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About The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1886)
"A . " " HH- N sv Ll v ! A ! ie a i j. i l! J . i i 1 '; t l A .u t i i i ,H PLUNDERING A SAFE. A Mesp-Walklar Owa Trap. I was a clerk to Mr. Farkman con fidential clerk and knevr as much of the business as he did. He was an old bachelor, and lived in the rooms over the coonting-houso. His servant was a fellow about forty years old, a na tive of Africa, and so black that ebony was nothing to him. I never liked him, but Mr. Farkman thought him a treasure. His name was Scipio. He always dressed in white, .too, winter or summer. I don't really think that my dislike begun until the dav Mr. Fark man missed the first money from the safe. That 'was in winter, about the end of December. I had locked the money up the night before, in Mr. Parkman's presence. It was a payment made just as we were about to close not a great sum, only a hundred dollars. Only Mr. Farkman and I knew the combinations of the lock. Yet when I came in the morning it was gone. I confess that my mind flew at once to Scipio, I ventured to hint this to Mr. Farkman, but I thought he would have knocked me down for the suggestion. "Scipio would die for mcV" he said. 'I should be more apt to suspect that fly-away young Robinson of ours." Robinson was a young fellow of twenty-six. Mr. Parkman was about fifty. ' He had taken Robinson into his employment on the recommendation of the silent partner of the firm, Mr, Oakes. He would have been glad of some decent excuse to bo rid of him, though the young man did his duty so well that no one could find fault with him and was so polite that ho could aot bo quarreled Miss Merivale couldn't help liking him best, I should think, and both wanted her. Fathers generally go with the money-bags; but, naturally enough, Mr. Farkman disliked Robinson Very much. When a man has such a reason for disliking another he's not likely to show it openly. He tried to hide it; but X saw it plainly. ' Six months after fifty dollars went in the same mysterious manner. A little whilo more a much larger sum, and, at . last, one night, a great package of bonds, worth twenty thousand dollars. Mr. Farkman had set detectives on the .watch before. He did it again; butthcy could discover nothing. They decided that Scipio was as ignorant of the proper means of-opening the safe as a monkey. I made up my mind that fco knew all about it, but though I tried to catch him ho baffled mo. Mr. Parkman swore ho would find the rascal if he were "above ground, and abused the detectives for their stupidity. At Inst, one day, he jcallcd me into his private office, and opening a squares box, showed me somo thing that puzzled me. "It's a thief trap," said Mr. Park (man. "Let the thief get hi, hand into this and he'll never get it loose again without help. It will spoil his beauty. too, 1 fancv. Then he locked the horrible box again, and told me that he should put it in the safe that night "Remember," said he, "not a word to any one." I slept soundly until about one o'clock in tho morning, when I was awakened by a terrible explosion. I started to my feet in an instant, but at first I could not remember where I was. When I did, however, I guessed at once that the sound I had heard came from tho office where the safe stood, and that the thief had been caught at last in the infernal machine. I hurried on my clothes, rushed to Mr. Parkman's room and found his bed empty, and, ex pecting I know not what horror, made my way to the office. A man had been caught in the trap, but it was not Scipio. That poor fel low, howling and wringing his haifts, stood staring over my shoulder. The man at the safe was dressed in his -night-clothes. lie had sunk down upon his knees, and blood was streaming over his body. A mo ment more, and I bent over him, and caw Mr. Parkman himself. He was not mortally wounded, and the first words he said to me as he came to were these: "Hubbel, don't tell any one what a fool I've been. I used to walk in my sleep when I was a boy. I forgot that I must have taken to it again." , All the missing money, as well as the bonds, were found in an old hair trunk in tho attic. Mr. Parkman said he was :thinking about that trunk when he felt his hand gripped and heard tho ex plosion, as he had felt and heard things in dreams; and when he recovered, which was not for many months, Robin son and Miss Merivale were married. I must say Mr. Parkman came out bright just then. I was proud of him. lie Bent the young pair a set of silver with his compliments. N. Y. Neves. A FLYING TELtGRAPH. Details ofa Plan Which, at First Thought, Seems Visionary. You have probably seen in tho news papers from time to time some rather vague allusions to a new telegraphing schemo which is to enable people who are stationary to communicate with friends who are traveling on railway trains while they are in motion. I had been regarding this scheme as rather ephemeral, and even visionary, until recently, when a friend of mine, to whom it was mentioned, broke out most enthusiastically concerning it, and ho finally induced me to go up town to where tho concern is in activo opera tion. The company which is undertaking to introduco this flying telegraph has a number of lines lafd down to illustrate the working of the machine, and nearly every day some railway magnate or other personage of influence in the com munity is shown the results of thc-jc ex periments. Tho scheme is worked simply enough. A wire is laid down along the ground between the tracks on which tho cars run, and underneath the -floor of each vehicle is a coil of wire which takes up the sound as it is sent along the ground. The coil does not touch the other wire at all, but picks up the sound through the air, no matter at what speed tho train maybe going. The value of the scheme, according to the promoters, lies partly in the great ac commodation which ft would be to rail way passengers, and partly in the chance it would give the peoplo'in control of railroads to avoid accidents. For in stance, let us say a railway train runs off" the track. In an instant a message can be sent in each direction the full length of the road conveying the in formation and preventing other trains from following on. Beyond this, it is claimed tliat cables may be laid as far as four hundred miles out to sea, and that any vessel sailing' over them and sujv plied with this machinery can com municate with tho shore. "To success fully accomplish this four, or five cables would be laid, separated from each other at a considerable distance and duly lo cated in this chart. This would not only give an opportunity to accurately foretell tho arrivals of steamers, but woald enable passengers to communi cate with friends on shore on any im portant matter. The scheme is in the hands of some heavy capitalists, and will undoubtedly be in operation Jtef ore long on each one of the big railways running out of New York. The same people have struck' another novel idea in electricity, though whether it irill ever be of great material value is till an unanswered question. By its use, if .you ait in Boston and write vour name with a pen attached to one end of ttewur the other end of which is in KwehMtGHtktii Worcester or Springfield, your signa ture will be exactly reproduced at which ever one of these points may be deter mined. There is no immediate mean of determining the utility of this inven tion, which is as vet entirelv crude, but it is proposed to give the use of it, for the tune being, to some magician, who may mysnijr nis auditors uy uiu uoviue. N.'Y. Oor. Boston Herald. JAMES B. EADS. The Early Experiments of the Ffemoas American Engineer. When about ten years old, his father fitted for him a small workshop, and there ho constructed models of saw mills, fire-engines, steamboats, steam engines, electrical and other machines. One of the pastimes of his childhood was to take in pieces and put together again tho family clock, and at twelve years he war ftKIn tn An 1hi snmn with nntnnt. lever watch, with no tools but hia pocket-knife. When thirteen, misfor- tune overtook his father, and he had to withdraw from school and work his own way. His parents went to St, Louis in 1833, and he went with them. The steamer was burned in the night on the way there, and ho landed barefooted and coatless, on the very spot now cov ered by tho abutment of tho great steel bridge which ho de signed and built The only open ing in tho way of business that offered was to sell apples on the street and by this means, for a few months, he sus tained himself and assisted in support- ins: his mother and sisters. In time he a mercantile obtained a situation with firm, where he remained for five years. One of the heads of the house having an excellent library, gave him access to it, and ho used his opportunity well to study subjects bearing upon mechanics, machinery, civil engineering and physi cal science. In 1839 he obtained:- em ployment as a clerk or purser on a Mis- sissippi river steamer. He again made the best use of his opportunity to ac quire that complete, knowledge of tho great river which ho was afterward ablo to turn to such good account in tho noble enterprises ho so fortunately car ried into .effect. In 1842 he. constructed a diving-bell boat to recover tho cargoes of sunken steamers. This was followed with a boat of larger tonnage, pro vided with machinery for pumping out the 6and and water and lifting the ontirp hull and cargo of tho vessel. A company was formed to operate tliis device, and it soon had a busi ness that covered tho entire Missis sippi river, from Balize to Galena, and even branched into some of its tributaries. By his methods, a great many valuable steamers were set afloat and restored to usefulness which it would not previously have been possi ble to save, us they would have been buried very soon beneath the river sands. It was while engaged in tliia business that ho gained a thorough knowledge of tho laws which control the flow of silt-bearing rivers, and of the Mississippi he was able to say years afterward that there was not a stretch in its bed fifty miles long, between St. Louis and New Orleans, in which he had not stood upon the bottom of tlio stream beneath the shelter of the diving-bell. Popular Science Monthly. m POWER OF COAL. The Enormous Results Accomplished a Trifling Bit of Coal. By Some idea of the latent power in a single pound or ounce of bard coal can be gathered from the following simple illustration: In the village of Evanston, twelve miles north of Chicago, the water supply 's drawn in through pipes run ning out into Lake Michigan, by steam pumps, which drive it with great forco through other -pipes extending over tho town. From these it escapes with ve locity enough to be thrown through hose pipes over the tops of tall build ings, and thus does away with any ne cessityfor fire engines. Many other villages arm cities have the same ar rangement. The point of interest is in the report of the engineer, stating that during December 16,412,400 gallons, or 131,299,200 lbs., of water 'were thus drawn and forced through the pipes, and that to do this a trifle over 25 tons, or 50,282 lbs., of coal were burned. This shows that eiery pound of coal in burning expanded water into steam with a sufficiency of power to force 2,611 lbs., or over 1 1-4 tons of water, through the pipes at the high pressure described. Besides this, there was the friction of tho machinery and of the water along the sides of tho pipes. According to this, a bit of coal the size of a pea, or about one-eignth of an ounce, supplies power enough to forco a pailful, or 20 pounds of water through a mile or two of pipes, and shoot it out as high as a church steeple. What enormous power there must be stored in the quiet black deposits of any single coal mine, however small! Another familiar illustration is that of the locomotive. A little heap of coal in the tender develops power enough to draw 40 loaded freight cars, aver aging perhaps 20 tons each with tho loading, or 800 tons, faster than a horse can run, and for a distance of forty miles or moro, and up a grade of say 16 feet to the mile this is equivalent to lifting the whole train straight up in tho air 640 feet, or one-eigth of a mile be sides giving it the rapid forward motion, and overcoming the friction of tho wheels and other running gear. Prairie Farmer. s PERPLEXING. The First Financial Transaction of a Prominent Itankcr. B. K. Jamison, the Philadelphia bank er, recently said: "Did I ever tell you about my first financial transaction of importance? No? Well, it took place in my native town in Indiana County. I was a little shaver of five, and one day 1 importuned my father far some money with which to buy candy. He was talk ing with a gentleman at the time, but lie put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a diuie, giving it to me with tho in junction to spend but half of it and to bring tho other half home. I took the money, but how to obey puzzled me. I 'walked along cogitating over the matter until I ar rived in front of a tinsmith's, when a bright idea struck me. Entering boldly in, for I knew the tinsmith, I as boldly demanded that lie cut my tenpence in two pieces. He inquired the reason for my strange request, and when I told him he laughingly told mo that I could have it halved at the candy store with out any cutting. Ashamed to ask there for the accommodation I desired, I in vested it all in'caudv and then told my father the difficulty1! had experienced in carrying out his instructions." 2f. Y. Post. Where They Began. Senator Davis, of West Virginia, is one of the most popular men, being a self-made man, as the following rem iniscence shows: In 1882 a dinner party was given in New York City. Henry C. Davis sat at one end of the table, Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, sat at the other, and General W. T. Sherman at tho head. The General began a rem iniscence of his life by saying: "When Iwas a Lieutenant " "Come, now, Sherman, interrupted Mr. Davis, "were you ever a Lieuten ant?" " "Yes, Davis," he replied, "I was a Lieutenant about tho time you,. were a brakeman on a freight train." "Well, boys," observed Cameron, "I don't suppose either of you ever cut cordwood for a living, as I did." Cfe. cinnaii Enquirer. LOST JOURNALS. Beeent DIncoTsry of Interesting Records 7ft'br a California Pioneer. A curious relic of early days was Brought to light in tho neighborhood of 1 Martinez. George Bailey, the grandson of t M M. R. Barber, of that place chanced to be in a portion of his grand father's ranch, about two and a half miles from Martinez, between the Al hambra and Walnut creek roads, high up in the hills, where no one would be likely to pass by unless it were some hunter. Near tho division line between Mr. Barber's land and Dr. Strentzel's ho came upon the curious phenomenon of a little group of ancient-looking books lying nt'the foot of an oak tree. They were moldy, weather stained, decaying at the corners, yet still in fair preservation, and had apparently been wrapped in- a stout sack, whose rotting remains j faUcm from them, and lav close by. Tho fresh traces of digging showed that some animal doubtless a coyote had vcrv recently scratched them out from under a covering of leaves and earth that had hidden them no one knows how lonjj. The books were four in number. Ono was a journal of tho ninth session of tho California Assembly. Another was a report of the joint committee on the conduct of the war, second session of the thirty-eighth Congress. The two others proved to be ledgers, entirely filled with a fine and still quite legible handwriting, and were easily recogniz able as private journals, dating back to the beginning of the fifties. An account was at last found of the owner's" pres ence at a meeting, wherein he quotes the remarks of tho chairman in intro ducing "Mr. Montgomery." This solved the mystery of the writer; for tho memories of one or two pioneers easily identified C. E. Montgomery, a pioneer lawyer, ofSaeraniento, who has sinco died in the East. The manner in which these journals found their way to tho place where they were found is less easy to trace and still remains a mvstcry. So far as tlwy have been examined thev do not contain any remarkable record or special new light upon tho history of tho early fifties; but the entries arc often in teresting illustrations of the surround ings, occupations and thoughts of a fairly intelligent professional man in Sacramento at that time. "Horso and cattle stealing is the prin cipal crime of this country. The ex treme facility with which animals roam ing in largo unfenced, natural pastures may be caught and carried to markets which continually demand large sup plies, and the readiness with which, lif ter disposing of them, the felon may es cape and leave no clew by which to trace him to his lurking-place or fasten suspicion upon him encourages hun dreds to engage in the pursuit of a live lihood by this illicit means. Law is daily seizing and punishing numbers, but this operates so feebly in many por tions of the country remote from tho scats of justice, that lynch law has been summoned to repress the offenso and proved, as it should,- valueless in put ting an end to crime. The best and surest, and the very readiest method of checking it would be to give justices of the peace, with a jury, jurisdiction of the offense. Animals aro now stolen in this neighborhood, sent to Stockton or some other distant point, and there sold. Procuring fresh supplies in that vicin ity the thief hurries to this market, of which he is a frequent visitor, and where mules are now urgently wanted for companies starting to Scott's river and the Klamath, sells the drove he has brought with him, and departs like a snauow. His companions and com peers in this trade fill every avenue and inform him of every whisper that is in circulation con cerning him or the animals he last dis posed of, enabling him, if so many bo reclaimed as to create suspicion, to es cape and secrete himself until inquiry blows over and tho charge becomes stale and forgotten that is, for a month or two dispatching his animals through the hand of some trusty friend of well whitewashed reputation into town for sale. But tho owner and purchaser both departed, his fears are lost sight of in new thefts. He may return with jing ling Spanish spurs and leather leggings, and llourish about the horse markets as boldly and honorably as before. Tho cstablibhnicnt of the telegraph between our principal towns, by starting light ning against horse speed, and preparing the police cverywhoro to salute and ar rest the offender as he entered the town would effectually stop the wholesale eittle-lifting, which now distinguishes California above all other regions for cattle stealing. "The Legislature has just published the population of the State. It is much less than I should have presumed, for at least 500,000 persons must have en tered and sojourned in California sinco 1847, of whom it appears about one in five now remains, the population being 117,597, three counties remain ing unheard from. These three would add nearly 8,000 to the total, as we may estimate the population of California as having been in November last 125, 000. The population of Sacramento County was barely 11,000 in round numbers. As this census was taken during the cholera, and many hail fled from the disease who have now re turned, the population of the countv may be fixed at 14,0009,000 of which belong to the citj-, the balance to the settlements in the vicinity, and upon the skirts of tho county, in the mining districts. This population will doubt less lie doubled in two years through out the SUite." Overland Monthly. UNIQUE SPECIMENS. A Remarkable Collection of Egyptian Woolen nnil r.lnnu Cloth. Herr Theodor Graff, the Persian ear pet merchant of tho Sehiller-platz, Vienna, who treated for the purchase of Archduke Uenier's papyri in Egypt and brought that valuable collection to Aus tria, lias just o miplelcd an unique col lection of Egyptian woolen and linen cloths. Tho Vienna correspondent of the London Times gives the following description of tho collection: "It includes more than three hundred specimens, dating from the fourth to the ninth centuries, and all in good preservation. The collection is for sale, and would be a useful acquisition for the museum of any city where cloth is manuf:iclMred. The specimens havo almost all been excavated from tombs, and it took many years .to collect, sort and clean them. They are stitched on to large and small fo'lios of cardboard, with fly-leaves to preserve them from dust, and every fragment can bo easily and closely examined. Some of tho fragments arc only a foot square, but the larger specimens comprise an entire Roman toga, said to be the only one ex tant, with purple clavi, and" a great many embroidered dresses. The col lection is most interesting, as showin" not only samples of cloth textures in every variety, but also of knittin-, crewel work and needle work. That which ladies call the double chain stitch seems to have been as familiar to Lgytian seamstresses sewing with the bone needles as it is to workers 5f tho modern sewing-machine. The details of some of the garments seem, f urther, to prove once again that there is very little new under tho sun. Thcro is a chemise of the sixth century which might be taken for a modorn jersey of navy blue serge, and it is curious to find that the common blue cheek pattern of English household dusters and work house aprons was in general use anion" the Egyptians more than a thousand years ago." A TRAMP'S STORY. He Tells of Ms Capture by a Flacky Uttle Hoosier School-Ma'am. Sneakin' of tho rural Tocrions " id an old chap at the end of a bar, who had trouble in raising a glass to his mouth X -- with his right arm, "I might be in- dooccd to relate a lectio adventure which happened to me in Injiany last summer." He was earnestly advised to free his conscience of its burdens, and he con tinued: "Well, I had been hangin' around Indianapolis for several weeks, and finally the Police Judge advised mo to leave town. I never argy with a Police Judge. When they come right down to fatherly advice I accept it and sit. I left tho town inside of two hours, and it didn't take me over -three hours to reach a mile post ten miles away.. About four o'clook.in the afternoon, as I- was restin' beside the highway, a school-ma'am passed. She was a chip per ioctle body, weighing about niucty pounds, and white-faced, and when I sort o' riz up to ax her if she didn't have a bite to eat in her basket, she ut tered a womanish yol and started off on a dead run. I didn't hev my swal-ler-tail coat and standin' collar on that day, and I guess sho took mo fur a tramp. "Now, gents, when a feller is ragged, hungry and out o' rhino, what does he do? fie makes a break, in course I walks along fur abouta mile, and when I comes to a farm-house -with a look of comfort about it, I stops in and asks if a poor man who has lost his hull family in the great Chicago fire can git a bite to cat, to brace him up as ho journeys to ward the settin sun. the motherly old soul of a farmer's wife would hev set out a squar' meal fur me, but that lectle school-ma'am was there to pre vent. I heard 'cm whisperin' together In the next room, and by and by the old lady came back and give me the bounce. A tramp as has belonged to the purfesh fur fifteen years hadn't ortcr lire up over sieh a ttifle as that, but it hit me like a blow below the belt, and I determined on revenge. "I went into the orchard and stole some apples, and then laid around to watch. I found out afore dark tiiat the farmer was an old man, and that there was only threo of 'cm in the house. Long 'nuff 'fore the lights were out I had arranged with myself to break in. There was a chance of plunder, and I intended to scare that lectle school ma'am out of a year's growth. I don't say as i ould hev laid hands on her, but that very thing might hov happened, you know. "Well, about half an hour afore mid night I begins operations by creepin' up to tho back dur. It was shut, but not locked, and I crept in, struck a light and found my way to tho pantry. There was cold meat, pumpkin pie and bread and butter, and it took me a good lialf hour to fill up. I might have gqno out then, but I wanted something else. There w:is nobody slecpin' down stairs and after pocketin' a watch I crept up stairs into the old folks' bedroom. Thoy was slcepin' as sound as you please, and the moon shinin' in furn ished all the light needed. I went through a bureau and got a wallet, and was searchin' tho old man's pants when I heard a step at the door and a voice cried out: "Surrender or I'll shoot!" It was that lectle school-ma'am. She stood in the door in her night dress, a revolver pointed full at me, and I could see hcreyes blaze. I made a rush to seize her, when "crack! crack!" went the revolver, and ono bullet struck me in the right shoulder and another in the side. I went down as if shot through the head, and up Jumps tho old man and pile3 on to ni6 ike a ton of brick. The little school ma'am went down stairs after a ropo and then helped tie me hand and foot. Moro'n that, she kept-guard over me while the old man rode off for an offi cer, and every time I fetched a groan she had that revolver ready to shoot "In conclusion, gents, permit me to remark that the court give me five years fur that little affair, while the plucky lectio school-ma'am received a public purso of 200. Sometimes I've felt as if it was my dooty to hunt hc up and marry her." N. Y. Sun. CRANKS AT WASHINGTON. A Harmless Idiot Who Is Sane Six Days of the Week. Washington has no end of qucet characters.- The cranks drift to the capital of the nation as naturally as the water which flows to tho sea. It is a dull week when one or moro of theso insane people llo not turnup with the avowed intention of taking possession of the White House. Thoy usually are willing to compromise with a call at the station houso until their friends can bo communicated with. We have some native "cranks" who are at large, but these arc all well known and are not supposed to be dangerous. One of the most amusing of those cases is an elderly gentleman, who is reported to bo wealthy and who is as sane as anybody six days in the week, but whose infirmity breaks out every Sun day. ""He is harmless enough, and hia people humor him m his freaks. Every Sunday he goes to church three times. He selects a difforont church for each service. Ho enters, and invariably ob tains a seat in the center of tho church, so as folic as conspicuous as possible. In tho middle of the exercises, a boy dressed as a district messenger comes down the aisle with an envelope which looks as though it contained a telegram. He quickly gives it to tho old man, who tears it open, reads the writing con tained therein, seizes his hat and quickly leaves the church, after which lie goct home. No one has been able to dis cover the reason for tho curious crazo, but it is said that his family indulge him in it by the advice of physicians, who say they are of the opinion that if he should be restrained this mild form of insanity would probably develop into a far more dangorous tvpo. Washington Cor. iV. r Telegram A RAT STORY. Hove a Koclent Was Cremated by Means of Electricity. The complete disintegration of a rat by electricity so that it retained all of its natural appearance, but crumbled to dust as soon as touched by metal, is vouched for by Mr. Henry J. Tolbcrt, now visiting Philadelphia although electricians connected with the electric light plants in this city remain rather incredulous. The story was told to a -Yews-gatherer yesterday. The city of Reading is furnished a portion of its light by a company, which produces tho electric current by means of tho Brush machines. Mr.'Tolbcrt aays that ho visited tho plant of the Reading company, and whilo looking at the brushes gathering tho sparks of the fluid a rat came running over the floor. To escape his human ommiii.a ho jumped directly to tho floor on to ono of the brushes amTwas thrown back to the ground. Ho lay motionless, apparently and certainly dead, but without even a hair turned. One. of the employes was sent with a shovel to gather it up, but as soon as the shovel touched it tho rat fell to dust, with a little cloud of particles rising from tho dace whore its body had seemingly ain. There was no .vestige of hair, flesh or bones remaining. Philadelphia News. -Tho smallest fire-arm in the worM to a gold watch charm, in the form of a revolver, about an inch long. CMcaw Htrald. . THE PEARL. Interesting Facta About the Pearl- - Industry. ' In an Interview with a pearl fisher , a, tho following facts about the industry aro to be found: "You will sec" he r said, "by these perforations In the back s how many enemies tho pearl oyster has," pointing to tho back of tho shell, which was much honeycombed. "If thov succeed in boring clean to tho flesh it is all up with the oyster. Tho theory of tho pearl is that; some foreign substance, a bit of grit or shell, finds Hs way within the harness and tho oyster, to avoid tho irritating friction, begins tho process of pearl manufact ure by the peculiar secretion. Tha pearl is generally found in the beard. I need not tell you that tho shells aro highlv valuablc'articlcs of commerce. When the opener has passed his hand in to feel for the pearl he throws it to fhn ulenncr. who does his work, the shells are packed up in hogsheads, and when thev arrive m London' they are sold by auction in Mincing Lane to go to the manufacturer, lonuo suen uaa taken the place of ivory. Tho pearling season lasts from March to the middle of December, for in the sitnimor months the hurricanes render this fishing impossi ble. The plan of operations is some thing in this wise: The fleet is distrib uted over the lishlng-grouuds, and one or two of them see to tho supply of fresh water ami stores. The mother ship generally lies at anchor in the bay. and the small boats leave her iwory morning U go to their various ground close by. "At night thoy return with their cargoes. The decked boats go further aiii J, and bring the results of their. labor at Jonir intervals. At certain times the ni m? --teamcr, which calls atFrccmautlo. lips the cargo, which comes home. t!u pearls them selves being sent through registered letters, and pasin t through post. Tho pearl is the most aristocratic jowel. No one btitthc rich aristocrat can afford to own it. To 1)0 inestimnblo in ilsvaluo a pearl should be perfectly round like a marble, pure ami spotless. A black pearl is a rarity, and from a thousand shells you might obtain one. I sup pose one nf the Rothschilds has tho finest collect ion of pearls in tho world. Lord Tweodmoiith conies second, and Lord Bristol is a close third. The fash ion in jewels alters rapidly, though pearls always take the first rank. At resent theemerald isthe fashionable ewel, why, I can not say; then come rubies and sapphires; tho diamond is but a common gewgaw. Every one can buy diamonds nowadays. I remember in 1870 diamonds cost 14 a carat. The price h:w fallen to 5, the result of too great a supply. But a roally magnificent jewel, no matter whethe'r pearl or diamond, always retains its value, and a collector, if he chooses to invest large sunw in the purchase of tho best article, can always sell at a profit. One uf the greatest difficulties in dealing with 'diamonds is the operation of cut ting, which nwtls an apprenticeship of a life-time to make an expert. There an a few good cutters in the world, and there is actually only one man who can drill a diamond. Pall Mall Gazette. CURSOUS WELLS. Derp, Ki.uii.i I'ooU In tho Trap-Hocks of '.iip.Sr. t'n.U Dalle. W (.i. Visitors to the famous dalles of the St. Croix river have their interest par ticularly excited by some natural wells that have been formed there in trap rock, which is so hard that carving up on it is impossible. Travelers anxious to become famous have sketched, drawn or painted various names, de signs and caricatures upon the face of the rock. Tho rocks aro igneous and aro heaped in masses, besides being widely scattered. There arc various projections and picturesque formations known as the "Devil's Chair," and other similar names quite familiar to tourists. These wells are of different depths, sizes and even shapes, borne are from fifteen to twenty-five feet in diameter, while others are not more than a foot and a half. Many have been tilled up with rocks. Several still are full to the brim with water, and a few contain neither water nor rocks. Thev vary in depth from five to thirty-live feet. Their walls are as smooth as rook can well bo. Their general shape is round, though some of them are more or less irregular. , Much speculation has been indulged in as to the origin and nature of the wells. The idea has even been ad- ..aj.kil (iml a. k '.. I I... !.. Ma. 4I... 41. ..a. 1 ltUaJU .till. .114'Ulfl.lJaa U , OUII1U Ilia.. LI1U, . sn tlin ir?iti-r.ai tit ivliinf v.li'iinrua They arc, without doubt, however, what are known as "pot-holes." The river has cut its way into iLi present channel by erosion, sinking it bed slowly down into the solid rock. The pot-holes are some of them at a height of from fifty to one hundred feet above the present river surface. But in former times they were, of course, under water. As the current rushed by, carrying with it loose rocks and gravel, these occjisionally lodged in accidental or natural depressions or crevices, or were kept from moving forward by eddies, and had a rotary motion imparted to them by the cur rent. These rocks, thus kept con tinually revolving by the current, gradually wore large, round, smoth sided. holes in the bed of the river, and when the river itself sank to a lower level it left these wells high and dry in the. holid rock, for the wonder of modern excursionists. Milwaukee Sen tinel. AN ANCIENT SPORT. TJio Venorabln (Sam of Towii-Itall a Com.iar.'i! with Modern IIkho-IIhII. Town-ball v:w tho remote ancestor of bai-sc-ball. Thcro was more fun in town-hull than In base-bull, and less scii'iicc. We used to make our own bat out of nieces of fence board and buy a hard rubber ball. There was none of the foppishness of polished hats and comic opera costumes in those d.tys. Town-ball rcquircd-a uniform, but the. uniform was generally bare feet. The rest of the costumes were vanoiM. l on could not sit in a grand slnnd and enjoy town-ball as the pres ent generation does base-ball. Of course it is easier to sit around and w.-iteh other people taking exercise, but it requires education to enjoy it. Id Turkey people never dance thcmseWca they hire others to do it for them. In 188G we hire others to play ball for us. Wcj had not developed up to the Tiearious idea when Andrew Jackson W.-I.S President of tho United States. Young America will plcaso to under stand, tlnni, that there was a pastime, played with a bat like a paddle, in which the striker ran around four bases while the outside tried to lire the ball between him and the b&sc he was run ning; thus one could be "crossed out," or, what was better, he might be struck with the ball while running if the thrower was a good marksman, and the li'irdcr he was hit the more fun. First bouneo was out, and so was over the fence. The umpire -was a thine un known in town-ball, and hence instead of appealing to a legally constituted tribunal, as now, for judgment, mooted point were settled by thrashing the other side A decision thus arrived at was always satisfactory, and there ncrer was any appo:d. There used to bo .an almost superstitious reverence forthe result of the ordeal'by combat, which always proved that -'cheatin' uevef thriven. If the beaten one wore too snlky to resume the gaaae, volunteers would MaeraHy be caMai tor. Minneapolis Journal FOREIGN GOSSIP. In England there is now a society for the."presarvation of footpaths." Tho University Press of Oxford haa now appliances for printing books in ono hundred and fifty languages and dialects. Italy exports' about fifty million eggs -to England annually, for which they get an average price of nine cents per dozen. In matters of dress the people of Samoa aro quite primitive, so nearly so that It became necessary to pass a law forbidding Senators to appear naked, at any session, under penalty of ono hun dred dollars for each appearance. Some Indian anjow heads were late ly shown at the Socfeto d' Anthropologic which were poisoned with curare over a century ago, but still retained their deadly power. Small animals scratched with them died in half -an 'hour. Tho following advertisement ap pears in a Vienna newspaper: "A re spectable married couple, of whom the husband is no dancer, desires to make the acquaintance of an equally respecta ble couple, whero tho wifo is no dancer, -in order to visit balls in corapsmy." A Berlin woman lately attempted to kill herself by drinking tvvo ounces of kerosene. She became unconscious, but was fully restored to health in three or four days. The Dentsclie Wochenschrift tells oa man who drank habitually an ordinary liquor glass of petroleum sev eral times weekly without any-disagreeable consequences. A remarkable explosion which oc curred in German shows the force pos sessed by dust. A sack of flour, falling down stairs, oiicned and scattered the contents in a cloud through tho lower room, where a burning gjis flame set lire to the du.st, causing an explosion which lifted a part of tho roof of the mill and broko almost all tho windows. Signor Martini, one of the largest owners of houso property in the city of Genoa, had a feeling of gratitude to his tenants, who, bv thoir rcguKtrityof pay ment, had enabled him to spend his de clining years ia comfort. When his will was opened it was discovered that the old gentleman had instructed his ex ecutors that all his tenants, rich and poor, male and female, were to reside rent free in the houses then occupied by them, if they desired to do so, as long as they lived. According to an official statement issued liy tho Japanese Government, there occurred five hundred and fifty three earthquakes during tho nine years and six month's preceding December, 1884, averaging ono earthquake for every six days and six hours. This must, however, refer to the capital and surrounding district only, and earth quakes of great violence can alone be counted, for Prof. Milne was able to trace an average of an earthquake per day in Nagat-aki. in the extreme south of tho Japanese archipelago. Berry, the English hangman, is a tall, respectable-looking man, with the appearance of a mechanic. He is a shoemaker by trade, but does not work now, as the executioner is well paid. He gets fifty dollars a head, or, when there arc more than one, fifty dollars for the first, twenty-five dollars for the second and twenty-five dollars for the third, with all his expenses paid. Tho first essential is nerve, and Berry has nerve. Binns, who pre ceded him, was a braggart, and liked publictv. He would smoke his pipo out side half an hour beforo an execution, and drink, and had an active tongue. Now the executioner is obliged to sleep in jail the night liefore a hanging. Cal- craft, who was hangman for so many years, was also a shoemaker, and, like Berry, a quiet, retiring man. THE PLANETS. Iateresttn'- FActa About Some of Oar Heavenly Neighbors. Venus, so well known to us all as the loveliest object in the heavens, tho even ing and the morning star, resembles closely bur own earth.. Its sizo is al most the same, its diameter being 7,666 miles; it.s day is almost the same length, and its density is rather less than five times that of water. It revolves around the sun at a distanco of 60,000,000 miles in the space of 224 days. Like Mer cury, nowevor, Venus is moonless. Patssing the earth in tho meantime, we come to tho well-known ret! planet Mars. This planet is particularly inter esting in many points of view. Next to Mercury it is the smallest of the four planets, its diameter being only 4.200 miles, little more than half that of the earth or Venus. Its distance from the sun is 141,000,000 miles, and it com pletes its circuit in 687 days. The length of its day does not diflfer mate rially from that of our own. Mars has two moons, and ono of them pre sents a phenomenon unique in the i-ystcm. No other moon behaves liko this one, for it goes around Mars about three times every day; that is to say, it goes faster round Mars than Mars does on its own axis. Imagine our moon rising ami setting threo times every twenty-four hours! Another in teresting feature m Mars is this: We can see through our telescopes what ftccms to be the configuration of its con tinents and oceans, and also accumula tion of snow at its poles. We next turn our attention to the other group of planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These are dis tinguished by their enormous size, im mense distance from the sun, rapid rev olution on their own axis and very small density. The change from Mars to Jupiter is indeed remarkable. Tho latter planet, familiar to every ob server of the heavens, is indeed a giant among giants. In mass it is cquai to all the planets pnt together, its diame ter being no less than 85,000 mils, and its distance from the sun 682,000,000 miles. It tikes 4,332 days to complete its yearly revolution. - Although of such enormous dimensions, it turns on its own axiin less than ten hours. From the small density (1.38) of Jupiter, wo should imagine "it to be composed, In great p.irt at least, of fluid or gaseous iiiauer not yet cooled .sufficiently to form land. From certain phenomena on its surface it is evident that it is almost completely enveloped in clouds, and it is doubtful if we" have ever actually seen tho real solid nucleus ot this planet. Jupiter is attend ed by four moons, which revolve around him at various distances. The study of these bodies is of great interest; from watching their movements wo get tho first hint of tho velocity- of light Next in order in our outward journey comes Saturn, at tho distance of 884.00O.nnft miles from the sun, and taking no less. uijui w,4ov uays 10 complete 4ts revolu tion round that luminary. This planet, though less than Jupiter, is still of gi gantic dimensions, its diameter being 71,000 miles. Saturn is the lightest of all tho planets, its density being only 0.75, so that if placed in a huge ocean it would float with a fourth of its bulk above the water. Tho most remarkable thing, however, about this planet is the system of rings by which it is surround ed. What these rings are has long been a puzzle to astronomers, but the most plausible explanation seoms to bo that tlicy arc composed of myriad haste of small meteoric bodies circulating at some distanco round tho body of tho planet Saturn has no less than eight moons under its control, and if it hag any inhabitants like oursolves which ia not likely, however the heavens must be a strange sight to them, with these eight moons and raeteorio twarma. -Camir Magazine. Be Warned Kldaer dlMUM May be prevented by purifying, renew, sad favfgoratin tfcIo& with AVer's Sarsapsrilla. When, tarsegh debility, the action of Ihe Kdners Is perverted, these orgaas rob the blood of its seeded coMtlracat, aHuuaea, which i passed off In the Briae, while won out attar, which they should carry off from the blood, is allowed to reaaia. By the v use of Ayera Sanaparilla, the kidneys are restored to proper actios, aad Albu adataria,or Bright' s Disease fa preveated. AVer's Sanaparilla tho prevents inflammation of tho kidneys, and other disorders of these organs. Mrs.Jas. W.TTld, Forest TTill st., Jamaica Plain, Maes., writes- ' : hare had a complica tion of diseases, but my greatest trouble has beea with xsj. kidneys. Four bottles of Ayer'a Sanaparilla made xae feel like a mew person; as well and strong .as ever." W. M. McDonald, 4A Summer st., Boston, Maat had beea troubled for yean with Kidaey. Coaplalat. By tho use of Ayer'a Sanaparilla, he not oaly Prevented the disease from aaraaiag a fatal form, bnt was restored to perfect health. Joha McLellan, cor. Bridge and Third st Loweli,fass., writes: --For several yean I suffered from Dyspepsia and Kidney Complaint, the latter being so severe at times that I could scarcely attend to my work. My appetite was poor, and I was mocheaiaclated; but by using AYER'S Sarsaparilla my appetite and digestion improved. :..il my health has been perfectly re-torwl." Sold by all Druggist. Price $1; Six bottles, 35. Prepared by Dr. J. C. Aycr & Co., l.ovi-U, Mass., U. S. A. TIIK OMAHA & CHICAGO SHORT LINE of Tin: St Panl Bailway. THE BEST ROUTE Frem OMAHA TO THE BAST. Two Trains Daily Between Ouiaii.i Chicago, and Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Dubuque, Davenport, Rock lsland,Freeport, Rockford, Elgin, Madison, Janesville, Beloit, Winona, La Crosse. And all other Important Points Northeast and Southeast. Ea3t, For through tickets call on the Ticket Agent at Columbus, Nebraifca. Pullman Sukpjks and the Fimest Dinisg Cars in tiik World are run on the main lines of the Chicasro. .fl II. t-raakee fc U Paal R'y, and every attention is paid to passengers by cour teous employ e of the Company. JR. IMiller, A. T. II. Carpcaler, General JIau ger. (J.en'1 l-ass. Ag't. J. F. Tacker, Gee. II. HeaCanl, Asi't Gch'1 JI:in. Ass't Pass. Ai?t. J. T. CInrk, Gen'l Sup't. 17-1 Feb LOUIS SCHEEIBER, BMsiMWainMfe All kiids ef Repairing done oh Sfcrt Notice. Buggies, Wag- s, etc., wade to order, aad all work tiuar- aateed. Alio sell the world-famous Walter A Wood Kowers, Reapers, Combin ed Machines, Harvesters, and Self-binders-the best made. laTHhop opposite the " Tattersall," n Ollv St.. COI.UM B1IK. w.m Denver to Chicago, Denver to Kansas City, Denver to Omaha, Omaha to.Chicago, Kansas City to Chicago, Omaha to St. Louis, BEST LINE FROM WEST TO EAST! SURE CONNECTIONS LOW RATES ACCACE CHECKED THROUGH. Through tickets over the Burling ton Route are for sale by tho Union Paclflo, Denver Rio Grands and all other principal railways, and by all agents of the "Burlington Route. For further Information, apply to any agent, or te P..S. EU3TI8,Gea1Tk'tAg't, OMAHA. NEB- RRffiffiJBRS U J nvenuer to oon-NB-mU. b he expert SSa enood or othenriM. papers and estimates IV !. a,ftWA-a'aAa.aK 2221t.1 Pead one dollar, finds in It tho tn jotaberequlrca. while forhimwhowiU Wlllt.baMu.J . R TI aaaa . . .Aaa. f. W UW Milwaukee JWBSF rtM" a acheiaa la Indicated which w IU 2r2!iS.S5eJr Jq'UreiaeBt, or cm te notfe rvMafiau. 1 edftiona have beea uaaod. seat post-paid, to any address for 10 casts. WnMet.Pr!iittegioaMS!.), Mew York UNION PACU LAND OFBi .c.sBaa-H,-4J "AXD General U mm m 5T. have a Iaro numlior . '."fcj farms lor sale -.ic i- -.Ii.m. A is.,, ,, J razing I.tmljt, r.u.: ( friiiiii.r .in.l "r; per acre. STSpt'cLiI .-itt.-iiiio.. j-aid t . fin.tl proor on iloruc.-tti-nd a..u Claim. - -Ltt i n:.Mt.x lanu. to ,..ii .i.,l to t!:i-ir nlv-.xt -....-. it I . - :'l , , " - " ll'.i uaiuit i.ir .-3... JIoim-v to l:i 1,3 i: I mi: on ri r . ii. jisriy. t;ii?rk. -..-.-A, ,.re "-ti Ci-Ium!,.!., x, FREE LAND' mi: .FARMERS & STOCKS! lllS. lCVO..I . if ..i-.ir....L, line Plain- Kivt-r. '6 The rnnnfnif lis. Vw-..,.jr vcnaerid Productive. -o Cheap Lands fop salt, iu 1!: ' Vll-l-l oi me meit ioru oi SteiKi.1 p-i -o Grand Openings for all kinds of h ness. Present population of Town 500. J2S-i,il for .ir.M.J-.r.i to PACKAED & KING, 2S-v stL-riiDir, f-hl .. f i,-rx:j ESTABLISHED IN I860. '111 K WASHINGTON. I- C. Pally, except Sunri.ty. Price.'.:, year in ndvain-e. pot:iL'c free THE ffiY IATMIL Ifll i-rrwiirii in tre-icr..! i:.v. t it-1 rrt inatti r obtained from the Iep irtra.-.! Acri.-uittire tact other Pen.irtiiirn!,! i he Government, rel.itiiii' to the firci ami plantiu" interests. An Advocate of Hepublicaa prinri icMcniug ieariesiiy anu lairiv tse: or Conuress and the Nation.il Adm.' tration. Price, $1.00 per year iu advsi pusiai-e iree. E. W. FOX I resident and. 31 ana.'d 1UO .NATIONAL KKPUBI.IC1X and columbus .Journal, 1 year, $io0. Cures Guaranteed OR. WARU'8 SPECIFIC o. ll A Certain Cure for Nervous DebiL Seminal Weakness. Involuntarv Kr sions, Spermatorrhea, and all diseiic the genito-unnary organs caused by. auuse or over imminence. Price, SI 00 per box, six boxes f".ii. OS. WARNS SPECIFIC Ko.; For Epileptic Fits. .Menta? Anr Loss of ilemory, Softening of the Br:l anu an tuose uiseahes of tho brain. Prl l,UU per box, six boxes ?o.00. DR. WARM'S SPECIFIC No. 2 For Impotence, Sterilitv iu either." ..oss on'ower, premature old a 'e.anJ. those diseases requiring a thorough; vijjoratmg of the sexual organ. "PrJ -J.0O per box, nx boxes $10.00. US.. WARNS SPECIFIC No. 4 For Headache. Nervous Xiir:i!'-ii.j all acute diseases of the nervou jvd i rice me per box, six boxes $i."0. TVD -1-M- M ana.) .apaai "AXUKO Sit;it"IC HO.J For all diseases caused bv the ow'l of tobacco or liquor. This remed utJ ticuiarly efficacious iu averting pal;' 4 "curium iremeus. 1'rice $1.00 e six boxes $5.00. we Guarantee a Cure, or agree t; iuuu uuume me money paiu. Certi. in eaen box. 'itns guarantee apph:- C.M.U ui our ue cpeciues. Sent lr: to any address, secure from obscrvi on receipt of price. Be careful to raer: iuu nunioer ot tspecihc wanted. iJ oiiuciuc are oniv recommen.l.il fr-5-1 cifie diseases. Beware of reuieilie- . ranted to cure all these disease v::i uicu.cjuc. io avoiu counterfeit- al ways secure toe genuine, order oulvf DOHT1 Sk CHI.Y DRUGGISTS, 1!)-1 Cotiin.l.u., V Health is Weal $tA 3 RAUL V m ITREATME.VT D E. C. West's Nkte xsd Ttzxts T"l frf nlfsr.lt.-kl -.. a. VnuArnA AT.ir-ai presmou, Boftoning of tho Urain rtf-iiU.-."",! wnuy ana leading to misery, decay acu Prematura Old Ar I!mnr.(wj l. cf -' la either box. Involuntary jJossos asd?5! atweoor OYer-mdnlgonco. Each bos ccs- onernonth s treatment. $1.00 a box.."-'!; forfaaX1.8entbyraaU prepaidon receiptw-' WE GUARANTEE SXX BOXE ToCTxraanycaco. With each onlorrecoivoi; end the purchaser our written Riuiractw i uwuuh touwr is ug uwumentuua'-'"' core, traarantees lssutMoulyby JOHN" O. WEST & CO., ttt W. MADISON ST., CHICAGO, ILL$. Solo Prop's West's Iivec Pilli in nresents mvtn Ol hl'lHl Ilk. .1 I'fllLa no---- ivw ;icu or man vou - - ' ta reea package of goods of Iaruc "" that Will start VOU in wnrlr tint w. once bring you'in money fasterthi"-1 thine else in AineripV Ml about" 1200,000 in ore-sent with euU Agents wanted everywhere, of -. sex. of all aires, for a,ii"th tin.. or -1 timeonly. to work for us, at their noines. Fortunes for all worker solutcly assured. Don't delay. U LETT & Co., Portland, 3Iaine." S500 REWARD! riBIMil II I II ii ,.j . A ..HanrrO? ".- ' n.uaa,.liWl.aaMW. , ,v- -" tiwHkWtttlkVuhl.LMrrill.!i'3?. -""-J" 'Jtieaf ".M wUh. "Thtyar. partly rar&9,.y1Ll4u n....! Turffe1! W-tlg 3S VtUtLlS mil. IW Ml. ,- .11 Ar-rrtlU. ' iSllNrt?!1 -ttkm' l tnaliv Binaliets-rffJ gT7.TT " IW Wi W. MfcUiua J-. - I MM U mall ramtmHaa ncdsSi): B snjtM more money than it else by taking an airencj' ' the hat Bpllinir book otlt crinnoM .a. ...... ii.. V.inC -UUv..a ouiticu irraiiin. - iv Turin. r. tl - r.,,- I'll. I" NATIONAL BEPOBLICAI (inn ldf Malae. 3
