r
JOE BAKERS GAL
HAT was the way she was re
T ferred to in a general way Joe
Bakers gal and there were
plenty of soldiers teamsters and oth
ers who did not know that her name
was Mary Joe Baker was a hunter
Indian fighter scout prospector and
miner and he had a cabin and a home
up in the Three Buttes of Idaho to
the west of Fort HaiT Father and
daughter were all alone he a man of
50 and she a girl under 20 We at the
fort knew him well and we saw the
girl quite often but no one knew Joe
Baker well enough to question him
about the past For reasons of his own
be had taken up his abode beyond civ
ilization and though the life was wild
and lonely and full of danger the
daughter seemed to prefer it
A girl of about IS when I knew her
slight blue eyes short curly hair a
strong face dressed for climbing rid
ing and walking and one who com
manded both admiration and respect
the moment you laid eyes on her she
3iad a handshake for officer and pri
vate alike and to us and all others
ttIio came that way she was a border
queen We said to each other that it
was a strange thing for Joe Baker to
make his home among the dangers of
the mountains miles and miles from
r
and to expose his
daughter to the hardships privations
and perils of a frontier life but no one
questioned him or her or did either
volunteer any explanations
The cabin was in a bit of valley way
up the East Butte and was built inost
ly of stone and contained three rooms
There were days at a time when Ba
ker was prospecting or scouting in
which the girl must have been left entirely-alone
but she rode hunted and
fished and now and then was the guest
of the colonels wife at the fort for
two or three days at a time The wom
an may have found out more about
the girlthanil have told you but if so
the information did not cross the pa
rade ground to rhe barracks
For weeks the Indians of Idaho had
been suiky and sullen and threatening
The forces at Fort Hall had been in
creased by fifty men all wagon trains
were doubly guarded and every sol
dier or citizen who understood Indian
character felt that an outbreak was at
hand
One day when Joe Baker was at the
fptlCCJ2SUltmauwaliU tkecolarieL tliG
iauer aavisea mm to aoanaon nis nome
and take refuge among us The old
man realized the situation but said he
would wait and see He hated contact
with the world even that infinitesim
al portion represented by a hundred
people at a frontier post and the
daughter knew no fear We saw him
two- or three times a week as he was
then scouting among the Indians and
bringingiin reports but we had not
seen the girl for a month when a ser
geants guard was dispatched to East
Butte Jo cut and haul telegraph poles
for the line which was to connect the
fort with the outsde world There
was danger that we might be cut off if
an outbreak occurred but there was
also need of haste in completing the
line
That was first glimpse of the
cabin as Ave went to bur work on the
mountain side and Mary stood at the
door to shake hands all around and in
quire after those who were absent
5he anticipated an outbreak on the
part of the Indians but expressed no
fear Only the day before she had re
ceived a visjt from three sullen war
iiors who demanded food and seemed
on the point of committing violence
iut she ordered them away at the
muzzle of her rifle and bad no thought
-of leaving the place until her father re
turned and advised the step
Two miles east of the cabin we made
our camp and began work but the In
dians were ready sooner than we had
planned for On the second night of
our stay we were fired into at midnight
and routed out of camp with the -loss J
of two men killed We were falling
back in the direction of Bakers cabin
when we were joined by Mary In a
rocky pass crouched down behind
Taowlders and being fired upon every
thirty Indians in our front
the girl told her story and assumed the
command in place of the poor sergeant
Jying dead
Indians to the number of a dozen had
made a sudden rush upon the cabin
just at sundown but fortunately she
caught sight of them in time to close
the door Then began a fight which
lasted for an hour during which she
had killed two and wounded another
of their -number The redskins had at
length drawn off and the brave girls
first thought was of the soldiers on the
mountain side She hoped we had
leard the firing and would come down
to investigate but as midnight came
without us she left her shelter and
headed for our camp knowing at any
step sbe might run into a prowling In
dian but yet determined to warn and
save us
We were soldiers and by no means
-novices in Indian warfare and yet
none of us grumbled when she
ed the leadership and passed the word
to slowly fall back on the cabin The
Indians pressed us every foot of the
way and but for the darkness of the
-night and the girls familiarity with
he lay of the ground not one of us
fe2Sfc2isMfap
fafarOr 2g2si
would have escaped We were no
sooner sheltered by the cabin than it
was clear that we must stand a siege
before the door could be opened again
Bakers cabin as I have told you
was a pretty substantial affair its
walls being of rock and its roof of
dirt Here and there were loopholes
and the door was heavy enough to stop
a bullet In leaving the fort we had
been provided with 100 pounds of am
munition per man In our retreat
from camp the four of us had brought
off our carbines and cartridges The
girl was armed with a rifle for which
she had a bountiful supply of ammu
nition and when we came to take
stock we knew that we could hold out
for a week so far as having the means
of defense It was the question of
food and water which made everyone
look serious There wasnt food enough
to give the five of us a square meal
and not a drop of water inside the
walls The spring from which it was
obtained1 as wanted was 200 feet
away and it would be running the
gantlet of death to attempt to reach it
Well said Joe Bakers gal when
we had canvassed our situation and its
chances we must put up with things
as they are and do our best The In
dians have encircled the cabin and
will be on the watch the rest of the
night but they will make no move un
til daylight comes Let us sleep if we
can
She went to her room and the four
of us lay down on the floor and napped
until daylight came The Indians
counted on us as a sure prize and only
needed to be vigilant while night last
ed to see that we did not escape There
was but little firing during the last
of the night and none at all during the
first hour of daylight From the loop
holes we saw the Indians moving
about however and it was clear that
they were all around us and in strong
force
In the larder there were about five
pounds of flour and two or three pounds
of bacon nothing else The outbreak
might or might not be known at the
fort Even if it was the colonel would
hesitate before weakening his slender
garrison to send a column to our re
lief He would rather expect us to
fight our way through or dodge about
and come in singly as fugitives There
was no telling -how long we should
be cooped up to live on those scant
tions and by common consent we went
without breakfast
The Indians cooked their morning
meal in a leisurely manner and it was
some time after sunrise before they
made their first move It was a band
with Chief Charlie in cdminand and
he knew Baker and the girl even better
than we did Baker had hunted with
him and on one occasion had saved
his life and he called at the cabin on
various occasions and had been hos
pitably received He was therefore
probably in earnest when he advanced
alone and unarmed to within a few
feet of the cabin and said to Mary
We are on the warpath against the
whites and we mean to kill kill kill
until all are dead or driven away
Your father saved my life and an In
dian never forgets I do not want harm
to come to you and you shall take
your horse and ride away to the fort
in safety
But what about the soldiers she
asked from one of the loopholes
They cannot go he replied The
soldiers are here to make war on us
to shoot us down to make us obey or
ders we do hot like We have only
hatred for them I know how many
there are- in there f our They have
their guns and will fight but we shall
kill every one Come out and we will
send you safely away
I shall remain here and help the
soldiers to fight you answered the
girl
t Then you will be killed with them
The chief turned away and went
back to his warriors and ten minutes
later there was a circle of fire all about
the cabin The loopholes were the ob
jects aimed at and as every redskin
was sheltered from our return fire we
plugged the loopholes up and did not
fire a shot in answer It was noon be
fore their fusillade ceased and it was
almost the last bullet which pene
trated a loophole and struck one of
the soldiers in the groin In half an
hour he was dead From the minute
he was hit until the death rattle came
the girl sat beside him holding his
hand but helpless to do anything
When his life went out she rose up
quietly and said
Carry the body into my room and
lay it on the floor Thank God he did
not cry out for water when we had
none to give
We had scarcely removed the body
when the Indians made a rush There
were now 100 of them Some of them
carried a log to batter in the door
some climbed upon the roof some
fought with us for possession of the
loopholes We fired up through the
brush and dirt and through the loop
holes and at the end of ten minutes
had beaten them off but we had lost
another man A bullet had struck him
in the heart and he had fallen without
a groan In return we could count
five dead Indians outside and see three
or four wounded crawling away
As we bent over the man and knew
that he was dead the girl motioned for
us to lay him beside the other and
when we had returned to the front
room it was to beg of her to accept
Chief Charlies offer if he still held
it good and secure her own safety
With only three of us left to guard
the cabin another such general attack
must overcome us She replied that
she would not go and we at once set
about reloading the carbines and mak
ing ready to defend the cabin to the
last It was hours before we heard
from the Indians again and we were
almost certain that they had drawn off
when an hour after sunset and with
out the slightest warning they rushed
for us as before r
We blazed away as fast as we could
through the loopholes but I am sure
the cabin would have been carried but
for a lucky shot which killed the chief
His fall created a panic and just wheri
the situation was most critical the at
tack was ceased I did not knew when
they drew off
The demons were on the roof and
battering at the door and firing in upon
us from some of the loopholes when
things suddenly turned dark about
me and when I recovered conscious
ness I felt a horrible pain in my side
A bullet had broken a rib and passed
out behind the shoulder Stretched
dead on the floor was my comrade and
sitting upon the floor weeping was
Joe Bakers gal She had fought
the last of the fight alone and with
three dead and a wounded man in the
cabin it was no wonder her nerves had
given way
There was no more firing that night
Consumed by thirst and racked with
pain I remembered nothing except
that Mary spoke hopeful and sympa
thetic words now and then and that
she had the guns distributed around so
as to cover as many loopholes as pos
sible in case of an attack
When morning came the Indians ask
ed for a parley and offered to send
her to the fort I did not know it be
ing out of my head with fever She
scorned the offer and for three hours
the cabin was under fire A rush would
have followed the fusillade but as they
were gathering for it a half troop of
cavalry from the fort headed by Joe
Baker came galloping to the rescue
and the Indians were routed
It was ten days before I knew all
about it A great Indian war was upon
the land the girl had been sent hun
dreds of miles away for safetj and
when peace came again she did not re
turn It is like a dream to me three
dead men one grievously wounded
a white faced girl moving about and
making ready to fire a last shot the
crack of rifles and the fierce war
whoops but I know that it was all
real and a humble private soldier
whispers
God bless Joe Bakers gal wher
ever she may be Pittsburg Post
Coultl Afford Sew Ones
I want to look at some of your best
paintings said Mrs Crewe Doyle to
the art dealer according to the New
York World
Yes madam replied he You pre
fer landscapes do you or marines or
shall I show jou both
Id rather have a picture of country
life I think with cows and trees and
things like that you know
Yes madam This way please
Now here is a very fine work by Rem
brandt
The customer surveyed the work crit
ically and then said
This picture looks like a second
hand painting Isnt it
Well said the dealer in a some
what surprised tone I suppose it
might be termed second hand but -I
dont think I ever heard a Rembrandt
called that before
Who is Rembrandt Where can I
find his studio she asked
Hes one of the old masters mad
am
Hm Well I dont want you to try
to sell second hand pictures to me for
I can afford to buy new ones You may
just tell Mr Rembrandt to paint a pif
ture especially for me and have it
made twice the size of this please
This order so astonished the dealer
that he allowed Mrs Crewe to stalk
out without putting down her name
and address and now he doesnt know
where to send the painting when Mr
Rembrandt gets it done
An Honest Judge
One of the most honest men who
ever lived was Judge Arthur Shields
said C R Markhani of Cheyenne He
was on the bench in the early days of
Kansas and I was one of the lawyers
who practiced in his court Upon one
occasion I was conducting a case in
which I had perfect confidence when
the trial began but before it had prog
ressed far the evidence against my cli
ents side of the controversy was so
strong and so unexepected that I saw
the case was hopeless I- fully believed
the witnesses lied but could not shake
them by cross examination and it look
ed as though my client would lose his
property Judge Shields had decided
every question with perfect fairness
and it could not be seen that he was in
any way interested until suddenly he
called to an attorney Mr Black take
the bench for the rest of this case then
turnhig to me he said Have me sworn
as a witness I will not see a man rob
bed in this court in matters of which I
am personally cognizant He took the
stand and his testimony saved the case
for me The other side appealed but
the judge was sustained the only case
of the kind in the books Washington
Star
Under Water
A contrivance for producing a naked
flame under water has been patented
in Germany It consists simply of a
chamber into which there is led a
stream of gas and a stream of oxygen
both at such pressures as to overcome
the pressure of the liquid These
streams are made to spread out by be
ing driven against a flat surface
5ZZZPZjZZ 3Z x
NOTES ON EDUCATION
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO PU
PIL AND TEACHER
The School Savings Bank a Simple
Method of Inculcating Economy and
Instilling Thrift Ho w Maps May Be
Used A Schoolroom Scrapbook
School Savings Banks
One of the simplest methods of incul
cating economy and instilling the thrift
which discourages drunkenness pau
perism and crime is through the school
savings bank
This sjstem the administration of
which occupies but fifteen minutes of
school time per week provides for the
collection of the childrens deposits by
means of a special roll call every Mon
day morning The child always has on
a memorandum card containing a date
for each Monday in the school year re
ceipt for his pennies and record of his
possessions He becomes a regular
baiik accountant drawing interest on
his amount when he has deposited 3
and when he is ready to leave the pub
lic school has often from 50 to 200 to
his credit
This distribution of money
sponsibility business knowledge and
disposition to thrift and industry is of
incalculable benefit to those having the
advantage of it and explanation of the
system assures almost universally its
broader use
Germany Italy Hungary Austria
England Belgium and most European
countries teach practical thrift in this
way The system is in use throughout
France and under direct patronage of
the Government If our Government
would thus insure safety for and en
courage small savings by the people our
individual tendency to extravagance
would be less and the United States
have little need to borrow from foreign
countries
The postal savings arranged for by
most of the older nations are inutually
helpful in the same manner to both
Government and people and I can but
trust that later this thoughtful home
economy will be nationally fostered
here
The school savings bank system is
knocking at the door of every school
house the influence of the directors and
the co operation of a reliable bank be
ing only necessary to set them in mo
tion Back of this comes the initiative
interest of the philanthropic individuals
who knock at the schoolhouse doors
These carriers of good news and prac
tical help budgets are many and they
are the connecting links of social and
economics value between the student
and the practitioner between the
dreamer and the laborer
To those not yet familiar with this
every day thrift teaching some facts in
regard to its introduction into and pres
ent status in the United States may be
opportune J H Thiry inaugurated
the school savings system in Long Isl
and City N Y public schools in
March 1885 In these publicschools the
system has been in approved operation
for eleven years The system has been
taken up in the interval by several oth
er schools mostly in New York Penn
sylvania and New Jersey until now we
have it in four hundred public schools
throughout this country and the aggre
gate deposits of the children March
1S96 amount to 402020 Much of this
money has been withdrawn during the
time either for use or by the pupil
leaving school When a pupil outgrows
school he conducts his business directly
with the bank and the money is no
longer counted with the school deposits
244S5674 have been thus withdrawn
leaving to the credit of our attending
school boys and girls to day 15710410
The practical knowledge of moneys ac
cumulative force economy industry
self reliance and business insight given
pupils through this method is of far
more worth to them than the money
though no boy or girl underrates the
satisfaction of having to his or her per
sonal credit 50 or 200 on leaving the
public school The possession of money
broadens the capabilities of daily use
fulness especially when it has been ac
cumulated by the saving of a few cents
daily or weekly and he who is thus
trained usually knows how to distrib
ute wisely
The inculcation of thrift by this meth
od as testified by educators in the com
munities where it is used tends to in
dustry to a lessening of needless expen
diture to the uplifting of the poor the
equalization of opportunity and the
growth of responsible self supporting
citizenship
The school savings bank system is
simple of administration Teachers
using it often speak of its reflex benefit
on themselves for like tkft parents of
some of the pupils who had not earlier
bank accounts they have themselves
become owners of bank books and bank
credit
This pleasant and popular reform
measure is gaining adherents wherever
known and in a few years I think will
be as much at home here as in the old
world Life and Health
How to Use Maps
The following exercise will help chil
dren to make rough plans of the streets
in the neighborhood The teacher
draws a large slate on the board In
the center she draws a small outline of
the schoolhouse She then has the pu
pils decide in which direction the differ
ent streets or objects lie She now
tells the class that she will take a walk
and that they are to follow her and she
moves the chalk along to represent a
street The pupils tell the name of the
street represented and where streets
cross they are indicated by lines cross
ing the one the teacher is on The chil
dren are now asked where the teacher
is and they name the church store or
other well known building on the cor
ner
Several of these walks are taken in
i l MJ IHJl II
HO
this way the teacher leading When
the pupils are sure of their ground on
of the number may be called upon to
lead the class first to his own home or
any given place and afterward wher
ever he will The teacher may now
dictate the direction and the pupil may
draw at her direction These exercises
may be dictated by using the terms
right and left to direct the pupils or by
using the points of the compass It is
well also to direct by description only
and have the pupils follow and tell
where the teacher has stopped the pu
pil can also be benefited by the giving
of clear and explicit directions so clear
that the class can follow easily Con
necticut School Journal
A Schoolroom Scrap Book
Few are the schools in rural districts
that are supplied with any kind of ref
erence books A very useful book can
be compiled by teachers and pupils A
scrap hook can be bought for a small
amount or one made of cambric with
board covers and leaves filled with his
torical and geographical sketches anec
dotes and biographies of eminent men
notes on travel and descriptions of nafr
ural curiosities
In my school was a large class of well
advanced pupils who became much in
terested in gleaning from all classes of
papers SUCU O3ctvnotn3
As the articles wore brought they were
placed in envelopes properly labeled
and were pasted in the book when quito
a collection was on hand
An index neatly written on the first
page aids in finding the subject to be
referred to All articles should be plac
ed in their proper department and
blank pages should be left for future
use so that sketches and extracts
brought in later can be put under their
correct head
Interesting facts about plants and
animals pictures and scenery and per
sons of note all should find a place in
this Encyclopedia
Pupils will take more interest in this
book of their own manufacture and
refer to it more than they would to a
whole set of encyclopedias Ex
A Schoolroom Revelation
Among the revelations which the
school makes to the child there is one
whose force is far reaching It is the
revelation of a man or a woman pre
sented by this teacher He has had a
presentation of manhood in his father
and of womanhood in his mother but
the revelation of manhood or woman
hood coming from his teacher has a
different appeal and attacks his sensi
bility at a different point The writer
overheard two mothers engage in con
versation opposite him in a street car a
few days ago discussing their chil
drens school relations and one of them
the mother of a third grade boy said
I have had to abdicate the teacher is
queen The teachers statements are
gospel mine are commonplace It is
true the teacher is queen for her pu
pils and happy for them if she is really
a royal woman and he a kingly man
Ex
Kindergarten Magazine
At Indianapolis Ind an innovation
in the way of raising funds for the sup
port of the free kindergarten and ci
drens aid society is a kindergarten
magazine to be issued monthly for nine
months in the year Mrs Tucker will
undertake the general management of
the paper the editors of which are yet
to be chosen Miss Rhoda Selliek will
make the design for the cover and Mrs
Lois G Hufford will conduct the child
study page of the magazine A few
pages will be given to advertisements-
How It Happened
Well inquired the commander-in-chief
of the Spanish forces as one of the
field officers entered the room what
news
Sire exclaimed the officer I have
to report that yesterday a body of near
ly a thousand of our troops met a band
of about two hundred insurgents fifteen
miles from the city Within ten min
utes of the time when they caught sight
of us they were on the run and
Stop until I can cable Spain The
Home Government must be apprised at
once of the victory
I wish to say sire that
Silence There will be time for that
later and turning to his stenographer
he dictated the following dispatch
from the seat of war
Havana July Steenth Yesterday a
small detachment of the Spanish army
came suddenly upon several thousand
of the insurgents strongly intrenched
upon the hillside at a point about fif
teen miles from this city Though out
numbered ten to one and at a disadvan
tage as regards position the Spanish
force quickly drove the enemy from
their position and pursued them until
nightfall The Spanish loss was one
man killed and two slightly wounded
The insurgent loss must have been tre
mendous amounting probably to sev
eral hundred but in the darkness they
succeeded in making their escape and
taking their dead with them
Now what was it you wanted to
add you tan faced freak from the fron
tier gently inquired the commander-in-chief
I was on the point of saying sire
that they were on the run toward us
and that it was only by throwing away
our arms that we managed to escape
with our lives
By that time the dispatch was ready
to be sent and inasmuch as it was cor
rect in the main point that the two
forces had met Weyler thought it
hardly worth while to make the other
minor -changes
A Cannibals Misfortune
Missionary in the Cannibal Islands
What is the matter with that man
Native Doctor He hafa vata you
calla delirium tremens i
My My The poor fellow must
i
have eaten a Kentuckianj
t0
eZSrtf sy
-3
-
Marriott Watsons next story is to bw
entitled The Career of Delia Hast
ings
The Rev Washington Gladden is
writing a book on The Working
Church and Its Pastor
The visitors at Shakspeares birth
place during the year ended with last
March numbered 27038
Harold Frederics new book Mrs
Albert Grundy Is declared by the Lon
don Sketch to be rather flat and too
easily written
Maurice Maeterlinck is at work on a
new tragedy to be called AglavaineeF
Selysette The title sounds quite Spen
serian with a touch of the Far East
Though 74 years of age Edmond de
Goncourt has attracted world wide at
tention with his new volume on Ho
kousal the greatest of Japanese de
signers
Gladstonco new volume of Studies
Subsidiary to the Works of Bishop But
ler will be published early in July
It will appear simultaneously on both
sides of the Atlantic
Gen Sir T E Gordon has nearly
ready a volume entitled Persia Revis
ited 1S05 in which he comments on
the present Shah and
on the political situation
After a long stay at his country house
at Saint Tropez Emile Ollivier is again
back in Paris Improved health allows
him to push forward his history of the
Second Empire and a novel called Ma
rie Madeleine
Charles E L Wingate is preparing a
yolume on Shakspeares Heroes on the
Stage as a companion to his Shaks
peares Heroines on the Stage He
also has ready a handsome holiday vol
ume to be called Famous American
Actors of To day
The Bookman is authority for it that
John Morley has in preparation a new
volume of Studies in Literature and
adds It is pleasant to note that Mr
Morleys writings have happily contin
ued to increase in spite of the jealous
demands of the political shrew
Mrs Lynn Lintons My Literary
Life which is to be published in vol
ume form in the autumn is said to con
tain some startling revelations and
much personal gossip about literary
characters who lived amid the Sturm
und Drang of the midcentury period
Andrew Lang says O difference in
taste in books when it is decided and
vigorous breaks many a possible
friendship He indicates the passport
to his favor by telling as that he or
she who condemns Scott and cannot
read Dickens is a person with whom
I would fain have no further converse
In 1865 four lads occupied the same
room on the ground floor of the first
S
Since then they have made their names
more or less well known in current
American literature They are Capt
Charles King Arthur Sherburne Har
dy John Brisben Walker and Richard
Henry Savage
After Mr Barries mother and elder
sister were buried together last Sep
tember it was authoritatively announc
ed that these two were the original of
Jess and Leeby in A Window in
Thrums It is said that the sad beau
ty of those characters is found in still
fuller measure in Mr Barries forth
coming book about his mother entitled
Marget Ogilvy
Tron Foundations for Tall Buildings
A new way of constructing a solid
foundation for a tall building has been
tried with success in Berlin It was
necessary to find a solid base sufficient
ly strong to carry a building weighing
more than 10000 tons The plot of
ground upon which the building was to
stand was adjoined on both sides by
high buildings which rendered unsafe
the digging to any deptli for a founda
tion The only way out of the difficulty
was the sinking of a caisson in the cen
ter of the plot upon the cemented top
of which a hollow form of cement was
built Into this form molten iron was
poured filling up the space and upon
this cast iron foundation plate the un
derstructure of the building now rests
while the side walls are supported by
a cantilever structure The full weight -of
the load upon the cast iron founda
tion is estimated at more than 20000
tons
lioolrs Out for Himself
In hunters lore there is an idea tnat
the jackal is the lions provider that
he finds the game and takes the lion
to it This superstition has no more
foundation than is found in the fact
that after a lion has slain his quarry
the jackals always attend and await
the conclusion of the repast in order to
pick up the leavings
A Gem by Jtichter
Look upon fame as the talk of the
neighbors at the street door a library
as a learned conversation joy as a sec
ond sorrow as a minute life as a day
and three things as all in all God
creation virtue
I VYant You My Honey
For those with weakened digestive
powers honey is said to be a very de
sirable food If a person is very tired
too exhausted to eat a few tastes
of honey will act like magic
The cheaper some men are the more
prominent the position they try to se
cure In an audience addressed by a
great man
A man who has a boil ought to hare
sense enough to keep away from a cifj
cus - T
Si
4f4
n
X
i
v
V
X
A
SH
