TOPICS OF THE TiMK
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER
CSTING ITEMS.
Dhik aad destruction rth begin
with tbe easne letter, and the one it
the forerunner of toe other.
FOB most rklen there tu do
necessity for a law limiting bicycle
travel to tea miles an hour, remark!
the Lyne Item.
Some men treat dumb brutes as if
they had souls; others treat them as
is they had do souls themselves. It
is only a difference in men.
It isn't good policy for you to pun
ish a child for rot on anything it
learned of you. Better hire some
abled bodied man to deal with you.
u oti the number of arret ciec'tal
to Dim is uoi without ob ettions, not
ooly te the persons arrested but alj
to the officer biuisclf. The town
marshal ot Cass iile. Ma, for in
stance, is reported t be in a must
embarras ing A. Business being
dull, he arrested a man on general
principles and brought aim befo e the
squire, charged with noisy sboutinf
on the street. The magistrate was
about to impose a Bee. when some
one identified the prisoner as an un
fortunate who bad been deaf and
dumb from birth. The marshal is
understood to be much aepressed by
the incident and hasn't made an ar-
rest for several days.
A fashion paper says tbat the pret
tiest of the new prayer book are of
white morocco bound in silver. There
is style in piety as well as ia other
things.
Yoca neighbors know you pretty
well What they will say after you
ar dead will not count; be careful
about what tbe can say while you
are living.
There are worse things than to be
ailed a crank. Gallileu Columbus,
McCermick. and Morse were all
ailed craaka la their day. Now
bey art immortals.
One of the Washington c&nes-
pondeots aptlv recalls the witty pas
sage at arms between William .m.
Evarts and Lord Coleridge, at Ma
ernon. He says that when Lord
Coleridge recalled the saying that in
Gen. Washington's time a man could
throw a do lar across the Potomac,
Evarts replied, "Ye, but a dollar
would go a good deal farther in those
days than it will now." In telling
the story this way, an important
stitch is dropped. The happy retort
of EvarU was that Washington hiru
self surpaswd the feat of throwing a
dollar across the Potomac when he
threw a sovereign (George 1 IL ) across
the Atlantic: and then Coleridge
capped the joke by the remark that
a sovereign would go much farther
then than now, which left the honors
comparatively easy, but w.th a clear
lead for Lvarta
The kitting of the wrong man in
suppressing a revolt among the con
victs Is reg re table, but it emphasizes
tba moral' that every one ought to do
nothing that is likely to put him in
the State Priaoa.
Only seven out of the seventeen
transatlantic cables are in use ten
having fctven out from various causes.
Estimating the cost of each cable at
13,000,000, here 1m an irreclaimable
investment of $10,000,000 buried be
neath the ocean,
' The domain of the "King of the
Cannibal Islands" is not remote, even
bough the
disappeared.
Hawaiian dynasty has
Two American sailors
were killed and eaten by the natives
of Tiburon Island, in the Gulf of
California, and the State Department
la taking steps to secure the punish
men l of the hungry lnaians.
' Bow that the Columbian stamps
are things of the past to all In
tents and purposes, there are some
ponons just perverse enough to in
stet that they were superior to
the ordinary issues, aod to re
gret that they are no longer in use.
Sensible people, however, have long
been willing to speed their going.
' eTejt who prowl around with the
intention of blowing up public build
ings and committing murder if such
wretches eaa be called men ought
to be run down and taken into t us
tody at any cosU says the Kansas
Cltv Journal When captured they
should be given about tweoty-nve
rears ia some good penitentiary
where ther still have plenty of bard
work and ample opportunity to med
Itate on their folly and baseness.
The Americans at Blue fields have
checkmated the Insolent Nicaraguan
despotism, aad rendered its forces
powerless to do further damage by
shutting off its only source of rev
nue, the customs dutiea There the
Americas merchants and planters
will pay only in the worthless Mo
squito scrip forced upon them while
Licayo was in power. Meanwhile
the Klearacuaas dare not close the
porta to America a commerce for fear
of the guos aad the marines of the
Marblehead, which swings at anchor
at the mouth of the river.
Indians belonging to a Wild West
show on Staten Island have got their
manager into trouble by stealing
valuable pug dug and utilt Ing him
aa the piece de resistance in an a bo
rigioal banquet People who live In
Aats aow who have been made miser,
able day aod night by tbe bowls and
yelps of pampered pugs will sympa
thize with the Wild West m mager.
Indeed, if ho has any open dates be
eaa undoubtedly All them all in Chi
cago, provided bis Indians w 11 under
toko to decrease tbe visible supply of
fgja as smpidly as possible
About all there la to life is a good
iZSilft atop, aava tba Atchison
Giot. Instead ot worrylor aod fret
V23 foe faaae, a maa should ooduct
kiaaalf ia sock-a manner during tie
Cif tkeVbe will sleep well at night
IJaasaawlCl behave himself, and
C-jtrfth ni p worry about
I fiUi h M1 aKoaac la evary-
1 Ctls CaelrsrM very sawn
j Ctl Ca tfha do aot behave
- til, cmaftiaeaUr do
all Tli r3i aoerotof
: i clzzn. r trier a
'it '
LATEST RAZZLE OAZZLE.
j platform
meot of
The execrable and cowardly
sination of the President of the
French Republic is to bo deplored in
every nation ana among every class
of people. M. Carnot was a man
without eneiuiea Against him as an
individual there could have been 00
reason lor hatred. Mot perhaps
great, be was eminently respectable.
Sprung from tbe tomfortable middle
class, which the Irene 1 term tbe
bourgeois, he bad the middle-class
virtues and the middle-class lack of
brilliancy. He was. to use a compar
ison readily comprehensible to Ameri
cana tbe Hutnerra a a. Hayes 01
France. Ana by the possession of
these rather commonplace character
istics of mind be was made emi
nently the man to guide t e destiny
of the Frencb people A more brill
iant politician would have been a
dangenus factor in that volatile . .',5
. . . rr
state, a less honest one could not
have passed untainted through the
series of scandals which have be
smirched t e French Government In
tbe last Ave years and which culmin
ated Id the Panama revelations.
Commonplace though he may hae
been Caruot was able to grapple
CaMrtnan Whlrh lurWi
Mraily CmrH fMaat. '
Any one who has ever, while set
ting in a twin, thought bow delight
ful it would be to whirl in a irele j
completely above and around tbe 1
swing's points of supports may now '
enjoy that sensation on payment of
so much an enjoy. For Amariah
Lake, of Pieasantville, N. J., has re
cently patented a device termed tbe
haunted swing, wbirh imparts to IU
passengers this remarkable peculiar
feeling.
Mr. Lake's swing does rtt really
gyrate, but it is operated sa as to
make its possessor believe it does re
volve, and tbe fact Is that a person
even forewarned wno sits in tne
swing cannot detect tbe delusion is
what makes tbe device particularly
interesting.
Those who are to sit in the swing
are usbered iuto a small room. 1 rom
a bar crossing the room, near tbe
celling, hangs a large swing, which
is provided with seats for a number
of people After the people have
taken their places the attendant
pushes the car aod it starts into
'jsclllation like any other swing. Tbe
room door is closed. Gradually those
in it feel after three or four move
ments tbat their swing is going
rather high, but this is not alL Tbe
apparent amplitude of tbe oscilla
tions increases more and more, until
presently tbe whole swing seems to
whirl completely over, describing a
full circle about tbe bar on wblch it
hangs. To make tbe thing more
utterly mysterious tbe bar is bent
crank fashion, so tbat It seems de
monstrably Impossible tor tbe swing
to pass between the bar and celling.
It continues to go round and riund
this -way. Imparting a most weird
sensation to the oe u pants.
Tbe room is as completely furnish
ed as possible, everything being, of
course, fastened In place. What is
apparently a kerosene lamp stands
00 a tab e near at band. It is secure
ly fastened to the table, and in a few
seconds as tbe children say, "tbe
old cat dies" The door of tbe room
is open and the swinging party leave.
Those wbo have tried it say tbe sen
satlon Is most peculiar and the de
ception perfect
Tbe Illusion is based on the move
ments ot the room proper. During
tbe entire exhibition tbe swing is
practically stationary, while tbe
room rotates about the suspending
bar. At tbe beginning of operations
tbe swing may be given a slight
push; tbe operators outside tbe
room then begins to swing the room
itself, which is really a 1 rge box
journaled oc the swing bar, starting
it off to correspond with the move
ment of the swing.
They swing it back and forth, In
creasing tbe arc, and tbe light is
by a small
m, or tne angels annouoee-
tbe nativity to the .hep-
herd- of Bethlehem. Opposite this
was represented the last Judgment,
with Heaven and hell, and t Mich
ael in tbe center weighing soul.
SLOWLY STRANGLING AN ELM.
Rabelais M Home.
Brittany ha produced her think
ers and bllosopb s, the Eastern
Provinces their soidiera Pitou hr
lawyers, tbe valley of tbe I : bone her
orators. Hut Touraine is the land of
keen wit, gay jet ana rich
it is tbe n. ring mother of men of
tbe type of bkbelais. Marron. "aul
Louis Courrler, and Hal ac.
L ke bis own Paourge, liabelais
was born -au jardin de France qui
estTou.aine," tnat oountry which a
local historian of tbe Seeuteentb
Century calls "la Paiad s delicieux
de Touraine." His birthplace was
Cbinon, "th first town in the
world." for as its uame. according to
Kabelaisain etymology denotes, it
was founded by La n, be earliest
builder of cities Chinon is the cen
ter of a district bor ercd by a vast
forest: a Broceliaude, where nines
yet wilier in tbe trees, anl by tbe
barren healthy country of la cam
pagoe Berrkhonne, where the stern
magination of the Celt Is tempered
Bp tbe brighter fancy of the Gaul.
Its plains baveleen the theater of
stirring events, in which are epitom
ized tbe great period- of French his
tory. Here side by side urn bled together
in all tbe kaleld so. pic confusion of
"1 antagrucL" stand 1'ruidic altar ,
Iioman en: ampments, 11 ediaeval ab
beys, feudal fortresses, and cha
teaux like Aza-le Ktdeau in wblch
tbecoiuelryof l.enatssanc srebitect
, ure has reached iufcaye-t expression.
Close to tbe towu stands ste. Cath
arine rlerbois n who -chapel Joan
or Arc sought tbe sword with which
Charles M artel bad ste med tbe tide
of Saracen invaa on: and on the road
over which the omans pased to
their ei.campiuent at Cinais is tbe
Held whe e tbe Maid bewitched tbe
Court of Charles IL by her feats of
noble horsemanship tilackw nd's
Magazine.
A I . -tlmf Wteu-ria Via Which H
Puijliic iht- Hrtm nf m rythaa.
At the top of tbe bill in Church
street in Norwich a big statable
i ython s slowly strangling a large
elm. sa s th .ew York 6a. It is a
wisteria vine, said to be tbe largest
is 'be State, perhaps in tbe country,
in the open sunny garden of tbe
t.eorge U Coll place, next to tbe
Klirm sm nH Hunirrraat innal Church.
humor; 1 Al Ju ,t u about a foot , di.
ameter. A foot above tbe ground
Its trunk divides, and it sends ooe
fork, an important one, though a
hundred feet in length, northward
along the front of the handsome Colt
bouse. Its other and Interesting
fork, consisting ot three huge strands,
each four inches tbt k, trails along a
broad garden tence for twenty feet,
aod then enters a stately elm that h
at the oner edge of the flagged city
walk. Noting the great snakey vine
from the street, one has a keen iiod
GREELEY'S MANNERS BAD.
I llUill VUV BtS'l't.Vt " V uwo sa ' vu i
; lively Impres-ion that it is a xir table l commentary
Kmi Thar "rgta fr th rtmm
IpurS B Aftarwaraa.
Horace Greeley stories being la
order, in view of tbe unveiling or nis
statue a short time ago, 1 win teu
one tbat I beard in New Orleans.
Tbe geaial old philanthropist weat
there afer tbe South had Ukeo him
to ber ; a t lu grateful reeqgoltlon
of bis action In going on tbe Jeff
I'svis ball bond, and the people were
anxious to show him every attention
In their power.
A dinner seemed to be tbe proper
tblng, aod the markets of New Or
leans, than which there are few bet
ter in the world, were ransacked to
make the occasion as notable for its
viands as fo the distinction of tbe
gue-t and diners Judire Walker,
tbe veteran ediio.- of the Picayune,
presided; be was a great gourmand,
and, alter the manner of ifourinaoda,
wished none of the line po ots of the
dinner to be lost to the guest for lack
lamps within the chimney, but on
cealed by the shade. Tbe visitor
never imagines that It la an electric
lamp, and naturally thinks that it
would be Impossible for a Kerosene
lamp to be Inverted without disaster,
so that this adds to tbe deception
materially. Tbe same is to be said
of the pictures hang ng on tbe walls,
'Inched Her Ijfg.
-! One of tbe delights of Coney island
yesterday was a ibree-ltgged gi ).
Sbe is by no means a novelty, for
there have been trlple-legited young
women on the Itowcry before this
out the limb has always been stuffed
with sawdust or while sand.
Near the Germaoia liou e, on the
Bowery, tberc Is a tuu-eum where tbe
latest sort of "three-ieged girl" is on
exhibitioa ne Jobn Kyan of Ibis
city entered the tent yesterday with
bis girl. The so-called ireak 00 the
platform was close to a curtain, from
behind which another girl protruded
her leg to make tbe tree Tbe illu
sion was excellent and visitors who
Incandescent t were skeptical were invited to feel of
with Boulangism, and suppress that ' or the cupboard full of cblnawear, of
theatrical effort towa d imperialism, j the chair with a hat : on 1 It, and 0, ,
. ,, . .. .. t,,1uiI. t be baby. All contribute to the
The delicate negotiations with Russia , mygt,c'.tloa ETen thoUKh onc
and the steady, courageous, aod even latormtd of tne sec.et before enter
darlng extension of ibe French ter- ne the swing, the deception is ?ald
rlto y by wars of colonization during ( to be so complete that passenger in-
ki. tmrm r.t nWr hn that In the voiuniaruy seize me arms 01 me
tbe leg.
Mr. Ryan took advantage of the
offer yesterday, but 1 Inched the oad
limb so bard that the girl 1 eblnd tbe
curtain screamed and withdrew it
The audience was rapidly chased out- j
side by tbe lecturer and assisants,
and the other girl retired in dlsgusu
New York World.
serpent that has just leaed upon the
tree, enfolding it in a deathly cod
, striction. Before entering the elm
, tbe three strands are firmly bound in
a monstrous cable with man if id
small, round, withe-like bands em
anating from the strands themselves
j Singularly uncanny and menacing
, tbey seem interlaced, twisted and
contorted, as if writhing in each
j other's hostile embrac - aod the fa l
that their bark is smooth and of a
dusky brown hue, like the hide ot
, eotue venomous vipers, deepens the
imprcsion that they are pythons
Immediately after entering the elm
tbe cable divides into its several
strands, and each travels up the tree
' in its own ec. entrlc, serpentine way.
One strand, three inches thek,
throws a soil so tightly about the
elm trunk, just below its lowest
bran be, that It has cut a deep cir
cular furrow into the bark.
This coil Is choking tbe life out of
tbe tree. Ascending, tbe threefold
serpent flings fold after fold about
trunk and branches, and finally lift
ing its plumed green crest high aixive
the elm's crown gathers it Into in
embrace Tbe tree Is naturally
thrirty and luxuriant, but it already
shows plentiful tokens that its power
ful enemy is tbiottling It Tne tl
of Its lower houghs are dry and dead,
and aloft It foliage is sere or yellow.
Before another year it doubtless will
be deaa, and then tbe vegetable ser
pent may east at will on its leafless
carcass, in tne cna it may pun iuc
tree's skeleton down and thereat ter,
if it had its own licensed way, would
travel on to another elm in the street
and thr ittle aod destroy that When
in full boom, with a hundred pur
pie flower clu-ters, tbe wisteria Is
gorgeous and beautiful, but one
easily fancies then that the splendid
blossoms are mottled patches on the
python's bide, and tbe vine does not
seem so lovely.
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.
activities of statesmanship which re
quire tbe exercises of diplomacy he
as no laggard. His seven years'
term of otce, now drawing near sn
end, i-aw more than one crisis in
France wblch the wiseacres prophe
sied portended tbe speedy downfall
of tbe republic. Yet on the day of
bis assassination tbe government
was stronger than ever, and his own
re-election to office, had he lived,
would have been a matter of certainty.
eats to
below.
avoid being precipitated
"LIIVNG PICTURES.'
A Psmnai Ride.
Non of tbe obituary writers 00 the
late Louis Kossuth seems to have re
ferred to an Incident in his career
which must always have a sped il
interest for Englishmen. This was
one of the most famous record -rid s
of ancient or modern t met, pr
formed by Capt. Charles Townley. a
yueeu's messenger, in the Interest of
the Hungarian Liberator. After t e
collar of his cause in 1S4 Kos-sui h
aod a crowd of his compatriots h. d
!ed to Turkey, from which Austria
aod Rusla were menacingly demand
ing their ext ad i Hon. But the great
Eltchi," wbo was then our represen
tative on the (.olden Horn. n;a :e
bold upon his own responsibility o
back up the Sultan in his refusal to
dellvr up the fugitives, believing
that Palmers ton, who was then at
the Foreign o;l ce, would bear him
out in bis firm attitude of opposition.
Knowing that II e and death de
pend d 00 tbe speedy arrival of his
approving dispatch at SUmi-o 'I
'Pa iu" selected Capt Townley l'
Its bearer, with instructions "not to
pare Himself or others in getting 10
bis destination as soon as possible.
Reaching Belgrade on October 2",
Capt. Townley there took horse, and
on the morning of tbe - th he rode
or rather reeled, Into Pera. having
covered the distance of " miles lo
131 hours-a feat which el cited lorn'
applause when mention was made o.
it lo the House of Common Pall
Mail Gazette. ,
, Wonel'Dyelw
A antcew of dyeing wood that
lamlf aoed la Go many, and partlo-
tarty la Da . aria, has aeon ue esa
folly tries' by a Sratof ( aaadlaa lam
boraioav ; .-.
T mawy maa, whoa ask 4 for aa
ir-?;, fjr to staeUa la fam of au
Orlgtaataa at Paris In the FoartMnth Cca
tarr. aa Wcra finally BaUcisa.
In tbe Pall Mall Gazette th re re
cently appeared an article on tbe
historical orig n of tbe "living pic
' tures" which are now all the rage.
- It iso't likely that tbe women wbo
' pose in them, the managers wbo vet
them up, or very many of th pcr
' sons wbo go to see them bave any
I idea bow extremely illustriour and
! moral was tbclr beginning. Tbey
were a fourteenth rentury scheme of
I decoration, a Paris street adornment
j in the pageantry tbat marked the '
progress of tbe kings, and they usu
' ally represented biblical stories, or
'scenes from the lives of the saint. ;
' Tbe Gazette's writer ascribes their
.origin to tbe invention of tbe Duke
of Bed ord during bis regency of
j France, but tbey continued in use
long after bis day. On u platform
, 100 feet long, placed in the street op
jpostte tbe royal palace, tbe Duke
I represented with living figures the
1 Dasaioo as It is sh two on tbe stone
pourtoursof the chow of Notre Dame
In the reigns of the later kings, we
are told, tbe living plctur s were the
most popular form of street adorn
meot and It became customary to
build booths for their representation
all along the routes of the proces
sions These pictures, says tbe writ
er, wouia lorm eitner a series 01
scenes telling 00c story or tne suo-
jocti composed woold make detached
tnd independent allego lea Some
times as In the crucifixion, where a
flven attitude would be too difficult
ot performance wax figures were
added to tbe living groups. "Every
quarter of tbe town and each corpor
ation was instructed with tbe inven
tlon and tbe geti.og up of some pie
ture," aod from tbe ensuing rival y
most excel leot results were obtained.
To the sightseer the affect was as if
ho were passing through a gallery of
aalotlon Itolasart, for Instance,
tolls of a street reprosecution In
M 0 of paradise, It was represented
with a blue ba kg round constellated
'Wltb gmaoo awn, ana wiva tne ir
0n tjta d'winM rhiM In the ivn
tor surrounded by a choir of aogela
Rvoo the trjnlty waa sometimes
ihowa, aod at the entry of Charles
VII la u ". we are totd t hat the
pieta of Included iwesoiuticni of
t0MD'. '"'' ' 1 m
' Beggars In China.
In China tbe beggars are organized
into rompaoies, each having its owu
district and all ow.ng allegiance and
paying tribune to a -king of the beg
gars," who lives in al ost regal
splendor, r very !eggar has bis own
beat, beyond wbicb be is not al
lowed, upder iualty of severe pun
ishment. 1 1 go. He is permitted to
visit each house on his beat once,
and but once, every day, and on mak
ing his appearance at the door if bis
api eal for charity be not at once at
tended, he may shout sing, ring a
bell, or make any other noise he
pleases uutil be has received one
"cash," tbe smallest copper coin in
u-e, after which he must move on.
: ome mertbaots, to save time and
trojble, have a frame bung in front
of their bouses wltb as many nails
driven In it as there are lggars In
tbe district Every mo ning a serv
ant hangs a "cash" on each nail and
each beggar comes in turn, takes 00a
coin and moves on.
As is well kcowo, the law cannot
concern itself, In any case before It
with s de issu e. These are rigor
ously excluded.
In a case In wbicb a man was ac
c :sei of forgery, a witness for tbe do
ence managed to say:
I know tbat tbe prisoner cannot
write bis own name."
"All tbat is excluded," said tbe
judge "Tbe prisoner In not charged
with writing bit own name, but tbat
of some ooe else!"
Hamaraa Kecordaa Inataneaa of Hamaa
Hod la Oolna I p In Srookr.
Medical literature of this country,
as well as that or England and con
tinental Euro.e, relates many re
markable Instances of the spontan
eous combust on of the human body,
says the St. Louis Kepublic. In all
such cases, wbicb are all the more
interesting on account of their com
parative rarettr, the victim has been
a person addicted tu tbe immoderate
use of spirituous li tuors, either as a
beve aae or in tbe form of a bath.
Little by little all the water and
other liquids of the body are replaced
by alcohol, and then all tbat is nec
essary to cause a catastrophe is to
rind some means of applying 1 ame to
spirituous gases which a e escaping
from every pore. Occasionally tbe
breath of the poor victim is dred
while lighting a pipe or a cigar, or it
may be that a flame comes in con
tact with and lights the alcholic va
pors which are escaping from some
other portion of the body. When
once tbe fire Is applied a bluish flame
extends very rapidly to all parts of
the body, leaving it a shapeless mass
of cbarred flesh and alciued bon s.
lu many instances attempts have
j been made to extinguish the flame i
i with water, but always without suc
' cess. When the a reeled parts of the
victim are touched a fattv matter ai
: taches itself to the fluuer, still con-
"Mr. Greeley," said be, "these oys
ters are the be t that come 1 1 our
market and we think tbey vie with
those of Norfolk. 1 oltserve th t you
are not eating them."
"Well, no," replied Greeley; "the
truth is, I never could abide shell
fish," and be passed.
Then came some delicious green
tuitle soup, which Judge Walker
explained was prepared Iroin the
finest fat turtle tbe Horlda bays
could afford.
No, doubt no doubt" was the
reply in Crceley's peculiar whine,
"tut cold-blooded animals are an
abomination to me."
Tbe pompaoo, imperial 1 sn tbat
It Is, and fresh from tbe air, was
open to the same objection, despite
Judge Walker's eulogy, and that tro,
was passed. Mr. Greeley barely
tasted tbe accompanying Parisian
dainty, and shook bis bead ruefully
at the Idea tbat anybody would Im
pair bis digestion br eating cucum
ber Sbrlmp salad, another New
Orleans delicacy, proved no more
templing; shrimps, he said, looked so
much like worms that they alwayi
gave bim tbe creeps.
"Ah, here is something you will
like a homely dish in name," said
Judge Walker, "but 1t for tbe gods.
ItisaUalicfa ham." And theo he
went on to tell bow the bogs from
which these bams were obtained
were fed ooly on chestnuts, making
tbe flesh luscious and delict us.
"Perhaps so. very interesting In
deed," observed Greeley; "but do you
know Judge, 'that there Is so much
talk of trl hln v nowadays that I
wouldn't dare taste a bit of pork "
Tbe Judge pave up io despair. The
onlv thiogs m all of the array of
I dainties wbicb bad been provided
) wbicb Mr. Greeley would eat were
bread, potatoes aod cauliflower, and
be feared that he might be overload
ing bis stomach at that. Hut when
it came to tbe speaking, although he
had drunk nothing but cold waer.
be spoke as one Inspired, and with 1
fervor, eloquence, and tecernew
that nobody at tbe table could cei
forget
'Murders In (he Rne Morgue."
The employment of an ourang
outang in the commital of these mur
ders bas always seemed to me one ol
the most original Ideas In action
with which I am acquainted, until
now, when I light upon an extract
from the (Shrewsbury Chronicle,
tucked away In the Chronicle"
columns of tbe "Annual lceA'lter."
Poe's story was published in Gra
ham's Magazine for April 1841.
What took place at Sh ews ury oc
curred in July o" August I
At that time certain showmen vis
ited the town with a "ribbed-faced
baboon," wblch, it was aUerward
shrewdly suspected, had been taught
to burgle, or, as tbe Chronicle puu
It to "commit robberies by n ght,
and by climbing up places Inaccessi
ble to men, and thereby gaining ao
entrance through tbe bedroom win
dows" precisely the method of pro
cedure adopted by Poe's anthropoid.
In ber bed 00 in one night 1
Shrewsbury lady found the creature.
She raised an alarm, and the baboon
"Inst ntlv attacked her, and with sc
much fury tbat the lady's husband,
wbo bad come to the rescue, was glad
to let it escape by the window. ' Th
ourang-oulaug of the - ue Morgue
milrni a almllur thrmisli fatal at.
tlnulng to burn, airfl giving off a very I Uci. wnen , discovered in a ladv'i
disagreeable odor, iomethmg similar j bedronm there, and effect its escarx
An I normoii Mtargnon.
A monster sturgeon waa taken a
few days ago In tbe Caspian. The
fisherman bad no little trouble in
hauling tbeir catch ashore. Tbe Osb
was foun 1 to weigh about 1,440
pounds English. It was subsequent
ly sold at Astrakhan for abjut 13.'.
Tbe head alone weighed -H8 pound a
A tlb o this kind gives about HO
pounds ot roe for caviare. London
News.
Ready for Baslnes.
Practical Aunt To you think you
are .ualifled to become tbe wire of a
poo,- man?
Sweet Gli l-O, yes, It's al! died.
We a 0 to live in a cottage, aod I
kojw bow to mako cottage p ddtng."
-Life. v
The swagse, of a p etty girl la very
often like the swagger of a lighter
wbo thinks bo eaa whlpoverybody.
A worth mac dearly love to
carry a goltar on tba street
to tbat wbicb ar ses from burning a
mixture of born, ha r, and wool.
; During all this time a thick, black
moke arises fr m tbe body and at
taches Itself to the surface of all ob
jects wltb which It comes in contact,
the ' settings" from it being in the
form of a sweat unctuous to tbe
touch, and of an unbearable fetor.
I In the ma ority of such cases cum
' bustion is only arrested when the
Mesh has been reduced lo cracklings
and tbe b oe to powder. Vincent
Im. hi. tlf'.in.hla. l'A,nuitlnrt Man
says: "Commonly the feet and por- tuV "n ,,ut slecs
tion of tbe head are not burnt but j without reding-a thing wbicb
usually when tbe combustion Is fln. ough' to be puniseed in Itse as an
i.k-h i, ia Hin.r..it haii... thatth- Insult to literature. Lord Alvanley
IOUvU JW far va ft I J x a l w w 'w v w wa w isa
t. im .11 ih.i i. i.t. ,.r was so well-known
III VI l' OlWa nil wsaaaaj av aw. a- .
a b union body."
by the same means. It is. of course,
I possible that Poe may never have
come across this episode, but it seemi
: something nxre than probable that
be die". Anyhow, the coincidence it
A yuear Vice.
The Are Insurance companies
(writes James Pa n) ouht to gat
reading In bed made a penal offense.
It Is a habit that grows upon people,
like drlnslng at last however tired
A l)at Mbooter.
A Jap bas recently turned out a
neat little device for defending him
xelf against footpads, hu glars and
other nuisances. It is a small piece
of mechanism that shoots a charge of
fine dust into the eyes at a distance
of tea or twelve yards, so a to close
them up tightly. It doesn't Wind,
however. Alter twenty minutes or
so the eyes of the person so treated
are as right as over again. Of eoure,
there is nothing to prevent the tables
, being turned and tho wicked man
ualog the Instrument aga nst hie vie
tlms Saa Fraoclsoo Chronicle,
a slave to the
habit that a servant waa al way placed
at hi bedroom door, with orders not
to leave till his light waa out lie
himself bad two methods or extin
guishing It He threw things at the
candle aa It stood ou the Coor, 01
imply put It under his bolster.
1. ,.' Is awfully dlag ecblo
sticky during not weather.
aad
Tiik only thing fit
atar is ao umoroUa.
Coal first Ijlauovered.
British writers say tbat the Brit
ons as early aa tbe Koman occupation
(tt a 65 A. D. r.ih used oal,
and coal ashes have been found ic
tbe ruins of Roman bouse lo En
gland. Tho-' an lent did not 11
coal, and perhaps too Britons weit
tba to Heat to use tbe fue . About
K'.U Henry III of England granted
a lieonse to dig ooai near Newcastle,
hat not for 1 o years later waa lb it '
aay Uaft c in coal, irea laKaglasd,
1 1