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WHOLE NUMBER 1 J99f
COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA, WEDNESDAY. APRIL 3, 1895.
VOLUME XXV.-NUMBER 51.
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JERRY'S COON.
ERRY CAME UP
the path from the
spring singing. He
was singing a mer
ry, jig-like tune; so
merry that Victory
began to pat "Ju
ber." Victory had
just grown out of
babyhood a wey
all healthy babies
have of doing and
was the pride of old
Aunt Silva's heart.
As Jprrv and the singing approached.
even Uncle Ike felt his rheumatic legs
limbering up and longing to cut the
"pigeon wing." or to perform some oth
er feat of youthful days.
Possum up de gum stump, cooney In de
holler.
Little boy at my house, fat as he can
waller.
Such was the sounding couplet that
Jerry has wedded to this merry tune.
As he came in sight, it was easy
enough to understand how the lines
had been suggested to him. Slung over
his shoulder was some kind of an ani
mal; at least, it was to be presumed
that some kind of an animal was
hitched to the tail that eJrry grasped.
Victory evidently thought there was
something beyond that tail. She had
been sitting on the ground, pouring fine
dirt in little rills through her fist into
her lap. From the size of her eyes and
the gap between her lips, she must have
thought unutterable things; probably
there was a Hon at the. other end of the
tail.
Uncle Ike came around from his
patch, bringing a rusty hoe. He had
been digging for sweet potatoes. He
had found three, one almost as large
as his forefinger. Uncle Ike's sweet po
tatoes usually averaged about the size
of his little linger.
"What you reckon I got yere? Jerry
asked.
The tail slipped down his back with
the question, as though the animal,
whatever he was, might be crawling
away with it. But Jerry had lowered
it so that his conumdrum would be
harder to guess. Only the brush-like
tip of the tail was now visible.
Uncle Ike made a guess. "Possum,"
he said, and with the word there came
into his yellow eyes a hungry look.
"Look yere at his tail." said Jerry,
with a tone of superiority. "You neb
ber seed no possum wid a tail like dls
yere. Possum tall smooth like rat tall.
Possum tail bar. What you reckon 'tis.
Vict'ry?" and he turned to the little
girl.
"I s'peck It's a panter or a b'ar, one
or t'other." and the little lady squared
her?elf in a stately way, and folded
her arms behind her. as if to do battle
for her opinion.
"Geewhilllkens! I couldn't tote a b'ar
no more'n I could tote a bawn full er
horses, or dis yere plantation. B'lleve
In my soul g:ils is gese. Here's what it
is; it's a coon." Jerry continued, swing
ing his booty to the front, "an' I
notched de genulman all by myse'f;
nebber had a single solitary soul ter
he'p me."
.Here Tiger, as if to recall the part
lie had borne in the matter, lifted his
head, and with a low growl, sniffed at
cooney's nose.
"Is he clean dead?" asked Victory.
"Law. yes! Kt he wasn't he'd spit In
Tiger's face. He wouldn't stand no
dog's liosin"."
"Whar'd ye cotch it, anyhow?" asked
Uncle Ike.
"In a 'sinnnon tree, ob course."
"What yer doin at de 'simmon tree?
AInt dar no cotton in de cotton patch
ter pick? 'Simmons aint good, nohow
till fros. Better 'ten' to yer cotton
plckin an let 'simmons an' coon "lone."
"Reckon I'se got a right to git red uv
de chills ef I kin. Aunt Silvy tole me
how ef I'd walk "round a 'simmon tree
fou' times wldout thinkin uv possum.
I'd git well uv de chills, sho'. 1 was
tryin' ter do dat pusklption. an I'd
'a done It ef it hadn't been for dis yere
varmint. I was mos' gettin so I could
walk roun' widout thinkin uv possum.
It is den I look up In de 'simmon tree,
an' dar sot a coon, layin right out on
a limb, playln' possum. Ks soon es he
lit Tiger jes' bounced him. Den dar was
a mighty tussle, but Tige lammed him."
" "Lemme see him, anyhow," said Un
cle Ike.
There was no mistaking the look in
Uncle Ike's eyes. He was coveting his
neighbor's property; he was hankering
. after that coon. He hobbled toward
-Jerry, and reached out his hand as if
to take it.
The boy did not respond to the move
ment. He look a step or two back
ward. He elevated the coveted arti
cle to his arm's capacity.
"See It. den." he said. "I don't keer
how much you see it."
"Coon ain't much "count for eatln'
pupposes. Xow possum Is tollubul
good." said Uncle Ike. "What'll yer
take for him, anyhow?"
"What'll yer gimme fer him?" chal
lenged the cautious Jerry.
"It's mighty hard ter tell what a po'
coon like dat dar it worf. 'Taint worf
its skinnln' an" cookin. but I'll gib ye
wi m - P ;,
Wi 0( $ w&' i
yOcZfr- .. GOOD FOR EVTL.
.".- dem for d varmint. In dat case, yer
- won't hab none de boddcr wid dem dar
op'rations. An I'll gib yer de skin ter
boot. Yer kin make a tollubul good hat
outen de skin fer ter keep ye warm dls
cole winter. A coonskin sap is mighty
comfortable; heap bettcr'n a sto cap.
Ef yer wus ter take dat coon ter town
ter sell, yer couldn't git jio cap for it
widouten a plc'yune. or maybe a bit
'- ter boot. But if yer trades wid me,
yer gits yer cap an keeps yer plc'yune
bofe."
"Dat's so," said Jerry, turning the
coon this way and that with a medita
tive air. and surveylnir it in every
light. " --
- "An, 'rides all de res', yer won't hab
. none de bodder up de cleanin'. It's a
mighty pestcrin job ter skin a coon.
. ESkfn sticks tight. I kin tell yer. Is yer
- -cwine icr Fop- or not? Kase I can't
stan" yere Ico.in wid yer all day. Some
de. tidier boys gwine but huntin' 'fore
'lon-j. I'll trains wid dem, an den you'll
afcse f.-ouin' -six .good nuff fef yer,
9pic-C. fccin" Fech a big fool. Is yer gwlne
'lkfi?15' or ls 2e srwine ter let some da
- T .-... .
.iGaeryoys tau tie ciiance;
.2? fJTK 'itx.e ter trade ob cou'se," said
Jerr landing over the coon to Uncle
Ike, yet keeping his eyes fined longingly
on the .creature as it passea out or mi
possession.
Udcle Ike shuffled off to his cabin
with his "boggin." Jerry Watched his
departure with a dubious feeling. Some
how, in spite of the air of magnani
mity with which Uncle Ike had agreed
to give skinning and cooking of the
coon for the coon itself, he was not
happy. He went into Aunt Silva, and
began to tell about the fire bargain he
had made, but broke down In the midst
and cried about it. Aunt Silva didn't
know where the sophistry came In in
the transaction, but she felt her way to
the conclusion that Jerry had been
wronged.
She strode out of her cabin, and over
to Uncle Ike's. You would have taken
her for the Impersonation of all the
officers of justice In the state. In vain
Uncle Ike argued that a fair bargain
had been made.
"Hush yer mouf. Uncle Ike," she
said; "you can't nebber make me be'
lleve black's white, not ef yer was to
sw'ar it till yer turn white youse'f. I
knows dat eJrry had a coon, an I
knows dat he ain't got no coon now, l.or
nuffin't all. What's come of Jerry's
coon?"
"Why, he sold It ob cou'se. I gib him
de coonskin for de coon."
"To be sho'; but whar'd ye git de
coonskin in de fus place?"
"Why, I got de skin for de skinnln.
an de cleanln. an' de cookin. Why,
bress yer soul, Aunt Silva, dat boy's
got de best of de boggin."
"Gimme dat coon dis minute," Aunt
Silva demanded. "Ef yer don't, I'll
sp'ile ev'ry bit uv rep'tatlon yer got.
I'll hab yer up 'fo de church, sho's yer
bawn. A member of de church in good
an reg'lar standin' 'pressin' de orfin
an de widder! Ain't yer shame of yer
se'f ? How kin yer hab de face ter git
shoutin' happy arter such puffom
ances? It's all kase yer's a Williams'
nigger. Ef ye'd been a Carter's, yer'd
nebber done it. Yer'd a-died fus'. I
tell yer gib up dat coon, or gib up yer
rup'tation one or t'other."
I wish you could have seen how mean
and sneaking Uncle Ike looked, as he
crawled under the bed, where he had
hid the coon. He dragged it out by
thet all, and delivered it over to Aunt
Silva.
That night there was a coon supper
In Aunt Silva's cabin, and a "night old
time," as Jerry would have said. There
wa3 a goodly number of guests from
the various cabins, but Uncle Ike was
not among them.
Toward the close of the feast they
missed Jerry. He had slipped away
with a choice bit of roast coon for poor
old Uncle Ike.
.Teamcs Wait Horrified.
Kate Field's Washington recalls a
story told some years ago about the
first visit after her marriage paid to
Lady Randolph Churchill by her uncle.
Lawrence Jerome. He modestly ap
proached the portals of the Churchllls'
town house and accosted a choice edi
tion of Jeames Yellowplush:
"Is Mr. Churchill at home?"
The footman shivers. "Me lud Is in
Ireland."
"Humph! What's he doing In Ire
land?" The footman Is frozen into silence with
horror. Mr. Jerome tries again:
"Is Mrs. Churchill at home?"
The footman quivers with suppressec
indignation.
"Me leddy is not down stairs yet!"
"Not down stairs? In bed at this time
of day? Does she know what o'clock it
is.' Heres a pretty how-de-do! Well,
you go up and tell Mrs. Churchill-; "
The footman, growing every moment
more desperate, here turns deadly pale,
and clears his throat nervously, being
about to call aloud and summon assist
ance to eject this audacious intruder,
when a silvery voice, with a musical
laugh behind It, is heard over the banis
ters from the second story hall:
"Oh, that's you. Uncle Larry, isn't it?
Come right in!"
The footman writhes in an anguish of
self-abasement at once, bowing low and
retreating.
"Oh. sir! Oh. me lud! Pardon me! If
you please, me lud. this way this way!"
A Substitute! for Ice Cream.
A cold dessert that is delicious and
that is now and then an excellent sub
stitute for ice cream is made from gela
tine, whipped cream, and pistnche nuts.
Soak two teaspoonfuls of granulated
gelatine in half a cup of milk fifteen
minutes. Whip a pint of cream, sweeten
with half a cupful of powdered sugar,
and season with four tablespoonfuls of
Madeira and from a quarter to half a
leaspoonful of bitter almonds. Dissolve
the gelatine over the teakettle, then
strain it into the whipped cream. Stir
until the mixture begins to thicken.
Turn into a mold and set on the ice un
til cold and hard. When you take out of
the mould, sprinkle thickly with pis
tache nuts chopped fine. The pudding is
further improved to the sight by gar
nishing with candied violets or rose
leaves. Kunaway on the Ocean.
A runaway steamer must be an ex
ceedingly unpleasant sort of sea ser
pent for the passengers on board her.
The steamer Marchioness of Breadal
bane. while making the passage from
Rothesay to Gourock, met with an ac
cident to her machinery and the en
gineers were unable to stop her. The
captain therefore .took her out Into mid
channel and spun around In a circle
till the steam was nearly exhausted,
when the runaway was headed for Gou-x-ock,
where she was secured by ropes
and the rest of the steam run off.
Seagull on the Thames.
Seagulls have since the beginning of
February been flocking to the Thames
between the bridges, and had become so
tame that they would fly to catch the
chopped fish and pieces of bread thrown
to them from the embankment. Last
Sunday night a flock of these birds
foretold Monday's thaw by suddenly
flying off down the river in a body at
about 6 o'clock in the' evening. Their
instinct enabled them to beat the me
teorological department at its own
game, and to recognize that more open
weather was at hand.
Singular KonmanUn Custom.
A curious custom prevails among
Roumanian peasants. Wheix a Rou
manian .girl is of a marriageable age,
all her trousseau (which has been care
fully woven, spun and embroidered by
her mother and herself) Is placed in a
painted wooden box. When a young
man thinks of asking to be allowed to
pay his attentions to the girl, he is at
lberty first to open the box. If the
suitor is satisfied with the quantity and
quality of the dowry, he makes a form
al application for the girl's hand,
Man Caagfct by a HaeTmi.
A few days ago a widow, a lira.
Mackrel, tried to1 thow herself oft Roch
ester bridge. When she was charged
at the. police court a .man stepped for
ward and offered to marry her an
offer which Mrs. Mackrel accepted with
avidity. Most people think themselves
lucky if they throw ', sprat and catch
a mackereL The enterprising woman
threw a. Mackrel and caught a man!
SHORT CUT TO INDIA.
Advftatagv of the 84es Canal Beat
On tafl CaiBTa Cape Voyage.
There are three different routes to
Iudia known to eastern travelers, the
cape voyage, the overland road, and
-via the Suet canal. Thackeray, the
novelist, who was born in India, was
taken to England when a child by way
of the cape of Good Hope and St. Hel
ena, where he saw Napoleon then In
exile. It was a journey of months. The
overland Journey was a matter of
weeks, and now the trip can be made
through the Suex canal in a few days.
"The Suez canal is in some respects
the most wonderful waterway In the
world. As soon as the traveler enters
it he realizes that he is in the hands of
the French. A French speaking pilot
takes possession of the ship, and all of
ficers of the canal are Frenchmen. The
gares, or turn-outs, where a ship waits
to let anothe r pass, are in charge of
old French soldiers, and it is charming
to see how they beautify their arid
surroundings. When the sand of the
desert is watered It almost bursts with
bowers, and at every gare is a neatly
painted little house, and a blooming
garden, while grass edges the canal
and the dreariest region on earth is
transformed by French thrift One of
the most interesting hights of the can
al In early days was to see one snip
meet another. The passengers on each
crowded forward with greetings, and
the waving of handkerchiefs, and there
were tears from the outward bound at
the thought of what the homeward
bound were soon to see. The meeting
of ships Is now no longer a novelty.
I once encountered the Khedive Tew
fik's yacht, with his harem on board,
as we passed through the canal. Of
course we caught no glimpse of the
ladies, but Tewflk and De Lcsseps,
who was his guest, came out on the
sponson beam to greet us, and we
manned the yards with native soldiers
In honor of the two.
"The canal passage is made In from
seventeen to twenty-four hours, and
since the use of powerful electric lights
has made night navigation in the canal
possible the journey from England to
India is made with few serious delays.
It used to be that all the coal for ships
traversing the Red Sea was carried
across the isthmus on the backs of
samels. Ships now commonly coal at
Port Said. One of the curious features
of navigation In the canal and the Red
Sea Is the absence of large sailing
crafts. The Red Sea is so hemmed in
with mountains on either coast that
the progress of a large sailing ship
would be extremely slow and attended
with danger from sudden squalls. Such
a passage of the Red Sea would be al
most intolerable, for the heat Is oppres
sive and the monotony of the arid
sand hills ashore Is tedious beyond ex
pression. There are lighthouses along
the shores, and there Is no drearier lot
than that of the lighthouse keeper on
the Red Sea. So well is this fact recog
nized that the keepers, recruited from
among the old sailors of a well-known
steamship company, used to be re
lieved once a month, and their friends
were accustomed to keep the light
house supplied with a great number of
magazines, illustrated papers, and th
like, to while away the time. Few per
sons on this side of the world realize
that the sea is 1.500 miles long.
CAN NEVER BE ONE PEOPLE.
Tm Inhabitants of India Divided liy the
Iron Lines of Caste.
That the 280,000.000 inhabitants of the
continent of India should ever become
one nation is so wild an Improbability,
and. even if possible, a matter of so
many centuries, that its assumed real
ization cannot be made the basis of
practical politics, says the National
Review. England and Ireland are an
example of the slowness of growth of
a common natural sentiment in close
ly allied peoples forming one state,
and the national unification of medi
eval Europe would have been a problem
analageous to that of India today. For
Latin then, as English now, in lncna
was a common tongue for the educated
classes, yet the former did not sup
plant, as the latter is not now destroy
ing, the popular languages. And the
ideal of a temporal head of Christen
dom in the holy Roman emperor, with
its attendant aspirations, was a sen
timent counteracting local or tribal
feeling stronger than any that has yet
arisen in India from the superimposed
authority of the 'queen's government,
while there is nothing in India to cor
respond with the religious unity of Eu
rope under the popes. For Hlndolsm
and IsJnm show no signs of decay, and
the antagonism between their follow
ers is on the increase. In the tradi
tions of history one of the most power
ful elements of national sentiment, the
pride of the one is the shame of the
other. The Mussulman glories in Au
rangzeb; the followers of Goblnd Singh
and Slvajl detest his memory. Inter
marriage Is Impossible, and Is a sin
even among the myriad castes of Hin
doos. There is no historic example of
such a miracle as the amalgamation
Into one nation of such a multitude of
diverse elemnts, and if it is to be
effected the first steps have yet to be
taken.
SHIRKED A MIRACLE.
Ilrlghatn Young's Fertility of Be
ttonrce.
When Brigham Young was directing
the theocratic government of Utah, the
Mormon missionaries In England con
verted a one-legged man. This man
conceived the Idea that the prophet in
Salt Lake City might effect a miracu
lous restoration of the leg which he had
lost in an accident. So a month later
he presented himself, weary and travel
stained, but full of cheerful hope, be
fore the head of the Mormon church,
and told his desires. The prophet said
he would willingly get him a new leg,
but begged him first to consider the
matter fully. This life, he told him, .ac
cording to the San Francisco Argo
naut, is but a vale of tears, and as
nothing compared to eternity. He was
making the choice of going through life
with one leg and having two after the
resurrection, or of having two legs
through life and three after. The man
found the prospect of being a human
tripod through all eternity so unconge
nial that he accepted with resignation
his present lot and excused the prophet
from performing the miracle.
RATHER EXPENSIVE STAMPS.
One on Sale in London at the Stotlcst
Trice or 912,500.
The Philatelic world has been flut
tered by a recent important event, for
it is announced that the. vice-president
of the London Philatelic society has
sold all his stamps. A firm which deals
in these light and airy trifles secured
the vice-president's entire collection,
and gave no less than 550.000 for It.
This is the largest price ever paid for
a collection of stamps, though the
treasures of this kind recently be
queathed by a member of parliament
to the British Museum would have
fetched a higher' figure If put up at
public auction. A London establish
ment Is Just now advertising a single
stamp, valued at $12,500, and the Duke
of York, already known as a keen con
noisseur. Is said, by Black and White,
to be anxious to purchase this great
stamp. Experts declare that there is
no better Investment for money nowa
days than .stamps. If that be so, they
will become an 'object of fascination to
many who at. present take little delight
in. inim .
EtJINS OP YUCATAN.
PROF. W. M. HOLMES TELLS OF
EXPLORATIONS THERE.
With a Party of Americas He Vklts
Old Astee Temple aad Sees Maay
Thugs of Great Archaeological In
ferest. Prof. W.H. Holmes, curator of anthro
pology In the Columbian museum, re
turned recently from his voyage of
archaelogical discovery to Mexico with
Allison "V. Armour and other friends in
Mr. Armour's steam yacht Ituna, says
the Chicago "Tribune. It sailed from
New York Dec 16. with Mr. Armour
Prof. Marquand of Princeton, and Nor
man Williams of Chicago. It reached
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec 20 and took on
Prof. Holmes and Prof. C. F. Mllls
paugh, curator of botany in the
museum. It anchored Dec "24 at Ha
vana, from which point Mr. Williama
retUrned to Chicago. From Havana Dec
26, the company sailed direct to Pro
gresso, the port of Yucatan, on the
northermost point of the peninsula,
where they were joined by ex-United
States consul E. H. Thompson, who
owns a hacienda in the vicinity, and
who has been for ten years a student
of Yucatan archaeology. The depart
ure from Progresso, with the party
complete, Was the commencement of the
scientific expedition. "Our first trip,"
said Prof. Holmes, "was to what are
called the eastern Islands of Cozumel,
Mugeres, and Contoy, lying along the
eastern coast of the peninsula. We were
attracted to the locality by the fact that
travelers had never visited it before.
These islands are dotted with the ruins
of temples and temple accessories.
These Were occupied when the
Spaniards came, and the natives pos
sess records of the conquest. The in
scriptions, which are numerous, were
made by the priests, and have never
been deciphered. We came in sight of
Tuloon, an immense fortress on the
mainland, but were not permitted to
land. Returning to Progresso we jour
neyed southward to Merida and visited
three great ruined cities within seventy-five
miles of it. These were Uxmal
and Chichenitza. the ruined temples of
which were reproduced at the World's
Fair by ex-Consul Thompson and Iza
mel. Here we carried our explorations
and studies perhaps farther than any
other travelers that ever visited the
country. The extent of the ruins Is
something wonderful. They were found
in a boundless tropical forest, and con
sisted largely of stone pillars two feet
In diameter and probably eight feet
high. Sometimes we saw five rows of
them together. We made a great num
ber of photographs and sketches. This
country is watered entirely by wells
which, connect with subterranean rivers.
The country, though beautiful, Is rocky
and barren, and It is a question how
the population of these immense ruined
cities subsisted. Having returned to
Progresso we coasted southwestwardly
along the west coast of Yucatan to the
adjoining state of Campeche and to its
port Laguna. We ascended the river
Usamacinta fifty miles In a river steam
er, the shallow water-not admitting pur
yacht, but took our steam launch along.
Reaching the state of Tobasco we as
cended a tributary of the river as far
as our launch could carry us, and some
miles further In canoes. Then we took
horses and traveled thirty-five miles
farther, to the base of the mountains
forming the boundary between Mexico
and Guatemala. The object was to visit
the great ruined city near Palenque, In
the midst of a dense forest in the state
of Chiapas. The ruins were all temples
and their associate buildings and were
bas relief sculptures. The place has been
visited by travelers before, but was un
known to the Spanlardsof the conquest.
Those ruins must be 1,000 years old and
they contain many features of beauty.
While we were on this journey our
botanist met with an accident and i-e-turned
to this country. Returning to
Laguna we sailed south and west
toward Coutzag, from which point we
intended to cross the isthmus by rail
to Tehntepec But in three hours we
got caught in a norther which was said
to be the fiercest ever seen In those seas.
It was the same storm that gave New
Orleans ten inches of snow. It lasted
for three days, during which we did
not have our boots off. The. waves
swept over the deck and down into the
cabin, and everything we had was wet.
The yardarms were constantly dipping
Into the water on each side. This storm
caused us to abandon our Tehuantepec
trip, and sail for "Vera Cruz. On anchor
ing in that port we went by rail to
Puebla, and by the Mexican Central to
Oaxaca. In this neighborhood we visited
the. ruins of Mltla, one of the chief cities
of the Zapotecs. The distinguishing
feature of these ruins is the great size
of the blocks of stone used. They were
18x3x3 feet in size, were quarried with
stone picks, and brought many miles
without beasts of burden.
"Returning to Oaxaca we visited "the
great ruins at Monte Alban, one of the
most remarkable ruins in Mexico. Then
we visited the City of Mexico, and in
spected the ancient capital of the
Aztecs. Finally we journeyed twenty
five miles north to see the ruins of San
Juan Teotlhuacan. We then returned
to "Vera Cruz, sailed to Progresso, and
then to New Orleans. Then I parted
with Mr. Armour and returned to Chi
cago by rail. I brought little or nothing
with me, and secured no treasure for
the Field Columbian museum."
A Tame Python.
Once while passing through a Dutch
farm. I went to the house to buy some
eggs; standing In front of the door was
a large barrel, and while I was pass
ing I carelessly tilted it up to see what
was inside, but promptly let it down
again, as there was a big python under
neath. The Dutchman told me he had
shot at the snake some months pre
viously, and a few grains entering the
head the reptile appeared to become
stupified and unable to move quickly.
He then dragged It home and extracted
the fangs, and it gradually became
tame. The python, which measured
sixteen feet, was allowed to crawl
about the place at night, never at
tempting to get away or do any dam
age; in fact they found it useful for
killing rats and vermin. By day It was
kept under the barrel. The children
fed the snake and played with it. I
saw one of the little Dutch boys drag
it out and pour two bottles of milk
down its throat and then gave it six
eggs, which it swallowed. Wrhen they
teased the python It made a hissing
noise and reared up on its tail. They
were not a bit frightened, and would
catch hold of it by the head and drag
it along the ground over their should
ers. "Three Years with Lobengula."
A SOO-Year-Old Tree.
It is very difficult to get the age of
the large trees In this country, as few
have been purposely planted, while no
no one knows how long the wild speci
mens have been growing. In England
there is a peciman of the tulip tree
known to have- been planted 200 years
ago on Lord Holmes' estate in Ber-
j wlckshlre. At two feet from the ground
j it measures twenty-three feet in cir-cumfereBce.
FLOGGING IN RUSSIA.
Its Abolition Refers to the Use of
Flet, aad Not the Kaonfc
The St. Petersburg dispatch to the
effect that an Imperial edict has been
issued abolishing the flogging of crim
inals apparently refers to the use of the
plet, or pletl, and not to the knout, as
was first supposed. Punishment with
the knout, or, more correctly called the
knut, was abolished by Emperor Nich
olas I. more than forty years ago. The
lash of the knout was composed of
broad leather thongs, prepared to a me
tallic hardness, and often intertwined
with wire. A sentence of from 100 to
200 blows was considered equivalent to
death. When the knout was done away
with the plet. a simple lash, was sub
stituted for it. This was considered a
much milder form of punishment, but
the prison officials founds ways of in
creasing Its efficacy, and George Ken
tian In his recent book on Siberia says
that he was Informed by Russian offi
cers that death might be caused by 100
blows of the plet. Flogging has always
been a favorite mode of Russian ex
pression of dissatisfaction. An Inva
riable wedding gift from the friends of
the bride to the groom' is a rawhide, and
one of the first duties of the newly wen
Russian peasant, if he wishes to retain
his self-respect Is to beat his wife. The
story is told of a German resident of
Russia who married a' native wife. All
went Joyously for three weeks. One
day the husband found his wife in tears.
"You do not love me," was the best In
formation he could get. In vain he pro
tested and caressed her.
Day after day saw the same weeping,
protesting condition. At last the wife
In a burst of despair made the full
charge: "You do not love me, else you
would beat me as other men beat their
wives."
The woman's doubts were set at rest
and by judicious clubbings the German
was enabled to live happily and unre
criminatingly ever afterward.
IN THE YEAR l.OOO.OOO.
The Last Man Will Ite Smaller Than a
Fly.
The surface of the earth is slowly
but surely diminishing, says the scien
tists. All the landed portion will be
submerged and the last man will be
drowned. The ice Is gradually accumu
lating at the North Pole and slowly
melting away at tho South. Eventu
ally the earth's centre of gravity will
be crushed by the rush of movables
that will quickly glide over Its surface.
There Is a retarding medium In space
causing a gradual loss In velocity In all
of the planets. The earth, when her
revolutions finally cease, will be drawn
nearer and nearer to the sun until the
last man will be literally roasted off
the face of the earth. Beginning with
the year 2000 A. D. humanity will com
mence to retrograde and by the end of
the year 1,000.000 man will be no larger
and have no more intelligence than a
plant louse. In that event there will
be no "last man," remarks the St. Louis
Republic. The sun's fires will gradu
ally burn out and the temperature cool;
in consequence the earth's glacial zones
will enlarge, driving shivering human
ity toward the equator. At least the
habitable space will lessen to nothing
and overcrowded humanity will be
frozen in a heap.
Inter stiug Facts.
Here are some facts that will
prove
interesting to our readers:
An ingenius Scotchman has devised
a thread-spinning apparatus that Is op
erated by two trained mice. In driving
the little mill with their paws the ani
mals daily perform work equivalent to
traveling ten and one-half miles.
When a prince of the Austrian royal
family dies his horse follows the fu
neral covered with a black cloth, and
lame In one hoof. The lameness Is pro
duced by driving a nail through the
horseshoe. This is the sign of the
deepest possible mourning.
In London alone there are upward of
174 pianoforte factories. Over 1,300
shops and factories In the metropolis
are devoted to the supplying of mus-.
leal goods of all sorts. Throughout the
provinces there are 3,000 musical es
tablishments of various kinds.
The Arizona Indians have a peculicr
and effective way of branding animals.
The brand ls made of steel, with a
knife edge. It Is fixed on the head of
an arrow, and shot with a bow at the
animal, to be branded with such force
that it cuts the mark in the hide.
The keys that are used the most for
musical composition are C major. Ct
major, containing one sharp, and F
major, containing one flat, the reasons
being that these keys are easier to play
on keyed Instruments, such as piano or
organ, and because keys with few
sharps or flats are better adapted for
instruments in an orchestra.
Rogers' Sharp Tongue.
Rogers and Luttrell were sauntering
through the Louvre together, when
some ladies accosted the former gentle
man. A few words were exchanged,
followed by formal bows, and they
parted. Luttrell rejoined his friend,
saying: "It is a curious thing one of
hose ladies came up to me and said:
'Is your name Luttrell?" " "And was
it?" said Rogers. This peculiar re
joinder conveyed a sneer that, perhaps,
no other than the mordant tongue of
Rogers could have uttered. The only
wonder Is that It was forgiven. We'
learn from the "Greville Memoirs" that
"Rogers and Luttrell were always
bracketed together Intimate friends
seldom apart, and always hating, abus
ing, and ridiculing each other." The
covert sneer conveyed in the words
"Was it your name?" is explained by
the fact that the society wit, who de
lighted two generations by his brilliant,
talk, was a natural son of Lord Car-,
hampton. In early life the earl was'
known as the Col. Luttrell, flagellated
In "Junius Letters," and of whom
Horace Walpole remarked that "the
court had crammed him into the house
of commons instead of Wilkes." Tem
ple Bar.
George Yanderbllt's Hen.
There doubtless are people in the
world who would envy the hens on
George Vanderbllt's estate at Bar Har
bor this winter. These aristocratic
biddies live In a "palatial residence
heated with hot water. Their floor is
washed once a week. They have the
choicest grains for food, and lettuce
Is grown in a hothouse for their espe
cial delectation. They have responded
with a liberal supply of eggs all win
ter, and the Incubators are turning out
the broilers that will be found very sat
isfying to the Vanderbllt appetite this
spring. Lewiston (lie.) Journal.
French and German Art.
A reapprochement of French
German art is taking place.
and
Sara
Bernhardt Is about to trespass upon all
former tradition by introducing a Ger
man play to the French stage. Wag- j
ner is in tne ascendant in iaris, while
French painters are sending pictures
to German solons of art, and French
singers and actors who bitterly swore
they would never appear at Berlin,
Dresden, Hanover, and Lelpzic, are
engaged, at excellent salaries, for all
these places.
THE WOBK OF BANDS.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF INGENIOUS
MECHANICS.
The Great Pyramid ef Egypt !
leal MarTeU ef the Famoma Strasborg
Clock Maar Other Cmrioae Mechan
ical CoatrliraacfM.
Mechanical science, strictly speaking,
is that which treats of the nature of
forces and of their action on bodies
either directly or by the agency of ma
chinery. This article will outline the
history and trace the" developments of
mechanics. The purpose rather is to
indicate some of the more remarkable
triumphs of science, and to specify
some of Its peculiar developments.
Practical experience, says the Chi
cago Record, soon becomes knowledge;
and knowledge well founded soon be
comes science. One has no reason to
doubt, therefore, that at a very early
age of the world's history some of the
principles of mechanical science were
well understood.
One of the earliest applications of
human genius would naturally be in
the direction of building. Men required
homes and they built for themselves
houses. They required protection, and
they congregated In great multitudes,
and built for themselves walled cities.
They had to hunt for a living, and they
had to fight and protect themselves
against the enemy; and they made for
themselves swords and spears and other
weapons of destruction. They needed
clothing, and the productions of the
loom gradually took the place of the
skins of the wild animals. And so It
was that experience led to knowledge,
and knowledge to science.
The pyramids of Egypt, for long and
to this day Included among the world's
wonders, are to be regarded as marvel
ous triumphs of mechanical skill. Of
these there are many scattered over the
Nile valley, some of brick, some of stone,
and of varied height. The two largest
are in the neighborhood of Cairo. They
are and have been for thousands of
years the most colossal monuments in
the world. The largest, that of Cheops,
in its original state is said to have been
800 feet high and the length of its base
on each side the same. It is built of
huge stone ranging from two to three
feet In height. It Is now rugged and
has the character as well as the appear
ance of a four-sided great stairway.
The hollows between the steps are be
lieved to have been filled in with white
marble, which would shine like snow
under the bricht Etrvutlan sun. The
pyramid now Is much reduced in height,
not being more than 500 feet. It Is gen
erally admitted that the pyramids were
built of tombs, and on certain astro
nomical principles. There ls an Inner
chamber where the sarcophagus was
placed. When a monarch began to
reign he commenced to build his tomb.
When he died his body was placed in
the sacred chamber prepared for it, and
the opening which led to it was closed.
The pyramid was then completed. If
the monarch's reign was long, the pyra
mid was high. If short, the pyramid
was small. How these structures were
reared how the huge masses were
brought together and put In their places
is a question which has never been
satisfactorily answered. Of mechanical
forces some of the early people seem to
have had much more, knowledge than
there Is any direct record of.
The Strasburg clock has often been
described. The original clock was really
a wonderful contrivance. It was con
structed In 1570. On Its plate was a
celestial globe with the motions of the
sun, moon and planets. The phases of
the moon were presented, and there
was a perpetual almanac, the day of
the month being indicated by a statue.
Every quarter was struck: the first by a
child with an apple: the second by a
youth with an arrow; the third by a
man with the tip of his staff, and the
last by an old man with his crutch. The
hour was struck by an angel who opened
the door and saluted the Virgin Mary.
Another angel stood by with an hour
glass, which he turned when the hour
was struck. On the arrival of each suc
cessive hour a golden cock flapped his
wings, stretched his neck and crowed
twice. The" present Strasburg clock,
which is a reconstruction of the old,
gives one a very imperfect idea of the
original, especially in its outward per
formances. A clock scarcely less curious was con
structed toward the close of the last
century by a mechanic of Geneva. It
had figures of a negro, a dog and a
shepherd. When the clock struck the
shepherd played six airs on his flute,
and the dog approached and fawned
upon him. When being exhibited to the
king of Spain by Dros, its maker, the
king, at his request, took an apple from
the shepherd's basket. The dog barked
and set the king's dog barking also.
One of the most prominent jewelers
and mechanicians of London about the
third quarter of the last century was
a man of the name of Cox. He had a
wonderful collection of clocks and clock
work. One of the wonders of his col
lection was a cage of singing birds, all
of jeweler's work. The plumage of the
birds was of stones variously colored.
The birds fluttered, warbled and moved
their bills to every note, as they sung
solos, duets and other musical pieces,
to the astonishment of the auditors.
Arnold of the Strand presented George
III. In 1764 a watch of his own manu
facture set In a ring. Later, In 1770, he
presented the king with a small repeat
ing watch, also set In a rlng.the cylin
der of which was made of an oriental
ruby. The czar of Russia, when he
heard of these mites of watches, offered
Arnold 1,000 guineas If he would make
one for him, but the artist would not
consent.
There Is a cherry stone at the Salem
(Mass.) museum which contains a dozen
silver spoons. The stone itself ls of the
ordinary size, but the spoons are so
small that their shape and finish can
only be well distinguished by the micro
scope. Dr. Oliver gives an account of a
cherry stone on which were carved 124
heads so distinctly that the naked eye
could distinguish those belonging to
popes and kings by their miters and
crowns. It was bought in Prussia for
J15.000. and thence conveyed to England,
and It became the object of a suit In
chancery. One of the Nuremberg toy
makers inclosed in a cherry stone.which
was exhibited at the French crystal
palace, a plan of Sebastopol, a railway
station and the "Messiah" of Klopstock.
A Division of Reoponslbllity.
On the outskirts of one of our South
ern cities there used to be an old col
ored blacksmith who did a thriving
business ,but who in an evil hour took
to himself a young .man as partner.
The money matters of the concern soon
became so involved that the old man
begged for a release, but the young
man assured him that the law in the
case of partnership was so peculiar that
it couldn't be broken. Six months later,
when the young partner was away, the
old man consulted'a friend, found out
the truth, and. nailed up the following
placard:- "The partnership heretofore
resisting between MIcab Davis and my
self is now resolved. Wha owes the
firm will call on me. Wha the firm
owes will call on Micah Davis."
TVFEWWITER RIBBONS.
Their Maaafaetmre la aa laaaatiy
X Meaa IToaortloaa,
The asanufacture of ribbons for type-j
writing machines Is an industry which
gives employment to a large number of i
people. On nearly all first-class type-,
writers these Inked ribbons are used.1
says the New York Bun. There are at,
ItHKt forty different styles of American
typewriters, and more than 400.000 ma
chines are in actual use, as the average
life of a ribbon is from four to six weeks,
the number of concerns which seek to
supply the market with this article i
surprising. They make ribbons of every
conceivable color and variety, from six
to ten yards in length, and capable of
writing with copying or non copying
ink. Some ribbons are made which print
in one color and show an entirely differ
ent color when the manuscript is copied
by means of the letter press. For in
stance, a ribbon which writes black may
copy bine or green, making the record
much more legible on certain qualities
of paper. The manager of a concern in
New York, which turns out several hun
dred ribbons dally, said that, at a low
esUmate. fifty plants engaged In the
manufacture of these ribbons have been
established In the United States this
year. Each manufacturer has a secret
process for making his particular style
of ribbon, and the secret Is guarded
with the greatest possible care. One
maker In this city has each box and jar
containing powder of pigment for mak
ing the ink distinctly numbered, and
even the employe who mixes it ls obliged
to follow his printed instructions me
chanically, and remains entirely Igno
rant of the composition he Is using, une
may witness the whole process and go
away as Ignorant as before. The best
ribbons have salvaged edges, which pre
vent their raveling and curling when in
use.
They are nearly uniform in tnicx-
ness. though one ribbon is made of very
thin texture, to be used when an extra
large number of carbon copies are de
sired, and the Imprint of the type must
be as clear as possible and free from
blurs. The greatest care must be taken
In selecting the cloth from which the
ribbons are made. If the texture is
woven too closely it will not hold suffi
cient ink, and smirch the paper. More
over, such a ribbon will fill the type of
the machine and greatly annoy the oper
ator. A prime difficulty encountered by
manufacturers is how to prevent evap
oration of ink from the ribbon when it is
In use and exposed to the air. This has1
been largely overcome in the last two or
three years.
ABOUT TOOTHPICKS.
Orange Wood Ones Brought from Europe
and Are the Best.
"I wonder how many of the men who
come In here and use these orange wood
toothpicks," said a man in an uptown
hotel, "know where they come from and
how they are made. They are made by
the cleverest whlttlers In the world, and
every one of them ls of hand manufact
ure. The peasants in Spain and Portu
gal make them, and they first found
their way into this country through the
medium of steamship officers. It Is a
fact that hotels In all parts of this coun
try are using these orange-wood slivers
now In preference to either quills or the
old-fashioned toothpicks, and the de
mand for them here has been a perfect
godsend to the peasants who make them
on the other side. A year or so ago I
was In Spain and saw the peasants mak
ing them. They could turn one out with
three slashes of the knife, and it was
their custom to do them up In packages
of twenty and sell them to tourists and
steamship officers for the equivalent of
1 cent of our money. At that time the
peasants made them in their leisure mo
ments, but now, I am told, many peas
ants make their living manufacturing
toothpicks. You see, the demand for
them has Increased to such an extent
that the peasants can sell all they can
make. The steamship officers sell them
here at a profit of about a cent on each
package, which amounts to considerable
when a large number is sold. A peculiar
phase of the matter Is that not a cent of
duty Is asked for or paid on them. They
were formerly received In such small
quantities that no attention was paid to
them, and the steamship officers are still
able to get them In free, because tooth
picks are the last things customs officers
are looking for. And as toothpicks they
are rsally excellent. They are strong
and flexible, and instead of breaking.
tear, so that there Is no danger of the
end suddenly breaking off and remain
ing In the tooth, a characteristic of the
old brittle toothpicks. It Is a wonder to
me that someone doesn't make a. busi
ness of Importing them. I believe that
steamship officers have a monopoly of
the business up to date, and I am sure
that there would be money In It for
somebody If he snatched the business
out of their hands."
The Boy King of Spain.
There are many points In the court
etiquette of Spain that make it hard to
be a boy king and harder still to be the
boy king's loving mother. As he was
born a king little Alfonso had to have a
household of his own, with his own
suite of rooms. He can not even dine
at the same table with his mother, nor
can she perform for him those tender
little offices that mothers delight in and
children find so comforting. The little
king has also to go through with tedious
state receptions, which weary him sad
ly and sometimes try his childish pa
tience beyond endurance. Once at a
grand church function the baby sat
upon his nurse's knee all dressed in
white, as patient as a baby could be.
A bishop had been holding forth for a
good hour, and everybody was doubt
less waiting for him to close. At last
the little royal listener could bear it no
longer, for he Is a high-strung little
man, and with a glance of Indignant
despair in the direction of the talker he
clutched at his own pretty white hat
and cast it upon the floor. "When his
nobles were paying their compliments
to him on his second birthday their
king entertained himself by jumping up
and down the steps of his throne.
lirseriptire of Faarr.
France Is the land of "politeness."
Within forty-eight houre after Presi
dent Faure's election the Paris news
papers had described him as follows:
Reactionary: choice of the monarchists,
of the lukewarm, of the clericals; pris
oner of the reaction; coadjutor of Leo
XIII; creature of the Vatican; quarter
master for Prince Victor or for young
Orleans; suspect: choice of the canteen;
a wretched fellow, who is Dupuy's under
study; that wretched Felix; manikin;
absurd manikin; astounding Jack-In-the
box; puppet, .
A Spanish Santlow.
Juan Diaz Faes died recently In the
province of Asturias, Spain. He was a
man of Herculean build and strength, a
giant, who, with his bare fists was able
to fight and subdue bears in the moun
tains. "With one blow he once almost
killed a famous English boxer, and his
hunting adventures formed the basis of
novels and melodramas. Queen Chris
tine, the duke of Montpensier. young
Carnot, and other great people were the
friends and admirers of Faes. He -was
one of the simplest and. mostKood-na-
L tured' fellows in personal intercourse'
Cdnmlms-SUti-Baiikl
(to)
-
.V
ftnttttf a Ite It-Kill
Itta Imb Bnl Edalt-
Hew Teak aai afl
ttLII t ffllWHT? : tlOHTI.
BUYS GOOD NOTES
sad Colgs Ms Calii win 1km - !
OFFICERS AND DIRECTOB3:
Leander Gerrard, Pres't,
B. H. Henry, Vice Prest,
M. Bruqger, Cashier.
John Stauefer. 6. W. Hulst.
COLUMBUS, NEB.,
HAS AN
Autktrizt. Capital if - $500,00(1
Paii in Capital, - 90,000
OFFICERS.
C SHELDON. Pres't.
H. P. H. OE QLRIOH. Vice Pres.
OLASKT GRAY. Cashier. ,
DANIEL SOHllAM. Asa't Cash!
DIRECTORS.
H. M. WxifStOW, n. P. H . OSHLKICB".
C. H. Sheldon. W. A. McAixistkb,
Jos as Welch. Oabx. Busks.
STOCKHOLDERS.
8. 0. Obat. J. Heurt woaositAsy
5. v ,
XBHABD-LOSKKSfc
Henrt Losxkb.
clabk obat,
Danixl Schram,
Geo. W. gallst.
A. P. II. OEHLRICn.
J. P. Beckeb Estats,
FBASK KOBZB,
Rebecca Beckeb.
Baakaf dsposlt; Interest allowed on tlraai .
deposits; bay and sell exchange on United)
States and Europe, and buy and sell aTall-j
able securities. Ws shall be pleased to re-,
celTo your business. We solicit your pat
ronage. '
First National Bank'
OFFICERS.
, ANDERSON. J. GALLET.
President. Vies Pres't.
O. T. ROKN. Cashier.
IRSOTORS.
F. AHDllWOIf .
BMlIlAaATi
JACOB aiBUKf.
StetoaMit f tkt OssiltlM at the GIssa
f BssiseM Jaly 13, 1898.
Loans and Discounts. 1 241.467 67
Real Estate Furniture aad FIk- . .
tures. M-73' w
U.S. Bonds rt'ji-. 163j0 w
Due from other banks.....aff.57 B3 -
CashonJJaad JOJttt M B9..43 89
Total 1333,186 38
f.-wkurr.
Capital Stock said la......... .000 00 .
Surplus Fund .. BO.ow o
Undivided proltS,....M f.. 4.5(8 J
Circulation J?' S
Deposits ;........- JB5.U9 37
Total. .MiiwwMwwwwmMflBmi 36
HENRY GASS,
UNDEBTAKEE !
Coffins : amd : Metallic : Cases !
& Repairing of Uhindof Uphol
tteryQoodt.
j-tt coLTJimja.irnBaai'A.
columns journal
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BaQUZSXDOF A
PRINTING OFFICE.
COUNTRY.,
COMMERCIAL DAI
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