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ft"* • ' "v> iiliii -t1' ^ * *j» f / - '*. l%2*t a., ,-ff 1 mmmmmmmmm THE MINE SOECKRER. f > ' ' . < MALAY FAKIRS WHO WORK THE |G- ;K NORANT AND SUPEWTITIOUS. TRIAL BY ORDEAL. |%«j Am Not So Potent m They Were , Qomi Ttnrr A|o--Ceremonie* ObMitMl bf the P»wu( In Invoking the Huta, or TotcUr; Spirit, of the Mia*. Miners in all countries have been noted lor their superstitious beliefs as to va­ rious matters affecting their good or ill luclfc^floothsayers, sorcerers, or at least locMHlers, were in past ages trusted to seoflHta satisfactory results which are nownS^vadays more reasonably hoped for on the report of the i"ining expert and engineer. The Ats. survival of belief in the occult powers of the "med­ icine man" or sorcerer is probably to be found in the Malay peninsula, which contains the most important tin work­ ings yet known to exist. The individ­ ual who thus guides his employers to fortune, or the reverse, is known as a pawang. Until the practical termination of in­ dependent Malay rule throughout the major portion of the peninsula, about 19 years ago, the pawang was a recognized member of every mining staff, and recog­ nized not only by the mine owners but by the petty chiefs, who alternately en* couraged or obstructed mining enter­ prise. So potent was he that he could foretell the prospects of amine, levy fines (which Went into his own pocket), direct the offering up of animal sacrifices and en­ force rules respecting the workings of a mine which but for him would have been simply ridiculed by the miners. Al­ though in many districts his pretensions are now discredited, he still lingers on, superstition with the existing generation of miners having yet a firm, hold in the more remote districts. j The pawang may or may not be the hereditary successor of a predecessor. In some cases he is self made, and at­ tains his position by a few lucky fore- j casts as to the value of a projected mine. : In a territory where, as is sometimes said, "If you dig up the highway, you are sure to find tin," the supernaturally gifted prospector has a tolerably easy task. Not that tin is always found when a hole is sunk. But a moderate ac­ quaintance with the usual indications is quite sufficient. Chinese of limited means do not often trouble a pawang in the initiatory stages. But when the mine--"stream tin," or tin sand, with overburden of 10 or 20 feet earth and gravel--is fairly started, the pawang suggests that he alone knows how to. keep good luck in sight. Sometimes he is politely informed that his services are not wanted, and he leaves m wrath, pre­ dicting all sorts of disaster to the unbe­ lieving towkayor manager. Upon the whole, however, he manages to get his way. A fine physical appearance is indis­ pensable. When engaged in any duty, such as invoking spirits or offering sacri­ fices, he is allowed to assume only one of two positions--with his hands resting on his hips or with them clasped behind his back. He alone is allowed to wear a black coat in the mine. As in the case of camphor hunters in Formosa and gutta percha hunters in Malaya, he uses a peculiar vocabulary. Thus cats, ele­ phants, tigers, buffaloes, etc., must not be mentioned by their usual designation, nor are such animals (tigers unfortu nately sometimes prove unpleasant ex­ ceptions) ever allowed upon a mine. Perhaps the oddest article in the pa- wang's "index expurgatorius" is the kme fruit or lemon, which under no cir­ cumstances may be brought to a mine, and should the juice be thrown into the i mine water dire results are dreaded. Raw cotton, glass and earthenware or an unsheathed spear or kris are equally anathema, all the articles mentioned be­ ing offensive to the hantu or spirits which haunt the mine. j Assuming that the pawang is engaged ; by a mine owner at a fee varying from ' £15 to £30, his .first-business is to ercct a , platform or altar, constructed of a spe­ cial kind of wood. The four branches, which serve aa supports, have the bark peeled off for about 4$ feet from the ground to where the twigs begin. The leaves on the latter are not removed. A square platform, measuring 15 inches each way, of peeled sticks is fixed to these supports at about three feet from the ground. A foot above this comes a railing round three sides of the plat­ form, while a railed ladder with four rungs reaches from the open side of the platform to the ground. Fringes of co- coanut ornament the railing, and the whole construction is bound together with creepers, rattan, however, being forbidden. Upon it offerings are laid, and the pawang invokes the hantu or .tutelary spirit of the mine to bless it ^rith good fortune. A bag of tin sand rfrom the first washing is the fee paid for ithi# service. Sometimes a cheaper kind of altar is jnade by placing in the ground a single peeled stick with its upper end split in four, upon which is placed the little platform above described.*' The next process is to hang an ancha, or square frame, about 18 inches each way in the smelting house just under the eaves of Jhe roof. This serves as an interior altar, Upon which the miners place their offerings to the hantu. The accurate hanging up of the ancha is a matter of special care. These preliminaries accomplished, the mine is considered sure of luck.--Pall Mall Gazette. BuuuteUe Story From India, AImI Catching a Poatnl Thief. The narrator of the following story •wne years ago had charge of a postal division on the western coast, parts of which had seldom been visited by a European officer. The people were for the most part simple country folk and Very superstitious. One morning the narrator received information that a considerable sum of money, forming part of the contents of the mail from a head to a suboffice, had been Btolen on the road. The whole affair was wrapped in mystery. The only clew the police had been able to obtain was that one runner, whom we Shall call Rama, had since the theft paid off certain debts in the village which had long pressed upon him, but there were no other suspicious circumstances, and the man had 10 years' good service. As a last resource it was determined to re­ sort to trial by ordeal and for this pur­ pose an aged Brahman, who was sup­ posed to possess occult powers and to be in daily communion with the gods, was consulted and readily undertook to dis­ cover the thief. All the runners--a good­ ly array of sturdy Mahratta peasants- were summoned to the office, and under the guidance of a cheyla, or disciple, of the old Brahman we all proceeded to a small deserted temple of Mahadeo, situ­ ated at some distance from the village. It was a desolate spot and bore an evil reputation. The temple, owing to some act of desecration in the past, had been abandoned and was almost buried among weeds and tangled brushwood. The hour selected was about 6 p. m., and the long twilight shadows gave the place a weird, uncanny look. The old Brahman was awaiting us, and as we ap­ proached appeared to be busy mutter­ ing incantations. The runners all seemed to be more or less under the spell of the hour, but the look of real fright in Rama's face/ was quite distinct. The Brahman, having finished his incanta­ tions, rose and addressing the men said: "You are about to face the gods. To the innocent the trial will be nothing, .but to the guilty much. In the temple a magic wand has been placed on the altar. Each of you must go in by turns, take up the wand and turn round three times, repeating the name of Mahadeo. The wand will stick to the hand of the guilty one." By this time it was nearly dark. I glanced in through the door 6f the temple. A solitary oil buttee threw a fitful light on the altar, on which an ordinary bamboo stick about two feet long reposed among grains of uncooked rice and nut limes, the whole sprinkled with red powder. A curtain was drawn across the door, and the men entered one at a time. As each one appeared the Brahman seized his hands and raised them to his fore­ head, and then allowed them to pass on and join his fellows. Coming to Rama, he went through the same pantomime, but instead of allowing him to pass on bdde him stand aside. When the last man had gone through the ordeal the Brahman turned to Rama and said qui- etly: "Tell the sahib how yon stole the money." » "To my utter amazement," continues the writer, "Rama fell on his knees, confessed that he was the thief, and of­ fered to show where he had hidden the balance of the money. He had succeed­ ed in opening the mail bag without seriously disturbing the seals. The post­ master had not really examined them and so their having been manipulated had escaped notice. Needless to say, the Brahman was rewarded and poor Rama was sent to repent at leisure in the district jail." Now the natural question is: "How was it done?" Very simply. The tem­ ple, the lonely glen, the uncanny hour, the incantations, all were merely acces­ sories to appeal to the superstitions of the ignorant peasants. The "magic wand" was thickly smeared withstrong- ly scented sandalwood oil. Rama's guilty conscience prevented him from touhcing it, as he firmly believed the wand would stick to his hands, and his of course was the only hand that did not smell of oil.--Times of India. ACUTE IMAGINATION. Under the Monroe Doctrine. Should European vessels land their forces and interfere in the affairs of Bra­ zil, there is no escape from the conclu: sion that such act would constitute a cause of offense to the United States government. Under the light of the Monroe doctrine the administration can construe such acts as nothing less than an offense. If Europe can without let or hindrance land troops in Brazil and menace the security of that republic, Europe can do likewise in every Amer- , lean republic.--Minneapolis Tribune. Overdressed For Hie Part. A justice of the peace, who exercised the functions of that office in a portion of the state where such officials are per­ mitted great latitude, had before him a suspicious character arraigned upon a charge of vagrancy. The prisoner, who was quite well dressed, secured the services of a lawyer in court to defend him. The man pleaded not guilty, and the lawyer in concluding his remarks said: "What, your honor, that man a va­ grant? Oh, no! I insist upon his dis­ charge. Why, see the good clothes he is wearing!" "Yes, I see them," replied the justice, and in consequence of their excellent condition I shall discharge him on the charge of vagrancy and bind him over for simple larceny."--New York Herald. Uses For Bats. Of all living things rats seem to be among the most repulsive, and when dead what can be their use? But'even they are the subjects of production in the industrial arts. The fur is valuable and finds a ready sale. The skins make a superior glove--the gant de rat--and are specially used for the thumbs of kid gloves, because the skin of the rat is strong and elastic. The thigh bones were formerly valued as toothpicks for clubs, but are now out of fashion, while the tendons and bones are boiled up to make the gelatin wrappers for bonbons,-- North American Review. INSTANCES Of TRICKS THE BRAIN HAS PLAYED ON MORTALS. §15I1p A Battered Legend. A hotel in Switzerland bore on one of its walls the time honored inscription, "Hospes, Balve!" ("Welcome, stranger!") After rebuilding the legend had to be restored, but the painter, who must have had some experience as a traveler made a very slight alteration in one of the words, and caused it to read, "Hos­ pes, solve!" ("Pay, stranger!")San Francisco Argonaut. Experiments Made by Doctors Which' Woro Cruel In Their Treatment and Bo- raited Fatalljr--InMUtity Prodaoed b| Fright. It is said that some 20 years ago a long wooden box, resembling a plain pauper's eoffin, might be seen inside the north aisle of Westminster abbey. For two days it was passed without notice by the many people who visited the minster. Then complaints were made to the police officer at the door that the smell arising from the body contained in the box was not only disagreeable to pass near it, but that it was a disgrace to allow it to re­ main there. A strong sense of duty, said one of the complainants, impelled him to draw attention to the scandal. The policeman at once called a verger, who found on inquiry that the box was empty and had never been used to con­ ceal a corpse. However, he'had the box removed, and in this way prevented the recurrence of the horrid smells of which visitors to the abbey had complained. A still more curious case of the way in which the imagination may usurp the senses of smell and sight is recorded of a hospital patient. Two Paris medical men interested in this subject of freaks and delusions of the imagination told the patient that in order to cure him both his legs would need be amputated. The man was thunderstruck. Until that moment he had imagined himself to be j improving in health. "Oh! good doctors," he exclaimed in accents of terror, "you have made some mistake. There is nothing wrong with me. If my legs are cut off, what will my poor wife and children do to get their daily bread?" "Iam very sorry, my good fellow," responded one of the medical men, "but your life depends upon the operation." The patient was wheeledinto the oper­ ating theater, and there, without chlo­ roforming the man, the doctors pretend­ ed to proceed with the amputation. "Ah," said the operator, with an as­ sumed sigh of relief, "there's one leg off." "Oh, holy Virgin Mary, the pain is frightful! I am dying," shrieked the pa- ; tient. A ! Then the operator hurriedly "ampu­ tated" the second leg. The patient faint­ ed. When he came to, the doctors were horrified to find that he had become in­ sane. He actually believed himself to be legless. Two months after the pre­ tended operation he died. Up to his last moments he believed that his lower limbs had gone. In this case there was no BUS- i picion of hypnotism. It was simply a phase--exaggerated, no doubt--of mad-1 ness produced by an imagination too ' cruelly played with by the medical men. Few more striking instances of the force of imagination have been given than that in which a German physician tried an experiment on three criminals condemned to death. To complete the illusion he entered the large cell in which for the purposefhe prisoners were placed, accompanied by the governor and other officials of the jail. "Now, gentlemen," said the governor, addressing the condemned men, "the emperor has decreed that each of you are to be executed in different ways. You, ," he pursued, addressing the first criminal, "are condemned to swal­ low a dose of poison, while you, turning to the next, "will be bled to death, and you," speaking to the last man, who was trembling violently, 'will die from an injection of poison in the arm." Each criminal was placed in a chair, pinioned and blindfolded. Then said the governor, looking at his watch: "Now, doctor, you may begin." The physician solemnly poured into a cup an evil tasting but harmless liquid and held it to the first prisoner's mouth. The man clinched bis teeth and ref used to drink the poison. "Kill me!" he cried. "Murder me in any way but this!" Before he could speak again the jailers seized him and forced the liquid down his throat. "He will be dead in two minutes," whispered the doctor to the governor. The criminal heard the remark and gave a blood curdling shriek. When the doctor turned round, he saw that the man apparently fainted. He turned to the next criminal, who tremblingly awaited his fate. He clinched his teeth, recovered himself and met the doctor's inquiry, "Are you ready?" with the 'Yes" of a stoic. His arm was then pierced with a lancet, though no vein was opened. "You see how pale he has become," said the doctor in the man's hearing. "He is losing blood rapidly." The phy­ sician went on describing the symptoms and at length pronounced the words, "Now he's dying!" For a moment the prisoner shuddered violently. Then he became still. The doctor looked at the criminal, bent his ear to the man's heart, and then to his dismay found that he had actually expired. This unloved for result, although it merely anticipated by a day the actual hanging of the criminal, at once caused the experiments to be suspended. By this time the first prisoner had recov­ ered, as though from a b id dream, but the third man was heard slowly mur­ muring the Lord's Prayer ere he received the "poisonous" injection He gave a mad cry of joy when he learned that his death would not occur until the morrow. Another remarkable btt jess deadly trick played by the imagination is often noted. Many people conceive an aver­ sion for some particular flt wer, perfume or color. One man, noted for this idio­ syncrasy, hated green colcrs. He had a action--how it orignated 10 one can tell •---that green was dangerous to him. Ac­ cordingly he was rarely a >le to go out into the country except a. night.--Mil­ lion- H you want your clothes altered, fitted and cleaned, E. Lawlus vill do yon a splendid job. ELECTIONS IN CORSICA. Tno LOM of a Life or Two Apparently Hot of Much A«uaont. The elections for the council general were going on all over the inland of Cor­ sica. The canton of Soccia comprises several villages, among others Guagno, noted for its famous mineral springs and also for the turbulence of its people. The elections took place in each village, and on the morrow the presidents of the several bureaus were to meet at Soccia for the formal declaration of the poll. In consequence of certain disorders that had already occurred, the mayor of Soc­ cia issued an edict to the effect that none of the inhabitants of Guagno was to en­ ter the village that day. The inhabitants of Guagno chose to ignore this order, and 60 of them, all armed, and all angry that their candi­ date had been defeated, marched upon Soccia, headed by their mayor. Two gendarmes--not armed--had been placed at the entrance of the village and warned the advancing troops that they were to come no farther. The mayor of Guagno cried "Fire!" There was a general vol­ ley from his followers, and the two gen­ darmes fell dead. "They both bore ex­ cellent characters. One of them had been 24 years in the service, had been proposed for the military medal and leaves a wife and three children^-""'""" Such was the first account in the daily paper of Bastia. It occupied about seven inches of one column. The next day the editoT had had time to reflect (or be, too, may possibly have had a significant, warning), for in an article three inches long the account was somewhat quali­ fied, and there was this important emen-. dation, "It seems we were not correct in stating that it was the mayor of Guagno who gave the order to fire upon the gen­ darmes." The third day there were just two lines, "In consequence of the unfortu­ nate affair at ^Soccia it is probable that the mayor of Guagno will %end in his resignation." That was all. I took in the newspaper regularly for a week, for I was curious to see how the affair would end, but there was nothing more--.ap­ parently no inquiry, no prosecution of the offenders.--Contemporary Review. The Tower of Silence. The Parsees will not burn or bury their dead, because they consider a dfead body impure, and they will not suffer themselves to defile any of the elements. They therefore expose their corpses to vultures. One sees nothing but the quiet, white robed procession (white is mourning among the Parsees) following the bier to the Tower of Silence. At the entrance they look their last on the dead, and the corpse bearers--a caste of such --carry it within the precincts and lay it down, to be finally disposed of by the. vultures which crowd the tower. Meanwhile, and for three days after, the priests say constant prayers for the departed, for his soul is supposed not to leave the world till the fourth day after death. On the fourth day there is the Uthanna ceremony, when large sums of money are given away in memory of the departed. The liturgy in use is a series of funeral sermons by Zoroaster. Of superstitions the Parsees have had more than they retain. Connected with burial is the popular conception as to the efficacy of a dog's gaze after death. Dogs are sacred and supposed to guide the souls of the dead to heaven and to ward off evil spirits; hence it is custom­ ary to lead a dog into the chamber of death, that he may look at the corpse before it is carried to the tower.--Nine­ teenth Century. Eccentricities In Palaces. The King of Siam, who, according to late reports, has had a palace construct­ ed which he can submerge in the sea at will and so live under water whenever he chooses, is not the only monarch who has indulged in eccentricities of this sort. For instance, history has preserved the memory erf the ice palace built by the Russian Empress Anne, who pun­ ished several of her dainty courtiers by compelling them to pass the night in this great chamber of state, where they were almost frozen to death. The Czar Paul, ancestor of the present Emperor of Russia, constructed a room formed entirely of huge mirrors, where he spent hours walking to and fro in full uniform--a singular taste for the ugliest man in Russia. One of the native princes of Java cooled his palace by making a stream fall in a cascade over the gateway, and the Indian despot Tippo Sahib placed be­ side his dinner table a life size figure of a tiger devouring an English officer, the roar of the beast and the shrieks of the victim being imitated by hidden machin­ ery.--Harper's Young People. IN LARGE VARIETY. Directly from first hands, at depression prices. Mid fiave made a cat eful selection of goods suitable to our trade, in cost and quantity. ~ Mesne. Joaeph Beifield & Co.,; ' "" ^ ^ ^ *• of Chicago, who are admitted. by all to be the foremost ~ and largest manufacturers 0f ^ , , .- correct styles of , ' ' ' • - Ladies', Misses' and U CLOAKS, • s NEWMARKETS . , i . ; • , 1 H A P P . Q : " / : > < ^ ^ 4 -^jxsrxuo, JCjD JACKETS, Triple Pillar Saw Frame. Among the recent mechanical con­ structions of note is a triple pillar saw frame, conveniently designed to occupy a space not much wider than an ordina­ ry vertical log frame. In carrying out this plan the cross girder, which carries the saw frame and the crank shaft bear­ ings, is in one piece, the whole being supported on three turned pillars, on which by means of screws Connected by suitable gearing they are raised and lowered together. In order to limit the distance between the pillars as much as possible, the connecting rod is attached to the saw frame that is farthest from the crank shaft. There is a bell crank and flywheel at each end of the crank shaft, which enable the machine to work steadily at high speeds without excessive vibration.--New York Sun. One For the Turk. One of the stories that drifted out of the plaisance is of the mosque where prayers were said daily at regular inter­ vals for the natives. A pious woman passing accosted a young Oriental and chatted with him, finishing with a nod toward his prayer house and the remark, "I hope you go to church every Sunday, like a Christian." "No," was the quick reply, "I go every day, like a Turk"-- which must score one for the heathen.-- New York Times. k, % 7 i L'-$ .* > , t » _ ( y . : I , 4, . f, . *'>1,:* - ' I t w ' ' ~ * ' 1 And ULSTERS - ra th# United HttrteS. We carried over a few garments last year which we sji - auction houpe of M*s«rs Geo. P, Oow & Oo , tor casli, and will give us an exclusively new stock, free of all stickers, or out-of- style garments Our ptyles are the newest, and we carry all sizes in colors and blacks, all well made and of the beat of material. Our stock is v«fy large, w4th prices the IOWCBE, AXID UVERCOAT9, We are now adding to our stock a large and new line of well made, well wearing, stylish and cheap suits and overcoats, in all sizes, from age 4 to size 46 or 50. from the well known manuiactur- ers, Messrs. Kirk Nathan and Fischer. Come eady juid obtui! first choice. . * • Autumn and Winter Dress-Goods, Storm Serges, Hop Sackings, Imported Serges, Henriettas, Brill- iantines, Flannels, Velyets. Plushes, braids, Domestics, Warps, Battings. ----i|iii ̂ • WOOL AND MERINO UNDERWEAR, In scarlet, natural and white, in all sizes, for men, women and children, at popular prices. Swits Condes' fully warranted goods in stock, Urn on suits for ladies, misses and children. We have again bought a large stock of the Famous and folly warranted Badger State Overalls, Shirts* Jackets* Buck Coats and Pants lor the fall winter. We can fit and suit everybody. WtP New Shawls, New New Flannels, All kinds of Yarns, Wool and Cotton Hosiery in black, natural gray, tan and brown. Patterns, Window Shades, Curtains. TRUNKS AND HAND BAGS. We are exclusive agents for the fam­ ous and fully warranted Douglas $3 00 Shoes and also carry other grades of same factory, y5gT° Far go's custom made Boots and Shoes in all sizes and various widths and kinds, constantly in Rtock. Prices way down. Fargo'a 12,50 men's shoes in lice or Congress is a great bargain. Hats and Caps, Gloves and Mittens. Lustre Band and White Granite Crockery, Rocuingham Ware. Pure and unadulterated T*as, Coffees and Spices, Canned Goods and Provisions. jggrThe staff of life is flour, converted into bread. Chick's fully warranted Rockford Flour leads them all in quality and prices. Honest Abe 85o, New Process 90c. Half Patent #1 06. Cnlck's Best $1 10. All fully warranted and delivered free In any part of town. Try us. 50 barrels common salt, 90c. Special inducements will be held out to all who will buy a full supply tor cash. STX&I* Insuring* In our old and reliable time-tried and fire and storm tested com-) panies, on all classes of insurable property at just rates. Our busi­ ness in this line is very extensive and your interests receive the best of attejitiiHi possible. Respectfully, WestMeHeniy SIMON J. 111., 189&J