Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, April 26, 1900, Page 9, Image 9

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    THE OMAHA BAIL IT BEE: THURSDAY. ATIUL 20, 15)00.
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2 THE WICKED CHICKEN.
J 1JV I3RNE3T JAKKOLI). J
O Author of tho "Micky Finn" Htorlos. O
(Copyright WQ. hy Krnest Jnrrold.)
Tho most recent addition to Mickey Finn's
museum cf natural history proved to be n"
router pigeon, of tho gentler box. He re
garded the bird with peculiar follcltude,
chiefly because it wan h!a latent acquisition.
Hut tho coming of the pigeon created a
fierce Jealousy In tho heart of the goat
which no cajolery nerved to soften nnd tlmo
filled to appease. The fierce old bcMcrkcr
urooked no divided affection on tho part
of thot ho loved.
Mickey procured tho pigeon from Jack
Doolan in exchango for tho stopplo of a
vinegar cruet, a glass agato and n mam
moth dodo. Ho made a coop for the pigeon
in thu back yard, and attended to iln wants
with assiduous care. Tho pigeon grow
plump and round on the scraps which Mickey
purloined from hln mothor's bumble store,
and becamo no tamo that It would perch
upon tho boy's shoulder, cat from his hand
and coo its content Into his delighted car.
TTio tamo crow and tho yellow gosling re
garded theso cvidonccs of distinction with
decided disfavor, tho crow especially reveal
ing his anger through tho vlgoroun uso of
his bony beak upon tho tender body of his
rival, nut Jean Ingolow'a famous mourner
was not moro patient than tho pigeon, and
to, sustained and soothed by tho unwaver
ing affection of Mickey, tho days passed too
quickly to plcaso tho boy until the summer
coaxed tho cherry troos to blossom and
wooed tho fields to robe themselves in green.
And'when smiling Juno tamo tripping over
tho hills InuS tho llltlo valley, her warm
breath conjured "melody 'In tho throats of
birds, modo tho brooks babble, nnd the goat
frisky. And, whisper! tho revivifying In
fluenco of spring nwakoncd tho dormant
matornal instinct In tbo breast of tho
pigeon, and sho showed a desire to "set."
Instead of flying up to tho gablo of tho
shanty and preening her plumage in tho
sunlight, as sho was wont to do, sho re
mained in tho coop sitting In patient ex
portation upon two of Mickey's biggest
marble. This mental nnd physical nttltudo
of tho pigeon caused Mickey much nnnoy
unco; for, whllo tho bird evidently sup
pci,ed she was procreating marbles sho re
pulsed carrsscH and refused to oat tho
dainties shook from tho Finn tablecloth.
In hln distress Mickey went to hl moth:r
for advlco. In Justice to tho maternal Finn
It la necessary to stato that "swintlo
mlntalUm" was not ono of "her weaknesses.
Sho regarded her boy's pet purely from n
plgeon-pot-plo standpoint, nnd this economic
view colored her romarka when sho said:
"L'avo her set, mo boy. Suro you can play
wld the goat whllo who's raisin chllder.
But there's no uso for her to bo wnstln her
time on marbles. Now, as you have no
pigeon's oggs, faith 'twill do no harrum to
put a hln's egg under her. She'll nlver know
tho differ and her mlnd'll be alsy. There's
2 cents. Oo down to 'Brady's and get nn
egg out of tho barrel, and mind you don't
get wan o' thlra eggs that's mad by ma-checnery-"
Mickey Wun DcllKltteil.
Mickey was delighted with tho Idea, and,
running down to the grocery, ho bought an
egg and placed It beneath tho pigeon. The
egg waa ono of unusual size and Mrs. Finn
was doubtful it tho warmth of tbo pigeon's
small body would bo sufficient to hatch It
out. nut in order to aid tho pigeon in her
maternal endeavor Mlckoy and his mother
stuffed an old tin wash basin with eoft wools
and flannels taken from the ragbag. In this
hqmcly Incubator tho pigeon was Installed.
It .was two days before tho pigeon could fit
hor small, warm body to tho big hen's egg,
but after much queruloua cooing, twisting
and turning sho settled down to business nnd
started to becomo a foster mother In earnest.
And now that tho pigeon bad gone into
temporary seclusion tho goat took Mickey
tack Into bis confidence ngaln nnd permitted
his head to bo scratched, whllo tho crow
perchud upon tho shoulder lately usurped
by tho pigeon, and nil went merrily as a
fairy dancing upon a moonbeam. Tho en
suing three weeks -were filled with Interest
to little Mlko. Every afternoon when he
camo home from school ho lifted tho pigeon
carefully from tho egg to sea If the rats
had Invaded tho coop during his nbsenco and
devoured tho embryo. Hut each time, as
Sa8r--
1 1
I SAW THE CHICKEN HL'NNIN" DOWN
TUB HO AD LIKE A HUN A WAY HORSE.
tho pigeon cooed a Muttering protest against
the liberty and readjusted herself. Mickey
ran Into thu shanty to carry tho glad tidings
of security and serenity to his mother.
Meanwhile there was a good deal of spo;
ulatlon In Mickey's mind na to tho sex,
heredity and gencrnl character of tho con
tents of the egg shell: a delicious mystorv
as to whether an Infant bantam, a bunch of
animated down representing the cochin
china breed or a youthful scion of the lordly
hmhottso of leghorn would saluto him with
querulous peeplnps as liu enmo home from
school with winged feet some bright after
noon. And as tho day1 drew near for the ex
pected momentous event to occur Mlckoy
lifted tho egg with tender caro and plac-d
It to his ear. He was waiting to hear the
chicken breathe, as ho explained to hl.i
mother later. And Mrs. Finn, out ( of that
fine appreciation of pfgeon-pot-ple', which
only thoso fed hfihltually on corned betf
and cabbage can feal, soothed hor boy with
gentle words and caresses,' and told him
that tho m)torles of nature w'pro beyond
the penetration of tho wliMt of men. aUIrg
with n nod of profound conviction:
"No. Mickey, mo boy. not oven President
McKlnley could tell will your chicken bo a
hln or a rooster hy lookln' at the egg. Nor
could he tell annythlng about tho egg by
lookln' at the chicken, so thoro you are, as
the goose said whtn she swallowed the red
hot borsoshco nail, nut you can rest alsy,
'twill not bo a pigeon. Ho run along and
play leapefrog wld the goat and don't bo
ballyraggln' mo. Ood help us. we are all
por crayturs and nothln' comln' In but the
nanny's milk."
'I'lii- .Mlcr- Iti-i piilril,
nut one afternoon lato in Juno, when the
bumblebees were stealing honey and the
butterflies spread their golden gessamer
wing like argosies sailing over sunlit seas,
tho mystery was revealed. An Infant
chicken broko Its calcareous environment
snd stepped out Into the sunlight with a
piece of siell clinging to Its back. It was
an unusually vigorous bird, with a strong
beak and a pair of keen, Inquisitive eyes.
The pigeon was alarmed at tho proportions
of her offspring and alio at Its Impudence
ind self-reliance. Unllko tho usual pigeon
baby. It refused to remain In the nest, but,
Jumping out, started, like Ulysses, In
search of adventure. Tho pigeon followed
tho chicken with motherly love, hovering
over It, but tho feathered knight errant
was oblivious to hor caro and started in to
hustle and scratch for himself.
There was no happier boy in tho world
than Mickey when ho saw the chicken run
ning around tbo yard, while tho pigeon sat
on tho fenco and watched Its erratic courso
with tender solicitude. So lively waa the
youngster that It required ten minutes of
hard work on the part of Mickey to throw
his cap over It and take tho chicken Into the
shanty for closer Inspection. The pigeon
flew In at the door and perched upon the
mantel. Tho chicken stood upon Mickey's
palm with a calm confldonco which was sur
prising in one so young and tender, an ho
extended it toward his mother, whllo his
faco glowed with prldo and satisfaction.
Hut in proportion as the boy was pleased
with tho chicken, tho pigeon was puzzled.
Her Instinct taught her there 'was some
thing wrong with her child. The Infant wns
so wild and headotrong that It did not nc-
MERE NATURE EVER SMILES
?crio It'co Pictured as the Eden of
Oiribbeci.
tho
LAZINESS THE SOLE EXCUSE FOR HUNGER
Alitiiitlnnce of Fruits nnd Vegetables
lo Hp llnri for the I'le-kln Pro
posed Uxin-rliiieut Mntlon on
the Island,
Dispatches from Washington announce
that tho Department of Agriculture Is to
establish an experiment rtatlon in l'orto
Hlco with a view to promoting the develop
ment of agriculture and horticulture on
American lines. "Wo know a great deal
about tho island and tho people already,"
Secretary Wilson is quoted as siylng, "but
our observations thus far have betn tnly
superficial, merely preliminary and educa
tional. Now wo are going Into a thorough
scientific Investigation of the roil, tho cli
mate and tho agricultural conditions gener
ally. "We ehall first study the Island Irom the
producers' standpoint, take up the principal
Industries and teach them bow they can get
moro and better results for th-jlr labor than
they now receive. Take the tobacco crop,
for example. While tho avillabtc area for
tobacco culture In l'orto Hlco Is limited
compared with that of Cuba, tho soil Is Just
nn good, and with tho application of sclen-
cept the gontlo counsel ot Its mother, nor tide prlnclplco the crop can be much lm
would It bo fed as pigeons usually are in proved. For example, under the primitive
their extreme youth, It was almost pitiful proteases it takes ten mont'is to ferment
to seo the puzzled look on tho mother's face tobacco, but we can show thorn how to do It
as she watched her self-reliant offspring Just as well in thirty days, with better rc-
FAITH 'TWILL, DO NO HARRUM TO PUT A
NIVER KNOW THE DIFFER.
iHIN'S EGO UNDER HfciK. &HE'LL
foraging for worms under the currant bushes
and vigorously scratching among the debris
in tho back yard. And as the chicken grew
nnd thrived It dovoloped a strength of char
acter which was utterly at variance with tho
gontloncss ot Its foster mother. Resides,
It began to assume physical attributes
which Indicated that it belonged to tbo
haughty ruling sex. Small knobs made their
appearance on Its legs near tho feet and an
incipient .comb began to sprout upon. Its
head. This ruddy decoration provoked the
remark from Mrs. Finn, "negorrn, 'tis a
shanghai rooster." Tho rooster ocemed to
grow at tho rato of threp Inches every day
nnd developed nn appetlto which no amount
of feeding could appease. So grcody, In
deed, did it becomo that not even its own
mother was permitted to cat from the same
dish. It afforded Mlckoy a never-ending
source of delight to watch tho relations ex
isting between theso two birds. He saw
queer happenings every day which escaped
the attention of hln moro heedless mother.
One afternoon bo baldly asserted that he
had actually seen tbo rooster deliberately
kick the pigeon nnd cnu60 her to turn three
somersaults. Such Ingratitude seemed ridic
ulous to Mrs. Finn, but Mickey asserted that
It was true and that tho pigeon had crept
under a currant bush and sobbed as If Its
hoart wero breaking.
Mother 111 nt Filled Willi Sorrow.
Hy tho first of October tho chicken had
dovelopod Into a bird of extraordinary height
and leanness. Its legs wero covered with
feathers and Its body was ns angular ns that
of an army mule. Meanwhile tho mother
bird was filled with sorrow at tho erratic
conduct of her wayward son. She would
perch upon the dividing fence separating
tho Finn estate from O'Hrlen's half aero with
a where-ls-my-wanderlng-boy-tonlght look
In her eyes, whllo he Invaded tho neighbors
garden nnd ruthlessly stole tho lettuce as the
Norsemen despoiled the coast of Brittany.
Tho wayward rooster also developed
pugllUtlo Inclinations and dcailnated the
yard like a veritable Jeffreys, which Mickey
regarded with delight as he himself was tbo
best wrestler In school. But Mrs, Finn
began to look upon the chicken with dis
favor, because of his lack of gallantry to
wards his faithful HttU mother and she re
solved that he should be killed and mads
Into savory pot-pie for tbo Christmas dinner.
Hut she did not tell Mickey of her determina
tion as she knew ho would resent It with
tears and protestations. And as the cold
December winds swept down the valley Bhe
fed the chicken all he could eat wl'h tbo
Idea of making him fat and Juicy (or the pot.
Tho greedy and selfish bird forced his cooing
mother away from 'tho dish with savage
thrusts of his cruel beak and gorged him
self, thereby covering his bones with those
tender morsels of white and black meat
which are so toothsomo when fished from a
lake of gravy with a fork. Hut all through
tho Ignominy and contumely put upon her
by her son the pigeon remained faithful to
her giant offspring. She cooed him to sle.jp
at night and wakened blm In tho morning
with gentlo carcs3cs to secure tho early
worm.
The day beforo Christmas dawned bright
and cheerful. As soon ns Mickey had gone
to school Mrs. Finn took tho hatchet whlsh
sho used to spilt, wood with Into the collar
nnd sharpened It on tho grindstone. Just
beforo noon Mrs. Rellly came In.
"I'm goln' to kill tho young roister," said
Mrs. Finn.
"Why?" asked her neighbor.
"Bckase ho's that dlguaclous to his poor
mother I can't boar him any longer and I'm
goln' to cut his head off,"
Tho pigeon was seated on tho ba 'k of a
chair during this conversation, but when
Mrs. Rellly went out tho 'pigeon followed.
Half and hour later Mrs. Finn searched tho
coop, peered Into tbo cellar and Invaded
the yards of all her neighbors with tho
hatchet In hor hand, but both the rooster
and the pigeon were missing. At 12 o'clock
Mickey camo rushing breathlessly Into tho
shanty, exclaiming:
"Mothor, mother, tho chicken and pigeon
aro gone. I saw tho chicken runnln' down
tho road .llko a runaway horse and tho
pigeon slttln' on bis back llko a sojer "
ERNEST JARROI.I).
J, I. Carson, Prothonotary, Washington,
Pa., saysi "I have found Kodol Dyspepsia
Curo an excellent remedy In case ot stomach
trouble and have derived great benofit from
Us use." It digests what you eat and can
not fall to euro.
suits to tho leaf.
"Coffee Is tho great staple of Porto Rico,
but sclenco has novcr done naythlng to Im
prove coffee. It has :iever been cultivated
as It should be. Nature baa been allowed to
take Its course. The coffee tree Is subject
to all sorts of diseases. We "'111 study them
nnd find tho best preventives and correct
ives. We will find the tree that products
tho beat berries and the trM that produces
tho most and will cross-breed those trees,
"Another very important Industry In Porto
Rico la almost entirely neglected. They
havo very few horses there. I have been
told that you cannot hire a horse In tho
city ot San Juan and that all the hauling Is
dono by oxen and donkeys that are fed on
sugar cane. The absence of horses Is due to
the lack ot grass and hay and these we in
tend to supply. We can find some grass, I
havo no doubt, that will grow In that cll
mato and that will enable us to lntroduco
tho dairy cow.
"Wo aro going to study, too, the best
means of Improving tho conditions of the
poor classes, who under Spanish rule have
been In a stato of seml-servltudc. There,
are already a lot of schools In operation to
tench them reading, writing and nrlttcnetlc,
but wo will try and give them an education
In the art of living and the science ot labor
that Is, how to be useful. Porto Rico is es
sentially an agricultural country and there
are many Industries that havo never been
Introduced there which might be made
profitable."
Ilpsourrrs of the Island.
In an artlclo on tho condition of tho na
tives of Porto Rico, written for the New
York Tribune by Frederick A. Obcr, author
of "Porto Rico and Its Resources," the
writer shows the lavish generosity of na
ture on the tslnnd and points out the
nbundanco ot fruit available to sustain life.
Tho only excuso for hunger there Is that
the native is too lazy to pick the fruits and
vegetables. "The Porto Rlcan," says Mr.
Ober, "has no winter to provldo against,
with Its consequent expenses for comfort
able habitation, fuel and clothing. And by
tho Porto Rlcan is meant tho 'glbaro,' or
peasant laborer, about whom the politicians
are bo tenderly solicitous. He Is the pres
ent representative of a long lino ot paupers
extending through centuries, not one or
whom ever possessed a dollar over night or
bad a voice In the management ot Insular
affairs.
"Ho Is a veritable peon, or slave of an
cestral and cumulative, debt, nnd In probably
nlno enses out of ten Is owned body add
fcotil by tho sugar, coffco or tobacco raiser,
who Is now clamoring so loudly that he shall
'have his rights' and so Insistent upon the
return ot thoso 'millions wrung as customs
from unwilling contributors.'
IIimt Thry I.lve,
"Well, without seeking to Involve the gl
baro In politics, except, perhaps, to show bow
he has been a contributory cause of discon
tent, let us show how nearly Impcsslblo It
Is for blra to starve, or even to suffer se
verely, save through his own fault. In the
matter ot a habitation ho Is content with tho
merest sbeltor from tbo elements, and it be
woro ordinarily industrious (which he Is
not) the head of a family might erect such
a shelter as suffices the average Porto Rlcan
In less than two days. First, four holes aro
dug In the ground Into which four posts are
Inserted and set orcct. These are connected
by frameworks of smaller oles, which are
covered with palm leaves, nnd tbo 'house' Is
made. This Is tho simplest type of dwelling,
such an generally answers the needs of the
peon. The floor Is of hardened mud or clay,
and sometimes the wattled sides are plas
tered over with mud or llmo; sometimes the
hut Is constructed of palm brardo and well
thatched with palm leaves or 'yagua' shin
gles, made of palm spathes.
"The glbaro's houso costs him nothing but
a llttlo labor and is mainly set up without
nails or any furnishings whatever from the
stores. The palms, growing everywhero In
tho country, yield nil necoissry materials.
For the slmplo utensils used in his domestic
economy the householder goes to another
tree, tho calabash, the fruit uf which Is
converted Into vessels cf various sizes, such
as dishes and water bottles, plates and
spoons, whllo tho 'yagua' of the royal palm
furnishes tubs for washing clothes In, cra
dles for the babies, wrappers for cigars and
all bundles that are to he kept dry, and
even foundations for tbo rude beds which,
when hammocks nro not used, are spread
upon tho flcor at night. From these two
speclen (two palms, the royal and tbo cocoa)
SPEAKING GOOD ENGLISH .
A Business Necessity
is A social Kequiremciit
A Gii age of Intel. igcttce-
Ab one Requires the slime of the street on a inucVriy dny, fo one gathers the
siting of the street by contact with careless people.
I
A Good Dictionary is an Armor Against Ignorance W
The public is possibly prejudiced in favor of old style, old lime,
anti uated and worn out dictionaries.
THE STANDARD DICTIONARY
BY FUNK & WACNALLS.
if accepted everywhere by scholars becauso it satisfies them. It is in fact, as well as name, "Standard."
Tho arrangement is new tho stylo different .the scholarship superior tho plan most complete
and it is hero that "Tho Standard" shows its sup eriority over other works of tho sort
Cne important feature
not to be overlooked is
The Price
$8.00 e
tie large volume, in elegant
sheep binding. The regular
price is 12.00 and you may never
have another opportunity.
The publishers, Messrs. Funk it Wagnnlls of New York, spent nearly ono million dollars in preparing this
work, but tho public appreciates it most heartily. Hero are some ot tho testimonials:
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omur, editor, says: "It puhsps tlio wit of tiitin to surest niiytlilnir
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dictionary a success."
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gan." DK. .1. W. l'ALMKU. writes: "I do not hesitate to say that tho
STANDARD DICTIONARY Is triumphantly the best or all English
word books; that In Its sufiuislti; completeness ami accuracy It Is with
out a poor."
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compounds Is systematic. . . Tho editor has achieved a highly
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weighty, thorough, rich, accurate, authoritative and convenient ad
dition to lexicographical material. The collaborative method reaches
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nrly results."
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VERSITY, PROCESSOR E. BENJAMIN ANDREWS, says: "I be
lleve that this dictionary fullllls the highest Ideal of its projectors.
It is an out-and-out new in-oduct and not. like our old dictionaries,
the result of patching and nmendment, Htllo by little, the different
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t308 Farnam St. MEGEATH STATIONERY CO. OMAHA.
1
si?
ana tho calabash the r.orto Rlcan cbtnlna
amplo material for his house and lte equip
ment. A Ilnimrhnlcl OnHlt.
"Wo hav reen that, nwly coupled pair
of Porto Rlcans juet starting out In life In
cur no expense whatover for a dwelllnB, nnd,
Judging from the statistics furnished dur
ing Spanish domination, no great amount
was squandered cn the marriage ceremony,
for out of 25,000 births in 1887, for Instance,
11,000 were illegitimate. Let It bo nssumed,
then, that a pair of glbaros may be uitab
lleihed In domicile, or 'encasa,' wltho.it tho
expenditure of a dollar. What will bo tho
household expenses as tho months and years
roll by? House and furnishings they already
have. Tho first necessity, fuel for fire (for
.(.ll.topv nllrnnifln nnlvl Una In thn flnM r r
woods at or near their door. An Iron pot
and.orob.ibly docs not aggregate $5 a yenr.
Until tho age of 7 to 10 the children go about
as naked as they woro born.
Komi I'roiluclN.
"Tho first rellanco of tbo glbaro In the
matter of food Is the plnntnln, which, with
tho banana, grows nlmost spontaneously at
his doorway. It has been most pathetically
fet forth that tbo supplies of plantains and
bananas having been destroyod by the hur
rlcano of last August the poor peon has noth
ing wherewith to feed himself. As If those
two fruits wero the sum and substanco of
his dietary!
"Let us Inquire now Into the rango of
food plants that tho glbaro has, or might
have, recourse to, asldo from bananas nnd
plantains. First of all, It may well ho as
sumed that tho peon Is shiftless and Improvi
dent, even If not actually la:y. More than
plants and tubers of tho fields and woods
and tho terminal bud, or 'cabbage' of tho
rojal pnlm, which Is cither eaten raw or Id
boiled llko cauliflower. In the prostrato
palms, again, ho might havo found tho fat
and delicate grubs of the- palm beetle, which
urc eald to bo delicious fried crisp, or eaten
raw llko a radish. Birds and mammals are
senrce and thoro Is no great abundance of
animals to bo hunted; but In tbe streams
aro crayfish and mutecle, while great land
crabn somotlmes swarm In tho woods along
shoro, whoro alho various kinds of shell
fish abound, and In the f.ca aro many kinds
of fish, llko red snapper, groupers, 'med
icos' and mullets.
"nut tho main diet of the native Is a
vegetable one, nnd consists of whatever can
bo mwt easily raised or ravaged. If he had
bestirred himself be might havo hid pcaa
moro than n scoro of minor fruits, such as
the guava, cashow, avacado poar, nlspero,
grenadllla and star apple. Thus It will be
come apparont that no man, woman or
child, with spunk enough to crawl out into
tho groves and kcop his or her mouth 'open
could fall of having something cdlblo drop
Into It!"
'""
Soldier nml (lie Ant Hill.
London King: Only tho other day n vo'un
teor regiment got under n flro so hoavy that,
after spreading out In lino of skirmish, tho
order was given to 1 lo down. Ono unfor
tunate boldlcr flopped squarely Into an ant
hill. Thousands of tho little pcts swarmed
angrily over him, biting with peculiar pene
tration. In a second tho soldier Jumped up,
swearing with tho pain.
"Llo down, my man," shouted ths cap.
tain.
"Illankoty blank, captain, I can't!" pro
tested the poor follow.
JiiU then a eheot of Mauser bullets flew
past him at all heights, from bis shins to
his head. It was marvelous that tho stand
ing soldier was not hit In a dozen places.
Hut ho changed his mlnil swiftly about the
possibility of lying down. Down he went,
regardless of ante, Bhoutlng to his comman
der: ,
"Yes, I can, captain! By tho Lord Harrr,
yec, I can, sir!"
II, Clark, Chauncey, Oa., say DeWltt'a
Wlteh Hazel Salvo cured him of piles that
had afSlcted him for twenty years. It U also
a speedy euro for skin diseases. Bswai at
dangerous counterfeits.
INDIAN'S DIIVINO KISll.
has been begged, borrowed or stolen, and
no other kitchen utonsll Is actually nccee
sary except a knife, which Is supplied by
the machete, universally carried by the
peon, and which Is never out of his sight
or grasp. The maeheto Is so much a pari
and parcel of tho gltnro's outfit that ho
only attracts attention when it is absent. He
acquires It early la llfo and parts with it
only thiough htorn necessity, as, for exam
ple, when funds nro needed for gambling or
for batting on n fnvorlto fighting cock.
With the machete the peon hows down the
trees for comer posts to his hut, lops off
the leaver, o' palm for thatch and bedding,
digs holts for setting out tubers and plants,
and Bcmotlmes, though rarely, removes the
wieds frrm his garden. 'I'lngcrs wero made
beforo forks,' Is an axiom so self-evident
that no peon ever glvce It a thought, and
the llttlo toddlers that soon In tlmo gather
around tho household hearth or the fire bed
In the center of tho hut follow tho oxumple
of their elders nnd cat without any other
assistance than their own chubby fists, which
dip Into the pot llko the others.
"The only expenso for garments Is In
curred by the adult members of the family,
tlmo enough for tbe raising cf u crop has now
elapeed since the great hurricane, yet, If wo
nay bellevo tho icports, nothing has been
lone In that direction.
"And, by the way, whatever has happened
unjoward since tho great cyclone, tho l'orto
Rlcan 'blames It on' tho hurricane, until tho
.mprcjslon has of late gained ground that
as u scapegoat It has served to tho limit ot
lu capacity. However, had tho glbaro been
possessed of ordinary energy ho wr.uld havo
had sufficient food plants now In boarlng
to Insure, himself and family against tho
pangs ot'hungcr at least beforo this. His
claim haH been that tho hurrlcano not only
blow down his hut, but also at tho samo
tlmo blow nway the heads of tho royal palms,
up n whluh ho relied for thatching purposes.
But. falling tho palm loaves, there woro Icf.
grass's and reods enough to servo ns sub
stitutes; whllo iignln, thousands of trees
wero felled by the ntoim which wore, or
might havo boon, nvallablo ns building ma
terial. It wus easier, though, to sit down
under a tree nnd awult tho coming of succor
from abroad.
"His flrnt ro-ourso after finding that thero
was nothing lef In hla own or bis neigh
bor's garden would have been tbo wild
and beans within a month of planting, ana
maize or Indian corn within eight woeks.
I Within three months tho native mountain
rlco would havo matured a crop and tho
' Caiollna rlco within four or five, tho lat-
Uv requiring about tho samo time as Qulnea
corn. If swout potatoes had been sot out
soon after tho hurrlcano they would havo
been roady for harvesting In Docember, nnd
theso nlomi would havo sufficed to sustain
tho family until tho ripening of fruits such
us tho mango and orange, tho banana and
plantain, which require not Irus than from
six to nlno months for maturing. The won
derful casrova, which has been a sourco of
food supply for tho nativrts from time im
rr.omorlal, rcqulrtu eight or ten months in
tho ground: tho delicious 'tnnlas' mature In
ten monthH nnd the arrowroots also, whllo
yams of all varieties demand the Kama
length of time.
"Thfho are 'tho great stapKa of food sup
ply In the tropics; but add to these numer
ous frulU, such as tho pineapple, which
rlpcnn In from six to nlno months from
planting; cocoanuts, which aro all the II mo
In ovldemco on tho troes; tho bread ffilt
tn iUi season; tho cacao, or chocolate, and
Schoolboy KiikIIhIi,
Los Angeles Times: Hvon our education
is "silvery" on tho under side. You go
into tho school and nre so pleased with tho
correct Intonation, the precision of gram
matical construction, tho exactness of
statement In the language used by the
punlls In their recitations,
You compliment the pupils and you
praise the teacher and your opinion of our
schools goes up to W) In tho shade. Then
as you walk down the street after school
hours you hear two young gentlemen who
nro prlzn pupllH conversing across tho
length of tho block, loudly discussing tho
examinations through which they had evi
dently pnssed triumphantly,
"Hello, Hkln-neo!"''
"Hey, Bill?"
"Wnteh go glttln rlthmetlc?"
"Klghty-seven unnl rtldun texpect toglt
morn forty. Jew nassln grammar?"
"Belcher boots sfdld; not ninety. three nnnl
ony made two mlMnkes In hlstry, until got
a hundred din spellln nil light."
"Sodl. Cirorgo Goodie fulled in spellln."
"Ycssannl nodewoodtoo; furry nlwnys
looked tn tho hook. Commout taftcr sup
pern nnvsomo fun"'
"Can't cossl goto mcctln with mum
muther. See?"
OEM AND PONU'9
EXTRACT, AVOID
ALL IMITATIONS.
FACSIMILE OF
BOTTLE WITH
DUFF WRAPPER.
FOR
ALL PAIN
Rheumatism
Feminine
Complaints
Lameness
Soreness
Wounds
Bruises
Catarrh
Burns
Piles
USE
POND'S
EXTRACT
It will Cure.