w
1
THE JOURNAL.
ISSUED EVERY WEDNESDAY,
M. Iv. TURlSrER & CO.,
Proprietors and Publishers.
73T OFFICE, Eleventh St., up flairs
in .Journal Building.
terms:
Per year
Six months ...
Three months
Single copie.
BUSINESS CAKDS.
D.T. 3URTVN-, M. P. F. .1. SCHDG, SI. D.
Drs. MARTYR & SCHUG.
U. S. Examining Surgeons,
Locil Surgeon-. Union Tacific. ()., N.
.t it. H.and It. .V M.n. RV.
Consultation in Oermnn unit Knli-h.
Telephone? at ollice and residence.
COLUMBUS, - NEBRASKA.
4-J-v
T IMH'UIIKRTV. M. 1-.
' PHYSICIAN d- s una EON.
TSTOtlice second door c.vt of post-ollice.
Jil-v
J.
1 Wll.!0..11. ..
1'UYSICIAXS: SURGEON.
Li.a-e of women and children a spe
cialty. Countv physician. Office former
ly occupied by Dr. Bone.-teel. Telephone
exchange. "'
o
1.I.A ASHKAIJGH, ...
DENIAL PARLOR,
On corner of Eleventh and North street,
over EnitV hardware store.
C
lOK2VISI'll'M tJLIVA3f.
.1 TTORXE YS-AT-LA W,
Up.stair-.in lck llui'iding, 11th street,
Above the New hank.
TT J. lirisfUK,
NOT A 11 Y P UliLIC.
12th Street. 2 dnori. west or Hammond Hoi,
Columbus. Neb. I-y
ryiiilJKMTOX POWKRS.
SURGEOX DENTISTS.
J2T Office in Mitchell Block, Colmu
bu, Nebraska.
J.
. REEUEK,
A TTORXE Y AT LA W,
Office on Olie St., Columbia, Nebraska.
2-tf
V. A. MACKEN,
DKALEK IN
Foreign and Domestic Liquors mid
Cigars.
llth -trect, Columbus, Neb. 50-y
rrAIXMl'EB IlKOJi.,
A TTORXE YS A T LA W,
Office up-stair.- in McAUUter's build
in;,', llth St. W. A. McAllMer, Notary
Public.
J. M. MACKAIU.AND, B. K. COWDKKY,
Alterri? i SK4TJ Psa z. C:Ui:ttr.
LAW AMI WLLEITIOX OFFICE
OK
MACFARLAND& COWDBRf,
CvluhibHS. Nebraska.
I F. RrWKR. 31. !..
(Succev.or to lr. ( . (5. A. llullhort
HOMEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN AXD
.SURGEON.
Kejrular graduate of two medical col
lege.. Office Olive St., one-half block
uoithot Hammond Hme. --!'
C. M. SWEEZEY,
Land, Loan and Insurance,
HUM I'll KEY, SKB.
Mone t loan oh lonor diort time on
Real E-'tate in Mini to mi it parties. ;0-y
J. J. JIAUCSUAX,
Justice, County Surveyor, Notary,
Land and 'Collection Agent.
tgri'artie- desiring surveying done can
itifv me bv mail at Platte Centre, Neb.
noli
r.l-Utn
F
H. KUSC11E,
llth St., opposite Lindell Hotel.
Sell. Harness, Saddles, Collars, Whips,
Blankets, Currv Combs, Brushes, trunks,
valise-, bugpv'tops, cushions carriage
trimmings, .t'c. at the lowest possible
prices. Repairs pn mptly attended to.
$66
.. w.t t. home. i.00 outfit
free. Pay absolutely sure. No
rik. Capital n tt reijuireu.
i?o!niir if von want business
... ...1.I..1, ,ur.nn. if itllir SHV. VOIinif OT
old, can make reat pay all the Urae they
work, with absolute certainty, write for
particulars to II. Hallkt & Co., Port
land, Maine.
GEORGE SPOONER,
CONTRA CTOR FOR ALL KINDS OF
MASON WORK.
Office, Thirteenth St.. between Olive
and Nebraska Avenue. Residence on the
corner of Eighth and Olive.
All Worlc Guaranteed.
4S-tf
JS. MURDOCH & SON,
Carpenters and Contractors.
Havenad an extended experience, and
will uuarantee satisfaction in work.
All kinds of repairing done on short
notice. Our motto is, Good work and
fair prices. Call and give us an oppor
tunitvtoestimateforyou. 3"Shop on
13th St., one door west of Friedhof &
Co's. store, Columbus. Nebr. 4S3-V
o. c. sHLAJsnsroisrr
MANUFACTURER OF
Tin and Sheet-Iron Ware !
Job-Work, Roofing and Gutter
ing a Specialty.
ISTShop on Eleventh Street, opposite
Heintz s urue More.
40-v
Gr
W. CLAKk,
LAND AND INSURANCE A GENT,
HUMPHREY, NEBR.
Bis lands comprise some fine tracts
in the Shell Creek Valley, and the north
ern portion of Platte county. Taxes
paid for non-residents. Satisfaction
guaranteed. 20 y
lOHJ3IBU PACKING CO
COLUMBUS, - NEB.,
Packers and Dealers in all kinds of Hog
product, cash paid for Live or Dead Hogs
or grease.
Directors. R. H Henry, Prest.; John
Wiggins, Sec. and Treas.; L. Qerrard, S.
Cory.
-VTOXICE TO TEACDERg.
J. E. If oncrief, Co. 8o.pt.,
Will be in his office at the Court Home
on the third Saturday of each
month for the purpose of examining
applicants for teacher's certificates, ana
lor the transaction of any other business
pertaining to schools. C6T-y
I
Off
She
VOL. XV.--NO. 8.
COLUMBUS
STATE BANK!
St::iR;rit3 Simri t Sitl i:l Tirnr k Bsltt.
COLUMBUS, HEB.
CASH CAPITAL, - $50,000
DIRECTORS:
Lkandkr Gerhard, Pres'i.
Geo. W. FIulst, Vice Prea't.
Julius A. Reed.
Edward.A- Gerbard.
J. E. Taskeh, Cashier.
Bank r Depeult, DLscossstt
and Exchaage.
CellectleaH Prosnptljr IVlade ea
all Holatu.
Pay laftereMt oa Time lepos-
Km.
274
i. J. iiiicbki:t,
Cailir.
IKA It. BKIGftLK,
Au2sti:t CuMsr.
-THE-
CITIZENS' BANK!
HUMPHREY, NEB.
iSTPrompt attention given to Col
lections. t3T?ay Interest on time deposits.
jgrinsurance, Passage TicketB and
Real Estate Loans. tf
LINDSAY &TREKELL,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
FLOOR AW MO STORE!
OIX. CAKE,
CHOPPED FEED,
Bran, Shorts,
BOLTED i DIBOLTEQ COM MEM.
GRAHAM FLOUR,
AND Font KINDS OF THE BEST
WHEAT FLOUR ALWA.YS
ON HAND.
1ST AU kinds of FRUIT in their ea
um. Orders promptly filled.
lltli Street, Coliimlius, ISelr.
47-Cm
HENRY GASS,
TJlSTDETzlTAJE R !
COFFINS AND METALLIC (!ASES
AND DEALER IN'
Furniture, Chairs, Bedsteads, Bu
reaus. Tables, Safes. Lounges.
&c. Picture Frames and
Mouldings.
X'Repalrina of all kinds of Upholstery
Goods.
6-tf
COLUMBUS. NEB.
GOLD
for the working clas
Send 10 cents for postase,
and we will mail you free
a roval, valuable box of
sample goods that will put you in the way
of making more money in a" few days than
you ever thought possible at any bui
iiess. Capital r.ot required. We will
start you. You can work all the time or
in spare time only. The work is univer
sally adapted to both sexes, young and
old." You can easily earn from ."0 cents to
i every evenimr." That all who want
work may test the bu-iness, we make
this unparalleled offer; to all who are not
well satisfied we will end $1 to pay tor
the trouble of writing u. Full particu
lars, directions, etc., sent free. Fortune
will be made by those who give their
whole time to the work. Great success
absolutely sure. Don't delay. Start now.
Address Stinsos Jt Co., Portland, Maine.
A WORD OF WAKI.
FARMERS, stock raisers, and all other
interested parties will do well to
remember that the "Western Horse and
Cattle Insurance Co." of Omaha is the
only company doing business in this state
thai insures' Horses, Mules and Cattle
against loss by theft, accident, diseases,
or injury, (as also against loss by tire and
lightning). All representations by agents
of other Companies to the contrary"uot
withstanding. HENRY GARN, Special Ag't,
15-y Columbus, Neb.
TAMES SALMON,
CONTRACTOR AND BUILDER.
Plans and estimates supplied for either
frame or brick buildings. Good work
guaranteed. Shop on loth Street, near
St. Paul Lumber Yard, Columbus, Ne
braska. 52 6mo.
J., WAGNER,
Livery and Feed Stable.
Is prepared to furnish the public w'th
good teams, buggies and carriages for all
occasions, especially for funerals. Alo
conducts a sale stable. 44
.KSHlns tUimH StoSW u4 Tvl
IfTKjam. tMrj wA Out, tltftt If 1
SKSMiUtlMtKftiaIaaraainu4Zx-lK
FIRST
National Bank!
COICTBCBUB. NEB.
Authorized Capital,
Paid ! Capital,
Sarplns and Profits, -
- $250,000
50,000
- 6,000
OFFICERS AXD DIRECTORS.
A. ANDERSON, Pres't. n ,
SAM'L C. SMITH. Vice. Pres't.
O.T. ROEN, Cashier.
J. W. EARLY,
HERMAN OEHLRICH.
W. A. MCALLISTER,
G. ANDERSON,
P. ANDERSON.
Foreign and Inland Exchange, Passage
Tickets, ana Real Estate Loans.
29-Yol.13.ly,
COAL LIME!
J.E. NORTH & CO.,
DEALERS IN
Coal,
Lime,
Hair,
Cement.
Cork Sping Coal,
Carbon (Wyoming) Coal.
Eldou (Iowa) Coal
.$7.00 per ton
.. 0.00 "
0
Blacksmith Coal of best quality al
ways on hand at low
est prices.
North Side Eleventh St.,
COLUMBUS, NEB.
14-:tm
UNION PACIFIC
LAND OFFICE.
Improved and Unimproved Farms,
Hay and Grazing Lands and City
Property for Sale Cheap
AT THE
Union Pacific Land Office,
On Long Time and low rate
of Interest.
$3TFiiial proof made on Timber Claims,
Homesteads and Pre-emptions.
23TA11 wishing to buy lands of any de
scription will please call and examine
m list of lands before looking elr where
K5TAU having lands to sell will please
call and give me a description, n-rin ,
prices, etc.
J3TI a so am prepared to inure prop
erty, as I have the agency of several
first-class Fire insurance companies.
F. W. OTT, Solicitor, speaks German.
NA91HKI- C.SJ1ITO,
:$0-tf Columbus, Nebraska.
BECKER & WELCH,
PROPRIETORS OF
SHELL CREEK MILLS.
MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLE
SALE DEALERS IN
FLOUR AND MEAL.
OFFfCE, COL UMB US. NEB.
SPEICE & NORTH,
General Agents for the Sale of
REAL ESTATE.
Union Pacific, and Midland Pacific
R. R. Lands for sale at from S3.00 to f 10.00
per acre for cash, or on five or ten year
time, in annual payments to suit pur
chasers. We have also a large and
choice lot of other lands, improved and
unimproved, for sale at low price and
on reasonable terms. Also business and
residenco lots in the city. We keep a
complete abstractor title to all real es
tate in Platte County.
621
COLUMBUS, NEB.
LOUIS SCHSEIBER,
AH kinds of Repairiig done en
Short Notice. Biggies, Wag
ons, etc., made to order,
and all work Guar
anteed. Abo sell the world-famous Walter A.
Wood Mowers, Seapers, Combin
ed Machines, Harrestars,
and Self-binders the
beet made.
'Shop opposite the "TattersalL" on
Olive St, COLUMBUS. 2tai
BttsffliMWaiiita
$kmm
COLUMBUS, NEB., WEDNESDAY. JUNE 18. 1884.
BALLADE OF A SWELL.
to forehead he fringes and decks
With careiu'.ly cut Montagues;
He angles his armessemi-X,
And dresses In delicate hues;
His haunts at? the rich avenues;
Staccato is somewhat his gait:
It takes but a wink to amuse
His sadly-impoverished pate.
His costumes are covered with checks;
He travels in tape-toed shoes
Through Vanity hair, there to vex
The silly young- heart that he woos;
He's clever with cards and with cues.
And banters with Foitune and Fate;
Ala.?, that the lad can not lose
His sadly-Impoverished cato!
He's food of the frivolous sex;
His light conversation he strews
With "toffy"; aught else would perplex
The topic his fancy pursues;
The cud of contentment he chews.
While women and wealth on him wait;
And nature with nothing endues
His sadly-Impoverished pate.
EKVOV.
Fair princesses, all who peruse
Tnu ballade, beware ere too late.
Lest Opulence bear you abuse
,v
nu siuiiy-uapuveriaucru pttic .
tYank Bempater Sherman, in The Ctntunf.
BETTY, THE HASUWOXAir.
What travelers tell of the King of
Dahoiuev's Amazonian
bodv-guards.
eraunt. smm viragoes every one
of
prodigious strength. courage and
ferocity impresses one with African
barbarity more forcibly than, perhaps,
any other institution on the "Dark
Continent." Even among savages one
looks for some leaning toward men on
the women's, part. It is natural to ex
pect Pocahontas evuu on the coast of
Guinea ; but the idea of a female exe
cutioner, strange :ind dread ul when
narrated in the annals of an African
trib '. beeou es horrible, grotesque, in
credible when transported to a spot
within a few hours' journey of London,
and to days not remote from our own.
And et" nourished in Roscommon,
flogged, branded, hanged and pocketed
fees for such service, one whose mem
ory still lingers round the old gaol and
in the minds of the peasantry the
famou-s "Lady" Betty.
How she came to be hangwoman may
be briefly told. She was of peasant
origin : early left a widow with one
child, a boy, "in the latter half of the
eighteenth" century. Her disposition
was silent and brooding what the Irish
call "dark." Having no friends, all
her dull affections concentrated in her ;
son. She was superior to her class in i
many ways ; sue couia reau ana write,
unused accomplishments in those days,
and in these arts she instructed the lad.
She was crushed bv bitter, boneless
poverty, lived with difficulty by the la-1
bor of her hands, and privation seemed
to act like frost on her soul, chilling and
freezing the fount of kindness that
spiings in even woman's heart. In
truth; an unlova'tle creature even when
allowances are made for circumstances
The boy was lively and warm-hearted.
full of merry, affectionate ways, wind-'
ing himself round his mother's heart,
and returning her love with interest,
the one biigt.t spot in her obscure.
monotonous life. Then, as now, the
tide of emigration flowed Westward,
but Americp teemed vastly further off.
Be ore the boy's imagination it fluttered
a shimmering phantom; an El Dorado,
wnere lortune weio to ue nau iur me
taking: a land of sunshine, of marvels.
Gradually he won Betty to his way of
thinking. "Though it wrung her heart
to let him go, she agreed there was no
opening for him at home, nor hope of
fortune, and so it came to pass he stood
one morning at the cros-roads, pockets
empty, courage ingn, witn a group oi
intending emigrants, while his mother,
choking u itb tearless grief, hung round
his neck, as if she could no: let him go,
strained him in a last passionate em
brace, then turning without once look
cabin, locked the door, and flung her- j the tumbrif stopped at the gallows' foot
self down in an agony of sorrow. , silence fell like a pall, anof the multi
Whether he even reached his destina-' tude held their breath. There was a
tion, or fell a victim to the climate, or j ong pause; officials hurried to and fro.
ing nacK, ran mmuiy to ner loneiv
whether he wrote her letters which
never reached her, is not known. She
never heard from him after he sailed.
Years pa-sed: her dark hair turned
grayish, the lines hardened round her
mouth.
Happier far if she had died then, poor
and alone, than lived to earn the price
of blood. One winter evening she sat
by her tire of dry sticks, and crouched
over the feeble blaze. Uutside the dark
rack trailed across the sky, the trees
swayed their heavy branches with a dis -
mal c.-eak, gusty showers had fallen all
day, soddening the roads and grass;
now the wiiul was rising, portending
ominously a storm, and driving the
smoke back into the blackened kitchen,
wiiiuii. mm --inc iuuiu. ;i .tuau peas-
ant call
dwelling.
it. composed her desolate
The storm grew louder, the rain came
swishing aga nst the windows with !
every gust and its heavy, monotonous
patter was heard in the lull of the blast.
It found its way through weak places
in the thatch ahd dripped slowly on the
earthe i floor, tilling the uneven placas.l
with liiile pool oi aiei. A half
starved black-cat lubbed against its
mistress' knees. It was 9:30 when a
loud knock was heard at the door. The
woman started violently and listened;
it was repeated. Lighting the one
candle the house afforded she advanced
and asked who was there.
"A traveler seeking shelter," replied
a strange voice, and TJetty opening the j
do. r saw a tall man with a long, black,
beard, holdb-g the bridle of a powerful
horse. He .-t ode into the cottage, the
wet gleaming on his clothes and the
coat of the animal. "A terrible night,"
he said, in hearty, jienial tones. "hev
Tji ' ,, i -P w T tZ
told me I'd reach Roscommon before'
night, but my hoise cast a shoe, and it
took me so long to get it repaired that
this confounded'storm overtook: me. l
am wet to the skin, and if you can give
me a bed and some supper 1 shall stay
here if you have no objections, of
course.
"'Tis not a night for a dog to be out,
let alone a Christian, sir; ,but this is a
poor place for the likes of yer Honor,"
said Betty, who had been" eyeing the '
fine cloth" of the gentleman's clothes, ,
his splendid fur cloak, and other signs j
of wealth.
lOh! I'm contented," he said, his
smile disclosing the whitest and most
regular teeth. "I've outuo with worse
m mv time," and he proceeded to fas
ten up the horse, while Betty barred the
door against the intrusive 'blast. She
hastened to throw more sticks on l he
fire, drew a seat to the blaze, took the
Smtleman's damp, heavy overcoat from
m and made him sit down. He
placed the rush-light in its queer arm-and-socket
candlestick, just what the
Anglo-Saxons used, to one side, saying
it pained his eves, and stretching out
his feet to the fire asked could she give
him anything to eat.
a . Tl ? ! 1
.ao : j.uerc is noimng in me nouse, i
and no money, neither," she added,
with a kind of defiance
The stranger looked sadly and ear
nestly at her ; perhaps the idea of any
one wanting money seemed strange to
a rich man. His lips moved as if he
were about to apeak, but, changing his
iind, he drew oiit a heavy purse and
laiAAeassi piece on tne table. Buy
aomethfnf with this, then,", be said, "1
shall pay you well to-morrow lor your
trouble'
She took it in silence, wrapped her
dark Cloak about her, and passed out
into the wild night. In less than half
am hour she rapped for readmittance.
and entered laden with bread, meat,
eggs, and spirit-, not forgetting a bun
dle of hay on her shoulders for tha
horse. The stranger rubbed down and
foddered the animal, while she-prepared,
bis frugal meal, which he insisted on
her sharing.
When he was refreshed and warmed,
she gave him up her bed, saying she
would sleep by the fire, and he unwil
ling consented to deprive her of her
couch.
He retired, and his regular breathing
soon announced he slept. She resumed
her place by the hearth.
I know not if it was then or at the
first sight of the gold that temptation to
the blaclfest treachery entered her mind
treachery that she now broodingly
-featured. It is painful to dissect a mind
like hers cold, callous, covetous, soured
by a hard life and disappointment, long
ing for the ease from daily toil that
money alone could bring, without mor
al sense or fear save of death, so let
me pass as quickly as may be this
most shocking part of a true story; she
resolved to do away with the unknown
traveler.
As far as she could judge he was not
an Irishman ; certainly not a native of
Roscommon : none ha'l seen him enter
her cabin : she could unfasteu the horse
and dri o it forth before morning. The
money she had spent in food could be
eaily accounted for by a pretended
letter from America. She had seen the
purse tilled, to bursting with gold, in
short, she argued with herself there was
everything to gain and little or no risk.
"The wou.an who deliberate-; is lost,"
says llosicau. and so it proved in this
instance. She murdered the unhappy
man as he slept, possessed herself of his
papers and aluables, set the horse free,
and sat by the dim rushlight to examine
the treasure.
It was now nearly sunrise. Was it
the cold wind that blows before dawn
that chilled her to the bone, and made
her shiver a if in an ague lit? or
what did those papers contain? Un
happy, wretched mother! she had
slain her son.
He had come ba-jk, successful, rich
beyond his expectations, to take her by
surprise, to mke her a sharer in hw
good fortune. She did not recognize in
the dark-bearded man the slender youth
of ears20ne by
I he temptation was
irresistable to his laughter-loving dis
position. He would pass h mself oil' as
a grand gentleman until morning, then
J how they would laui-h together when
she knew all; reveal himself. Alas!
' the morning never dawned for him.
' The woman s mind was nnhino-ed bv
the appall.ng discovery. She shrieked
, Hnd laughed aloud like a maniac. Then
i rushed wildly out into the cold, gray
ijgUt, i,v her awful cries drew territieii
' neighbors round her, to whom she
velFed she was a murderess, had killed
her only child. They thought she was
ma(j 0r possessed of" a devil; but one
j bolder than the rest havino- ventured to
enter her eoltafe. rusueu back horror-
stricken to conhrni her broken utter
ances. She wassecured, tried, foundguil
ty,and condemned. Ros.'oinmon was fix
ed for t he execution 1 hese were the good
j 0u davs, w hen it was death to steal
a
, sheep or forge a signature, to rob
a
coach or take a horse, so the cart that
drew Betty to the gallows contained a
goodly number of wretches, all her in
feriors in guilt. Every available foot
of ground was thronged by u yelling,
hooting crowd; every window looking
on the jail was tilled with sightseers.
irtL-inrr li iirrliincr i-ifttrinnr lint w'in
I here were whispered consultations
what hail happened r inc news soon
spread. The executioner was absent,
was taken suddenly ill, and had sent
an excuse ; at the last moment all was
confusion. It was the Sheriff's duty to
carry out the sememe, but that gentle
man flatlv refused, saying he would
forfeit all he possessed Brst. What
was to be done? Even the criminals
. rjl;se(j their heads, a kind of d.ill
uope dawning within them, and got
1 more or ies3 animated. Suddenly from
tneir cart or. ke a woman's voice, shrill
aild harsh. "Spare me life, ver honor,
spare mc ufe. an y hang them all."
'j he Sheriff grasped at the unexpected
offer. Betsy was unbound by a warder.
. p findfid from th,i tumbril am d a
, murmur of horror and with awful cal
i lousness proceeded to her task. Never
was an exe ution better performed. In
' a few minutes she tood the only living
being on the scaffold, while round her
hung the ghastly bodies of her late
companions, l tie hangman uieu. one
was nomiuatvd his successor at a yearly
salary, s"--i J .Ione, generally detested,
and exercised her avocation for many
years till her death. One of her habits
was to draw with a charred stick on the
walls of her cabin portraits of all the
criminals she executed. I failed to get
either a certain date for her death or
particulars as to its manner, but think
that she went to her account during the
first decade of the present century.
Time.
He had a sign at the door reading:
"Great reduction in prices to flood suf
ferers!" "An individual who seemed
to have parsed through several inunda
tions halted, looked suspiciously at a
, q tro' and ted: "How
. f,.tWn,' 4.Mo. v.:--!,., re
much for these?" "Dat bairvhas four
dollars." "How much off to flood suf
ferers?" "Vhas you in der freshet?"
"I calkilate 1 was! Half my barn is
st'.ll under water." "O, I "see. Dot
vhas oxactly handy for you. I make no
reduction on clothing; but I take off
ten per cent on some s cond-hand rub
ber boots for you to wade around your
farm in." Wall Striel News.
A circus man says it requires a per
son of good, commanding size, large
fpatiirpc hTor orp nnrl n. strit-inor rnn.
trast between the complexion ana color
of the hair to be beautiful in the ring.
The greatest circus beauties are often
quite homely in the parlor.
Pasteur says concerning vivisec
tion: "Never would I have the courage
to kill a bird for sport, but when it
comes to experiments I have never been
troubled by the slightest scruple. Sci
ence has the right of pleading the sover
eignty of the purpose."
Domestic unanimity: "It is a beau
tiful thing to see a husband and wife of
J one mn
remarked Mrs. Fogg.
"Yes," replied Fogg; "butthen it makes
a good deal of diflerence who carries the
mind." Boston Transcript.
m
H. F. Reed, of Brooklyn, N. Y.,
boasts that he has drawn a platinum
wire so fine as to be invisible to tha
naked eye.
0ttPl
Uow Maidens f Sicily Get Hasbands.
The following is a description of a
scene which goes on every Sunday
morning in the hospital at Palermo:
The long dormitories were clean and
orderly, but the curious and peculiar
feature of this establishment was the
parlatorio or reception-room. Picture
a large, long room the greater portion
of which is divided off from the sides
and further end by an iron grating
which forms a cage" entered only by a
well-barred street door, through "which
visitors from the outer world are ad
mitted. Here they sit on benches to converse
with those on the other side of the iron
grating. Once a week, however, un
day mornings, from ten to twelve, this
dace is the scene of the most novel and
udicrous courtships ever described.
One of the objects of this motheriy es
tablishment is to find fit and proper
husbands for the girls under its charge.
The fit and proper here is muoh like
the fit and proper of society the one
requisition being that the young man is
bound to show himself in possession of
sufficient means to maintain a wife in
comfort before he is allowed to aspire to
the hand of one of those precious dam
sels. Having given in his credentials of fit
ness to the guardian, he receives a card
which admits him next Sunday morn
ing to an inspection of the candidate
for matrimony. There, sitting on a
bench, if his curiosity and ardor will al
lowhim to remain sitting, he awaits tho
arrival on the other side of the grating
of the Lady Superior accompanied by a
girl. She "had leen selected by order
of seniority and capacity for household
work from the hundred or more between
seventeen to twenty-one waiting for a
youth to deliver them from their
prison.
The two young people, both no doubt
breathless with the importance of the
ceremony, have to take one long, tixed
look at e'ach other. No word is spok.'n,
no sign is made. These good Sisters
believe so fully in the language of the
eye that, in their minds, any addition
is futile, and might but serve to mystify
the pure and perfect effect of love at
first sight.
The look over, the Lady Superior asks
the man if he will accept the maiden as
his bride. Should he answer in the af
firmative, the same question is put to
her, and if she bows assent the betroth
al has taken place, and they part till
the Sunday following. The young lover
again makes his appearance before the
tribunal of guardians, and there tho
contract is signed, the day of marriage
fixed, and he is granted leave to bring
the ring, ear-rings and wedding-dress,
and present them through the gridiron
of course to his betrothed.
Everything has to pass the scrutiny
of the Sisters, for fear of a letter or
some tender word being slipped in with
the gifts. During the few .Sundays t hat
intervene between the first love-scene
and the marriage an hour's conversa
tion within hearing of the i ady Supe
rior is allowed, but not a touch is ex
changed. The empty talk, interspersed
with giggling, consists of in.iiurie-
as to the wedding-dress, and the occu
pation and place o'. abode of the suitor.
Should the young man refuse the lirat
damsel presented to him, he is favored
with the sight of three or four more;
but should he still appear ditjirule he is
dismissed. The girl also has the p vver
of refusal.
The marriage over, the task of the
Sisters is done. Here falls a veil they
never lift and whether happiness anil
faithfulness are the result of this rite
they never inquire.
Our readers must before now have
wondered what inducement there can
be to make the youths who have the
world to choose" from come here in
search of a wife. Two hundred and fif
ty francs are the attraction. That sum
is given in dowry with each of these
girls, and for that sum. it seems, a Si
cilian is willing to sell himself for life.
Rome Letter.
Political Nieknaues.
The nicknaming of prominent men,
particularly of those mixing in politics,
is practised in this country more per
haps than in other, and, as a rule, the
recipient takes to it kindly. Thus Gen
eral Jackson was as well known as
"Old Hickory" and more readily recog
nized than if "called President Ja-'kson.
Senator Benton in his life-time was
almost as well known as "Old Bull
ion." so called from his advocacy of a
gold and silver currency and his invet
erate opposition to banks and paper
money. The late Thomas Ewing, of
Ohio, while a Senator in Congress, had
his nickname of "Solitude," and it so
stuck to him that even now, long after
his death, the prefix is still given him. to
distinguish him from his son and name
sake. General Tom Ewing. Senator
Ewing made a speech in the United
States Senate vhich fastened the
"Solitude" upon him. It was during
the National Bank agitation, when the
supporters of that institution were ac
tive in picturing the ruin that would
come upon the country if the banks
charters were not renewed. Senator
Ewing in a debate spoke of the mechanic
being out of work, and that the busy
hum of industry is heard not in this the
busy season of "the year, and wound up
with the assertion that "our canals are
a solitude, our lakes but desert wastes
of water." A number of Congressmen
several of them Senators, and more
than half of them Democrats made up
a party to return to their home3 by the
way of the New York Canal. The West
was then sending its produce to the
East via lake and canal, and the Con
gressional party found that the canal
trade, if judged by the number of boats
met, was t immense, and it was a stand
ing joke with the Democratic members
when a fleet of boats hove in sight to
call Mr. Ewing from the cabin of the
packet-boat to look at his "solitude."
At the lower end of the canal there
had been a break, and a large number
of boats were usually in sight. Of
course, it was fun to see them and to
point them out to the Ohio member, but
the fun was not on his side, nor to his
liking. At Rochester, just as the
packet-boat landed, a freight boat was
discharging cargo, and Mr. Ewing and
the other Congressmen were lookers
on. By some accident, a hogshead
filled with molasses had its head burst
in and the contents poured into the
canaL An Irish laborer standing near
to Mr. Ewing, without knowing who he
was, exclaimed: "Jabers. mon, that
must be solitude swatened." The other
Congressmen roared with laughter, and
Mr. Ewing was forced to join them.
The Democrat!.: members told the joke
and it got into the newspapers, and it
aided in perpetuating the soubriquet of
"Solitude" on Senator Thomas Ewing.
I tell the tale as it was told and printed
at th time. Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.
A Philadelphia firm has a molasses
pipe-line pumping r areetness a mile un-oergrouna.
WHOLE NO. 736.
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
Meerschaum has been discovered, in
tome parts of North Carolina.
Dr. Rassori treats neuralgia in a
novel way. He applies a tuning fork,
while vibrating, over the course of tho
painful nerve. The sitting usually lasts
about half an hour, and the patient is
aenorally relieved without further treat
ment. Small tly-whcels, cast hollow and
loaded with " lead, is a fore'gn notion
that promises to become popular in this
country. They afford the s ime centri
fugal power as the large wheel, cost
les, and take up less room. X. Y.
Tribune.
Profes?or Rcmsen. of Johns Hop
kins University, says of gas, that, as
far as danger" to health is concerned,
special attention should be given to the
question of the odor. An inodorous
ga. containing carbonic oxide, whethet
one or thirty per i enu would be a very
dangerous thing.
Gas-pipes are made of hemp paper,
and it possesses manv advantages over
the ordinary material. It is cheaper,
and is not so liable to be b oken. The
pipes so made are smooth and abso
lutely tight, aud, wheu the sides are
scarcely three-fifths of an inch thick,
resist a pressure of more than fifteen
atmospheres. They are bail conductors
of heat, and do not leadily freeze.
Chicaqo Tribune.
An improved window-sill is now
furnished which is des ued to prevent
the dripping of rain or wash-water mak
ing two blackened .-treaks down ou the
bricks from the comer of th sill, and
spoiling the appearance of handsome
dwelling fronts. In the improvement
the whole sill is cut away aud slanted
at such an angle as to carry off the ain
drops from its full width instead of lcav
'ug the corners to collect the rain chan
n 1. Cleveland Lea ler.
Recent investigation shows that the
rays of the moon shed directly on a fish,
even if it be on ice, will cause rapid de
cay. The test of this in tropical couu
tr "es. where the moon's influence is sup
l osed to be greatest, was entirely satis
factory, four of the sailors who ate some
of the moon-struck fish having nearly
died The natives of Australia will not
eat either tish or fowl that has been ex
posed to th moon's rays, neither will
they slee with their faces w here there
is a" possibility of being struck by them.
Chicago Herald.
PITH ANd'pOIXT.
Princess Beatrice is coming to this
country. Great St. Valentine' And this
is leap year. Philadelphia Call.
A health journal says: "Half th
sore throats that people suffer with
com from breathing through the
mouth. The s cret of health as well as
of happiness lies in the admonitiou
'Keep your mouth shut.' " Cut tin-, out
and paste in your wife's scrap book. -N.
Y. Graphic.
The Christian at Work has an arti
cle entitled "How to Make a Wife In
sane." We have not read it, presum
ing the ni-thod given to be, of course,
either to come into the house with mud
on your boots or to forget to bring home
your wife's bonnet for her from the
milliner's Saturday night.
A Boston man has been granted a
pateut on a machine tor cutting the
coupons off bonds. Every newspaper
office will need one. sooner or later. We
have had our sii ars sharpened, and
w 11 be able to worry along w.thout
the contrivance for another year, at
least. Perhaps two years. No"rriS.oam
Htra'.d.
"I can't ay that bill just now; you
will have to wjft a little for the money."
"All right, sir," cheerfully responded
the boy, as he seated himself and un
foldeda copy of a paper "Them's the
orders of the bo-s." "What are th
orders of the boss?" demanded the gen
tleman, sternly. "I'm to wait for the
money." -Chicago Tribune.
Feeble urchin: "I say, ma. my
head aches. I'm going to stay home
from school this afternoon." Solicitous
maternal ancestor: "Well, my dear, I'm
sorry. Stay at home and rest. It may
do you go id." Three hours later feeble
urchin rushes into the house with cheeks
aglow. "1 te'l you we had a nifty
game. Eighteen to fifteen. I played
short. Gimme suthin' t'eat." Chicago
Iribune.
They were standing at the frontgate.
"Won't you come in the parlor and sit
a little while, George, dear?" "N-no.
I guess not," replied George, hesitat
ingly. "I wish you wou'd." the girl
went on; "It's " awfully lonesome.
Mother has gone out and father is up
ctsira (rrninintr with rlifMimatism in
both legs." "Both legs?" asked George
"Yes, both legs." "Then I'll come in
a little while." Charlotte X. C.) Ob
server. m
Literary Recollections.
Thackeray told me that the first
money he had ever received in litera
ture (under what circumstances he did
not say, bat they must have been droll
ones) was from Mr. (i. W. M. Rey
nolds. For my own part, I may, so far,
have been said to have been born with
a silver spoon in my mouth, for my lit
erary godfather was no less a person
than Leigh Hunt. In the flesh, I re-
fret to say, I never knew him; but as a
oy I had an admiration for him that
was akin to love. I suppose no writer
ever preached the love of book3 so elo
quently as he has done, or gained more
disciples. He ha I a most kind and
gracious nature, which was cultivated
to extremity. Culture is much more
common nowadays than it was in his
time, but unless the nature of the soil is
gracious very little comes of such "top
dressing." Leigh Hunt combined with
the "fine brain the tenderest of hu-
j man hearts. wis ignorance oi
business matters and his poverty
made him to natures of the baser
sort an object of ridicule. Carlyle
used to keep three sovereigns in a little
packet on his mantle-piece, which he
called ''Leigh Hunt's sevcieigns." lo
calise he occasion a', ly lent them to him,
and was wont to narrate the circum
stances to all whom it did not concern.
Hunt would have lent him 3,000, had
he possessed thcis, and never disposed
the circumstance. There was nothing
in his literary life which Dickens regret
ted so much as the unintentional wrong
be did Leigh Hnnt in his portrait of
Harold Skimpole. It was true that he
drew one side of it from his friend, but
the other side - the seliishness and the
baseness had naught to do with him.
They were indeed so utterly opposed to
his character that it seemed to Dickens
that no one could associate them with
the original of the picture. Nothing is
more common una ior a novelist 10
paint in this way and for the very pur
pose of the concealment of identity, but
m this case the likeness was, in some
points, too striking to escape recogni
tion, and the others were taken for
granted, whereat both painter and sit
ter were cruelly pained. Cornhiil Maga
. "A Qi Lawjer.
Lawyers rule this country. Of thai
seventy-six membors who lately mado
ap the United States Senate, fifty were
practicing lawyers. Tho same profes
sion furnishes "heads to nearly all the
Government departments.
Why is this thus? is one of those
questions to which several different
answers may be given. But the fact
has formed, in the Senate a standard
by which the ability of each new Sen
ator is measured.
"He is a good lawyer and will make
a good Senator," is a remark frequently
heard when the name of an incoming
Senator is mentioned.
But there are lawyers and lawyers.
Besides, the epithet""good" is so equiv
ocal as to leave one in doubt as to its
meaning, when applied to a lawyer.
If all members of the profession were
as "good" as the late Mr. Hackett, of
Portsmouth, N. H., tho country might
rest in tho peace that flows from confi
dence, while lawyers rule it.
"He did not," says a former student;
in his office, "look upon his profession
simply as a means of earning money,
but as his place for doing good in the
world."
An anecdote illustrates how Mr.
Hackett, when a young practitioner
and in a trying emergency, proved.hini
self a "good" lawyer anil a good man.
In those days the country trader did
jnot pay cash for purchases, but gave
his uotes to the city merchant. So long
as he paid it, or, at least, a part of its
lace, about the time it matured, all
went well between him and his credit
ors. But should he prove unduly remiss,
r should it be rumored that ho was
"hard up," then there was a race be
tween creditors. Each one ran to servo
the first attachment on tho debtor's
property, as that writ must be satisfied
in full, before any other.
When young Hackett trudged from
fcis father's houso to seek his fortune.
ue passed a night in the home of Mr.
Coe. a country trader of means. As he
was leaving, the next morning, Mrs.
Coo jocosely said:
"You're going to be a lawyer. Now,
remember, if any of my husband's notes
come into your "office, you won't sue
them without letting him know beforo
hand." Five years after, a client calledjon
Mr. Hackett to bring suit forthwith
upon several notes, among which was
one given by Mr. Coe. The hard times
had caused many failures and tho
'client was scared.
Just as Mr. Hackett was about put
ting the writ of attachment in an offi
cer's hands, his promise to Mrs. Coo
.flashed through his mind. But there
was his duty to his client, who had
given him peremptory instructions
besides, four hundred dollars were at
stake.
Taking the officer, he rode to Mr.
Coe's. He was absent Mrs. Coe, on
learning the cause of the visit, said that
an attachment would ruin her husband,
as every creditor wojld rush in with
his demands. If he was ghen a littlo
time every dollar should be paid.
Tho young lawyer decided instantly
upon his course. Assuring Mrs.
Coe that her husband should suffer no
harm, he returned to Portsmouth.
The next morning he drew from tho
bank all the money he had in the world
two hundred dollars. The bank dis
counted his own note, indorsed by its
president, for two hundred more.
Wheu his client came in, the following
conversation ensued:
"Well, squire," said tho client, "havo
'ou secured my note?"
"Yes," answered Mr. Hackett.
, "What have von got it on to?"
"This is whatTvegotit on to." takiag
from his desk a roll of bank-bills.
"Why. what does this mean? If I'd
supposed he was that k nd of a man. I
wouldn't have sued him."
"You or anybody else ought to be
ashamed to sue a man like Mr. Coe,
when you could get your money by
calling" for it."
"That's so. squire; I am ashamed;
'I'm sorry, too."
He was so sorry that he willingly
paid the expenses, and went away
grateful to the lawyer and full of kindly
feeling to his late debtor. The next day
Mr. Coe. pale and agitated, appeared
in the lawyer's office.
"Mr. Hackett. have you sued me?"
were his first word?.
"O, no," was the reassuring reply.
"I'm all right, then," added Mr.
Coe, opening his wallet; "I've got the
money here. But if you'd sued me,
'twould have started everybody else."'
Laying down a sum far exceeding ths
debt," he begged Mr. Hackett to iiulp
himself te a liberal fee.
"Not a cent, sir," promptly replied
the man who preferred to assuage .-.trite
rather than foment it. "For I shamed
the costs out of my client." Youth's
Computus .
The Cost of Running a Train.
As the passenger sits at a car window
and sees the mile posH whirl past, he
seldom stops to reflect what it has cost
the corapauy to pull the train a mil.
A party of gentlemen, some of then
experienced business men. sat in the
lobby of the Kennard House yesterday,
when the question as to the cost of run
ning an ordinarily heavy passenger
train was raised. Several of them made
estimates, but every one of them was
far below the amount. The average
.cost of running an ordinary passenger
train of from six to ten coaches is from
111 to $1.25 a mile. This mar seem
large at first, but when the several items
are taken into account one will suspect,
after all, that the estimate is too small.
One of the principal items is the run
ning of the locomotive. It has been
'the study of master mechanics to re
duce the cost of running an engine, ami
each claims to be a little closer in his
calculations than the other. The aver
age cost during January of running
the engines on the Bee Line, for exam
ple, was 15.77 cents per mile.
Freight engines run at a vo-l pr mile
of 1?. 73 cents. Passenger engines C
le3, viz., 17.24 cents per m le: whilt.
.switch engines, which are credited with
so much mileage per day, regardless of
the distances run, are run at so low a
cost as to reduce the average to 1.S.77
cents per mile. The engines ran 34. G3
miles to a ton of coal, and lG.'.i6 miles
to a pint of oil.
Added to the expense of motive
power is the outlay for wear and tear
of cars; it is estimated that it costs
three cents a mile to keep a sleeping
car running, and the wages of tra.u
hands, etc. The expense from the item
of wear and tear is increased by an in
crease of the speed of a train. The
special trains on the Lake Shore, run
ning at a speed of about forty rallei an
hour, and the fast mail, at about thirty
seven miles, are the most expensive
trains on that Hint. It is not generally
known what the Government pays the
Lake Shore people for running the fast
mail from New York to Chicago, but
ft ought to receive at least $800 to fully
compensate it. Another little item of
railway operation is the expense of
stopping and starting a train, which an
experienced railroad man said yester
day could not be efl'ected at a less ex
pense than from eighteen to twenty-five
cents at each stop. Cleveland Herald.
quantity of ore from the Ellen
Tillo (N. Y.) gold mine sent to a New
York i&sayer the other day assayed at
the raw of $353 a ton. The mine Li
said to be rich in both gold and silyar.
X. F. Sun.
m m --
Texas makes highway robbery
raaishable by an imprisonment of not
&jn thn ten yean.