Nebraska Newspapers

    ??v?;
r Tt -f MAI 5 7fet'J " -Pil-fjr1
0nrraL
r
-t r
.
COLUMBUS, NEBRASKl. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 13, 1897.
VOLUME XXVIII. NUMBER 27.
WHOLE NUMBER 1,431.
o- I
0 .
Vs. -
J
t?P
o o
c
o
o
J
9
o .
9
O O ti
o
8
K"
' .
O '
t
cy
-. w
f
o
OLD BUCK ROGERS.
By Thomas P. Montfcrt.
HERE was a time
when the cowboys
pretty nearly car
ried things their
own way on the
. prairies of western
Kansas. That was
a long while ago,
before the hardy
settlers came to
seek claims and
build homes in that
country, and while
the cattlemen grazed their great herds
on the millions of acres of public lands
and amassed quick fortunes from the
free government pasturage.
In those days the cowboys rode the
plains free and unrestrained, disregard
ing all law, and governed in their con
duct by nothing except their desires.
They were wild. Impulsive creatures,
overflowing with the spirit of liberty
which they caught from the boundless
prairie and breathed in with the pure,
exhilarating air that intoxicated the
blood with life, vigor and strength.
Of all the cowboys on the plains of
Kansas at that time, old Buck Rogers
was, perhaps, the most impulsive and
reckless. He had for years lived a
ranch life, and bad "chased steers" in
every part of the cattle range from the
river Rio Grande to the Platte. Be
sides, he had fought Indians and Mexi
can greasers, and had helped Buffalo
Bill round up the meat which be was
supplying, under contract, to the men
who were constructing the Kansas Pa
cific railroad.
At that time Dodge City was pre-eminently
a cowboy town. They used to
"round up" there after pay-day, "blow"
their money Into every folly they saw,
get uproariously drunk, and proceed to
paint things ultra red. It was nothing
unusual for a gang of men to race up
and down the streets, yelling like Co
manche Indians and shooting at the
signs and terrifying women and chil
dren and the pale tenderfoot almost out
of life. They had full possession of the
town, and they ran it to their own lik
ing. If old Buck Rogers happened to be
present he was sure to lead in all this
deviltry. It was a saying that went
Undisputed that he "could drink more
whisky, yell louder and shoot straight
er than any other man on the range."
And be certainly did everything that
lay In bis power to justify this state
ment Often and often as he stood at the
bar of the saloon and in rapid succes
sion tossed glass after glass of whisky
down his throat until the hardest
drinkers in town looked on in fear and
amazement. Then he would go out and
mount his broncho and. throwing his
hat to the wind, would charge up and
down the street at a mad gallop, his
long hair flying'out behind, each of his
hands working a pistol with astonish
ing deftness, while from his throat
there came a series of the most terrific
and unearthly yells that ever emanated
from a human being.
And fight! There was nothing that
old Buck wouldn't stand up before; and
it was his boast that he had never met
anything, either man or beast, that he
had not been able to lay on its back.
SWUNG THE GAMBLER OVER HIS
HEAD.
The boldest and most daring cowboys,
even those who possessed an enviable
reputation as fighters, sang very low
of their prowess when Buck Rogers was
around. He was cot only brave and
reckless, but he was as strong as an
ox, and a blow of his naked fist, fair
ly planted, was enough to settle a man
for all time to come.
One day down at Dodge City a lot of
cowboys were talking about old Buck's
remarkable strength, and recounting
some of the feats he had performed,
when one of their number, a man who
had recently come up from the south,
said:
"Never heard about the trick old
Buck played on a chap down in Texas
ene time, I reckon?"
"Guess not," somebody replied.
"Then 111 tell you about It It was
one night, just after pay day at the XL
ranch, and the boys were all down at
town blowing in their money. Theie
was just one saloon in fee place, and.
of course, that was where the crowd
rounded up.
"Well, when the boys had got pretty
well loaded with liquor a slick stranger
made his appearance at the saloon and
opened up with some kind of a flim
flam game. The game was a clean
steal from first to last, but the boys
'bucked' it, and were, one after an
other, cleaned out so quick that it al
most made their heads swim. The
losers didn't feel a bit good over being
worked that way, and there was a good
deal of muttering and cursing, to say
nothmg of menacing scowls and ner
vous fingering of pistols. But the
gambler, a thin, wiry little cuss, had
his nerve with him, and he proceeded
with his game as coolly as though he
had been surrounded by friends.
"At last old Buck went over to the
table and put tip a twenty dollar gold
piece against the game.
'"Do I stand any show to win in
this business?' he asked.
Oh, yes, the gambler answered.
You stand an equal chance to win or
Jose.'
Then I am either going to win on
this Investment old Buck said, 'or I
am going to smash the game.
"Well, the play was made and in lit
tle more than a second Buck's money
Treat tato the gambler s pceket Buck
waited a moment then he said slowly:
"1 remarked that I was going to
site or else smash the gam?. Well, I
eVia't irin, so I'll just '
"Amd before anybody knew what he
ftstemded to do he had reached over,
atufat the gambler by the arms, swung
bis head and brought him
S
down broadside across the table with
all the strength he possessed. The
game was smashed, the boards in the
table were splintered, and the gam
bler lay on the floor as limp as a rag.
"Everybody thought at first that
Buck had killed the fellow, but they
were mistaken. The chap lived, but It
was a long time before he was able to
walk a step, or even to stand on his
feet It is safo to bet, though, that he
never tried any more skin games on
cowboys."
The old saying that "sooner or later
every man will meet his match" proved
true in Buck Roger's case. For years
he rode the range, unconquered and
Invincible and victor in every con
test with man or beast But he at last
met his match. He "went up against"
a thing in comparison to which he was
a mere feather. In plain words, he
"bucked a cyclone.
One Saturday afternoon in July Buck
was down at Dodge City. The town
was fall of cowboys, but they were not
very lively. The day was Intensely hot
and sultry, and even a cowboy did not
feel inclined to exert himself unneces
sarily. The usual amount of liquor
was disposed of, however, and old Back
managed to take care of his portion.
Along about the middle of the after
noon a black cloud came up from the
east and another from the west These
clouds advanced and met overhead, and
then began to conduct themselves in a
most peculiar manner. They rolled
and tumbled and pitched and churned,
and twisted in and out among them
selves. The street was lined with people who
watched these clouds anxiously, for
every one felt assured that a cyclone
was brewing. People had left their
homes and the stores and shop6, and
the cowboys had left the saloons at
least, those of them who were not
too drunk. Old Buck had mounted his
broncho and was standing in the road
in front of the postoffice.
Pretty 60on there came sweeping
across the prairie from the west a mass
of black cloud, funnel-shaped and
bristling with electricity. Every one
knew in an instant what that meant
The dreaded cyclone had appeared.
Some of the people fled in search of
places of safety, some dropped down
right where they stood and began to
wail and pray, while others stood, open
mouth and dumb, staring stupidly at
the terrible engine of destruction. But
old Buck Rogers did none of these
things.
At the first cry that a cyclone was
coming he tore off his hat and threw it
down in the road, gave one long, un
earthly yell of defiance, and dashed
down the street right toward the cy
clone's track. As he went he cried:
"I've never seen the thing yet that
was able to do old Buck Rogers up, and
I've fought white men, Indians and
bears. I'm not the man to be scared of
a little wad of wind and cloud. Who-o-o-p-e-e-e!"
The people watched him as he raced
out across the prairie, his long hair
flying and his face set squarely to the
front. They saw him as he bore down
toward the cyclone, and above the roar
of the wind they heard the shout of
defiance which he gave out The next
moment they saw the mighty moving
monster and the man meet. They saw
tbe latter swallowed up in that black
cloud. That was all.
In a minute the cyclone had passed.
It had missed the town, and the people
breathed easy once more.
Immediately a party went out in
search of old Buck, and after a long
hunt somebody found him. He was
hanging in the forks of a Cottonwood
tree, about twenty feet from the
ground, and jammed down so tight be
tween the limbs that he could not
move. His broncho lay ten yards
away, stone dead. Buck was rescued
and carried back to town, more dead
than alive. The doctor examined him
and found that while his injuries would
not prove fatal he would be a cripple
for life. When he heard the announce
ment old Buck groaned. He looked at
the cowboys who collected about him
and said:
"Boys, I'm done. I went up against
a critter at last that was too much for
me. I was licked fair; and from now
on I'm gentle as a Iamb. When a little
wad of wind and cloud can pick a man
np and toss him into the fork of a
tree like that done me, it's time for
that man to pull in his horns and shut
up shop as a fighter. I've got no more
to say, and after this, if a 10-year-old
boy wants to lick me he can do it"
In the course of time old Buck was
able to get about, but he was never the
same man. His spirit was completely
broken. He had lost all zest for fight
ing, and instead of being the rashest
and most obstreperous character in
the section, he had become the quietest
and most demure. He lived a good
many years, but as it was necessary
for him to use a crutch he never re
turned to ranch life.
Another Glittering Scheme.
Capitalist "Well, sir, what can I do
for you?" Inventor (who has been
waiting an hour and a half for ad
mittance) "I will occupy your time
only a few minutes. I have a plan for
making a fortune in one seaso with
the outlay of only a little money.
Everybody recognizes the fact that the
rush to Alaska and the Klondike re
gion next spring and summer will be
tremendous. Every man, woman and
child who goes there will have some
money to spend. Very good. Now,
mark me. My scheme is to start a
'shoot the chutes' company up there,
lease or charter one of the biggest
glaciers, shave.it smooth for about a
mile back from the ocean the ocean
being the poad at the foot of the slide,
of course haul your boats up to the
starting point by a simple endless
chain arrangement, load them with
passengers, who will be standing
in line waiting for a thrilling ride
down this grand chute provided by na
ture, and will cheerfully pay the trifle
of 50 cents for" Capitalist (to office
boy) ''James, show this man out"
Chicago Tribune.
Too Optimistic.
"And," were the concluding words oi
the professor's lecture to the medical
students, "do not promise too much. 1
knew a physician, of real ability whe
covered himself with ridicule and ob
loquy by promising a patient whose
legs he had just amputated, that he
would have him on his feet within twe
wek." Cincinnati Enquirer.
CAMPFIRE SKETCHES.
GOOD SHORT STORIES FOR THE
VETERANS.
Am Historic Log Cable la Which Grant
Pemed the taut Six Month of the
Rebellion Longest Distance Traveled
hy Shot.
Bio Bravo.
IO BRAVO! Rio
Bravo! Saw
men ever such a
sight
8ince the field of
RonceiT alias
aeal'd the fate of
many a knight!
Dark is Palo Alto's
story sad Ue
saca Palma's
rout
Ah me! upon those
fields so gory
sw
sB-X.
.
how many a gal
lant life went out
There our best and bravest lances shlv-
er4 'gainst the Northern steel.
Left the valiant hearts that ccuch'd them
'neath tbe Northern charger's heel.
Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo! brave hearts ne'er
mourn'd such a sight,
8nce the noblest lost their life-blood In
the Roncesvalles fight.
There Arista, best and bravest there
Raguena, tried and true.
On the fatal field thou lavest. nobly dift
all men could do;
Vainly there those heroes rally, Castillo
on Montezuma's shore.
Vainly there shone Aztec valour brightly
as it shone of yore.
Rio Bravo! HIo Bravo! saw men ever
such a sight.
Since the dews of Roncesvalles wept for
paladin and knight?
Heard ye not the wounded coursers
shrieking on yon trampled banks.
As the Northern wlngM artillery thun-
der'd on our shatter'd ranks?
On they came those Northern horsemen
on like car.lcs toward the sun;
Follow'd then the Northern bayonet, and
the field was lost and won.
Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo! minstrel ne'er
sung such a fight.
Since the lay of Roncesvalles sang the
fame of martyr'd knight.
Rio Bravo! fatal river! saw ye not. while
red with gore.
One cavalier all headless quiver, a name
less trunk upon the shore?
Other champions not less noted sleep be
neath thy sullen wave:
Sullen water, thou hast floated armies to
an ocean grave.
Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo! lady ne'er wept
such a sight.
Since the moon of Roncesvalles klss'd
In death her own loved knight
Wcepest thou, lorn Lady Inez, for thy
lover mid the slain?
Brave La Vega's trenchant sabro cleft
his slayer to the brain
Brave La Vega. who. all lonely, by a host
of foes Leset.
Yielded up his falchion only when his
equal there he met.
Oh, for Roland's horn to rally bis pa
ladins by the sad shore!
Rio Bravo, Roncesvalles, ye are names
link'd even more.
SulJcn river! sullen river! vultures drink
thy gory wave.
But they blur not those loved features,
which not Love himself could save.
Rio Bravo, thou wilt name not that lone
corse upon thy shore.
But in prayer sad Inez names him
names him praying evermore.
Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo! lady ne'er mourn'd
such a knight.
Since the fondest hearts were broken by
the Roncesvalles fight.
An Historic Relic.
The historic log cabin in which
Grant spent the last months of the re
bellion and which stan-ls back ol
Lemon Hill and close to Girard nwniiA
I bridge, in Fairmont Park, is rapidly
Tailing to decay. Tha cio'a is one cf
the most interesting relics of the late
war of the rebellion. It is filled with
associations cf great doin;:-; by great
men in great times, and is 1e3truction
will be a calamity which can never be
atoned for.
The cabin stood at City Point, Vs,
and was inhabited by Grjut luring the
anxious winter of '64-5. It was
brought to this city and placed in the
park about twenty years ago. mvins
previously been removed to St. Louis.
It Is a rough one-story cabin of logs,
which. In .he moving, have been rein
forced from behind with a layer of pine
boards. There are two doors in the
structure, one in the front and one in
the rear, both of which have been
locked for many months. Several rough
windows on either side are covered
with heavy wire screens. The interior
contains two rooms and is entirely neg
lected and unfurnished. The cabin is
situated in a somewhat retired spot
and relic-hunters and vandals are not
only supposed to have carried off part
of the cabin, but have carved their
names or initials upon the doors and
surrounding woodwork. The evidences
of decay about the cabin are marked.
All cf the logs seem to have been
honeycombed by boring worms, so that
here and there the outer surface is
rapidly crumbling and falling away.
Half a dozen logs on one side and rear
of the hut are either in a state of total
collapse or have disappeared entirely.
There seems to be no other way of pre
serving this historic relic than o en
close it in a building to protect it fr m
the rigors of the climate and Ihe in
roads of insects. The cabin is not
owned by either the city or the Tark
Commission, but was merely placed in
the Park by the late George H. St ;art,
its owner, to whom it had i-an ne
sented by General Grant, his intimate
friend. In February. 1S93. George H.
Stuart. Jr., representing the estate of
his father, reauested permission of the
Park Commission to remove the cabin,
which was granted, with the stipulation
that after the removal the site and sur
rounding grounds were to be restored
to their original condition. No steps
toward the removal have since been
taken by Mr. Stuart The cabin has
been considered out of the possession
of the Commission, and no effort has
been made toward its preservation ex
cept to provide police protection.
About eight or nine years ago a new
roof was put on the structure and other
improvements made. About five years
ago the Grand Army of the Republic
requested the Park Commission to
make necessary repairs to the cabin.
This the Commission was unable to
do because the structure was neither in
2K
rJp-
&V9
their possession nor that of the city.
Upon the door of the cabin is a large
frame containing a printed copy of ft
letter written by General Adam Badea
to Russell Thayer, chief engineer and
superintendent of the Park. It bears
date of Washington, D. C, February 13,
1889, and is a reply to a request from
General Thayer asking for a history
of the cabin.
The Longest Distance that Shet
Been Fired.
The longest distance that a shot nas
been fired is a few yards over fifteen
miles, which was the range of Krupp's
well-known "monster" 130 ton steel
gun, firing a shot weighing 2,600
pounds. The 100 ton Armstrong gun
has an extreme range of fourteen miles,
firing a shot weighing 1,890 pounds,
and requiring 960 pounds of powder.
These guns, however, proved loo
expensive, being unable to stand fir-
ing a hundred times, and their mana-
facture has practically been abaad-
ned. Tbe 90 ton Armstrong gra'nw-i
a solid shot for a distance ol twelve
miles, and the discharge of tbe gnn
cannot be heard at the place where the
ball strikes. From twelve to thirteen
miles '3 the computed range of the
most powerful guns now made, and to
obtain that range an elevation of
nearly 45 degrees is found to be neces
sary. Quick firiug guns are more de
pended upon at present day than ex
treme length of range and in this re
spect what is considered the most
wonderful gun, perhaps, is one of the
Maxims, which can fire as many as
600 shots a minute, and yet is so light
that a soldier can carry it strapped to
his back. Financially regarded, the
Immense sum of $195,000 was expend
ed In constructing the monster Krupp
gun, and each projectile cost f 4,750.
Sel.
Logan Wouldn't Fight
William E. Curtis in Chicago Rec
ord: I am reminded by the recent cor- '
respondeuce of John A. Logan. Jr.. '
concerning the McCooks and tbe uni
forms and badges worn at the corona
tion of the czar, that John A. Logan, I
Sr., had a chance to fight a duel about
twenty years ago, and declined. There
was in congress a tall, raw-boned, red
haired greenbacker of the name of
Lowe, who, In an interview with a
correspondent of the Pittsburg Post,
said there were three or four com
panies from Illinois in the regiment
with which he served in the confeder
ate army, and that they had been re
cruited for that army by Gen. Logan.
Many of them, he said, were personal
friends of the general and his neigh
bors from boyhod. He (Lowe) knew
them personally, and during the four
years of association in the army had
frequently heard them tell anecdotes
of their acquaintance with Logan and
express their surprise that he had not
gone with them in the confederate
service, as he originally agreed to do
when they enlisted with him.
This article having been republish
ed in a Washington paper, Gen. Logan
wrote a card to the editor, in which
he declared that Col. Lowe was guilty
of a "villainous falsehood." Mr. Lowe
instmsted a note to his friend Charles
Pelham of Alabama, which was deliv
ered personally to Gen. Logan, ask
ing him whether he intended to apply
the offensive language to him. Mr.
Pelham handed the note to Gen. Logan
in the vcstibulte of his residence, and
afterward reported to his principal
that the general had read It in his
presence and then informed him that
there was no reply. Mr. Lowe ad
addressed a second communication,
which was also intrusted to Mr. Pel
ham to deliver personally, in which he
demanded that Gen. Logan retract the
offensive language or give him "tbe
satisfaction due to a gentleman.w
Mr. Pelham performed his painful
duty acceding to the code, and was
very much surprised when Gen. Logan
Informed him. after reading the let
ter, that he did not understand what
"a fellow like Lowe meant by that ex
pression"; that he h?d nothing to re
tract, and that if Lowe did not keep
ont of his way he should kick him In
to the street.
When Mr. Pelham delivered this
message Mr. Lowe again took bis pen
in hand and wrote Gen. Logan, say
ing: "I have twice addressed you a note
calling attention to your offensive
language. You have failed and refused
to answer either of them, and yon
thereby force me to the last alterna
tive. I therefore demand that you
name some time and place outside of
this district where another communi
cation will presently reach you. My
friend Charles Pelham, Esq., is au
thorized to act for me in the prem
ises." Charles Pelham, Esq.. reported that
when he delivered this communication
in person to Gen. Logan the latter
read it carelessly and returned It to
him, saying that there was no answer.
Then, when he inquired what he
should tell Col. Lowe, he alleges that
Gen. Logan renlied:
"You can tell him to go to hades."
Mr. Lowe declined to comply with
that injure ion. and wrote a card to
the public, in which be said:
"I will not brand John A Logan as
a liar, because he is a senator of the
United States. I will not post him
as a scoundrel and poltroon, for that
would be In violation of the local
statutes; but I do hereby publish him
to the world as one who Insults but
will not satisfy a gentleman, and I
invoke upon him the judgment of the
honorable members of the community,
WILLIAM M LOWE." '
Wrestlns Scripture.
A dean had been giving a series of
lectures on the doctrines of the church,
ending up with a sermon on the words,
"Hear the church." Soon after he was
met by the bishop, who did not ap-
prove of this way of wresting Scrip- i
ture, "i ve heard about your lectures," t ,nS ok a leal. J ne iront is a paper
said the bishop, "and now I think you Imitation of linen, with a fine polish,
had better take for your text, Hang an( s made in a series of layers. As
all the law and the prophets." The eacJl layer is torn off it reveals an
dean looked shocked, and replied that other white glistening front. The
he did not know of such a text. ' bosom fits any shirt, and is buttoned on
"Oh, yes there is." said the bishop, t at collar button and fastened at
"If you can make Matt. 18:17 into Hear each uPPer or 8houlder corner by a cou
the church, you can make Matt 22:40 p,e ' cliP5- Retails at ten cents, and
Into Hang all the law and the pro- -i'l. probably have a large pale when
phets." The Christian Scotsman. lt rches this cauntry.
MRS. DfiEW'S CAREER.
&
WAS THE FOSTER MOTHER OF
t THE AMERICAN STAGE.
Aft Iter Life She Was Known as tbe
MWt VMMtlla PLitiv of M flaw
Cnrtaln lias Just Been Buns
RS. DREW, whose
death has just been
reported, made her
last appearance on
the stage last Jan
uary in "The Sport
ing Duchess," in
which she played
the title role. She
had only played
the part a few
niehts. when she
jent word that she would have to re-
gign. There were too many changes of
costume "for one of her years, and then,
too, she was afraid of the horses.
Mrs. John Drew was one of tho most
versatile actresses of her day. She was
born in London, January 10, 1820, and
six yearrf later made her debut in Liv
erpool as Agib in "Timour the Tartar."
A year later she was brought to Amer
ica, appearing first as the Duke of
York to Junius Brutus Booth's "Rich
ard III." at the Walnut street theater
in Philadelphia. In 1S33, still only a
child, she joined the stock company
of the old Bowery theater in New York
City and for five years continued a con
stant round of legitimate plays and laid
the foundation for the fame she after
ward gained. After the old Bowery
course, she returned to Philadelphia,
where she met and married Henry
Hunt, then a popular vocalist. She
separated from Mr. Hunt in 1S47 and
I soon afterward married Mr. Mossop,
the Irish comedian, who died within a
year. In 1850 she met John Drew in
MRS. DREW.
Albany, N. Y., while she was playing
with a stock company, of which C. W.
Couldock was the leading man, and
they were married at the close of the
season. Mr. Drew and his wife con
tinued playing together for several
years. He leased the Arch street thea
ter. Philadelphia, In 1853, and was very
successful for a time. In 1S62 Mrs.
Drew herself became the lessee of the
Arch street theater and for the next
' thirty-one years was a very successful
manager. Theater-goers of the present
generation better knew Mrs. Drew as
Mrs. Malaprop in "The Rivals." Of
late years, however. Mrs. Drew has
made her home with her son, John
Drew, and was only occasionally seen
at the theater at a benefit or some spe
cial professional performance.
HARRITY'S SUCCESSOR.
James M. Guffy of Pittsburg, who
succeeds William F. Harrity on the
Democratic national committee, is one
of Pittsburg's best known men. He was
born in Westmoreland county, about
fifty-five years ago, and went to the
oil country in 1870. He followed the
oil business with great success until
1882, when he "went broke" from spec
ulation and the extreme depression of
the oil market. He came to Pittsburg
A the beginning of the natural gas
craze in 1883, and began buying gas
producing property. He was careful
and shrewd and soon amassed another
fortune. When the gas wells began
to show signs of "petering out," Mr.
Guffy turned his attention to mining
in the West In this business he was
also successful. He has mining prop
erties in Montana worth $1,000,000. He
is at present reputed to be worth $3,
000,000. Mr. Guffy has never held any
office and says he does not want any.
His desire is to be recognized in the
councils of the party, and as he is a
constant and liberal contributor, he is
always recognized. In 1876 he was a
candidate for Congress from the old
Twenty-fifth district against Judge
Harry White, but was defeated. Mr.
Guffy was a delegate to the Chicago
convention, and was one of the lead
ing Bryan men in the campaign. He
JAMES M. GUFFY.
made a big contribution to the national
campaign fund and proceeded to "go
Iier " narriiy. -ir. uuny is mar-
nea, nas a lamuy ana lives in a man
sion ct tbe corner of South Highland
and Fifth avenues, in the east end res
idence section of the city.
Faper Shirt Front.
A late German invention enables a
person to present a new and spotless
SQirt front every day by merely tear-
'F
er
TDewi.
1 Gm,7&.
ISPac, .?BmW
41 WOT
IfVmlmwLn?
THE WILD HOC OF MEXICO.
A VIcleas Brate Which Seems t0 Have
Ho Motion of Fear.
"The most vicious and fearless of the
brute creation is the peccary, or wild
hog, of Mexico," said C. W. Bartlett of
Laredo, Tex., to a St. Louis Republic
reporter. "This animal seems utterly
void of the emotion of fear. 1 have
never seen lt turn a hair's breadth out
of its path for any living thing. It
displays an intelligence in fighting the
human strangely at variance with its
apparently complete lack of mental at
tributes, save the very lowest order of
instinct They are rarely found sing
ly, but go in droves of from hundreds
to thousands. Their ability to scent
men is particularly marked. I have
known a drove of them to scent a man
a mile off and strike as straight for
him as an arrow flies. There is no use
to try to frighten them with guns. The
cannonading of a full battery would
have no more effect upon them than
the popping of fire crackers. The only
thing to do when they get-atter.yon.
is to run away from them as fast as
a horse can carry you. And then there
Is no certainty that they won't catch
you. They are nearly as swift as a
horse, and their endurance is as great
as their viciousness.
"A friend of mine encountered a
drove of them In a wild part of Mex
ico a few years ago and his escape was
miraculous. He very foolishly shot
and wounded a number of them. Then
he took refuge In a tree. The peccaries
kept him in the tree all that day and
through the night. They circled round
the tree, grunting and squealing their
delight at the prospect of a feast Ho
soon exhausted his ammunition and
brought down a peccary at each fire.
But this had no terrors for the beasts.
Along toward morning the brutes be
gan to eat the ones he had killed, and
when they had thus satisfied
the cravings of their stom
ache they formed in line and
trotted off. If they had not had .some
of their own number to devour they
would have guarded that tree until my
friend, through shrer exhaustion,
dropped from his perch and allowed
them to make a meal off him. The
wild cats and tigers that infest the
Mexican wilds flee from the peccaries
with instinctive fear, and even rattle
snakes keep out of their path."
A WEALTHY DENTIST.
Dr. Erans Emigrated to France and
Made Much Money.
Thomas W. Evans, the famous Amer
ican dentist of Paris, now in Philadel
phia to inter the remains of his wife,
is reputed to be worth $35,000,000, of
which $5,000,000 consists of real estate
in New York City. Dr. Evans emi
grated from the United States to Paris
in the '40s. He was the first American
dentist to appreciate the fact that
European dentistry was ages behind
the art as practiced in America. His
judgment was vindicated by a most
stupendous success. He was a delight
and a wonder to Europeans who bad
cavities in their teeth. When Dr.
Evans began to rise in his profession
Napoleon III. was the reigning power
in France. Napoleon, hearing of the
American's fame, sought his skill, and
from that moment the doctor's future
was assured. Once that French royalty
began to patronize him, his practice
extended to other reigning families.
DR. EVANS.
Kaiser Wilhelm I. paid the doctor a
royal fee for mending his teeth, and
even the great Czar of Russia sought
such comfort as tbe American master
of drill and forceps could give bim.
The Empress Eugenie was one of his
best patrons, and when the empire fell
it was in Dr. Evans' carriage that the
beautiful empress escaped. Dr. Evans
Is now in his 76th year, but in spite of
his advanced age be Is singularly
strong and well preserved. There is
no gray in his jet black hair and his
black eyes sparkle with the light of
health and vigor. The doctor does not
intend to remain in America. He will
return to his house in Paris after the
ceremonies of his wife's interment
What Parliamentarian Drink.
From the London Chronicle: What
do our parliamentarians drink who
think they will be heard for their much
speaking? The Figaro has discovered
that among the most frequent speak
ers in the French Chamber M. de Mun
gets his inspiration from pure water,
M. Ribot from coffee well sweetened,
M. Jaures from coffee watered, M. Jules
Roches from coffee with sugar and cog
nac, M. Henri Brisson sweetened water
and cognac, M. Poincare lemonade.and
M. Meline rum punch.
Roae-E.tIng Wiiapo.
It is asserted by a correspondent of
the Gardener's Chronicle that wasp3
not only devour ripe fruits, such as
apricots, grapes and pears, but that
they extend their ravages to rosebuds
and blown roses. The blossoms and
bud3 covering two flourishing rose
bushes belonging to him were de
stroyed by wasps, in spite of the battle
which he waged with tbe insects for
the preservation of his flowers.
A Polyglot Beliglnn Service.
A queer polyglot religious service
was recently held at the Seamen's
Bethel at Douglas on the Isle of Man.
The gospel was read in Gaelic, a hymn
sung in Manx, prayer offered In Welsh
and the sermon delivered in English.
On a previous Sunday the Lord's
Prayer was said in Cornish, a language
the last speaker of which died in the
early years of this century.
Mr. Austen Lelgh.the principal clerk
of the committee office of the house
of commons, is retiring at the end pf
the year after 45 years service.
' I
A BOY DEGENERATE.
ONE OF NATURE'S CRUEL LAWS
ILLUSTRATED.
rather Killed a Brothei Other Family
Taint Cropped Ont IIH Attempt to
Marder 11 U Infant Mcpatoter In the)
Kefornt School.
mmm HE story of thsj
birth and tragic
. I events of the brief
J M life of the 11-year-
jr old Willie Crago.
ine ewpu, ww,
murderer degener
ate, sent to the re
form farm at Lan
caster, is beyond
doubt indicative of
the inexorable laws
of heredity. The facts in detail are as
foltows:
While he was yet a baby his 'aJ--Joseph-Crago.
separated from bia wife
on account of domestic troubles, and
the mother took with her the boy Wil
lie Crago and his eldest sister, a deaf
mute. Some time after the separation
Mrs. Crago gave birth to another
child, a daughter. When the baby
was but a few weeks old it fell a vic
tim to the fiendish desire to destroy
life on the part of William Crago and
his cousin. George Crago, a boy some
what bis senior in years.
About two years ago Joseph Crago,
having secured a divorce from his
wife, came to Washington county, set
tled at Newport. Ohio, and married a
Miss Thomas. He then went to Har
rison county and took charge of Willie
Crago and his sister, the two children
of his first wife, bringing them there
to live with him. Recently a daughter
was born as the fruit as his second
marriage, and It is this child that the
youthful degenerate declares he will
murder if ever allowed to approach '
her.
From his infancy young Crago was
noted as a child with a willful disposi
tion and uncontrollable temper, cruel,
and possessed of a desire to give pain
to every living thing. Chickens, cats,
dogs, and all manner of household
pets fell victims to his lust for blood.
He broke the wings of chickens and
tbe legs of animals, and gleefully
watched the struggles of his dying vic
tims, but it was not until after the
birth of bis step-sister that there came
to bis relatives the horrible discovery
of his thirst for human blood. It was
only a day or two after the arrival of
the little stranger that he began to
show his hostile disposition, arousing
the suspicion of his father.
He also threatened about this time
to kill bis deaf-mute sister, in a fit of
passion, and beat and bruised her
shamefully. His actions caused bim to
be watched unceasingly. On one occa
sion his father caught him in the act
of striking her with a boy's ax on the
back of the head, and from that time
until the present be has been constant
ly under surveillance. A few weeks
ago it became apparent that he was
looking for a chance to kill the baby,
and it was discovered that he bad hid
den a knife under a door with which
to commit the murder. When accused
by his father of his fiendish intention
he confessed, and told of his unaltera
ble decision to butcher the babe. The
courts were then appealed to, and his
sentence to the reform farm resulted.
The boy's mental condition is consid
ered purely one of heredity. His like
ness shows tbe abnormal lips, unnat
ural forehead and obstinate look of the
whole countenance. His father, Jo
seph Crago, possesses a head eveu
more abnormal and striking than the
boy's. He is of sandy complexion,
with small, pointed chin, sunken jaws,
small, piercing eyes, close together and
deeply set, high, receding forehead,
with the head broad, bumpy and hol
low at his neck. To his credit, it is
insisted by his acquaintances that he
is an honest, truthful aud hard-working
man, but there stands rait in his
life the horrible, and in this connec
tion, startling fact, that in his youth
he killed his brother in a fit of pas
sion. Between him and the brother
arose a dispute that ended in both be-
WILLIE CRAGO.
ing possessed ot the same wild, fero
cious anger that seized Willie Crago
when an officer told him he could not
leave the court room.
Like a wild animal the brother
sprang upon Crago, and in the strug
gle was stabbed with a knife, dying
soon afterward. This occurrence and
others of minor importance in Mr. Cra
go's life show, it is said, that the un
natural characteristics of the boy mur
derer have been banded down to him
by the laws of nature, though the fa
ther has in his sufficient strength of
will to overcome the vicious tendency
of his temper on most occasions. There
is nothing known in the life or charac
teristics of the mother that could be
said to have had any influence on the
lad toward making him a destroyer of
life.
The deaf-mute sister is speechless.
Physically the family is not strong,
but all are of a nervous disposition
with constitutions of great endurance.
Both father and son appear to be
truthful to a fault, and throughout the
community In which they live reached
general sympathy for the affliction of
the boy doomed to pass his life under
restraint, with murder In his heart,
and isolated in body and spirit from
the world and hi3 fellows.
Medeat Aunt Margaret!
Light-minded young thing in a bath
ing suit Surely, Aunt Margaret, you
are not going to wear your spectacles
in the water. Aunt Margaret Indeed
I am. Nothing shall Induce me to take
off another thing.
The names of flfty-two Saxon kings
ere preserved, all of whom, with the
ticept!o of four, died violent deaths.
IP1
jft
THE OLD RELIABLE.
ColumbusSlateBank
(Oldest Bank in the State.)
Pajs Interest oi Tie Debits
AS
Hales LoaisuBealMtG.
ISSUES SIGHT DRAFTS OJI
Omalia, Chicago, New York aud
all Foreign Countries.
SELLS STEAMSHIP TICKETS.
BUYS GOOD NOTES
And uolps its customers whoa tuoy need help
OFFICERS AND DIUECTOhS:
Leander Gerhard, Prcs't.
R. U. Henry, Vice Prcs't..
M. Brugger, Cashier..
John Stauffer,
Wit. lfUCHER.
OF
COLUMSUS. NEB.,
nAS AS
Authorized Capital cf
Paid in Capital, -
$500,000
90,000
OFi'iOCUN:
a II. Slini.DON. PrcVt.
it. l. n. oi m.i:icn. VicoPrc?.
DAXIKI, M'llICAM. O.isl'Ior.
n.'A.MC i:uKi:i(. Asst. Cush'r.
C. ri. PlIFf.HON-. " II. 1 II. Ofhliwcii.
Ion- is Wi i.cii, W. A. MrALi.ibTUU,
Cam, KlEMtK. S. C. IIray.
1'kank Komicu.
STOCK1I LDEKS:
Snrr.DA Em.is, J. IIk.niiv Wcn.oiAW.
MRK '.HAY.
IIinky I OSF.Ki:.
DWIKI.SCIIRAU.
. K. II. Or.iii.MCR.
Rebecca IIkukek.
Ueo. . Oai.ley.
.1. 1' ItFCKKit Estate
II. 31. Wl.NSLOW.
Bank of Deposit : ntcrest allowed on tlms
deposit: buy and sHI cxelmnso on United
t:te-anl Europe, and Imv and sell avail-alilo'-cruritics
Wosliall fco p!eas.cd to re
ceive your business. We solicit your pat
ronage. Columbus Journal!
A weekly aewspmper de
voted the best Interests of
COLUMBUS
THE COIIKTY OF PLATTE,
The State ol Nebraska
THE UNITED STATES
'.RD THE REST OF MANKIND
The ualtof saessmrewltk
as is
$1.50 A YEAR,
IF PAID IN ADTAKCB,
Hat oar limit of eefala
In not prescribed by dollars
ami cents. Kample copies
scut iree to any addreu.
HENRY GASS,
TnsriDERTAJKIER !
Collins : and : Metallic : Cases !
E3T" Repairing of all kinds of Ujahol
lery Goods.
Uf COLTJMBTJ3. NEBRASKA-
Columbus Journal
IS FRZPAItrD TO rCR5Isn AXTTniXCJ
required or a
PRINTING OFFICE,
-WITH THZ-
COMMERCIAL
if
COUNTRY.
H
n
i
tfi"!
.