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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1899)
DAILY HOW BABOONS HUNTEO TWO BICYCLISTS , ! w A Story of The Wheel In South Africa. My. P. Y. BLACK. I. Wtldon and Mar catno down to the break fast room of the little bold at almost the * m moment'and together reveled In 'the , ' eool 'fraganco of the early morning. "I Tote we Jitart right off , " said Weldon. "In this bracing air we should make Cape Town easily by lunch time. " "I don't know about that , " May , who knew the land , answered. "It's not more than forty miles , but , you know , as we near the bay , the roads are pretty rough travel ing any amount of hllln. and our South African roads arc not laid out. like your road round New York and other big cities , to tempt wheelmen. We'll bo doing well If we get In In time for a bath before supper. " "Whew ! You must expect to walk half the way ? " "That's about It , " said May , "but never mind , It's the flnest scenery In tie. world. " "H'm , wait until you come to America. 1 suppose , now , you couldn't scare up a lion or something to make the scene more inter- ictlng. This Is my last day's ride , and , really , you ought to dig out something sensa tional , something South African. " "Far too far south for lions or big game , old man. " sald the Afrikander. "We may ( sight a deer or so , but 1 can promise noth ing more halr-ralslng , unices you care for baboons. There are a few bands of them between us and Cape Town , I bellevo. " "Monkeys ? 'Pshaw , " said Weldon , ' 'they're beneath notice. I did hope to meet a lion In the path. Ahl breakfast. " The young Afrikander and his visitor , the American , were quickly out after a good meal to o\erhaul , like experienced riders , their bicycles before starting on their last day's ride of their holiday. May frowned when he discovered a big Kaffir busily cleaning his wheel , w'lthoilt orders. A Kaffir Is not usually skilled In cycles and more apt to mar than mend when he Ignorantly meddles with them. May pushed him aside roughly , and the next instant , asthe Kaffir faced him , made a dash for him. "Hold him , Weldon , " ho cried , and at the shout there came running the Dutch land lady and other black servants from the road side Inn. The Kaffir , however , was slippery as a snake , twisted out of May's hands and darned into the woods about the hotel like a fox. "What was the matter ? " cried the sur prised spectators. "Tho rascal ! " cried May. "That fellow worked In my father's store In Cape Town road * for cyclists to tackle. The riders were now well Into the hllls/.and the Ameri can found , to his dUgust , that he had to spend as much time * pushing his wheel , as In the saddle. The tun , also , was now noon high , and the friends grew silent , mop ping their brows an they climbed the winding roads of the kloof. At one of these atcents Jloy lagged a long way behind and Weldon reached the top far-Jn advance of his chum. Ho sat down to rest and rujoy the shade of a tree , ami , as he threw him self on his back , he glanced at the eur- roundlng country. It was a comparatively bare spot he was on. The woods ceased lor a space and a ntretch of moorland spread broadly out. This was dotted with big black and gray , fungus-speckled boulder * and seemed a dreary waste. Weldon cast his eyes over It before he lay down , lightIng - Ing his pipe , and saw no manner of living thing. A mlnuto afterward be raised' his head and the pipe almcwt fell from his mouth with surprise. Sixty yards away , on a big rock , sat a queer looking man gravely observing the stranger and remaining abso lutely still. Weldon looked from his right , where the queer figure had so suddenly ap peared , to his left , and there also on another rock cat another strange looking irian , as grave , as silent , os motionless , observing him. Weldon looked from one to the other and his glance surveyed the open space back of and between' those apparent sentinels. On a largo flat topped rock sat In a silent row about a dozed similar fig ures , all very grave , all > -very observant , the steady gaze of every one of them con- centrate.1 on the bicyclist WeWon was a IltUo short-sighted , and he rcee to his feet , putting on his eyeglasses to study these strange people more minutely. . "They don't look like the natives neither Hottentot nor Kaffirs. Surcly'they can't be the dwarf Bushmen ? " Then his glasses dropped and he throw back his Jx > ad with a loud laugh. "Baboons ! " be cried. "The ugly rascals that's certainly one on me ! " At that shout the little conclave on the rocks was greatly s'artled and there at once commenced among them such an Indignant chattering as might have bcn In a decorous meeting of church ciders disturbed by a rude Intrusion. The sentinels s.-ampered from their post to Join in the general djs- cuvJon , and many of the almost human-like monkeys began to grimace at Weldon angrily and shake their paws threateningly. IN AN INSTANT THE PACK CAME UP YELPINGl ' and is wanted for theft. I don't suppose ho I' -will come back , but. If he does , there's a reward offered for him at police headquar ters. What was bo doing with Ihe bicycles ? " ' He clean for baas , " a servant volunteered , but May and Weldon examined their ma chines with some anxiety. It isnot a good thing to have one's wheel cleaned by rascals when a long , lonely ride on a rough , llttle- I'f Araveled road is in front. But the young men could find nothing wrong. "He had no time , " said the landlady re assuringly. "Ha only knew this morning the t iaswas here and asked me which way the baas was goingHe went to the baas' wheels to clean them , but I sent him to his own work , and that was only ten minutes f ago. So the rascal had no time to hurt " them. "Oh ! He-know Iwas Here , did he ? " May asked. "Did he secus last night ? " "When t ha'baas paid the bill before going to breakfast this morning. " "There's something funny about that , " eald May to Weldon , as they role away together in the glorious morning. "If the beggar saw me he must have recognized mo , and one would think would keep out of my road. Hia was. adaring.robbery , with assault on -watchman , and I'd certainly band him over to-the police If I caught him. Fancy-"his Impudence ! Starting to clean m'y wheel ! " , "To tamper ivlth It , " said May. "That was bis game , I guess perhaps to'be re venged on you , but more likely " "What ? " "Vyell , you say It la a lonely rough SUDDENLY THEY FORMED TOGETHER. roid. Perhaps your Kaffir would have liked us to walk when our wheels broke down , especially as he eair you pay the bill sod knew yqu bad money on you. " "I didn't think of that , " said Weldon , "Hois ever , no barm is done be didn't hare time. " They eped away , their knapsacks on their tacks , at a good pace across a lovely coun try , and , in the bright morning air of that wonderful climate , teen forgot all about the Kaffir thief. For a while , after leaving the \ Inn , the road ran smoothly and on a ( airly level grade around the broad shoulder of a mountain. "Fairly good road. " said May. "but It makes our vay much longer. Across the mountain would shorten it by two-thirds. " "Tho usual path for foot pasaeng rs. I suppose , tout rather Impossible for wheel men , " eald the other. ' 'Npw we're cornice to a bad piece. " II. As one approached Table bay from the inland , great mountains guard the water. Through these are numerous panes , called "kloofs , " and , while the acenery along them la cf the grandest , they are hard But this made the lad only laugh more loudly. Their Jabbering rage seemed so fu tile and ridiculous. A cheeky little member of the band suddenly ran out in advance of the rest , and with a gamin-like .expression of contempt and anger picked a etone from the ground and threw It e t the wheelman. The rock , in the hands of a siouter and older baboon , might have hit Weldon , but the cheeky HUle ape's arms were not yet mus cular enough. The missile fell short. Still the accuracy of the throw delighted the American , -who had never thought that mon keys of any species could attack in this way. He cried out , laughing : "Good for you , you young ecamp , but you must do better if you want to fearn base ball. Like this , you know. " Loet In enjoyment of this unexpected fun with the baboons , he did not notice that May had como up the hill and was now looking on with surprise. Weldon stooped to pick up a fair sized pebble , and , before May could Jump forward crying out 'don't ! " the American , In tie very best style ot itho diamond , had hopped a moment on one foot and launched with skillful arm the stone "over the plate. " It was , In its results , too well pitched a ball by far. It caught the unfortunate monkey who had thrown the rock fairly In the neck , and he toppled over like a nlncpln nod lay quite etlll. Weldon was astonished and re morseful at the success of his throw ; the little prone flguro looked eo human and helpless. He turned to May with a half laugh , but was surprised to see his friend leap for his -wheel , and to hear him call out : "Come on ; you've done It now ; let's get out of this ! " "What's the matter ? " "Come on ! Don't you know a band of baboons nre fearless when together and angry ? They have been kno-trn to drive away a lion , and we haven't even a pistol between us. Come on ! See , they're after us ! " Weldon looked at the group which he Lad found eo crave and silent. Now they were wildly chattering , crying out and lamenting over the eenseless body of their young comrade. Suddenly they formed together , and , with a eerlcs of great bounds and running , now on all four paws , now on two , they charged on the two friends. Rather frightened at the consequence of teaching a baboon to play ball Weldon Jumped on his wheel , and. Just as he did so , the baboons resorted to their favorite weapon , and , seizing here and there rocks ot large size , they discharged , a volley of them after the fugitives. The stones fell all about the rider * : one struck May'e front wheel and almost capsized him , ibut they themselves -were unhurt. The road now wound down a hill , which -was too rough and ete&p for more than cautious riders , but , urged forward by the cries of the baboons and the continued etone throw- ins , the friends dashed down at full speed. "The brutes are following , " yelled Weldon , as a rock grazed his bead , and , looking back , Mav saw that with Incredible ewlft- neas the rack was "bounding " behind , never ceasing their revengeful cries od their ar tillery fire of stone * . But the cyclists gained. The road turnoj sharply and shut them from the view of the monkeys , and then they came to the foot , and to their disgust saw yet another steep hill rise In front. Still the yelps ot the Baboons counted In the rear. "Put your back into It. old man ! " yelled May , and the two young men rushed down the last few yards of hill with such speed ttat the velocity gained carried them well up the ascent. Stooping low they -worked the pedals with all their might , but half wayup _ the wheels began to wlfgle , wiggle and they bad to Jump off. "Push ! " cried Weldon . on grimly , .shov ing his wheel ahead. They were etlll , how ever , far from the top .when the raging and vindictive baboons came chattering to the foot ot the bill and uttere-1 a tort of trlum- ' pbant screech as they lighted the nemy. The brutes bounded up the hill In purintt with great cunning , seeklnc a shelter from retaliation In the trees and tnuhea of the roadside. Dy lfp and bound * they gained and soon the etone-throwlng recommenced , and now both men were struck more than once , blood flowing from a cut in W.Mdon' * head. "The demons ! " he gasped. "They're more like savage men than brute- beasts ! " "I wish you'd realized that before you dis turbed them , " his reproachful comrade grunted. At last they were at the top and a de clivity again stretched before them , Just as the stones came down in a thtywcr. The vengeful apes seemed to have no Idea ot re linquishing the chase. The rlderc sp d down at breakneck cpeed , and now they thought they were fairly and safely away. The road twisted and wound. Soon they were out ot sight , and coon after the yerps ot the pack sounded more faintly. "Thank heaven ! " cried May , who was a little In advance. "Thatwas a tight hole. " "I'll know better another time than to meddta with a pack ot these monkeys 1" Weldon gasped. "HelloJ" They were turning a corner at full speed , the danger behind rendering them blind to any in front. As Weldon cried out , Way ran up against an obstruction and waa pitched far over the handlebars , . good ten feet , . Into some bushes by the wayside. There was no possibility for his friend to escape ; he was scorching directly behind , and the descent wae * teep. He hit on the obstruction and his chum's wheel , and , like an arrow sped after another , be shot through the air and lighted behind May. There , hid den by the bushes , they lay still and mo tionless. Immediately from the other side of the road , where the wood was dense , a brutal black toco , w th wide yellowish eyeballs , peeped out. listened for a moment , then leaped to the two lifeless men and began to rifle their pockets. U was the same Kaffir who , in the morning , had been almost caught by May the man who wao wanted In Cape Town for assault and robbery. Ex cited by the sight of the gold whlci May had shown when settling the hotel bill , dis appointed In tampering with the wheels , he had run with unresting speed by short cuts over the mountains , until , at this dangerous curve In the road , he had been in time to tie a grapevine taut across the path , with almost fatal results to the white men , whose bi cycles lay smashed In the road. The Kaffir rogue lost no tlmo in searching his late master's pockets , but he had hardly begun to do so when he was arrested In the act by a strange tumult up the hill. Fearful ot capture he left his prey and ran across the road to his former hldlnc place. He waa not bait way across when a huge old gray baboon far In advance of the others bounded around the bend , a big rock In its forepa-ws. It saw the Kaffir and with a scream of fury discharged the missile. The stone struck squarely between the robber's eyes and ho sank to his knees , etupefled with terror and blinded with blood. In an instant the pack came up , yelping , and im mediately they set upon the wretch , stoning him until he was a shapeless heap quite dead. They sniffed about him for awhile , apparently seeing no different between him and the one who had thoughtlessly killed their small companion , and at last , chatter ing triumphantly , they went back , satisfied with their revenge. When the two wheelmen at length came to their senses the lonely road was very quiet and still. They knew what n swift and dreadful punishment nad befallen the robbing Kaffir as soon as they saw the grape , vine , -witness of the man's attempt to kill and steal , and the stone-surrounded black body , token of his terrible end. The wheels were useless , so they had a long , silent walk to the nearest station of the mounted police , where they told of their escape from the baboon _ pack1 and still stranger escape from robfiery and murder.- 3IADB HIS FOHTBXE AT FARO. Millionaire Church Worker Wa n He- tired Gnmbler. Benjamin D. Maxbam , multi-millionaire and philanthropist , died in Vlneland , N. J. , recently. Mr. Maxham led a most dramatic and re markable life , reports the- New York World. He figured prominently In the west during the exciting times incident to the gold fever of the early ' 60s , and his reckless but suc cessful plunges at faro brought him great notoriety as a gambler. The gain or loss ot J50.000 at cards In a single night frequently occurred to Maxham , who at one time owned dozens of faro banks In San Francisco and Virginia City , Mont. Though in later years this faro king of the west went to Vlneland to seek a re- * tlfed , respectable life , he made no secret of his early vocation , and enjoyed telling of his former career. He never vaunted his wealth , and bis widespread charity was barely known beyond his fellow church workers and intimate friends. He became a trustee in the First Presbyterian church and was , for several years president of the Vlne- la-nd National bank. Mr. Maxham was one of the founders and directors ot the New Jersey Training School for Feeble Minded Children at Vlneland , to which institution it is said a handsome legacy has been pro vided for in his will , aoon to be probated. Born in Woodstock , Vt. . In 1821 , Maxhim when a small boy ran away to sea. He de serted the ship upon landing In Brazil and worked his way back home. After learning photography ho went west to seek his for tune. He established a miners' supply house In Virginia , City , handled gold dust for miners , conducted a banking business and ran a faro bank. The Maxham faro bank became famous and miners came from ail parts ot Montana to gamble. "I handled millions of dollars' worth of gold then , " said Maxharo , when relating his experiences , "and frequently won or lost { 50,000 at a night's sitting. One evening I noticed that my watchdog put his head to tha brick flooring of my establishment and growled. He did so again , and on the third nigtu I grew suspicious and put my ear to the spot. 'Click , click , click/ were the sounds that reached me. Robbers tunnelIng - Ing for my bank , thought I. Then I fig ured upon a scheme to fix them. My place was located upon a hill eloping toward a river , about 300 yards distant. The next day I walked along the river bank and dis covered the opening to the tunnel. Early that evening drew a straight line from my hcuse to the tunnel entrance , and about midway between bored several holes about ten feet deep. These I filled with powder. At about midnight , when the sounds of dig ging were again heard beneath my bouse , I touched off the fuoe and a tremendouse ex plosion followed. I never heard that dick- Ing noise again. Those robbers who would undoubtedly have murdered me. had dug a .tunnel which turned out to be their grave. A couple of men were mined from the ' town , but nobody in Montana ever knew their fate except myself. " Maxham conducted a freight and stage line between Virginia City and Cheyenne. In 1851 he broke every faro bank in 'Frisco and then established faro banks of hU own. His heavy winnings gained him great note riety. Fourteen years ago bis wealth was ectlmated by himself to be about $5,000,000. Capitalists In Vlneland believe that his for tune , fthloh consists mostly of municipal bonds , can not be much lees than (5,000.- 000 now. A Good Coufti Medicine for Children. "I have no neiltancy In recommending Chamberlain's Couch , Remedy1 says F. p. Moran. a well known and popular baker of Petersburg. Va. "We haxe given it to our children when troubled v ith bad coughs , also whooping cough , and it has alwtys rlyen perfect satisfaction. It. wu recoojr mended to me br a druisiat o tb.s txut couxh mtdlcln * for cbildrtn , as It con * i Ulntd no opium or other harmful drugi. " GETTYSBURG A MEMORY NOW Pilgrimages to the Famous Battltfiild Few and Far Between. DOES NOT DRAW GREAT GATHERINGS A Forrnt of Monument * Commctnornt- the Valor ot Americana Xn- tlonnl , Stnte find mentnl Memorial * . Gettysburg ia fast becoming a reminis cence. The town has three epochs In Us history the Tillage period , the period of the three day's battle and the period since the battle. During the Tillage period Gettysburg -was a typical Pennsylvania country town of the first half of the century. It had few busi ness enterprises and was Tery quiet and re spectable. The battle made it famous. Since then It has been a memorial city ot monuments and celebrations a rural city of Pilgrims and Guides. It Is only a few years since the dedication of monuments and the unveiling ot statues were of frequent occurrence , writes a cor respondent of the Philadelphia Times. Within one -week In July , 1SSS , there was a grand reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic on the battlefield , with a fair sprinkling ot ex-confederates , and the dedi cation of numerous memorials to the troop ? engaged in the battle , including the First New Jersey brigade , comprising the First , Second , Third , Fourth and Fifteenth New Jersey Infantry ; the Excelsior brigade of New York , comprising the Seventieth , Sev enty-first , Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth New York volunteers. Sickles * old command , and the Irish brigade , also of New York , comprising the Sixty-third , Sixty-eighth and Eighty-eighth New York volunteers , -which stands in what IB known as the "Loop , " Among the regimental monuments dedicated were those to the One Hundred and Fifty- first Pennsylvania , at the edge of Reynolds grove ; the Fifth and Thirteenth New York Infantry , on the Eleventh Corps avenue ; the Thirty-ninth New York , on the first day's field , Reynolds avenue ; the Ninth or Eighty- third New York , which was In the fight at Oak Hldge , beyond the seminary ; the Sixty- seventh New York , on Gulp's hltt ; the Fortieth , Forty-first , Forty-fourth , Sixty- second , SUty-fourth , Eighty-sixth , One Hundred and Forty-ninth and One Hundred and Seventy-fifth New York ; the Ninth New York cavalry , the Fourth New York In dependent battery , the Fifteenth New York battery. Batteries B end D , First New York j artillery , and the Sixty-second , Sixty-eighth ( Scott Legion of Philadelphia ) , Ninety-fifth and One Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania volunteers. Even this list , long as it is , does not comprise all the monuments and markers dedicated during that busy week. A Fnnion * Dedication. The throng -was a great one and it in cluded many of the soldiers and civilians dls- ; lngulshed In the civil war. Governor Beaver delivered the address ot welcome to the old soldiers of the First corps at a reunion held at Reynolds Grove , towhich the re sponse -was made on behalf ot the corps by General Robinson , followed by addresses Irom Frederick Smythe , .war governor of S'ew Hampshire ; Prof. Williams , as the rep resentative of William Sprague- , war gov ernor of Rhode Island ; Governor Ormsbee of Vermont- and others. General Longstreet also spoke and was greeted with a yell. Governor Rusk ot Wisconsin was represented } y Colonel H. B. Hatshaw , and among the most distinguished of the 'Wisconsin sodlers was General Fairchlld , pastcommander of the Grand 'Army of lhe ttfifubllc. On the platform at the Wisconsin .ceremonies the empty sleeve of General Fairchlld and the empty trouser leg of Governor Beaver were side by side. One-legged Colonel McFarland i of Harrlsburg delivered the oration at the dedication of the monument of the One Hun dred and Fifty-first Pennsylvania. General Sickles unveiled the monument to the Eighty-sixth New York and Orlando B. Pot ter -was the orator. Generals Robert Nu- eent and Dennis F. Burke spoke in glowing periods for the Irish brigade and the Rev. Dr. J. H. Twltchell of Hartford , Conn. , was the orator in behalf of the Excelsior bri gade. Major General Srocum delivered the oration at the dedication of the memorial to Greene's brigade. At the reunion serv ices on the 3d of July General Sickles pre sided and speeches were mode by General Gordon , Governor Beaver , General Hooker of the confederate army. Governor Curtin , General Longstreet , General Slocum and General Curtis. This was the second re union of the blue and the gray. In the ceremonies of the Fourth of July the orator waa George William Curtis and the poet George Parsons Lathrop. No country town was ever the scene of such a reunion before and no battlefield may ever witness such splendid pageantry again. Memorial * to Leader * . After 18S8 the dedication of memorials be came fewer every year , but the unveiling of those splendid works of art , the equestrian statues of Buford , Hancock and Meade , were event * of exceptional interest. The Hancock and lleado statutes were unveiled on the same day in 1SS6. Tbo next of these tributes to the soldiers of Gettysburg will be the un veiling of the equestrian statue to Major General John F. Reynolds on the thirty- fifth anniversary of the first day's battle. Warren already baa & statue on Little Round Top , and In time other soldiers will be able to command similar tributes , among them Slocum on Gulp's Hill , Sykes In the wheat field and Slcklrn at the peach orchard. In I the meantime the Interest will center In oc- , caslonal reunions ot the survivors like that ' on the battlefield on Decoration day of this [ year and to the ministration of pilgrims and i guides in tracing the varying fortunes ot the-1 three days of battle. When the guides became an Institution at Gettysburg it Is difficult to say. They were not born to the vocation nor were they the immediate outcome of the battle and the bat * tleflcld. but. like Topsy In "Uncle Tom's Cabin , " they "growed. " In the first rush to the field after the battle every visitor felt the need of guidance In finding the points ot interest and understanding the actions of the different places of contact. Those is ho had friends or acquaintances In the town had no difficulty in securing the necessary help. As time went on almost every citizen of Get tysburg' became an accomplished htitorl&n of the battle. To this day there la scarcely ft Gettysburger to whom every part of the battlefield is not as familiar as the open pages of a well-conned book. Even the boys knev the story of every movement and every marker and can tell it with facility and eloquence that are characteristic of the Inhabitants of no other town and the dwell ers on no other battlefield. I have had no more agreeable and Instructive an experience than an afternoon drive with former Assem blyman Zlegler to Ltttlo Round Top , with Lawyer Weaver to the Devil's Den or with Farmer Welkert to his houw adjacent to the wheat field and the peach orchard. But the strikes of such as three cannot be bought , while- almost from the outset strangers - gers Bought assistance that could be had for a prke. The mutual advantage of such an arrangement eoon became apparent to the guide and the pilgrim , and In a few cases the amateur became a professional. Ten years ago , when the Influx of visitors to Gettys burg was at HB height , there were perhaps a dozen of these battlefield guldce , but as the number of strangeres decreased from year to year the number of guides dimin ished , and now I know personally only one Guide Mlnnlch. Guide and Illnturlnii. "Here is a man for you to know , " said General Sickles to me the other day , as Mlnnlch approached us. "He knows the battlefield thoroughly , he has studied It carefully ; he Is accurate and at times elo quent. " I had known Mlnnlch for many : cars , but I was glad of the introduction , unnecessary as it was , because it brought to the guide so high a compliment from an authority so eminent. With a guide so capable the battle be comes very real to the pilgrim. Even such a group as thai caught -by Tlpton's camera during the celebrations of 1SSS , which Is re produced herewith , receives a new , a vivid and a personal interest Irom an inter preter so familiar with the warriors and the pilgrims whose feet have pressed the soil of the battlefield. How sadly eleven years have thinned this group ! In a few yers more none will be left of the men who stand In the foreground of this picture. These men will be readily recognized. In the center are Sickles and Longstreet , who were pitted against each other in the battle of the peach orchard. To Sickles' left is General James B. Carr of New York and to Longstreet's right is General Slocum. Be tween Sickles and Longstreet is General Hartranft , and behind Longstreet is Gen eral Butterfieldwho was ileade's chief of staff at the time of the battle. To Slo- cum'e right is General Joshua Chamberlain , chosen grand commander of the Grand Army of tie Republic at Gettysburg In 1SSS. Be tween Slocum and Chamberlain Is former United Statea Senator Warner 'Miller ' of New York. Of those who grouped them selves behind these distinguished men- and shine by a reflected light my old eyes are able to pick ont .only my old newspaper as sociate , Tregaskls , who for many years made a specialty of reporting Grand Army of the Republic news. He Is the quaint little gentleman with spectacles between Sickles nd Hartranft. This picture with ikmg- street. Sickles and SIccum In the fore ground presents a group of exceptional in terest -when It is remembered that it was gathered almost by chance on the battle field Just twenty-five years after the battle of Gettysburg. Death Thin the Rank * . Of thla group Slocum and Hartranft are dead , but Sickles and Butterfield assisted in the recent Decoration day ceremonies , and Longstreet was only prevented from being present by the weakness incident to old age. I was disappointed at his absence , not so much because I was unable to talk to him about his share in the battle , as because I had anticipated a delightful chat with him about the roads by which he came from the Potomac to Gettysburg , nearly every fence corner along < whlch I knew. But Sickles -was In a deliclously reminiscent mood and com pensated me In some degree for the absence ot Longstreet. Among other things I asked Sickles if it was true that he smoked a cigar while bolng carried from the field. He said It was and explained how the incident oc curred. "It was reported In the corps that I was killed , " he said , "and , as I was unable to rise up and speak to them I aeked for a cigar and smoked It , not because I enjoyed it , but because I knew If they saw me smoking they would know that I was alive. " This led him to speak of the crisis of bis illness after bla wound. Ho was unable to retain nourishment and death was certain from exhaustion unless this could be ob viated. The doctor asked him to think of something for which be would desire , saying that the imagination sometimes assisted na ture In such emergencies. He expressed a wish for a glass of champagne. This , the doc tor said , could not be got. But Sickles sent his man to bla camp baggage for a bottle of wine , instructing him to bring Ice with It The man returned with the wine , but with- ENCOURAGING THE FARMER. "Spring cz here , Bill. Don't ye like ter see th' farmer workin' and layin' off ther medder so nice and even ? Let's go over an' help him. He oughter be encouraged. " "Well , let.'s go over. I .tell ye. You encourage him wid conver sation , while I swipe his kettle o * grub , " out the ke The warm wine S. kits * . . ! ! not take and refnsei to try , direct n * that the bottle shoulJ be unk in a well for an hour to cool. The doctor chafes ! at the de lay , laying he mliht die In the meantime , but he InitstH on this cooling process for a full hour. When the wine was brought at last it waa sufficiently coof. but after taking a single nwallow he put down the glass. The doctor anted hlsi to drink more of U , but he declined to take another mouthful tor five minutes , and at first drank U In this way one swallow every five minutes. He was able to retain It and then increased the draughts to three swallowe. During the night he was able to finish the bottle and thus started on the way to recovery. riKlitliiK hc llnttlr Orr. Among the Gettysburg pilgrims General Sickles has come oftenctit , and most eagerly fought the battle over again. Hut nearly all the union commanders who survived and many of the confederated have visited the field since the battle , some of them many times. Some ot these visits are historical. The year US" is especially noteworthy for the distinguished parties that came from dif ferent states for the location or dedication of monuments. Early In April came Gov ernor Ormsby of Vermont , with a distin guished party , including General Redfield Proctor and General William W. Grout. Governor Bddwell ot Maine and Governor Rusk of Wisconsin followed a fortnight later. With the former YO.S General J. L. Chamberlain and with the latter General Lucius Fairchlld. The feature of the year , however , \\as the famous reunion of Pick- ett's division and the Philadelphia brigade. At one time It looked as If this reunion would be abandoned in consequence of the refusal of the Memorial commission to per mit the confederates to erect their monument ment within the union lines at the place whore ArmLstcad fell , but the differences wore finally arranged. Mrs. Plckett , the widow ot General Pickctt , and son , George , were with the southern visitors. The con federate veterans were received by the Phll- adclphlans , whom they had encountered once before , and the address of welcome was made by Colonel A. 1C. McClure. Among the Incidents was a reception by Mrs. Pickctt on that part of the field celebrated for what has passed Into history as Plckett' * charge , another disputed point In the history of the battle. The monuments dedicated in July. l S7 , were those to the Thirteenth New York volunteers , the Sixty-ninth and Seventy-first Pennsylvania and Cowan's New- York battery. The orators were General Joshua T. Owen , General W. W. Burns and Serena E. Payne of New York. Two note worthy speakers during these celebrations were General William F. Smith and General Henry J. Hunt , chief of artillery of the Army of the-Potomac. The encampment of the Pennsylvania department of the Grand Army of the Republic was also held on the battlefield this year. In September , 1SS7 , , Ohio erected nineteen regimental raonu-1 mcnls. Governor Joseph B. Foraker was with the Ohio men and an address was made by General H. A. Axline on "Ohio Troops in the Battle of Gettysburg. " Other monuments - j ments were dedicated between this unuuual occasion and the great celebration ot July , 1SSS. IncnngrrnotiH Picture * . In the days when pilgrimages to the bat tlefield were more frequent than they are now quaint groups could be found posing almost - ' most dally at points of vantage from Gulp's hill to the Devil's Den. A dozen years ago a party of oil men from Bradford visited the field and had themselves photographed on Cemetery hill , posed about the fence over which the Louisiana Tigers charged. These were quickly followed by a convention of Jn- ! surance men and even by a procession of undertakers. I have In my mind a picture ol a pastor and elder of a country church with their wives seated on the great boulder at Devil's Den that I saw In a farm house In the Cumberland valley. The pastor's legs , are dangling over the rocks and he looked tome mo like a drummer on a holiday. Parties like thoee of the oil men , the in surance men and the undertakers were the clasa of pilgrims who have always needed and who still need a battlefield guide. I have known the grave and reverend seigniors of the Union League to enjoy the oratory of OulJoMma..h n , K"c i ns. I have been over the fleiJ n. ) iU 1 nivcr fail to take ad \antago of an i < ; j-orti.-i'y t > RO with ino of his parties. Only the other day 1 found my- * elt on the outskirts of a baml of demur * Mvajres from the Imllnn prSiool at Carlisle. U I had been at Gettysburg a day or tw wrllw I mlKht have b > i attracted by the nutter of the ribbons of the ncnlor class ol Wilson college. 1 confers to the fas-lnatlon of the guide whencter there arc pilgrims to be guided , especially If they arc fa cl- n tln * . H will be many years , 1 trow , tfor the pllerlnw will cease altoRfthor. and ai long a * there are pilgrims there must b guides. A stranger on the battlefield with out an Interpreter 1s us helpless as you or 1 should be If we attempted unaided to pene trate the maze of Rosamond's bower. In the decisive battles of the world thert are some as Interesting as the battle of Got- tytburR. but there Is no battlefield like thli field ot monuments to fraternal strife. JIUX.CHii ) .MAC A.M1 O. Drucrnilnntn of Mllcnlitnn Prominent In HIMorj- ' .Mnitr IVnlltiim. "Many Irish names appear strange , " writes the distinguished Irish scholar , Dr. Philip ManDcrmott. "nnd uncouth to the average Knpllsh reader , though If their etymology and pronunciation were perfectly understood , they would be found truly beautiful and euphonious. " The names ol the ancient Milesian families , comment * th American Cathollo Quarterly , were pre fixed with "Mac" ami " 0 , " the la'ter ap parently predominating with princes and distinguished men. Although the use ol Irish surnames was forbidden Under never * penalties by the English "Parliament , they were nevertheless retained , and they con tinue to be used. The prefix to surnames ol the"Mac" nnd the " 0" has alsi been re turned to n great extent , and thus united have been borne not ouly In Ireland , but throughout the civilized world. It Is apparent that in countries which have been more or less Identified as Catho lic , such ns Austria. France , Portugal nnd Spain in Europe , and the Spanish-American nations , Mllralan family tiamea arc prominent , - inent at the pre ent day , whoso anvosital stock has been deprived of their landed 4os- iesslons by political and alien oppr < ss ( c and forced into exile In the countries 'aimed , wliere their abilities nnd their w rds have acquired recognition and honorable rowtxrd. How many such names have Wcocie hon ored In America and arc cherished with the highest regard ? In the glorious history ot our wars durhB most of our century ; In the formation ofur territories and states , eawell as In the 'building up of our cities ; in the detelop- ment of our Judicial system ; but tnop par ticularly in the building tip of our cTmmer- clal , our -banking , and our manuHeturlng interests ; in the learned professions and In the development ot political sconce , the "Macs" and the "O'o , " reprwwntlng old Milesian stock , have hela their fclacs In th hierarchy of renown. Venire Annexation to Vultei ] State * . SAN FRANCISCO , July 27. The Call today says. Tha natives of the Island of Kusalc , In the Caroline * , want to ba an nexed to the United Stnles. The king , high chiefs and prominent men on the Island to the number ot seventr-two have forwarded a petition to the effect to San Francisco with the request that It be laid before the president. They Eay not a word about the Spaniards or the Germans , but simply osk to be taken umler the folds of the Stars and Stripes. The petition was forwarded today to the president. When the barkentlne Ruth arrived from the Islands a few days ago It brought the news that the Germans we.-e trying to secure a foothold on tha Island and the natives were preparing to resist them. Now that Germany has pur chased the group from Spain it will at enc take posBossIon and then there may bo a war on Kusale slmirar to that In the Philip pines. The petition of the Kusalers has nr- rived too late. ncnpenlnc Old Mine. SAN FRANCISCO. July 27. The famous Mariposa estate , territorially one of the largest gold mining properties in the United States and the first quartz property devel- opened In California , is to to reopened and worked after a suspension ot operations for nearly thirty-five years. 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