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About Hemingford herald. (Hemingford, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1895-190? | View Entire Issue (June 19, 1896)
r ' I fJLm ' -; 5 4 lB- t, ,fj 1 , r$3J t1 "f V I . f 4' R3f ft Uw ... .nn.. I HIT URI.T AKHtbl. A few years ago I had a great desire to enter the United States service. I didn't care in what capacity just so so long as I got my living from Uncle 6am. Mentioning my desire to the United State? marshal for tho north ern district of Florida, it was gratifi ed. I was at onco usliored into tho presence of the United States judg, held up my right hand and, with a heroism worthy of a better cause, swore to support the Constitution of the United States, though at the time I was hardly able to support my own .constitution. Taking my formidable commission and a supply of station ary, I went back to tho village of Dead Pine to await orders. Dead Pino is a small town so nam ed because there is a large live oak in front of tho principal saloon. Dead Pine is not. an imposing place. At that timo it had a httlo depot, some stores, some mortgaged farmers and ttiree saloons. It also had a malarial back country, with plenty of "bad men" living in it, a couple of half starved churches, and some Christains loaning money at from 2 to any per cent, monthly to their struggling neighbors. It was also the center of a lumber and turpentine dis 1 trict, where prominent citizens steal state and government timber and call it business. In a few days my trouble began. I received a portentous document from headqunrters at Jacksonville. It had four impressive and sinister looking ollicial stamps on tho envelope, and ordered mo to at onco seize the body of Thomas Perkins, supposed to be lurking somewhere in the country, and In inn said body before the United States court, then in session at Jack sonville. By a.careful reading of the somewhat diflusive warrant, I discov ed that Thomas had been guilty of periury in violation of the statutes in such cases made and provided. An hour later the following dispatch wa3 handed to me: Offick of the Ukitkii Status Makhiui Jackhonvil.i.1:, Fla. To United States Deputy Manila!, Dead Pine, Flu. Understand I'erkins doxpernte charac ter; get help ueccHHary; take him dead or alive. Miifiivu. That dispatch made me very indfg nant. Get help indeed! Not I! I was 0 feet 1 inch in height, weighed 185 pounds. If I couldn't alone arrest one man I was unworthy to wear the bright red ribbon on tlie lapel of my vest labeled "United States marshal. ' Besides, it I cot help, there would not be enough glory to go aiourul. I wanted it all for myself, and deter mined to bring in theprisoner-electby my own unaided efforts, or occupy one o! the misfit coflins at the village undertaker's. Tho first thing was to locato the gentleman, who, suffering from some affection of the intellectual liver, had resorted to perjury. 1 located him. Six miles from town, hi a veritable wilderness, two miles from any other house, lived, moved and had his be inu, Mr. Thomas Perkins, in whom this great government of our was so intensely interested. Tho next thing was to make neces sary preparations. I mado them. In the morning by the bright light, of a beautiful winter's day, a stout wagon, drawn by two sturdy and reflective mules, was drawn up in front of the village hotel, which was vory inap propiately named "Tho Delmonico." On the front seat was my negro driver and pilot, Bill. On the rear seat sat the writer. Under a blanket at my leet was a Winchester rlflo and a double barrel shot gun well loaded with buckshot, al thouch I was oppressed with a liiu rowing doubt as to whether J hadn't put the buchshot in first. In the pocket of my overcoat was a Smith it Wesson double action sixty eight, and in the breast' pocket bf my inner coat a bowie knife that had onco belonged to a Texas evange list. A curious crowd had gatherer! to see me off. Th-y knew my mission, though none of them knew who I was atter. They cheered mo with novel ingestions and well meant advice. "I bay. Cap." said one, "ye'd better take a bottle of whisky erlong wi you. There ain't no barroom whar you're coin.' " My driver looked approvingly at this speaker. "He won't look very pretty comin' back here with a furrer driv cl'ar through his cnist, will he?" said an other. " 'Twouldn't do fer him to go out bar hunt'n' at night with that red nose shinin', would hit?" That last remark hurt my vanity. My nose was rather red, but it come from an undue partiality for stewed tomatoes,not from any other ciuse. 'When you lire at him, Lap, watch that oil mule's hind leg, fer bo's goin' ter kick." said a long, lank feller on the outskirts of the crowd. Even the negroes had something to ?ay. Approaching me with deference, one of them whispered to me confi dentially; "Boss, ye'd best tie dat fool nigger what's drivin' ter tho seat, fer soon's he hears a cap pop he's gwlne ter jump out an' run like de debil." Bill cave the mules a stimulating touch of the whip and away we went. For two miles out we had eood roads. After that, tho roughest and worst that I had ever seen. Stumps, tangled roots, hills, cul lies, swamp, coduroy, and the county commissioners know what else, made a regular penacea for tho twin evils .of dyspepsia and love, according to the "jolting up theorists. Now we were in the wilderness, asolemn, awful silence, broken only by the tramping of tlie mules, the creaking of the wag on and the hiccoughs of the driver, . who was about half drunk when we started. It n pine wilderness, and the underbrush all gone, no song of bird, no scent of flower, no flutter of Insect life, a strange, dreary desert of forest. Hero was majestic tiees aped with a century of growth. Hazing at their stately tops, ono could well imagine that in days acone perhaps under the very trees "we were parsing, "Lo, tho poor Indian," hnd once assembled to shake dice to see who should pa) for the beer. I was absorbed In these meditations when the wagon ran into ahugestump and away I went snilingoutintospuce. The shot gun about this timo decided that it was tired of riding and camo along also. Neither of us were hurt, and wo resumed our seats in the wagon, the gun rather unwillingly I thought. We were now getting near the camp of the enemy and a rather curious sensation took possession of me. Of course it was not tear, but my heart evinced acuriousdispositionto desert its pericardium and homestead tho lower portion ot my throat. I cock ed both the lille and tho shot gun, ulacing them sideways in tho wagon to satisfy the manifest uneasiness of tho driver. Tho revolver I took on', and placed on the seat by me, cover ing it with a superabundance of coat tail. The knife I loosened hi its sheath. About half a milo fur ther on 1 saw approaching ono of the most villainous" looking men I had ever seen. He was ot negro blood, nearly white, of herculean frame, and if not a born criminal and assassin, should have had his faco indicted for malicious libel. He carried a glitter ing ax on his shoulder and eyed mo insolently. The driver turned around with a whisper, "Dat's him, boss." My knees now partook of the general excitement, my hand trembled as if my best girl was about to refuse me, ond my blood seemed determined to go into the cold storage business. At the same timo an overwhelming conviction reached me that this was not the man I was looking for, and that It would be impolite to risk a suit for false imprisonment. As he came opposite the wagon, my driver drew up and assumed the initiative. "Is your name Perkins?" "Naw", was the surly reply. My thermometer immediately re smiled its normal condition of 72 in the shade. "My good man," said I, carefully concealing all weapons, "I am looking for one Perkins; can you inform me where that most esteemed gentleman lives?" "In that house over yonder," ho said, pointing about a quarter of a mile distant, where a thin spiro of smoke emphasized a tumble down log house. When about 100 yards from tho house I halted the team and gave a few briel directions to the driver. With the rifle at full cock I cautious ly approached the house. It was of rough" logs very rickety, with the usu al stick and mud chimney. Outside of tbo smoko from that there was no sign of lite about the place. Silently I came up to the back'door, with a vigorous kick Sent it of! tho leather hinges, and covered with tho rifle a figure dimly seen in the semi-darkncs3 of the room. "Throw up your hands!" I com manded. "If yon stir I'll shoot." From the hgure, in shrill, frightened accents, came. "For de Law'd'Bsake, watcher mean white man. I ain't dun uufhn." The gun dropped from my nervous hands. Thomas Perkins, alleged desperado, was an old crippled negro, about 178 years old, half paralyzed and wholly stupid. Three hours afterward I drove into Dead Pine with my prisoner, to bo greeted with ironical comment and up loarious laughter. "Did he kick much, Cap?" said one big lellow, while another, nfter eyeing Perkins a moment in silence, said, as ho moved oil; "Yes the thing is alive, I saw its tongue wiggle." Four hours later I was in Jackson ville, and delivered my prisoner to tho United States marshal. As the ma jor audited my accounts and drew a check for my expensss he was shading with ill suppressed laughter. "What do you see so funny about this?" I inquired, rather tartly. "I was wondering what the judge will say when he sees him," wa3 tho reply. Just then the judge strolled in. He gave a look at the prisoner, then at me, and inquired mildly, but with a merry twinkle in his handsome eyes: "Did ' ui have much trouble in se curm1 -i desperado, Mr. Officer?" 'iVlo-n3or ftvir:y roared. I t-v frmy check and left the room. I ht.fi pot seen prisoner, United States marshal, or Jacksonville since that eventful day, and Dead Pine shall know mo no more forever. Hamilton jay in Detroit Free Pree. f am In Petticoat and Sunbonnet. There is now living in Pickens County, On., a man who, during tho rebellion, donned his wife's dress, kept his taco cloely shaved, and wore a big sunbonnet. in order to avoid being conscripted and sent to the Iront. Tne officers in search of recruits frequently visited the house and asked his wife where her husband was, and at the very moment he could be seen working in the field in female garb. By the time he had worn out seven of his wife's dresses he became tired of masquerading, enlisted and became a good soldier. . i - A Startling Innovation. Frank R. Stockton, that popular novelist of infinite quaint humors, is held responsible for a most startling innovation in the way of wedding trips, recently introduced in Washing ton. After a certain wedding ceiemony, M which Mr. Stockton was present, "instead of the young couple going on a wedding trip, the 'bride's parents were showered with rice and old slippers and banished on a two weeks' exile, while the bride and groom were left in possession of the house. 'Frank Leslie's. Horrible Chinese Verdict. Advices liavo been received by mem bers of tho Chincae colony in San Fran cisco to tho vffectthat, unless cxeeutlvo clemency is manifested, Chang Sbu-Yin-Tizu, who is well known among his fellow countrymen in tho United States, will ho put to death by tho horrible process known as "slicing." Tho method employed in this execu tion is to fasten the miserable offend er to an upright stake, securoly fasten his hands and feet, and slowly slico largo portions of ilesh from different parts of the body until death puts an end to tho victim's sufferings. At first tho pieces sliced aro small, a por tion from the arm, another from tiie leg, then a finger or perhap3 an oar. Then tho breast is sliced unlrl tho vi tal parts aro reached. As a method of torturo it is indescribablo, tho timo elapsing before death intervenes run ning from three to six hours. Chang was a member of the Chiueso colony in San Francisco some years ago, but returned to his native land in 18S0. Ill luck scorns to have coma upon him, for ho was glad to find em ployment ns a day laborer in tho de partment of the K-o-hlan, in Sliansi. Ho was in great financial straits, and mado several applications for a loan to Chang Wangia, a wealthy second cousin. His importunities finally be gan to border on blackmail, and Wang ta secured his arrest and communcnt ed with tho authorities with tho view of obtaining a public prosecution. Friends, however, camo to tho prison er's assistance, and as a result of in iluental intercession ho was released from custody. Smarting with a senso of injury, however, ho determined to have revenge, and tho day atter his release ho purchased four ounces of arsenic. That night, in disgulso ho managed to enter his cousin's house, and mixed tho poison with a pot of flour. The next mrrning's breakfast was prepared from this flour, and two hours later 3ix out of seven members of tho family were dead. Suspicion at once fell upon Chang Ssu-Yin-Tizu, who at once decamped. His where abouts were discovered after a long search, and he was arrested, and con victed. Strenuous efforts were mado by his relatives to havo tho punish ment fixed at imprisonment for life, but the court held that tho law which makes tho murder of three or more persons in the saino family punisha ble by deathly tho slicing process should bo rigidly upheld and enforced, and that there were no extenuating circumstances in the case. ' . France's Sinking Shore. London Globe. Just lately.on the coast of Brittany ono of those geological discoveries has been made which suggests to the mind periods of timo making the longest human life appear but a span, and exhibiting processes quito dwarfing tho most ambitious human achieve ments. This is tho disclosure, by tho displacement of a mass of sand, of a forest that must have been buried for some twenty centuries at least. Tho situation 3 just opposite Saint Malo, at the foot of the cliffs ot Saint Eno gat and St. Lunairo. Tho forest is supposed to havo onco extended from St. Malo to beyond Mont Saint Michel. This discovery is considered of great scientific interest, as it affords a re maikablo illustration of tho gradual sinking of the French shore. Tho pro gress of this sinking during tho last 2,000 years is clearly shown in an old map found at tho Abbey of the Mont Saint Michael. Withni no more than seven centuries back as many as seven parishes aro said to have disappeared by the subsidence of this legion. And in the Bay ot Douarr.enez there is known to have existed in the fifth century quite a flourishing town called Is, the scene ot the famous tragical legend. Even now, at low water, may bo seen the old walls of Is, which aro called by the inhabitants Mogber Greghi (wall of tho Greeks). Tho people of tho country protend that thev can some times hear the old church bells of tho submerged city ringing with the mo tion of the current. French geologists estimato that tho gradual sinking ot the soil of Brittany, Normandy, Attois, Belgium and Hol land is not less than seven feet a cen tury. At this rate it is calculated that in about ten centuries all the channel ports will be destroyed, and Paris itself will have become a mari time city. In another ten centuries it is predicted that the French capital itself will havo become entirely sub merged, excepting, perhaps, that the tops of the Pantheon, of the Arc de Tnomphe and other such monuments may be discernible at low water by the people who will then bo living. ii A young woman in Brooklyn 'got a bad fright tlie other night. She had been out in tho country and had brought homo some seed-pods of the wistaria. These aro something like enormous beau-pods; on the outside they are soft and velvety to tlie touch; within is a multitude of smnll seeds. She placpd the pods on a table in her room. That night she went peacefully to sleep. "In the dead vast and middlo of the night," sho was suddenly awakened by an explosion' which was followed instant ly by the sound of something drop ping upon the bed and floor. Al most immediately there was a becond report, and the dropping of what seemed like small particles of plaster went on in an ominous way. Tho young woman sprang from her bed and rushed from the room. Sho re futed to go back for tnat night at least, and new quarters had to lie provided. On entering her own room in tho morning sho lound that half a dozen of the wistaria seed-pods hail "gone off" and their contents been scattered around the room, There were wistaria seedse very where on the beb, duieau, table, chairs and floor. A DOUBLE WEDDING. Almost everybody knows old man Stringfellow. Hols a tall, 'lank- per sonage, with shouldors Iiko a dromo dary'B. His faco is long, like that of a horse, and ho has black halr,atreak cd with gray, on his head, with a tuft of the same on his chin. Old man Stringfellow wears neither mustache nor whiskers, being very particular to flhavo himself at least twice a wnok, undergoing somo pain, and twisting his long face-into all' nrannor of "con tortions which a circus clown would givo $1,000 to bo able to Im. itato during tho operation, owing to tho stiff nature of tho crop.ho is reap ing and tho dullness of tho instru ment with which ho works. Ho sel dom wears a coat, going in his shirt Bleoves Bummci' and winter, only chancing" tho garment of hickory, for tho garment of wool as tho seasons vary his jean pantaloons being hoisted up with suspenders galluses ho calls them almost to his armpits, making him look at a Httlo distance like somo queer animal with very long legs. Ho lives in a log cabin of ono room, with a shed attachment, and has a wl'o and six children, equally divided as to sox. In tho room, which is roomy enough, ho and Mr. Stringfel low occupy ono bed, and tho threo girls Nancy, Gin, for Jane, and Merier another, and hero all tho cooking is done in tho wide clay fire place of tho stick and mud chimney. Tho shed attachment accommodates tho boys, Bill, Ben and Jim. Occasionally a belated travolor will stop at tho Stringfellow mansion and ask for a night's lodging. He will bo invited to " ' light an' come in," and when lie has done so will bo treated with primitive hospitality." These people aro poor and unedu cated, but there is aspiritof independ ence about them that nothing can conquer, and so long as their potato banks hold out atd their razor backs come home, to pick up a lit tle fat in tho field alter tho crop is garnced, and then pay tribute to tho larder, they care not for king nor kaiser. Thoy never treat anybody, no matter who ho may be, as any thing mora than an equal, and wpuld show no differenco to tho czar of all tho Russians should ho chance to travel their way, with all his cortege. Should he stop ho would bo invited to "light," anil tho boys would ask about the price of potatoes in town, the old woman inquires as to mar ket value of eegs, while the girls stood by and giggled, and tho old man put in a request for a chew of tobacco that is, if they did not mistake the whole affair for a circm as, liko as not, they would. They had walked fifteen miles once to -o a circus all except tho old woman, who rode a shaggy pony about as big as a year ling calf, and with mora hair on his hide than flesh under it. I haupened to bo a guest of the String?ellow family once. Finding myself near their residence one night, when it was so dark that I could ftee nothing hut the glimmer of a light in their cabin, I rodo for it through brush and brier, and when I reached it halloed m the usual country style. Immediately the light, which camo from tho open door.was shut off by two human forms, and I was bid to " Might an' come in." The family was just preparing to eat supper, and a savory mess of pork and potatoes weio being dished up. I was invited to join them in their meal, during which I was pump ed pretty dry of all I knew about the affairs of the town, which was too far off to be visited by any of them very often. But to this I did not object, knowing that such information as I could impart was all I would havo to pay tor the entertainment of myself and beast which had been led off by one of the boys to share the stable of the hhaggy pony so I let the ripplo of my talk flow in a continuous cur rent, turning on my inevitable valve at the same time, to give a sparkle to plain facts indispensable to make them enjoyahlp. During the evening I gathered from the whispering and g'gi'ling going on among the young folk that there was some mysterv afloat something in which they all seemed more or less in terested and when they had gone to bed (the old womnn hud retired. im mediately after supper, petting Into one of the beds without my knowing anything about it until I heard her hiioring) old man Stringfellow enlight ened mo after a rather peculiar fashion of his own. "Well, stranger," he said, "I disre member yor name. I reckon you'll stay." I had already 'told him my name half a doren times, and ho had often disremembered it, so I did not repeat It, but told him I proposed to stay a fact which I supposed he was already cognizant of. "Yes," he said, rubbing hislongjaw bono thoughtfully, "I 'lowed yer w'uld, an' I'm glad uv it; yes. I am; fur tho mo' comp'ny th better on sich a 'cashm. Ye'rll bo welcome, stranger, an' a houo&d gups'." I was a little puzzled, ana began to think the old mnn was not exactly in his right mind, but I said uothlng.und ho went on. "You see," ho said, looking at tlie fire, while ho talked, "gals an' boys will git married sooner er later, an' thar ain't no use athrowiu'obsticklea in thar way, un' so whenMerier.thet's theyounges', and Nan:', she's tho aid es', conio an' tole me thet they Mowed to tako unto tharso'ves he'pmeats, which was Dick Dander an' Peto Prin gle, why.says I, 'all rirht; jeV go ahead an fix it to suit yeroo'ves;' fur though nyther one uv tiiom boys comes uv es good stoctc as the Stringfellers, I reck in' they' 'bout as eood es yer'll pick up hereabouts.' So they dono like I said, an' ter-morrcr't. the timo It's to be." "Ah," I Bald, "jo there's to bo a wedding." "Yes," ho replied, still looking mus ingly at tho fire; "the tnarrigo giar nients hevo been prepnred an' the gues's hevo been bidden, an' though you wuzn't bidden, ylt, os 1 said afore you'll bo wolcomo an' a honored gues'." As I waa in no particular hurfy I concluded to accept nn Invitation so cordially given, and laid down on tho mattress that had been spread out on the floor for my accommodation, thinking ot tho happy go lucky way in "which people in'tho country -get mar- neu. About noon the next day the guests who had been bidden began to ar rivo somo on loot, somo on long leg ged hoises and some on short legscd ponies, while others camo in rickety wagons drawn by oxen that looked as though they might havo been import ed from the kingdom ot Lilliput, and from that timo out there was fun and feasting that is, If potatoes and pork Served m various wayB can bo said to constitute a feast. About sunset a mnn reeling drunk rode up and was helped off his horse. "How aro yer iedgo?" said mino host. "H'llo, String'Mer," said 'tho jedge, looking round stupidly at the assem bled guoits, who were laughing and giggling, "which's th' 'cused?" "Why, you ain't in co'rt. jedce," ro piled Htringlellow. "This here's a marriage feas' yer'vo como to yer'vo comu hero to marry my to gals, Nanc an' Merier." "That's so," said tho jedge, rubbing his head. "I knowed tlr wuz somp'n I'd comofur. Le's b'gin." "Well, como inter tho houso fust," said the old man. "All right, c'm'on," and with a lurch and a tack tho spenkci got inside the door, when ho fell Hprnwling on tho lloor. Ho was helped up and given the back of a chair to steady himself by. "Th's 'ero's th' dogondes' oner'nes' llo' I 'ver seed, Stiiugl'ler," ho said. "Stan' 'p, pris'ner." "I tells yer this hero ain't no co'rt jedge," said old man Stringfellow, bo cining to ?et nettled, "an' my gals ain't no prls'nurs." "Oh, well, 't's all same," Baid tho jedge. "Stan' 'p, gals, 'n holo 'p right ban'." "Wat's thet fur?" asked Nancy, as pIio and her sister and the two bride grooms stood up in a row. "Guilty nr not "began tho jedge, and then recollecting" himself: "Do you," pointing at Nancy, "everlast inMyxw'ar to tako this hero young f'ler." pointing to Merier'e affianced. "No, I don't," said tho girl; "thotV "Tohovoan' t' hole,', went on tho jedg 'No, I don't," repeated Nancy stamping her foot. "Yer don't?" "No, I don't." "Then t's case nol pros, an' this here co'rt 'journed." "Look a here, jedge," said the girl's father, "1 done tolo yer this here ain't no co'rt this hero's a woddin' that's w'at It is, don't yer onnerstan'?" "Yesh, that'H all right, olo man," said tho jedge. "Y'seo I knowed 1 lied a case t' try an' got sorter confused. I'h g back an' b'in over, Wat's weddhi i s name? men w'at's cal's an' Tier's name?" "Thnr's two gal's," said the old man. "Nanc' an Merier Stringfeller, an' they's a going to marry Dick Dan der an' Pete Pringle. Thar they Stan's right alore yor, now go ahead." "All right. D'yoti, Nanc', take this hero Pete" "No, I shan't," said Nanc', "ho ainV- "Yer don't an'y' shan't; thet 'pears to bo 'bout all yer'ro guilty 'v, pris' ner," said tho jedge. relapsing into court jargon, "an' don't eo iioih'n' t' do but scharge you. Give's a drink, Strinjf'ler; co'rt's 'journed." Stringfellow was at his wits' end, though his son, Bill, said it was as good an a circus, and tho company in general seemed to bo highly delighted witli the general performance. There appeared to he no possibility of keep ing tlie jedge on the right tuck, and the court was about to be adjourned bine die sure enough, when 1 suggested the propriety of complying with his re quest, and giving tlie le'allunctlonary a dram, which might brighten him up long enough to enable him to go through with the ceremony proper.y. Accordingly he was taken into the shed room, where the boys slept, and in a few minutes came out again with his. faco wreathed with smile.' I may use tiie expression in the very truth in this case, for every feature seenifd to be twisted this way or that with a smile of its own, so that he presented a most comical uppearance of would be affability. Ho was hurried to the front while the steam was up, when he went through the usunl formula m a dis jointed way and immediately collap sed and was put to bed, where he lav snoring through all the noise made by tho younz people, only shouting out occasionally. 'Silence 'n co'rt."" Tho frolic lasted all night, the cabin, from which the beds had been itmov ed, being transformed into a ball room, in one corner of which nn old crippled negro snt scraping a rapping fiddle nnd calling out the figures of the dance with a stentorian voice that was somewhat cracked. Rob ert Boggsin Now Orleans Times-Democrat. "The coming newspaper," wo are told, "will not print any advertisement--." Wo were under tho impres sion that it is tho going newspaper that does not print any advertise ments, and thnt reason in that the why it is going. Boston Transcript. "Look here!" she exclaimed. "This is terrible. You charge mo twenty-five cents for that card of buttono, and back east I could get them (or ten cents." "Yim, ma'am, but just think of the elegant climate you gethroned in witli every card of buttons."- Decline of Famous Families. Among tho descendants of Thomas Plantacenet, duke of Gloucester, fifth son nf Edward III., was Stephen J. . Penny, who wnB, not mnnyyean aao, sexton at St. George's, Hanover square, London. Among the linoal descendants ot Edmund ot Woodstock, earl ot Kent and sixth son of Edward I., occur a butcher and a toll-gathorer; tho fir At a Joseph Smart of Halesowen, the lat ter a Gcorgo Wilmont, a keeper of tho turnpike gato at Cooper's bank, near Dudley. V A story is, told of ascionof thogreat house of Urquhart of Cromarty who was necessitated by his extravagance to sell his inheritance, and who. sink ing step by step to tho lowest depths of wretchedness, camo at last a wan dering beggar to tho door which had onco been his own. No race in Europe surpassed the Plantagenets in royal position and personal achievements, and yet hot to descend further than the year 1037, the great-great grandson ot Margarot Plautngcnot, daughter and heiress of George duke of Clarence, followed tho trndo of a shoe-maker of Newport, Salop. Fraser of Kirkhill relates that ho saw tho earl of Tarquair, cousin of James VI., begging In the streets ot Edinburgh. "Ho was." savs Fraser. "in nn autlquo garb, and woro a broad old hat, short cloak and pan nier breeches, nnd I contributed to ward his reliof. We gave him n noble. He was standing with his hat off, and received the pleco ot money from my hand as numbly and thankfully ao the poorest applicant." Ono of Cromwell's granddaughters, after seeing her hUBbnnd die in tho workhouso" of a small Suffolk town, died herseli a pauper, leaving two daughters, tho elder tho wife ot a' shoe maker and tho younger the wife of a butcher's son who had been her fellow servant. Another of Oliver Crom well's daughters had two children; ot whom tho son becamo asmall working jeweler.aud tho daughter the mistress ot a small tjphaol at Mtldeuhnll. Beforo the timo of tho protector tho Cromwell family possessed estates equal to those of tlfo wealthier peers of tho present day, and the great Oh ver himself inherited considerable property, which, augmented from pri vate sources, mado up a total suffi cient to maintain his family perpetu ally in eay circumstances. But with, in a century nfter his death Thomas Cromwell, his great grandson, was a grocer on Snow F"ll and his son Oli ver, tho last malo heir, an attorney In London. i When tho twelfth earl of Crawford was imprisoned in Edinburgh catle to restrain his recklessness and prodi gality ho left ono child, a daughter, who, hnving no one whatever to look after her, received not a scra of edu cation nnd was allowed to run about lik& a gypsy. She eloped with a corn iron crier, and at ono period of her llfo lived by mendicancy. Charles II. granted her a ponston of $500 a year, but owing to her utter degeneracy, it proved more hurtful than beneficial. The male huad of this family died in tho year 174-1, In tho capacity of host ler in an inn at Kirkwall In the Ork ney islnnds. The estate had boendis sipated by tho "spendthrift earl," his father, and with hts patrimony he, Lord Lindsay, earl of Crawford, bought a small property, on which'he resided for somo years, Until through adverse fortune, this went too, and to save himself from starvation, he was lain to go ns a hostler. Tea and Temperance. An interesting token of tho growth of the temperance sentiment in Great Britain is furnished by a correspond ent of tho St. James Gazette. He shows that during tho past 47 years the average annual consumption of tea per capita of thoentire population has increased Irom less than a pound and a qua: ter to five pounds, and of cocoa, from about an ounce and a quarter to nearly half, while tho use of coffee has fallen off from 17 ounces to llJ ounces. The total consumption of these threo leading nonalcholic drinks has thus increased nearly three (old; the exact figures are from US.OS ounces to 09.04 ounces per capita annually. This may not in dicate a fully corresponding decrease, in the consumption of strong drink; but it must mean a considerable de crease, and it proves that the people are learning to appreciate the ''cup that cliesrs but not inebriates." Consistency, Thy Name is Woman. a Ho was her third husband and it ooked as if lis vr, a drifting away. "Henry," said she, weeping, "havo you any last request?" "Only one," he murmured. "Bury me in the country under the willows." "Henry," said she, "I hate to refuse your last request, but I've ulwavs bu'ied my husbands in tho city, and it wouldn't bo fair to make an ex ception. Now, would it, dear?" Afterward she was sorry for hiJr consistency, as Henry got so nyul that it broke tho fo er and ho recovered. Drake's Magazine. It Is quite possible that we havo not como to the end of illuminating pro jects, nnd that the iioo of eleatricity may not Mipersedeall other materials. Glasgow has recently witnessed the test of a new illuminnnt o! extraordi nary power. It is obtained by the evaportion of tar. creosote, or other hydro-carbon oils. The Maine is pure while, very intenso and can be carried up to 3,000 candle power. Tln ex pense is two cents per hour per 1,000 candle power. It is in the production of artificial light and heat that Civil ization has for the last twenty-five years mo&t notably marked progress. It i on the same line we shall move for Borae time to come. Tho end wdl be free fuel and free lights for tlie p'O- iile ns wo now havo free air. Globe-democrat.