..r dir "
,tht tl
tio before tfcr
94 tLo performer corned C..u U-a net
here need to no fear. There la more
danger in - the breaking of a tightly
strained guy wire at a critical moment,
by which the trapeze might be violently
jerked out of phice and the performer
thrown off. away outside of the net, to
fall upon tho Lucks of the orchestra chairs
and be picked up a mass of broken bones
and nrmgled flesh, perhaps dead. To
guard agrdnst this as far as possible the
greatest euro 13 exercised in the stretch
ing of tho wire nud rojo guys, which is
all gono over and examined before each
lrloriKiiiico Tui3, with tho stretching
of the lid. tukc3 several minutes.
A HIT OV bliXTIMENT.
While thflso things aro being douo tho
two hitters stand waiting in tho first en
trance, on tlio "prompt" side of tho stage,
with l.ig clu:iks dr:ijc-d about their scant
ily clad forms, and tlicir mother close be
hind them When the signal is given
that all is ready, tho mother draws off
their cloaks Then tho two girls embrace
and kiss each other's hands. After that
they dart out on the steg3. and a moment
later they are up in the air risking their
necks If that little bit of sentimental
business were done In public, it would be
understood os e tawdry conceit for effect,
lika many other things in which gym
nasts and acrobats indulge, with a view
to impressing the spectators. But it
ia nut TLo embracing and kissing
nro all dono -In tho wings." where
it is only by accident that a person near
the footlights in tho parquet on the oppo
site side of the stage may perchance see
jt Tho general disposition to ascribe to
Mipcrstitiou of somo sort the motive im
pelling people to do somewhat unusual
'things naturally suggests that as a reason
for the Vaidi girls' demonstration. But
upon inquiry it Is learned that this is
prompted by simple affection, nothing
more rJach knows that it is well within
the range of possibilities that the slipping
of her hand, tho failure by a hair's breadth
of the other's grasp or a break of the ap
paratus may cause her sister's plunge to
death, or that that fate may be her own,
within the next few minutes. With that
feeling in mind, the hand clasps, embraces
and kisses between tho giHs are simply a
tenderer demonstration of the Impulse
that prompts comrades, when going into
battle, to shako hands silently. It may
bo for tho last time, and they know it.
There Is little superstition among the
limb and life venturing classes of public
performers, far less than exists among
people in tho histrionic profession.
Whether it is that tho vigorous life of the
former develops a more healthful and con
sequently sounder philosophy, or that
Ibeir training has drilled them into a
higher confidence in themselves and ap
preciation of tho possibilities of human
control over what weaker natures deem
fate and luck, need not be discussed here.
The fact U enough for present considera
tion. Of course there are exceptions to
this, as to every other rule, but even
when they do occur they are not violent,
and generally have some pretty fair rea
son back of the seeming superstition al
leged. Mattio Jackson, for instance, wilj
not ride in the clrcas ring on Good Frl
day Sbo avows a fear that some acei
"dent will happen to her if she does, as one
did once upon a timo when she broke the
rtii-j. or perhaps before sho mado it. Bat
the fact is that she has a vague idea that
it isn't right. And several cither wtll
known riders have the same notion.
A IUNGEB DREADED.
ft indeed appears that tho dread of hav
ing a superstition is moro erifo among
circus peoj.lu than any superstition is. for
tho excellent ren.vn that they know a
dauber dreaded is morothau half invited
A man whoso nerves are to the slightest
il.--roo unstrung by expectancy of accident
is Viktlv to realize his expectation when
attempting smao feat thatdemandse.il tho
strength, skill, coolness and ncrvo that ho
possesses Very often a rider's perform
ance is mado timid and measurably ia
efTective si::: ply by a groom's report to
him that Lis horse "does not seem to be
fieling all right ' There is no superstition
abont'that. but a consciousness that if the
borso Is not -all right" and up to good re
membrance and observance of his training,
the breaking of Lis rider's leg. or. perhaps
Lis neck, may be the consequence
It may hardly be fair to classify a-3
superstitious the practice of carrying po
tatoes or horso chestnuts in the pockets
as fetiches against rheumatism. . If it ia
so. then there is a good deal of that sort
of superstition among show folk, but they
vehemently atlirra that it is prompted by
knowledge of tho proved medicinal virtues
of these articles
Japanese show people have superstition
enough for not only their own share, but
for all tho others Each of their troupes
of jugglers and acrobats includes in its
membership one grave, earnest, bald
beaded old heathen supposably accus
tomed to tussling with devils who would
fain obst met the work of the performers
or bring -tliem to grief It is his business,
before each Important feat involving per
sonal peril, to go about the stago scatter
ing salt and volubly exploding prayers in
bis Grecrackery lingo, to drive the demons
away In addition to his potent official
efforts for Xh discouragement cf the
.malign spirits thronging the surrounding !
ethei each performer carries auoui unit
him smite sort of sn anr.Uet. and tho fans
that they so constantly employ have
charms against the mischievous hups
painted upon theta. Newjfork Sun.
.. i r? felons beauty, wtlIi
consists In regular features, a fair com
plexion and a perfectly serene and placid
expression, t
The most remarkable feature of her
good looks Is the preservation of her
youthful appearance. In the broad glare
of daylight she looks today as yountr if
not younger than her eldest daughter.
I lor figure Is also slim and slight as that
of a young girL She dresses with ex
qnlsite taste and appears to enjoy general
society very much. The secret of her
popular charm is said to be this: She has
the rare and gracious faculty of impress
ing people who come in contact with her
In the casual meeting of a general recep
tlonor a levee with her genuine cordiality.
People who have been presented to her
aud who have simply seen her bow and
smile, and perhaps have heard a half
dozen words of commonplace greeting.
are the ones who are the most wildly en
thusiastic over her. II er bearing before
tho public constitutes her chief charm.
Every one is led to believe that she is the
most gracious and winning personape in
the kingdom. It is this outward sugges
tion upon the part of the Princess of
Wales of brilliant graeiousness that has
captivated and thoroughly charmed the
UritisU public Those who know her best
say that a more intimate acquaintance
with her does not bear out the public
estimate. She is thoroughly refined, ac
complished and self possessed, but is not
Interesting in a general conversation.
While I was on the continent last
month I heard a number of Interesting
stories concerning the early life of the
Princess of Wales. These stories are not
particularly new, and I do not propose to
allude to them except to give the exact
income of her father before he was called
to the throne of Denmark. This prince
lived in the most obscure, poverty for a
number of years. Ho had an income of
exactly $1,200 a year. There were five
children to bo supported and educated
from, tills beggarly sum. The young
ladies of this household learned to cook,
to sew and to do all kinds of housework.
Tliey were obliged to make then own
dj.-es'sas for many years. Kd members of
any family so obscurely placed have risen
to more brilliant positions than this
Danish family. The head of the family
became the king of Denmark. (lis oldest
son is. of course, the crown prince of that
country. Another son is the king of
Greece. His three daughters are the
Princess of Wales, the Czarina of Russia
and tho Duchess of Cumberland. T. C.
Crawford in New York World.
AVbere Panama Hats Are Blade.
"Why is it they make such wonderful
hats at Panama nd nowhere else?" asked
tho reporter.
"On tho contrary," replied the batter,
"these wonderful hats are not mado at
Panama and are made somewhere else
No Panama bat was ever made at Panama
They came to be called by that name be
cause Panama merchants first made them
known outside of local markets. The best
Panama hats arc made in Guayaquil. They
are woven by native women out of the
fiber of the pita palm. This fiber is gen
erally spun cr stripped by these skillful
artists into slender' breads ten and, fifteen
feet long, although it can be stripped into
almost any length with care. The braid
ing or weaving is all done with the fiber
held below the surface of WRter, wh'cb
keeps it pliable and preserves the pecu
Iiarities of its texture. An ordinary Pan
cu-s bgt, made of several pieces of fiber,
costs $5 at first hands in Guayaquil
That seems a trifle high, but it takes a
woman three weeks to braid a hat of that
kind, and it will wear forever. Finer
grades require more delicate threads and
longer time in making. New York Even
lr:g Suo-
Sjm pathetic, Vet Cruel.
It Is strange, by the way, how easily
the sympathies of the majority of man
kind can be excited in certain directions,
vvhilo in others they are absolutely irre
spousive. Peopia ore so hard, so unsym
pathetic, with those who are brought into
daily contact with them so full of pity
for those of whom they know nothing; so
mean, so cruel often, to their own fami
lies, their servants and their work people
so ready to lavish mischievous charity
upon strangers of .whom they have beard
some tale of woet In one of the last
numbers of The Charity Organization He
view the story was toM of a London busi
ness man who turned away two of bis
clerks because times were so hard and im
mediately sent 50 to the fund for the
unemployed, to whose ranks he had con
tributed those two. Atlanta Constitution.
rayiug Street Car Fare.
- I would not pay a woman's fare In a
street car. Why? Because I wouldn't,
that's all. And if yon insist on an ex
planation I have nothing to offer except
this: that Jt is an unwritten but inexora
ble law of the maid3 and matrons of this
land that every female who rides must
open her own sachet, take out her own
pocketbook, close her sachel, open her
pocketbook, put her nickel In her month,
open Lcr sachel. close her pocketbook, put
pocketbook in sachel, close sachel. and
than, taking her nickel from between her
gleaming celluloid teeth, give It to the
conductor, and thus pay her fare. I don't
know .where the law came from or how
the sex" got hold of it. bat It's -the law all
the same. ?nd wo lira p to 1L "Maud"
In Globe-Democrat.
ua the
. thrust into
Lis Iolv wrk hair standing
as If unkempt for a week. He
m4 fcuirounded by the late Thomas Hoyne,
the late Isaac N. Arnold, and James F. Joy.
Mr. Volk recalled the promise Mr. Lincoln
bad made two years before in company with
Douglas to sit for bis bust, and be at once
consented to its fulfillment. "I will go at
once to a barber and get my hair cut," he
said. "Not too short," protested Mr. V oik.
The time was April, 1600; the place the
highest floor of the Portland block and no
elevator. Despite the oppressive weather
and the incidental fatigue, Lincoln was on
time every morning from 8 to 10, when he
went to court.
THREE AT A JUMP.
He used to run up the stairways two and
three at a jump. He sat in the low wooden
armchair which is still in Mr. Yolk's studio,
and which has been occupied by Douglas,
William IL Seward, Andrew Johnson, Gen.
Dix and Gen. Grant. Lincoln was shy and
di flldent about sitting, and timidly asked
Volk to give bun tho necessary directions.
Measurement showed that he was one foot
taller than Douglas that is, six feet one
inch; he weighed ISO, but told Volk after
ward that the subsequent "campaign reduced
him by forty pounds. It was at one of theso
sittings that the famous "Lincoln mask" was
made by Mr. Volk, which has served for
every subsequent portrait, and is used on the
St. Gauden's colwssal statuo of Lincoln in
Liaooju park. The drying of the wet plaster
on the face required about an hour, during
which Lincoln was both patient an merry.
It was difficult to remove without injury, tho
cheek bones lejqg higher than the jaws at
the lobes of tho ears. He bent hs head and
worked it gently off' with his own linntLi.
Tho process made his eyes water, ns tho plas
ter carried away with it somo of the fine
hair of the temple,
Ho sat subsequently as tho progress of the
modeling demanded, and after four hours'
sitting one day walked with Mr. Volk to his
home, where they looked together at photo
graphs and sketches the artist bad brought
from Europe. He grew weary, his heavy
eyelids closed as if sleepy, notwithstanding
that the scenes depicted were of the high st
historical interest. At last he said, with
smiling frankness, "Mr. Volk, these things
must be interesting to you. tiut the truth is
I don't know much about history, and all I
do know I learned from law books." In one
of his chats, with the sculptor he told him he
supposed the reason ho could talk longer in
the open air than Douglas without becoming
hoarse was that bis neak was longer and
leaner than his rival's, warming the air be
fore it reached the bronchial tubes. "You
know a chicken will squawk, cackle, and
crow without tiring out, and I suppose it is
because their necks are long." Many people
who knew that Jacplu was sitting to Mr.
Vojk called at the'studio to see him. "They
were chiefly political expectants, said the
artist "Oddly enough, not a newspaper re
porter was ever among them. The inter
viewer," he adds with a smile, " was not so
alert in .hose years. V
WITHOUT A MURMUR.
In the final sitting Lincoln removed his
coat, waistcoat, and upper underclothing,
and stood without a murmur for an hour or
more while the sculptor - modeled his breast
and shqulders. He dressed again. s$ hastily
as not to complete his tftilet, and after de
parture had to return and do it all over
again. He was absent minded In that re
spect Mr. Volk found him like Douglas, On
one occasion whon m Washington with the
sculptor Douglas had to go back to his house,
to tho senate, and to the bank at different
times, while endeavoring to reach a station
in time to take a train, having forgotten at
tho one place his portmanteau, at another
money, and failed at the third tq sign
checks he had given in payment &f ac
counts. It was in Lincoln's home in Spring-
Geld that the bunday alter bis nomination
for the presidency Mr. Volk took the casts
of his hands. Desiring that he should bold
something in one of tnern, t',ft noim'ncQ for
pi y.iuont oi the United States went to his
little woodshed, took the saw that was
used in preparing the firewood, and cut
off a piece of broom handle, returning
whittling its end with a knife. While the
plaster was drying on the han clasping the
bit of broomstick' Sir, Volk detected on the
thumb of the left a soar. "You have heard
me called a roll splitter," said Lincoln.
Well, one day while sharpening a wedge on
a log the ax glanced off and nearly took tho
end of my thumb off. That's the scar."
IIqvv little Lincoln was known in ike caot,
even after nominated for president, is shown
by Mr. Volk's experience with photographs
of him. A western photographer asked Mr.
Volk to take 1,000 or more of his Lincolus
east and distribute them among dealers, es
tablishing ageqejes at different jouiia tor
their sale. Not one dealer would take any
risk on them. "The suoject was too homely
to sell." A Broadway proprietor indig
nantly refused to permit one to, be placed In
his store. The western photogran ? never
afterward received an order from any dealer
with whom the pictures were left on sale,
nor a cent for the 1,000 thus given away. An
Pshkosh Republican who saw tho cabinet
bust of Lincoln in Mr. Volk's studio ex
claimed: 4 'He's too homely to buy, but I'll
vote for him an the same. Chicago Tribune.
A Wedding in Japan.
In Japan the marriage ceremony is per
formed in a tent pitched on the summit of a
convenient hill. The bride's party proceeds
to the appointed plaoe by one route, and the
groom's party by another. In the tent they
are confronted by the god of marriage, a
figure with a dog's head. With the aid . of a
priest and lighted flambeaus the knot is tied
amid the loud cries of all present. Mean
while, at the foot of the hill others have kin
dled a bonfire. After the ceremony in the
tent the bride descends the bill and commits
to the flames all the toys of her childhood.
and receives in her hand a distant and roll of
cotton. Thomas Stevens in New York Sun.
Tbey Couldn't Compete '
In a western, state a party of young men
assembled to ."shivaree". a- newly - married
couple. .When they commenced with their
horns, tin pans, bone fiddles and other musi
cal instruments the bride seated herself at
be pi i do and commenced one of .Wagner's
operas, effectually drowning the noise .made '
bv thn mrna'dars wfin' lhft in distrust. Do- .
:i-
.eeard
disturbed
,1 were fast
l nor the com-..-Idlers
who slept
-.ng. The convicts
j solution of one problem,
klng the chain rings em
JLt legs so extended as to be in
X to take them off or push them
. the ankles and the foot heels at
time. Thus the chains could bo car
on the soldier or around the waist.
Instead of around the legs, and walking
was much easier.
Of course, the soldiers and their com
mander knew well what the metallic
sounds meafit, but they did not care to in
tcrfere. Somo of the escort officers wero
good naturcd men, and paid no attention
to these "little transgressions" of tho
law; others were strict and rigid, not
tolerating any such liberties on the part
of the convicts, and as the latter bad
marvelous ability for "sizing up" their
commanders, they marched one day with
tho chains around their legs and another
with the chains around their waists
Many of the convicts managed to throw
off the chains even from their arms.
These being very short, give such a post
ure to tho wearer as to render l is tr: rr
twelve hours march extremely difficult.
The contact of the iron of the chains,
moreover, occasions, In the bones during
the intense Siberian heats or frosts, an
Insupportable rheumatic pain, which after
several weeks of walking becomes a real
torture. Michael MalkoH iu Chicago
News.
A Novel Test In Tasting;,
A novel bet was won and lost in a Vine
street resort tho other evening. A party
of gentlemen wero indulging in a social t
glass, and finally the conversation turned
upon the quality of liquors and the ability
of certain persons tQ judge them by tho
sense of srnell and taste. One man in the
party claimed that the best judges could
be fooled by the compounders, and, after
the argument became quite warm, made
the astounding assertion that a large per
centage of bar patrons did not know what
they were drinking.
Tho debate grew l;o.Uer and hotter, and
finally the man who had advanced such
outrageous ideas offered to bet a basket
of wino that he could confound any one of
tho party so that he could not tell water
from whisky. John Hummel, the circu3
man, who has had a varied experience in
the drinking line, accepted tho wager, and
the preliminaries began. John was first
heavily blindfolded, and then a mimber of
glasses, containing water, mllic, whisky,
sherry, claret. Rhino wino and gin were
6et out on the bar. They were handed to
the blindfolded man one at a time, and he
was told to name the liquor after tasting
It. lie got through the list bravely untlj j
he came to the gin, which h called port '
wine. Then tho man started him back.
but it was soon very evident that lium
mel's palate had lost its power. He called
milk water, and finally was forced to ad
mit that all the liquors tasted alike, and
that he had lost his bet. It was some
tune before, bo was able to enjoy tho wine
he had lost. Cincinnati Enquirer.
Excessive Eating in Gotham.
From the 1st of December to the last of
April, dinners are in order, and many
fashionable folk scarcely dine at home
ouoe a month unless they play host under
their own roof. How they manage their
digestion I know not, for a season's elabo
rate dinners are enough to disturb the in
terior of an ostrich. I am aware thai
cooking of the Careme kind claims to in ;
sure enpepsy ; but, while this may be j
true m theory, it is not in practice. Scores
of men dio here annually from excessive j
dining out, and I am acquainted with 1
dozens who have lost their health from i
the bame cause. Women seldom suffer, i
because they are not educated, and cannot
bo educated into epicures, If they ti j
tortured by gout it is usually an inherit j
anco ; most men earn their gout by pro i
tracted stomachic abuse. Excessive eat '
big, say experienced physicians, destroys i
as many constitutions as does excessive j
drinking. And excessive eating is the i
bane of New York Eocjety men and men
of leisure, who are represented by round. '
protruding eyes, double chins and oleag
inous complexions "Deuceace" in Globe
Democrat.
In California's "Flush". Dys '
It was tlui "auehvst" kind of a "flush'
ima. Tno years looz ana loo, especially ;
the latter, were years of rapid growth as !
well as unexampled prosperity Everv
thing flourished. Fortunes wc.v- made u
a day. Sorna ;uc or the ease with which
money was gained and tho prodigality 1
with which it was spent niAy to derived.
from the fcUQW log entries m ano'i ",eder
of a general store 6i that period: "One
$3; I dozen French sardines, f S-l:
2 white shirts. $40; 200 pounds of white
Cour. $150; 1 Cue tooth comb. $G; 1 tin
pan, $9; 1 barrel of mess pork, 210."
Whisky was 50 cents a drink, and butch
ers' knives, with which miners picked
gold from the crevices of the rocks, sold
for $G0 each. Adventurers, villains and
scoundrels from every quarter of tho
globe flocked here in greater numbers
than ever before. The extravages, .the
dissipations, the complete abandonment
to self indulgence and sensual gratifica
tion, the sudden ups and downs of fort
unes, and all the other evils of such a
state of society were rampant. San Fran
cisco Cor. Chicago Times.
Learning Foreign Languages.
It Js claimed that, generally speaking,
an aptitude for learning foreign languages
is indicative of a low degree of intel
lectual power, and results from the con
tentration of the lower Intellectual fac
ulties upon such mechanical effort with
out the distracting influence of the higher
reasoning powers. Globe- Democrat. .
Physician's Wife Are your affairs in
bad shape. John? Physician Vcs. but I
hope to pull through. My creditors have
extended my paper loth- middle efhe'
watermelon seasua. . .
a t
The Plattsmouth
Xs QT3. joying1 a
EDITIONS.
ine
Will be one during which the puhjects 1
national interest ami imjiortince will le
strongly agitated and the election of a
President will take place. 'Jhe people f
Cass County who would like to learn of
Political, Commercial
and Social Transactions
of this year and would keep npuve willi
the times should
roii KiTiiKi: Tiir:
Daily or Weekly Herald.
JsTow while we have
people we will venture to fpeak oi our
jiil
S VL Hi
is
tr m h mm
ia h rj ei fa u n u l n
ptpfitisf
Which is first-class in all reppects and
from which our joh printers are turning
out much satisfactory work.
P L A T TSMOTJTIF,
Hera
Boom in both, ito
a
the pulje't he fore the
NEBRASKA.
.-tbii
, yearly
Herald.
4
m a mm a e