'
5
Jf ? s
Around Snake
Corner
A Stagecoach
Story
f By CLARISSA MACKIE t
The stngo climbed tho steep moun
tain road, the black horses fcrululng
against tho heavy load of passengers.
"Whoo-up!" shouted Iko Williams
as ho guided the team around a sharp
corner where jutted a great split rock.
"Aro there any snakes around hero?"
asked a timid passenger.
Iko Williams turned a ruddy face
toward the passengers, nnd ns his light
brown eyes met those of a plump little
woman in tho coiner ho winked signifi
cantly. Tho plump little woman looked very
severo and turned her eyes away.
"Yes, sir; this is called snake corner,
and It's a funny thing that every time
I reach this particular rock every
stranger aboard wants to know if there
nre snakes hereabouts."
"Well, aro there any snakes?" de
manded the thin woman sharply.
"There are snakes sometimes, ma'am.
Onco I was coming up from Cherry
Brook with a load of folks, and Just as
we reached snako corner one of the
wlmmen screamed and fainted, nnd
tho others r.U hollered to beat tho
baud. Of course I stopped nnd looked
to see what was tho matter."
"What was It?" demanded the pas
sengers breathlessly.
"Trash 1" sniffed Debby Bowno.
"It was a whole passel of black-
:snakes n-sunnlug themselves on the
big rock.
"I was some flustered, because I
knew, all my passengers being wlm
men, I'd have trouble between the wlm
men and tho snakes nnd tho bosses
liere, who ain't got no use for reptiles.
"I'm a quick thinker, and" Mr.
Williams paused nnd cast n suspicious
Slunco among his passengers. "I
thought somebody biffed," he said ag
gressively. No one mnde reply. Dobby Bowne
was staring through tho open doorway,
and the little dark man appeared to bo
asleep.
The other six passengers were hang
ing breathlessly on the words of the
stage driver.
"Go on!" they cried impatiently.
"Whnt did you do then?"
"I got down from my scat and, tak
ing my whip, I went up to the rock
nnd laid it on to them snakes till there
wnsn't. one to bo seen. Then I dumb
back to tho stage and drove on.
"Tho wlmmen all cried with joy over
getting rid of tho snakes, and when we
reached the top of the hill this one
we're climbing now I happened to
look back, and what do you suppose I
see?" Ike paused dramatically.
"What did you see?" they asked in
chorus.
"Snakes!" said Iko, frowning at the
recollection. "About fifty blncksnnkcs,
assorted sizes, all humping themselves
along tho road, trying to ontch up with
me. I reckon they would have dumb
up over the wheels and right Into tho
stage If I hadn't done some quick
thinking.
"I'm something of n reader," pur
sued Ike modestly, "and. being Inter
ested In the critters, I'd read consider
able about snakes. So I took my har
monica out of my pocket and, getting
out of the stage, I went back nnd
played 'Yankee Doodle' to them pur
suing reptiles, nnd I'll be blamed If
the hull lot didn't stand still like they
was charmed, and then I played n
march called 'The Uetreat.' And you'll
hardly believe mo when I sny that the
hull regiment of blncksnnkcs turned
tall and humped themselves backdown
the rond.
"Whoa! Hero you are! Willow
House!"
With tho words Iko halted his horses
with a flourish before the door of tho
little mountain inn.
With tho single exception of Dobby
Bowne, tho occupants of tho stage dis
mounted at the Inn. While some of
them were paying the driver, tho
foreigner leaned toward Debby Bowno.
"Does ho speak of n truth?" ho In
quired, nodding toward Iko Williams.
Two red spots glowed in Debby's
cheeks.
"Tho truth is not In him!" she said
emphatically.
"You know him of a certainty, that
ho lies?" asked tho man sharply.
"I was engaged to marry him," said
Debby with dry bitterness.
"Was?" repeated tho man doubtfully.
"Was," emphasized Debby, "until
fifteen minutes ago."
"Ah, with many thanks for tho con
fidence." smiled tho stranger, bowing
himself away with his heavy basket.
Just as tho stage was nbout to re
sume Its journey with Miss Bowne as
Its solo inmate that smnll person skip
ped alertly down tho stops nnd slam
med tho door upon the empty vehicle.
"Ain't you going to rldo up to the
lane with me, Debby?" demnnded Ike
in dismay.
"Xot today." returned Debby crisply.
"I'd rather walk thnn ride with such
a story toller as you are. You remem
ber what T snld the last time you told
that snake story!" Dobby Bnwno
gathered her lilac skirts neatly from
tho dust nnd tripped away, leaving Iko
Williams to stnro after her until she
had quite disappeared Into tho opening
of Whlppoorwlll inno, where she lived.
"I'll bo blamed!" ejaculated Ike,
slapping his knee with ono big brown
hand. "Woll, whnt do you want?" hu
growled nt tho llttlo forclgnor who
wns stnudlng by the wheel looking up
nt him.
"Beg pardon, but I forgot to pay you
for transportation nnd most enjoynblo
rido nnd ngrcoablo story," said tho
stranger politely.
"Huh!" wns lko's reply.
"And the llttlo lady with the eyes of
n dove, sho has gone away?" nsked
tho mnn.
"You moan Miss Debby Bowne?"
growled Iko ominously,
Tho mnn nodded doubtfully.
"Tho lady who said she was engaged
to you."
"Was?" bristled Ike. "Is, you mean."
"Beg pardon, but sho said, 'Was en
gaged till fifteen minutes ngo.' Ah,
monsieur is most rude I" cried tho
fitranger as he skipped back beyond
ronch of Ike's whip.
"Llttlo rati" growled Ike, his faco
now sobered to grim nnger ns ho turn
ed tho stngo about nnd returned down
tho mountain. When ho passed snnko
corner ho smoto tho blnck horses so
savagely that they ran all tho way
down tho mountain side, requiring nil
of Mr. Williams' strength nnd ncrvo to
control them.
Back In Whlppoorwlll lano Debby
Bowno wns crying softly to herself
over her broken engagement to the
bluff stage driver, and nt Willow inn
tho llttlo foreigner was preparing to
entertain tho guests that evening with
sundry conjuring tricks.
The next nftornoon Iko Williams
drove ids stage up tho mountain rond.
There was only one passenger inside,
nnd she was strangely silent and unre
sponsive. So quiet was Debby Bowno
thnt Ike began to believe that there
was some truth in what tho foreigner
had hinted to him.
Was his engagement to Debby u
thing of tho pnst? Ho did not dare ask
her for fear of the answer.
Dobby Bowno worked in the postof
flco nnd rode homo in tho stage every
afternoon. It Is not surprising that
sho grow tired and annoyed nt hearing
Ike's oft repeated snako stories, which
wero calculated to inspire strangers
with dreadful fear.
Only a short week ago sho had told
Ike that If ho ever repeated tho black
snake story in her hearing their en
gagement would ccaso at once.
Now ho shot a glance from his merry
brown eyes nt the third finger of her
loft hand.
Tho gnrnot engagement ring wns
gone.
Their engagement was at an end.
Now they wero turning nround snako
corner.
Iko was lost in gloomy meditation on
tho front scat when the off horso shied
violently.
"Whoa!" shouted Ike, and with n
glance nt snnko rock ho pulled tho
trembling horses to n standstill nnd
turned his head to ntare nt the great
fissured rock about which ho im,i
woven so many tales to scaro the un
wary traveler.
Coiled on the rock was an Immense
serpent, scaly nnd glistening, with
horrid bond lifted and swnying gently
to and fro.
"Good heavens!" breathed Iko through
his sot teeth.
Debby leaned from a window nnd
stared, terrified.
Then, stepping jauntily out of the
mountain path, came the foreign pas
senger of the day before.
Ho bowed politely to Ike, laid his
hat against his heart when he saw
Debby nnd at tho same instant
glimpsed tho sunke on tho rock.
"Mon Dleu!" ho squealed shrilly.
"Kill It, monsieur!"
"Kill It yourself!" roared iko testily,
his muscled arm straining nt the reins
as his horses plunged madly.
"But has not monsieur n happy
thought In this grcnt emergency? It
Is true these aro not blacksnakes.
but" he shrugged his shoulders sug
gestively. "Get out of the way!" shouted Iko
angrily.
"Perhaps monsieur would play 'Yan
kee Doodle' on his harmonlcon!" grin
ned tho amused foreigner. "Tims could
ho soothe tho frightened serpent, oven
as ho did in tho good story ho related.
Ah!"
At that moment the blnck horses
broke nway nnd dragged the careening
stage after them.
Debby Bowne, white lipped nnd
trembling, saw Iko Williams regain
mastery of his team, turn them nbout
and drive back to snnko rock Just In
time to see the foreign conjurer stuff
ing the great serpent into an odd look
ing basket.
"na! Monsieur is tho bravo run
nway," chicled tho Joke loving French
man ns ho securely fastened the cover
of tho basket that contained tho an
cient, half stupid and entirely harm
less reptile, which wns ono of the
properties of his porformnnce.
Iko Williams grow redder and redder
ns the Fronchmuu disappeared, nnd
Debby Bowno sat silently within, wit
ness of his humiliation.
Glnnclng out of tho corner of his eye,
ho discerned Debby in the net of slip
ping tho garnet ring back on Its ac
customed finger.
"You coming over this evening, Ike?"
asked Debby softly.
"Yes, If you wnnt me," ho said
hoarsely.
"Of courso I want you," snld Debby
Bowno gently.
And Debby hnd part of her reward
when tho very next time sho rodo In
tho stngo a timid passenger nsked:
"Why do they call this snnko cor
ner?" "Because there ain't any snnkes
here,", replied Ike, with a twinklo in
his eye.
PONDEROUS SEA ELEPHANTS.
They Have Two Foot Trunks nnd Flip,
pers Tipped With Claws.
That which fs believed to be the IhmI
herd of wjii elephants known to t'xlst
Is to bo found nt Guadalupe Inland, off
tho west coast of Mexico. In the hurd
there are now only about thirty speci
mens. The sea elephnnt I v.u Important link
In the chain of evolution nnd Is the
largest of nil flu footed animals. The
adult male N nbout twenty-two feet
In length nnd N nbout olKhtreet hlcli
when propped up on his front flippers
in n natural position. Thi'sii" uivm
bulls welsh from two to three tons
nnd have a trunk, or proboscis, which,
when relaxed, hangs down over the
mouth nbout two feet. In the em! of
this the nostrils nre placed rather wide
npnrt, and when they breathe their
whole mass trembles In tiny undula
tions to the very end.
Tho flippers are thick and tipped
with heavy daws. There Is a tall
about one foot and n half long, sepa
rntod horizontally in two divisions.
This tnll nets ns a propeller, to resist
tho huge creature when he comes In
through tho breakers. He holts his
back flippers and tall so as to catch
the full sweep of the wnves. and then
allows himself to be washed up on the
bench.
Coarse, bristly linlr grows sparsely
from tho back nlong the body, nnd n
tough protecting crust or flesh reaches
like a shield from the lower Jaw down
over tho chest nnd round to the back
of tho neck. This blbllke nfTnlr Is
nnturo's provision for protection in
tlmo of battle. Tho mule fights vl
clously in tho mating season, and the
chest protector prevents much loss of
Ufa
Sea elephants live on various kinds
of small fish and use tho trunk to
seize them with. Afterward the food
is transferred to tho mouth precisely ns
clephnnts mnnngo it.
THE NOHTH PLATTJE
BUSINESS COLLEGE
Will be opened as soon as 30 students are enrolled. Help
establish this school by signing for scholarship, your inter
terest and support will encourage others. No collections are
to be made until the school is opened.
That
EGGS BY THE YARD.
Korea Also Produces Oysters
Weigh Ten Pounds Ench.
Whllo in tho orient a correspondent
had occasion to call on friends who
lived near Seoul, the prlnclpnl city of
Korea. Ho tells tho following story:
Ono morning my hostess, while giv
ing orders for the necessary things
from tho market for the day. mention
ed four yards of eggs. I accompanied
tho steward that day on his marketing
trip, and when tho eggs were nsked
for tho grocer reached down In a bar
rel and brought out the end of a
Inrgo straw rope. He measured off Un
required length on the counter. Just as
n dry goods store clerk would measure
off cloth, rolled it up and put it In the
basket without a smile. The eggs were
Inside of this hollow strnw rope, with
a string tied on the outside of it be
tween each egg. This effectunll.pro-
tccted tho eggs from being broken
while handling.
Another day my hostess ordered two
"small" oysters for dinner. This or
der caused me to wonder n little, for I
know thnt there would be seven to
dine, besides tho servants, but when
tho oysters arrived all wns explained.
Tor one weighed four nnd a half
pounds, nnd tho other flvo pounds. On
Inquiry I wns Informed that some of
tho oysters on the northern side of
Korea weigh as much ns ten pounds.
Chrlstinn Science Monitor.
DAY AND NIGHT SCHOOL.
This college will be located in the business section of the city,
which will be especially convenient to young ladies attend
ing the evening school.
No charge for use of typewriters. No charge for diplomas.
COTJK ES OF STUDY.
Business Course Embracing Bookkeeping, Banking, Commercial Law,
Commercial Arithmetic, Rapid Calculation, Business Letter Writing,
Commercial Papers, Spelling and Penmanship.
Shorthhand Course Embracing Shorthand, Typewriting, Penmanship,
Spelling, Business Letter Writing, English Grammar and Punctuation.
Combined Course Embracing all studies in both the Business and Short
hand courses.
No Entrance Examination. No Classes. Individual Instruction.
All Graduates will Receive the Benefit of Draughon's
Employment Bureau. '
For further information in regard to special rates, course of study, etc., see
S. P. RANDALL, Field Sectetary,
Ritner Hotel, North Platte, Nebraska.
Tm
Bathing and Bellowing.
Primitive mnn boiled his water with
hot stones. Thnt was not the only use
ho made of them, nt any rate, if lie
was a Scythian. Tho Scythian prac
tice described by Herodotus has been
claimed by some ns the first recorded
caso of smoking. Having spoken of a
kind of hemp that grew In the conn
try, Herodotus proceeds: "Now. the
Scythians, taking the seed of this
hemp, go Into their tents and then
throw tho seed upon the stones heated
white hot As It Is thrown on It W
burnt Into smoke, producing so mudi
that no Greek vapor bath could snr
pass It And tho Scythians, delighting
In It. bellow. This takes the plnee f
wnshlng for them.'' It seems as though
they hnd discovered the Turkish bath
nnd tho cigarette.
Declare War On Colds.
A crusade of education which aims
"that common colds may become un
common within the next generation"
has been begun byprominentNew York
physicians. Hero is a list of the "don'ts"
which the doctors say will prevent the
annual visitation of the cold:
"Don't sit in a draughty car."
"Don't sleep in hot rooms."
"Don't avoid tho fresh nir."
"Don't stuff yourself at meal time.
Overeating reduces your resistunrt."
To which we would add when you
take a cold get rid of it as quickly as
possible. To accomplish that you will
find Chnmherlnin'a cough remedy most
excellent. Sold by all dealers.
PEEE!
For a Few Days Only
Stone
Tho Widow's Dower.
It is certain that "dower." the estate
for Hfo which the widow acquires nt
her husband's death, was not known
among tho early Saxons, hi the Uw
of King Edmund the widow is directed
to bo supported wholly out of the per
sonal estate. Dower Is genera llj n
crlbed to the Norniuns. but It was llr-i
Introduced Into the feudal system
Emperor Frederick II.. who was ion
temporary with the English Henry III .
nbout 1250.
Tho Usual Way.
"It would never do for the farmers
to get Into tho financial business of
tho nation."
"Why not?"
"From force of habit they would nl
ways bo waiting to water tiielr stock."
Daltimore American
Homo Finance.
"Wombat. loan mo ." It's for an in
vestment you nro Interested In "
"Whnt investment of yours nm l
Interested In?"
"My daughter wants to buy u birth
day present for your son."-Pittslnin:h
Post
Superfluous.
Tommy Pop. what do wo mean
superfluous? Tommy's Pop Suporllu
ous, my son, means well. It's like n
bachelor giving ndvlco to a married
man. Philadelphia Itecord.
9
will offer with each package of A-C-0
two live Goldfish with half-gallon globe.
The beautiful fish require littlo cure
nnd will grow nicely. Take a globe
homo with you. This is done solely to
induce you to try A-C-O, that wonder
sul remedy for Croup nnd Colds. Once
used, no family will be without it.
First come first served.
Croup Kills 57,000 Babies.
The U. S. Burenu of Vital Statistics
nttribute this number of babies' deaths
each year to the monster CROUP.
ARMSTRONG'S CROUP OINTMENT
is absolute insurance against CROUP.
Ensily and quickly applied; it prevents
nttneks. Loosens tiglit, croupy coughs,
cures celds, hoarseness and congestions.
Uur stock ot Patent iMedicines, Per
fume, Toilet Articles, Etc., is u lend
ing feature with us. We would like to
be your Family Druggist. If you nro
too busy to come to our store, phono
us your wants.
STONE DRUG CO.
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
V.t
jMmijjMMiimii..'teitiii
25K22fi5HL
APOLLO HOTEL
PERRY J. LATHAN,
CHIROPRACTOR
G20J Dewey Stroot
Phone 70
For Thirty or
more Years.
We have been making, repniring
cleaning, and altering clothes fot
tno people of North Platte, Wo
have aimed to give satisfaction, and
we guess we have been successful,
else tho people would not now pat
ronze us. Give us a chance to do
your work.
F. J. BROEKER.
Entrance north of tho Nyal drug store.
OIIDHR OP HEARING ON PETITION FOR AP
I'OINTMKNTOK ADMINISTRATOR.
Tho Stnte of Nehraiikn, Lincoln County, 8.
In tlio County Court.
In tho matter of the estate of William
Shrcnr, Sr., deceased.
On rending nnd fillni? tlio petition of Lester
Walker, jiraylnK that administration of mid
estate may ho grunted to himself as admin
istrator. Ordered, That Dec. 2nd, 1013, at 0 o'clock n. m.
Is asslKned for hearing said petition, when
all persons Interested In said matter may appear
at a county court to ho held In and for said
county, and show causo why prayer of petitioner
should not ho granted; and that notice of tho
pendency of said petition and tho hearing
thereof ho given to all persons Interested In said
matter hy puhlishing a copy of this order in tho
North I'latto Tribune a legal seml-wiekly news
paper printed In said county for threo successive
weeks, prior to said day of hearing.
Dated Nov. 8, 1913.
iill.3 JOHN GRANT, County Judge.
1030 GLENARM STREET
DENVER, - COLO.
Fred It. Ginn, Prop.
II. Wiuiur Way, Mgr.
75 rooms with private bath; GO
rooms without bath. Rates with
bath, $1.60. Rates without bath,
$1.00. Special rates by tho week
or month. Cafo In connection.
Elevator service, hot and cold wa
ter and telephone In every room,
Ono block from Orphetun theatre,
two blocks from Broadway theatre.
L
To ko Seventeenth Street Car
HELP
WANTED
If you have a good work
ing knowledge of Shorthand,
Bookkeeping, Business Prac
tice, etc. such as taught in our
school, we can place you with
the big business houses ot a
good salary in a short time.
Get into action today and
know more about our school
by addressing the
HASTINGS BUSINESS COLLEGE
Hastings, Nebraska.
I pjJTRONIZE THE RAT
I If.' House of Good Show lH I
1 When in Norm PI a lie. 1
H Motion Pictures. Runs Every n
Night. Matinee Saturday After- I
noon at 2:130 O'clork. I
I 10 CENTS. 1
Oldest Dank in Lincoln County
McDonald
State Bank
North Platto, Nebr.
CAPITAL STOCK $100,000.00
We Solicit Your Uuilnsas.
Two Attractions.
North Platto has two attractions it
pretty women and tho cigars made by
Schmalzried. Both attractions nro
pleasing; and both nro in demnnd.
Porhnpsyou have not been smoking
Schmnlzried cigars and don't know how
good they are; if so, try them. You
will not be disappointed.
J. F. SCHAIALZRIED,
The Maker of Good Cigars.
Signet Chapter 0. E. S.,
NO. 55
Meets 2nd and 4th Thursday of every
month at Masonic Hall at 7:30 p. m.
Wft 0mf INWMjlMWlu0mwW''
jf fiFO. R. I1FNT.
Physician and Surncon,
Olllce over McDonald Bank.
Phones l Office 130
i nones nn ..r v
55 k T AMPQ MAIMtt Aura V
Doclors Ames & Ames,
Physicians and Suroeons,
I
Office ovor Stone Drug Co.
Phonos l Office 273
l nones ReBidonce 273
si
S
8
wm
Dr. D. C. Crocker.
Osteopathic Physician
PHONE RED 021.
Olllce Phone 410 Res. Blk G52
Bertha E. Mangon, M. D.
Physician and Surgeon
Deaeaici of Women and Children Specialty
NORTH PLATTE, NEB.
Now MeCabo Blbg.
Dr. J. K. Elms,
Eye, Ear, Nose and
Throat Glasses
fitted Also
Homeopathic Physician and
Surgeon.
Office over McDonald State
Bank.
North Platto. Phone 30.
-A CU-W.t.-J
