Nebraska Newspapers

    ; rmmd ' houseIIF"
I Cllmnto nnd Food on Wool.
In a rocont artlolo tho Western Rural
toys that climato has an effect upon
* * ool , nnd , to provo it , cites thoact
• yhat tho Now England mills pny a
higher prico for wool that como9 front
Y Southern Ohio , Wcstorn Ponnsylvnnna
) " and portions of Western Virginiathan
for wool wtiich comes from any part of
tho United States. Thoro is a different
t' wtoxturo to it. That climate has somo
' , , * ' * offect is no doubt true , hut tho offect Is
rather Indirect than dlroct. It has
been claimed that tho sollhas an offect
i That is true , too , but it is an indirect
, Jr effect Tho wool and fur of animals in
a cold climato differ from the wool and
t
fur of animals in a warm cli-
t mnto. But weather ns cold ns
, ( "Greenland's icy mountains" will not
* cause wool to grow. It Is a wiso pro-
u ' vision of nature that tho animal in a.
cold country shall bo protected , but na
if turo furnishes tho covering by giving
I the animnl a larger capacity for tho
f consumption of food. This difference
f is duo , not to a cold or warm tempor-
'ft ' aturo , but to tho food. It is possible , too ,
pt that in certain sections there is greater
'system in management Do not let us
J jgot tho idea into our heads that any-
j % { thine climato or other circumstances ,
JF can relievo us from tho responsibility
' of good management
j , " Kxccftslvo Swarming.
, 'i. It is easy to got lots of bees and
v little honoy , says tho Iowa Homestead.
* Expense of hives to shelter bees that
? only board themsolvos is a burden ,
% fcnd it is unsatisfactory to lug hives
j in and out of cavo or cellar for tho
Jo ore fun of tho thing. Wo uso hives
that are interchangeable one will sit
un top of tho other. It can bo tiered
, to ny height. In the season of 188S ,
1 when bees got into a swarming spree
and got beyond our control , and when
wo were too busy to potter and fuss
f with them , we just let them swarm ,
hiving and saving all wo could. Wo
hived them on clean , now frames , with
starters. When tho fall honey was at
i its best , last August , wo doubled up
ten stands as an experiment. To do
this , lirst , sfct the clean , bright combs
of hives to bo united in tho stand to bo
placed on top. Piaco it on tho other ,
in which has been placed tho brown
comb containing beo-bread and most of
brood. They will fight some , but if
' * honey is coming in fast it will not last
loner. Smoico them severely and drum
on the sido of hivo and set them to
roaring , and they will soon kill off ono
queen and get acquainted. Those five
f * stanas gained 400 pounds surplus in
large frames , which brought $15. sell-
" ing 2 to 3 cents less per pound than
section honey.
fj Clilchen Cholera.
* The is doubt-
- Poultry-Keeper remedy -
* - less a good one , and is as follows : "Add
a tcaspoonful of strong liquid carbolic
acid to one and a half pints of water ,
1 and let tho birds eat what they will of
I it If they do not eat give them a tea-
spoonful of tho water twice a day ; the
same with turkeys. If they do not im
prove , take one gill crude petroleum ,
ono gill kerosene oil , one tablespoonful
of pulverized boracic acid , and one
tcaspoonful of carbolic acid. Shako
well before using , and with a sewing-
machine can. forco ton or twelve drops
, ' down the throat of the sick bird twice
a. day. Keep the bird warm and dry ,
and give no drinking water with this
1 treatment If they will eat , give tho
soft food ( corn meal is best ) , mixed
l with the carbolic acid and water. "
r Another good remedy that has been
recommended is hyposulphite of soda ,
4 parts ; red pepper , 1 part ; rosin , 1
part ; rhubarb , 1 part Give each fowl
a teaspconful , and repeat every hour
until relieved. It is a strong purgative ,
! and after cleaning out tho germs of
disease give each bird a few drops of
tincture of iron in a spoonful of warm
water.
Keeping Sweet I'otutoes.
Wo would say to a correspondent
who inquires about keeping sweet po
tatoes , says the Western Rural , that
they can be kept for several months in
iv an ordinary cellar if he is careful in
1 . handling them : They should be thor
oughly dried before being put away ,
and so carefully handled as not to
bruise them. The drying may be done
in the sunshine , spreading them out
carefully so that the sun can get at
' them , and carefully covering them at
night so that tho dews will not get on
them. Or they may be dried in a kiln.
l For family use drying in the sunshine
would of course , be the cheapest and
_ , would answer all purposes. The cellar
-r1 * " " in which they are kept should be dry ,
and it is better when possible to so
put them away as that the air can
have free access through them.
Dressing : Grass Land.
Some farmers top-dress their grass
land directly after haying. Others
T prefer to wait until late in the fall.
TIiosa who have tried both methods
prefer to top-dress late in the season.
\ When the manure is spread upon the
" .elds directly after haying , if there is
x protracted spell of dry weather , the
dressing becomes so dry and hard that
it takes a long timo to render it solu
ble , so that its fertilizing elements can
be appropriated by the grass roots.
When applied just before the ground
' freezes the action of the frosts serves
to disintegrate the lumps. The fall
rains and earty snows render it soluble ,
and its effects upon the grass will be
1 plainly visible in early spring. Late
top-dressing is preferable on the
whole.
Catching : Hawks.
If there is some predatory enemy of
the poultry that diminishes their num
bers by day it is probably the hawk.
He will pounce down at the most unex
pected times and swoop up chickens ,
tearing them to pieces for his bloo dy
feast Set a pole in the ground fifteen
or more feet high , squaring the top just
large enough to hold a steel trap al
ready set No bate will be needed , but
the trap should be firmly bound to the
poie with rope or chain. Tho hawk
will quickly trap himself , when he
lights to make his customary observa
tions. American Cultivator.
The Value of Bran.
Farmers who live near flouring mills
can buy bran and other ship stuffs
more cheaply in August and Septem-
* ber than at any other season of the
year. The demand for this is less now
t _ than it is later in the season , when
other feed becomes scarce. Besides ,
Y . millers are filling up all available room
with wheat Bran , in proportion to
the space it occupies costs little , and
the profit on it is small. If farmers
have an extra dry room they can hard-
- ly put it to better use than filling it
. a. with bran and fine middlings.
Feeding : Fall Pigs.
\ * The most convenient and the easiest
way to feed fall pigs is to give them
t
(
wholo now corn. Whilo this is truo ,
It is a most hazardous way to start
thorn , for thoy aro Hablo to come to
wlntor quarters burned out , lacking in
vigor and digestive powers , which
makes It exceedingly probablo that
they will go through tho winter with
out a paying gain.
licet * for 8t < * : k.
No succulent food is raoro greedily
eaten by pigs at any ago than beets.
Thoy may bo fed any tlmo from tho
first thinnings during tho growiner sea
son to tho fully grown roots In wlntor.
They are ospeclully valuable as a part
of the winter food for breeding sows ,
and somo beets should always bo sav
ed for that purpose.
Water for True * .
All plants and tree ' s consume water
in largo guantitios. Sir John Laws
discovered that an aero of barley will
lake up 1,094 tons of water in two days.
Trees and plants aro composed more
largely of water than any other sub
stance Tho branch of a treo will lose
nine-tenths of its weight by drying.
A Bad l'ractlco.
It is a serious mistake to stall pigs at
any season , but the moro so in tho fall.
Spring pigs with an abundance of suc
culent grasses hastily recover from tho
blunders roado by their owners in feed
ing , but the fall pigs have not this
great system renovator to aid them ,
and suffor in consequence throughout
tho winter.
A few Dcllcnclcfl.
Chocolate Cake. Cream ono cup
of sugar with a piece of butter tho
size of an egg , add two eggs , one cup
of swoet milk , ono and two-thirds cups
of flour and two teaspoons of baking
powder ; bako in layers , For tho
filling take one-half cup of grated
chocolato , ono cup of sugar , three
tablespoons of sweet milk ; lot it heat
slowly in a saucepan , and when it boils
stir in a loaspoon of cornstarch wet
with cold milk ; simmer until it
thickens.
Rock Cnr.AM. Sweeten ono cup of
boiled rice and put in a deep dish ; lay
on it , in different places , small squares
of jelly ; beat tho whites of six eggs to
a froth with a little powdered sugar ;
add one tablespoonful of cream and
pour over tho rice.
Tapioca Custakd Podding. Three-
tablespoons of tapioca soaked in a cup
of milk one-half hour , yolks of four
eggs , ono pint of milk ; boil ten
minutes then add tho whites of the
eggs ; flavor with vanilla and servo
cold.
Steamed Pudding. One cup each
of flour , sugar and sour milk , two cups
of raisins , two eggs , one teaspoon of
soda and a pinch of salt ; steam ono
hour.
Foam Sauce. Ono cup of sugar ,
one-half cup of butter , ono tablespoon
of flour ; beat to a cream , place over
the fire and stir in quickly three-
fourths of a pint of boiling water ;
flavor with nutmeg.
Burled Treasures.
'Tis truo my later years aro blest
With all that riches can bestow ,
But there is wealth , wealth cannot buy ,
Hid in his mines of "long ago. "
There jealous guard does Memory keep ;
Yet sometimes , when 1 dream alone.
She comes and takes my hand in hers ,
And shows mo what was once my own.
I revol 'mong such precious things ;
I count my treasures o'er and o'er ;
I learn the worth of some , whoso worth ,
Ah mo ! I never know before.
And then all slowly fado away.
And I return to things tou know ,
With empty hand and tear-filled eyes ,
Back from the mines of "long ago. "
o .
A Horse's Memory.
I happened to be the witness of an
odd scene the other day which , when
recounted , may possibly amuse the
reader , says a writer in tho Boston
Post. One of thoso not infrequent but
I must confess usually fictitious ,
necessities had arisen which take me
to a stable on this occasion to a large
establishment in the vicinity of Char-
don street It was about 5 o'clock in
the afternoon , and various people were
starting for home , among them a man
and woman , who had a remarkable
intellijrent looking gray horse. Just
as he began to trot down the lane by
which the stable is ieached from the
street , a stout "party" who , I noticed ,
had been watching the gray very in
tently , suddenly cried out in a loud
voice : "Dan , don't you want a piece of
cake ? " The horse stopped short ,
pricked up his ears , looked around and
uttered a faint whinny of recognition
and assent ; nor would he go on until
the stout man had come forward and
explained his interference. It appear
ed that several years before he had
brought the horse from Vermont ,
where he owned him for somo time ,
and as the beast was particularly do
cile he had taught him the true sense
of the question the sudden asking of
which brought the animal to a stand
still. It is well known that horses
never forget a person or place , and
scarcely an event. No matter how
much time has elapsed or how greatly
the horse may have changed in dis
position , one word from a former
master will establish immediately the
old relation between them.
1 m 1
A Card Tiiat Speaks for Itself.
Adjoining the Wesson farm I had a
piece of laud , writes Geo. Hubbard in
the Flint Mich. , Journal. On the land
was a barn , a well and some tile ditch
ing. In the barn was some farming
tools suitable to conducting scientific
farming. The last time I inventoried
my agricultural assets I was short two
potato bug sprinklers , one half-dozen
clevises and two Cotton binder covers.
They have been secured by somo ac
cumulating cuss , and if any friend
should notice a chap decorated with a
log chain , six clevises , two potato bug
sprinklers and two canvases , each 9x17
feet in size , I wish they would tell the
fellow he forgot to steal the drive-way ,
200 yards of blind ditch , 197 stumps ,
and the mortgage covering tie pro
perty. But if he will come back by
appointment divine or otherwise , I
will fill his skin so full of bird shot and
other chinking that his mother can't
tell the seat of his pants from a
colander.
i i
The Grate of Daniel Webster.
Tho tomb of Webster occupies the
center of a large lot surrounded by a
high iron fence. The vault is entirely
covered "by soil and is only opened on
the death of one of the family. The
tomb was last opened in 1862 to receive
the remains of Fletcher Webster , who
was shot and killed at tho last battle of
Bull Run. In tho tomb are the bodies
of children and grandchildren. Not a
drop of Webster blood now remains in
existence. Tho last living member of
the family is the wife of Fletcher
Webster. On her death the tomb will
once more open to receive her remains ,
and. will then be closed and sealed for
ever.
I M
* * * 1
THE MYSTERIOUS MESSENQER.
An Envolopo That Caused a Fath-
a or's Hair to Turn White.
It was a fow evenings ago that an
cx-congrcssman sat with a couplo of
nowspapcr correspondents and a gov
ernment ofllclul In tho lattor's room In
a big hotel In this city , says a writer in
tho St. Louis Globo-Democrat Thoy
wero discussing politics , and tho ox-
congressman was-talking when ho was
interrupted by a knock nt tho door.
In response to un invitation tho door
was opened and a mossenger boy stood
at tho entrance. In his hand was an
envelope with a heavy black border.
It was such as those used to enclose a
death message or to indicate dcop
mourning. Tho boy paused for a mo
ment , evidently speculating in his mind
as to tho proper person to receive tho
lottor.
Finally ho tendered It to tho ex-con
gressman , who was nearest the door.
That individual turned pale and trem
bled , but extended his hand as if to
take tho message. Ho hesitated an in
stant and his hand dropped nerveless.
A second timo ho essayed to tako tho
message from tho boy , and again ho
failed. It was only after tho third
effort that ho was apparently able to
reach It , and by that timo tho govern
ment official for whom it was intended
had come to tho door , road tho address
and took tho message from tho trem
bling hand that had received it
"Ah , " said he , after openinsr and
reading it , "it's only a noto from un
office seeker. Why it should bo in
mourning I don't know. As the office
seeker is a woman , I presume it is
merely a feminine freak. "
Everybody had noticed the strange
demeanor of the ex-congressman , and ,
obsorving that an explanation was
expected , ho finally said :
"I think the use of black-bordered
envelopes ought to bo prohibited by
law. The very sight of one unnerves
me. When 1 tell you why you may
doubt the truth of the tale , but it is
true , nevertheless. Ton years ago I
was making a politic 11 canvass in my
district At tho close of a speech one
afternoon I received a telegram from
home stating that my boy , the idol of
my life , was dying , and that if I wish
ed to see him alive I must come at
once. I went immediately to the hotel ,
took my satchel and started for the
depot There was no passenger train
due for some hours , but a freight train
was pulling out , and I jumped aboard.
It was late when I readied the little
town on the river whore I could t ike a
boat for home. I hurried to the wharf
and found that tho steamboat would
not pass until after midnight , and that
I would thus be delayed many hours.
I was undecided whether to wait for
tho steamboat or hire a boat and leave
at once. While I stood on tho wharf
Hesitating a messenger boy suddenly
appeared before mo. Before. I could
say anything he thrust into my hand a
white envelope with a heavy black
border. A strange feeling came over
me , and it was only by tho greatest
effort that I was able to open the letter.
The apprehension I felt in the few mo
ments was awful , for 1 knew it must
contain dreadful news. When finally
I looked at the letter there appeired in
a strange hand tim * single sentence :
"You must come quick. "
I knew that I must hurry if I would
see him alive. Tho message decided
mc , and at once I sought a boatman ,
and , securinghis services , started down
the river. I reached home somo hours
ahead of the steamboat upon which I
had originally intended to come. I
rushed to the house and was ushered
into tho presence of my dying boy. As
I approached tho bedside he recognized
mc with a smile , and then said :
" 'Papa , I've been waiting for you. 1
"Those were his hist words , and in
a moment he was dead. I then know
that tho message I had received had
come from him , and that he had been
waiting for me. None of my family or
friends had seen the message nor did
they know anything about it. After
ward I made the most searching in
quiries at the town where I waited for
the beat , but nobody had seen the
messenger or ever heard of him. Not
the slightest trace of him was to be
found , and I was led to the conclusion
that tho messenger had never appeared
to any ono but me , and that I alone had
seen the message.
"You can understand now why a
black-bordered envelope always fills
me with the greatest dread and ap
prehension , and why it was that l
turned pale and trembled when the
messenger boy who just appeared in
the door tendered me the ominous
looking message intended for you.
"You will observe that my hair is
white , although I am yet a young
man. Before that eventful night my
hair was as black as a raven's wing.
"After I received tho black-bordered
letter from the mysterious messenger ,
who came to me at tho boat landing
that night , a feeling c irae over me
such as I never knew since. The
awful agony of that trip down the
river will remain fresh in my memory
until death ends all. When I reached
home and stood at the bedside of my
boy my hair was as white as snow. It
has darkened some in tho years that
have since passed , but it will uever bo
black again. "
A Tomtit's Queer Sc-.t.
In the letter box at tho farm of
Whitepark , Castle Douglas , says the
Pall ] Mall Gazette , there was to have
been seen a week or so ago a tomtit's
nest , containing five young birds.
Though when building tho nest the
materi 1 was frequently removed , the
mother bird by its persevereuce gained
its way ; tho nest was built and five
eggs safely hatched. During the incu
bation letters were frequently found
right over the little dame , and at other
times it managed to push some of the
letters out at the aperture by which the
postman had put them in. If Mr.
MeAdam happened to open tho box
himself it would raise its wings and
hiss as if angry at the intrusion. When
his niece went , as was * generally the
case , it wa ? quite pleased and allowed
her to stroke Its plumage.
Ghosts Superfluous.
Ghosts are superfluities. An old
Maryland colored man once remarked
to a Baltimore American writer :
"These yere hants ought to be ashamed
of theirseLyes. We've got trouble
enough in this world without being
bothered with 'em , and 'long as we
pay pretty smart for givin' 'em sleep
ing places in the graveyards they
ought to have sense enough to stay
there. " This philosopher was right.
Ghosts are entirely unnecessary. The
earth is living. The ghosts have the
unmeasured vastness of the universe
for a pic-nic ground , and they ought
to stay there. But in spite of abund
ant stories , it can be said of ghosts
what the old major said of woman
haters , "There aren't any. "
I
A SNAKE DANCE.
Extraordinary Religious Coromony
of an Arizona Indian Trlbo.
Whou wo reached tho top ol the
mesa , says a writer in tho Globe-Dem
ocrat recounting a visit to tho MoquI
Indians , wo found tho Indians in holi
day attire , which In most instances
consisted of a broech clout of gaudy-
colored stuff , and a bunch of eagle
feathers fastened in tho hair. The
children ran about ontiroly nude , and
it was wonderful to see them playing
on the very brink of proclplcos hun
dreds or feet high. They aro climbers
from tho timo they learn to crawl , for
houses aro generally entered by means
of a ladder loading down into tho in-
torior from an opening in tho roof.
Tho Moquis have a host of gods , tho
principal ono of whom is Omauwu , or
cloud god , the deity who sends moist
ure and rain. It is to him that thoir
supplications aro generally addressed ,
but , strange to s iy , thoy locate tho
abode of the gods in tho under world
instead of above tho earth. Thoy be
lieve in the existence of tho "Snako
People , " a supernatural nice , who hold
direct communication with tho gods ,
and it is through them that all mes
sages from the earth aro delivered.
Snakes of all kinds aro supposed to
have sprung from the "Snake People , "
and to hold constant intercourse with
them. For this reason they aro re
garded with superstitious awo. Tho
snako dance is a festival in which tho
snakes are shown the " greatest rever
ence , and songs aro sung which aro in
tended to express all of tho wishes
which tho people wish tho snakes to
carry to tho gods. After tho dance
tho snake3 aro turned loose and aro
supposed to start immediately on
their journey to the under world , whore
they deliver their messages to tho
gods. The first preparation for tho
snako dance is the capture of a largo
number of all kinds of snakes. No
particular species is required , but tho
rattlesnake is tho kind usually taken ,
as they are abundant among the rocks
and sage-brush of tho mesas and
plains. Tho snako dancers , somo
fifty in number , aro made up of two
mvstio orders , the "Antelopes" and
"Snakes , " or snako men. The myste
ries of these orders are kept a pro
found secret , and the only information
which thoir members will impart is
that their souls have been transform
ed into tho souls of antelopes and
sn ikes. A Moqul of these orders will
tell you with the greatest assurance ,
"I am a snake , " or "I am an ante
lope , ' ' and he really seems to believe
it himself.
The dance began with a low chant ,
in which the blessings of the gods
were invoked , and tho only musical
accompaniment • was tho incessant
shaking of rattles , and a low buzzing
sound made by some of the men.
After tho first chant had ended the
antelope and snako men separated , the
former drawing themselves up in a
line to the right of the snako tent , and
the latter moving in single file in a
circle in front of them. One of tho
snake men next entered tho snako tent
and in a moment came out carrying a
great rattlesnake in his mouth. Tho
snake-was hold firmly between the
dancer's teeth , and the head and body
of the reptile were entirely free , the
Indian carrying tho snako in his
mouth , closing his eyes and allowing
himself to be led around tho ring by
one of his companions , who continual
ly stroked the head of the rattler with
the eagle feather which he carried in
his hand.
One after the other the snake men
entered the snake tent and bringing out
the reptiles until the last one had been
removed. Some of the dancers took
as many as five or six small snakes in
their mouths at one time , while others
danced around with several in their
hands. While the dance was going on
the antelopes kept up a continual
shaking of their rattles , and chanted
messages which they wished the
snakes to cirry to the gods. After all
of the snakes had been removed from
the tent the dancers gathered around
a ring which had been marked on tho
ground by a circle of sacred meal , and
at a given signal all of the snakes
were thrown to the center in a heap.
For a moment there was a squirming ,
hissing mass in the ring , and then
the dancers fearlessly thrust their
hands in among the snakes and boldly
grasped as many as they could hold.
Each man , with , both hands full of
snakes , then dashed away at full speed ,
and did not stop until he had made his
way down the narrow trail into the
valley below. Here the snakes were
turned loose , some heading toward the
south and others toward the remaining
points of the compass.
Alpino Funerals.
A clue to tho origin of the Irish wake
and other funeral pomposities , which ,
we are sometimes inclined to regard as '
relics of barbarism , may be found in
the funeral customs of some of the
Alpine regions. The circle of acquaint
ance of the more prosperous people of
the villages often extends over miles
of country ; and the friends of a de
ceased proprietor will make long jour
neys to attend his funeral. The dic
tates of hospitality require that their
physical wants be provided for , or , if
not , they will meet at the inn and
naturally have something very like a
feist In somo districts , even before
death occurs and the patient is in his
last agonies , all around are informed
of the fact , and expected to make a
cerpmonial last visit They enter the
sick room , tako a long look at the dy-
iug man and go their ways. After
death , when the body has been pre
pared for burial , a table is spread cov
ered with refreshments , and < pen
house held till the funeral.
'
Grant's Gallantry.
When tho honors came upon the
Grants , says America , the mistress of
the white house began to renew the
dream of her girlhood to have her
cross-eyes straightened. Wishing to
surprise the president , Mrs. Grant
telling nobody , sent for the most emi
nent oculist in America. He willingly
promised to undertake the operation
which he assured her would be easy
to accomplish and without dancer.
The good lady could not contain her
self for joy , and , woman-like , gave
way when she saw her husband , and
confided to him her secret , the pleas
ure she had in store for him. He look *
ed wistfully into those dear eyes which
had held him with tender gaze through
all the trials of a checkered career , and
said , in his simple way , "My dear , I
wish you would not change them. I
love them as they are , and they would
seem strange if altered. " NorLaunce-
lot , nor Romeo ; nor lover of any clime
or age , ever spoke words of tenderer
gallantry.
Hay fever will make even the most un
assuming man blow his own horn. Terra
Haute'Express. - '
I
*
TUSSLE WITH A 'CATER.
Exoltlng Encounter with a BIc
Mouthod Monster.
Following aro tho particulars of a
romarKablo advontoro of W. II. Abbott ,
of indigo and racing fame , ns narrated
by a writer in tho Military Gazetto :
It was in tho rains when tho jamadnr
told us that thero was a hugo alligator
under tho bridgo of tho rlvor. Sondlng
for a gun and a couplo of bullets , wo
wont up to tho bridgo , and , sure onough ,
about 20 yards off , thoro was an
enormous "ghurlal" somo 20 feet long ,
with his hoad just visible above tho
water. A well-directed shot caught
him between tho eyes , and tho bruto ,
mortally wounded , plunged into deep
water , rolling ovor and over , and was
carried by tho tido down toward tho
bungalow , which was a quarter of a
milo off. Abbott seized a long ropo
lying thero , and rapidly made a slip
knot in it , and , declaring that ho was
not going to lose so lovely a skin ,
kicked off his boots , and just as ho was
in socks , breeches and shirt jumped
into tho river , giving mo and si lot of
othor natives tho other end of tho ropo
to hold. lie got well into tho middle
of tho stream and was quietly treading
water whilo wo woro all'anxiously
watching , when suddenly within two
feet of tho swimmer tho alligator
plunged straight up out of tho water ,
snout foremost , as alligators generally
do when hit in tho head. Without tho
least hesitation Abbott flung both arms
right aroung tho snout and a regular
rough-and-tumbled ensued.
Presently tho bruto's wholo body ap
peared. Abbott calmly mounted him ,
evidently trying tho whilo to disen
gage the slip-knot which had now
got tight round his own arm , and to
shove it over tho bruto's hoad. Then
tho alligator started swimming and wo
following down tho bank , when , just
as wo wero opposite the bungalow , he
pulled dead up , brought his tail out of
• the water , and with a fearful side
sweep capsized Abbott , snapping at
him as ho fell. Then camo another
fight such as I never wish again to see ,
tho pair eventually disappearing be
neath the water. We hauled away at
the rope , thinking it was strll attached
to Abbott , when unexpectedly wo saw
him come up a few yards from tho
b ink , evidently almost senseless. A
Rajpoot peon jumped in and dragged
his master up the slope. He was
bleedinjr awfully , and was a gruesome
sight shirt in ribbons , arms and chest
torn all over , both hands badly maim
ed , and tho right foot completely
crushed. He camo to at onco , and
only said , "Tho ropo's safe over his
nooe ; " and so it was , sure enough ; for
tho natives to whom I had thrown the
rope were busily engaged in hauling
the defunct saurian on shore.
I never saw a man in such a mess ;
and , to add to the horror , down to the
edge of tho river , just as we had drag
ged up her half-killed husband , rushed
his young wife , wringing her hands
and , naturally , half out of her
wits with terror. While she was
standing over him , and tho servants
wero carrying him to the house , he
was singing , "Homo They Brought Her
Warrior Dead. " A nice timo of it wo
had out in a jungle , with no appliances
to tie the severed arteries , and with a
patient who would insist on trying to
get out of bed to see how the skinning
of the alligator was getting on. Wo
tried to hire kahars , but the whole
country was under water , and they re
fused to budge from home ; so we put
him into a shampony and took him in
to the doctor at Mozufferpore. taking
from 10 o'clock Tuesday till 7 o'clock
tho next morning to do the twenty
miles.
. o .
Alex. II. Stephens' Kindness.
The grave of Rio , Mr. Stephens'
favorite dog , reminds one of the re
mark which he made to his servants on
his departure for the governor's man
sion : "If a dog passes here open the
gate and give him a bone instead of
throwing a rock at him. " The many
sheds around the premises recall his
remark that he would never own any
thing that he couldn't cover. Under
ono of these sheds the close carriage
in which he made his last campaign
for congress still stands , much the
worse for wear. In this carriage he
was driven by faithful Harry and
pulled by the "noted "flea-bitten
grays , " and in it he received ovations
in every country in the eitghh dis
trict His open carriage is in good re
pair , in the ownership of Mrs. San-
ford , and will yet do valuable service.
An innocent old quarter-witted darkey
shows alike the liberality of Liberty
Hall of the past and present. He looks
like Darwin's missing link and is as
useless as any creature that crawls.
He has been hero fifty years. In an
swer to any question he says : "My
name is Mr. Col. Lewis Hawkins ; I
was called dat by old marster ; I'se
always boa'ded at Liberty Hall ; " and
that is the extent of his information.
Columbus , Ga. , Sun.
1
Cure for Rheumatism.
It costs only a few cents to cure the
worst case of rheumatism , says a Wow
York engineer. Let the afflicted part
bo exposed to the heat of a stove , un
til the skin begins to redden and smart
Then rub the spot with the hand until
the heat is distributed over a large
surface. Continue to do this for five
minutes , and bearing as much heat as
possible without blistering. Have
ready at hand a mixture composed of
one teaspoonful of finely pulverized
table salt , thoroughly mixed with ono
tablespoonful of molasses-golden syrup.
Apply this mixture as a salve to the af
fected part after the skin has been well
reddened and rubbed with the hand.
No matter how long the inflammatory
rheumatism may have existed , almost
instant relief will be felt. Continue
tho treatment every day and at the end
of a week a permanent cure will be af
fected. Meanwhile the patient should
take internally four times a day a mix
ture composed of two drams of wine of
colchicum , two drams iodide of potash
and one pint of water. The dose is
one tablespoonful before meals and on
going to bed. It is not absolutely es
sential that the internal remedy should
be taken , but it helps. I was on crutch-
er four years and cured myself in seveu
days.
m
Jim FIsk on Cemeteries.
Denman Thompson , it is reported ,
has built at his own expense a solid
cut-stono wall in front of the old ceme
tery in WestSwanzey , N. H. Apropos
of cemetery walls , they used to tell a
good story of Jim Fisk and his atti
tude toward such structures. A dele
gation from a country town in which
he had resided for a time when a boy ,
waited upon him in the height of his
prosperity , begging for a subscription
to put a wall around the old cemetery.
"Not a cent" said Fisk , "I won't give
you a cent It's a useless expense.
Nobody in the cemetery wants to get
out and nobody out of it wants to get
in. " N. Y. Tribune.
1
A PRETTVTALLSTORY.
Romarkablo Foatof Rallroadlnff In
Colorado.
Among tho recent invigorated HnrJ
of tho town Is ono who has just returned
from a session with ozono in Colorado ,
says tho Omaha World-Herald. It
was his llrst trip through tho moun
tains and ho was much affected by tho
foats of engineering skill thero mani
fested , as witnoss th following :
"I had heard of tho curvo on tho
Pennsylvania , whoro , according to tho
timo-card schoduled , tho ongincor is
obliged to lean out of his cab and ex
change tobacco with tho brake man on
tho rear end , so as to glvo tno passen
gers something to talk about and I
now boliovo it Thoro was an old ,
honest , horny-handed minor rodo ovor
the road out of Donvor with mo and ho
told mo sovoral things. Onco whilo
wo were being jorkod around tho edgo
of tho mountains and could look out
fro m undor the roots of our hair at tho
track opposite in tho valley he told mo
a talo. Said ho :
"That yoro track down van is tho
one wo'ro onto , but wo won't tech it
for an hour. Wo run up tho ravino
an' down tho sido of tho mountain an'
double back. Down thar is whor' Sim
Lylo savod tho paymaster o' tho road. '
" 'How ? ' I inquired.
" 'It woro this way : The paymas
ter's car was hitched onto tho hind ond
o' tho freight train , ' his own engino
havin' had a little troublo with hor
runuin' gear an' boin' abandoned for
awhilo up tho road. Well , tho train
was snortiu' and crawlin' aroun' tho
mountain when all of a sudden tho back
brakeman comes a runnin' up an' yells
to Jim :
" 'Pull out ! Pull out ! Thoy's a
gang o' rustlers has caught tho engino
an' aro humnin' after us ! Pull ! '
"Well , Jim Lylo noticed that Ho
scon at wunst that the engine had been
fixed up an' that tho rustlers had took
her to ketch him an' git the dust in tho
paymaster's car , so he pulled out right
ucurt an' tried to outraco 'em , but it
wan't no go. They kep' gittin' up on
him.
"Pretty soon he struck the boginnin'
0' this yere curvo. He didn't slack a
breath an' tho conductor come rush hi1
up an' bellcrcd :
" * Fer God's sake , what km wo do ?
If wo run this we 'll climb a rail. '
" 'Sallright' said Jim Lyie. 'If I
calclato rightly that car's saved , ' an
ho gave another pull out an' just as
wo reaches right hero ho jerked hor
wido open. Thon wc see what was
what. Lookin' back , I bein' on tho
train , seen tho last coach go up In tho
air , thoro was a jerk , an' away ovor
into the canyon sho went'
" 'Well , where does tho salvation of
the coach como in ? I asked. 'I didn't
seo any particular advantage in being
spilled over a mountain-side and being
shot by train-robbers. '
" 'Now don't git frisky , ' said the old
' ' ' this an' an't
man , 'I'm tellin' yero L
done. That there coach , as I say ,
sailed over oflin tho track just like the
hind boy did when you used to play
"crack the whip" at school. It floated
down as nice as you please an' lit on
the track below in the valley an' with
tho force it was slung rolled ten miles
to the next station. When wo got
there it was on the sidin' an' we pulled
by , an' when the light engine load o'
rustlers como bullin' along the towns
people was waitin' for 'em an' the new
cemetery was started lu good shape. ' "
.
o
IIoit a Missouri I.c Istator ( Jot the Floar.
Stilson Hutchins a well-known news
paper man of Washington , D. Cs iys
Henry George's Standard , used to live
in Missouri , and at ono time repre
sented his district in the legislature , of
which body he was elected the speaker.
There was in the same legislature a
member from another district a man
Hutchins had conceived a prejudice
against. This man wanted to bring up
a bill in the interestof his constituency ,
but he never seemed able to catch the
speaker's eye. Day after day he would
wait until routine matters had been
cleared away , when ho would rise In
his place and , in the peculiar Missouri
high treble , address the president offi
cer , but without receiving that recog
nition without which no member of a
parliamentary body can proceed. The
member finally became tired of such
treatment and one morning after the
house had been called to order he
marched in with a rifle on his shoul
der , which , when he reached his seat ,
he leaned up against his desk. Ho sat
there quietly until he thought the rou
tine business was about all disposed of ,
when he picked up his rifle and cocked
it. When the last motion had been put
and disposed of our friend arose , placed
his rifle ajrainst his shoulder , drew a
bead on Speaker Hutchins , and drawled
out. "Mr. Speaker. " There was a
silence as of death in the assembly
chamber for a few moments which
was finally broken by the speaker him
self , who slowly and distinctly said :
"The gentleman from has the
floor. " The member lowered his rifle ,
uncocked it , and then , as if nothing
had happened , proceeded to lay his bill
before the legislators.
1 a 1
Foot-Cramping In China.
Our esteemed Chinese contemporary ,
Hu Pao , says the N Y. Sun , has "been
investigatimr the origin of foot-cramp
ing by Chinese women. The practice
is of very ancient date. Some affirm
that it arose in the time of the five
dynasties that is in the tenth century
A. D. Jao Niang , the mistress of Li Yu ,
the last emperor of these dj'nasties ,
tied up her feet with silk into the shape
of the crescent moon , ancL ill the other
beauties of the time imitated her. The
literature of previous dynasties does
not allude to the custom. During the
reign of King Hi (1664 ( A. D. ) an
edict forbade foot-cramping under
'
various penalties , the local officials be-
ing held responsible in some degree
for violation of the law by people in
their district But the fashion was too
strong , and in 1668 , at the instigation J
of the board of ceremonies , this edict 1
was withdrawn. It is still universa 1
in Kuantung andKuang3L
i
The Grate or Daniel Webster. j
In the quaint , grass-grown old bur- 1
lal-ground just back of his own farm is I
the last resting-place of this great man.
His tomb occupies the centre of a large (
lot surrounded by a high iron fence.
The vault is entirely covered with soil
and is only opened on the death of one ,
of the family. It was last opened in
1862 to recieve the remains of Fletcher
Webster , who was shot in the last bat
tle of Bull Run. In the same vault lie
tho bodies of children and grand
children. Not a drop of Webster >
blood now remains in existence. The |
last living member of the family is the t
wife of Fletcher Webster. On her
de th the tomb will once more open
to recieve her remains , and will thea
be closed and sealed forever.
WINCED MlSStCfiS. ' 3
Printing wnn Introduced lfoEngland , by jj
Caxton , In 1171. ' - l |
A charter bun boon granted1" for tho . first " * *
railroad In Liberia. -J
Tho Popo hai n full st or poarly whlto J
teeth well preserved , Zffl
Alaska cost tho United Statos govern- K
mcut 1) conti an aero. A
Or tho En Hsh bench or bishops , twolvo jfl
oro pledged abstainer * . - \ j gl
Tho United Staton purchased Florida j |
from Spain , Fub. 'ii , lSlt > . * 2
Machinery ha * not yet untoroJ tho manu- " yl
fucturo of French clay plDon. , " ) fcJ * |
Tho spawn of most fish alnkn , hut that of jM
cod rises to the surface of tho water. " 'M
A buried city , containing rollcs In profu- J |
sion , has boon unearthed In Honduras. J |
A Londoner ndvortlses that ho Is "Poroua 1 " §
Plaster Manufacturer to Hor .Majesty tho 7
Qucon. " |
It is roportod that a floating Inland COO jj
yards in diameter has been found lu Honoy ' * f
lake , Idaho. ' >
Buffalo Bill Is Bpcndin ? conshlorablo %
monoy in milking a collection of French A
paintings ot value. J
It is a curious" fact Unit thoro aro 2M.003 t
peoplo in tho United States who have artl- %
flcial logs or hands. -j
A well In tho south , from which a strong %
broezo rushed for yoarj , has suddoaly tnk- %
en to spouting water. * 3
Miss Lincoln , daughter or Minister to I
England Kobert Lincoln , has become , ni |
acknowledged hello in London. J
British soldiers not in possession of swim- |
ming certificates aro forbtdduu to outer 4
boa's for purposes of recreation. $ |
Tho finest diamonds visible at tho Shah's * |
visit to tho Paris exhibition aro said to h.ivo < 9
been worn by Mrs. WhlteUw Ueid. 1
Tennyson , Darwin , Giadstono , Lincoln , Jj
Olivor Wendell Holmes , Edgar Alloa Van - 9
and Lord Houghton wero born in tho ydar
ltO'J.
It is estimated that a major-gcnoral In
citizen's clothes deteriorates lifty per cent ,
more especially if hu smokes common
cigars.
Out of 210 men passing alons Main strcot
in Cincinnati on a rccnt alturnoon 210 had
lost ono or more of the hind buttons off
their coats.
There aro still over 10,000.000squaro miles
of unoccupied districts in various heathen
lands , where missionaries thus far huvo
never entered.
A London journal states shirts of chain
armor , which cost about > 0) , aro now worn
by moro than ouo distinguished parson oil
the continent.
A San Francisco jeweler has just receiv
ed $700 for diamonds which ho sold twenty-
live years ago. Tho purchaser was honest
but he had bad luck.
A brakeman on tho Chicago & Alton - - • *
locked three murderous tramps in a re- A
frigcrator-car. Thoy have un Ico way of
doing things on that line.
Tho drivers of Boston ice wagons suffer
ed more from the heat last summer than
the draymen , although having a temper
ature of 51" at their backs.
Gcorgo Johnson , of Utica , paid $1,30) for
a trotting horse , and ho hadn't owned him
a week when a rat frightened him so that
ho jumped and broke a leg.
Tho pri/c pumpkin at tho county fair
may consider itself handsome ami popular ,
but it is not so strong a favorite as tho
prize onion on tho next shelf.
Bombay has a sorpcut thirty-six feet long
in its zoological gardoa. Let this reptile bu
seen swimming at sea and the man who re
ported it would be called a liar.
Some one told a South Carolina nogro
that if he would drink a gallon or strong
vinegar right down that ho would
never have headache again. Ho never
' '
will. 2
Fish have DC3n caugat in tho Uulf of
California at a depth of 1,4 )0 ) feet. It must
be fun to pull in u half a mile of ilsh * * "
line and lind a three-ounce perch on the / "r
hook. * j
The fornation of an orange trust in Bos- 1
ton is announced. The number of spin
sters in that city leads to the suspicion
that an orange-blossom trust has long exist
cd there.
A Chicago alderman whipped two citi/.ens
Sunday night for standing on a street cor
ner. It is hard to say what he would have
done if they had been standing in the mid
dle of a block.
It is estimated that the amount of gold
nnd silver coin on the bottom of the Atlan
tic Ocean is about $ " > 0,0J0,00J , and it is fur
ther estimated that most of it will stay
right where it is.
The Japanese are learning how to eat
meat. In Vv& only :50.0)0 : head of cattle
were slaughtered in all Japan. In Ky the
number increased to 1I'J,0W ; in 1 37 , to 130 , -
500 ; in lis. 'vs ' to 200,000.
Col. North , who began life in England as
a humble laborer , is now the nitrate king ,
and pavs Chili § I,72j,0J0 per year export j
duties on nitrates produced by one of his j
works in that country. j
A burglar who was captured by a woman 1
at Elizabeth , N. J. , says hn could havo ' I
broken loose from two men. She trot him M
by the hair and hung on , and nothing ho M
could do would shake her loose. M
The Queen Regent of Spam has caused k
advertisements to be published in all the H
leadimr newspapers of her dominions offer- H
ing the two prizes , S. > ,700 and § 2.835 , for tho (
two best essays on the life of Christopher
Columbus.
A Memphis policeman , who was called
on to shoot a dog , managed to hit a boy
in the leg , a man in the foot and a horse in
the head , and , while he was scattering two
or three more bullets along the street , the
dog trotted off.
William O'Hare , of Williamsburg , X. Y. ,
was denounced in public bv Charles Masters
as ' * a pious old fraud with the instincts of
Satan , " and a jury a < oessed the damages of
S } ,000. Mr. Mastera said he supposed thn
was a free country.
A West Virginian trained a tiny stream of
water to fall drop by drop on a rock , and
in five years it has worn a hole seven
inches deep in solid stone. He could have
made the same hole in fifteen minutes with
a chisel and hammer.
"Can the mosquito be exterminated ? " is
a question which some people seem to think
difficult to answer. Yet any man who has
experimented vainly with one mosquito
from bed-time to the breakfast hour can
give the proper reply with his eye3 shut.
There was never so great hope for Mexico
as now. An editor has been chosen as
president of the Mexican Congress , which
means vice-president of the republic. The
only thing necessary to absolutely insure
the prosperity of tho country is that some
disability befall the president.
The Queen Regent of Spain and her
family were weighed recently at San
Sebastian. King Alfonso weighs 35 pounds ; *
his mother , the Queen Regent , IIS ; his eld
est sister , the Princess of the Austrias , 43 ;
the Infanta Maria Theresa , 45. The whole
family , therefore , weighs three pounds less
than ex-Queen Isabella , who tips the seals
at 249.
Emperor William has but recently
honored bimself with any high military
rank. Though as Kaiser he is the "War
Lord" of the German army , he remained
but a brigadier until a short time ago , when
ho rose to be a major-general. Since Qijeen
Victoria made him a general , Moltke has
urged him to come up to the first rank , and. j
he is now a commanding general. j
jI