The McCook Tribune. By If. M. KIMMKLL. MoCOOK, - - NEBRASKA John L. Sullivan may not be do ing much to elevate the stage, but be continues to get on an occasional blgh lonesome himself. Life Is a mission. Every other leflnltkm of life ts false, and leads all who accept It astray. Religion, Iclence, philosophy, though still at variance upon many points, all agree In this—that every existence is an aim. NOt only does straightforward crit icism serve the cause of truth and Justice by reveallug the reality, in stead of a distorted conception of it, It also puts Into the bands of the speaker an Influence for good which can be gained no other way. Some of these days capital will be found to put a navigable canal across t'be State of Michigan connecting the lower end of Lake Michigan and the upper end ot Erie The project has been seriously considered for some time and, like the Central American canal or canals, will come In time._ The principal present to Prince Bismarck on his 80th birthday wa9 a cuirass of steel from the Emperor. It was probably well meant, but when a man reaches the age of the ex-Chancellor it would seem as though bis attention should be directed in some other direction than that of militarism. But then theKalser is nothing if not a war lord. Miss Francks Willard and ninety nine other women, whose mission is to make a comparatively wicked world as good as themselves, are about to charter a vessel and girdle the earth with tracts and kindred Insignia of righteousness. It is feared that the women will not fully accomplish their designs, but if they do not have a picnic it will be their own fault. There are numerous ways in which business most be watched. One must love the business one Is engaged in, and seek to make It all that It should be. The mark of excellence cannot be placed too high. Reward for nis labor is sure to come to the diligent man, and that was well known in the time of Solomon, who said, “freest thou a mao diligent In business? He afecU stand before Kings; he shall not stand before mean men. ” Culture, In opposition alike to egoism and egotism, quickens and ex tends both intelligence and sensibil ity, and thus yields a refinement which carefully subordinates all merely,personal attributes, sectarian prejudices, or partisan considerations to public Interests, general principles, Che acknowledged standards of the company ip which one linds himself. This is what distinguishes the uni versal code of politeness from the in dividual code of vulgarity. The Question of substituting scales or “weigh bridges’' at English live •took pMrtets for the guessing pro cess ol reaching an animal’s weight has been agitating the stockmen and farmers over there for a numl>er of years The butchers and traders pre fer the guessing system, while tne owners, seeing that they steadily get the worst of It, are working for the weighing system. It is really absurd la tblg day of enlightened methods, to jtlkTe a country like England guess lag oft the weights of Its live stock. Out in Trigg Oounty, Ev., where everybody loves a good horse there Is a Strong local feeling against the in creasing Importation of ponies aod broncos from the far West These llttjtecreatures are esteemed by Ken tucptyW degenerate stock, bred, In deed, bv the accident of birth and by hart conditions to a certain remark able endurance, and a capacity to go long without food and water, bnt nevertheless not specially fitted for the needs of Kentucky, and especi ally undesirable in a region where bbt** breeding Is a high solence Ws learn from the California Fruit ©rower that the California Fruit pnkm has retired from the field as a frult-shlpplng organization. This ©atop has been an Important factor In Introducing California fruits to Eastern market* Much of Its work has been done In the face of bitter opposition and the lack of earnest support from fruit growers who should be most interested in its suc cess. An era of demoralization of markets is freely predicted, and it Will tax'Individual enterprise to the utmost to do the work the coming year tdnt the Union has dope. That there Is still profit In sailing •mihtis shown by the fact that a Hetf Hampshire corporation owning mmit three-masted schooners, at its annual meeting recently held, de cia ed dividends averaging 11 per cent on four of its largest vessels. These dividends represented a year’s earnings, and on the earnings of one of Its schooners, which, after six months of sailing, is stuck in the mud on tho Louisiana shore, a 5 per cent dividend was paid. A well known, Hath-built four-master, only seven years old, has already netted $200,000 for her owners. New York’s trade with China and Japan has not entirely departed Tied up at East River piers recently were the British steamer Hankow, the American ships, St Paul, George R. Skolfield, Indiana, and Luzoo, the British ships Ancalos and Creed mor, barks Freeman (American), Assyria (British), Foohng Suey (Hawaiian), and Iron Duke (German), eleven vessels, averaging 1,500 tons each, ail from ports on the far side of the Pacific Ocean. At the same time there were four American ships, averaging over 2,000 tons each, at East River piers loading for San Francisco. A sensational mystery which threatened evil consequences to two mep has just been happily explained in New Hampshire. A French wood chopper bad disappeared from the neighborhood of Concord, and two men who bad been seen with him were charged with his murder. Hu man blood was found on the shoes of one and a check Id the woodchopper's name on the other. The State had a strong circumstantial case, and the probabilities of conviction were great. The missing man has just been found at a town in a neighboring county, and the discharge of the suspected parties has been ordered. Editob Moore, of Lexington, Ky., who Is In Jail, proposes to continue the publication of his journal from his prison cell. There aie advantages about this system. The editor will always be “in.’* He will not be both ered by creditors, and he cannot be assaulted by indignant Individuals who conceive themselves to be slan dered. Being already in jail, he can not snccessfu'ly threatened with im prisonment for libel. He will have no office rent to pay and he will not be disturbed by callers who want to “glance over the exchanges.” Alto gether Mr. Moore should be com paratively happy, and he ought to turn out good work. John Bunyau made a hit with the "Pilgrim’s Progress,” written in jail, and a Ken tucky editor has numerous advant ages over an English cobbler. Another distressing example Is noted of the wide difference between theory and practice In the matter of co-operative colonization. A scheme for a great colony In Paraguay, worked up in Austialia has collapsed with disastrous results to many col onists. Bitter experience teaches that co-operative enterprises, whether in colonization, manufac ture or mercantile business, Is almost uniformly attended by failure. The causes leading to such failure have been exhaustively discussed. In ability to combine business ability with mechanical skill Is the most common explanation of the difficulty. Building asso iattons, which have been wonderfully successful, do not belong in this catalogue, because they are In the nature of savings hanks rather than of joint business enterprises. Not since the cold -storage ware house tire at the World’s Fair had there been anything to e ual In hor ror the catastrophe which caused the death of the Milwaukee flremea The two occurrences were not unlike. In both cases the men were en trapped in a situation where e. cape was Impossible, and In both in stances their comrades were com pelled to look upon their death strug gles without being able to render aid- Such disasters as these seem to Indicate that commanding o il ers of fire departments do not always exer cise good judgment in ordering men Into positions of great danger. Bravery and obedience to orders are the prime requisites of a fireman, but men should not be ordered to certain or almost certain death, it Is better that pro erty should be de stroyed than that human lives should be sacrificed. Financial loss may be made up; the destruction of life can not be repaired. The Milwaukee dis aster may not have been preventable, but the facts at hand seem to Indi cate that the loss of life might have been averted by caution and fore thought A Princess’ Canine Pets. The Princess of Wale3 Is a great lover of animals and has ho many dogs at Sandringham that she can not keep count of them. Every more ing she goes to tne k*nnels and tl > dogs are let loose to welcome he They are always wll- with delight l see her and jump upor her so frantic ally as almost to knock her down. A special favorite with the t’rlncess Is Venus, the pet dog of the Duke of Clarence. A MUSICAL NEIGHBORHOOD. 1 lire In a mnslcal neighborhood. S1V1 (Mainly nxoie out at ance It I could, VtataAaaay flat till the first of next May, an «M tdy weU that 1 can't gat away. There* a young man down-a talrg who itte an IMe at night. And nrerOpe on the banjo with wearisome WMlaVfMll up and doirug tot I can't sleep a 1* »he saw ml of hie p!Utety-pUnkety-pUnk I On t*e Abo* jam below there* • man with a huge— Qfe, Mbit tootlnty-tooalaW-tootlety-Uii't I W fee aerrua It Is quite ae dlstie-slug, I think. As the other owe* pnafcetypliakety-plinkl A men on a trombone below tries to bang, Su« efl be feta bora it it whaegfty-wbaiig; And ft ti dreadful mixed up with tbe banjo and nut* Whang-whangety-pt Inker y-tootlety-toot I And then there's a quartet of zealons young Who try Boot and anthems again and again; Bat ah that they do Is so woefully queer tUr (henil go to a wood, whero there's no one to bear' Bare* a lady beside* on tbe eery first floor, Aad on a plena t/ie scale ups rune o'er— fast re, tee, fa, sol, and la, si, end db, tint, apt and then down, sometimes fast, and than flow. Tbe Jantbor, too, hat tbe moeloej craze. And cn the tro.,t etepe an acoordlou plays; Ok. I'd move right away IT 1 could-wouldn't feu 1— Bat my rest la all paid, and to what can I do? —Malcolm Bougies, In It. Nicholas. JIM’S GRATITUDE. A cold, bleak November day; a prairie trail; a horseman in uniform, riding at a gallop. A turn la the road; a bushwhacker bidden In the bushes a shot, and a fall from the saddle It was l ittle Jim, our third Ser- ! geant, riding across the country to carry a dispat b. We called him Little Jim because he was small of staturo and because everybody liked him He was only a boy, and odb took Into his frank face and big blue eyes made you his friend. The bush whacker peered over the log and saw bis victim lying on the stony road and the horse galloping away in affright and a smile of satisfaction came to bis face as he rose up and hurried through the woods. War is not always war. Sometimes it is as- | sassi nation—murder. Twenty rods beyond the body lying in the road Is a humble cabin, ten anted only by a woman and two children. War has forced the husband and father into the ranks At sound of the shot and the clatter of hoofs they rise up from j their frugal noonday meal and run down to the gate. A dead man is bv oo means a rare sight to mother and children. Scores of dead have been left on that highway n the last few weeks, and at times the ca’ in has been full of wounded men who groaned and cursed. "It's a Bluenose who's been bush whacked," whispers the mother as rite leads the way down the road, and presently the trio are looking down upon the lifeless form of our L ittle Jim. No, not lifeless The bullet struck him in the side and inflicted a severe wound, but even while they gave atjhlm he opens his blue eyes and tries to realize his sltuat on. "Looks jest Ike Unde Ian,” whispers one of the ihildren i "Let’s be good to him"’ pleads the other. She would. Assisted a bit by the children, she got him to the house and had captured a prisoner and a patient at the same time. Her hus band and her neighbors had come home with gunshot wounds, and she had helped to nurse them and send them hack to tight tor the cause she believed was right. Aside from a surgeon our Little Jim oould not have fallen into better hands, t-he probed for the bullet and found it. and if living to-day he wears It on his watchchain. The Eastern volunteers had been holding that road tor week*, and all that afternoon and evening the woman listened for the elatter of hoofs that she might re port what had occnnvd and hare her patient taken away. Not a horse man passed. xnere were days aDa nignts wnen Little ilm was out of his head and raving of home and mother. There were days and nights when his life hung on a thread. He had the care his own mother wou.d have given him. Many and many a time he called her his mother, and blessed her that she had come down from the old home to nurse him back to life. By and by the crisis passed and the soldier knew where ne wa< and the situation outslda He Knew more than the good woman would have him. That little fam ly was being put to sore straits to find him such food as an nvalld must have and he heard the chi drew cry out at night because they had not enough covering to keep them warm. Aiter a few days, when he found there was no chance to get word to the loyal line, he begged of the woman do deliver him up to the rebel authorities and relieve her-seif of the burden. f;he lud gnantly refused, and the chil dren. who had ins stedon calling him Uncle Daniel, cried at the thought I of his going away. i retty soon a new peril threatened. The neutral territory was given up to bushwhackers and Indians. One dar a long haired, evil-looking man, who e garb was that of a farmer, and who was probably the would-be assas sin of 1 Jttle Jim, was seen lurking about the premises. The woman put another pillow behind the soldier, handed him his revolver and quietly said: "I have your carbine and shall try to kill him If he persists In entering the house. If I am killed then you must take care of yourself ” The Sergeant could hear every word o< the .'onversatlon as the man finally j advanced to the house and the wo man stepped outside to meet him. “book yere, woman,’’ he began, “who yo’ got in yo’r house'!'” ‘•By what right do you ask that:'” ; she demanded in turn. ‘•By the r ght everybody has to kill a cussed Canuck wherever be kio j find him. Stand aside and let me see what sort of a fowl yo’ve had cooped in yere for two or three weeks. ” Click! Click! sounded the hammer of her carbine, and as she brought the muzzle on a line with the man’s heart she said: “There’s the road! Yo* scatter! I’ll count twenty and then I’ll shoot!” lie backed away, m tterlng and cursing, and for the next three days the cabin was in a state of siege. He hung about, determined to investi gate the re, orts which had somehow leaked out, but finding the woman on her guard be Anally went away to report to the rebel authorities. Thauksg v:ng Da came—cold, bleak and a flutter of snowflakes in the air. Little Jim had been shot just three weeks before, but such was the nurs ing that on this day be was helped out of bed and bolstered up in the big rocking chair to cat Thanks giving dinner. Tears came to his eyes as he saw what e"orts the wo man had put forth and how meager the results. Mother, children, una soldier were gathered at the.table when there came a clatter of hoofs and a clanking of swords, and a dozen repels galloped up to the door. At their head was a Se geant, who pushed his way iu and seized wife and children and kissed them before he looked at the pale-faced man at his table. He was followed by a Cor poral, who was scarcely Inside the deer before the children cried out: “Uncle Daniel! Uncle Daalel! Our other Uncle Daniel has come home.” The bushwhacker had made his report to the nearest camp, and the Sergeant had beec sect to bring the prisoner In. He sat at the head of the table and heard the story, and when it was concluded he patted his wife,on the head and said: “You did just right, Alary. When a loyalist is up, he’s our enemy; when he’s duwn we can t strike him. 1 wish some one else had come, though. My orders are to take him back, and I’ve got to do It or stand trial. ” * I’ll go with him, Jim.” protested the woman. His wound has not healed yet, and he’s no more strength than a baby.” . oiumeers in signt, sir:" reported a man at the door. “How iar away'/'” “About a mile.” “That let’s us out Twelve of us can’t tight no thousand volunteers. Good-bye, Mary good-bye, children! I’m dog gone giad of t! Orders Is or ders, but I'd a gone back to camp and told ’em It wasn’t in me to bust up a dying man’s Thanksgiving, no mat ter whether he was a rebel or a loy alist!” Five minutes later the highway was full of volunteer cavalry, and half a do eu oilieers were in the house. This time it was Little Jim who told the story, and when ho had finished every one put out hi9 hand to the woman and said “God bless you!” They took the Sergeant away in the am ulance, but on the plate on which he had eaten his Thanks giving dinner they left a due reward, and many a soldier’s haversaok was emptied that want might be put afar off. After the war, Little Jim rode over that highway again to find the cabin in ashes, but the soldier and family aiive and well. His money built a new and better house, fenced in the Helds again, bought horses and plows and seed and started the ex rebel on the road to prosperity. Well, the Sergeant feels that he can never repay the debt, and the fam ily think there wa9 never such an other enemy in the world, and so take it all around, it came out as good as the ending of any story, and hasn’t been concluded yet—Kings ton Press. The Devil’s Mirror. "One of the most peculiar of stone formations is the 'devil’s looking glass,’ on the Nolacbucky River,” said L. IX Taylor at the LtndelL "It Is a palisade which arises abru: tly from the river to a height of ioo feet. It is perfectly smooth and about 100 feet wide. When the sun is at a certain stage it throws a shadow over the water and reflects the sunbe ms as a mirror would, dazzling the eyes of the beholder, sometimes almost blinding him with its brightness. To go upon the river in a skiff and look down into the water, is to see an image reflected, but always distorted. It is this which gave the name to the forma tion, and there are several interest ing'legends connected with It, some of which are devotedly believed by the mountaineers. One of those wh ch is generally given credence is that every night at midnight, when the moon shines, the devil goes there to bathe and makes up his to let using the rock, with the reflection of the moonlight, as a looking glass.”— St. Louis Globe Democrat. Sunday In Australia. Sunday in most of the capitals of Australian provinces is not an enliv ening day. Concert and theatrical entertainments are contrary to the law, hotels are rigorously closed as far as the general public is con cerned, and if a publican is caught dispensing liquor he is heavily fiDed. Steamers and trains are run only on sufferance, although the shops are al lowed to remain open. In Melbourne, however, no shopkeeper Is allowed to sell even a bottle of ginger beer or a dozen of apples. Yet Melbourne Is the only town where concerts are held Sunday, and once they were high class, bat as no charge can be made for entrance they have retrograted In character. An audience is ad mitted to the concert hall or theater bit by bit, each man or woman hav ing to contribute to a collection made at the door as they enter. Some times, however, the plate is taken round the seats as in church.—Lon don Figara _SOME BITS OF SPRING MILLINERY. GOWNS AND GOWNING. WOMEN GIVE MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY WEAR. Brief Glances at Fancies Feminine, Frivo lous, Mayhap, and Yet Offered In the Hope that the Reading May l'rove Restful to Wearied Womankind. Gossip from Gay Gotham. New York correspondence; h, V KKn of one sort | J or another are an important feature in spring dro ses * ^^and they promise to f /^*contim e during the summer. The most common sort are f! wildly flaring and sharp pointed, and the (rut ido po'nts often reach near ly to the shoulders. Another and nov 1 sort of want ado: n meut is shown in the initial pictur . This dress is of thin 'firay£j. woolen suiting and i nje' its gored skirt is I IA,; lined with sil and ll'*sti loned around ttie uuiuom. Liu: i unless ill inula is luiu in boxp’eats, but the front lits snugiy over the hips. The skirt garnitu o consists of a deep gathered Bounce, with sides curving upward, and just touching the boxpleats. The bottom of this Bounce is tin koil throe times. The bodice has flit d linln : and a vest of pique or of white watered sil t, which is bordered with double brotoll s sla hed near the shoulders and fo: m ing a round collar in b ok. P ain balloon sleeves and turned d< wn collar linish this dainty c ;stu e. T is vest is one with the collar, hut thoso which are accompanied by shirt-front and tie are for the most part cut high, and show very little of the hint at 11 o throat. For wear for receptions with brocade coats, the wai.tcoat is of silk to match the ground of the c at an l the bos m showing abovo is hardly rib FURRED B'TM > AND ROUND. more than ayoki of very fine mull, : t ted to a folded e 11; r of silk like the waistcoat. A fall of e il lace is at tached to the collar at its lower edge, and co.ers the mu 1 entirely in its soft folds to the wai c at top. Waistcoats are fitted in ge tleman'.y a hion below the waist line in front, they finish at the waist line with a slight point just in fr n', or 'he . are made according to the fashion of the couriers of the time of Charles If., with t bs below the waist, to shi w in front below the short-cut coat. The earliest pro; hecies of spring and summer fas dons promised that fur would be used for trimming even in the hottest months. This promise has been fulfil e 1 so far. but the fad o lacks in reasonableness that it is not surprising to see it tike on odd and fr.itesque expressio's, as it frequent y oes. Here in the second pict re is ah example which shows plainly how des- j perate is the search for novelty. The : dress is of a very dark-brown cloth j and the spiral trimm:ng black fur. I The deep bas iue is in fluted pleats, and a very high collar tops it Now that so many fancy waist- are 1 te tuired it i- as well to learn a few tricks of transformation. Be wise a; d have two or tb ee waists made quite Slain, about hips, thr at, and shoul ers. Let the lee ves be of gigot pat tern, full at the top and close below the elbow. Employ only one materia! in the construction of these waists, then consider them as foundations merely, > and plan a lot of accessories to use at your pleasure with the foundation i waists, and you will drive your neigh- i bor friends mad with the idea that vou j have several dozen fancy bodices. You ; will have a foundation waist of black. ; one of white, one of your pet color, and j possibly one of (lower d silk. A finish for the black will bo thus arranged: arm straps of ribbon velvet to set ovor tho shoulder are connected by a pioce of velvet to crois the chest and one to cross the shoulder at tho back. To tho lower edge of tho front piece run very full a piece of black not that shall at tho co ners each the bust line and slope to the waist line In front Applique on the lower edge of tho not a finish of cream guipure, and spiay applique guipure Howe s, circles or ere cents a' over it. I’attorns cut out of cheap lace applique with excellent effect. To tho shoulder straps fa.Ion squares of not onil olll.hed in the same way ami odgod on three sides with the guipure. At tho hack comes a piece to correspon I with tho front. At one side whore the shoulder piece and the cross ]> ecoof velvet meet, there should bo a bow of ribbon velvet, finished at the end, with guipure edge and with a row or to of guipure above. A yoke of /iK A SKIRT TRIMMED ON * NE SIDF. gtiipu o lace may !>o set in the open squate, the collar of the same being a wide ru e of guipure, hold high and close about too throat by a tie of velvet ribbon a-itened at the side and furur h d with ends to match the side bow below. This yoke rho Id be made a liustable, and the ri bon at the throat should not be fits eued to the la e, for you will w nt tl.o same yoke with white atin ribbon lor use with the wl ite waist. In the dress of the third picture there is shown a handsome stv lo of trimming, which c > s sts, for tho skirt, of a band of changeable watered ril> b >n ed cd on both s.dos with a fancy bordi r . n i drawn thr< ugh buckles in front and ha :k a> rh iwn. Tho jacket 1) dice h s a fitted vest hooking in front which is c vered with a gathered plastron of a contrasting shade of silk, either open in the center or lapping over, and edged with darker velvet who; e ends lap over in tho waist and form a belt. The basque is ideated and garnished down the edges* f the fronts with narrower ribbon than that on tho skirt. The du ed sleeves are also banded with ribbon near the wrist. The dress goods is a changeable silk showing mode and garnet. Two house dresses are presented in the next illustration, that at the left lx n: a very pretty example of the ers while tea gown. Its material is ye l w surali and it has a round yoke to which the st -night bn adtha are gathered. Thu yoke is made of valen FUR H ME WEAR. cienneg insertion and strips of silk, and the collar is entirely of laco insertion. Copyright, IBM. Olfl-TIme F tnhion<*. Greek ladies had steel and brass mirrors, parasols, fans and smelling bottles. Lay fig res f-r fitting on ladies’ dresses were invented in France about 13J0. Corsets have been found on the mu nmies of 1 gyptian prinoesses of the royal family. Ix 1516 Francis I. gave to hia Queen the equivalent of $10,000 In our money to buy a hat.