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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1916)
“The thing is a fake,” declared tSertrfan. He slumped heavily into a chair, and scowled at Average Jones’ well-littered desk, whereon he had just tossed a sheet of paper. ‘“A fake,’’ he reiterated. “I've stpwi ' a night oi pseudc-inteliectual riot and ruin over ft.” "Ton would have it,” returned Aver age Jones with a smile. "And 1 seem to recall a lofty intimation on your part that there never was a cipher so tough but you could rope and tie in record time." “Cipher, yes,” returned the other bitterly. “That thing isn’t a cipher. It’s an alphabetical riot. Maybe,” he added hopefully, “there was some mis take in my copy.” “Look for yourself," said Average Jones, handing him the original. It was a singular document, this problem in letters which had come to light up the gloom of a November day for Average Jones; a stiffish sheet of paper, ornamented on one side with color prints of alluring “spinners,” and oe the other inscribed with an appeal, in print. Its original vehicle was an envelope, bearing a one-cent stamp, and addressed in typewriting; Mr. William H. Robinson, The Caronia, Broadway and Evcnside Ave., New York City. The advertisement on the reverse of the sheet ran as follows: ANGLERS-WHEX TOE ARE LOOK ing for “Balls That Catch Fish.” do you see these spinners in the store where you buy tackle? You will find here twelve baits, every one of which has a record and has literally caught tons of fish. We call them “The 12 Surety Baits." We want you to try them for casting and trolling these next two months, because all varieties of bass are particularly sav age tn striking these baits late in the season. HEARERS—Y OT* WANT TOUR Cus tomers tn have these 11 Shoemaker "Surety Bails” that catch fish. This case will sell itself empty and over again, for every bait is a record-breaker and they catch fish. We want you to put in one of these cases so that the anglers will not be disappointed and have to wait for baits to i*e ordered. It will be furnished KREF.. charges postpaid, with your order for the dozen baits it contains. The peculiar feature of the com munication was that it was profusely be-pimpled with tiny projections, evi dently made by thrusting a pin through, from the side which bore the Illustrations. These perforations w ere liberally scattered. "Yes, the copy's all right,” growled Bertram. “Tell me again how you came by ib” “Robinson came here twice and missed me. Yesterday I got the note from him which you've seen, with the In closure which has so threatened your reason. You know the resh Per haps you'd have done well to study the note for clues to the other docu ments.” something m his friend s tone made Bertram glance up suspiciously. “Let me see the note.” he demanded. Average Jones handed it to him. Bertram read the message. "Of course the man is rattied. That's ob vious in his handwriting. Also, he has inverted one sentence in his haste and said Tead through it.’ instead of ‘read it through.' Otherwise, it’s or dinary enough.” "It mnst be vanity that keeps you from eye-glasses, Bert,” Average Jones observed with a sigh. “Well, I’m afraid 1 set yon on the wrong track, myself!” Bertram lifted an eyebrow with an effort. “Meaning, I suppose, that you're an the right one and have solved the cipher.” “Cipher be jiggered. There isn't any cipher. If you’d had the advan tage of working on the original of the bait advertisement as I have, you’d undoubtedly have noticed at once— ‘Thank yon,” murmured Bertram. "—that fnliy one-third of the pin pricks don’t touch any letters at all.” “Then we should have taken the let ters which lie between the holes?” “No. The letters don't count. It s the punctures. Force your eyes to consider those alone, and you will see that the holes themselves torm let ters and words. Read through it care fully. as Robinson directed.” He held the paper up to the light. Bertram made out in straggling char acters. formed in skeleton by the per forations, this legend. ALL POINTS TO YOU TAKE THE SHORT CUT. DEATH IS EASIER THAN SOME THINGS. “Whew! That's a cheery little greeting, ’ remarked Bertram. “But why didn’t friend Robinson point it out definitely in his letter?” W anted to test my capacity per haps. Or, it may have been simply that he was too frightened and rattled to know just what he was writing.” “Know anything of him?” “Only what the directory tells, and directories don't deal in really inti mate details of biography, you know. There’s quite an assortment of Wil liam H. Robinsons, but the one who lives at the Caronia appears to be a commission merchant on Pearl street. As the Caronia is one of the most ele gant and quite the most enormous of those small cities within themselves which we call apartment houses, I take it that Mr. Robinson is well-to do, and probably married. Tou can ask him, yourself, if you like. Ee’s due any moment, now." man. Mr. William H. Robinson arrived on the stroke of twelve. He was a well-made, well-dressed citizen of for ty-five, who would have been wholly ordinary save for one peculiarity. In a room more than temperately cool he was sweating profusely, and that, de spite the fact that his light overcoat was on his arm. He darted a glance at Bertram, then turned to Average Jones. T had hoped for a private inter view." he said in a high pipiug voice. "Mr Bertram is my friend and busi ness confidant." “Very good. You—you have read :♦ *>»• '“Yes.” “Then—then—then—” The visitor fumbled, with nerveless fingers, at his tightly buttoned cutaway coat and, after a moment's effort, drew a paper from his inner pocket which he placed on the desk. It was a certified check for one hundred dollars, made pay able to A. Jones. "There's the rest of a thousand ready, if you can help me." he said. "We’ll talk of that later," said the prospective beneficiary. “Sit tight until you're able to answer questions." "Able now," piped the other in his shrill Twice. “I'm ashamed of myself, gentlemen, bu.> tie st.rwin !’vs been under— IWien yotrve neard my story—” “Just a moment, please," interrupt ed Average Jones, "let me get at this my own way. What are the 'some things' that are worse than death?” Mr. Robinson shook his head. "I haven’t the slightest notion in the world.” “Nor of the ‘ulctf tvhfch you are advised to take?’ “I suppose it means suicide." He paused for a moment. “They can t drive me to that—unless they drive me crazy first.” He wiped the sweat from under his eyes, breathing hard. “What are 'they'?” Mr. Robinson shook his head. "Mr. Jones, I give you my word of honor, as I hope to be saved from this perse cution, I don’t know any more than j yourself what It means." "Then—er—I am—er—to believe,' replied Jones, drawling, as he always did when interest, in his mind, was verging on excitemejrt. "that a simple blind threat like this—er—without any backing from vocr own conscience —er—could shake you—er—as this has done? Why, Mr. Robinson, the thing—er—may be—er—only a raw practical joke.” “But the others!” cried the visitor. His face changed and fell. "I believe j I am going crazy,” he groaned. ‘‘I didn't tell you about the others.” Diving into his overcoat pocket he drew out a packet of letters which he placed on the desk with a sort of dis mal flourish. “Read those!” he cried. “Presently.” Average Jones ran rapidly over the eight envelopes With one exception, each bore the irn p-int of some firm name made familiar hy extensive advertising All the en velopes were of sottish manila paper varying in grade and hue. under one- i cent stamps. “Which is the first of the series?" i he asked. “It isn't among those. I’nfortunate Iv it was lost, bv a stupid servant’s I mistake, pin and all.” “Pin?” “Yes. Where I cut open the en- j velope—” "Wait a moment. You say you cut it open. All these, being one-rent postage, must have come unsealed. Was the first different ” “Yes. It had a two-cent stamp It was a circular announcement of the Swift Reading Encyclopedia, in a sealed envelope. There was a pin j bent over the fold of the letter so you couldn’t help but notice it. Its head was stuck through the blank part of the circular. Leading from it were three very small pins arranged as a pointer to the message.” “Do you remember the message'.'’ “Could 1 forget it! It was pricked out quite small on the blank fold of the paper. It said: Make the most of your freedom. Your time is short. Call at General Delivery, Main P. O., for your warning.' ” “You went there?" “The next day.” “And found—?” “An ordinary sealed envelope, ad dressed in pen-pricks connected by pencil lines. The address was scraw ly, but quite plain.” “Well, what did it contain?” "A commitment blank to an insane asylum.” Average Jones absently drew out his hardkerchief, elaborately whisked from b'<s coat sleeve an imaginary speck of dust, and smiled benignant ly where the dust was supposed to have been. “Insane asylum.” he murmured. “Was—er—the blank—er—tilled in!”’ “Onl: partly. My name was pricked in. and there was a specification of dementia from drug habit, with sui cidal tendencies." With a quick signal, unseen by the i visitor, Average Jones opened the way to Bertram, who, in a wide raege of experience and study had once spe cialized upon abnormal mental phe nomena. "Pardon me.” that gentleman put in gently, “has there ever been any de mentia in your family?" “Not as far as I know.” “Or suicidal mania?” All my jieople have died respect ably in their beds," declared the vis itor with some vehemence. “Once more. If I may venture. Have you ever been addicted to any drug?” “Never, sir.” “Now,” Average Jones took up the examination, “will you tell me of any enemy who would have reason to persecute you?” “I haven’t an enemy in the world.” “You're fortunate," returned the other smiling, “but surely, some time in your career—business rivalry—fam ily alienation—any one of a thousand causes?” “No,” answered the harassed man. “Not for me. My business runs smoothly. My relations are mostly dead. I have no friends and no ene mies. My wife and I live alone, and all we ask,” be added ia a sudden out burst of alWKjst childish resentment, “is to be left alone.” the packet of letters. “You haven’t complained to the post-office authori ties?” "And risk the publicity?” returned Kobinson with a shudder. “Well, give me over night with t ese. Ob' and I may want to "phone you presently. You’ll be at home? Thank you. Good day.” ""Now." said Average Jones to Ber tram, as their caller's plump back dis appeared. "this looks pretty queer to me. What did you think of our friend?” "Scared but straight.” was Bertram’s verdict. Average Jones pushed the collec tion of advertisements aside and re turned to the opening phase of the problem, the fish-bait circular which Robinson had mailed him. So long after, that Bertram hardly recognized it as a response to his last remark, the investigator drawled out: "Not such—er—impenetrable dark ness. Iu fact—er—Eureka, or words to that effect. Bert, when does the bass season end?” "November 1, hereabouts. I believe." "The postmark on the envelope that carried this advertisement to our friend advises the use of the baits for These pei; :-wo months.' Queer time to be using bass-lures, after the sea eft/n IS closed. Dc/t, !:’s 9 p\ty I can’t waggle my ears.” "’Waggle your ears.' Tilt heaven's sake, why?” "Because then I'd be such a perfect jackass that I could win medals at a show. I ought to have guessed it at first glance, from the fact that the ad vertisement. t'cvr'ln t well have been mailed to Robinson originally, any how.” "Why not?” "Because he's not in the sporting goods business, and the advertisement is obviously addressed to the retail trade. Don’t you remember: it offers a showcase, free. What does a man liv ing in an apartment want of a show • I “Am I Right, Mr. HoneywellV* case to k“ p artificial halt in? What we—er—need here is—er—steam." A moment's manipulation cf the j radiator produced a small jet. In this ; Average Jones held the envelope. The stamp curled up and dropped off. Be- i neath it were the remains of a small . portion of a former postmark. "1 thought so," murmured Average j Jones. “Remailed!” exclaimed Bertram. "Remailed," corroborated his friend, j "I expect we'll find the others the same.” One by one he submitted the en- | velopes to the steam bath. Each of them, as the stamp was peeled off, exhibited more or less fragmentary j s’gns of a previous cancellation. "Careless work." criticized Average Jones. ' Every bit of the mark should have been remo\ed. instead of trust ing to the second stamp to cover what little was left, by shifting it a bit to ward the center of the envelope. Look; you can see on this one w here the original stamp was peeled off. On this the traces t>f erasure are plain enough. That'B why manila paper was selected; it’s easier to erase from.” "Is Robinson faking?” asked Ber tram. "Ob has someone beer, rifling his waste basket?” "That would mean an accomplice in the house, which would be dangerous. I think it was done at longer range.” Drawing the telephone to him. he called the Caronia apartments. "Hello! Mr. Robinson? This is Mr. A. Jones. You hear me?” “Yes, Mr. Jones. What is it?" "Is there, in ail your acquaintance, i any person who never goes out with out an attendant? Take time to think, now.” "Why—why—why,” stuttered Rob inson, and fell into silence. From the depths of the silence he presently ex humed the following: "1 did have a paralytic cousin who always went out in a wheeled chair. But she's dead.” "And there’s no one else?” “No. I'm quite sure.” "That’s all. Good-by.” "What was that about an attend ant?” inquired Bertram, as his friend replaced the receiver.* “Oh, I’ve just a hunch that the send er of those messages doesn’t go out unaccompanied." “Insane? Or semi-insane? It does rather look like delusional paranoia.” smiling indulgently at the end of his own nose. “Dare say you’re right—er—in part, Bert. But I’ve also a hunch that our man Robinson is himself the delusion as well as the object.” "I wish you wouldn’t be cryptic. -3 verage,’’ said his friend pathetically. ’’There's been enough of that without your gratuitously adding to the sum of human bewilderment.” Average Jones scribbled a few words on a pad. considered, amended, and handed the result over to Bertram, who read: ’’WANTED — Professional envelope eraser to remove marks from used envelopes. Experience essential. Ap ply at once.—A. Jones, Ad-Visor, As tor Court Temple.” “Would it enlighten your gloom to see that in every New York and Brooklyn paper tomorrow?" inquired its inventor. "Not a glimmer.” “We'll give this ad a week's repeti tion if necessary, before trying more roundabout measures. As soon as 1 have heard from it I'll drop in at the club and we’ll write—that is to say, compose a letter.” “To whom?” “Oh. that I don’t know yet. When I do. you'll see me.” Three days later Average Jones entered the Cosmic club, with that twinkling upturn of the mouth corners which, with him, indicated satisfac tory accomplishment. "Really, Bert.” he remarked, seek ing out his languid friend, in the laziest corner of the large divan. "You’d be surprised to know how few experienced envelope erasers there are in four millions of population. Only seven people answered that ad vertisement. and they were mostly tyros.” “Then you didn't get your man?” “It was a woman. The fifth appli cant. Got a pin about you?" Bertram took ;t pearl from his scarf "That's good. It will make nice, hold, inevitable sort of Utters. Come over here to this desk." For a few moments he_ worked at a sheet of paper with the pin. then threw it down in disgust. "This sort of thing requires prac tice.' he muttered. "Here, Bert, you're cleverer with your fingers than I. You take it. and I'll dictate.” Between them, after several fail-1 ures, they produced a fair copy of the following: Mr. Alden Honeywell will choose between making explanation to the post-office authorities or calling at 3:30 p. m. tomorrow on A. Jones, Ad visor, Astor Court Temple." This Average Jones inclosed in an i envelope which be addressed in writ- , ing to Alden Honeywell. Esq.. 550 West Seventy-fourth street, city, aft- j erward pin-pric king the letters in out line. "Just for moral effect.” he ex-! plained. “In part this ought to give 1 him a taste of the trouble he made for poor Robinson. Y’ou'll be there to morrow Bert?” "Watch me!" replied that gentle man with unwonted emphasis. "But will Alden Honeywell. Esquire?" "Surely. Also Mr. William H. Rob inson of the Caronia. Note that 'of the Caronia.' It’s significant.” At three-thirty the following after noon three men were waiting in Aver age Jones’ inner office. Average Jones sat at his desk sedulously polishing his left-hand fore-knuckle with the tennis callus of his right palm. Bertram lounged gracefully in the big chair. Mr. Robinson fidgeted. There was an atmosphere of ten sion in the room. At three forty there cape a tap-tapping across the floor of the outer room, and a knock at the door brought them all to their feet. Average Jones threw the door open, took the man who stood outside by the arm. and pushing a chair toward him. seated him in it. The newcomer was an elderly man dressed with sober elegance. In his scarf was a scarab of great value; on his left hand a superb signet ring. He carried a heavy, gold-mounted stick. His face was curiously divided against itself. The fine calm forehead and the deep setting of the widely separated eyes gave an Impression of intellec tual power and balance But the low er part of the face was mere wreck age; the chin quivering and fallen, nostrils; the mouth showing totli the soft contours of sensuality and .he j hard, fine lines of craft and cruelty. 1 The man's eyes were unholy. They ■ stared straight before him. and were ■ dead. With hi6 entrance there was ; infuswl in the atmosphere a sense of something venomous. “Mr. Alden Honeywell?” said Aver age Jones. “Yes. ' The voice had refinement and calm. “I want to introduce you to Mr. William H. Robinson ” The newcomer's head turned slowly to his right shoulder then back. His eyes remained rigid. “■Why. thf man's blind!" burst out | Mr. Robinson in his piping voice. “Blind!” echoed Bertram. “Did you j know this. Average?” “Of course. The pin pricks showed it. And the letter mailed to Mr. Rob- ■ inson at the general delivery, which . if you remember, had the address pen- 1 ciled in from pin-holes.” “When you have quite done discuss- I ing my personal misfortune.” said ! Honeywell patiently, “perhaps you j will be good enough to tell me which is William Robinson.” “I am.” returned the owner of that ! name. “And do you be good enough to tell me why you hound me with your hellish threats.” “That is not William Robinson's : voice!” said the blind man. “Who are 1 you?” “William H. Robinson.” "Not William Honeywell Robin- j son.” “No; William Hunter Robinson.” “Then why am I brought here?” “To make a statement for publica tion in tomorrow morning's newspa per." returned Average Jones crisply. “Statement” Is this a yellow jour nal trap?” * “As a courtesy to Mr. Robinson. I’ll I explain. How long have you lived in j the Caronia. Mr. Robinson?" “About eight months." “Then, some three or four months before you moved in. another William H. Robinson lived there for a short time. His middle name was Honey- i well. He is a cousin, and an object of great solicitude to this gentleman here. In fact, he is. or will be. the < hief witness against Mr. Honeywell in his effort to break the famous Holden Honeywell will, disposing of some ten million dollars. Am I right. Mr. ! Honeywell?” “Thus far," replied the blind man composedly. “Five years ago William Honeywell Robinson became addicted to a patent headache 'dope.' It ended, as such habits do. in insanity. He was con fined two years, suffering from psy- I cliasthenia. with suicidal melancholia and delusion of persecution. Then he was released, cured, but with a super sensitive mental balance." "Then the messages were intended to drive him out of his mind again." said Bertram in sudden enlighten ment. “What a devil!” “Either that, or to impel him. by suggestion. to suicide or to revert to the headache powders, which would have meant the asylum again. Any thing to put him out of the way. or to make his testimony incompetent for the will contest. So. when the ex lunatic returned from Europe a year ago. our friend Honeywell here, in some way located him at the Caronia. He matured his little scheme. Through a letter broker who deals with the rag and refuse collectors, he got ai! the second-hand mail from the Caronia. Meantime. William Honey well Robinson had moved away, and as chance would have it. William Hunter Robinson moved in. receiving the pin prick letters which, had they reached their goal, would probably have produced the desired effect" “If they drove a sane man nearly crazy, what wouldn't they have done ho one whose mind wasn't quite right:" cried the wronged Robinson. "But since Mr. Hcnevwoll is blind." said Bertram, “how could he see*to erase the cancellations ?" “Ah: That's what I asked myself. Obviously, he couldn’t He'd have to get that done for him. Presumedly he'd get some stranger to do it That’s why I advertised for a professional eraser who was experienced, judging that it would fetch the person who had done Honeywell's work.” “Is there any such thing as a pro fessional envelope eraser?" nskeri Bertram. “No. So a person of experience tp this line would be almost unique. 1 was sure to find the right one. if he or she saw my advertisement. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be an unimaginative young woman who has told me all about her farmer employ ment with Mr. Honeywell, apparently with no thought that there was any thing strange in erasing cancellations from hundreds of envelopes—lor Honeywell was cautions enough not to confine her to the Robinson mail alone—and then pasting cm stamps to remail them.” ‘ You appear to have followed out my moves with some degree of acu men. Mr.—er—Jones.” said the blind schemer suavely. “Yet I might not have solved your processes so easily if you had not made one rather—if you will pardon me—stupid mistake.” For the first time, the man’s bloated lips shook. Kis evil pride of intel lectuality was stung. “You lie!” he said hastily. “I do not make mistakes.” “No? Well, have it as you wIlL The poiut is that you are to sign here a statement, which I shall read to you before these witnesses, announcing for publication the withdrawal of your contest for the Honeywell millions.” “And if I decline?” i he painful necessity will he mine of turning over these instructive docu ments to the United States postal au thorities. But not before giving them to the newspapers. How would you look in court in view of this attempt to murder a fellowman's reason?” Mr. Honeywell had now gained his composure. "You are right,” he as sented. "You Eeem to have a singular faculty for being right Be careful it does not fail you—sometime.” “‘Thank you,” returned Average Jones. "Now you will listen, please, all of you.” He read the brief document placed it before the blind man. and set a pin between his finger and thumb. “Sign there,” he said. Honeywell smiled as he pricked in his name. "For identification. I suppose.” he said. "Am I to assign no cause to the newspapers for my sudden action?” A twinkle of malice appeared in Average Jones’ eye. “I would suggest waning mental acumen,” he said. The blind man winced palpably as he rose to his feet. “That is the sec ond time yon have taunted me on that. Kindly tell me my mistake.” Average Jones led him to the door and opened it. ‘ Your mistake,” he drawled as he sped his parting guest into the grasp of a waiting attendant, “was—er—in not remembering that — er — you mustn't fish for bass in November.” < Copy rig}’, t. by the Bobbs-Merrill Com pany.) TREASURE IN EARTH Buried Timber a Source of Im mense Revenue Parts of New Zealand Particularly Rich in Deposits Which Have More Material Value Than / Coal rr Gold. It appears that the recovery and use of buried timber is no rew thing. For hundreds of years the wood of buried and submerged trees has been recov ered and worked among the Swiss Alps, and many an English farmer of the western counties can point with pride to an old cabinet or carved four poster of black bog dnk. But. accoi-d ing to Prof. D. W. Fagan, who has given much study to the subject, it is doubtful if anywhere else in the world there is so vast an area of buried tim ber of immense size as in the Papa kura valley, near Auckland, New Zea land. Beneath the surface of peat, where the soil has shrunk in drying or has been blowD away, the trunks of in numerable kauri trees lie exposed to view. For centuries they have been covered by the semiliquid peat until their branches and crowns have de cayed and disappeared. Nothing *»ut the solid heartwood of the mighty trunks remains, and these lie i£i order ly swaths almost as regular as wheat stalks in a newly reaped field. The thousand heads all point in one direc tion. as if the forest had fallen under the sickle of some giant reaper. Like the branches and crowns, the soft sapwood that once surrounded the solid heartwood of the living trees has long since disappeared; so in estimat ing the original size there must be made a considerable addition to the present measurements. Many of the logs today show a girth of over sixty feet and a length of eighty or ninety feet of straight timber free from knot or branch. Everywhere about the swamp there are excavations where workmen are uncovering the timber. They scoop pits in the peat on each side of the trunk for the sa-wyers to work in. The men wield huge cross saws and cut the tree into shorter lengths for the mill. Then the grips of a "forest devil" are at tached to one of the sections. There is a rattle and clank of machinery, a groan and strain of pulleys, a roar of steam and the great log is torn from its bed of centuries, swung on a trolley and hauled away on its last journey to The cut timber is perfectly sound and of excellent quality. It differs from the kauri timber that is cut from the living tree only in its color, which is a dark reddish brown, like ma hogany. The peat is full of fossil gum shed through countless centuries by the trees that are now being dug out. The value of resin makes another industry profitable—the recovery of fossil gum In some parts of the swamp area as many as five successive layers of gum have been found. Need of the Hour. It is because the organization of na tional life is so eminently important, because its absence is one of the main sources of our peril, that we should be interested primarily in the develop ment of a national consciousness and a discipline, which are good for peace, and which can be forwarded now by the peril of war if statesmen of viBion can be found to give the movement leadership. Any reaction of opinion which tends to retard or frustrate that development is a national peril. The lack of Just that kind of leadership today is conspicuous. The time is ripe for the development of a disci pline adapted to and expressive of the philosophhy of democracy for a defi nite and concrete program. Instead of such statesmanship, we have noth ing as yet which is constructive, un less a propaganda for large expendi tures on purely military and naval matters deserves the name.—George W. Alger, in the Atlantic. Two Kinds of Emulsions. Milk and butter are both emulsions. Prof. F. G. Donnan of University col lege. London, defines an emulsion as a distribution of one liquid in an other. A little oil shaken with much water gives an emulsion in which the particles of oil have a diameter of about a thousandth of a millimeter; such an emulsion is milk. A little wa ter in much oil gives particles of wa ter even smaller; such an emulsion Is butter. Helpful Information. “I want a pair of pants for my sick husband,” exclaimed the woman. "What size?” asked the clerk. “I don’t know, but I think he wears a 14% collar.” Early Japanese Metalwork. The earliest examples of Japanese metolwor^M^w^dg^^ro^^wea^ WORKED TO SUCCESS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF "SELF-MADE" MEN. r Some of Those Who Have Pursued the Way to Riches and High Position Without Envying or lll-Trcat ing Others. Newspapers of every great city con stantly are telling the stories of self made men. We find presidents of rail roads who began as switchmen, presi dents of batiks who began as messen ger boys, publishers of prosperous newspapers who began as printers, heads of great enterprises in every di rectum whose beginnings were in the humble walks of poverty. Yet ranting demagogues on soap boxes at street corners are preaching the gospel of envy, dissatisfaction, unreason, unrest, “Jasper” writes in Leslie's. The head of one of the successful banking institutions in New York city gave a dinner to a few of his associ ates the other evening. He is a man of large wealth and of commanding Influence in his line of enterprise. Courteous and cultivated, he bore the air of one who had begun life under advantageous circumstances. Yet, during the course of the evening, it was revealed that this man of great wealth had been a poor immigrant boy. who got his start in life by sell ing trifles from a peddler's pack un der the burden of which he trudged through country towns, seeking his customers along the highways and by ways. His industry and ambition made him so successful as a pack ped dler that in due time he was able to hire a young man to go with him and carry a pack Next he began to make his circuit with a horse and wagon, then with a team of two horses, and finally with an outfit of two wagons, and thus, having accumulated the nec essary capital, he was able to open a store, and from that to get into the manufacturing line. Step by step, he laid the foundation of his fortune, not envying the success of others, not seeking to pull anyone down, not in terfering with any competitor's prog ress. but persistently and patiently fol lowing out his own plans and carry ing them to the fruition of success. What, an inspiration there is in this example to the young men with no other capital but character, good health, industry and amhition. It is Btill a world of opportunity. An orphan boy in 181*0 was brought to the secretary of state's office in Al bany. N. W. by the head of that de partment as his messenger. With a change wrought by politics, the office boy lost his job. but he did not lose his grit. On the morning of his dis missal he said to one of his associ ates: ‘‘I got my blue envelope today." The friend inquired: "What are you going to do?" He received the quick response: “I am going to work." In a few hours the lad had found a place as messenger in the five-and-ten-cent store in Albany. He died the other day, leaving a large fortune, and at his death was vice-president and treas urer of the corporation which he be gan to serve in tbe humblest capacity. Sixty years ago John D. Rockefeller went to work in Cleveland as an as sistant bookkeeper, and for the first three months received only SrH) as his wages. The same story might be told of nearly all the eminently successful business men of this country. It is the story of achievement, of pluck, of independence, courage and self-reli ance. Let any one of my readers look about in his own community and he will find illustrations in a large or small way, and perhaps he will find one in his own career. While so many envy the rich, toe few bear in mind that there is no royal road to wealth, that an ounce ot pluck is worth a ton of luck, and that no other country in the world offers greater opportunities than our own for a boy to rise from poverty to wealth. Let everyone attend to his own knit ting: let everyone believe in himself and be the architect of his own for tune. Miners Ce’ebrate Lamp Invention. Miners of the north of England this year celebrate the centenary of the introduction of the Davy safety lamp. It was on January 10, 1S10. that the "miners' guardian angel" was first in troduced into any pit. Sir Humphrey Davy's invention was really the outcome of the terrible ca lamity at Felling colliery. County Dur ham, on May 25, 1812, when 92 miners were killed and many injured. Davy be gan his experiments in the autumn of 1815, with fine wire gauze as an "ex plosive sieve,” and on January 10, 1816, the first lamp was tried by a hardy band of pioneers in the work ings of Hebburn-on-Tyne colliery. The actual lamp is now a treasure in the Geological museum in Jermyn street, London. Served Morphine With Potatoes. The unusual popularity of a San Francisco restaurant was accounted for when Detective Nelson Mathew son discovered that the proprietor served morphine with mashed pota toes. Men and women were 6eea slinking in, hands trembling, lips quiv ering, their eyes dull. When patrons emerged their step was buoyant, their Jips wreathed in smiles and their eyes a-sparkle. Mathewson paid for a meal and plnngod a fork into the center of the dish of mashed potatoes and penetrat ed the secret. The proprietor was ar rested charged with violating the state poison law. Daily Thought. A man of sense takeB the time neces sary for doing well the thing he is about; and his haste to dispatch a business only appears by the contin uity of his application to iL He pur sues it by cool steadiness and finishes it before he begins any other.—Ches terfield. Thinking Not Necessary. The average wife doesn't have to think very hard when she is telling her