Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, January 31, 1900, Page 9, Image 9

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    TIIE OMAHA DALLY BEE : WEDNESDAY , JAXUAKV 31 , 15)00. )
PASSING OF JEFF D , STORTS
Incident * in the Career of Ono of Missouri's
Most Original Characters.
NUMEROUS NOTCHES ON HIS FIREARMS
IIU IJenHi Ilrtnovr * from St. loul n
.Mnn \ \ ho < JJM ? lit Tlmt City some
if tlic AnitrclN of n , Tein
llortlcr Tovrn.
V St. Louis traveling man sojourning In
'imaba tells many Interesting Incidents re-
i tlvo to the career of Jeffotaon Davis
Storts. the notorious St. Louis criminal
lawjer , whose denth was announced In As-
fi < rlatcd I'res dispatcher ? a few dny ago.
The death of Storts removed the most unique
'hariutiT ever known In the history of Mis-
"nun He died from a skull fracture re
vived by falling off a street car. He had
o'teii predicted ho would meol dpnih In some
violent manner. In substance the St. Loula
uinu'd tory follow ? :
' Jeff Storts hid n history. He had served
li the Mlhsourl legislature Ho bad been In
Jail He had been tried for murder. He
onro lacked onlj four \otes of being nomi
nated for congre . He wns a lawjcr and a
lawbreaker. Ho was onre a public prose-
tutor Ho fluctuated between great wealth
nnd poxcrtj now up , now down. Ho alwaje
Carried a 'gun. ' Ho bad the general char
acteristics of n border ruffian , yet be wns
gentle ns n child to those whom he regarded
ns friends Ho hnd a collcce education. He
watt conceded , even by enemies , to be one
pf the most brilliant and most thoroughly
Informed criminal Inwjers in St. Louie. He
onto tried to kill a judge on the bench. He
fought other men's Inttlos nnd won Hla
motto was 'I alwnj. : fight for the under
dog , Oed Is just nnd I am willing to take
niy chances.1 In stature he was n giant.
hen aroused his \olcr. was like the roar
of n lion
Trnueil > mill Iloiiiiinee.
"Tragcdj , romance , politics , reckleasnes ;
nnd adventure nil these entered Into the
hlstoiy of Jefferson Uavls Storts He was
41 jcars old at the time of his death. He
was a native of Arkansas , but was reared
from childhood in the O/ark mountains o !
southern Mlmourl When a Ind he learned
to be a tjpesotter and toured the country
as far cast as the Atlantic coast Once when
IIP waa reduced to financial straits , he ac
cepted o'job an dishwasher on a Mississippi
river steamboat Tiring of such n wandering
existence , r-c returned to Missouri and en
tered the State School of Mines at Uolla
Ho was jet joung in year and while at
Holla his brightness of mind attrncted the
attention of Judge C. C. Bland , now of thr
St Louln appellate bench , and a brother ol
the late 'IJIck' Bland , the celebrated Mis
souri congressman Judge Hlnml gave Storts
the opportunlt } to study law. After admis
sion to the bar Storts located In Shannon
countj. Missouri , one of the wildest opots in
the Ozark mountains a land of tragedy ,
romance , feuds and Illicit distilleries. He
had been there but a sbo-t while when ho
was elf.td prosecuting attoiney of the
oouuiv While serving In that capacity he
shot nnd tried to 1111 n doctor who insulted
him. When the sheriff went to arrest Storti
the olllcer was soundly whipped. Neither
victim died Storts1 popularity was such
that he "was acquitted on trial. When the
jurv came in tbi foreman carrifd two slips
cf paper. One was a verdict of not guilty
The other was a prl\nle note for Storts ,
which read as follows
" 'We. the jury , fine jou twenty bottler 1
beer for not being .1 better marksman.
Ocorgo P Dcatherage. Foreman. "
"Storts paid the fine , in his trial he pleade !
Fclf-defLMLicj Hit * opening statement to the
jury was 'I shot this man to kill and 1
am sorry I did not kill him ; he was about tc
kill mo. '
"Shortly after this occurrence Storts madt
the race for congrcvj and the conventlcr
lacked only four \otc-s of ghlng him the
nomination.
"In May , ISM. Storts shot and killed
Stephen Hunl. thi > town niarsh.il of Wcsl
Plains , Mo Slorts was engaged in a street
fight with a-iother criminal law > or. and the
marshal Interfered For thib killing Storts
narrowly escape , ! the gallows , but his owr
ability as a defender in court found legal
loopholes through which he escaped
Shannon count ) democrats elected Storts tc
the legislature At the same time his father
Hr C B Slorts , was representative from
Phflps countj Father and son made
rmusement for the legislators throughout the
Frssion The elder .Storts was a ph > slclan
of quiet dignity , but his son. Jefferson
Havls. would not allow him to maintain his
dignity. Storts opposed every bill In
troduced by his father , and frcquentl > re
ferred to hjm In his speeches on the Door
of the housa as the gentleman who mis-
Jcprcsents Phelps countj '
Located In St. IollIn.
"LcaUiig Shannon county about fifteen
jeaiH ago , Storts located > n St. Louis , across
the fatrcct from the Tour Courts buljdlng ,
and at once leaped Into prominence as n
criminal lawjer. Ho was sent to jail more
than a dozen times for contempt of court
On one occasion ho took umbrage at re
f mark ! ; made to him by Judge Pea body , ami
f covered the Judge with his gim while the
court was In session For this ho paid n
fine of 5200 and served n Jail sentence He
frequently invited Judge Peabody to take
off his coat nnd fight They were cnouilce
of long ( landing. Elforts were made tc
disbar Storts , but they vero unsuccessful ,
Despite his wild and woolly style and his all-
romid recklessness he had firm friends by
the hundreds. I.ojalty to a friend wiui one
of bis most pronounced traits and he > was
lorreapondlngly diligent In getting ever
with his enemies Storts was particular ! }
frieudly to thu down-trodden. K be bo-
Ilcveil that an unfortunate man or woman
was suffering persecution ho would go tc
their aid regardless of a retainer fee He
bandied many important criminal crises and
won \lctorlcti In the courts without receiving
or expecting ono cent of remuneration
"As a judicious dUpinscr of charity there
WAR probably not thu equal of Storta In all
St. Louis It was his custom to make a tout
A Non-intoxicating
Malt Extract that is
especially Recom
mended for Weak
Nerves , Indigestion
and Insomnia.
BUILDS UP A DEPLETED SYSTEM.
HAVE YOU EVER TRIED IT ?
ALL DRUGGISTS -
Prepared by VAU BLATZ BREWING CO.
JIII.WAL'KHU , I' . S. 1.
Omaha Branch
1412 Douglas St. , Tel. IO81
of the squalH tenement districts just before -
fore Thankjghing da > and Christmas every
> ear , to make a note of families which he
deemed worthy of assistance. He wade no
parade about it , but In time for the holiday
dinner there would be sent to each place on
his list a bountiful supply of groceries , meats
a id other things necessary for a happy
spread. Many of these bcneflclarlei ne\er
Knew the source of the manna that was
thus showered upon them.
Hnlnril liy Com l Inlltj.
"Hut life In St. Loul < ruined Storts. He
yielded to dissipation , being unable to con
trol his convivial disposition. He plunged
deeper and deeper Into the mad whirl as the
jcars glided by and gradually lost much
of the prestige that he once commanded.
"As an Illustration of Storts' fidelity to a
client and his bulldog tenacity In winning
out under adverse circumstance * , there maybe
bo recited the story of how he once gained
possession of a grocery store for a man who
had betn defrauded A country merchant
came to St. Louis and bought a stock of
groceries. A cash price was named and the
buyer made a large depslt , neglecting. In his
bucolic simplicity , to take a receipt or other
evidence to show that bo had made a pay
ment The grocer who pretended to sell the
fitorc was a trickster and took advantage of
thu trusting countrjman. Storts beard the
victim's story. He accepted the case. He
reasoned with the grocer , but all to no
purpose. Ilecomlng desperate , he gave him
a sound thrashing and forced him to turn
the store over to the man who had
negotiated the purchase.
"At times Storts was given to practical
Jokes. One day a man who wanted to talk
over the telephone to the owner of an old-
fatblunnd mnnflon In St. Louis got the wrong
number and the 'phone rang In Stcrts' ofllce.
" 'Jlr. Blank , I want to know wbnt jou
vtlll lake for those Iron dogs In front of
> uur former home on Thirtieth and Pine
strcple' . " queried the man at the other end
of the tolp hone.
'The Mr. Blank addressed was a promi
nent capitalist. Storts saw an opportunity
to have some fun , to he d3 ! not revtol that
a mistake had been made In the telephone
number , but replied as follows
" 'Why my dear air. I do not ask 1 cent
for the e Iron dogs they have been an eye
sore to me for a long while , so just go out
and take them. All I ask Is that \ou bear
thj pxpon i. of moving them. '
"The man who wanted the dogs was pro-
fisc with thanks , and a few minutes later
he had a big transfer wagon and a trio of
burl > negroes armed with crowbars prying
up the Iron dogs These dogs were Immense
Imitntionh of bulldogs , moulded out of Iron ,
ccch weighing several hundred pounds They
viere perched on either side of the steps
lending up to what was In the e.irly days of
3' Louli one ot the most rashlonjblo man
sions. The building is now occupied b > a
government Institution , and a custodian Is
on dtitv to see that the premises are prop-
ctl rared for. This official ordered the
negroes to stop prying the dogs loose from
theli sockets. The man who was to get
thr dogs ( existed the authority ot the cus
todian. \ light \nsued. The police were
called and the man and his negroes were
nrrested.hen thiv artlved at the Four
CourtStorts > appealed for them , he having
heard In the meantime of the trouble , and
tLrtugh his Influenca nnd his open acknowl
edgement of the Joke he bad perpetrated the
prisoners were allowcl to go fiec When
the dlcnlflt'J capitalist heard the story he
( lrw into a passion nnd it was souii- time
before be regained his equanimity.
! ! < HIIJM n Coflln.
"On another occasion Storts imitated the
speech of a German saloon keeper over the
telephone so cleverly that he placed orders
with numerous wholesale houses and other
concerns for goods to be delivered Immedi
ately. The ealoon man's credit was gilt-
edged all over town and the pajmcnt ot the
bills was not questioned Among the things
ordered bv Storth , Impersonating the saloon
Keeper , wrre two barrels of whisky , ten gallons
lens ot flesh ojstcrs twcutj pounds of bo
logna , a load of sawdust , cigars by the hun
dreds and many other thing. ' , the moiU
fioaklsh of which wns . \ coffin. As to this
grut'some order , Stortb explained to the un
dertaker that a child had died In the neigh
borhood and that the parents were too poor
to puichase a coffin The undertaker was
instructed to call at the haloon for further
directions. The coffin could not be furnished
until the measure of the supposed dead child
had been taken , and presuming that the
bcdy was to be removed to the undertaking
establishment to be embalmed , the under
taker tent one of his solemn-looking , black
dead wagons to the saloon , the driver being
instructed to call on the saloon keeper for
further orders Of couise that saloon man
was mad , but he was still more deeply en
raged about an hour later when a wagon-
load of brfwduft backed up to the side en
trance to his place and two stalwart laborers
commenced throwing sawdust by the ecoop
shovelful upon the polished tile floor of the
saloon Of course the proprietor insisted
that he bad ordered no nuch stuff and
wouldn't have It In his house at any price ,
but the men In charge of the wagon de
clared bin boas bad Instructed him to de
liver It and he had to obey orders.
"Chaos prevailed In that saloon all
through the afternoon and Storts was there
to see thefun. . Ho probably spent J15 or
$20 for drinks , but that made no difference
to him The saloon man wanted to fight
when be first learned that Storta had perpe
trated the joke upon him , but b } a little
diplomacy bo was won over and before the
earn null running that night thu lawjcr and
the siloon man wcru scaled In maudlin
friendship. Several of the business houses
which H'sponded to the supposed telephone
order retimed to take back the good they
delivered and the saloon man bad to pa > for
them
"There- never was another man Just llkt
Jelt Storts and there probably neve > will
be. "
TIMES Til AT TRIED MEN'S CO IT
Btcolhctions of the Dajs of the Pony
Express on the Plains.
AN ERA OF PIONEER ENTERPRISE
Kirn ! Mnll Itoute llcturcii Hip M line
no nr I Itlvcr nnil IMP I'nclfle
Ilrrnllcd li.v Dentil
of the rcninilrr.
Fifty years Is not accounted a large span
of time In this swift and progressive age-
In the history of the world the events that
mark It distinctively might be condensed
Into a chapter or less. Yet the span of half
a century comprehends the settlement and
development of the transmlssourl region.
Many men now lit Ing can look back to the
pioneer days of the ' 50s and recall the hard
ships anil struggles that beset but could not
baffle , the sturdy founders of common
wealth' In their day End generation many
a pioneer achieved fame that made I heir
names as familiar then as are the varacp of
the heroes of the Spanish war today. But
BO fast does the world move , so rapidly
events of absorbing Interest crowd each
other , that the names and deeds of pioneers
are all but forgotten.
Barely forty years ago , when communica
tion between the Missouri river and the Pa-
clflo coast was slow and uncertain , and
trails beset by hostile Indians , a group of
western men conceived the Idea of estab
lishing an o\crland mall route between the
two sections. A few days' deliberation
brought the Idea Into practical shape , and
the famous pony express of pioneer days
was the. result. The success of the under
taking , notwithstanding countless obstacles ,
was acclaimed a remarkable achievement ,
a master stroke of western energy. The
master mind of that triumph was Alexander
Majors , whose death In Chicago a few days
ago attracted little attention. The coming
of the railroad and the telegraph banished
the pony express. His triumphs were short
lived , but the record of them forms one
of the most thrilling stories In the history
of the west
Ilnrlj PrclKlitliinr Hn > .
It was In 1S4S that Colonel Majors began
his freighting on the old Santa Fc trail ,
running a line of wagons between Independ
ence. Mo. , and Santa Fe , N. M. Majors'
Overland freight soon became famous all
o\cr the world He was not the flrst man
to carry freight o\cr the trail , but he was
the first man to develop overland freighting
as an industry and to Insure It any degree
the safety of his gcods. His beginning wao
made auspiciously on the edge of the gold
fever , and soon he , and the
partners he afterward associated
with him. had established lines
to Mexico , California. Colorado and Utah ,
and in one year the profits of the firm of Ma
jors , Russell & Waddell amounted to J500.-
000. Nearly all of the freight carried o\pr
the Reeky mountains by contract at that time
was carried In Majors' wagons , and the gov
ernment contract * ) were all Intrusted to him
The Influence of regular freighting lines on
the building up of the coast was Incalculable.
Emigrant trains of men , women and children
were protected along the route by the ex
press riders , who constantly Kept up a com
munication between one of Colonel Majors'
freighting outfits and the others. A ejstem
of watch was Inaugurated , and traveling be
came comparatively safe. As government
supplies began to be carried safely , other
freight was sent out and soon an Immense
traffic went on by both the northern and
southern router.
In 1S5S Jones & Russell organized a ( lath-
line of stages between Atcblson , on the Mis
souri mer , and Denver , Colo. The first stage
Into Den\er was on May 17 , 1S53. The com
pany hid bought on credit 1,000 Kentuckj
mules and a sufficient number of Concord
coaches and when their notes fell due they
failed to meet them. Then Mr. Majors and
Mr. Waddell assumed the obligations and
continued the dally coach service.
Tlu > Pony nxprpim ,
The next of their enterprises was the cele
brated pony erpre's A subsidy wao granted
by congress and the organization was per
fected. The express was to run between St.
Joseph. Mo , and San Francleo. a distance
of 1,930 miles. Five hundred of the lleetest
horses that could be procured were pur
chased and the services of 200 competent
riders were secured. Some portions of the
route had to be tra\creed at a speed of
twenty miles an hour
Relay stations dotted a wild , uninhabited
expanse of country 2,000 miles wide , In
fested with road agents and warlike In
dians , who roamed In formidable hunting
partlc-s , ready to sacrifice human life with
as little unconcern as they would slaughter
a buffalo. The pony express , therefore , was
not only an Important , but a daring and
romantic enterprise. At each station a
sufficient number of horses were kept , and
at every third station the thin , wiry and
hardy pony riders held themselves in readi
ness to press forward with the. malls.
These were flllod with Important business
letters and press dispatches from eastern
cities and San Francisco , printed upon tis
sue paper , and thus especially adapted by
their weight for this mode of transportation.
The schedule time for the trip was fixed
at ten das. In this , manner they supplied
the place of < tbe electric telegraph and the
lightning express train of the gigantic tall-
way enterprise that subsequent ! ) super
seded 16.
The men were faithful , daring fellows and
their service was full of no\elty and adven
ture. The facility and energy with which
they Journeyed was a marvel. The news of
Abraham Lincoln's election was carried
hrough from St. Joseph to Denver , Cole ,
Lady Why , Johnnie these trousers ar o entirely too large In the walit for ) ou.
Johnnie Spec , e Jlst M well keep 'e m Chrlttmui U symmln' .
65 miles In two dajs nnd twenty-one
hours the last ten mile * having been ro\-
cred In thirty-one minutes The last rcut
on the occaMon was traversed (120 ( miles )
In eight hours and ten minute * , riding from
Smith's creek to Tort Churchill , on the
Carson river , Nevada , the first telegraph
station on the Pacific coast.
The M-rf.
On April 3 , 1SCO , at high noon , the first
fleet-footed pony was mounted at St. Jo
seph , Mo. and went swiftly acrxim the rollIng -
Ing prairie toward the setting sun. No rec
ord has been left of the name of the rider
who made the Initial dath , carried ne s
that had come tick-ticking over the wires
from the east , and was then tornc as swiftly
as flying hoofs could carry It acrces 2,000
mllrs of plain , mountain and desert , desert ,
mountain and plain , on on on , day and
night , with only halts of two minutes each
for the rider to throw blmse.1t nnd bl prec
ious pouch from the tired pony nt the end
of his dash , to n fresh one.
1 Kach rider had slv. to ten relavs of ponies
making hi ride 60 to 100 miles , according
j ar , the counto traversed was rough or
i mooth Ua ) and night the mnd race went
j on , until at the end of ten da-"i a foam-
flecked pony dashed up to the telegraph
office In far off Pacramento. where the news
was again put onto the wiles and flashed
i down to the ocean at San Francisco Truly
It was a great enterprise , grand In concep
tion and heroically can led out.
To the people who had only a de.'ade be
fore begun llfo on the ( ar off 1'aclfic coast
the pony express meant more than It did
to'the people of the east. To them It meant
the shortening of the time ot transit of lag
ging news from their old homes ovei eleven
dajs. It meant n demouitratlon of the prac
ticability of n } ear-round route acrcss the
continent , many miles shorter than any of
them in existence. It was the forenmncr ot
the telegraph and railroad they so longe l
for. nnd both of these followed on the route
of the pony express within less than a dec-
' ade. .
The rider who dasr-cd out of Sacramento
April 3 , 1S60 , toward the cast to meet the
rider who had left St Jceeph the same day ,
was followed with more Interest and his
mission was more Important to the people
on the coast than that of the lonely rider
Hying westward to the people ho was leav
ing behind. The trail of the rider coming
eastward lay , nearly from the start , through
the high passes of a snow-capped range of
mountains , that had heretofore seemed to
bar the direct wa > eastward from Califor
nia's sunny valleys Across these mountalnb
and an almost unknown Inhospitable desert
lay the trail between Sacramento and Sal :
Lake These pioneer riders were demon
strating an unsolved problem. Fo- this
reason the names of the hard } men wbi
made the flrst ride of the pony express from
Sacramento to Salt Lake have been em
balmed In the history of the west At
noon , April 3 , 1860 , "Harry Holt got the
word "go , " and was soon hidden In n cloud
of dust his "Cajuso" was raising with his
hoofs. He changed ponies once In the first
twenty miles , and covered the distance in
fifty-nine m'nute" At the end of sixty
' miles , at Placervllle , he turned his dls-
| patches over to a man called "Boston "
Oier the SliTrnx.
"Boston's" route lay up and over the
Sierras. He made the schedule time , and
nt Friday station was relieved by Sam
Hamilton , who pushed oa with all ! -peed
to Fort Churchill. Both Boston and Ham
ilton encountered ver > Ueop snow on the
Sierras , jet the 185 mlle-j irum Sacramento
to Fort Churchill was cowred in fourteen
hours , a speed of over"twilve miles per hour
over the hardest trail en the route , and
by many thought to Ve 'vholly Impassible.
At Fort Churchill Robert Iiaalam ( "Pony
Bob" ) , who afterward became one of the
most noted of the ppn > riders , took the
saddle for a dash of ISO allies to Smith Creek.
This .rail lay through a hostile Indian ccun-
try. From Smith Creek to Ruby Valley J.
0 Kelly was In the saddle. F'rom Ruby
Valley to Deep Creek H Richardson was
the mount. From Deep Creek to Salt Lake
the r'de ' was made by George Thatcher
This was the eastern tennlnuj of the
western division and was under the super
intendence of Bollver Roberts. Salt Lake
wao reached on schedule time , a : , was also
St Joseph , Mo.
Mes ages carried by the pony express were
required to be written on tlsiut paper , thus
combining lightness and compactness. The
rate charged was J5 an ounce , and the
weight carried each trip was limited to ten
pounds. It was a losing business venture ,
but It opened the way for the telegraph and
the railway lines.
iirfnlo Illll'K ttMirrlvncc.
One of the riders of th ° pony express of
wide fame , Colonel W. ' - " Cody ( Buftalo
Dill ) , then a much lighter "weight' In avoir-
dupolb and in fame than he is today , rode
a route of 116 miles over a rough and dan
gerous trail , through a hostile Indian coun
try.
try.On one occaslcn on reaching the end of
his route he found the rider who should
succeed him had been killed by thu Indians.
Young Cody was called upon to push for
ward on the route cf the dead rider. This
he did , making a ride of 384 miles without
rest or stop , except the two-minute changeb
of horses , and for his tneals He made the
journey in twenty-four hours , riding an aver
age of sixteen miles an hour , and changing
horses thirty-six times. This wau a won
derful ride and Is still the subject of co.n-
ment among men with whom -e.i * s , of skill
and endurance iu the sadtle Acre eveij-
day occurrences
During the life of the pony express the
Plute Indians In Nevada went on the war
path and made It exceedingly dlmcult lor
the express bojs to keep their scalps where
nature Intended they sho'ild weir the.ii.
"Bob" Haslara ( "Pony Bob" ) tells this story
of one of his jidcs over the trail.
"I got MOO extra for ono ride. I arrived
at Fort Churchill at the end of the seventy-
five mlle ride The Flutes were making
things very lively along the line , a nun
who wanted to stay on this earth was uot
liable to go asleep In bis saddle. The rider
who was to succeed me bad cot ,1 Eiaro on
and be refused to go out. The superintendent ,
who -was present , said : 'Bob. I'll give jou
JSO extra If jou'll roako this ride1' 'All
right , I'll just go jou $30 ! ' In five minutes
1 was in the saddle , with a Spencer rifle
huii ? at mj EiJdlo bow and a brace of Colt's
revolvers at my belt. It was thlrtj-flve
miles to the 'sink of the Carson. ' I Ind 10
r'dc all the distance without clnnge ot
horses , then I pushed on to Sand Springs.
H was a heuvy trail. At the Sprlngi I
changed horses and went , right en to Cold
Springs , made another change , and rode thu
frejh pony thlrtj-five miles to Smith Creeit.
I stayed nine * hours at Smith Cre k and was
again In the caddie wltli the return express.
When I reached Cold Springs I found the
Piutm had killed the elation man and taken
away the horces T ! " pony I was on had
already carrle.1 me thlrty-fivo miles at a
prettyfast palt , but there ws nothing else
'
I ccul'd do but go on with the tired pony
It was very dark and my trail lay through
ergobrueb as high as a man'n head. I kept
a sharp watch on my pen > 's cars. His acute
scute would dispovcr a foe quicker than
mine and anthing unusual -nould be at
once Indicated by his ears. The moaning
of the wind through the sagebrush and the
howling of irewolves made cold chllU
cruise un and down my back. At the next
etatlon I found things all right , got a frcuh
pony and gallop l away to the 'Sink of the
Carson. ' i tound fifteen white men were
expecting an attack. A band ot I'lutw bad
been teen skulking around I pushed on
to Tort Churchill. When I arrived there I
had ridden 264 miles , had made nearly
schedule time and bad bad only seven
horees under roe These ponies showed
i
wonderful endurance oneof 'hem having
cairicd me o-ei seven1) fire miles
V TrMinlo to Alnjorn.
' Colonel CoJy pa > * the following tribute
to the memory of his pioneer emplojer
"The man who could. In the face of all
dingevrs and obstacles , carry to success a
lint of freighter wagon" , a mall route from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and a pony ex
prts flying at the utmost speed of a hare
through the land , was no ordinary indi
vidual. Although severe In discipline Mr
Majors was never profane or harsh He was
a Christian temperance man through nil He
governed his men kindly and was wont to
fa } that he would have no ono under hla
| control who would not obey an order unless
It nns accompanied with an oath. In tact.
he had a contract with his men In which
tboj pledged themselves not to use profan-
Itj , get drunk , gamble or be cruel to anl-
' mats , under pain of dismissal , while good
behavior was rewarded. Kverj man. from
I
I wagon bees and teamster down to rustlers
aud messengers , seemed anxious to gain the
'good ' will of Colonel Majors , and to hold It.
' and ho had more friends than any man I
'know ' who bid to deal with such men as
I he had to deal with "
111 MOII or TIII : .vrruu.
.SoiniliiolilenfR of IvonliicUj' * ( irent
siiootlnc t'nrnlvnl.
All horrible tragedies are said to have
their mousing features , sajs the Cincinnati
Knqulrer , and that at Frankfort. January 16.
was no exception to thi > rule Since the big
crowd of witnesses have been In Frank
fort , and the anti-democrats have been
talking PO much about revolution and blood
shed , when the pistol firing began cverv-
body In the hotel thought the war had come
Colson's big .44 pletol sounded so loud that
every man thought the shooting was right
nt his door. Beasley , a big negro waiter
known to nearly evcrj politician In 'he
state , was rushing down the Capitol din
ing room with a tra > piled up with about
four dinners When he heard the shots he
made a side step , threw the tray Into the
air and bolted back to the kitchen
The falling dishes made n terrific noise
and the crowd In the dining room thought
Beasley had been shot. This created u
stampede and a terrible eiramblo ensued
to get out of the room In the twinkling
of an cje there was but one small man
left In the room. He had mounted a chnlr
and was coolly drinking a cup of cotfce.
having pulled a revolver and placed it on
the table by his side. There were two
white men and a negro bootblack in the
washroom of the hotel down In the ba = c-
ment when the firing began They evi
dently thought that the gunners were com
ing right In the door , for all three made
a break for the small half windows nt the
eaot end of the room. Thrtse were covered
with wire screen which cut off retreat They
then fled forty feet to the wes end and
scrambled out of tne window , the top n'
which is on a level with the pavement The
only waj to get through was to crnwl on
their stomachs , and such a scratching and
scrambling was never een
One old man , whose name could not be
learned , was just starting In the fiont door
when the crowd rushed out , knocked him
down and he rolled clear out on the second
pavement , but was not hurt Before ho
could get up someone shouted "He's the
man that did the shooting. " Another man
rushed up , searched the old man and found
a big gun. which he leveled at the old man
and told him to surrender. U was some
time before the old man could convince an > -
one that he was Innocent
Mr Redpath of Chicago was on the boat-
black's box in the hotel ofllce having bis
shoes ehlned when the shots began. He
Jumped over the stair railing leading to the
bar , and was just straightening up on the
stero below when Scott's dead body fell
against him. knocked him down , breaking
his leg. Just as Colson flred the last sbot
Into Scctt He was In great pain , and did
not know whether he was shot or not. He
had ju. t arrived on business and in speak
ing of bis accident said
"I dlsobejed mj wife's injunction In com
ing here , and I had not been here three
hours till I was shot at , had n dead man
fall on me and broke'my leg. I want to go
home "
A IM.H.V roit Tin : ( ; OOIIIH. :
The MnllKnril I'vnuiit Considered n
an Article of rood.
The people of the United States consume
4.000.000 bushels of peanuts annunllj , at a
cast of about JIO.000,000. The growing rf ilie
peanut In this country Is graduallv Increas
ing , reports the Kansas City Journal , bu *
much of the product consumed Is still
brought from abroad , notably from Spain
Egypt and Japan Yet the South \tlanti"
seaboard and the lower Mississippi valley
as rell as other parts of the United States ,
hafo been shown to be abundantly respon
sive to the cultivation of this ground nut ,
the average yield being about sixty bushels
per acre.
Although the peanut has been used mainlv
an a confection rather than ns a food , Its
value as a substantial is remarkable when
analjzed and placed In coinpaiKon with the
value * of other products For example , it
Is shown that the nutrition of this nut is
greater than that of bacon or butter , nearly
twice ns great BP thnt of cheese or pens.
about three t'mes ' as great an that of veal
beef , rje flour or rice , nnd about ten times
as grent as that of milk or potatoes Tli"
cost of the peanut per nutritive unit i-
about one-eighth at , much at1 that of bef 01
veal , one-elxth that of butter , nne-flfih that
of bacon , one-fourth that of chresr or mil
and considerably less than that of ri <
rje flour , potatoes or peas.
But that Is not all The peanut vine U n
mcst excellent article for fattening cattle
Its fatty property Is 13.00 per cent as com
pared with 2.11 per cent for clovrr hav
1.97 for timothy hay , 4.04 for cow pea bay and
j03 for alfalfa.
I. ° n't It time that the peanut were taken
more seriously by our agriculturist In the
peanut zone ?
P. n. Thlikieid health Inspector of Ch'
cago. 8.1J6 ; "Kodol Djspepila Cure cannot
be recommended too highly. H cured me
nf severe dyspepsia. " U digests what you
eat and cures Indigestion , heartburn : J
ill forms of dyspepsia.
SDMI : i.\TI : INVEN
Wood URUIPS ran bo i.ipldlj duplkaUd b >
a new' ciivlnsr machine , having \v. ,
pcde'talH on which the UK me and bio. 1 ;
are mounted , nllh a tilling nnd sliding tup-
port for thii Udclng and in tint ; toul , n
llcxiblfi .shaft orienliiK the latter
An Improved window ( .urtnln hr.ukct hai
a slfpvp secured to the end of lie cnw ,
with a Miunro led mounted In the sleeve to
wllilo In and out nnd adjust the ( iiiii'n
pole , .1 bracket bclnt , ' " ' ' " i an lid l > > tin-
thank to pirppoit the tihadrrollti
V New York iriu ht patented a si r"on
door which can b tiittd In the win ( r i c
i i rerns being airaiiRod In panels , whli 'i t an
bo removed and fc'la1 or vvoodon panel * in- "
terto'd In told v , eat her. being IntkeJ m
place by buttons attached nj tie dour
frame
S-.avIns lather can be rapldl ) produ < el
oj d. new machine , which rirnt e\mls the
ox j pen fro-tn the water , mixing the I iiier
after healing wlili a rultnble hunp whl < h
Is contained In a receptacle In contact wltn
the water , thci lather being formed lj
agitating lsemachine
In Pennsylvania a man h.iK nitenttd a :
Incandescent light of h'gh < nndit-i mcr ,1
Dc'ncll of material iOtidilUlvc un v unei ;
heated being ? el In a borlzon'al noon ion ,
complete the circuit , Ihn passage f inn
urroni through It caiulng It to ciow ai d
'lvo out a vvhlto llghl
In a NPW device 10 enable ordinarv
blfjclrs to Lo lined on a railroad hrec ro < H
connect tha front , rear and lop < f IK
frame vvllh a kluift earning a Hang < i
wheel to run on tbc ojiponlte trarlt uh'lr
revolving dirks iiro eusp nded bi-sHi s the
blcjclo nhecU to act as llungts fjr i r
lat er
WHY STILL HORE ?
J The use of Van Iloutcn's
Cocoa as a dail ) beverage
in family life is continually
increasing. Why ? The ex
planation is simple enough. He-
cause the highest Medical Authorities
recommend it more and more , and because
experience teaches that Van Iloutcn's Cocoa
ought to bo chosen be/ore all other drink1 ; . It is ie-
frcshing ntidstrengthening , without the pernicious after
effects peculiar to Tea and Coffee. It is a good nounshcr
and flesh-former. In addition ) Van Iloutcn's Cocoa is
not expensive , as n i-lb. tin will furnish from 100 to 120
cups. You cannot take too much of this hcalthv , easily
digestible drink ; and , c\en after the fullest use , the flavor
never palls on the taste , but comes both fresh and refresh
ing.
BE SURE YOU TRY
VAN HOUTEN'S Eating CHOCOLATE.
' 0 those who know what Catarrh
really is , the old-fashioned way
of treating it , still used by
thousands who cling to old
methods , seems a woeful waste of
good energy.
Catarrh is inflammation of the
mucous membrane3 of the nostrils ,
throat and air passages.
It needs soothing , not irritating.
The constant hawking , the chok
ing , plugged-up , disagreeable sen
sation of tightness troublesome
6EM FI1EE , I'OSTPAID especially in the early morning ,
To HOT render of this when the cold air contracts the air
pending as rnrnnand rull a
we will f onrant u tube oC I passages and irritates the inflamed
OZOJELL by mail , prepaid CORE Trail" Ct membranes is relieved immediate
ly by the simple application of
Ozojeil is like a healing ointment applied to a troublesome and angry
sore it Soothes , Relieves , Cures.
The catarrhal discharge is like the pus from a running sore , and
everyone knows that washing a sore is not sufficient to make it lual.
Ozojeil , a delicious , pleasant emulsion or jelly of great cleansing ,
healing , preservative , gennicidal properties , when once applied , remains
on the raw membranes and gradually draws out the matter and heals up
the wound by promoting the growth of new , healthy membrane.
Ozojeil is put up in a patent Ozojeil tube , easily carried in the pocket ,
easily applied to the parts as needed , in the office , on the street , without
attracting attention , and with no irritation , trouble or waste of time.
It is sold by all druggists in 50 cent patent Ozojeil nasal tubes.
Prepared from the formula of the celebrated Vienna physician. Heir
J. Muller , the great specialist in diseases of the ear , throat and nosa
( Physician in Ordinary to the Emperor of Austria ) .
Thousands of letters from those who have been cured attest its virtues.
its efficacy , we offer to scn&frtf by mail to all readers of In is paper a tube
of Ozojeil arid a book on Catarrh and Its Scientific Treatment.
Simply write , giving name and full address , when this treatment will
be sent you absolutely free , postage paid Address
OZOJELL CURE , 219 Temple Court , New York.
wears away the c eating of your lungs From this may result Pneumonia ,
Bronchitis , Consumption and other quickly fatal diseases.
"
Soften and cure" your cough With
the new scientific remedy for Coughs , Sore Throat , Hoarseness and al ]
respiratory diseases. A positive , permanent , harmless , perfect cure.
FOR SALE BY ALL DRUGGISTS.
why phy.sieiaus don't prescribe silk underwear for every
a body is , that it is too dear for the average purse.
It is anti-rheumatic to the
; soothing nerves ; warm , 4
light , pleasing to the touch and eye , in a word , it pre
a sents every desirable attribute , save that of low coat.
a is within reach of moderate purses. The wearer for the
o fir.st time realizes luxury in underwear
B
Men's Shirts , 34-44. each J2 CO Ladles' Vests , 26-40 , each 1260
B Men'a Drawers , 28-44 , eajh . $2 SO I.adlm Drawers , 26-40 , each r ' 50
O Men's Union Suits. 34-44 , ea-h S3 00 Nadirs Union Suits. 26-40. each . Js'oo
Men's Undcrvrsts , 34-44 , each . .J200 Ladlrs' Underwalets , 26-40. each J2 00
Ladles' Short Underskirts , 24-12 wain . . . . . . . | 2.co
HI
* ALL LEADING STORES.
E If your denier can't Btipp'y you wo will. Express prepaid.
KQTEDSBL& UNDERWEAR CO. ,
MII.LIJL'RY , .MASS - ?
P.IIRF Vrf Uml ° .f C ° UKII. COM. La-Grlpre ,
UUIIU llojieinrpit , Influenza , Catnrrli , an d all
H'ir..itu , . , . , heiijt tor proof of it. It doe noi lcken or dliagrei
will UK i ' 11
's Lung Balm.
SlJ Write . . nt , . , , , elfins ; , , / " ynn ) in plainly nnd our I'hyMcInn vrlll glre
V5 rji.i : : \IlVICi : , . _ fis.aBuok , . ° .f V bolcl bK I rurcl t < T Knt by
. r. - - - - - - " * - - " -vn niAli i
Sfj iciij > c .iml i1 Ithl , * 1.1 xi i ' M. . R 1'rlcr , 10 % rpiimanil Sficenl *
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Emmy Homo Cure.
Palnlomm ,
Permanent ,
"o.wlll send anyone
addicted lo Opium ,
JtioriililiiK , IJoiulaii *
talus aTrlu ( A. m \ s S& .
" " * " "r * " ' - in\n lOitK * * l j rum till , uj < cJaJly i'h > IciuD * BT , JAMK3 faOClETV * llfil