The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

xmAexitt Jk( VA1T8LYKE, Editor and Publisher. "" ILLINOIS. M E N D I N G B A S K E T . V > : ?;w^7 <*• CPS^MT: .3v\> v v , «3ri»r•*" 0\ > * ' H ̂ '**• ^ , •J., /I. .1 'WW' and under, in and out. swift little noodle files; elway* between her and I Mmending basket lies; the pattern hands. though rtWWft uw-1 lovingly on and on, T |w-s? y ft'* tMkfi thai never are finished; , M tor mending is never done. ]y ^ > , »takes up the father's stocking ) A skillfully knits in the heeLi ,: <• smooths tlie Ream with a tender totnht . at ho may no roughness feel. |S t : •a her thought8 to her merry girlhood vi(, A n d h e r e a r l y w i f e h o o d g o , V • . . . Bd she smiles at the first pair of »tocki(| 8be knit so long ago. v; sbe speaks to the little maiden ruing to knit ftt her side, » Jki$d tells tier a)x>ut those atoekiagi I '©oeseii and shapeless and widdf-- pi hail to ravel them out, my dear, | Don't »*s discouraged but try, £ ; V a f t e r a w h i l e y o u ' l l l e a r n t o . > Aa swift as even I." takes up a little white apron, • y : Aid thinks of the woeful face Mother darling when Bhe came crying, *^0h, niumma! I've t-'-rn my lat-e?^ . Ma she u; ended the child's pot aproiv WHen looked up a tiny shoe, 'If-1 fasr«tied a st itch that was broken. J And tied the ribbon of blue. 'MVB maiden has wearied of working, < And go ue away in her play ; 59» sua in the west is sinking ' At file close of the quiet day. .Jfar the mother's hands are resting/ : Btill holdiug a stocking of red. • '•*«»«< her thoughts .in the twiligut shado" Vothe far-oil future have fled. v -Oh! where will the little feet wander . Before they have time to rest V , {Where v.ill the bright heads be pillowed When the mother's loving breast- lb tinder the springs'^ blue violet*, And under the summer grass-- Shftum over her fall the Autumn leaves, And the storms of winter pass:'" And a prayer from her heart she utters; *"Ood bless them, my dear ones all! Ot may it be many, many years '•n sorrow to them befall!" To ber work from the mending basket l^be turns with a heart at rest, Dv abe knows that to husband and children Bhe is always the first and best. UNITED AT LAST. BY THE DREAMER. never occurred to you, Sid- am, that you are handsome? Sidney paused in his work and looked •t me with a curious expression; then dropping his eves--tho>e wonderful rftasky eyes--went on again hoeing cab- Jbege, with a haif-amused smile linger­ ing around his handsome mouth. "You hare nothing to say. Is it BO •nimportant a matter that you do not «ane? Handsome features are rather to be prized." I was a passionate lover of good looks; mad I would have Riven a good, round fortune--very ludicrous and foolish of --for those olive cheeks and won- <bons eyes which Sidney, our man-of- «ll-work, cared so little about. "You are not in earnest, Mr. Dover, «hj need a man care .for good looks? There is rather more tlian can be ac- lplifthed in this hurrying world of without tvubling about our fea- tares, don't you think?" "Yes, I know; but one can hardly five iu this rushing world without now mnet then borrowing trouble." Sidney Homer was young, poor, and obliged to labor by the sweat of His tiov for a living. I do not know as he took a second thought about any im- Elsive compliment. He may, for all I ow, have craved love and sympathy in his difficult life as I had for good looks. He was faultlessly handsome-- « prince by nature; while I was plain, •allow and undersized. But I have had M portion of love and have been satiated with luxuries, like the lucky fellow that X was, born to the pleasant things of life, a fortune's favorite whose whimsi­ cal fancies were as carefully carried out bj all at home, as if it had been a pow­ erful, absolute necessity. 'There was but little in the bounds of ion and almost out of it that my would not have tried to have for me. >ming home after I refused any schooling, I found my father con­ tentedly enjoying the prospect of having me> at home. Sidney I found, too, ^joing quietly about the grounds keeping the vegetables and flowers in order and dug himself useiul. . Peculiarly patrician, my father was to approach to familiarty with his Aaodsome, obliging mau-of-work. My jpcoud, fond father in his partial eyes his •oe boy Clyde was more gifted every way than any other fellow he knew. Sat Sidney attracted me; and, after a Utile acquaintance with him, I felt like Meeting him in familiar friendship, and X resolved to make him feel friendiv to Alas i We do not see many steps be­ fore us. We do not know what change 4Ht hour may bring. "Yes, I am in earnest,Sidney," I went 4MB to say. "I think you are the hand­ somest man I have ever seen. I pre­ sume you have always been poor and have had but little chance for an educa­ tion." "Yes. My father died poor and left mj mother to my care, and she was an invalid and has been a constant care «ntil she died a year ago. I could do •o more than just for us to live. My •totter instructed me in the rudiments of learning; but experience, I tind, is 4tbe successful teacher. When one is able, if they know no more than I do, at Is better to be at work." "Sidney is right as to work," said my fftther, who came up to me where we •fcood in the sun-bright garden. " He "•ould not attend to useful work, such as ^ Jke has been doing for me, with his bead «rammed full of knowledge." f, Sidney's face flushed, and I fancied Ifeat he resented in a measure my fath- ' Hr's brusque coldness. i v But Alice, my promised bride, was Homing, and I wished her to see Sidney «&d to share my opinion of him. She bad astoi.islied everybody by accepting --she. an acknowledged worshiper of feeauty in general. How she had fancied me, passing by so many others, I have v *ever been able to decide; for I never . «ould think she coveted my riches. My jfceart had been wholly hers from the Very first, and I told her so when I fltsked iter to marry me, and she had an- y, \,'#wered me in a satisfactory way. | - ' During the delicious June days Alice - J |ftas exuected to our town, where some ,• Hrf her relatives lived, and I knew she! . *eould be expected to visit my home and I form a good acquaintance with my I ' 'father. j| Ah, those gloriously blissful days, p, when looking into her deep blue eyes, " £ read my loved one's heart, and was ^ aatisfied in my inmost soul that she < v loved me as well as she had said. We ^>. j were very happy, at least I was--so fbappy that I had almost forgotten Sid­ ney- We were strolling through the ••hady lawn one lovely evening when he ly appeared before us. He met if* /"vfs"1- 7 ' me to tell mo that my fatb«r was «:ek, and wished to see me. 1 called to Sidney to introduce Mm, but he come hall reluctantly from the serene of the scarlet creepers which grew so profusely about the pillars of our old veranda. "Alice, this is Sid- ; ney--Sidney Homer. He will euterr tain you until father releases ma" Father did not keep me so very long, but the sun was almost Retting when I stepped out on the veranda. Alice sat alone among the scarlet blossoming vines. I had overheard Sidney some minutes before working indus­ triously in the farther part of the gar­ den. I laid my hand caressingly on her bowed head, aud stooping, kissed the sun-gold locks I so greatly admired. She was my idol. I worshiped her, and standing there beside her, I felt that I could die rather than lire through life without her. "What did you think of him, Alice?" "Of Mr. Homer? I think him a strik­ ingly handsome man. I never saw such a face or suoh. eves before. Who is he?" I was troubled just a little to hear her speak so of another, and I might have had just a twinge of the green- eyed monster, but I tried to drive away all absurd ideas. Sidney had nothing but his good looks and his strength and ability to work. I was rich and Alice loved me, and was my promised wife. "Who is he? His name is Homer. He oatne to work for my father a year ago. He has no relatives, t believe." "Poor fellow! He should have been well educated. How does it come that he must work as he seems to be work­ ing now?" "Just the force of circumstances, I should think. Until a year ago his mother was his constant care." "He must be young," said Alice. "Tweatv-two, he told me." "It is too bad! But he might edu­ cate himself yet But let us be going-; Auntie will think we have run off to be married a little sooner." "I wish you would marry me a little sooner--say this hour." "Not any sooner, thank you, dear boy." But somehow I fancied that my sweet­ heart did not receive my parting caress so graciously as usual. I left her at her aunt's door, and went to my home with my dreamy fancy commencing to have its cloud. I did not see so much of Alice for the next few days, as my father's sudden and severe illness kept me by his side, and some way, I scarcely know how, Alice and Sidney grew in acquaintance. There is not much more to tell, and the unhappy ending of the first part came sooner than I would have sup­ posed. Sidney attended to bis duties as usual. But I was vaguely troubled when I looked at him. I thought he seemed changed, and I hardly knew in what it consisted. One day I went down the stairs to speak to Alice, whom I had seen a few minutes before crossing the lawn. I went out into the open air and paused a moment near a low, thickly-spreading spruce, wondering where it would be better to look for her, when suddenly I heard voices behind some heavy climbing roses which were growing over some trellises near. The voices belonged to Alice and Sidney. On her part I heard indistinetly words much like entreaty, then Sidney speaking iu gentle, rather living re­ monstrance. "Forget my unwise words, dear Alice; it is folly to talk of our loving each other. I should have restrained myself, knowing that you are pledged to one who loves you, as I do, better than life. In know it is hard for loving hearts to separate. I wish I could have refrained from speaking of my love. But, Alice, I could not help it." "Neither, can I help loving you, Sid­ ney; and I say that Clyde Dover is too proud and good to hold the girl who does not, cannot love him as I love you. But he will release me; I will tell him how it is." "You need take no farther trouble, Alice Mitchell," I said, drawing near. "You are correct in your estimate of- me. I have no desire to hold the girl who could not keep true to me. I forgive you both. I suppose it is all but the way of the world." And turning on my heel, I left them. At this time she was 19 and I was 26. I saw her no more for ten years, and then she came to our town and took up her residence where her aunt had lived and died and had left this home to Alice Homer. She came a widow and brought with her a tender daughter of 7. As sho lived, a close neighbor, we met fre­ quently, and at last her pleading, be­ witching eyes conquered me and drew me to her. Again I asked and was accepted. But she was humble and good. "Dear Clyde, I do not deserve that you should love me, but since you do, I will return to my noble, first love." "But you loved Sidney ?" I could not help interrogating. "Ob, I did; but let us say no more about it," As to Alice's love for me I do not quite know; but she is the best wife in all the world and seems very happy. As to my love for Alice, would it ,be a noble love to hold her at bay for what was, after all, but a specimen of the way of erring mortals ? NUMBER OF !fNF1DEt.& AT MEW 1TOHK. Cseat Their Ideas of Citizenship. I was rather amused a few days ago,' just on the eve of the last day of re­ gistration, to listen to some of the quaint answers returned to the ques­ tions asked of applicants in the court of common pleas before admission to citizenship. In many cases they were more amusing than stupid, and un­ consciously contained no little truth, as when an Italian defined the business of an assemblyman as making money in Albany. The most amusing case of all, however, was that of an Irishman. He had answered every question correctly until the court asked: "A.re you attached to a republican form of government "Indeed, and I'm not." "But you must understand that ex­ cept you are attached to this form of government you cannot be naturalized^ Why are you not favorably disposed to the republican form of government?" "Because, your honor, I'm a Demo­ crat." "When it was explained to him that there was a wide difference be- | tween a citizen ot a republic and Bepublican party he duly qualified. His Compliment. \ Miss De Pretty--I don't ae#how yon whistle through your fingers that way. I could never do it in the world. Mr. Goodheart (wishing to compli­ ment her delicate little hands)--No, Miss De Pretty, if you should try it your whole hand would slip into your, mouth.--New York Weekly. NIGHTS of the grip--not drummers, but the avaninga n-han tVia mflfltil The Wicked Old Town PrtMnti a Field (MI MLS»LON«N^T»!R The Rev. M*.. Junor of tlte Dutch lie formed Church estinj,&tes that the population of New York ia thws divided with respect to religion: IV.wan Catholics Ohuroh-going Protestants.......... Non-churchgoing Protestants..u.. Agnostics and Infidels Total 1,600,ooo This estimate he bases on the results of an actual religious census ef a district on the west side of the town and it may be taken as approximately correct. Probably, however, enough of the non- churchgoing Protestants ought properly to be included among the heathen to make their nuiuber equal to about one>- third of the population.. Even some [many] of the- nominal 1 Ionian Catholics must be put in the same category. They are the young people of foreign descent who have cast aside the faith in which they were reared and have never acquired any other, but have sunk into downright infidelity, to the great shame and sorrow of their parents and the priests by whom they were baptized. Neither can all the eburchgoing Pro­ testants be called Christians in truth. Yery many of them are only outward conformists. At heart they are infidels and heathen agnostics. They keep up their religions observances simply as a matter of social propriety and to please their wives; but when they express their honest opinions they reveal them­ selves as more or less radical unbeliev­ ers. If we went further and undertook to divide the population into those who cling with sincerity to the old faith of Christianity and those who reject it whblly or partiatyy, on which side would the majority be? Is it not prob­ able that the truly faithful would be very far in the minority ? The majority of Presbyterians, as the discussion and vote on the revision of the Westminster Confession have shown, are all at sea as to their faith. They do not know exactly what to believe, but they know that they do not believe the doctrinal standards of their church as tliey are now. And as what tliey re­ ject involves the very existence and sovereignty of a personal God, they are traveling on the road to total and down* right infidelity. The same may be said of the Congregationalists. So far as outward indications go the Baptists and Methodists are less affected by the pre­ vailing skepticism. The Baptist Mil­ lennial Conference in Brooklyn proved that at least a strong party of that com­ munion retain the most childlike faith in the letter of the Bible; and the new revolutionary Bchool of Biblical criti­ cism, with principles and methods so destructive of the old veneration for the Scriptures as the old vertible word of God, seems to have produced little ef­ fect on the Methodist ministry. But, according to Mr. MacQueary, arguing at the Cleveland trial Thursday, the rankft of th&Episcopal clergy are full of heretics. "I might a tale unfold about the good heretics in our Church," he said, "that would probably make you tremble for the fate of traditional ortho­ doxy." The discussion at the recent Church Congress at Philadelphia showed a tendency to accept the con­ clusions of the later scientific and philo­ sophical criticism of the Scriptures which seems to justify the remark. It looks as if Mr. MacQueary were suffer­ ing rather because of his indiscretion in giving public utterance to heretical opinions than because of his singularity among the clergy in entertaining them. If all the Episcopal heretics were ar­ raigned for trial ecclesiastical courts might have to sit permanently in every diocese. If all the heretics of every church were now burned alive at the 6take, as Servetus was burned in 1553, the awful fires would have to be lighted in every town agd kept burning cease­ lessly night and day. The Rev. Mr. Junor presented his statistical estimates in an address at a prayer-meeting in the Madison Square Presbyterian Church. But the pastor of that church himself is a heretic whom Calvin would have pursued no less re­ lentlessly than he prosecuted Servetus. Mr. Junor argued that New York is a great field for effort for the propaga­ tion of the Christian faith; and so it is, but first of all the clergy themselves must be thoroughly converted to that faith. They must know whereof they preach, and believe in their own hearts what they proclaim to others as neces­ sary for salvation. The only Christian communion upon which modern skepticism seems to make no impression is the Roman Catholic.-- New York Sun. Thes« Men Grew Where Toll Wats King* Whitcomb Riley emerged from a past too obscure even to be interesting, aud one touch of his lance gained him a place on the pavilion of letters. He was recognized as a poet the world over. All that was known of him was identified with a busy western town and a careless taking of events that prom­ ised nothing but a wasted existence. If there was ever an uncongenial environ ment it was this. Yet critic and com mon accepted him alike. He spoke to the world in its most tuneful measure, and the world was glad to listen. Gen. Wallace came from a western town which was not even very busy. He was a politician of the strictest sect, and a soldier of the school of politicians. There was nothing in his past to warn of what bis pen might hold. He had a talented and excellent mother, but so has many a man who lives and dies a clodhopper. He wrote one book which gave him rank among the imperators of literature. He has proven since that this was no accident, but that he drew his material from a field as rich and full as that of the most favored of earth. It is not out of place in this study to go back to Giotto, Titian, and even Angelo. It is not unbecoming to re­ member that the boy who came from a home so humble that his pupils could not find it became the greatest painter that the world has known; that this painter felt his genius throbbing imme­ diately he'reached the studio-palaces he had never seen before; that he knew nothing in his past of the environment which the foolish seem to thiuk makes an atmosphere conducive to the devel­ opment of art. It is not out of place to remember the picture painted by the boy, the drudge, that sets 11|$ schools afire. So with Burns. What was there in his Bterile hills to breed a poet? What was there in the occupation of a plow­ man? thousands had followed that oc­ cupation before, had turned over un­ numbered daisies, had destroyed the home of the field mouse and had never given the matter a second thought. Yet no man can shake the pedestal that bears the fame of Burns. What was there in the skies or the mountains of the North to imbue a Lind'or a Nills- sonwith the spirit of song? Cultiva- things. Opporttt- niSfp di£ aft it. We have- wone»< and men pacing well to be cultivated every dwfjuad wasting good scullery gMs an«;jp|| JMh in the effort, Tho genius w«s ttuir#, no matter where they ware hor&yZto matter where they were bredl It oata»te> fruition without* re-1 gavd to teaching and set new standards everywhere; lb is time to- oamre notice on nam by' pamby critics that, whatever imitation may do., art never seeks a congenial clime-; tia»t geoia& does not wait to have its copy set, but makes the model the [worldapproves;and that genius, that art may as reasonably be looked for in the West as in. the East; in the country as in town; in Orient as in Occident: and that he who betrays surprise at the statement of the natal place of a famed one OflJy advertises ignoranoe, pcejuT dice,, atul sophistry. Progress in Soienne. A new flash-light fire alarm has re­ cently appeared in Copenhagen. It consists of a small cartridge tilled with Bengal light composition and provided with a fuse which carries a small cap­ sule of strong sulphuric acid. When the temperature of the rfiom ri-es above the melttng point of paraffine the sul­ phuric acid is liberated and ignites the fuse, which in turn sets fire to the Bengal light. The device can be sup­ plemented by a piece of fusible metal, which in melting will establish an elec­ tric current and ring a bell. At the last meeting of the Physical Society in England an electric lamp was exhibited which lighted itself when darkness came on and extinguished it­ self when daylight or ' another strong light was brought into the field. The lamp is worked by a selenium cell on the principal that the strength of the ourrent varies with the intensity of light falling on the selenium. it was recently maintained before the Paris Academy that shortness of sight was a defeot incident to civilization oz to an artificial condition of liTe. An examination of the eyes of wild animals shows that those captured after the age of six or eight months remain long­ sighted, while those captured earlier or born in captivity are near-sighted. It has recently been shown that the bad effects of the fog were felt most by tropical plants. which, in a state of nature, were exposed to the sunlight, plants which grew under the shade of forest trees did not suffer so much. Soft, tender plants and aquatic vege­ tation seemed to come off worst. , A machine, stud to be a marvel of lightness and ingenuity, has recently been built in Australia for experiments in flying through the air. It is pro­ pelled by an engine fed with com* pressed air. An AustrifMi has invented an in stru* ment resembling a piano in appearance, which contains six violins, two violas and two violoncellos, and is manipu­ lated by a keyboard. He Got ftattled. There is one peculiarity about pro­ posing. The man who is going tc un­ dertake it cannot prepare for the ofdeal in advance, for if he does it will be labor thrown away. It is generally believed that no lover ever succeeded in deliver­ ing the speech he had prepared for the occasion. Something always happens to spoil everything. When the moment arrives for the lover to speak his little piece, it hies itself away and leaves him to blunder through the ordeal as best he ean. We Americans, who are noted for the haste and brevity with which we do everything, are said to propose with, less to-do than other people do. "Let's consolidote." is reported to be a popular form of proposal now in vogue, but the negotiations necessary for completing the trust are not always so brief. Noth­ ing could'be neater or more ingenious than the proposal of the Irishman, who thus addressed the rustic beauty upon whom he had set his affections: "Biddy, darlint, they've been tellin' me there's too many of us in the world. Now, if you an' me get the priest to make us two wan, throth an' wouldu't there be wan the less?" In one of Lord Beaconsfield's novels an eccentric old nobleman pops the question in the following matter of fact language: "I wonder if anything would ever induce you to marry me ?" That style is really much nearer the terms in which the average man proposes than is the usual dish-watery proposal of the novelist. "So ycps#0uld not take me to be twenty," said a young lady to her partner while dancing the polka one evening. "What would you take me for then?" "For better or worse," re­ plied he, and he was accepted. Washington's oldest Man. There is a rare old character who haunts the leading Washington hotels night after night, who says he was born in 1792, and who is now 98 years of age, writes Frank G. Carpenter. This man's name is Arnaud, or Arnot, and he has had a life as wild and varied as that of any hero of fiction. He was born in West Virginia, and he tells me that he ran away from the Block House, where his parents lived, and joined the In­ dians at the age of 13. He was for a time a Cherokee ehief, and he was a contractor here at the time that Jack­ son was President. He has aeen all the Presidents back to Jefferson, and Wash­ ington died when he was 7 years old. Before the building of the Pacific Rail­ road he ran a pony express across the plains, and of late years he has been employed in the Government Depart­ ments. He is a thrifty man, and ap­ preciates, I am told, the value of inter­ est, and his chief business now is lend­ ing money to government employes at a high rate of monthly interest. One of the most remarkable things about him is his dress, and this attracts attention to him wherever he goes. He wears an old-fashioned shadbellied coat with brass buttons, a ruffled shirt, a low out vest and curiously cut pantaloons whioh come down over patent leather pumps decorated with large silver Irackies. He wears a silk hat, a white collar and a white stock, and he has a gold watch- fob hanging out from under his vest to which is attached a gold seal as big around as a trade dollar. He is not a pious old man, and he has not a high opinion of the Presidents and the states men of to-day. He says they are pig • mies compared with the great men of his youth, and he speaks of the abili­ ties of Harrison in terms that are far from complimentary. He attributes his ripe old age to a good constitution and freedom from doctors. He both smokes and tfhews, says he has drunk enough whisky to float a ship, and has married three wives aud buried them all. He tells me that his health is perfect and that he expects to live- to be at least 110. A SOY'S MOUNTAIN^RICHER- Sixty Milenin-OoMl'S^ik •I Breakneck speed.. Congressman Hosea Townsend, off Colorado, is in the city. Mr. Town- send re-elected to Congress on the* 4th iosL There were two Republican- tickets in the field in Colorado for the< county offices and members of the Legis­ lature, but both factions were friendly to> Mr. Townsend for Congress. One' faction was run by the editor of the- Denver Time*, and the other by the editor of the Denver Republican, both> Republican papers. The night before the election the Times ,oame out with a letter elaiming to be signed • by Mr. Townsend. in which he agreed to back, the Times crowd as against the others.. Great excitemen prevailed in Denver, and Mir. Townsend would doubtless have been'defeated had the letter gone without a denial. The congressman resided at Silver Cliff, 190 miles from Denver, and thirty miles from a railroad or telegraph office. A message must de sent to him and an answer, retnrned in time for the next issue of the Denver liepublican. It was 7 o'clock that evening before the operator at Cotopaxi, a small station on the Denver & Rio Grande railway,, received his message from the lie- publivan office. Mr. Townsend was at his'homein SilverCliff thirty miles away. It was a long way off and the road was rough and up hill and down. The answer must be in by 3:30 in the movning, or it would be too late- foe publication. The telegraph operator started out to find a messenger. After a number of. men had refused to undertake the- daring ride be at last secured a boy, only 18 years old, who said he would, carry his message to Townsend- and bring his answer back within the time.. Darkness had already settled over the village, when the youth, mounted on a good horse, went galloping through the streets on his midnight errands He knew not the contents of the message he carried. He had simply been tohl that it was a matter of life and death, and on he rode, counting the miies and hours, and only knowing that he was going on time. The package he carried had been securely sealed, but he had no interest in the message except to see it safely delivered. He had been prom­ ised $25 for the trip. West Cliff is located two miles this side of Silver Cliff Through the former town the messenger rode at breakneck speed, and the inhabitants who had retired for the night, came out wondering what could be the matter. Not until the next morning did they know of the wild ride and its import­ ance to Mr. Townsend. The messenger reached Silver Cliff at 11:30 o'clock and found Mr. Townsend at his home in bed. He quickly arose and dressed himself, and in a lew min­ utes had read the message and penned his answer, denying the alleged letter published iu the Denver Times. The next work in hand was to secure a suitable horse to carry the messenger back to the telegraph station. The one he had ridden up was exausted and could hardly have traveled another mile. An hour of valuable time was lost in finding a horse. Finally a teamster was found who gave up his bronoho, and on the swift-footed animal the messenger started on the return journey at 12:30 o'clock. But two hours and forty minutes remained to reach Cotopaxi, and the boy left with the determination to reach the station on time or kill the horse. The return ride was mostly down hill, and again the messenger flew through West Cliff, waking the people from their slumbers. The last eight miles of the road lies in a deep gulch. Down this the broncho went at full gait, and the boy knew he would be on time. At 3:10 o'clock inquiries came from the Republican office for news of the messenger. The operator answered back that all was quiet. Another minute passed and the instrument clicked back the answer that there was nothing new. The minutes were counted off and each time the same re­ port was wired back. The hands on the clock pointed to 3:15, and the operator said: "I hear him coming." It was true, and the suspense was over, and Representative Townsend's denial of the forgery was given to the people next morning before the votes were cast that have returned him to oongress for another term.--Cleveland Leader. A VENTURESOME chicken rode all the way from New York to Bridgeport, Ct, a few days ago on a brace under the pilot of the 4:20 afternoon train. "The bird was all right," said Flagman Eagan, who discovered it on the engine, "but he was lying low and looked awful akmrt." An Almost Perfect Imitation or the Flve- Dollttr CoUu The most dangerous counterfeit ever known in the history of the coinage of this government has been found by the authorities of the mint in this city, says the Philadelphia Record. It is a $5 gold piece designed and executed with such remarkable skill that few of the experts can distinguish the spurious coins from the genuine. In general ap­ pearance, color, weight, and design the counterfeit is perfect. It is an exact fac-simile of the true coin except in size. It is slightly larger in diameter, but the discrepancy is so small that only careful measurement with a spectal in­ strument in the hands of a skillful man will reveal the difference, and even an assay has beeu found necessary to estab­ lish definitely its character. Only a few have been discovered in the mint, but even conjecture can not approxi­ mate the number that are floating through the banks and the sub-treasur­ ies. The principal fact which makes them most difficult of detection is that they are made of gold, but the metal is of lower grade than the Government stand- and, which is 900 fine. The spurious pieces are about fifty points less. As­ says made at the mint have shown that thcty have an intrinsic value of $4.40, leaving the counterfeiter a profit of 60 cents on each piece for his labor. The same skill which characterizes the de­ sign and execution of the coin is ob­ served in the reduction of the standard. The alloy is so skill fully made up that the weight is made to correspond with exact preciseness to the genuine coin. The authorities have only a theory as to how the false coins lire made, but they are satisfied of the correctness of their conclusions. The counterfeiter appears to possess some process by which he" can temper a genuine coin to a de­ gree of «;reat hardness. He understands also how steel can be refined and soft ei.ed so that it can be made to take an indented impression like apiece of lead. Having adapted Lis steel, lie places it upon a hardened coin, whioh he tlieu subjects to a quick, heavy pressure. The metal receiving the impression is next hardened, and when this process is finished the counterfeiter has an al­ most perfect die with which to stamp his pieces. It differs from the genuine die only in that the pressure required for the impression expands the coin, making the die slightly larger in diam­ eter. This circumstance furnishes the explanation for the difference existing between the sizes of the genine and ftMiieloa of Blbertn. . Tbwer who have been accustomed tb regard! Siberia with horror as a terrible and desolate waste colonized exclusively by the- criminal population of Russia will be' surprised to learn that there are two enterprising nations, namely,, the English and the Chinese, who consider it sufficiently attractive to be worthy of invasion. The eon quest upon which: they are bent is- of an economic rather than of a political nature, and their ob­ ject is to secure possession, not of the' rulershipr but of the trade and com­ merce of Siberia, the value of which, according to Baron Nordenskjold, the highest authority on the subject, is stu­ pendous. Siberia, he declares, sur­ passes tho North American Continent in its area of eultivatible soil. Its forests are the largest in the world, and its min­ eral resources are immense. While the Russians are striving by every means iu their power to exclude the Chinese, who, much to their dis­ may, are swarming along the auriferous banks of the Upper Yenesei River, they are disposed to foster and assist British enterprise in Siberia. The animosity between the Muscovites and the Eng­ lish, which is so marked in the Euro­ pean portion of the Czar's mighty Em­ pire, seems to be replaced by feelings of warm friendship east of the Ural range. English engineers have been selected to devise the system of irrigation which is to transform Southern Siberia into the greatest cotton-yielding country in the world; English capital has been be­ spoken for the construction of tho Trans-Siberian Railroad, and excep­ tional facilities, including a remission of all import duties, have been granted to the British ̂ pioneers of trade *apon the Siberian rivers. It is possible, of course, thai this dis­ play of good-will on the part of the Russians is due to their intention of bar­ ring out British trade by means of a prohibitive tariff so soon as ever the English shall have developed Siberian industry and commerce to enable them to dispense with any further assistance. But for the present nothing is even hinted of any such design, except in a very guarded manner by one of the most obscure organs of the St. Petersburg press. All the other newspapers, both on the banks of the Neva and at Mos­ cow, unite with the London journals in rejoicing at the success of the establish­ ment of direct trading relations between London and Yeuiseisk, a city in the in­ terior of Siberia, some fifteen hundred miles from the mouth of the Yenisei River. Until a few months ago Siberia had been sealed against the chief pro­ ducts of Western industry, which could only filter into the country along tho gieat Moscow highway or through the Afghan passes at prohibitive cost. But during the last summer merchandise has been delivered straight from the port of London, with only one trans­ shipment on the way, to the quays of an emporium in the very center of Si­ beria. Valuable cargoes which left London early in August were actually warehoused at Yeniseisk in October,and the little fleet has just reached the Thames on its return journey richly laden with Siberian produce. The opening up of the trade of a con­ tinent that has until now beeu reputed even darker than Africa cannot but ex­ ercise a favorable influence upon the industry and commerce of the entire world; and in view of this fact we should not hesitate to congratulate Great Brit­ ain upon the enterprise which she has displayed, aud Russia for her enlight­ ened and far-eighted policy in the matter. The Two Homlient Men in the United States. A. H. Silvester sends to the Highway and Byway Department this story, for which he vouches: "Thirty-five years ago, while stand­ ing with a friend from Tennessee in the rotunda of the Revere House, Boston, on the approach of a stranger my friend turned to him, extended his hand, (which was earnestly grasped), and ex­ claimed: 'Thank God, I am released 1' 'What do you mean?' Baid the stranger. 'I mean,' said my friend (presenting a jack-knife), 'that I have been carying this knife seven years and have never before had an opportunity of disposing of it.' 'How is that?' said the stranger. My friend then stated that seven \ears before he was approached in a similar manner by a man who presented him the knife, saying that it was his by right, for he was the homeliest man he had met since he carried it, and that he was compelled to carry it until he met a man who was homlier than himself. He had carried it for years and never complained, but that he would have to. oall him down. My friend ,was so ex­ cited that he did not realize that quite a crowd had gathered and some re­ marks of a critical character as to which one was really the homeliest did not reach their ears. The interview re­ sulted in retirement for refreshment- and concluded in an attempt to conduct each other to their rooms. Those two men, the homliest in the United States, are now about CO years of age, and are the firmest friends to-day. I have sometimes thought my friend regrets that he ever gave the stranger the knife, for to be honest he is to-day by far the homelier of the two, but the stranger holds the knife and, as I believe, for the sole reason that he is afraid their friendship would be broken by a return thereof. Some of the stranger's friends say that the real reason of his unwillingness to part with iti? that he carried it with him on the field of battle during the Rebellion and it stopped a bullet." A Skillful Fellow. A horse attached to a light wagon fell down in the street and a great crowd gathered in a moment. "Gen­ tlemen," said the driver of the horse, standing up in the wagon, "I will enter­ tain you a few moments with an account of the merits of Drogladd's household pills, I have " "But what about this hone?" some one shouted. "Oh, he's all right, I have trained him to lie down that way to attract a crowd. Cheaper than music, you know. Now to these pills, I'd like to say"--and he ordered up the horse, after which he delivered a lecture, winding it up with a profitable sale of his goods. After a while he drove to another part of the city and his faithful horse fell down again and drew another large crowd.-- Arkansaw Traveler, Jack Explains. Clara--Do tell me, Jack, what is the meaning of this word "hock" that I hear so much about just now in con­ nection with the habits of young men ? Jack-Hock? Oh, yes! It's a kind of wine. . .. Clara--A kind of wine, eh ? Is it imported ? Jack--Oh, dear, no! It's an Indian beverage very\ popular among the Pawnes. _____ THERE is one thing that Amerioan prise fighters oan't do--they east fight. EXtSlTEWIENir rn ROCHESTER. 1 The Commotion Canaecf T>y State! of »• Phyafeiaiu An unusual article from Smell after (S. Y.) Democrat and Ghronicle vras recently republished in this paper and- was a sub­ ject of much- comment. That tbe article caused even- more commotion! to lice heater the following from the Baiao papce shows: Dr. J. B. Henion, who is. well known not only in Rochester but.In nearly every part of America, sent an extended art icle to this paper a few days since, which was duly published, detailing his remarkable experienoe and rescue fiom>what seemed to be certain, death. It would be Impossible to enumerate the personal inquiries which have been made at our office to the validity of the article,.but they have been so numerous that further Investigation of the subject was deemed necessary,. With this end in view a representative of this paper called on Dr. Henion.at his resi­ dence, when the following interview oc­ curred: "That article of youw, Doctor, has created quite a whirlwind. Are the statements about the terrible Condition you. were In, and the way you-were rescued, such as-you can sustain?" "Every, one of them and many additional ones. I was brought so low by neglecting the first and most simple symptoms. I did not think I was sick. It is-tcue It had. fre­ quent* headaches; felt tired most ot the time; could eat nothing one day and was ravenous the next; felt dull pains and my stomach was out of order, but £ did not think it meant anything serious. "The medical profession has been treat­ ing symptoms instead of dlseasefihfor years, and it is high time it ceased. The symptoms t have Just mentioned or any unusual action or irritation of the water channels- indicate the approach o£ kidney disease more than a cough announce* the coming of. consumption. We do not treat the cough, but try to help the lungs. We should not waste our time trying to- relieve the headache, pains about the body or other symptoms, but. go directly to the kid­ neys, the source- of. most of these ail­ ments."4 fThis, then, is tvhafayou meant when you said that more thau one-half the deaths which occur arise from Brlght's disease, la It, Doctor?" . "Precisely. Thousands of diseases are torturing people to-day, which in. reality are ' Brlght's disease in some of its. many forms. It is a hydra-headed monster, and the slightest symptoms should strike terror to every one who has them. I can look back and recall hundreds of deuths which physicians declared at the time wore caused by paualysis, apoplexy, heart disease, pneu­ monia,. malarial fever andi other common complaints, which I see pow were caused by Brlght's disease." "And did all these oases have simple symptoms at first?" "Every one of them, and might have been cured as I. was by the timely use ef the same remedy. I am getting my eyes thoroughly opened in. this matter and think I ami helping others to see the tacts and their possible danger also." Mr. Warner, who was visited at bis estab­ lishment on North St. Paul street, spoke very earnestly: "It is true that Brlght's disease had in­ creased wonderfully, aud we find, by reli­ able, statistics, that from '70 to UO its growth was over 250 per cent. Look at the prom­ inent men it has carried off, and is taking off every year, for while many are dying apparently of paralysis and apoplexy, they are really victims of kidney disorder, which causes heart disease, paralysis, apoplexy, etc. Nearly every week the papers record the death of some prominent man from this scourge. Recently, however, the increase has been checked and I attribute this to the general use of my remedy." "Do you think many people are afflicted with it to-day who do not realize It, Mr. Warner?" "A prominent professor in a New Orleans medical college was lecturing before his class on the subject of Briglit's disease. He had various fluids under microscopic analy­ sis and was showing the students what the indications of this terrible malady were. 'And now, gentlemen,' he said, 'as wo have seen the unhealthy indications, I will show you how it appears in a state of perfect health,' and he submitted his own fluid to tho usual test. As he watched the results his countenance suddenly changed--his color and command both left him, and in a trembling voice ho said: 'Gentlemen, I have made a painful discovery; I have Brlght's disease of the kidneys;' and in less than a year he was dead. The slightest In­ dications of any kidney difficulty should be enough to str.lke terror to any one." "You know of Dr. Uenion's case?" "Yes, I have both read and heard of It." "It is very wonderful, Is it not?" "No more so than a great many others that have come to my notice as having been cured by the samw means." "You believe then that Brlght's disease can be cured?" "I know it can. I know it from my own and the experience of thousands of prom­ inent persons who were given up to die by both their physicians and friends." "You speak of your own experience, what was it?" "A fearful one"."" I had felt lanquid and unfitted for business for years. But I did not know what ailed me. When, however, I found it was kidney difficulty I thought there was little hope and so did the doctors. I have sinco learned that one of the phy­ sicians of this city pointed me out to a gen­ tleman on the street one day, saying: 'There goes a man who will be dead within a year.* I believe his words would have proved true if I had not fortunately used the remedy now known as Warner's Safe Cure." "Did you make a chemical analysis of the case of Mr. H. H. Warner some three years ago. Doctor?)! was asked Dr. S. A. Lattimore. one of the analysts ot the State Board at Health. %. . "Yes, sir.*' * ' "What did this 8®Hysis show you?" "A serious disease of the kidneys." "Did you think Mr. Warner could re­ cover?" "No, sir, I did not think It possible." "Do yon know anything about the remedy which cured him?" _ "I have chemically analyzed It, and Una it pure and harmless." The standing of Dr. Henion, Mr. Warner, and Dr. Lattimoro in tho community is be­ yond question, and the statements they make cannot for a moment be doubted. Dr. Genion's experience shows that Brlght's disease of the kidneys is one of the most deceptive and dangerous of all diseases, that it is exceedingly common, but that It can be cured If taken in time. OHIO raises by taxation $7,200,000 for school purposes. FITS.--All Fits stopped free by Rr.Kliue's Greet Nerve Restorer. No i'its after first day's use. Mar­ vellous cures. Treatise and $2.00 trial bottle free to Fit cases. Seud to Dr. Kline, 931 Arcli St., Pliila- Pa. JACOBS Oil GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND IT EXECUTIVE CHAMBER. Is •MHnapolis, JVd., /«"• "JT have often use*I STL JACOBS eix, and if m good Liniment.'9 CLIHU E. JACKSON, THE Co, of'"'- BEST. SHILOH'S CONSUMPTION CURE. The stteccss of this Great Congh Core b without a parallel in the history of medicine. All druggists are authorized to sell it on a pos­ itive guarantee, a test that no other cure can suc­ cessfully stand. That it may become known, the Proprietors, at an enormous expense, ue placing a Sample Bottle Free into every home in the United States and Canada. If you have a Cough, Sore Throat, or Bronchitis, use it, for it will cure you. If your child has the Croup, or Whooping Cough, use it promptly, and relief is sure. If you dread that insidious disease Consumption, use it. Ask your Druggist for SHILOH'S CURE, Price lo cts., 50 cts. and $1.00. If your Lungs are sore or Back lasM, use Shiloh's Porous Plaster, Price 35 cta» ***