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X
BAD COMPANY.
Or. Tmimtmm on the ErUs of fin
proper Aawociationn,
alts Bar to VeeMwCeaUet Wttk
1 Ferseas Imagers ef Taw meeh
HImhu
toast
la a recent sermon at Brooklyn ea the
abject of Evil Assoeiatioas Dr. Talmage
took hie text from Proverbs xUL : A
companion of foots shall b dastroyoi.
Jellowiag ie the sermoa:
"May it pleas the court," said a coa
Ticted criminal, wkea asked if be had any
thing to say before sentence of death was
passed upon kirn; 'may it pleas th
coort, bad comnaay has beea my ruia. I
received the blessiags of good pareats aad
la retara promised to avoid' all evil asso
ciations. Had I kept air pronis I shoaid
hare beea saved this shame and beea free
from the load of guilt that hangs aboat
me like a vulture, threatening to drag me
to justice for crimes yet'unrevealed. - J,
who one moved ia the Irst circles of
society and have been the guest of dis
tinguished public men, am lost and all
through bad company."
This is but one of the thousand proofs
that the companion of fools shall be de
stroyed. It is the invariable rule. There
is a well man in the wards of a hospital
where there are a hundred people sick
with ship fever and he will not be so apt
to take the disease as a good man would
be apt to be smitten with moral distemper
.if shut up with iniquitous companions.
In olden times prisoners were herded to
gether in the same cell, but each one
learned the vices of all the culprits, so
that, instead of being reformed by incar
ceration, tbo day of liberation turned
them out upon society beasts, not men.
We may in our places of business be
compelled to talk and to mingle with bad
men, but be who deliberately chooses to
associate himself with vicious people is
engaged in carrying on a courtship with
a Delilah whose shesrs will clip off all the
locks cf bis strength and he will be tripped
into perdition. Sin is catching, is in
fectious, is epidemic. I will let you look
over the millions of people now inhabiting
the earth and I challenge you to show me
a good man who, after one year, has mad
choice and consorted wiib the wicked. A
thousand dollars reward for one such in
stance. I care not bow strong your char
acter may be. AssotUte with gamblers,
you will be a gambler. Clan with the
burglars and you will become a burglar.
Go among the unclean and you will be
come unclean. Not appreciating the truth
cf my tvxr, many a young man has been
destroyed. He wakes up some morning
in the great city and knows no one
except the persons into whose employ he
bas entered. As he goes into the store all
the clerks mark him, measure him aad
discuss him. The upright young men of
the store wish him well, but perhaps wait
lor a formal introduction, and even then
have some delicacy about inviting him into
their asociatioas. But the bad young
men of the store at the first opportunity
approach and offer their services. They
patronize him. They profess to know all
abcut the town. They will take him any
where he wishes to go if he will pay the
expenses. For if a good young man and
a bad young man go to some place where
ihey ought not the good young man has
invariably to pay the charges. At the
moment the ticket is to be paid for or the
champagne settled for the bad yen tig man
-feels around in his packets and says: i
Jba'vo forgotten my p jckesbjok." In forty--cight
hours after tne young man has en
ten d the store lbs bad fellows of the es
tnbhshment slap him oa the shoulder fa
jnlliarly. and, at his stup d:ly in taking
certain illusions, say: "My ycung friend,
t ou will have to be broken in," and they
iirmediately proceed to break him in.
Young man, in th name of God, I warn
yen to beware how you lit a bad man talk
f iiuiliarly with you. If such an one slap
ynu on the shoulder familiarly turn
around and give him a withering look un
til the wretch crouches ia your presence.
There is no monstrosity of wickedness
that can stand unabashed under (he
glance of purity and honor. God keeps
the lightnings of Heaven in bi own scab
bard and no buman'arm can wield hjbem;
bat God gives to every young man a light
ning that he may use aad that is the light
ning of an honest eye. Those who have
been close observers will not wonder why
I give warning to yoaag men, and say,
"Beware of bad company."
First, I warn you to shun the skeptic
the young man who puts his fingers in his
est and laughs at your old fashioned re
ligion aad turns over to some mystery of
the Bible and says: "Explain that, my
pious friend; explain that" And who
says: "Nobody shall scar me; I am not
afraid of the fu ure; I ued to believe in
such things, and so did my father and
mother, but I nave got over it." Yes, he
has got over it; and it you sit in his
company a little longer you will get over
it too. Without presenting one argu
ment against the Christian religion such
men will, by their jeers aad scoffs
and caricatures, destroy your respect for
that religion which was the strength of
your father in his declining years and the
pillow of your old mother when she lay
dying. Alas! a time will come when that
blustering young infidel will have to die,
and then his diamond ring will flash no
splendor in the eyes of Death, as he stands
over the coach waitiagfor his soul. Those
beautiful locks will be uncombed upon the
pillow, and the dyiag man will say: "I
can aot die I can not die." Death, stand
ing ready, beside th couch, says: "You
must die; you have only half a minute to
live; let me have it right away your
souL" "No," says the young infidel,
"here are my gold rings, aad these pict
ures; take them alL" "No," says Death,
"what do I care for pictures yoar soaL"
413taad back," says the dyiag lafidel. "1
will aot stand back," says Death," "for
foa hav only tea seconds aow 1o live; I
waat yoar souL" Th dyiag man says:
"Don't breath that cold air into my face.
Yea crowd m tee hard. It is getting
dark ia the room. OGedl" Hash," says
Death, "you said there was a God."
"Fray for me," exclaims th expiring in
fidel. "Too lata to pray," says Death;
hat three mora seceads to' live, aad I will
coaat them off oa two three." He
has gees! Where? Wherer Carry him
eat t aad bury him beside his father
aad mother, who died while holding fast
to th Christian religion. They died slag
lag; bat th yoaag infidel only said:
"Don't breathe that paid air iato my face.
Yoa crowd me to bard. It is getting
.dark ia the room."
Again, large yoa to sane the comnea
ienship of idlers. There are men haagiag
around every store, and ofilce, aad shop
who have nothing to do, or act as if they
had aot. They are apt to came ia whea
the firm are away, aid wish to eagage
yoa ia couven-atioa while yoa are ea
f aged in yoar regular employment. Po
litely saggest to aacb peraeas that yoa
bare a time to giv them daring business
hoars, Nethiag woald please them so
wall as to have yoa reaoance year occu
pation aad associate with them. Mack of
the. time they loaag around lbs dab
rooms or the doors of eagiae teases, or
after the dlalag hear ttasdepsn the steps
of afesheaaMebetelor aa elegant res
taaraar, wishing to giv yea ike idea that
that is the p aoe where they dine. Bat
they d aot diae there. -They are eiaklng
dowa lower aad lower, day by day.
Neither by day aer by algbt have aay
thiag to do w.th th Idlers. Before yoa
admit a man lata yoar acaaaiataace ask
aim politely: ''What do yoa do for a liv
iagf" If he says. "Jtoalag; I am a gen
tleman," look oat for him. He ay have
a very soft hand aad very faattless api a
rel, aad have a high-eoaatiag family
aame, bath s touch is death. Before yoa
know it yoa will ia his presence be
ashamed of yoar work drees. Business
will become to yoa drudgery, aad after
awhile yoa will lose yoar place, and after
ward your respectability, and ait of all
your souL Idleness is next door to vil
lainy. Thieves, gamblers, burglars,
snop lifters aad assassins are
made from the class who have nothing
to da When the police go to hunt up and
arrest a culprit they seldom go to look iu
among busy c!erks or ia the busy carriage
factory, tat they go among the idler-.
The play is going on at the theater, when
suddenly there is a scuffle in the top
gallery. What is it? A policeman has
come in, and, leaning over, has tapped o i
the shoulder of a young man, saying: "I
want you, sir." He has not worked dur
ing the day. bat somehow has raked to
gether a shilling or two to get into the top
gallery. He is an idler. The man on his
right hand is an idler aad the man on his
left band is an idler.
Shrink back from idleness in yourself
and in others if yoa wouM maintain a
right position. Good old Ashbel Green at
more than eighty years of age was foand
bay writing and some young maa said to
him: "Why do you kesp busy? It is time
for you to rest." "I keep bu y to keep
out of mischief." No maa is stioug enough
to be idle.
Are you .fond of pictures? If so I will
show you the work of an old master.
Here it is: I went by the field of the
slothful and by the vineyard of the man
void of understanding: and lo! it was all
jgrown over with thorns, and nettles bad
coverea tne ibcs cnereoi ana ino nuuo
wall was broken down. Then I saw and
considered welL I looked upon it and re
ceived instruction. Yet a little sleep, a
little slumber, a little folding of the hands
to sleep. Bo shall thy poverty come as one
that traveletb and thy want as an armed
man." I don't know of another sentence
in the Bible more explosive than that. It
first hisses softly like the fuse of a can
non and at last Lursts like a fifty-four
pounder. The old proverb was right:
The devil tempts most men, but idlers
tempt the deviL"
A young man came to a man of ninety
years of ag and said to him: "How have
you made out to live so long and be so
well?" The old maa took the youn ester
to an orchard, and, pointing to some large
trees full of apples, said: 'I planted those
trees when I was a boy, aad do you
wonder that now I am permitted to gather
the fruit of them?" We gather in old age
what we planted in our youth. Sow to the
wind an J we reap the whirlwind. Plant
in early life the right kind of a Christian
character, and you will eat luscious fruit
in old age, and gather these harvest apples
in eternity.
Again: I urge. you to avoid the per
petual pleasure seeker. I believe in rec
rea'ion and amusement I need it as
much as I need bread, and go to my daily
exerciie with as conscientious a purpose
as I go to the Lord's Supper; and all per
sons of sanguine temperament must have
amusement and recrca ion. God wou'd
not bare made us with the capacity to
laugh if he bad aot intended us sometimes
to indulge It God bath hung in sky and
set in wave and printed on grass many a
rounde'ay; but be who chooses pica ure
seeking for his life work does not under
'and for what God made him. Our
amusement are intended to help us in
some t arnet mission. The thunder cloud
La h an edge exquisitely purpled, but,
with voice that jars ths earth, it declares:
"I go to water the greea fields." The
wild flowers under the f-nce are gay, but
they say: ''We stand hire to make a
beautiful edge for the wheat field and re
fresh the husta'idmen in their nooning."
Ths s ream sparkles aid foams and frolic
a id says: "1 go to laptize the moss. I
lave the soo!s oa the trout. I stake the
thirst of the bird. I turn the whel of
i he mill. I rock in my crys'al crade
murksbaw and water lily." And s,
while ths world pays, it works. Look
out for ths map who siwavs plays and
never works.
Vou will do well to avoid thoie whose
regular business it is to play ball, skateor
go a-boating. All these sports are grand
in their places. I never derived so much
advantage from any ministerial associa
tion as from a ministerial club that went
out to play ball every Saturday afternoon
in the oatskirts of Philadelphia, These
recreations are grand to give us muscle
and spirits for our regular toil. I believe
in mu icular Christianity. A mn is often
not so near God with a weak stomach as
whea he has a strong digestion. But
shun those who make it the:rlife occupa
tioa to sport There are young men whose
industry aad usefulness have fallen over
board from the yacht oa the Hudoa or
the Schuylkill. There are men whoe bad
ness fell throagh the ice of the skating
pond aad has asver siace beea heard of.
There is a beauty ia the gliding of a boat
ia the song of skates, ia the soaring of a
well-stiack ball, aad I aever see oaefiy
bat I iavolaatarily threw up my heads
aad catch it; aad, so far from laying aa
iajanctloa apoa ball playing, or aay other
iaaocsat sport,' I claim them all as belong
ing of right to those of us who toil ia the
graad industries of 'church and state.
Bat the lire basiaess of pleasure seeking
always make ia the. sad a criminal or a
sot George Bramieel was smiled apoa
by all Eaglaad. aad his life was g.ven to
pleasure. He danced with peeresses aad
swung a reaad of mirth aad wealth and
apalaase aatil osbaastod of aame aad
wore oat of body aad baakrapt of reputa
tion aad rained of soul he beggsd a
biscait from a grocer and doelared that he
thought a dog's lire was better than a
man's.
Saoh moo will crowd aroaad yoar desk
or counter or week bench or seek to decoy
yoa off. They will waat yoa to break oat
hi the midst of yoar busy day to take a
ride with toem to Ceaey Island or to Cen
tral park, Thar wfntellyou of some peo
ple yea masts; of some excunloa that
yea mast take; of some Sabbath day.that
you oaght to dishonor. They will tell yoa
of exquisite wiaes that yoa mast take; of
costly operas that yoa mast hear; of won
derful daaeers that yoa must see; bat be
fore yoa accept their coavoy or their com
paaioashlp remember that while at the end
of a asefal life yoa may be able to look
back to the kiadaess doas, to hoaorable
work accomplished, to poverty helped, to
a good name earned, to Christian infiaeaee
exerted, to a Saviour's cause advanced
those pleasure seekers oa their deathbed
have nothing better to review than a
playbill, a ticket for the races, aa
tankard aad the cast oat riaas off a.
roaal; and a ia the dellriam of their
awful death they elatch the gebiet aad
press it to their lips, the dregs of the cup
filling apoa their tongue will begin to hiss
aad aacoil with the adders of aa eternal
poison.
Cast those men oat from yoar company.
Do aot be intimate with them. Alwaya bo
polite There is no demand that yoa over
sacrifice politeness. A young maa ac
costed a Christiaa Quaker with: "0'd
chap, how did yoa make all yoar money?"
The Quaker replied: "By dealiag la aa
article that thoa mayest deal ia if thoa
wilt civility." Alwaya be courteous, bat
at the same time firm. Say no as if yoa
meant it Have it understood, in store aad
shop aad street that yoa will not stand ia
the companionship of the skeptic, the idler,
the pleasure seeker.
Rather than eater the companionship of
such, accept the invitation to a better
feast The promises of God are the f raits.
The harps of Heaven are the music.
Clusters from the vineyards of God bare
been pressed into the tankards. The soas
and daughters of the Lord Almighty are
the guests. While, standing at the ban
quet, to fill the cups and divide the clus
ters and command the harps and welcome
the guests, is a daughter of God on whose
brow are the blossom of paradise, and in
whose cheek is the flash of celestial sum
mer. Her name is Religion.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
ABdsJllmpaUaireaie.' i
Decide toon,' young' man, .oa what
direction yoa. will Jake, , T. ere conjee
such 'a moment of fiaal' decision whynot
thisjPOae evening ;, -a .maa at the
streer corner evidently ' 'doubting as to
what direction he bad better take, his hat
lifted blga enough so yoa could see he had
an intelligant forehead, and he had a stout
chest and a robust development Splendid
young man. .Cultured young man. Hon
ored young man. Why did, he stop there
while eo manv were going up' and dowa?
The fact is that every maa has a good
angel and a bad anzel contending for the
mastery of bis spirit, an 1 thra was a
go id angel and a bad angel struggling
with that young man's sonl at the corner
of the street "Come with me," said ths
gool angel; "I will take you home; I
will spread my wing over your pillow;
I will lovingly escott you all through lift
under supernatural protection; Iwiil bles
every cup you drink out of, every couch
you rest on, every doorway you enter; 1
will consecrate your tears when you weep.
vour sweat when you toil and at the last
I will hand over yonr grave to the bright
angel of a Christian resurrection. In an
swer to your father's petition and yoai
mother's prayer I have been sent of ths
Lord out of Heaven to be your guardian
spirit "Come with me," said the good
angel in a voice of unearthly symphony.
It was music like that which drops from a
lute of Heaven when a ssraph breathes
on it
"No, no," said the bad angel, "come
with me; I have something better to offer.
The wines I pour are Irom chalices of be
witching carousal. The dance I lead is
over floor tessellated with unrestrained
indulgences. There is no God to frown
on the temples of sin where I worship.
The skies are Italian. The paths I tread
are through meadows daisied and prim
rosed. Come with me." The young maa
hesitated at a time when hesitation was
ruin aad the bad angel smote the good
angel nntil it d parted, spreading wiaga
through the starlight upward and away,
until a door flashed open ia the sky aad
forever the wings vanished, That was
the turning point ia that young man's
history; for, the good angel flown,
he hesitated no longer, bat started
on a pathway whioh is beautiful
at the opening, but blasted at the
last The bad angel, leading the
way, opened ga'e af er gate, and at each
gate the roai became rougher aad the sky
more lurid, and, what was more peculiar,
as the gate slammed shut it came to with
a jar that iadica ed that it woald never
open. Passed a-h porta', there was a
grinding of locks and a s-having of bolts:
a-id the scenery on either side ths read
changed from gardens to deserts, and the
June air became a cutting December b ast,
and the brirhc wings of ths bal angel
turned to sackcloth, and the eyes of light
became hollow with hopeless grief, and
:h- lountain, that a he s art had tossed
with wine, poured forth bubbling tears and
foaming blood, and oa the right side of
the road there was a serpent aad the man
said to the bad angel : "What is that ser
pent ?" and the answer was : "That is the
serpent of stinging remorse." On the left
side the road there was a lion, and the
man asked the bad angel: "What is that
lion?" and the answer was: "That is the
lion of all devouring despair." A .vulture
flew through the sky, and the man asked
the bad angel: "What is that vulture?"
and the answer was: 'That is the vult
ure waiting for the carcasses of the
slain."
And then ths man began to try to pull off
of him the folds of something that had
wound him round and round, aad he said
to the bad angel: "What is it that twists
me in this awful convolution?" aad the
answer was: "That is the worm that aever
dies I" And then the man said to the bad
angel: "What does all this mean? I
trusted in what you said at the corner of
the street that night; I trusted it all.
and why have you thus deceived
me?" Then the last deception fell off
of the charmer, aad it said: "I was seat
forth from the pit to destroy yoar soul; I
watched my chance for maay a loag year;
when you hesitated that aight oa the street
I gained mv triumph, now yoa are here.
Ha! Ha! Yr-u are here. Come, now, let
as fill' these two chalices of fire aad drlak
to dtrkaess aad woe aad death. Kail!
Hail!"
O, young man, will the good angel
seat forth by Christ or the bad angel seat
forth by sin get the victory over yomr
soul? Their wiags are interlocked this
mom?nt above yoa, coateadlag for yoar
destiny, as above the Apsaaiaes eagle aad
condor fight mid-sky. This hoar may de
cide yoar destiny. God help yea. To
hesitate is to die!
"Why do you wear sach a mannish
looking cloak?" asked one fair damsel
of another as they strolled down State
street together this morning. "Well,
you see," was the reply, "I ride oa
railway cars a great deal aad like to
have a seat all to myself. So I sit
town aad fling this coat over the back
af the- seat beside me, Every one
think it is a coat belonging to some
gentleman who will soon return from
the smoking car aad act as my escort.
In consequence I am always comfort
able without having to be impolite"
Albany JouraaL
JANET.
Ah. my false. rsJse-hearted Janet!
as was false aad she begun it
tamed her eyes apsa me
from the school,
me aad Mataedaadtslterefi
X seemed so straaaely altered
Was it aay miag that aha had aeae that
Vale was
see, ate
httonim;
we grew els
Through the nannoa seaaea aad the dslsy-
seeated weeks,
aad we tvowere tsuad together, sunny sides
or. stormy weather.
Waaderlag throagh the hoary wee Hands aad
tae crystal creeks.
We were yeuag: had we bee older
Oar deletion bad beea colder.
Head ia head we had not wandered thea with
feet all hrowa sad bare:
We were tea: had we beea tweaty
Surely I shsala net hare plenty
Of dead daadelioa blossoms plucked from
Janet's tangled hair.
Bat ere I had learnel to whisper,
Passloa moved, or she to lWp her
Soft replies of doubt or confidence.
The rammer time had fled ;
And when came the winter cover
On the hills, another lover
Drew my false, false-hearted Janet on a criia-son-colored
sled.
H. S. Tomer, In N. Y. Mall and Express.
m
A LUCKY DETECTIVE.
Chance Enabled Him to Make
Some Important Arrests.
Going for a Shave and Catching a Mur
derer Luck I'lays a More Import
ant Part Thau Shrewdness la
Detective Work.
The .uck and ill luck of detective
life is something wonderful. The luck
we hear of every day. The ill luck is
suppressed as much as possible. In the
month of June. 1867, I was spending
a few days with relatives of mine on a
farm near Oberlin. Ohio. I had been in
detective business about five years.
I drove into the town ono day. On
the way in I got out of the wagon
and picked up a copy of a Cleveland
paper which was lying on the highway.
The first thing I saw was an account of
murder at Peru. Indiana, several
jays before. An eld man had been
jaurdered and robbed of a large amount
of money. Not the slightest clue of the
murderer had been discovered. No one
could say whether he was old or young,
white or black, or which way he had
gone. It seemed a hopeless case, and
I felt a bit sorry for the two Chicago
officers who had been sent for to work
the case out
The first call I made after reaching
Oberlin was at the post-office. I then
visited a barber shop, bul the two
chairs were occupied, and I had to
wait about ten minutes. Having noth
ing to occupy my mind, I looked the
two barbers over in detail, and then
turned my attention to the customer in
the nearest chair. I began at his feet
first. He wore No. 8 gaiters, and they
were a new pair; indeed, they had
never been blackened. His trousers
were frayed about the bottom, and, as
I came to look closer, I saw that, they
were old and threadbare. On the left
leg, which was nearest me, between
the knee and the ankle, were several
stains. They might have been made
by either blood or scid. When the
man sat up straight after his shave I
saw that his coat was also old. and I
looked over to his hat on the hook to
find it very rusty. The barbers were
not speaking to either of the men, so
that both must be strangers in the
town. My man bad reddish hair, which
he had had clipped close before I came
in. His neck was sunburned and dirty,
and, after looking him over from too
to crown, I said to myself:
"This chap has all the looks of a
professional tramp. That suit was
probably given him, but ten to one he
stole those gaiters. Wonder if he can
scrape up enough to pay the barber."
The bill was thirty-five cents. The
man gave me a furtive look as he got
out of the chair, and while being
brushed he felt in his pockets for
change. He had two ten-cent shin
plasters, but as these were not enough
he half turned from me anil fished a
greenback out of his pocket. The bar
ber had to go out to change it, and the
man was so impatient and nervous that
he could not stand still. W hen the bar
ber returned he had the change for a
twenty-dollar note. He began to count
it oat, but the stranger muttered his
confidence that it was all right, and
reached out for the pile and crammed
it into his vest pocket. He was about
to go. when I rose up and said:
"My friend, 1 want to have a few
words with you, if you are not in a big
hurry."
"But I am!" he replied, trying to
push past me without looking me in
thefaoa.
"But you'll have to wait just the
aame. I want to know Who you are."
There was a back door to the shop.
He wheeled and sprang for it. but it
was locked. As he turned on me agaia
ho pulled a revolver from his bosom
aad leveled it oa me aad fired a shot
which went over my head aad through
the window. Before he could ire agaia
I had him jammed against the wall,
one hand hold of the weapon aad the
other oa his throat, aad I choked him
until he sank dowa in a heap. Who
did, he turn out to be? The Indiana,
murderer who had been dodging aboat
th country for six days, and who had
ma the gauntlet of a huadred ofBcera.
It was. blood on his trousers, though
we did aot have to prove it, aa ho made
a f till coafessioa. It was simply my
good luck.
About fifteen yean a go, while con
nected with the force in Chicago, a
jewelry bwase oa State street was
robbed of 912,000 worth of jewelry.
Alie from this there was a package of
Government bonds amouatiag to over
17.000. which had been deposited ia
fkw safe for security. Th robbery wwt
eemmhtedby professional cracksmen,
who left their tools behind but no clue.
I was at this time at Bowling Green.
Keatucky, after a counterfeiter. I got
a false nine, which lad me dowa to
Franklin, and whea I started to return
I took an accoasmodatkm train. It
was at night, aad-there was hut ane
coach on the train, aad that contained
only five passengers beside myself.
Three of these were natives, sure
enough, while the other two talked
about a coal mlae ia Tennessee, and
seemed to own land in that State. I
gave them little attention, being three
seato ia the rear, and was talking with
the conductor on general matters,
when the two men suddenly became in
terested in something one of them held
in his hand. Their heads were to
gether, and they were evidently deeply
interested, when the report of a pistol
was heard, followed by a cry of agony
and a yell of alarm. The object of
their curiosity was a derringer, and it
had accidentally beet, discharged, the
bullet entering the leg of one of the
men just above the knee. In his pain
and fright thewounded man sprang
up. and turned fiercely on tho other
with the exclamation:
"Curse you. but you did that on
purpose! You wanted all the swag to
yourself."
The conductor andI were beside
them in a minute. The wounded man
fell back on the seat, and he evidently
regretted the break he had made a
few seconds before, for he said, as we
came up:
"Tom, old fellow. I had my own
finger on the trigger, and pulled it off.
You are not a bit to blame."
"But what about the swag?' I de
manded, as I stood over them.
"He meant our coal mine." replied
the one called Tom.
"Yes; we are partners in a coal
mine." added the wounded man.
"O, that's it. Well let's see what
can be done for you?"
It was a bad wound so bad that I
knew his leg would have to come off,
as the big bullet had shattered the
bone, and I suggested to the conductor
that he make as fast time as he dared
to Bowling Green, where medical at
tendance could be had. To my sur
prise the men asked to be put off at
some highway crossing, near a farm
house, saying that a country doctor
could manage the case well enough.
and that the quietness of the country
would be best for the patient. This
satisfied me that they were suspicious
characters, and I assumed the author
ity to remove the one and handcuff
him to a seat at the rear of the coach,
and to search both. The one ad a re
volver and the other the derringer,
and before 1 was through searching I
brought to light all the stolen bonds
aad jewelry. It was sheer luck again.
Four of our men were out on their
trail, but on false scents. They were
supposed to have gone East, while I
picked them up in the South. The
fellow who was shot not only lost his
leg but his life. The other was returned
to Chicago, and he received a long sen
tence for his crime. There was a great
deal of newspaper talk about my
shrewdness, but I didn't deserve a
word of praise. The case simply came
to me. The ripe fruit dropped into my
hands. Things fall that way to a lucky
man, no matter what business he ia en
gaged in.
One of the bits of luck which fell to
me several years ago, and which was
much talked about at the time, came
about in a very singular way. I had
been sent down to Augusta, Ark., to
identify a man who had beea arrested
there, and was supposed to be a robber
wanted in Chicago. He did not prove
to be the man we hoped he was. and I
was making ready to return when a
resident of the town, who was aa old
acquaintance of mine, put forward
a speculation. He had just purchased
a saw mill a few miles down White
river, and he believed there was big
money to bo made in buying a large
tract of timber contiguous to the milL
This tract was for sale at a low figure,
but my friend could not raise the cash.
The result of our talk was that we took
a boat next morning and were left at
the mill landing. While he was over
seeing some change of machinery
I started out to get some idea of the
value of the timber. The first thing 1
knew I was lost in the forest, and I did
just what all other people do under the
circumstances headed the wrong way.
Instead of going toward the river. I
went away from it. It was in July, and
although the mosquitoes nearly de
voured me. there was no danger of suf
fering from 'the inclemency of the
weather.
It was about ten o'clock in the morn
ing when I started out, and by mid-afternoon
I had walked at least tec miles,
aad knew that I waa entirely bewil
dered. JI couldn't keep astraight course
for the creeks and swamps, and the day
was so cloudy and the forest se dense
that there was no sighting the nan to
guide me. It was just five o'clock ia
the afternoon when I reached a good
ised stream, and the first thiag I saw
was an old house boat tied to the bank.
There .was smoke coming out of a
stovepipe thrust through the roof, and
I congratulated myself that I had
reached shelter and soenethiag tn eat.
There was a plank reachiag from the
boat to shore, and I asceaded it and
entered the cabin uaaaaouaced. A
white man aad a negro were sitting in
the rude room, and a fire had just been
kindled in the cook stova. There
a door at the other side of the
It stood wide open, aad the iaetaat the
men caught sight of me bath sprang
for the door. In the rusk they bumped
iato each other aad both relied to the
Ceor. The white maa was the quicker
of the two, add while I stood looking
and wondering he scrambled up and
lung himself into the water and swan
to the opposite shore. a
"Doan't shoot! Fordo Lawd's sake1"
doaa't kill met" yelled the negro as he
rolled over and over on the floor.
"Whatdoes this mean?" I demanded.
"It means dat I surrenders!" he re
plied. "Very well. Now sit up aad tell
who you are and what you are dot
doing:
I didn't V
iiM i)n W
here."
"I had to come along, boss.
waat to, but dey said dey would dun
kill me."
"Who owns this boat?"
"Why, dat Harding gang, in co'se.'
"Aad what are you doing here?'
"Dub hidin' out, I s'pose."
I was so stupid that I did aot realize
what luck had come to me until the
negro gave it away. Then I secured
him against escape and searched tho
boat, and in that old hulk I found over
$6,000 worth of dry goods, clothing,
boots and shoes, jewelry, hardware
and other stun, the proceeds of a dozeit
big robberies along the river. Thero
was a gang of four men engaged in the
work, and the negro was their cook.
The boat was hidden away in a branch
of the White River to wait for a rise of
water to get down to the Mississippi,
and three of the gang were off that day
to spot a country store some seven
miles distant.
The negro and I stood guard all
night, for I soon found that I could
trust him. but if tho fellows returned
to the neighborhood we did not set?
them. Next day wo got the boat down
to the mil!, which was hardly four
miles away, and from thence she was
taken to Clarendon and the goods re
turned to their owners, as far as pos
sible. The robbers were all identified
by name and person by the negro, and
within a few weeks were either cap
tured and sent to prison or run into the
swamp and shot down. X. Y. Sun.
WINGED SCAVENGERS.
Mow th Crows Ar Keseeetett la Onset-
far Their tioed Moras.
The city of Omaha has in its service
a force of thousands of scavengers who
draw no pay, report to no official, but
are protected by law from molestation.
They are the crows who flock in town
as regularly as cold weather comes,
stay during the winter and vanish in
the spring. Each evening as the shad
ows fail legions of crows wing their
way in a seemingly endless flight to
the willow copses and clumps of small
cottonwood trees on the banks of the
Missouri, where they roost for th
night. A favorite haunt is at the beuil
of tho river between Cut-otf and Flor
ence Lakes, where tho banks shelter
the northwest wind. The air is thick
with sable wings and resonant with,
hoarse caws there after sunset each
night, as the scavengers settle down
among the branches to dream of back;
area lunches and carrion spreads.
With the break of day the sable flock
bestirs itself. Each member hops
about to warm its chilled legs, stretch
its shiny wings and heads back tow
the city, lhe vast flock breaks i
small groups and they alight here and
there on the tree-tops and survey the
back yards and alleys until they can
pick out foraging places. Then they
descend and in short order the remains
of the breakfasts, the scraps of meat
from markets and the rats killed by
household dogs and cats arc gobbled
up. Some crows do scavenger work
about the residences. Others alight
cautiously in the alleys, and others are
attracted to the stock-yards and packing-houses
at South Omaha. They
fight shy of the business blocks. Tho
crow who inhabits the Missouri is of
the same breed with the crow who
pulls up the farmer's corn in Vermont.
In the East he is a nuisance. The
granger shoots him on sight, tries to
frighten him with scarecrows and dip
the corn into coal tar before he plants
itvin the hopes that it will spoil tho
pretty raven's appetite. Two healthy
New England crows can devastate a,
twenty-acre corn field if unmolested.
But the crow who migrates to the
West becomes a respected resident,
and nobody asks. "What was your
name back East?" or asks bow ha
stood with the farmers. He mates
with a chipper Dinah crow in a clump
of willows on the bottoms, and in duo
time they hatch out a nest of hungry
crowlets. The father rustles for grass
hoppers, bugs aad toads, while tho
youngsters are growing their pin feath
ers. As soon as they can fly their
mother leads them away from the con
taminating influences of the city into
the pure, green country, aad the whole
family turns loose upon the vermin and
insects. None of them ever trouble
the corn-fields, and none of the farmers
ever trouble them. During the fall
they pick up the loose grain, and now
and thea play free-laach fiend on the
corn-fields. Ia the West much of the
corn is left standing ia the fields during
the winter, while in the East it is stored
in the barn before snow falls. Perhaps
this apparent generosity oa the part of
the farmer in Nebraska has. something
to do with improved conduct of the
bird. However this may be. the bird
ia the Missouri Valley does not rely
upon the corn-field, summer or winter.
for subsistence. Nebraska, lews and
Missouri crows rendezvous largely as
Pern, in this State. It is a famous
roost for thea, aad has attracted the
attention of natnralists. Prof. Taylor,
af the Normal School a Peru.' has
made a close study of the habits of
these crows, aad is writing a series of
papers on ina sumec. Meantime t
sable crow continues to saend hi
Biers ia we counirr aaa his winters
the city, following the fashion wbjen.
his wealthiest biped patrons set. (or
themselves. Omaha World.
The leece of ten goats and the
work of several men for half a year are
required to make a cashmere s'iawi
a yarn and a half wide.
he
mwmr
