*
TIIE CHILD AND TIIEY AIL
' BaiJwiB.9hlla ? * ° tins youthful Year :
- "J\ hat bast tbou In store lor me ,
° filycr.o * Iwiutlful g fti , what cheer ,
What Joy dost Ibou brloc with thccl"
"My seasons four shall brinj *
ibcir treasures : the Inter's snows ,
. " "turoa'B 8ton- , and the nowers of spring ,
Ana the summer's perfect rose.
"AH these anil more shall be thine ,
Dear Chlld-but the last and best
T'-iy f "lU8t cnrn by a str'fe ' dlvltw ,
If thou v-oudfit ! be truly blest
" \Vnuldst know this last , best gift ?
I T Is a conslcnce cli-ar and bright ,
It A peace of mind which the soulcaulift
r 10 an Infinite dollght.
"Truth , patience , courage , and love
t 11 Ihou unto me canst bring ,
I will set tbee all earth'aills above ,
O ChlM , and crown Ihce aKIngl"
Cdla Theater , In St. Xicliolas for January.
DEACON JJ'NAB'S PRODIGAL.
The deacon watched anxiously for
liis son's reply to his letter. He felt
sure that Alexander would reply. He
.judged from his own standpoint , and
from his knowledge of the disputa
tious young man. He forgot to take
into account the influence of marriage ,
and of living in a community where
men have to be careful in matters of
contradiction. Ho was ignorant of
many circumstances in his son's life
which made this letter of iess impor
tance to him than it was to the lonely ,
anxious sender of it. He was sorrv
at its tone , and he said to his wife , "I
have been a little premature. Scotch
men have long memories for an offence
as well as for a kindness. I will wait
a year and write again. "
But a year passed and he did not
write ; two and three years , and then
he began to think lie could hardly
write again unless his father requested
- it. He might be suspected , if he did ,
of mercenary motives. He ho had bet
ter lot things alone. So year after
year passed away , and the silence was
unbroken.
In the meantime a great change had
taken place in the deacon ; but it had
been so gradual that his oldest friends
rathei thought their estimate of him
had been wrong than that his charac
ter had altered. "He is hard when
you first know him , but he mellows
as your friend-hip grows , " said Mc-
Laurin , who had been afamilliar friend
for forty years. But it was something
more than the mellowing of time. As
drops of water will wear away granite ,
so the preaching of Dominie Frazer
had told upon the deacon's spiritual
nature. There had indeed been times
when he had seriously disapproved
'
him , when ho had even' feared he was
listening to something very like Ar-
minianism , but through it all very few
Sabbaths whea the words of Jesus had
not found his soul , even in its most
secret places.
In the ninth year of his son's absence
he began to remember him very ten
derly and to find excuses for him. "He
was vera young , and he had my ain
high temper and quick tongue. I ken
weel I hae a gunpowdery temper , and
the laddie was like a flash o' fire ; in
the vera nature o' things mischief
would come. I wish i kfmt where he
is at a' . Perhaps I oujjht. I mean ,
perhaps it would be kind-like to look
after him. I tyouldna like to meet his
mother in another warld it I had failed
in mercy to the lad. Whatever way
can I make it up wi' him ? "
It was in a mood of this kind he
went to church one morning. His
thoughts wandered " , a great deal until
they fitted into "the words which- the
dominie was reading the words which
the wise woman of , Tekoah urged
David to bring back his banished son
Absalom. He pointed out the imper
fection of David's , forgiveness , in that ,
though he brought him back , he suf
fered , him not to see his face. Then
he turned to the father of the newer
dispensation , limned in Christlike
colors , running to meet his prodigal
when afar off , taking him to his breast
with kisses of forgiveness , calling to
gether his friends to rejoice with him
over the son that was lost/and found.
When the deacon left the church it
was with one fixed purpose to go and
find his son.
i "And you'll do right , deacon , " said
the dominie. "You are hale and
vigorous , and needna fear the travel.
You hae plenty o' siller to go to the
lad ; maybe he hasna abawbee to come
to you. He may hae fallen very low
hae you thought of that ? "
"Ay , have I. , If lean find him ,
however low he has fallen. I'll lift him
up and gie him a son's portion in a'
things. "
1 "If that is the spirit you are in , go
your way , deacon , and the Lord go
with you. Where to first ? "
j "He wrote me. a letter frae a town
on the Gulf o' Mexico in Texas ; but I
hae written twice to that place , and
got no answer back ; for I bid him
leave it on pain o' my displeasure , and
he'lLhae gane ; but whichever way is
mair than I can tell. "
In a month the deacon was in New
Orleans , and from there he went to
Corpus Christi. But since Alexander
McNab had lived there it had been
visited by an epidemic of yellow fever ,
and the population had been a con
stantly shifting one. No one remem
bered him.
| "I'll go up to the seat of govern
ment , " he said to himself ; "where
.there is law-making there'll be law
yers. Maybe I'll find the lad among
them. "
So he bought a horse and buggy and
went leisurely through the country.
It was in the first week in June , and he
was lost in amazement and delight.
There was a pomp and glory in the
sunshine and flowers which he had
never dreamed of ; and as he rode
through miles of blowing grasses and
saw tlie countless herds of cattle and
felt all the lonely beauty and peace
sank into his soul , he said rapturously.
' Here one kens that the earth is the
Lord's. " The highly oxygenized at
mosphere gave him a feeling of exhil-
eration ; he found himself singinglines
of his favorite songs as "Auld Lang
Syne , " or "Scots who hae wi' Wallace
4 bled. " But the strange happiness in
'his heart he put entirely down to the
credit of his conscience. "It's a gran'
Jthinjr , " he thought , "to be on an
errand o' mercy. I dinna wonder
now there are sae many philanthro-
j Ho'wever , on the fourth day he left
the open'prames and got into the.pino
woods. Thd heat increased' , unknowi
insects troubled him , ho saw hugi
snakes gliding away into the under ,
brush , there wore strange sounds al
around , and the sense of awful solem
nity came over him. Ho was aloni
with God in the thick woods , and hi
feared Him as he had never done be
fore. All day long the prayer of con
trition and adoration was on his lips
Towards the gloaming ho was delight
ed to reach the prairie again and tt
meet two travelers.
"jGood night , stranger. "
"Gude night to baith o' you. Kot
you whar I can get a bite and a suj
and a night's lodging ? "
"Yes , sir straight ahead. You'll
come to the jedge's in half an hour ,
They are right smart folks , and you'd
best light therefor to-night , I reckon. "
"Thank vou , " gentlemen. Gude
night. "
Ho rode on very anxiously. The
sun was sinking fast , and an irrepres
sible solitude was around him. One
lonely , silent bird ilying hastily to its
coveret gave a still eerier feqling to
the hour and scene. Suddenly he
heard the joyful laughter of children
at play. Ho quickened his pace ,
rounded a clump of trcesr and then
saw a white house spreading itself be
neath them. Some children , black and
white , came running to the little gate
to meet him.
"Well , bairns , is the judge at home ? "
"No , but ma is , " said a little lad
about six years old. "Go to the house ,
sir ; Jim and I will take your buggy. "
He let them take.it very gladly , and
went to the house. A pretty little wo
man met him on the piazza. She
needed no explanations. He was a
stranger wanting food and shelter ,
and she gave them with a charming
courtesy that at once put the deacon
at ease.
"I am sorry my husband is away , "
she said with pardonable wifely .pride ,
"buthe is a member of the Legislature ,
and it is now in session. "
Tken the children came back , and
the deacon took to them wonderfully.
Children were a new form of humanity
to him ; he knew nothing about them.
But there was an independence and
good-fellowship about the little lad , as
he told him all about the animals and
his adventures , that quite delighted
the old man.
After a little they went to bed in the
next room , and he heard them savin" *
their prayers to their mether. "God
bless grandpapa ! " How the words
smote him ! He grew so nervous and
restless that when the baby lisped out
the same petition he coulil no longer
sit still. He walked to a window ,
where there was a table and a lamp
ind some newspapers. Then he noticed
% large Bible , and he drew it towards
liim. Almost unconciously he turned
l.o the family register. "Alexander
McNab , born in Glasgow , March 29th ,
L8 , " was the first name he saw. He
nade no outcry ; he never moved. His
jyes were riveted upon the words and
jpon those that followed : "Mary Bav-
or , born in Galveston , Janet McNab ,
David McNab , Margaret McNab , Peter
VIcNab. On the opposite page the
'death of Janet McNab , aged 10
nonths. " He had objected to her
jearing her grandmother's name , and
he was in heaven with her.
He opened the door softly and went
mt on the piazza. God had led him
0 his son's house , and he had eaten at
lis son's table , and had not known it.
lis emotions were incommunicable ,
sven tothe _ Heavenly father. He sat
is still in his joy as he had often done
n his grief and opened not his month ,
> ecause he was so sure that God had
lone it.
After a little Alexander's wife come
ind sat down beside him , and he en-
iourased her to talk of her husband
md his prospects. .She , at least , be-
ieved in him sublimely. He was the
> est and greatest man in Texas she
lad not a doubt about it. Peter could
lave smiled if he had not been so full
> f thought. Finally he Asked her if
ler husband was born in Texas.
"Oh , no ! " she answered frankly ,
'he was born in Glasgow , a town in
Scotland. I suppose you know the
: ity , lor you talk like a Scotchman. "
"I hae many friends and business
ionnections there , ma'am. "
She hesitated a few moments and
hen asked , "Did you ever know or
tear tell of Mr. Peter McNab ? He is
1 lawyer. "
"I may say I ken him vera weel. I
linna think much o' him either , ma'am ,
le's a hard auld man. "
"He is my husband's father , so you
nust not say sohere. . His son thinks
rery highly of him and perhaps you
nay be mistaken. In business men ,
iven kind men , are often obliged to be
lard. " Then she turned the conver-
ation , and the deacon was glad of it.
He did not sleep much , and the next
norning was on the road to Austin at
laybreak. He reached there in the
Iternoon , and went to Smith's hotel.
L few words of inquiry satisfied him.
'Ihe judge was staying there he
srould be in from the capitol about 5
i'clock. If the gentleman had any
irivate business there was no use go-
ug there. The judge was chairman of
, committee , and not apt to be on the
leer in the daytime.
But Peter could not sit still. He re-
reshed himself , and then turned his
ace to the ffreat white building stand-
ag so lof tily at the head of the beau-
iful avenue. He soon entered its
tails and gazed upon such a body of
awmakers as he had never dreamed of
eeing , and he was wonderfully im-
iressed both by the men .and the
icthods. But he did not find his son ,
nd after an hour's stay he determined
o go back to the hotel and wait there
ar him.
As he entered it the landlord said :
"The judge is in his room , stranger ;
econd door on your right hand. "
He walked straight to it and opened
; . Alexander , who was asleep "upon
sofa , turned his head , gazed one mo-
icnt , and then leaped to his feet.
"Father ! My dear , dear father ! "
"Ay , ay , my lad , I'm here. A bon-
ie-like journey thou hast brought me ,
n auld man like me , too. O Alexan-
.er ! "
And then the old parable which had
ent the father to seek his.son was re-
icwed. in all its sweetness and tender-
icss , and that night the deacon went
J , .
up to the-Capitol leaning upon his
son's arm , and he was proud and hap
py beyond expression.
"You made a very fair speech , Alex
ander , " ho said as they rntnrned
home. "It would hae been better if
there had been fewer steps between
your premise and your peroration , but
you'll do , in time , and wi' mair prac
tice. I dinna much wonder your wife
sets much store by you. "
"My-wife ! Have you seen MaryP"
"Ay , I stayed at your house last
night. She's no as bennie as some
women , but she's loving and ladylike ,
and what's mair , she's a prudent body ,
and can baith speak and hold her
tongue. So she's no an ordinar1 wo
man at a' . And the bairns are just
the maist interesting bairns I ever
saw. Both o' the lads are a bit like
me , and wouldna wonder if I'll hae a'
the comfort out o' little Davie I should
hae had out o' his father. "
Then Alexander smiled and pressed
his father's arm closer to his side , for
"little Davio" had taught him lessons
he would have learned in no other way.
In three months the deacon was back
again on the Glasgow pavements , as
brisk and active and as full of life and
business as he had been ten years be
fore. He went into his affairs with an
exactness and promptitude that rather
astonished the men in whose charge
they had been left.
"You are vera strict about a baw
bee , deacon , " said one of them.
"Just sae , Mr. Mclntyre ; but My
son , Judge McNab , is coming home to
take the business , and he's no man to
put up wi1 a bawbee wrang , I can tell
you that. "
Ho had always been very reticent
about his son's long absence. There
I was none of his friends that felt at
'liberty ' to ask any questions or to make
any remarks to'him about his return ,
except Bailie Scott , who was perhaps
just a little nettled at Peter's air of sat
isfaction.
"Sae you hae found your prodigal
at last , deacon , " he ventured to say
one afternoon as they met in front of
the court house.
"Nae vera hard matter that. Bailie
Scott. When a man is a judge o' a
district court , and a member o' the
legislature jind has married an ex-
jjovernor's "daughter , he's no ill to
find. Gude day -to you , Bailie , " and
he walked away with the air of one
who felt that he had settled a question
thoroughly.
To Dominie Frazer , however , he
opened his heart with all the humility
of a truly grateful man.
"God has been better to baith o' us
than we deserved , dominie/ But we
hae seen our faults and said sae , and
the future is to be for the mending o'
them. There is nae either thing for
Qesh and blood to do. "
"You are building him a house , I
hear. "
"Ay , when I hae coaxed the lad
awa' from his ain harne it's but a just
thing to b'uild him another. He'll get
here by the time it is ready for him.
Then I'll have my son and a bennie
bit daughter-in-law and the four braw
bairns. I never hoped , for sea much
love and joy again , never. And I
havena the words to express my thank
fulness , but , dominie , I will write you
a liberal .cheek out for .the kirk debt ;
for you'll ken when a man talks in
gold sovereigns what he says. " Illus
trated Christian Weekly.
Stump-Toed Owls.
Representative Cabbage will be re
membered in Indiana annals for all
time to come for his owl bill a brave
but ineffectual effort to protect the
barnyard bir"d from the savage bird of
night. Years ago , Uncle Jimmy Frazier -
zier , of Pike Township , this county ,
was , like Representative Cabbage , the
unrelenting foe of the owl. He both
ered not with statutory amendments.
He pondered and , as he pondered , his
chickens diminished and the owls in
creased. One day a happy thought
came to him. He took down nis
scythe , and all one long summer after
noon played a symphony upon it with
an old-fashioned blue whetstone.
When he finished , it was of razor-edge
keenness. Placing a ladder against
the chicken-house , he nailed the scythe
high aloft , its keen edge skyward a
most inviting resting place. The old
gentleman had calculated rightly , and
half a hatful of owls' toes were found
next morning under the scythe. This
continued for several days , a fresh
crop rewarding the early riser each
morning. After awhile some owl ,
wiser than the rest , must have discov
ered the practical joke. At any rate
their visits ceased , though to this day
all the elderly Pike Township owls are
distinguished by their stump-toes.
Indianapolis Journal. \
Stopped to Hear a Story.
Two strangers passing Rowland
Hill's Church one day entered , walked
up the isle , and finding no seat , stood
for awhile and listened to the sermon.
Presently they turned to walk out.
Before they reached the door the
preacher said , "But I will tell you a
story. " This , of course , arrested the
strangers , and they paused , turned
again , and listened. "Once there was
a man. " said the preacher , "who said
that if he had all the axes in the world
made into one great ax , and all the
trees in the world made into one tree ,
and he could wield the ax and cut
down the tree , he would make it into
one great whip to thrash those ungod
ly men who turn their backs on the
gospel and stop to hear a story The
Argosy.
Stopped by a Fish.
Captian H. K. Byington experienced
quite a remarkable incident at his
mill a few days ago. One afternoon ,
however , all of a sudden the machin
ery stopped , "never to go again , " as
it were. After a thorough examina
tion the captian found everything
intact above , and shutting down the
water gate he went below to stir
things. In the water-wheel he found
a fish yes a ten pound trout secure
ly wedged between one of the buckets
iu such a manner as to "scotch" the
wheel and bring things to a dead halt.
Remarkable to say the fish was in no
way mutilated , and furnished the
captian a splendid meal that night for
supper. Ironton ( G'a. ) Appeal.
EECTIFY1NO NATUKE.
Ho Sterile Plains Ilavo Been Mnde\Fertlli
by Jlcans of Irrigation TheArtnslan
Well Beit of California Wonderful
Ilesulta Accomplished in
Ttyo Yenrs.
Tularelake , the great , shallow inland
sea of California , writes , a correspond-
pnt of The Alia California , is surround
ed by some of the richest farming lands
of the state , but , taken as a whole , it
is about the least developed region to
bo found between Siskiyou and San
Diego. The Southern Pacific railroad
runs on the east side of the lake at a
distance of ten to fifteen miles from its
shores , and a second road the pro
posed Bakersfield and Antioch has
been surveyed between the lake and
the Southern Pacific. Hence the
country on this shore is bettor known ,
and is filling up with population quite
fast. Tulare is a large and rapidly
growing town the most prosperous in
the county and the land around it is
mostly divided up into small farms ,
and is being planted with vines , fruit
trees , and alfalfa.
On the western shore of the lake
there are some largo land-holdings ,
and also considerable governmcntland
not yet taken up , but there is no rail
road on that side of the valley , and
though the land is rich , owing to its
inaccessibility it is not so desirable.
Both shores of the lake , however ,
would long ago have been thickly set
tled and prosperous farming districts
had it not been ' for the supposed lack
of water. After a rainy winter the
land will produce abundant crops of
wheat , but three years out of four it is
only good for pasturage , unless it can
be irrigated. In natural fertility of
soil no region in the state can surpass
this about Tulare. There is a deep ,
rich black loam , neither too heavy nor
too light , which with sufiieient irriga
tion will produce an almost endless
succession of crops without exhaustion.
By soil and climate the region seems
to be the natural home of the fruit tree
and. the vine , possessing a clear su
periority in at least the former re
spect over the more sandy lands about
Fresno. Dr. Chapin , the state inspector
specter of fruit pests , has testified to
the capabilities of this section as a
fruit-growing districl , and has backed
his opinions in a practical way by
making an investment in lands here
abouts. West of the town of Tulare ,
and for miles up and down the lake , it
is one of the most beautiful valley re
gions in the state. There is a thick
sprinkling of those magnificent oak
trees which would relieve any land
scape of monotony , eveu did it not
have fora background , as does this ,
the majestic Nierra Nevadas , on whose
summits "a swaying line of snowy
white" now shows that the accumula
tion of the winter snows has begun.
In the spring these frozen Hoods will
be loosened and come down to feed
the creeks and rivers which , being di
verted from their beds , biing wealth
and fatness to the land. There are
two important irrigating canals , one
constructed at an expense of § 00,000 ,
besides the numerous artesian wells
which will be described presently
now engaged in supplying water to the
farmers of the immediate vicinity.
But first a word about Tulare lake.
It is not the pestilential Dead sea
which it is sometimes pictured. Its
waters are strongly tinged with alkali ,
but their touch is not the malignant
poison to animal and vegetable life
that they are popularly supposed to
be. The lake is welf stocked with
fish , including perch , cat , and a spe
cies of trout , and the business of
catching these finny species for the
markets has become quite an industry.
Vast flocks of ducks also inhabit the
lake , and at its southern extremity the
pot-hunters who kill game for 'the
markets have recently been making as
high as $20 a day per man. They sta
tion themselves in boats at dawn and
dusk at the mouths of the sloughs , and
slaughter the birds as they pass in and
out from the lake. Sometimes the
birds fly in such immense flocks as to
obscure the rising sun , and a gun
pointed in any direction can not fail
to bring them down in heaps. A day
or two before Thanksgiving a party of
four or five hunters shipped to San
Francisco over a ton of ducks , being
Ihe proceeds of two days' shooting ,
and consignments of one thousand or
twelve hundred pounds from the same
point are of freq'uent occurrence ; This
sportsman's paradise has been so far
but slightly invaded by the city gun
clubs , and it may be well to say th t-
the obstacles in the road thither are
considerable. For example , the lake
is so shallow on its shores that it is
impossible to launch a boat except by
dragging it a long distance , in doing
which the hunter must wade in mud
and water. But vegetable life flourish
es on the shores of the lake as thriftly
as animal life does in its depths , and
this year , the lake having receded ,
some of the land over which its waves
used to roll was cultivated in wheat
and yielded abundant crops. Some
rears ago there was a small steamer
on Tulare lake , but it has gone to de
cay , and the vast sheet of water is now
navigated only near the shore by snail
hunting and fishing boats.
More interest has been excited in
this section by the development of a
water supply from artesian wells dur
ing the last two years than by any
other event in its history , and the facts
about the great artesian belt of Tulare
county are worth recording. It was
nearly three years ago that the lirst
artesian well was "bored here , and
since then there have been put down
about a hundred wells , most of them
during the last two years. Several
ivell-boring firms have their headquar
ters in this town , and one of them has
ao less than five rigs constantly at
work in different parts of the country.
There have been a few failures to ob
tain water in this way , one such beina
a well near Visalia , which was bored
eight hundred feet without tapping a
single flow that would rise to the sur
face , though in the limits of the arte
sian belt proper there are generally
several distinct flows in each well , be
ing struck in successive straits.
It is now believed by the well-borers
that they have defined the limits of
the artesfan belt , and that it extends
over a country from twelve to fifteen
miles in width on the eastern shore of
the lake , and in length about thirty
miles. Over this area the water Is
found at various depths , ranging from
150 to 700 feet ; and , of course , the cost
of the well is in proportion to the
depth. A 500-foot well costs usually
$1,000. There is a gradation in depth
and in quantity of water as the wells
approach or recede from the lake. On
the eastern limits of the belt , where
the belt is highest , the wells , contrary
to what was originally expected- , are
shallower than on the low land near
the lake , and the obvious explanation
is that the water-bearing strata dip to
ward the lake , with a steeper pitch
than the surface of the land , of which
the incline is about eight feet to the
mile. On the other hand , the flow of
the wells near the lake is much more
copious than that of those on the high
land , even when the latter are sunk to
the same depth. This , again , may bo
explained on the hypothesis that in the
wells which tap the water strata at
their lowest level the hydrostatic pres
sure would bo greatest , and the stream
expelled with more violence. This
corresponds with the observed facts in
the Santa Clara valley , where the most
productive wells are'at Alviso , near
the shores of the bay.
All of these one hundred wells on
the margin of Tulare lake , which are
now gushing in streams of greater or
less volume , obtain their water from
sand or gravel strata underlying strata
of blue clay. The clay is impervious
to water , and confines it to the gravel ,
however deep the latter may go down.
Doubtless the blue clay is superim
posed upon the gravel all the way back
to the mountains , from whose"clefts
and fissures the supply is derived , and
these gravel channels carry just as
much water twenty-five miles east of
the lake as anywhere else ; but there is
not pressure enough to cause -the wat
er to rise to the surfa'ce , except at the
lowest edge of the gravel-beds , which
is near the lake.
To one who has never before seen a
flowing well there is something eerie
in the way the water comes boiling out
of the ( fepths of the earth. Thrust
your hand into the flow on a cold day
and it is found to possess an unex
pected warmth. This , as well , as the
slight smell of sulphur which is no
ticeable in most of the wells , strength
ens the fancy that there is something
Satanic about the spouting marvel. In
one of the fertile valleys of Lake
county , a few months ago , a mam
moth artesian well poured forth
such a torrent of sand and
gravel that it was feared it
would in time overwhelm the adjacent
farming lands with the detritis , like a
glacier or a lava stream , but while the
excited farmers were considering how
the monster might be choked , the sub
terranean genii suddenly ceased their
Satanic prank and the people breathed ,
easier , as if a dreadful dragon that
threatened to waste the land had been
slain. There are no such wells as this
in Tulare county , but a great gusher
has been struck on Posey creek , south
east of the lake , and of this wo shall
have more to say in a future letter.
On the splendid ranch of Page &
Morton , near the town of Tulare , there
are four artesian wells , one of which
is sunounded by a reservoir , showing
the proper man nee of utilizing water
from these sources. If the stream is
allowed to wander over the land just
as it comes from the well it will make
puddles and sink-holes without doing
much good. To remedy this Mr. Mor
ton has built a reservoir around the
well to confine its waters. Twice
every twenty-four hours the industri
ous little demon who is rushing up
this-sparkling column of water fills the
reservoir , and the gate then being
opened the "water will flood two acres
of land. Thus utilized an ordinary
artesian well will irrigate a great deal
of ground , and the farmer who has a
quarter section and a well is independ
ent for life. The ranch of Page &
Morton is a model of large farming ,
which is at the same time diversified
farming. Four thousand acres of rich
land are covered with canals , dikes ,
and checks for irrigation , and almost
every kind of crop is raised. There is
already an orchard and vineyard of
340 acres , which next year will be in
creased to over 1,000 acres. The
stock on this ranch consists of 4,000
sheep , 2,000 hogs , 240 cattle , 50 horses ,
200 hives of bees , and 50 cats. The
last are by no means anincumbrance ,
for they are kept expressly to subdue
the gophers , which , it is said , they do
[ ] tiite successfully. Some large
ranches now buy hundreds of cats at
25 cents a head for this purpose. A
few years ago tnis rich lani around
Tulare was worth 82 50 to 85 an acre.
Lt now commands $10 to $30. and is
liard to get at those prices. Water for
irrigation is supplied by the canal
jompanies at the rate of $1 an acre for
$1 50 for alfalfa.
He Knew His Man.
John Barber is one of the most per
suasive young men in Galvcston. He
s very dissipated , having dissipated
juite a large fortune that was left to
lim by his fathei. He lives by beg
ging small sums of money from his
'riends. He applied to Parson Bum-
jus a few days ago , for a quarter ,
iromising to pay it back next day on
lis honor as a gentleman. " '
"John,2' said Parson Bumpus , "I've
ent you money often , and as you have
lever paid me before I know you will
lever pay me this quarter back. " '
"Parson , I'll pay you every cent ,
; ure. "
"Here is the money , John , but you
ake notice that if my prediction about
our nol paying back does not come
rue , " said the parson. "You have no
udgement about such matters. You
vill'see that I have been deceived
igain. I have had a great deal more
sxperience in lending money to disrep-
itiible characters than you have had.
Fcxas Si flings.
In The Kick of Time.
Mr. Sparhawk , of West Randolph ,
ft. , took out a policy of insurance on
lis factory one day recently. While
ic was in the act of paying the rnoney
liat made the insurance valid the fire
) ells rang.How funny if that should
je my place ! " said Mr. Sparhawk.
& .nd"suro enough , the property de-
itroyed was the Sparhawk property
nsured in the nick of time
BRIEFLY TOLD.
Fourlarg3 tobacco faotorlca at Lynokbutr ;
Vn. , started up and others nre preparing to
start.
rrcsldont-clcct Cleveland was called upon
by a delegation of Michigan gentlemen nt his
hotel In Buffalo and'spent R very j > lcnsant
hour with them.
The Omaha road has reduced grain rates"
cents per hundred on the Western & S'oux
City division to St. Paul , Minneapolis and
Minnesota transfer , giving these points equal
advantages with Milwaukee and Chicago. t
Representative Laird , of Nebraska , basbcon
absence on account
granted nn Indeflnlto leave of
count of his recent injuries. Ho is confined
tobiabedat the residence of afriend , nt6U
Second street , and Is dally visited by his
brother congressmen.
The Texas legislature completed its organi
zation , and M. M. Doggers , of McLennan , was
elected sergoant-at-arms of the house. In tbo
ballot for chaplain of tko house , Boechcr ,
Burchard and Ingersoll each received one
rote , butllcv. J. W. Polndexter was elected.
The committee on rivers and harbors have
nearly completed thelrblll. No aup'ropda'loii
wi 1 bo made for Hell Gutc , in Now York har
bor , the committee taking the ground thatal
the money asked for last year for completing
the work at thatpoint was appropriated. The
appropriation for the Jllssourl river Is $500-
"
000. .
Senator Van Wyck has been in consultation
with th Indian bureau to obtain an exten
sion of time for the annual installment of
purchase money duo from settlrs upon the
lands of the Olooand Omaha Indiana InNe--
braska and Kansas. The extension is ren-
dorcd necessary by the low prices of grain and
the great loss which the settlers have expe
rienced by the ravages of hog cholera. As a
result of the conference Senator Van Wyck
has introduced a bill authorizing thocxtcn-
Bion of time of payment with n the discretion
of the secretary. '
Representative Nutting.from the committee
on library , has present ; d for printing : and re
committal a favorable report on the joint
resolution Introduced by CoxN. Y. ) , nrp-o-
priating § 100,000 to aid in completion of tbo
pedestal for the statue of "Liberty Enlight
ening the World. " The report says : "Tho
statue was a magnificent gift from the people
of Franco to our whole po pie , and not to the
people of New York , a-ijl it belongs to the
people as a nation. It would ba arrogance
for tbo stole oC Now York to pay for the
pedestal and claim the statue as its own. The
statue is a national symbol ; it is national
property , and congiess shouldllnish what has
been so well begun. "
George H. McFaddcn , an accomplice of
Prentiss Tiller , who robbed the PaoUlt * Ex ! ,
press company of St. Louis of over $109,000
pleaded guilty to grand larceny and was sen
tenced to three yeara in the penitentiary.
Sheriff Paynter , of DCS Moines. would llko
to ascertain the whereabouts of May Wash
ington , aged 21 , and Anna Washington , ugcd
18 , both runaway maidens from the Iowa cap
ital. They are supposed to be in Nebraska.
Annie Van Fosscn , charged with poisoning
the Van Tossen and Mcliride families of East
Liverpool , Ohio , has waived a preliminary
hearing and pleaded not guilty , a > d was re
manded to jail on the charge of murder in the
first degree. No other deaths have occurred
and all are in a fair way to recover.
Ch&rlesFrendesack , ancmploycofa wealthy
farmer named Victor Sthulte , was assassin
ated at St. Francis. Wis. , as he was entering
the barn. 1'rendesack managed to return to
the house , covered with blood and gasping \
fioma bullet hole in the neck. He fell dead
in the amis of a member of the household.
1'here Is no clue to the perpetrator of the
crime.
Nine government bonds stolen from the
bank of H. C. Meid , at Waupaca , Wis. , at the i
Lime of his murder in October , ltS _ ' , have b en
found by a relative of the murdered banker !
in the treasury department at Washington ,
ivhere they hud been received through Chi-
: a o and New York banks. They had passed ;
: brough seven banks in all since they were' '
stolen. The murderer of Mead has never been
dcntified. and an endeavor will be made to
) btam a clew through the discovered bonds.
POLITICAL NOTES.
Senator Vance , of North Carolina , was re- ,
laminated by the democratic caucus byac-
: ! amation. - -
John A. Martin w is inaugura'ed governor
) f Kansas on the 12th in ihe presence of the
itate officers and memue.s of the supreme
: ourt.
GeneralJ. S. Itobinson , of South Carolina ,
mjcnted his resignation to the governor as
netnber of congress from the Ninth congres-
ional district , and wu3 sworn in as secretary ) '
) f state. _ J
A letter from ex-Governor St. John , to the
'hohibitionist , says : ' ! he whole story to the
iffect that I or the prohibition committee have * ; ' \
eccived a single penny , pledge or promise
'rom the democratic or any other party , per-
iOn or persons , directly or indirectly , in con-
icction with the campaign , except iny per-
onal expenses paid by the prohibition com-
uittee , is infamous'y and maliciously false. "
The independent republican national com-
nittce was in session in New York on thcl2tb.
Che treasurer reported theicceipts were ? 23-
8.J. Of this amount § 1,100 was expended for
rampahrn documents , of which ; j,123,000 had
jecn .circulated. It was * 'reeolved that the * j
lational committeeof the indepcndentrepub- jr
leans continue its existence and that state
irganizations be instructed to preserve the
oils containing namesof independent i
'
-otcrs. " . '
Before the Springer congressional commit- I ;
ee , investigating the conduct of the October fa
( lection in the Cincinnati district , Amos Lud ;
ngton testified that he was supervisor of the I
lace streec precinct in the Eighth ward. The * j !
: olorcd pe-opie did nottake charge of the polls n |
ind run things their own way. The democrats ; ' \
ihallenged every negro. In some cases before f |
he judges had time to examine the man the J
lemocrats would shout : "lie's a repeater. " I j
ind he wou d be jerked down and beaten till 4kJ r <
ie ran away.
Till : XEXT no USE.
\toll \ of Henibcrsliip of the 40th jj
Congress.
Washington special : The clerk of the bouse .
if represrntatives has prepared an unofficial i\ \
oil of the membership of the house in the
icxt 40th congress. That house will consist
if 1S3 democrats , 140 republicans , 1 grccn-
taek-deraocrat ( Mr. Weaver , of Iowa ) , and 1
rreenback-republican j.\ir. JJrumm , of Penn-
ylvania ) . Or the members of the present
louse IS" have been re-elected. Arkansas ,
) cluware , Kansas , Maine and West Virginia
lave made no changeintheirreprescntatives.
Colorado. Nevada and Oregon , eaca with occ
nember have changed tlitir delegations. Of
he territorial delegates in the present house ,
> nly one , J. T , Cu'ti , ot I'tah , is returned to
he 49th uonvrc.s Aiixona and Wyotnins- ,
rhich are now rcprcscnitd by democrats , will
end republican huccessors , while Idaho and
Vasliictrton have eltctcd democrats tosuc-
'eed ' rcpublictms.
It is not improbable that an extra session of
he 4'Jth cons' ess mav be called immediately
ifter the4ih ot March. The tenate will nec-
issarily be in C = sinn for a cuut > ! cof week.la
Uarch to confirm tin- Cleveland cabinet and.
) thcr important aiipaiutuicuts.