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About McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1883)
THE BAND THAT BOCKS THE i WOULD. on the band of woman ! Angola Ritai < 1 her strength and grace In the cottage , t-alacc , hovel , O , no matter where the place I "Would that never htorms assailed It ; IlulnhowH ever gently curled ; For the hand that rocks the cradle IB the hand that rocks the world. * v Infancy's the tendcrfountaln ; Power may with beauty flow , Mothers first to guide the Htrcamlet , I From the soul's unresting grow. Grow on for the good or evil , Sunshine htreamod or durknes.-f hurled ; For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rocks the world. "Women , how divine your mission Ilorc upon our natal Rod , oh keep the younpheart open ranged in pies and ears and gathered at the back of the head into a meagre coil , held in place by a comb of imitation shell , much too large and heavy for its office. Over a quilted petticoat of some dark- green woolen stuff she wore a flowered cotton short-gown , belted at the waist by a girdle of the same material , which was sewed to the garment at the back . and fastened in front with hooks and eyes. eyes.A A ribbon of parti-colored plaid encir cled her withered neck , furnishing ex cuse for the display of a square gold pin , in which glittered , a yellow some thing , fondly believed by its ow'ner to be a topaz. The room accorded well with the ap pearance of its mistress. It was exquis itely clean , but everything in it bespoke the economist and the utilitarian. The spindle-legged table , of which but one leaf was raised , was covered wtih a cloth of coarse brown linen ; the cups 1 * and plated were of various patterns , evi dently remnants of sets that had ceased to exist as such. The walls were tinted a smoky gray , and the floor painted in severe squares uf black and white , the work of Mrs. Prewett's own hands. The wooden chairs were luxurious with cushions of dark chintz , tied firmly to their backs and legs by bits of scarlet braid. One really luxurious chair there was near the window , an invalid's chair , though its occupant would hardly have been classed as an invalid. This occu pant "was Mr. Prewett , who , having finished the substantial portion of his ineal , had retired from the table carry ing with him his second cup of coffee , to be enjoyed over his book. Seated as he was , a glance sufficed to show that he was a hunchback and a dwarf. Hs face had the peculiar conformation in separable from that sort of deformity the high , square cheek bones , wide mouth , slightly protruding , and eyes set a la Chinois. It was , nevertheless , a face full of kindness and intelligence. The thick , bushy hair stood sliilly out above a broad , well-rounded forehead , and the pale , gray eyes gleamed with an intellectual light beneath the over hanging brow. As he read , taking occasional sips from his cup , he smaked his lips enjoy- The outer door looking eastward , and giving upon a small garden , stood open admitting a broad block of sunshine , which was welcome to-lie upon the painted door whose colors it could not injure siuce it tempered.the air of the room without cost , and the spring mornings were still a trifle chill. It admitted also the .fragrance of honey suckle and the song of a caged mock ing bird that hung in the window of an adjoining house. In full harmony with these intruders , seeming almost as if it might be an emanation from them , was the bright- haired , angel-faced child , perched be side the table upon an improvised high seat , formed by laying two great quar- .tos upon one of the cushioned chairs. Not even the ugly calico apron which enveloped him , nor the stains of mo lasses about his rosy mouth , could hide or mar his wonderful beauty , as , stretching out his hands above his emp ty plate , and springing up and down on his dangerously elevated perch , he clamored inarticulately for more food. "Now , Georgie , " said Mrs. Prewett , in a high , thin voice , so thin that it wavered like a worn blade , "you can ha just one more slice , with either butter or molasses , but not both. " The child kicked his little feet against * table , and beat impatiently with his spoon upon his empty plate. "Da-da , mo-da-da , " he cried , utterances which might mean anything , but which is grandmother interpreted to mean mo lasses , and ut once proceeded to supply , while Gftorgie beat triumphantly upon the table with sppon and feet. "Hi , hi , there ! " cried the grand father , looking at him over his spec tacles with a smile that contained but little reproof. You make a great &oise , youngster. " A middle door , leading from another room , was gently opened , and a pale , slender woman , no longer young , and yet with an indefinable youthmlness still hovering about her , glided noise lessly into the room and seated herself at the table. She rested her elbows upon the board , and laying her trans parent hands palm to palm , leaning her thin white cheek against them , an at titude full of grace and tender remin iscence. Turning her large , luminious eyes slowly from one object to another , and letting them rest finally upon her mother , she said , in a dreamy voice : "How natural it all seems. You are not changed in the least. " "No should I ? " ; why change re turned the mother. "Most people do , " replied the daughterstill speaking as if in a dream , "but you and my father seem to stand still. I could have fancied it myself to whom you said just now : 'You can have cither butter or molasses , but not both. ' But it is my baby , and that means a great change for me. " "Yes , you are greatly changed , " rc- toried the mother , with an accent of disapprobation. "If you had been guided by advice you might have been better off. " "I don't want to be better off , " re turned the tlaughter with a gentle smile , I have loved and been loved to my heart's content , and that is the sum of life. " "Loved ! " exclaimed Mrs. Prewett with increased disapprobation. "A poor stick like that ! a ne'er-do-well who has left you nothing but a baby. " "Ah ! ho loved me so ! " sighed the je mother , angrily bewitched you. " "I have brought it with me , " said the daughter , still in that calm , even tone , as of one who receives scarcely any im pression from without. "He drew the bow across the strings hardly an hour before he died. Georgie must learn to play it. He will never find such a mas ter as his father , though. " "He will never learn it with my con sent , " said the grandmother , as shere- moved the great apron which protected the child's blue worsted frock , and wiped bis sticky hands and face. "Go , now , and play in the garden" she said } setting him upon the floor. "Come , Anastasia , eat your breakfast and let me clear the table , " she continued to her daughter. "I suppose you learned these dawdling ways in those foreign places. I've been told they lie abed till the middle of the forenoon over there. That's the reason you never got on. Old Ben. Franklin's rule is the one to live by if you want to succeed in life. " "What is it to succeed ? " asked the daughter , stirring the half-cold coffee her mother handed her , without offer ing to taste it. "Why , to make money , to have a home of your own , and something'to live on. What else could it be ? " , "No , no ; it isn't that , " replied Ana stasia , with a radiant smile. "To suc ceed is to drink life in one great draught of perfect happiness , and ! then die. " "Tut ! tut ! " cried the father , speak ing for the first time. "That's non sense. "Supreme nonsense , " echoed the mother. "I never could understand Anastasia's infatuation. At her age , too. Why , she was nearly thirty ! Old enough to have gotten over all that ro mantic folly about love' " A sudden flash , followed by a sudden pallor , overspread the delicate face of the young woman. "Ah ! yes , " she exclaimed , leaning back and stretching her arms upward , "old enough to have tried everything else , and found love alone worth hav ing. " The outstretched arms fell heavily back , her head drooped upon her breast , there was a slight quiver of the frame , a faint sigh that was all. The mother stood with her pile of plates in her hand the father sprang to his feet , dropping book and spec tacles upon the floor. It was too late to recall her. The pure , sensitive soul had once more es caped from the cold restraints of home to regain its native atmosphere of love. FELIX GRAY. Disraeli and Wines. Tpmple Bar. "How do you manage to keep so healthy ? " he was asked by a dyspeptic fob. "By dining off a sardine , " was the answer , and there was some truth in this. To the end of his life Disraeli always ate very sparingly when alone , and this enabled him to keep a good appetite for public occasions , thereby rebutting the presumption , which his pale face suggested , that he was con sumptive. In this connection some re marks of his about wine may be men tioned. Hard drinking was in fashion during his youth , and at public dinners men who letthe bottle pass were hardly regarded as gentlemen. Disraeli , who could never stand much wine , suffered a good deal from this social usage , and he set himself to study the demeanor of men who could drink deep without' being any the worse for it. Lord Melj j bourne was one of these , and he gave Disraeli a wrinkle by saying , "You can drink if you don't talk ; if you talk much you needn't drink , for people will think you are drunk and let you alone. " It is obvious that the excitement of conversa tion must co-operate powerfully with the fumes of wine in making the brain reel. Disraeli , having noted this fact , went further into the subject by observing that a man's convivial pro pensities are always taken for granted if he talks in praise of wine and appears to be very critical about it. Some of his. remarks savoring of the most re fined epicureanism may therefore be ascribed solely to his temperate desire to find excuses for not drinking. He was not a judge of wines , though he pretended to be , and once allowed himself to lay down the law about Bur gundy against the late Lord Sefton. A droll trait in him was that he spoke en thusiastically about certain choice wines , but he never descried any sort of liquor , even gin. A reason he once gave for "saying something' kind" about brandy in the presence of a per son addicted to spirits would have had a Mephistophelean ring if the subject of the observation had not been , humane ly speaking , irreclaimable : "I could not speak ill of his only friend. " "I should call brandy his enemy , " inter posed a lady. "Ah , well , a man hates liis enemy the worse for hearing him well spoken of , " was the mild report. How Titled Excomnmmcators of the American Hog Treat Their American Wives. t7oseph F. Potter , the American con sul at Crefold , Germany , has been " making investigations in" regard to a matter of great interest to our fair countrywomen , and the result of his labors is to be found in a report full of information of the most vital interest. He has been inquiring into the results of marriages between American girls and German nobles , and what he tells us is most startling. In thirty-tsvo cases cited there has not only not been a single happy union , but either divorce or abandonment has railroad magnate in a western state and the story she tells is a most pitable one. one.Her Her hard-headed father took the pre caution at her marriage to settle his daughter's fortune upon her , and tied it up ir. such a way that she could not relinquish its control , even if she de sired to do so. After many humiliating tasks had been given this lady , the boot cleaning was required. Then she re belled. She drew the line there , and with her American blood at the boiling point , she flatly refused. Her warrior husband , who. beside his military rank , has the title of a count , attempted to enforce discipline in his family by using his riding whip upon his recalcit rant bride , and after a serious time of it she evaded the flogging and left the bed and board of the knightly Uhlan for her native land. Her husband could not prevent her departure , but tried to compel the payment of a cer tain sum of money by way of salve to the wounds his sensibility received by her abrupt departure. He did not suc ceed , for the lady had no property in the province that could be held , so she < rot away without further loss of time. * " * - Matches. Chicago Herald. "That match you are lighting your cigar with is a very small thing , isn't it ? " said a passenger who had shared my seat for a few miles. "A small thing , but you wouldn't believe the American people paid out $27,000,000 for matches last year , would you ? It looks big , but it is a fact. Now , take a pencil and figure it out. Fifty millions of people in this country ; they use oa an average five matches each per day ; that is 250,000,000 matches daily , or 2,500,000 boxes of 100 matches in a box , every day. Last year these boxes re tailed at an average of three cents each , making $75,000 a day for matches , or $27,375,000 a year. And then to think that three-foiirchs of all these matches were supplied by one com pany ! If they didn't make $8,000,000 clear profit out of it they didn't make a cent. cent.The The harvest day of the match monopoly ely is now at an end , as they no longer have a government revenue tax levied for their benefit. But they still control the trade , on account of their superior manufacturing facilities , large capital , etc. They own thousands of acres of timber land in Michigan , and their lum ber is cut by their own men and shipped on their own boats. And then they- liave contracted for nearly all the world's supply of phosphorous years ahead , and the new manufacturers starting into the business find them selves over-matched in many ways by the old monopoly , which can still con trol the trade ancl make a fair profit on its investments. They control twenty- two factories , and one of them has a sapacity of 72OOQ.OOOjf matches daily. Persons extremely reserved are like old enameled watches , which had paint ed covers that hindered you seeing what o'clock it was. A TERBEBLE PROPHECY. The Red SungetH , Cyclones and Kiirtli- J.-T , quakes Foretelling Coming Disiin- ter IIow to Meet It. The recent mysterious appearances following sunset and preceding sunrise have attracted wide attention from stu dents of the skies and the people gener ally. During the days of recent weeks the sun seems to have been obscured by a thin veil of a dull leaden hue which , as the sun receded toward the horizon , became more luminous , then yellow , then orange , then red ; and , as night settled down upon the earth , a dull pur ple. At first it was thought these ap pearances were ordinary sunset reflec tions of light , but it is now pretty cer tain that they are either the misty sub stance of the tail of some unseen comet , in which the earth is enveloped , or a surrounding stratum of world dust or very small meteors. Professor Brooks , of the lied House Observatory , Phelps , N. Y. , has turned his telescope upon these objects and discovered what he thinks are myriads of telescopic me teors. If it is unorganized world dust , ordecomposed vapors , us the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester , N. Y. , re marks : "How is this matter to be dis posed of ? Will it settle and form a de posit upon the earth , or remain a par tial opaque shell about the earth to cut off a portion of the sun's light upon it ? " Whatever the mystery is , there is no denying that some very strange forces are at work in the upper airs. The ter rible tornadoes and cyclones which have swept our own country , and the fearful volcanoes and earthquakes which have destroyed so many cities and thousands of people the tidal waves which mysteriously rise and fall on coasts hitherto unvexed by them the tremendous activity which is evident in the sun by the constant revelation ot enormous spots upon its surface all in dicate unusual energy in the heavenly bodies. These circumstances recall Professor Grimmer's prophecies that from 1881 to 1887 , the passage of the five great planets Mars , Neptune , Jupiter , Uranus and Saturn around the sun would produce strange and wonderful phenomena. lie says : "The waters of the earth will become more or less pois onous. The air will be foul with noi some odors. Ancient races will disap pear irom the earth. " He attempts to prove his prophecy by the fact that in 1720 , when Mars and Saturn made their passage around the sun coincidentally , great destruction and mortality visited all parts of the globe. He also found the same results in previous perehelion passages of the planets , and argues that these circumstances always pro duce epidemics and destructive diseases which will bailie the skill of the most eminent physicians ; that the poor will die by thousands , the weak and intem perate falling first , those whose blood has been impoverished by excess of work or dissipation next and only those who are in comparative vigor shall es cape to enjoy the era of renewed activ ity and prosperity which will follow the period of destruction. Inasmuch as the entire world seems subject 1.0 the sway of the heavenly bodies no part of the earth , he thinks , can escape scourging. He even pre dicts that America will lose over ten millions of people ; that farmers will be stricken with fear and cease to till the soil ; that famine will make human misery more wretched. That hundreds will flee to overcrowded cities for aid in vain. That sudden changes in ocean currents , temperature and surround ings will entirely transform the face of nature and climate of countries ; that the air will be so foul with malaria and other noxious gases ; that those who survive will be troubled with disorders of the di gestive organs. That many who escape othbr ills will bloat with dropsy and suddenly pass away , while others will grow thin and drag out a miserable ex istence in indescribable agony lor weeks. Neuralgic pains in different parts of the body will torment them. They will easily tire and become des pondent. A faint , hot feeling will be succeeded by chilly sensations while hallucinations and dread of impending ill will paralyze all effort. "The birds " in the air , "the beasts of the field , and even the fishes of the sea will become di seased , poisoning the air and poisoning the waters of the globe. " We are told on the other hand that those who shall pass through this period of trial will have larger enjoyment of life and health. The earth will yield more abundantly than ever before. The ani mal kingdom will be more prolific and life prolonged very materially. This prolongation of life will be owing to the healthy electric and magnetic in fluences that will pervade the atmos phere. It would perhaps seem that the present redness of the sun , and the presence of a belt or veil of cosmic matter , justified , in a measure , the pre diction of Professor Grimmer , but dis turbing as his predictions may be we are told for our comfort that the strong and pure blooded need have little to fear in these calamities , that those who are delicate or indisposed should adopt means to keep the system well support ed and the blood pure and that the most philosophical and effective meth od of accomplishing this is to keep the kidneys and liver in good condition. From the testimony of such men as Dr. Die Lewis and Professor R. A. Gunn , M. D. , dean of the United States medi cal college , New York , and thousands of influential non-professional people , it seems almost certain that for this pur pose there is no preparation known to science equal to Warner's Safe Cu-e , better known as Warner's Safe Kidney and Liver Cure. This medicine has acquired - quired the finest reputation of any preparation that was ever put upon the market. It IH * a radical blood purifier , which soothes and heals all inflamed organs , strengthens the nervous sys tem , washes out all evidences of decay , regulates digestion , prevents malassim- ilation of food in a philosophical and rational manner , fortifies the system against climatic changes and malarial inlluunces , and the destructive agencies which seem to be'so abundant in these "evil days. " It is not our purpose to dispute the corteetuess of Professor Grimmer's prophecies. As we have said , the marked disturbances of the past few ydars would seem to give a semblance of vcriication of his theory. It is cer tain , as above stated , that we are pass ing through what may ue regarded as a cruicial period , and it is the part of wise men not to ignore , but to learn to fortify themselves against the possibility of being overcome by three evils. It is a duty which each man owes to himself , and his fellows , to mitigate us much as possible the suffering of humanity , and in no way better can he accomplish this purpose than to sec to itthatliuhimsulf , is fortified by the best known prepara tion in the strongest possible manner , and that he exert the influence of his own example upon his fellows to the end that they , too , may share with him immunity from the destructive influ ences which seek his ruin. THE VIGILANTES. Ten Horxc and Cattle Tliievcs Kvvoivo Their Attention. 5lnformation was received at YankUm on the 12th from the Niobram valley to the effect that the vigilance committee had made way with five borne and cattle thieves within the past ten day ? . Wade. Murphy and Weatherwax were hung , while Hoyt and old man "Weatherwax were shot. Culbert- son , Stewort , Morris and Cline are under Indictment. If the court fails to punish th em , the vigilantes will give them their considerate attention. McFarland , who was captured and indicted , escaped. The cause of this summary work is the long continued depredations by this NIobrara band of cattle thieves. For years past they have operated with the boldest impunity among the herds on the rich pasture lands. The siime band of thieves were formerly the famous highway men with ' 'Doc"3Iiddleton as their leader , and when he was killed it was supposed the gang"would break up and scatter , but , in- fatcad , it gained in strength and became more formidable than in the days of its notorious chief. The band finally reached such pro portions that the law was absolutely set at defiance , and they ruled the valley with im punity. Last winter a meeting of stockmen and farmers was held for the purpose of or ganizing a vigilance committee to rid the valley of the terrible scourage. This com mittee gave the desperadoes final warning a. few months ago to leave the country. They disregarded the warning and the result is that ten of them are now under the sod. Officers oft he Senate. Republican senators held a caucus and proceeded to the nomination of officers for the f-enate. A candidate for secretary was first in order. Jones , of Nevada , nom inated Geo. C. Gorham , of California ; Miller , of New York , nominated General Anon G. McCook , of Xew York ; Harri son nominated Major I ) . M. Ham-dell , of Indiana. Eulogistic speeches were made in support of each candidate and a running debate followed in which a majority of the senators present took part. Upon the in formal b.illot the vote stood McCook , 1C ; Gorham , 15 ; RamsdHI , 3 A forma ballot followed immediately and resulted , Mcf'ooklO , GorlMin 13 , limr-dell 3. Gen eral McCook waa declared the nominee. Charles M. .Johnson , of Minnesota , was1 nominated for chief clerk , and James II. Young , of Pennsylvania , to be executive clerk of the senate. Kev. E. E. Huntley , of the Metropolitan M. E. church , Wash ington , formerly of "NVi-conr-in , was nom inated for chaplain , and Colonel W P. Canaduy , of North Carolina , for sergeant- at-arms. A resolution was adopted unani mously to retain wounded soldiers now on the rolls of the senate in their positions. * Mayna Reid's Books. Pall Mall Gazette. The followihg details , which we be lieve to be correct , concerning the sale of Captain Mayne Reid's novels may be interesting. In 1SGO nine books of the novelist came into the hands of Messrs. G. Routledgc & Sons , namely : "The Desert Home , " of which 8,748 were printed ; "The Boy Hunters , " 8,455 ; "The Young Voyageurs , " 6,954 ; "The Forest Exiles , " 8,315 ; "The Bush Boy , " 6,710 ; "The Young Yagers , " 5,796 ; "The Boy Tar , " 6,878 ; "The Plant Hunter ? " 5,060 ; and "Ran Away to Sea , " 6,000 In November , 1860 , Captain Mayne Reid wrote for the same firm two original books , called "Bruin ; or , The Great Bear Hunt , " and "Odd People ; " of the former 9,000 were printed , of the latter 8,000. In Jnly , 1879 , "Gasper , the Guacho , " was published , of which 3,000 copies were printed. In Febru ary , I860 , two of his novels , "The War Trail" and "The Quadron , " eaineinto their possession , of the former 14,500 and of the latter 11,400 copies being printed. In January , 1878 , twenty more copies of his novels came into their hands. Of "The Headless Horse man" 4,000 copies were prin.ed , of "The Rifle Rangers" and "The White Chief" 3,000 copies , and of the remain ing seventeen 2,0 < H3 copies each. Saraa Wilso , a nepress , 77 years old , is teaching school in New Havi n. Her father was born a blare in the same town.
