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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1904)
V smarm n Atstek. Tweceec WcmmM 5 :r'f ' 1 CCA8ION ALI.T In thin see of prosy common- 1 places. when verything is apparently made to f I serve the purjiose of the almighty dollar, there I come to the world from some out of the way place stories of Individual heroism that put to shame the arts of the heroes of ancient mythology, (j fttn as not It Is a woman who Is the principal artor in these heroic perform ances, and the story of the feat of Mile. H.idjilai.iro, a maiden of Greece, finds few para!lil-ln the history of heroic actions, whether ancient or modern. Ancient mythology made goddesses of many of the women rf ancient Greece, hut it is doubtful If any of those so dei fied deserved It better than dots Mile. Hadjilazaro. Her con duct In risking her life for twelve solid hours, constantly bearing pain that would cause most women to faint. In order to save her brother's life is fit to be Immortalized In song and Terse. For twelve hours, through a whole da.k night, this. ung Grecian girl stood with one leg on either side of a cp crevice In the mountain glacier where her brother had fallen, upholding him from sure death, with the rope which was tied about his waist cutting Into fur hips., while a younger sister hastened t' the nearest village and brought help. M. Hadjllaxaro. the brother. Is a member of the Geneva section of the Alpine club, and a mountain climber of great enthusiasm. He has climbed mwt of the famous peaks that rise In the Swiss Alps; he is a large man, and. there are few who pan follow him when he b gins to scale the face of a par ticularly precipitous slope. He Indulges In most of hi climbing alone, or with only n professional guide as his com panion. His sisters are neither of them adepts at mountain climbing, or. In fact, at any athletic sport, so that the con duct of the older one when the occasion came for her to act as he did is the more wonderful. Off fo a Day's Lark. Starting from the little village of Zinal one morning M. Hadjilazaro laughingly offered to take his sisters with him while he scaled the Grand Cornier and other difficult peaks p the vicinity. To his surprise his offer was promptly ac cepted. Relying upon his expertness as a climber the three decided to do without the services of a guide, and merrily left the village for whai they expected to be a day's larx. All of the forenoon they climbed easily up Into the moun tain without mishap, roped together after the fashion ot 11 Alpine climbers. They made the ascent of the Grand Cornier with great success, and the sisters laughed their brother to scorn for the fear of the mountains that he had attempted to Instill In them. They ate the luncheon they had brought with them on the rocks of the Grand Cornier and looked around for other peaks to conquer. They went onward to the top of the range, and at 2 o'clock were ready or the descent. In mountain climbing it Is sometimes Im- ssible to descend by the way of ascent, and this was the ward Journey they were forced to cross the Glacier de Molry. This is not considered much of a feat for mountain climbers, but it possess- the danger that all glaciers do, that of the hidden crevice. The three began the descent carefully, the brother ahead, carefully feeling the way with his Ice pick, the elder sister next to him with the rope around her waist, and the younger one on the end. With the experience that comes with much climbing M. Hadjllaxaro picked the path over the Ice, al ways avoiding the yawning chasms or ravines that occur with such frequency in old glaciers. The girls laughingly followed, holding back on the rope and singing at the tops of their voices. They had l.l.Ooo feet of mountain to negotiate befo""e they reached Zinal. but it was still early and they felt ure of themselves since the ascent. Feared a Hidden Crevice. M. Hadjilazaro was an expert climber, but he lacked tha Instinct that comes to guides who are born and who have lived in the mountains all their lives the ability to scent danger In glacier or mountainside. However, he had some nature of premonition before the misfortune befell him, fer he stopped and called to his sisters to halt as he feared a Midden crevice in the Ice. He had scarcely thrown himself Mown on thf snow to search for the danger when the treach erous shell gave way beneath him. and with a shriek of warning he disappeared in a cloud of snow and Ice Into the heart of the glacier. His sister next to him on the rope had only a moment to think and act. as her brother's weight waa liny uiafi'iii i Then this young girl behaved in a manner that shows the aeroic stuff that is in her. As she was pulled down on to the glacier above her brother she braced herstlf with one leg cn either side of the abyss and standing thus stopped her brother from dropping to Inevitable death on the rocks be low, and halted the slide of her sister which was taking her Into the same place. The rope about her waist caught at her hips, and there the whole weight of her brother as be ees: Engaged for Seventeen Years and Are Not Yet Wedded. SEVENTEEN years ago M. L. Brunnlng and Nel- S Ue Cooper plighted their love and vowed that they I would be true to each other through weal or woe ior me rest, oi im-ir u.t. It waa a beautiful romance. Miss Cooper ia the daughter of Mrs. and Mr. John Cooper, who conduct the moat exclusive boarding house at the beautiful Winona lake, ind. She is tall, and when Brunnlng first saw her, she was a young girl in the fi-st flush of the lovlir.es which in her more mature years has made her a beauty. Mr. Brunnlng l wealthy Evansville merchant He is tall and handsome and altogether a tractive to the eyes of womankind. The two met while the man was spending a vacation at the famous Indiana resort. There were long walks together, boat rides on the lovely lake in the moonlight, and the other accessories that aid Cupid in his work of destroying the peace ot mind of men at summer resorts. The two fell In love. Mr. Brunnlng was no backward luver. He promptly proposed, and was accepted. That waa seventeen year ago. The engagement waa announced. Friends aaid: "What a perfect match." and waited for the cation to the marriage to come around. They are stm aitlng. Seventeen years have passed ana sun Mr. urunning, nd Miss Cooper are betrothed, still there Is no hint or the av when the two shall be made one. I'pon a bluff on Mc Donald Island, In the most beautiful spot on Winona lake, there stands a beautiful mansion which Brunning haa built for the day when the reluctant fiancee of seventeen years hall yield to hie pleadings and come to live in the home he baa prepared for her aa his bride He is patient. He has waited seventeen years .and he can wait longer. The house Is fully furnished and ready for occupancy; but the shutter are drawn tightly over the windows, the doors are ever closed, and no ray of light ever comu Into the place, or will, until there comes a bride to hold the house warming. Each Saturday Mr. Brunnlng leave the care of his busi ness in Evansville and hurries down to spend the Sunday with his beautiful fiancee at Winona lake. But they do not go to visit Merbrlnk, the beautiful home that stand waiting on M Donald Island. That ia to be left untouched and unused until Mlsa Cooper becomes Mrs. Brunnlng. How long be fore tais event will take place is a source of perennial com ment among the people of Winona. The constancy of the man and the reluctance of the woman, after she ha aid " ye)." to name the day hag made Merbrlnk and Brun nlng famous. But Miss Cooper, actuated by sincere love for parents who are fast aging, refuses to agree to any day for the marriage. The love of a devoted daughter ha o far proven stronger than the love of a betrothed sweetheart. Each time the lover presses his suit and Implores the girl to make bim happy by naming a wedding day she pleads for further time, and each time the patient lover has granted the delay. The man In this strange romance has grown middle aged In waiting, and In the hair of the maiden fair the silver of autumn Is beglnnmg to show among the locks of raven black. And still their lore doe not waver, still the hero come a ourting each Saturday night. Just aa he did seventeen year igo. when they were both young and bad Just discovered fat they loved each other. Never once ha Brunnlng ex- i.lnsplres his fiancee to force him to wait. I only proof isiile character, and be iV willing to wait bow long bad ot know himself. wung and dangled helpless In space below was borne. The situation was appalling. M. Hadjilazaro called tip that he was htlpless. that he could not climb up or relieve the strain of his weight In any way. and advised his sister to cut the rope before she was dragged with him Into the crev ice. The younger sister began to cry. but the older one never for an instant lost her nerve. She flrmly planted herself astride the canon of and told her sister to calm herself. Then she calmly orb-rd the younger girl to free herself as quickly as she could and go with what speed she could down the mountain to the village for help. It was a long way over a rough mountain for the young girl, and the older sister, standing with her brothr's weleht upon her. knew that it would be many hours before she could reach the bottom and many hours before they could hope that help would reach them. Told to Save Herself. But with the spirit of the true heroine that she Is, slu tiravely told her brother to have hope that she could main tain her position for as long as n.ed be, and that the rescue would only be a matter of time. He, fully aware of the perii that her position subjected her to. pleaded with her to cut the rope and save herself. He tried to obtain a position on the projecting rocks of the crevice, but his movements near ly dragged the brave girl from her feet and he was forced to desist. He could not climb an Inch on the rope, so he could enly hang helplessly and watch his sister swaying with hi weight above him. Then ensued a period of wait and pain that has few 'ssi xv W M equals in the records of heroic conduct. Standing over the depth Mile. Hadjilazaro summoned all her power of will to her aid and began her effort to uphold her brother until help should come. The minute dragged drearily along and became an hour, and the rope around her waist cut into her hips until the pain became excruciating. As the time drew on the noble girl began to wonder If she could hold out. The strain on her was nearly driving her mad. and her power of resistance weakened as the moments went by. Each minute that passed, brought with it the temptation to let go, to give in and have it all over with in a few awful seconds, it setmed as if the power of human endurance could bear It no longer. But each time as the temptation came to her the brave girl firmly resisted, and vowed to stand thus until she fell from exhaustion. One. two, three hours she stood thus, each additional moment bringing with It added pain and weakness, until the girl' body was numb and almost helpless, and hir will power and courage were all that kept. her from collapsing and fol lowing her brother into the crevice. All this time she was In an atmosphere of extreme cold, with snow and ice about her, and her feet buried in ice and snow. To add to her peril and discomfort she began to freeze and darkness began to make Its appearance. The mountains and the glacier cast strange weird shadows over the scene, a fog came up, and brother and sister, although only a few yards apart, were unable to distinguish each other. It wa not the fear of death for herself, it was not the poignant agony wrought by the coarse rope which ground Into her tender flesh. It was not a horror of the darkness which dropped from the skies so early and lingered o long that scalded the heart of the girl; rather It was the Insistent, recurrent terror that she would faint, that the dim, Irre sistiNe drowsiness of exhaustion would creep upon her be numbed facilities, and that her brother must at last be the victim of a woman's physical frailty. There were Intervals when the voice of her brother ceased. She knew he had fainted and the desire to faint seized her. too, clamored about her heart and throbbed at her swollen temples. She forced herself to talk. laughed down Into the blackness of the yawning chasm, sang hys terically to an owl that flapped stupidly against her face. Once only she screamed. It was when the night mist, wraithlike, came stealing down the mountain side with gray arms outstretched, diaphonous. ghostly, wavering In the livid midnight. To her distorted fancy It seemed the evil genius of the heights, and as it enveloped her tortured body she yearned to be of It, to drift away, to fall as it fell through the abysmal spaces, to sleep. Then, putting from her all thoughts of herself, she would cry down to her brother: " Keep quiet, brother. Sleep if you can. I am safe and strong. I'm getting used to the weight. I can stay here for hours and hours yet. I think I hear voices and there Is a yellow glow yonder. They are coming brother; they will be here soon." And so in cheering him she deluded herself, for the sounds which she heard were the murmuring of mountain rivers far below, the hoot of owls, the scream of marauding hawks, the cadences of falling bowlders, and the croon of the wind In cave and forest. The lethargy of exhaustion, of spent nerves, of Cimmerian gloom crept upon her sense a dozen times. Somi times she tried to ease her waist and hips of the fearful strain that was upon them, grasping the taut rope with her blistered hands and striving vainly to keep the weight from her aching back. The sway of the pendulous body scared her, the least motion she made to ease herself drew groans from the Injured man. and so she steeled her muscles to a motionless endurance that paralyzed her nerves, choked her respiration, and brought the cold sweat dripping like brln into her chafed hurts. Grim Fight Against Death. The lonesomeness of a mountain peak at night came upon them, and still no sign of help. The two began to lose hope and have serious misbodings as to the success of the younger sister's venture. Had she made the descent In wt. . k. m m my S . w s wis '.,' J. 7 safety, or was it possible that she. unskilled as she was in climbing, had made a misstep or fallen a victim to the treacherous snow and Ice of the glacier? What was her fate? Was It not possible that all this struggle was being made In vain; that there was to be no succor; that It would be weeks before any one would hear of them, and then they would be found lying at the bottom of the glacier? Hope nearly died In the hearts of the two with the coming of the dark. Despair almost unbelievable came upon them, but because Mile. Hadjilazaro Is a true heroine there was no surrender. All through the long night she stood there over the crevice. In the meantime the younger sister was having much trouble in negotiating the haru descent. It took her two hours and a half to reach the bottom, and it was 8:3rt before she could reach the village of Zinal where help could be obtained. In frantic haste she sought guides and roused the people of the village. But there were few men In the village who would be of any use in a night ascent of the Glacier de Molry. It was hours before the girl could obtain the five men who were necessary to effect the rescue. Then with lanterns and the ap paratus necessary to life saving in the Alp the party with the young girl In the lead began the search in the dark for the Imperiled pair. Up on the Glacier de Moiry the darkness gave way to the gray of the dawn, the rays of the rising sun struck snow covered peak and ice cap, and the glacier glittered and shown in color rare and won derful. The girl who had stood all night with the rope cutting Into her hips and threatening to drag her each minute into the depths below, had lost all hope. The pain had become unbearable, and so exhausted was she that It waa only a question of minutes before she would have followed her brother into the crack in the glacier. Then the glad cry of the younger sister at see ing her still alive broke upon the mountain still ness; succor was at hand, the noble girl's efforts had not been in vain. Tender hands carefully drew the man up and relieved the girl from her terrible position. So exhausted was she that the rescuer were forced to carry her down the mountainside to her home, where the accounts of her act had preceded them, and where Mile. Hadjilazaro was greeted in a fashion that her heroism merited. Two Strange Battles from Out off Way Places The Lion and the Zulu. SP, Cat Whips an Eagle. ASHONALAND is the home of this adventure. An Englishman had one day set out into the wilds on a shooting ex pedition. He was alone, but for bis Zulu servant. Job, who followed behind and carried a cowhide shield .and a couple of assegais in his right hand. A they walked along the Zulu espied a huge lion lying on the top of a stony ridge. Both men stopped. In a low voice the Englishman explained to Job what he in tended to do. He had heard that if a lion is approached boldly, be will turn tail and bolt. This was what he intended to test. Hav ing given Job certain directions, the English man began to climb up the ridge. Step by step lie ascended. The lion slowly raised Itself on all fours, and lashed its tail from right to left. So far there was nothing to fear. But, suddenly the long tufted tail ceased its aide long swing. At first slowly, then quicker, It lashed up and down. The long yel low mane . grew more erect, and, with an ominous growl, the iion crouched, ready to Fpring at him. In an instant the Englishman had brought his rille to the shoulder, and sent a bullet tearing through the yellow body. An angry roar of pain followed. A long body, with tail outstretched and paws extended, rushed through the air. A dull thud and the English man was rolling down the slope. Bruised, but otherwise unhurt, he sat up. Not twenty yards away he saw the Zulu bounding towards the lion, armed only with two assegais, and guarding his body with the cowhide shield. " Back go back! " his master called. But the Zulu, shouting loudly, made straight for the enraged animal. Quick as a flash Job thrust one of hi assegais into the lion's side. Snarling fur iously, the brute sprang at him and bora him to the ground. By now the Englishman had advanced to tne rescue. His rifle lay useless, with a large dent in the barrel. But. drawing his hunt ing knife, he rushed at the lion, and, with a lipid stroke, severed the tendons of one of its hind legs. Aga'n the wounded animal turned on him, and, seizing him In its paws, hurled him right ever Us head. Then, with another savage growl, it crawled towards the helpless Zulu Once more the Englishman returned to the attack. This time he succeeded In cutting the otiicr tendon. The Hon roared loudly, but its back legs were useless. With a cry of triumph the Zulu sprang to his feet, and burled his assegai deep In the animal's heart. Although both men bore many wound from their life strug gle with the Hon. they did not return with out bringing back with them the llon' skin, which now bangs on the wall, as a tribute to bravery. Embroidery of Vestments Difficult for Workers, f r IN. yjk ! lOMUT was a cat. Hi master was an engine driver. Tommy bad one night appeared on the engine, and from that day had made it his home. Traveling seemed to fascinate Tom my. Most of the day he woulol sit in front of the engine, not minding in the least how fast the train was moving. When he was hungry up he would get, trot along the narrow ledge running round the huge boiler, and purr and drink the milk that was always waiting for him in the engine cab. From all this it will be seen that Tommy was no ordinary cat, as a certain sharp billed eagle soon discovered. Here Is the itory: As usual, Tommy was seated In front of tha engine with hlB tail curled under him, admiring the scenery. AH along the line grew trees, occasionally broken by a deep gully, spanned by a towering trestle bridge. The train was slowly rounding a corner when Tommy espied an eagle perched on the top of a dead spruce tree. Precisely at the moment Tommy spied the eagle the eagle also espied Tommy. Now, although Tommy was rather fond of birds, he had no desire to eat the eagle. But. unfortunately, it was not the same with thv eagle in the spruce. It sharp little eye fixed themselves on Tommy's sleek body. By the time the train had arrived along side the tree, which waa a hundred times quicker than it has taken to describe, the eagle had lowered it head, pointing It di rectly at Tommy. A loud flap! A quick swoop, and the bird wa on Tommy. But Tommy was more awake thun he appeared, and wa quite ready for action, before the eagle had nearly reached him. At first th bird tried to fix lis tal ma in Tommy s furry f back. But experience had taught Tommy never to expos hi back to the enemy. Con sequently, this rua failed. Hovering around, with talons extended, the eagle next tried to grab him by the head. Back puck ered, eyeB aflame, this was how Tommy, sit tvig on his back legs, met the onslaught, snarling and scratching ail the time. Feathers flew and fur lay scattered on the bogie truck. Still they battled, cat and bird, fighting the strangest duel, and in the stran gest place, too, that had ever been fought. And all this time the train had been whirring along at thirty miles an hour. Meanwhile, the driver had been anxiously watching the fight, and had tried to frighten off the tagle by repeatedly blowing the steam whistle. But the bird was now so full of fury and smarting wounds, that it was quite be yond being terrified. At last he determined to go to the rescue of his pet. Seizing an iron bur, he started U walk along the footplate. But Tommy wanted no help, for just as his master wa urawing near, tne cat ripped a great hole in the eagle's throat, and the fight wa ended. Lifting Tommy in his arms, the driver carried him and the dead eagle back to the engine cab. And lthough the cat re ceived many wound"! he soon recovered and in a few dais was at his old pot gain- A T V;. Sin . S A"t- T.usm N two mornings of every week, In a certain little Ol upper Hat in Chicago, into all four side of which I the light pours in quantities that would make it M ,i r.f anmi ttfiv In HAreh rtf the on M1A WIC Utilfe". " - .. . , there may be found a half dozen or more young girls working over huge embroidery frame of the picturesque size and shape used In what ia known a medieval embroidery. It ia the home of Mrs. P. C. Rogers, who 1 the high priestess of ecclesiastical embroidery in Chicago, and who for eight years haa designed and executed perhaps the greater part of the elaborate vestments worn in Anglican churches not only in Chicago but in a large part of the west. " This Is a great field for ecclesiastical embroidery." said Mrs. Rogers. " My work began a a labor of love, but about eight years aco it reached such proportion tl.at It turned in spite of itself into a businea vocation. " You see, the design appropriate to this kind of work are not understood by many of the women In church socie ties to whom it falls, and then the execution of the work itself has to lie of the most accurate and uniform descrip tion. For this reason I have the workers that I keep busy all the time come together twice a week for Instruotion. " Before I first took them it was necessary that they should have learned to work entirely on the large frame. These are clamped to the table, the embroideres handling the needle by transferring it from one hand to the other from either side of the frame. One difficulty is to get girl who are trained to work in this way. which Is necessary, aa the work must be absolutely flat the next step being to do what might be called 'sizing' it. "Next It goe to the 'padder,' who I kept busy all the time. Before this the work has to be carefully cut and basted, and before any piece is given out the whole garment 1 dealgned down to the minutest stitch and detail. Even the ring mark ing the spot Into which each Jewel 1 to be fitted Is accu rately drawn. All the color detail 1 carefuly worked out, the silk selected for fringes and guimps, which have to be made to order even the shape and design of a tassel, for instance, being specified down to the number of threads of one color in each section. Many tlmi-s to get certain shade and fabric an order must be placed abroad. "Not a small part of the vestment maker' work i an swering the mall which conns to her from churches and altar committees in all parts of the country, who write to her to be set right upon some point, or for information about the vestments. As my work is still in one sense a labor of love, 1 never let one of these leters go unanswered. Another thing which take two afternoons out of the wek, and in which a worker In this field might easily spend all her time, Is teach ing clashes in churches in Chicago, many of which arc mak ing an effort to learn the work properly. " What ha grown into a life work I really learned first as an old fashioned accomplishment. The dealr of my mother that I should learn painting and embroidery, con sidered necessary accomplishment to the English girl, led to my first Irtiuni in the South Kensington Art school, and since 1 have found that the churches of the old world and all books on the subject, both old and -nodern, are none too wide a field from which to study the subject." A strange feature of Mrs. Roger' work Is that in all the beuutiful harmony of colors which she blends with unerring inatinct and absolute harmony, she never take a sample when buyii.g. time.