15he Sco\arge
Da.mascus
A Story of
the East...
By
SYLVANUS
COBB. JR.
(Jopyrfy'x+yt r3SM by IV>bert Bonner's Sons
m " *M——i i !■ n n ■■!■ — ..—■
CHAPTER IV,
The Israelite.
When the king left Ills affianced
hride he was sorely perplexed; and the
longer he reflected upon what had
transpired, the deeper grew his rage
and chagrin. He wa ked alone in the
garden until the sun had set, anil then
he went In and called for his minister
to attend him.
‘‘Aboul Casse.m, what think you of
this outrage which the Scourge of lta
maseus has now committed?”
‘‘I think it is high-handed and
startling,-’ replied the minister.
"Has your daughter explained more
to you than 1 have yet heard?”
"She has told me all she knows, sire.
The robber came, according to his own
account, for the purpose of wresting
her from die King of Damascus; but
she refused to go with him; and so
urgent was she in her protestations,
that Julian finally went away and left
her. 1 think, however, that his retreat
wa3 hastened by the fear that your
majesty might be upon him with a
dangerous force.”
“I have no doubt that such Is die
case, Aboul. But the end of this is
not yet. This daring demon has run
at large long enough. He has already
stricken fearful blows upon our com
merce, anil now lie takes a new course
of attack upon our defenceless daugh
ters. It has come to be so that a \
caravan is not safe to start from Da- I
maseus; nor are our merchants safe in
returning from other lands. It must
not bo so. By the heavens above me.
It shall not be so! I must find some
w'ay for this man's capture. 1 have
sent out my armies against him, and
he has either avoided them, or met
and overcome them. Life of my soul
just think w. It. He met a thousand of
my armed men, and swept them back
over the plains of Abilene as though
they had been so many women. What
shall I do, Aboul?”
“There is but one way, sire, that T
can conceive of. It seems to be useless
to send out force against him; for he
is a quick-witted rascal; and, if he
cannot successfully cope with them,
he can keep out of their way. He has
spies throughout the whole land.”
“Aye—I know he has!” cried the
king, with a fresh burst of rage. “He
has friends among those who live
very near to our capital. 1 wish I
could get hold of them."
“Get hold of the chieftain first.”
“Ah—but how'’”
“It must be done by strategem, sire.
If you cannot find some one man who
Is able to entrap the Scourge, I see
not how you are ever to overcome him.
A siuglc man with wit, will and en
durance may accomplish much. A lit
tle mouse, working in secret, may
uproot a great tree.’
“By my life, Aboul, you have spoken
the truth. The work must be done
secretly. Have I such a man about
me?”
“How Is It with Judah, the Israel
ite?” suggested the minister.
The king started and clapped his
hands together when hi' heard the
name.
“By the shades of Tartarus, good
Aboul, you have hit the very man. Ju
dah is with us now. I left him in the
hall as I came in from the garden.. I
will send for him.”
A slave, who stood just without the
door, was sent after the man who had
been spoken of, and ere long he made
his appearance before his royal mas
ter. He was a middle-aged man, with
black hair and keen black eyes; with
features sharp in outline, and moulded
into a east of peculiar cunning; and
with body and limbs light and muscu
lar. He was below the ordinary size
of man; and what he may have lacked
in physical strength was more than
made up by the quickness and preci
sion of movement. He had been a
dweller in Damascus since childhood,
his mother having come from Judea,
in poverty and disgrace,and given him
away to an officer of the king’s house
hold.
“Judah,” spoke the monarch, “I
want you to engage in a dangerous en
terprise; but, if you are successful, the
honor will be greater than the danger.
Are you willing to try it?”
“Anything, sire, that can yield me
honor and emolument,” replied the
Israelite, with a low how. "Give me
the freedom of a citizen, and gird the
sword of a lieutenant about my loins,
and I will undertake anything. I
would not even hesitate to go out
against the Scourge of Damascus."
“Ha! It is the very thing, Judah.
It is this accursed robber chieftain
that r wish to secure. If you will
slay him, and bring me his head, I will
make you a free citizen of Damascus;
and if you will bring him to me alive,
and deliver him into my hands, I will
not only bestow the citizenship upon
you. and gird the sword of a lieuten
ant about your loins, but I will give
you a house an,d a wife.”
The black eyes of the Israelite snap
ped and sparkled like polished gems of
jet. He strode across the room, and
then walked slowly back.
“Sire,” he finally said, "give me un
til tomorrow morning to think of this.
Tn twelve hours from thi3 you shall
have my answer. If I embark upon
this enterprise, I must have some hope
for success. I will converse with
those of the slaves who have seen the
robber and his men, and their observa
tions may help
“Hut, .Imlah, you are not to breathe
a word of this. My slaves must not
mistrust your object."
“I underseand you, sire; and I will
be guarded. Shall it be as I have
said?”
“Yes, only bear in mind that the
thing must be accomplished if ac
complishment Is possible.”
“I understand you, sire; and be as
sured that my wits shaJl be stretched
to their utmost.”
“Aboul Cais m," said the king. aft«r
Judah had gone, “what do you think?”
“I think the fellow will study tip
some grand plot between now and
morning. At all events, sire. I do not
believe you can find a better man for
your purpose.”
At an early hour the king retired,
and all night long his sleep was trou
bled with very unpleasant dreams. He
dreamed two or three times that the
Scourge of Damascus had robbed him
of his beautiful bride, and once he
dreamed that his throne had passed
from him. In the morning he was
more anxious for the apprehensir ot
the robber than before, ami Impa
tiently did he await the coming of the
Israelite.
At the appointed hour Judah made
his appearance and announced that lie
would undertake the task of delivering
up the terrible Scourge.
“If I succeed,” he said, “you will
hear from me as soon as success
crowns my efforts. If I fail, you will
perhaps never hoar from me again.”
“And when will y«u set forth?” ask
ed the king, almost beside himself with
hopeful anticipation.
“At once, sire. Tills very day, If I
can got ready.”
,“Do you want he'p?
“I would select two of your most
trusty guards."
“Take as many as you want.”
“Two will be enough, sire."
“Will you take them from those who
have been on duty here?"
“No, sire. That would not be safe.
The robbers might recognize them. I
will have two who came with us from
Damascus yesterday."
“As you will, Judah. Select the men
you want, and they shall accompany
you.”
The Israelite promised that he would
have all his arrangements made be
fore the king was ready to depart, and
with this assurance he went away.
By the middle of the forenoon the
king was ready to set forth on his re
turn to Damascus. Illln and Albia
were placed within a comfortable box
upon the back of a stout camel, and
around them were posted a hundred
armed men. The remainder of the
retinue was arranged under the direc
tion of Aboul Cassem, the king's prime
minister, and only the order was
needed to set the w’hole in motion.
At this point the king withdrew to the
palace, where he found Judah ready to
set forth on his dangerous mission,
and with him wrere two guards, Osmir
and Selim, two resolute, intelligent
fellows, who seemed to love the excite
ment of the work upon which they
were about to enter. The king was
pleased with the choice Judah had
made.
“I might not have hit upon them.”
he said; “but I know they will serve
you. And now, what more can I do?”
“Nothing.” replied Judah. “I have
all that I can use, and am ready for
the work. If I succeed, you will hear
from me in good time; and If you nev
er hear from me, you may at least be
assured that I failed from no lack of
will to serve you."
With a few words of encouragement
the king left his servant to pursue his
own course, and proceeded to join his
army, which was soon in motion; and
before the close of another day he
arrived at Damascus, where Ulin was
once more suffered to find shelter be
neath the roof of her father. Touching
her marriage, it was understood that
ti e ceremony should be performed as
soon as the period of mourning had
passed, which would be in two w’eeks;
and until then she was to remain in
close retirement. Horam asked that
she might not be suffered to go out,
for he feared to have her see too much
of the outer world before he had se
cured her hand.
We must now return to the Palace of
the Valley, where we left those who
wrere to go In search of the robber
chieftain. As soon as the king had
gone, Judah repeated the instructions
he had already given to the guards.
They were not to accompany him; but
they were to come after him, in a man
ner agreed upon, and were to conduct
themselves towards him in all respects
as though they had never before seen
him.
Towards the latter part of the after
noon Judah stripped himself bare to
the skin, and caused »ne of the men to
beat him with a leathern thong until
long livid ridges were raised upon his
shoulders and hack. After this he re
sumed his clothing, and as soon as the
shades of evening began to fall, he
mounted a fleet horse, and rode away
to the northward towards the plains of
Abilene. He knew that Julian had
taken that course, and he hoped to
overtake him before many hours. Un
til midnight he sped on quite rapidly;
but after that he moved more cautlous
' iy. peering and listening, upon the
right hand and upon the left, as h® ad
j, vanced. So he rode until day had
dawned, without seeing or hearing
anything worthy of note. But he was
coming upon something very soon.
Just as the sky began to glow with the
rich, red glare of the rising sun. he
came to a point where a narrow pass
between two steep hills opened into a
pleasant vale, and just here his horse
| was stopped by a stout man who ad
vanced. spear in hand, from some tre;s
by the wayside.
"Hold!” said the sentinel. "Who
are you?”
"A wayfarer, as you may see,” re
plied Judah.
"Whither are you traveling?”
"To the north.”
"Of what are you in pursuit?”
"Just at this present moment I am In
most urgent pursuit of something to
eat.”
"Have you money in your purse?”
"Enough for present use.”
“Are you afraid of losing it?”
"How?"
"By robbers."
"Bless you, no. I am rather anxiou3
to see some of these robbers.”
"You may see them sooner than you
would like."
"That cannot be, sir; for I wrould
like to see them at once.”
"Ah—what would you with them?”
"Never mfnd. If I am so fortunate
as to find them, they shall knew.”
"Perhaps I can find them for you.”
' "I believe you can; and, nr good sir.
if you will conduct me Int i the pres
ence of Julian, I shall thunk you.”
"Upon my life, you give me credit
for wonderful power.”
"I give you the credit of belonging
to Julian’s band; and as I am very
anxious to see him, T ask you once
more, to lead me to him.”
Tho man hesitated a moment, and
finally said, with a smile breaking over
his sunburnt features;
"You are free-spoken, and seem to
be honest; and I think I will lead you
to the man you seek. But my bold
friend, you have need of some fair
purpose.” •
"Lead me to Julian, and I will be
answerable for tlie rest.”
"Very well; you shall not ask again.
Dismount, and follow me.”
(To be continued.)
TOO MUCH FAULTY ENGLISH.
People Have drown Careled In Tliclr
Rhetoric—Familiar Error*.
The books of rhetoric used to tell us
that the great qualities of style were
perspicuity, energy and elegance, or
clearness, force and grace; and that as
a means toward these and for other
reasons it was important to be concise
to avoid needless words, writes Freder
ick M. Bird in the Literary Era.
Whether they no longer teach thus, or
their pupils disregard their instruc
tions, you can scarcely read a page or
a column anywhere without meeting
words that add nothing to others with
! which they are immediately connect
; ed. Thus: Thought to himself. How
else should he think? If he thought
aloud you would have to say so. Either
he “said to himself”—which is another
way of putting it—or he simply
“thought.” Nodded his head. If he had
nodded his legs or Ills elbows the case
would be more notable. He might
properly “shake his head,” for he could
6hake other things; but in the present
state of language one can nod no other
part of himself or of creation than his
head. Together with. If John went to
town with his wife they went together;
if they went together he was necessaril
iy with her. Month of May, summer sea
, son, etc. Everybody knows that May is
j a month and summer a season. Rosa
j up. If people were in the habit of rising
down, or if it were possible to do so
i this would not be tautological. It will
1 not do to say that these specimens
abound in the best writers and are
therefore justifiable. They are not the
j best writers when they write
in this way, through pure car
lessness, for they know better. Homer
sometimes nods, but his nodding did
! r.ot produce the “Iliad.” We want to
follow the best writers in their excell
encies not in their errors.
Women Plijiklam In Iiuaala.
Russia has long prided herself oh
having the first women physicians
) The Chautauquan refers to the career
j of Nadezhda Susloff, one of the earliest
and best women doctors, as particular
ly interesting. Born a serf, and freed,
with her parents at the emancipation
! in 1861, she and her brothers and sis
' ters received the best possible educa
tion at home and abroad, for her par
| ents were both extremely intelligent
and her father acquired wealth after
j gaining his freedom. Everywhere in
i Russia and in the continental schoo’s
Nadezhda was brilliantly successful.
] For thirty years there has been no
manner of doubt as to the sympathy of
the public and of the medical world
with the idea of thorough medical in
j struction for women. Men started the
movement. In 1870 one professor and
two other men undertook to establish
i courses for instructing women. In ten
j years there were 9,79 women students
j the majority coming from the “privi
leged efasses”—that is to say.not per s
I ants. The majority were members of
; the Russian church, but there were
■ several Jewe ses. Roman Catholics and
I Lutherans. In 1877 twenty-four stu
dents were sent to the seat of war.
j during the Russo-Tui kish campaign,
and did so well that they received im
perial permission to call themselves
after due examination, "women physi
cians,” and to wear a badge."
j A Chicago photographer has invent
ed and patented nn automatic “nickel
I In the slot” photographing machine,
i which will make a complete picture in
| 20 Seconds. The machine is called the
"photographist." and is said to be as
, simple as it is remarkable.
THE REYH.IONERS.
bTRONG STAND TAKEN BY
SENATOR GALLlNObR.
Il« OppiMt! TnrhT Tinkering of Ail
Sorts. Whether by Direct l.cgNlailea
or by ’Special Trmtln f.ir the Pro
motion of foreign Trade.
Senator Gallinger of New Hamp
fchire who ha:.. during his entire pub
lic career been one of the the most
persistent and able advocates of the •
tariff policy of the Republican party,
was recently asked his opinion as to
the present agitation for a repeal of
certain tariff duties and the modifica
tion of the Dingley tariff through the
ratification of the reciprocity treaties
negotiated by Mr. Kasson. The sen
ator’s reply was as follows:
The Democratic party in its economic
blindness and political perversity Is con
sistent In advocating the ratification of '
tlic tiratios in (jueslion un*l enactment <>f i
!* glslatlon such as has heen unwisely
III nposed by Representative llabcock.
1 hul_ party Is wedded to the doctrine'
of l''ree-Trade, and seems quite willing
to repeat i he experiment of industrial
disaster and wretchedness that has come
to this country whenever a low Tariff
law has been placed on Iln> statute
books; hut how any Republican or Repub
lican newspaper can advocate that policy
surpasses my comprehension, it would
seem as though Die sorrow and suffering
incident upon the passage of the Wilson
Tariff bill Is recent enough to he fresh
In the minds of our people, and that all
classes would Instinctively shrink from a
repetition of such folly, lint many seetn
to have forgotten those dark days, and
even some Republicans have succumbed
to the siren voice of Free-Trade. For
one I am absolutely and unqualifiedly op
posed to any change In the existing Tur
in laws of the United Stales. Under them
lhe country has had four years of un
exampled prosperity, and I do not pro
pose to be a party to any proposition
that looks to the repeal of modification
of existing statutes. 1 believe It will
he a crime against humanity to follow the
lead of those who are agitating for an
abandonment of I’rotectlon and a return
to practical Free-Trade.
The proposed treaty with the Argentine
Republic reduces the duties on wool a)
per cent, and If ratified will inevitably
strike a death blow to the wool industry
of this country us severe and disastrous
as that which resulted from President
Cleveland's advocacy of free wool. The
wool-producing stales should rise In
mighty protest again this proposition, and
give the matter its eternal quietus. The
proposed treaty with France deals a
heavy blow in certain lines of manu
facturing In the United Slates, and, so
far as I can perceive . every one of the
treaties agreed to by Mr. Kasson Is
inimical to American interests and ought
to he rejected by the Senate.
As for the Rabeoek proposition, that is
too absurd for serious discussion. The
man who claims that trusts are created
by Tariff legislation has certuinly not
given serious thought to the proposition,
and the legislator who believes that trusts
can he destroyed by repealing the duties
on certain classes of goods should Join
a kindergarten class in economics, unless
the proposition is to destroy the trust
by destroying the Industry, thus closing
American workshops and bringing disas
ter to the mechanics and laboring tnen of
this country. The man who sawed off
the limb of I he tree on which he sat
gol rid of the limb, but his bruises and
broken bones reminded him for a long
time of the folly of the undertaking.
The Republican party came into power
because of Its advocacy of Protection and
when the party abandons that policy It
will go out of power, and deservedly so.
Just now there are evidences of timidity
and retrogression In some quarters, hut
I feel confident that when the hour of
trial comes the party will remain true
to Its traditional policy, and that the
Kasson reciprocity treaties and the llah
cock Free-Trade proposition will alike
he relegated to the tomb of forgotten
things. The duty of the Republican party
is plain, and woe be to the man who
attempts to strike clown IToteclion in
this country.
Senator Gallinger is noted for his
plain, outspoken way of stating his
views. You always know- just where
he stands. A little more than a year
ago in a public speech he said, re
garding the movement to remove the
duties from paper and pulp:
You can not select a single Industry for
slaughter without imperiling the whole
system of Protection. If Protection is
withheld from one Industry it must he
withheld from all.
That warning was heeded. The bill
in question was never pressed for pas
sage. Today"so influential a news
SENATOR GA LUNGER,
paper as the San Francisco ‘'Chroni
cle" is saying in reference to the Has
son scheme of reciprocity treaties:
If the orange growers of California and
the hosiery operatives of New England
(and of New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania and other states, it might be
added), are to lose their Just Protection,
thev will endeavor to see to It that no
one else is Protected at their expense.
These things are worth thinking
(bout. They should engage the serious
consideration of revisionaries and
reciprocators.
Reciprocity Treatin'* Again
It would be interesting to know the
facts in the case of the alleged reci
procity treaty negotiations between the
United States and Germany. We find
it difficult to believe that our ambana
dor at Berlin is seriously encouraging
the German government In this re
gatd, at least upon his own motion. If
he has kept in touch wth the represen
tatives of American thought and pur
pose, he must know that the so-called
reciprocity treaties have been set aside
by the senate. If he has carefully ex
amined the organic law of the land he
must believe that the senate and the
state department cannot enact laws to
create a public revenue. In a word,
there seems to be absolutely nothing to
warrant the faintest hope that any
treaty of the kind mentioned will over
acquire the force of law, and yet If we
may accept half the statements con
tained In our foreign press reports, Mr.
White, United States envoy to Oer»
many is gravely confabulating with
the authorities at Berlin alternately
exalted and depressed by developments
within the empire.
The language of the constitution
seems to lie unmistakable. It provides
that laws intended to create a public
revenue shall originate in the House
of Representatives, and w’hile the Sen
ate is authorized to offer amendments
to such laws, the concurrence of the
House is indispensable to their valid
ity. If there be in all this a hook upon
which to hang tariff laws made by the
state department and the senate act
ing In collusion and without the
knowledge and consent of the House,
we are too dullwitted to discern it.
Nevertheless, Ambassador White is
said to be solemnly pushing the reci
procity negotions. and the wires are
warm with messages of rapprochement
and tender yieldings and all the rest
of the affectionate folderol which
makes diplomacy so beautffnl and
bright a thing.—Washington Post.
AREN’T THEY DAISIES?
Dlmertlot; the Hubrock I* Inn.
Discussion of Representative Bab
cock’s idea of removing the tariff from
all products of the steel trust has
brought out some interesting facts
about the steel trade. It has been
shown that big as the trust is, it by
no means controls the steel trade In
this country, there being many estab
lishments some of them employing a
large number of men, which have no
connection with the trust. It seems to
be generally admitted that the removal
of the tariff on steel products would
not injure the big trust to any marked
extent, but it is claimed that it would
necessitate an immediate reduction of
the trust. This claim, which is being
made by those who ought to know
whereof they speak, is causing many
who were at fiisf inclined to favor Mr.
Babcock’s idea to entertain doubts of
its wisdom, and if it be substantiated
by unprejudiced investigation which a
number of members of the House are
quietly making, the bill for the repeal
of the tariff on steel products will not
j he supported by a corporal's guard of
; Republicans in either branch of oon
| gress at the coming session. Desirab’e
as many consider it to curb the power
of the big trusts, the Republican ma
jority in congress are not going to
he stampeded into the support of any
thing of the sort without carefully con
sidering It from every point of view,
and they will certainly not allow any
legislation to get through that will re
duce the wages of American working
men.—■CrawfordsvlIIe (Ind.). Journal.
Protection tintn* foreign Market*.
Our Increase of exports during the
fiscal year 1901 over the preceding year
will approach $100,000,000, This, too,
has been done without the sacrifice of
a single American industry or the loss
of a single job. Were our exports to
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands
included, ns formerly, $20,000,000 could
be added to the above amount, which
is, in itself, very satisfactory, consid
ering the war in China, “European re
taliation," etc. Protection gains more
foreign markets than free trade, and
preserves our grand home market as
well.
Higher Titan Under Free Trade.
The wool sales at Price yesterday
averaged over 11 cents. This of course,
is not as high as wool raisers have got
at some times, and it is below the aver
age for wool under this Republican
administration but it is so much high
er than the average under the Demo
cratic administration that preceded it
that it takes the cheek of a mump
sufferer for a Democrat to speak of
low prices for wool.—Salt Lake City
Tribune.
KipnndliiK Home Market.
Hank clearings throughout the coun
try continue to show about 25 per
cent increase over last year. This is
outside of New York City, where the
increase is over 75 per cent. This
means that the Dingley law is expand
ing our home market to the value of
at least $10,000,000,000 a year. And yet
tae fiee-trade trust want us to aban
don our home market and try for some
foreign sales in competition with the
pauper labor of the world.
F'*rmor< (iettlmc Klrli.
The farmers of the United States are
getting wealthy. The banks are bulg
ing with their money. Abandoned
farms and farm mortgages are a thing
of the past, and Instead of paying from
0 to j0 per cent for money, our western
farmers, after buying all the neces
saries and luxuries they want, have
money to lend.
The census returns giving the area
of various states show that the one
which has the largest amount of land
under water is Florida, and the least,
iu proportion to size Wyoming.
1/3 E MOUSE WHISKERS.
Hears' KyebitiH Aiumg >*w Thing*
t’inl by Fi’ltannen.
The business done in mouse whisk
ers is considerable this year, for they
are used in the making of the won
derful new fly for fishermen—the “new
gray gnat.” And they are expensive—
nearly 2 cents per whisker. Trout rise
very much better at mouse whisker
flies than at the same “gnat” dressed
in jungle-cock hackles, which look
very much like them. The trade of
artificial fly making is the lightest
fingered business in the world, and It
is not one man or woman, out of five
thousand who can learn to tie flies.
These tyers are remarkable for tin
beauty and delicacy of their hands,
and only the cleverest of fingers can
deal with the “niggling” work of knot
ting hairs that can hardly be seen. In
making a fly the earth has to be ran
sacked for precisely the correct feath
ers and hairs, and one hair wrong will
make all the difference. It takes an
expert tyer only 15 minutes to turn
out a fly, which consists of a tiny
hook, with wings of Egyptian dove
feather, legs of fox hair, and a body
of mouse fur, wound round with a
thread of yellow silk. A carelessly
made fly will have neither legs nor
“feelers," but the true expert adds the
legs, and puts on a pair of long "feel
ers” of cat hair, white at the tips.
All these tiny details will be exactly
in their places, and so finely tied to the
hook that the fly will take half a dozen
strong fish and be none the worse.
Bears’ eyebrows, being stiff, and exact
ly tlie right shade, are used in a new
ly Invented fly that is killing quanti
ties of salmon tlis year; and these
eyebrows come from the Himalayan
brown bear, and cost about $1.50 per
set.
MUST DO THEIR WORK WELL.
Encomp«t«nt Pont'ati Mab!» to lMntas<*«
for Tliclr HimRll■>
The courts are talcing cognizance of
the competency or Incompetency of
professional men. A short time ago
a New York tribunal held that a phy
sician was liable for unskillful or neg
ligent treatment of a patient and now
tho court of appeals of that state has
rendered a decision holding a ear
poration liable for unskillful dental
work. This corporation, according to
the complaint., represented that it car
ried on the practice of dentistry in con
nection with its other departments.
The plaintiff, a woman, having under
gone treatment, sued for alleged re
sultant injury and received a verdict'.
Apparently the defence of the corpora
tion was that the dental business was
not, In fact, carried on by It, but was
owned by the dentist. But tho court
held that the company having held It
self out as carrying on a dental de
partment and the plaintiff having been
ignorant of the fact that the company
was not the real owner of the dental
department, the corporation was
estopped from making such a denial.
For, under the circumstances, the court
said that tho plaintiff had a right to
rely not only on the presumption that
the company would employ a skillful
dentist as its servant, but also on the
fact that if that servant, the dentist,
whether skillful or not, was guilty
of any malpractice, she had a respon
sible party to answer therefor in dam
ages.—Chicago Chronicle.
Til* Cowboy Wt»» CJonerous.
Millionaire McKittrick, who, as all
California knows, is the king of the
oil district, and is reputed to own half
of southern California, was leaving
his ranch to drive into town the other
day, when he was accosted by one of
his 'cowpunchers, who had been on
the job about a fortnight. “Say, boss,1*
said the cowboy, “can T draw $10?"
Mr. McKittrick was about to refer the
man to the foreman, but. being good
natured, he handed over the gold ea
gle. “Oh, I don't want the money,”
said the cowboy; “I want you to get
me some truck in town.. I want a
dollar-’an-a-half pair o’ yaller shoes,
three pairs o’ two-bit socks, a sack o’
Durham, some cigarette papers, a pair
o’ overalls, two suits o’ underclothes,
two Stanley shirts, the four-bit kind,
an’ a two-bit silk handkerchief.”
Charmed by the gall of his employe,
the millionaire took the commission.
He returned late at night loaded down
like Santa Claus, sought out the cow
puncher, delivered the goods, saying:
“It cost only eight-fifty. Heres the
dollar and a half left over."
“Oh, that’s all right," said the gener
ous cowboy, “keep the change!”—San
Francisco News Letter.
A I<ucky Accident.
Jerry Cooper considers himself one
of the luckiest men in England, and
not without reason. He used to be a
gymnastic instructor in the navy.
Then he went into the merchant ma
rine, and five years ago while on a
trading vessel off Newfoundland the
donkey engino on board blew up, kill
ing four men and knocking Jerry
speechless and deaf. Yet a man even
in this condition must live, and to
gain a means of livelihood when ha
returned to England he gave exhibi
tions of conjuring and contortions. A
week or two ago he had a bad fall,
which made him unconscious, and
upon regaining himself he found that
speech and hearing had come back to
him. And in all Britain there’s no
one happier than Jerry Cooper.
t.umbar Capacity of California.
Timber experts tell us that Califor
nia alone has a capacity of lumber in
her standing forests of over 100,000,
000,000 cubic feet.
A drowning man will catch at a
straw—and so will a man who 1*
thirsty!
