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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1885)
THE PAST 18 MINE. 0 Memory ! O Memory I Adown thy paihs I love to strar. And view , now Lore , some lovely"flower , Dow there , a bramble by the way. For who may pierce , with backward glance , The vista of-tne perished years , And not discern some olden ill That fills tho eye with bitter tears ! With vines that trip and tLorna that wound , The br : inb5e well may typify Those errors of Impulsive youth That cause old age the burdened sigh. But then tbere comes the Image fair Of one who blessed our early days , Whose presence seemed a spirit sent From those who wulk celestial ways. The soft caress , the gentle voice , That wooed the wea'ricd soul to rest- Ob , hov they thrill the elder life Now swiftly sinking to its west ! Bo bare of ill , so filled with good , Thy paths , though long , appear to me , 1 fainwould linger in them of c , 0 Memory I O Meiriorv ! H. H. NtwliaUt in The Current. ASTOflY OF A BOOK. 1 should like to tell my story , for it seems to mo that in the great mul titude of companions which pour into the world every year , little ones like me are forgotten. Every one knows what the outside of a book is red , yellow , green or purple in color , lettered in silver , let tered in red , oblong and square , fat and thin. Every book has some shade of difference , which may distinguish it. It is true we come in tribes by hundreds after one pattern and lately the most popular cover or dress a book cun wear is paper lettered with black , I and the letters stretched across the pover , and are not at the back of the volume , as used to be the case. Where do we all come from ? Whither are we going ? are ques tions which I think 1 may ask , without run- nine : the risk of being thought vain. 1 know where I came from that is , the heart and core of me ; and I wish , as I said before , to relate my history. I must go back some way to get to the beginning of things , and that begin ning takes me to a dull , dreary lodg ing in a dull , dreary back street in London. I was born there. When the baby was asleep in the cradle , when the husband was away at his work in the postoflice , when notice this the lastlstocking was mended my author would get out an old case , open sundry sheets of lined paper , and with a smile on her lips , dip"the pen into the ink and let me grow under her hand. She was very happy when she was making me the vehicle inher thoughts pure , bright thougts they were and whatever merit I possess came from her , who told out her thoughts on the lined paper , and made me. * She kept this work of hers a secret. Sometimes I heard her telling her bab\T that mother was writing a story that , perhaps , when it was published , it would make her fortune and then , oh ! tbo joys that would come the country home instead of furnished rooms , the flowers and the brightness , "like old old home " my , , baby ! And little by little I grew , and the old case was full , and at last I was finished. Rather this first part of my life uiy best part was over. Then came many a journey for me. As I was born in London , from whence books are all sent out intothe world , I was not committed to the post , but my dear author would tie mo up neat ly , and tuck me under her arm an d set forth with me. She would wait patiently to see some great pundit who was to pro nounce on my merits. She was so anxious about my fate that I could feel her heart beating , as she waited with me , and even when sie received me back a tear dropped upon me , and I often heard her say : "I must give you up , my poor little book ; you have no chance among thousands , of course not. I was KO Billy to think so. I will not try any more. " But she did try it again , and I was received. I had been received before , but now I was unrolled and read. When my dear author came back to hear my doom , the man who had me laid his hand upon me'and said : ' "Th'is is i nice story ; it is not a novel audyetL t is full of interest. I will undertake to publish it. " "Will you pay for it ? " she asked. "Well , no ; I will bring it out , and if you deposit thirty pounds. I will share the profits if it succeeds' " "I ' can not pay you any money , " was'the answer in a low tone , "for I have none. I want money from you. " The publisher stroked His beard ; he had along beard , for it tickled mo as he bent over me. "My dear young lady , that is always the cry of young authors ; but the har vest is not reaped directly the seed is sown. You must bo patient. " "Give my story back to me , " my author said in a trembling voice. "I can not let you have it for nothing. " I was being rolled up , and a thick elastic band clicked over me , when an other voice was heard : "Mr. Best , let me speak with you a moment. " Then I was laid down on the table , and I could hear the sighs of my dear author as she sat near me. After a few minutes , the gentleman with the beard came back , and a younger gentleman with him. "We think , madame , we will under take to publish this book , and pay you ten pounds on the day of issue. The truth is my partner thinks highly of it ; forgive me , more highly than 1 do , and bv " his desire I make you this t offer. " So I was left on the table , then thrown into a deep drawer , from whence I was taken one morning and torn assunder. A small part of me was sent off to the printers , being first marked by the hand of some one who read me. Very soon after my arrival at the printer's office my fair pages were imeared with black fingers , and 1 was net up before a man with a pair of keen eyes , and I heard liiru mutter : "Plain writing for once , that's a mercy a woman's too. " Then another voice called out : "You are lucky. I have been puz zling over this sentence for an hour ; can't make head or tail of it , " while another grumbled : "These proofs are so scrawled over , I'll just send them back to' Mr. Best. I ain't going to spend my life over 'em. " From first to last I heard no grum bling about myself. All went smooth ly , and my dear author would smile and sing over me as tho proofs of my progress came by the post to her twice a week. The great day came at last. After I had been punched and flattened anc stitched , I was inclosed in a modes : gray binding with silver letters , anc was published ! Ah , me ! with what crowds of other books did I make my debut into the wholesale publisher's ware-house , where we were all ranged on shelves waiting for orders. Some were sent for review , some to the trade ; one , with ten pounds , to my dear author. Who of all the people that glanced at me guessed tho labor which had been bestowed on me in my creation , and the joy which I gave when I lay complete on tho breakfast table one dark December morn ing ? How proud was the young hus band ! How ho took me up and ad mired my binding , my silver letters and my title. By tho b"y , I have never told you my name. It was "Bright Days. " _ "This is a bright day to me , dar ling , " said the husband , hugging mo and the baby and my author in one fervent embrace. Then tho ten pounds were examined the crossed check ! " "Payable to you , " she said , "so you must take the money. I am only a woman , so I can't take my wage. So nice that it is yours ! " How happy they were ! how full of bright plans and schemes ! That ten pounds was an El Dorado thai check , signed by Messrs. Best & Crowe , like a banner of victory. And now 1 must go to less pleasant subjects. I was not a succe s com mercially hardly a failure , but not a success. Thousands passed me in the race. Books full of dark deeds cheating , murder , and the like sold. Books full of affected flights of aesthetic culture and lofty agnostic teaching , sold ; but I was passed by. , I must speak as a noun of multi tude , for a certain freemasonry is established among us as a tribe , "and we know pretty well by results what has happened. 'Bright Days , " the appearance of which caused such pleasure in that dull little London lodging , was lent lo admiring friends and read ; it was lent to others , and dismissed with faint praise. A great critic in literature called it goody , another dull ; a third laughed over it with his clever wife , and wrote what ho thought a stinging piece of satire only a few lines. "Bright Days" was"not worth more ! "Will you take another story ? " my author asked of Mr. Best. "Well , I am afraid" and the beard was stroked thoughtfully "I am afraid not at our risk ; we must wait. Autumn sales may effect 'Bright Days. ' But , to tell you the honest truth , there is not a spice of wicked ness in the tale to insure its success with novel readers , no very startling interest , no tragic incident pray for give my candor and then , for the stricter folk , there is not enough said of religion. Though some call you goody , others think you worldlv. Your heroine goes to a dance , and once even to the theater , and , ridicu lous as it may seem , that is enough to check the circulation in some homes. " "So you think I had better never write another book ? " my author said , in that sweet , low voice of hers , which I well knew was the sound of repress ed tears. " 1 would not go so far as that. Your story is true to life a little too true ; it is well-written ; there are beau tiful passages in it ; but , to sum up in a few words , 'Bright Days' is not a success. " Well , there are different notions as to success , but it seems to me that I did not altogether fail when a letter , like the one which I.heard my au thor's husband read to her , was writ ten about me. It eame the very next day after the interview with Messrs. Best & Crowe ; it was addressed to their care , and duly forwarded. My dear , author trie'd to read it , but the baby snatched at it and tried to thrust the crumpled page into her mouth , and the young mother handed it to her husband , say ing : "Do read it for mo ; I can not imag ine who wrote it. " "It is about ' ' " 'Bright Days , her husband said , and I , lying on tho writing table , heard my name , and was all attention. The letter was as follows : "WooDCHESTER MANOR , May 18. ' DEAR MADAM : Will you forgive me for addressing you ? I am a " stianger to you , or "rather I was a stranger a week ago. Now I feel as if I had found a friend in you , and I must needs tell you so. 1 am a pris oner to a sofa ; all nnanly exercises in ; which others of my age delight , are denied to me. I have lound my con dition a sore trial of patience , and 1 know 1 have been a sore trial to the patience of others. A few days ago a box of books came from Mudie's. My servant unpacked the volumes a"s usual , and at my request read me the titles. "At last he came to 'Bright Days. One Volume. By Cara Cameron , Best and Crowe. ' "The very title seemed a little in appropriate. I tossed the book aside , and , for a day or two , greedily de voured the novels in three volumes , ; which took precedence in your story , dear madam. But at last , sick with tho repetition of the samp incidents , . ' tragedies , flirtations , and even worse , I took up 'Bright Days. ' I read it once , and read it again , more careful- ly. The prison doors seemed to open by its power ; a now life was kindled in me by your words. Words of en couragement to endure , of spirit to of take up the work God has given , not to flinch from service , even service like > mine , poor and faint , the power of en durance , not gloomily not grudgingly given , but lightly and cheerfully * Your heroine lives for me. I hear hoi t < j .voice and see her smile. 'Bright Days1 indeed she makes for those about Lor , and in making them she makes her pwn. Beautiful is the influence she exercises over the most unpromising husband the sunshine of the little home , where she faithfully fulfills her mission ! "Dear madame , go on and prosper in your work. Doubtless you have reached many hearts beside mine , though others may not have been so bold as I in daring to tell you what you have done. May God reward you a hundredfold for 'Bright Days , ' which has pierced the clouds and gloom of a self-seeking , self-engrossed life , and has made me ever your faithful , grateful friend , "ARTHUR PlERPOINT. P. S. May I hope for one word in reply , to show you are not angry with mn , and to tell me that you are writ ing another book ? " "After all then ' ' 'Bright Days' was a success , " the husband said , as ho re turned the letter. "My darling , you should laugh and be glad , not let tears fall on the poor baby ; give her to me. " "Oh ! they are happy tears and to think after all , that my poor little book has not altogether failed. 1 really think I will begin again this evening when all is quiet , and I will write to my unknown friend and tell him the title of my new story shall bo Hope Fulfilled. ' " I think , in conclusion , I may ven ture to say that I , the book who has hero related its own'history , was not , nay , is not , a failure , but rather that' "Hope will be fulfilled , " and that Cara Cameron will bo known before long as tho successful author of "Bright Days. " Emma Marshall. Ways of Lawyers. A young attorney was accosted by an acquaintance yesterday with the common-place salutation : "flow do you do ? " "As there is nothing to do , " was the nonchalant reply , "it is immaterial as to how it is done. " "Does the depression in commercial circles affect the law business gener ally for the worse ? I should suppose it would give it an impetus. " "The business is not so very bad , ex cept among young attorneys. Depres sion in business is not the solo cause of our ill-luck. Older attorneys , and some of them having a lucrative prac tice in the higher courts , are getting in the habit of descending to justice courts even in matters of small ac count. It is true that some older law yers make a practice of turninjr over petty suits to younger men , but they are few. " "Are collections from clients becom ing more difficult ? " "Somewhat ; but he is a poor lawyer who can not collect his fee. There : ire certain well-known attorneys ret- > nized in tho profession -model law yers , able speakers , and good counsel , who bind their clients with a rock-rib bed contract. If money can not bo paid them , their chattels are accepted in lieu. A very well known attorney recently made it a condition of a con tract of this kind that in case tho money was not forthcoming , then he was to receive the seal skin sack which liis lady client wore. Others will not take a case without what is known as a retainer , which is nothing more than part pay in advance. Not a few law yers of a certain class are willing to cake cases making their pay contingent upon winning the case. Of course the pay is commensurate with the risk , ind is usually half the amount sought ; o be recovered ; but I have known a case In which three-fourths was allot ted. These , of course , are desperate cases which no reputable lawyer would take , and indeed which no at torney with but little or no reputation as such would touch unless constrained : o do so by tho hope of winning the re ward and a peal from tho bugle of : ame. " Detroit Post. 1 1A Falling Half a Mile. \ The greatest balloon feat I ever r witnessed , writes a correspondent in s The Philadelphia Times , was in Sep tember , 1858. Upward of 15,000 peo 1 ple were at Lemon Hill and along the 1S 1t > anks of tho Schuylkill to see M. S Jodard go up in a balloon along with lis brother and drop tho latter out t rom among the clouds in a parachute. a ! t is said that the feat had never been 8 attempted before in the history of r ) allooning ; it was a startling novelty , and the people crowded to see it. When th'e balloon sailed gracefully upward outside of the inclosuro M. Jodard and two friends were in tho > asket , while below it M. E. Godard , lis brother , was seated upon a small > ar of wood attached to the parachute , 't looked like an immense umbrella. The balloon went over the Schuylkill n a southwesterly direction , and after it had reached an altitude of about 6,000 feet began to slowly de scend. Then the par.ichuto be- ran to expand. When within about 1,000 feet of tho earth the cord was cut and tho parachute rapidly de scended , with Godard hanging on to he bar. The balloon shot upward again. The descent of the parachute was keenly watched by the thousands of spectators , and many expected to see the daring man dashed to tho earth in the twinkling of an eye. It was observed , however , that tho nearer to earth the parachute came ho descent was slow and easy. At ast the man and his big umbrella aded out of sight over the hills , and we learned next morning that he came down all right on his feet , like a cat , about a half mile west of the old Bell avern , on the Darby road. The bal- oon landed in Delaware county , near he Philadelphia line. Godard and lis brother were Frenchmen They eturned to their native country , and , a believe , were valuable to their coun- rymen' during the Franco-Prussian war. Gambetta sailed out of Paris to fours in one of their balloons. The bicycle is to be officially introduced into the Bavarian army. A number of the soldiers the garrison of Munich arc at present doing orderly service for the purpose of trying the racticability of the "wheel. " The etudio of Bozl , the painter , was filled with animals which reminded one ol pictures of Noah's ark , Bill Nye on War. I dropped in the other day to see New York's great congress of was figures and statuary carnival. It i ; quite a success. The first thing you do is to contribute to tho pedesta fund. New York this spring is mostl a large rectangular box with a hole in the top , through which the genial pub lic is cordially requested to slide a dollar to give the Goddess of Libertj a boom. I was astonished and appalled at tho wealth of apertures in Gotham througl which I was expectedgto slide a dime to assist some deserving object. Every little while you run into a free lunch room where tbere is a model ship tha will start up and operate if you feed it with a nickle. I never visited town that offered so many inducements for early and judicious investments as New York. But we were speaking of the wax works. I did not tarry long to notice the Presidents of tho United States embalmed in wa"x , or to listen to the band of lutists who furnished music in the winter garden. I ascertains where the Chamber of Horrors was located , and went there at. once. It is lovely. I have never seen a more suc cessful aggregations of horrors under one roof and at one price of admission. If you want to be shocked at cost or have your pores opened for a merely nominal price , and see a show that you will never forget as long as you live , that is the place to find it. I nev er invested my money so as to get so large areturn for it , be'causelfrequent- ly see the whole show yet in the mid dle of the night , and the cold perspira tion ripples down my spinal column just as it did the first time I saw it. The Chamber of Horrors certainly furnishes a very durable show. I have known men to pay out thousands oi dollars for a collection of delirium tremens and new laid horrors no bet ter than these that you get on week days for fifty cents and on Sundays for two bits. Certainly New York is the place where you get your moneys' worth. There are horrors there in that crypt that are well worth double the price of admission. One peculiarity of the Chamber of Horrors is that you finally get nervous when anyone touches you , and you immediately suspect he is a horror who has come out of his crypt ' to get a breath of fresh air and stre'tch his legs. That is the reason I shuddered a little when I felt a man's hand in my pocket. It was so unexpected , and tho surroundings were such that I must have appeared startled. The man Avas a stranger to me , though I could see that he was a perfect gentle man. His clothes were superior to mine in every way , and he had a cer tain relinement of manners which be trayed his ill-concealed Knickerbocker high lineage. ! said , "Sir , you will find my fine- cut tobacco in the other pocket. ' This startled him so that he wheeled about and wildly dashed into the arms of a wax policeman near the door. When he discovered that he was in the clutches of a suit of second-hand clothes filled with wax , he seemed to be greatly annoyed and strode rapid ly away. I returned to view a chaste and truthful scone where one man had successfully killed another"man with a club. I leaned pensively against a column with my own spinal column , wrapped in thought. Pretty soon a young gentleman from New'Jersey with an Adam's apple on him like a full-grown yam , and accom panied by a young lady also from the mosquito jungles of Jersey , touched me o'n the bosom with his umbrella and began to explain mo to his com panion. "This , " said the Adam's apple with the young man attached to it , "is Jesse James , the great outlaw chief of Missouri. How life-like he is. Little would you think , Emeline , that he would as soon disembowel a bank , kill the entire board of directors of a rail road company and ride off the rolling stock as you would wrap yourself around a doughnut. How tender and kind he looks. He not only looks gen tle , and peaceful , but he looks to me ; as if he wasn't real bright. " I then uttered a piercing shriek and " the young man from New "Jersey went away. Nothing 13 so embarrassing to an eminent man as to stand quietly near and hear people discuss him. ) But it is remarkable to see people get fooled at a wax show. Every day a wax figure is taken for a live man , and live people mistaken for wax. I took hold of a waxen hand in one cor- of the winter garden to gee if the ring was a real diamond , and it flew up and took me across the ear in such a life > like manner that my ear is still hot i and there is a roaring in my head that sounds very disagreeable indeed. Kew York Mercum. More About the First Lady. Miss Cleveland has settled in a com mon sense , practical way the much discussed question of who is the first lady in the land. Several days ago the necessity for some house cleaning supervision having arisen , she routed her social opponents by tying a towel around her head and in unpretentious dress personally directed the corps of servants as to the manner in which the work had to bo done. It may be as sumed that there will bo some outcry by those who attempt to sway polite society against any such homely argu ment as this , but it is equally probable that the masses of the people will up hold Miss Cleveland for her unassum ing conduct. The leading lady in the matter of overseeing housework as well as in the more fashionable but less useful occupations of dancing german or disseminating the latest society gossip. Somehow there is a streak of homely common sense run ning through the Cleveland family that stamps"them as being very Amer ican in their ideas. Philadelphia Times. Queen Victoria detests smokers , and keeps np in her palaces the standing order : "Posi tively no smoking here , " much to the annoy ance of the Prin aj of Wales , who , as the first " dandy of the land , not only smokes , but sets all the fashions , though his reputation as a raka la exaenetraed. A Treasury Cireu'ar. Tho United States treasury has issu ed a circular promulgating tho rela tion which will hereafter govern tho issue and redemption of the currency and coins of tho United States and tho redemption of national bank notes The principal changes made in exist ing regulations are in regard to ship ments of silver and to the redemption of mutilated United States notes. The new regulations in reference to tho issue of standard silver dollars is as follows : Upon the receipt of currency or gol ( coin , tho treasurer , or an 'assistan treasurer , will dause to be paid to ap plicants in cities whore their rnspec tive offices may be situated standard silver dollars in any desired amount. Standard silver dollars are forward ed to applicants outsidn of cities in which the treasurer , or an assistan treasurer , may be situated , at the ex pense of the government , in sums or multiples of § 500 : 1. Upon the receipt by the treasurer of an original ccrtilieate issued by an assistant treasurer of national bank depository that a deposit of currency or gold coin has been made to the or der of the treasurer in general account , deposits with the assistant trcasurci in New York may be inude by draft payable to his order and collectable through the clearing-house , forward ed directly to him with instructions to deposit the amounts on account of standard silver dollars , and lo for ward the certificates therefor to the treasurer of gold coins , United States notes , silver certificates , or natioua bank notes. 2. By tho treasurer or any assist ant treasurer , by registered mail free of charge in sums or multiplies of $65 , " at the risk"of the party to whom sent , upon receipt of gold coin. United States notes , silver certificates , or na tional bank notes. The regulation respecting the issue of fractional silver is as follows : The treasurer and assistant treas urers of the United States will pay out fractional silver coin in any sum de sired for lawful money of the United States. Fractional silver coin will be for warded from tho office nearest the plaue of its destination by express at the expense of tho government in sums or multiplies of $500 : 1. Upon receipt of nn original cer tificate issued by the treasurer , an as sistant treasurer , or a national bank depository , that a deposit of currency or gold coin has been made to the credit of the treasurer in general ac count. Deposits with the assistant j treasurer in New York may bo rnadu by drafts payable to his order , and collectable "through tho clear ng- house , forwarded directly to him , with instructions to deposit the amounts on accounts of fractional sil ver coin and to forward tho certifi cates to the office nearest the destina tion of the coin. 2. By the treasurer or any assist ant treasurer , by registered mail , free of charge , in sums or multiplies of $70 , at Fho risk of the party to whom sent , upon the receipt of currency or gold coin. The following is tho regulation in regard to the redemption of United States notes : United States notes , each exceeding nine-tenths of its original proportions in one piece , are redeemable at their full face value in other United States notes by the treasurer and the several assistant treasurers of the United States , and are redeemable in coin , in sums not Jess than $50 , by tho assist ant treasurer in New York. The Great Pyramid. Mr. J. B. Bailey , of Beading , writes to The St. James's Gazette as follows with reference to the desirability of ex- jlonng the Great pyramid : Now that Great Britain is dominant at Cairo , would it not be a good plan o clear away the sand and rubbish rom the base of the Great pyramid , right down to its rocky foundation , and try to discover those vast corri dors , halls , and temple , containing ) riceless curiosities and treasures , with vhich tradition in all ages has credited he Great pyramid ? This wonderful milding , of such expuisitc workman ship , was erected many years before my of the other pyramids , which are anly humble imitations , built by an- 3ther nation , and also for other pur- oses ; for neither King Cheops nor inybody else was ever interred beneath his mighty mass of stone. The small- 3r pyramids also exhibit neither tho nicety of proportion nor the exactness sf measurement , both of which jharacterize tho first pyramid. From nternal evidence it seems lo have een built abont the 3etir 2170 B. C. , short timo before the birth of Abra- lam , more than four thousand years ago. This one of the seven wonders 31 the world in the days of ancent 5reece is tho only one of them still n existence. Tho base of this build- ng covers more than thirteen square icres of ground. Its four sides face $ 3xactly north , south , east , and west , t is situated in the geographical cen- er of the land surface of the globe. t was originally 48o feet high , and [ mch of its sides measures 762 feet It j s computed to contain 5,000,000 tons r Df hewn stones beautifully fitted to- 1 rether with a mere film of cement. 1J A.nd these immense blocks of stone s nust have been brought from quarries < 3 ive hundred miles distant from the 3r ite of the building. Tho present well- o inown king and queen chambers , with c he various passages , might also bo o horoughly illumined by means of tho V jlectric or lime lights. The astrono- ner royal of Scotland some years since 11 jarefully and laboriously examined 11p ill that is at present known of the in- p " erior of this "enormous building. Ho 'O a tates that measurements in the charn- f aers , etc. , show the exact length of the jubit of the bible namely , twenty- ive inches. This cubit was used in Jj he building of Noah's ark , Solomon's j ( emple , etc. He also maintains that he pyramid shows the distance of f < he sun from the earth to be 91,810,000 J niles. * lit The number of non-working holidays in , b "ranee , Including Sabbaths , amounts to 100 Thole days 3n each year. In Greece they J lave 100 days ; in England there are 84 ; ID Russia. 66. e PASSING EVEJi'TS. Bntto , Montana , is to have a grantta court house. Washington has 9,355 licensed dogs , or more in proportion than any other city in the union. Cocoanut fiber brooms are * novelties for sweeping the hearth. They have a rich brown tint and are "so odd. ' If all tho railroads of tho world vror joined one to another they would go * around the earth on its longestciroum- ference more than ten times. t Small-pox has become epidemic in Tuxpan , Mexico , and tho state board of health is taking precautions against it spreading to neighboring towns. Charles E. Courfney says that the new patented dry-land rowing-ma chine will be used in all tho principal gymnasiums and colleges of tho coun try before long. There is no percep tible difference between its movement and that of a shell boat. Little 8-ycar-old Kittio Stephens , of Poughkeepsie , N. Y. , was hurried in accordance with the provisions of her "will , " in white , with"her doll dressed in white , in her arms , tho casket , flow \ ers , hearse , and horses being while , i and five little girls in white acting as pall-bearers. It is noted , says The London Qlobe , that in "Whitaker's Almanac" the only day in the year opposite which some "event" is not recorded is Juno 10. The space has evidently been left blank in order that it may bo filled with tho record : "Tho queen receiv ed Mr. Gladstone's resignation. " ; The Hawaiian Gazelle tells how a na tive of Hilo came to his death while endeavoring to kill a fish he had just caught. Ho placed it in his mouth tf > bite it , according to custom , when it slipped down his throat , and , as it was too big to bo swallowed and its ex panded fins forbade its removal , tho fisherman was choked to death. Tho Koran states that each mother locust lays ninety-nine eggs , and were the hundred complete they would de stroy the whole world and all that is in it. The greatest ravages by locusts are in Cyprus , where tho government spends a large annual sum for the ex termination of the insects. It is esti mated that the locust slaughter in 1883 must have been 200,000,000,000. The last report ot the French de partment of agriculture shows how ex tensive have been tho ravages of tho grape-destroying phylloxera in that country , but comforts its readers by evidence that the pest is decreasing. The statistics given show that Franco has now more than a million less acres devoted to Vineyards that she possess ed before the appearance of thid in sect. sect.The The prime warden of tho Fish mongers' company , London , told tho Society of Arts , in a recent address , that the daily supply received at Billingsgate , the great London fish market , amounted to five hundred tons. A ton of fish is equal to tho weight of twenty-eight average sheep ; so that five hundred tons equals a consumption of fourteen thousand sheep. In 1770 Obidiah Hill went from Newbury to Leominster , Mass. , and began making back hair combs from horn , working in his kitchen with rudo hand tools and without an assistant. To-day Leominster is engaged in tho T manufacture of horn combs , chains , bracelets , lockets , knives , ornamental trinkets , and various other useful arti cles , including horn chains. More , than a score of firms are in tho busi ness , and hundreds of people are em ployed. More horns of cows , oxen and steers are worked up in this town than in any other place. Tho United States guaranteed In dian Territory to the five tribes in ex- ] change for lands in Tennessee , Geor- ' gia , North Carolina , and Alabama. The government is under obligations to defend the territory from outside intrusion , and to maintain the nation I al independence of tho tribes and tho security of their lands "as long as grass shall grow privater run. * ' Tho title to tho land is not vested inindi- , vidual citizens , but is the property of ' each nation , and a man may not pass a deed to the land he occupies , but merely convey tho improvements he has put upon it. In an address to young men Dr. W. Pratt , of London , says that married 1\ \ lite is by far the most healthv. In 1,000 married men of 25 to 30 years of , J age there are six deaths ; 1,000 bachu- \ lors furnish ten deaths , and 1,000 f widowers twenty-two deaths. In young men marrie'd before 20 years tho figures are unfavorable , being fifty per 1,000. In unmarried men under 20 the rate is but seven per 1,000. If girls marry before 20 a like mortality befalls them. Married people from 18 to 20 die as fast as people from GO to 70. After 21 marriage should be con tracted as soon as practicable. An Arizona paper makes the follow- < < ing announcementVo will pay 4. . $10 for a good epic poem of one hun- i ! dred lines on the "Scourge of tho ( | ' Seventeen-year Locust. " s'aid poem t ; must be sound in wind and limb , but 2 it must not be all sound , a little sense P is desirable. AH metaphors must bo jj new and applicable to the subject. < V No more than one poetic license to ten lines will be allowed. Rhyme not ab- ' solutely necessary , but reason a sine qua non. No parodies allowed. We reserve to ourselves the right to work over tho poems of all unsuccessful candidates into editorials on the need \ of a new navy and tho failure oftho { wheat crop. " , / { fi A clergyman out in one of the to'wfcs 1 in Wayne county , New York , wrote la . l ! personal letter to old Commodores t Vanderbilt , saying he was very poor , * and wanted to attend a ministers' cori * J1 ference at Syracuse , but could not af- ' tord ' it. He closed by asking lor a free'i \ pass to Syracuse and return. * The ( , 1 ! commodore good-naturedly passed tha " f letter over to one of the road officials , and the dominie was sent a pass good for one trip until Dec. 31. Along in January commodore received another letter inclosing the pass , stating that the : recipient was much obliged for it , but had been unable to attend the con ference , and "would Mr. Vanderbilt be so kind as to send in return its equivalent m cash , § 3.17 ? " (