H 1
The Wolf-Charmer.
H Thc. o was sorrow and groat trouble
H In tho household of Michael Tronski ,
H the fiddler of Arnntra , a small villago
H In Austrian Poland. lie had fallen
H that morning from a ladder in the
H course of mending tho thatch on his
H cottage roof , and was now lying in bed ,
H groaning and helpless , with a broken
H anu aud collar-bone. Worse still , there
H Siad been heavy sickness and death in
H tthe family. Doctors1 bills and other
H .expenses had swallowed up all the
H Jpoor violin-scraper's savings. Now
H tliat ho was laid helpless on his back ,
H * destitution and starvation stared him
H and his children in the face. '
H "Do not take on so father dear , "
H said Marscha , tho fiddler's little
H < laughtcr , as she moistened the sick
H man's lips with water in a vain at-
H iempt to allay his burning thirst. She
H was only twelvo years old , but her
B mother's early death had made it
j accessary to bo womanly very early.
H She had helped the doctor that day , as
B fa.o sat her father's broken limb , with a
B -courage and quiet presence of mind
K -that had won his highest praise.
E "No need of any other nurse so long
H -as 3011 aro with him , my dear , " ho said.
H -"Only sec that he is kept quiet and his
j anind easj' . "
H "His mind easy ! Yes , that was eas-
H xly said , " thought poor Marscha , who
1 inew that there was no more food in
K * .he house than would serve for that day
m and the next , nor any money to buy
B more. Her poor father had , as she
B liuew , reckoned on earning enough to
m Iveep them for weeks by playing that
m "very evening at tho wedding feast of
B -Janosz Patusta , the richest farmer in the
H | neighborhood. Still the brave girl re-
B solved to do her best.
B "My children ! My children ! " he kept
B -moaning. "Everything gone ! Neither
m lood nor money in the house , and I ly-
B Ing here like a log unable to earn more !
B Jily poor , helpless children , what will
H become of them ? "
H "Dear father , " said Marscha , "God
H -will prpvide for us , 1 am sure. Mother
B -always told me not to bo afraid. And
M rlhen there's Iwan. "
H "Iwan , yes , " said the old man bit-
M • terly. "Iwan could have taken my
M place to-night if 1 had not been such an
m obstinate ass. and insisted upon him
B learning carpentry instead of fiddling.
M I. was determined tliat my son should
H .fce something better than a fiddler , for-
H tsootli , and never would let him learn.
H • * Ha is well avenged now , and wo shall
H tall starve. "
H "No , wo sha'n't , " replied Marscha.
H"I made enough bread yesterday to last
H ais for two days } * et , and neighbor Brig-
H -atta , gave me some m Ik this morning.
H I am going to get you some now. "
H "My poor , motherless child ! " mut-
H tcred. the man. "May God help us , as
H j'ou say ! Where is Anna ? "
H "Brigatta took her home with her to
H toa out of the way. as she is so little.
H JDr nlc , dear father , " and she held the
H < cup to his mouth.
H At this moment a tall , handsome boy
H -entered the cottage , with grief and dis-
H may on his face. Marscha made him a
Bj : Si " gn to controle himself. He made an
H answering sign and slowly approached
H -the bed.
H "Dear father , " he said , "I have just
H Iieard of your terrible accident , and my
H good master let me come to 3'ou at
* > nce to see it I could help. "
H "No , my bothere is nothing to be
< done unless. " he corrected himself ,
-'Carlovitz would let *
3ou go over to
I .Jauosz Patusta , at the farm , and tell
H iiim that I cannot play the violin to-
H snight at the wedding. There is nobody
B in the village whom I can send in my
H 3)Iace. We shall soon know what starv-
I Jng means.
I "Father , " said the boy , eagerly , and
H -with a certain confusion of manner ,
H -"let rae go instead of vou. "
"You , " said Michael "you ! Wiiat
H * could you do ! I never allowed .you to
I .learn even how to handle tho bow. "
I * tBut I learned for all that , " replied
I llwsa. blushing deeply. "Don't be an-
J y wa me father , but I used toprac-
ttiee in tho evenings , after work was
I < over , on Carlovitz's old fiddle. I was
I so unhappy after you sent me away ,
I iind I could not hear any more music"
I " 'My poor boy ! " said Michael. "But
I let me hearou pla3 % "
I Iwan took his father's violin , and
I played a slow , plaintive air upon it.
Then he changed the key and rattled
I .off a lively dauce tune. Both were ex-
I -cellcntly done.
I"I could not have believed it possi-
sble , " said his father. . "You will be a
I better player than ever I have been ,
I lean see that Yes , you may go to
I IPatusta's , and tell him I sent'ou to
I .take my place. I am sure he will make
I iiio difficulty if you play to him half as
I -well as 3-ou < lid to me just now. You
I are not afraid of the long walk ? "
I "I ? No , indeed , " smiled Iwan.
I "Keep your mind easy , Marscha , " he
I continued , turning to his pale , anxious
I Hittle sister. "I'll be back to-night
I -somewhat late , perhaps , with my pock-
I -ets full of coppers , with a little silver
I mixed with them I hope. But it's a
I - Ood bit of a road , and I must tell
I 'Carlovitz not to expect me to-night
I : So good-bj'e , father ; good-bve , Mar-
I schar' And off tipped the light-heart-
I < 3d boy.
At Patusta's farm all was bustle and
.excitement , The first feelings of dis
appointment on learning that Michasl
• could not come himself to tho wedding ,
sirid had sent so young a substitute ,
. were quickly allaj-cd on hearing the
' anasterly manner with which the lad
' fliandled " his father's bow. The most of
. • tfiC < niests had heard of the accident ,
I and "knew of tho great troubles that
one after another had fallen on the
fiddler's family. General sympathy
g * aras roused. 'I he dancing , the happi
ness and above all Iwan's lovely music ,
\ opened their hearts. When the ball
I , ended , about two in the morning , the
F tbov was dismissed with not only the
1 promise of payment for his night's
K * orjf but the pocketful of money of
fe. which he had spoken to Marscha , of
R which the greater part was not copper ,
H lint < = hinin"white siiver.
K chiming now as Iwan , strid-
. Who so
r
*
QMwr 1 fmmimammnmm
inir blithely homeward 011 h s thieu-
m.le walk h's violin
, j-lung lghtly ovei
h a shoulder , aud his hands in ins
pockets rattling his gains ? lie kept
wli stling from time lo time to give ex
pression to his pleasure as he thought
of his father aud Marscha aud wee tod
dling Anna.
"Oh. if mother were onlyalivo ! " * he
thought , "how pleased she would he !
Poor father need not Want anything
now. There's enough hero for that
clever little sister of mine to keop house
on for a long time. She is thinking of
me now while she is sitting up waiting
forme. I am lutor than I thought I
" "
should bo when I left home. This
wood will cut off a good quarter of a
m.le if I cross it. "
With a boy's thoughtlessness he left
the beaten tractc , and turned aside into
a pine wood near. The sudden dark
ness startled him at first , as the faint
light of the waning moon could not
penetrate through tho thick branches.
But confident that he could find his
way and regain the high-road again at
the other side of the wood , his eager
ness to reach home prevented him
from turning back. He contented him
self with picking his steps carefully.
Suddenly tho ground seemed to give
away beneath him. and he was precipi
tated into a deep pit He was stunned
for a moment , but the earth at the bot
tom was soft and no bones were brok
en. Picking himself up his first thought
was his father's precious violin. If
that were broken , then indeed would
tho measure of their misfortunes be
full , and his carelessness would have
done it. To his great joy it was unin
jured. Then he began feeling about
the walls of the pit for a means of es
cape. Suddenly something met his
C3'es that nearly froze his blood with
horror. Two glowing points like red-
hot coals glared upon him out of the
darkness around. Iwan comprehended
the matter now. He had fallen into
one of the pitfalls dug to entrap wild
animals , and was now hopelessly im
prisoned with a wolf ! The creature ,
he felt , was confounded and terrified
for the moment by the nose of his fall.
But he was convinced that it would
soon recognize the helplessness to de
fend himself of his comrade in misfor
tune , and would make a breakfast of
him in shorter order than it took to
think of it all.
Iwan's breath came thick and fast ,
but ho was not one of those who easily
resign hope. He called to mind the
old ballad of how a valiant Danish
chief was taken in battle by his enemies
and thrust into a cavern full of serpents
and other deadly reptiles ; how he had
been allowed , as a last boon , to take
with him his harp of seven strings ; gand
how he had played upon it for a night
and a day using his feet when his
fingers failed him. So long as he play
ed , not a creature attempted to do him
hurt , so great is the power of music
over eveu the dumb brutes. At last h s
enemies were moved and opened to him
his prison doors.
"Why may not I take a leaf out of
that old Danish book ? " thought Iwan ,
quickly unslinging his fiddle and bow.
"A violin is as good as a harp any day.
If I can manage to keep the bruto off
until daylight , somebody is sure to he
passing on the road or the owners of
the trap will come to see if there is any
booty. "
He drew the bow across the strings
and commenced a slow , melancholy
tune that would have brought the
tears to his own eyes had not the sense
of desperate danger been the feeling
uppermost in his mind. Tho awful
beast gave along howl.
"You like music ? " thought Iwan.
"All right , Master Wolf , you shall have
plenty of it. "
His ees were now getting accustom
ed to the darkness , and he perceived
that his dangerous fellow-prisoner was
an enormous gray wolf whose gaunt
sides spoke of a hunger which would
afford him small hope of escape should
his music not succeed in exercis ng the
hoped-for charm over it He pla\rcd on
with the energy of dispair. Although
it was early spring , and the snow near
ly all melted away , it was still bitterh/
cold. The poor boy's fingers soon got
so chilled that they could not long hold
the bow. Still he fiddled bravely on ,
his terrible companion only giving vent
from time to time to an uneasy growl ,
alternating with a long , melancholy
howl. These sounds , however horrible
in themselves , were pleasant to Iwan's
ears , as showing him that his music
was having the desired effect But the
hours went past , the dawn was break-
ins : , and the poor boys hands were so
benumbed that he noticed , to his horror ,
that the tones were getting broken and
even sometimes refused to come at all.
"God help me , " he thought , "if I
get quite powerless before anyone
comes to my help ! My poor father
and Marscha ! what will they say if 1
never come home ? And 1 thought to
make them so happy with tiic money
that I have earned to-night ! "
This thought nerved his arm once
more. But he felt it could not be for
long. His strength was leaving h.m
fast
It was now broad daylight The
rumble of a wagon was heard from the
road. Hope put new life into Iwan 's
bow. He drew it across the strings so
as to produce the highest notes which
he knew would be the most piercing ,
accompanying them by a shrill cry at
the top of his voice.
The rumbling ceased. In a few min
utes a kindhy , weather-beaten face was
seen peering over the mouth of the pit
"Well , my lad , " said the man , recog
nizing Iwan. whose passion for music
and his father's resolve not to make
him a fiddler was well-known , "you've
chosen an odd place in which to prac
tice forbidden arts. How came you
here ? "
"Don't stop to asic. Look at my com
rade. Run for a gun , " panted the boy ,
still fiddling desperately.
"Mercy on us ! You have an un-
chancv companion , and no mistake. "
cried the man , now perceiving the brute.
"Hold on a bit longer. I will be back
in a jiffy. "
He was turning away. At that mo
ment another man appeared. He had
a "tin on his shoulder. It was Stephen
Hurl a. the owner of the pit He came
ou with great angry strides.
" said. "Who is
"What is that ? he
fiddling down therein my pit ? "
"Now that is what 1 call coming in
thp nick of time , " cried the wagoner.
"Iwan Tronski is down there with a
wolf. If you don't make qu ck work
of tho bruto with your gun he'll soon
make short work of poor Iwan. "
"Tho fiddler's son ! How ever did ho
get down there ? "
• Without waiting for an answer ho
ran to the pit and looked down. . The
bow had just fallen from the poor boy's
nerveless lingers. Forgetful of the
danger of taking his eyes off the creat
ure , he stopped to pick it up. Freed
from both spells that had held it hith
erto , tho wolf gave a wild growl and
sprang at him. Iwan gave himself up
for lost. Then a shot from tho hunt
er's gun , directed by his practiced eye ,
made tho monster harmless forever.
Iwan was taken out of the pit nearly
as dead as tho wolf from sheer exhaus
tion. . A little brandy from the hunter's
flask revived him. Then tho wagoner
gave him a lift as far as the village.
It was a proud moment and a happy
one for him whenafter telling his story ,
ho emptied the enntents of his pock
ets into his wise little sister's lap , and
heard his father , with tears of thank-
fullness , calling him the staff of his old
age.
age."And now , father. " he concluded ,
"you will not forbid me any more to
practice the fiddle , I am sure. "
It is needless to say what was Mich
ael's answer.
My story ought by rights to end here.
But there is a sequel to it , for all that ,
which I think 1 must give , although
Iwan never encoutered another such
thrilling adventure as that which fol
lowed on his first entrauce into public
life.
life.It
It was not long after this that a hand
some carriage drove through the vil
lage , and stopped at Carlovitz , the car
penter's door. A pleasant-faced , mid
dle-aged gentleman got out. It was
Count Forback , from the castle , tho
great man of tho place. He asked to
see Iwan Tronski. Iwan came forward
with quiet self possession.
"Stephen Hurla , " said the Count ,
"has been telling me a wonderful story
of a boy who charmed a wolf into pa
tience by playing the v .olin to him the
whole night Is this true , and are you
he ? "
Iwan bowed. "Not the whole night
my lord ; only a few hours , " he said
modestly.
"And quite enough too in such grisly
company , " answered the nobleman ,
smiling. "You must be a plucky
youngster. My daughters were so de
lighted with the story when Stephen
told it that they gave me no rest until
I promised to try to get you to plar to
them too. I don't think they will be
more difficult to charm than the wolf.
What do you say ? If you will come
back to the castle with me , I will make
it worth your while , for your sick fath
er's sake. "
"I will come willingly , " answered
Iwan , "if my master will spare me.
But indeed , sir , I am but a very poor
player , as I have had to learn all f know
in secret"
"I have heard of that too , my boy , "
said the Count , who was himself a mu
sical enthusiast , "and I respect 3011 for
your energy. Carlovitz. will you give
me the bov for to-night ? "
The carpenter's consent was readily
fiven to the great man. Iwan in his
unday best and a very modest best it
was rode in a carriage for the first
time in his life , scarcely able to realize
his good fortune. On arriving at the
castle he was given in charge to the
housekeeper , who petted and made
much of him. and told him stories of
her master's and the young ledies'
goodness.
At length he was summoned to the
drawing-room. He was dazzled at first
by the lights and the grand dresses of
the ladies. But they were all so kind
that he soon took courage. A violin
was now put in his hand. Iwan play
ed his very best ind his hearers were
delighted. At the end of the evening
the Count look him aside.
" lad " he said "it is
"My good , , plain
to me that you have a wonderful talent
for music. It would be a thousand
pities to neglect it Should not you
like to be a great player ? "
"Oh , 3res sir ! " cried Iwan , his eyes
sparkling.
"Then listen , " said the Count "It
would be an easy thing for me to take
you from your present employment ,
and pay for your teaching at the Con
servatory of Vienna. But when I was
a lad my father taught me that it was
of no use being helped by others unless
I should try to help nrysolf. This lam
sure you will be willing to do. Here is
mv plan. Will you be willing to be
guided by me ? "
"I wdl do aiything you tell me , "
said the grateful bov.
"It is this , then. " The Count put a
gold piece into his hand , "This is your
payment for the pleasure 3-011 have giv-
eu us this evening. I see vou have a
large stock of national Polish melodies
* . I take in
at 3our finger-ends. great
terest in them , and should like lo make
a collection of them. If 3-ou will come
here once a week and play over to me
as many as you can recollect , you shall
have the same sum each time. La3 * it
by until you have enough to start upon ,
and your career is made. Is it a bar
gain ? "
Iwan kissed his hand , and returned
home a proud and happy boy. Every
week for man3 * months he went to his
kind patron's castle , and played to him
not only the airs that he had known
all his life , but others which he took
pains , with his father's help , to collect
from far and near. Soon he had
earned enongh for his further mainten
ance and studies. He entered the Con
servatory of Music at Vienna , and with
the best instruction that most musical of
cities could give , became one of the first
eiolin-players of the day. It is red
gold now , instead of coppers and sil
ver , which he sends from time to time
to his loving and beloved sister Mar
scha , to help to keep house with for his
Did and infirm father and sister Annie.
E. M. Traquair , in Harper's loung
People.
The One Thing Needful.
The mother was very slowly trying
; o eat Little Chap was eating with-
jut trying. Finishing his meal he laid
lown Ills' fork , and with a look worthy
if imm 'tation , said to his mother.
, "WIiv don't you put a little vim into
X ? " 2'Ae Advance.
i
. . - - . . - - > ±
HEART DISEASE THE CAUSE.
Death or n rino Hippopotamus a'
tho Zoological Garden in
Philadelphia.
Tho zoological garden has met with
another misfortune , says The J'/uladd-
jthia 'limes. El Mehdi , the popular hip
popotamus , is dead , and the soc ety is
out about $5,000 by his loss. He died
last Thursday , a post mortem was held
on him on Friday , and his carcass was
presented to the Academy of Natural
Sciences yesterday. Ho died of fatt3'
degeneration of the heart El Mehdi
was one of the finest specimens of his
species in captivity. He was 5 years
old , and was imported by the society
direct from Egypt three 3ears ago. Up
to the time of his death he was appar
ently in the best health eating , drink
ing , and taking his usual exercise in Irs
tank without evincing the slightest in
disposition , and was growing so fast
that arrangements had been made tc
enlarge his tank.
A few minutes before Irs death ho
had been bathing , and when found
dead his body was half in and half out
of the water.
His keeper had not been away from
him ten minutes when his attention was
attracted by a terrible commotion in the
elephant house , where tho hippopota
mus was k-jpt. When he arrived at tho
house the elephants were loudly trump
eting and lashing the heavy iron bars
with their trunks , and old Pete , the
rhinoceros , was tearing around his apart
ment at a terrible rate , snoring like a
wild bull and furiously beating the bars
with his head. As soon as it was ascer
tained that the huge animal was dead ,
Supt Brown was notified and Dr. Chap
man sent for. On Friday morning , by
the aid of block and tackle , ten men
raised the carcass to a truck and con
veyed it to the barnyard of the garden ,
where Dr. Chapman dissected it.
The huge carcass which was nino
feet long , four feet high , and over a
thousand pounds in weight , was turn
ed over on its back and the throat si t to
ascertain if it had choked to death.
The wind-pipe was found to be all
right , but when the heart was reached
the condition of the blood revealed the
fact that death was caused by heart
disease. Dr. Chapman then took tho
heart and lungs out , and found that
the left side of the heart was covered
with a blubber , which choked up all
the pores. The heart was about the
size of a beef's heart , six inches in di
ameter , weighing about five pounds.
The right side of the heart where the
blood was received was in a healthy
condition and fresh looking and rod ;
the left s de. from which the blood was
pumped into the lungs , was completely
covered with a small blubber , which
had suddenly closed up the small cells
and prevented respiration , in exactly
the same way that tlie disease acts
upon human beings.
The brain was remarkably small in
proportion to the size of the head ,
weighing only one and one-half pounds ,
but was in a perfect condition. It was
taken away by Dr. Chapman for a
closer examination. The hide on most
parts of the body was one and a half
inches th ck , but as llexible as rubber
and without a blemish. Under the fore
legs and tho upper part of the breast
it was as white as snow and as soft as
iid , being less than half an inch in
.hickness. Dr. Chapman atU-ibuled
; he disease to worriment occasioned bv
confinement , as the animal , excepting
ais heart affection , was in splendid
aondition. his digestive organs be ng
sspecialry healihy. Yesterday after
noon six stalwart keepers , assisted bv
Snakekeeper Thompson , the artist of
the jrarden. and llcadkccper IJyrne ,
moved the handsome tapir Carrie into
the vacant apartment of the Hippopo
tamus.
Keeper Pendergast broke down com
pletely and cried I ke a b ( > 3' when he
removed the two large wooden balls
K tn ' which El Mehdi used to amuse
himself while in the water. Next lo
old Pete , the rhinoceros , the hippopo
tamus was Keeper lYndogast's favor
ite. If old Pete should die the keeper
said his heart would break. The tapir
was rather isli3 * of her new quarters at
first , and careful 1 } ' felt her way down
the steps into tho tank. Her old tank
was very small and shallow , and
she was considerabl3' surpr sed when
she went in over her head in the new
tank. She took to it kindly , however ,
and had been in but a few minutes be
fore she had reconciled Keeper P iuler-
irast to his loss 03her f 1111113antics , o ' ne
of which was jumping two or three feet
out of the water and diving out of sight.
Before nigiit the two wooden balls had
been returned to the apartment and
Carrie was knocking one of them all
around the tank. Carrie will occupv-
the tank until the arrival of a new hh > -
popotamus which the society will en
deavor to procure.
Dr. Chapman said that nine-tenths of
wild animals in confinement are subject
to heart disease , although all animals
have their peculiarit'es. The elephants
are heir to many diseases , but the most
common and fatal is rheumatism. Mon
key's and baboons generally * d.e from
bronchial affections and heart disease ;
felines , such as lions , tigers , leopards ,
etc. , suffer most from dysentery and
heart disease ; wh le the canine tribe ,
such as wolves , foxes , etc. , don't seem
to be subject to any disease except pure
cussedness. The onl3' thing to be fear
ed in the wolf tribe is too much sociabili
ty. It is unsafe to keep more than a
pair together , othenvise they would eat
each other.
Miraculous Escapes.
It seems almost impossible that there
should have been survivors of the Ver
mont Central accident. It looks as if a
clear fall of fifty feet for a railroad
train would kill everybody in the
coaches. Several years ago a train on
the Shenandoah Valleybranch of the
Baltimore iz Ohio road went through a
bridge and fell 116 feet , 2 > "et there yvere
several survivors of the wreck. It was
a mixed train of freight and pasirenger
cars. The conductor yvas on top of 0110
of the cars at the time the accident oc
curred. He went doyvn with the train
but yvas not seriouslyhurt St. Paul
Globe.
FACTS ABOUT SILVER.
Tho ITsc ! of Mctn | Anions tho Anclcntu
W2iuro tho Most 1'imious
Minos Arc Found.
Silver , next to iron aud gold , is tho
most extensively difi'uscd metal upon
our planet. It is found frequently in a
natural state , though never chemically
pure , being invariably mixed with gold
or copper , or sometimes antiiuoivy , ar
senic , bismuth , quicksilver or iron. It
is distinguished b3 * its whiteness , its
brilliant luster when polished , its mall
eability , and its indifference to atmos
pheric oxy-gen. It is remarkable for
its beauty , and is ten times heavier
than water. It does not appear to
have been in use before the deluge.
Moses doos not allude to it before that
event , but mentions only brass and
iron ; but in Abraham's time it had be
come common , and traffic yvas carried
on with it , and its value yvas eight to
one of gold. "lie yvas rich in silver
and gold , and bought , a sepuleher for
his "wife. Sarah , for100 shekels of sil
ver" ( § 250) . It yvas not co nod , but
circulated onhin bars or ingots , and
yvas ahvays yveighed. Silver usually
takes precedence in the scripture -hen- -
ever the metals are mentioned con
jointly. "Silver and gold have I none , "
said Peter to the importunate beggar ,
"but such as I have give 1 unto thee. "
Silver is lirst mentioned in Genesis
xxiii. , 1.3 ; but yvhereit yvas first found
is unknown to us. It yvas extremely
abundant in ancient times. "And Sol
omon made silver to be in Jerusalem
as stones" ( I Kings x. , 27) ; Cyrus
heaped up silver as the dust" ( Zaeha-
riah ix. , o ) . In the earliest times the
Greeks obta ned silver from the Pho-
ceaus and Laurians. The chief mines
yvere in Siphnos , Thcssaly , and Attica.
In the latter country tho silver mines
of Lain * an furnished an abundant sup
ply , and yvere generally regarded as the
chief source of the wealth of Athens.
They ceased to be workud in tiie second
century of the Christian era. The llo-
mans obtained the most of their silver
from * tho ver3' rich mines of Spain ,
which had prev ously been worked by
the Carthagenians and the Phoenicians ,
and yvhieh , though abandoned for those
of Mexico , are still unexhausted. Tho
most important use for silver among the
Greeks yvas for 11101103 * . At Rome , on
the contrary , it yvas not coined until
B. C. 260.
Silver , in its relative value to gold ,
has varied greatly at d Here 111 times.
In the chys of the patriarch Abraham
it was eight to one ; B. C. 1000 it was
tyvelve to one ; B. C. 500 it yvas thirteen
to one ; at the commencement of tho
Christian era it yvas nino to one ; A. D.
500 it was eighteen to one ; in 1100 it
was e'ght to one ; in 1100 it yvas eleven
to one ; in 1545 it yvas six to one ; in 1551
it was tyvo to one ; in 1(300 ( it yvas ten
to one ; in 1G27 it yvas thirteen to one ;
in 18J0 it yvas fifteen aud a half to one.
It maintained the latter ratio until 1872 ,
yvhen it began to rise , and in 1876 it at
tained to tyventy to one ; it soon after
gradually deel ned. then advanced
again , and on the 1st dav of August ,
1886 , reached the highest point ever
knoyvn. twenty-two and one-quarter to
one , since yvh.ch time it has gradually
declined to tyventy * to one.
S Ivor , as regards its mines , is repre
sented in everyportion in our planet.
The richest silver mine in the yvorld is
Polosi. It is.situatcd on an elevation of
lU.OJO feet above the level of the sea ,
in a region of perpetual snoyv. It has
ahvays been worked in a venrude
manner , yet it has already produced
3250,000,000. and slioyv.s no signs of ex
haustion. The h ghest silver deposit in
the world is on King Solomon ' s moun
tain in Colorado , ll,0)0 feet above the
Pacific ocean. The largest nugget of
silver 3et obtained yvas dug up 111 Ari
zona , and yveighed 415,200 ounces , valu
ed at the same number of dollars. The
annual product of the silver mines of
North America is estimated to be 885 , -
000,000. Their total product has
amounted to SlSS5.000,000. more than
one-third of the entire product of the
world from the earliest times to the
present day. The silver m ' nes of
.Mexico were wrought long before
Cortex revealed them to the c3-es
of Europe in 1513. Their annual
product at the present time is
e tiinat. 'd to be $32,000,000. Their
total product lias amounted to $3,900 , -
0J0.000. In 1850 Nevada v/as not reck
oned among the silver-producing coun
tries of the yvorld. In 1837 she could
proudlv point to an annual product of
$13,00 ,000 , but it has declined to $ G , -
000,000 at the present tune. The total
product of silver in Nevada has amount
ed to $352,000,000. The annual pro
duct of thasilver mines of South Amer
ica is estimated to be 826,030,000.
Their total product to the present time
has amounted to S2.4tO.OJO.000. The
annual product of the silver mines of
America is estimated to be $111,000 , -
000. ami their total product has
amounted to $7,325,000,000. more than
three-fifths of the entire product of the
yvorld from the earliest times to the
present day. The exports of silver
from the United Siat"s since 1818 has
amounted to 8151,746.771. The annual
product of the silver mines of Europe
at the present time is estimated to be
613.000,000 , and their total product
has amounted to $3,623,000,000. The
annual product of the silver mines of
Asia ( including AtiNtralia. Now Zealand
and Oceanica ) i ; estimated to be $1. -
950.000 , and their total product has
amounted to 8l.6S7.950.U00. India has
often been represented as destitute of
silver , but yve have statements from Sir
Roderick Murehison that the Knhi val
ley is .so rich in silver ore that it could
Vreld a large product for future ages.
The silver country of Valours com
prises the mountainous regions bet' .veen
the Beas , Sainji , and Parbntti rivers.
The mines , though hitherto work
ed , are almost forgotten. The
same is the case with the Manikarn
m nes , hitherto known to be iucalcu-
ahry rich. The annual product of the
silver m nes of Africa is estimated to be
850.000. and their total product from
the earliest times to the present day-
has amounted to $390,000,000. Boston |
j
Gazette.
7
If somebodyvoultl invent a snow-shovel
with a bigut-T blade and less backHcbe , yve
know of : it least one yosinij man yvlio would 03
devoutly tliaukful. JSomercSU Jou. - .uil. J
1
!
COX'S LOVE OF FUN. ' • |
The Spoxitnneous Wit of tho Ex-Mln , \
. later to Turltoy. i
A Washington correspondent of Th j
Clcvelmi'l Lcidcr writes : The wit o ? | |
Sunset Cox is spontaneous. It is t n
part of his nature , and it crops out il / j
his private conversation and in his ov i
cry action. His private corrcspondonC' "
"
is full of funny things , and the mai >
yvho could publish facsimiles of Cox'i >
letters yvould make a big hit Ho illus .
trates his letters to his friends with fun 1' }
ny sketches , yvhieh ho docs rapidly it ' t
pen and ink , and yvhieh shoyvs him t f l *
be a humorist yvith tho samo artistii '
faculty for the ridiculous as yvas pos • ' . '
sessed by Thackeray. Sam Cox wil Y -l
tako an ink-blot , and yvith the end of : l r
wooden toothpick ho will turn it into 1 , | 'J
picture of a man , a woman , a dog , o :
anything else that his fancy dictates
1 received a letter from him the othei (
day on the back of tho envelope o I
yvhieh yvas a picture of an old yvomai I
balancing a man on her hand. It yvu : _ ;
a small silhouette of Hopo'My * -Thuuil , I
and a witch , and it yvas made of inl '
blots. At the hack of the old yvomai ' j
yvas a little picture of a goat looking i I
belligerently at the old woman , anc , J
' '
Ihe yvhole adorned the back of a lettei ,
treating of legislative matter. Jus' ' , t j
before Mr. Cox went to Turkey ho wai i
sitting 0110 day in the speaker's chair. t {
Mr. Carl sle had been called away anc
had asked him to take his placa. Th < , (
Chinese bill yvas under discussion , j |
aud it took pretty closo watching lc ' \
keep the house in order. Bettvuen the j J
strokes of the gavel , hoyvever , and in , , \
looking at the galleries he caught sight ' 1 , )
of Joaquin Miller , the poet of the 1.
Sierras , yvho , in company with one ol * \u \
the Washington society belles. wis j j )
listening to the discussion. Ho at once f y
took his pen and wrote Mr. Miller a l'
letter which he illustrated with fi
sketches. * / /
House of Rei'kesentatives. U. S. , . f\ \
Washington , D. C. Mit Millek : 1 ' \ \
observe 3'our Shakspcarian broyv shin- j V
ing afar in the gallery. You aro inter- * . lj
ested in the case. Old Confush ! Give J e
us a lyric gush on him as 3011 did on 'A ' I
the heathen Chinese. Bret Hartc did ( | fi
not get his yvorst side or his best j'lf'
S. S. Cox. jV
In response to this Joaquin Millci , fJ |
wrote a note to Mr. Cox , in which he -v | jj
made a complimentary allusion to his • | * >
appearance in the chair. Miller is 5 J Hi
worse yvriter than Cox , and his nianu- \h \
script rivals that of Horace Greeley in yi
its illegibility. A feyv moments aftei j'j
the letter had been sent the folloyving j J
yvas received : • 'J
House of REritESEN'TATivES , U. S. . f'-i
Washington , D. C. Dear Walk-in : I ! 4 | !
can't tell whether 3011 say I look lonely / f' '
or look lovehAs there is a young anc > A
fair lady by your side it is a question * | -
yvhieh outvies the 400,000.000,000,000 * ? fl
of Chinese. Your. etc. 'Jm
P. S. I have seen Mr. Miller's auto- . . Jk
'
graph just now. It looks inebriate ! ' < jf
This letter is signed yvith a gavel , 1
under the head of yvhieh is a grotesque ' \
pieture of a Chinaman , anil besides \ .
yvhieh is the yvord zip. t * ,
' * * * * ' \ '
, ' .
Southern Landscapes. . '
One never hears of a tourist goin" * a * ' H
a second time to bask in the splendors , / '
of tropical scenery. The reason foi . . j
this is because , not to put too fine a / '
• 1
point upon it , there is no tropical seen- * ] Jj
eiy. The South has "its magnificent i i\ \
magnolias , yvith their dark-green.glossy ' 1 U
leaves and dazzling yvhite flowers , its I 'J
pines and its palmettos , its fragrant . ' , ' r
orange trees , its never-fading flood ol r ! ' .
moonlight turning night into dav , and ' f (
the phosphorescent sea into a blazing '
mirror ; but it has 1:0 sceneiy. The } f
general aspect of every Southern land- j' '
scape upon yvhieh 1113 * eyes have rested , , j
from Charleston , S. Cto Pernambuco , | !
in Brazil , is that of a gray colorless , | |
dead and dying yvas to of vegetation , in
yvhieh there is nothing attractive or
even tolerable. The magnolia , sepa- ? ' (
rated from its natural associates of gray , j
moss and dead creepers , and transplant- i , j
ed to the lawn , becomes a splendid tree i •
with the landscape gardener's carebut ; ' '
a single tree is not seene - . Considered '
singly there aro many beautiful flowers , , ,
shrubs and trees in the hot latitudes : j
but collectively , in its natural state , the
Southern forest is a dreary * , sun-burned . I
jungle. It cannot for a " moment be * >
compared lo the brightness and fresh- I
ness of our Northern deciduous trees , 4f - > '
or even our perennial pines. Dctroil / t 'j '
1'rec Frcsti. i , '
Ii03il .Manners. * "j
We hear a great deal about the polish I
due to foreign travel , but it is a self-evi- " ? (
dent fact that some persons ncsd tliat \ • ( j
advantage more than others. Although ' I !
majest3 is supposed to hedge a king to / . } '
the extent of protecting his person , it f \
does not preclude criticism of his man- f J
ners , and it therefore ina3not be indis- , f
erect to quote a traveler's opinion of > . 1
the improvement wrought in the Shah • " '
of Persia , bv an absence from home. f ,1
Says Dr. C. J. Wills : . , * ' .
The king ' s first visit to Europe tend- f | '
cd , for the time , to civilize hiri. but be- '
fore a year had exp ' red he wanted tc ) '
execute his pmne minister. ' < j xj
The king now. as a rule , returns sa- . '
lutes ; before his vist to Europe he did { , <
not. He noyv looks yvith pleasure at | 1) )
the pictures in the illustrated journals. Hi '
When he last crossed the Caspian , he ? <
slept on the floor of the ladies' cabin. |
under the table , and on the table he put ' * : j :
his boots. ' t ;
Once it yvas a pleasure to the "Asy- i { ,
lum of the Universe" to fill a boat on * j.
one of the large tanks of Irs numerous ' . j
country' places with the grandees of his * | 1
kingdom , clad in gala costume , and tc j j <
go into firs of laughter , as the boat f li
sank , and the p liars of the emp-re * ' , , !
crawled out muddy , yvet and bedra"- - ' '
Sled- ' t : ; j
They say that on the last visit of the • > - i f
king of kings to Europe , yvhen tasting
and sucking a stiek of asparagus , as lie ' : ,
.sat betyveen tyvo roval ladies at the din-
1
ner-table , he offered the half-devoured , " j
butt to the more august of the tyvo , yvitb ' . i }
the idea that she yvouid enjo } the pleas- -
ure lie had experienced , saying , with x / •
innocent enjoyment , "Ba , ba ! how goot * • i i
itis ! " % \ \
That the A.s\lum of the Universe is f i , , I
still susceptible of improvement ir , -
manner becomes painfully evident , k j .
• 1 * 'i
i
- 1 1
3 . , J - j