Conservative. 11
Cockatoos.
The cockatoos constitnto n branch of
the great parrot family , ami , with the
exception of the species which inhabits
the Philippine islands , are peculiar to
the Australasian region.
Leadbeater's cockatoo is one of the
most beautiful of the group , his white
plumage being tinged with rose color
W. T. Greene , the great authority on
cage parrots , describes it aptly as "rasp
berry and cream" color but as his
mental endowments are by no means
equal to his personal attractions he is
less popular as a pot than species with
more intelligence than good looks. One
point in his favor must be mentioned
ho is a loss determined screamer than
the majority of cockatoos. This , however -
over , is not saying much. In his native
woods of South Australia Leadbeator's
cockatoo is very shy and difficult to ap
proach. The birds sent to Europe , no
doubt taken as nestlings in the majori
ty of instances , remain usually wild
and suspicious , though they bear con
finement well and do not suffer from
the cold.
At home in Australia the cockatoo is
not beloved of the farmer , and it can
bo well imagined that a flock of these
big birds , amounting often to thousands ,
commit fearful havoc upon the crops.
Hence it is shot down as remorselessly
as the sparrow in England when it
grows too numerous to be acceptable to
the agriculturist. Like the rest of- the
genus , this cockatoo usually makes its
nest in a hollow tree , where the hen
Jays two pure white eggs. St. Louis
The following is a remedy for oily
skin : Liquid refined honey , one ounce ;
alcohol , two ounces ; cucumber emul
sion , one ounce ; elder flower water ,
four ounces ; strained juice of two lem
ons. The mixture should be used night
and morning and applied with a soft
rag or sponge.
The Northwest Indian and His Waya.
The Indian of the plains is a far more
picturesque individual than his brother
or cousin of the coast. He does not erect
totem poles and has no timber for tue
purpose if so inclined , but he is suffi
ciently spectacular himself without re
sorting to grotesque carvings and paint
ed wood. His saddle , with its leather
hangings and wooden stirrups , is in
its-elf a remarkable aggregation , and
when sot off with his goods and chattels
tols tied in bags , rags , strings and
straps , the effect is remarkable. Ho
wears the cast off garments of his white
brother in such original combinations
that he looks like the personification of
a secondhand store. Sometimes the
adoption of a pair of guernseys as an
external covering gives him quite an
athletic appearance. Ho wears his hair
in Gertrude braids , and prefers ear
rings about the size of half dollar coins.
A mosquito not or handkerchief is his
favorite head covering , and if ho as
sumes a hat it is as an additional and
purely ornamental appendage. Detroit
Free Press.
Bnrled at Santiago.
"Few students of Napoleonic histo
ry , " says the London Chronicle , "aro
aware that Dr. Antomarchi , who at-
tended upon Napoleon I during his last
illness at St. Helena , is buried in the
cemetery at Santiago do Cuba. Ho had
brother living in that island , and
after the emperor's death proceeded
thither and lived at Santiago , exercis
ing his skill as an oculist gratuitously
among the poor. After his death in
1825 a public monument was erected to
Iris memory in tlio local cemetery. "
Gypsy i anclng Girla of Seville.
In The Century Mr. Stephen Bonsai
writes of "Holy Week In Seville. "
He says : On returning homeward
we outer a gypsy garden , where , in
bowers of jasmine and honeysuckle , the
Gaditan dancing girls disport them
selves as they did in the days of the
poet Martial. Penthelusa is as graceful
and as lissom today as when , in the
ages gone , she captured Pompoy with
her subtle dauco as when Martial descanted -
scanted upon her beauties and graces in
classic words centuries ago.
The hotel keepers in Seville are gen
erally very careful to introduce their
patrons only to gardens where the Bow
dlerized editions of the dauco are per
formed , but I commend to those who
think they can "sit it out" the archaic
versions which are danced naturally to
day , as they were in the days of the
Ctcsars , by light limbed enchainers of
hearts and flamenca girls with brown
skins and cheeks that are soft like the
side of the peach which is turned to the
ripening sun , and in their dark , lus
trous eyes you read as plain as print the
story of the sorrows and the joys of a
thousand years of living.
Now they dauco about with the grace
of houris , the abandon of mrenads or of
nymphs before Actreon peeped , and
now , when the dance is over , the mo
ment of madness past , they cover their
feet with shawls , that you may not see
how dainty they are , and withdraw se
dately and sad from the merry circle
and sit for hours under the banana trees ,
crooning softly some mournful cuplet in
the crooked gypsy tongue.
Saint Norah and the Potato.
St. Norah was a poor girl , says the
London Punch , who prayed St. Patrick
for a good gift that would make her not
proud but useful , and St. Patrick , out
of his own head , taught her how to boil
a potato. A sad thing and to be lament
ed , that the secret has come down to so
few ! Since the highest intellectual and
physical life is dependent upon diet
since the cook makes , while the physi
cian only mends should not she who
prepares our pies bo as carefully trained
as ho who makes our pills ?
Certainly whatever may be the
knowledge or the ignorance of the serv
ant in the kitchen , the miatross of the
house , bo she young or old , ought to bo
able , like St. Patrick in the fable , out of
her own instructed head to teach Norah
how to boil a potato or broil a steak so
that they may yield their utmost of relish -
ish and nutriment.
Until she can do that , np woman is
qualified to preside over a household ,
and since few reach adult life without
baiug called to that position in the
household of husband , father or broth
er , the legend of St. Norah has a wide
significance. Youth's Companion.
Burton in the Well Whore lie Died.
Speaking of strange and sad occur
rences , none could bo more remarkable
; han the death and burial of Charles
Carter , a well known farmer residing
near Russell. Ho was cleaning out an
old well when the quicksand suddenly
caved in on him , leaving only his head
and chest exposed. When the alarm
was given , hundreds of people assom-
jlcd and wont heroically to work to
save their neighbor. It was found that
nothing could bo done toward removing
the sand about Carter's body , so a par
allel well was dug and a tunnel run
from it into the old well , but even then
the body could not bo removed so close
ly was it grasped by the sands. It was
found that a rope attached below Car-
tor's arms would pull the body into
parts without withdrawing its covered
portion , and that method had to be
abandoned. Carter was conscious and
talked with his rescuers , but at the end
of 58 hours he died. By this time an
enormous crowd had gathered , and all
sorts of plans were suggested for recov
ering the body , but finally it was de
termined to make the well the dead
man's tomb , and it was filled up after
religious services had been hold upon
its brink. The well was 48 feet deep ,
and perhaps no other Kansau ever found
quite so strange a burial place. Kan
sas City Journal.
A Dumas Story.
Dumas the elder was rarely spiteful
to or about his fellow men , but one.day ,
when he happened to be in that mood ,
a friend called to tell him a piece of
news. "They have just given M. X.
the Legion of Honor , " he said. Then
ho added , in a significant tone , "Now ,
can you imagine why they should have
given it to him ? "
" Yes , " answered the great dramatist
promptly. "They have given it to him
because he was without it. "
The dead heroes of the Bueua Vista
battlefield , where 6,000 American vol
unteers under General Zachary Taylor
defeated 20,000 Mexicans under Santa
Anna after a desperate and bloody bat
tle , lie in a neglected and unmarked
spot near Saltillo , Mexico.
There is a flywheel in Germany made
of steel wire. The wheel is 20 feet in
diameter , and 2.GO miles of wire was
used in its construction.
The average attendance at places of
worship in England and Wales is com
puted to be between 10,000,000 and 11-
000,000 persons. There is a place of
worship for every 500 individuals , tak
ing the country all through , and a stat
ed minister for every 700. About 80,000
sermons are preached every Sunday.
The first two numbers of THE CONSER
VATIVE , published at Nebraska City by
Hon. J. Sterling Morton , are before us.
The is historical statistical
paper high-toned , ,
tistical , bold and outspoken. It is
specially adapted to Nebraska and her
institutions , and is well worth the price ,
$1.50 a year. Oakland Ropxiblican.
