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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1901)
The liillways and hollows are dreaming of May, An' a hcigh-ho I The wood-paths we follow are warmer each day, An' a hcigh-ho 1 The winds arc all winging to west, to west, (The birds arc yet singing of last year's nest). An' a hcigh-ho 1 There arc violets peeping from under their hoods, An' a hcigh-ho I And brown blossoms deep in the dark of the woods, An' a hcigh-ho 1 There's a long mid-meadow green-sloping before Oh, glad will the gardens be seven days more, An' a hcigh-ho 1 The children arc playing in roadway and lane, An' a hcigh-ho 1 A-laughing and saying, "Here's summer again I" An' a heigh-ho 1 Oh, mother-hearts lighten when little ones sing, And all the world brightens at stirring of Spring, An' a heigh-ho 1 The drowsy brook's humming steals over in wacs, An' a hcigh-ho I The lilies arc coming up out of their graves, An' a hcigh-ho 1 The syringa is swaying at swing of the door, The world goes a-maying in seven days more, An' a hcigh-ho, An' a hcigh-ho I Sicily Thome. A Gentleman and a Gambler. DY MILTON B. MILLER. (Copyright, 1001. by Dally Story Pub. Co.) "I am a believer," said the Colonel, "In man's natural goodness. 1 had tho pleasure once In knowing an hon est gambler, nnd I liked him, too, for ho was a gentleman. Tho days of this cIbsb of gamblers, however, aro passed. "Mooro but that wasn't his name was a Mississippi River gambler, one of those gamblers of tho old school, who played a straight aud honest gamo. Ho traveled, In fact lived, on tho big river steamboats. Ho wouldn't liavo felt nt homo anywhere else. In no way did he attempt to conceal tho truth about himself. It was simply, 'Gentlemen, I um a gambler by occu pation, and a good one. If you care to have mo play with you it will give me groat pleasure. If you don't, it doesn't mako a partlelo of difference.' "I was then doing somo newspaper work In somo of the larger southern cities, and my business frequently car ried me aboard tho vessels, and In this way I camo to know Moore very well. I occasionally took a flyer or two, but I knew thnt tho games wero to far for my reach. I discovered that when Mooro played with tho avorago man, luck being equal, ho would win nlno-ty-nlno times out of a hundred. I liked Mooro's society, and ho was a wonderfully entertaining talker. On cummer nights tho stoward used to ecrvo dinner on deck to those who preferred to have It there. After din ner wo would go up to tho hurrlcano deck, and when Mooro was on board ho would bring out his lluto and play for us. When tho moon was out, and threw a thin bluo veil over the water, or when tho boat carving tho dark ness swept so close to tho shore that it brushed the dark willows on tho banks, tho rising nnd falling notes that came from his Instrument wero gentle music to tho ear. I never knew him to proposo a game at cards. Ho would play his flute until somo one euggested a game, when he would tako his Instrument apart and put it away In an indifferent manner. "I watched him at play ono night "You are n coward 1" when Satan seemed to throw every card to this calm, self-possessed man. Thero was a cool, matter-of-fact way about him which froze tho ardor of everyone elso except a young man about twenty-five years 'old. This player wns In Ill-luck, but with flushed faco and foverish eyo ho made his bets furiously, only to lose every time. It noon became evident that ho was play ing beyond his means. Moore must have notlcod It, for ho ceased to bot heavily against tho younger man. Ths angered the other no little. u 9 3 5 ii n r II "Thero was a pot of ?300 once and everyone had dropped out except Mooro nnd tho young man. Mooro had been playing his hands passionless, but sure. No man except his opponent, perhaps, could doubt that ho hold tho winning hand. Suddenly whon his rival bet 550, Mooro laid down his hand, saying, ' I won't bet. I liavo nothing. You played that well.' "Tho young man reached out fever ishly for tho pllo of money, and thon his hand lay on the table. "That is not true ho said. 'You havo a good hand and you aro afraid to ploy it against mo.' "Moore shot a hot glance across tho tabic at him and two red spots Hashed into his cheeks. " 'I lay down my hand, ho said slow- "I loved his mother once." ly, but with a slight tremor in his voice. " 'And I say,' added tho other in a low tone, 'that you are a gambler, and thcrcforo a coward.' " 'Hush,' I said, laying my hand on tho young man's sleeve. 'You don't know what you aro saying. Ho is not a coward by any manner of means.' "Tho young man shook off my hand vehemontly, and exclaimed, 'Ho is a coward, and I'll answer for my words nt tho first landing.' "I looked nt Moore. I had seon him sit on the hurrlcano deck, a revolver in hand, and ns a waiter threw cham pagno bottles over the rail, raise his arm swiftly and shatter tho falling glass with a bullet. Thero wero graver stories, too, about his deadly aim in duels. He sat stiff and motionless with a terrlblo flro In his eyes. I was amazed by his noxt words: " 'Docb tho game go on?' ho nsked quietly. " 'Not with you,' said tho young man, bending forward, tho veins In his fore head swelling. 'Not until I provo that you aro afraid to bet,' and with a sud den motion he throw his hund across tho tablo and seizing Mooro's cards turned them face upward on tho table. "I was on my foot at that instant to arrest Mooro's right arm, for I felt that ho would draw his revolver at tho Insult, nut a hush fell ovor those around the tabic, and tho hot-headed young man was gazing stupidly nt tho cards beforo him. Four aces lay thero an Invincible hand, for straights wero not played. There was a bluo tingo in Mooro's whito Hps nnd tho young man looked bowlldercd. Quick ly tho young fellow burst Into tears. " 'Wo can't play together any more,' ho cried. 'You throw money into my pockets becauso I was losing too jnuch. I can't tako It,' he said, arising from his chair. " 'You can,' said Moore In nn oven voice. 'I laid down my hand. Tho money Is yours. Bcsldos,' he added with n llttlo.shlvcr, 'I hold out nn aco on you.' "Every mnn nt tho table knew that Mooro had lied. Wo all got up nnd left tho young man sitting thero over tho money. I found Mooro shortly after ward on deck, looking into tho dark ly whirling water. " 'Give mo your hand,' I said. 'What in tho world did you mean? You novcr cheated nt cards in your life.' " Tut, tut,' ho answered, with a lnugh that wns slightly harsh, 'he's only a boy, and nnd I loved his mother once.' " LONQ TERM IN PRISON. Curlou Cnin ehotrlnff Separate Sjritema of the Cloverniuent- A most curious case, showing how tho separate systems of tho govern ment may take on confusing shape, has just come to light in Indiana. A man who has for nineteen years been con fined in Jail at tho expense of tho na tion, has during nil these years been In receipt, or intended receipt, of n considerable sum of money from tho samo nation. It is because tho man fought In tho grent war thnt tho com plication wns made possible. At least, his services in battle were responsible in part for the sltuaton. It onco oc curred to the same man that nftcr hav ing fought tho good fight for freedom aud unification it might be tho grace ful thing for tho country to recognhso his worth by a monetary consideration, so ho put in an application for a pen sion. It was allowed, and tho man's nnme was written on the book of fame, after which ho wns entitled to dollars. Shortly following this period another man passed on to tho grent beyond, under circumstances which the coro ner's Jury considered called for the trying of somebody on a capital punish ment charge. It so happened thnt tho pensioner wns tho person fixed upon ns tho actlvo agent nsslsttng the earthly exit of tho deceased. Although tho pensioner stoutly maintained his Innocence, the proof wns so strong ns to lead the Jury to a verdict of guilty and tho committing JuJgo to a sen tence of life imprisonment. This was in tho year 1880, and for nineteen years the prisoner worked out his des tiny behind tho bars. At tho conclu sion of this tlmo the man who had committed thn murder took to his last bed, and It occurred to him to mako n confession. So tho pensioner Is frco now. Hut he still has troubles. Thero are boiiio thousands of dollars in pen sion money which the wardens have failed to turn over to him, and he Is obliged to buo for their recovery. Be sides, thero nro tho wasted nineteen years, becauso of tho Implicit judical faith in tho lnfallblllty of circumstan tial evidence. San Francisco Call. Kecking After Knowledge. Figures recently compiled by the registrar of Columbia university show that ns a whole tho institution stands second to Harvard in membership, the respective enrollments being 5,710 and 1,392. After Columbia came the Uni versity of Michigan, with 3,813 stu dents; tho University of Chicago, 3,771; tho University of Minnesota, 3,423; tho University of California, 3.21G; Cornell university, 3,004; tho University of Pennsylvnnln, 2,573, nnd Yale, 2,544. Columbia Is one of tho lowest numerically In tho size of Its men's undergraduate college, which, however, has increased more than 50 per cent In a slnglo generation. In the scientific schools sho Is surpassed in numbers only by Cornell and Yale; In her graduato departments sho stands first In this respect, with 422, against 398 at Harvard. Tho statistics further snow the peculiar prominence of Chi cago, with her theological seminary of 180 students; of Pennsylvania, with a school of 417 dentists, nnd nnother of GO veterlnnrlos; of Minnesota, with a college of agrlculturo, numbering 590 in attendance; of California with her school of nrt, attracting 208 students; of Cornell, whoso division of forestry is established with a registration of 22, nnd of Yale, tho only university having a sepnrato school of music. Kleplmiiln Once Itnumoil In I.'nRlun.l. While excavating for the foundations for tho new buildings of the Victoria nnd Albert musoums In South Ken sington a carload of fossilized bones wns brought to tho surface by" tho workmen. These were taken in charge by Dr. Woodward of tho geological de partment, who pronounced them tho remains of the primitive denizens of tho soil that lived there beforo man camo to Interfere with thorn. Tho boncB belonged, ho said, to a LomTon news paper representative, to tho elephant the stag and tho primeval horse, anil date back to a tlmo beforo Great TlrlC nln became Isolated, ere yet tho Straits of Dover had been cut through. The oxcavators at South Kensington nlso unearthed a fine specimen of tho sar senstone, weighing 1,300 pounds, which must have been transported hither by Ico llocs in preglaclal times. Milwau kee WlBconsln. Another Old (Jnoin, A gooso on tho farm of Mr. Watklns Oilfuch Maen, South Wnles, reached tho extraordinary ago of forty-ono years last spring. Up to ten years ngo tills goose laid regularly, and ban hatched und brought up hundreds of goslings. For somo tlmo now bIio has not mixed with or tnkon any notlco of tho other geeso nnd tho solitary Jour noy of tho poor old thing toward tho end of Its long and useful life is pa- tnetlc to ueliold, although sho is treat ed with every kindness by her kind- hearted owner. It Is not tho height somo men attain that makos them giddy It is lookina down with contempt on tho crowd bo neath them. DO YOU Do you ping-pong? It's tho latest gnme. While "Brldgo" is tho pastime par excellenco for brainy folk, ping pong Is tho ono for thoso who like an Indoor recreation to remind them of their favorite outdoor gamo, lawn tennis. Bridge apes whist, nnd byJe votccs is said to bo ousting that an cient and honored exercise of the wits altogether. Ping-pong npes lawn ten nlB and seems to bo trying to rival it in popularity, snys tho Philadelphia Times. That Is one point of likeness be tween tho Issuo of tho games; but thero aro many differences. Ping-pong 1b as innocent an excitement as eat ing cake, while tho other invites tho measure of gambling thnt appeals to tho majority of card playora. Again, whllo brldgo Is bo dlillcult to thoso not gifted with tho typo of Intellect thnt takes to whist nnd chess and such ab struse diversions, that they must pay largo sums to "professors of bridge" to be tnught It, ping-pong requires merely a modicum of prnctlco to se cure Its disciples efllclcncy. As for, its rules, they can be committed to mem ory. Henco tho two games appeal to two very opposite factions in socioty, though thero are In brldgo coteries mnny bunglers whom thoso who play well would fain hand over to tho ping pong players. HKRE'S HOW PING-PONG What, then, Is ping-pong? It hn another name, and thnt 1b gosslma, and gosslma gives a cluo to Its Identity. Trnnslato tho word Into gossamer, and you have tho net that Is stretched across tho tablo nt a height vnrylng from eight to six inches. Instead of tennis rackets you have battledores, and for balls small tilings mado of white celluloid, whorcforo It Is well to learn speedily to aim straight ovor tho net and not nt tho lire. But tho balls aro qulto a cheap Item, nnd, Indeed, tho wholo gamo can bo purchased now at prices varying from 23 coats to $3, though tho cheapest "regulation" gamo on tho market Is about $1.50. it Is surmised thnt an epidemic or ping-pong Is Imminent. Plng-pongers piny In twos, ono at ono ond of tho table, tho other at tho other. Tho server Is tho man who first delivers tho bnll, and tho strlkcr-out Is tho other. At tho end of tho 11 rat gamo the parties change, tho strlkor out becomes tho server nnd tho server tho fltrlkor-out. Tho player who totn up alx games to his credit first wlnB tho set. Tho gnmo enn bo extended to tako In several moro plnyers, Just ns baga telle can, nnd bnttlcdorcs can be passed from ono player to another. Thon, to mnko It n moro Bclentlflc form of amusement for tho dining room tablo, which is usually converted Into tho lawn, thero can bo subHtltutcd n board surface, painted black, with a narrow white boundary lino at tho edge. Ping-pong clubs and ping-pong matches aro springing up all over tho country, and ping-pong tea parties aro rivaling plny-teaB among tho fair sex. Women find tho task of batting nn (ilastlcally nimble little ball across a net much moro entertaining than tho process of racking their brains to dis cover what enigmatical labols of tho most cryptic forms, signifying tho titles of theatrical playB, can possibly mean. Imagine tho brain fag neces sary to translato a round O on a card pinned to a woman's bolero Into "Tho Second In Command!" I Electric Hsvir-Curler. f-f Novelty and practicability seem to bo combined in tho electric hair-curler, which wo show below, for which a pat ent has Just been granted. Instead of requiring connection with nn electric light system, us Is tho caso with most electric curlorH, It generates Its own current while In uso nnd nppllcs It di rect to tho heating Iron without tho aid of wires. bwIIcIiob, otc. Tho main ndvantngc of the Implomont Is that It can be packed In n traveling outllt and used without tho aid of a lamp or other means of heating tho Iron, and an no soot Is formod on tho curler It also does awny with the danger of Boiling tho clothes with which It comes in contact In packing In tho trnvollng case. Tho curler coiiBlHtB of tho frlctlonnl electric generntor, as Il lustrated, and a sorlcs of thin copper BicovcB, similar to tho ono shown at tho top of tho curler, each sleeve be- PLAY PING PONG ? Ing provided with clnmplng dovlces for securing locks of tho hair. In practice a number of these alcoves nro used Independently, tho locks of hair being wound nround tho outsldo nnd GENERATES ITS OWN HEAT BY FRICTION, fnstoncd with tho clamps. Then tho electric generator 1b Inserted in tho end of each slcovo In turn nnd by rap Idly revolving the crank tho bIcovo Is soon brought to the desired tcmpcra- IS PLAYED INDOORS. turo. Tho Blcovcs aro left In place until they havo cooled, and by tho tlmo tho last ono 1h heated tho first will bo ready for romoval. 1 Effective) Poison Indicator, f Tho necessity for boiiio suro Indi cator when tho contents of a bottlo aro of a poisonous naturo has already In duced numerous Inventors to dovoto their thoughts to providing a device of this kind, but still the accidents nro PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR POISON CONTAINERS. Humorous and tho field Is open for Im provement on past Inventions for this purpose. Ono of tho chief causeB of tho giving of wrong kinds of mcdlelno has been tho picking up of tho wrong bottlo from a number In n mcdlelno cabinet nnd pouring out a doao of the fatal mixture without looking careful ly at tho label. To call attention to tho fnct that tho bottlo contalim pol Hon would bo effectually accomplished with tho cork shown In tho llltiHtra tion, as It would bo Impossible to get nt tho mcdlelno without withdrawing tho cork, und If this wero attempted In a cnrclcss manner tho Injury to tho thumb and finger, whllo comparative ly Blight, would surely accomplish tho purposo Intondcd. Thero aro two ways of making thin device ono by filling an ordinary cork with short barbed points nnd tho other by nttnchlng to Hh Biirfaco a strip of wlro netting, from which tho prongs project. Ono of tho bcBt recommendations for tho dovlco Is thnt a little child will not bo liable to extract a cork If covered with these barbs, ns tho Injury (o tho tender fin gers would hooii caiiso It to desist In Its offortfl. WAS CHEWED BY A LION. How It Vvuh to II.. (iniuved ,y mK of ItcittU, Lieut. Cnrpanx, boh of tho famous sculptor, Is coming homo from tho Soudan on Hick leave, BnyH tho London Dally Nowb. Ho was long In hospltnl at Domson from the effects of wounds Inflicted by n lion. In a letter to hin fnmlly, which I hnvo Been, ho thus describes tho nccldont: "Ono morning I started off with n tirailleur to bco what I could do in tho way of lion hunting. Wo had not gono far whon wo espied a superb beast with n glo rious mnnc. I fired nnd ho rnn furthor Into tho ncrub. I felt sure I had woudncd him, nnd wont to look for him. After beating nbout somo tlmo in' tho Jungle, I camo to a small clearing, and saw fifty yards off tho Hon facing! me, and lashing his side with his tall. I dropped on ono knee, aimed at tho head, and fired. Tho brute, roaring' awfully, bounded forward toward us,! and my tirailleur rnn off into tho. scrub. I flrcd again nnd hit tho fcon.i but without killing him, nnd in a mo ment wo were fnco to face. I wa then knocked ovor and felt my right leg crinkle as If squeezed in n vise. I vainly tried to seize tho bruto by tho thront, but wns too firmly held down. Tho feeling thnt I was lost camo homo' to mo with terrible force. Suddenly l' felt the grip on mo relax, nnd, what seemed to mo miraculous, tho Hon moved off a tow feet und Btood looking In tho direction to which my mnn had Hod. 'If ho thinks mo dead,' I thought, 'perhaps I may bo saved.' Whllo ho stood I was able to get hold of my rlllo, and rapidly nlmod nnd flrcd Just as ho was turning round to finish Alio. Ho fell dend. My leg wns In a fearful state, nnd so wero chest and shoulder, but no bone wns broken nnd no main artery cut. This is tho twentieth day after tho accident and I am BtlU in hospital." I ODD STREET PIANOS. 1'rovhteit xrllli Drum, Tuiulionrlno, nnd Other Harmonic A ttaoliinmiU. In Htrcct pianos progress comets llko tho seventh wave after years of samo ncss somo adventurous spirit intro duces an Innovation which catches tho popular fancy nnd spreads gradually among tho less original members of tho guild. Recently thero havo been a few advances In tho luminous, sufllclont to glvo tho children now delights and fill tho pockets of tho owncrB of tho up-to-dnto machines. One piano ban a, drum nnd tambourine attachment, whllo yet nnother requires no turning' at nil, evolving Its tuncB of Its owni sweet will. Only within tho last fow mouths hnvo theso boon In tho strccttt of Now York, nnd both of them, but' especially tho latter, attract attention from tho public and respectful admira tion from tho profession. Theso now Instruments come from nbroad, Lon don In particular. Dealers on this Hide of tho water dcclaro that thoro In no reason why they should nut bo mado hero, except that thero Is llttlo call for them, nnd "handwork is dear," comparatively. They differ llttlo In mcchnulsm from tho ordinary streot piano. Tho loud Bounding, drum beat ing ono Is merely provided with oxtra nttachments llko n merry-go-round or gan, whllo tho automatic piano la mado llko a small orchestrion. Both uso tho ordinary cylinders. In splto of tho flnunclnl success of tho now Instru ments they nro not likely to bocomo general for somo tlmo. It takes a speculative spirit to forsake tho solid, old-fashioned pianos for a dellcato, high-priced Instrument which will havo to bo ropnlred with dlscnurnglng fre quency. A streot plnno'u Hfo is a bant one. Tho Jolting of tho pavement, tho extremes of wenthor, and all tho vlclH sltudcs of Its existence cawily throw delicate machinery out of gear. Tho fact, too, that tho new plnnos nro not rented, llko tho old ones, but must bo paid for In hard-earned cash, Is against their Increase. They coBt about ?350. Chicago Journal. I lloltund Unlit thn First Ironotnil. Tho first lronclnd, according to rec ords recently discovered, was not tho Morrlmnc, but n Hhlp built early in tho sixteenth conttiry, whon tho Dutch wore lighting for their lndcpondoneu with Spain. Tho burghers of Antwerp built this first lronclnd, which wns pro tected by heavy Iron platcH nailed to Its sides. On tho masts wero roomy platforniB for BhnrpshootcrH. With this torrlblo vessol tho burghera hopo.l to break tho blockade hoped It ho confidently that they called tho Hhlp tho Finis Belli, "tho ond of tho war." But It proved unmanageable, and and shortly after being launched ran aground on a sand bar and wau thon called tho Perdltao Exponsno, whlqli mwina "thrown away monoy." Soon aftVr than tho Spaniards won n de cisive victory, drugged off tho marl tlmu monster und renamed It tho Finis Belli, for tho war was then, In deed, ended. Ijiurn Tennis Il.ivlv.id. Thn revival of Interest In lawn ten nis which was noticeable last summer after half a dozen seasons of partial neglect bids fair to tako on now llfii this coming Bummer, Judging from tho extenslvo preparations that tho clubs In this city are making. Now York Sun. Kurd ltpir'nented In ICuropo, It Is reported that Professor Donl kor has como to tho conclusion, uftor examining 380,000 cophnllc and cranlo mctrlc Indices of Europcnn pcoplen, thnt thoro nro bIx principal nnd four secondary raccH represented in Eu rope j I'cromtiiKin r IJrlmn 1'ojmiIiiMou. In England 29 per cent of tho popu lation llvo In cities of ovor 100,000 In habitants. In other countries tho per contngo 1h lower United SlatcH ID, Germany 10.17, France 12, Austria 8, Russia 5.