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About Harrison press-journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1902)
FIRST DUEL IN IOWA. BOTH PARTICIPANTS FIRED XH THE AIR. S. X. Greens of Chicago Tills a Story Based on Historical Facta from an Old Diary. The following reminiscence of the expedition that built Fort Armstrong was furnished the Davenport (la.) Re publican by 8. E. Greene of Chicago, whose grandfather was a member of the expedition, and from whoes diary the story Is taken: Spring of the year 1815 found the Eighth Infantry at St Louis, awaiting orders. Most of as were penniless had pent every cent down South the year before and were glad to get the rest and recreation that barracks life af forded. But there was little doing at St. Louis. The town was barely a trading post, and save being the assem bling spot for bodies of troops which were occasionally aent up the river, and sort of frontier station for emi grant, had not made itself very con spicuous on the map. In the early days the star of empire found few follow ers, and it was not until some IS years after that the real period of the growth of the Northwest began. It was late in the year when the Eighth was ordered out The objective point was Rock Island, some 800 miles up the Mississippi. We were assigned to places in keel boats, which were ex tensively used in the island waters at that time, and started up tne river wun well-equipped fleet including the members of the rifle regiment, boatmen and the contractor's help. The con tractor's agent was George Davenport, who afterward became quite a conspic uous figure In the history of the North west At this time there was no com missary department in existence to pro vide for the troops and contracts for provisions were let to private Individ nals and concerns. The supplies were also brought up In large keel boats. I have frequently beard allusions to the inadaptability of the larger keel floats to river ferrying. As may be snpposed they were not perfectly con structed, nor did they meet all tne ex ltencles of the weather, "sawyers,' "wooden Islands" and the like, but on the whole their service was satisfac tory. It was not an easy matter to construct a craft that must be light and draw very little water, and yet able to transport a large number of men. The keel boats of 1815 did not fill all these Qualifications, and yet they suc ceeded pretty well. They were chiefly nronelled by rowing: In case of a good wind sails were erected, and If the water was deep enough near the bank, additional motive power could be rur nished by tow lines, which were, how ever, on account of the irregularity oi the channel, rarely used. The autumn leaves were falling when we started up the river, and the weath er for the first few days of the trip was exceedingly chilly, especially at night There were fogs without number, and some time was lost in the delays which resulted from unfamlllarlty with the channel. There were times when we could not see three yards to either side or ahead of the boats, and on such occa sions there was nothing to do but wait It was for this reason that we did not reach our destination Rock Island that year. But this leads me up to the point of my narrative. There was on the boat to which I had been assigned a particular friend of mine who bore the name of Bennet Riley and who was second lieutenant in the rifle regiment Riley was a good fellow all round, but somewhat hot headed, and when it came to argu ment be was Just as likely to have a dispute with the colonel as anyone else. So It happened that on one of the foggy mornings of which I have just spoken, Riley got into an argument with Smith of the sixth boat ours was the fifth on the very interesting topic of the course of the river. The boats were anchored in an eddy, within speaking distance of each other, and the crews were lust preparing breakfast It was Smith who started the discussion, "If there's something I can't see." he said, "it the reason for that crew of your'a anchoring in mid-stream with the bow of the boat turned to the shore and the broadside facing the channel. It's the queerest piece of work I ever saw." "You don't want to believe every thing you see,' rejoined Riley, "this boat is facing the channel bow on. It's yours that's out of the way." "I don't know about that, and I don't know what you took last night, but I'll stake an even hundred that your boat is turned Just as I said. Can't you see that foam? Did you ever sea so much water oaaalna your side as there is now. and that with bow onT Look for yourself." Smith pointed triumphantly to the water, which, in reality was now ins lust aa he said, and a half a docen of us, who had nothing on earth to do but to sit under the sheets mad look wise, followed the direction of his out stretched hand. Tne argument ertainlv a rood one. "You're mixed In your directions, man," laughed RHey. "This rlvsr ain't running from east to west but from orth to south. We're near the Dm Mfttnaa oat twenty miles from It1 "That's where your off again. The run of the water shows It," answered Smith of the other boat "We're in sn sddy, sod yon eant tell where you are,' suggested some- "Eddy nothing." cried Blley." Ill stake my hat and Smith's salary that t is the one mat ts in an sour. Walt tin the fos lifts and he'll see for himself that he is wrong in his cal culations." , "Ma asa snttlns personal about It.1 atiirt Smith, now somewhat excited "If yea cant take my word for It, there's no use of welting for the fog to lift Mr word la as good ss yours." "Is that so," said Riley, hotly, It doesn't take a smith to tell me. Ton reiaat oa my family when you say that! Come oa shore sad wet! see what way toe carrest runs. X "TheTa aartafaetoiT to ma. and SI fat the iluiiMHi nartv I sneea I have the eaahm of wsasons." answered Smith wtOi aa injured sir. m mhu " Hilar smiled. - "Well tfi MstoU. at a hundred Un was tUeaee la the two boats as r:Ji rtka. There hat been freqaeat part ore from St Louts. "Greene," said Riley to me, "I guess you'll do for ray second.' Now let's get ashore." The entire! crowd of riflemen and boatmen evinced a desire to see the strange conflict, and pulled us ashore with a hearty good will. Riley did not speak, neither did Smith, but both) walked together up the bask to a suit able spot, while Smith's second, a man from boat six. and myself compared pistols and secured a timepiece. There were very few watches in evidence among such a crowd as this, for in those dsys it was not a very safe thing for a traveling Jeweler to cross the Indiana border, and not many of the men who had watches at the time of their enlist ment had retained them through the years of their servitude. When the paces had been measured off the two fighters faced each other, while the crowd kept off a respectable distance, guarding against stray bullets. I don't know, Greene," said Riley to me, " but that I may never again see the light of day after this business.' If anything should happen, well, I know there won't, but then, there Is always some safety in being assured that you will be taken care of. If anything should happen, as I say, will you see to It that some word reaches the folks? I've a brother in Utlca, and he can let the ethers know. But don't get nervous Oreen. it's all right" A strange feeling that something ter rible was about to transpire possessed me. I was only a young man at the time and had eeen very little of fight ing, although I had been in the service nearly two veers. This was the first dual It has been my lot to witness. The combatants were ready and Smith's second began to count, "one, two. three." The pistol shot rang out simultane ously, the crowd gave a loud shout, and the birds In the trees near by rushed upward in a flutter. I heard the whistle of Smith's bullet as It passed my ear and struck the bark of a young sapling at my right, and then placed my hand over my eyes. A moment later I heard Riley yell and Smith laugh. They were both standing together unharmed, for both had emptied their pistols Into the air. Riley was shaking bands with his adversary, and I heard him exclaim aa he pointed to the river. "See, the fog's going away! Look In that direction!" And I turned around and looked, and there we could plainly see the opposite bank. The fog had begun to clear even at the opening of the quarrel, but so angered were the principals that they had not noticed the shitting cloud. The other boats were' aware that something was going on on the bank, and several were sending out smaller skins to in veatlgate. But what interested me most was the direction of the river, which was positively west to east. We had struck one of the many little local bends in the meandering course of the Mississippi, during the night, and this was the cause of Smith a aberration. So ended what I have no doubt was the first duel on Iowa soil that had white men for Its principals. S. E. G. I NEW KLONDIKE ROUTE SHORTER ROUTE THAN YUKON RIVER VOW AFFORDS. Government Engineers Engaged Plan to Take 390 Miles Off Pittance to Dawson. in More Occupations Open to Her There than in This Country. Women In America, It Is thought, are now engaged in man's occupation to an astonishing degree. But the In novation Is carried still farther in Eu rope. In Holland, Germany and Switzer land women take part, a a matter of course, in al the labors of agriculture, They till the fields, cut the corn and gather the crops. On the streets of Munich women are employed to keep the car lines clean, and they are specially uniformed for the purpose. In short skirts. Bavaria being well, supplied with forests, wood is largely used for fuel, and along the curb of Munich streets women fre quently stand and sell their firewood. In Zurich there are women Dootoiacxs. In several continental cities women do light gardening Jobs, like keeping in order the borders and gravel paths of public parks. In Germany the rail way Btatlons have women ticket agents, In some of the European art galleries women are engaged to take care of the visitors' sticks and umbrellas. They are also custodians of museums, as at the Swiss National museum, where one of the galleries ts In entire charge of a woman. t f -1 tsar Ct bat bob. had 1 h a k. Twa was i tiA ef XU dm ns THE NEW WOMAN IN EUROPE. QUICK AND ZFTECTIVB. Getting an Audience Safely Oat of a Burning Hall. Judge: Panic-stricken, the stage manager rushes to the chairman of the school entertainment committee. "The hall is on Are!" he exclaims. "If we tell the audience, there will be a riot and many will be killed In the rash to get out If we do not tell them, they will all be pureed, un, wnsi ensii ws do?" Now. the chairman Is a man of cool ness and ingenuity. Stepping quietly before the curtain, he says Ladies sad gentlemen, we, win next be entertained by Hiss Winnie Wurdelth. the well known elocutionist who will reader 'Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonle-ht' " As by magic the audience nits rrom the hall, one by one, until naught but the empty seats is left to satiate the furious appetite of tne red demon. wast Sawdust Contains. Forum: Br the distillation of saw dust all the distillation products of wood are obtained, and this manufac ture can be conducted aa an adjunct to the working of wood la a way to insure a profit The products obtained- are sas. wood alcohol, acetic acid. tar. and oils. From the tar there have been obtained benxole, tolule, it mole, cumole, paraffin, naphthalene, mA hvdmarbons. which are used In To reach the gold region of Alaska by a much shorter route than the Yu kon river now affords seems a possi bility of the not distant future. The government will soon be called upon to consider an engineering plan for the utilisation of the Talblksak river, a tributary of the Yukon to connect the latter with the Kuskokwim, a river which ranks next to the Yukon In the matter of sise. At present over 100 steamers run reg ularly on the Yukon, carrying passen gers and freight to and from the gold district. Engineers have recently gone over the ground and reported favorably on a scheme of connection between the Yukon and Kuskokwim whereby the navigable route will be shortened by 820 miles. The Kuskokwim can be navigated by steamers for a distance of 600 miles from Its mouth, snd because of its greater fredom from obstructing isl- ands, and the fact of its having a slow er current it is more favorable for ships than the Yukon. The thing is to make a connecting route between both vers by means of the Oknakluk lake and Talblksak river, and in order to do this a portage now existing between the two latter bodies of water must be cut through. Near the northern bend In the course of the Yukon, the Talblksak has its mouth. Here steamers winter, enroute to the gold regions, waiting for the ice to break, as the ice here does not ob struct navigation as It does at St Michael's, by lylngon the bars long af ter the deep water la free. To winter at Talblksak river mouth means that a steamer doing so can go on up to Daw son and get back before the season opens at St. Michael's. As the bird flies. Just 20 mile south of the Talblksak mouth the Kuskokwim describes a great bend In its course. The Talblksak Itself is a slow flowing stream, with low banks on both sides, At its southern end the proposed lm proved route starts from the village of Kalchagamut. There a slow stream de bouches Into the Kuskokwim, navl gated northwesterly for some three miles. This stream at its mouth is 70 feet wide, Increasing within the first mile to 100 feet, but narrower by de grees to between 30 and 40 feet. It varies very little In depth from the aver age of Beven to 12 feet above the mouth having at that point a depth of 30 feet. The banks are usually about five feet hiph. For the passage of boats, portage is necessary at certain points, in order to reach a pond 150 feet In length; after which portage is again resorted to over a high bank of earth. From thence boats are pushed or pulled for 1,000 feet or a narrow water channel until anotner lake BOO feet wide Is reached. Having: crossed this lake the boats are shovod through shallow, reedy water to a stream which runs northwest and with a serpentine course having between 200 and 300 different bends. This stream is 30 feet wide and averages about seven feet in depth. Further up It narrows at points to even ien feet, but again widens later. It is bound alternately by banks and swamps. At a certain Junction the main stream Is reached and the boats navigate this easterly for some 20 miles until another lake is reached, from Thlch another stream flows into Lake Oknakluk, two nod one-half miles In length and usual ly four feet deep, with level beaches. From LAKe UKnaaiuK a waier cnn nel brings the boats to another lake, less than a mile long which is succeeded br still another. Portage Is again neces sary from here to a water channel, as a lofty earth bank has to do crossed the channel leading Into the Talblksak river, which, flowing Into the Yukon, completes the connection, as described, between that stream and the Kuskok wim. So what the engineers have to do is to cut through the portage between Oknakluk lake and the TaiMksaK river, which work will involve making a travel cut some hundreds of feet in lenrth and not at any point exceeding in feet in depth. It Is believed that the Talblksak here is higher than the lakes and the Kuskokwim as is aiso the Yukon itself. After the cutting of the portage, the water thus released la expected to accomplish naturally the creation of a clear crevice through the route as here described, with-its in Mdental channels ana narrow ruts, u l also suggested that the Talblksak be dammed especially for the purpose and thus made to rush towards the Kuskok wim. The dam will probably be made nt ire owinr to the ease with which tho latter can be obtained. The new chan nel once formed, it ts believed that in time the Yukon water would naturally avail Itself of the new and snorter pas- sase In order to reacn tne ocean. When the work Is done, steamers nsvlaatlna the rtver would start from Goodnews hay, an excellent harbor some HO mllea south of the Kuskoswim's month, which, at low tide. Is not navl. sable for steamers wun over tour test of draught wAuicit a i ataum. country as has been done In the Kion- dyke, with steam tbawers because in the latter region there la a total ab- ! sence of any natural growth of wood. Even if coal could be obtained in Nome for a reasonable price it could not be transported to the claims in sufficient quantities for steam-creating purposes, except at a price which would be great er than the amount of gold released thereby from the ground, as the entire country is covered with a tundra, com posed of moss, muck ana water, over which no team can travel with a neavy load. It therefore became apparent that It mining was to be carried on successful ly In Nome during the winter monins on a scale similar to that conducted in the Klondike it could only be done by the introduction of some new process of creating beat. - -- . Some of the heaviest owners of placer claims conceived the idea of Interesting Charles A. Kuenzel, the well-known German inventor, in the matter, and it Is by the aid of his system of producing dry gas from 85 per cent of com pressed air and 15 per cent of kero sene that the working of the Nome placer deposits throughout the winter has been solved. Mr. Kuenzel has In vented a small, light and portable ma chine, which will revolutionise the re sults of placer mining here. The small quantity of oil required will enable suf ficient quantities to be proaucea ior carrying on operations on a large scale. The receipt of a first installment oi these machines, which are being manu- actured in the East for the Arctic Heat ing A Thawing Co. of the Parrot build ing. San Francisco, is eagerly awaitea. The DODulatlon of Nome now is m the neighborhood of 4,000 people. Quite a percentage of these are women and there Is social life enough In the town to satisfy any moderate tastes. The only bad DOlnt about the place is the isolation for so many months of the vear from the outside world. Un- laklik and Council City are the only places with which communication is held durlne the winter, and they are only Arctic outposts like Nome. The malls are carried by dog and reindeer teams and the time occupied In getting them through is sometimes very long, months elapsing during their transpor tation. There is talk of substituting reindeer for the does now carrying the mails, as it is thought they will make better time. Some of the leading busi ness men are agitating wireless tele rranhv and it is likely that arrange ments will be made during the coming summer months to have some lnstru ments installed so that we shall no long er be cut off from civilization for such a long period. It is now four montns since we re ceived news from the outside world and although there is no suffering or want to talk about, now we feel tne isola tion a good deal. The local newspa per, and social amenities of an unpre tentious character are about the only thlneB we have to Interfere with the routine of daily life, which is more mo notonous than it would be had we any occupation to employ us for the long months of winter. AUGUST PETERSEN. TOWN SOLD FOB TAX THE FATE OF AH ILLINOIS MIN ING TOWN. Winter at Home. Nome. March B. Nome Is still In the grasp of old Boreas and likely to re main so for two months to come yet at least Of course during the ions win ter, with the mercury dodging down to 40 decrees below sera mining opera tion! are practically suspended. This annoying situation is, nowever, to ne obviated before another season comes around, and the enormous placer wealth which now mocks the gold seek er like a mlraxe as he gases upon the auriferous sand through the Ice is to be accessible all through the long ana ted ious winter. This wonderful result Is to be brought about by the Introduction the manufacture of aniline ooiors. or some new-rssnionea inswers wmcn Carbollo add and creosote are also ob- will prove the open sesame to the much tel.. as a last nroduct charcoal ts coveted wealth and will permit the Knocked Down to the Highest Bid der to Cancel a Tax Indebted- of Sao Changes of Ten Tears. ness TO SWITZERLAND BY WATER Plan for a Water Highway from That County to the Sea. New York Sun: Switzerland is the only important country in Europe, ex cept Servia, that has no sea coasts. It depends upon other nations for sea ports and steamship lines, paying large sums of money to foreign transporta tion companies to carry all Its foreign trade. This is, of course, a commercial disadvantages. A youna Swiss engineer has sud- mltted a plan to the government for an all-water route from the city of Basel to the North sea: Basel, on the Rhine, is about 300 miles from Rotterdam, the nearest port on the North sea. This engineer, Mr. Gelpke, proposes to ren der the Rhine navigable for freight steamers at all seasons of the year by regulating its water level. He suggests that betweeen Basel and Mannheim, the nresent head of navigation on the Rhine, fourteen dams be constructed to raise the water level along tnat entire stretch of the river. Each dam should be provided with suitable locks for the passage of vessels and with sluices for driving turomes ior me proaucuon oi electrical power. He estimates that the project would cost 120,000,000, and that the turbines would yield at least 100,000 horse power, which could be utilized oy inausiriai establishments In Alsace and in the grand duchy of Baden. Germany nas larger commercial rela tions with Switzerland than any other nation, and It is thought she would not be averse to adding a practicable water mute to the line railroad facilities which now connect her with the little republic. The Swiss government and people would be rlad to encourage any feasible scheme for connecting their country by water with the sea. Mr. oeipke's plan is. therefore, receiving consideration, as well as another project that is also at tracting attention. This plan is to build a canal from Basel to connect with the famous Rhine-Rhone canal that now enables small Rhine boats to travel all the wav to Marseilles. The Rhine- Rhone canal starts from Mulhausenyon the Rhine and extends in a southwest direction to the Doubs river, which is a navigable tributary oi tne nnine. left la the retorts. Maxim Gorky, the Russian novelist, purposes to found In NIJnl-Novgored a vBsmboads' Ian. which will receive erery vagabond who may apply for shelter for a limited time, bo matter whether he be worthy or not It will ha eoadscted oa humanitarian rinclplee. asd wtf ectasia a small brewery and a hc tea kalL Only habitual drunk alia as frfcaiai sari cheata wP working of placer claims all ths year 'round. It la aa admitted fact that the Nome, Keugarock, Blues tons and Arctic min ing districts are beyond all question a rich aa any other yet discovered. Owing to the total absence of fuel In the winter, however, and the high price of It In rummer, ao mining operations mb he eatried on In that country until the ground has been thawed oat la the earner br the forces of nature. No taawtsjsY paoad tea be doa la that A bronze statue of the late Bishop Matthew Simpson was unveiled and dedicated recently In the presence of about 600 persons on the grounds of the Methodist Episcopal Home for the Ated. In Philadelphia. The statue, which la 9 feet In height, It mounted upon a granite pedestal of the same height The statue it a pan or a mas sive monument which had been deter mined upon In 1864 to commemorate the war of the rebellion, bishop simp- son was one of the trusted advisers of President Lincoln during tne civil war period, and hit statue was to be among those of a number of representative men to be grouped about the president. Clarm Mills was employed to model the flsuret in clay. He finished that of ntshoo Simpson and one other, when the assassination of the president put an end to the project A number of yean afterward Mrs. Simpson pur phuuui the model of her husband, and had it removed to Philadelphia and cut In bronse. Dewey Waa Always Early, newer waa lucky In getting away from the Philippines before the court- ar'-"r eeeaav-Bicea KeraM. "Sold to Emll Freler for $57.29." With these words County Clerk Fred Mann of Kankakee county disposed of the village of Tracy to cancel a tax in debtedness of $20 and costs. Mr. Frelr er is a carpenter who has an ambition to start a co-operative colony. - t(It will be- a good place for me to go when I get out of a Job," he said to the county clerk. "I borrow money, build a few houses and start a colony." "Suppose that the property is re deemed?" suggested Mr. Mann. Redeemed ? I get a clear title, don t I? I've paid the money." Sure, but the original owner has a certain length of time in which to re dem It" Mr. Freirer was disgusted, but what could he do? Four days later Walter Lawless appeared at the county clerk s office to redeem the property. It orig inally had belonged to him. His zuu- acre farm adjoins it on the east Do von suppose I'd let that lana go for $57?" he Inquired of Mr. Mann. "It's worth $75 an acre." , "Why didn't you pay your taxes, then?" Mr. Lawless didn't say, but it cost him considerably more than $57.29 to secure a tlear cltle. Ten vear axo the village ef Tracy was a thriving settlement, covering an area of 30 acres, Deserted wnen tne vein of coal that was its sole excuse gave out, the village houses rotted snd furn shed lumber and fuel to neign boring farmers for years. Sold for taxes, the town site passed Into the hands of a carpenter, who disposed of It a fe wdayt thereafter to the rarmer whose land it adiourns. Next year corn fields will obliterate the last traces of a town where several hundred people formerly tolled and lived. Take the Kankakee & Seneca branch of the Big Four railroad, ride out north west from Kankakee on a go-as-you please mixed train, and at the end of about 20 miles you come to the town of Essex. Hire a rig at exorbitant rate and drive west for a couple of miles until you strike an unused coal road that is marked Illinois Central on the map. Then go south for a quarter of a mile on the highway that has not been disturbed by wheels for years. Look' Ing sharply about .you now, you see traces of a former town. It is the site of the abandoned Tracy. There are no imposing ruins, such as one might en counter in the valley of the Nile or in the Grand canyon in Colorado. This is a deserted mining town, and deserted mining towns in this country are of superlatively evanescent character. Doubly melancholy is the forgotten hamlet shrouded in the deep snow. It is like the neglected grave of a flret wife supplanted for the more lively, younger town of Clarke City, one mile farther south on the coal road that has been mentioned. Here, it is easy to see, was once a wide street, and on both sides at inter vals are found excavations where rude cellars existed. Mansions were not found at Tracy. Remains of a former foundation, robbed of its best (II men slons, show where a house of some pretensions stood. Perhaps there the superintendent lived. A dipiapiaatea fence, overlookeff by kindling wood gatherers, must have at one time guard ed a kitchen garden from wandering and unscrupulous cows. The most con spicuous feature of the gloomy land scape is a huge hill of slack many times larger than the dust heap tnat Dickens describes in "Our Mutual Friend." It is near the mouth of the abandoned mine and will stand there until some ingenious American discovers a process for converting what is now considered waste material Into building blocks and paving brick. Then the owner will be in a position to buy more land and raise more corn. Any buildings standing? Yes, one eight by ten foot shanty with earthen floor. In it are the charred: remnants of a recent hunter's fire and bits of fur that needs no Sherlock Holmes to as sist In conveying the Information that sportsmen lingered here to satisfy nun ger by dining on one of the rabbits whose tracks are so numerous in this depressing place. Henry David Thor eau, hermit though he was, would not have remained an hour In this lonely cabin, and Cowper, despite his plain tive sighing for a "lodge In some vast wilderness." woulcr have taken a look at the place and fled, nor cast no "long lingering look behind." No living thing there save crows, and they finding nothing to tempt their voracious ap- petltles, flying clrcultousiy westward, cawing Impatiently, "Come on, oome on. come on!" Ten years ago there was a different scene, .fernaps iw nomes moaest structures such as miners occupy stood In orderly dows. Bustling activity ev erywhere, coal trains pulling into town and departing, laden with fuel, for distant parts of the state. Red cheeked, bare-armed, lutty women hanging the clothes out to dry or gossip ing at the doors or their houses. Min era smoking company tobacco in nico tine-reeking con pipea. cniidren ev erywhere, their light-hearted laughter sweet music for weary miners trudg ing homeward with grimy faces and empty lunch boxes. The chug-chug of the engines scarcely ever ceasing, with thrill whistles at intervals, indicating that the ponderous thing of Iron and steel was doing Its best. The miners were an Interesting class as former sheriffs of Kankakee county can tell. It Is said they made whisky In their cellars and more than once blind nin were raided, but always too late, for the village, standing Just a half mile from the Oniony county line, en abled llllct distillers to And an easy haven of refuge from Kankakee offi cert. Tracy being unincorporated, could not secure a license, but the min r must have his dram when he em erred from the pit with dust-caked throat One day there was a conference be tween the brown-corauroyea mine su perlntendent and the alert president of the Illinois uoai company. "Veins giving out," said the superin tendent then added, in response to question, "Nope, nothing to be gained hv anarsllnc any longer. ' So, one day the cage made Its last t to taa top or tne mm aoan ox W Ww,4n suit were loaded, on cars and shipped Clarke City. The company's store w denuded of It stock. Most of the buildings were moved away. The min ers came no more to Tracy. They were glad to move to the larger and more , lively town of Clarke City such Of them as remained in the employ of the company. Tracy's streets became grass-grown. The village was left to the crows and: rabbits and to the news paper correspondents. . Years passed. Tracy had consisted of about 30 acres 62 lots and some un divided land, to be exact. The taxes were due and unpaid. In the natural course of events, each year, the county treasurer offered the land for sale. No one cared to buy it It was not coveted property. There was an impression that it was a deserted village of slack heaps nothing ele. Inadvertently County Clerk Fred Mann told the story to a newspaper re- porter. The fact that a deserted vil lage could be bought for izu Decamv widely circulated. Chicago, New York, St Louis and San Francisco papers naa it Clerk Mann received 100 letters from prospective purchasers. Most of them were from Chicago, though some; came from Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, New York and California, and nan a dozen from New Jersey. There were letters from professional, business men, and persons in the humbler walks of life all eager to get someuung ior nothing. All the letters were serious ; very serious with one exception. A.' Chicago newspaper man wrote: Please send up the village or Tracy; for inspection. If I like it, will buy."j Many Inquiries eame by long distance' telephone, and a few by telegraph. Clerk Mann, though usually a tweet- tempered ofnolal, grew grouchy to want members of the local press. He kept the letters relating to the village of) Tracy neatly filed, with rubber bands around them. When stamped envel opes were enclosed he answered the let ters briefly till he became tired. Then he would speak harshly about newspapers and newspaper reporters.! And the two young women deputies inJ hit office would look up from their works, and wink solemnly at each other.! Finally, the time came when the de serted village could be sold, and Mr. Mann was happy. Such is the story of Tracy. Chicago Inter Ocean. THE WOBXD'S REPUBLICS. Their Era Began in 17TO and They Now Number Twenty-Five. New York Sun: "Speaking about lib erty and the Fourth of July," said the man who is a. spellbinder and a statistl-i , clan, "the real era of republics, or the era of real republics, as you choose, mav be said to have begun In 1776. In any event, the republic business wasn't, doing much before tnat aate. ina.c will elve ns a period of 126 years, next Fourth of Juy, to cover the republic era, and the showing, I tninK, is prewy fair, considering that the business be gan with very little capital and no good will to speak of. The united tstaiee was the only one on earth, and we had about 3,000,000 of people. Todaji there are 25 republics In active opera tion and growing every year, witn a population in round numbers of 220,- 000,000. The effete monarchies, ana tne thrones, and the crowns, and tne ty rant's heel still have the bulge on about 200,000,000 of the world's l,40U,ooo,uw of people, but they have been getting in their work for 60 centuries, and we have been at It for only a century and'. nuarter. By gravy, if we continue to grow as we have for the last century and a quarter, we will have a popula tion in 6,000 years of 10,560,000, as compared with the monarchy record of ,200,000,000 for tne same periuu. "Of the 25 repuniics, ail dui nve are located in the Western nemispnere. These five represent 70 of the 220,000, 000 of republicans, giving something more than two-thirds to America. The republics are as follows: "Argentina, Bolivia, orazn, vuiu, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France. Gautemala, Hayti, Honduras, Mexico. Nicaragua, Orange Free atate, rw guay, Peru, Salvador, San Domingo, RwitHM-land. Transvaal. United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Liberia and Cuba. "Cuba is not on tne list yei, on sua ni ha nd the Orange Free State and the Transvaal are slightly disfigured, but they are still in the ring. The big gest one and tne oest one is uio gm one! I guess I needn't mention Its name. France is second, Brazil third,' and Mexico fourth. The smallest Is the Orange Free State, or wnat is ien oiit 'The republic sentiment Is growing among the colonies of the empires, and' they are beginning to chafe under the, yoke which is In reality lighter than their own responsibility would be. But it it in tne air oi me yi wuv w w own man,' and the colonists want to try hustling for tnemseives iwrnn. The next one to Join our column, tha great procession of progress, will be the republic or Australia, ana uw of the Pacific will be one of the fore most of the future." XADE A GOOD BLUFF. But It Was Upset by Hit Wif e lack of Comprehension Detroit Free Press: "I hardly think , my wife sees the Joke yet," said Brown with a smile, "and I am alto inclined to think that she has an idea that I waa deliberately trying to create a false Im pression, to which I plead guilty. "One night last week I thought I heard some one prowling about the house, and, ss there have been a num ber of house broken Into lately, I con cluded that the noise was made by bur glars. As I sat up In bed listening, I chanced to glance into the next room, the door of our bedroom being open, and there stood a sure-enough burglar, coolly examining our silverware. Wltk this startling discovery came the chill ing thought that I hadn't such a thlag ; at a firearm In the house. But I de termined to 'run a bluff,' so, turning to my wife, I said in a ioua voice; "Where's my revolver V "'John,' the answered In a voice equally as loud, 'there Isn't such a thlag In the house, and you know It!" For $120.$1 first-class, or $90.71 sag. ond-clats, one can buy a ticket equal t a pass for a whole year oa a3 C Swiss railways. , . The Brush Lifeboat i wlreMea Mrnot gsr-i Niimt A r V
