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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1896)
IT WAS NOT GENERAL. And Therefore Captain Porlake Befosed to Fire Another Gun. They had been telling stories of their old army experiences. They ere all gathered about the big round table in the club cafe, and each man there had got his share of the grinds. It was the last story but one that suggested this one which Major Pembroke told about his old friend, Captain Porlake of tho th artillery. Porlake was stationed at Fort .Ad ams in Boston harbor. Near tho fort there is a place where, owing to the position of the islands and the peculiar conformation of the shore, there is always a deep, strong eddy, no matter which way the tide sets. The eddy is well known because the body of nearly every person drown ed along the shore anywhere near it is recovered there. It happened that one afternoon a small party of men came to Captain Porlake, who was commandant of artillery at Fort Adams, and told him that a friend of theirs had been drowned a few days before and that they had been unable to recover the body by the usual mehods of dragging and using grappling irons. They recalled the fact that bodies will sometimes come to the surface if a gun is fired over still water, and they asked Captain Porlake if he would send a detach ment of men with a gun to help them recover their friend's body. Captain Porlake had been spend ing the morning at the club and was in very good humor. "Certainly, gentlemen," he said in answer to the request. "Ill go myself." So he did, with a gun nnd its crew, in as much state as if he were going to dress parade. Arrived at the proper place, with the deep eddy just offshore, Captain Porlake went through the placing and inanipula. tion of the gun with all the precision of military f ormality. The man who had asked his assistance looked on in amazement, while the captain shouted his orders: "Limber! Load! Point! Fire!" The echo of tho big gun's report had hardly died away when one of tho watching friends saw the little commotion on the surface of the eddy that indicated that a body had come to the top in response to the shot Captain Porlake saw it, too, and, with a smile and a suave wave of the hand, said: "There he is, gentlemen. Brought him the first time." Then, when tho civilians were get ting out their boat to recover the body, the captain turned to his men, and shouting "Unlimber!" prepared g return to the fort Just ashq was about to give the order to march one pf the civilians came up and said: liY?e are yery sorry, Captain Porr Jake, but this is not the body of our friend. Everybody who, is drowned pear here comes to this eddy even-: tualiy, and our friend's body must be here. Would you mind firing another gun?" "Limber!" shouted the captain, by way of reply. "Load! Point! Fire!" Civilians and soldiers both watch ed the effect of this shot, and all saw at the same time two bodies reach the surface. "There, gentlemen," exclaimed he "affable, captain. "Take your pick.'? ' Then he turned to the return marcl again. Just as, his men were starting pne of the civilians ran up. Paptain Porlake," ho paid, "we are very sorry tq trouble you. again, but neither pf these bodies is, that pf pur frend. Many men are drown ed near here every summer, Is it asking too much to ask you to fire one more gun?" "Sir," he said to the astonished civilian, "ilu you think this is a general resurrection? Forward! March !" New York Sun. Cards by tho Bushel. The Washington Star says that Chief Justice Fuller, in talking to a senator the other day, said playful ly: "There is a great deal of unnec essary waste in the matter of visit ing cards indulged in by the women of our families. I know that when we moved into our new house there was a bushel basket of cards from fhe women of" your household, and am sure that if you took the'trou-l le tq look then up yQU would find an, eqial amqunt from mine. Now, I propose that we collect these bits, of pasteboard and send them back tq then? respective starting points, and I am sure we shall be in pocket to a considerable extent" Preacliinff Brought Forth Fruit. Bacon I have great confidence in that minister of ours. Egbert What gave it to you? "Well, you know, I wanted $5 to pay an installment on my bicycle. I didn't know where in tho world it yas coming from. I went to church, arid the minister recommended us, to search the Scriptures. I went homo and did, and I found 5 my wif e had hidden away in the family Bible." Yonkers Statesman. The Romans had a general mili tary distinction, the olive crown. In its nature it was like a British med al "for valor" and was given to such soldiers as in battle distinguish ed themselves by especial acts of bravery. The mosquito's buzzing has been a source of much contention among TiiA&cmito scientists. It is undoubted- fn fVA T-ihrfitinn of tTifi wirnrs and their faction against some por tion of the-mosquito's body.. ROMANCE OF A PICTURE. STcissonler'fl Favorita Painting Iteseaed From a German. William A. Coffin in a paper en titled "Souvenirs of a Veteran Col lector" in The Century describes the unique art treasures of Mr. Sam uel P. Avery of New York. Mr. Coffin relates the following story of one of Meissonier's most famous paintings: The picture shows Marshal Saxe, with a body of troops, interrogat ing a peasant at a crossroads in the forest and taking notes. In 18S0 Mr. William H. Tanderbilt was sit ting to Meissonier for his portrait, and Mr. Avery and Mr. Lucas were invited by the artist to come to his studio during the sittings, as Mr. Tanderbilt did not speak French. One day Mr. Vanderbilt asked, "What picture does M. Meissonier think is the best he ever painted?" Meissonier, replying through Mr. Lucas, spoke of two, the celebrated "1814" and "Le Renseignement" The latter picture, he said, with a sigh and a deeply felt "helas," was in Germany, in the hands of the enemies of France. It had been painted for the expo sition of 1867 and was bought by M. Petit, who asked 50,000 francs for it. Mr. Walters had offered 40, 000 francs, but a German banker in Paris, M. Mayer, paid tho price and got the picture. He Avas a well known collector, and his family home was in Dresden. When the war of 1870 broko out, M Mayer left Paris and took tho picture with him. Mr. Avery had seen his gal lery every time he went to Dresden, and knew the picture. The conversation in the studio continued, and Avery and Lucas agreed that "Le Renseignement' was indeed a wonderful canvas Petit had tried to buy it back, but could not get it It was thought it would be impossible to get Mayer to sell it, but Avery, authorized by Mr. Vanderbilt, resolved to try. Ho did not wish to make a trip to Dres den at the time, so he wrote to Mayer that a friend of his wanted the picture, but not as a matter of business. It was not to buy to sell again. The banker replied that he had often been importuned to sell the picture, but had invariably re fused. Yet, now that he felt him self growing old he had then reach ed the acre of 80 and that as after his death his family might not care to keep it he would take a certain price for it He added that he might change his mind overnight, for he found it hard to decide to sell. Avery lost no timq in telegraphing, and tho next day received the can vas by parcels post. The marvelous picture was actually in his room in the hotel! A draft on London waa sent tq Dresden at once, and the deed was done. Mi Vanderbilt and his two fellow conspirators npw set about arrang ing a surprise for Meissonier. The next day was to be the last sitting for the portrait, and when they ar rived at the studio one of them car ried a parcel, which was placed in a safe corner. The sitting proceeded, and at last Meissonier said tho por trait was finished. There was not another touch to be added. "Now, you may see me sign, " he announc ed, and the act was' accomplished with a due observance on the. part of the company of the importance pf the moment - The artist then went intq another room to put the little portrait; in a frame he had ready for it "Le Renseignement" was quiokly taken from the comer, get in ft frame on the easel, and tho. three men stood by to see what Meissonier would do. "When he came in and suddenly saw the picture," says Mr. Avery, "ho almost went crazy in his joy. He got down on his knees before it, so that he could look at it closely, and cried out, 'Oh, monbon tableau; oh, mon bon tableau !' and with dif ficulty found words to express his delight He loved his picture that he never expected to see again, and his heart was fulL In the Same Boat. A student at Williamstown college had been married a short time pre vious to entering the. college and was led to fear that this fact might debar him from enjoying some of the privileges of the Institution Ac cordingly, in a great 'state of' per turbation, ho called to see President Hopkins, After some conversation the young man at last managed to stammer, with a crimson face, apro pos of something entirely irrele vant, "I I am a married man!" "Ah," said President Hopkins, smil ing at him with great benignity, "so am L" And there the student's trouble ended. San Francisco Ar gonaut A Success. finni e When that odious masher tried tq smile at me just looked daggers at him. Mamie Was it n, success? Minnie I think so. I heard him whisper to the other odious wretch who was with him that he was "stuck on that girl's looks." In dianapolis Journal. Ballard's Snow Liniment. This invaluable rempdy is one that ought to be in every house hold. It will cure your rheumatism, neuralgia, sprains, cuts, bruises, burns, frosted feet and ears, sore throat, and sore chest If you have a lame back it will cure it It penetrates to the seat of the disease. It will cure stiff joints and contracted muscles after all other remedies have failed. Those who have been cripples for years have used Ballards Snow Lin iment and thrown away their crutches ind been able to walk as well as ever. It will cure yon. Price 50 cents. Sold bv North Platte Pharmacy, J. C. Bush, Manager. 1 EDISON THE DREAMER. Hor He Got Bid of Some Telegraphic "Drudgery. Some one had referred to Edison aa Victor Hugo when he made his appearance as an operator in our telegraph office in Boston, and it was by that name we generally spoke of him. Every device' was employed to thwart his soarings after the in finite and his divings for the unfathomable, as we regarded them, and to get an amount of work out of him that was equivalent to the sum paid per diem for his serv ices, and among them was that of having him receive the press report from Hew York. He did not like this, the work continuing steadily from 6:30 p. m. until 2 a. m., and leaving him no time in which to pursue his studies. One night about 8 p. m. there came down an inquiry as to where the press report was, and, on going to the desk where Edison was at work, Night Manager Leighton was horrified to find that there was nothing ready to go up stairs, for the reason that Edison had copied between 1,500 and 2,000 words of stock and other market reports in a hand so small that he had only filled a third of a page. Leighton laughed in spite of him self, and saying: "Heavens, Tom. Don't do that again !" hastened to cut tho copy up into minute frag ments and have it prepared in a more acceptable manner. While this was occurring Edison went on receiving, and the frequent trips of the noisy dummy box, which communicated with the pressrooms on tho next floor, gave evidence that he was no longer gauging his hand writing with an ultimate view to putting the Lord's prayer on a 3 cent piece. But all at once there was a great noise, and it was evident that Press Agent Wallace, a most profane man, was coming down the stairs, swearing and shouting as he came. Everybody grew excited except Edi son, who was perhaps dreaming of the possibilities in some of the realms of electrical endeavor in which he has since won renown. But we did not have long to wait to know the cause of Wallace's visit Kicking open the door, he appeared to us, but he was speechless. The last note of his voice and the last remnant of a vocabulary of blas phemy which was famous through out the city was gone. Standing there with both hands full of small, white pages of paper he could only beckon. Leightqq apprqached him and tenderly faok the'sheets of pa per from him, tq find that Edison had made the radical ohange from his first style of copy to simply put ting one word on each sheet, direct ly in the center. He had furnished in this way several hundred pages in a very few minutes. He was relieved from duty on the press wire and put on another cir cuit, while the much tried Leighton devoted himself to bringing Wallace back to a normal condition, admit ting of the use of his voice and the flow of his usual output of profani ty. Walter J. Phillips in Electrical Review. Dainty. Sinlng, America, France and England hava tacitly copied theRussian style of gerving dinner where none of the yiands are in evidence, but are passed by the footman. The palates of the epicures of the present day nr sated with variety and need coaxing. It is an axiom of the bon yivant that each dish should be a surprise, and he disdains the homely style of serving, where everything was put on the table at once and the diner's eye roved critically over the dishes provided for his de lectation. In some of the ultra fashionable houses the guests remove to another room to partake of the dessert, leav ing the fumes of meat behind. iEs theticism could do no more, and every sense is satisfied; the palate i3 tickled with the dainty viands, tho sense of touch by contact with the satiny softness of the damask, sight and smell with, the odor and beauty of the flowers and hearing by the distant strains of softest music from a liidden orchestra. Philadel phia Ledger. Plnme Were Barred- "Nonie," said the captain of the ark to Sirs. Noah, "you may be the wife of the boss of this boat, but that doesn't give you poop deck privileges. Understand, once for all, that these two ostriches are now the only specimens on the waters over the earth, and I will not have you spoil them by plucking their tail feathers to rig up any old bon net" Pittsburg News. A Wasp'-s Xest. One kind of wasp found in Brazil and Guiana makes its nest of a bril liant white pasteboard, suspending it from the highest branches of the trees so as to escape the attention of the monkeys, which in those re gions have a troublesome habit of investigating everything, even a hornet's nest. Saturday Washday. Every Saturday at certain back yards in the city the family wash may be seen hanging ouf tq dry. The practice pf observing. Saturday as washday is due to the old fash ioned and peculiar method of rea soning of some housekeepers. "You see," says one of them, "if the washing is done on Saturday then the ironing can be done on Monday, and the whole thing is out of th3 way early in ''he week. ' ' New York Times. r US'NIN PR THE DINNER HORN. Wet I like bes sure'a yer born. Forenoons w'en it's hot. Is lis'nin 'r tho dinner horn In the medder lot, 'Ith a brook t pur like thia'n An its pebbly bed t glisten, In the shad i V set an listen Forenoons when it3 hot. Dad he sot me hoein corn. GoshI Them -weeds is high! Moro fun lis'nin f'r that horn, Loo kin at the sky, Eprawlin on my back an notin How them fleecy clouds is floatin On tho sea o' air, denotin Weather that is hot. Days like this I a'moa wish I c'd swim the air Like a bird 'rboa fish 1th that feller there Not to see the brook, but fin It, Git the sunshine cooled each minit, Wash my scaly aides right in it, Forenoons w'oa it's hot. Kind o liko t bo a weed. Bo win t the breeze .Alder bush 'r cattail reed 'R a card'nal flower liko these, Jes' t' be alive an growin, Fanned by summer win's a-blowln, W'ero nobody comes a-hoein Forcncon3 w'en it's hot. Shuck3l Thero goes tho dinner horn I Hear it? "Who-oo-o too who-o-ol" (Ma. she thinks I'm in tho corn.) Wish it hadn't blew. Hate t' go, but s'poso I'd orter Hato t' leavo the shade anworter; Beam plum crazy 'bout 'em sorter, Forenoons w'en it's hot. J. L. Heaton in "Tho Quilting Bee." Curious Customs of Oregon Coons. A California correspondent of Forest and Stream tells about "trooping coons" on the Columbia river. The coons gather in troops of from 3 to 25 or more after a night's playing and feeding, and make their way over a well worn trail to the homo tree or cavern, the females leading and the males following, clawing one another for first place. The skilled troop hunter follows the trail of a single coon till he comes to the main trail To follow a single coon requires the keenest of eyes and a wide knowledge of the habits of the animals, since fre quently even a skillful tracker loses the train for rods at a stretch. To get before a big troop of coons is a difficult matter, requiring luck add ed to woodcraft Once the hunter gets before the troop he waits till the beasts come within good range, when he fires his rifle. Thereupon the females turn and go rushing back on their trail, scrambling over the males in a way that astonishes them and makes them blink. The males take to the branches of nearby trees. Then the hunter shoots all he can see one by pne. Three men have in that way bagged as many as 25 coons on a hunt, it is said. On bright moonlight nights the coons may sometimes be shot from a boat. They are very fond of frogs, and come along the river bank in their search for them, as well as for mussels and other water delicacies. Their presence is betrayed by the waves they make, but as muskrats make similar waves a strong jack light is often useful How tho Katydid Sings. Everybody is familiar with the rasping notes known as the katy did's "song." It is the male only that is capable of emitting the well known sounds, and he does it in a most peculiar manner. His "vocal organs" are at the base of his wings and consist of two flat excrescences of thin, dry membrane. It is the rubbing of these two membranous plates together which produces the "song." If your shoulder blades were so loosely put together that one could be slipped under tho other, and the underside of one and the upper side of the other were so rough that the operation of slipping them iast each other would cause a rasping sound, you could imitate the katydid's musical efforts very nice ly. St. Louis Republic. Cravat. The cravat was once the name of a great military nation, the Croats, or Cravates, of the Balkans. It was their fashion to wrap large shawls or pieces of cloth around their.necks and shoulders. About the middle of the reign of Louis XTV he. unif Qrmr ed several regiments in. the. Croat fashion, with huge shawls about fheir. pecks. The fashion took, and he shawl diminished in size to the slight strip of cloth we still have with us. The earl's crown, is. a velvet cap with border of ermine and golden circlet. Its eight points bear pearls rising somewhat above the cap and there are eight strawberry leaves between the points. The pain produced by a hornet's sting is caused by a poison injected into the wound and so instantaneous in its effect as to cause the attack of this insect to resemble violent blow in the face. In the country districts of south ern England the present of a bach elor's button to an unmarried man is a strong hint that he ought to change his condition as soon as pos sible. To travel from New York to Do ver involves the crossing of 3,160 knots of ocean. A gram of the metric system is equal to 15 grains of common measure. "What is a Guarantee? It is this. If you have a cough or a cold, a tickling io the throat, which 1-vu uuuDiciuLiY cuuimiDg, or u i you are troubled with any chest, throat or lung trouble, whooping cough &c, and you use Ballard's Horehound Syrup as directed giving it a fair trial and no benefit is esperiencd we authorize our advertized agent to refund vour money on return of bottle. It never fails to give satisfaction. It promptly relieves bronchits. Price 25 and 50 cents. Sold by Xortb Platte Pharmacy, J. E. Bush, Mgr. l Voice of Experience. The wedding will occur very soon, and she was telling her mother about her plans for a home. "When Harold is out late at night," she said, "I-shallnot scold him. I shall try to be reasonable. I think I shall go so far as to keep a light burning for him to make it seem cheery when he returns." Her mother was silent. "Don't you think it would be a good idea to keep the light burn ing?" she persisted. "Well it might do very well for the first month or so. But after Harold has paid a few gas bills you'll probably conclude that it will be just as well to put the matches where he can find them and turn the light out ' Washington Star. Unkind Fate. "It must have been a tbrinin sight when the bandages were taken off De Benyon's eyes and he was able to see again after ten long years of blindness. It was. He burst into tears and reached for the bandages again. Tho first object Ids eyes rested upon hap pened to be a girl in bloomers." Chicago Tribune. Twice Told Tales." Scientists are asking the question, "Do fishes suffer pain?" If they re tain life long enough to hear the stories their captors tell, they do. San Francisco Examiner. Comparative. Peddler (selling a toothbrush) Those are the best toothbrushes in the world. Customer Haven't you any bet ter ones? Peddler Oh, yes ! Here aro some better ones ! Fliegende Blatter. Clams' Egcs. The clam's eggs are carried by the mother on her gills. When there are fish in the water with them, the mother clams discharge the eggs, which soon hatch, but if there are no fish they carry the eerers until they decay. The reason of this strange behavior is this: When the eggs are set free in the water, they soon hatch, and the little ones swim about until they find some fish to which to attach themselves. They livo for a time on the mucus of the fish and then drop off, sink to the bottom and form burrows for them selves. This curious semiparasitic life is no doubt a reversion to the habit of some ancient ancestor. Margaret W. Leighton in Popular Science Monthly. It is very often that the most insig nificant symptoms are forerunners, of the most violent disease. There is not a more destructive disease than Cancer, and in a majority of cases it is first indicated toy a very small pim ple qr sore, to which no attention is attracted, until it before long- develops into the most alarming conditions. Mere is another case where the first symptoms of a. most violent Cancer were too small to receive much notice until the disease had fully developed. Mrs. Iaura, E. Mima has resided at Smithville, Georgia, for years, andis well known throughout the adjoining country. In a recent letter she tells of a wonderful case. She says: "A small pimple of a strawberry color appeared on my cheek ; it soon changed to .purple, and began to grow rapidly, notwithstand ing all efforts to check it, until it was the size of a partridge egg. My eye became terribly inflamed, and was so swollen, that for quite a while I could not see. The doctors said I had Ca Mrs. Laura B. Mims. cer of the most malignant type, and after exhausting their efforts, without doing me any good, they gave up the case as hopeless. Wheji Informed that my father had. died from the same disease, they said I must die, as hered itary Cancer was incurable. I was terribly reduced in health, and felt as If my life was wasting away. " At this crisis, I was advised by a friend to try S. S. S., and in a short while the Cancer seemed more in flamed than before. I was informed that was favorable, however, as the medicine acts by forcing out the poison through the pores of the skin. "Before long the Cancer began to discharge and continued to do so for three months ; then it began to heal,. I continued the medicine a whilQ longer, until the Cancer (Usap peared entirely, and I enjoyed better health than ever before." This has been several years ago and there has i.Qt been a. sign of a return of the $seaj," Cancer is becoming alarmingly prevalent, and manifests itself in such a variety of forms, that any sore or scab, it matters not how small, which does not readily heal up and disappear may well be regarded with suspicion. The fact that S. S. S. (guaranteed purely vegetable) cures hereditary Can cer, which is considered incurable, places it without an equal as a sure cure for all manner of real blood diseases, such as Scrofula, Eczema, Contagious Blood Poison, or any other form of bad blood. Our treatise on Cancer and Blood Diseases will be mailed free to any address bgr- Swift Specific Company, Atlanta, "Georgia. F. J. BK0EKER, Merchant Tailor A well assorted stock of foreign and domestic piece goods in stock from which to select. Perfect Fit. bow Prices. SPRUCE STREET. SMOKERS In search of a good cigai will always find it at J. F. Schmalzried's. Try them and judge. GEO. NAU MAN'S SIXTH STREET MEAT MARKET. Meats at "wholesale and re tail. Fish and Game in season. Sausage at all times. Cash paid for Hides. Sare, Prompt, Posltlra Curs for impotence. Loss of Manvood, Seminal Emissions, Spermatorrhea, Nervousness, Self Distrust, Loss of Memav. &e. Will make you a STRCNQ. Vigor ous Man. Price $1.00, 6 Boxes, $5 00. SoeclaJ Directions Uallea with each Box. Address S1II21I Szsv ItelxezH Cj., aeia Lucas Ave 8T. LOUIS, - MO. Sold by North Platte Pharmacy. J. E. Bush, Mauager. A. F. STREITZ Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, PAINTEES' WINDOW GLASS, - IDIa,rELa,rLta, D entsoiie Apotheke Corner of Spruce and Sixth-sts. C. F. IDDINGS, AND G Order by telephone from WALL-PAPER, PAINT AND OIL DEPOT. WINDOW GLSS, VARNISHES, GOLD LEAF, GOLD PAINTS, BRONZES, ARTISTS' COLORS AND BRUSHES, PIANO AND FURNITURE POLISHES, PREPARED HOU5E AND BUGGY PAINTS, KALSOMINE MATERIAL, WINDOW SHADES. ESTABLISHED JULY 1868. ... - 310 SPRUCE STREET- NORTH : PLATTE ; PHARMACY, Dr. N. McOABE, Prop., J. E. BUSH, Manager. NORTH: PLATTE, - - 3STEBEASE1A'. "We aim to handle tlic Best Grades of Goods, sell tliem at Heasonable Figures, and "Warrant -HI very th in g Orders from the country and along the line of the Union Pacific railway respectfully solicited. Elder & Lock's Stable. Northwest corner Court-house Square. Carl Brodbeck, DEALER IN Fresh, Smoked and Salted Meats, Having re-opened the City Meat Market, opposite the Hotel Neville. I am prepared to furnish customers with a choice quality of meats of all kinds. A share of your patronage is re spectfully solicited. Uaude Ifapl, DEALER IN Coal Oil, Gasoline, -f Gas Tar, And Crude Petroleum. Leave orders at office Broeker's tailor shop. in J. F. F1LLI0N, General Eepairer. Special attention given to WHEELS TO EENT 7l STXPIPLrES, : - MACHINE OILS Spectacles. Newton's Book Store. dumber Tinworier II3LE EMI. COAL RAIN For Fine Rigs AT- Reasonable Prices GO TO