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F R E D V A U E E Pledged but to Truth, to Liberty and L?v ; H 5 tvors Win us and no Fear Shall Awe." i\.'HENRY, ILLINOIS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1895. PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY " --J . V AN SljYKE,-- EDITOH AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE IN THE NICHOLS BLOCK. Two Doors North of Perry & Owen's 8tpr«» TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: V " One year tin advance),/-. • <-j. >...... $l i>0 If Not Paid within Three .Mouths... ..... 2,00 Subscriptions reec.ivw for three or gix months in the same proportion. RATES OF ADVERTISING: / We announce liberal rates for advertising in the PLAIHDEAI.ER, and endeavor to state t».&ui ,so,piainly that they will be readily un iisrstood. They are *8 follows: 1 lnc-h one year : , r •' >- 5 00 8 laches one year - » - 10 00 3 Inches one year - -• - - 15 00 H Cojumnone year '• - . - - .30 00 Ooiunnfn one year- - . - - •• 60 00 Column one year ----- 100 00 One nca means the measurement of one iach down the column,single column width. Yearly advertisers, at the above rates, have the privilege of changing often as they choose, without extra charge. Regular advertisers (meaning those having standing cards) will be entitled to insertion of local notices at the rate of 5 cents per line each week. All others will be charged 10 cents per lino the first week, and G cents per line for eaoh subseauent week. Transient advertisements will be charged at'the rate of 10 cents pe line, (nonpareil type, same as this is set in) the first issue, and 5 oents per line for subsequent issues. Thus, an inch advertisement will cost $1.00 for one week, $1.50 for two weeks, |2.00 for three weeks, and so on. The PLAINDHALEK will be liberal in giving eiitorial notices, but, ae a business rule, it will-require a suitable fee from everybody seeking the use of its columns for pecuniary gain. BUSINESS CARDS. FRANK L. SHEPARD, COUNSELLOR AT LAW. Suite 514--3(U,a Salle.St., Chicago. ING OUT SALE. I am closing out ray entire stock of Boots, Shoes and Winter Goods at less than cost. Those who wish to furnish themselves with Boots and Shoes for winter, call on time. I don't ask you to buy, just call and learn the price,. These goods must be sold as I will not keep these kind of goods in stock. ' ,'v> - < ' :. V". y--- loves, mitts and Woolen goods in endless variety. A fine line of Groceries at unheard of low prices. :. Finest white Syrup, per gal. 25c Snow white Kerosene, 11c Fresh Oysters, : 35c Vienna Bakery Bread, . \ • . •; • 6 laaves for 25c Oatmeal, per lb. ' 2Jc Green Peas, 2c Beans, 4c Sardines, per box, 4c Plug Tobacco, per lb. 23c Butter and Eggs at Market Price. Sugar at cost. Patent Flour, per sack, $1,10 Bohemian Rye Flour, sack, 90c Loaded Shells, per box, , 32c Powder, per lb. . J' ' • 15c Shot, per lb. 6c 32-cartridges, per box, . 28c 22-cartridges,' per box, 14c Wash Boilers, 85c Stove Elbows, 8c Stove-Pipe, 11c Clothes wringer, SI,80 Nails, per 100 lbs. §3,25 o. H. 1TEGERS, M, D- .u.vlAN AND SURGE' Ills. Office at Residence. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON. MeHenrj ]-" " ' " J JOS, L. ABT, M. D. PHYSICIAN, SURGEON AND OCULIST, Office in Nichols Block, over Plaiudealer Office. McHenry Telephone No 4. DR. A. E. AURINGER, # PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON. Office in the Stroncr buildiug, one door west of A. P. B ier.'e store, West McHenry, 111. Residence, house formerly occupied by Dr Osborne, All professional calls promptly at­ tended to, O. B. HOWE, M. D, PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON. Offi-ie and Residence, Hotel Woodstock. OlHce hours 1 to 2 P. M. daily, (jails promptly at­ tended to. Deserving poor treated tree o1 charge at office, including meniclne Monday and Friday. F. O. COLBY, D. D. S. DENTIST. Woodstock. III. Special aten-tion paid to regulating children's teeth, Parties coming from a distance, will do well to give timely notice by mail. Office, Kendal block corner Main street and PubliuSq are O. P. BARNES, ATTORNEY, Solicitor, andi Counselor, Collectlons a specialty. WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS. KNIGHT BROWN, ATTORNEYS AT LAW. U. S. EXPRESS CO.'B Building, 87 and 89 Washington St. CHICAGO, ILL. JOHN P. SMITH, WsitclniaailiOi- & Jeweler McHENRY. ILLINOIS. A FINE stock of Clocks, Watches and Jew elry always on hand. Special attention given to repairing fine watohos. Give me a C a l 1 ' JOHN P- SMITH. H. C. fVSEAO, Justice oj the Peace and General In surance Agent including Accident and Life Insurance OFFICE WITH B. GILBERT, SKAE DEPOT, WEST MCHENRY. III. w. P. ST. GL&lRs Justice of the Peace and Notary Public heal Estate and Insurance, ' KUNDA, III* Ao SV2. CHURCH, Watchtsiaker and Jeweler No 126 Mate Street, Chicago. Special attention given to repairing Fine Watches an > Chronometers. . «3~ A F'lll Assortment of Goods in his line. Westerman & Son, HOUSE, SIGN AND CARRIAGE PAINTERS. MCHENKY ILLINOIS. We arte prepared to do all work in our line on short notice and guarantee satisfaction^ PAPER HANGING A SPECLALTK Prices reasonable and work promptly done. ' WESTERMAN & SON. McHenry. Jmuary 30.189-1, Thousands of articles at less than cost. Money I want. After Oct. 1st business will be transacted only on a strictly cash basis. Highest Priec paid for Butter and Eggs. 'Yours truly, M. ENGELN. McHenry, 111,, 1895 Fall Millinery Opening, THURSDAY^ FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCT. 3,4,5. Wc take pleasure in announcing our annual opening. We will exhibit a superb gathering of all the latest fashions in NTHrmery Goods, J Hats, Bonnets, Walking Hats, Sailors', Toqes, Misses' and Children's Hats. Ornaments, plumes, ribbons, and the new­ est novelties in high art millinery, and our prices we guar­ antee are the lowest. We most cordially invito yourself and friends to this opening. --Special sale of Cloaks, cheap for cash. --One hundred Cloaks, in black and colors, the best value you ever saw at $2.50. One hundred ladies' and children's cloaks, cost the manu­ facturer from $15 to §25, your choice for $5. An opportunity never to be repeated. NOTICE. SALOON AND SESTADROfl McHERRY, ILUKOtS, Wholesale arid Retail Agent for SCilLlTZ IMee- Bran Co.'s Bser, THE BEST MADE. in any quantity from a Snitz Glass to 1C0 barrels. Orders by mai l prompt ly aUendedj l to . ALSO ALWAYS ON HAND Fine Kentucky Liquors, French"!Bitters, choice Ales, Wines, Cigars, Etc. I b y none but the best and se 1 at reaeonab'e prices. Call and see me a id I will us use you well, ANTOKY ENGELN. McHenry, III. , 1894. _ JOHN J. BU/JH, iO&RDXNQ MOUSE, Near the Iron Bridge, McHenry, Board bv the Day or Week at Reasonable rates, A NICE LINE OF.ROW BOATS AT MY LANDING.- Pare Wines, Liquorsand Choice Cigars always on hand. WFreahLa^er Beer constantly on draught 4n.jf ,4 £ . ' » A HTCn 8 or 10 men to solicit orders W A«l 1 tU for Hardy Nursery Stock Fruit vnd Ornamentals ; also new and valu able varieties of See I Potatoes. Permanent p-sitlon»; R'.oi salary, ranging from $75 to ^t3S p»r month, Apply quick with references, t. L. WAY at CO., St Paul, Minn. Marserynwn, Florists and Seedmen. Do You Want ? A steady pavingjol, V W Ui- «£.&. • with largest house in the west, 20 years established. With our fa­ cilities we can make a good salesman in t« o weeks from raw material. Nursery stock that is warranted to grow. 25 best varietiea fceed potatoes in the world, etc. If you want money stating aga. L L. WAY & CO. St. Paul, Minn- Nurserymen, Florists and Seedsmen. (This house is responsible) Agents Wanted A • ITAl.QVltTlOIS f|tr TUP n A V Political Revolution of ur t nt UK I . ' .-,2. Crii is of *93 and '94. Battles for bread, PoXETrest. (strikes, the Unemployed.. GREAT LABOR ISSUES of the present and the future Tariff I;egiilation The ailver Questions What Protection does for the American Workmen. What Free Trade does for him. A bo .k for the hour- Evervbody wants it, Pri^c only #1 50. Sells at sig'ht Most liberal terms to agents. Send for > irculftrs or send 90 Cent3 for agent's out fit at once P. W- ZiEGLiEB it Co., 523 Market Street, t, Louis, Mo, All you men and boys tha want to Safe from $2 to $5 on Pants OR SUITS. Don't Miss this Chance On any kind of ^oods sold in m\ store, at Chicago's lowest prices, E. LAWLUS. Opposite Riverside Hotel, McHenry COMING! DR. CORTHELL, The Only Guaranteed " OPTICIAN, Making return visits every 60 days. AT RIVERSIDE HCU3E, MCHENRY, IM,.,-'; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3d« 4th and 5th, 1895. A good opportunity to hay»? your oyeB made perfect.. ' . r - , EXAMINATION FREE. I®'1' Remember the dates and be sure and'call. ,'V- 'V A.C. SPURLIKG Veterinary Surgeon, McHenry. Makes a specialty CASTRATION. Office at Hanly's Livery Stable. West McHenry, 111. Agents W anted! In every town in McHenry County, and the Northern part of Illinois, to to- licit Life Insurance for the NORTHWESTERN - MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. OF MILWAUKEE, WIS. » 'The Company has f75,oOO.OOO assets and 315,000,000 surplus; is yeara old and pays larger dividends than any other life company in this country. For information apply to J. H. JOHNSON, Special Agent. Woodstock, 111. Or V. P. HEIL, District Agent, Rockford, 111. lime II THINK OF THE MONEY MADE from r einventions--novelties, or siir pie useful .V ik labor-saving devices, If yr>u have made » |a discovery, or worKed out ft mechanical Vv problem.we 'll give reliable advice as to patentability. The "Inventive Age, illustrated magazine, 6th year, in interest oj inventors, gnaranvees work of Its Patent Department," and illustrates and describes useful inventions free, Complete, valid, s t r o n g a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e P n ^ ^ terms; advice free. Address THE INVENT­ IVE AGE, Washington. DC. JOEt H.'JOHNSON, WOODSTOCK, ILL. V pecial Agent for the Northwester' Mutual Lile Insurance Co. llyl Of Milwaukee, Wis. C. F. BOLEY, Piirielor of McHenry Brewery, MCHENRY, ILL. Always on Hand with the Best liter DR, FRUTH'SMe"VWfc Friday. Oct. 4thy WOODSTOCK. IL., DISPENSARY At tlie Hotel Woodstock. DR. FRUTH, after years of experience has perfected the mostirifallible method of cur- ng Nervous deb.Uty, decay of body and mind, Bel'-distrust, poor memory, weak eyes, •<tunted development, lack, of meuidry, im­ poverished blooil, low vitality, and all efloota >t abuses, excesses, improper life, etc., ivhich renders marriage unhappy and life miserable. SPECIALTIES--Catarrh, Skin Diseases, Sores Pimples, Scrofula, Biood Taint, Eczema, Oan- ^.©r, Piles, and Diseases of Women We Guarantee to Forfel} ISSOOfor a case of SEXUAL DISEASE Jure, Question list FREli. One personal uterviow solicited. CouBuitation free DR. D. O, FRU f H, . 37 I 6 Lake Ave. ( Chicago' West Side Livery, FEED AND SALE STABLES. E. .J. HANLY, Prop'r. WE1T McHENRY, ILL. First class rigs, with or without driv*re, turn'shed at reaaenaole rates- Varties taken and from the Lakes in Easy Rigs, and lifompt connection made with all trains. Our Rigs will be kepv in llrst class shape, ind we shall spare no p.iins to pleasis our cue >mers at all times. Give us a^cali, E. J. HANLY, West McHenry, 111,, Aug. 15, 18)4. NEW CASH J One Door South of Post Office McHENRY, ILL., Has refitted the earns and put in a Full Line of Chsics Family Groceries, KeroseiiP, Gasoline, Potatoes, Fresh Bread, Tablets, ^ Pencils, new Teas, new Coffees. Our Bakery Supplies, Received from the Rockford Bakery are abso- utelv fresh every day. Bread, Buns, His- •,uit, Cookies, etc., always on hand. Canned Goods, and all kinds of Fruits in their season can be found at our store, C. B. f¥iURPHY. McHenry, March 18,1895. Does smoke from your cigar arise Like ipcense in the air? Or does it only cause a smudge And make your neighbor swear ? Why will you stick to cabbage leaves And drive your friends afar, When you can purchase for a dime "Our Monogram" cigar? I Oc- I Oc. VBARBlAfi BROS. MAKERS OP Choice Cigars J! We can sell you one or a thousand--retai or wholesale. PROTECT YOUR HORSE! BV BUYING ONE OF THOSE Handsome Fly Nets Now on exhibition at our shpp. We also have a full line of Dusters, Whips, etc., to which we invite your at­ tention, and will guarantee to please you in QUALITY, STYLE AND HRICE. A fine stock of •, SINGLE & DOUBLE HARNESS Which will be sold cheaperthan the same goods can be bought elsewhere and war­ ranted as represented. iREPMRING Promptly Attended to,J Do not fail to call at once and get the benefit of our bargains. CUS CARLSON. McHenry, 111.^ June 18, 1895. Call at Gus Carlson's and get your horse dressed up. He keeps everything in that line and of the best quality. Ee "Tells His TMe." Everybody remembers the lines in Milton's "Allegro:" And every shepherd tells his tale Under the hawthorn in the dale. What kind of tale do shepherds tell beneath the shade in summer dell? Of love, be sure, the shepherd sings, and lovely ways and lovely things; of maid­ en coy and wooer shy, of whispered word and speaking eye, of songs and games at Christmastide, when mum­ mers mock and hobbies ride; of may­ pole mirth and Whitsun ale, of dark December's ghostly tale, and kisses Snatched, love's daring theft--the more you take the more are left. Such things the poet saw and -heard; such songs, such simple tale, such word ; what time the hot sun overhead made, welcome all the hawthorn. shade, and while the swain in sunny June beguiled the sum­ mer afternoon. . »*•"";; . ' • ' I believe the above represents accu­ rately what \ve understand by those two lines. A friend, however, whom 1 call the Destroyer, because he takes a fiend­ ish pleasure in shattering these pretty looking visions Of fantasy, tells me that Milton meant nothing of the kind. He simply alluded to a custom common in some parts of the country of- driving the flock through a gap in the hedge on the other side of which the shepherd counts his sheep--i. e., "tells his tale." I hope the Destroyer is not right, but there is his theory.--Walter Besaut. Tennyson Gets Snubbed. He (Tennyson) desired 'to be intro­ duced to her, or perhaps--for his ways were somewhat regal--desired that she might, be presented to him. In which­ ever way it was the ceremony was trans­ acted. and Tennyson's second remark was this question, "Oh, Lady ----, do I know Lord ?" The person about whom he thus inquired was a peer, who, though young, had won much distinc­ tion in publje life and was widely knowtuHTprivate.- His wife, as it hap­ pened, was devoted to him, and jealous of any word which sounded like dis­ paragement of his position or indiffer­ ence to his renown. She looked Tennyson in the face and answered, with perfect composure of manner: "I am sure, Lord Tennyson, I can't say. I never heard him mention your name in my life." For a moment the poet was staggered by this straight hit from the shoulder, but he had the good sense and good temper to take it well.--Smalley's "Studies of Men." Humors of Congress. During anexeiting debate in the house of. representatives the members some­ times not only indulge in mixed meta­ phors but rival Sir Boyle Roche, the member of the Irish parliament most famous for his "bulls." The National Tribune prints these specimens: A member in referring to one of his colleagues said: "The gentleman, like a mousing owl, is always putting in his oar where it is not wanted." In another speech occurred this ex­ pression : "The iron heel of stern necessity darkens evfery hearthstone. *° And another member in a very forci­ ble and dramatic manner asked the house this startling question: "Would you stamp out the last flick­ ering embers of a life that is fast ebbing away?" Electric Lights For Tigers. A sportsman of Caloutta lias employ­ ed the electric light with success in hunting tigers by night among the jun­ gles of the Suuderbunds. It is usual to set a bait for the tiger--for instance, tlio body of a cow or other animal--and watch for him from a raised platform or manclmn close by./ Instead of the blue light hitherto burned to illuminate the tiger in order to aim well, the gen­ tleman in question has rigged up a 16 candle power electric lamp, fed by a portable battery of 80 capo farad cells, carried in his bolt. The lamp, fitted with a reflector, is suspended from a tree over the bait.* A switch beside the htinter enables him to start the light when the tiger is engaged in devouring his prey.--London Globe. Baffled. The word baffled now has a meaning entirely different from that applied to it 300 years ago. It is now understood to mean thwarted, foiled or disappoint­ ed, but then it was applied to the proc­ ess of degradation by which a knight was disgraced. A baffled knight was one who had been pronounced guilty of conduct unbecoming one of his order and had accordingly been shorn of his plumes, his sword was broken before his eyes, his knightly robe torn away, his spurs cut off with a cleaver, and after being publicly chastised he was declared to be baffled. The word is used in this sense by Shakespeare and other writers of that time. Sacrifice of Sight. Said a well known optician: "You have no idea how many people come in here daily who want cheap glasses. Af­ fection. of the eyes, which require the nicest and most accurate adjustment to correct, and which cannot be done with­ out good glasses, are deemed of less mo­ ment than otliei® sb called human neces­ sities." While he was speakipg a man entered who purchased a pair of spec­ tacles for 25 cents. "There is an exam­ ple," continued the optician. "That man's sight will probably become worse. Buts there's a large demand for cheap glasses, and we are forced to supply that demand. "--Cincinnati Tribune. Sir John Macdonald and tEe Kilts. Sir John Macdonald was at a recep­ tion in the west, and a bishop from Bel­ gium was present. As the party were being escorted by a body of nfen in high­ land costume the foreign bishop, seeing the bare legs and kilts, asked why these men were without trousers.^"It's just a local custom," gravely replied Sir John. "In some places people take off their hats as a mark of honor to ditinguished guests. Here they take off their trou­ ghs, "--Canadian Gazette. The Earth's Setback. The explanation of Lord Kelvin's es­ timate that the "setback" of .the earth in its daily rotation round its axis amounts |o 22 seconds per century is re­ ported to be that such retardation is owing to the friction caused by the tides, the latter. acting as a brake, and such action is calculated, according to this same authority, to be equal in weight to some 400,000 tons applied on the equator. Other causes, he says, have also to be taken into account, as, for example, the increase in the size of the earth, due to the falling on it of mete­ oric dust, which, if deposited at the rate of one foot in 4,000 years, would produce the observed retardation by it­ self. Further, such a phenomenon as , tho annual growth and melting of snow and ice at the poles, by abstracting water from the other parts of the ocean, introduces irregularities into the prob­ lem, the abstraction accelerating the earth's motion, and the melting, by re­ storing-the water, retardingit. Again, as opposed to the retarding forces,, it is urged tbat there is to be taken into ac­ count a probable acceleration, due to the gradual sinking of the earth by cooling, this, however, being not more, perhaps, than one six-thousandth part of the re­ tardation due to tidal friction. A Timeless Village. From the notebook of a recent trav­ eler in Alsace: "On my return from Belchen I looked upon the beautiful vil­ lages of the Lewen valley, and being a tourist who likes to poke his nose into everything I turned by chance into the church at Kirchberg. On coming out I took out my watch to regulate it by the clock in the church tower. But there was no clock to be seen. Hence I went into tho village inn, aiidl^iere asked the time. But mine host codld not oblige me. 'You see,' he said, 'we have no use for clocks. In the morning we go by the smoke rising from the chimney at the parsonage upon the hill. The par­ sonage people are very regular. We dine when dinner is ready. At 4 p. m. the whistle of the train coming from Mass- munster tells us that the time has come for another meal, and at night we know that it is time to go to bed when it is dark. On Sundays,, we go to church when the bell rings. Our parson is a very easy going man. He doesn't mind beginning half an hour sooner or later.' " John Smith In Many Lands. Plain John Smith is not very high soitnding. It does not suggest aristoc­ racy. It is not tho name of any hero in die away novels. Yet it is good and honest. Transferred to other languages, it seems to climb the ladder of respecta­ bility. Thus, in Latin it is Johannus Smith- us; the Italian smoothes it off into Gio­ vanni Smithi; the Spaniards render it Juan Smithus; the Dutchman adopts it as Hans Schmidt; the French flatten it out into Jean Smeets; the Russian turns it into Jonloff Smitowski; at Canton John Smith becomes Jahon Sliimmitt. The Icelanders say he is Jahne Smith- son; among the Tusoaroras he becomes Tom Qu Smittia ; in Poland he is known as Ivan Schmittiweiski; among the Welsh mountains .they call him Jihon Schinidd.; at Mexico his name is writ­ ten Jontii F'Smitri; in Greece he turns to 'Ion Siniktou, and in Turkey he is almost disguised as Yoe Seef. Parisian Auctions. At a Parisian auction the auctioneer is provided with a lot of little tapers, each of which will burn for about five minutes. When a bid is made, one of these tapers is lighted in full view of the interested parties. If, before it ex- •pires, another bid is offered, it Is imme­ diately extinguished and a fresh taper placed in its stead, and so on until one flickers and dies out of itself, When the last bid becomes irrevocable. This sim pie plan prevents all contention among rival bidders and affords a reasonable time for reflection before making a high­ er bid than the one preceding. By this means, too, the auctioneer is prevented from exercising undue influence upon the bidders or hastily accepting the bid of a favorite. Knew His Men. During the training of the militia in Campbeltown a company was ordered off for ball firing, including a game­ keeper from Amnamurchan, who was singled out as marker. The sergeant took up the fieldglass to see if all was ready, when to his horror he saw the marker standing in front of the target. Thinking the man insane, the sergeant at once hastened to the rescue and in an authoritative voice demanded the meaning of such reckless conduct, at the same time describing the marker as a fool "I'm no sic a fool as you think/' was the retort. "I ken the safest place weel eneuch. I've marked for your com­ pany afore. "--Dundee News. A Rule For Book Reviewers. A prominent journalist had the great advantage of early training as a review­ er under Bret Harte on The Overland Monthly. She says that the following was his invariable rule for dealing "with the criticism of books: "If it is a young writer or the first work of an author, lean on the side of mercy. Spare the rod. But if it is by an old hand, lay on !" A Reminiscence of the Maria. The famous yacht Maria oiice loafed around Newport harbor with a big iron chain suspended from her centerboard box in order to get up the courage of her competitors, but on the day when it meant for keeps and for the cup she let it go and left the whole fleet hull down and out of sight.--Boston.Globe. - In Burma it is the woman who does , the wooing. Not only does she select her own husband, but when she tires of him she procures a divorce for ask­ ing of it and m'airies anew. It is declared that men in a savage state never have the toothache. We never have seen any one with the tooth­ ache who-was not in a sayage state. Beit Splicing. The cement splice is, according to a writer in- The Wood Worker, the most, perfectly satisfactory method of joining together rtie ends of a belt. In leather belting such a splice is comparatively easy to make, as the ends of the belt may be scarfed to a thin edge with an ordinary iron bench plane, but before rubber belts can be thus treated it" is necessary to cut them down in s teps , or sections. A four ply belt may have three sections, one thickness of the. canvas being cut back several inches, another - thickness cut" back two-thirds of the dis­ tance, a third thickness cut back one- third of the distance, while a thickness of canvas is left ..untouched at the. bot­ tom, the other end of the belt being treated in the same manner, so that. hen the ends are brought together the ' sections;left on one; end will replace those cut on the other end of the belt. To obtain the Sest results -it ie recom­ mended that the belt be put into a press after the operation of cementing, but in the absence Of that tool the belt may be laid flat upon a board and fastened by driving a number of shoe pegs through the belt into the board, allowing it to remain thus until the cement has set and then closely cutting off the pegs. Austin Corbin Embarrassed. The biggest man identified with New York's principal seaside resort is Austin Corbin, the head and front of the Man­ hattan Beach company. He is a hard worker and probably sees less of his own profitable pleasure grounds than lots of the clerks who hold down desks in the offices of the Corbin Banking company. Mr. Corbin's name c.ime np during a talk with some ? gentlemen in the corridor of the Fifth Avenue, and one of the groups remarked that, while Corbin was a hustler, he wasn't much of an after dinner orator. "At a Clover club dinner," said the story teller, "Corbin, who was then president of Reading, was called upon to make a speech. He unwillingly arose, stam­ mered and finally remarked, 'Mr. Chair­ man, as I am not accustomed to speech- making I am greatly embarrassed'-- 'And,'uttered a deep voiced guest at the banquet, board, 'so is your blanked old road!' This completely paralyzed Mr. Corbin, but it let him out of a bad hole and introduced ki:n t#the customs and follies of Cloverites, "--rPittsburg Dispatch. b The Hanging. - •" Young folks are apt to judge of words by their literal- meaning, without any attempt to reason upon the subject. The descendant of a celebrated general of the Revolution, quite a small boy, was visit­ ing Independence hall with his mother, when she pointed to an oil portrait and said: "There is a picture of-your great-great­ grandfather, hung by General Washing­ ton." The boy took little notice of what she said at the time, apparently being more interested in the Liberty bell and other curious relics in the hall. Bnt some weeks afterward, when distinguished guests were dining at his father's table, he broke an interval of silence by ask­ ing: "Mamma, what did you tell me in Philadelphia about my great-great­ grandfather being hung?" The question was a startling OUQ, bnt it was soon explained to the entire sat­ isfaction of the guests.--Exchange. Watch the Thumbs. A physician in charge of a well known asylum for the care of the insane recently said: "There is one infallible test either for the approach or the presence of lun­ acy. If the person whose case is being examined is seen to make no use of his thumb, if he lets it stand out at right angles from the hand and employs it neither in salutation, writing nor any other manual exercise, you may set it down as a fact that that person's men­ tal balance is gone. He or she may con­ verse intelligibly, may in every respect be guarding the secret of a mind dis­ eased with the utmost care and cun­ ning, but the telltale thumb will in­ fallibly betray the lurking madness which is concealed behind a plausible demeanor."--New York Journal. A German Custom. -^-•4 i, One of the most interesting functions of the up to date betrothal is the shop­ ping expedition, where the two mothers v and fathers-in-law to be, with their re­ spective son and daughter, go out on an appointed morning and bring home a broom, a carving knife and fork, a salt cellar, a Bible, a brass door knocker, a candlestick, a pair of bellows. This is a revival of an old German custom of presenting young pair with what they consider the seven emblems of those virtues that go to make up a perfect household. The shopping party is con­ cluded by a luncheon of the united fam­ ilies. S| Put to Strange Use. The old bell which in early days stood on Belfry hill, north of the town of Council Grove, Kan., and was rung'to warn the settlers of the approach of In­ dians. is now used by a citizen as a flowerpot in his garden. For many years after its original purpose was gone it was the common property of the various religious denominations of the town and was rung to call the people to devotions. One day it was blown-down in a storni and broken This destroyed' its usefulness as a bell, and the citizen sat it inverted in his garden and planted flowers in it.--Philadelphia Ledger. Fame. • "Mr. Speaker," exclaimed a member of the New South Wales parliament, "my colleague taunts me with a desire for fame. I scofn the imputation, sir I Fame, sir! What is fame? .It is * shaved pig with a greased tail, which slips through the hands of thousands and then is accidentally caught by some lucky fellow Who happens to hold on to it. I let the greasy tailed quadru­ ped go by me without an effort to clutch it, sir!1'--London Tit-Bits.