lieaa silence sad and dreary,
As falling Hope departs! *
Behind him rolls a mournful miserere.
The wail of anguished hearts.
Bounds man’s deep sob, when ties are
rentasunder.
So sweet and yet so brief,
And childhood’s cry* where loss is
touched with wonder,
And woman’s truer grief.
Not yet around the veiled and somber
angel
We see the glory burn,
For hear the whisper of the blest
• evangel
Below his accents stern.
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1892
NO. 11.
Tfce Mistakes *r M*8cs.
The pain of Loss in Patience issues
slowly.
But lie who still aspires
Shall tind his life sereneynade and
holy
By Sorrow’s cleansiug fires.
Till this dark Presence, robber! of all
its terror,
Blooms In eternal yonlh.
And opens for-us, freed from fault and
error.
The golden gates o.f Truth.
THE FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
A Forecast of the CoMflexloa of
the National Leglslatore. ,
Washington, Nov.—The officials
of the Democratic and Republican
Congressional Committees have made
up their final estimates as to the
strength of the majority • in the next
House, which it is universally con*
ceded will be Democratic by a small
but sufficient majority. Some specu
lation is also being indulged in re
garding, the possible change in the
complexion of the Senate.
The terms of twenty-nine Senators
will expire March 4, 1893. The
eighteen Republicans who will then
retire unless re-elected are Felton, of
California; Hawley, of Connecticut;
Hale, of Maine; Dawes, of Massachu
setts; Stockbridge, of Michigan; Davis
of Minnesota; Sanders, of Montana;
Paddock, of Nebraska; Stewart, of
Nevada; Hiscock, of New York;
Casey, of North Dakota; Sherman, of
Ohio; Quay, of Pennsylvania; Al
drich, of Rhode Island; Proctor, of
Vermont; Allen, of Washington;
Sawyer, of Wisconsin; and Warren, of
Wyoming. The eleven Democrats
are Gray, of Delaware; Pasco, of
Florida; Turple, of Indiana; Gorman,
of Maryland; George, of Mississippi;
Cockrell, of Missouri; Blodgett, of
New Jersey; Bate, of Tennessee;
Daniel, of Virginia; Faulkner, of
West Virginia, and Mills, of Texas,
who is now serving out the nqex-
pired term of ex-8euator Reagan, who
resigned bis seat.
Of those Senators whose terms ex
pire next March, Aldrich, Sherman,
Proctor, Daniel, George and Gorman
have been re-elected, and the Legis
lature that will select Hale’s succes
sor has been chosen and will ballot
in January. Senator Walthall^ of
Mississippi, whose term does' not ex
pire until March 4, 1895, has also
been re-elected.
The Senate was last Democratictthe more we shall
in the latter half of Prey dent Hives’s
term in the White House,-from 1879
to 1881. The Democrats then con
trolled the upper house by a majori
ty of nine, holding it for the first
time since the war. Now that there
is a possibility that the Presidency,
the House and the Senate will all be
Democratic, the strongest etto'rts have
been put forth by the party leaders
to carry the State Legislatures that
are necessary to Democratic suc
cess.
The Republicans now have a plu
rality in the Senate over the Demo
crats of eight, and a majority over
the combined Democratic and Alli
ance vote of six. Bat, as has been
stated, the terms of eighteen Repub
licans expire, while but eleven Dem
ocrats go out. There is, therefoie,
an excellent opportunity for the
Democrats to secure control. A loss
of four Republican Senators out of
eighteen would result in a tie between
the two parties, leaving the balance
of power with the Alliance Senators,
Kyle and Peffer, who usually vote
with th; Democrats on all political
questions not involving finances. In
the event of Cleveland’s success,
Stevenson as Vice-President and pre
siding officer of the Senate would
also strengthen the Democratic party
in the npper house, bis vote being
cast whenever a tie might occur.
The big Democratic majority in the
House will be cut down by nearly if
not quite a hundred. The tremen-
doss representation of the popular
party that rode into the house upon
the crest of the tidal wave two years
ago was of couAe abnormal.—News
I Mi
Some' skeptics have a great deal to
say about ■‘.‘the mistakes of Moses.”
Let ul refer to a few facts which
thfcy in their researches seem to have
overlooked. .
Moles, after he was eighty years
old, emancipated and organized a
captive nation, leading an army.of
six hundred thousand men for forty-
years through the wilderness of Sinai
to the bmlers of their inheritance,
giving them a law so full of these so
called “mistake; ” that this one ua-
tiftft which lias partly observed it has
existed for more than thirty-three
centuries in a wairing and tumultu
ous world, outliving all the nations,
empires, and tongues which then ex
isted on the face of the earth, wit
nessing the downfall of Egypt,
Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and
Rome; and, though scattered for ages,
because of their sins, among all na
tions, still exists, as numerous, per
haps, as'll} ■ its palmiest days; and
though without a country, a city, a
jovernment, a priesthood, or a tem-
de, it yet wields on earth an infln-
j?nce gi eater than that exercised by-
all the empires and nations of anti
quity combined. Is such a result
due to Moses mistakes.
The investigators of “the mistakes
of Moses” might, well consider the
system of sanitary science embodied
in Moses’ law, so unlike anything
which the woild had ever seen, and
which the civilization of the nine
teenth century is stilLtoo ignorant to
appreciate, though observers begin to
note its results as indicated ip the
superior health and longevity of the
Jewish nation, as is abunditiijy
proved by-statistics, which etfety--
where give -a higher birth rate -and
lower deatji rate for Jews tha^; for
Gentiles- *. ft v
And this is not due to any consti
tutional -"Superiority of the Jews.
Among jibe Society of Friends, whose
membert'’conform to. the law of
Christ,4’the average'life in Great
Britain in 1860 was 59 years, while
that of Jews was 51 years, and of
Gentiles generally 31 years.
The Jew was commanded to ab
stain from swine’s flesh, aud was
strong, pure blooded and healthful.
The Gentile easts it, and is saturated
with humors, permeated with wrig
gling trychinue, which perforate his
flesh and destroy his beard. ‘
The Jew was forbidden to shave,
and consumption is unknown among
them, while the Gentile, removing
the protection which God gave for
his respiratory and voeai.organs, after
years of feebleness and distress, dies
of laryngitis; bronchitis, or pulmon
ary consumption.
The more we study the law of
Moses in its relation to health, and
in its various provisions which anti
cipated the sanitary science of our
day—in its system of deities, in its
convocations and feasts, in its purifi
cations and varied restrictions, which
touch the social lifcgt^ery point—
be amazed at the
wisdom manifested in that ancient
law, as exhibited in, it* safeguards
against vice, disorder, and disease.
We are indebted to looses, a native
of Egypt, brought upaopd the splen
dors of the court of Phardah. and in
heriting only traditions of; tyranny
on the part of the rulers, abd slavery
on the part of the ruled, for the
world’s first example of i-l “govern
ment of tlr people, by the people,
for the people.” This fli^republic
known to history, consisting of
Twelve United States of Israel, estab-
lished and organized iu the desert, on
the basis of universal suffrage, was
established in Canada with an organic
law, a written constitution, and a
form of government wiser and more
humane than the world had ever
known. * - V ''
The germ and type of all success
ful popular governments are found
in thecommonwealthof Israel, which
exhibits, first a republic, and later a
constitutional monarchy,, the two
most desirable forms of government
known; just as the basis of all civil
ized common law is found in the com
mandments writAenon tables of stone,
and in the book of law which God
gave to IsraeL Was this another an
other of the mistakes of Moses?
The Mosaie law vested the land in
fife Almighty, and thus • guarded
against the accumulation of wealth
in a few hands; it further provided
that the priest should own no real
estate beyond his own house and
gqrden, and it strictly forbade t&e
taking of usury from men of their
own nation. Were these also among
the mistakes of Moses?
■ To Moses, also, we owe the weekly
day of rest, so essential to the con
tinued well being of man and beast.
Again, the Israelites are a law-
abiding people. It is ai.ijiittedly a
faro thing for a Jew to ‘be arraigiied
for crime. r
The most prolific sources of
vice, .crime, violence, disease, in
sanity, and pauperism among civilized
nations is the use of intoxicating
drinks. Against this crying evil
various remedies are proj used, such
as total abstinence from all intoxi
cants, and legal enactments to dis-
pqproge, aud .‘.prevent their use
Among his other mistakes Moses an
ticipated these measures for the pre
vention of crime by the institution of
the order of the Lazarites, the first
total abstinence society of which his
tory makes record. Moies further
furnished us with the first example
of stringent legislation against in
temperance. Our prisons are not
thronged with Jews, but with people
who have never been permitted to
Jiarnse and study the law of Moses.
Why did not the Jews in the dark
ages die of the plagues aud epidemics
as other people did? Why are the
Jews almost entirely exempt from
consumption, cholera, croup, typhus
and gqrofula? Do they owe this im
munity to the mistakes of Mose?
Such are some of the results of a
partial observance of - the law of
Mosig,; even W a rebellious aud
apostate people, who for their sins
have been dispersed as exiles and
wanderers iu all tbeeart)), a perpetual
monument of the-displeasure of the
Most High. And It appears that this
nation, apostate as it is, t.irough the
rejection of its own Messiah, and of the
prophets who foretold His coming,
though destitute of spiritual life and
severed from the blessings of the cov
enant, finds, even in its v ?ry imper
fect observance of this law, such
benefits as place it at the head of all
nations in physical, mental and moral
vigor. Aud if there be such:; vigor
in the sapless branches o! the Jewish
olive tree, 'what Would they be if they
had still continued to partake of the
strength of the' living root?—Cen
tenary.
Superiority of Christ. ‘ :
THE EVIDENCE THERE.
J i
“Everything in Christ astonishes
me, His spirit overawes me and His
will confounds me. His ideas and
his sentinientVthe truths which He
announces, His marindrdf convincing
are not explained either oy human
observation or thy naturt of things.
His birth and the history of His life;
the profoundity of His doctrine
which grapples the mightiest difficul
ties and’wfiich js pf those difficulties
the moslwVadnilrjble Aolutioa) His’
gospel, His aptoption. His ^supiny’
His mutfai acrosA then's ajtd the
realms—oven thing i«. for .ne a prodi
gy, a mystery insoluble, which
plunges me into a reverie from which f
I cannot escape—a mystery which is
there before my eyes, a mystery
which 1 can neither deny nor explain.
Here I see nothing human. The
nearer I approach the move carefully
I examine. Everything!.!? altore me.
Everythuff? remains- grand—of a
gMuidtiir which iyiverpfe'wers. His
religion is a revelation fiom an in
telligence which certainly is not that
of man.” [Napoleon 1.]’ ,
■ - Siberia Nat a Desert.
On Jii jy 3lt) we offered a ' prize of
two guineas fqr the best definitien of
“Vanity.” ' The winning definition
^ c
“The rese-colored spectacles
through which we view ourselves.’*
The following are some of the
definitions sent in:
An attempt 4o recommend our
selves bya behavjyr eocfcrarv Aq onr
$eal character. V jf
The MimmiBn^of egg aijfl the
Jhaxirnumjfr cS^^fe. f fe >
A hollow drum upon whicli
passer-by qiay play. ' '
A merciful provision of nature
whereby.fools are satisfied with their
folly.
It is a mistake to suppose that
Siberia is a desert, -or. a glacier, or a
mountain fastness, or incapable of
being made habitable. The valleys
are level plains, and said to be as
fertile as the western portion of the
United States, audit is not unlike
the west iu the v ariety of its resources
-pin minerals, .timbers and iu agri
cultural facilities. It is a marvelous
treasure trove of stored up opportuni
ties. Its wealth is practically un
limited. Wi*h the advantages of
railroad communication ar.d tele
graph lines a vast country is added
to the the world of civilization. The
eultivationeof the land and tho intro
duction of all the elaborate machinery
of enlightened life will, us scientists
depict, modify the rigors of the cli
mate, although in southern Siberia
even this DbttacTe does n >t exist.—
Hartford QJobe.
Professor Schevin, of Berlin, has
invented a flash light havmg a bril
liancy rivalling that of the electric
are, aud greater penetrating power in
thick weather: It is produced by
forcing air through pumiceeteneim
pregnated with benzine and mixing
it wiMiMtenzine gas. The aiik- thus
treated is passed through powdered
magnesium and ignited ly a small
flame.
Haw Three AteericaM Steed I'pfor
Their Ceuutry.
Some time since three tall Ameri
cans—Mr. Robinson, 6 frft, and
Bishop Phillip* Brooks, 6 feet 4
inches high, both of Boston, and the
Rev. Dr. McVicker, of Philadelphia
—made, in company, a trip to Eng
land. Eu route they determined that
when they should reach that country
they would travel apart, lest three
such tall men together might pro
voke remark. But arriving at a well
known town in Yorkshire, and learn
ing that a lecture was to be delivered
to workingmen on America, they de
termined to be present. Entering
the half separately they took seats
apart. As the lecturer proceeded his
utter ignorance of America soon be
came manifest to the three Ameri
cans. Finally, however, a statement
concerning the size of Americans was
too absurd to 1 e endured in silence.
The speaker had barely time to con
clude asentence asserting that Ameri
cans are proverbially short of stature,
never exceeding at the utmost 5 feet
10 inches, ‘when Mr.'Robinson arose
and said:
“My friends, I am an Americai',
and, as yon see, I measure fully six
feet. If there is any other American
who Happens just now to be in the
house I *equ«t him . to stand iipj
An expression of surprise was fol
lowed by wars of laughter as the Rev.
Phillips Brooks arose and said:
“I am an American, and my height,
6 feet 4 inches, occasions no particu
lar remark in America. If there is
any other American in the house, 1
iu turn request him to stand up.”
After a,lapse of a few seconds, in
order to give the lecturer a little time
to recover himself, Dr. McVicker
slowly raised his majestic figure to
its full height of 6 feet 6, and be-
gan:
> ’T anuyafi Anf —I
But’ this was’too much, and the
speaker’s disappearance from the
stage brought the entertainment to a
premature close.—Philadelphia Re
cord.
Defivitlogs of Vanity.
any
The peaectek’s tail of humanity.
The outward' fullness of inward
emptLftes* p , f
MuuV.meanest attempt to cheat
nature.
Pride demoralized.
The attribute that makes a far
thing dip fancy itse'f an electric
light'.
-A small ffi” with a big dot.
The glory of mean ambition.
Pride,' in a state of effervescence.
The caricature of true ambition—
rcgretable in great men, laughable
in small men.
That upou which the “knowing
ones”, play to attain their desires.—
London Tit-Bits.
An Error In the Lord’s Prayer.
A party of gentlemen were the
other evening discussing literary sub
jects when one was asked to point out
the grammatical blunder in the Lord’s
Prayer. Half a dozen tried; some
thought it lay in the words, “which
art in heaven;” others placed it, else
where, but not one detected it in the
expression, “For thine is the king
dom, tlie power ami the glory.” To
be -perfectly correct the word. “is”
should bq “are,” but people haveused
it in the present form so long that
they never think of regarding it as
a blunder. There are teachers who
say such an expression is right, be
cause it.sounds right, but reverse R
and say, “The kingdom, the power
and the glory is thine,” and the fault 1
ss soon perceived.—St. Louis "Globe-'
Democrat. . . ■
campaign funds.
How the NeceHorjr Money 1* Ratted and
Handled for Carrying Elections.
Daring a political campaign the first
aud in most cases the chief source of
revenue is the assessment of candidates.
The amount of these assessments varies
in different localities and under differ
ent circumstances. A common si-esw-
ment in Illinois, for example, in districts
that are not considered especially doubt
ful in ordinary elections, is 8 per cent
of the annual salary, and it is expected
that all candidates, nnless there is some
special reason for exception, will 1 pay
this assessment. However, it not infre
quently. happens that the most
canapJSt & a j
■whoTsnnBmero pay the regular assess
ment. In that case, the committee, tak
ing all the circumstances into account,
ask him to pay what seems reasonable,
or he may be even entirely exempted
from assessment, as in the case of a
crippled candidate for county recorder
in Indiana iu 1890. A wealthy c uidi-
date, who can well afford to jiay luuro,
is sometimes assessed a lump sum vvuu-
out any especial reference to the salary
that he is to receive if elected.
In national elections local county com
mittees expect to receive money also
from the national committee, usually
through the hands of the state commit
tee. In the campaign of 1888 the Re
publican committee in one county of
Indiana received $800 from the state com
mittee, which they supposed, as a mat
ter of course, came from the national
committee.
In the campaign of 1880, in that same
state, the two leading county managers
of one of the parties went to Indianapo
lis and met there a representative from
the national committee. They went to
his room in the hotel to talk with him
regarding funds. When he asked their
needs it was replied that they did not
come to beg money from the national
committee, but that their county stood
ready to match dollar for dollar whatever
sum he was willing to give them
“You’re the kind of men I have been
wanting to see,” replied the gratified rep
resentative from New York. “You can
have as much money as you want; help
yourselves.” He took down two valises,
and threw them open, showing thei.
packed full of hills. One of the most as
tute of New York political managers is
of the opinion that while they doubtless
took what they needed they failed v
keep their promise to match the sun
“dollar for dollar” from their own coun
ty; but they did keep their word.
Another source, of revenue, and one
that is much larger than we should ex
pect, if we did not consider the great en
thusiasm that a'close campaign arouses,
is voluntary contributions. I am not
speaking here of the large sums that are
raised by national committees from
wealthy men, especially from those who
feel that they liave much at stake in na
tional legislation, but the amount that is
contributed to county and city commit
tees in local campaigns. In the cam
paign, of 1888, in the same county that
received $800 from the national commit
tee, one little city of 4,000 inhabitants
raised $1,200 a day or two before the
election, after.the assessments had been
collected. The money was given volun
tarily by enthusiastic taen. In that cam
paign, in that county, some $7,000 \vas
spent by one party alone.—Professor
Jenks in Century.
A Momentary Delay.
At first blush it would seem to be an
impossible feat for a pedestrian—a poor,
defenceless woman, at that—to success
fully bar three entrances to the Brooklyn
bridge. It took place on the Brooklyn
side one morning last week, when the
wage workers were hurrying to the
metropolis, and a large assembly was
kept in a state of suspense for minutes
that seemed ages.
To explain the feat accomplished, you
remember how the entrances are ar
ranged—a ticket office on either side, be
tween them two iron parallel bars to
guide yon through. Between these rail
ings is a space through which you pass
_ on to the “chopping boxes,” where tickets
are dspeeited. hurt If you have to pur
chase them yon pass between a rail and
the box.
She was a gray haired old lady and she
wished to buy a ticket. There would
have been less difficulty had it not been
for the umbrella. It was thrust under
the old lady's arm as a man poses his
umbrella when going up the “L” stairs
—point to the rear and breast high.
The old lady stepped into the middle
space, and while the umbrella swung
round like a tollgate bar, closing the
space behind her, she reached over to
the ticket office and calmly proceeded to
open her parse, famble a roll of bills,
finally select one, and with both arms
stop the passing of pedestrians until a
disgusted lot of humanity was dammed.
With the umbrella posed like an in
fantryman’s bayonet fixed to repel caval
ry the old lady and her gray hairs held
the fort. At last her pennies and tickets
had been picked tq> me by one. She
gave way and the crowd surged around
her like the floodtide around a shad pole
in the North river.—New York Herald.
An Apple Tree's Roots.
For the purpose of erecting a suitable
monument in honor of Roger Williams,
the founder of Rhode Island, his pri
vate burying ground was searched for
himself and wife. It was found that
everything had passed Into oblivion.
The shape of the coffins conld be traced
only by the carbonaceous matter. The
rusted hinges and nails aud a round
wooden knot remained in one grave,
while a single knot of braided hair was
found in the other.
Near the graves stood an apple tree,
from which fruit had been gathered
each year and eaten. This had sent
down two main roots into the very pres
ence of the coffined dead. The larger
root, pushing its way to the precise spot
occupied by the skull of Roger Wil
liams, had made a turn as if passing
around it, and followed the direction oi
the backbone to the hips. Here it di
vided into two branches, sending one
along each leg to the heel, where both
turned upward toward the toes. One of
these roots formed a slight crook at the
knees, which made the whole bear a
striking resemblance to the human form.
—New York World.
Making Ghost Photographs.
Photographers, and especially ama
teurs, have given much attention to the
production of spirit photographs, and
many suggestions have been made as to-
the best mode of securing effective pic
tures. A prominent operator states that
he has obtained excellent results by set
ting up the camera and focus in the
ordinary way on a person wrapped in a
sheet or other suitable covering and plac
ing the clothed spirits lightly out of focus
against a dark background, giving a
short exposure and then capping the
lens. If the real sitter is then placed in
the center of the focusing screen and
given an ordinary exposure a material
ized angel will be visible on the develop
ment of the photo.—Pittsburg Dispatch.
IncreuM of Voting Population.
Between 1880 and 1890 the eligible
voting population in the United States
increased 82 per cent. The ratio of
growth was smallest in Maine and Ver
mont, and largest in Nebraska, Minne
sota, Oregon. Florida, Kansas and the
new states. Florida increased more
largely than any one of the sonthern
states, and New Jersey more largely
than any of the northern states east of
the Mississippi.—New York Sun.
Tho Gorman Birth Buto.
It is asserted that the proportionate
number of births in Russia is nearly
double that of France, while the Ger
man population increases faster than
that of any other country.—Uhambers’
Journal.
Carriages fitted up with electric
, lamps were used by speakers during
I the late English elections, |
It is stated as remarkable that in most
ancient statues the second toe is longer
than the great toe. The reverse is the
case in men of the preeent time.
Amaziah, king of Jndah, fled from
Jerusalem on the discovery of a con
spiracy against him, but was followed
and kilMt
The Great Rule of Life.
We have to be governed very largely
by the analogies of nature whenever we
venture into the realm of the possibili
ties and the unknown, and there is no
analogy in nature of something being
given for nothing. The seed has to
push through the ground to find the sun;
the tree has to draw its sap np from un
seen sources to whirl forth its buds; the
bud itself has to fore j its way throngh
obstacles of bark aud fiber; the bird has
to build its nest with careful endeavor
and many journeys ere it feels the little
wings beneath its hrer-st; the gold has to
be mined, the precious stone dug from
the matrix; the diamond has to undergo
fierce processes of grit..ling and scouring
before its facets shine like living light.
Struggle is the rule of life. Were it
otherwise it would seem as though we
might all of us have Veen put upon the
planet in conditions of luxury and ease
and eminence that wonld require no
effort on onr part, and leave us free for
all the enjoyment the world affords.
But what soft, untempered, worthless
metal we should be iu such case! It is
the fire that tempers the steel; it is the
hammer that welds it; the grinding,
whirling stone that brings it to an edge.
—Harper’s Bazar.
A Poor Folk’ll Garden.
So early were toiler‘-ors in California,
and so universal was the interest felt in
Europe over the new plants of the Pa
cific coast, that many trees of sequoias
and other snperb conifers were planted
in the parks of England, France and
Italy long before the discovery of gold.
Wealthy Californians, as early as 1855,
visiting Europe, were surprised to find
how popular were the brilliant annuals,
flowering shrnbs, vines and trees of
their own state. Returning they often
urged neighbors to cultivate more of the
native plants, but with little effeot.
In Alameda county, a plain, unedu
cated Englishwoman of Lancashire yeo
man stock was one of the first persons
in all California to make a home garden
of wild flowers from field and hill. 1
remember in my boyhood the passionate
devotion that she showed to this pursnit.
“It do be the best land the sun ever
shone on,” she declared, “for poor folk
to have a garden.—Charles H. Shinn in
Century.
The Juice of the Pepew Tree.
In his “History of Barbados” Griffith
Hnghes mentions that the jnice of the
papaw tree is of so penetrating a nature
that, if the unripe peeied fruit be boiled
with the toughest old railed meat, it
quickly makes it soft and tender. Ker-
sten also tells us that boiling meat with
the juice of the papaw is quite a com
mon thing in Quito.
Captain S. P. Olive-, writing in Na
ture, July 10, 1879, says, “In Manritins.
where we lived principally on ration
beef cut from the tough flesh of the
Malagasy oxen, we were in the habit of
hanging the ration under the leaves
themselves, and if we were in a hurry
for a very tender piece of fillet, our cook
wonld wrap np the undercut of the sir
loin in the leaves, when the newly
killed meat wonld be ls tender as if it
had been hung for a considerable time.”
—Chambers’ Journal.
The Glant'a Organ.
One of the - ist interesting features
of the Giant’s car -ay is “The Giant's
Organ.” This hu^s ■•instrument" con
sists of a group of pillars of varions
lengths set apart on the side of the main
cliff. The larger columns being in the
center and the smaller ones tapering off
on either side, after the fashion of organ
pipes, admirably sustain the idea which
the name “Giant’s organ” conveys.—St.
Louis Republic.
A Baronet ns a Conetnble.
Among the constables in the Royal
Irish constabulary stationed at the depot
in the Phenix park, Dublin, is Constable
Sir Thomas Echlin, Bart. According to
Debrett’s baronetage the Ech.in family
is of ancient Scotch origin, and ormerly
possessed princely estates in Scotland,
and also large domains' in the counties
of Kildare, Carlow, Lublin and Mayo.
The third barohet dissipated a large por
tion of the family estates, and the fourth,
fifth and sixth baronets managed to get
through with the remainder. Then the
/resent baronet found himself landless
Snd entered the Royal Irish constabn-
Ury.—Yankee Blade.
A Timely Proteat.
Sarah K. Bolton, through an article
In The Independent, utters a timely pro
test against the wedding present nui
sance and extortion. She says—what
every sensible person knows and con
cedes—that wedding presents have como
to be a burden, and to a considerable
extent simply a matter ot pride,
RARE GEMS IN BOOKS.
LITERARY TREASURES IN THE ASTOR
LIBRARY IN NEW YORK.
Volumes That Are Storehouses of Scholar
ship and Are Worth Small Fortunes.
Ancient Illustrations In Priceless Mann-
scripts.
Even many otherwise well informed
people are not aware that the public li
braries of this city contain some of the
choicest literary gems extant—books for
which wealthy bibliophiles have offered
fabulous sums. If New York is not the
literary center of America, then books
immense in number, rare in antiquity
and almost priceless in value are not
factors in the competition.
There are thirty-four public libraries
in New York, and the number and value
of the volumes within their walls have
grown so rapidly that Paris, Munich and
even London will be surpassed in their
library collections if the present growth
continnes.
The day when the citizen of New Am
sterdam was content to sit outside his
door, drink beer, smoke, grow fat and
die in the firm belief that he had enjoyed
life, has given way to an entirely differ
ent state of affairs.
Twenty-five years ago one public li
brary collection was considered sufficient
to meet the demands of every class, call
ing or profession. Today nine institu
tions can be picked out, each one of
which is patronized by a single class.
The Astor is the richest of all onr li
braries. One million dollars’ worth of
books repose upon its shelves, but not
without frequent disturbance. From
fifty to 100 studious men and women are
delving into the enchanting mysteries of
some favorite tlwme every day that the
reading rooms are open to the public.
The library contains nearly $200,000
worth of rare books and mannscripts,
which are seldom allowed to go into the
hands of the public, Perhaps the largest
and finest single volume in New York
may be fonnd there. If any one thinks
that the contemporaries of Shakespeare
and Milton would marvel at the snperb
product of modern illustrators he is very
much mistaken. Nothing has been pro
duced in the last century that can equal,
much less rival, the illustrations in a
Seventeenth century manuscript entitled
“Antiphonale.” It contains 228 pages of
vellum, adorned by 272 small and 53
large miniatures in the highest style of
the French art of that day. Some of its
illustrations have been attributed to Le
Brun, the great painter of the time of
Louis XIV. The larger paintings for
the most part are scenes from the Scrip-
tnres appropriate to the various church
festivals, and many of the initial letters
which accompany the stanzas are
illumined in a style wholly unknown at
the present day. This volume, bound in
purple morocco, with gilt mountings and
ornamented with the flower-de-luce, was
designed for the coronation of Charles
V. At a public sale it would easily com
mand several thonsand dollars.
Another valuable work is Sylvester’s
"Universal Paleography,” in two vol
umes, containing upward of 300 finely
exeented facsimiles of mediaeval works
of art. This snmptuons work is said to
have cost the sum of £20,000 for its exe
cution alone. Among other rarities is a
copy of the first letter written by Chris
topher Coiambus after he discovered
America. There are only six copies of
these in existence. The letter consists of
only four leaves, but at a London auction
sale in 1872 it brought $700.
Another rare volume to be found only
in this library is Lloyd's “History of
Columbia, Now Called Wales,” pub
lished in 1654. It contains the legendary
narrative of the expedition of Prince
Modoc and a Welsh company that voy
aged to America prior to Columbus, but
never retained. Many foreigners have
sent to this country for abstracts from
this rare volume.
The earliest known editions of Ptole
my’s geography repose on the shelves of
the Astor. The dates on their title pages
range from 1478 to 1621. There is also a
snperb specimen of tho “Biblia Sacra
Latina” of 1462, the first edition of the
Bible bound in old crimson morocco, with
pit edges, which is worth $10,000. In
side the covers are the names of those
“immortal printers,” Johann Faust and
Peter Schaffer. The oldest polyglot
edition of the Scriptures, executed at
the order of Cardinal Ximenes, which
cost 50,000 ducats in gold and fifteen
years for its preparation, is also at the
Aster. The oldest mannscript of all is
the ■ ‘Lectiones Evangeliis,” printed on
vellum and containing whole pages of
illuminations. This mannscript was
executed by the monks in A. D. 1470
and is almost priceless in value. No
other library in America possesses such
a treasure. Next in point of antiquity
is John Wyclif’s English version of the
New Testament, written in 1390, and
containing the antobiography of Hum
phrey, duke of Gloucester. There are
also two rich Persian manuscripts of the
Fifteenth century, besides manuscripts
of more recent date.
Several competent Egyptologists,
among them the late Miss Amelia B.
Edwards, who inspected the collection
during her visit to this city, have pro-
nonneed the library especially rich in
oriental works. The great work of
James Audubon on the “Birds of Ameri
ca,” consisting of four volumes, would
probably bring $5,000. Elliott's Indian
Bible, dated 1661, the first Bible printed
in America; the Geneva, or the Breeches
Bible of 1560; a copy of the papal bull
against Luther, 1520; rare Siamese
manuscripts, and the valuable and in
teresting collection of autograph letters
from emperors, poets, statesmen, presi
dents, soldiers and authors are included
in this collection.—New York Herald.
A Sunday Suit.
Mr. Constant Sqnabbler—What kind
of a suit do you think I had better get
for Sundays?
Mrs. C. S.—Well, if you want one to
match your usual Sunday disposition,
you had better get a pepper and salt
suit.—Exchange.
Enormous Headdresses.
About 1439 enormous headdresses came
into fashion in England, France and
Italy. They had horns 'standing ont
from the head sometimes more than two
feet, and from these a veil depended
which floated down the back of the
irearer.—St. Louis Globe.-Dempcrat.
Icebergs In Glittering Array.
There are few more interesting tilings
among the perils and wonders o' the
ocean than icebergs. They are interest
ing not only for their gigantic size, their
fantastic shapes, their exceeding beauty
and their ability to cool great masses of
water aud air in their neighborhood, but
also for the manner in which they array
themselves. ’
Icebergs often show a tendency to
form both clusters and long lines, and
these groupings may arise from the ef
fects both of ocean currents and storms.
Some very singular lines of bergs , ex
tending for many hundreds of miles
east of Newfoundland, are shown c n rn
iceberg chart issued by the hydrographic
office in Washington. Two of these
cross one another, each keeping on its
independent course after the cros sing.
In several instances parallel linei of
bergs leave long spaces of clear water
between them.
The Prince of Monaco, who has taken
a lively interest in experiment^ with
floating bottles in the ocean, urges in an
address to the Briti.h association, the
desirability of more systematic stuay ot
ocean tides and currents. A record ot
the groupings and alignments of ice
bergs in the North Atlantic might be of
some use in such an investigation.—
Youth's Companion.
The Weather.
The weather is the one topic which
never wears out. It is wet, it is di y, it
is hot, it is cold, it is flckle, it is agree
able, it is good for the crops, it is trying
for invalids, it is this or it is that, and it
furnishes a never ending, unfailing re
source for conversation. The least gifted
talker can bewail a draft; the rno.-1
incessant chatterer can magnify a food.
Old and young meet on common ground
when they discuss the winds and the
clonds. Meanwhile the skies are blue
or gray, and the sun and rain shine and
fall impartially on the good and tho
evil.
The part of folly is to gird at the
occasional discomforts of the wea.her.
Wisdom regards the weather not with
indifference, but with composure, as a
background for that which is best in life
for all of us, our work. How shall wo
accomplish that if we fret and fuss and
^me and find fault?—Harper’s Bazar.
It Must B© Weil Seasoned.
The young couple had been married,
and among those congratulating tueia
was an effusive sort of a woman, who
liked to hear herself talk.
“I do not,” she said, taking a hard of
each in hers, “hope for you unalloyed
happiness, for that is not given to any
mortal; nor do I ask for you the gre de: t
worldly prosperity, for that often l ard-
ens the heart; bnt I do desire for you
that the love which has sprung u > in
your young hearts shall be ever fresh
and green”
A crusty old bachelor had been listen
ing, and at this point he growled t > his
neighbor:
“Listen to that woman, will you? By
jove, if there is anything in this w orld
that is undesirable, unreliable, unac
commodating, unhappy, unstable, unde
cided and unimproved, it is green ovo.
Baht” and he walked away.—Detroit
Free Press.
Cleanllne*. as a Luxury.
Many rich pessons, who give alms bnt
never time nor personal investigation to
the subject, say, “At least poor people
can keep themselves and their houses
clean.” They do not know that cle mli-
ness demands money and time. With
out soap it is impossible to wash towels
or sheets or even faces and ham! s iu
this grimy city, and hot water is a
luxury if yon have to save every scrap
of coal or wood. I have seen families,
naturally inclined to cleanliness, go very
dirty indeed for want of hot water,
soap and ambition. Ambition is ex;>eii-
sive, too, and costs as much as many
tangible items to keep up. I can im
agine perfect apathy as to smudges and
grime if I did not own a towel.—Chi
cago Post.
Delicate Tyrolean Handiwork.
A curious plaque work is done at C«r-
tini, in the Tyrol, of marvelously flue
silver thread and tiny pieces of gold.
The men and women employed at it
work with strong magnifying gh sses
and small pincers, with which they some
times fit into a single tiny leaf no larger
than a currant 160 pieces of metal. The
odd thing about it is that men working
in this way have more delicate manipu
lation than women, which bears oui tho
dictum of the chiromancists, who de
clare that large hands are best for de
tail, small ones for breadth of effei t.—
New York Sun.
Occupations That Affect the Teeth.
Chloride of lime, employed by bit icli-
ers, frequently destroys the enamel and
dentine of the teeth. But phosphorus,
nsed so largely in the inanufactm" of
lucifer matches, affects a very largo
number of persons, women, girls and
children greatly preponderating. Peo
ple who work iu soda factories are af
fected by the teeth becoming soft and
translucent; they break off close to tho
gums.—London Tit-Bits.
The Right Time.
Kind Father—Children, if the clock
struck fourteen, what time would it la?
Logical Louise—Two o’clock, pap :.
Clever Charlie—Time to get the clock
fixed.—New York Herald.
Perfecting HU Italian.
Mrs. McClaugh—Is your son goin to
school now, Mrs. McGooghan?
Mrs. McGooghan—No, sure, he'st'rew
wid the English branches. He's per
fectin his Italian now.
“Where”’
“Helpin dig a sewer down on
road beyant.”—New York Weekly.
the
A Shrewd Investment.
The investment of £4,000,000 made by
the British government in the Suez
canal shares will in a year or two. ac
cording to Mr. Goschen, be worth lltl,-
000,000, vthich proves it to have bee i an
excellent stroke of business as well as of
diplomacy.—New York Times.
Saving a Stamp.
Mamma—Why did you put two st.. ,s
on this letter? One would have been
plenty.
Little Tommy—One of the stamps was
tored, and I didn’t want to waste it,—
UwdtfWH* . ...
asai
?ii