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jiuag wim HOLES.
Ituvt Pratt sat In tho south win
4km of the kitchon, knitting. Bho
3mhIh right to sit there, for alio paid
Iter board punctually, having
mtBnan as tho neighbors said.
Wh&t tho Potters would havo
4om without her board to help thorn
i&eycoakl.&ot think now they had
it. Yet before Mrs. Potter's Undo
Sbesczcr died they had lived just as
3Mbj other poor people- live. Undo
ZlMncjEer had never helped his nicco
at all Binco ho gavo her a modest
cmtfit and a hundred dollars in cash
irhen she married Itowloy Potter, a
jormg fellow who was gotting good
-wages in tho great riflo factory at
JI.
Zxroieo was pretty, capable, bright
girl then; but that was twenty years
ago. Now sho was a thin, sallow,
freUVd woman. Potter still worked
in tho riflo shop," as they called it,
&et bo had only $1 a day, more wages
-than when ho was married, and thcro
ttoto four children. Lottie, 18 years
&&, pretty, pert and vain, worked in
ji hosiery. Tom, 10, waB in a nut
and holt "shop;" Idnllu, a girl of 14,
was a "cosh girl" in Holmes & Har
per's great dry-goods storo. Tom
and Lotty paid thoir board, "Idy"
clothed herself, sho could got bargains
id remnants so cheap; when sho
should be promoted into a "sales
lady," sho, too, would pny like tho
others. Tho fourth child, little Davy,
-was only 10; ho went to a publio
school.
"When Aunt Pratt was loft a widow,
she made up hor mind to Bell tho
Jarxn and board somewhere; sho had
so children, but sho did havo rheuma
twm enough to t.irohcr with its aches
sad stiffness more than a family of
the aoiscst boys and girls could
lave tired her. Tho farm was a good
tmc, well improved, tho houso and
tarns in thorough repair, nnd
there were Bix cows and two horses,
as troll as plenty of farming imple
ments. Sho got 4,500 for tho
whole Tiio noighbnrs said it wus
worth more; tho buyer said it was
worth less; bo shrewd Aunt Pratt
considered tho prico fair.
Then thoro was $1,G00 in tho
Dalton Bank, tho slow accumulation
erf butter monoy, egg money, tho
sale of poultry nnd calves; 0,000 in
all, and every cent of it her own.
Squire Hart, of Dalton, who was ex
ecutor of tho will, invested tho money
hi saJo ways at 0 per cent, and Mrs.
Pratt began to look about her for n
home. Sho knew that Louisa Potter
had felt hurt about hor Undo Pratt's
trill;ho.only left to her her grand
mother's mahogany furniture and
tho savings bank book in which ho
bad deposited tho profits mndo out
oftboFrieslnnd beusand tho white
letter calf sho hnd left in his hands
when sho marriod a sum amount
ing to $100 now.
But Louisa und her husband had
Kcpcctcd more, and Mrs. Pratt was a
oet woman, capable of understand
ing other peoples feelings; so sho did
aot wonder. After much thought
and without any suggestion from
them, sho proposed to como into 11.
and board with Louisa. So they
gave up to her Lotty's front bed
room, and put Lotty in with Ida;
mad as they cooked and nto in tho
samo room where they sntnt evening.
Aunt Pratt's rocker, her foot-stool,
lier small round tablo nnd her work
basket were established in tho sunny
south window, whero sho could look
down into tho sky, for this tenement
-wns on a corner, and the Potters had
the third story flat.
It was a great change for Aunt
Pratt, but Bho whb a woman brought
up in tho old Now England fashion,
to do what sho perceived to be a du
ty, however unpleasant and nainful.
without shrinking or complaint; and
ihe had made up her m ind that it
was her dutv to help the Potters.
Sho missed tho fresh nir of the
farm, the quiet of her own house, tho
new milk, the sweet butter, tho good
liread; but sho said nothing as slio
at, day after duy, in her window,
laiittingor mending, her big Bible
open on tho stand, and her thoughts
very busy with tho things around
Jier, as well ua with tho things that
are above For Aunt Pratt
bad made a resolution to lenve
her money in tho way it would do her
relatives tho most good, nnd sho
irnmt tudy them and their customs
before alio could discover what that
way was. Sho soon found out that
tney wero in ways in debt. Potter
liad good wuges. Lotty and Tom
were off his hands, Ida had only her
iourd given her, and Davy was in
heritor to Tom's old clothes and his
.father's too. It seemed to Aunt
2ratt that there must be n leak
somewhere that she did not discover
at once.
6he was reading her biblo of course,
sad pne day came upon a verso in
the prophecy of Haggai that seemed
to explain the situation to her, nnd
opened her eyes. Tho next day Lot
tycumeis shivering, Bhe had caught
severs cold and huddled over the
cook-stovo wrapped in an old Bhnwl.
coughed and sighed and scolded all
day, till eho was too hoarse to spenk.
"Havo you got on your winter
flannels?" asked Aunt Pratt, for it
was now November.
"Flannels? I guess not. Ihaven't
got any."
"Whv. Lottvl"
"Well, poor folks can't have every
thing. I'd got to havo a winter suit,
and there was such a lovely ono at
tho Boston store; a satin petticoat,
with drapery of camel's hair imita
tion, I mean, but awfully pretty and
a real splendid basquo with satin
vest and gilt buttons; only 20. I
tell you, Aunt Pratt, it was a swell
and no mistake; but I couldn'taflbrd
soft flannels after that."
"Is it a thick dres87" queried Aunt
Pratt.
"No, not so very; not so thick ob
this filiopdrcss; but I don't mind that
Inin'tcold-hlobdod;"'
"And yourshoen, nro they thick?"
"Oh, thoy'ro just choap boots;
thick soles do cost so. My bcBt ones
nro French kid with lovely high heels.
They can't havo thick soles."
"And have you got a warm petti
coat?" "Mercy! I don't want to bo all
humped up with things. I've got an
old felt skirt and a striped cambric
for ovory dny, and four white ones,
trimmed with edging."
Aunt Pratt shook hor head.
"A holo in the bag! A holo in tho
bag!" sho said sadly.
"Why, what upon" but a fit of
coughing stopped tho words and left
Dotty's chest so boto sho did not fin
ish her question.
Sho was so ill that night a doctor
was sent for a young man round tho
corner, just bnginning practice, there
fore cheaper than a man of experi
ence. Ho ut onco proceeded to blister
his putiont and givo hor antimony.
Low delirium set in, nnd for six weeks
Lotty was unublo to leavo her bed,
and for a month moro sho could not
go to work. Bills camo in to twico
the amount of tho bluo dress's price,
and could not be paid.
''Oh, what a holo in the bng!"Bigh
ed Aunt Pratt.
"When Lotty wus a littlo better, her
father enino in ono noon with a hand
bill given to him in tho streot a
flaming advertisement of tho "Black
Crook" performance.
"Say, Lou, don't you want to go
to this to-night? It's a month o'
Sundays since wb've had a lark; let's
go." ho said, tossing tho play bill in
to his wife's lap.
"Oh, pa," screamed Idalln, "tako
mo. On, do! Now won't you?"
"'N'mo too," screamed Davy, who
had a hoarso cold.
"Oh, shut up!" snapped Potter. "I
don't wnnt two babies taggin' at my
heels. Somobody's got to stay with
Lott."
"Why; there's Aunt Pratt," said
Ida.
"Maybo sho'dliko to go; would you
Aunty? asked Potter, blandly. Ho
had a mind to keep the right side of
a woman with "means."
"Mo said tho old lady with a stern
reproof in her voice nnd face. "Mo
go to such a place? No indeed!"
"Well, well! everybody to their
mind. I liko a bit of fun first rate,
now and then. We go quite con
siderable, first and last; a body must
bo amused."
"O, father!' put in Mrs. Potter,
urged by tho whispered tensing and
cross faces of Ida and Davy, "dotake
them children nlong! Ida hasn't been
nowhere sinco Lott wns took Bick;
and Davy's only a boy. Lot him
havo a good time while ho can; his
troubles will come fast enough beforo
long. Now, do let 'em go."
'Well, I guess they cnn. Lott
won't wnnt 'em if Aunt Prntt'a here."
So at night ho enmohomewithfour
tickets to the performance, a bag of
peanuts and a paper of cundy, nnd
they set out to enjoy themselves,
Tom had announced atnoon that ho
was "goin' to tuko his girl."
AuntPrattgroaneditispirit. "At
other holo in tho bag, anil n big one!"
she Bald to herself.
When would tho doctors's bill and
the debts at tho drug storo and tho
grocer's ever bo piid?
Aunt Pratt had nhvays lived in the
country and been honest. Sho had no
experionco of the class who crowd our
theaters, minstrel show halls und cir
cuses, who buy cheap finery nnd ex
pensive, poor peer nnu niui nutter,
nut never pay their rent or lay up
ono penny in all their lives.
As spring came on Aunt Pratt
noticed one day that Potter looked
disgusted with his dinner, nnd Lotty
left hers untasted. No wonder! Aunt
Pratt could notentit herself. Tho
potatoes wero poor and boiled to a
watery, insipid mass: tho calves' liver
fried to n black, leathery substance;
tho bread old and dry, nnd tho
turnips rank and unsavory.
"I say, Pal" exclaimed Tom, "wo'ro
all gettin' spring poor. I don't euro
a imng lor my vittles. Let's have a
dozen of lager, that'll set us all up."
So tho lager came, wns used up,
nnd another dozen ordered, und then
another; but the appetites did not
improve nor the cooking. At last
tho beer seller refused to fetch more,
unless what ho had brought them
was paid for.
"Oh, dear! Oil, denr!" sighed Aunt
Pratt. "What a holo in tho bag!"
Next day sho said to her niece:
"Lowisy, will you let mo buy nnd cook
the dinner to morrow? I'll make you
a present of all thovittlesl get, if you
will."
Louisa consented, much nstonish
ed, nnd Aunt Pratt camo back from
market with two pounds of solid
beef a course piece, it is true, but
cheap and fresh: Sho bought a few
onions, n carrot and ono small stalk
of celery, tho whole cost 80 cents.
Then sho prepared a stew, and par
ing tho potatoes put them in cold
water till it Eas time to ftdd them;
the celery, two onions, half a carrot
sliced thin, was put in with the beef,
which eho had cut into pieces of per
haps two inches Bquarc. Salt nnd
pepper wero sprinkled in liberally,
and ob sho put on her stew beforo
breakfast and lot it simmer all morn
ing, adding tho sliced potato at 11
o'clock, it wob well done by noon.
"George! how good tho dinner
jmcllsl" ejaculated Tom.
"Got roast turkey Lou?" inquired
Potter, sniffling and smelling.
Even listless Lou wanted some din
ner that day; the rest recovered their
appetites without any moro lager!
"1 wish tho land you lenrn c
nriA&in'
of Aunt Prattl" Baid Potter.
"I wonder if I havo Bowed up that
holo?" thought Aunt Pratt.
But she hud not. Louisa was too
old to loam nowt tricks, as wo say
nbout dogB; sho continued to buy tho
best meat and cook in theworstwny,
and still tho money leaked from
thut hole in tho bug.
"Hullo, Tom!" Baid Potter ono Sun
day morning, as Tom sauntered into
tho room with a half-smoked cigar
in hio mouth. "Ain't you toney?
Whv. that rignr smells like n rol"
Aunt 1'ratt wondorcu what sort of
roso had an odor liko tobacco.
AW U'. VllfllU IV) DLlllV'llillUUDiy
remarked Tom. "Them fellers cost
mo 5 cents upicco by tho hundred."
"Well, I kin put up my pipe so fur;
but you young fellers havo got to
havo your fling. I reckon. By'm-by
you'll fall back on brier wood and
nigger head."
"Another hole in tho bag," mur
mured Aunt Pratt, who had patient
ly darned Tom's threndbaro socks
nnd patched his worn shirts for him
every week for months.
"Well, hero I bo!" shouted Potter
as ho camo in ono Monday morning
about 10 o'clock.
"Why, what has fetched you
home7" inquired his wife.
"Oh, our fellows havo struck;
wo'ro goin' to havo less work nnd
moro pay; thom darned capitalists
have overrodo us long enough: we're
bound to havo our Bharo oT tho dol
lars wo make, now I tell youl"
"For tho mercy's sake!" ejaculated
Louisa.
Where are you going to work
now?" dryly asked Aunt Pratt.
"Why, back again as Boon as tho
bosses como to terms."
"But supposin' thoy shouldn't."
"Oh, they've got to, can't loso
their contrucks, no way; we've got
'om whero tho hair's short."
"But supposin' thoy hold out for a
month's or Bix weeks?"
"Oh, wo got allowance out of tho
assessments; wo ain't going to
starve."
"Who's paying them assess
ments?" "Tho fellors what have got monoy
laid away; they're taxed for tho gen
eral good; so much a week till tho
strike's over."
"Be you ussessed?"
"Lord! do you think I've cot n
cent in the bnnk? Four children and
starving wages. What's $3 a day
with four in tho family, an'
clothes na' rent, nn' vittles, an' light,
an' fuel, an' doctors, an' Lord knows
what all?"
"A bag with holes!" ran through
Aunt Pratt's mind as she looked
back on tho pnst six months.
Weeks passed on; tho "bosses"
were not only firm but hired other
men in tho Btriker's places and went
on with contracts. Potter sulked,
and lounged and swore, nnd mndo
his pipe and himself a daily nuisance
in tho house. Beforo long Aunt
Pratt discovered that the assess
ments were decreasing, and alarmed
lest Potter should insists on sharing
her Bmall property nmonghis brood,
on communistic principles, she quiet
ly withdrew herself ono day to an Old
Ladies' Home, where the payment
of a small sum insured her pencelul
nnd pleasant homo for life, nnd from
her retreat sho gavo much uid and
comfort to tho women of the Potter
family, but refused any to tho two
men.
"I can't waste my pittanco on beer
nnd tobnccol" sho said Bharply; nnd
sho mennt what she said. When sho
died, her monev was all left to tho
Homo whero sho lived, to en
dow two freo admissions, tho three
women of the Potters to have tho
preference
"I hnve lived, said the document,
after the terms of the bequest." to
seo what tho Biblo meant whore it
soys in Haggai, i. 0. "Yo ent, but yo
havo not enough; yo drink, but yo
are not filled with drink, ye clothe
you, but there is none warm; nnd ho
that enrneth wages enrneth wages to
put in a bag with holes;' and I will
not leavo behind mo any dollars to
fro intn thnt li.-mv"
"Old crankl" said the disappoint
ed Potter, when tho lnwyer finished
rending.
"Who? Haggi?" politely inquired
that gentleman. Roso Tcrrv Cooke.
i -
A Great Philanthropist,
On tho last pngo of his interesting
recollections George W. Child's writes;
"If asked what, as the result of my
experience, is the greatest pleasure in
life I should say, doing good to
others. Not a strikingly original
remnrk perhnps, but seemingly tho
most difficult thing in tho world is
to bo prosperous and generous nt
tho sumo time. During tho wur I
asked a very rich man to contribute
some money to a certain relief fund.
'Childs,' ho said, 'I enn'tgiveyou any
thing. I havo worked too hard for
my money.' That is just it. Being
generous crows on ono just as being
menn does. Tho disposition to give
nnd to bo kind to others should bo
inculented and fostered in children.
It seems to mo that is the wuy to
improve tho world and make happy
tho people who are in it."
" A DETECTIVE'S STOBY.
Two men sat togother in tho reni
Beat of a smoking enr on ono of our
railroads nnd chatted familiarly o
thoups and downs of a miner' b lifo
the topic being suggested by a land
scape dotted with coal-broakcrs and
furrowed with coal roads.
Tho freedom and interest of their
conversation did not seem to bo dam
pened by tho fact that the younger
of the two carried a revolver, whilo
his companion wore a pair of those
uncoveted articles of jewelry which
nro known in criminal circles us
"bracelets."
Tho few persons who had observed
them learned from tho confidential
brnkeman that they were a noted de
tective and his prisoner on the way
to trial. As far as ages went tho
pair might havo been taken for father
und son, tho fine gray head of tho
ono contrasting strongly with tho
crisp brown curls of his captor.
" hat crime had been committed
tho brnkeman did not know, but haz
arded a conjecture that it "must
havo been a pretty hard one, or
George Munson wouldn't have took
tho trouble to put thom things on
his wrists."
Presently tho brnkeman and tho
conductor satisfied the joint demands
of etiquette nnd curiosity by stopping
to exchange n few wordB with the de
tective; tho former then perched him
self up the coal-box directly behind
tho prisoner, and tho latter dropped
magnificently into tho seat in front.
Tho train was sweeping nround a
curve nnd pnst a ruined trestle on
tho hillside nt which both of the pas
sengers looked with some interest.
"I remember that place," said tho
older man.
"So do I," responded tho younger;
"I was born there. Cume near being
buried there, too," ho resumed alter
a moment's pause.
' How wns that?"
It's a protty long story," said tho
detective, "but I guess we'll havo time
for it between this nnd the next sta
tion. Way up there on the slope is
the littlo settlement whero I made my
debut, so to speak; from it to the
bottom of tho hill there used to bo a
gravity road a long, winding track
renching from tho settlement down
to tho top ol a bank wnllofeurth
whero a shdo occurred the year I was
born. On both sides of tho track
grew saplings thut had Bprung up
Binco tho disaster (what I am telling
you occurred fivo years later), and
they crowded the road andhungover
the old rusty rails on which tho conl
cars used to run. You must remem
ber that the houses wero built near
the mouth of the pit that was ono
of the first mines worked in this country,-
nnd ono of tho first to bo
abandoned. Timo I am telling about
some men wero walking up the truck,
and a lot of children piayingnear tho
top, climbing in nnd out of an old car
which had lain there sinco it made its
last trip with tho broken spraggs still
in its wheels.
"The men were miners, all but ono
of them, who questioned his com
panions about their work und tho
country they lived in. He was evi
dently n stranger.
"Presently, us they.tulked, a shout
from tho top of the slope attracted
their attention, andihey looked up
just in timo to see tho car begin to
move slowly down the grnde.
"There was an impatient exclama
tion fromthooldest man in the party.
'Them brats is alway up to somo
mischief,' he said. 'They have
started that old thing off ut last; I've
been oxpectin' to see it go at any
time this five year. They'll bo break
ing their necks yet with their tom
fooling.' And another of tho group
ndded: 'Wo must dust out of this
lively, unless wo want to get our
necks broke; she'll either jump the
rail or go to pieces ut tho bottom;
lucky there ain't no ono aboard of
her.'
"The stranger was looking anx
iously up nt tho r.pproaching runa
way. His quick eye had caught
sight of something round nnd golden
ubovo "the car rim.
" 'There's a child in thnt car,' ho
Baid quietly.
"It was n second or two beforo his
compnnions renlized tho awful mean
ing of thnt statement. A child!
That was us if ho said that in a few
moments some one perhups ono of
themselves would be childless.
"With one impulse thoy turned to
look nt the broken rnils at tho edgo
of tho fault. Shuddering, they
fixed their eyes ngain on tho
approaching mass, then hopelessly at
each other. They could not dream
of stopping tho.progress of tho car.
But, quick as thought almost, tho
stranger took hold of a supling nnd
bent it down till it nearly touched
the track. 'Hold on,' ho Baid to ono
of the men, 'it will help to check her.'
A rod further down another nnd then
a third and fourth wero held in the
same way. So four of tho party
waited for a few breathless seconds,
whilo tho two remaining ones hurried
further down; but one more effort
and tho car was upon them. Tho
first obstnele was whipped out of tho
hands of tho strong man who lipid it
and the car rushed on to tho Bccoud
with hardly lessened force. Again
the barrier was brushed aside, but
this timo tho Bpeed of tho old wreck
was perceptibly less. By tho timo
tho fifth obstruction was reached tho
newcomer was ablo to clamber
aboard and throw tho child into tho
nrms of his companion, but beforehe
hnd timo to save himself the old
truck had regained something of its
momentum nnd was plunging on to
ward tho precipice.
"Well, tho man jumped Justus thoy
reached tho edge, just beforo his
vehiclo shot over into tho air, hut ho
had very littlo timo to chooso his
ground, nnd bo landed, na luck would
nave it, on tho only heap ofstones in
sight. The others picked him up for
dead and carried him up to tho set
tlement, whero tho miners held n reg
ular wako over him. But ho camo to
lifo In tho middlo of tho festiv tho
obsequies, I menn and found that
ho was only crippled for lifo.
"Tho minora folks not easily
moved, wero enthusiastic about tho
affair, and gavo such testimonials as
they could to show their gratitudo
and nppreciation. Ono of these ex
pressions took tho form ofnBouvenir
signed by every mnn in thoplnce.hnd
stating in very grnndlloquet lan
guage what the poor fellow had done.
His quick wit seemed to them moro
wonderful than his courngo and de
votion, in a community where neith
er quality is unusual at all.
"The man who tukes his own life in
his hand every day, and has fre
quently to fight for tho lifo of somo
companion values a 'brainy' action.
In tho box of the tcstimonml wns a
purso of fifty dollurs nnd a curious
old gold cross, that had been treas
ured by the brother of tho lnd who
was saved us his ono piece of finery.
On it was rudely engraved these
words:
" 'Given by the minors at tho Notch
to the man who risked his lifo for a
child.'
"That was all. Tho poor fellow
went tiwny nnd would have boon for
gotten, only thnt tho old miners
told tho story Bomotimes to their
children."
Tho prisoner was looking out of tho
window. Tho conductor rustled
around ns though ashamed of tho
interest he hnd shown in tho story
a story no doubt was pure fiction.
Only tho brnkeman gavo away to his
sympathy, nnd risked whether tho
man had ever been found.
"Not that I know of," replied tho
detective.
"And waB you the boy what ho
saved?"
"I wob the kid."
"And you never heor'd tell whntbc
camc of tho man what would you
do if you shu'd come ncrost him some
time." Evidently the brnkeman had
un imagination which was trying to
assert itself.
"Oh! I'd try to even the thing up
somehow. I suppose common decen
cy would demand that. I'd treat him
ns well as I know how."
"Look here." said tho prisoner,
turning from tho window with un op
paront effort to change a conversation
which for somorensonhadnotsecined
to interest him "look here., old man,
I've got a little keepsake that your
story just reminded me of, nnd if I
could get at it I'd ask you to tako
charge of it for me till till this thing
is over. If you'll put your hnnd in
there nnd pull out that bit of ribbon;
so"
The conductor almost jumped out ol
his seat. "Blamed if it ain't tho
cross that you've just been telling
nbout," ho shouted.
A month later the dectective was
under a cross-examination by
the conductor and brnkeman.
"Yes, ho was a bad lot. Oh, yes,
ho didn't have a leg to stand upon.
lho facts were all ns clear as day.
All true about the cross and the rest
of it? Just ns true as gospel. What
had ho been doing? Throwing bombs
tho Inst thing. Punished? Well, to
tell, you the truth, they won't benpt
to punish him till they catch him
again, I guess. Fact is he got awuy
from me somehow that same night.
Who, me? Oh, no, I'm not on the
force any more. I've been bounced."
Lowell (Mass.) Courier.
A Forcible Preacher.
Whilo it is doubtful if Sam Jones'
sermons will go in Boston, there is
no doubt that his stylo hns a certain
degreo of force. For instance, in
Charlotte. N. C, tho other dny, ho
said, umong other things: "I'd rather
bo a lowdown chnin pang negro thnn
one of your littleinfldels. You won't
bo in hell two minutes beforo you'll
bo hoppinc nround in tho firo and
velliug: 'What a mistnfco 1 made.'
I havo somo respect, for Bob Inger
soll, because he can get 200 a night
for his lecturing. But somo of theso
littlo fellows are infidels for nothing,
pay 2 to hear Ingersoll nnd board
themselves. I understand you nro
nil running 'society' here protty live
ly. Society! A pair of 7f cent slip
pers nnd a 1.25 wasp bonnet lots
you into it. There is no manhood,
no womanhood in it. Tho fruits of
society, so-called, ore tho dudo and
thedudine. If you don't liko what
I'm sayinc, just get up on your hind
legs nnd slide out."
Adding to Death's Horrors.
"Civilization has added n new hor
ror to death," a gentleman whose
daughter died recontly remarked tho
other day. "Tlio mi inner oi men in
New York City whose livelihood de
pends upon how far a mourning fami
ly can be impressed or can bo badgered
into nccediug to their demands grows
constantly, The very moment we
fiut tho crnpo upon our door-bell tho
louse was besieged by agents of li very
stables who wanted to furniah us with
carriages at Icsb than tho regular
rates, by runners for undertakers'
supplies, and venders of tombstones,
nrtificinl wreaths, obituary verse,
and every other conceivable device
bearing upondeatli. People are par
ticularly sensitive inn moment of be
reavement, and on that account thoy
shouid bo in some measure protected
from tho attacks of thono sharks.
You cnn havo no idea of the amount
ol misery they cause. I suppose noth
ingcnii bedohe about it, but it seems
tomethntit ought to be a fit subject
for legislative consideration." New
York Sun.
Women In The Treasury.
About one-sixth of tho six thousand
clerks employed in tho Government
offices nt Washington aro womon.
There nro n greater number omployedi
inthoTreosury than in uny other de
pnrtment. In 1801, a Miss Douglas was ap
pointed, through Secretary Chaso's
influence to a position in tho Treasu
ry. Sho was put to cutting monoy
nnd handled tho scissors bo skillfully
that regular appointments of women
wero mndo in 1802 whilo genera j
Spinnerwns Treasurer. Miss Kellarv
who was appointed at that timo still
holds her position.
Aboiitl8G4amachinowns invented
for cutting tho money, and then the
women wero put to counting money.
Thoro wero one hundred nnd eighty
employed in this way until the frac
tional currency wns discontinued, nnd
thoy were gradually discharged, until
now there nro but forty in this de
pnrtment. Thoy receive salnriea
rnnging from 1,200 to 1,800.
Mrs. Uosonburg who camo into this
Department in 1803 still retains hor
position, which is ono of tho best, and
sho is nn expert at tho work of put
ting into shapo mutilated money.
Mrs. II. L. Wright nnd Miss Iloey
arothemost efficient experts in coun
terfeit money.
Mrs. Fitzgerald, has been nt the desk
twenty-five years, in tho Comptrol
ler's office, where nil tho bank notes,
como for redemption.
Miss VanVrnnken and MissTtnlston,
both of New York, aro employed in
the law division, and among other
duties they prepare briofs in compro
mise enses.
Miss Seavey, who is also in tho law
division, receives n salary of 1,800,
and directs tho work of a number
of clerks. Sho is said to havo
dono much to ndvanco the condi
tion of women in tho employment
ofthogovernment. She believes that,
work dignifies women, nnd that wom
on must tako that ground who wish
to improvo the state of their Bex;
theroforo those under her immediate
care aro among tho best in tho Treas
ury. The daughter of Corporal Tanner
occupies tho position of privnte sec
retary to Mr. Huston and receives
1,800 snlury.
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Snakes in the Capitol.
Pes Moines Register.
Tho night watchman at tho state
house was tho victim of an attack of
snakes a few days ngo and mnde
lowa's beautiful marble hnlls ro
sound with his horrified shrieks. Tho
thing happened in this wise: The
watchman carries a master key and
makes it his duty to inspect nil of the
stuto-houso offices, carrying a lantern
with him on his rounds. It wns near
midnight when ho entered the oflico
of the agricultural society. When he
got to tho middle door ho sawohugo
snnko stretched out before him. The
fierce eyes and the darting tongue
struck terror into the heart of the
man who was looking for burglnrs.
He rushed out and informed his part
ner of the night-watch. Ho told tho
story to tho second man, who did
hot believe a word of it, or pretended
not to.
"Thero nro no snakes here; you
must be drunk."
"I tell you I saw him bnsking on
the carpet, nnd if the beast is an inch
long he is six feet und over."
Tho two men, hugging encli other
close, proceeded to tho spot. "When
two rido on n horse ono mustrido be
hind," says Dogborry. In this case
each mnn wns anxious for tho other
one to go first. Hut they went in,
nnd, after hunting for a while, they
found the rcptilo coiled up under un
oflico lounge. Tho men wero horrified
nnd rushed out of tho office to call
Secretary Shaffer.
"You fel ows must bo drinking,""
replied tho seqretary; "thoro is no
snnko in my office."
Other men wero rnlled in to ex
plain tho mystery. Finally ex-Chief
of Polico Bcull was found, and he ex
plained that ho had captured a large
bull snake, nearly six feet long, and,
knowing that Mrs. Shaffer is in the
habit of collecting Iowa curiosities,
ho had put tho roptilo in a box and
set it down in the oflico nfter Mr.
Shnffer had gone home. The snake
tired of imprisonment, hnd broke
open tho box and escaped to strike
terror into tho hearts of tho watch
men, "ItisHiicli an odd place to find
asuako," said tho watchman, niter
ho got over IiIh norvousnoss, "that
really I didn't know whether I hud
tho delirium tremens or not, but I
guess 1 hadn't,"
An Audacious Thief.
For audacity, tho record of James
Johnson, alius "Jersey Jim," "11. B.
Harton." "E. A.Hobbs," and several
other aliases, will probably equal that
of any other notorious criminal
known to tho police. Last week he
entered one of tho largo hotels in this
city nnd stolo a pnekago of letters,
including one belonging to Alfred H.
Torreceli, general agent of the Michi
gan Central railroad, and containing
his annual passesovernumerousrnil
roods and a frank which entitles him
to tho freo uso of tho Western Union
Telegraph company for ono year.
Theso useful articles Mr.Johnson
placed in his wnllet, which ho lost,
however, whilo on his way from Phil
ndelphia to Trenton. Ou'discovering
his loss ho deliberately inserted num
erous advertisements requesting their
return, and offered a liberal reward
to tho finder. It was these notices
that led to his arrest by tho Trenton
police. Philadelphia Kecord.
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