McHenry Public Library District Digital Archives

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 20 May 1885, p. 6

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ILLINOIS. i 5VXR KNOWKD. „ , VH a pious man. i-.-/ I flMfen was his roal; m : : r avecy savie* man, 0V - fce'dsaved hUMMl. 4 mi tn (his. he us d 10 say. ,_ "One can't too careful bo;'1 AM he Mm|With a fervor unasatmed. "I'm glad salvation's free." but (He Means of grace, he had to own, Required good hard-earned gold; An# to took ten pews, as well became TOeroh<3tof the fold. "He's • noble man," the preacher onel; "Our Christian Brother 11.' And B lly smiled as he sublet nine And got his own pew free. In class meeting next he told How Heaven had gracious been-- 'Pea, even back into ihf dark days when J. Mi,* Ho wns a man of sin t **. *1 was build n' a i arn 011 my river farm-- i» '*i * «. - All I then hai." hetiald; *Td rcn out o' boards an' wasfeedin' hands On nothin* but corn bread. tell you. brethren, that I felt .. Short o' timber an.t cash-- • • ' And thought I'd die when the banks then bust An<\ flooded all my mash. , But th" Lord was merciful to me, And sent r ght through the rift ®»e tide hud made in the river banks A lumber raft adrift. •"Plenty o' boards was there for the barn, And on top was a eh^esi And a bar'l o' pork as sound and sweet As any one ever sees, lb«Q ] had I)real and meat for the men. And the.' wo- ked with a will. While I thanked God, who'd been good to me, - ; v And I'm doin' it still." A. ehrll-volccd sister cried, "Bless the Lord!" The whole classerie», "Amen!" But a keen-eyed in n looked at Billy B. In athous-'htful war, »nd then Asked: ' Brother B., did YOU ever hear Who lost that raft and load And Billy wiped his eyes and sai ••Brethriu', 1 never knowi J THE CONJURER'S BRIDE. BY W. J. BENDEBSON. Iteofc George Sholbach was a magician. =He was not a commonplace conjurer with blocks and balls and canes and trick tables. He appeared before liis audi­ ence with no stage trappings of any ^kind, and, borrowing rings and hand- |!|kerchiefs, he amused the audience with fjreally wonderful feats. The second •"part of his entertainment consisted of "mind reading," and it was with that * he most astonished and confounded the minds of the Western and Southern people among whom he performed. He had a circuit of towns, in each of Sfwhich he appeared at regular intervals. (He never weut off his beaten track, and yet he always had orowded houses, for sat each reappearance he announced s^ri-some startling new illusion which ^proved to ba more astonishing than any ^preceding one. Some of his tricks he ^imported from foreign countries; quite as many were of his own invention. His personal appearance was of some assistance to him, for he looked like a •. magician. His hair was jet black, long !*ad wavy. His complexion was pale ^and bloodless. His forehead was low, and under his sharply marked black brows burned a pair of coal-black eyes, brilliant as diamonds and restless as flame. In Montrose he was a great favorite. He had given his entertainments there a number of times, and was admired much by the townspeople. He had never, however, made any friends among them. He was courteous to those who addressed him, but here- . 4 pelled all attempts at intimacy. -<, > Among those who constantly at- tended his entertainments was Irene Waahburne, the daughter of the only editor in the place. She was only 19 ft years of age and was remarkably hand- some. Her dark brown eyes and hair, eonpled with a complexion in which ; the blood came and went like wares , on a summer sea, her rosy lips and ..V milk-white teeth were the loadstones that attracted many of the village ; beaux to her father's house. She was a very intelligent girl, but was given to too much reading of the somber tales of Poeand the weired fancies of Shelley. Night after night she sat in the town i hall when Sholbach was giving his per- ' formances, chained by a strange fasci­ nation which she could not explain. She shuddered with horror when the t magician's keen, restless eye lighted j upon her, and when she found him gaz­ ing at her with a strangely steady, igjjj burning look, as he often did,she wanted t ^ to cry out with horror, but could not. , After each entertainment she vowed that she would never again visit the : hall when the Professor was there, but • 0>. when his bills appeared in the town she found herself irreBistably moved to go and see him. This had been the state of matters ; for some time, when suddenly Shol­ bach threw off his reserve and began to make friends in Montrose. Twice. 3 after performing in the town, he invited » several young men to his rooms at the | hotel and there opened bottles of wine f; and served them with cigars until they v vowed that he was a royal good follow, v * At last he asked one of them, a great friend of Editor Washburn's, to intro­ duce him to the newspaper man. The introduction was performed and Sholbach made such a pleasant impres­ sion on the editor that the latter invited the magician to visit his house when again in town. When Sholbach next performed in Montrose the editor gave a little recep­ tion to him after the entertainment. Once in the house of Washburn, Schol- bach appeared to have eyes only for Irene. He devoted himself to her, and attended to all her wants with a grave and tender courtesy that could not fail to make an impression on her. But the impression was not such as the ma- gician wanted. While he fascinated her, he filled her with horror. He reminded her of a snake. "Why do you shrink from me?" he asked her. "Do I shrink from you?" she asked, timidly. She was afraid to acknowledge it; she would not have dared to acknowl­ edge anything that might offend him, for her mind was completely subser­ vient to his. He could have mesmerized her without a perceptible effort, had he desired to do so. "Yes, you do shrink from me," he said gravely. They were alone on the piazza, where the cold moonlight lent an additional keenness to the glitter of Sholbach's eyes. "I--I--am sorry," she said, trying to drop her eyes, but finding them irre- eistibly fastened to his. "Do you know," he continued, "that I perform in this town oftener than in any other?" m Is that so?" "Yea. And why do yon suppose I do ft?" * • ' *1 do not know." She did know. She knew what he going to say, and she would have lire you," he whispered in a hdipllMce. •' • •1 She shuddered and clasped her hands. "Why do you not answer me," he said, bonding closely to her. "I tell you I lore you." "I know it," she said in a faint mur­ mur. She could not move hand or foot. "Then why do you not answer me?" he asked. She was silent. w "You love me then. This silence comes from your shyness. I might have known it." And leaning forward he calsped her in his arms and kissed her lips. The charm was broken. With a long, quivering shriek she broke lrom his arms and rushed madly into the parlor among the startled guests. Sholbach followed her, but Bhe fled to her father for protection. "Take him away!" she cried. "Take him away! He will kill me with his icy eyes--those serpent's eyea. Take him away!" The next morning Sholbach had dis­ appeared from the town, after an­ nouncing that ho would never return, and Irene lay in a fever. * * * A year had passed away and Irene had * long ago recovered her accus­ tomed health and spirits. Sholbach, true to his promise, had never come back to Montrose. In the meantime John Manners, a stalwart young phy­ sician, whose ability was unquestioned and whose physical beauty was the envy of every young man in the town, had found the way to Irene's heart She loved and was loved in return, and it had been arranged that they should be married at her uncle's magnificent mansion in St Louis in the fall. The days rolled on, and a week before the day appointed for the wedding Irene and her parents, together with her lover and his parents, went to the city. The first thing which met Irene's eyes when she arrived in St Louis was bill announcing that Professor George Sholbach would exhibit his wonderful illusions for one week at a certain hall. The bill stated that the magician would introduce his new feat of cutting off a man's hand and restor­ ing it to its place again to ithout hurt­ ing the man. Irene shuddered and turned pale when she saw this bill. Her lover noticed this, and, on being told the cause, laughed. My darling, he said, "yoti otiglit to bd cured of that trouble by this time. Remember that in a few days you will have a husband to protect you. I know your borrow is only temporary. I shouldn't be surprised if you asked me to take yoti to see him in a few days." Was it prophetic? The desire to see Sholbach's performances again grew upon Irene. The simple knowledge that she was in the same city with him had a strange fascination for her. She struggled against her growing desire to see Sholback, but found herself unable to conquer it At length, in sheer des­ peration, she asked her lover one even­ ing to take her to see the magician. He laughed heartily. "I knew you were cured of your strange aversion for him. There's nothing like a light heart and a good digestion to remove unpleasant fancies." Accordingly, they went in the even­ ing to the hall and secured seats near the stage. When Sholbach's eyes fell upon them he started as if he had been shot He fixed a burning glance upon them, and in a moment understood their position; for Irene clung to John for protection. Then Sholbach bowed slightly and smiled reassuringly. From that time until near the close of the en­ tertainment he appeared to take no no­ tice of them. The usual tricks had been performed and he began his concluding feat. A man was summoned from among the audience to go upon the stage. Then he removed, his collar and necktie and coat Then Sholbach appeared with a large knife and suddenly seiziQg the man plunged it into his throat. The man screamed and struggled. The blood poured from the wound. The audience, convinced as they were that the man was a confederate, were silent with horror. Presently Sholbach whirled the knife around with a quick movement and then held up the man's head. A murmur of horror ran through the audience. The body was removed and the Professor treated the audience to a three minute lecture. He was interrupted by the appearance at the other end of the hall of the man who had been decapitated, alive and smiling. The audience heaved a sigh of relief and then award­ ed the successful magician a round of applause. "You may think," said Sholbach, "that the man who has just been on the stage was a confederate. Now, in or­ der to convince you that he was not, I desire any gentleman who has the cour­ age to come upon the stage and I will repeat the experiment" As he said this Sholbach looked at John Manners. The powerful young physician suddenly felt an irresistible desire to go upon the platform. He arose as if to start "John, you are not going I* exclaimed Irene, in a tone of terror. "Yes," he replied, laughing; "I want to find out how it is done." "Let me go with you ?" . And without waiting for his answer she followed him. "This is hardly the sort of exhibition for a lady to look upon at close quar­ ters," said Sholbach. "You had better sit behind this screen until it is over." "No! no!" said a voice from the house. "Let the lady see how you do it if she can." Sholbach bowed, and gave Irene a chair on the side of the stage, oppo­ site to Manners. As he went off to get the knife he paused for a single instant in front of her and glared into her eyes. "Don't you move or speak/' he whis­ pered. Poor girl! She could not have stirred if her life depended upon it. Cold beads of perspiration broke out on her brow and shivering chills ran down her spine. But she was voiceless and nerveless. Sholbach had brought the lull power of his will to bear on her and she was completely mesmer­ ized. When the conjurer stood before Man­ ners lie gazed intently into, his eves. The young physician, strong as he was, felt himself grow week before that look. He endeavored to speak, but Sholbach frowned, and the words seemed to freeze in his throat. The conjurer did not take his eyes off the physician while he spoke to the audience. "This man is very powerful," he said, "and I must allow him time to control his nerves before I begin, or he might do me some injury." Then for a time he was silent The audience waited and watched the three silent figures. At length, without taking his eyes from Manners, Shol­ bach said: frig! into- The sively lor • ners was as 1$: tl»chair oonvul* ill thea John Man* ...... .ifr if ne were dead. Sholbach asked some of themen in the front row whether ther could see that the knife had really been t>lunged in the man's throat They said there was no doubt of it. "As the hour is late," said Sholbach, "I will not prolong this exhibition. I put this screen in front of this man so. Now in two minutes you will see him enter that door." No one had noticed Irene while Shol­ bach was performing his feat, but it was now seen that she had fainted. Two or three persons made a movement to go to her assistance but Sholbach stopped them with a wave of the hand. "I can bring her out of the faint in a moment," he said. Then lifting her as easily as if she had been a child he carried her off the stage. The audience waited until the two minutes had expired. Then they began to look for the reappearance of Man­ ners from the fofnt of the stage. But no one came. There was a deathly silence in the house, and the stage re­ mained empty. Three,* four, five, ten minutes passed, and neither the physi­ cian nor the conjurer appeared. "There's something wrong here," ex­ claimed a man sitting in the front row. So saying he sprang upon the stage and overthrew the screen behind which the magician had hidden Manners. A horrible sight was exposed. The young physician sat still in the chair, with the knife in his throat, the blood trickling slowly down his breast, dead. A dozen men rushed forward to ex­ amine. There was np doubt about it; a murder had been committed, calmly and boldly, in the presence of three hundred witnesses. The building was searched before and behind the scenes. Then it was found that both the conjurer and the young woman had disappeared. The police were informed, an alarm was sent out; the news was telegraphed all over the country, but to no purpose. George Sholbach and his victim were never seen again. * , It is said that in Germany a conjurer is traveling about and giving -remarka­ ble second sight performances, his as­ sistant beinpr a beautiful, pale woman, who shudders continually, and whose ejes are always fixed in a glassy stare, but who never makes a mistake in an­ swering his questions. No one, how­ ever, has been able to identify the two as George Sholbach and Irene Wash­ burn.--G'/ivcago Inter Ocean. <(CradIe Snatchers." What is my opinion of "pradle snatchers?" Oh, you don't know what a "cradle snatcher is, don't you? Well, neither did I, until the other day, when I heard a girl, as beautiful as girls ever become before they take wings^jue the expression in speaking of a widow in society, who had been having all the callow young' men in town at her feet. didn't understand just what was meant by "cradle snatcher," and inqui­ ry developed the fact that it' was a pretty piece of slang to designate a wo­ man who made a specialty of very young fellows, too soft to sustain a growth of whiskers, and too green not to bend under her influence. I took in the situation promptly, and I was tick­ led to find a word which so fitly applied to so many women, widows and other­ wise, who twist the society kids around their fingers. That class of women have always impressed me as flirts by nature, with not enough sense and knowledge to interest men of their own age, who have too much sense to care for flirting, and so they drop back to the young fellows, and flatter them into compliments and confidences, which, as soon as the kids get old enough to analyze, they drop hastily, set up a grade higher and the "cradle snatcher" plays her cards before the next relief from babyhood. It must be humiliat­ ing to a womacj even though she feels that she, at least, for a season, is sure of a vast deal of uncultivated homage. Boys are easily flattered, and when they are yet not entirely cut loose from their mother's apron strings, smiles and compliments from a woman older than they are, have a peculiar force, which they cannot resist, until their muscles and brains get hardened. I am free to express that I do not like the "cradle snatcher." She does her sex the discredit of acknowledging by her actions in public, that she cannot cope with the strong, and only saves herself from defeat ail around by at­ tacking the weak and defenseless. There are cradle snatchers among men, as well, but the idea of a back number beau lavishing his gush and his gold on a pretty sweet girl, yotfhg enough to be his daughter, makes me sicker than an ocean voyage in stormy weather, and I can't bear to talk about it Anyhow, I reckon I've said enough to let you know what a "cradle snatcher" is, and enough to serve as precautionary sig­ nals in case you happen to be heading that way.--Merchant Traveler. The Type*Writing Craze. The rage in New York just at pres­ ent is type-writing. Every young girl who wants imployment nowadays goes and learns to operate the type-writer, and either joins in with half a dozen other girls, who open an office and do copying, or gets a place as an amanu­ ensis. There is hardly a business firm, literary man, or anybody else with writing to do in New York nowadays who does not employ a type-writing girl. The market is so full of them that they do their work with amazing cheapness. The other day I sent 227 closely-printed pages down town to be copied. This was returned to me in three days, with a bill of only $15. When one can get a whole book copied at such a price as this, it will be seen that labor in the direction noted is not very high. Some of the girls employed at this kind of thing develop marvelous speed. They can take eixty or seventy words a minute on the machine, which enable a person to dictate with reason­ able rapidity wholly without the use of shorthand, and there are so many of them in the market that they can be had for salaries rangnig anywhere in the vicinity of $6 a week. Type-writing appears to have taken the form of a ma­ nia among the girls. Everybody is learning it, and if it goes on at this rate there won't be any need of writing anything but signatures hereafter,--- New York Letter. ' . The Modern Realistic Drama* "Have you seen the new tragedy at the Broadway-square Theater?" "Yes." "Was it a strong cast?" "Strong? Well, I should aay so. He wrestled with her all over the stage, and threw her nearly over the foot­ lights."--New York Graphic. Op*B«d by XSx- J*u^^^proof? tion t h a t y < T f t t i * r s p l l e d a leading safemwrfacturar tothe . query of the reporter. H you ask me can safes be made fire-proof and burglar- proof, or fifeaad burglar-proof, then I answer youyss, for they are thus made. The publio at large does not seem to fully comprehend what safes are for. Some safes are intended simply to re­ sist the ravages of fire, for they are meant to hold only documents and oth­ er articles that may be almost beyond value to their owner, but which are financially valueless to strangers, and hence have no temptations for the ordi­ nary burglar. Then there are others that are meant to resist the enterpris­ ing safo-breAker as well as the ravages of the fire-fiend." "You make all kinds, do you?" "Certainly. But bear in mind that there are certain limits to a safe's pow­ er of resistance." "It is claimed by some that any safe can be broken open." "So it can," replied tbe manufac­ turer, "but it takes time. Any safe oan be opened by expert cracksmen if they have plenty of time to do the work. All that any maker claims for burglar- proof safeB is that they will make such resistance to thieves who. may desire to open them as to be, to all intents and purposes, free from danger." "This, then, being the case, the larger the safe the more secure it is ?" "Well, if two safes are made of tbie same material, of course the thicker one would take longer to drill holes through than the other. But a steel safe is much safer than a common iron one. There is no safe, and I suppose there never will be one invented, that cannot be burglarized if sufficient time is al­ lowed. Otherwise, how could any safe ever be opened when the key was lost or mislaid or the combination forgot­ ten ? All that any safe manufacturer claims, or that any purchaser can rea­ sonably expect, is that we can make safes so difficult to open that there will not be time for thieves to do the job." "Then I should judge that you would consider an inferior safe that was placed in a good light and in full view of the street, so that it might be watched by the police, is better protected than a bigger and better built one that is in a secluded place ?" "O yes, of course, 500 per cent, safer, if you notify the police. The man that hit upon the ider. of lighting up bis place of business and putting his safe where it could be seen was a genius and a benefactor to the community. If I had a lot of money that I could not et into the bank to-night, I should t the gas when locking up the stoi5iatand notify the policeman on the route llvQt if the light went out he must get in ana &ee what was the cause of it being out You see burglars like plen­ ty of time to open safes, and they hate to be watched. You would be sur­ prised to know the number of safes that are to be found in private resi­ dences at the Back bay. There are hundreds if not thousands of them in houses where the ready money that is kept in them amounts to hardly any­ thing. You know that there are other things that are valuable besides money and business papers. Many a fashion­ able and wealthy lady has lace shawls and diamonds that are worth a small fortune and these must be kept in the house where they may be ready for use at any moment. You see, then, that it is necessary to keep them safely under lock and key where they may not be in danger of disappearing through fire or burglars, or that other evil that house­ keepers suffer from, dishonest servants. There are hundreds of private resi­ dences where the male head of the house does not see the inside of the safe from one year to the other. The prices of safes range from f500 to $5,000, $10,(100, $20,000. There are government safes in this country that have cost as high as $50,000, but I guess that ordinary bank safes will average $5,000 apiece. The business has taken great strides during the past twenty JWI.W,"--Boston Globe. The Battle of New Orleans* Defeated on the lakes and on the Niagara frontier, the British, in 1814, resolved to make a grand attack on the Southwest, Florida was then a Span­ ish province and professed neutrality, yet allowed the British to fit out their fleets in Pensacola Harbor. General Jackson, having been sent to Mobile to put a stop to this, did so by marching his forces directly against Pensacola. He seized the town, and the British blew up the fort and withdrew their ships with all haste from the bay. Knowing that their purpose was to make an attack on New Orleans, Jack- eon immediately withdrew all his troops thither. The city was miserably de­ fended, and had tbe enemy moved upon it quickly they could without doubt have captured it. But their delays gave the American General time to con­ struct fortifications, and to call all the State militia to his assistance. Jack­ son reached New Orleans December 2, 1814. On December 10, the British squadron, numbering fifty vessels, with a force of 14,000 men, under Sir Ed­ ward Pakenham, brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington, entered the outlet of Lake Borgne, and on December 14, captured the American flotilla of five gunboats on guard where the Mississip­ pi entered the lake, which gave them full command of the river route to New Orleans. December 22 the vanguard of the British army had landed nine miles below the city, and there General Jackson attacked it, but because of the great numbers of the enemy he fell back, and took a strong position four miles from the city along the canal, where some hastily thrown-up earth­ works had by the help of cotton bales and sand bags, been converted into a very effective protection. This position the British commander attacked on December 28, and again on January, 1, but with little effect General Paken­ ham then decided to make a grand •as­ sault with his entire force. At day­ break on January 8, the advance was made. The Americans, securely hidden behind the ramparts, literally mowed down the oncoming ranks with bullets and grapeshot. Column after column of the British were hurled forward only to meet with the same terrible fate. Though brave and experienced soldiers they could not stand before so murder­ ous a fire. Pakenham, trying to bring in order the wavering lines, was killed, two of the o.her British Generals were wounded, one mortally, and by 9 o'clock the battle was over and the shattered British army had retreated from the field. It had lost in killed 700, wounded 1,400, and 500 taken prisoners. The American loss amounted to eight killed and thirteen wounded. No other great battle in the world's history records such great disparity of loss. A truce was granted after the battle for the • * ';y • & W. MM Withdrew hi* 1 Borgne, wtarr * m received some six weeks later news of the treaty of fieaoe. The battle of New Orlettosfwas the last land battle of 1812, though hostilities lingered until spring on the seas.-- Inter Ocean. A Boy's Description of Gettysburg. Gettysburg, rather an insignificant town in the southern part of Pennsyl­ vania, was brought into public notice and rendered famous in a most start­ ling manner. The long-haired butter­ nut-clad hordes of the south had crossed the Potomac river, had marched up through the fair valley of "Mary­ land. my Maryland" --had invaded the northern States, had burned Chambers- burg and were laying waste the fertile fields of Pennsylvania. On the first day of July, 1863, they here met the loyal boys in blue and a fearful battle began which lasted three days. The rebels were under the command of General Lee and the Union troops un­ der General Meade. My father was a soldier and was engaged in this terrri- ble battle. I had the pleasure of visit­ ing the battle ground less than a year ago, and stood on Little Bound Top, on the very place where he fought twenty- one years before. I also was on Ceme­ tery Ridge where the rebels were re­ pulsed so many times and finally driven back, leaving the ground covered with their dead and dying. There yet remain portions of the old breastworks on Little Bound Top, and marble slabs indicate where the differ­ ent regiments fought. When I was there 10,000 of the Pennsylvania State troops were encamped near the battle­ field, many of whom had taken part m the battle, and now were visiting the scene of the great conflict for the first time since that event took place, and could be seen all over the field looking for the place where they stood during the fight, or where some comrade fell, or perhaps hunting relics. I also vis­ ited the cemetery where sleep the dead who, in those bloody days, gave up life for our grand and glorious country. It is undev the control of the United States. It is a beautiful, but a sad place. Here stands a statue, life size, of General Beynolds, the brave and gallant, who was killed during the first day's fight. Marble blocks, with name, rank, company, regiment, and State, indicate where the known dead lie, while blocks of the same material with the simple word "Unknown," tell where sleep the nameless heroes. "On fame's eternal camping1 pround Their 8 lent tents aire spread. .And Glory KUHrds, with solemn round The b vouae of the dead." Well has the eloquent Ingersoll said: "These heroes are dead, they died for liberty; they died for us; they are at rest;- they sleep in the land they made free under the flag they rendered stain­ less, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks^ the tearful willows and the embracing vines; they sleep beneath the shadow of the clouds careless alike of sunshine or storm, each in the win- dowless palace of rest. Earth may run red with other wars, they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for the soldiers, living and dead--cheers for the living and tears for the dead."--Bert Trout, a 13-year-old Schoolboy. k Cat Mesmerizes a Mouse. One of our well-known citizens is the possessor of a cat, which is a great pet in the family. Indeed, it is doubtful if the family could keep house without that cat. A few evenings ago the cat came into the house bringing a mouse, no uncommon thing for the cat to do, as it is a good mouser. But the cat played with the mouse for an hour and a half, then set it up by the wall and crept into bed and went to sleep. The mouse, though still alive and apparently unin­ jured, remained just were the cat put it for so long that the family became interested in the mouse, ana the gen­ tleman proceeded to stir it up. The little animal started to run, went a short distance and returned to the very spot where the cat had left it Then the gentleman tried to entice the mouse away with a bit of cheese. This suc­ ceeded only so far that the mouse would leave its position, get the cheese and return. This was tried again and again, and always with the same result--the mouse returned to its former position, as if under orders which it dared not disobey. Later the cat awoke and also the mouse. Now the family are very much inter­ ested in the question: "What did the cat do to the mouse to make it so anx­ ious to remain just where the cat left it until the former could look after it ? Was it animal magnetism, or was there some subtle means of communication between them, and the cat told the mouse to remain there, and the mouse did as It 'was told, except when inter­ fered with by more intelligent human­ ity?" --Providence Journal. / A Bass Invention of Motferrt Tiines. All nations seem to have possessed drums of earious kinds, but always of a comparatively small size. It re­ mained for modern notions to produce )lie gigantic specimens which are to be found in our orchestras. None of those who have attended great musical festi­ vals, such as the Boston Peace Jublee or the Handel Festaval at London, will fail to remember the huge instruments Avhich added their deep rolling thunder to the mighty mass of tone there heard. Such drums wero never dreamt of by the ancients. The necessity for having portable instruments would have eclu- ded them from use, even if their pres­ ence had been thought desirable.--"Mu­ sical Herald A Xodel Pointer. Capt W. W. Lawson, who is himself a famous hunter and fishersman of Burke county, says that many years ago his father, who was fond of sports of the field, had a white pointer, and one day while hunting in an old field where the sedge was high and thick he lest his dog. No calling could bring the dog to his master, and no search could find him. The next spring, when the field was being cleared lor planting, the skeleton of the dog was found with­ in a few inches of a covey of birds--tho dog still "on the point"--Pittsburgh Dispatch. WHEN Caesar happened to see some str angers at Home carrying young dogs and monkeys in their arms, and fondly caresses them, he asks whether the wo­ men in their country never bore any children; thus reproving with a proper severity those who lavish upon brutes that natural tenderness which is due only to mankind. HE who has a suspicion that his friends are no better men than his ene­ mies, will do well to consider how it ram* ftbout ^0 lifts Gnoxuiot* lY POOH*. . . „ was announced in lb* Senate and sooiMkfter the AOg&taencement o! special session in July, 1861, and a day was consumed in eulogising him. In the Senate the opening remarks were made by Senator Trumbull,who offered the customary resolutions of respect and condolence. He was followe dby Senator McDottgall,of California,whose brief tribute was totally inaudible in the galleries, and mostly so on the floor. Judge Collamer, of Vermont, succeeded him in the most eloquent and appro­ priate words which were uttered, and which tended to deeply impress upon the rapidly-forgetting mind many of the sterling traits of the lamented* de­ ceased, and the great loss the nation had met with in bis death. The eulogy of Judge Douglas' successor, Senator Browning, created a favorable impres­ sion. It was delivered with good em­ phasis and discretion, and interwoven with many little incidents of the per­ sonal relations of the speaker and his predecessor. In the House no less than ten speeches were delivered, near­ ly every one of them being in the same eulogistic strain, with tbe exception of a brilliant sketch of the life and public services of the deceased by Mr. S. S. Cox, then a Representative from Ohio. It was anticipated that Breckinridge would make a lew remarks in the Sen­ ate, inasmuch as his relations with Douglas were known to be of the most cordial nature, but the Kentucky Sena­ tor sat firmly in his sent, with his head bowed, carelessly twirling a paper cut­ ter, but intently listening to all that was passing around him. Hon. Robert J. Walker, one of the most devoted friends of Dohglas, was the only dis­ tinguished spectator present, excepting a few members of the diplomatic corps. The scene was in striking contrast with some of the occasions on which/Doug- las addressed the Senate. / The trial, conviction, and ^execution of Captain Wirz for allege# ill-treat- ment of Union prisoners, simply made this foreign Confederate officer a scape­ goat for the sins of his superiors, whose orders he obeyed. When he was brought to Washington to be tried by a military commission he was suffering from scurvy. His right arm, near the wrist, was an open inch-deep wound, and part of the bone already gone. The hand and that part of the arm around the ulcer were very much swol­ len, and two fingers were closed to the palm of the hand. His left arm he could not bend up to his face, as the deltoid muscle was gone. His feeble state of health made him sometimes so weak that he could not appear in court. When there ho could not sit up, and had to recline on a sofa. Besides,when the trial took place the season was very hot, and the room in which he was con­ fined, and where a light was burning throughout the night, full of mosqui­ toes, which troubled him greatly. One morning the prisoner came into court in a very weak state. Colonel Chipman, the Judge Advocate, had given orders to have him put in irons, but the officer at the Old Capitol, find­ ing that the right hand was too much swolleu to permit the iron to be fas­ tened, except in the incision made by the open and inch-deep wound, had not had the cruelty to foica the iron on his right arm, but had, in order to show that he had been willing to carry out orders of his superiors, fastened the iron to the left hand only. Even had it been possible to put iron on both hands, it would, aside of the wound, have been very cruel, as it prevented tbe prisoner from driving the mosqui­ toes from his face, or even wiping off the perspiration, as his left arm could not be bent up to his face. His devoted counsel, Mr. Louis Scbade, called the attention.of General Lorenzo Thomas, one of the members of the Commission, to that outrage, and he became very in­ dignant. As soon as the court opened he inquired by whose order the pris­ oner had been put in irons, and Colonel Chipman acknoweldged to have given the order, because he had feared, judg­ ing from the high state of excitement under which the prisoner labored, that he would commit suicide. The princi­ pal witness was a pretended French­ man, who called himself a grand- nephew of Lafayette, and who present­ ed pencil sketches representing mur­ ders and cruelties by Captain Wirz, which were accepted as evidence. The Judge Advocate rewarded him by ob­ taining for him a clerkship in the De­ partment of the Interior, but eleven days after the death of his victim it was proven that he was a German im­ postor, whose name was iTelix Oeser, and he was discharged. Captain Wirz was hung in the yard of the Old Capitol, and he walked from his cell to the scaffold with an un­ daunted air, as if conscious that 1 e was to be executed for having, as an olncer, carried out the instructions of, and acted in accordance with the wishes of, his superior officers. They went un­ punished, but he, a poor, friendless for­ eigner, was hung like a dog. The English Love of Home, The English people live no life and think no thoughts that take excursions far away from their own hearthstone. Home and its concerns limit their ideas and their sympathies. If, as they are accused of being, the English are po­ litical bullies; if, as is also said, diplo­ matically, they are aggressive and greedy as well, it is because they sel­ dom think upon any life outside their own. Whatever is for the glory of the home is for the glory of England, and whatever is for tbe glory of England is for the glory of the world. This very fairly states the feeling of tho pa­ triotic Englishman, and thix fcimng may be said to have formulated itaelf into a national creed.--llobt. lfUii'4 Collier. • • Send Away the (<Cr«wFMl.% The face is educated to wrinkles, and wrinkles are cultivated by most people. One need have no more "crow-feet" at 40 than at _ 14, if people would laugh with their mouths aud not with the sides ol their faces. But the crows-feet are in­ creased tenfold by burying tho face in pillows at night A looking-glass will prove this at any time. Wrinkles on the forehead are simi­ larly invited, and with the crow^-feet, can be sent away at any time.--Demor- est's Magazine. THE largest bridge in^ the world crosses Lako Ponchartrain, at New Orleans, and is twenty-two miles in length. It is trestle-work, on piles, and is made of cypress wood which was first saturated with creosote oil, which renders it impervious by moisture and proof against the attack of barnacles. HISTORY is a romance which is be­ lieved ; romance, a history which is not believed. „ HOLD the gifts of fortune so as to be ever ready to yield them back to her. to itis pie. _ - be very beastifnL The qttte& of cpades is a daisy when a man has the other three. --Lowell Courier. THE man who does not believe in newspapers is the man who h*s failed to work his little racket throngh their columns.--New Orleans Picayune. "FREQUENT shaving shortens life," says an English surgeon. If this is true then the life of men who fool around Wall street ought to be brief. "No, INDEED !" exclaimed Mrs. Pod- qnap, energetically, "I don't believe in the extension of woman's suffrage at alL She suffers enough now."--Boston Gazette. "KILLED by a Blow from a Bottle* is the title of an article in an exchange.. Served the blamed fool right Why didn't he suck instead of blowing?-- Newman Independent IT is asserted by Dr. Rawitz, of Ber­ lin, that snails can live on paper. That is what a great many business men seem to be able to do for a time, but as a rule they ultimately break up at it-- Texas Siflings. TRAMP (to gentleman on the street) --"Sir, will you assist me? Iam un­ able to obtain work." Gentleman (handing him a quarter)--"So you find it impossible to find work?" Tramp (devoutly)--"Yes, thank Heaven."-- New York Sun, "A SHORT absence," says MirabeaU, "quickens love; along absence kills it" Ha! then the fellows who have been out of office twenty-four years probably have no desire whatever to go in. That is about as much as a Frenchman oould be expected to know about politioB.-- Bob Burdette. A WOMAN in New York heard a bur­ glar in the house, the other night, whereupon she arose and threw him down stairs, breaking his leg. It proved to be her husband, who, oh returning from the club, had carelessly neglected to take his shoes off before coming up stairs.--St. Paul Day. AN Arizona editor having got his ri­ val in jail for assault and battery, thus gloats over him: "Our quondam con­ temporary is lying as usual--this time in jail. We understand that the Ba- loon-keepers are moving heaven and earth to get him out, as their business has fallen off since he has been cooped. When he gets out what a thirst he will have!" AN angler's journal is publishing a series of letters to prove that a brook trout weighing *24 pounds was caught in Maine in 1849. There is nothing very remarkable about it. As a trout generally increases in weight at the rate of one pound an hour r.fter being taken from the water by an angler the Maine fish of 1849 should now weigh 300,000 pounds.--Norristown Herald!. BEHIND A FAN. just for a moment. In arch mrmls®. With brows uplifted in mock surprise. Comes one switt g-lanca from eauoy eyes Behind a fan. Then sanda'-wood and a bit of lapm Wielded with artless, airy grao9j; Securely guards a blushing l'aoo . " lteh.nd a fan. . Ah, I lova her 1 She knows how wellf Does love for me in ihat bosom dwell? . What fluttering thoughts now mako it (WeU Itehind the fan? O longing heart, cease throbbing sot 5 • Bhe speaks, my love, so sweet and low That I am sure she won't s 1'y : Behind the fan. --The Judge. MAN DEFINED. I Man that is married to a womanis Of nftnr days and full of trouble. "< In the morning he draws his salary, and In tbe even ng , i- ; Dehrld, ii is gone! It is a tale that is told; - - It is vanished and no man knowj whither It poeih. He rlseth u p clothed In the chilly garments Of the lliffht. iyiW:,. And seekeih th" somnolent paregorlo Wherewith to soothe h s infant posterity, i' He cometli as a horse or ox And drawcth tbe chariot of his offspring. He spendeth his shekels in tbe puroha«9 e£ line lineu ' • V: , To cove t* tho bosom of .his ;•> * Family; Yet himself is seen at the gates of the city* With one suspender. Yes; he is altogether wretched. 1 --Exchange. OH WHF. "Oh, why should the spirit of mortal: te, proud," ---^ Wben the spirit of mortal doth shine 'Mong the jostle and bustle of sample rooqi crowd. Pent up in tho ruby red wine. **Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud," And wish for a knot-hole aloof, When it kicks up a muss in the roller rink loud • And plants a big hole in the roof. ; 1' "Oh,o why should the spirit of piortal t6 proud," When down before lady subHmo, Ifi On knees it doth hear whilo lowly, Jtla. bowed-- *" ? •'I can't for you haven't got the dime."; Alas 1 for tho spirit of mortal so proud, : Will i: never crawl into the dus.? It wilt when wife takes a fancy you BltlSt shroud Her in a sealskin sacque--and pou mutt. --II. 8. Keller, in Chicago Sun. -i i , ' ̂ i •i Chair Pillows. v] A chair pillow is one of the most com­ fortable as well as ornamental innova­ tions of the day. The pillow may be made of any material desired to match furniture or drapery, but if this is not wished, Turkish toweling will look well with anything or in any chair. Make the lining for the pillow of stout cloth or drill twenty-four inches long and fifteen wide; fill with curled hair, and fasten the ends securely. Work two strips, four inches wide and fifteen long, of cloth or felt, in any pretty de­ sign, and chain-stitch them on the right side of the pillow. If the embroidery is too tedious, cut cretonne flowers and baste thorn on the strips, and embroider over a portion of them with silk of the same color, button-holing the flowers around tho edge. If the pillow is to hang curved, a plait must be laid in tbe center, so that the middle of the pillow will rest mid­ way down the back of the chair, and the two ends higher on either side. Uatlior the ends and tie with a bow of ribbon and short ends. The edge of the goods may be worked in button scal­ lops or finished with lace crocheted of worsted end silk. (Suspend from the back of the chair with a heavy twisted cord and fluff-tassels.--Dorcas The One Thing Lacking. It was at a rink, and the gentlemanly young man with brass buttons and a cheek to match was initiating the shy young thing of 16 into the mysteries of roller-skating. "You strike out boldly like this," said he, illustrating with a graceful sweep, and then, as she bravely tried to imitate him, he exclaimed: "Ah! you're catching on!* She didn't make any audible reply until she had finished the somersault.' Then she put down her skirts with both hands and murmured softly: "No, that's the trouble. There wasn't anything to catch on to."--Sommerville Journal. THE hand which casts into the waters of life a stone of offeiice, knows not how far the circles thus caused may spread their : • , ... •> jt'- - * * } I ' • •

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