Irv the Fowler’s
Srveure^ ^
By M. B. MAN WELL
/ s-A-f . i >
CHAPTER IX.—(Continued..) |
Looking on, thankful for his wife’s |
i temporary brightness, was Gervis. too j
much encumbered by his robes of ici
L and snow to join the dancers, and
holding his hand was little, misshapen
Syb—she, too, perforce, being a spec
tator and never an actor in the merry
games of life.
"It’s a pretty sight, isn't it. little
Syb?” heartily said Gervis, determined
in his honest, manly fashion to be
proud of the wife he had won.
Gladdy, light as a sprite, was dart
ing up and down in the old-fashione 1
dance, and every eye was fixed upon
her dainty figure, in its dress of sil
very brocade. She, too, had blood-red
berries fastened in the folds of her
wedding gown and a great bunch on
her left shoulder.
“If Leila had on a dress of silver
brocade, and diamonds on her neck,
she would look a thousand times pret
tier than that thin girl!” was Syb's
harsh reply, as she glowered at the
shining little figure dancing up and
down the middle.
Before the startled Gervis could col
lect himself to reply a disagreeable,
low laugh made both Syb and he turn
quickly.
Temple-Dene was liberty hall, and
the scientist had again shut himself
up In his room all day, deep in some
abstruse calculations, doubtless. But
the music and laughter had drawn
the hermit from his cell, and he stood
close behind them, with a strange,
mocking smile on his thin lips.
"Little missy has distinct powers of
discrimination, evidently,” Paul Ans
<lell said, fixing his black eyes full on
the frowning face of the deformed
' child. At the same time he lifted his
right hand, but, on second thought,
■dropped it at his side furtively.
“You ought to have been among the
merry dancers, Ansdell," said Gervis,
a little puzzled by his new friend.
“The merry dancers?”'repeated the
scientist quickly. “Why, do you know
what you are saying? The merry
dancers are the famous northern
lights, and we folk across the herring
pond have a superstition that they
are never seen save before some ter
r.ole calamity."
While Paul was speaking his gaze
grew more intent, and his dark eyes
seemed to be drawing out the soul
of the deformed child. The frown had
faded from her uplifted face and in
its stead an expectant look leaped. It
was as though she were saying dumb
* »y:
“I am ready! What would you have
with me. my master?”
“Well,” retorted Gervis, whose e^jes
wandering hack to the quaint old
dance had lost the byplay, "if the mer
ry dancers are to bring a calamity,
it must be upon yourself, Ainsdell, see
ing we have no such superstition
among us that I know of.” And he
moved off, with a train of clamoring
children at his heels.
The dance was over, and laughing,
chattering and fluttering, the dancers,
old and young, gathered around Lady
Jane, who, determined to have a va
riety of entertainment at her Christ
mas party, was urging a shrinking,
shy boy to recite “The Mistletoe
Bough.”
"You know, Bobby, you can do it
so beautifully, and Mrs. Templeton
would like to hear it so much!”
Bobby Vane was the big brother
from Eton of the small lisper in blue
velvet who clung to Gladdy's skirts
when he could.
Bobby was a born reciter, but, un
fortunately, shy—horribly shy.
However, at last, cajoled, hustled
and goaded, the boy, with his ears
pink and his knees knocking together
—for he had never faced so large an
audience—rushed at his task.
After the first line Bobby felt his
feet. His voice was good, clear, sweet
and round as a boll; It showed no hint
of breaking as yet.
The gay company, breathless and in
tent. closed round the youthful reciter
as the old legend in verse fell in clear,
dropping syllables from his lips:
The mistletoe hung in the castle hall.
And the holly-branch shone on the old
oak wall.
And the baron’s retainers were blithe
and gay,
Keeping thetr Christmas holiday.
And as the poem went on ail were
forcibly Impressed by the curious simi
larity of their present surroundings
to those detailed by the reciter.
The old world ballroom, with its
dark oak rafters, its rows of glittering
armor^for Temple-Dene was noftd
for its armor—the "goodly company"
of gallants and fair dames, the merry
children, the old paneled walls blush
ing red with lavish wealth of scarlet
holly berries; while here and there
and everywhere, in the most unex
pected places, large bunches of mistle
toe hung to tempt and entrap the un
wary And, above all, there was the
chief feature, the bride—
The star of that goodly company.
“I think we ought to carry it out
to the letter!" excitedly cried Gladdy.
when the recitation w'as over, and the
deafening applause cause shame-faced
Bobby to flee for shelter behind a suit
of shining armor.
“A dear, wild child, this new daugh
ter of mine,” blandly said Lady Jane
to her dowager croaies, as Gladdy sped
through the hall to the distant stair
case.
If Gladdy had not been thp great
American heiress she was, her escap
j
ado would have been promptly frowned
down, they knew very well.
I’pstairs, in the gallery that ran
round the hall, Paul Ansdell was pac
ing up and down, with folded arms
and deeply frowning brow.
Tonight meant for this man other
things than It did for the merry
makers below. The crucial moment
had come when he was about to stake
his all. Either he would be In a po
sition to grasp a fortune, or he would
find himself in a prison cell. That
he knew.
As he paced along the gallery a light
footstep come behind him. So light
was its patter that Paul did not hear
It.
••You?"
As he turned he faced a little figure
in gleaming silver robes with patches
of crimson here and there—blood-red
berries—and ut her throat a dazzle
of diamonds.
It was Gladdy, on tiptoe.
“I have come to hide—to hide!"
Her voice abruptly died away, for
Paul Ansdell’s eyes held her. Her whole
figure drooped, the joyousness died
out of her small face, and her eyes
grew large and dilated as they gazed
bark, almost glued to those of the
scientist.
Motionless, immovable, she waited
while he drew nearer to her. There
was for her the fascination of the vic
tim for the rattlesnake.
And while the two—master and tool
—came closer and closer, there came
floating up from below the sounds of
music and revelry and gay laughter.
The dancing had begun again, and
there was a flash of changing color as
the couples whirled round.
In the gallery a strange silence
reigned.
One little watcher, hidden close be
hind a bank of ferns and festoons of
holly berries, could hear her own heart
beats.
It was Syb, the deformed girl, who
bad stolen away from the throng of
merrymakers an hour since.
Something strange and uncanny had
befallen Syb, some inscrutable influ
ence held her prisoner. Her will was
chained up, she was powerless to come
and go as she would.
But only so far was she dominated.
Every other sense she had was alert.
And she watched with wonderment the
bride, whom she hated for standinig
in the place that should have been
India's, droop visibly before the slowly
waving hands of Paul Ansdell. the sci
entist. The strain not to lose any
tning in the strange scone being en
acted before her was too much for
Syb even to wonder why the long,
lean hands went tip and down, up and
down, slowly and methodically.
The gay music from below rose and
fell,and between its bursts Syb's sharp,
young ears caught the hissed out com
mand as Paul Ansdell bent over the
little crouching figure in silver bro
cade:
“Go! Do my will!”
With a faint, almost inarticulate
cry Gladdy straightened herself, and,
turning, went slowly along the gallery.
Paul Ansdell's eyes followed her until
she disappeared on the opposite side.
The music below ceased with a
crash of chords, the dance was over,
and in the lull Syb heard a sharp
click.
So did Paul Ansdell, for he quickly
lifted his head, and a gray pallor crept
over his face.
Then he hurried away in the direc
tion of the bachelors' wing, where he
had been located cn his arrival.
“I hate him, too!” Irritably said Syb.
In truth, th^ poor, misshapen girl
hated most peoplp.
As if some baleful thing had depart
ed, she rose and shook herself. The
holly had scratched her thin, bare
arms, and there was a trickle of red
that dropped on her white muslin
frock.
"Ugh! it’s all horrid!” she shud
dered impatiently. "I wish Leila and
I could run away from it all, and live
in a cottage by ourselves,” she mur
mured, as she went wandering round
the horse-shoe gallery.
For to this afflicted child all the
music and brightness and Cnristmas
joy in the hall below was gall and
wormwood.
CHAPTER X.
Even the maddest, merriest of rev
elers must grow weary.
The Cnristmas merrymakers flagged,
the gay music dragged a little slowly;
here and there a tired child-guest
yawned in a corner, then nodded, and
finally was carried away In a deep
sleep.
Outside, under the stars, a long line
of carriages waited, and the hostess,
with tired eyes, wondered why people
did not go.
It had been a fatiguing day for
Lady Jane and for t^eila, who had not
spared herself in helping. She and
Lady Jane, side by side, ran the gant
let of the interminable good-byes from
exhausted but delighted guests.
The Christmas gathering had been
the greatest success the cgunty had
known for years, and I^ady Jane was
excited by the flatteries and thanks
of the departing guests.
“Where’s your wife, dear? She
ought to have been here to see the
guests off."
Lady Jane laid har hand on her son’s
arm. She was. in her tired state, ready
to be cross even with the heiress.
"Gladdy’ I'm sure I don’t know. I
mother dear.”
Gervis yawned. He was pining to
get off his Santa Claus trappings, and
to have a quiet pipe by himself.
A quarter of an hour later nearly
every soul under the Temple-Dene
roof was, echoing Lady Jane’s ques
tion.
Where was the bride?
Not in her own room, not in the
hot, deserted ballroom; she was not
In the upper gallery, where the lights
were already being put out.
All sense of fatigue was put to flight
by a vague terror of some evil hang
ing over the house of Tempie-Dene.
Under the ancient roof only two,
persons did not share the terrified ex
citement when it was discovered that
Mrs. Gervis Templeton was nowhere
to be found—its muster and the Amer
ican guest.
Gervis himself was petrified. He had
brought all his strength of will to
bear on nobly doing his duty to the
woman he had won for his wife. No
one but he would ever know how
hard the fight had been.
And now it was all in vain, for
Gladdy had gone where, no one knew.
Since the journey on the Canadian
Pacific railway, over the snow-covered
prairieB, Gladdy had been a bewilder
ing puzzle to her husband. Her vagar
ies had made him secretly wonder at
times if he had married a lunatic.
Then again a great fear would loom
up that his wife had inherited some
terrible wasting disease, and was about
to slip through his lingers and out of
life itself.
But this catastrophe on Christmas
night eclipsed all that he had even
dreaded.
Gladdy gone! She who had been tho
merriest, gladdest, happiest of all the'
“goodly companie!” It was inscrut
able, horrible, maddening!
Out into the freezing night went
parties of searchers. Not a man un
der Temple-Dene's roof, gentle or
simple, save two—its master and the
American guest. Paul Ansdell—but
joined tho anxious hunt.
All was in vain!
"Nothing more can lie done until the
daylight comes,” hoarsely said Gervis,
as he strode into the still gayly lighted
hall, and stamped the hard iced snow
off his boots.
His face was gray, and a strange
look of age had crept oved it, which
made it startlingly like that of his
mother.
Dady Jane, worn out and spent,
crouched down beside tho great yule
log, that crackled and roared, the only
cheery thing around.
She and Gervis gazed blankly at each
other. What had they done, the two
were asking one another silently, that
this disgrace should have come to
shame them?
“Can anybody tell me who saw or
spoke with my wife last?”
There was a catch in the young
husband's voire as he put the question
to the rircle of anxious-eyed searchers
round him.
“She said she was going to hide.
Don't you remember?” Bobby Vane,
who had recited, craned his neck for
ward to say.
Then everybody did remember what
they had forgotten—daddy's wild pro
posal to enact the bride in the "Mistle
toe Bough," and a gasp of relief came.
"Why, she's in the house somewhere,
safe and sound, laughing in her sleeve
at us all; and we've teen for the last
hour tearing our clothes and the skin
off our hands in that thicket of holly
bushes round the pond!”
"Let’s go all over the house again,”
suggested somebody else.
"Perhaps she’s crept inside one of
the suits of armor,” suggested Bobby,
with protruding eyes. What a tale it
was going to be to carry back to
school!
Another hour was spent in search,
but all fruitlessly.
(To be Continued.)
TOO EXTRAVAGANT.
A Defaulting Ca*!iler Ate Ham Boiled In
Cham pngne.
The manner in which one defaulting
cashier was detected was rather pecul
iar, says the Louisville Times. It was
all due to the curiosity of the women
of his neighborhood. Ha went to no
expense in the way of dressing, they
never heard of his gambling or drink
ing to any extent, he was a model hus
band, but he loved a good table. There
was nothing unusual in this, but one
day when the ladies of the vicinity
were discussing the best methods of
cooKing meats the wife of the cashier
declared very innocently that her hus
band doted on ham, but he would not
eat it unless it had been boiled in
champagne. “Boiled in champagne!”
exclaimed tne listeners. “Heavens,
how expensive; we couldn’t afford to
have ham on our table often if we
cooked it that way.” It was soon
noised all around the neighborhood
that Cashier Blank was a high liver,
indeed, and the men began telling of
his uplifted ideas of cookery. Th*s
soon reached the ears of the directors
of the bank, and they concluded it
might be wise to investigate the ac
counts of such an epicure. Plain wa
ter was all they could afford for their
hams, so the champagne lover lvas
called up and subsequently relegated
to the pen, where he had to forego his
pet dish for many, many weary days, j
Rattle In an Apiary.
A singular battle was witnessed re
cently In an English apiary. A hive
of bees was besieged by a largo swarm
of wasps. The bees made valiant sor
ties to try to drive away their beoieg
ers and the wasps made furious as
saults to drive out the bees. The bat
tle raged for two days, at the end of
which time the bees evacuated ths
hive and the wasp took possession. j
State Capital Observations.
Expressions Emulative for the Good of
Republican Supremacy.,
LINCOLN, Dec, 17. 1900.
One of the best moves Governor
elect Dietrich has made in the mat
ter of political appointments is that
which will remove from the pale of
politics the home for the friendless at
Lincoln and the industrial school for
girls at Milford. Mr. Dietrich said he
would, in the matter of appointments
for these two institutions, follow the
wish of the special advisory commit
tee he named several weeks ago. This
committee is composed of Mrs. C. H.
Gere, Mrs. W. J, Bryan, Mrs. D. E.
Thompson, Mrs. O. M. Lambertson
and Mrs. A. J. Sawyer. Governor
elect Dietrich stated he desited these
two institutions to be put outside the
category of institutions that are to
be regarded as spoils, and he expressed
the belief that the advisory commit
tee would be skilled enough to make
the proper recommendations. Mr.
Dietrich's disposition in this matter
Is earnest, and his determination to
regard as his appointments the per
sons recommended by the board will
come as a surprise to the members of
the board themselves, as formerly the
board has been but such in name only.
Governor Dietrich's stand in this mat
ter is to be commended, and it is an
earnest that lie proposes to make his
administration something better than
one of constant squabble at state in
stitutions.
W M
Many of Governor Dietrich's rulings
nre causing more or less consternation
among those who desire to serve the
state in some way or another, and
one which hits pretty hard is his pro
position that no officer or employe
shall be allowed to take anybody to
live in any of the state institutions ex
cept members of the immediate fam
ily. No end of trouble and scandal
has been caused in the past by the
housing and boarding of mothers, sis
ters, cousings and aunts, and in the
matter of minor appointments Mr.
Dietrich declines to select persons who
would necessarily take with fh»tn into
the institutions a number of children.
Unless the applicant feels he can live
up to the law of not foisting relations
upon the state they are not encouraged
to accept. Then again, Mr. Dietrich’s
style of dealing with applications.
Governor Holcomb used to let dele
gations come and sound the praises
of certain anxious ones. He would
then deliver a ponderous off-hand
speech, take the application under ad
visement, when the chances were he
had made up his mind about the ap
pointment long before. Mr. Dietrich
treats the whole matter as a business
proposition, and in instances where
his mind is made up, or where cases
are hopeless, he contrives, if possible
to let the interested parties know, and
saves them time and money in pre
venting them chasing after tiie impos
sible. This is something new in han
dling political appointments in Ne
braska, and it causes favorable com
ment.
w.
Candidates for positions were thick
er than fleas at the meeting of state
officers last week. The corridors of
the hotel where headquarters are es
tablished fairlv whirled in wreaths of
smoke from cigars and cigarettes and
those who did not indulge wore ex
pressions of ghostly hue, yet they
stood the ordeal like boldiers, antici
pating the opportunity of a word w ith
the powers in whose hands their des
tiny rested. Even a kindly look from
the busy and bothered governor
seemed to soothe their whetted appe
tites. Quite a few plums were plucked
and as they wrere announced the lucky
ones locked arms with their friends
and circled among the throng thor
oughly content with their days hunt.
Those who were rewarded for valued
ability and fitness of tilings w'oro: Su
perintendent of Beatrice institute for
feeble-minded youth, Dr. A. Johnson,
Omaha; clerks in the office of land
commissioner. Miss Garber. Red
Cloud; F. W. Hollingsworth, Oak;
Miss Garbraith. Hebron; second book
keeper in state treasurer's office,
Henry Bauman. West Point; stenog
rapher in samo office, Miss Mary B.
Watson. Grand Island; clerk in secre
tary of state's office, James J. Roberts,
Lincoln: stenographer in auditor's of
fice, Miss Anna B. Grissinger, Bell
wood.
* *
The committee having in charge the
inaugural bail at the Lincoln auditor
ium January 3 believe the ball will
eclipse anything of the kind ever at
tempted in the Capital City. If prom
ises to be a social event which will
draw not only the neonle of Lincoln,
hut from all parts of the state. The
incoming and outgoing state officers
will be in attendance, and also the
military staff of the new governor. It
is hoped that General Fitzhugh Lee
and his staff will attend, as invita
tions have been sent to them, and if
they do come it will add brilliancy to
the affair. The decorations and cos
tumes will bo elaborate, and one of
the most attractive features of the ball.
The Union-Commercial club of Lin
coln has charge of the affair, and it is
expected that the people of Lincoln
will be liberal in the matter of pur
chasing tickets. Society is on the
quivive in happy anticipation of the
event.
* *
Governor-elect Dietrich called on
Governor Poynter at the capitol Wed
nesday of last week and after a con
ference over the work of the executive
department accepted an invitation to
dine with Governor Poynter at the
executive mansion. Mr. Dietrich was
shown over the house and the mat
ter of maintaining the residence for
the next two years was discussed. Mr.
Dietrich said he would occupy apart
ments in the mansion and he intimated
that Ills private secretary H C Lind
say, and family, would take charge of
the house.
J. R. Haya was in Lincoln last week
on business, having stopped in Lin
coln on his way to Tekamah. He said
he believed a general good feeling ex
isted among the republicans of the
North Platte country which had not
to his knowledge developed into any
hard fight for place. The northern por
tion of the state he said was taken
unawares by the result cf election and
for that reason, no definite plans were
on foot. He looks for this to be left
till the legislature meets. None of the
senatorial candidates have been
through that territory and any work
they may be doing is through corre
spondence. Mr. Hays remarked espe
cially on the quiescent state of poli
tics north of the Platte. It has its
share of office-seekers, but they have
done nothing out of the ordinary to se
cure a place. Mr. McCarthy he says
is after the Fpeakership. Mr. Hays
attended the convention where Mr.
McCarthy -\as nominated and then it
was said among his friends that if he
was elected, he would stand an excel
lent show to be speaker. Mr. Mc
Carthy has an excellent standing in
the North Platte counties from his
course in the legislature.
Mr. Hays was asked regarding the
remarkable run he made for congress
against Robinson who defeated him
only 175 votes. A few figures were
cited to show that the election was
lost for him largely because the over
whelming majority he had to fight
against gave republicans the idea that
the fight was hopeless. Under the cir
cumstances, he made a phenomenal
run.
IF K
Senator-elect Baldrige of Douglas
county has under consideration an im
portant bill for an increase in the su
preme court, which he may introduce
early in the session. The bill provides
for amendments to sections 2, 4, E and
<> of article vi. of the state constitu
tion, relative to the composition, pow
ers and duties of the supreme court.
The amendment, as drawn at present,
provides for increasing the number of
supreme judges from three to nine, but
the bill may be changed so as to make
the whole number six judges. If it is
finally decided to have nine judges,
provision will be made for the division
of the judiciary into three depart
ments—one for hearing all law cases,
another for the adjudication of actions
in erpiity, and the third to cover the
criminal and such other business as
will not come properly before the
other two departments. It is pro
posed to make the term of the supreme
judges nine years and to elect one each
yea r.
This bill, or one similar to It, will
in all probability be passed at the
forthcoming legislative session, unless
a bill is passed for a constitutional
convention, which would solve the su
preme court and many other state
problems.
m. m.
Few people marvel at the popularity
of John T. Mallalieu. For years he has
been connected with republican cam
paigns in Nebraska. He probably
knows as many men in the state as
anyone who has ever been connected
with campaign wrork. He not only
knows them by sight, but when they
call ut headquarters he greets them
with a hearty "How are you. John?'*
or Hill or Jim, whichever name fits.
It makes no difference whether the
m-i:. who enters is n re mi oilcan or "
populist—Mallalieu knows h'm. know*
him well and is acquainted with the
locality he comes from. No man in
Nebraska knows political Nebraska
better than Mallalieu. and few men
have more friends. Mallalieu is loyal
to his friends and they know it. For
this and for much more the appoint
ment of Mr. Mallalieu to the superin
tendency of the Kearney reform
school by Governor Dietrich brought
joy to many. There were no candi
dates for this position. All recog
nized that in the event of republican
success the appointment would go to
Mallalieu if he would take it. because
it was under his administration that
the school grew from a small institu
tion to what it now is. if not more.
«t *
Ex-Governor Furnas was in Lincoln
one or two days last week in atten
dance on a meeting of the state hoard
of agriculture of which he has been
secretary for so many years. Mr,
Furnas has been mentioned by n great
many people and newspapers as good
material for United States senator, but
Secretary Furnas said that nothing
whatever could Induce him to go Into
politics. "1 was offered the senator
ship once.” said he, "and refused it.’*
The explanation of this offer dates
back to the time of the election of
Senator Thomas Tipton. It is re
lated that when the legislature got Into
a deadlock each faction went to Mr.
Furnas and offered to make him sen
ator, but he refused on the ground
that he had come as a supporter of Mr.
Tipton and lie intended to remain true
to him. The result was the election
of Mr. TiDton.
An old time politician who knew of
the circumstances is authority for the
statement that for this faithfulness
Mr. Furnas was unable to obtain the
smallest favor from the successful can
didate. Within a short time the new
senator did not know that Mr. Fur
nas was in existence. It is said he
even recalled an indorsement he had
given Mr. Furnas who had become an
applicant for a certain political favor.
K ft
H. M. Eaton, who will be deputy
land commissioner, is now at work In
the office learning the intricacies of the
position he is to fill under the new
administration. Uncle Jake Wolfe’s
office force is giving hlrn all the assis
tance possible, and extending every
courtesy at their command.
*, »,
The senatorial candidates are lying
low these days, but they have their
lieutenants busy all over the state
seeking what they want. The race
seems to be getting more uncertain
the nearer the time comes for the leg
Islatur to convene.
... ..
VALUABLE FINDS.
Sat Ouano Crvm In Soutbera
Mexico.
Southern New Mexico is a land of
natural curiosities, and one at least
of these has proved to have a high
commercial value. A resident of that
district had the good fortune a few
years ago to accidentally str-mble upon
several bat caves, one of which is
stated to be some six miles in length,
and as he ha3 shipped in the last two
years 3,392,240 pounds of phosphate or
guano from these caves, for which he
has received about $48 per ton, it can
be understood that the present and
prospective value of these caves is
considerable. It can be readily under
stood that bat guano possesses great
value as a fertilizer, and the value of
the caves is enhanced by the fact that
beneath the guano is a considerable
deposite of phosphate rock (the re
mains of defunct bats), which, when
ground up and treated with phosphoric
acid, is highly prized as a fertilizer.
Since the discovery of these ancestral
homes of the bats, in which they have
made their resting place for unnum
bered centuries, the search for more
such caves hts continued intermittent
ly, and it is probable that mBny more
valuable finds of this nature will be
made; for the tectlon of the country
In which they lie, is literally infested
with this obnoxious, but very lucra
tive little creature. The caves which
are frequented by bats, are of lava
formation, and carry evidence of hav
ing been subject to violent volcanic ac
tion. A remarkable bat trait is men
tioned, which has the effect of render
ing the caves of permanent value. It
seems that after the entire front of
the first of these caves to be opened
had been torn down to within a foot or
so of the narrow openings through
which for centuries the bats have
come and gone, the little creatures
continued, and still continue, to fol
low the ways of their ancestors. Fly
ing upward past the large openings,
they would squeeze in and out of the
caves as of old. Since the first clean
ing out of one cave, seven tons of
guano have been removed, all of which
had been deposited subsequently to the
first removal. It is estimated that
from tho deposits which have already
been discovered, there has been taken
an annual crop of about 1,500 tons of
guano.
COAL AND IRON.
Mineral Ketourrea of the Chinese F.mplre
A -o Ureat.
The mining and metallurgical sec
tion of the Franklin Institute held a
stated meeting in Philadelphia recent
ly. The president. Joseph Richards,
was in the chair. Professor Lynwood
Garrison delivered the address of the
evening on “The Mineral Resources
of the Chinese Empire.” The speaker
in opening gave a general survey of
the physical geography and geology
of this vast country, and then spoke
specifically of his personal observa
tions made during a recent profession
al visit to Northeastern China, calling
special attention to the fact that a
large part of China is underlaid by
coal, much of which is anthracite of
high quality, comparing favorably in
this respect with the best of Pennsyl
vania anthracite. The extent of thess
beds, however, far exceeds our own,
and, moreover, their location is such
that the extraction of the coal will be
a comparatively easy matter. He ex
pressed the belief that in a short time
China would enter the markets of the
world as a great coal producer. Pro
fessor Garrison also alluded to the
great extent and accessibility of the
iron ore deposits and incidentally to
the fact that ore of antimony occurred
there in greater abundance than in
any other part of the world. Quick
silver deposits of unequaled richness
he said, were likewise known in the
country. The speaker illustrated his
remarks with a number of mineral
specimens and exhibited a series of
views showing the crude methods of
mining employed by the natives. He
also showed a series of typical views
of Chinese scenery, including fortifica
tions, harbors, public buildings, etc.
TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS.
It Is a Barred Spot to the People of tho
Chinese Empire.
The temple of Confucius at Chu
fouh8ien Is the Westminster abbey of
China and the grave of that sacred
personage is the most noted spot in
the grounds. A sacred mound sur
mounts the remains of Confucius.
Near the mound is a building erected
for the meditation of those who ren
der homage to the greatest Chinaman
who ever lived. Near by is a tree,
said to have been planted by Confu- ,
clus—or, rather, the trunk of it, for it
is dead. The tree is on a circular
stand of stone and mortar, close by
a huge table of stone that looks like
marble, having been polished by a de
voteee. The mound is only twelve
feet high. Before it is a tablet bear
ing the name and at the foot of the
tablet Is the famous incense vase, says
the London Mail. The inscription
reads: "Chili Sheng Hslen Shih
K’ung Tzu,” which means the perfect
sage, the former teacher, the philoso
pher K'ung. Near to the tomb of
Confucius is that of his son, who died
four years before the Chinese seer; but
the tomb of his grandson attracts more
notice, because it is almost as grand
as that of Confucius. There are thou
sands of graves near the shrine of
Confucius and the nearer they are
the better the lot of the departed, ac
cording to the belief of the Chinese.
The keepers of the temple demand a
fee before showing the place to for
eigners.
Keep your chin up. (If you are a
woman, you won't have to be told soj
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