McHenry Public Library District Digital Archives

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 31 Dec 1890, p. 6

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• l«ft vith bl»( h at clo«« of air, swinging f« the Um, faraway. * ' 'f -* The Mrtridffe dramming on bis fog; Tb5tmvto*dta*dA tnw>, Tb« ptUowbamuwrV first nprieg bo^ fhtlnmicfMtfytiee, The moaning wind*, the betting rata,' The sift of drifting nnoV; -Alt thcst* are »ouik!h th*t will bring ttS tboaffbts of long: t bring! tbern all. each ow rt of life s iroll-t $ fS: < ?;V 4i: 9*1*of a lan'sfldrrifele Beat* Im the Wilds of an Arizona Canye*. jfky* ' i- ••• . - ASTofRio prftfo there is an old half-effaced trail among the rocky canyons of the Arizona mount ains, between Eagle Creek and Rio Pricto. It is a ^ lonely place, with nothing but cactus and the cliff grass for ver- Mure. It is deathly still. There seems •to be no life anywhere among those tumbled crags. Bat along the trail, upset a bowlder, throw a rock info a dump of ilfe.i! X«$» tie him to it is belween tw||| BvtfottrMof Km f i '" ' the cliff grass, and yon will see some- Hung alive. Coiled in the dark places 1pm great diamond-backed rattle-snakes. jWsturb one of them and the whole dell JSfeit withf MM he might m, 9pm to free himself, so they force hittt to the ground and hia feet to another stake. . n&esnt to leave him there to starve and die under the hot t&ey Would hare maimed his feet aaybe heeds. There would be no A shout from some of the Indians makeshim tiy to look up. gome of "*•»"» Jjjf^ *«*» hto- Thjy hart.ncac with a little noose on the end, and in the nooee is one of the rattlesnakes of the Xpoks. Now - he knows lev they are going to kill him. of the snake eloee to tfee rattles iiiey put two long, thin bnokakin thongs. The ser­ pent squinns with the pain of it, but they hold his bead fast in the loop. They tie the loose ends of the thongs around the stake and jump back. The smut# is free from the noose, but bound fast by the cords through its tail. Directly before it is the face of the white man. In an instant the snake is in a half coil, his rattles going faster and faster. The prostrate man closes his eves. May be he screamed, may be he fainted, may be he simply waited for the feel of the serpent's fang. ' Like a flash the flat head of the make shoots out. The cord stood its spring: It falls two inches short of the white face. Two tiny liquid drops oome against tioa t, City flCbwda unced its option. Of "tttftpse tbemM- lenniamtoi^i^t yet dawned, aad , . bepredioMl meifli be- ooev«rta hat* beet mad«. HW bat it is oertsialy jrntifyiag to Bote pip* , the isoreasiitg dfepoaitftm of the em I theyhafl ployers to cnltivatf pleasant relations J»y W*t with their workman. And in no w* can pleasant relations be cultivated with travel, bat whatwalking _ a surer prospect of getting a good crop Me direction of the densest than through the agencv of a substan­ tial pecuniarybenefit. "This does not imply mercenary motives on the part of a workingman any more than in the casa of any other -elMe of people. All are striving for the mighty dollar be­ cause of the advantages to be gained by its possession. Profit sharing must necessarily make a workman take a deeper interest in the operations of the concern employing him than if he merely received the market rate of wages, no higher and no lower than those paid in o^her works around him --Metal Worker.^ "w. ®Pfc VACS TO JTACS WITH MEATS. | will hum with the music of the casta- 'inets. In the bed of the canyon, just above > wash-line, are some bone3, polished the drift of the river, bleached by _ fierce sun for years. As you pass ' 55? °f the heap of ribr «W»es the warning rattle of one tfce deadly denizens of the glen. The jWMMrins of the pack-saddle are there, what might once have teen the 4§pack. There is a fragment of blanket; tv^iith U. S. on it. Near by is the rusted 4rtsel of a Winchester rifle. Examine it l*mi. .you will find that still, sticking fast ;pi the breech, is a green and moldly Ths* tells the story, says tike flan -- "%ranictei? back, when this glen, with rattlesnakes, was even lone- -SIT out o;f the world .than ® '/ >* now, scone prospector, deserter or came there, driving his pack }-i / v , ̂««« yar^away from the whitening ::i'; ™W«< ii*luiia that boulder that juts w *0»e empty rifle shells .] :*®ejwatterea. There are more of them by that patch of greenwood, Had Stilt others among the rooks en the w iik*J' die traveler with the army know that he was traveling on kiddew trail tibat only the Apaehes " _ K round-aboat path Started north and turned back the road by which the San t WAITIirQ FOB HI8 PBKI. ^Oarlos Indians found their way, unmo- i to the Mexican Sierra Madra, . the soldiers were all around. Hstory is written in what was left #eo. i saw the white man oome ' bend of the hill far above, t was a perfect place for am- j in the stillness is drowsy ^solitary prospector comes hanging carelessly be- the trail he comes, wood patch to the water- ly. His animals are hot jr loosens the girth and ' pool, Jipiet, crashing like a *" ies the first shot. He j and his rifle flies to r , '|9S» l*OW8 what has liap- and knows that unless his horse l|*ek throngh a storm of he has passed shot has startled the A leijfc has freed the bridle, and instant he is gaHoping np the hill. " Ue turning under lain. it is tffiuB game or <Ue eoward. whiU man jerk* the lever of his iter. The cartridge catches; a perhaps, got in among the gs. They see that he cannot his pistol went off with the sad- 3 now he is standing unarmed _,the jeering Indians. There are no white man's bones by the skeleton of the pack mule. Die or die coward! It was no easy, death by a bullet that the man tied that pack had to meet. A quarter of a mile down the canyon that trails runs up on to a knoll. Down there are bones. A skull is there with IkfKM buried in the soil. Those little lamps mads the spne Of the man who *n'"iip ambush. If M ?g$(k search Mflae you will find the of the man's frame stretched out °ee?a .r°p.e his face and ran down into his beard. It is the venom from the fangs that failed to reach. The Indians roar with laughter. But they have wasted mueh time. The troops are after them. They pick their victim; they tease the snake, and then leave him. All the hot afternoon he lies there, the snake's head playing before his eyes, more of the venom being spat into his faoe. The sun went down, and the elands covered the heavens. The snake has learned that it cannot reach that face. It lies coiled at the foot of the stake, watching. For awhile longer it strikes whenever the man moves his head,, but after awhile it does not move, but lies in its sullen -coil. Oh, the strain of holding i his head bade, back until the cords fairly crack! How long was it before his mind gave way and madness released him from his deadly terror? Now the run begins to fall, and it is growing dark. The coolness revives the man, but still before him he sees those coils and that flat head. The snake's line-like tongue is darting out; he is preparing to try it again. He strikes bat still he cannot reach: An inch more and his fangs would have reached the bound man. He rubs his face in the dirt to clear it of that horrible poison that is thichen- ing on it. Still it rains; it is so dark that he cannot see the snake; 6n a rattle as he moves tells him that it is still there. He must have been unconscious but he wakes up and feels the strain of the rope. He has been pulling back on it with nil hi» force, but now he f««ls a eounter-pull that seems to draw him to­ ward the rattlesnake and death. Why doesn't he push his face within reach of the and eutl it? He knew he was going to die from the mo­ ment his rifle failed to work. He knows that he must die ol thirst, even if the snake does not reach him. But he can­ not do it. His mad brain refuses to order the muscles to meet the snake. The rope pulls harder. He knows now. The rain is wetting it and shrink­ ing it. It will drag him up. Two inches more is death. He digs his toes into the ground. He pulls back until the rope sinks into his flesh. The rope is getting shorter. The rain has wet the buckskin thongs that hold the snake. The buck* skin swells and stretches, while the hempen rope shrinks. Those cords that hold the snake are four inches longer than they were when they were tied. The rope has shrunk half as much. The snake tries to crawl away. The strings in its flesh hold it back. The pain enranges it and it strikes. The coyotes prowl about the spot; the vultures hover over it. The white skull lies with its face in the dust, and the dry, lace-like snake- skin, with the delicate bone^ below, lie against it "; • • * Si-*#* S-S;*5 ' Ifotes A'wat T THE &outh1a prosperous,.'" STEEL flooring is to come! - ; ^ . WHALE-BONK is $10,000 a ton. [*- HEW YORK has a woman roofer^ TACOMA plasterers get $.r* a daj4* MISSOURI produces half our lead. . BOSTON press-feeders Won a raut£ BICHMOXD plasterers get $2 a day. PARIS eats 14,000 horses annually. PITTSTON has a woman shoemaker. BROOKLYN lathers strufek for $$26. CEYLON coolies live on $1 a month. GOULD made $30,000,000 in a day. PHOTOGRAPHING color is promised. THE world's seamen will federalize. OUR dairies represent $2,000,000,000. ENGLISH Jarm laborers have unions. Ous corn crop, 2,000,000,000 bushels. A CONNECTICUT newsboy is 82 years old. ST. PAUL «nions have weeltljr .lec­ tures. :• BUTTE (Montana) miners want eight hours. NEW YORK has some negro, type­ setters. NEW YORK sailmakers Want $3.50 and nine hours. ' ' LYNN men demand a new State Board of Arbitration. AT Danbury 1*800 girjs are among the hat-workers. VICTORIA bricklayers work seven and a half hours a day. SAN FRANCISCO tailors work over time for 75 cents an hour. A NEW YORK furniture worker ><..waa fined $25 tor violating a rule. SOME Chicago brick-makers struck for ah advance--$2.25 to $2.50. < NICKKL-PLATE railroad hands at Cleveland got an advance of 20 cents a day. THE Nashville unions kick against the farming out of convicts on the elec­ tric railway. . THE city of New York won its suit against a street railway that did not run cars all night. SIX of the crew of a whaler that ar­ rived at San Francisco were killed by a whale's tail shot as he was dying. THE Brotherhood of Railroad Brake- men numbers 25,000 members; $200,- 000 has been paid out during the past year. THE co-operative bakery ̂ shoe store and coal yard at The Hague, the capital of Holland, ha* a net profit of about $90,000 this year. , wj> it:v / <•* Golden Bull*t», The Hudson Bay Comp&ny j^j fled Manitoba for many years with a rod of iron, resisting to the utmost any en­ croachments. In ea^ly days the diffi­ culty of transportation was great, and woe betride the independent trapper or trader whose supplies gave out, for the gates of the company's post were closed against him, and they would not open to him though he were starving. It is baid that an Indian came to a factory and showed him some new kind of bul­ lets he was using, which, he sail, though a little soft, worked very well. They were found to be made of solid gold, and, lest the fact should become noised abroad and people flock into the country in search of the precious metal, the Indian, after parting with a large number of the golden bullets (for two ©f which he received a lead one,) was put out of the way without being asked to divulge his secret A bullet of the precious metal is shown at Winnipeg, and tty story is generally believed to be true. , REVIVALIST--Miss, have you found the Lord ? American Heiress--I should ... Til* Companion* of tb* Qroun*. In the fall, when the cold rains and high win^s come on, the American robin takes refuge in the deep woods and thick coverts, where he spends much of his time on the ground feeding and for shelter. Invariably at this season the ruffled grouse will be found associated with him. The grouse also loves the company of the chipmunk, or little ground squirrel, and they are frequently together around stumpa in old woods. While eating my lunch one day; seated on a large stone just within the edge of the forest, I discovered a grotise on the hillside a short distance a#ay. Be was standing up beside a stump, the color of which was identical with that of his breast and under feathers. Two chip­ munks were running around him. He remained in sight several minutes, when aUtbree suddenly disappeared. - The groute also seeks the presencelof the red squirrel at times, as the follow­ ing incident will show: While I was out among the Glenville Hills, a ruffled grouse broke from the dense cover in front of me among the black alders in the low grouuds, and made straight for { the top of s deep gorge. Shortly after I saw in that direction away up on the hillside, an old decayed stamp, aad a red squirrel frisking about it. I stood for some time taking obser­ vations, dutfng which my atientioii was more and more attracted to the antics of the squirrel. At last I ethght sight of a small, dark object not more than au inch in diameter about midway up the stump, it was but momentary glimpses that I could get of it, however, while the squirrel kept up his movements as before. After this object had been seen I began to suspect that there was an­ other animal there, and that it was probably taking advantage of the pres­ ence of the squirrel to pass unnoticed. The little red fellow at last took up a position, where he sat very demure and. innocent looking, eating a nut. The hidden one did not appear, BO I moved np the hill to investigate. As I neared the spot a grouse darted away, and the squirrel scrambled up a tree. The small, dark object I had seen had been the head of the grouse. By good luck and a snap shot I managed to stop him He proved to be the "cock of the woods"--very wise and very old, Hav­ ing no use for the squirrel I allowed him to escape. I heard him for some time after on his lofty perch chattering away in apparent triumph at the success of his strategem. •ay so. CV *•* Kuwlan Military Lino, > The Trans-Caspian Railroad, built by the Russian Government as a mili­ tary line, is developing much ooujmer- nia! importance. As it followed sub- itentially a line whkfe has been afijgla. The basket waa nearly ful^ and the wot^ifort^p it with a feeling of se­ curity agafgpfe^|h® cold of to-morrow, when the mile of a child got in the way of Boqtf pffsing brute of a man ard was thrown down. The boy hurried tp her, lifted her to her feet and turned her away from. the throng, while the* mother went forward with her worlt.' The baby toddled straight out in the street with the industry of a child, and in an instant there was a shout of hpr- ror, and a pausing of the swift flow of people, and a B^uggle close down un­ der the wheels of the grip car as the driver braced himself on the front rail and tore away at his track brake. A man turned from that stooping cluster at the car and lifted the quivering, si­ lent child in his arms. Only an in­ stant had passed, bat in" that swift flight of time the mother had ranged all the way from happiness at the thought o| what her labor would bring her cluldren to the bitter contemplation of her dying babe. Some of the people in the pdge of the orowd paused a mo- ment| looking at the gasping baby, looking at the , weeping mother, and then i$qy hurried on again. And what was life and death to one, what was sor­ row unspeakahle, and the blackness of woe was simply an incident to them. None of them pitied her, for none of them cared. None of them Helped her, for all were in baste. None of them re­ membered,; for the shore on wbioh this wave of trouble had tossed her is blaek with the wreck of hopes, and countless women with unnumbered children weep'the long night out--and nobody knows.-- Chicago Herald. Kephevr to Hm Unctot Down at Narraganseft Pier I made the acquaintance' of a fine-appearing young man who said he was a nephew of Jay Cooke. I didn't much care whose nephew he was, for he was one of the nicest young fellows I ever met, and he gave me over a dozen different pointers in billiards. One day, after I had known Mm about a week, he put a lot of greenbacks into an envelop© and beckoned me aside and confidentially whispered: "I am not always .what I seem. I have a mania for gambliug, and am safe oply when I have no money in my pockets. Will you be kind enough to keep this $300 for me and dole it put as I w a n t i t ? " : . . . , ; ; I suggested the office safe, out he had three or four reasonable excuses, and after telling him that I would not be responsible for .any lose, 1 locked the envelope in my trunk. It was very bulky, and he had written on the face of it his name and that it oontained $300. The very next day he struck me for $10, and I gave it to him out of my own wallet. Tne day after it was $5, and the day after that it was $10. In one week he drew $45 from me, but of course I was protected and felt easy. The second week he had drawn $25 when a sad accident happened. He went into the surf to bathe and was not seen again. We found his clothing in the bathhouse, but we could not find his body. It was scarcely known that he was drowned before five orders of $10 each were presented to me by guests, and the landlord wanted $48 out of the envelope. I opened it to find two $1 bills and a lot of cut paper--enough to make up a bulky package. Two weeks later, while in Providence, I met the drownod youn$ mm in the posfcoffiee. He was looking well and.hearty, and when I asked him whether he was really alive or not he took to his heels and outran me in a way to satisfy me that he was. The police looked for him in vain. He had fished for suckers and ..filled his basket.--Exchange? "Bringing Father'* Dinner." Itwasin the C.,H. &. D. depot in Cin­ cinnati one day, when one of the men employed to oil the cars as they came in, accidentally fell under the wheels of a moving coach and had his right leg and hip crushed in a horrible man­ ner. He was picked up and laid on some coats spread on the platform, and a doctcr was soon on hand, says a writer in'the New York Sun. He most hava suffered intensely, but after the doctor had eksmined him he coolly asked: "Doctor, how bad is 'v -Verv bad, indeed." , " *Wifl I live?" ' "Not more thatt ten minutes, you are bleeding to death." "What time is it, JimV asked the man of a fellow-employe. ~ f •*11:55," was the answer. : " "The children will bring my dinner at sharp 12. Some of you go and stop them. They mustn't see me die. Poor, motherless children--orphans now!" I went to the door, with others, and We were just in time to stop a boy of 8 and a girl of 6 from coming in. Each had hold of the handle of a basket containing father's dinner, and they were smiling in anticipation of the greeting they would receive. We sent them away with a false story about his having gone home, and the eyes of both were filled with tears of disappoint­ ment. The echo of their footsteps could still be heard on the pavement when the father breathed his last. Played a Waltz at Her Grave. They tell a story of Strauss, the oom* poaer, which he claimed was true. It is to the effect that an old lady admirer of the Strauss music, a Viennese, or­ dered in her last will and testament that a Strauss waltz should be played at her funeral, for which each member of the orchestra were to receive a du­ cat. The heivs objected at first on re­ ligious grounds to earrv out this plan, bnt the provisions of t,l»e will were dis­ tinct and could not be violated without endangering their claims; so Strauss and his musicians were engaged and plaoed in a circle around the grave, and while the ooffin was being lowered they played the favored waltz of their b(» Utt«DM adaiter.v <" •.*„* *a An of d cua .jppw.' k£i eelion, cri beeaad et of tha mtfeopolii, and., may properly regained as one of Amerfcamfeost pjpfipit institutions. Intheehnrch »|^early days, the yennih folk* ha$ little to do with the s for ^• Jeetival, and still its eohtlemance. AH that is "Wadays, and ihe change is largely for the .better, both socially and financially. The girls and young matrons own and run the fairs of the {Mreeent generation, and the proof of the aneeess of tbair management is shown tar the fact that there are hundreds of those festivifjes now where there were formerly not a quarter of that number. A fair is a necessity to a church 'nowadayi:, but it is still true that the fair's success depends upon gocd and earnest work. A faw hints as to the best way of going about it may there­ fore prove acceptable. It is ordinarily difficult to secure jest the right kind of rooms for the fair. A large one, with some smaller ones opening into it, is always the best, for the latter can be used for side-shows that add to the in­ come of the management. But any room where a fair is held should be prettily and gracefully decorated. If evergreens can be inexpensively pro­ cured to festoon the walls and wreath the pillars a handsome effect will be produced Flags and banners can be fixed singly or in groups on the walls or ceilings. All the windows in the room should be hung with curtains either of lace or muslin, held back by bows of ribbon. They seem to temper the light and. give a cooler look to the room. An open-work curtain can be purohased for five cents a yard. This, neatly hetfimed on each side, and tied back with red ribbon, looks very Well in­ deed. A new and novel feathre for a fair stfkll is the home-made candy table. The candies, or a part of them" should bji-m^de in fight of the people, thereby arousing interest and curiosity which lead to putting hands in pockets and bringing out shining quarters and half- dollars for Home of the sweets just manufactured. Begin with a good stock on hand, and by continually add­ ing to it there need be no tear about the demand. A good decoration for a stall are the American colors. Red. whiter and blue' cambric can be purchased at small cost; cut the goods into stripes and wind them around the booth. Over the center place a group of small flags and a sort of balloon can be made of a num­ ber of penny flags by sticking them all abound in a potatoe. On such a table might be displayed night-dresses, chemises, pinafore*, socks, dresses, ©apes, hoods, babies' caps, aprons, com­ forters, knitted gloves and mittens, t together with many other useful ar- alee, which will find a ready sale, very article ought to be placed so that its best effect is at once secured. Another booth may be decorated in Japanese fans, }>arasols, lanterns and screens. This will be known as the Japanese table, and nothing bnt Japa­ nese ware should be sold on it. A platform--if the room has not one already--should be put up, with a piano, harp, etc., placed there for the amusement of the company. Programs can be drawn up and sold to add to the funds. It is a fallacy to suppose that people do not require further amuse­ ment than what appertains to the fair proper. When visitors have made the tour of the room once or twice, exam­ ined and purchased snch articles as pleased them, thev wish for something more to do. Raffles are amusing, and fine art exhibitions, when skillfully and originally managed, are very entertain- ing. 'If a small room can be spared for the purpose so much the better, but if not a screen placed in one corner will answer. Near this should be the keeper with a number of catalogues to sell to the passer-by. Be­ hind the screen shelves are fixed, on which the articles are placed in the or­ der in which they are mentioned in the catalogue. The ingenuity of the man­ ager of the exhibition must be exercised to provide new ideas. If in the cata­ logue "A Fancy Ball" is designated it may be represented by a ball of differ­ ent shades of wool, "Ruius in China," by a broken plate, "The Belle of the Village" by a large dinner bell, and so on. Another source of amusement and profit is to have the ladies connected with the fair make aprons and neckties alike. The ladies wear their aprons during the fair and the neckties are placed in envelopes and sold to the gen­ tleman who treats the lady whose apron matches his necktie to oysters, ice-eream and other things. Then there is the gypsy fortune tel­ ler, no fair should be without that. In the booth or tent the young lady, dressed in the garb of a gypsy can sit at her ease, only saying to those who enter to consult her: "The past is igone, the present you know, the future is to come." And then she may sell pretty articles of beads, etc. There are many things that can be made and readily disposed of. All the girls connected with a fair should con­ sult with each other as to what had better be made in time for the opening. In this way one suggestion will lead to another, and the result will be many original notions carried out to the best advantage. •:••" ToM toy • MtMloimrjr. The following is told on theatftli&rity Of a well-known Cape Missionary: A man having sat down on a shelving, low rock near a small fountain to take a little rest after his hearty drink, fell asleep; but the heat of the rock soon disturbed his dreams, when he beheld a large lion crouching before him, with its eyes glaring in his face, and within little more than a yard of his feet. He was at first struck motionless with ter­ ror, but recovering bis presence of mind, ho eyed his gun, and began mov­ ing his hand slowly toward it, when the lion raised its head and gave a tremendous roar, the same awfnl warn­ ing being repeated whenever the man attempted to move his hand. The rook at length became so heated that he oould scarcely bare his naked feet to touch it. The day night also, but the • t' t '? - A, k a*'..}*'.,' i.ttz'l.i. A ii; .A t», * *t"> ¥. r Ui&sfr ' «#«0wer. of his w ay fit i»d knees soon After fell k Wkoofcher oripple for life. Hiring A M»n. The landlord of the village tavern had told Farmer Hicks that he had a tramp at the barn who wanted work and would wo^k oheap, and &e farmer went Out to have a talk with him. "Lo0k*a-h*ito,* began the agri«ttltui ist aftor some general talk, "we must come to a fair understanding beffere we kin Ket the price. You are to git ap at 4 o'clock in the morning.* "Yes." "And work tillHell you to stopi* "Yes." : " Yon sleep in the bam,* „ "I'm willing." •< "You eat in the kitcheQ,* v..*" "All right." " "You are to call me ^udge when you speak to me." "I will." "You are to call my wife* Lady Hicks." "Pll do that, too." "Whatever I say goes, and that with­ out dispute. There must be no talking back." "No, sir." "I want to be treated with as much respect as if I was the President him­ self." "I see." "If any one fc MottttdTflm *i*W take off your hat to me." "I will." "Now about,the Wagei. Jill give you $4 per month, half in eash, and hall in store pay." "That's all right." • "And yon are to work Sundays and holidays if I say so.* "Certainly." "And you won't- be allowed tea, oof- fee or fresh meat." "1 don't want 'em." > "Well, that's all I thinkof. Hold on! Did I say $4 per month?" ' "Yes." ^ "I meant just half of thajt»* J ^ • "Very well" // "And all store pay.* ^ "f. .. "All right." "Well, 111 call in and you be ready." « ^ I wondered that the tramp yielded every point BO humbly, and when the farmer had gone I asked him why he had done so. "Because I'm tired of life and want a good place to hang myself in. He's just the kind of a man I like to make trouble for." He laughed aa he said so, and I had no idea that he was in earnest Next morning the farmer came into town with his team on the run, and as he halted in front of the inn, he called out: "Git the Coroner and a jury and a ooffin and come along, f< tramp has hanged himse] ary with the lines of 4 ness!"--Ar. Y. Sun. __j *lghty-Flvo learn m Among the venerable men who regis­ tered as voters in Brooklyn, N. Y., for the last election was a tall man with ruddy countenance and white hair and beard. His form was ereet; and he would easily be taken for a man of sixty. As he approached the registry clerk and announced his name, there was a general craning of necks to catch a glimpse of the proud-looking old man. "What is your age?" "Eighty-five years." "Where were you born ?* ; - \ . "In Brooklyn."" \ , 'v.t "How long have yog Uv«ii*^he state?" , jr - - , - "Eighty-five years." "How lont» in the ward?" c "Eighty-five years." "How long in the election district ?" "Eighty-five years." "That's all. sir," said the clerk, and an American citizen, who was born in 1805 in the house in wbioh he now lives and has always lived, walked away. What Constitute* a Nation. Fifty millions of people on the three millions of square miles of territory do not constitute the United States of America. A million or so of people oc­ cupying twenty-one thousand square miles did not constitute Greece. It was the Greeks who constituted Greece; it is Americans who constitute America. So many people thrown together on one territory no more make a nation than so many blocks of stone thrown together in a pile make a temple. ^ or so many threads in a tangle a fabric. Every nation has its own distinguish­ ing features, its own type of character, its own consciousness, its own life. To constitute a nation there mu3t be not only people and land and laws, but laws that are self-evolved, literature that is the expression of national life, language fitted to express that life, and therefore a life to be expressed. Dirertod from the Original. The territory now called Kansas, or at least that portion of it that borders on Kaw, was once occupied by the Kanzas Indians, and "Kansas" is a cor­ ruption of the primitive name, happily, too, for the original is harsh and lacka the euphomy of the modern form. It is alleged that the name was diverted from the original through the mistake of a proofreader, who, revising the very early work of some missionary, mistook the "u" for an inverted "n," and so "corrected" it, and to that blunder we are indebted for the name of Kansas. The Kansas ludians are called Kaws, a diminutive of Kansas or Kauzas. I have seen the word spelled in old books Kauza and Kansa, but the zis probably the oorrect letter. « The Writing Telegraph. . The writing telegraph, which tiafl at first but a tardy recognition jat the hands of the commercial public, is now being extensively used. There is no question as to the value of an invention which secures absolute immunity from error in the transmission of messages and communications from one plaoe to another. Tile written com m unioatkm at the receiving end of the line is a flnrrlliiMit rf ntfu'tagir sent, so that tile aetual writing of the sender is re- prodaoed inthe message rtMefcr«& A BO ilzoad in the at r< level. A SODA water fountain which on the invented. bnt f nhfit rrrt mrtre tluii lara worth at a thee. •* * ̂ MARRIED persons live Jon], single ones, and the Ml have chance fo* long life «Hji§» stature. Women have a»» life in their fcwfir preNrfctt*# of age than men have, but- lower afte|»V Ward. • V, ," >jfJ THERE are growing on a farm in Antonio, Cal., two large fig tree are as old as the State. They are feet in height have a wy lawe ap' and are marvels of ptodtoeitveoess. It is thought they wilf|IiM$$|r pounfe of fruit each. V THE Czar of Russia is ifapidly becom­ ing one of the most lavish ait,col lectors in the world. The sum now spends in acquiring bronzes is said to be so WI)S « confidential ministers are growing a lit*-' • tie alarmed aboat the matter. THE greatest diving feat ever achieved was in moving the cargo of the ship Cape Horn, wrecked off the ooasi South America, when a diver, named Hooper, made seven descants to a depth of 201 feet, remaining at one time forty- two minutes under the water. A SLIGHT oonoeption of the extent of ' the British Empire ma* be gained frottx this: The fastest ocean steamer afloaf would occupy more time in traversing the spaoe covered by either the length or breadth of her Indian possessions than it does to cross the Atlantic. Extrsordi- nary as the above may seem, British possessions in Australasia and North America are sufficiently large to oover India for and a half times and over. Bow Our Navy (Jaed to Sboot. The proficiency of American gunnery in this war is perhaps best illustrated by the Constitutions^ first action with the Gueriere, in which she was hulled but three times, while her antagonist, to use the words of her commander, was re«. duced to a "perfect wreck" within forty minutes from the time the Constitution began to fire. This battle occurtrdd Oft August 19, 1812. . • In her action with the Java, Decent* ber 29, 1812, off the eoast of Brazil, the Constitution was hnlled but four times, and with ihe exception ol her maintop- sail yard she did not lose a spar. The Javii, on the other hand, was "totally masted," while her hull was so shaK red tmd pierced irith shot-holes thai was imaomlMfr ttB> get her to the har- >r'of Bin Snlvflwn*. which was 'only if hourBSsil. In her action with the Cyane and Le­ vant the forces opposed were: Consti­ tution, 51 guns with 1,287 pounds of metal; British, 55 guns with 1,508 pounds of metal. In this extraordinary action the Constitution was hulled only thirteen times, while the Cyane had every brace and bowline cut away, "her main and mizzen masts left in a totter­ ing, state, and other principal spate Wounded, several shots in the hull, nine or ten between wind and water." Th£< Levant was also roughly handled. Before dismissing the subject of gun* nery we should take into consider­ ation : 1. The inferior quality of Ameri­ can cannon and shot. 2. The deficiency in weight of American shot, 3. The fact that in two of the four' actions be­ tween single frigates the English used French cannon and shot, which tSei# eight per cent, heavier than their nom* inal English equivalents--Century, v %Z Cftu .Teigh » Salr. • A delicate weighing apparatus, buili ' in Philadelphia for the United Statee ' ^ Government, has been completed an|L • set up in the United States assay office •' v, in Nqw York. The balance is made to "v- carry 10,000 ounces (equal to aboi^ J ̂ 700 pounds avoirdupois) in each pans';, > ~ and the contract stipulated that the; < scales must be sensible to 1-100 ounc$ ; ^ when loaded to full capacity. When ^ the balance was placed in position, * 1 careful test was made, the pans being loaded with 10,000 ounces of gold bricks. The addition of an extra 1-100 ounce immediately moved the entirf mass, and effectually demonstrated the remarkable sensibility of the machine. ; The perfection of the working parts ' the machine is more remarkable whett •• it is considered that the beam witi hanging and full load weighs nearly ft \ ton. And yet a weight of less than five grains sufficed to move this ponderou^ mass. • iMd A Good Substitute. A policeman who was patroling Brash street the other night heard some one growling and mumbliqg near Recrea­ tion Park, and after hunting around foe awhile he located a man lying under tree. "What are you .doing here?" ̂ ftskod, "It's my bed for the nighl* . "But you'll freeze here."« - > ' "Oh, no, I won'k I've g£t Wftif; stitute for bed-quilts." \ "I don't see it." "But I've got it. There's a ohap in this town who has insulted me several times, and who's going to get an awfu| licking some day. I just imagine I've met him--peeled off my coat--calie<$ him a liar--knoked him clean through a fence, and I'm so warmed up .that | wouldn't thank anybody for a blanket. You go right along and let me alone. I'm all right and as warmk as natural gM-" i • "• To Commemorato the Sioux Warof 186St ?v A monument is to be erected by th^C" ( State of Minnesota, to com menxorat^ - the battles and incidents of the SioU* ] ;,3 Indian war of 1862, and especially as '% they relate to the town of. New tflm in that State. The burning of the town * S: atod the massacre of the whites are to * be shown in two elaborate bas-reliefs. m "IT'S never too late to i indefinitely, - "

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