The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, September 21, 1898, Image 8
CROPS OF PORTO RICO
Planting and Harvesting Occur
Every Month of the Year.
TEE HEED OF AMERICAN EKEBGY.
Che Table Laad Formation of the Island
Hakes It Possible to Baise Nearly Every
Sort of Vegetable In Addition to the
Tropical Fruits-Banana Growing.
IL
Porto Rico, except for the prolonga?
tion of its northeastern end, would be
almost a parallelogram in outline. As
it is, it- resembles very much a fat
"porker'* with its legs chopped off.
East, west, north, south, its coast lines
run almost as regularly as though pro?
jected by compass. Owing to the gentle
dips of its thousand hills and the vast
depths of soil in its fertile valleys every
portion of this delectable island is cul?
tivable from coast to mountain crests.
While Porto Rico has been of great
value to Spain it is likely to be more
important to the United States, if for
no ocher reason because of its nearness.
Such perishable products which rarely
reach us now, as green cocoanuts, etc.,
tile raising of which is profitable, can
be brought to our markets on swift
steamers and will find a ready sale.
It is easy enough to generalize and
say this and that may be raised here
and that generous nature brings forth
Iber fruits spontaneously while indolent I
man reclines in a hammock and only j
opens his mouth to let them drop into
it In the main this may be true. Still, j
since all men are not vegetarians and
cannot subsist on fruits alone, it will
probably be found necessary to "hustle"
for a living, here as elsewhere-that is, ;
if one desires to live well.
And yet perhaps there is no country i
where man can live with less effort j
than in this island. Owing to its j
mountainous character, rising as it does j
to a height of 3,000 or 4,000 feet, there
is every variety of climate here as well
as of vegetation. In order to change
from a climate with a mean of 70 de?
grees to one of 60 or less one merely
climbs a mountain. One can change the i
?namer climate of Florida to that of j
Boston or New York by ascending a
few hundred feet above the coast
So it is with the vegetation. Along
the coast you find all that is rank and
tropical, such as the mangroves, with
their very feet in the salt water, over
shaded by cocoa palms that will some- j
times grow in barren sands. The jungles
are dense, the rivers run through bow?
ers of tropical pla??a, with wild plan?
tains, bamboos and gigantic canes over?
hanging them. Not all the trees and
productive plants are native here. For
instance, there is the cocoa palm, which
THE GABDEXS OF CAS
though a native of tho East Indies has [
become as good as indigenous here, i
Fortunate, too, is this fer the Porto !
Ricans, for there is scarcely a tree that I
grows with so many uses as this for.-i
man. The cid resident of the islands j
sends out his servant for a green cocoa
ant as scou as be is a vate ii: the morn
lng, and after au opening has been made !
as large as an old fashioned cent he '
pours into the cool water within a \
modicum cf gin or native rum and j
drinks this concoction as an "eye open- i
er." This water is even better without !
the addition of liquor.
A small black boy is usually the cap '
bearer, and the ability he displays in
?binning up the cocoanut tree is only
surpassed by his dexterity in clipping
the husk to a point and leaving the wa?
ter exposed without losing a drop.
After that is imbibed he divides the
?hell, with a single blow of his rusty
machete, aud chipping a spoon from
the husk hands both to his master, who
proceeds to scoop out and devour the
translucent jelly within.
So much for the nut when it is fresh.
As a dried product it is shipped abroad,
chiefly to the United States, to the ex?
tent of some 8,000,000 annually. This
is no criterion of its abundance, for
millions of nuts go to waste and mil?
lions more are used in the island in a
green state. The cocoa palm is readily
grown, and, though rather slow in
coming to maturity, can be made a
profitable adjunct to a plantation, lt
will grow in any soil, no matter how
poor; but reaches perfection only at or
near the coast, being a true lover of
salt water. The tropical people have a j
saying that the cocoa palm will live a
hundred years, will bear a hundred j
nuts annually and has a hundred uses j
for ns owner. It would be impossible j
to enumerate its manifold uses to the
poor people here, for they make culinary
vessels from its nuts, beds and thatch
from its husks and leaves, sieves from its
inner bark, huts from rude boards into
which its trunk is sawed, a peculiar
tipple from its flower?, and finally,
when the tree gets old, they cut it down
and eat its terminai bud, as we wcul?
cauliflower.
And the cocoa is but one species of the
palm ?ribo growing here aImost spon?
taneously, for there are many others,
some of them Dative to the island.
There is the "gm gru, " the seeds of
which are good for fattening pigs, the
exotic sago and areca palms, from the
first of which sago and tapioca are
made, while from the second is obtained
the betel nut. The most beautiful of
the lowland palms is that; species so
often seen in Cuba, called the royal,
but it does not attain such a height as
another of the family, the "oreodoxa,"
which frequently reaches 150 feet.
This species also is noted fer the flavor
of its "cabbage," and notwithstanding
its size and beauty is often cut down
merely to obtain that bud to boil for a
dinner. This "cabbage" is really the
tip of the tree, which if left to develop
would successively unwrap its folds to
become leaves. It is tender and sweet,
tasting something like boiled chestnut,
and is a very welcome addition to a bill
of fare. This is one of the natural prod?
ucts which every tramp in Porto Rico
is entitled to if not too lazy to cut down
the tree; but there is still another deli?
cacy which surpasses this in flavor aud
is likewise free to all. This is a grub,
or larva of the palm beetle, which bur?
rows in the heart of the tree. As it gets
to be two inches in length and is corre?
spondingly fat, it is a most luscious
morsel fried in palm butter, and is
eagerly hunted by the epicurean native.
Next to the palms in abundance rank
the bananas. If the latest statistics are
reliable, only 200,000,000 bananas are
annually shipped abroad, but it might
just as well be 1,000,000,000. There is
Jamaica, a sister island to Porto Rico,
a little larger, but with similar soil,
surface and climate. A few years ago
it was languishing in the last stages of
surfeit from an overproduction of sugar,
which it could not sell at a price suffi- ?
c?ent to pay for raising it. An enter?
prising Yankee from "Boston way"
went down there, turned the matter
over in bis mind and started the people
tc- raising bananas. The result has
really been the salvation of Jamaica.
While the banana likes a rich soil
and will grow cn the levels as well as
anywhero it can be cultivated on hill?
sides so steep that no plew can furrow
them and where it would be impossi?
ble to raise sugar cane aud other things
with profit Its sister, the plantain, is
equally prolific, and both will practi?
cally renew themselves each year.
Another friend of the poor man is
the indigenous manioc, which was
found in cultivation by the natives
when Columbus first arrived here in
1493. This is a tuber, which is roasted
and grated, the flour being excellent
when made into cakes, something like
the Mexican tortillas, while the juice,
though' virulently poisonous in the
A BLANCA. SAX JUAN.
crude state, is made innocuous by heat?
ing and forms the basis of the well
'known West Indian pepper pot called
'cassaresp. And pepper pot, by the way.
consists of whatever kinds of meat may
te thrown into an earthen vessel from
time to time-chicken, pork and the
odds and ends of repasts-all of which
?ere preserved and rendered delicious by
the antiseptic cassareep.
Another indigenous product is maize,
cr Indian corn. It may be grown any?
where, but the upland regions are its
borne, as in Mexico and Central Ameri?
ca. Wheat, oats, barley and other cere?
als of northern climes do not flourish
hero, all flour and meal being imported
irom the United States.
As au evidence of what may be found
in the island in a half wild state and
made quickly available for the inexperi?
enced settler it may be mentioned that
vegetables grown in our southern
states, as yams, sweet potatoes and
okra, flourish. Oranges, limes and lem?
ons grow without care and have not
been considered important enough to
merit attention, but soil and climate
combine to produce thc choicest varie?
ties. Another fruit, held by some to be
the most delicious in the world, is thc
pineapple, which is native here, being
still known by its aboriginal name of
"anuna." Then there ure numerous
fruits rarely seen in tho north, as the
n?spero, or sapodilia, the guava, which
runs wild wherever old fields are fe und,
and from which delicious jelly is made;
the aguacate, avocado, sweetsop, sugar '
apple, star apple, acajou, granadilla, j
mango and various kinds of plums and ;
grapes-in fact, every fruit found in
subtropic regions. Potatoes will not i
grow at lesser elevation than about I
:2,000 feet, but abov^ that altitude they I
do well. There also may bo found field
strawberries, though most small fruits j
and berries are not abundant.
Owing to the absence of frosts and ;
snows there is a perp?tuai succession of
crops, and something may be planted as I
well as fcarvasten every week in the j
vear. FREDERICK A. OBER, J
THE SULTAN OF SOULOO
He Was a Philippine Pirate Gen?
eration After Generation.
SPATS" AND EEE BLOODY ETTLE.
The Islands For Centuries Have Been
Scenes of Almost Unparalleled Cruelty
and Carnage-Of Three Sieges of Manila
Two Were Successful.
ILL
The Philippine islands lie so faraway
from any well established route of travel
and their government, has been so t}rran
nical and secretive that less is known
about them than of any other territory
owned by a civilized nation. To Spain
is ascribed the credit of having discov?
ered the Philippines, yet the very dis?
covery is an immortal evidence of Span?
ish perfidy and dishonor. To Chris?
topher Columbus by royal decree had
been given the sole right to discover the
ONE OF THE SULTANS OF SOU LOU.
unknown islands east of Asia and a"
vested interest in the wealth they con?
tained. Inflamed by wild rales of moun?
tains of gold in this part of the world,
Juan Rodriguez Fouseca, bishop of
Burgos, had a special decree granted
annulling the former one and thereafter
had fitted out the expedition whose
commander, Magellan, as Magballanes,
discovered the Philippines in 1521.
Years afterward the* Spanish govern?
ment tried to make amends for the
wrong by imposing a perpetual annuity
on the islands payable to the heirs of
Columbus. This is now paid to tho
Duke of Veragua, who visited this
countrv five years ago. and amounts to
$23,000.
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was the first
to conquer the islands and establish
Spanish dominion. He began with the
island of Zebu in 1565 and, having sub?
jugated its natives, conquered the prov?
ince and city cf Maynila, as it was
called in 1570. Thc war was crnel and
sanguinary. Over ?0.000 Zebuans were
slain and 10,000 Manila men.
From that year to the present one not
a year has passed without some massa?
cre large or small. To the Tagals, or
the people of the north, and the Visayas
of the south the very word "Castilian"
came to be synonymous with suffering
and death. It is used as a bugaboo to?
day by Malay mothers to their little
ones. Tho islanders are brave and have
repeatedly tried to obtain independence,
to right wrongs or to punish wrongdo?
ers. Whenever they made the attempt,
swift slaughter or pitiless persecution
was the result.
The Actas, or Negritos, cf northern
Luzon were conquered between 1571
and 1581 at a loss of 15,000 savages
and 5,000 native allies.
In 1576 there was a revolt in Mindoro
and Gav i te, which was suppressed with
great slaughter. The same year wit?
nessed the establishment of a branch of
the Spanish inquisition.
In 15SO the bishop, intent on strength?
ening the Augustinian order, of which
he was the head, began deporting all
other friars, and finished the task in
three years.
Many governors general of the Philip?
pines have been tried and convicted of
robbery, defalcation and corruption.
In 1603 the Chinese in Manila asked
permission to build a wall around their
quarter to protect them from savages
and pirates. The request aroused Span?
ish suspicion that a rebellion was form?
ing, and they therefore attacked the
Mongolians, dispatching 23,000.
In 1639 there was a similar suspicion
and resultant attack, with a slaughter ol
85,000 Chinese and 15,000 half breeds. .
In 1662, when Koxinga, the famous I
Chinese pirate king, threatened to in?
vade Manila, the Spaniards, to prevent
his finding allies in the Chinese popu?
lation, attacked and slew 40, COO of the
latter.
In 1709 the council of state deter?
mined that the Chinese were turbulent,
industrious, intelligent and grasping
and ordered their deportation. Seven
thousand were killed and 80.000 sent
over the seas, of whom "it pleased the
Lord to drown about one-fourth."
In 1762-8 came the great Idocos rebel?
lion. It cost the Spaniards 80 and the
natives 11,000 lives.
In 1744 was the Dagohoy rebellion,
named after a fearless native. It lasted
until 1779, :>5 years, during which time
700 Spaniards and 100, U00 natives
were slain.
In 177* the Austen and Dominican
friars secured the enactment of a law
expelling the Jesuits from tho Philip?
pines.
In 1823 an insurrection led by Cap?
tain Andres Novales, a Luzon Spaniard,
was suppressed at a cost of 400 lives.
The Zebu insurrection of 1*27 cost j
only 1.000 lives, while that in Negros
in 1844 destroyed thrice as many. In j
1S72 a revolt occurred in tho province
of ('avite. It was crushed by Colonel !
Sabas with great promptness and
cruelty, more than 10.000 of the rebels
being killed.
In 1S96-8 was the Aguinaldo revo
I lotion, which was thc largest in the
history of the archipelago. It was the
first which was not confined to one is?
land, it was over?eme by arms, bribery
and diplomacy, but not until over 500
Spaniards and 15,000 natives had per?
ished. The last massacre was in May
last on Panay, when the Spanish troops
claim to have killed 700 rebels. From
the time of Magellan to Captain Gen?
eral Augustin Spanish dominion has cost
over 1,000,000 lives in the Philippines.
The trouble Spain has with the sul?
tan of Soulou is cf long standing. It
began about 1595. when the Chevalier
Rodriguez endeavored to conquer the
country, and kept on ever after. The
sultans have been ambitious and have
extended their sway over a large part
of northern Borneo, nearly allot' Min?
danao, tho island of Palanan, the Pan
guitarang, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan
groups of islands. In the Soulou ar?
chipelago the sultan has 200,000 sub?
jects, while in his vassal lands he has
more than 1,000,000. They are Mos?
lems and are called "Moros" (Moors)
by the Spaniards. Up to the introduc
? tion of steam navigation in the far east
(about 1830) the sultan was ahead of
Spain. His pirate ships and fleets in?
fested all the waters of tho archipelago
I and threatened Manila as late as 1820.
He levied tribute upon the Europeans
i as well as the natives and was a terror
to commerce even on the China coast.
Steam warships put an end to Malay
piracy. Great Britain led the van in
this movement and was ably seconded
by the other powers. Not until 1S60-1
did Spain join in putting an end to the
grievous eviL She then sent out from
home 20 steam gunboats, which, with
those already at Cavit? and Zamboanga,
the two naval headquarters, made a
formidable fleet. They made a round
up of all the pirate craft, and, what
was equally important, they destroyed
the pirate strongholds. Villages and
towns were shelled and every pirate
killed at sight. The losses in life and
property were enormous and broke the
sultan's power. Yet they were a small
fraction of those inflicted by the pirates
upon Spaniards, Tagals and Visayas in
250 years.
In lSSG-7the Soulous became unruly,
and an expedition, naval and military,
was sent against, them from Manila. It
pursued the time honored course ct' de?
stroying homes, fields, boats and cattle
and killing every armed man. The
rebels were pacified and a festival held
in Manila. The pacification could not
have b>en very thorough, for there have
been thiee others in the last decade.
The latest report was that peace reigned
supreme, but it was added that the
. Spanish troops were not allowed to go
outside of the fortifications in Suiu un?
less armed and in strong detachments!
Tho siege of Manila by Dewey and
Merritt was not the first, but tho third
in its history. The first was in 1574,
when the Chinese, under the command
of Li-Ma-Ong, made a fierce onslaught,
but were routed, their ships destroyed
or captured and their armies slain or
driven into the savages' country.
The second was in 17(52, when the
British, under General Draper, captured
and pillaged it, inflicting heavy losses
to life and property. The victors held it
from Oct. 5 until March 31, 1703. In
the war with Li-Ma-Ong the natives
were neutral. In this war they const! -
tuted the main strength of the Spanish
arms. Their bravery was startling. On
one occasion 6,000 poorly armed and
undrilled men rushed lhe British lines
and foaghc their way, knife in hand,
into tho second and third rows of sol- j
diers. Of tbeCOOOculy 100 returned j
to tell tho story of tho charge
The true charter of Manila and also |
of thc Philippines is a royal decree of
ANCIENT PHILIPPINE JEWELS.
King Philip the Cruel, signed in 1587.
Carefully studied, it throws much light
upon the course of the administration of
the islands. Thus it prohibited anybody
not legally domiciled in the colony from
engaging in any trade or profession,
taxed the natives intolerably and divid?
ed the tax between the king, the clergy
and the officials. It gave almost unlim?
ited power to the ruling classes. The
charter seems to be followed the eame
today as when it was signed.
The most eventful incident in the
history of Manila was the "cholera
massacre" of 1S20. The epidemic ran
through Luzon and several other islands
and decimated the population. At the
height of the panic a crazy or drunken
Spaniard startled the mob by the decla?
ration that the disease was due to poison
ar.ministered by doctors and imported
by foreigners, who intended to kill all
the residents and then enjov their prop?
erty. The excited mob believed the mad
story, and with the cry, "To death I
with the poisoners!" began wholesale !
murder. They hunted the doctors and j
nurses, killing many with fiendish j
cruelty. They then turned upon the j
English, American and French mer- j
chants, killing these and looting their j
houses, offices and stores. The city was !
a carnival of riot, looting and crime a j
week before, thc authorities could re- j
store law and order.
The epidemic taught a lesson to Ma- j
nil:!. The authorities began to care for j
the public health. They improved the
drainage, introduced water and made a j
heal til board. This began a new era for ;
the beautiful capital of thc Philippines, j
WiiXJAii E. S. FAI.ES
( ? d Satins ;i ich ines rind* ne* nt Rind el's I
j
Ir' yon \T4I: voar mtcrtine mad-* cew
i ?r g it to Rhodie. :
The Kales of the Ho-"*e.
I "How can I learn the rules of the
house?" asked a newly elected Irish
member of the late Mr. Parnell. "By
breaking them." was the prompt reply
of the Irish leader, who, as is well
known, spoke from experience on the
I point. But few members would care to
adopt thar heroic method of obtaining
the desired knowledge, and their task
lu mastering the rules is rendered all
; the more difficult by the curious fact
I that many of these regulations are un
! written.
j Some will be found in thc standing
? orders, or permanent rules; but those
that deal with etiquette and decorum
have not been officially recorded any?
where, save in a few quaint and obso?
lete regulations to be found in the old
issues of the journals of the house or in
the minutes of proceedings taken by
i the clerk and published daily during
the session.
For instance, a strange rule for the
guidance of the speaker is set down un?
der the 10th of February, 1620, "The
speaker not to move his hat until the
third congee.: ' Propriety of carriage in
leaving the chamber is thus enforced,
"Those who go out of the house in a
confused manner before the speaker to
forfeit 10 shillings." Thisrule is dated
the 12th of November, 1G40. Again we
find that on the 2od of March, 1G93,
it was ordered. "No member to take
tobacco into the gallery or to the table
sitting at committees."-Nineteenth
Century.
Useful Si^vaah Docs.
If you are geing to prospect in Alaska
and expect to travel much, a pair of
good "Siwash" dogs are very essential
-almost indispensable. These dogs
greatly differ from our domesticated
dogs, taking to the harness like a duck
to water. They do not bark at slan?
gers. They aro kind and affectionate,
showing the wolf in them only among
their kind. It seems to be against their
principles to get off the trail to let an?
other team pass.
This means a fight, an exciting epi?
sode if the teams number five or six
dogs each. In an instant the wildest
confusion takes place. Dogs, harness
and eacii driver with a club in his hand
form one grand jumble from which or?
der can only be restored by some of the
dogs being knocked senseless. The dogs
are trained to "gee" and "haw, " like
an ox and stop at the word "whoa!"
"Mush" is the word used generally by
the whites to indicate go ahead, a per?
version of the Indian word "busch."
The dogs prefer their master, but if
lent for use they work as faithfully as
for their master.-San Francisco Chron?
icle.
Damaging.
A Chicago politician-a veteran in
the ranks-was recently accused by a
former henchman of having offered him
a bribe of ?000 to do a job for him.
The wily "second fiddle" kept the $500
and afterward brought it in evidence
against his former chief. While the
scandal was being blown about town an
acquaintance of the accused met him
one day and slapping him good natured?
ly on the back said chaffingly:
"Well. John, so you were going to
drop ?500 in Bili's way, were you?"
The politician colored, or, to speak ac?
curately, his already florid complexion
took cii a purple tinge, as he said by
way cf explaining his agitation (his
original language is revised;:
"Now, Jon't give a hang for the
talk -,lo. bribing him. That ain't
not.i.j. Jut it burrs my reputation to
have my friends think I was such a
clam as to give that heeler sOOO when
I could have fought him with a ham!"
-New York Commercial Advertiser.
Forgot Something.
Helen and her father and mother
were dining in a hotel, and Helen, who
was 6 years old, had never before dined
in a public place.
The waiter was so attentive and cour?
teous that Helen's mother said that he
must be tipped at the end of the meal.
The word tipped was oue Helen had
never heard used except in connection
wth a dump cart on her father's prem?
ises. W7hen they got up to leave the
dining room, she said:
"Oh, papa, papa! You forgot to
dump the waiter!"-Youth's Compan?
ion
Both Satisfied.
Hicks-Wheeler and Brassey met for
the first time yesterday, and they got
on together famously. They kept up
their talk until late in the evening.
Wicks-What were they talking
about?
Hicks-Bicycles and golf.
Wicks-But Wheeler doesn't know
the first thing about golf.
Hicks-Neither does Brassey know
anything about bicycling. But that
makes no difference. Each kept it np
on his favorita topic without listening
to the other.-Boston Transcript.
Jj* Umbrella.
The other evening a mau was rush?
ing through the streets of Loudon hur?
rying to au appointment when a swell
passed in front of him who held his
umbrella at a dangerous angle. The
hasty pedestrian pulled the umbrella
away from tho swell, and then, step?
ping around to him, said in suavest
tone: "Ob, by the way, here's your um?
brella. I found it in my eve."-Pick
Me (Jp._*_*
Wealth on It? Travel?.
Miss Oilabrod - There's a clever
sculptress down this way. You ought
to see what she can make out of butter.
Miss Ritchley Greest-She's a good
one if she can make as much out of it
as my pa m.-.kes out of oleomargarine.
-Chicago Tribune.
Good Impulses.
A man should allow none bur good
impulses to stir his heart, and he
should keep ir free from any evil that
may beat it down and harden it.-Kev.
J. 1) Hammond.
Wisdom to-dnj means cointon lo-roorrow
To vrove ir buy :\ "Wnite" ann tige ir.
The White Is Kin?-M. B. Randi? seil? it.
A Great Naval Deel.
Kencef crward-to use Nelson's words
j about his cwn mest desperate acction
"there *,vas no maneuvering, there was
only downright fighting," and great as
was .Tones' unquestionable merit as a
: handler of ships it was downright fight?
ing endurance of the most extreme and
I individual character that won this bat
j tie. When thus in contact, the superior
! ity of the British eighteens over the
.America:! twelves, though less than at
a distance, was still great, but a far
heavier disparity lay in the fabrics of
the two enemies. The Richard was a
j -very old ship, rotten, never meant for
j naval use. The Serapis was new, on
j her first commission. The fight hitherto
j having engaged the pert guns of the
; latter, the starboard lower gnnports
j were still closed, and from the ships
i touching could not be opened. They
j were therefore blown off, and the fight
went on.
"A novelty in naval combats was
now presented to many witnesses, but
to few admirers,'' quaintly wrote Lieu?
tenant Dale, who was in the midst of
the scene below decks. "The rammers
were run into the respective ships to
enable the men to load"-that is, the
staves of the rammers of one ship en?
tered the ports of the other as the guns
were being loaded. "We became so
close fore and aft, " reported Pearson,
j "that the muzzles of our guns touched
I each other's sides,"and even so, by the
! testimony of the lieutenant on the lower
i gun deck of the Serapis, her guns could
net be fully run out owing to the near?
ness of the vessels.-Captain Mahan in
Scribner's.
Ar. Anecdote of thc Re volution.
Senator Bate of Tennessee told the
following anecdote of Colonel Tom
Sumter: Sumter was a great big giant
j of a fellow, with a voice like a fog
i horn. It is said his "holler" could be
j heard for miles. On one occasion when
i he was off on a foray the Tories came
and captured his wife, Molly, and
stripped the plantation of everything.
When "Old Tom" came home and found
Molly gone, his rage knew no bounds.
! Gathering together such forces as he
I could he put after the Tories. He over?
took them on the third day and hung
about until midnight. Then he deploy?
ed his for s around the camp and told
them tc . ait his orders to fire. He was
afraid of Molly being shot in the melee.
So when he get everything ready he
opened his big mouth and let out a yell
that fairly made the earth tremble:
"Lay down, Molly! Lay down, Molly!" ?
and Molly, recognizing those stentorian
tones, fell prone on her face, and after
the last "Lay down, Molly!" came the
command fire and charge. Molly was
recaptured wi ?bout hurt.
Must Have Been a Boston Man.
"Here is a story, " says the Kennebec
(Me.) Journal, "they are telling on a
trolley conductor in the employ of an
eastern Maine company. There being a
slight wait, a certain member of the
sex which is net considered eligible for
enlistment and m .y therefore be sat on
I with impunity get the benefit of his
ruling passion. Here is their conversa?
tion :
"The Woman-Are you going to the
Bangor House?
"The Conductor-No. madam.
"Tho Woman-Is this car going to
the Bangor Hoase then?
"The Conductor-No. madam.
"The Woman-Well-er-er-is this
the car to take to go to the Bangor
House?
"Thc Conductor-It is. madam. . It'
passes the door.
"She clambered in, and the villain
smiled cn."
Fortunes From, bananas.
Immense fortunes have been made'
out of the banana business. Revenues
do not accrue alone from tho sale of the
fruit, for the leaves are used for pack?
ing ; the juice, being strong in tannin,
makes an indelible ink and shoe black?
ing ; the wax found on the underside of
the leaves is a valuable article of com?
merce; manilla hemp is made from the
stems, and of this hemp are made mats,
plaited work and lace handkerchiefs of
the finest texture. Moreover, the banana
is ground into banana flour. The fruit
to be sold for dessert is ripened by the
dry warmth of flaring gas jets in the
storage places in which it is kept, and
immense care has to betaken to prevent
softening or overri? ening. The island
of Jamaica yields great crops of this
useful and money making fruit.
A Stone That Grow?.
A West Gouldsboro (Me.) man tells
a queer story about a stone that grows.
It is an egg shaped, flinty looking rock,
which he picked up in a cove near his
home over '?0 years aga Then it
weighed about 12 pounds and from its
odd shape was kept in the house and on
the doorstep as a curiosity. As the
years passed tho stone increased in size.
Six years ago it weighed 40 pounds,
and now it tips the scale at 65 pounds.
The owner swears it is the same stone,
and tells a likely story, with numer?
ous witnesses to back him up.-Ex?
change.
Drunk on Smoking.
Moslems are forbidden to drink wines
j or spirits, but in Tunis they contrive to
reach the same ends by smoking prepa?
rations of hemj) Sowers. The milder
kind is called kif. and if used iu moder?
ation has no more effect than wine, but
the concentrated essence, known as
chira, produces intoxication as quickly
as raw spirits and leads to delirium
I tremens.
Well Located.
He-Phrenologists locate benevolence
exactly at the top of the head.
1 She-Ves, as far from the pocket
j book as possible.-Op to Date.
Mer Liquid voice.
"Your wile Juts such a liquid voice,"
said Mr. F. admiringly to Mr. T.
"Yrs; that's a pretty good name for
it." replied Mr. T.
Mr. F. looked up inquiringly, and
Mr. T. added immediately: "Don't you
understand: Why, it never dries up,
you know. "-London Fun.