Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1897)
IN A MIRAGE CITY. THE WONDERFUL SIOHT WIT NESSED IN ALASKA. tlie Silent City In til* Clouds Slippeird to lift** mn Original Home* here on Till* Hplier* -Lately Hern l>y » SeetUe Man. □ NCK again "The Silent City of Alas ka" has been brought before the public with Ita myaterlouH towers, Its deserted streets, Its quaint roof tops and Its quaint beauty. The man who describes It this lime Is C. W, i uornton, i well known citizen of Se attle and t member of the Young Men’s Christian Association of tha* '•Ity, He was one of the party that made up the expedition of Prince Lui gi of Savoy to the top of Ml. St. KIIhh. Five other men were with Mr. Thorn ion when the beautiful mirage was seen The mirage city has formerly been reported as having been seen from the Muir glacier. Mr. Thornton snd Ills companions saw It from the MaUsplim glacier. They had left the expedition to return to the coast for provisions The mirage was noticed at about 4 o’clock In the morning and lasted for thirty-five minute*. Then It vanished. The Aral, that was over heard of a mirage city in Alsskn was In IHHtt. In • hat year fttchard (5. Willoughby, a prospector of Juneau, Alaska, came down from the Muir glacier with the ■issertlon that he had beheld a wonder ful city Iri the clouds. It was standing out In the sky. In full view. There .wre masses of tall brick bouses Vvilli sloping roofs, elm trees In the fore ground and a river with shipping in the distance. From the midst of the buildings arose two great towers r.ur rounded with scaffolding. Mr. Wil loughby minutely described the mirage and claimed'to have seen It several ilmes. change* had taken place In the towers as If progress hud been made in the construction of the bond ing. The people beard the miner’s »iory with wonder, but as no one but himself had seen It no great Import ance was attached to lli<- tale, until In • Itine of the year named be succeeded In photographing the mirage and fix ing the picture upon a plate. These pictures had a large sale, and In lXNfl several of them found their way to Chicago. A citizen of this city who saw a copy of the photograph declared that. It was a view ot Bristol, Ktiglaml. others who were familiar with Bristol verified the identification and more ately Prof. William II. Hudson of Stanford University, California, ree ognlzed the view of Bristol front the noted Brandon hill. In the June (1KW7) number of the k Popular Science Monthly Professor Da dd Starr Jordan.president of the Stag ford University, published an article lu which he charged that the Willoughby photograph was a fraud, and said It had been made from an old plate taken twenty years ago. Professor Hudson n membered that the famous cathedral of Ike town was at that time undergo •ig repairs. An Investigation Into the methods of photography used by Mr. Willoughby which was made by an ithcer of the Albatross was not satls 'uotory. The old prospector Hatty re fused to disclose what sort of chemicals he had used or how he had developed Ids plates. Professor Jordau took , . high scientific ground lu Ills criticism ,r the photographs, and did not lied • ats to say that so far as mirages lu Masks were concerned, the Willough by picture* were a rather poor ami an ibatanUsI guide. Professor Jordan * argument would e strong or even coniluciug fioni the .nndpolnt of circumstantial evidence were It not counterbalanced by testl iigninl cvtdeuce. the validity of which hgre id a Ice no reasonable doubt Kv *n i| Mr Willoughby's photograph* were ■tut gwaulue. the r bance* that be really -aw a mirage city are very gtast A man named lit me. well known la Alas ka. lest lies that be saw the etty tv v ♦ rtged by Mr Willoughby M II yrygil also says be was fortunate 'AoUgh to aae It. There Is aw Indian ‘•gem! about His* ter Hat ta which the .dry of th* phantom city la preserved Htdvrrt Phrtaite and «!••*•• g«- t*niiet**a •■I ItsitMi Hsy aver that they too Mn «ms It, And now • ••*« Mr i homiun a man «t paiius in gen* Me. •» J •*# HVi|blf« hi 1 l.silgt I t i party, who agree perfectly not only In I their statement of having seen the city but also In the detailed description of It. All who have seen or claim to have seen the mirage agree In several Im portant details of the appearance. The streets In the mirage are always de serted. The observers all Hay that the architecture Is not at all like the ar chitecture of an American town. The houses are quaint, solid and old-fash ioned. Then there seems to lie unan imity In the presence of towers and a dome, as If of some monster build ing and of at least one thin church spire In the distance. The accompanying llluatratlon tlon Is a copy of one of Mr. Willough by'* photographs taken In 1888. In the foreground are seen several houses, un questionably of English architecture. There are the elm trees with leafless branches, The main feature of the picture Is the lofty structure in the middle, said to be the famous Episco pal cathedral of Bristol as It appeared twenty year* ago, when the building was undergoing repairs. The shipping and the river are not vlslblo. The strongest points made by Professor Jordan In his article are found In his Indications of the nearness of the bouse In the foreground and the leaf less elm tree* tin midsummer). These two things are certainly telling points against the genuineness of the Wil loughby photographs. Even tile small tiles on the chimney pots are visible. But judging by the tules told by Mr. Thornton, apparent proximity and clearness of detail In the foreground are not Impossibilities in mirages. Are there two silent cities In Hu skies of Alaska? If the Willoughby photographs are genuine there must be for the description given by Mr. Thorn ton of what he saw In July does not coincide with the photographs taken nine yeurs ago from the Muir glacier. The vision, said Mr. Thornton, was ;<o distinct as to require strong faith that it was not a real city. The principal feature of the mirage was what ap peared to be two Chinese temples. In th»- middle of the city whs a huge building with great column* reaching from the ground to the roof, Bur mounting tills was a great dome. Near this structure was a group of solid buildings which Mr. Thornton de scribed as "business blocks." Then there was a church with a tall spire and then "three buildings dial looked like factories.” He added that these three buildings were only partly visi ble, but that the city seemed to ex tend far away In that direction. Three theories only are open to ac count for all these stories. The al leged observers are deluded and no one ever saw a city, silent or otherwise. In the Alaskan skies; all these stories are pure fahrh-utions and the travelers are attempting to deliberately deceive their bearers; or silent elites are seen In mirage from the Muir and the Ma nfrn it ri i l. 11 ll l I M I., I III TI I 111, I, I’ltl HIT I I a.spins glaciers in Alusku. It would seem absurd to charge six men with willful deception. Such a supposition involves concerted action among them, and six men of ordinarily good char acter do not deliberately lie with no especial purpose in view. Equally ab surd Is it to suppose that these various witnesses were the victims of illusion, delusion or hallncination. whichever I tile scientific man desires to call It. Even scientific men have been doubted when they have made assertions con* | earning marvelous mutters unaiipport* 1 ed by more substantial evidence. The i only absolute until of the proof of these travelers' tulcs will lie, of course, photographs taken under conditions which will admit of no doubt of their Kcnulneucsti t'ntll this Is done scien tific men will ridicule (tie stories, and ; for that very reason, perhaps. It will ; not be a man of science who will lie the first to obtain Indisputable evidence of i the alleged phenomenon. Alaska's mysterious city Ilf It lie u mirage truly). Is of iha) clssa of mir ages known as "Fill Morgana," so I called tiers use of the Sicilian belief I tuat the wonderful mirages ui the He a of Meggto are raused by a fairy I fata) w nose uatur U Mmgsns The pbenoiu enon sreu In the fill alts of Messina Is a most remarkable and beautiful effect of mirage The airy images lake the forma ui grand architectural strue i tares magnificent lends, apes columns, art bee lowers, castles, pel sees, see lutes trees slid W coded pistils With crowds of moving men and women and animals the whols scene being full of 1 th* hignswi animation and changing tapidly and sio«elooslv In rotor the** liansfurmatiogs are caused by 1 ettraordtnsr» refierlloga III lbs slmus pliers. The silent vtiy of the gimlets in i mmM et*m toon place and orderly mirage compared with the almost in credible effects of refraction that are seen in Calabria, and if Mr. Willoughby had told of a mirage such at the Fata Morgana is known to be he would probably be given a severer scoring than that which he has received at the hands of Professor Jordan In the Popular Science Monthly. But as Pro fessor Jordan confidently predicted a new boutreuk of the glacier city and more newspaper stories concerning It he will no doubt feel more than Justi fied for the opinions he has expressed concerning the unreliability of the untrained observers of Olader Hay. TOO ENOACINO YOUNG MAN. Hrearh of I’remlsa Malt (‘ante* Him to I 'hangs Hrliln rjnlrkly. Freeport. III., correspondence of St. f-otilM Globe-Democrat: George Spear cn, superintendent of the water com pany at Warren,and Miss Mary Sohroe der, also of Warren, were married here today under ralher unusual circum stances. Spearen went to Warren about u year ago from Batavia, 111., where he had lived for some time, and whore he had courted and became engaged to a wealthy but not very attractive young lady. Shortly after lie went to Warren. Spearen tnet Mary Sehroeder, who Is beautiful and hud Just been di vorced in ihis city. The young en gineer at once fell In love with her, and was soon engaged to her, but he did not break with his Batavia sweetheart, and their wedding was to have oc curred early In the summer, but the ceremony wus postponed. A breach of promise suit threatened bint whichever one he married, and. after a month's hesitation, he concluded to take the wealthy girl, lie, therefore, left War ren for Batavia, where he expected lo marry her tonight. Miss Sehroeder heard of Ills decision, and she came here yesterday, secured a lawyer and began a breach of promise suit. When the young roan stepped from the War ren train this morning he was tnei ny the sheriff with a summons, and lie accompanied the officer to Justice Mar vln's office, where he met Miss flehroe dcr. They made up their quarrel in a short time, and were married, leaving directly afterward for New London, On tario, where the young man’s parents live. They will probably slay there. All preparations were made for the Batavia wedding tonight, bill th<; bridegroom failed to appear. ,\ Klouilyke Struck ( oniicl. From the St. latuls Globe-Democral J. It. Johnson, the desperate convict who fired the prison anti led the re volt In h:i. by which $300,000 worth of property was destroyed, and who has since made several murderous assaults on officer*, Is suffering with a severe at tack of Klondike gold fever. He has written it letter to State Auditor Jas. M Seibert, one of the prison Inspectors. 1 ■mill umiillll L HIM! 1 llllIliiiiiitilll ■HUM THE SILENT CITY OF ALASKA. that he Ih very anxious to try IiIh luck in Alaska, make a fortune, become a good citizen and retrieve ilia good name. He wants Auditor Seibert, to Intercede for him with Gov. Stephen* und secure him a pardon. He point* out in forceful language that, if he Ih kept In prison until the expiration of his sentence, in 1912, the gold field will lie overcrowded, und his chances of Htrikiug a rich lead will lie greatly di minished. Taking Him ul HI* Word. There Is a story of Utshop Hairing ' toll and 1‘hllpotts, afterward HUhop "! Kxetei, who wu* at the time Harring ton’* secretary. The.bishop said. "1 wish you to select fot publication twelve of my sermons that you tblttk will do me least discredit." Shortly after, when the sermous Usd : Iteen chosen, the bishop asked "IHi you j think that these will do me credit?' “I prefer, nay lord,” answered j’htl ! polls, “to adhere to your lordship’s ; former •gfrngBlnn.'* The setmuits were not published Hsu Fratu taeo Argonsut. ! _— - Ton Isis Myrtle they say that you made a . regular foul of Algy Plenum*. at the islands. Issl we*»hMaud "No. they are wrong I might have done It but for one thin* ' Myrtle "What w« , that?" Maud “Nomebody had Bn Ished the Jno nature I got hold of him Cleveland tarader AmmlUm* 1 Imhb* p The mat rwHsu thing the ; taeane rush to Alaaha la that the pro l portion of fools In the real of tha world doe* not **em to ha malar laity ! dae leaned New Vink Tr I boa*. FIELD HAS A RECORD. I'.ONCEST TERM ON THE SU PREME BENCH. \o sigma of WmkiK'tR In IIU Intel* i IrcttiAl Strength nt the Age of Eighty two Vrnra IIU Stormy E.irly ra rer r. N THIS year of record breaking reigns and diamond Jubilees another record was broken on Monday last. Justice Stephen J. Kleld. of the United States supreme court, on that day had served longer on the bench of the highest tribunal In the land than any other man who had preceded him. The record that Justice Kleld hail to best to attain that distinction belonged to Chief Justice Marshall, who went to the bench Jan. 31. 1801, and served until his desth. July H, 1835. Thirty four years, live months and six days wss the record of Chief Justice Mar shall. Thirty-four years, five months and thirteen days Is the record of Jus tice Kleld to date, Kor nearly a dozen years ambitious lawyers who desired to get to the su preme bench reminded Justice Kleld tint he had reached the age alien he could ask to be retired. "If Justice Kleld should only resign." they said. Hut Justice Kleld lias never thought of resigning, and does not think of It now. He Is In Ills eighty-second year, but he Is still In the prime of Intellectual strength. He sits on the bench, ex amines Involved law points, and write, able opinions just ns ho did thirty-four >< ars ago. Ills beard Is the patriarch's beard, but Ills figure Is us met us It wss in the days of Ills "Argonuutu of forty-nine,” Ills mind Is us clear und vigorous as It was In the days when In treated law und a constitution out of ' linos 111 California nearly fifty yearn ago. As a pastime he writes a book of pi i honal memoirs, or masters Hi a few evenings an Oriental language. The lawyers who have been wanting id' place on the bench will doubtless huvi to possess their souls In patience for years to cm Gladstone’s record for activity has been equalled by Jus tice Field. The friends of the Justice predict lliut he will exe'ed If by a de cide. , d' iitl. has a more remark able history than JustiC' Stephen J. Field, and It In the purpose of this urtlcle to detail some of the Interest ing Incidents of his career. He whh the son of David Dudley Field, a Congrega tional minister of New Eng land. and Submit Dickinson Field. His grandfather on his father's sldo was Tim othy Field, who was a cap tain In the Revolution. His grandfather on his mother's side was Noah Dickinson, who served In the French anil Indian war under Israel Putnam, and also through the Revolution. Ho It will be seen thut Stephen j. Field came of fighting stock. Among his brothers were Cyrus W. Field, the father of the submarine cable; David Dudley Field, mi eminent lawyer; .Mathew W. Fluid, a noted engineer; Henry Martyn Field, a distinguished clergyman and author; Jonathan Field, who was president of the Massachusetts state senate, and Timothy Field, a lieutenant In the I'ntted Mates navy. One of the sisters of Justice Field married the Rev. Jonathan Itrewer, and a New Knglulid missionary society that was interested in edui allng young Orieian girls, sent Mr. IJtewei and his wife to Smyrna Oreece had ins; [thrown off the Turkish yoke, and Hen ry Clay's specN'IifM In behalf of Hist •nfferlug country, the massaeie at Solo and the bravery ot Menu ttosserle had flret! (be American h-art With kits •Unary Itrewer and hi* wife went young Hteplien J. Field- They rentaiu* ed abroad three years, tmrtng that lime be Wsbl through the gholera epi demic and also the plague During these epidemics he helped his brother in Is* nurse tbs etch. ‘Tens of thou I sands of persons died from the two dts eases, hut young Field and his tela Dies escaped gtepheb J. Field relumed lb 1*13 gad went to William* college, gtadu suns in ml Then he entered tb* (gw »Mr* of Dettd I loti* * Fie |.I In this city, mid became a partner in the law firm. Young Field decided to ' go tc California in 1849. The discovery ; of gold there had given rise to a pop- I ular excitement far greater than the | Klondike sensation of to-day. His out- ! tit was bought for him by his brother j Cyrus, who added $10 worth of cha- j mois skins, whirh, he said, would be I useful to make bugs for bolding gold dust. He also bad sixty-four copies of New York newspapers. He landed with , $1 in Ills pcc'.tet. He sold his chamois j skins for $180 worth of gold dust, and an acquaintance Bold his sixty-four New York papers for $1 each, and gave him half the prcceeds. Mr. Field remained but a short time in San Francisco, and then went fur ther Inland, stopping at the "town" of Yubavllle. Yubavllle was undergoing a transformation. The land was In control of two French capitalists, who were pleased with young Field's ability to speak French. Three days after his arrival Yubavllle ceased to exist, Marysville was organised, and he was elected mayor. He was also made a Justice of the peace, and the mainte nance of law and order was In his bauds. Lynch law was unknown In Marys ville so long as Mr. Field was mayor. He dispensed Justice speedily and fear lessly, and several times ordered of fenders to he publicly flogged. He was finally succeeded by an officer under the state government, and by that time had amassed a large sum of money, and had made a number of enemies. One of these enemies was W. R. Turner, who had been appointed Judge of the district. Judge Turner decided to drive Mr. Field from the country. He forbade him to practice In Ills court, threatening to shoot him If he entered the court room, and bud him drugged from court by a sheriff and posse. Thus prevented from practicing law, Mr. Field embarked in legislation. He was elected to tile legislature, anil there drafted n plan of u new Judicial system, which got rid of Judge Tur ner, an<* sent him to the wilderness. Things moved quickly In California in those duys. Mr. Field arrived In California In December, 1819. He was elected to the legislature III IM&I. In two years Mr. Field had been an un known emigrant, mayor of a town, Jus tice of the peace and member of the legislature, in two years he had been penniless, rich and penniless again. Mr. Field returned to the practice of law, urid In those days the law was a hazardous calling. One day Judge Field, wlio was defending a placer Claim which ha<l been Jumped, u.srt't ercd that itcps hud I men IuUcd to cur ru|il the Jury. The section was law less. unit itHiiully might was right. The j trial waa held In a crowded aalnon* and mom «»f the spectator* were hoattle to Judge Field'd aide. Judge Field de cided on the boldest course. He Knew IiIh facts, unit he Imldly charged Jury living. "With upllfteii hands." he said, ad dressing the Jury, "you have sworn tu return a verdict according to law and evidence. Will you perjure your souls? I know ihut you ipotutluM to a jttrori have been approached. Iild you spurn the wretch or bold secret counsel with him? I know that you tpotntlng to an other jururt have tieeu uppioai■licit, be cause I overheard the conversation. the pi ionises and the pledge " At this point there vti an ominous movement tu the crowd, and "t'lteht ('tick! Click!" was heard V score of pistols were etched. "There is no terror In vonr pistols, j gentlemen " thundered Mr Field j "Y<m cannot win your case Hy shooting me You • tu wot win It hy bribery or , threats You can onlv win It by show Ing title tu the properly.** The Jury, completely overawed, found a verdict lor judge Field's ! •Ileal. Imring linsstioa over a contested sHetlon Judge thrhwt (turrvN with Judge Field and tnvt'sd him i« hghi • duet Judge Field gergpMNt ttn L .Judge Barbour insisted in having the choice of weapons. Judge Field waived this, and Barbour selected pistols and howle knives In a room sixteen feet duel. Judge Field accepted. Then Judge Harbour objected —first to the l>owie knives, and, second, to fighting Iu n room. A meeting was arranged In the woods, and Judge Barbour hacked out. He was lampooned In the newspapers, and one morning when Judge Field was getting kindling wood in front of his office Judge Harbour ran up behind him, clapped a pistol to Ills head and said: "Draw and defend yourself!" "You cowardly assassin!" exclaimed the kneeling man. without moving. "You do not dare to shoot. I defy you." Judge Harbour walked away, while the crowd hooted. Dozens of times Judge Field looked down the muzzles of cocked revolvers. He wus never known to flinch. A less courageous man would have been kill ed early In the game. He absolutely did not know what fear was, and the stories of his honesty and bravery that spread over the state elected him Judge of the supreme court. In IU57 by twenty thouand majority. Judge Field was a Democrat. When the war broke out he, with others, de cided to keep California In the Union. The secessionists were sure of Cali fornia. General Albert Sidney John ston was In command of the United States troops lu California, hikI his disloyalty was suspected. The Union ists felt that he was In collusion with the secessionists, who would seize the fortress of Alcatraz, which would place San Franclrco ut their mercy. Sev enty-five thousand muskets were stored ut Benicia, nnd If these fell Into the hands of the secessionists California would he lost. The Unionists organized u secret Union league. Judge Fluid wus the fifth member to be enrolled. Arms were bought und companies were or ganized. Meetings on behalf Of the Union were held In the theaters, and J the fires of patriotism burned brightly at the Golden Gate. Couriers overland [ carried ih” news to Uresldent l.lncoln, and lie wus finally advisod to super sede General Johnston. This he did by sending General Sumner secretly to relieve him of the commund. General Sumner look command. The arms at Benicia were sufe, and California re mained u loyal state. For Judge Field’s service to the Un* i Ion he was made a United Htutes an* ! preme court Justice by President Un v Kejidenct* i«> **"1 ** * ,rvtf or^• - ~ •« Sh ! coin in 186.!. *«**! An attempt was made to usHnssinatc Judge Field by means of an infernal machine in IjtlS. A torpedo was sent yj j ini'ough the mail to him in a !' miniature case. The Judge ' I partly opened It and then, hla suspicious being aroused, he i|, placed It in u pall of water j.lj, and had it examined at the Washington arsenal. It con * tallied enough explosive to kill a dozen men, and hud cv |!L idently been seut to him by ™ certain squatters who had been dispossessed in the Pu i i ldo cases In which the judge rendered the decision. The last of many times this remarkable,lion-hearted man faced death without flinching w,*s In 1889, when nu at tempt was made on hts life by Judge David 8. Terry and hts wire. Judge Terry was counsel for 8arah Althea Mill, who claimed to lie the wife of Senator Sharon, aud sought to establish a claim to hts mlllious by means of u divorce. Field and Ter ry had kuown each other In the Weal. During the divorce proceed tugs the Mill wuiuati hud married Judge Terry. The caae was carried up. and dually came before Justice Field, lie deliv ered a decision adverse to Sira. Mill, ami Judge Terry arose In eourt and de nounced the Judge Me attempted to assault him. as did also his Wife, hut they were overpowered and disarmed, the judge had a dirk and hts wife a revolver. Me sentenced Terry lo throe months In jail and Mr*. Mill to on« month. When h* cam* nut of jail Judge ter r> again Ihrealsaed to tahe the life of Justice Field When Justice Field i tatted tall tor ala Iteputy Marshal Na gle was ordered to travel with the judge and protect Mm. At the watting station at !<*throp Judge Terry so •suited Jueilge Field, ssg Nagle shot him dead Terry • wife the* rushed In with a pistol and had tw he dta* armed Heave men ought not to he rwet down hf aJv 0*111 Mtltua Italicwa