fr
'
1
J
HOODOOED BY AN OPAL
SHACKAMAXON CAN EXPLAIN
TALE OF WOE.
Collided with Kverythhiff Simply Ite
rautn an Unlucky .Tevrel Waa Aboard
Korroirs of Men Who Wore It All the
Ills of Mankind.
CERTAIN sninll
Btono sot as a scarf
pin Is the avowed
hoodoo of the Ellis
Island steamboat
Shuckamuxon, and
Is said to ue re
sponsible for all the
disasters recently
reported as having
occurred to that
steamboat, on
which Dr. Joseph II. Senner, the Unit
ed States Commissioner of Immigra
tion, and so many others risked their
lives until she was taken off. The hoo
doo stone is an opal, now in the posses
sion of J. J. Hampton, one of the Ellis
Island ofllcers, says New York Journal.
Mr. Hampton said that while the
stone was his property, he would not
keep It hi his possession for any con
sideration. He vowb that bad luck at-
taches to it and disaster follows It Con
scquently lie keeps It in a phial, care- j
fully corked and wrapped up in a dark
cloth, as It is claimed the light has an
effect on the opaline brilliancy of the
stone, and the more brilliant Jt is the
greater the danger following it. The
opal was Innocently worn on board the
Shacknmuxon during all the recent dis
asters to that boat. Engineer Delaney
was wearing the ncarfpln containing
dhe koodoo opal tin board the "Shack"
when the last smnsh-up occurred. De
laney had purchased the pin from
Hampton at a reasonable price, know
ing of its history of attendant danger,
but when he got nearly killed in that
accident nothing would Induce him, he
said, to keep the stone.
Eugene Gilles. of No. COO West Forty
seventh street, who is the chief electri
cian on Ellis Island, and who says he
liad formerly no superstition what
ever, next purchased the pin, with the
understanding that he should keep It a
week on trial, and If nothing of evil be
fell him in that lime he was to pay for
it. The first day he wore it he fell from
an electric light pole on the island and
was severely injured. He attributed
his mishap to the opal, and immediate
ly returned the pin to Hampton, saying
ho would not have It as a gift.
Hampton, who was mate of the
steamer Mattewan last summer, says lie
found tin' scarfplu on board the Matte
wan, and on the very day he found It
the steamer, which was plying to and
from Glen Island, ran Into a coal dock
at pier 7. Hoboken, and was badly dam
aged. Several people were thrown from
their feet and some from seats, and a
panic followed among the passengers,,
and two women fainted. "Some days
after, on August (J of last year," said j
Hampton, "the boiler of the Mattewan
"blew tip because of a bolt giving way.
and the steamer had to be laid up. 1
was wearing tho fatal opal all this time
without dreaming of its Influence. Soon
after I put it away, and did not wear
it again for some months. A few weeks
ago I wa3 wearing tho pin. and 1 saw one
of tho Immigrants in danger, and I
saved him from falling orci board. He
misunderstood my kindly intentions
and services, and wo got into a fight.
in yhieh he nearly kicked my face off."
Hampton will bear the marks of the
immigrant's kicks as long as he lives.
If a MAult a,1 rliitil' rtflifie lur 4n -.- -4l.
iit: icLiiuu mull. uuici uiai.uiucs tii Liic i
fatal Influences and the ill luck attend
ing tho opal, nnd concluded a long list
by saying that he wns wearing the pin,
and while holding the wheel of the i
Shackamaxon tho -wheel slipped and
threw him across the wheelhouse and
nearly killed him. Ho says that is the
last time he will wear the unlueky
jewel.
Captain Butler of the Shackamaxon
had heard so much about the hoodoo
opal that he asked to see it, and handled
it freely. He says that on that same
evening something went wrong with his
daughter's piano while she was playing
for him, and the instrument, which cost
$373, has since been practically useless.
Wnato of Hold.
It Is not generally known, even In
Caliorniu, that hundreds of thousands
of pounds in gold are annually taken
from tho rude heaps of baso looking
quartz by the flowing of water'over huge
piles of broken rocks that contain the
precious metal. The water used by the
miners Is charged with a simple chemi
cal which has the potency to dissolve
gold and hold It in solution. This is
cyanide of potassium, a poisonous drug,
which ferrets out tho minutest particles
of tho metal. During tho last Ave years
the process has been almost universally
adopted, and more than $20,000,000 has
utus been recovered.
Yucatan I Advancing.
Yucatan has always been considered
among the most advanced states of
Mexico In education. She has been In
constant Intercourse with the outside
world since tho days of the conquest.
Schools have attained a high order
since the advent of independence.
African Dwarf.
Among Dr. Donaldson Smith's discov
eries In tho region of Lake Rudolph is
that of tho existence of fifteen new
tribes of Africans, one of them of
dwarfs, none over five feet In height.
Worth SlIO In Caeh.
a woman In Pittsburg, Pa., sold her
luisband tho other day to a former
sweetheart for ?90 in cash, a pair of
diamond earrings, a diamond ring and
a diamond pin,
gm
iP
BATTLE OF RAT AND SNAKE.
In Which the
flat Comet
Heat.
Out Second
A unique rat-killing match occurred
during the voynge of the steamer A'.a
inctln, which arrived from Austria
yesterday, says the San Francisco Ex
aminer. The battle was between a rat
and n snake, nnd the snake won the
fight through superior science and good
generalship.
The reptile is the property of II. Hoy,
one of the passengers, who has been
touring the colonies for some time. It
Is about five feet In length nnd the body
Is perhaps an Inch nnd a half In diame
ter in the middle.
About two weeks ago the owner of
the pet decided that It was time for
him to eat. A rat was caught in n trap
and then word was sent over the ship
that there was to be fun. Tho rat-trap
was taken Into the smoking-room and
n string tied to tho leg of tho rat, whllo
Mr. Hey had his pet brought out.
The rat and tho reptile surveyed each
other calmly for n few moments, the
string on the leg of the former being
give' full play nnd the snnke lying on
the floor at full length, with his head
elevated just the least bit.
The rat mnde a sudden nip at his en
emy's head and, missing it, Jumped
back. Tho snnke dodged and waited
i for another feint. It came very quick-
h Mr. Rat missing again and getting
back to his corner with alacrity, where
he squatted nnd wondered what ho
ought to do next. The head of tho snake
began moving slowly to and fro. Then,
like a flash of lightning, It shot out,
and tho reptile's fangs were fastened in
the neck of the rodent. Round and
round through the nlr whirled the sup
ple body, and in less time than It takes
to tell It thennke was coiled about tho
rat.
Tho reptile did not relinquish his
grasp on his -victim for five or six min
utes, by -which time the rat was dead.
The biinke then sloivly uncoiled nnd
pioceeded to devour its quarry. He
stretched out at full length on the floor
and swallowed the rodent head first.
The snake Is at the Palace Hotel with
Mr. Roy.
HIS KINDNESS REPAID.
An Old Wnmnii Given Her Itenrfiictnr. a
Jtroolilyn Mini, S:i0O,O00,
About four years ago Henry Lewis,
a confectioner, who lives with IiIb wife
and six children nt 52 Floyd street,
Brooklyn, E. D., found an old woman
silting on the stoop of his house, says
the New York Recorder. She was poor
ly dressed and evidently without
friends. As she showed evidence of cul
ture he Invited her to his home. She
accepted and Mrs. Lewis refused to let
her go.
The old woman remained with them
until six months ago, when Lewis found
it a dlfllcult matter to support his fam
ily. Then she told him she would not
continue to be n burden on them and
insisted on going to the poorhouse at
Flatbush, where she remained until a
few weeks ago, when she returned to
the Lewises.
She had gone away comparatively a
pauper, but returned worth $300,000,
which she has turned over to Lewis for
his kindness in taking her in and car
ing for her when she was without a
1 friend.
The neighbors all know of Lewis'
gcod luck. On Tuesday he started for
! the surrogate's office in Brooklyn to lay
, claim to the fortune. w-Jiich had been
i Thp (1jHC0Vcry that gnt. wns ,)0,r to hc
money was made when the surrogate
of San Francisco Inquired for her
through the Brooklyn surrogate and it
j was dlbeoveied that she was an inmate
' of tho poorhouse.
I A reporter called at Lewis' imncn lnat
night, but found that all the family. In
eluding the old woman, had gone to a
reception at some relative's house. All
the neighbors declared that they had
hoard of Lewis' good luck and were sat
isfied of its truthfulness. None of them
could lemember the name or the old
woman, who. they said, intended mak
ing her home with Lewis until she died.
To Make Calf Liver i:n Civet.
Among meat courses calf's liver en
civet makes a nice change. Eight
ounces of liver sliced half an inch thick
and four of very thinly bliced bacon,
one Spanish onion, nnd a pinch of dried
herbs will be required. Flour the slices
of liver nnd fry lightly on both sides;
transfer to a stew pan, with the bacon,
previously fried, on top; slice tho onion
and fry In the bacon fat; sprinkle these
over the liver and bacon; add the sea
soning nnd herbs; pour the fat from tho
frying pan, rinse It out with n half pint
of stock, nnd pour this over all. Cover
with a close lid and simmer slowly for
three-quarters of an hour.
I'tlPtH.
Some poets think that ail the themes
for poets have been exhausted and
that there is no room for poets in the
future. It is not so. Noble themes are
plenty and all thnt we need to do is to
break the surface and scrape away the
dust and mire and we will find much
to portray in melody. Rev. Dr. Lori
mer. Apple Product of UllnnU.
Illinois makes the claim that In three
years sho will bo the greatest applo
producing state on the contlnenL Or
chards containing from 10,000 to 15,000
trees have been planted In the southern
part of the state, and are said to be com.
Ing on in flno shape.
A Profitable Induatry. .
A woman of Covington, Ky Is carry
ing on a profitable and unique little
industry. She raises Angora cats of
high breed. They require a great deal
of careful attention, but are worth ou
an average $30 a pair.
THE HEROIC SYMPHONY.
How Napoleon Cruird to lie the Ideal
of Ilrethnven.
A work of art requires no explana
tion, says tho .Saturday Review. Hut
tho very title Beethoven gae the
Heroic Symphony provokeB question
nnd there have been ninny endeavors to
explain It. Wngncr tried less to ex
plnin Its meaning than to explain It
away. Chained to his ono idea, ho as
serted that Beethoven's hero wns not a
military hero, but a young man of com
plete spiritual nnd physlcnl endowment,
who passed from mere brute delight In
life nnd his strength through tragic
suffering to n high spiritual satisfaction
In love; that Is to say, ho asserted that
Hethoven's hero was Parsifal or Sieg
fried. Now, tills much of Wagner's theory
Is true, that Beethoven would not wor
ship a mere human butcher nny moro
than ho would worship a pork butcher
as a hero. On tho other hand, Beetho
ven's hero was undoubtedly a military
hero, Napoleon Bonnpnrte. Wo know
that the symphony was originally dedi
cated to Napoleon, thnt tho dedication
was altered when Napoleon (as Ueetho
ven thought) turned traitor and became
emperor; we know that when the news
of his death came Beethoven casually
remarked that he had already com
posed the music for thnt event.
Of what parts, then, of Napoleon's
career do tho first and last two move
ments tell? These are questions which
can never lie answered; and, mere curi
osity apart, It so happens that it mat
ters little whether they are answered
or not answered, so long as they are
not answered altogether wrongly. For
whatever events Beethoven might at
any moment have In his mind lie never
tried to depict them, but only to com
municate the emotion they nronsed. He
himself said as much. It is In the ex
pression of human emotion hc Is su
preme, and to feel aright the emotions
of the heroic symphony wo need only
have our minds clear of a story which
Beethoven did not nnd could not have
had in his mind.
OLD GRIZZLY FINALLY KILLED.
lcath of a Wild Hnjr Which Infested
the Vicinity of Clilrn.
"Grizzly Bend" was the name borne
for many years by that portion of the
county lying along tho Sacramento
River southeasterly from Chlco and em
bracing the Parrott ranch and other
lands in that vicinity, snyB the Orovillc
Mercury. Of course, It is long years
since the grizzly held possession there,
as, like the Indian, ho was forced to
give way before the pioneer settlers of
that vicinity.
A place, however, so well calculated
for tho home of tho grizzly could not
long bo without its representative,
even if it had to bo an nnlmnl some
what less wild and moro domestic in
its habits. Hogs turned loose In tho
swamps and morasses soon became so
wild that It was dangerous for a per
son to be caught unawares by one of the
patriarchs of the herds thnt infested
the district.
So large and vicious had one of those
fellows become that he was known and
feared by all the residents in that vicin
ity, and for his wild nature and fero
cious conduct generally had become
known as "Old Grizzly." nnd it wns
claimed he was bullet proof and could
not be slain. Recently he fell a victim
to a party of hunters who sought him
with the avowed purpose of effecting
his extermination.
Tlw) boar was an immense fellow and
weighed 550 pounds. His tusks were
long, one of them being partly broken
off. The hide was over an Inch thick
and the shields on tho shoulders were
two and one-half inches thick. He
had never been injured by dogs or gun
before.
Provocation for I.:rmlt.
There Is a story told of a very emi
nent lawyer now no longer with us,
who once, whllo endeavoring to dis
suade a friend from going to law, was
asked what lie would himself consider
sufficient ground for resorting to liti
gation. "My dear fellow," he replied,
"I do not say that under no conceivable
circumstances would I take proceed
ings against any one, hut I do say that
if this moment you deliberately upset
my Ink on tho table, chucked my wife
out of the window, threw thnt volume
of reports at the bust of Dickens, 'made
hay' with my furniture nnd finally
tweaked my nose, I should, no doubt, use
my best endeavors to kick you down
stairs; but once rid of you, either by
force or persuasion, no power on earth
should induce me to bring an action
against you."
A Keiuarkable Conversion.
The presence of Hon. M. W. Ransom,
United States minister to Mexico, at the
Metropolitan, caused a friend of his to
relate a remark made by an old coloied
man down In North Carolina, who was
a life-long friend and admirer of the ex
senator. When the old man heard tho
news about Gen. Ransom's appolnment
to the Aztec court, he exclaimed: "And
so dey has 'plnted Mars Mntt a minister,
has dey? Well, I's 'stonished at dat.
Ob cose de gen'ral am a good man, and
I ain't got nothln' to Bay against him,
but still It beats me to think he'd turn
preacher In his olo days. Hut he's a
powerful tulker, Mars Matt Is, and I'll
bet all de cotton I ralso dis year dat
he'll convert a wagon load of sinners
ebery time ho gits into de pulpit."
Washington Post.
To Itore for Oil In Kentucky.
Preparations are making for exten
sive prospecting for oil in ten counties
I of oastern Kentucky noxt spring. The
indications of the extension of valuable
I oil fields in that region are said to be
! promising. , .
A RED ARTIST'S LIFE.
WANDERINQ IN CANADIAN
WOODS AND VILLAGES.
II Denounced WhlakT hut llrauk It
Tainted l'lcttirea Whlrh Are SaIiI to
Have I'otaeMed Home Arllato Kle
cance Indian Legend.
T THE MONTHLY
meeting of the
Montreal Folk-Lore
3 Society on Monday
Inst Dr. W. George
Beers read a paper
entitled "Tho Last
of the Hurons."
Tho central figure
In the paper wns
Zacharle Vincent,
alias Telaiiolin, a
Huron of Anclenno Lorette, born In
180S, a pure-blooded example of tho
great Huron-Iroquois stock, says the
Montreal Gazette. His father and
grandfather had been Hurons from
Huron mothers; his mother was a
Huron-Iroquois of Iroquois descent.
Dr. Beers prefaced his nccount of the
gifts, character and achievements of
his hero- for, In splto of his fallings,
thero wns something heroic In Zachnrlo
- by contrasting tho two main sections
of tho Huron-Iroquois race. The points
of difference thnt marked off the Iro
quois from thn Unions in tho days of
Champlaln and Frontonnc and Mont
calm and under the British dispensa
tion have continued to distinguish
their descendants, changed though they
bo from tho formidable warriors of old.
Dr. Beers Illustrated this difference of
traits that had come under Ills per
sonal observation. He then related the
tradition of tho original homo of the
Hurons and outlined their migration
slnco Cnrtior's visit to Hochelaga (tho
beaver dam).
Tho legend thnt they had come out
of a mountain between Quebec and tho
great sea had been explained to Dr.
Beers by an Oka chlof'to indicate the
period during which tho Unions were
hiding from the tomahawks ot their
warlike kinsmen, the Iroquois. Zach
arle did justice to his full-blooded or
igin in that, from childhood, he was u
vagabond of the woods and waters.
Long before ho could use a gun or load
a gun to use ho pursued feather and
fur nnd even fin, with n how and ar
row. To the .end ho loved the outdoor
life of his father. Ho also alas!
loved whisky blanc, though he wns
quite aware of its mortal badness. In
his philosophic moments he said: "It
was de libber of de dcbll; not deep,
hut she drown nil do oamo; bad for In
dian and bad for white man." Dr.
Beers thought tho white man was re
sponsible for a good share of tho In
dian's wrongdoing, and ho therefore
sought to atone for It, In some degree,
by trying to rescue this gifted Indian
from his enemy, lie invited him up to
Montreal, Intending to send hhn'a rail
way ticket If he accoptcd, but Zach
arle and his son Cyprlen or Dawenron
(straight, liko a stick) suddenly made
their appearanco before him. having
tramped the whole distance. For two
years he lived In Caughnawaga, coming
to town now nnd then to sell a picture
or a piece of wood carving. When ho
began to fall and his end seemed near.
Dr. Beers sent him back to Lorette.
He went to the mnrkie hospital, Que
bec, nnd soon afterward died, in Ills
eightieth yenr. Dr. Boors exhibited a
portrait of Zacharle Vincent, painted
by himself, a picturesque head, with
the gray hair running out on either
side from tho natural parting In the
center.
lie recalled tho alleged exclamation
of the French on first seeing tho Wy
andots, "Quelles hures!" (what boars'
heads!) They were surprised at the
"bristling ridges" In which they wore
their hair, and thus these lakeside Indi
ans won anew name the Hurons. And
the last pf his race was, In this rospert,
n true Huron. Ho was, however, very
particular about his person; he never
wore flannel until seven inontho before
he died. His winter attire was n coat,
under it another coat, under that a
third coat, and then nothing. Dr.
Beers exhibited n picture of "Mercy,"
which Zacharle had painted entirely
by memory, from the original of n New
York artist, as well as a number of
sketches. Ho gave a pathetic and Im--presslve
description of the Huron ar
tist's mode of life a constant fight for
existence for tho most part tho happi
est portion of It being the vagabond
life in tho woods. Several times he
was badly frozen; many times ho was
nearly drowned; once he had a hand-to-hand
tussle with a bear, which hc
killed with a knife.
No promise of comfort could induce
him to settle down permanently in tho
village of Lorette. He liked the free
dom of the bush and communion with
nature better than village gossip. The
trees, the air. the sky, were full of a
mystic company, with which in im
agination he held intercourse. Dr.
Beers then described Zachnrie's meth
ods of work, the character of his in
spiration, his devotion to his art, his
preference for certain colors nnd ob
jection to others. In 1848 he painted
a portrait of Lord Elgin and sold it to
him, and in Lorette church are some of
his religious works. He never painted
unythlng low or vulgar. His language
was alike free from blasphemy nnd hc
was not without religious emotions.
His ono vice wns made up for by mnny
virtues and among those was a self
respect that kept him from begging In
all bis hardships. Dr. Beors spoke at
tome length of the artistic faculty in
the native races, of which Zacharie's
gift was a conspicuous example. Ho
mentioned Catlln's rocord of his life in
the wilds and Indicated the rich endow
ment in some forms of decorative art
which makes the work of some oast
em races inimitable in the west.
JH
mm
ARE FOUND IN AMBER.
.Sonic IntrreatlnK lxhllilta In Katnte'a
Itnprrlxhahle Millennia.
In many museums mny be seen In the
most perfect state of preservation In
amber fossilized remains of plnnts and
unimnls, 8as the Gentleman's Maga
zine. The science of Egypt, In., its
highest development, did not succeed
hi discovering a method of embnlmlng
so perfect as the simple process taking
plnce In nature. A tree exudes a gum
my, resinous matter In a liquid state.
An Insect accidentally lights in It and
Is caught. The exudation continues
nnd envelops It completely, preserving
the most minute details of Its struct
ure. In the course of time, the resin
becomes a fossil and is known ns am
ber. The history of fossil Insects Is
largely Indebted to the fly in amber.
And to the preserving properties ot
amber we owe, likewise, our knowl
edge of some of the more minute de
tails of ancient plant structure.
The coasts of the Bnltlc are and have
been from the days of the Phoenician
traders tho great source of the nmber
of commerce. It occurs In rolled frag
ments, in strata known to geologists
us ollgocene. These are tertiary rocks
of n date little more recent than those
of tho London bnsln and equivalent to
the younger tertlnry series of the Isle
ot Wight. The fragments of fossil res
in were washed down by the rlverB from
the pine forest of the district along
with sediments and vegetable debris.
In them are found most perfectly pre
served remains of the period, as well
ns of Insect life. Fragments of twigs,
leaves, buds and flowers, with sepals,
petals, stamens and pistils still in place,
occur. A recent genus, dcntzln, has
been recognized by Its characteristic
stamens; the wilvcs ot the anthers ot
cluiiaiiioinum are seen in others. In
one specimen the pendent catkin of a
species of oak is seen ns distinctly
through tho clear nmber ns If It were
n fresh flower. And, bosldes the in
sect and plant remains thus s-enled up
in nmber, stray relics of the higher
fauna of the forest have also been met
Willi.
Fragments of hair nnd feathers havo
been cnught in the sticky resin and pro
served. Among others a woodpecker
anil squirrel have been recognized in
the Baltic nmber.
Itniu' Horn Wrlnklm.
Some folks are n long time In finding
out that it never pays to worry.
Tho man who knows that ho hnB
God's love will always believe that he
has his help.
Tho fear of punishment may keep
men from doing wrong, but It ennnot
make them love tho right.
Whatever .stifles liberality chokes re
ligion. A preacher with n warm heart will
not long have a cold church.
Us righteous men nro a better pro
tection to a city than its police.
The blood of Christ makea every
promise In the Bible worth Its face.
God had to deal with men by luw bo
fore he could deal witli them In love.
Every good man innkos unwritten
laws that others have to ker-p.
A great many people havo religion
who do not havo Christ.
Sin will behavo itself a year to have
It's way an hour.
We ought to find out that condemn
ing others will never justify us.
Christ will knock nt the door of our
hearts, but he will not come In unless
we open it.
An unconverted church member Is as
much In danger of being lost as any tin
ner In the slums.
Clcsiiiltit; Clothe with Cinolcnc.
The free use of gasoline for cleaning
clothes and oilier articles is a most dan
gerous habit, prevalent In Washing
ton and elsewhere. It Is one of the
most Inflammable ot fluids and little
less deadly than dynamite In its effects
when exploded. Petersburg, Va was
shocked a few days ago at the awful
result.
STRAY CHIPS OF THOUGHT.
It Is a terrible thing to see one work
ing who never smiles.
Not a few men are like the amoeba
they live on what sticks to them.
No man's creed Is complete which
does not declare a belief in himself.
Marriage based on flirtation logically
ends in separation, divorce or tragedy.
Many a would-be statesman was in
tended by the Creator for a splendid
laborer.
It Is often difficult to distinguish be
tween absolute laziness and serene
resignation.
Certain young folk are puzzled to dis
tinguish between an accelerated pulse
and a love throb.
One of tho easiest things in this
world is to get money. The task of life
lies in earning it.
Hc who minds his own business
walks head nnd shoulders above 90 per
cent of his fellows.
Hypocrites often use a scriptural quo
tation as a funnel through which to
drop poison Into some human heart.
The face of every babe Is nn In
terrogation point. Its future depends
on how older folk answer the question.
There is morally no difference be
tween the thief who loots a bank and
tho man who charges a dollar for fifty
cents' worth of goods.
If un idler only occupied the space
geometrically ascribed to a point he
should not find in the universe a
spot whereon to set his foot.
Chimeras are the food of indolent
theorists. They chase fantasies all
tholr days and the recording angel
marks the result with a cipher.
The moat insecure perch In the world
is that occupied by tho-ninn who has
reared a petty castle out of bricks stol
en from the honestly built towers of
others.
AN ADVENTURE IN THE SOUTH.
The Initcta Down That Wf Are tt
UrobdleitaRlaii Mix.
"Gentlemen," enld the man with tna
ynllcr whiskers, as the talk turned on
mosqultos, "I believe In givlnit every
insect a fair show, and I m not thn
man to tnlk agtn amosquito behltuLhU
bnck. I never had nn adventure worth
relating with the peats, but my brother
had. My brother was a eober, con
scientious man, nnd I novor knew him
to exaggerate In the slightest."
"Where did this adventure happen?"
cautiously queried the man with tho
Btrfb nose.
"Down lu tho swamp3 of Louisiana,
sir. My brother wns ono of the en
gineers ot a railroad survey. One day,
while all alone and making his way
through n swamp with the water up
to his waist, a mosquito suddenly
rushed- upon him mid bit him in tho
thigh. But for his desperate efforts my
brother would have been killed then
and there. As It wns. h was laid up
for three months."
"Your brother told that yarn, did h?'
sneered tho mnu with the double ohln.
"Certainly ho did," replied the mnu
with tho yaller whiskers. "A I Mild
before my brother never exaggerated. I
am a liar myself, but ho was the soul
of truth."
"Your brother saw the mowtulto, of
course?"
"Of course. Ho said It wa tally nine
foot long, nnd the spread of Its jaw
would take in a nall-keg. When it
rushed nt him it splashed water twenty
feet high."
"Look here, my friend," said the
stub-nosed mnn, "didn't It ever occur
to you that it wns an alligator anil not a
mosquito which nttneked your broth
er?" "Never! My brother was a man with
the highest respect for truth. If it
hnd been an nlllgntor he would have
said so. I might have llud about it.
but nothing could have tempted him
to. And then ho said the thing flew
nwny after being beaten off. N4ow, do
alllgntore fly?"
"Is your brother still living?" naked
the mnn with the double chin, as his
neck began to redden.
"Alas, sir, lie Is dead. Ym, he died
as he lived a truthful man. .-Why do
you ask?"
"Oh, I wanted to call him a liar on
a postnl card, but he probably doesn't
get nny mall where he 13 now.1' ,
"You think he lied, do you?" '
"I'm sure of it."
"Then gentlemen, you will plea3e ex
case me from any further part In thU
conversation. I am a liar myself, a?
I have admitted, but I cannot stand it
to he .r my dend brother slandered He
said mosquito and he ante it flew, nnd
ns I am a fighter I will withdraw and
try to think what my brother snld
about the mosquito tearing down bushes
with his tail as he spread hte wings."
Detroit Free Press.
Thrnalied Into ChrUtUnltr.
Among the many stories which are
going the rounds concerning the Rev.
Peter Mackenzie, who did the oth'T
day, Is one which shows ho was a thoY
ongh bitevpr in muB"utar Christianity
Many years ago, after delivering a lec
ture in a country village In the north,
ho was returning to his host's house
along a lonely road, when he waa ac
costed by n robber. The latter was a
believer In the right of might, and re
quested Mr. Mckenzie to turn over all
the cash ho had got. "Well, my dear
man," said Mr. Mackenzie, 'you know
I'm big enough to thra3h you. If It's
money you want, I'll give you halt a
crown." The robber would not accept
this very charitable offer. Mr. "Mac
kenzie "doffed" his coat and gave him
whnt the man is now pleased to call
"a daBhed good hiding." That thrash
ing did the man a great service, for he
afterward left the paths of vice and he
came one of Mr, Mackenzie's numerom
'.onvcrts. Kxchnnge.
Carter ot Itihbon nnd Luce.
Garters are marvelous creations this
year. Unhygienic persous who persist
In wearing the circular ones haye regu
lar "confections" from which to choose.
Some are made of bands of elastic al
most covered by tiny ruffles o( narrow
ribbon and butter-colored lace. An Inch
wide piece of elastic will permit about
four outstanding frills of each. The
bow In tho mlddlo is made of the lace
and ribbon.
Somewhat less befrilled are bands of
clastic edged with narrow ribbon ruf
fles and fastened with a bow and buckle.
The buckle may be of any sort gold,
silver, or studded with mock jewels.
The monogram of the owner U usually
engraved on the buckle. Some of the
garters are of elastic incased in a puf
fing of pompadour silk, and these are
particularly effective.
l'ardon.
The abuse of the pardon'.n? power It
one of the striking facts In the history
of human methods of dealing with
crime. As commonly exercised, It ha
been a serious evil, not only in Its di
rect effect in arbitrarily remitting pun
ishment which, both for the good of the
evil doer and of society, should be al
lowed to work Its natural effect, but
In the expectation which U encouraged
j in the minds of those who plan the
perpetration of crime; that even if
convicted and sentenced they will he
pardoned. Rev. William I.-Nichols.
Slivering Mirror.
A method of silvering mirrors, pro
ducing mirrors of much greater bril
liancy than those made by ordinary pro
cesses, has been discovered by Herr
Hans Boas of Kiel. It is based on the
. fact that when a heavy metal forms
the cathode of a vacuum tube contain
ing a trace of hydrogen, the electric
current volatilizes the metal, whleh Is
deposited as a firmly adherent and
highly polished layer on the walls ci
' the tube.
