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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 1898)
'ttS. > Srift ; > i''iiiH' * MilffHP f THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : THfUSDAY. AUGUST 18. 1808. THE YOUNGEST SOLDIER OF THE REGIMENT , How Hubert Joined the Aimy , and How He Justified the Enlistment By P. V. BLACK. Copyright , ISM. by the Author. * ifi , "It really , you know , " said the youni ; con tract doctor , as ho looked dubiously upon the ponderous form ot the veteran cook of the regimental band , " it really , you know , is too absurd , John. It is quite against the regulations. The boy la far too youn ? . " "How old waa you now , Bert ? " the cook asked cheerfully of the boy who wished to nllst. "Thlrt " Hubert began. "No , no , " salil John , "not quite 30 , I guess. Twenty-one , now , maybe , It we were to tretcb a point , just a point , doctor , " and be winked deliberately at the doctor , for the fat old bandsman was a most privileged character. The contract surgeon smiled , and the smile broadened as John and Hubert smiled too , for It was 13 , and not 30 , the boy bad meant to Gay. "Twenty-one , eh ? " the doctor mused , "and what might bo his weight ? " "Get on the -reigning stand , Bert , " sild the cook. "Strip , sonny , strip first. Look at that figure , doctor. There's a chest ; see them muscles ; see the make of the lad , well nourished , too , I take care of that. " The contractor doctor laughed. Hubert * -as certainly well built for bis age , but regulations are regulations , and they re quired at least 125 pounds for a youth. Hu bert certainly did not come up to the re quirement. "One hundred , Is It ? " eald the cook , with tils nose and eyes close to the weight , elabor ately careful. "One hundred and " his big foot slid onto the r.tand cautiously behind the boy's heels "ten , fifteen" the foot pressed down more heavily "twenty , thirty1 One hundred and thirty pounds and a half no , a quarter , doctor. We'll give the gov ernment the benefit of the doubt , sir' ' " Hubert looked anxiously at the doctor , and the doctor laughed , assurlngly patting his tend. "Very fair weight , Bert , " said he. "You're tall for your age , too , I should think ? " "Five foot eight , sir , " the cook responded. cook of the band , grimly. "I'll attend to them. " "Very good , Mr. Adjutant , " said the colonel nel , "will you make out the papers for this new recruit , who , I can assure you , Is of good moral character and don't drink. John , by the by , how are you going to draw clothes for him ? The government does not Issue clothes for Infants , only Infantry " "Xow , he's duly enrolled , sir , " said John gravely , "he can afford a tailor out of his pay. " The veteran and the boy went back to the band quarters , together , the quarters which had been Hubert's home for years. A little group of musicians were lying around on the bunks , or cleaning great brass Instru ments , and they all Jumped to receive the two. "Is It all right , Hubert ? Is It all right , old John ? " "All right , " said John. "Here ( he Is , as big a soldier and as good a musician as any of you , and for five years , anyway , he'll draw hla pay from good old Uncle Sam. " At once the boy was caught up , laughIng - Ing , and sent flying from the arms ot one to the arms of another. In boisterous con gratulation , until old John grabbed him and carried him off to the solemn sanctltude of the kitchen , where the old cook's bunk reposed In one corner , and Hubert's In another. John took the lad by both hands and held htm gravely before him. "See , sonny , " said the gray-haired man. "You've took the oath , and you'll drar the pay , but that ain't all. Let's talk a bit. Your dad , the band leader , he did well by the regiment , an' he did well by you , even If he spent all his pay sooner than It came to him , for he taught you enough music to let you earn good pay for all your life. Don't forget your poor old dad did his best. It was Just because the colonel liked your dad as ho likes you that he allowed me to act that way up at the doctor's. But It ain't no Joke , Bert. You've took a solemn oath to Uncle Sam ; now make a promise to old John. The regiment Is father to you , and mother , an' 'twill do well by you. But "IN JERKY. BREATHLESS. PANTING NOTES CAME THE AIR OF THE SONG , COMRADES ! COMRADES ! ' " "I measured him myself. Good Infantry belght , sir. " "H'm , " said the doctor. "Show mo your teeth , Hubert. No need to risk eternity , John , In their case. Wish I had as good. Hearing ? " "Holy Moses , doctor ! " John answered reproachfully. "Could a dull hearing man play the fiddle and the cornet alto , and the small drum and the big drum , and most any other Instrument In the band like he does' Anyhow , he can hear mess call five miles an ay ; also he can run like a antelope. He knows all the drills , he can shoot a bit. too , and if you doubt his eyesight , doctor , Just look at them 'ere shining orbs ! " He's a pair of eyes Thnt can't tell lies ; They'd bo stars , only stars ain't brown ! "Just so , John , " said the doctor. "It's pity your tongue la not equally veracious. " He sat down nt a table to fill out a big blank official declaration , but.be sighed again dubiously before his pen touched paper. "But the regulations , John ? " he mur mured , being young In the service , and therefore scrupulously particular. "Doctor , " said the privileged veteran olemnly , "If they was never to be broken , what would be the use of making them ? " And he left triumphantly , with Hubert in tow , to see the colonel and the adjutant. "Well , " said the old colonel , with twink ling eyes. "What did the doctor say about the physical condition of this a man' " With the colonel old John was loss free. 'SOME DAY WE'LL BE PROUD OF YOU , BERT ! " as he handed over the official medical certificate. "I think , sir , " he said , respectfully , "it's all right. " The old officer turned to the boy , a little eadly. "Well , Bert/ ' said he. "I think It Is all right , for If the regiment Is not your horn * I don't know where that Is. and It would be taard to turn you out , and Just as hard for you to stay on charity. Anyhow , you're the equal In muilc of almost any man In the band , so the government's cot de frauded. You want It this way , don't you ? " "Yes , sir , please. " "And you'll promise to attend the night ichool and be a good boy ? " "Yes. sir , " "And If any of the men , not the old men , for you know them , but the recruits , try to get > ou In trouble , come to me , or the adjutant , or John. " "Ko need to trouble you , sir , " laid the you're Its son. Will you promise to do well I by it , never to do anything to make It [ ashamed of you , to try and make It proud j of you ? " j "Honest. I will John' " said the small j boy. drawing himself up straight and with I a tear in his eye. "An1 you'll do It , " said John earnestly. "When I'm dead an' gone. It may be , but some day we'll be as proud of you , Bert , as we're fond of you now. " II. "Came In to say goodby , Hube , son ! How are you , anyhow ? The post command's got orders to move tomorrow. We'll leave | the post pretty empty. " "Already ! " cried the young bandsman. | " 0 , I say , I ain't well yet. " The soldier , who stood at the boy's side in the hospital ward , laughed. "We can't wait for you , Hube. Never mind , you'll be well by the time we get back. " "I'm well now nearly well ! " Tears of dismay Jumped to the lad's eyes. "I'll ask the adjutant and the colonel. I must go with the band. " "It's the doctor's got the say. Don't fret ; the campaign may last all summer , and you can Join us , with the other sick , before It's all over. " 1 "It won't last all summer ! We can beat them In a week I've got to go ! " "Say , son. make the best of It. " said the soldier soothingly "Now , goodby. Is there anything jou want before we go ? " ; 'I want to go. " said Hube. But he couldn't go the doctor would not allow it. As a matter of fact , little Hubert was not very sick. He had sprained a foot badly a week before , and that served as an excuse for the doctor and the adjutant and old John , too , to keep him at home , while the soldiers marched away on the cam- j palgn. None of his new fathers were very j anxious that he should see , so young , the hardships of the march , of the camp , of the probable fighting. He was now two years i In the service , barely 15 , and no soldier was more zealous than be. Still the doctor said "no , " and all the others laid the re sponsibility on the surgeon. The morning sun shone out cheerily , the bugles blew , the guidons fluttered in the wind , the band at last struck up a march , and off went the troops. Once around the parade they came , and saluted the flag , ! | , then out of the post by the road that wound 1 ! ; | on to the plain beneath the hospital bill. ' At the window of the ward Hubert watched them with yearning eyes bedlmmed. He felt a shame that be was not able to march In his place with the band , making part of that valiant music. When the last wagon of the following train passed behind the hill ho throw- himself on his cot In erief and refused all consolation. As the days passed he heard , from the soldier nurses and the gossip of the patients , all about the expedition. The Apaches ( whom same have described as more artful than Spaniards and twice as daring , while about equally cruel ) were up , and the battalion ot Infantry to which . Hubert belonged bad been tent to camp at ' the foot of a mountain pass , through which cavalry were to drive the Indians. In a week the command should be on ttu > spot. If not Intercepted and detained by Indian aklrmlshcra. Hubert heard It all eagerly , and fretted until he was thin. Every day he asked the doctor If he could leave the hospital , and every day the Jolly doctor said ; "Walt awhile till you're stronger" Then ' one day he was allowed out , only to learn that there was no chance of his being sent to Join the battalion , because there was BO way of tending him. I tuber felt that In all klndl ness he had I been deceived He did not think of the | kindliness , only of the lost opportunity , because - cause he had never forgotten his promise to old John , And the good fat cook words "We will be proud of you some day , as we are fond of you now" "How , " the\ \ boy cried bitterly to the distant mountains , where his comrades were perhaps at that moment fighting , "how can you over be proud of me If you keep me at the post like &n old woman ! " He mourned one day In solitude , and the next the doctor indignantly learned that "little Hubert of the band" had borrowed a poney and a revolver from the colonel's son of his own age , and had ridden off at night with his beloved cornet and some hardtack and corned beef. "The little rascal , " said the good doctor. "Now I begin to wish I had let him go with the rest. " Then they sent messengers to bring him back , but the wily Hube , riding hard by night and laying low by day , escaped them , so that the messengers came back them selves downcast , to be much abused by the worried doctor and all the women of the post. post.He He rode more swiftly tian the column hod marched. So It came that on the fourth day , after resting his horse through the heat of noontide , he loped easily , close on sunset , over the grassy bluffs and hollows , the great waves of the foothills. To his ears came the soud of distant firing ahead , clearly because of the great silence of the plains , yet turned to low sullennees by the dlstaace. Hubert put spur to the plucky pony and his eyes shone with excitement , for at once it came to bis mind that these were his comrades. For five minutes he galloped ahead excitedly , seeing nothing and straining bis eyes from the top of each bluff Into the dusky dimness of the swift-falling twilight. At last he reached the ridge of a | bluff higher than the rest , and , as he did so , he heard a sound more alarming than that of rifle firing the long , loud yell ot Indians. In utter dismay at that horrible Apache bowl , he dropped Instinctively from his pony and reconnoltered over Its , shoulders. The slope stretched emoothly downward for half a mile to the right and , there was light enough yet for the boy to see what was happening. At the mouth of a creek which flowed from the mountains into a broader stream one army wagon rested and beneath it , protected by the two streams In their rear , a small party of soldiers had dug a rifle pit and were firing from It at a band of swiftly circling In dians , who , from their ponies , fired In turn on the besieged. Well Indeed did Hube know the blue body of the wagon , the occa sional glimpse of n blue coat In the rifle pit , and his active mind , well stored with legends ot Indian fighting , arrived at the truth at once. That wagon had come from his own camp , probably to fetch something from the post , lightly guarded because the officers must have supposed the road be tween to be clear of Apaches , who fight in the casses of the hills. The little escort , beyond reach of help , had been darted upon by Indians and now ? now they were makIng - Ing an almost hopeless stand for their lives.c There was no possible way for the boy to signal the soldiers ; If the Indians fell back they would certainly see him and get his scalp. There was but one thing to do , and that was to gallop for camp and send help. Luckily he knew the country. In "a peace ful practice march he had been over the ground and Judged the battalion to be twenty miles away. He mounted , clapped spurs once more to the pony , who now , at smell and sound of Indians , was nerved by fear to renewed speed and dashed away. They rode to west ward , where the sun had Just sunk and the sky was yet clear of shades of night , and , before Hubert was ahead of the Indians a clear half-mile , he had to mount a steep incline. Suddenly he heard behind him a yell of surplse and anger , and , glancing back , saw one or two Apaches detach them selves from the band and give chase. What had happened flashed upon the boy's mind. For a moment his figure had stood out against the sky line , clean cut and plainly visible , and In that moment a keen-eyed Indian looked. Yet close upon the savage cry ' , almost mingling with it , came a tremendous encouraging Yankee shout , In a voice Hube knew well the voice of old John. Faintly he heard the words : "Ride1 Ride ! sonny ! For your life and ours ! Ride ! " Ride ! Ho was off like an antelope , stoopIng - Ing low on his horse's neck like a cowboy , whispering encouragement to It , stroking Its neck. Ride ! He was away like a startled Jack rabbit , up bluff , down hollow , across sandy stretches , scattering water of streams high overhead. Ride ! Behind him he heard the crack of the well armed savage's rifle , the triumphant yell of the redskin as his fresher pony gained on the quarry. Ride ! That yell , two yells In different voices sounded more closely , and crack ! again the rifle was fired. In moments of deadliest peril some pee ple's nerves fall them altogether ; those of others become steadier than usual. Of the latter class were young Hubert's , luckily for him. Five , ten , fifteen miles the chase had continued , and In the night which had now descended , he knew that , if his face could hnve been seen. It would have been white as death. Yet his head was steady as he dp ? - his revolver and fired , not widely , but desperately , to the rear , fired once , twice , thrice. The third cartridge was lucky. A scream of agony tore through the I silent night , and Hube's keen ear thereafter - after detected the galloping of but one horse. But that came nearer and nearer , and the foolish moon arose , so that Hubert , urging his loud-sobbing pony on , knew that he was i j a better mark for his foe. Slung behind I j him by a cord hung the boy's loved cornet. There had been a favorite popular air he often played on It for the soldiers In bar- racks. He did cot know how far be was i yet from camp , but some Instinct told him i to cry for aid. He swung the cornet round I I nnd put It to his lips. Not as he might ' ! have played , but in Jerky , breathless , pant- j ing notes came the air of the song1 Comrades ! Comrades ! Comrades when we were boj's ! I At the first note the savage behind gave i j a howl of alarmed surprise and fired twice. ! Hubert felt a sharp sting In his side and 1 j i dropped from bis saddle. He expected the ( . knife of the Apache , but it never came , for , the frijhtened Indian at that unexpected 1 sound gave up the chase. From a ravine I away to the left , however , came amazed and I | cheering shouts , then the galloping of horses and the cries of friends , and In another minute Hubert was in the arms of his fel low soldiers , fainting , but able to tell them what was happening down the trail. Next day came old John of the band safe from the besieged rifle pit and openly blub- r * I told you , Bert , In my son we we we'd be proud of you , " be said. Soldlrr Shout * III * AnulUnt. TAMPA. Flo. . . Aug. 17. An attempt has been made to assassinate Robert Bagman , Company C. Second Georgia volunteers. In defending himself. Bagman shot and mor tally wounded bU negro assailant , James Jeckson. Bagman recently received an 1 anonymous letter Informing htm that he would be killed if be did not cease bis at- untlons to a young woman of this city. On leaving the young woman's home , Bag man was attacked by the negro , who nar rowly escaped stabbing him In the neck. As it Is , the soldier's clothes were slashed and the ikln scraped In two places. Jack son is under surveillance , but Bagman has not been arrested. The officers of the Second regiment think that Jackson was hired to kill Bagman , A COOK'S IT'S PURE IMPERIAL EXTKA WINE CHAMPAGNE DRY. I tt t uf i it i v 'c ' * rntMT PIMP TO' lIA\\AlHa \ \ > S GRLAT rLASTS j [ I _ I Surprises in Store for tha Epicure iu the Pearl of the Pacific. | FASCINATION f OF THE WONDERFUL POI I Dnikr 1 llrnntlc * Who Oernnr H TT Flih , Live Shrlnipii nnd Other Dellcnclr The SemiMonthly - Monthly Feed , Harmon E. Buckley , a former agent of a I sugar cane company at Honolulu , now a resident of Pomona , Cal. , told a correspond ent of the New York Sun some Instructive facts about the appetites and storage capacity of the latest Americans , residents of Hawaii , as well as the various delicacies they thrive on. "The diet of the natives , " he said , "is one of the Interesting things about them. What one eats Indicates one's social standing In Hawaii. The aristocrats of Hawaii are the children of the mis sionaries who sailed from New England around the Horn in the 30's and 40's , and took the gospel to the Kanakas. The natives were easily converted to Chris tianity and the Yankee missionaries and their young wives became so happy in the beautiful , fertile Islands out In the Pacific that very few of them ever left the tropical paradise. Their children Intermarried with the finest Kanaka children , and with the Yankee spirit of Industry and Invention they developed the sugar-cane Industry of the Island. l ! A score of the sons of missionaries from Massachusetts and Connecticut are fin millionaires in Hawaii. Several are multi millionaires. The Bishop estate Is reckoned at J1S.OOO.OOO. If was all made from cane sugar In thirty years. "This part of the population dines on the best. Cases of oysters packed In Ice come by every boat to the rich Americans In Honolulu from the Chesapeake. Hundreds of heads of celery are taken from Michigan to Hawaii every winter. Tons of California vegetables are consumed by Americans In the Islands. The English residents have their roast beef , and they sometimes have to Import It In cold storage from San Francisco. The thousands of Portuguese In Hawaii have dishes recking In garlic and chills , while the 3.000 Chinese regale them selves on rice and dried sharks' fins. The Japanese dine on poultry and a native vegetable like ancient squash. Every steamer from Hong Kong and Yokohama brings tons of products for the Orient , tables In the Islands. For the Kanaka there is abundant poi an tMlble that might pass for bill posters' paste five days old dried and smoked squid , cooked seaweed , raw mullet , dog roasted in ti leaves and a com bustible drink made from the fermentation of a root. From all this provender , .native and foreign , the kitchens of Honolulu are able to make a discriminating choice which gives the bills of fare at some entertain ments a peculiar piquancy. ttrcnt Haters. "The natives of the Hawaiian Islands are famous eaters. They have a feast or more properly speaking a feed on every possible occasion. And It Is truly marvellous what quantities of food they can stuff Into them selves without physical Injury. A custom from time Immemorial among the Kanakas IB to have a luau on enormous feast about once every fortnight. King Kalakaua used to have the most gorgeous luaus In the memory of the oldest natives In Honolulu. The average native would go without his grass hut and clothes rather than , forego a luau with his big family or a company of friends two or three times a month. The hardest work I have * ever seen a Kanaka do has been In preparing for a luau , and some hard work must always be done In getting ready for a luau that Is a luau. "These feasts are usually served In the open air. At the royal palace they took place in a great banquet hall. The gorging Is almost always accompanied by music on guitars and a peculiar native stringed In strument , like a crude 'cello. The meal Is served on the grass. TI leaves , a variety of huge lilies , are used as tablecloths. The food U heaped on the tl leaves before the feasters come , and there Is no passing of food to the guests. Each person at the luau sits cross-leggod , Turkish fashion , on ele gantly woven" grass mats about the edge of the area of tl leaves and food. The meal Is I In one course , and the fcaster eats as he | likes. There are no knives or forks. One's fingers are good enough for dining purposes at a luau. The feast usually continues sev eral hours. The fattest Kanakas can sit with their legs doubled up beneath them all day and night and never have a suggestion of an ache , but it Is positive torture to an American or European who la eating bis first luau , when the feast has progressed about an hour. I have seen many a portly American who wished to be polite perspire with pain while he farced smiles and tried to be agreeable during his Kanaka host's elaborate luau. Robert Louis Stevenson took as naturally to the customs of the- luau as any paleface I have ever known. The people of the South Pacific had a wonderful fascin ation for him , and he loved to see them at their feasts. He used to any that the Kanaka was seen and studied best at a luau , and I believe Stevenson was right. I have known several Americans to be as thoroughly lamed ' by sitting at a luiu as if they had been horseback riding for the flrst time. Mi-nt n Itarlty. "Meat is seldom eaten by the Kanakas and is seldom served at a luau. unless the Americans predominate. Flsh is served In abundance. The waters of the blue ocean all about the Hawaiian , islands teem with a score of varieties of mullet and mackerel , and the Kanakas have an Inordinate liking for fish. A peculiar thing about the Kanakas Is their fondness for raw and half-baked flsh. I have seen the late King Kalakaua munch the flesh of a mullet that bad been Ewlmming EI three minutes before. The largest fish I In Hawaiian waters Is a species of shark. Its 1 weight Is generally about thirty pounds. It ] holds the place of honor at a bis luau , Just J as a turkey does at an American Thanksgiving dinner. It Is cooked about ten minutes i only. Then the tough skin is peeled .off , and the steaming , odoriferous flesh Is cut up and put on ti leaves for the feasters. Small raw fishes of the mullet family are a delicacy at a Kanaka luau. It has often tried the nerves of an American guest at one of these feasts to see a gorgeously decked young Kanaka woman reach into one of the wooden bowls of water arranged at Intervals about the tl leaves , and snatching therefrom a writhing mullet about twice the size of a sardine , bite off its head and munch the fish down. Often a half dozen live mullets from an aquarium ore eaten by each individual at a luau. Some of the more dainty Kan aka women who have observed the expres sions of amazement on the faces of the palefaced guests may select merely a min now , and will content themselves by rolling It under their tongues. "Live squid is partaken ot at a luau as a sort of entree. The fish Is not easily caught , and Is , therefore , a delicacy. There are i squid epicures among the Kanakas , just as ' there are terrapin epicures In New York and Baltimore. On the Island of Kaual there are dozens of great ponds of salt water where squids a small species of the cuttle fish are cultivated. Ex-Queen Lllluokalanl had a pond some two acres In area on her estate where squids were grown for the money there was In the sale of them and for her owu native feasts. The squid that the ' natives like Is a dank , slimy squirming thing , with a strong fishy smell and a great , staring eye. Hold a live squid up before an ( assemblage ot Kanaka * and the effect la magical. You will see a movement ot the i , ' Ilarncv 131O St. FIRE ! FIRE ! ! FIRE ! ! ! Jf-Iarncy IfUO St. FIRE SALE OF CLOTHING MONEY SAVED. MONEY MADE The greatest sale on record the entire stock of the National Cloth ing Co. , that was damaged slightly by smoke and water , will be sold for the small amount of 25c Oil IH0 dollar- Everything must go regard less of value. The only place where they j = ell everything as advertised. NOW ON SALE. Men's Suits. Summer Coats and Vests. $18 men's suits , sizes 34 to 44 $ 6.75 50c men's summer eoats . " 10c 816 men's suits , sizes 34 to 44 6.00 81 men's luster coats . 35c 815 men's suits , sizes 34 to 44 5.00 82.75 men's luster coats vEBrs $ 1-35 § 12 men's suits , sizes 34 to 44. . . . 4.50 84 men's luster coats and vests 1.50 810 men's suits , sizes 34 to 44 3-25 8(3 ( men's luster coats and vests 2.00 Men's Pants , Men's Hats. 81.75 men's pants , all sizes 90c 75c men's hats , all sizes 25c 82.50 men's pants , all sizes $ 1.15 81 men's hats , all sizes 40c § 3.00 men's pants , all sizes 1.35 81.50 men's hats , all sizes 50c 84.00 men's pants , all sizes 1.65 82.00 men's hats , all sizes 75s 85.50 men's pants , all sizes 2.25 83 men's hats , all sizes $1.00 Now on Sale at Next Door to Trocadero. 1310 FIRE ! FIRE ! 1310 Harney Stecet. Harney Street lips of every one who looks upon the flsh. At a luau the squids are held upon the tl leaves by strings attached to small weights. A feaster will reach over now and then and break off a tentacle from a squid , and while the poor creature doubles and expands In pain at Its dismemberment , the Kanaka will chew the meat down with a grin of pleasure. Uulntle * fur Dunkllcllen. . "Raw shrimps are a luxury also In the Kanaka diet. They are never prepared there by boiling. It takes some nerve to see a bewitching native girl In gay-colored muslin , with a wreath of flowers about her shoulders and prodigious hirsute decorations , put her swart hand Into a wooden bowl of shrimps and bring forth a handful of tiny , wriggling creatutes and stuff them in her mouth. I remember being at a luau given by the Princess Liliuokalanl ( later queen ) when Robert Louis Stevenson had his first introduction to the love of raw flsh by the Kanakas. I smile still at the memory of how astonished he looked In spite of his efforts to appear unmoved when a very handsome jolly young woman opposite him grabbed a mass of lire shrimps and stuffed a handful Into her mouth with unmistakable evidence of relish. Dried seaweed , chopped with a savory sauce of peppers and served as a salad , is another entree. Then there are dozens of fruits served In many ways on the ti leaves. Gin and a mixture of milk , water and gin are the drinks. "But then there is the poi. That deserves a whole chapter to Itself. In all the range of i foods ot the human race there is nothing that i can be compared to poi. It is unknown outside of the Hawaiian islands , and nothing can i ever be devised that will fill the place of , poi In the diet of the Kanakas. Every one , who has ever been In Honolulu knows what poi is. Long before the steamer from San Francisco reaches Honolulu harbor the initiated begin to say : " 'Well , the day after tomorrow at this time you will be eating poi. ' "You hear it on every side , until at last you begin to look forward with eagerness to your Introduction to poi. Not that you know what poi is. Xo one ever tells you that. It is deemed sufficient for you toj | know- that poi is. and you are forced to content yourself with rosy dreams of the' gustatory delights awaiting you. "Poi is made from taro , and taro is a tuber , like our potatoes. It grows only In the Hawaiian Islands , and there It may be found In the water at the edge of ponds. It has a big green leaf like a Illy. The name of the man who invented poi from taro is lost in the murk of years May he rest In sweet sleep wherever he lies , for he has brought Joy to the hearts and stomachs of thousands of his fellow men and women. There la an upland taro cultivated In the mountains by the natives which has a more decided taste and which , as I learned to my cost on tasting It raw , bites the throat like horseradish. The low land taro Is the chief vegetable In the Island , and in early days constituted the natives' principal crop. When cooked it as sumes a mottled gray and white apeparance , very like the lava rock that abounds an the i i islands. The process of manufacturing pot i Is quite long , and has been In vogue hun dreds of years In die Islands. A i ; great hole is dug in the ground , and Into this the taro roots are placed around piles of hot stones. The earth Is then heaped over the place and the taro leti to steam. j | When the taro Is thoroughly cooked , which j l often takes several hours , the roots are dug | out again , peeled and put Into a huge stone j i receptacle , In which they are pounded Into | a pulp. This work is performed by the 1 men. It Is an arduous task , and on a hot I day ( and nearly all days are hot in the islands ) , the pounding of pal Is a scene over | which it Is advisable to dra-v a veil. aiiUee Skill On I'ol. "Yankee Invention has taught the Kanakas how to make poi wholesale , so that the old-fashioned , crude pol-maklng ways are passing away. The poor back-roods natives still make their own poi. When the mass ] i is thoroughly beaten and smoothed. It Is i mixed with water to the proper consistency | I about like good thick paste strained ' through a coarse cloth and set away for two , or three days until It begins to ferment , | i when It Is ready to be eaten. It then tastes 1 a little like buttermilk , and Is very nutrltl- l ous and wholesome. The natives eat It by the gallon. Give the average native a big pot of poi , half a dozen raw flsh and a bottle i i of gin and you may have the kingdom and { the rest of the earth as well. He will squat upon the ground , break the head off one ot the fish , take a bite from Its raw side , pack It in a mouthful ot poi and wash the whole down with a swallow of gin. and repeat the ! process until all have disappeared. "Every Kanaka In Hawaii eats poi , from the rx-queen to the poorest peasant. There arc dozens of ways of serving poi. One of the . ' moat satisfactory Is the poi cocktail. An ' army of tourists who have been in Hone- j lulu have returned to their native heaths ' with souls panting after poi cocktails , even more than the hart panteth after any water I brook. ' Pol cocktail la a marvellous decoc I tion , manufactured In this way The artlat takes a tall glass , and a tiny bunch of brulead pepernilnt goes in also ; a teaspoonful - ful of sugar follows , then come two heaping tablespoonfuls of poi. along with a dash of absinthe. The big glass is next filled with seltzer water , and the artist behind the bur may gaze with admiration on the work of man. King Kalakana used to insist upon the addition of a preserved cherry or strawberry - berry to his poi cocktail , and Robert Louis Stevenson used to tme a little vermouth In his. But such artistic effects take time and the average man cannot well stand and watch the careful labors of the mixing artist long enough. Indeed , you will see the customer's anxious hand reaching across the bar even while the artist Is putting on the final touches. Poi from taro Is not Intoxicat ing , except In a high state of fermentation How It comes by its rehabilitating and twice blessed power to stimulate downtrodden man no one can tell. Nevertheless , it Is there There are one or two places In San Francisco where poi cocktails may bo obtained , and men who have been to the islands and feel its need call for it , but to the mass of people - plo on the Pacific coast its beneficent quail- ties are little known. It Is one of the many cases wherein travel is an education. "When one has been In Honolulu several days and has heard the virtues of poi talked on every hand , his curiosity is roused. Then you will wander into one ot the many little restaurants In the city , and artfully ask for poi as If you were a veteran at that article of diet. Then there is brouuht to you a wooden bowl , known among the . Kanakas as a calabash , containing a queer | I looking ] , grayish , sticky compound. You are 1 sure to rezard It askance and ask for a spoon , but are told it is to be eaten with the finders. "Why. no one could take that stuff up In their fingers ! ' you gasp. " 'Ob , yes , Just see , ' and into a companion dish your Instructor dips two fingers , and with a twirl only acquired by long practice withdraw t them loaded with a huge 'gob' of the compound , which is at once trans ferred to his mouth and swallowed , his coun tenance assuming , meantime , an expression of beatitude. You do not know- what ex pression may have taken Us abode upon your visage , but you know your principal sensation is one of Simon Pure honor. How ItVorU * . "Then comes your turn to try poi. Tenta tively you dip a forefinger Into the pearly gray mass and gather on the finger end a wad of poi as one would thin paste. A sour , dank smell greets your nostrils as the stuff nears your mouth. You are in for a trial of the poi , however , and so you close your eyes anil by a supreme effort open your mouth and quickly suck the substance from your flnser. Your mind is ail alert _ and you are very watchful of your every j sensation. You wonder how any one could I hanker for such vile , clammy , cold , stale | stuff. But the stuff has gone down , and you have eaten your first col. It leaves t , behind a taste of stale yeast. It can be i trared by a track of warmncss the full length of the oesophagus and a peculiar glow about your stomach. "If you are very stout hearted you may eat a few more dabs of poi from the calabash , but not one In ten does that You feel tatty that you ha\e dlsapnolnted the jovial Kanaka who has stood by so expectantly waiting for you to express your praises of the wonderful poi. " 'Oh , never mind , ' he says , as he reads your thoughts from the expression on your face , 'you no like poi now You like him all same tomorrow or next day. I know , I kno-v. ' "Of course you know better than that You've had your fill for a lifetime. If , how ever , you give In to the quasi hankering for another trial of poi a few davs later , you are a poi epicure from that time forth Thousands of good Americans have trodden the same downward path to heathenish diet before you. If you co about Honolulu you will see your acquaintances In the restati- rants end hotels dip Into their calabashes and hear them expatiating on the delights of poi , and you begin to aspireto taste again. ; You think about It by day and night and at last rou venture. Before you are aware of jt rou are calling for the Kanaka poi at every meal , and you wonder how many millions ot dollars conid be made by the man who should successfully Introduce poi into the United States It Is extraor dinary how one finds EO many excuses for poi. You take poi for an appetizer , you use it as a top dressing after dessert , you ballast with It before eating , you use It for broken storage to make other viand ? ride easy. If your food doesn't taste goo you eat a l ttle poi to tone up your rulaie. If you are out of sorts or under the weather you take a little poi for your stomach's eake. It is useful ns an eye opener In the morning. It serves admirably as a nightcap on retiring , It takes the place of af ( ° rnoon tea. and tiffin is Incomplete without poi. : , ' i BLOOD POISON A SPECIALTY. , attcnflanr at Tartltrr BLOOO percuoutly ( Cured in 15 to 35 Days. Tog oan tw treated at horn * tor MOM riM on r Mm * ruarantr. If you pr rr b ocnjt bire wt ill contract to pay rail- Nad fare and httl MU , and ao ckuc * M w * fall to cur * . IP YOU HAVE tckfn mrrcurr , Icxjld * potuh tnd tui b T and DfclBJ , Muooui Patch * * ta . Sore Throat , PUnolrf , Copper Col. ' Bpcts , Ulc ri on anr part of U > bodr , HJr or Eyebrowi fall lac out , tt U thli ( i j . Wt Giianntit fo Cure ' Wt toilet ! the tr.Mt obitinat * M MU ehallcc * tha world for 4 ctsa w * atnnot C-JT * . Thli dltiiu * ha Hwayi baJ9d Uw tkin ot th * ocrt ( mlntac pKytlcltM. ftW.900 capital behind our uneondltloMl fuaMfifr. Abf ! ut * prtofc MOt * eaj 4 oa pi ton. 1M Sc book tint fra * . AMr * * * COOK JIC1IEDY CO. . 1481 XMO IO Tempi * , Chicago , 111. .N oTiinns FAIL CONSULT Searles & Searles. SPECIALISTS. Guarantee lit uure nyi-c-illly and rnill- cnlly all \KH\OL. * , CIIHOMC AXD dlieiiMC * of men and women SYPHILIS SEXUALLY cured for life. Nicht Eral53 ons , Lost Manhood , Hy Croccle. Vericocele Gonorrhea , Glert. Syph- lua. , Stricture. Piles. Fistula and Rectal Ulcers , Diabetes , Brleht n Disease cured. CO > SrLTAT10N Kit BE. Sf < risers ' ana Homo by 1 n > "w method without pain or cuttlnr Call ] on or address with sump. Treatment by mail. , SEMES 3 SEMES , DUFFY'S ' - " PURE MALT WHISKEY ALL DRUGGIST * . In a word , you have contracted the pot habit. habit.Then Then Becomes the expert period of your development as a rol eater Tou bcsln to kcoA' that there Is pal and poi. You talk learnedly on sol as one of the great In- atuutlons of the world and wonder how the uorld at large has donn EO long with out it. You become particular as to the a hare and appearance ot your restaurant calabash and finally purchase one after your own taste. You resard with disfavor tha blunders of Inexpert poi eaters. It la not considered elcsant to use more than two fingers In eating It or to cut any of It on the edges of the calabash or droo any of It In transit. You acquire a scientific twirl of the fingers In gathering up your mouth ful r.nd an airy grace In conveying It to your mouth. " No I Hit * Win ml Way. It Is not always beat to wait until It la needed before buying a botlle of Chamber- Iain's Colic , Cboli-ra and Diarrhoea Remedy , Quite frequently the remedy la required in the very busiest season or In the night and much inconvenience and BUffer'c ' - must be borne before It can be obtained. It costs but a trltle as compared wl'.h its rcnl worth and every family can well afford to ke p It In their home. It Is everywhere acknowl edged to b the m"st successful medicine in ! ie world far bowel complaints.