Capital air oiat
OOVERNOR SHELDON SENDS
^ COLONS SPECIAL MESSAGE.
ASKS DISPOSAL OF MONEY RECEIVED
Railway Commission Bill and Other
Important Measures Getting
Shaped Up for Intro*
duction.
Sheldon Sends in Message.
Governor Sheldon transmitted to
the legislature a special message in
which he said he had received $790.37
from the general government, being
Nebraska’s charge of the income from
the forest reserves within the past
year and asking that body to dispose
of it in accordance with the federal
law which says it shall be expended
for the benefit of the public schools
•and the public roads of the counties
in which the forest reservation is situ
ated. The message was received and
placed on file. It is as follows:
“You are doubtless aware that with
in recent years the federal govern
ment has given much attention to the
conservation of natural forests and al
so has sought to stimulate tree growth
in prairie regions by the establishment
of forest reserves. Three of these re
serves have been located in Nebraska
and are known as the Dismal River,
the Niobrara and the North Platte re
serves, respectively. My information
^ 1s that they are situated in the coun
ties of Blaine, Grant, Cherry, Thomas
and McPherson.
umiuug appiupuduuua iui
the national department of agricul
ture, approved June 30, 1906, (34 U. S.
statutes, 648) contains the following:
" ‘That ten per centum of all money
received from each forest reserve
within any fiscal year, including the
year ending June thirtieth, nineteen
hundred and six, shall be paid at the
end thereof by the secretary of the
treasury to the state or territory in
which said reserve is situated, to be
expended as the state or territorial
legislature may prescribe for benefit
of the public schools and public roads
of the county or counties in which the
forest reserve is situated; Provided,
That when any forest reserve is in
more than one state or territory or
county the distributive share to each
from the proceeds of said reserve shall
be proportional to its area therein;
And provided further, That there shall
not be paid to any state or territory
for any county an amount equal to
more than forty per centum of the
total income of such county from all
other sources.’
“In harmony with the provisions
quoted I have received from the audi
tor of the treasury department a war
rant for $790.37, being Nebraska’s pro
portionate share of the income from
the forest reserve within the state for
the fiscal year 1906, which sum I have
paid into the state treasury to the
credit of the forest reserve fund. The
federal statute referred to makes it
plain that this money is to be ex
v pended for the benefit of the public
schools and public roads of the county
or counties in which the forest reserve
is situated to be disbursed as the legis
lature may prescribe. Before these
funds can be available for the several
counties participating it will be nec
essary for your honorable body to pre
scribe the details of expenditure and
it is for that purpose that I call your
attention to the matter. I understand
that the state’s revenue from the
forest reserve is continuous and will
increase with each year.”
Primary Election Law.
The committee on a primary elec
tion law is hard at work and has be
fore it the argument of many of the
leading members of various political
parties of the state. Those who are
clamoring for haste in this work are
as?;ed to wait patiently and they are
informed that such work is sot to be
done in a moment. The committees
say they desire to go carefully about
their duties and that after they are
sure of their ground they will report
bills. They do not desire to make un
due haste for fear of making blund
ers. As it is they are much in ad
vance of any similar committee ap
pointed by previous legislatures.
Rosewater Bill Killed.
On recommendation of the commit
tee on judiciary, for the second time,
S. F. 140 by Aldrich of Butler, pro
viding for the appointment of a con
stitutional revision commission of
five, was indefinitely - postponed. This
bill was introduced by request of Vic
tor Rosewater of Omaha. The rea
sons alleged for the action of the com
>mittee are said to be that the proposed
expense is useless as the members of
the committee or the members of the
senate are fully competent to point out
the defects in the state constitution
aa<* to report proposed amendments to
the legislature for submission to a
vote of the people.
Committee Inspects Building.
The house committee on public
lands and buildings, with Architect
George Burlinghof, inspected the east
wing of the capitol yesterday to see
for themselves the extent of the set
tling which the architect reported was
endangering the building. They visited
the basement and carefully inspected
the premises. They asked Land Com
missioner Eaton to secure figures
from an Omaha architect as to the
cost of repairs necessary to make the
structure safe. The amount of Mr.
Burlinghof’s estimate is $20,000.
Treasurer L. G. Brian received
$80,000 Monday and $30,000 Tuesday
in settlement with county treasurers
making a total of $111,000 for the two
days. He has issued a cal] for state
warrants amounting to $80,000 for to
day, making a total of $200,000 worth
of state warrants called to this month
The warrants called for are num
bered from 142,464 to 143,013, inclu
sive.
A —
By a vote of 7S to 16 the house
passed Representative Clark’s anti
chUd labor bill, which will now go to
the senate.
Railway Commission. Bill Ready.
The sub-committee, which is formu
lating a bill defining the duties and
powers of the railway commission, has
practically agreed on the form of the
proposed bill.
Senators Epperson of Clay, Aldrich
of Butler and Representatives, Harri
son of Otoe and Walsh of Douglas,
comprising the sub-committee, have
worked rapidly and harmoniously to
formulate a bill. Only one or two dis-:
puted points caused delay and these
were settled Monday night. The man
ner of procedure as defined in the bill
was one of the most important points
in dispute. The sub-committee at one
of its first meetings agreed that a rate
ordered enforced by the commission
should remain in force and not be su
perseded except by order of a court
of competent jurisdiction.
It is understood that many of the
features of the bill introduced by Aid
rich of Butler have been adopted.
Some changes in the two proposed
plans of procedure are said to have
been agreed upon. One of the pro
posed plans was for the commission to
hold a formal hearing before changing
any rate complained of. The o^her
was to have the board get information
and announce a rate and then give the
railroad a reasonable time to show
cause why the proposed rate should
not be enforced.
To prevent the railroad from set
ting aside rates by injunction suits is
one of the objects of the men who are
drafting the bill. It is understood that
the bill will provide that an appeal or
application to a court by a railroad
company shall be accompanied by the
testimony taken before the board, so
that the court can act intelligently and
not grant an injunction unless the evi
dence shows the proposed rate to be
unreasonable.
i ne sub-committee has agreed on a
section that will give the commission
power to punish any person who may
have been called as witness to bring
papers or records and who fail to obey
the orders of the board.
The bill will be a single bill, instead
of two bills as some proposed. It will
provide a salary of $3,000 for each of
the three commissioners and will pro
vide for two assistants, the first not
to receive over $2,500 and the second
not over $1,200 a year. The attorney
general is designated as the oScer
to have charge of hearings before the
commission and assistant counsel may
be employed, the accounts for expense
to be audited by the governor.
The procedure described in the bill
contemplates that the commission may
fix a rate on complaint of any one
aggrieved and give the railways thirty
days to show cause why it should not
be enforced. At rate fixed by the com
mission shall not be superseded except
by order of a court of competent juris
diction which may set it aside if found
unreasonable. No definite time is set
in the bill for the commission to estab
lish a classification of freight. The
schedules in force January 1, 1906, are
to be made the maximum rates. One
hall of all penalties are to go to the
school turd in the county where a
complaint originates and the other
half to the state.
Trouble Over Anti-Pass.
The anti-pass joint committee may
have some trouble. Bills have been
introduced in the legislature following
the general plan of the national law
recently passed. These bills, one by
King of Polk in the senate, contains
a long list of exceptions, almost iden
tical with the national} law. The ex
ceptions to the law include employes
of railroads, surgeons, attorneys for
roads, caretakers of livestock, preach
ers, railroad Y. M. C. A. secretaries
and many other classes engaged in
philanthropic work. The matter of
sifting out the exceptions or those who
may receive passes, is causing some
trouble. It is reported that Governor
Sheldon does not care to sign a bill
that is not in strict accord with the
republican state platform. That plat
form makes no exceptions besides
bona fide employes of railroad com
panies and their immediate families
and caretakers of live stock. This ru
mor has caused the joint committee to'
ponder deeply before acting.
Attended McKinley Banauaw
One hundred and thirty-one ieglsi*
tors, state officers and employes
tended the McKinley club banauet at
Omaha Tuesday night, at which Sher
burn Becker, mayor of Milwaukee- and
Governor Sheldon saoka.
~~~~~~
Against Ship Subside.
The senate passed a resolution by
Burns of Lancaster against the shia
subsidy bill now before com»reM.
Senate Journal Each Day.
The senate Tuesday adopted the re
port of the standing committee oa
printing that the senate journal be
printed daily. The contract calls fof
the printing of the journal daily at $2
per page, a total of $1,200, and copies
are to be laid on members' desks each
I morning. The contractor has given
I bond that his bid at the close of the
I session will be low enough to bring
I the total cost to $3,250, of $590 less
than the cost two years ago. This
doesn’t include cost of indexing, etc.
For State-Wide Primary.
There was some interesting direct
primary talk Monday night before the
joint committee of the legislature ap- I
pointed to draft a primary bill. Taking
for granted that the bill would be pas
sed, a number of prominent Nebras
kans addressed the committee on the
provisions of such a measure, among
the number being George W. Berge'
Victor Rosewater, Harry Dobbins and
J. M. Devine.
Some mea make a specialty of pos
ing as horrible eamples.
[>0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000^
MARCUS AURELIUS
BY HAROLD AVERY
lOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGOO&OUtg
(Copyright, 1J*06, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
was wuiie a large party ui us
were staying one summer at a farm
house—that the boy picked him up—
a little, sad-faced, lop-sided, mongrel
puppy.
The old sheep-dog, who had long
lost all recollection of his own child
hood, treated him with that arrogant
contempt with which Age, that may
be said to have learnt words of one
syllable, habitually regards poor
Youth, still struggling with the alpha
bet, and in consequence the unfor
tunate juvenile was forced to seek
amusement in the society of a litter of
small pigs. Whenever you crossed
the farmyard you were sure to catch
sight of him trotting about with his
minature herd of baby swine, his de
jected look, and ragged puppy coat,
making him the very personification of
a poor little four-footed prodigal.
Whether, under the circumstances,
it would have been fair to have
blamed the pup for his choice of
friends, or to have judged him by the
company he kept, are questions which
the reader can decide, but 1 know at
the time he certainly seemed to me to
be, from an intellectual standpoint,
hardly at all superior to his compan
ions.
When you called him he promptly
ran away, and if you pursued he would
lie down and grovel on his back in the
mud, and as often as you set him on
his feet he instantly fell down again.
What little mind he had appeared to
be attracted towards medical research,
and (having no one else to practice
on) he freely administered to himself
most strange garbage with all that dis
regard of personal risk which charac
terizes a true martyr of science.
A penchant for prescribing for his
own real or fancied ailments seemed
indeed to attend him all through life,
and even now, though well advanced
in years, it is hardly possible to take
him for a run round the garden with
out being startled by his suddenly
commencing to cough and choke in an
alarmingly noisy manner over some
particularly long blade of grass which
he has rashly undertaken to swallow.
The boy, however, with the same
youthful confidence which caused him
to believe that the vile little imitation
meerschaum that he smoked clandes
tinely behind the hay-rack would some
day “color,” averred that the pup had
a future before him, and, when full
grown, would be in some way or other
a remarkable animal. So firmly did
&
L>
Lost in Deep Reverie.
this unaccountable belief take root in
his heart that he secretly purchased
the object of It from the farmer’s son,
the price paid being a dime and the
two bottom joints of a Ashing rod.
This happened the day before we
left, and on the following morning,
while returning in an open wagonnette
a sudden exclamation from one of the
ladies caused us to glance in the di
rection of the box seat, and we were
surprised to observe a small, brown
face peering down at us from under
the boy’s elbow, with a quaint, apolo
getical look which seemed to say, “I’m
here, but don’t blame me.”
“You don’t mean to say you’ve
brought that little beast with you!”
“Of course I have,” answered the
boy, taking the mongrel up in his
arms. “He’s mine; and he’s not a lit
tle beast. Are you my beauty?”
“Ugh! you dirty thing!” exclaimed
the pretty cousin. “How can you let
him lick you?”
“He’s only kissing me.”
“Well, don't let him do it.”
GET EVEN WITH A LAWYER.
_ **•
Deputy Marshal Resented Sugges
tions Concerning His Work.
A retired deputy United States mar
shal was relating some of his experi
ences a few days ago, says the Wash
ington Star. One of them concerned
a lawyer. Some trouble had arisen
over the possession of two sewing ma- j
chines, and the selling company had 1
secured proper papers by which to
seize the machines, which papers were j
given to the deputy marshal.
When the attorney for the sewing |
machine dealers learned that the pa- j
pers were to be served by this par
ticular deputy he went to the chief
and protested, asking that the papers
be given to a younger and larger dep- ;
uty. The chief told the deputy of the I
protest.
When it came time to start out to
serve the papers the attorney in ques
tion desired to accompany the deputy.
iRemembering the protest, the deputy
itold him he had no business to go and
'informed him, in no uncertain termk.
that the lawyer’s company was not
desired. But the follower of Black
stone was perisstent and went.
When the house was reached the
deputy marshal found a strong Ger
man woman in possession and he
started to explain his fight.
“Don’t resist me, madam,” warned
the deputy marshal, “because I am an
officer of the law. But that lawyer
there has no business here and you
can beat him, throw him downstairs
or do anytihng to him you want to.”
The woman had not made more than
one move after that remark when the
lawyer thought of clients waiting for
him at his office and he hit only the
high places on the way to his desk.
Lost His Faith.
Small Elmer had arranged to go to
a Sunday school picnic. Jumping out
of bed early, he ran to the window
to see what the weather was like and
found the rain coming down in tor
rents. Stamping ris foot angrily he
exclaimed: “I’m going to be a heathen
after this.”
vro uu: ausweieu uie ooy, wicu
charming impudence. "You're jealous.”
”0-oh!” cried the girl, a dimple com
ing in her soft cheek and adorning it
like a jewel, “very well. I’ll never kiss
you again.”
“Won’t you? Just wait till we get
into the train.”
Ah, boy, that was long ago now, and
times change. v
It must have been nearly 18 months
before I saw the pup again. On this
occasion, having called at the boy’s
home and strolled out into the gar
den, I saw, sitting in the sunshine, out
in the very center of the lawn, an un
shapely, disreputable looking dog, ap
parently lost in a deep reverie, and
wearing on his head an absurd model
of a top-hat. On hearing my footsteps
he rose and shambled across the grass
to meet me, his hat (which was se
cured with an elastic band) cocked
knowingly over one eye.
“Why, you remember him!” cried
the boy. “This is the dog I bought at
the farm. We call him Marcus Au
relius because he's always meditating.
He's awfully clever; I've taught him
heaps of tricks.”
The animal sauntered up and wiped
his paws on my trousers by way of a
greeting.
“Hello Marc!” said his master. “Sit
up!.”
The dog promptly flopped down full
ldngth on the grass.
“I didn’t tell you to die,” cried the
boy. “Sit up you little blackguard!”.
Marc, with his top-hat hanging un
der his chin like a nose-bag, rolled
over and entertained us by “dying”
on his back.
“That’s just like him,” said the boy;
“it's the easiest trick he’s got; and
whenever I tell him to do anything
else he always will ’die;’ he won't sit
up or run round after his tail.”
Marc having “died” for what he
considered a reasonable length of
time, now rose to his feet and saun
tered back to his meditations, this
time wearing his top-hat on the back
of his neck, as though it was a sol
dier’s knapsack.
“What’s he got that on for?”
♦Why, I want him to get accus
tomed to it, because I’m going to teach
him to wear it when he goes out into
the street.”
“What can he do besides die?”
“Well,” answered the boy, “I think
he’d make a good sporting dog be
cause he’s always digging holes in the
garden, and I think he’s kill rats if he
had the chance. I tried him once with
a mouse that I caught in the stable;
I let it loose on the kitchen floor, and
somehow Marc lost it, and it ran away
somewhere, and we couldn’t find it,
and mother made an awful fuss. She
doesn't like Marc, I'm sure she doesn’t,
and he isn't allowed even to lie in
front of the dining room fire, but al
ways has to go into a basket. Women
never value a good dog; they don’t
know one when they see him. Do they,
Marc?”
! The dog—who appeared now to
I have finally determined to carry his
top-hat as a chest protector—on hear
ing his name called, awoke with a
start from his reverie, and after a mo
ment's hesitation, as though he forgot
exactly how the trick began, turned
slowly over and “died.”
! Many years have slipped away
since I first saw Marcus Aurelius medi
tating on the sun-lit lawn, and though
I knew him as a baby, I find him to
je quite a gray-haired old man. No
top-hat appears rakishly perched upon
his shapeless head, and he stretches
himself with perfect confidence upon
the sacred hearthrug and suffers no
rebuke.
“Marc,” says mother, with a slight
tremble in her voice, “where’s your
master?”
The dog wags his stumpy tail, but
it is a heartless proceeding, and he
does not even raise his head. Per
haps he knows as well as we do that
wide seas roll between himself and
Australia, and long before the boy will
ever think of crossing them again.
Marcus Aurelius will have performed
his old trick in sober earnest and
shambled off down that dusty pathway
trodden years ago by the family o*■
juvenile porkers, the old sheep-dog,
and all the other friends of his youth
Alcohol and Pauperism.
The relation of pauperism to intein
perance seems very plain to the peo
ple of Japan. In Great Britain there
are 1,000,000 paupers, while Japan has
only 25,000. When some one expressed
surprise at the great disparity and
wondered why in Japan there is so
small an element of pauperism in pro
portion to population, the reply of a
Japanese statesman was: “That is be
cause while the Japanese drink tea
the British drink alcohol.”—Ram’s
Horn.
FOLLY AS IT FLIES
HOW ONE MOTH WAS DRAWN
FROM THE BRIGHT LIGHT.
- " /
Gay Young Rounder Needed Only to
Have His Feet Set in the Right
Direction and the
Plain Path.
Setemup didn’t draw any dividends
from bowling alleys, saloons, or the
aters; but he was a free spender, and
made welcome by all the proprietors
of such places.
One day Setemup got moody and
sad. His clothes were glossy, and
since he couldn’t be relied on to do
good work because he stayed out late
at nights and often came to work with
a bad headache, he had not been pro
moted for 18 months. Further, Set
emup was penniless and owed a three
weeks’ board bill.
Setemup began to think. Thought
produced action, and he went to see a
wise old uncle who often gave him
good advice, and had on cne occasion
rescued him out of the hands of some
relentless loan sharks.
“How now?” said the uncle. “Why
so sad?”
I in neany uuwu auu uut,
reply. “I can't keep good habits,
somehow, and I can’t save.”
His relation scratched his head and
pondered for a few minutes. Then he
said, “I like you because you have the
elements of a man in you. I’ll help
you by giving you an inducement to
save your money. For every dollar
you bring me inside the next two
years I’ll add half a dollar. It’ll cost
me some money, but I guess It will be
worth it.”
Fired by the ambition of making
such easy money, Setemup neglected
his old haunts at the bowling alleys,
the saloons, and the theaters. Inside
a month he brought his uncle a few
dollars, which the old man promised
to put carefully away for him and add
the percentage promised. And he
kept on bringing his uncle all the
money he could spare.
" The habit of saving and the virtues
It necessitated soon showed itself in
his appearance. His clothing was good
and well kept. His eyes were bright
and healthy. What most pleased him
was the fact that he began to be ad
vanced regularly, and before the two
years were up he had become assist
ant to the head of a big department
At the close of the two years Set
emup went to his uncle to draw his
money. The sum was so large that
he protested the old man had been
adding more than he should.
“Are you satisfied?” was the query.
“Perfectly," was the reply. “I never
expected nearly so much.”
“Well, I’ll be honest with you. The
money just handed to you represents
your savings alone with accrued in
terest. Lately I’ve met with some re
verses, and am unable to add my pro
portion; but I will later.
“In this world,” said the uncle,
“habits are the real giant forces for
good or evil. I simply helped yos to
establish one good habit, and lo! like
magic, all the rest of the virtues fol
lowed in its train. The forming of
one good habit and sticking to it often
will help a man to make good head
way in a manner faster than he could
imagine in his wildest dreams.”
Happy Solution.
“My dear,” said the bridegroom, the
day after they had returned from their
wedding journey, “I have a sugges
tion to make that I think will work
to our mutual satisfaction and bene
fit.”
“Now, John, darling,” said the bride,
preparing to weep at the slightest ex
cuse “remember, I never said I could
cook—”
“Don’t worry; it isn’t about your
cooking. It is about the letters you
write and ask me to mail. It strikes
me that we might be happier—”
“If I didn’t write to anyone? Oh,
John, how—”
“Wait until I have finished, my
dear. All I want to suggest is that
you mail your own letters, so I won't
be forever forgetting them, and in re
turn for so doing that I will sew all
my buttons on. By doing so it seems
to me we will overcome two obstacles
to married happiness that have caused
trouble since buttons and letters were
invented.”
And the little bride, having checked
her tears, agreed to try the plan.—
111H ao
Horse Had Manners.
One of St. Johnsbury’s best-known
characters and one who has had name
and fame perpetuated by having a
likeness of himself and team printed
on a colored post card, is Orville Law
rence, formerly associated with the
late Russell Sage on Wall street in the
early fifties, but being less fortunate
than Mr. Sage he has become reduced
in circumstances, and now drives
around town in a more or less dilapi
dated looking outfit, says a writer in
the Boston Herald.
Orville’s wit is keen and he always
has an answer ready for any of his
friends who attempted to chaff him.
One day Orville appeared driving a
horse which interfered badly, and,
like its driver, had evidently seen bet
ter days.
A prominent business man of the
place accosted Orville with the re
mark: “Say Orville, your horse seems
to interfere some!” to which Orville
promptly replied: “He ain’t interfer
ing with your business, is he?”
Why Birds’ Nests Are Round.
The little, abandoned nest had fallen
from the tree. The nature student
took it from the frozen ground.
“How round it is!” he said. “No
cup rim could be rounder. Don’t you
wonder how the bird, with neither
rule nor compass, can make her nest
so round?”
“Well, she does ft easily. She builds
the nest about her own breast, turn
ing round and round in it, and its cir
cular character comes spontaneously
and inevitably.
“The circle is found everywhere in
the buildings of the lower animals.
The straight line, on the other hand,
they can never achieve.”
ENDED THE CHITLING FEAST. !
When the Negroes Saw the Policemen
They Fairly Flew.
The other night two policemen were
walking along Vine street when they
met an old negro “grandma” coming
out of a grocery store with her arms
full of packages, says the Kansas City j
Star.
“Must be goin’ to have a feast at
your house,” said one of the officers.
“Goin’ to have a chitlin’ suppah to1
morrow night,” replied “grandma.”
“Drap in an’ git a bite.”
The next night the two officers hap
pened to be passing the house where
the old negro “maminy” lived. Sounds
of high revelry floated out on the night
air.
“Let’s go in and see what chitlings
are,” said one of the officers to the
other. “I have heard of such edibles,
but don’t know what they are like.”
“All right, I’ll go you ”
The officers knocked at the door.
Instantly all became silent inside
Then the door was opened a crack.
The negroes inside caught sight of the
blue clothes and brass buttons.
“Good heavens,” some one shouted,
“it’s the big law.”
At once there was a wild scramble
to get out. Some went out the back
door, but most of them made a dive
out the windows, taking sash, glass
and all with them. When the officers
got inside not a soul was there ex
cept the old negro “grandma,” and
she was laughing until the tears ran
down her face.
“What’s the matter with all your
guests?” asked one of the policemen.
“Why, youalls know them niggahf
believes they haint no jestice in the
law,” she answered. "But I’se mighty
glad you come, cause my ole man
haint done a tap o’work foh a yeah
Been tellin’ me ’bout his roomatiz an’
a limpin’ an’ a groanin’ aroun’—could
n’t scarcely move. But he was the
fust man out o’ that windo’—just flew
like a deah. Now he’s got to go tc
work. He haint got no mo’ roomatiz
’en a rabbit.”
Big Rats of Wheeling.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin could
reap a fortune were he to spend a day
in this city, says a Wheeling (W. Va.)
correspondent. Rats as large as good
sized cats are swarming in the mills
of this city, and in several the work
men have threatened to walk out un
less the invasion is checked.
Some of the tales are wonderful to
relate. In one factory, according to
well authenticated reports, a rat was
seen to take a tin pail in one of its
paws and trot away on the other
three feet. Another deftly took the
lid off a pail in order to get at the
goodies he knew were inside. Another
dragged a dinner basket by his tail,
but was unable to get the basket
down the rat hole, so he got behind a
barrel to investigate his plunder.
The workmen declare they cannot
frighten the rodents away, for they
show fight. The amazing stories of
boldness on the part of the rats grow
with each repetition, but there is no
question that the rats do eat the la
borers’ dinners and that there is indig
nation as a result.
Caught.
The big fish which got away was
caifght in our reservoir to-day at the
National Military home in Ohio. This
is the first one on record recaptured.
Our champion angler was fishing
for bass and caught a small one, then
rebaited his hook with a lively min
now and made another cast, when, m
his own words, there was a rush of
the big fish for the bait, the quick pull
to fasten hook, the broken line and
the oft-told story repeated—the fish
got away with part of the line and
float attached. The float indicated the
motions and position of the fish as
he tried to get rid of the hook, and
many anglers and friends of the un
fortunate fisherman offered sugges
tions and helped to recapture the
struggling bass, one offering to carry
a skiff from an adjoining lake and go
out after him. Finally the fish ap
proached the shore near enough to
cast a line over him and fasten in the
broken line. The crowd on shore
awaited the result with excited, eager
attention as the fish was brought to
net and safely landed. When weighed
the indicator pointed to six ounces.—
Forest and Stream.
Rigors of Aloins Winter.
The situation in Switzerland, owing
to snowstorms, is much worse than is
revealed by the scant telegrams leav
ing the country. The state of things
has rarely been so bad at this time of
year.
The uplands already lie two yards
deep under snow, and the mountain
villages of Simplon and other villages
are absolutely cut off from the rest
of the country. An attempt has been
made in the legislaature to induce the
government to keep these passes open
all the year, but the cost was declated
to be prohibitory. v
From Berne in the beginning of the
week several diligences were long
overdue, and their arrival was await
ed with anxiety. A number of peas
ants who had gone with cattle from
the valleys to the uplands had also
been caught, and were quite unable
to descend, while efforts to reach them
involved much danger.
Tools Cheap at Junk Shops.
In ever^ large city will be found
places where second-hand or junk
tools are sold. Tools of all descrip
tions, adapted to every branch oi
mechanics, can be bought at prices
ranging from one cent up.
A good-sized paint brush brings twc
cents, a carpenter's hammer five
cents, a pick or shovel 25 cents, a rip
saw ten cents, and so on. According
to Popular Mechanics, the average
price is less than one-tenth what the
new article would cost at a hardware
store, and the tool is often just as use
ful as a new one.
Some of the stuff in the motley col
lection comes from unredeemed
pawns, some from junk dealers and
a good deal from parties of whom no
questions are asked.
Frequently quite valuable tools and
instruments can be had for a mere’
song, as most customers want the
tools of ordinary use requiring less
skill to handle.
Cupid played one of the meanes*
tricks ever upon Miss Cordelia Ma
goon of Waco, Tex. The young worn
an is a beauty, but she is bereaved
and heart-broken, and her experience
ought to be a warning to all pretty
and trusting maidens who turn up
their noses in disdain for the honest
youths in their own neighborhood!!
and go away from home seeking ro
mance.
Miss Magoon once won a prize in
a cattle roping contest. Her picture
was printed in the papers, and she
received a letter from a man in Min
nesota and answered it. In time the
correspondence reached the point of
tenderness. The young man proposed
and was accepted. Miss Magoon trust
ed him fully, and loved him so well
that she was willing to meet him
more than half way. She agreed to
go to Des Moines to be married to
her northern lover, because he said
it w'as difficult for him to get away
from his business long enough to
make the journey to Texas.
When Miss Magoon reached Des
Moines she went to the hotel, but
her lover had not arrived. She was
not disappointed, but yet alarmed.
She waited until the next train, and
then the next one. In fact, she wait
ed uncomplainingly for two weeks,
during which time she wrote and tele
graphed in vain. But there was not
a word from the missing bridegroom.
Miss Magoon had her lasso in her
trunk, and she was mad enough by
this time to wish that she had it
around the Minneapolis man’s neck.
When her money was all gone she
went into the sheriff's office and told
her troubles. Deputy Ness tried to
console her. They went around to
all the hotels, but the recreant had
not been in town.
Money was raised to send the un
fortunate young woman back to her
home in Waco. And the next Minne
apolis man that shows his counten
ance in that part of Texas would bet
ter be prepared with an alibi in good
working order.
Christena Meyers is another girl)
who is advertising in Cupid's Ga
zette for a lost bridegroom. The mys
teriously disappearing young man is
Fred Gleeson, a dry goods clerk,
about 20 years old. A suitable re-’
ward will be paid for his return to
Christena at Avoca, Neb., where the
wedding feast still is waiting.
Gleeson went to Avoca last spring'
and “accepted a position” with one
of the leading dry goods firms oP
that place. He was a new man in
town ,and of course the girls were
interested in him. He devoted him
self to Miss Meyers, however, and in
time their engagement was an
nounced.
Preparations were made for a big
wedding. The guests came and
Christena was as happy and as proud
as any bride ever was. When it came
time for the ceremony, however, they
discovered that the bridegroom was
missing. It would be hard to have
a marriage without a bridegroom, so
they sent post-haste to the store to
see what had happened to Gleeson.
He was not there—nor anywhere in
the town of Avoca.
The sad news that Fred had eloped
by himiself was broken to the Meyers
family and the wedding guests were
dismissed. Up to the time of go
ing to press not a word has been
heard from the missing man, and
Christena says if he cornea back now
she won’t marry him to save his
life.
It is not likely, however, that Glee
son will put in his appearance at this
belated hour. ,
They do things differently along
the Manayunk canal in Pennsylvania.
There the shoe is on the other foot.
It is the girl that vanishes on her
wedding day. It may be said, how
ever, of Annie Fonkay that she had
more courage than a man usually is
able to muster up on simiilar occa
sions. Annie went away but she
returned at once, bringing another
lover with her. t
t
Miss Fonkay had been engaged to
Stephen Hazk. Stephen was the hap
piest man along the canal. He made
his arrangements for a wedding at
the Slavish church, at which all the
Poles of Manayunk were invited, and'
the feast that was prepared to follow
the ceremony was expected to sur
pass anything ever seen in that part
of the state. Miss Fonkay was keep
ing up her end of the arrangements
and prepared a weddinig gown that
was simply gorgeous. She was so
anxious to wear this gown that she
urged Stephen to hasten the wed
ding.
On the night before the great day
Miss Fonkay went to attend a reoep
tion at the home of her sister in Nice
town. Stephen was not there, but
Andrew Lutchco was, and there was
a little bit of ancient history in con
nection with Andrew that Stephen did
not know. Years before Annie and
Stephen had been sweethearts and
separated after a quarrel. That night
they patched up the quarrel and the
next morning, instead of going to
the church to be married to Stephen.
Miss Fonkay went with Andrew to
Camden, where they procured a mar
riage license.
They got back to the canal in
time to find Stephen and his friends
at the brideless wedding feast. There
was an altercation that threatened
for a time to be serious, but Annie
and Andrew defied everybody and
averything and flourished their mar
riage license in the face of Stephen
and asked him what he was going
to do about it.
Stephen swore that at least the
girl’s new lover should pay for the
wedding dinner, but Andrew laughed.
Stephen was mad enough to fight.
The only thing that pacified him was
the proposition generously made by
Annie's sister, Mary, that she would
pay half the expenses of Stephen's
feast. He decided to accept that.
The girl was gone, and if he could
get half his money back, it was bet
ter than a complete loss.
Talk as if you were making your
will; the fewer words the less litiga
tion.—Balthasor Gracian. I
