Nebraska Newspapers

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VOLUME XXVIIL NUMBER 20.
COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 25, 1897.
WHOLE NUMBER 1,424.
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THE UNKNOWN.
(Translated from the Ficnch of Btatl-rice-Montcgut.)
HB cemeteries of
cities are like great
hotels where the
close proximity of
people in different
classes of life is not
always happy. The
walls of partition
seem to leak a se
cret horror of un
lest; there is some
thing of constraint.
of proniiscuosity. cj cold dignity in the
obligatory relations of body to body.
Here the dead are not at home.
In the graveyards of the country,
among the thick flowing underbrush
and the quiet of the wide fields, la a
better repose for us after our stormy
struggles. A cemetery thus situated,
the center of far reaching horizons,
inspires one with a desire to die. To
lie down here and sleep seems good.
But most peaceful of all are the realms
of the dead in marine villages, at the
edge of the sea. within sound of the
lulling of the tunning waves which
aing an eternal song on the eternal
sleep, amid the wail of the wind over
the anrient tombs.
; One day about fifteen years ago I
entered one of these places of supreme
rest beside the waves on the Breton
toast, with its crosses pointing toward
heaven in a was' wh'ch makes one think
of eternity. lies hie a little old church,
beneath the shadow of a stone bell tur
ret, slept the forefathers, who, whether
they bad died in youth or in age, were
all made an equal part by accomplished
time. And there was no sadness in
this evidence of fatal death, but rather
n happy relief in the thought that the
harden of suffering will not always
weigh down our poor shoulders and
that sorrow had its prescribed limit.
And pleasant, too, was slow spelling out
of the inscriptions on the tombs in the
warmth of the sunlight which the flut
tering intoxicated birds greeted with a
sweet delirium of song. Three cen
1 furies of time separated the old stones
from the new. and a peace was made
over all feuds here under the high
crosses with outstretched arms, clear
cut against the green sa. standing in
their eternal attitude of forgiveness.
One tomb in the form of a chaliee ar
rested my attention and I read this sin
gular epitaph: "Here Lies an Unknown.
Dec. C. 1S71. Tarita Transiit." (She
has passed silently.) .
I wished to learn all that was known
of her. and in the evening I inquired
in the village, and this is what I
learned:
In November of the j-ear I860, on a
night of lowering sky and raging Eea,
as the inhabitants slept in their huts,
which were shakbn up by the squall,
the dull boom of a cannon announced
the distress of a ship out on the waters,
across the nromontorv. At the time
the little port did not possess a single I
meboat, and to attempt to start in such
a gale In the harks of the fishermen
would be simply folly. Each one who
heard the sound could only pray, "God
help them!" But doubtless the noises
of the angry sea drowned out the hu-
THE BODY OF A WOMAN.
man voices and God heard nothing, for
next morning the sea stretched wide
under the blue sky, swept clear. Not
a speck on the horizon, nothing but
the ripples cf foam on the waves. So
It had disappeared, foundered, the boat
that had cried for help with a call of
iron during that night of terror. The
sadness of the disaster caused a silence
among the fishermen, when, suddenly,
down on the strand, a cry arose. At
this moment the Marquis de Pontus,
master of the chateau, came up to the
group of people to learn the end of the
night's drama. He hurried Sown to
the strand, followed by the fishermen.
The cry had come from a peasant who
had discovered the body of a woman,
clothed in a long white robe, thrown
between two enormous rocks. She
was undoubtedly dead and must have
rolled from her bed on the ship into the
sea.
"Her heart still beats." cried the
peasant. The marquis commanded:
"Carry her to my house quickly and
wrap this cloak about her."
He was obeyed. In fact, the woman
still lived, and after hours of ingenious
labor opened her eyes.
"Ask her nothing." said Pontus, "she
is still too weak and must sleep."
In the meanwhile the searchers con
tinued from strand to strand, hut noth
Ins more was found. It was impossi
ble to tell what this vessel was which
had gone down in the near waters.
French? English? All a mystery! It
had carried its flag to the depths of the
sea.
"The woman will tell us," said Pon
tus. And the next day he went to her
bedside. She looked at him with eyes
large, beautiful and clear, but empty
of comprehension. She was young and
very pretty, with hands delicately and
finely shaped. He asked her where
she came from, where she was going,
who she was, in phrases gentle and
courteous, for he was already moved by
her tragic beauty. She listened with
out making a sign and did not answer.
He repeated his question, saying he
troubled her only for her own good.
She remained silent, and it was evi
dent his words conveyed nothing to
her.
"Perhaps she doesn't understand
French." said a friend.
"She understands nothing at all," said
Pontus, sadly. "I fear she has lost her
mind in the horror of the catastrophe.
But it does not matter; she has fallen
from heaven and she is at home here.
Bad or sane. God sent her to me. aad
I will guard her."
And he kept his word.
Sir
Days, months, years passed. The un
known lived silently, without words
and apparently without thoughts. She"
loved to be out of doors and mixed with
bther tfeopie, seeming by all exterior
appearances to be like them. At the
table of the marquis, in this family of
a refined ancient race, she carried her
self with the grace and dignity of one
accustbmed to a similar world, and
Pontus often said. "This child is a great
lady."
In spite of the. most thorough inves
tigations not a ray of light, even the
faintest, pierced the mystery. It could
not even be conjectured what the boat,
lost at the coast, had been, nor who
this woman was who accepted placidly
the care of strangers, showed neither
sadness nor joy, had no desires and
meu, unconsciously, the lire of a
J beautiful white bird in a cage of gold.
Little by little the marquis grew at
tached to her. His house was large and
he refused to have her confined in a
hospital, repeating that she was his
charge and sacred to him above every
thing. And sometimes when" " he"
watched her walking in the park of the
chateau. Pontus would grow very sad
and murmur, "If this beautiful girl
had a soul how I would love her." And
Pontus. who was then in his 36th year. 1
rcrused obstinately to marry on ac
count of the unknown.
And so he grew older, and with the
years came a deeper melancholy. How
ever, in his voluntary seclusion there
was some sweetness. The woman
seemed to like to be near him. though
her manner was like that of a petted
animal. She ran to him when she saw
him and looked at him with her clear
eyes, in which shone a fugitive light of
recognition and devotion. But the next
moment she would run away again,
often into the woods, where she wan
dered about all day. returning always
at dusk, for she had a great dread cf
the darkness.
One stormy 'night In November she
shuddered at the sound of the wind
from the sea and moaned softly, with
her hands clasped to her breast in an
attitude of deep sadness. A little la
ter she uttered a hoarse cry and fell
to me uoor unconscious. It was just
twelve years since she had come tc
life in the chateau. Pontus, very much
alarmed, hurried to the village for help.
A doctor was summoned, and returned
with him in great haste. The paiient
was examined and the case diagnosed
as quick consumption. She had car
ried the germs of the fatal disease in
her system for some time. Pontus was
in despair.
One morning in the winter the un
known passed quietly away. In the arms
of the marquis. At the supreme mo
ment the mysterious sick weman
seemed to regain her reason suddenly.
She looked about with eyes frightened
but comprehensive, which seemed to
say. "Where am I? Who are these
men?" She opened her lips to speak
at last In her native language, but
death, jealous of the mystery, sealed
her tongue with his icy touch.
The marquis, inconsolable, had had
engraved on her tombstone the epitaph:
"Tacita Transiit."
Happy Switzerland.
Recent press dispatches make knov
the passage of a legislative enactme a
in Switzerland by which the railroads
of the country are to pass Into the
hands of the government at a price
less by some $30,000,000 than even the
present depreciated cost of their stock.
There is rejoicing in Switzerland over
the circumstance, and one of the great
well springs of satisfaction is patriot
ism. The railroads of Switzerland are
or were previous to this purchase
largely controlled by foreigners. The
securities were massed in Berlin. The
Swiss then were in the same fix pre
cisely as the people of the United
States, whose freight and passenger
rates are to all intents and purposes
dictated by foreign financiers in Lon
don. No matter, then, what one's
opinion as to patriotism, and the gov
ernment ownership of railroads may
be, it is in order to rejoice with the
people of Switzerland because of their
emancipation from the rule of alien
credit brokers.
The Fighting Lemming.
If the lemming's powers were pro
portioned to his pluck, he would
make things lively for the hunter. It
attacks with reckless fury the harm
less passerby. One or these creatures,
smaller than a rat, will assail without
a second thought a couple of human
beings weighing 150 pounds apiece.
It will spring to one's knees, barking
and biting and in purblind fury fall
back "all-ends-up" to the earth, only
to renew the attack again and again.
Today, while one lemming was flying
at me, another from beyond a small
stream joined in the demonstration,
and presently swam across to get to
close quarters. I was not quite sure
that the first fall into the water was
not accidental, but hardly think so.
since once there it came straight to
the charge. Wild Norway.
The Pitch of Hell.
The secret of success in casting
bells ot large size for chimes or given
tones is in getting the thickness of the
ring just inside the mouth of the bell
exactly right In preparing the mold
for a tell a cross-section of this ring,
or extra thickness, is made, and the
pitch of the bell depends almost alto
gether on the diameter and relative
thickness of the ring thus laid out
Exchange. fa the Air.
Old Lady "Warm, isn't it?" Mabel
(mopping her face) "Yes. There's so
much humidity in the air." Old Lady
"That's so. There, you've just miss
ed one. It's right next to your nose."
Mabel ( jabbing at the point indicated)
"One what?" Old Lady "Why, on6
of those that you said was in the air.
I call 'em coal soots." Cleveland
Plaindealer.
or a Practical Mind.
"The girl who jilted a poet and mar
ried a butcher did an eccentric thing."
"Not at all; she recognized the great
fact that beefsteak is more filling than
blank srse." Detroit Free Press.
Twft. The kingliest crown man may
wear la 'jeweled with sweat drops of
faithful and honest toil. Rev. Luther
Wilson, Methodist. Washington. D. C.
CAMPFIRE SKETCHES.
g6$d
SHORT StORiE9
TH6 VfeTEf?AN9;
fdS
ikfatttt hf Kate tlfowtilee fcherwoed
6raUr tof the tttiifcaif' &etlei
totpa, G. A. B. Trlbite ttf tile
Mkmorr Sr the Greatest Man of
ftadcra Times.
Knighthood.
F court and camp, ot
knightly days.
And warriors hero
hearted. We find no lack in
thrilling lays
Of splendid times
departed.
Again we hear the
bugle's call.
The martial drums
are throbbing.
The banners float
from tower ana
ZZt2lt wall.
And women hush their sobbing.
To send their soldier lads along
The thorny paths of glory.
We read, we dream, we catch the song.
We love the old-time story.
And inumur at the common-place.
Which Is so tame and pleasant.
The homely and familiar face
Of our own duller present.
Yet all about us heroes live:
And as the dnys are flying,
To gallant causes heroes give
Their accolade In dying.
Hrave souls are standing for the truth
In many lowly station:
Betrayed and smitten, age and youth
Alike die for their nation.
And sometimes more of lofty strength
Is spent in simple living
Through common days, than floods
at
length
Death's one triumphant giving.
Harper's Bazar.
A Short Biography.
The dedication of the new Grant
tomb by the representatives of the na
tion has brought out a new literature
of tribute to the greatest general of
modern times. Out of the mass of
fresh material we have culled a few
expressions taken only from those
writers who were personally acquaint
ed with General Grant, and having,
therefore, a peculiar value in the in
terpretation of his charaeter. Wre have
no need to piove that he wis a su
preme captain. These quotations will
be found to indicate his value to the
world as a great and good man.
Bishop Newman, who was for many
years General Grant's pastor, says of
him: "Gratitude was one of the nob
lest emotions of his soul." Again:
"After five years In camp and field, he
returned without a stain upon his
character. He who could speak of
every one according to his station,
and who could be the unquestioned
companion of kings and queens, of
statesmen and chosen friends, never
took the name of his Creator In vain,
and an impure story never polluted his
lips. He assured me, his pastor, that
were he disposed to swear he would
be compelled to pause to frame the
sentence. Such was the purity of his
thought-life that he has been seen to
blush and withdraw from the compan
ionship of those who had presumed to
relate a salacious story in his pres
ence.' The Kev. George Deshon, who
was Grant's roommate during their
third year at West Point, says of him:
"Although always cheerful and pleas
ant, he seemed a good part of the time
occupied in serious thoughts of the
great problems of human life. He was
free from all profanity. He did not
drink liquor or use tobacco. One of
his characteristic traits was a great
straightforwardness and a scrupulous
regard for truth. He would not deviate
from it, even in jest" Senator Cullom,
who for twenty-four years knew Grant
well, speaking of his home life, says:
"The fact which still impresses me
was the simplicity and modesty of his
bearing at his heme, as well as in pub
lic gatherings where he was the hon
ored guest" General Macfeely. of Gen
eral Grant's staff, writes: "The char
acteristics by which I think General
Grant will be best known are his mag
nanimity and the rare judgment he
displayed on trying occasions. But
more than that, he was a man of
strict honesty of purpose and the" high
est integrity." An old resident of
Sackett's Harbor, where Grant was
stationed as a lieutenant, tells the
story of how Grant, while there, de
cided that for him the only thing to do
was to let liquor alone. "He could not
stand It ps many of his companions
could, and finally was one of the or
ganizers of a division of the Sons of
Temperance. Grant was one who aided
in bringing John B. Gough to the vil
lage. Many's the time," said the old
nan. "that I have seen Grant parading
the streets along with the Sons of Tem
perance and wearing a little white
apron." Senator Stewart says of our
great captain: "He was extremely
modest and never assumed by his
manner to be superior to his associates.
The character of General Grant will
bo studied through all coming ages, be
cause it develops so much of the beau
ty, power and grandeur of the high
est type of humanity." This is Gen
eral Grant's famous tribute to the
biblf, which in this connection will
bear repetition. "Hold fast to the
bible, as the sheet-anchor of your lib
erties; write its precepts in your
hearts and practice them in your lives.
To the influence of this book we are
I indebted for all progress made in our
true civilization, and to this we must
look as our guide in the future."
An eminent clergyman, in referring
tc Grant's historic struggle with death,
uttered these words: "To dare is
great. To bear is greater. Bravery we
share with the brutes: fortitude with
the saints."
Nerve.
There was stern discipline among the
Japanese in their late war with China,
and at every point a display of iron
nerve. The medical inspector of the
combined fleet was Dr. Kawamura
Hoshu, who was on board the flag-ship
during one tremendous actionwhen the
vessel was struck with disastrous effect
by a shell.
One gun was shattered, the floor of
the surgery was crushed in, and the
doctor was thrown with terrible foia
against the ceiling. When he regained
his senses he found himself unable to
rise upon his feet, and could only crawl
out of the wrecked surgery to seek a
place of comparative safety. A marine
met him, picked him up without a
word, and began to carry him away.
"Aren't you a gunner?" asked the
wounded" man;
"Ires, iirV
"then why are yoti hdt at yduf post?
Let me down at once, and 0 there.
Others are detailed to attend the'
wounded."
"But; sir," urged the man,- "the gun
which' i serve" was shattered" by the"
shell'."
"I thank you for your intentions,"
said the doctor, firmly, "but you need
not attend to the wounded without spe
cial orders to that effect. I do not need
your help."
The gunner placed the wounded man
upon the deck and went his way, and
the doctor tried to take off his shoes,
to find out how touch his feet and legs
were injured. While be was doing this
he fainted again, and an attendant
bore him away to the room which had
been hastily fitted up for a surgery.
There the doctor called for a bucket
of sea-water, placsd.his feet Jn it to
stop their bleeding, and despite his
great ?aih and loss of blood, continued
to direct the Other surgeons in their
care for the wounded.
Kate Brownlee Sherwood.
Mrs. Kate Browalee Sherwood U a
daughter of the Keystone state, hav
ing been born at Bedford Springs, Pa
though her parents were residents ot
Poland, O. Her father, 4udge Brown
lee of Poland, was a Scotchman by
birth and education. Her maternal
grandfather, the Hon. George Mullin
of Bedford county, Pa., was at one time
a member of the Pennsylvania sedate,
ahd a brother, the Hon. A. C. Mullin,
was the private secretary of Governor
Curtin during .the war. While attend
ing Poland Union seminary she met her
future husband, Mr. Isaac R. Sherwood
of Duchess county, N. Y., who was a
student at Olin college. Poland. After
their marriage they became associates
In editorial work, which has continued
until the present, except during her
husband's h years service in the
army.
He enlisted as a private on April 17,
18C1, and after being promoted to ad
jutant, major and colonel, he was made
brigadier general for gallant service at
Franklin. Tenn. Mrs. Sherwood is a
writer of much ability and the best of
her heart and pen has ever been used
for the soldier. She is essentially an
organizer and years before the Nation
al W. R. C. had been organized was
president of Forsyth Post Ladies so
ciety of Toledo, O. It was she who at
the convention called by Commander-in-Chief
of the G. A. R. Paul Van Der
Voort to consider the organization of
a National W. It C, made the motion
that it be organized, and was the first
secretary of the organization, a posi
tion which at that time required much
work and ability in bringing the new
society to the attention of women
throughout the country. It was Mrs.
Sherwood7 who secured the appointment
by the Ohio legislature of a board of
lady visitors to the Ohio Soldiers and
Sailors Orphans' home, and while serv
ing as secretary of the board she in
stituted the movement which resulted
in the industrial training of girls. She
was a member of the Pan-Republic con
gress, and represented the Relief corps
in the World's Congress of Women,
being on the program of American
authors. Her best works are "Camp
fire and Memorial Poem," "Memorial
of the Flowers." and "Dream of the
Ages." She is associate editor of her
husband's daily, the News-Democrat
of Canton, O., and editor of a Woman's
department in the National Tribune.
Mrs. Sherwood is a lady of broad
Democratic mind, as was evidenced last
fall during the presidential campaign.
She was a personal friend and neigh
bor of Mr. McKinley and his wife and
during the rush of visitors to Canton
was the escort of many delegations
and societies of women who had come
to call on tne future president, while
MRS. KATE SHERWOOD.
(A lady of Canton, O., who was the
leading spirit in the organization of the
Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to
the G. A. R.)
at the same time her husband was a
candidate for congress on the Demo
ocratic ticket
Col. 1Iair Coat.
Perhaps the most widely known and
most highly respected of all the old
Texas veterans is Colonel Robert Hall,
of Cotulla, Texas. The old warrior has
been a great hunter, and he has been
saving the skins of wild animals
for forty years, out of which he has
made a most wonderful suit of clothes.
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, in de
scribing the suit, says: The coat is
composed of over 100 different pieces.
No two are alike, and each piece is
from the hide of a different wild ani
mal. The coat is trimmed, or rather
ornamented, with the hoofs of 315 deer,
the claws of 40 bears, the tails of in
numerable smaller animals, and the
rattles from hundreds of monster rat
tlesnakes. His cap is composed of very
many pieces of pretty fur, and orna
mented with a pair of antelope horns.
The old warrior is six feet six inches
high and eighty-three years of age.
He wears Indian moccasins of the
most fantastic pattern, and sometimes
carries a fine sword that he captured
from a Mexican officer at the battle
of Buena Vista. He fired the first shot
in that famous battle. When General
Taylor received orders to cross the
Rio Grande he looked around among
the Texan troops for soldiers Indian
fighters who were familiar with
frontier warfare, and of the men se
lected to form the vanguard of his army
the most gonspicuous was Robert Hall,
then a young man. He has been offer
ed $500 for the frontiersman suit that
he sometimes wears but he woulld not
take $10,000 for it.
SSl
DE LE3SEPS AT SUEZ.
A Moaaaeat Ulat to Gaard tka Ka
traaee to the Waterway
Ferdinand De Lesseps is td n'tfr at
memorial. It will take the form of a
statue and will guard the entrance of
the Sites" eahftl, the one great project
trhl.-h he originated and pushed to a
succBssful conclusion. Sd Inseparably
has De Lesseps' came been connected
with' the' Panama canal scheme that
most pfSple iinvS forgotten that he
first achieved' fainS by feasofi of Jbifl
connection with the Suez c3fril; The
idea of the De Lesseps statue origin
ated with Prince d'Arenberg, an old
friend of the late promoter. He has in
due? J the Suez Canal CoMpany to set
aside a liberal sum to defray tne ft"
pense of the proposed statue and the
erection thereof. A very satisfactory
mcdel has been produced by M. Frem
ict, the scuiptoF; who has already be
gun the enlargement of tils' w'ofk. He
hopes to complete his task within tW
course of the coming two years. M.
Fremiet makes public the statement
that lA the banks of the Suez canal
at it begihn'ng are the property of
Englishmen, who would no. doubt b
oppoed to this glorification, of a"
Frenchman, it has been decided that
this monument shall rise from the sea,
wh'ch is about thirty feet in depth at
this spot. There will, therefore, be a
firm and solid base of granite, which,
as the bed is sandy, must be very
Iroad. This platform of granite, which
fill be entirely surrounded by water,
ft ill be reared to the height of twenty
two feet above Its level, and will also
be of six sr.itafe metres at the top. Oil
this will rest the pedestal of the statue.
In its turn the pedestal will be twenty
two feet in altitude, and the statue it
self within a few inches of the same
height, while the pedestal, which will
be composed of granite quarried and
prepared in Brittany, France, will b'S
conveyed in a sailing vessel to Port
Said. The statue will consist of several
pieces in bronze, which have been made
in France. These on arrival will be all
ready to place in position. At the base
of the statue will be an immense med
allion containing the portraits of the
Khedives who encouraged the piercing
of the isthmus. Each will be nearly six
feet In size, and the medallions will be
environed by large wreaths of laurel,
each leaf of which will be about one
and one-half feet in height. M. De
Lesseps will be represented in the gar
ments of modern civilization, but the
prosaic appearance of these will be re
lieved by a sort of burnoose with blf
sleeves thrown over his shoulders, the
folds thereof being so disposed as to
present an exceedingly picturesque ef
fect. Looking in the direction of the
sea, M. De Lesseps will be represented
as pointing with one hand to the ent
rance of the canal rnd holding a plan
thereof with the other.
BURNED IN MIDAIR.
Awfal Death of Wolfert, the DIstla
gnlshed German Aeronaut.
The Herald recently contained a dis-
natch from Berlin giving in brief the
news of the untimely death of Dr. !
Wolfert, the distinguished aeronaut j
At the moment when the doctor seemed
about to realize the dream of his life,
death overtook him, and in a few sec
onds' he and his prized balloon were
burned to cinders. Dr. Wolfert got into
the balloon a few minutes after seven
o'clock in the evening, being accom
panied by Robert Knabe, a young me-
chanician. The crowd, among which ,
were several army officers, wished
them good luck and then silently
watched the cigar-shaped ship as it
slowly mounted skyward. Excellently
it seemed to move, and even those who
were not experts saw that the screw
was working splendidly and that the
craft was heading for the northwest
For five minutes the watchers looked
up admiringly, and then their admira
tion was suddenly changed to horror.
Forth from the car of the balloon !
flashed a tongje of yellow flame; then
a second later was heard a crash like a
cannon shot, and at the same moment
the entire balloon was enveloped In a
mass of fire. Down the blazing ma
chine fell with amazing swiftness,
reaching at last the Ringbahnstrasse.
A horrible sight It was, and, as the
l'.ttndrcds of onlookers rushed toward
it, they found it still smoking and prac
tically destroyed. In the ruins lay the
bodies of Wolfert and Knabe. They
were burned so badly it was impossible
to recognize them.
Good Trice for Grinders.
A Madras dentist has, it is an
nounced, received a sum of $3,500 for
supplying his highness the nizam of
Hyderabad with a row of false teeth.
MISSING LINKS.
Copper coins are not in use at J6
hannesburg at all, the lowest piece ol ,
money being the threepenny-bit called
"tickey."
The hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board in London have 3,800-
only 70 for diphtheria.
In the New York directory for 1812
Is the entry, "Peter Cooper, machinist,
98 Elm street." Elm street was then
one of the poorer localities.
The famous steer Jumbo, of Wichita,
Kas.. which has attained the weight
of 5,000 pounds, was killed the otner
day, and will be mounted for exhibi
tion purposes.
A correspondent of the London Lan
cet writes that scarlet fever in the east
is not only not the scourge it Is in
Europe, but is extremely rare in both
Asia and Africa.
At the last congress of German yine
yardists Professor Wortmann reported
that he had found living bacteria in
wine w!ilch had been bottled twenty
five or thirty years.
He What is a crank? She Why, a
person with one idea. "Wou4 yon
call me a crank?" "Why, no; I never
gave yen credit for having one Idea."
Yonkcrs Statesman.
"De gret difficulty 'bout abgyin' on
politics," said Uncle Eben, "Is dat de
better you does it, de madder you's j
able to make some ob youh bes
friends." Washington StaK
The flight of a meteor over Kansas
City frightened to death an elk that
Ms kept there.
FlJTUBE PBOJECfiLES
ONLY THICK ENOUGH TO
CARRY EXPLOSIVES.
New System of Epfodin Ttteaa Una
son Maxim Declare Tint the ToTyedo
float Will lie the Create Agea erf
War.
UftSON Maxim de
clares that a com
plete revolution in
the construction of
Gfdnance and ships
of ffnf i inevita
ble. He alleges
that in the future
heavy ordnance in
stead of being made
as at present of
small cafibYtf, with
thick and heavy walls, will be C0rt
structed ef much greater calibre and
: JioffijWra&ively thin walls.
The projee". Iff ef the future, Mr.
Maxim says, will be & itiin shell, sim
ply thick enough to support te mass
of contained explosive in its Aigbt
from the gun. A new system of throw
ing high explosives must be adopted,
he believes, and he declares that this
sjsteiri Consists of a projectile, at
stated, sufficient in quantity to work
infinitely more destruction upon an
target than our project!ls thrown
from the heavy guns of the p'fcwftit.
One of the requisites of primary im
portance to a system of successfully
throwing high explosives in large
masses rested upon the propelling
charge upon a suitable gunpowder
one which should give a sulT.c'.ently
low initial' pressure and maintain that
pressure behind th projectile in its
flight throughout the entire length of
the gun, and a powder which Tpald,
with absolute certainty, burn alike at
all times, under llk conditions, in or
der that the predet(:Fl!nd pressure
and velocities might be depended upon.
The value of high explosives in naVfll
and military operations was becoming
mora and more to be recognized. One
of the great advantages of high ex
plosives as an agney of destruction
was the impossibility of 3pf;)hig to
them any efficient means of protection
when applied in large quantities. By
the subdivision of the hull of the mod
ern battleship into a honeycomb of
water-tight compartments and by sur
rounding It with torpedo netting, some
protection was secured against attack
fioni even the largest of present forms
of torpedoes such as the Whitehead.
The largest and latest type of these
most up-to-date torpedoes will carry
about 200 pounds of gun cotton. It
therefore remains, Mr. Maxim states,
enly to be able to attack with a suffi
ciently large quantity of explosives in
order to render absolutely useless as
a means of protection all precautions
in the form of network and water
tight compartments. Five hundred
pounds of gun cotton exploded against
the torpedo netting surrounding a
modern battleship, Mr. Maxim states,
would insure her destruction, to say
nothing of what would result from the
explosion of still larger quantities.
How often, Mr. Maxim says, in the his
tory of war has speed been sacrificed
for the sake of strength, but with the
advent of the system of throwing high
explosives in sufficiently large masses
to render armor absolutely useless, na
vies will discard their armor and
everything will be made subservient
to speed and nobility. According to
Mr. Maxim's system, the torpedoboat
will be the boat of the future, and par
ticularly the sub-marine variety, for
that craft will be enabled to approach
sufficiently close to throw such a tre
mendous charge of high explosives that
no matter how great the vessel may be,
or how well protected frcm assaults of
the enemy, she will surely fall a vic
tim to the frightful concussion of gun
cotton or whatever explosive may be
used. Mr. Maxim declares that it will
be utterly useless in future to erect such
monster battleships as the Oregon, just
ordered to Hawaii, or the Indiana and
the Massachusetts, of the North
Atlantic squadron. A torpedoboat of
the first class, following the system of
throwing high explosives that he sug
gested would, he declares, be able to,
unseen and unsuspected, blow any of
the three ships mentioned almost to
fragments and Itself escape uninjured.
The torpedoboat, then, will be the bat
tleship of the future, and what better
defense could a harbor have than two
or three of these submarine craft,
which would be more fatal to the ene
my than any broadside from the big
gest ship that ever flew a pennon. As a
matter of fact, Mr. Maxim says, it is
more than probable that in the ships
of the near future little attention will
be paid to armor, for it is of small
advantage anyway, he believes, and
that in view of the fact that the nene-
trating power of projectiles is rnn.
stantly Increasing, it will be a waste
of money to add the huge plates of
steel to the tonnage of the battleship
or to cruisers. Mr. Maxim says also
that by his system of throwing high
explosives such boats as are known as
monitors would be practically useless,
and as for rams they will merely be
playthings for the enemy in the way
of a target. Altogether, Mr. Maxim
thinks that the navy of the future will
be of small consequence. The sea will
be ruled by sub-marine torpedoboats,
using his system of throwing high ex
plosives. How She Appeared.
Something whizzed by, a mingicment
of steel spokes and red bloomers.
"What is that there?" asked Uncle Hi
ram, withdrawing his gaze from the
high buildings to look after the vision.
"That is the new woman," answered
his nephew. "The new woman?
Looks like the old boy." Indianapolis
Journal.
Tbea There Was Trouble.
"This is the day of the apotheosis of
the Joke writer," said one newspaper
nan, "and I feel proud over the fact
that I have not been contaminated. I
have never written a joke."
"What of that," retorted the journal
ist, "I have never tried to write one."
la Sumner county, Kansas, which
gave a load of wheat for Jthe India
famine sufferers, a man died of starvation.
WACINO IN MOSCOW.
Trettlag U roaalar Sfit
l Jkaala.
It Is a racing day ! Moscow. Ths
cttnse is swept free frost snow aad
follows tft wooded shores with reV
painted railing on each side, says the
Badmington Magazla. On one side is
a stand, with seating room for several
thousand people.and a special box with
tent hangings for the governor gcer-
ai, surmounted by the imperial eagle in
goia. in zroai or inia dus. iuwct uunu,
you see the prizes, consisting of gold
aad silver cups, vaaes and ornamental
pieces, all In Russian style and taste.
A befJ rings, the course is cleared by
I mounted gendarmes, and the competi
tors in due order take thr places in
front of the stand, but sot side by side,
as fhy always start from opposite sides
of the Cflarse, with heads also turnw
in opposite directions. The usual race
course hum and noise of the betting
en are heard and increase in volume
as' tfto bell rings the second time. They
are off and the fascination of rapid
motion, open air and strenuous exer
tion throws its spell over the assembly,
high and low. for truttinc is certainly
the most fashionable and beloved sport
in fiotfsla. You cannot rt;osnJze peo
ple Just yj the great fur collars are
raised and reach over the fur caps.lciv
Ing only red-tipped noses, beneath
which appear never missing cigarettes.
The ladles' heads are almot entirely
covered by woolen wrap. so here again
you can only guess who i3 who. To a
stranger not Investing his money in
baefclag his opinion as to winners the
game might seem monotonous enough,
as the horses do not finish side by side,
but In the way ther started. Yet the
Russians think differently and. be
sides, is there not plenty of wodka and
caviar to be had between the ractj;.
Single horses are pitted against enc
other drawing light little sleighs in
which the driver Is seated very low
dowii and far away from the horse, ow
ing to the long shafts, intended to give
the horse perfect freedom of action. A
whip is not used, but on the reins are
iiietal buckles over the quarters, which
are employed instead, and almost all
horses run without blinkers.
Sometimes a horse is attached to the
sleigh on one side of the trotter, which
is between the shafts; he is the pace
maker and gallons the whole course,
whereas. It need not be said, the trotter
must not break. Then follow pair
horses, harnessed, and lastly troikas
with three horses, sometimes four
abreast. Troikas arc very barbarously
gaudy and clumsy things to look at,
but exceedingly comfortable all the
same.
A VIGILANT GUARD.
Called the Police to Capture a Ma a la
Ilia Owa House.
When the family next to us went
away for the summer I promised to
keep an eye on the place. It was ar
ranged to have a man sleep in the
house at night, but there are a lot of
daylight robberies, and as I'm around
home pretty much all of the time I was
to prevent them.
"The other afternoon' continued
the speaker, according to the Detroit
Free Press, "I noticed one of the win
dows up. While I was skulking around
trying to see without being seen I
heard what seemed a muffled noise of
hammering. By climbing to my own
room and hiding behind a chimney I
could see through some of the upper
windows, and finally discovered that
there was a man moving about upstairs.
It didn't take me more than a second
to decide that the plumbing was being
cut out I chased around the neigh
borhood in vain search for a man, and
not feeling just like capturing a robber
without any assistance telephoned po
lice headquarters. In very brief time
the wagon came up with a rush and the
policemen were promptly deployed, so
as to prevent an escape. With the
house thus surrounded two of the blue
coats began crawling through the open
window.
"What In thunder are you doing
there?' came a voice from the head of
the stairs. 'Get out of that, or I'll
shoot
"But In they went, and I gallantly
brought up the rear with a revolver
that hadn't been fired in twenty years.
Down the stairs, four or five steps at
r. time, came the owner, who had jtut
taken a run into the city for a day.
Everybody seemed to think the laugh
was on me. but all I did was to resign
my custodianship."
Went Them 9SO Itetter.
A few nights ago a miner from the
north, who had lately sold a claim, had
money to burn and was in an incen
diary mood, came down to Spokane to
make the currency bonfire, says the
Spokane Review. He was rather rusty
looking when he struck Spokane, but
he was hungry, and, before going to a
barber shop or bath, dropped Into an
uptown restaurant to get something
to eat. There was but one waiter, and
he, busy carrying champagne to a
party at another table, paid little at
tention to the hard-looking miner.
Finally the waiter was called over,
when the miner said:
"See here, kid! Do I eat?"
"Sorry I can't wait on you now,"
was the prompt reply, "but that gen
tleman there has just ordered a ZQ
dinner."
"Fifty-dollar dinner bo hanged!
Bring me $100 worth of ham and eggs
and be quick about it. Do I look like
like a guy who can be blufTcd by a
mess of popinjays?"
He was waited on promptly.
I'apa'a Definition.
Young Chip "What's a grass wid
ow, pa?"
Old Block. "A lady that makes hay
while the sun shines, my boy." Town
Topics.
BITS OF WISDOM.
Some churches have more slecpcra
than pillars.
Unfriendly kindred arc the greatest
strangers and often the worst foes.
The saloon screen door shows that i
the devil is ashamed of his business.
When men are dying inside it takes
mere than scholarship to arrest the
malady.
We are sure to have favor with God
when to get it we ere willing to loss
the f&vor of men
THE OLD RELIABLE.
Columbus State Bank
(Oldest Bank in the State.)
Pajs Iiterest 01 Tiie Deposits
3D
Mates Lmb ii Real fclate.
ISSUIS SMUT PRAFTS OS?
Omaha, Chicago, New York and
all Foreign Countries.
SELLS STEAMSHIP TICKET&
BUYS GOOD NOTES
And helps its customers when they need help
OFFICERS AND P1RKCTOKS:
Leaxder Gekrarp, l'res't
K. II. Hexkv, Vice Pres'r..
M. Bkugoeu, Cashier.
.lOHX SrAVFFKR,
W.V. Itli'CliER.
OF
COLUMBUS.
f
HAS AS
A.tbrizri Capital af
Paid in Capital, -
$500,000
90,000
Orrit'KRM:
C. II. SHELDON. PrcVt.
II. 1 II. OKIII.KIt'lI. Vice Prr.
DANIEL M'llKAM. C.isUIor.
FKANK KOKEtt, Avst. txsh'r.
DIRECT 'US:
r. fl. PiiKi.PON, II. P. II. OKiir.narit,
Jonas Wewii, W. A. McAi.msteu,
Caki. Kie.nkk. S. C. Git v.
I'lCANK ICOIIKEIC.
STOCKHOLDERS:
Sakei.pa Ei.i.is. .1. IlKxitv VunirM:f,
'I.Alt K ttltlY.
llKMlY l.O.sKKE.
Daviki. Sen ram.
A. F. II. OKHf.KICR,
Rebecca Ukckeic.
IJKO. W. CAI.f.KY.
.1. I. ItKCKKK ESTATK,
II. M. W1M.LOW.
Rank of Deposit: interest allowed on time
deposits: buy and acll cxeliaiigo on United
States and Europe, and buy and sell avail
able securities. Wo shall be pleased to re
ceive your business. We solicit your pat
ron aze.
st:
LEj-t2&
Columbus Journal!
A weekly aewspeper de
voted the best interests of
COLUMBUS
THE COMITY OF PIAITE,
The State of NeDraska
THE UNITED STATES
AND THE REST OF MANKIND
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msis
with
$1.50 A YEAR.
IF PAID IK AOTAXCaV
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and cent. Sample copies
sent free to aay adai
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UNDERTAKEE !
Coffins : aad : Metallic : Cases !
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utery Goods.
Ut COLUMBUS. NEBRASKA.
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