The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 19, 1898, Image 8
CITIES OF PORTO RICO
Picturesque Places In Uncle
Sam's New Island
lis::
-ffiEUP. TO DATE T0WI? OP PONCE?
? With Its Playa Zt Has nore Inhabitants
Than San Jain-The Attract ?vt Ladles
of Porto Rico-Very Little Vacant Land
Left-The Deas? Population.
VI.
The elinsa?? jof Porto f?icoiihot and
the mean temperature ri the
lands being not far from 100 degrees;
i?nt one may change his climate ina
Journey of a few hours. For instance,
"e the city of Ponce on the southern
may be sizzling beneath a^orrid
with the temperature up in the
in the pretty mountain town
Adjuntas, only 16 miles distant, the
mercury may be down as low as 60 or
Due west from San Juan lies the
of Arecibo, with over 6,000 inhab
ts. It is 35 miles from the capital
2j> a bisect line and by rail about 50 on
a river of the same name, which dr?ins
u valley famed for its natural beauty
I and plantations. About eight miles in?
land is a wonderful grotto, with exten?
dive chambers and beautiful stalactites.
?The commerce of the town is important,
hat the ports is poor, all freight having
to be lightered.
Swinging around to a point on the
Borthwest coast there opens up the ;
magnificent bay of. AgnadiEu, capable
of fioatinjg a navy, the town of the same
name being the most picturesque of any
in the island. It lies at the base of a
very steep mountain covered with lem- I
on and orange trees, palms, eta, and j
.from a nearby ravine gushes out a j
?pring of pure water of immense vol- j
wae, which nows through the town to j
the sea. An antique church and an old
vfort add to the picturesqueness of -the
?cene. The town, has about 5,000 inhab?
itants,' and five miles farther to the
south on the same big bay is the town
of Agriarla, on the site where, tradition
.relates, Columbus touched fco: water in
1493, and was so impressed with the
beauty of the scene that he called the
island the "Bich Port. " fine south lies
the city of Mayaguez, .with 11,000
inhabitants, but 28,000 within its juris?
diction, the third city of the island in
importance, and one that exports vast
quantities of sugar and coffee, pineap?
ples and coccanuts and imports flour,
etc, from the United States. It is the
second port for coffee, its average an?
nual export being about 17,000,000
pounds. The temperature is said rarely
to exceed 90 degrees, and the mountains
are not far away, where the cool breezes
3
GAME COCKS TAKING
always blow and from which pout down
the rivers, notably the Mayaguez, from
which ia olden times much gold was
obtained.
To the south and east of Mayagnez
fies the handsome town of San German,
-wb?ch is contemporary with San Juan,
and was founded in 1521. It is built on
a long, uneven hill, at the foot or which
lies the beautiful valley of two united
livers, where every tropical fruit and
vegetable is grown. Southeast of this
town lie? Yanco, 150 feet above the sea,
with a ?ne climate and good running
water. It is connected by a cartroad
with the port of Guanica, where there
is a "playa," or shore settlement, of
?bout 1,000 people. This port was the
initial point in the strategic plans of
General Miles in his recent military
occupation of Porto Rico.
East of Yanco and connected with it
by rail lies Ponce, the chief city of the
south coast and second only to San Juan
in commercial importance. It was
founded about 1600 and lies two to three
miles from its port, the spacious harbor
of which will admit vessels of 25 feet
Graft. There are about 27,000 people in
Ponce and its "playa" and within its
jurisdiction about 47,000, making this
city the largest, as it is in some respects
the finest, in the isiand. It has 34
streets, several plazas, a fine old church,
hospitals, three theaters, a municipal
library, markets, casinos, park and gas
works. In fact, it has the entire equip?
ment of a first class city, with the finest
theater, the Pearl, to be found in Porto
Bico, built of iron and marble at a cost
of 70,000 pesos. The climate is hot, but
rather dry, and the land and sea breezes
make the city endurable, even desirable,
as a place of residence, particularly in
the winter season. Just outside the city
are the thermal baths of La Quintana,
efficacious in many diseases and embow?
ered in a lovely garden. The taking of
Ponce by our troops and their enthusi?
astic welcome by the inhabitants most
be still fresh in the mind of the reader.
About 50 miles eastward from Ponce
lies the town of Guava ma. with 4,500
inhabitants, which was founded in
1736, and has one of the richest churches
in the island. Twelve miles west of it
is Salinas, OD a good but small harbor,
and five miles east the port of Arroyo,
which, though founded so recently as
1885, already has a large export trade
with the United States. Near the port
are the wonderful caves of Aguas Bu?
enas, which run under the river of Ca
guiras ?ind are over 1,200 feet in extent.
The chief town of the east coast is
Kumacao, on the river of that name,
with about 6,000 inhabitants, founded
in 1798. Ten miles south cf it lies Ya
bucoa, with 4,000 people, half the num?
ber, as in the case cf nearly all the
towns and smaller cities, being black
or colored. Ten miles northeast of Hu
macao is the town cf Naguabo, with
2,000 people, said to bo near the site
where Columbus first landed in Porto
Bice, and 16 miles distant is Fajardo,
in the extreme northeast.^ the island,
about two miles from Tes handsome
port, which has a third class light. All
the places on the east coast have har
boris or roadsteads at their playas with
depth of water from 10 to 23 feet.
Off the coast, east, lies the most im?
portant of the subsidiary isles which
come to U3 with the large one, that of
Vieques, 13 miles distant, and 21 miles
long fey 6 wide. It is a fertile and well
timna-ed isle* with forests of- cabinet
woods, sugar plantations and pastures
for vast herds of cattle. North of it lies
Culebra, or Snake island ; off the south
coast, not far from Ponce, the Dead
Man's Chest, and in the channel, be*
tween Porto Rico and Santo Domingo,
Mona island-none of them as fertile as
Vieques or at present of much account.
In the east and southeast are great
pasture lauds, where herds of cattle are
reared, which form an important^item
of export All kinds of domestic fowl,
ducks, geese, turkeys, etc., find here a
congenial home, in which they multiply
with astonishing rapidity.
The inhabitants of Porto Biico, ac?
cording to the latest statistics, number
about 813,000, over 300,000 of whom
arp black or colored, and the majority
of them very much mixed indeed. All
speak Spanish, are governed by Spanish
laws, and have Spanish habitudes; but
there are not only descendants of Span?
iards here, but men and women with
Jewish, Indian, African and Moorish
blood in their veins. All writers agree,
however, that they are a tractable and
docile people, indolent, delicately or?
ganized, vivacious, apt to kiss or em?
brace a man they like, where the Amer?
ican would merely shake his hand.
The ladies are, like all Spanish-Amer?
ican * * ?encellas, " attractive and pleas?
ing, graceful in deportment and elegant
of bearing, "loving as sisters, faithful as
wives, sweet and amiable as sweet?
hearts and daughters. " These are those
of the cities and towns. In the country,
owing to the comparative density of
population and scarcity of markets,
most of the people are extremely poor.
AN AIRING IN PONCE.
According to a book called "La Cues?
ti?n of Puerto Rico," published in
Spain, the density of population is ex?
traordinary, with about 1,744 inhabit?
ants to every square league, while in
Cuba it is only 376. Twenty years ago
the number of individual land proprie?
tors was over 55,000, while in Cnba at
the same time, with double the popula?
tion, they did not exceed half that num?
ber. This subject has a portentous as?
pect just at present, when so many
Americans doubtless cherish the hope
of acquiring some holding or other in
our new tropical possession.
In other West Indian islands, notably
the British, there are large tracts of
coffee and cacao lands, as well, as aban?
doned estates, which go under the name
of crown lands, and may be obtained at
a low price per acre, but in Porto Rico,
it is believed, the Spanish government
had but little of that sort. Even if there
are any, the retiring Spanish officials
will lose no time in having them trans?
ferred to individual ownership before the
United States government can bring
them within its jurisdiction. Most of the
so rolled crown lands were seized in de?
fault of payment of taxes and distribut?
ed among the favorites of the adminis?
tration. That is the Spanish way.
A native of the island and an author?
ity reports that large tracts of sugar
lands can be obtained, especially in the
eastern districts of Guayama, Humacao
and Fajardo, on account of ihe low price
of sugar. These lands command from
5250 to $300 per acre and are capable of
raising four tons of sugar to tho acre
.?e first year, 25 per cent less the sec?
ond, etc., without fertilizing. Coffee
plantations command at least $500 per
acre, but wild lands suitable for that
culture can be had at S j 00 au acre.
A line of steamers has plied between
New York and the island for many
years, and it is to be augmented soon iu
anticipation of an extensive passenger
traffic, while probably th . projected
railroads will be fiuisbefS . ;l thus the
beauties and the bo-untie* < i Porto Ric i
will be made acce^si ;??!** i ? al! <! -siy: . .
to visit our latest a'ii ujsir: -J I : .oy. :v.\
Waters. F;;;.:-i...u i\ o.
Trained Pigeons,
Pigeons are carefully trained. Tho
young horner is taken half a mile the
first day, a mile the second, two miles
the thiri, and so on, doubling the dis?
tance each time. It must be liberated
each time only in the same direction as
to its loft, for a bird can be trained
along only one route at a time. When
40 miles have been reached., a week's
rest comes between. A hundred miles
are enough for a young bird's first year.
So essential is the training that old
birds are taken only two nrles out for
the first lesson of a season, though they
may have flown their 250 miles the
year preceding. The end of the next
season, however, will, if the birds are
willing and the trainer patient, be
crowned by the accomplishment of a
400 mile flight. As you get higher in
the scale of distance, longer and longer
rests are needed.
Male birds are generally used for
long distances. Family matters are apt
to engross the attention of the hen,
though she is still capa ble of good work
when she has a mind for it.-Good
Words. _
Aa to the Links.
There is no more ardent evolutionist
in the city and no more persistent ad?
vocate of Darwin's theory than Dr.
d'Ancona. His friend, Dr. de Harville,
on the other hand, is a great bird fan?
cier and devotes all his spare time to an
enthusiastic study of ornithology.
"I have a splendid specimen of a
monkey in my office, " remarked Dr.
d'Ancona proudly. "Come in and see
him," he continued, being a firm be?
liever in the object method of demon?
stration. "You will admit that I have
the missing link in a cage. "
"That's ali right," replied De Mar
ville, absorbed in his own pet hobby.
"I have a cage at home myself, and
something in it too. You're not in it,
and^ neither is your monkey. lean show
you something much better than your
missing link. I have got a bobolink."
! -San Francisco News Letter.
j . -
Prioleau and Calhoun.
The Pendletonians were justly proud
of Mr. Calhoun and sensitive as to the
impression which he made upon stran?
gers. When Judge Prioleau became a
resident, they were anxious to know
his impressions of their Ajax. When
they first met, as soon as Calhoun left
the table, the question was eagerly
asked, "How do yon like him?"
j "Not at all," was the newcomer's
I reply. "I desire never to meet him
again. " This was a sad rebuff, and an
explanation was demanded. "I hate a
? man who makes me think so much,"
the judge replied. "Foo: the last three
i hours I have been on the stretch trying
to follow him through heaven and
earth. I feel wearied with the effort,
and I hate a man who makes me feel
my own inferiority." Pendleton was
appeased.-Exchanga
Good, bat Not I-atended.
Now and then a man gets off a good
thing and does not know ir. An in?
stance is noted by Sir M. Grant Duff in
his "Diary:"
j We began to talk about the fog. "It
was so bad," I said, "a week or two
ago that I hear Farrar preached against
it at St. Margaret's."
"It was at that church," my friend
answered, "that a clergyman, denounc?
ing Mr. Tooth, the ritualist, said, 'I
will not name him, but his name is in
everybody's mouth. ' Then, seeing the
smiles on the faces of his congregation,
he turned scarlet."
The Earth's Shadow.
The earth has a shadow, but very
few ever see it, except in eclipses of the
moon, or else few recognize it when
they see it. Nevertheless, many of us
have noticed on fine, cloudless even?
ings in summer shortly before sunset a
rosy or pink arc on the horizon opposite
the sun, with a bluish gray segment
under it As the sun sinks the arc rises
until it attains the zenith and even
passes it This is the shadow of the
earth.
The Little Carato.
Some years ago the English prime
minister received the following letter
from a workingman:
SIR-Doubtless you do not often get a letter
from a workingman on the subject of clerical
appointments, but, as I here you have got to
find a minister for to fill Mr. Boyd Carpenter'*)
place, allow me to ask you to just go some
Sunday afternoon and here our little curate.
Mr. -, at St. Matthew's church-he is a
good, Earnest little man and a genuine little
Fellow ; got no humbug about him, buta sound
Churchman, is an extempor Preacher and de
serves promotion. Nobody knows I am writ?
ing to you, and it is not a matter of kiss and
go by favor, but simply asking you to take a
run over and here him and then put him a
stept higher-he deserves it. I know Mr. Sul?
livan will give him a good character, and so
will Mr. Alcroft. the Patron. Now do go over
and. here him before you make a choice. We
workingmen will be sork*y to loose him, but
we think he ought not to be missed promotion
as is a good fellow. Your obedient servant
The Kaiser's Latest.
The German emperor has devised a
new scheme for the encouragement o?
vocal music in the German empire. It
wijl be put into operation in 1899, and
it consists of a singing competition to
be held in a different town every year.
Cassel has been selected for the first
competition, the chief condition of
which is that each choir taking part
will receive an unpublished musical
composition about an hour before the
contest takes place. There will be no
accompaniment.
The kaiser's prize isa valuable jewel,
and the president of the iming choir
will be allowed to wear for a year,
the name of each singer b g engraven
upon it.
Chalk as a Coal Saver.
To make half a ton of coal go as 15
hundredweight pince a quantity ol
chalk in the grates. Once heated this is
practically inexhaustible from combus?
tion and gives out great heat. Place the
chalk at the back of each cf your fires
in nearly equal proportions with the
coal. Full satisfaction will be felt both
as to the cheerfulness and as to the
warmth of the fire, and the saviug
throughout the winter will be at the
rate of 25 per cent.-Exchanc?
Harr "Underwear."
A young German engineer whoso
name is Herr "X." von der Werra had
an amusing incident happen to him on
a recent ocean voyage which will bear
repeating and which he narrates him?
self with relish. On the steamer were
several English ladies who were devot?
ed to whist and who frequently called
upon Herr X. to join them in a friendly
rubber. The young man does not care
particularly for the game; but, as the
ladies in question had several charming
girls under their wings, policy as well
as politeness bade him join in the daily
gamea The young man suffered from a
severe cold, and, in order to protect
himself from the drafts, took occasion
to wear a couple of heavy bicycle sweat?
ers in addition tonis ordinary clothing.
The ladies sympathized and frequent?
ly spoke to Herr X.. "ftindervear, " as
they pronounced it, about his precau?
tions against addition?l cold. He was
not particularly well versed in English,
and the pronunciation of his name puz?
zled him very much-in fact, he
thought they were referring to his
sweaters, so finally he blurted out:
"Ladies, why do you call me Mr. Un?
derwear? Is it because of these sweat?
ers?" The reply was lost to posterity in
the roar of laughter which caused the
windows of the saloon to rattle-Phil?
adelphia Record.
Metallizing Wood.
A method of metallizing wood, one
by which it becomes very solid and re?
sistant and assumes the appearance of a
true metallic mirror, is described in the
Paris Monde with much detail Briefly,
the wood is first immersed for three or
four days, as may be its degree of per?
meability, in a caustic alkaline lye, and
thence passed immediately into a bath
of hydrosulphite of calcium, to which
is added, after 24 or 36 hours, concen?
trated solution of sulphur in caustic
potash. The duration of this bath is
about 48 hours, and its temperature is
from 55 to 50 degrees. Finally the wood
is immersed for 30 or 40 hours in a hot
solution of acetate of lead. The wood
prepared in this manner and after hav?
ing undergone a proper drying at a
moderate temperature acquires under a
burnisher of hard wood a polished sur?
face and exhibits a very brilliant metal?
lic luster-a luster still further increas?
ed in its attractiveness if the surface of
the wood be rubbed thoroughly, in the
first place, with a piece of lead, tin or
zinc and afterward be polished with a
glass or porcelain burnisher.
A Mi*understood Jost.
Lord Lytton when viceroy of India
was seated one day at dinner next to a
lady whose name was Birch, and who,
though very good looking, was not over
intelligent Said she to his excellency:
"Are you acquainted with any of the
Birches?"
"Oh, yes," replied Lord Lytton, "I
knew several of them most intimately
while at Eton-indeed more intimately
than I cared to."
"My lord, " replied the lady, "you
forget the Birches are relatives of
mine."
"And they cut me," said the viceroy,
"but, " and he smiled his wonted smile,
"I have never felt more inclined to kiss
the rod than I do now. "
Sad to say, Mrs, Birch did not see
the point and told her husband his ex?
cellency had insulted her.-Exchange.
Opals.
An exquisit? gem is the opal, its
beautiful creamy surface lit with red,
blue and yellow rays scintillating in the
light and giving it a place in the front
rank of precious stones. Unfortunately
the opal has a bad name, and we know
the proverb about the dog with the un?
lucky cognomen. Superstition credits
this, beautiful stone with bringing mis?
fortune to its owner, and superstition
will win its W3y so long as the world
lasts. The opal is peculiarly brittle and
sometimes crumbles away without any
apparent cause, therefore it has been
branded "unlucky." But let those
laugh who win, there are still some
who value opals for their worth and
beauty and who can afford to make
merry at the superstitious. The opal il
the type of hope.-Chicago News.
Gladstone ?ad Motet.
A correspondent of The British
Weekly tells the following story rela?
tive to Mr. Gladstone: "I was driving
one autumn evening in a conveyance
which in those days nsed to ron from
Lamlash to King's Cross (Island of
Arran) when for any reason the late
boat did not go round to Whiting bay.
Sitting opposite me were two men who
appeared to belong to the Paisley weav?
er class, and true to the traditions of
that class they were busily discussing
politics. Presently one of them said,
with much emphasis, * There hasna been
a lawgiver equal to Mr. Gladstone since
ehe days o' Moses.' 'Moses!' retorted
the other. 'Moses got the law gien tae
him frae the Lord, but Mr. Gladstone
maks laws oot o' his ain head!' "
Russian Liars.
Kassian diplomats hold that it is no
disgrace or dishonor to lie in the most
unblushing manner in order to promote
Mie interests of their country and of
their sovereign. When tho late czar
asked once of Count Ignateiff how he
aime to be nicknamed "The Father of
lies" while embassador at Constantino?
ple, he with a low bow responded, "in
the service of your majesty."
Seamen Vote Ahead of Time.
Norwegian seamen are entitled to
oto before leaving their country if the
polling day is within three months of
their departure, or they can vote at a
loreign port within the same time by
having their votes sent homo through &
Norwegian consul.
Will ins to Sacrifice.
Lodging House Clerk-Bed with
bath, 15 cents.
Weary Watkins-I guess I'd rather
pay a little more and not take tho bath.
-Indianapolis Journal.
Th* "White" ruot? light. The "White"
i"v?e right.
THE CARRIER PIGEOS
MYSTERY OF THE METHOD BY WHICH
IT FINDS ITS WAY.
Hotr ? French Scientist Tries to Explain
the Taking: of Bearings and Homeward
Flight by These Swift Winged Messen?
Sera of the Air.
The faculty possessed by many ani?
mals for finding their way home
through an unknown region has always
been more or less of a mystery. It rises
to its height in the case of the carrier
pigeon, and its would be explainers fall
back on expedients that range all the
way from a mysterious special sense of
"orientation" down to everyday or?
dinary observation of landmarks, such
as man uses when he finds his way.
Most authorities are now inclined to
take a middle course, and believe that
the pigeon finds its way by methods
more or less ordinary, but by a very
extraordinarily skilled combination of
them.
We translate below part of an article
on the subject, contributed by M. A
Thauzies to the Revue Scientifiqua
The author's assumption that the ani?
mal organism is sensitive to magnetic
conditions is contrary to scientific ob?
servation and experiment! but this is
only a detail of his theory and does not
materially affect it M. Thauzies, after
giving reasons for rejecting the theory
of a special sense and other hypotheses
put forth on the subject, proceeds to
state the following facts which he be?
lieves to be firmly established:
"First.-Well trained pigeons, even
if taken very far away-say several
hundred miles from the pigeon cot
get their bearings, in a normal atmos?
phere, with wonderful promptness,
without turning about in other direc?
tions and without rising to a great
height. Eefore one can count 50 they
have disappeared.
"Second.-These same pigeons, left
in open air in their baskets several min
ntes before releasing them, while they
are given food and drink, look around
them, walk to and fro, evidently study?
ing the sky, until, having found out,
doubtless, what they sought, they re?
main quiet. Then, if the baskets are
opened, they fly off low and almost
horizontally, without zigzags and in a
straight line in the proper direction.
"Third.-The same pigeons, trans?
ported to a strange region-that is, for
instance, where they must make a
southerly journey when they are accus?
tomed to make a northerly one, betray
a striking degree of disquietude in their
baskets at the moment of departure.
They seem to be surprised and some?
what taken aback. As soon as they are
free they fly off eastward, making large
ellipses toward the sun. Then they ex?
plore in all directions, but they always
return to the east with a patient tenaci?
ty that seems to signify that ?here is
the key of the problem, and that there
alone will be found its solution- After
several minutes of this, having reached
an altitude of 150 to 200 yards, they
disappear in the proper direction.
"Fourth.-The earlier in the morn?
ing they are released the more prompt
is their success in getting their direc?
tion. After noon, even in calm weather,
and even if the distance is small, their
orientation is dull, slow, wavering and
without vivacity.
"Fifth.-When the day coircides
with a change of the moon, the orienta?
tion both at the point of departure and
also on the route becomes difficult, the
birds return slowly and at long inter?
vals. *)
"Sixth.-Finally, even when the sky
seems everywhere clear, if the atmos?
phere is undergoing any of those invisi?
ble disturbances that are revealed only
by the most delicate instruments of our
observatories, the pigeons, as in the
preceding case, hesitate, lag behind and
sometimes take double the time that
would be necessary for their journey
under other circumstances.
"What must be concluded from these
facts?
"The carrier pigeon, a bird eminent?
ly electric, and of excessive nervous sus?
ceptibility, is also endowed with pro?
digiously sensitive vision and with spe?
cial intelligence that cannot be doubted.
The indefatigable excursions that it
makes, especially in the morning, often
to considerable distances around its
cot, and to all points of the compass,
accustom it to a great number of mag?
netic and visual sensations whose va?
rious characteristics it learns to distin?
guish according to the region where it
is and to the hour of the day. By what
may he called its sense of touch and by
its sight it registers, as it were, like a
delicate mechanism, impressions as
varied as they are complex, which, re?
sulting in the concerted action of the
organism, enable it to determine in a
given place, at a given moment, the di?
rection in which tho dovecot will be
found.
"This power of discernment increases
with the accumulation of heredity of
what may be called 'local instinct.'
This is why the carrier pigeon is not
satisfactory unless it has behind it au
ancestral Imo of carrier pigeons living
in the same region. This is why when,
for any cause, the tur is disturbed, eveu
to a degree imperceptible to man, the
pigeon's element of investigation, its
means of getting its bearings being dif?
ferent and insufficient, it looks about,
hesitates, gets its direction with diffi
culry and sometimes even is lost."
Literary Digest.
Dogs kept exclusively for guiding
blind persons or for tending sheep or
cattle on a farm or by shepherds are
exempt from taxation in Great Britain.
It only takes a woman live minutes
to clean up a man's d<:sk so that it will
take him two weeks to find anything he
wants. -Exchange.
Make use of time while it is present
with you. It depends upon your will
and not upon the number of days to
have a sufficient length of life.-Mou
taigne.
DISGUSTED FISHERMEN.
It Made Them 111 to See an Old Tia?3
Angler Catch Trout.
One day a Boston party, on a fishing
trip to Moosehead, carne across one of
the old school fishermen. He was np off
the mouth, cf Tornhegan stream and
was fishing ont of a lumberman's bat
teau. It developed later that he was the
cook for a crew of river drivers. On tho
bank near ai hand stood the cookee, or
his helper. The cook had thrown about
a peck of talle refuse into the lake in
order to "tole" the fish, and over that
lure he was having great luck. His pole
was of the jib boom variety, and when
a fish bit he would derrick it over his
head into the - bushes where the cookee
was stationed.
The Boston men from their canoes
watched operations with all the disgust
of the true sportsmen.
"Got enough for supper yet?'* shout?
ed the fisherman over his shoulder as
he set another great trout fiamping into
the bushes.
"No; better catch six or eight more,"
shrilled back the cookee.
"Say, how many fish do you two fel?
lows usually eat for supper?" shouted a
Boston man who didn't understand tbs
situation.
"When you've cooked for 22 river
drivers as lonsr as I have, " yelled the
cook, derricking another fish, "you'll
know more about empty nail kegs. "
Hardly was this enigmatic utterance
out when, there came a tug at his line
that was nothing short of tremendous.
He twitched. The fish didn't come. He
braced, set his jaws and pried. His line
only sawed the hissing water.
"Play him! Play him!" screamed
the excited sportsmen from the city.
"Play your grandmother!" bellowed
the cook. "I ain't here to play. I'm
here to fish. " And as he spoke he boost?
ed over his head a 15 pound laker. Any
man in the Boston crowd would have
given $10 to have played him an hour
at the end of an eight ounce rod. 'Twas
too much for their nerves. They came
away.-Lewiston Journal.
Entertaining the Copper.
It was a bitter cold night, a?2 ?
night policeman in Lombard street no?
ticed a light in the bank window, and,
going to the door, rapped.
"Is that you, policeman?" asked a
voice from within.
' ' Yes, ' ' was the reply.
"Come in and have a drink, " said
the voice.
The policeman stepped inside and en?
countered a dapper little fellow sitting
at a desk.
'Tve been detained tonight straight?
ening up accounts."
The policeman warmed himself at
the rousing fire that blazed on the
hearth and went cat again on his beat.
An hcur after the policeman came that
way and, still seeing the light through
the window, rapped again.
"ls that yon, policeman?,,
"Yes."
"Come in and warm yourself."
The policeman accepted the invita?
tion.
"It's a howling cold night," said the
clerk.
"You're right, sir," said the police?
man.
So he got another drink and returned
to his beat. Ec was rather surprised
next day to find that his friend of the
night before had got off with some $50,
000 of the bank's funds.-London Suc?
cess.
An Attack on Sevastopol.
From where I was stationed I could
see the dense masses of the attacking
columns advance up the slope. Then
the torrents of grape which met them
would obscure their ranks for a mo?
ment and hardly a man would be seen
to remain. I at one time saw a body of
men many hundreds strong so complete?
ly swept away by one discharge that
only a few of the rear rank remained
when the iron storm went past! Th6
dead and dying could be clearly distin?
guished lying in piles on the hillside,
and over their prosbrata bodies fresh
troops crowded on to meet the same
fate. Many a manly heart and nervous
arm went down in the deadly struggle
on that green hillside. No valor avail?
ed. The cannon's force was greater than
the strength of man.
How many ardent hopes were extin?
guished ! How many home circles de?
stroyed and lives rendered miserable by
the havoc of that hour none can tell,
no more than they can imagine the
bodily agony or the grief for home and
friends which was there endured ! What
would be the value of what is called
"glory" if weighed on the field of bat?
tle among the dead?-Good Words.
Al tama or A? tau? ah a?
There can, I suppose, be no doubt
that in the lines in "The Deserted Vil?
lage"
To distant climes, a dreary scene,
Where half the convex world intrudes between.
Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they
go
Where wild Akama murmurs to their woe
Goldsmith is alluding to the River Al
taruaba in Georgia, the colonization of
which had taken place not long before.
But his expressions are not very accu?
rate. So far from being torrid in the
strict sense of the word, the latitude of
the mouth of the Altamaha is more
than 31 degrees. No part indeed of the
present United States is located within
thc tropics. Bnt, besides this, although
there are certainly rattlesnakes and, I
believe, scorpions of a certain species in
Georgia, there are no tigers there to
"wait their hapless prey," which the
poet reckons among the horrors of the
region where some of the inhabitants of
Auburn have gone.-Notes and Queries
Warding Off Jealousy.
Old Gotrocks (savagely)-What's
that! You mean to teli nie that you
really love my daughter for herself
alone?
Young Hardup (tremulously)-Y-yes,
sir, but I think I could leam to 1-love
you, t-too, sir, in t-t-time, sir.-Vanity
Fftir.