GETTING TO BE A MAN Im glad my hair aint vallovr And nil curled up and long Im glad my cheeks aint dimpled t And that Im gittin strong I wisht my voice was hoarser To talk like Uncle Dan Because I want to hurry And git to be a man Im glad the women never Come iinlouiu and say Oh what a party little boy In of way I wear big shoes and always s Make all the noise I can Because I want to hurry And git to be a man V t Onct I tried to chew tobackcr But couldnt do it quite It made me awful dizzy They said I was a sight But some time when Im older I bet you that I can I wont give up that easy Cause I want to be a WanT Ive got on pas suspenders Wisht I had whiskerstoo f And that my feet was bigger And schoolin was all through Wisht Edison- or someone Would come out wUlHtnhm To help a boy to hurry And git to be a man Cleveland Leader DJftAWS TO HIS BOOM Tberefvas unusual excitement at Fort Clark i Caitjemen cowboys horse ranchers teamsters soldijers all moved arountHn ih miDsY excited way1 and threats of violence against some un known person came fast and furious Fort Clark is a frontier post in South western Texas It was not of so much importance as a town u GO as it is now but civilization not having crept so close over iron rails it was of more importance as a frontier post Word had come in that Willie Pray herder on Turkey Creek bad been found in his cabin with a gaping knife wound in his breast and a Mexican woman whom he had recently en gaged to go out to -take charge of the domestic arrangements at his much was also discovered with her throat cut Whatever was the cause of the dou ble murder was only a matter of sur mise but surmise is generally enoughf for Judge Lynch He doesnt waste much time upon quiSbles The fnatfpf was argued out in this way Anybody seen any Indians about came from a young soldier who stood in a group near Bill Chunks store Taint no Injuns came from a long haired hunter who was seated on a stump mending the cinch of his sad dle with buckskin thongs Why Uncle Bilir canie from sev eral voices Injuns dont knife unless its for hair Sides that ef theyd bin around 1 reckon that thar jacal ml bin a blazin Hw did this yer news come anyhow No one seemed to know The report just appeared to spring up without there being any responsible author for it It started as a rumor and the story gradually developed until the whole post knew of it and was consequently excited Here comes Jake Breen said one of the group he seems to know as much about it as anybody When Jake came up he said he did not know any more than the rest Someone had brought in the report and he had just heard folks talking about it He agreed with Uncle Bill that it was not Indians and with many oaths - Lvpnuuvu ilia LHUl iu v v You see Pray took a greaser worn- an out tb ere to lool after has ranch Most Mexican women have lovers of their own colour Everybody knows Mexicans are jealous and revengeful They mostly use a knife while a white man uses a shooting iron The report says that both were killed with a knife -which shows that it was done by a Mexican who was jealous of Pray and the only Mexican we know of about the place is the -herder he had looking after his sheep Itlooks as if he was the guilty party Thats so said several fche Mex ican must have done it Then whats the use waiting around here The greaser aint going to come here and ask us to hang him iHe may be around the ranch yet if he aint skipped to Mexico Weve got to hang a greaseranighty quick if we wants to do justice in this matter said Jake and the most of those there assembled appeared to agree with him Jake was a desperado of the first water and was necessaritly an authori ty in these matters Wharis the coyote ez brought the nqws said Uncle Bill Again there was no answer I reckon wed better go and see theyre dead afore we hang anybody Wed best go to the ranch and take a look at the late lamented afore we un dertake to do anything else We can take a judge along for convenience in case we need him Im going -to the inch and Uncle Bill picked up a sad- kthat lay on the ground near him and ted for Tin r staked out on the off ppeared mdby hcrdof sheep quietly grazing but evi dently making their way slowly in the direction of Prays ranch as a man was apparently iirging them on while a dog was keeping themfrom straggling e Prays greaser now said Breen I know him by his having that dog with him Wed better get him while- we have a chance and he turned his ponys head in that direction Say Squire said Uncle Bill turn ing to a bright intelligent looking young man riding near him who got 1ihVtftleby beiflg a lawyer pears like youd best go along an see that the Mex dont escapefrom the hands o justiebaAra sTytwiukle came into his eye -as he added Seems like a mighty desprit feller the way he drives them sheepanf Jake an the ofltec fU lers maybe cbuldnthiindle rightvaIone Ill take keer o thjs cavyard So the vouiigslavverand1five others followed Jake Breen Kviki dash over the pralritf to capture the Mexican while the rest of the cavalcade rode on to the ranch w Prays jacal or hut -was-a-rude-affair constructed as many of them are in that country Jby planting live oak pickets ten feet long in an upright position side by sile to Tornf tlT6walls and making a roof of prairie grass thatch Thecracks were stopped with mud and there was no opening except the door which furnished all the light and- ventilation needed besides that which came in through the numerous crevice in the rude structure It was situated in a grove of trees on the banks of the creek When the party rode up they found the door of the cabin closed and not a sign or sound of life anywhere around - Hello house called Uncle Bill Thar dont seem to be nobody here he added and then dismounting he walked tip to the door and gave it a push It opened inwardly scraping on the dirt floor as it did so for it hung loose on its strap hiuges Well Ill be denied J exclaimed tle old- man i as his eyes became accus tomed to the dim light in the cabin ef it haint so fera fact And then the others crowded up to look in and see what Uncle Bill had seen the body of the woman on the floor near the rear of the room with her throat cut and the body of Willie Tray near the door lying in a pool of blood which had evidently fiowed from awound in his side i Dont cuowd that thar door men I want ter see said the oldinau as he caught hold of Prays hand That gals gone but this here boy seems ter be kinder warm yit Give a hand a couple o youns an lets see wat a leetle fresh airll do They took him up gently and bore him to a grassy place in the shade of some trees Here they laid him tender ly down upon a bed of blankets and after moistening the lips with liquor they began examining the wound They had just reached this stage of the proceedings when fliere was a di version It came from the party who bad gone off to capture the Mexican They rode along the unfortunate greas er being tied to a lariat attached to the saddle bow of one of the men He was running along uttering protestations his face actually pale with terror No sabe seuors no entender Seuor Caballeros Here he is called Jake Breen as the company came to a halt Weve got the scoundrel And then they all crowded up to where the wounded and apparently dead man lay upon the blankets As the last party came up they approach ed the feet of the wounded man The Sheriff led the Mexican up the others niakingBrooni for them Stand back men an let us have air ThisVer corpseSeems to be re viviu some and Uncle Bill put his arm under Trays shoulders to raise them up And just then a strange thing hap pened The wounded man opened ihis eyes and stared round in a dazed sort of way Then fixing his gaze straight before him and raising himself up with his arm outstretched pointing his fin ger toward the trembling Mexican he said ian almost indistinct hesitating whisper w You you killed Her and then he seemed to gasp for breath but he made another effort and added Jake Breen and then would have dropped from exhaustion if the strong arm of Uncle Bill had not been at hand to ease him gently down When the name was mentioned it as tonished the men as much as if they -had heard thunder from a clear sky The ones on the outer edge of the circle hacl not heard the name at all but had seen the actionLand supposed that Praj wat pointing to the Mexican and not to the burly figure of Breen which loomed up behind that unhappy indi vidual They therefore naturally crowded up closer and their scowling faces boded no good for the descendant of the Aztecs Those who were close enough to hear the whisper were so astonished for a moment thrft they pould not grasp the situation There were two men who did however understand what it meairf and when the one Uncle Bill looked up to speak the other Jake Breen had allowed himself to be crowded out of the circle and was al ready on his horse He says it was Take Breen stop the Lcovote called uncle Bill and those Leaf to him sprang to their feet for- of them had been down on one Lsbme on both so as to watch the ktl man Those who understood bt out of the crowd aud by aring He says its Jake ihe others to understand -few moments of delay h wnen Breen 6a w tne kl toward him he knew too Ineant He had supposed and now when he faced e the ejes were open ked to speak He had had too much Dnericnce in Judge Lynchs court to await further develop ments He permitted the other anxious spectators to crowd him out and he quietly and quickly got into tire saddle of the lawyers horse which was not only the nearest to himl but the best one in the lot It was near the corner of the hut tJhit he mounted and when the others realized the situation he was already started on his way to the south ward It took only a few moments to have a dozen riders following on the trail headed by the lawyer on Jake Breens horse Say you tins called Uncle Bill to those who had riot yet started taint no use fer us to jine in thet thar chase One had better ride down to Uvalde an tell the folks an one had better go to Clark for a doctor from the post an an ambulance The rest can stay here till mornin an hear from the other fellers Thet sun aint half a hour high an wen she drops yer know hit ends the phase unless theyre mighty clost on ter him ez thar aint no moon What the old man meant was that there could be no chase after sunset There is no twilight in Texas and when the sun sets one passes directly from daylight to dark One might make his way by starlight but he couldnt follow a trail in the shadows The sun rose next morning in a clear sky and soon afterward the pursuing party were up to the ranch Did you get yer boss squire in quired Uncle Bill Yes Whard you find him Down by Elm Water hole Did you find Jake Yes Did you bring him along No we just left him ther among the trees Well then ez everything has passed off so pleasant like and the doctors thinks the boy kin be moved I reckon we mought jest ez well go back to Clark New York Mercury PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS They Are Needed in Coiintrj as Well as in City Among the many plans which have been suggested in England for com memorating worthily the sixtieth anni versary of the coronation of Queen Vic toria in June next none seems to find more favor than the proposition for a concerted movement for setting aside plots of ground or places of historic in terest to be dedicated to the common use and enjoyment of the people It is pointed out that this is a plan which will give the people of each towns and county a personal interest in the celebration while it will give them also the feeling that they are sharing in a great national movement Should this plan be adopted hundreds of Queen Victoria gardens parks playgrounds and fields dotted over the kingdom may express the popular appreciation of Queen Victorias beneficent reign and at the same time confer a great and lasting benefit upon the people They have been slower in England than we in this country to recognize the advantages of public playgrounds The establishment of parks and gardens and recreation places for the public use is no new thing with us The move ment in thatdirec rion is increasing and many of our chief cities vie with each other in the extent and beauty of their park systems There are one or two errors which should be guarded against however For one thing places set apart for the public use should not be too good to play in Neat paths closely trimmed sods and signs of Keep of the grass do not meet the need These are all well but somewhere in the park there should be grass which one can stretch out upon and ground that the boys can trample over Another mistake is that communities do not begin soon enough to set aside land for commons and public grounds They wait until the pressure of popula tion makes breathing spaces absolutely essential to the general health By that time land commands a large price and the difficulty of securing enough for it within easy reach of the people is con siderable Playgrounds too are needed in the country as well as in cities It is often assumed in the country that boys and girls have all outdoors in which to play and that special provision for them is not necessary but it often happens in rural communities that there is no place in which children may romp freely They either play in the roads or trespass in private fields and pastures Rural communities which move in season to secure open grounds for the public use not only provide for the children to day but save large expendi ture later when population presses upon them and land comes to be reck oned at so much the square foot- Youths Companion Breakless Mirrors A German genius fills a long felt want by providing mirrors which will not break He simply employs celluloid where glass was heretofore used A perfectly transparent well polished cel luloid plate receives a quicksilver back ing like that of a glass mirror This backing is in turn protected by an other celluloid plate which also mir rors so -that practically a double mir ror is furnished ljjdHgr cheaper and more lasting than gsg Best Fire Prooi Boors Numerous experiments toxdetermine the best fire resisting materials for the construction of doors have proed that wood covered with tin resists firebetter thnn in iron door The class of people converted a vivals have to be saved as often as wheat t re- Yhe Unless there is an old woman in th house anything that is put in tho fam ily Bible is mislaid for years to come t Saar3 THE1IELD OF BATTLE INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF THE WAR The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of Whistlinjr Bullets Bripfht Bayonetsf Bursting Bombs Bloody Battles Camp Fire Festive Bugs Etc Etc The Unionists Fate Two or three years before the South seceded from the Union a fine young fellow from New England settled in one of the country districts of Ala bama where he opened a school Barlow for that was the teachers name had no patience with secession but he had come South to make money and in order to win popularity and pat ronage he disguised his sentiments ana was apparently willing to drift with the tide He was soon on the best of terms with his Southern neighbors and the year before the war broke out he mar ried a rich girl and found himself the master of a plantation and about a hundred slaves The school was given up of course and Barlow was transformed into a typical cotton planter Even then he was loyal to the Union at heart but his greed tempted him to remain and pretend to sympathize with the secession cause The first gun was fired in Charleston harbor troops rushed to the front and a new republic was attempting to rise from a sea of blood The ex teacher threw off his old hab its and adopted those of the people around him He enjoyed hunting and outdoor sports liked his toddy and was at his best when he was telling stories to a crowd of jolly fellows Naturally he was popular and in ev ery circle he was a prominent figure He contributed liberally to the Con federate cause but had no desire to enter the army Fortunately he was not subject to conscription as the laws of the Confederacy exempted every man who was the owner of twenty or more slaves People thought it perfectly natural and proper for him to stay at home to protect his property and he was treat ed in respect like a native South erner One public duty he could not shirk The district had to be patrolled at night and the younger men at stated times rode in couples all over the coun ty between sunset and sunrise Generally the men on patrol liked their work They carried their bran dy flasks and plenty of cigars and had their fun They stopped at the bachelor quarters of some of the plant ers and it was a rare thing to finish patrol scout without a game of cards for stakes high enough to make it in teresting Barlow knew enough of what was going on to convince him that the Con federates would be vanquished and in a quiet way he made preparations for the final collapse Through an agent in Montgomery he made occasional purchases of gold aud greenbacks and he stored large quantities of cotton in places supposed to be safe Much of his time was devoted to what might be called a campaign of education with his wife He stuck to this systematically removed her sec tional prejudices filled her mind with a longing to enjoy the gay life of the large Northern cities and led her to agree with him that the success of the Union cause would be better for them than its defeat They decided to embrace the first op portunity when peace came to sell their land and go to New York to live Their slave property of course would be a total loss With this understanding the husband and wife continued to play their parts as good Confederates and the planter was always ready to patrol his district aiid aid in the preservation of peace and order among thd slave population He had become so accustomed to the expression of Confederate sentiments that he was rather proud of his elo quence in that line and his talk was fully as extreme as that of his South ern friends His wife feared that he would find it difficult to prove his loyalty to the Union when the time came but he told her that the Federals would un derstand his peculiar situation and would think that he was forced to act a part to save his life and property In fact it would have been danger ous if he had pursued the opposite course The few Northern Unionists in the South who did not hold their tongues had a hard road to travel The climax came before anybody was ready for it Lees army surren dered at Appomattox and a flurry of confusion and uncertainty followed throughout the South Johnston surrendered in North Caro lina and Jefferson Davis was known to be making his way through Georgia to the Southwest The Confederates in Texas were still undecided about surrendering and in some localities in Alabama and other States there was a desire to continue the conflict In Barlows neighborhood the people were slow in coming to a full undeiy standing of the changed condition of affairs The Home Guards drilled ev ery day as usual the patrol syster was kept up and the masters were as strict as ever by their slaves who did not realize what Appomattox meant if they heard it mentioned The conscript officers went their rounds and the small bodies of Confederate troops in that region held themselves ready to fight the invaders whenever it might be necessary One day it was rumored that a Fed eral raiding party had entered Barlows country and might at any hour reach his plantation The other planters ad vised a peaceful policy but Barlow I suspected a design on their pari to draw him out and discover his real feelings To deceive them he advised resistance and declared his readiness to take his gun and go on a scouting expedition His offer was accepted by the cap tain of the Home Guard and the un fortunate man armed himself and started out through the woods after first assuring his wife that there was no danger and that he was only play ing a game of bluff The full story never came out but when Barlows dead body was brought home the men who accompanied it said that he had been surprised in the forest by some Federal soldiers who sup- posd that he was about to fire upon them from ambush and they had upon the spur of the moment shot him down They carried him to the first planta tion on their road where he died from the effects of his wound Some of the neighbors who were present informed the officer in command that his men had killed a man who though a newly imported Yankee was a mighty good Confederate At the same time how ever they stated that the Federals would meet with no organized resist a nee in that vicinity The Federals visited the Barlow plan tation and carried off all the cotton stored there aud caused the negroes to scatter in every direction the major ity of them heading for Montgomery where they expected to live a life of ease at the expense of the Govern ment Mrs Barlow had the sympathy of the community until she put in her claim for her cotton pleading that she and her husband were strong Union people and had never been genuine Confederates An outburst of indignation followed and many interesting facts came to light showing the difference between the politics of the Barlows in public and in the privacy of their own home The widow lost her cotton claim but she sold her land and moved North among her husbands relatives and made a reputation as a bitter South hater Barlow was the last man killed by the Federals in Alabama and the pe culiar Circumstances of his death caus ed the incident to be the subject of con siderable talk He was a bright clever fellow said an old citizen who told me the story and if he had not been killed by the Yankees I verily believe that our district would have sent him to Congress on account of his red hot se cession talk But when the truth came out it was a shock to Wallace Putnam Reed in Chicago Times Herald Grants Coolness While General Grant then a lieuten ant was courting the lady whom he married there occurred an event to which he never reverted without a shudder A writer in the Midland Monthly describing an adventure which the young lieutenant and Miss Dent met with says When the water is high in the Missis sippi the swift current abrades the banks and they frequently cave in for several yards or rods at a time In early spring in one of their after noon explorations Lieutenant Grant and the young lady were riding along the bank of the river passing from one cove or valley to the mouth of another Miss Dent was nearest the watei Suddenly Miss Dents horse began to sink The earth had given way under his hind feet Grants horse was close beside hers In an instant he saw that her horse was sinking into the awful abyss Grants cool head and splendid horse manship here had opportunity to dis play themselves Quick as a flash he leaned over threw his right arm around Miss Dents waist and drew her to him as her horse disappeared in the seething and murky eddy that a moment later boiled and surged in an gry tumult over the place where bank and horse had disappeared from sight Fortunately the earth parted between the two animals leaving Grants horse on solid ground Lifting and firmly holding Miss Dent and applying the spur to his horse- he was on safe ground in a moment then he gently lowered her to the earth all this with out a word from the silent man or a scream or murmur from her As he hastened back to rescue her horse she stood holding the bridle of his outwardly as composed as if noth ing had happened Her horse had disappeared Grant followed down stream ajid hailed a boatman in a skiff who found the horse swimming several hundred yards below amid driftwood and debris He landed the animal at a place where it could climb the bankand it was soon on safe ground none the worse for the fright and the bath Johnny and Yank Every little while a new story is told which illustrates the nonchalant way in which the soldiers of the Federal and Confederate armies used to talk across the lines during the Civil War During the days he says when Sher mans army was operating in front of Atlanta Hoods Confederate command had been thrown again and again upon Shermans lift wing only to be hurled back each time torn and bleeding One morning after this had been going on for several days the outposts of the two armies found themselves within talking distance and began to con verse as usual 4 Hello Johnny said a Federal ser geant Hello Yank How many of you rebs are there left Dunno Yank Bout another killin I reckon Who can doubt that this brave Amer ican soldier of the South would have marched to the next killin with per fect composure even though it had reallv finished Hoods command ERRORS BY HlSTORIAS Dloccrics Tub a Vyth The Hannibal Fable Lies AbotitClcopatra The same year that Alexander died at Babylon Diogenes died at Corinth 2 B C but not we may be sure inr a tub because he never made such a fool of himself as to live in one Tho story that he did so had no better ori gin than a comment by his biographer Seneca who was not born till more than 300 years after the cynics death A man so crabbed ought to have lived in a tub like a dog In 21G B C Hannibal with nbouc 50000 men nearly annihilated tm Roman army of about 90000 at Can nae in Apulia Italy but it is all a fable to say that he sent three bushels of gold rings plucked from the bands of dead Roman knights back to Car thage as evidence of his victory The messenger who carried the news back to the Carthaginian Senate on conclud ing his report opened his robe and threw out a number of gold rings gath ered on the field of battle Four years later the Romans under Marcellus attacked and captured cuse belonging to Greece because of its alliance with Hannibal against Rome As the invading ships approach ed Archimedes is said to have setsome of them on fire with immense burningi glasses However modern science his so well watered this story that it only remains to add that even at this day the feat would be impossible Thirty years B C Cleopatra killed herself to avoid being exhibited at Rome in the triumph of Octavius who had made war upon her and Antony because the latter had divorced his Oc i tavius sister on the Queens account But did she die from a snakes bite It is better to think not If her death had been caused by any serpent the small viper would rather have been chosen than the large asp but the story Is disproved by her having decked her self in the royal ornaments and be- ing found dead without any marks of suspiciou of poison on her bod3 - Death from a serpents bite could notj have been mistaken and her vanityj would not have allowed her to choose one which would have disfigured her in so frightful a manuer Other poisons were well understood and easy of access and no boy would have ventured to carry an asp in a has- ket of figs some of which he even offer ed to the guards as he passed and even Plutarch shows that the story of the asp was doubted Nor is the statue carried in Augustus triumph which had an asp upon it any proof of his belief in it since the snake was the emblem of Egyptian royalty the statuo or the crown of Cleopatra could not have been without one and this was probably the origin of the whole story Here one may naturally ask Who has not heard of Cleopatras wondrous pearls one of which at a banquet giv en in Antonys honor she dissolved in vinegar Either this story also is fictitious or vinegar was evidently dif ferent in those days from the present- day kind which will not melt pearls It was nearly 100 years later that the Emperor Nero also killed himself GS A D Stabbing was the choice this time though and of this Ave make no ques tion What we wish to say about him is that he was not so bad a monster is usually imagined His mother Agrip piua was not put to death by his order nor did he play upon his harp and sing The Burning of Troy while Rome was on fire Our knowledge of him is gained mostly from Tacitus who hated him and from Petronius Arbiter who was put to death for conspiracy against him Even in Rome itself the common people strewed flowers on the grave of Nero Pearsons Weeklv Two Sets of Girls There is in one of our largest cities un Immense hop owned by a man emi nent in good works as well as in busi ness and in politics Its employes fall naturally into little clubs or coteries the men and women of similar tastes often going to spend their summer va cations together Last August four girls from this store went to a sea coast village in ow En gland Their pale faces and eager de light in the sea and fields touched The hearts of the old fishermen and their wives who speedily made friends with them and welcomed them to their little houses The girls were uneducated but they were simple sincere and modest as the finest gentlewomen They fished rowed and walked striving to under stand the new world around them When their holiday wns over they went back to town rosy and strong their brains full of new ideas and the richer for life by a few faithful friends Four other girls in their turn went to the same town They had spent their savings in plumed hats and cheap silks A coarse perfume surrounded them they wore gilt bangles and rhinestone necklaces Each had her hired bike on which she raced incessantly up and down in front of the hotel scorching and even jockeying as on a horse bouncing up and down on her seat and shouting to her companions When the daily railroad train came in they were always at the station bareheaded joking with the conductors or brakemen The villagers watched them askance but they Avere not crim inal girls -Their only ambition was to catch a beau The idle men of the village soon gathered around them and went back to town more vulgar and nearer ruin than when they came t it r This is a literally true incident It shows that the country will give back to you the crop which you plant in it The pure air and beauty of nature are as stimulating to the growth of weeds as of flowers If you choose weed3 they can be gathered at any wayside Youths Companion V i M V A 1 M i