Leup City Northwestern
GEO. E. BENSCHOTER, Ed. a.id Pub.
LOUP CITY, - - NEBRASKA.
Sultan Dosoon should have his Dame
Changed to Toosoon.
(Jeronimo probably has confessed
that he was an old chief of sinners.
Jamaica should be a good market
for cyclone cellars during the next few
months.
,-I sleep like a babe,” says Corbett.
What poetic language these hard-fist
ed fighters use!
Apparently Mount Vesuvius’ grudge
against the existing order of things
is deep and lasting.
The new college of journalism is
primarily intended, however, to pro
duce newspaper men.
Undoubtedly Russia and Japan are
merely bluffing. Neither has begun
to invest in Missouri mules.
It would be well worth going many
miles to see Mr. Jeffries and a good
swift red devil collide head-on.
Thomas Cooksey W’ard, "The Sage
of Maryland,” is dead at the age dt
111. It takes a sage to reach that age.
A St. Paul girl tried the old reli
able test to discover if they were
mushrooms or toadstools. It worked.
California regrets to report that she
has not prunes enough this year to
create trouble In even the Hungarian
diet.
Literary people should live as near
as possible to nature without getting
too far away from the publishers.—
Puck.
Perhaps if they had allowed Mr.
Corbett to tuke an ax into the ring
with him the result might have been
different.
Prof. Langley should not be discour-,
aged. If his machine will not fly per
haps it will be a success as a sub
marine boat.
A Chicago professor has undertaken
the task of writing six large books
about money. That's his scheme for
Eetting money.
If a man will only keep on making
love to a woman after he has married
her they can keep on fooling them
selves indefinitely.
Live sheila were fired at a French
warship without any apparent effect
upon it. However, Dewey's men were
not behind the guns.
Unfortunately the people the
world would like most to be rid of are
never the ones who get mixed up in
those tunnel accidents.
Lawrence. Kas., had a wind storm
the other day that made some of the
old settlers think for the moment that
Quantrell had come again.
How would it do for the nations, be
fore further increasing their navies,
to have a few of the rocks dug out
of the oceans, so the boats will have
room?
“The sheep which were imprisoned
in the turret of the French cruiser
Suffern”—that's just what they were
doing, even if they were not seriously
injured.
It is generally known that potatoes
contain a large percentage of alcohol
but are we to infer that this is most
generously liberated in the process of
mashing?
There Is a man at I-aurel, I* I., who
claims that in the Blxty years of his
life he has eaten 87,000 pancakes.
Some people don’t seem to have any
sense of shame.
Representative Baker of Brooklyn,
who will neither accept railroad
passes nor appoint cadets to Annapo«
lis, must have got into politics by mis
take.—Buffalo Express.
That man In Mount Vernon who let
his wife compel him to sleep for a
month In the chicken coop has shown
unconsciously that It takes a wife to
measure accurately the dimensions of
ter husband.
The Ban Francisco earthquake ant?
the eruption of Mt. Colima, following
the outburst from Vesuvius, afford am
ple evidence that the disturbance In
side the great round ball on which we
live has not been settled yet.
“If you are bitten by a rattlesnake,”
rays an authority, “and can’t get
whisky, eat tobacco—a pound if nec
essary. It will cure you.” Life is
sweet, and there arc men, doubtless,
who would pay even this price for It.
The Toledo Blade says: “Miss Fairy
Titmarsh has a pair of calves that can
not be beat in this sectio* of our
glorious republic.” Perhaps somebody
will write a poem about them, as
somebody did about Mary’s little
lamb.
Some immense waterspouts have
been seen In Nome, and it has been
hailing blocks of Ice in Colorado, but
not a solitary sea-serpent has shown
up at any of the seaside resorts this
summer. The sea-serpent liar must be
taking a vacation this year.
’Buf&nd
Bird Select
Although wealthy and really pretty
Miss Genevieve Hoadley Marvin cares
lot for social success among her fel
'ow human beings. It is true that she
aas indulged in a more or less mad
lcramble to get Into society, but it is
;he society of the birds and beetles
and small animals that haunt the
verdant woods around the picturesque
little cottage, near Wbippany, N. J„
where she and her mother live, to
which she is 'at home.”
It seems impossible that your ser
vant should bring in a card marked
'A Raccoon,” but that is almost what
:akes place in the Marvin household
»ny summer day.
"Please ma'am says Miss Marvin's
naid, “a raccoon is at the front door
ind would like to see you. He says
ae’s hungry.
A scramble follows and Miss Mar
vin immediately descends to the lower
floor, where her strange visitor is
'harmingly entertained with steak and
potatoes.
I^)ve for all things, great and small.
Is the only credential that will admit
vou to animal society, says Miss Mar
vin. and no one is better qualified to
tpeak In this connection, for her home
s a small zoo and nearly 200 crea
tures of the nearby fields and forest
snjoy her hospitality.
So persistently has Miss Marvin
lemonstrated her friendliness for ani
mals by innumerable acts of thought
ful kindness that squirrels for a mile
iround know her and will come from
he thickets at her call, while rac
'oons, field mice, weazels. wood
'hucks and even many of the birds
follow her as she takeR her morning
walk through the woodland.
This has not been accomplished
without much labor. For many months
Miss Marvin battled against the nat
ural and inherent timidity of the
“people of the wild," and day after
day she threw bread crumbs to the
birds and loft tempting bones and
bits of meat in her front yard for the
larger animals; she eoaxed and beg
ged and wheedled, and made it a rule
always to wear the same bright red
outing jacket when she went forth to
win the confidence of her tlnv friends.
The wearing of this particular jacket,
she explains, was to impress upon the
animals her distinction from the con
fusion of farm hands and other per
sons living in the neighborhood.
Even to this day she wears the red
jacket while out in the woods, and she
confesses with evident regret that she
is afraid many of her pets would not
know- her if she were to appear in any
other color.
The proverbial “happy families” of
(he big zoos and circuses cannot be
compared to the amazing collection of
animals all under one roof in the
Marvin cottage. A room jutting out
into the shaded back yard, with one
side w'ell grown with plant life, is the
summer recreation spot and district
hospital of 150 different creatures of
various kinds, ranging from the or
dinary pinching bug to the bullfrog.
You are dimly conscious of an inces
sant hopping, twitting and jumping
when you step into this stationary
ark. A large cage, closed in with
wire, takes up the left corner of the
room, anil in this cheerfully abide
some thirtv-flve specimens of the bird
families of New Jersey.
It is by no means a part of Miss
yiarvin's scheme to imprison these
songsters for a lifetime. Indeed,
none of them has been kept longer
than eight months in the cage. Thor
oughly conversant with the many dif
ferent nests and their broods, she
takes the best specimens just before
they are ready to fly and gives them a
home, which, if not the equal of the
woods, is wonderfully adapted, never
theless, tt> their wants and peculiari
ties. As soon as a specimen has been
studied carefully both in habit and
song and markings, it is permitted to
go, while in Miss Marvin’s books an
other sketch is made and another
biography completed.
“You would naturally suppose," said
Miss Marvin to a visitor, “that the
birds once freed would never again
wish to see the artificial life I have
prepared for them, but this is not al
ways the ease. Not long ago. for in
stance, l liberated a Baltimore oriole
after he had grown up and 1 had fin
ished studying him. Early in the follow
ing morning my maid heard a terrific
flapping of wings on the window pane
in the back room, and she called to
me that, two birds were trying to get
in. One of these visitors proved to
be my old oriole and he had brought
back with him a mate. Although at
first obviously ill at ease, this new
acquaintance to my ranks soon ad
justed herself to her new surround
ings. The old oriole feels his au
thority, being perhaps the ‘oldest In
habitant,’ and his impertinent conduct
while on morning parade is most
amusing.”
The large cage is like an ever
changing kaleidoscope of color. The
brown and red of the robins and the
flashing bluebirds’ wings mingle with
the more sober hues of the teewit, the
flycatcher and the meadow lark, and
conspicuous through all is the restless
scarlet oriole, a living spot of fire.
“Are there ever any misunderstand
ings between your animals that you
are called upon to settle/’’ Miss Mar
vin was asked.
Oh, yes, she replied with a smile.
“I am often compelled to don the cap
and cloak and arbitrate in their quar
rels. Even the smallest animals, if
patiently trained, can be made to
learn tne lesson of obedience to man
kind. For an entire year, my first in
New Jersey, I fed the birds out of
that east window every morning. Now
I can't keep them away. Promptly at
half after six—we are early risers, you
see—the clatter begins beneath the
window. My appearance upon the
scene is the signal for a noisy morn
ing greeting. Up they come in swarms
not even waiting for me to throw the
food on the ground for them. Some
times there are as many as twenty
birds, all noisy, al! hungry, in a feath
ery ball around the bread pan.
“I have known stragglers who had
not received their portion to fly
against the window after it had been
closed in an attempt to tell me that
they had been forgotten, while in the
summer, when the window is left
open, they will come six and seven
at a time to line themselves on the
table and pick up remnants.
“It is interesting to see the aignals
that are exchanged between the free
and the captive birds. On pleasant
•lays I roll back the glass roof so that
the animals may get the warm sun
and air. and it is not uncommon for
free birds that I have fed to fly down
into the room and with fluttering
wings cry out discordant challenges
to the prisoners.
“Once every week on the same day
1 give a little informal 'pink tea,’ as
it were, on my front lawn. There is
spread a suitable feast, and I have
known squirrels and even the shy
woodchuck to come unbidden from the
stone fence and partake gingerly of
my bounty, braving the danger of the
open road and my pet dachshund
Creo, who entertains, 1 imagine, feel
ings of great jealousy.’’—New York
Press.
Population of China.
So much has been said of the "teem
ing millions" of China that the official
census recently published by the im
perial treasury department of China is
jf no little interest, since it furnishes
* method of determining just how
many "teeming millions" there are.
It appears that the celestial empire
contains 426,000,000 inhabitants, and
'.hat China proper—the eighteen pro
vinces—contains 407.000,000, The
lumber of inhabitants per square kilo
meter varies from 201 in Honan to
32 in Kansu and Is on the average
103 in the eighteen provinces. In
Mongolia, the number is .7, in Man
churia 9, in Ttbet 5. and in Turke
stan .8. For comparison It may be
recalled that Germany has 105 inhab
itants per square kilometer, Belgium
220 and the United Kingdom 130.
The Wild Ostrich.
There are just four regions in
vhich the wild African ostrich is now
found. He lives in considerable num
bers in Arabia, where he has been
little hunted. In Africa his most
lorthern habitat is the Soudan and
’.he southern part of the Sahara, from
the Red Sea almost to the Atlantic
acean. He does not lire In the exces
sively moist regions of central Africa,
but in the drier countries between the
Indian ocean and the Nile he is found
in considerable numbers. His fourth
home in Alrica is in the great dry
districts of German West Africa, from
the Atlantia ocean more than half
wav across the continent
Human Ball Between Locomotive*.
While crossing the Pennsylvania
railway tracks at York. Pa., Saturday
night. 12 year-old Harry Amig was
struck by the train he had not seen
and tossed in front of the engine he
was seeking to avoid. This one prompt*
ly pitched him back, with the regula
tion curves, but engine number one
played hot ball in return and for the
third time the hoy was sent whizzing
through the air. Fortunately he landed
between the tracks this time, where
he was quickly surrounded by a group
of horrified spectators. The surprise
of the crowd and the joy of the young
ster when it was discovered that he
had not even a scratch to show- for his
dangerous experience is better left to
the imagination than otherwise. The
experiment, however, will not bear re
petition.
What Could She Do.
“I am glad.” said the wealthy mer
chant, “that the baby is a girl.”
“Wouldn't you rather have a boy
that you could train to succeed you in
business?”
"No, indeed,” replied the wealthy
merchant. “A boy would go to col
lege. learn to play baseball and prob
ably become a member of one of the
jvrofessioal leagues. He would be of
no business advantage to me what
ever. But a girl—"
"What can a girl dot”
"Why, she can marry th« confiden
tial clerk who iv gradually stealing
everything I've got, and so keep the
money in the family."
Argument Had Effect.
Rev. Sanford Olmsted, the new
Episcopalian Bishop of Colorado, is
noted for the skill with which he
can collect money for charity. St.
Asaph’s church, at Bala, Pa., was
Bishop Olmsted's last, charge, and this
church, under his pastorate, actually
had more money than it could spend.
Here is an Instance of Bishop Olm
sted's address as a collector.
He called on a man one day who
was well to do, but somewhat close.
He asked for money for a worthy char
ity. and the man said:
"I d give something gladly, but the
fact is I’ve only $300 by me in cash—
$300 that I've put aside for niy fun
eral."
"You trust God with your soul,"
said Bishop Olmsted, “but you're
afraid to trust Him with your funeral,
eh?"
This comment gained the bishop a
geuerous contribution.
Learning Foreign Languages.
One of the most interesting features
of the social life of Antwerp is the
polyglot clubs for the mutual teaching
of foreign languages, especially Eng
lish. German and Spanish. Members
meet every week, and all the proceed
ings— lectures, reading, and conversa
tion—are conducted it! languages other
than French dr Flemish. Mistakes of
pronunciation are corrected by those
present in the most friendly manner
These clubs have given a great stim
ulus to the acquirement of foreign
languages.
I HocIiinv^.r
As Revised by'
{Sexitojs - IXanoivt'
“Will you fly with mo. my darling, to some happier distant clime.
Where the only cruel pa ret it is relentless Father Time?
Seven Summers have departed since the blessed day 1 knew
That in all the Solar System there was none like unto you.
TIs your plutocratic pater who has ever held me hack
Coldly sneering as he shovels coupons In a bulging sack.
And he swears In shocking phrases tha t he'll ne'er consent to me
As a member of his household (11! I've heaped up millions three.
Now I'm shy two million ducats, and n half a million more,
We must die or fly together let the King of Finance roar"
Then she spoke: "We ll wait no longer, let us go this very night.
Are you sure the airship's ready and tile engine’s working right?
I will meet you In the garden when the stroke of midnight rings
Now be good, and leave me, darling. I must go and pack my things."
When a winged phantom sweeping with a hissing, sighing rush,
Settled gently In the shadows of the sleeping garden's hash.
There were whispers: "Test the current, oil the fans and steering wheel;
Try the motors, shift some ballast forward of the sliding keel."
There's a flutter and a rustle, and a stifled, sobbing erv:
"Hurry, George, all is discovered; oh, I know that I shall die."
As a mighty wind of Autumn sings among the tossing trees,
So the airship H'urrieana swept her pinions to the breeze,
Rising slowly till the city faded In a smudge of black.
Then -he winged her hurtling passage o’er the moonlit southern track
Engines throbbed, the ship was vibrant. Said the Captain: That'll do.
Eighty knots, sir: any harder, and she’ll shake herself In two."
But behind, portentous looming, growing larger all the while.
Showed a shadow that meant trouble In another Hying mile.
Raid the Captain: "That’s the flag-hip of the Aerial express,
Slv ran do an easy hundred, and a. trl tie more. I guess."
In a moment o'er the quarry flashed a searchlight's blinding glare.
While the maiden shrieked, half fuititln g. in the depths (if her despair.
"Clear the rapid-firing rifle that we keep for pirate crews.
Load," said George, "and blow bim out of both his wicked shoes."
" Tis my father!" cried the maiden. "Spare him. for he loves nie so!"
"All right. Gunner, only wing her—better aim a trifle low.
And you'll smash a shaft or engine that will cripple the machine.
And vour father, darling Nora, will be in the soup tureen."
Bang: the gunner hit the target and the ship turned on her side.
As a broken-winged eagle eddies, stricken In his prtde.
"They'll not perish—little danger, turn our searchlight!" called the mate.
"Manning parachute preservers." "See 'em hustle!" "Ain't It great?"
Soon there dropped a rotund object, like a fat pear from a tree.
Falling gently, kicking wildly, shouting language black and free.
"Good-bye. father, keep your hat. on. and be careful where you light!"
Laughed the maiden, while the sailors yelled a jubilant "Good night."
Where the palm trees droop 'neath tropic skies this modern pair were wed.
And the airship’s thirsty sailors made the isle a vivid red.
But the apoplectic falling star came down upon a fence.
And In his cushioned frame were knocked some rather painful dents.
He lives alone, and mourns the day he ever did pursue
That willful daughter, her young man and Hurrlrana's crew.
— RALPH D. PAINE In New York Times.
Had ‘‘Money to Burn.”
"Money to burn" Is a phrase that
one is likely to regard as belonging to
modern slang, and of recent, origin,
but it was used more than fifty years
ago, with a slightly different mean
ing, by a farmer living in western New
Hampshire.
This man—r:ZiO may he called
Smith, as that happened to be his
name—was sued foi a debt which he
declared that he did not owe, and he
contested the charge hotly, but never
theless judgment was found against
him. Smith said the evidence was
false, and vowed he would never pay
the amount. As the law at that time
allowed imprisonment for debt, he
moved over the line into Vermont to
escape arrest.
Now, Mr. Smith had always prided ,
himself upon being &u honest, law
abiding citizen, who paid his taxes
and owed no man a penny, and the
injustice of the action against him
rankled in his soul. He wished to
show his utter contempt for the de
cree and the court that had made such
a travesty of justice, and to outwit its
officers in their effort to take him I
into custody. So every Sunday old |
Smith crossed over the Connecticut
river from Vermont and paid a visit
to his old neighbor, Abner Crain. He
made no secret of his coming, secure
in the knowledge that the law could
not reach him on Sunday, and he
took good care to get back before
the hour which ushered in the legal
weekdays.
After dinner Hr. Crain and he used
to take a stroll about the place to
look at the crops, and then settle
themselves comfortably in chairs on
the shady porch and take out their
pipes for a quiet smoke. This was
Smith's happiest moment. Reaching
down into his trousers pocket, he
would pull out a big roll of bank
notes and peel one off the bunch.
Leisusely folding the note lengthwise v
into a spill, he would then reach overj|
and light it at the pipe Mr. Crain
already puffing, and, as he applied^
the burning paper to his own, hep
would remark in complacent tones 7
between the puffs:
”1 ve got money to burn, neighbor; 7
money to burn; but I'll never pay that
judgment with it, never! I’ll burn
it all first!”
“Cash” Clay’s Black Look.
The following story is related of
Gen. Clay’s power as an orator:
A man was once being tried for
murder, and his case looked hopeless
indeed. He had, without any seeming
provocation, murdered one of his
neighbors in cold blood. Not. a law
yer in the county would touch the
case. It looked bad enough to ruin
the reputation of any barrister.
The man, as a last extremity, ap
pealed to Mr. Clay to take the ease
for him. Every one thought that Clay
would certainly refuse. But when
the celebrated lawyer looked into the
matter his fighting blood was roused,
and, to the great surprise of all, he
accepted.
Then came a trial the like of which
has seldom been seen. Clay slowly
carried on the case, and it looked
more and more hopeless. The only
ground of defense the prisoner had
was that the murdered man had
looked at him with such a fierce, mur
derous look that out of self-defense he
had struck first. A ripple passed
through the Jury at this evidence.
The time came for Clay to make his
defense. It was settled in the minds
of the spectators that the man was
guilty of murder in the first degree.
Clay calmly proceeded, and laid all
the proof before them in a masterly
way. Then, just as he was about to
conclude, he played his last and mas
ter card.
“Gentlemen of the jury,” he said, as
suming the fiercest, blackest look, and
carrying the most undying hatred in
it ever Reen—“gentlemen, if a man
should look at you like this, what
would you do?”
That was all he said, but that was
enough. The Jury was startled, and
some even quailed in their seats. The
judge moved uneasily on his bench.
After some fifteen minutes the jury
filed slowly back with a “Not guilty,
your Honor.” The victory was com
plote. ^
When Clay was congratulated on his
easy victory he said:
“it was not so easy as you think.
I spent days and days in my room
before the mirror practicing that look.
It took more hard work to give that
look than to investigate the most ob
tnise case.”—Louisville Courier-Jour
nal.
Told by "Mother” Jones.
• “Mother" Jones, her small band of
Strikers about her, sat sewing in a
lodging house in Jersey City. She
was mending the clothes of the men
and boys of her army.
“I am used to roughing it," said
•Mother” Jones. “I am an American
of the old style. I date back to the
‘imes when everybody dined at noon,
and pie was our only dessert '
“Tell us about those times," said a
reporter.
“Well.” said “Mother" Jones. “I'll
.eli you about the I.ake Superior
steamers of the old days. I rode on
me of those steamers in my girlhood.
Everything was primitive.
“I remember how the captain of
this steamer on a Sunday morning,
gathered the passengers about him, <
held up his hand for silence, and he- m
gan: “
“ ‘I want to let you know that a
meetin- will commence at oncet In the
aft cabin. Good singin' and all wel
come. 1 would also state that I have
got up, in accordance with the wishes
! of several passengers, an Indian foot
, race on shore for a barrel of flour.
! Select your own amusement, friends.’
"I,” said ‘ Mother" Jones, “selected >
the meeting, and so did all the other
women passengers. It was well for
us, too. that we did; for we learned
afterward that, though the footrace
was a great success, one of the In
dicns entered it with nothing on but a
' calico shin and ended minus even
, that."
Fast Automobile Travel.
An Englishmac bas covered 427
j miles in 21 hours and 1C minutes with
Mb automobile. 4