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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1903)
1 Saved by a Sparrow 0 & i ERE is an absolutely true story of a little bird , Just a common sparrow of the mountain foot hills , but , possibly , no stranger case of bird instinct has ever been chron icled. One raw , rainy October day , while tbe engine of an express train was standing at a "water tank on a lonely Bide track in eastern Colorado , the en gine driver was surprised to see a sparrow fly In the cab window and perch upon the throttle at the boiler head. The little fellow made himself at home , there and set to making his toilet , for his feathers were very wet. Not wishing to drive the tiny visitor away , and with a desire to see how long he would remain after the train began to move , the engine driver reached carefully for the throttle and suceeded In putting the big machine In motion without frightening the bird. After having thoroughly dried him- Belf the sparrow hopped down from his strange perch and sat for several moments In a corner on the engine driver's cushion , evidently enjoying his ride , after which , with a chirp , he flew out of the window and away. The engine men forgot the Incident as they dashed on over the foothills and through the village. Two days passed ; the engine had returned , and was again east bound , with the same engine driver. It drew up for water at the same tank , and the driver was astonished to receive another visit from the little bird. Then they named him Mike , and at the same place Mike flew in the cab window whenever that particular engine passed on its eastbound - bound trips. It mattered not whether the train was on time or late , funny he said to the fireman ; "never stayed so long. This means something. " The fireman shook his head ominous ly. The train approached a portion of the road where the track wound for several miles along a narrow bed on the side of a canyon , where there were numerous trestles and small bridges. The engine driver on the right and the fireman on the left side of the cab leaned far out of the windows peer ing ahead as the dizzy height was be ing passed over. Suddenly Mike flew to the engine driver's hand which rest ed on the throttle , chirped fast and loud for several seconds and darted from the engine. The occurrence so startled the engine driver that he ner vously shut off the steam and applied the brakes. As he did so the fireman gave a cry of alarm , and in another instant a great mass of rocks and dirt and trees crashed down the mountain side and on to the track , carrying with it a bridge. With a deafening roar the mass rolled on into the chasm below , missing the engine by only a few yards. Had the train not been stopped where it was the landslide must have swept it into the awful depths. Mike was never seen afterward. What became of him , of course , no body knows. You may call it instinct chance or what you wish , but the fact remains that the little sparrow saved the train with its burden of human freight from destruction. Chicago Chronicle. Bob Burdette to Yonnjf Men. Remember , son , that the world is old er than you are by several years ; that for thousands of years it has been so ' MIKE APPEARED AS USUAL , PERCHED UPON THE THROTTLE. little Mike knew in some way. He never made a mistake in engines and never boarded any other. You must know that trainmen are a very superstitious lot ; nearly as much so as the men at sea ; so it came about that the engine driver friend of the bird looked upon him as a mas cot. He brought little seeds and cracker crumbs on each trip , and , strange as it may seem , the little fel low soon became so tame that he would perch upon the man's hand and eat the dainties. Here was a sparrow , wild and free to go where he wished , yet tame and happy for a half hour or more every few days In the cab of a great , throbbing , roaring , screech ing locomotive , for neither the shrill blast of the whistle nor the clank of the great bell nor the popping of the safety valve caused him to evince the hlightest fear. The season grew late ; frost had come 'jild autumn had put her last tints on vine and tree and shrub. No longer were heard along the streams the mournful cries of the "knee deep. " The woods had grown still and one day the engine driver carried the seed and the crumbs in his vest pocket past the tank and on to the end of tbe run , lor no Mike came to receive his din ner. He was greatly missed , but the engine men knew that tneir friend must have taken flight to the sunny southland for the winter , and he was not forgotten through all the dreary trips that were made across the bleak country. With the breaking up of cold weather Mike's coming was eagerly watched for. Would he come again. Had he for gotten his grime-stained friends of the engine cab ? Could a little bird not much larger than a man's thumb think long enough at a time to find his way back to the vicinity of that water tank ? The grass came again ; the trees took on their summer garb ; here and there could be seen an occasional bird. And Mike ? He came one day. For some time the engine driver had carried food for his friend in his pocket , to make sure that there would be no disappointment. So when with a peep , peep , the little sparrow flew in the window of the big. nauting machine , with as much con fidence as if he had never missed a trip , he found his repast ready. * * * * * * * * A cold , sobbing rain was soaking the brown fields of autumn. The streams were swollen and the railroad track way soft. At the tank Mike appeared as usual and perched upon the throttle of the engine : minutes passed Into a half hour , an hour , an hour and a half , yet the "bird showed no sign of leaving , as he had always done before , and the eiijrine driver grew uucasj' . "Mike makes me nervous , " at last full of smarter and better young men than yourself that their feet stuck out of the dormer windows ; that when they died the old globe went whirling on , and not one man in ten millions went to the funeral. Don't be too sorry ry for your father because he knows so much less than you do. Remember the reply of Dr. Wayland to the stu dents of Brown University , who said it was an easy enough thing to make proverbs such as Solomon wrote. "Make a few , " tersely replied the old man. The world has great need of young men. but no greater need than the young men have for it. Your clothes fit better than your father's fit him ; they cost more money and they are more stylish ; your mustache Is neater ; the cut of your hair is better. But. young man. the old gentleman gets the biggest salary , and his home ly , scrambling signature on the busi ness end of check a will drain more money out of the bank in five min utes than you could get out with a ream of paper and a copper-plate sig nature in six months. Pay of Turkish Ministers. A Turkish ministerial portfolio is a sort of gold-mine to the holder. It is not the Vizier , however , who holds the richest claim , though his salary is $ (56,000 a year , which is also that of the War Minister. The "plum" of Turkish officials is the admiralty , which is worth $84,000 a year , and the present holder is stated to have amass ed a fortune of $12,000,000. The Min ister of Foreign Affairs has $44,000 , ' and finance comes next with a thou sand lower , financial ability being ap parently esteemed in inverse ratio to the need for It The lowest salary Is that of the Minister of Mines , though it is rather higher , than that of the t n Premier of Great Britain. The sum is $27,800. \ A Hnman Can die. 3 Candidate for Mayor 1 have fouad 1 something beside a candle that wi ! ' an swer ' at old riddle , "Tne longer it stands the shorter It grows. " Friend What is it ? Candidate for Mayor A candidate. The longer be stands for oflice the shorter he grows financial ! } ' . Balti more American. Japanese Calendars for America. One of tbe prettiest calendars of the year hails from Japan. It is bound with quaint Oriental jingles In a sinail book which is illustrated by Japanese artists and printed on the delicate rice paper. ' IS'.ectricity and Vital Action. Dr. Loeb says electricity is the un derlying cause of vital action , but he has not as yet made a fair demonstra tion of it. Nothing succeeds like the officeholder who is his own successor. to PRAIRIE CAVERN IN OKLAHOMA. Interesting : Hole Where Such Freaks of Nature "Wouldn't Be Suspected. At a spot eleven miles southeats of this place In the level prairie upland is an opening about forty feet in diam eter and sixty in depth" says the Okla homa State Capitol. By clinging to its rocky and precipitous walls a person may descend to the bottom and there find the openings to two caves , one leading westward and the other to the east. For years this cave has been known as Rock Prairie cave. It is one of the most striking natural curiosities in the Chickasaw nation. The caves are of unknown length and through one rushes a subterranean stream of great depth In places and Icy coldness. Exploring parties have ventured Into these labyrinths for hundreds of yards , but the danger of becoming lost has prevented a thorough examination of the underground passages. The cave leading westward Is easiest of access and contains a number of spacious chambers. The room is about 70 feet square and 50 feet from the floor to the ceiling. The floor is ob structed with huge bowlders. The darkness and stillness are intense. Pic nic parties sometimes go there , and , with a large bowlder for a table , eat their luncheons in the glare of torches that cast uncanny shadows along the massive walls. Timid persons hesitate in venturing into the depths of the eastern cave. The passage stants downward at an angle that compels the explorer to crawl and slip and slide for nearly 100 feet before reaching a spot where a person may stand upright and walk safely. From the darkness echoes the sound of rushing water , which later Is found to be a stream which runs from 8 to 30 feet in width and from 6 inches to many feet in depth. Men have waded in the stream until the water reached their chins and then gone in a boat to points where they were unable to touch bottom with the longest oars. A farmer carried his boat into the cave several years ago tc follow the stream to the end. At a depth estimated to be 200 feet below the surface of the ground Is a natural bridge formed by a huge stone that fell across the stream. The water plunges underneath this bridge like a mill race. A boat can be pulled over the bridge , however , and launched on the other side. About 100 feet below the bridge the stream widens Into a broad , deep pool , with a high , vaulted roof. Beau tiful stalagmites and stalactites adorn this chamber. Two hundred feet below this pool the passage is difficult. It is claimed that this cave has been ex plored for a mile. The stream isbelieved to find its out let at a spring about three miles from the entrance to the cave. The spring is of great size and volume and flows with remarkable swiftness. In the rainy season the spring boils and gushes as If choked with a flood of water that pours from its mouth. The stream in Rock Prairie cave rises when there is a heavy rainfall In the sur rounding country and the Increased flow of both springs and stream at such times is taken as evidence that they are connected. ESAU THE CHIMPANZEE. Apes May Gain Brain Power by As- socintinj ; with Human Beings. ' Esau , I believe , is appearing at a' London music hall as a member of the company , and goes through various antics by way of showing the high degree of intelligence he possesses. Those of us who know something of champanzee ways and of the high brain type the animal exhibits are not surprised that an individual ape , here and there , will go far ahead of his fellows under domestication. Only I take leave to remark that a music hall is hardly the sphere in which the educational development of the animal can be duly carried out. To my mind there is something pa thetic and calling for pity in the sight of an ape being made to "perform" for the amusement of the crowd. The sci entific side of the matter would be represented by the further training of t the chimpanzee in private and the careful watching of his ways. A story has been circulated that Esau Is to be tnken to Germany to undergo an ope ration on his tongue , in the hope , presumably - . sumably , of loosening that member and of giving him a chance otspeech. . Anything more ridiculous than this dea could hardly have been conceived. Esau has his own language > -eady made. People who expect him to talk 'orget that language is a matter of brain , not of tongue or muscles only , writes Dr. Andrew Wilson in the London - don Chronicle. Imitative acts might be cultivated in the chimpanzee to a surprising extent. If the dog , with a much lower brain , has benefited by his * long association with man , one may well speculate on the development of brain power which would be possible ! in a champanzee had tnat race had ! the 1 advantage of human companionship - , ship for many centuries. Personal Observation. "Do you think that riches bring hap piness ? " said the philosopher. . "Beyond a doubt , " answered Sen- itor Sorghum. "I can point out a . number of members of the legislature who have been made happy by my money. " Washington Star. . - One Thing : "And liquid air , " said the girl be- ' lind the counter on Lexington street , 'has been proved after all to be of no i * use. " 1 " 'Tis sad. ain't it ? " agreed the girl n the blue waist , "but hot air Is still effective , dear. " Baltimore News. When a man thinks he knows it all , he Is seldom able to get bis neighbors indorse his thoughts. In the dry soil of- Egypt Prof. G. Elliot Smith finds the brains of most uon-mumlfied bodies of the cemeteries have been naturally preserved even * from predynastic times. The convolu tions may be mapped , and an account is soon to be given of the brain struc ture of Egyptians of different periods. A file specially designed for work ing on gun metal is- being used In French machine shops. It has shallow diagonal channels , at Intervals of half an inch , the teeth being on the raised portions between the channels. It is claimed that these files , clogging much less rapidly than others , increase the work done by about fifty per cent. No white pigments have been found in feathers , and the whiteness of white feathers is ascribed to total reflection of light from their exposed surfaces. Some have supposed tbe reflection to be from air spaces , or bubbles , in the feather structue , but R. . M. Strong , of Haverford College , says that the white effect is powdered glass , upon the small size of the structural elements. These have a large number of surfaces so placed for any position of the eye that there is a maximum reflection to the eye. and almost no absorption by the unpiginenteil feather substance. To get the eggs of a new species of mosquito inhabiting a South Carolina swamp , Dr. W. C. Coker , of the Uni versity of North Carolina , had to bor row the aid of a horse. The horse was driven into the low ground haunted by the mosquitoes , and when he came out the insects were found drilling through his skin. They were carefully re moved , put in a tin bucket , fed daily with blood from the hand , and after about five days , to the doctor's great delight , they laid their eggs in the water. It was to procure and study 'these eggs that he had taken all his trouble. In such homely ways science sometimes makes its advances. Astonishing effects as a tonic and blood-former are claimed by Dr. Nau- gier , of Paris , for balloon ascensions. He states that an air trip of two hours gives a marked increase in the red corpuscles of the blood , this increase continuing to be noticeable for at least ten days afterward , and that five as censions within six or seven weeks impart more benefit to an anaemic per son than three months in the moun tains. The good results begin almost immediately , prolonged stay in the upper air being of no advantage and possibly harmful. He urges that the city should give poor people the bene fits of a change of climate by provid ing a large balloon capable of taking- fifty patients daily on an aerial out ing. ing.A A remarkable example of the power of mimicry possessed by some persons , but altogether lacking in others , was furnished by the late Professor Roberts-A listen , of England. His triend. Prof. T. E. Thorpe , recalls many interesting instances of Roberts- Austen's singular gift , which was pur posely exercised only occasionally for the entertainment of his scientific con freres at a club meeting. But what leud % special interest to the case was Hie fact that Roberts-Austen frequent ly exercised his power without being aware of it. "I have heard him , to my terror. " says Professor Thorpe , "in the course of a conversation gradually copy the tones and inflections of a man's voice , and have seen him re produce his manner to his very face. " In such cases there was no conscious ness of what was being done in the mind of the mimic , or on the part of tlu > person imitated , and Professor Thorpe believes the origin of the un intended mimicry was sympathy alone. Cold Water Absorbs Poison. In connection with the subject of water there is one peculiar property of that liquid with which everyone should be made acquainted , and that is its capacity for absorbing impurities , which increases proportionately the colder it gets. Hence water that has , stood in an insutficiently ventilated sleeping chamber all night Is not only unpleasant , but positively injurious to drink , since it readily absorbs the poi sonous gases given off by respiration and action of the skin. An ordinary pitcher of water , under such conditions , at a temperature of sixty degrees will be found to have absorbed during the night from a pint to a pint and a half of carbonic acid gas , and an increase jf ammonia. Ice water is an objection able drink at all times , but if it is in dulged in , the vessel containing it t should never be left uncovered in sleep ing ' or sitting rooms , because at freez ing ' point its capacity for absorbing : these deleterious substances is nearly loubled. The Beating of the Heart. A person who has lived seventy years has had passed through his heart about 075,920 tons of blood , the whole of die blood in tbe body pass : ing through the heart in'about thirty- iwo beats. The heart beats on an aver- jge seventy times a minute , or 30.- 102.000 times in tl e course of a year , -o that the heart of an ordinary man. a SO years of age , has beaten 3.000.000.- a )00 times. The heart beats ten strokes ti minute less when one is lying down tin han when one is In an upright posl- n ion. a If a fool possesses tact and assur tia ing he will distance the wise guy who hossesses neither. > The man who laughs last fails to n a [ see the joke first. - Y A. Honic-Clennins ; Carol. The melancholy days have come the saddest of the year ; The carpet is onthe clothesline , and in cessant whacks we hear ; The bedding's in the kitchen , and the beds are in the hall , The pictures are upon the floor while some one dusts the wall ; We eat cold meat and crackers from a wabbly kitchen chair , For this is glad houseclcauing time so free from toil and care. The neighbors line their windows and a hasty ce'uaus take Of all the bric-a-brac we have , and calcu lations make If it was bought with ready cash , or on the installment plan ; We rescue our provisions from the hasty garbage man , And life is gay and cnreless-like , it makes one want to'roam To hie away because the folks are cleaning house at home. The melancholy days are here the days of soap and brush. Stove polish daubs the tableware the bat pie on Wagner's bust Piano holds some frying pans the bath tub's filled with books The women folks all ! who could tell who they were by their looks ! Sing hey ! The glad housecleaning time the time of dust and soap ! It is a gladsome sight to see through a big telescope. ' Baltimore American. White Gjrl Marries n Chinaman. A few weeks ago Grace Catherine Williams , a pretty girl of IS , became the wife of Chan Ah On. a Chinese student at the Washington night school in San Francisco. Later she was arrested upon complaint of her mother , "and accused of vag rancy. The young woman charges that her marriage to a Chinese was brought about by GRACE WILLIAMS , cruel treatment which was inflicted upon her by her mother and brother. She met Chan Ah On , and he treated her so kindly that when he asked her to marry him a week later she consented , the cere mony being performed at the Presby terian Chinese Mission Home. She frankly admits that she is not In love with her husband , but that he has been good and kind to her and has been sending her § 14 a week since they were married. "I am willing to live with my hus band , as he is willing to provide for me , or I will go to an institution or go out and work for myself anything ex cept go back home to my mother and brother , " she said. The Economical Woman. "Economical ? Oh , yes , a woman is economical very , " grumbled the ill- natured benedict. "She cuts herself down to a miserlj luncheon in order to save 10 cents ; ant half an hour later spends 50 cents 01 a collar she doesn't need because "it's so pretty for the price. ' "She walks ten blocks to save 5 cents and then is so tired and hot that she spends 10 for a plate of ice cream. "She says she wouldn't think of getting a new hat this year because she got one last year , but she pays one and a half times the price of a new one to Im'c her old one fetched up to date. "She darns and darns and redarns her stockings with self-righteous thrift , and pays 50 cents for a pair of fancy shoe strings. "She haggles year in and year out with a dull old scissors that would set a man cussing , and never sees the economy of having them sharpened or occasionally investing in a new pair. "She hoards up all the old rusty , bent nails and bits of knotted string , and brings them out upon occasion to induce pounded fingers and profane thoughts when 5 cents , five little cents , would buy a whole ball of strong bwine or a whole pound of shining nails that would go in straight without making a man perjure his soul. "Oh , yes , a woman is economical very ! But I don't like her economical. " Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Does Love Survive Marriasje. 'You can't expect such love as that "o last , " is an exclamation often utter- id by worldly and practical people. S Frequently these prophets are any- 1 hlng but infallible in their predictions , jut alas ! they are also frequently cor rect. It is but natural that love should y lot retain all the ardent , passionate element that made the heart palpitate ind the face change color , during the courtship days , but it becomes none the ess sincere and constant As mercy empers justice , so marriage tempers ove. e ove.A long , happy courtship is not an tl nfallible test of true love , nor is it 'a criterion for its pe'rmanencj * . It is the ictual experience after marriage , the a icquaintance with the worries and roubles of married life , that decide the natter. The survival of love after narriage depends upon both husband ind wife ; it depends upon the quali- ies , the powers of realization and to great extent the home training of fi iach. Sensible , thoughtful young -peo- 11 * le should not treat the subject of narriage lightly , as a mere diversion , C ( 'mere romance for a few months or d rears. Hence they would not be dis- appointed and grow weary of their married state. To all others , the thoughtless , the selfish , or the self-seek ing , love is not apt to weather the Inevitable storms and gales of a life that calls for mutual consideration and much sacrifice ; In fact , for the highest and best that Is in one. Mrs. G. Blake in American Queen. The Savins Women. If we are to believe the old prov erb , which says that "saving's good earning , " then the earning capacity of women always has been greater 'than that of men. Oh , the saving women of the world ! The women who sit up late making over last season's clothes to save buying - f ing new ones ; the women who stealth ily tiptoe across the floor to turn down , the gas when papa dozes over his newspaper ; the women who darn huge holes in basketsful of stockings ; the women who have a cracked teapot or old pocketbook into which they drop stray dimes and quarters , taking the accumulations to the savings bank with guilty secrecy ; the women who wash out pieces of carpet to make them appear fresh and new , who turn . ' the trimmings on their hats , and clean their gloves with gasoline , and cut | | down the clothes of Willie , aged 14 , to j fit Jiinmie , aged 10. Bless them , every one ! There is another sort of saving which might properly be termed hoard ing. It consists in laying down rugs to prevent the nap of the carpets from wearing , in putting paper covers on prettily bound books , in locking up the little girl's French doll. We read the other day of a woman who made a plush cover for the rosewood piano , and a linen cover for the plush , and a newspaper mat for the linen. We hope there are not many women like lier. Jn this sort of saving there is often an admixture of folly. There is yet another kind. Saving car fare at the cost of an exhausted body , saving lunch money and "skimp ing" the table , just as if you could . ! cheat nature without incurring retrl- * button ; saving the price of eyeglasses at the cost of impaired or perhaps de stroyed eyesight ; saving money earned by the overstraining of mental and A physical powers. * ' Woman is not always wise in her economies , we fear , but the verb "to save" is certainly feminine. Philadel phia Ledger. . . ; Little Hints. Smart walking gloves are made up in two colors of kid. Valenciennes medallions are inset in the daintiest lingerie. A good deal of straw trimming Is used on the new hats. All-over embroidery is used for many of the modish blouses. New fans are made of the bright plumage of tropical birds. After the cape Is coming the real old-fashioned "dolman , " says Paris. Those convenient robe gowns now come in foulards , louisines and taf fetas. Black silk stockings come with the college flags embroidered on the in step. The little bonnet for elderly women has become an unprecedented elabo ration. Novel ornaments are the big black berries and chestnuts fashioned out of jet. jet.No No hair ornament is smarter than the plain velvet bow matching the gown in color. A Youthful Playwright Miss Constance Smedley , whose cur tain raiser , "The Honor of a Rogue " written in collaboration with Mr ° mo Hamilton , will be seen in this country next sea son , enjoys the distinction of be ing the youngest woman that ever had a play pro. duced in London , the theatrical me tropolis Of world , Her first 1IIB8 SMEDLEY. play M Fordan , " a one act piece In which 'atrick Campbell scored a marked : ess about three years ago. Miss Smedley is an artist , and the work ot ier ] brush has been favorably com. nented upon by some of the Antics of London. She is not severest yet rear * of age , and If she should fail o become one of the prominent play- vngh s she will disappoint hosts of food judges. B lack velvet P'9sin. " of Black Velvet gowns are not peertae o sable I X ? urban to jatch , ana the beauh , * U re so popular.
