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About The news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1909-1911 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1910)
A BIT OF DIPLOMACY An English Official Who Outwit ! ted a French Admiral. HOW PERIM ISLAND WAS WON Tho Interesting Story That la Told by a White House on the Foreshore of : the Arabian Coast at the Southern Entrance to the Red Sen. i Ou the foreshore of the Arabian coa:.t In the strult of Babel-Ma udeb, at the southern tntrauee to. the Ued sen, stiiuds a large white house con coining which the travelers to the far east way hear a curious story. In the middle of the ulncteenth century, when M. do Lessep3 after many diffi culties had successfully floated the Suez Canal company, the governor of the British port of Aden, about 100 tulles distant, was surprised one morn Ins by the visit of a French squadron of very unusual size for that part of the orient, which, having encountered a terrific storm off Sokotra. 'had nut In for repairs. tn the mind of the governor curiosity was at once aroused as to the destina tion of so large u command, a curiosity which Increased as he found it Impos sibly to extract any further Informa tion from the French admiral or bis olll'ers beyond the statement that they were upon an ordinary cruise, an e -lunation which the former was not the least Inclined to believe. Firm In tho belief, therefore, that some political move of great Impor tance was afloat. If not afoot, tho gov ernor, in order first of all to gain time, gave orders to go very tortolse-UUe on the repairs and then set to work to take the Frenchmen off their guard by giving a succession of such entertain ments as both bis slender means and the awful barrenness of the place would afford. Hut. though at the end of two weeks the French and British officers had got upon the best of terras, the immediate destination of the French squadron remained as much of a mystery to the governor of Aden as before, and tn spite of all possible delay the re pairs were nearly completed. Now. It happened that the wife of the governor possessed an Irish maid, ..who had been receiving attentions from one of the Freucn petty officers- attentions wuicn tue girl did not re gard seriously, it occurred to the gov ernor that by such means something might be. learned of his unexpected visitor's plans, and a private conver sation between the governor's wife and her maid resulted in another be tween the latter and her Freuch ad mirer, by which It was discovered that Peri in Islaud was the objective point. At this Information the governor opcued his eyes wide indeed, for, If the Suez canal were cut through. Pe- rlm. as commanding the southern en trance to the lied sea, In the middle of the strait of Hab-el-Mandeb. would be a place of great strategic Impor tance, over which, without doubt, ll was the Intention of the French ad miral to hoist the tricolor. Secretly giving orders, therefore, for a gunboat to Immediately embark a detnehment of soldiers and steal away in the night for Peri in island, the gov ernor then announced a farewell ban quel and ball for the day but one fol lowing, a tlual act of courtesy with which the Freuch admiral would will inglr have dispensed, for be was anx lous to sail, but which he could not well refuse on accouut of the use be bad made of the British supplies and machinery at Aden. So the dinner and party iu due courso came off. the governor being in high spirits, because in the meantime he had received the uews of the occu pation of Perim. which under the clr cumstances would surely be followed by the longed for promotion, awl the French admiral was equally happy, for he hoped on the morrow to add the same Important little speck of lain) to the dominion of bis own country thereby covering his breast with tbe stars aud Itamself with maritime glory Next day. after uu interchange of cordial farewells, the French squadron sailed away to an apparently unknown destination, until, when clear of the laud, the course was laid full speed dl rect for Perim island. Then what were the dismay and dls appointment of the French admiral and his officers when, on coming In Fllit of their destination, they beheld the British dag flying aud a company o soldiers drawn up to give them a proper salute, it is said the French admiral was so mortified at being thus outwitted that he first flung his cock ed hat overboard and then followed it himself into tbe sea. Be this as It may, as Perim was clearly already occupied by the Brit ish, tbe only counter move which tbe French could make was to take pos session of a strip of the foreshore on the opposite Arabian coast, where they built the fortified white bouse in question, but as the place was entirely at the mercy of tbe guns on Perim Is land it was shortly abandoned, to re main to this day as a monument of a French admiral's undoing. Exchange In Honor of Minerva. The most notable festival at Athens was in honor of Minerva. All classes of citizens on this particular day marched in procession. The oldest weut first, then tbe young men, then tne children, tne young women, tbe 0 niiuroua aim iuu oeuoie 01 me lower orders. The most prominent object In tbe parade was ship propelled by hidden machinery and bearing at its masthead the sacrsd banner of the Koddeas. IDENTIFIED. fhe Bank Teller Was Silenced and Paid the Money. A lady with a severe uud determined looking face and hi vhose eyes there was a gleam of triumph entered a bank aud presented a check to the paying teller. "I'm very fcrry to trouble you. mad am," said the bank teller xi;tely, "but you'll have to be identified." He push ed the cheek across the marble slab toward her as he spoke. "Identified!" repeated the lady. "Want does .that mean? Isn't the check The bnnk man did hot smile, for this was the thirty-seventh lady who had asked this question that day. "I have no doubt It is." he said, "but I don't know you. Do you know any body in tbe bnnk?" "Why, I'm Mrs. Weatherley!" ex claimed the lady. "Didn't you see my lift 'i. i ll snow tou who i am name ou the check? See. here It is' The teller shook his head wearily. "You must be Identified." he insist ed. "You must bring somebody who knows you." The lady drew herself up. "That check." she said with dignity, "was given me by my husband. There's his name on it. Do you know him?" "I do." said the teller, "but I don't know you." "Then." said the lady. "I'll show you who I am. My husband Is a tall man with reddish hair. His face Is smooth shaven. He has a mole ou one cheek nnd looks something like a gorilla, some people say, but I don't think so. When he talks he twists his mouth to one side, and one of his front teeth Is missing. He wears a No. 15 collar, a No. if shoe Mini won't keep his coat buttoned. He's the hardest man to get money out of you ever saw. It took me three days to get this chock." The bnnker waved his hand. "I guess It's nil right." he said. "Put your mime l ight there no, on the back, not the face." (Jalveston News. The Last Great Prize. As we grow older and the shadows begin to lengthen mid the leaves which seemed so thick in youth above our heads grow tbiu and show the sky be yond, and as those In the ranks In front drop away, and we come In sight, as we all must, of the eternal rifle pits beyond, a man begins to feel that among the really precious things of life, more lasting nnd more substantial than many of the objects of ambition here, Is the love of those he loves and the friendship of those whose friend ship he prizes. Henry Cabot Lodge. No Boxes For Two. Telephone girls sometimes glory in their mistakes if there Is u joke in con seqjence. The story Is told by a tele phone operator In one of the Boston Lex' hanges about a man who asked her fot the number of a local theater. Ue got the wrong number, nnd without asking to whom be was talkiug he said, "Can I get a box for two to night?" A startled voice answered hi in at the other end of the line, "We don't have boxes for two." "Isn't this the theater?" he called crossly. "Why, no." was the answer; "this is an undertaking shop." He canceled his order for a "box for two." Something Missing. This Is J. M. Barrle's favorite story about Bret Harte. When Ilnrte reach ed Glasgow after his appointment as the American consul to that city bis flnunces were at u comparatively low ebb. and Instead of going at first to a hotel he fouud it expedient to seek lodgings at once. His search led him to a dour Scotch landlady, arrange ments were made, nud after leaving his belongings in his new home he weut out to look after bis official du ties. Upon his return that evening he was met by the landlady. Her atti tude was stern and questioning. "I've been looking over your belongings. Mr. Ilarte," she said, "but whnur's your Blbler-Rookman. One on the Professor. One sarcastic college lecturer him got his deserts. A frequently Inatten tive member of his class appeared to be drawing In his notebook perhaps a caricature of the Instructor. The lecturer paused and askfd lm presslveV. "Do you think that scrib bling yo;i are doing Is Important?" "1 don't know sir. I'm sure." respoud ed the youth. "I was taking down what you were saying." GOOD EXERCISE. Practicing Juggling at Home as an Aid to Health. It h been contended that the easiest and pleasantest way to keep in fit condition is to practice jucr glinr, the art of balancing and catching objects. When exercising at home, un matched by a teacher, one is likely to perform his exercis-es in an iu- torrect or slovenly fashion, thus do ing himself more harm than good, but the simplest feat of juggling con be done in only one way, the right way. Again, uhere physical exercise develops only a ccrtuin part or parts of the body five minutes' juggling calls into pfay every important mus cle. Finally, few physical exercises train the eye or the hand. Juggling docs both. The mistake the novice is like ly to make is that be tries to do off hand what it has taken the experi enced juggler years of practice to accomplish. The beginner should, of course, start with the easiest feats, such as balancing a walking stick on his forehead or tossing a ball from behind his back over his shoulder and catching it as it falls. If one is really fond of juggling he may invent his own problems. Here ore n few axioms: It is easier to balance a thing on your head than on your hand. Up to the point where great phys ical strength is required the larger the object the easier it is to balance. Thus it is easier to balance a walk ing stick on your forehead than it is a pencil. . One should always look at the top of whatever he is balancing. Begin ners make the mistake of looking at the bottom or the middle of the Etick or whatever is being juggled. Again, when catching things do not watch your hands. Keep your eye on the object, just as you would to catch a batted ball. In all balancing feats it should be remembcrcal that the shape of the object is immaterial. What one has to do is to balance an imaginary line passing vertically through tho center of gravity of the object, or, in other words, to keep its axis per pendicular to whatever it is bal anced upon. Juggling is said to be the best and healthiest of indoor exercises, because it does not weary, because it develops every part of the body, because it trains the hand nnd the eye and because it makes for grace. New York Tribune. An Afghan Trick. During a shooting match in the presence of the governor of TCanda bar the firdar noticed to his utoH' ishrnent that the heads of sp'iTi'rows were the favorite butt of the marks men, who but seldom missed their aim, whereupon he declared that it was far more dillicult to hit an egg, Sir Peter laughed at the supposi tion, but the sirdar stood his ground, and the matter was put to the test. An egg was suspended on a wall, and the soldiers tired at it; but, strange to say, not one of them hit the egg. The governor and his suit kpt their countenances and excused the nonsuccess of the firing party on the ground of the difficulty of the thing. At last n ball hap pened to hit the thread to which the egg was fastened, and it fell to tho ground without breaking. Now the mvstcry was solved. The cun ning Afghan had used a blown egg, and the featherweight shell had been moved aside each time by tho current of air in front of the ball and thus escaped being hit. Snubbed a Duke. Manners mark the man. but tho typical Briton resents any advance from a stranger with a cold stare Vet it is un (Englishman who nar rates an incident of railway travel On the wav to London in a first class compartment were two well dressed men. Opposite them sat an elderly gentleman, wlios? fur coat and silk hat both looked shabbv. The elder ly nian made ?. remark' about the weather. The others stared at bin with insolent silence. When tht train reached Waterloo there came two tall flunkeys in fur tippets and corded hats to the door of our com partment. and one of them said to the shabby old gentleman. "Your grace, tho carnage is here. here upon tlw two snobs turned thirteet. diircrer.t kinds of green and pink and purple, and I went on my vay rejoicing. The cuds had snubbed a iluktv -Washington Herald. The Nightingales. The father of Florence Nightin gale was William Shore, who as sumed by letters patent the surname of Nightingale in 1815. The name, together with the family property, came from old Peter Nightingale, against whom Arkwright, inventor of the spinning jenny, brought in 177G one of his actions for infringe ment of patent rights. Lea Hurst, the home of the Nightingales in DerbyBhire, is only two miles from Cromford, where Arkwright set up his mill And the adjacent manor house of which he purchased from NiahtiainU. London Chronicle. DEGREES OF BURNS. Hew They Are Marked and How They Shojld Be Treated. The medical books describe sever al degrees of burns, according to the amount of damage the fire has done to tho skin or the patts beneath. The first degree couhists merely in redness and stinging of the skin, such as is caused by the flimo of a match touching the finger for an in stant or by a drop of hot wax from a candle falling on the hand. Ordi narily this is a, trivial accident, and the pain of it, if annoying, may be subdued by applying a cloth wet with a solution of cooking soda, but if a large surface is burned, as when a cambric r.ight dress catches fire and blazes up for a moment, b'lt is quickly extinguished, the patient may suffer severely from shock. in the second degree, blisters form on the injured part. Care must be taken not to tear the blis ters in removing the burned cloth ing, for example. A little snip with clean scissors or two or three punc tures with a clean needle should be made in the part of the blister which protrudes tnost, and as soon as the water has drained away the part should be covered with u cloth wet with soda sluution or with equal part3 of limewater and olive oil called carron oil. In burns of the third degree the upper layer of tho skin is destroyed. This is the most painful of burns, for the sensitive cutaneous nerves are exposed. Tho first thing to do is to cover the part so as to protect the bared nerve endings from con tact with the air. The same dress ing as that for burns of the second degree will give'rclief until the phy sician comes. Carron oil is best, but the soda solution is better than nothing and much better than plain water or oil. In burns of the fourth degree the third and fourth degrees usually occur together the skin is burned through and tho bare flesh is ex posed. This, strange as it may seem, is less painful than a third degree burn, for now the nerve end ings, which receive and transmit tho painful sensations, are entirely destroyed. It is more serious in its after effects, becauso it always leaves a scar which is disfiguring and may contract and draw the part out of shape. In burns of the fifth degree the muscles and other tissues arc more or less extensively disintegrated, and in those of the sixth degree the entire limb finger, hand, arm, foot or leg is destroyed. In, all these everer burns there is more or less shock, which may be so profound as to kill, and there arc also serious symptoms caused by congestion of the internal organs and probably also by a poison form ed in tho burned tissues. Youth's Companion. The Chief Requisito. Richard Watson Gilder had a dry wit of his own. He once received a call from a young woman who wish ed to secure material for un article of 3,000 words on "Young Women In Literature." 'It was a fetching subject, full of meat," explained the young woman afterward, "and I saw not only 3,000 words in tbe story, but at least 0,000. But I never got any further than the first question. Mr. Gilder's answer took the very life out of me. I asked him, 'Now, Mr. Gilder, what would you say was the first, tho chief, the all essential requisite for a young woman enter ing the literary field?' I waited with bated breath, when he answered, 'Postage stamps!' " Where She Drew the Line. A story of a little maiden who finally asserted her rights is related in on exchange. She was only three years old, and it fl3 her first visit to n number of relatives. Aunts, uncles and cousins crowded around her and kissed her over and over again. She stood it patiently and gave every kiss that was asked for without demur. After awhile, whei she had run the gant let of affectionate relatives, Uncle Tom Eaid, "Now, baby, I'll take you out to soe the cow." Outside tho door she stopped and shook her little head. "Uncle Tom." the said, "1 won't kiss the cow!" And Uncle Tom took pity upon her and did not insist. It Made Him Angry, When u merchant in the Hill dis trict who had been standing in front of his store saw two young men stop tho other day and begin looking over his wares he naturally was pleased and immediately gave them attention. . ''I want to know," began one of them, "if you havo any clean ehirts ready to wear." ''Certainly, certainly 1" was tin quick response. "Well. then, no in and rmt one of them on," was tho reply of the smart young man as he and his com punion continued on their journey. Eyewitnesses say that the mer chant didn't Uugh. PittsWg Gv MUe-Tunea. I WE SELL i WVETIXrS Sage & Sulphur HAIR RESTORER WEVRICH & HABRABA i The Red Cross Drug Store. Plattsmouth Phone No. 121. Booster Sale. 30 Ladies Tailor-Made Wooltex Suits Worth $35.00 to $40.00, now $14.89 A few Misses Suits Left Worth $12.50 to $15.00, now $6.98 We are Making a Great Sacrifice on Children's Coats. Only 9 NWooltex black long coats left, at one-half price. Fol lowing the advice of the preacher we will try coming down on prices just to see what will happen. m. THE TAILOR'S SONG Fit out at Frank's get a suit up to date, Right in the fashion of woolens first rate.. A suit that will fit goods sound as a bell,, No outside shops will fit you as well, Keep track of Mac's good value he sells. Mac builds good clothes garments all neat, Chicago's ready made agents cannot compete Examine his line and prices all through, Look him up for a suit, saves money for you. Reliable goods, all through his line, Order a suit for the on coming spring time, You find value for money here every time. February Bulletin of Special Rates Homeseekers Excursions: February 1st and 15th, and the first and third Tuesdays of each subsequent month, the West, Northwest and South west, uew farm land regions. A chance for a splendid tour of the. West at very low rates. Winter Tourist Rates: Daily through February and March to all Southern, Gulf, Cuban and California resorts. Very Cheap One Way Rates To Puget Sound and Pacific Coast Only $2.r).()() from eastern ntwl pi nipiil V,.l.r..LL 4., c...,,.' n .. . Spokane, Hutte, Helena, fcan I' raiicisco, Los Angeles and other far western destinations. Tickets sold from March 1st to April 15th. Through Service: These tieLeN lnn,ir..,i : .!.:. ... ..... , 1 . . 1 . . " iMuu i mm tourist sWpersj.la.ly throUKhtourKst sleepers via Northern Pacific Express, daily throng 1 tourist sleepers via G-eat Northern Express, through upper North west; daily through tourist s eeners to fjilifnrnin Salt Lake City, and Southern Pacific. Get in touch with me, and let arrange for your berths and assist you in Iliilltlipi! lite y CI A L FANGER Plattsmouth, Neb. me give you descriptive literature, every way. W. L. PICKETT.Ticket Agent, Plattsmouth, Neb. L. W. Wakely, G. P. A., Omaha.