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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1908)
NEBRASKA NEWG AND NOTES. Items cf Greater or Lesser Impor tanse Over the State. Nebraska Cltv linn mailn tut mutual tax lavy 8 pr cent lowar than l&at . yoar. Uttltd Drothren at Shelby liavo lulil tho corner stone for tliolr new church. Tho farmers' elevator at York has proved to bo a hlnhlj t&ceoHiful in vestment. Ulg polithlcnl gttna, It Is said, linva not drawn well at Nebraska Chfiutnu quae this year. Harncston, Gnu? county, Ik now without a saloon, whereat old booaera an.' In a millon atnt?. Alnsworlh had a hall storm that made Hinllhotuons ot twonty-soven lights 111 tllQ BCllOOl hOUSf. Out In Deuel county they are not ting forty busholB of wheat to tho aero and corn appears tho best over. Klmor Duncan, a young man about twenty-three years of age, wan arrest ed at Hentrlee ohnrgea with bootleg King. Many onstern pooplo are tills yoar vlBltlng relatives and friends In Ne braska and arc delighted with the state. A half-section of land two and a hair miles west of Homingford waH Hold for ?2! per acre. This samu Bold for $3 per acre four years ago. Ar.Fromont preparation Is bolnn mado for the oponlng of the new $G0, 000 Young Men's Chrlatlon association building during the week ending Sep tember U. As ovldonce that Dodgo county land la not declining In value witness the nle last week of a 400-acro tract In Pleneunt Valley township at tho rate of $110 per acre Is chronicled. John Frcrlchs, of Gage county, a prominent Gorman farmer, was kicked In the stomach by a horse and se llously Injured. While his condition Is serious, It is thought ho will recover. Klmcr, aged 18, and Charlos, aged 20, sons of David Jnmos, wero drowned in the river six miles bolow Nebraska City. The family roaldoa at Mlnorsvillo. They had gone in swim mlng. Miss Mnry Hooking was killed at Lorton by a Missouri Pacific train as she was making a crossing. Tho rond had allowed tho weeds to grow so high that approach cf tho trains could not be seen. Old friends and neighbors of tho l'lonccm and Old Settlers' association of Hint county have boon Invited to attend the sixth annual rounlon and picnic, which is. to bo hold In To kaniah, August 22. Division of Knox county is being agitated again, tho plan being to dlvido the county east nr.l west, and a peti tion asking for a voto on it this fall will soon bo presented to tho county b'oaid for consideration. .lay Webster, ago eighteen, a son or Al Webster, a farmor living about llftoen miles north of Tokamah along the rlvor, was drowned la tho Mis souri. Ho was a good swimmer, but never rose after he Jumped Into tho river. August 25 and 20 tho Northwestern Nebraska Dental Bocloty will moot In Hustings for Its soml-annunl mooting. This society la ono of tho strongest In the state, comprising about twelve counties and tho cities of Grand Island and Kearney. Many Hcatrlco pcoplo read with regret regarding the removal of Union Pacific headqunrtors from lloatrlco to Marvsvllle. Kas. Tho compnny em ploys about WO mon In Ddatrico and tho Commercial club will do all In lis nowor to' provent such n change. Practically every section of land in Sioux county Is now lllod and lias a bona lido resident on it. Uororo tho Klnkald law was passed thin laud was nil the ranco of a fow cattlo com iianlos. Tho entrymon are raising splendid crops ot all kinds on tho land, which has similar soil to east ern Nebraska, and relinquishments are hard to buy at any pi Ice. Ingersoll Uros., who are slaking a deep woll for Gilbert K. Hanks oa his innn south of Nebraska City, are down in it (lentil of 1.000 foot and have struck several traces of oil and thoy Iiiivh encountered a number of layers of shale, which Is encountered above oil Holds. Their well is dry and ex , nsct to co tho depth of 2,000 foot. Mi- Hanks is not bring for oil. but Is alter a big How of artesian wator to supply his homo and farm. Tho Omaha Corn exposition has ar rnnirod to hold an agricultural con gress during the oxposltlon this win ter. Plans nro made for a numner o noted sponkors. Among them will be William J. Hryan, Zoferlno Domln quoz of Pueblo, Mex.; Judge 11. K. Doemer of Red Oak, la., Judge of the imm-nmn court of lOWU: Governor rmnnilns of Iown. Editor Henry Wal lace. Governors Hnehtol of Colorado, lioch of Kansas and Sheldon ot No bruska. Snlll. a Doatiico pacing horso, pur chased some time ago by C. II. Dixon, has been doing some fine work slnco being taken onst. The other day he was third In tho 2:08 paco at Knlama xoo, Mich., tho time of the heats being 2:02, 2:00, 2:Q3Vt. 2:0C. The rocrd prlco for land valuos in Cuming county was reached a few days ago in the sale of a quarter aec: tlou In lleomer township owned by T. C. Kirk to Uonjamln Martin of Illinois ttt a ptio of 522,000 for the quarter, or $1-10.01 per acre. Thla la the highest yrlo ever obtained in Cuming county for ordinury agricultural land. TV ,r ' nriNi; i?FyMiiJis,crcNCE$ or exciting g PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ojMONSIEUR ANTOIND MWTIN. filrVlCRAl. DIRECTOR, of the SURVEIEEANCB DBPARTMnNT- XilRONICLBDljy fhoCHDVALICR WILLIAM LB Of BUX (Qupyrlght, lfW, by W. Q Chapman.) AS I GOT LEVEL WITH i urz n i THE CASCADE OF GOLD I was sitting one bright afternoon on the terrace oulsldo the Cafe de Paris, Monte Carlo, Idling over a cigarette and a ninzugran. It Is my favorite resort at about four o'clock, for while skimming the Figaro 1 can, ir I choose, wntch each person who ascends or descends the Casino stops, while very orten tho cosmopolitan chatter at tho tables in my vicinity Is of unusual Intorest to me. On such occasions I present, out wardly, tho appearance of a well-to-do Parisian, and, although tho pro fessional gamblers and the start are well awaro who and what I am, tho hundreds of thousands or strnngors moving through tho principality have no Idea or my true position. As I Bat In a lazy attitude, my thojghts far from my surroundings, some words uttered In a mnn's voice caught my oar, and brought mo back to a consciousness of whore 1 was. Tho words wero unoxpectod, and spoken In a curious, squeaking voice, tho owner or which 1 know, without turning to look at him. Ho was an old man named Pusquale, an lnvetor ato player, who had bcou known In tho rooms for many years. He lived In Nlco, and rogularly. twice or tlnico a week, tho whole year round, he cRiuo over and played throughout tho afternoon, always with groat caro and precision. Ono of his eccentrlctltlos was that, when In the rooms, ho car ried In his hand a huge, bag-like purso, worked In colored beads or the stylo of a century ago; and legond had It that ho bollovcd this bag brought him good fortune, ho having used It on ono colobrated occasion when, noarly 20 years beforo, ho had mado au unusu ally large coup. 1 havo aeon him lose ten, and ovon Uftnon thousand francs in an hour with porfect sangfroid, and I have, on the other hand, watched him win simi lar amounts, and then walk back down (Copyright In Clrrnt Itrltnln mul the HER, I RAI8ED MY HAT AND tho stops to the station without even ufTordlng hlmsoir tho luxury or a demltnsso or a back. He hated what wo always term "the small change crowd," namely, tho people who, arter collecting a lew odd llvo-frnnc pieces, come to Monte Carlo expecting to gain a fortune, and he never failed to vent his sarcasm upon them. Tho words he had uttered were, how ore, puzzling. 1 kojit my ears open In tho hope of something rurther, but thu old Tellow maintained a discreet silence. His companion laughed, and when I gave a Turtlvo glanco In their direc tion I saw that tho man sitting oppo site him was an ugly hunchback. "Would a very largo capital bo re quired?" tho hunchback iuquiied, in a tono of affected carelessness. "I don't think so. Fifty thousand francs, tho Bum you mention, would be qulto sufllclent," tho old man re sponded. "Hut, of courso, thero's a risk a terrlblo ilsk. A single blun der would be disastrous." Later that day, owing to Instruc tions I gavo the doorkeeper, 1 ills covered that tho hunchback's name wns Paul Honienyl, of Viennu, and that ho was staying at tho Grand ho tel. My suspicions being aroused, 1 accidentally lounged Into tho hair dresser's In the Hue do la Scala, next morning, and whllo waiting discov ered the hunchback thoro. lie spoke enthusiastically of the beauties of tho principality, the attractions of the play, the excellence or tho music, and, as far as 1 could Judge, was a highly educated and refined man. No, ho had not lost yesterday. Ho had won two zeros nt roulette, staking u louls each time. On tho night of tho Hnttlo of Con fetti at Nice, having another matter In hand, I found It necessary to go to tho redouto or balmasque, on tho Jotoe prnmonado, that plcr-llko struc ture which is tho most prominent feu turo of tho esplanade. I chose a pier- I'nltcri Mates, by Win. t.o Qupux.1 CLAIMED ACQUAINTANCE. rot's dross of the carnival colors, mauve and vert d'ea.u and enterod tho thcatnr nliniit 11 o'clock, lust nn ilnnc lug was in full Bwlng. Only thoso who havo Hiionl a pnrnlvnl nt Nlnn find nt. tended tho balls know the wlldness of the dancing and the mad frolic there. Masked, like all tho others, I mado my way with dlfllculty through tho throng in search of tho mnn upon whom I had for several dayB been keeping observation, a young Russian who was wanted by tho Moscow po lice, but of whoso Identity 1 was not sufllelently ccrtuin. Hut, though I searched through room ufler room, 1 could not find him, mid concluded that he had been prevented from coming, For fully halt an hour I wan dered about, dancing now and then with unknown partners, until sudden ly, In tho line Moorish room used or dinurlly ns a reading room, 1 saw a dwarfed llguro In a dress represent ing the English Punch. Ho wns seat ed In u coiner with a lady dressed as a clown In black satin, Btuddnd with sliver moons, whom, from tho lower part of hor lace and thu plump whlto- uess or her dimpled hands, 1 Judged to bo young and attractive. Ho spoke, and In an Instant I rec ognlzed the voice or the hunchback Romenyl. Just then a lady, passing mo, laughed merrily in my race, and, onger for any oxcuso to remain In that room, I Invited hor to danco with mo. "M'Bletir Is very kind," answered a well-modulated voice In French, which, however, was not quite porfect in its nccent. "Hut for tho moment I profor to romnln here. It Is too hot and crowded In tho theater." I noticed she was looking across at tho lady In tho clown's dress. "A protty dress that, Is It not?" 1 remarked. "Yes," sho replied. "And, ir I mis take not, Its wearor is oven prettier." "You know hor?" I Inquired, eagerly. "Yes, ir she's tho lady I mean. Her name Is Madame do Oourlcff, and sho comes from 'Petersburg." "And you, madame, are Russian al I so eh?" I Inquired. , "Whnt makes you think that?" she asked, with a low laugh. "Only a Russian rue pronounco tho word 'I'otorBburg' as you havo Just pronounced It," I answered. Al that Instant t noticed that, nt her throat, beneath her domino of mauve sntln, she woro a brooch with a tiny watch onntnoled in blue and set with diamonds. It was a beautiful , little ornament, and I marked Kb appearance well. Some duya later, however, 1 met the hunchback In the roulette room. Ho was accompanied by a young, dark eyed, pulo-facod lady, whom I Judged to be about the samo stature as his compnnlon at the ball; but I could J not tell with any degree of accuracy, necause i nau only seen nor seniou. She wns not more than 2G, and her face was pretty, with a grave, Intense expression, which added to Itn attrac tiveness. Her dresB of dark grey stuff i was not exactly of that elegance usu ally seen at Monte Cairo, yet It fitted well, and suited her admlrnbly. As I stood watching, the pretty young woman took off ono of her gleves tho more easily to handle her louls, thereby rovenllng to me a white hand with dimpled knuckles, the same I hnd noticed at the ball. Hy this one fact alone I wns convinced that she wira Madiuuo do Gnttlroff, and a few moments later my interest In her was Increased by a dumb motion which who made to a tall, florid-raced, rulr-halrcd mnn, who wiib sitting at tho opposite side or tho table. It was I lib ir she desired lit in to remain pa ! tlent. In return, ho smiled cynically, 1 as ir tired or waiting, and, resting both his elbows upon the green cloth, con suited tho register-card before him Suddenly he ioro, and, iib ho passed her closely without stopping to Bpenk, she whlBpered to him: "You're a fool. He patient. You know whnt a single blundor would mean!" "I'm sick of tho whole thing," he replied, hair turning towards her. i All except Pnsquale left the Casino ; soon afterwards; lint, as tho old game ! ster know mo so well, I hesitated to speak to hl;n yet, renting lest by so doing It might prevent the truth be coming known. That there wns some mysterious system about to be worked against tho bank 1 foil assured, but or what nature I could only discover by vigilant observation. Several days wont by and I saw them not. One morning 1 noticed Remonyl lounging In one or tho wick er chairs In tho entrance or the Grand hotel, smoking and reading a paper, but he did not enter tho rooms. Tho rnlr-hnlred man apparently lived In Nlco, and In order to find out what I could, I went over there ono morning. Suddenly, an object caught my eyo as It passed, flashing for au Instant In the sunlight. I turned and glanced a second time nt It to make certain. Yes, It was the little Jeweled watch which the fair muskor hnd worn at the ball on tho Jeteo. It now hung oponly on tho smart, white sorgo coat or Kb owner, a well-dressed, young, and rather handsome woman, who was walking alotio In the direction of tho Qual Masseua. Him hud passed oro I had time to glanco at her, therefore I could only catch sight or her pro mo. Hut in nn Instant I mado a resolve, and turning, followed her. That she knew more or thu mysterious Nina du Gottrleff than sho had told mo was evident, and 1 Intended to make a strenuous endeavor to ills cover all I could. As I got level with her 1 raised my hat and claimed acquaintance. At llrst she was Inclined to repudiate having met me, but when I explained by what means I hud discovered her Identity she laughed heartily, and wo began to chat as wo walked along together. With Inllulto euro 1 led up tho convor ritl 10 1,10 W0,11,U1 ,l0 Oourlerf, but "1 " msiaui nor luouiu ciohuu, mm sho glanced at me with u quick look of suspicion. In the cnursu or our careless gossip she, however, lot drop tho fact that she Intended going over to Monte Carlo that afternoon; therefore, resolving to meet hor ngalu thoro, as If by accident, I wlshod hor nu revolr, opposlto tho Hotol des An gluts, and we parted. About threo o'clock that same after noon I wiib In tho bureau of tho ad ministration when my fair acqiialn tanco entered, and, to obtain hor card or admission, presented her jiassport, bound up In one ol those neat little gill-edged books which tho better-class Russians carry. Unobserved, I glnnccd at It as It lay In her hand, and saw upon tho gray paper, headed with the Russian arms, a vlso, which caused me a start or surprise. Her name, It stated, was Vera Sevorlne, and when a quarter or an hour later, I eucoun tered her In thu rooms and addressed her by the mime she looked at mo quickly, with mingled annoyance ami surprise. "Mudamo has nq, necessity to dls guise her Identity from me," I ox claimed meaningly, In a low voice am elder or tho survelllanco here. My name Is Miirtln Antolno Martin." Kho laughed rather nervously, and admitted that sho had heard or me. "I noticed the vIho on mndame's passport," 1 exclaimed. "It bears I lie special stamp ot tlio ministry, which shows madiime to be au agent of so crot police. In such circumstances there Is assuredly no need for so crets between us. If I can aid you command mo. Ab you know, 1 ntn In weekly communication with your con tral bureau in si. roiorsimrg. i pro sumo that tho pursuit who Interests you Is this Madame du Goutieff eh?" "You have guussed aright," sho ad mltted, as wo strolled down the rooms togother. "Sho Is a revolutionist president or the Zurich council of Twenty." 'Tho president!" I exclaimed. "Then fiho'n n Nihilist. And your ordera?" "To wntch hor closely. Aided by my husband, 1 havo boon keeping ob servation upon hor for theso last three months. She hns no money, and has come to Monte Carlo to replenish hor funds." "And this Austrian, Romenyl, what of him?" "She hns only lntely mado IiIb ac quaintance. From whnt 1 hnvo ob served, thoro Is some compact be tween them. She Is to meet htm hero this afternoon." Scarcely had this handsome woman, whoso passport gavo her Immunity from arrest throughout tho czar'B em pire, uttered theso wordB when wo saw tho pnlr approaching, and moved nwny to cscapo observation. They walked on to tho right-hand trente-et-qunrante tnblo, whero Pas qualo wns already seated, and stood for some time Intently watching tho game. Mudamo Soverlno left mo to wander about nlono, huvlng ngrced that we would both keep tho pair un dor observation. I snw her later on seated nt tho old Italian's side, playing qulto as eagerly as any other gnm blor. Hut her manner waa perfect. A Beat at last becoming vacant next to Cruzel, tho tnlllcur, tho ugly llttlo Austrian In nn ItiBtant "marked" It by flinging down a louls. Thon, leisurely seating himself, with his companion standing behind his chair, he commuuct'l playing with precision and cure. Suddenly, Just as two blustering men ono or whom was the falr-halred player, who had previously oxprossod Impatience demanded gold In ox change for notes, Madame de Gourloff drow from her pocket a paper con tinuing about a thousand francs lu gold, mid, lu her haste to stake a louls upon tho table, the paper broke, and the gold tell to the floor In a per fect ensende, tho louls rolling nwny beneath the root or the playern, under the chairs and under tho table. Thin created hopeless concision, Tor nearly everybody rose In order that tho at tendants might collect tho fallen money, while mndiune, red und con fused, tittered n thousand pardons. The hunchback uttered a word of apology to Cruzel that his fair com panion should havo caused tiny such Interruption lu the gnmo; but soon afterwards till Bottled again, and tlieio Hounded tho well-known Invitation "Messieurs, faltes vob Joux." Nina de Gourloff, with a gambler's fear lest hor gold, once fallen, should bring hor Ill-luck, took somo notes from hor pocket und placed 12, the maximum, on tho noire, whllo, strange ly enough, tho deformed man acted In a similar manner. "Rlon no vn plitBl" cried tho tnll lcur,' and he denlt tho cards swiftly In two ranges. "Deux, six, rougo pord ot coulour gagtiul" Cruzel exclaimed loudly a mo ment tutor, raking In tho stakes upon tho red. lloth tho matt and tho womnn hnd won tho maximum, nod woro paid with tho swiftness and precision which characterizes tho fulfillment of tho ob ligations of tho bank. Again camo tho Invitation to piny. and both Btnked upon the black, whllo Pasquale, noticing his friend's good rortune, also threw 12,000 franca upon tho coulour. "Quntro, cinq, rougo pord ot coulour gngnol" was Cruzel's announcement a fow seconds later, the excitement at tho tnblo becoming Intenso when It wnB noticed thnt all throe had won tho maximum. Cruzel was plnylng swiftly, when Mudamu Sovuiino approached mo hnHtlly, saying "Thoro In boiuo myBtory horo. Have thoso cards counted I" Again thu game was mado, and a third time tho trio won; thon, nu tho chef bent over to Cruzel, Mndnmo do Gourloff rose quickly, gathered up her winnings, and loft. rho cards woro at onco counted, and It .wns discovered thnt thoro woro 30 cards In addition to thoso supplied to tho tublu that morning! According to Mudamo Sovorlno'B statement It appeared that tho con spiracy had been very curofully workod out, und that Nina do Gourloff nnd her two confederates, having cre ated a confusion, Remenyl hnd nt that Instant slipped unnoticed Into Cruzol's hand a pack of prepared cards. Thon, When nil became again tranquil, tho players hud placed down tho max imum, conllduut or success. Tho hunchback was arrested down in the Condumino hair un hour later, and both were, In duo course, triad beforo the Tribunal at Monaco, sentences or two years' Imprisonment being passed upon them. Against Pasqualo nothing conclusive could bo proved; whllo Nina do Gourioir, Ingenious always, succeeded lu getting clour away with her winnings, together with tho two loud-voiced men who had demanded change for a thousand francs at thu Instant she had allowed her gold to tumble from her baud. Six months ufterwtirds, howovor, I received a letter from Madamo Sevor lne, dated from St. Petersburg, stating that tho woman who had so cleverly planned the fraud had been arrested in a suburb of Moscow, und hud been banished to Nerchinsk, In Siberia, as a dangerous Nihilist. Prior to this Incident thu enrds used at irento-ot-quiirnnto could bo pur chased at tho stationer's In tho Qui letio ChtuioB III., but over slnco tho greatest euro has been exorcised in order to render similar fraud lmpos slble. Many have been tho'nttompts mado from tlmo to times upon tho bank, but I certainly none was more during than that signalled by Nlua do ClourlcrfB cascado of gold.