The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, December 10, 1885, Image 8

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    DONT WAIT TILL YOU'BE OLD.
Don't wait till you're old
For your love to be told ,
iTor tie little blind qod is capricious ;
In young hearts lie delights ,
And , If robbed of liis rieht * ,
May reseat It In ways quite mal clous.
He may cause you to pair
With a mild fresli and fair ,
Vfho at heart cans for naught but your money ,
Or make you regret
With some nnclon I coquette ,
Ihe old days that w ere buoyant and sunny.
For flrat love at least
Lids hfs gu'.sts to the fea t
fnthe heyday of youth and of passion ;
And the laggard may find ,
If to fondness inclined ,
3olh his speech and his looks out of fashion.
Then whisper your vows
Under Youth's budding boughs ,
With a world and your future before you ,
Nor wait till the sere
Of old age to make clear
Chat a bcart may be wooed to adore you.
So uncertain Is life
That a well-chosen wife
Should companion one's years of discretion
From the thieshold , elate ,
Of man's sturdestate ,
test Le miss , by delay , the possession.
THE COOK'S DOUBLE.
Jonathan Savage , having bought
i house out of town , and comforta
bly established himself and family
therein , found himself in want of a
sook.
A young girl applied for the situa
tion.
tion.When
When questioned by her new mis
tress , the girl proved respectful and
ipparently capable.
She stated that she had been brought
ap us a cook.
She gave her name as Peggy , and de-
tlared herself anxious to suit.
And having given satisfactory an-
jwqrs to all interrogatories , she took
Jier way to the kitchen , where she set
herself zealously to work without de
lay."A
"A perfect treasure , " Mrs. Savage
Beclared "decidedlva perfect treas
ure. "
There was no cause to .change
Iheir opinion the next day , nor the
aext
On the third night , however , Mr.
Savage was surprised , on alighting
Ironi the train , to see Peggy in her
black straw hat aud waterproof cloak
Itauding on the platform.
He addressed her , but she did not
answer him.
And he hastened home , wondering
ivhat had happened that the "treas
ure" should have been dismissed so
suddenly.
To his sarprise , Peggy opened the
loor for him.
"Weil , Peggy , you must have walk-
ad fast togethere beforeine , " he said ,
pleasantly.
Peggy made a courtesy , but said
nothing.
"I saw you at the station , didn'tl ? "
jaid Mr. Savage.
"Please , sir , 1 don't know , " said
Peggy.
, "You've been there ? "
, "Not to my knowledge , sir. "
. "Her way of being polite and leav
ing it all to me , " said Mr. Savage to
himself.
But though lie discovered that Peggy
had not left the house all day he could
fcarcely believe that he had not seen
tier.
{ That very evening another odd thing
happened.
Little Thomas Savage going to look
k'or a lost chicken , came in with a
Jtory.
" 1 thought I saw a ghost , mother , "
tie sad. "It was standing by the
vcll , looking ever so funny ; but just
as I was gomg to run I saw it was
Peggy , all wrapped up in something. "
"Peggy has been standing just there
chopping meat * e\er sinceou went
out , " said the mother , pointing to the
kitchen door.
It was no more Peggy than if was a
ghost , but the boy persisted in his
statement.
He was so obstina'e , indeed , thai lie
was sent to bed in sonic disgrace for
contradicting his mother.
Mr. Savage slept late next morning ,
and was aroused by the breakfast bell.
As he hurried down stairs consulting
his watch , he saw the door of the ser
vant's room , which opened en the
stairs the room being built over the
kitchen standing slightly ajar.
And as ho looked , a dark face , on-
circled by a night cap peeped out , and
i hand , with a white frail about it ,
pushed it to.
Peggy's face , Peggy's hand , without
a doubt.
"Had to get breakfast yourselfmy
3ear ? " said Mr. Savage , as he took his
seat at the table.
"Oh , no , " replied his wife. "Why
did you think so ? "
And at that monent Peggy , in her
ordinary dress , walked into the room
with a plate in her hand. '
"Singular , " saidMr. Savage to him
self , but made no further explanation.
It was a month since Peggy's en
trance into the family , and she had
given every satisfaction.
Still it was plain to bo seen that
something was the matter.
Miss Oiivia had come to reside with
them , and every one was well , but
Mrs. Savage looked anxious.
So did her sister.
So also did Mr. Savage.
The ladies exchanged mysterious
glances with each other , and the gen-
pieman , often shook his head warn1
ingly at his oldest boy. when he had
just opened his lips to say something.
Mr * Savage often asked his wife
what could trouble her , and she fre
quently said :
"Why are you so serious , my dear ? "
At last Olivia was found in hyster
ics in the hall , and matters grew too
serious to be kept quiet any longer.
"I must know what it is , " said Mrs.
Savage.
"Don't toll him , " sobbed Olivia.
" 1 don't see why you should bo
ashamedf'of it , " said' Mrs' Savage.
Tim can't help it. It's nerves , I sup
pose. We'd better send for a doctor. "
"I'm not nervous , " sobbed Olivia.
"Oh , dear , dear , dear ! "
"There , now , " said Mrs. Savage , "I
declare I can't bearit any longer.
My dear , poor Livy has taken to ghost
seeing , and she's so affected me that T
really have imagined something of
that sort myself. She sees a woman
exactly like Peggy over and over
again , when Peggy is somewhere else ,
to my certain knowledge , and I've
seen tho sarno thing twice. It's an
optical illusion , i presume ; I've read
of such things. "
Mr. Savage turned pale.
"My dear girls' " said he , "Thomas
is as bad as you are. I've been threat
ening to flog the poor fellow if ho
frightened you with his stories ; but
he sees Peggy in the garden , in the
meadow here , there , everywhere.
And ho speaks to her , and she does
not answer. And then he runs home
and finds her in tho kitchen , or where
not , and naturally feels oddly about
it. I myself have seen the same thing
twice. "
"You have ! " cried Mrs. Savage.
"You ! " screamed Olivia. "Oh ,
I'm so thankful ! I'm not crazy ,
then. "
"Oh , dear , no , " said Mr" . Savage
"oh , dear , no. You see it is becoming
plain to me that a certain old super
stition of which 1 have read is found
ed on fact. You've heard of people
who had doubles. Peggy evidently
has a double. The wraith does not
speak , you say. That coincides with
all tho stories on tho subject Yes ,
that's the solution of the mystery.
Peggy has a double. "
"But wo can't keep such a mj'sterious
girl about the house. It's like hiring
a ghost , " said Mrs. Savage.
"Suppose we talk to Peggy ? " said
Mr. Savage.
The proposition met with favor.
Peggy was sent for , and came at
once.
"Now , my good girl , I don't want
to frighten you , " said MR Savage ,
"but something odd has happened.
Did you ever have anything singular
said to you about yourself for in
stance , that you were seen where you
never went , you know , or something
like that ? "
"Oh , yes , " said Peggy "yes , sir , to
be sine ; I always hear the same story.
There's two of me. It scares folks ,
but 1 can't help it. "
"Don't it frighleu you ? " asked Mrs.
Savage.
"I'm used to it , " said Peggy. "Be
ing two of me got me lots of scoldings
where I was before , 'cause , you see , I
can't help where t'other one of me goes ,
or what it does. "
"Yes.she has a double , " said Mr.
Savage"Yes , yes. Very singular
very. "
"I'm sorry , Peggy , " said Mrs. Sav
age , "but it frightens my sister very
much , and wo shall bo obliged to
part. You've been a good girl ,
Peggy. I'll pay you a month's wa
ges , but I can't beir ghost-seeing any '
longer. "
"Very well , ma'.arn , " said Peggy ,
"I'll pack up. You must excuse there
being two of me I can't help it. "
"Very singular , " said Mr. Savage ,
"very , very , very ! "
Peggy went up stairs to pack her
clothes , and came down with her box.
"If you'd like to look over my
things , ma'am , " said she , "there they
are. If there is two of me , why , I'm
honest
Then Peggy slowly proceeded to
spread upon the floor her worldly pos
sessions.
"Nothing that ain't mine , " she said ;
"and there's my pocket. "
She turned this receptacle inside
out , as she spoke , and spread out her
hands.
"I'm honest , if there is two of me , "
she said again. "I can't help that. "
"Ma,1' cried Thomas , just then
bursting in at the door , "Peggy is go
ing over the bridge with a big bundle
oh ! why , here is Peggy , Oh , mv ,
look. "
The three elder folks rushed to tho
window , and stood solemnly gazing
out.
out.In
In tho room beside them stood Peggy
with her black calico dress , pink cali
co apron and round black hat , aud a
bundle under her arm.
Over tho bridge , slowly , as a phan
tom should , passed Peggy's double-
black dress , pink apron , round hat ,
bundle and all.
They all saw it at once.
It was frightful.
Miss Olivia sank into a chair , tremb
ling.Mrs.
Mrs. Savage grasped her husband's
arm.
arm.Thomas fairly ye lied.
Even the sterner man turned pale.
"There are more things in Heaven
and earth , Horatio , than are dreamt
of in your philosophy , " he quoted
solemnly.
"Yes , sir , " said Peggy , "Good
morning , all. "
Away she went , and to those whom
she bade adieu breathed more freely
when she had left the house.
"The most curious th'ing 1 over
heard of , " said Mr. Savage. "I shall
write an account of it for the papers ,
and a letter on the subject to my
friend , tho mesmerist Most
mysterous , indeed. "
It was nearly two hour's after Peg
gy's departure that a stout gentleman
rang tho door boll.
Mrs. Savago answered it in person.
There stood before her the stout
gentleman.
"Icall , madam , " he said , "to make
a few inquiries concerning a girl you
hired about three weeks a go a girl
named Peggy. I should like my in
quiries to bo quite private for tho
present , if you f > lease. "
Mrs. Savago instantly summoned
her husband and sister.
The parlor doors were closed , and
the visitor began :
I do not wish tho girl to suspect
anything as yet. If you can keep her
from leaving the house you will oblige
me. "
"She left us this morning , " said
Mrs. Savage.
"I am very sorry to hoar that , " said
the gentleman. "Pray , may 1 ask if
anything singular occurred during her
stay ? "
"Sir , " said Mr. Savago , "something
jingular did occur. 1 presume you
hope to investigate the phenome-
aon ? "
"Well , sir , " said the other , "I don't
Ball it that , you know. I see you've
been taken in , just as tho Smith's
were. She's a cute girl , that Peg-
? y. "
"My dear sir , " cried Mr. Savage ,
"you scientific men doubt everything.
Now , it is certain to me that Peggy
nas a double. I myself "
"My dear sir , " cried the other ,
'stop a bit. I'm not exactly what you
suppose me. I'm a detective. Peg
gy's double is a deaf and dumb twin
sister , as like her as two peas , and
this ghost dodge is her little game.
She smuggles the , dumb girl into tho
house she lives at , and she goes
through the closets and trunks. I-Ias
the lady made certain that nothing is
gone ? "
The wraith-seers stared at each
other.
Mr. Savage turned red.
Tho ladies rushed upstairs to
gether.
A few moments' inspection proved
to them that they had been robbed.
" While Peggy had been exhibiting
her bundle tho double had walked
away with another , containing laces ,
jewelry , and other small matters , not
to speak of Mr. Savage's watch ,
which ho had lett on the stand iu his
room that morning , and the cuckoo
clock from the back parlor.
Material for the Katuralist.-
Some of tho finest material for tho
novelist that can bo imagined is to be
found in the United States Treasury.
There is a bureau called the Division
of Abandoned Lands and Property
that in itself is one great roman o.
Its history is fuller of the marvelous
than anything ever written. There
are § 13,000,000 in its charge belonging
to people in tho South alone. During
and at the close of tho war there was
valuable property of all sorts which
fell into hands of army oilicers and
was turned over to the Treasury. Over
$12,000,000 of the money charged to
that bureau is the proceeds of cotton
taken from plantations all over tho
South aud sold. The money it brought
was turned in. Tho amounts finally
became so great that Mr. Chase , then
Secretary , created a divison that
should have especial charge ot all this
sort of thing. There is one instance
where 5175,000 worth of cotton was
taken from a far South estate , when
cotton was worth about $500 a bale ,
and sold. The persons to whom it
belonged were not rebels , but loyalists.
They haven't an idea of where their
cotton went to. Their names were on
the bales , and it would not be difficult
for them to make a case if they knew
what to do. But it has been nearly
twenty-three years since tho money
was deposited. And it is hardly pro
bable that they will ever get what is
really theirs. All the testimony re
lating to the case is in the possession
of the Government. The agent who
took the cotton and the one who sold
it are both dead , and tho owners would
not be able to make their case with
out some proof which they haven't
got. Boston Transcript.
A Pleasant Surprise.
A tramp strolled into a Texas billiard
saloon , and solicited alms. He was
indeed a pitiable object.
"I haven't had'anything to eat fora
week , " he said , plaintively.
The gentlemen , who were playing
pool felt sorry for the man , and raised
a dollar and a half for him. Jingling
the money in his hands :
"I believe I'll come into this poo if
tho gentlemen have no objections. "
The generous donors were somewhat
surprised , but not so much so as they
were when ho , having utilized their
subsidy to come into tho game , got
away with tho pot , and invited the
crowd to step up to the bar aud irrigate
at his expense. Texas Siftings.
"WUWtH
ANftUM'HIAl ,
Some Pointers thatMay Be rf Interest to
Husbandmen.
' The controversy of tho Royal Horti
cultural garden contained a magnifi
cent display of fruit. There were be
tween three thousand and four thous
and plates of apples and pears con
tributions , loo ; not only from every part
of tho kingdom , but also from Franco ,
German ' and other continental
} , coun
tries. The first prize , for tho largest
collection of apples in different varie
ties , was awarded to Mr. Bunyard ,
nurseryman , of Maidstono ; a first prize
for the Blenheim orange apple , grown
at Goodwood , was given to the repre
sentative of the duke of Richmond ;
while that for tho ( best flavored apples
iu the collection an orange pippin ,
grown at Maidstonc was awarded to
Mr. Bunyard. Lord Suflield secured
the first prize fcr pears of enormous
size grown in his garden at Gunion
p.irk , Norwich ; while for stewing
pears , some of which weighed nearly
two pounds , tho duke of Richmond
carried off the palm.
A farmer writes to The Times , of
London : "I have been much interest
ed by reading the letter of Mr.
Mitchell Henry on tho growth of
Caucasian prickly comfrey ( symphytum
asperrimuni ) . I have been a grower
of it for many years , and can indorse
all he says of its value. Since tho in
troduction of the solid-stem Russian
variety of this plant by my friend
Thomas Christy , of London , to whom
it was sent from the botanical gardens
at St. Petersburg , I have grown this
variety , and find it superior in value.
The last ; two seasons during tho sum
mer drought it has been invaluable ,
my cows keeping in full milk while
others in the pastures failed to give
milk. "
Groat alarm is felt in Cadada ,
especially in tho province of Ontario ,
over tho spread of hog-cholera , and
the government is being urged to adopt
more stringent measures to save the
entire swine interest of the province
from destruction. In Essex and ad
joining counties seems to be the
principal seat of the disease. Essex
county alone has lost upward of 1,500
animals , aud at present 130 farms are
quarantined. Inspectors report that
the disease can.not be treated medical-
] y with any hope of success. Neglect
to report the disease renders owners
liable to a penalty of $100 and for
feiture of compensation should it bo
necessary to kill their animals.
The dairy farmers of Ireland grow
the prickly comfrey extensively , and
we are led into wondering why more
attention is not bestowed upon it m
this couutiy. It is said to be admira
bly adapted to low , wet soils and to
yield enormously. It is raised for
several 3rears consecutively from one
sowing , averaging one hundred tons of
green fodder per acre. It is cut three
times during the season. Cows not
ouly milk well upon it , but are kept
in Letter condition , and are more
quickly fattened for the butcher than
when pastured on grass. Comfrey is
also said to be excellent for sheep ,
and even hogs eat it greedily.
The importation of barley has been
large , and is increasing. For the ten
years from 1870 to 1879 , inclusive , the
net receipts , after deducting exports ,
constituted 13.8 per cent , of the home
consumption , and averaged 5,381,190
bushels , Tho net imports of the last
live yesrs have been nearly twice as
much , averaging 9,493,278 bushels per
Annum , and constituting 1C. 1 per cent ,
of the entire consumption. The in
crease iti population can not be much
more than 20 per cent , while the in
crease in consumption has been 50 per
cent
The sale of public lands in Califor
nia is an evidence of the immigration
into that state. It is estimated that
there are 43.000.000 acres of govern
uicnt land , of which 20.000,000 are
suitable for agricultural purposes.
The applications for public lauds in
18S3 numbered 5,287 , covering over
700,000 acres. There were 7,252 ap
plications filed in 1884 , covering an
area of 993,570 acres. It is slated
that ( his immigration consists mostly
of fanners of moderate means , upon
which tho state is to be congratula
ted.
ted.For
For tho winter protection of many
half tender garden plants , leaves
from the woods prove valuable , and it
is well therefore to secure a good sup
ply in time. For covering tender
prostrate grapevines or raspberry
canes , they are less liable to produce
rotting than an entire covering with
earth. A little brush , or sprinkling of
Boil , will hold them iu position. They
are less suitable for covering straw
berries , as they exclude air , and cver-
nrrei'ii branches are better.
Three representatives of the Japan
ese government have been in Kentucky
the past two weeks looking at the
horses iu that state , their object being
to gather as much information as pos
sible concerning the highest types of
trotters and runners. They purchas
ed nothing , but took such copious
notes concerning numerous animals
tl at it is expected they will do some
Business with the breeders of the blue
nrass region before leaving for home.
Ten thousand barrels of apples ship
ped from New York recently , were
sold in Liverpool last week. King
of Tompkins county apples brought
16 shillings a barrel , Baldwins 14 shil
lings and greenings 12 shillings. In
many parts of Now * York , as in Penn
sylvania and Now England , tho ap
ple crop is so enormous this year that
barrels are practicaly worth mgre emp
ty than they are filled with the fruit
The United States fish commission
reports a great decrease in tho halibut
and cod-fisheries of America. The
cause for this is attributed either to
low temperature of water or the de
struction of fry by reckless fishing. A
general falling oft of flat fish is report
ed from Germany this year and- dim
inution of tho herring fishery is ro-
cdrded from Belgium.
One of tho most successful of Illinois
dairymen keeps a hundred cows , but
never raises a pound of hay. Ho feeds
his cows on corn fodder , cut when in
blossom , bound , and set up till cured ,
or till winter , when it is removed to
the barn. He gets seven tons of this
dry fodder to the acre , anil claims it is
worth as much as tho best of hay.
The National Fish Culture associa
tion have made arrangements to im
port a large consignment of carp from
Germany for the purpose of acclima
tizing them to the waters of tho United
Kingdom. In Germany , China , Franco
and America carp-farming is exten
sively prosecuted with highly remun
erative results.
Do not cover the lawn all over with
stable manure which to remain
there all winter as an offense to the
eye , the nostrils , and tho feet. There
is nothing more disgusting than this
turning a lawn into a barnyard , and
there is no necessity for it.
A Colorado paper says that "tho
cow may be queen , the horse king , and
tho sheep away up in royal honors but
it is an indisputable fact that tho hog ,
under tho impetus of alfalfa and pea
food , is approaching dangerously near
the throne. "
It is claimed and generally accept
ed that the Jersey reds are descended
from the largo importations of. Berk-
shires when these hogs , as they did
years ago , had a much coarser body ,
with pendent cars , and were often
marked with red.
The Great Corsican.
An example of a good system of lo
gistics is the wonderful concentration
of the French army in the plains of
Gera in 180C. Another is the entrance
of the army upon the campaign of
1815. Says Jomini : In each of these
cases Napoleon possessed tho ability
to make such arrangements that his
columns , starting from points widely
separated , were concentrated with
wonderful precision upon the
decisive point of the zone
of operations ; and in this
way he iusnred the successful issue of
the campaign. The choice of the de
cisive point was the result of a skillful
application of the principles of strat
egy ; and the arrangements for mov
ing the troops giveis an example of
log'stics which originated iu his own
closet It has been long claimed that
Berthier framed those instructions
which were conceived with to much
cleanness , but I have had opportuni
ties of knowing that such was not the
truth. Tho emperor was his own
chief staff officer. Provided with ; i
pair of dividers opened to a distance
by the scale of from seventeen to
twenty miles in a straight line ( which
made from twenty-two to twenty-live
miles , taking into account the wind
ings of the roads ) , bending over and
sometimes stretched at full length
upon his map , wheic the positions of
his corps and the supposed positions
of the enemy were marked by pins of
different colors , he was able to give
orders for extensive movements with
a certainty and precis on which were
astonishing , Turning his dividers
about from point to point on the map ,
he decided in a moment the number of
marches necessary for each of his col
umns to arrive at the desired point by
a certain day , then placing pins in the
new positions , and bearing in mind
the rate of marching that he must as
sign to each column and the hour of
its setting out , he dictated ' those in
structions which are alone enough to
make any man famous , Ney coming
from the shores of Lake Constance ,
Lanues from Upper Suabia , Soult and
Davoust from Bavaria and the Palati
nate , Bcarnadotte and Bugereau trom
Franconia , and the Imperial guard
from Paris , were all thus arranged in
line on three parallel roads , to doboach
simultaneously between Saalfeld ,
Gera and Pleuen , few persons in the
army of Germany having any concep
tion of the object of these movements ,
which seemed so very complicated. In
the same manner , in 1815 , when
Blucher and his army lay quietly in
cantonments between the Sauibre and
the liliine , and Wellington was at
tending fntes in Brussels , both wait
ing a signal for the invasion of France ,
Napoleon , who was supposed to be at
Paris , entirely engiossed with diplo
matic ceremones : , at the head of his
guard , which had been but recently
reformed in the capital , fell like a
thunderbolt upon Charlevoi and
Bluchers' quarters , his columns arriv
ed from all parts of the compass , with
rare punctuality , on the 14th of June ,
in the plains of Beaumont and upon
the banks of the Sambre. Kapoleon
did not leave Paris until tho 12th. The
combinations described above were
the results of wise strategic calcula
tions , but their execution was un
doubtedly a masterpiece of logistics.
"Snap and Sparkle.
Gratitude is not an overpowerm ,
passion with tho inanjv
Rumor is a worthless jade
.rule she tells more lies than truth.
To bo able to forget succesi
fully is at times a very conifortabl
gifc.
gifc.What ii
thing snow
What an irritating
bo meek , yet s
-So slow and would
determined.
Young men "engaged" aro younj
men lost , so far as tholr being enter
taiuing goes.
Most old families have their skole
tons ; it's rather respectable thai t r
otherwise , and pride feels no pain.
Some people , especially relation !
n-iaw , are never happy except whei
making themselves disagreeable.
Women's likes and dislikes an
bound and governed by tho fact lha ;
( somebody else likes or dislikes them.
So many young men mope now-a-
days. I believe they call it by a finei
! name , but it really comes to tin
.same thing.
! The present generation knows nf
( boys. They aro all grown up fron
'their ' cradles ; and girls should not bi
'trusted out of one's sight
1 When a follow is pretty well on it
( years , and certain portions of hin
'have dropped away , such as hair anc
teeth , why can't ho confess it ?
Any young man who keeps philan.
'doring after tho girls for montlu
together , without coming to tho point ,
ought to bo summarily dealt with.
I "Child ! " sho says , indignantly. " 1
.am not a child. I was eighteen las
month. How long does one continui
to bo a child , I wonder ? "
Genteel poverty means no carriages
no horses , no box at tho opera , on <
.silk dress in the year , no society , anc
'gloves made by any one else in the
world except Jouvin.
If there's one thing I hato , it is bo-
ing in a place whore servants are fus
sing and rattling platos and silver.
One has eaten a dinner in anticipatior
long before ho gets it
I think "Always yours Most Sincere
ly" very nice indeed. "Yours Sin
cerely" would be commonplace , and
quite nothing ; but the "Always" and
"Most" make such a difference ! Hen
ry Clay Luksns , in Arkansnta Traveler.
Hammer Signals.
There aro few persons , either in tin
city or country , who have not at times ,
watched a blacksmith at work in bis
shop with his assistant or striker.
They have noticed that : the smith
keeps up a constant succession of mo
tions and taps with a small hand-ham
mer , while with his left hand he turns
and moves the hot iroi which the as
sistant is striking with a sledge. The
taps are not purposeless , but given
entirely for the direction of the striker.
When the blacksmith gives the anvil
quick , lijfht blows it is a signal to tho
helper to use thn sledge or strike
quicker. The force of the blows given
by the blacksmith's hammer indicates
the force of the blow it is required to
give by the sledge. Tho blacksmith's
helper is supposed to strike the work
in tho middle of the width of the anvil ,
and when this requires to bo varied
tho blacksmith indicates where the
sledge blows aro to fall by touching
the required spot with his hand-ham
mer.
If the s'odge is required to have a
lateral motion while descending , the
blacksmith indicates the same to the
helper by delivering hand-hammcz
/ ?
blows , in which tho hand-hamuiei
moves in the direction required for the
sledge to move. It" tho blacksmith
delivers a heavy blow upon tho work
and an immediate light blow on the
anvil it denotes that heavy sledgo
blows are required.
If there are two or more helpers the
blacksmith stikes a blow before each
helper's sledge-hammer blow , the ob
ject being to merely denote where the
s.edge blows are to fall. When the
blacksmith desires the sledge blows to
cease he lets tho hand-hammer head
fall upon the anvil and continue it <
rebound upon the same until it ceases.
Thus the movements of the hand-ham
mer constitute signals to the helper ,
and what appear desultory blows tc
the common observer constitute the
method of communication between tlu
blacksmith and his helper.Hardware
lleporter.
A Serious Objection.
A German Peasant family had made
all their arrangements to "emigrate to
tho United States. Tho day before tin
family was to take its departure the
eldest son , Hans , who was an enor
mous eater intimated that ho did not
care to go West
"Has some village maiden beguil
ed thec to remain behind ? " asked the
father.
"Nothing of the kind. "
"Why then dost thou not wish to "
°
with us ? "
"I've been talking with tho schoo
muster and "
"Well , what did he say ? "
"He says that when it is twelvi
o'clock with us in Germany that - *
"That "
what ?
"When it is twelve o'clock hero witl
us , that in. America it is nine o'clock ij
the evening. "
"Well ? "
"I don't want to go to a place when
I have to wait that long for mv din
nor ; " and tho poor fellow completeh
broke down at the mere thought of is *
Texas Siftings. _ _ tJ