TlATT.V KT'IA ) T > A rs
AMALS ) \ \ ,
The Proml Soaring "Bird" of the Prairies
Pofctically Pictured.
PARSON BAXTER ON LOVE.
Kids nt tlic Itnr A 1'nlr of
Mittens A Vnrlod Assortment , of
1/iiiiR TcHtjiiR 1/nngliH nml
.Seasonable Smiles.
Thn I'IOOH of the Cowboy.
J' . T.ViiMJ / tn Xatlomil UVrJ.fj/ .
0.1 tiin the cowboy of legend and story ,
Whom nil the back-eastern joungsturs so
crently ndinlie ;
The vlaiiKliter of pilgrims Is o\cr mv nlorv ,
And low have escaped when they drew
out my fire.
Asti hie of my broncho I ipeoil o'er the prnlrle ,
A tenor to nil who my daring behold ,
.1 defy any chlll/cd ronsUdmlary
And all vigilantes the country can hold.
AM frco ns the proud soaring bird of the
oecnu ,
1 skim on my way over mountain nnd
plain ;
And no man dnrc make the least tienchcrous
motion
That ho lives for a minute to do it acnin ,
The joys of existence 1 don't claim forever-
Sonic dny 1 must mizrle like other pi lee U ;
Jluttln "Old Boy" will bo most devilish
clever
If he gets mo Inld out while I stand In my
boots.
When I'm roped nt the loundiip of juilitinunt
etettml.
And reunited Innfiirnnco foreverlodwell ,
I'll be nble to show them some capers infer-
I won't bo n. temlei foot in h .
i'orson Itnxtrr'H Ulseoiirso on Jjove.
Texas -Slftings : Rcrlubbcd brcderen
nnd sisterii : De sulijec for dis ebimn's
discourse nm "Lub. "
Who'ri dnt sniekerin' back dar near the
doan" Kf I hoahs any moah ob dnt snick-
erin' do Lord tun gwmter pint me n com
mittee oil ono ter trow n few nlggahs out
inter do street and * temp 'em.
Kf yer visits a voung ooman , you am
one. .she am licrble tor bo won. and don
yon 11 bofc bo one. Den thn trubblo be
gins , for lemme toll yer dar's a big vein
ob solid troof running from nil dis lieali
talkaboutrollin' murder-
newspaper pins , -
in-iawH , oLs. Dar's bo much troof in em
dnt 1 has come ter do conclushun dat dc
lies time ter marry am on or about do
thirtv-forf or thirty-fifth day ob February.
Bettor nebbcr den late.
When hit comes ter courting dars one
pint whar do cullud luvyur has do advan
tage of the while luvyor. Yer ncbber
lieercd toll , did yer , ob a cullud gomman
gittin u taste ob powdered chalk on Ins
moiif from tastin' do mug ob do object of
his nffeesliunsV De cullud niggah ncbber
comes homo with ennff pearl powder on
his Sunday close ter make folks ask of lu >
lias been playin' checkers in a Hour mill.
De proverb says lub am blind. Mebbe
so , but 1 notices dat hit pulls down do
windy curtains all dc same , and hit ain't
nobb'or too blind ter slue up a bank ac
count.
Men am like flics. Bofo of em yield
tor do Hractiveness ob bo lasses. Matri-
monev am like a cage. Dc birdwhat's
onls'iife wonts tor git in , and dem what's
inside wants ter git out.
' ' ' down from
Dni'e a rollin'pin hnngin'
ono eend ob do honey moon. I knowed a
jouug married woman ter buy two rollin'
pins. She kop ono to remonstrate wid
her husband wid when lie cum homo late
from do lodge. Most ob yon married
niggahs knows what I'se a hintin' at.
Den dars dc murdor-in-law queshon.
Dc Biblu explains why a , mat. has no use
for Ins murder-in-law. Hit snvs stiuctly
no man can serb two masters.
Yes , bredron nn sibtcrn , at first lub
makes do time fly , but after awhile time
makes do lub fly.
BUar's a tribe ob Africans called do Caf-
fres. Among do Caffres a man nebbor
M'es do face ob his murdcr-in-lnw. I
reokon tint's whar the teen started "Who
will Caffre mudder now ? " Heali ! hcah !
hcah ! 'Sense my levity. We will now
pass de hat fordo benerlit obdo bcrnight-
ett Africans. Uncle Moses , please take
charge of do head gear.
The Pair of Mils.
II' S.l'allarln rtctiolt FiteFitu.
A pnlr or mlUs.liy olovor wltaWcromniln
nml sent on Uuty. W 11 ! i skillful
bunds tlio woolly Ktinnds were knll
In lorms of Dfiiuty. With llnrors ( quick
unit hourB ! no liKht , Tim ( wirworo fnsh-
iouoil neatly. With ynrn HO stout , nnd
colors lirlixlit. And hints tlnowu In ills-
rrcotly. Tim luttono wllli 11R promise bold ;
Tlio rixlit ono mmluto mouk tlio coldAnil keep
llRtonniilwnrin , now liniiKiiultoiltirutlirend ,
Ami eonstiuilo u pnlr Instoiul of One without
nuliiirni. And wlillu HO all Hdmlro tlii'piilr
An < l bless our llitlo ! o III o fair. A nd
wonder nliut sllO IlllllkH Of US
Th o IVco I'ri'SH is the lia
nd Ui'tkiiitH l.'n nil into a
imlroCiiilt IB , And then
wi'trluml e li 11 > 11 n
k a u e.
For Printers Only.
I'royidoncp Journal ! The Impecuni
ous Compositor presented Himself at the
Counting-room on a recent evening and
asked for 1'ormisfcion to " ( Jo un-stairs , "
Being told that it was Against the Hides
at that Hour , ho asked that one of the
Compositors bo called Down. Ho was
informed that it would bo Necessary to
iurnish His Nnmo , not ns a guarantee of
good faith , but that the Man above Stairs
Might Know with whom ho had to Deal.
Ho at lirit demurred , but concluded to
compromise the matter by sending up n
Koto. In due course the note Hettirncll ,
accompanied witli a very Diminutive
1'ackago. The note was road , the pack
age bcanncd , and the I. C. , breathing
Vengeance , hastily Departed. So Indig
nant was lie that the note wns left open
on the Counter. U road as follows :
Vituisn 1IMeaso : send me down n
1. ' "V. " Yours , SAM .
. SAM : Von do not say what kind ot
n "v" yon want , so I semi you nn agate
lower ease , those being the most numer
ous in my collection. "
JU'sp'y yours , .
A Low lul ( Went.
Washington ( Jritic : The crowd wns
talking on the subject of traveling on
passes , elioap rales , etc , "Well , " re
marked Major Stofah , wlion there came
u lull. "I wont from Washington clear to
San I rancibco once for nothing. " "Tho
walking must have been good that year , "
fciiggested Huberts. "I rode all the way
in n 1'ullman , " said the Major , with A
smilo. "Did you hnvo n pnsst" asked
Chambers. "No puss. " "You know all
the conductors , perhaps , " said Loanh-
nian. "Didn't know a .soul , " replied the
Major , lighting a cigar. "Then how in
thunder did you make it ? " asked Knott ,
who was anxious to get n low rate west.
"Knslest thing in the world , " responded
thn Major , coolly ; " 1 had n sweetheart in
Frisco , nnd 1 went out to marry her.
When 1 got there I found .she had al
ready man led another follow , and if you
don't call that going to Sun Francisco for
nothing you may have this $15 suit I'vo '
got on for 10 cents , half cash und the bal-
nnco ut ninety days. "
Jin AVanteil to Know ,
"What part of a wagon resembles a
baby ? " shouted Blimly , as ho rushed
into the olllee after ten momhi' r.bseuce
yesterday morning ,
All his associates greeted him cordially ,
wanted to know whore ho had been and n
thousand other things : but ho answered
some of their questions in nn absent'
minded manner and some of them not at
all , After appearing bored by their
cordiality for uearly two minutes , ho
shouted again "What part of a wagon
resuubles : i baby ? "
Nobody could tell. So ono of the re
porters ventured to ask him to solve the
t
WITHIN FIVE MINUTES WALK
th EL " LI
II I l mlmm ,
Advantageously Located on Avenue ,
- c j /
Very Low , Terms , One
These Lots are Now on Sale at the Office of
conundrum. The city editor fainted , and
had to be revived by tlio application ,
where it would do the most good , of : v
pocket flask , when Blimly replied :
"Tho oil-spring/ ] _
A Siiort Language liesson.
Of the man who d id slug , wo saj' that ho
snug ,
Or wo speak of the sonRhe h.is sung ;
Then permit us to say ot the gun that can
bam ; ,
It has often proceeded to bunc.
Of thomnn who can write , wo say ho has
written.
Anil also properly say that ho wrote ;
So then , wUen a iloi : lias another tlojr bitten.
Wo can say tie did bite , or else that ho
boto.
Of a man who has ridden , we say ho can
And twould also ho proper to say that bo
rode ;
Then why not remark of tlio boat that can
'
That it smoothly hns pllddon , or else that
it glode.
on Ileans.
"What's all this crowd doing hero ? "
asked a stranger , ns lie found the pave
ment blockaded in front of a Broadway
store. "Why , " replied a bystander , "tho
proprietor oilers a prize for the closest
guess as to the number of beans in that
bottle. " "How are the guesses running ? "
"From 000 up to 15,000. " "O , pshr.w !
Why , there must bo at Jeasl 100,000 beans
in that bottle. " "Whcro might yon bo
from , stranger ? " "I ? O , I'm from the
west. I've been put there estimating the
population of cities from the number of
names in tlio directories. "
The Unison IVEtrc.
Eleanor Klrlt.
The same old sea and the saino old sky ;
The r.anio old vessels snllliiK by ;
Tlio same old fanner rakliu the sand ;
The same old lislicrman lowing to land ;
Tlio same old lane and the same old mud ;
The saino old cow and the same old cud ;
Tlio same old toad and tlio same old tiee ;
The same old ter rler barking at me.
The eame pln/.zn , dusty and baie ;
Tlio saino old woman taklnirthenlr.
With the endless stories of IOIIK ago ,
Of the same old ball and tlio same old beau ;
The same old dresses , uirly ns sin ,
The same old rush when the mail comes In ;
The same old fools and the same wise men ,
The saino old pigs In the same old pen.
Old gobblers , old men , old work , old play ,
The same old night and the same old day ;
Tlio same old ton to straighten the air ,
Antiquity's chestnut everywhere.
And It's cat , and drink , and sketch nml sow ,
And diess for whom , I'd like toknowf
Kifr strata and fossils , and hens and gceflc ,
And they cull this health , ami rest , and peace.
O , bother such rest and health , say I ;
I'd rather bo ill , perchance to die
Than Il\e in the dayn buforo the Hood ,
An iuitUiuo clam in historic mud.
Hut this I'll add , though 'twill prove mo
bold-
One nice ynum ; man would atone for the old ,
And tal.'o the mildew from laud and sea ,
Aud 1 KUC&S that's what's the matter with
nml
Ho WAS Some Ijunntlcs.
Detroit Free Press : A saloon-keeper
on ( iratiol street sat at his door the other
afternoon , wondering why it was that so
many mon in Detroit preferred butter
milk to beer , when two strangers came
along. Ono of them placed a penny on
the sidcwlak. placed his right heel on the
penny , and then bout over to see how far
ho could reach and mark the llagstono
with a nail. As he reached out ho lifted
his heel off the penny , and the other man
picked up the coin , slipped it into his
pookct , nml winked at the saloonist.
"Thpt's a long roach , " said No. 1 , ns he
straightened up.
" os , but you lifted your heel ofl the
cent. "
"No , I didn't. "
"Het you a dollar. "
"I'll take it. "
"Hold on , shentlomens , " said the beer-
seller , as ho rose up , "I like to make
some bets myself. "
"I bet you 3 my heel is on a penny , "
said No. 1
"I lake dot hot awful queok , " replied
the snlooniet , and a couple of $1 bills
were handed to No , 3.
No. 1 sat down on the walk , pulled ofl
his shoe and hold it up that the saloonist
might see a puuhy screwed fast to the
icel. lie replaced his shoo after a mo-
ncnt , ro o up and bowed courteously ,
md the pair walked oil' . They were at
east half a block away before the victim
recovered siifliciently to say :
"Vhell ! vhelll I pays taxes in two wards
und goes twice to Chicago , but yet 1 vhas
some lunatics who ought to bo led around
mit ii rope ! "
Foreign and Domestic.
Rambler : "Pa , what's this that's al
ways in the paper headed 'Foreign ' and
Domestic , ' Can't a thing be foreign and
domestic , too ? "
"No , my son , of course not. "
"Yes , it can , too. Look at Bridget. "
He Quailed In the Pace of Bare Pacts.
Washington Critic : Dr. Hartlett
preached at the Now Ttork Avenue Pres
byterian church yesterday on the spread
of the gospel anil during his remarks on
proportionate civilisation lie said that of
the earth's population live hundred mil
lion wore clothed and two hundred and
ty million clotheless.
"What did you think of the sermon ? "
said Jones to Brown on their way homo.
"Excellent , " said Brown ; "only t
thought the doctor was slightly off on hifl
figures in saying there was more than
half the earth's population only partially
clothed. "
"I think he is right' " said Jones re
flectively.
"How do you make it out ? "Why ,
there's Europe and ' *
"Hold on ! " interrupted Jones. Com
mence nearer home. Did you _ ever nt-
tcnd a full dress reception in Washing
ton ? "
Drown quailed in the face of the bin o
facts.
JIo Doesn't Want Them Published.
.S . II" . / ' ' < s ( II 'tiil-lltlf.
llo wioto lyrical effusions , and In lythmlcal
luxuriance he bent touvery passing whim
of literary prurience ;
And his Muse would stalk and sldlo
Through epics suicidal ,
For ho rode a baiebnck 1'cg.isus without a biter
or bridle !
lie vonrcd his soul's profusion out In ron
deaus , odes and sonnets upon Seraphlna's
eyebrows or on Angelina's oonnets ;
And the wild , poetic spasm
Swept hia Intellectual chasm
As the mldnleht winds of Chaos swept
thiough primal protoplasm.
And the Mnso's breath from songland in
many a tuneful caiol blew tlueuu'h his
mental vacuum ns the wind blo\\ through
a barrel.
And , like picas bufoio a jury ,
Songs filled up with sound and fury
Came forth with a vast him ; power , jingle-
jerk and too-roo-loo-reo I
And ho sent these songs and poems to the
publishers and editors , but they all re
turned unwelcome , llko his most isolicit
ous creditors ;
And now , .since their declination ,
How ho vows with Indlcii tlon :
" 1 won't vulcnrlzo my pounibby promiscuous
publication ! "
Knocked Out by n II 1(1.
Texas Sittings : A nice little boy , roared
in the intellectual and Heterodox atmos
phere of Bostonhappened , to boa witness
in a case in Cincinnati , and the question
arose as to his being old enough to under
stand the nature of an oath , bo the judge
investigated him.
" \Vefi , Wendall , " ho said , kindly , "do
you know where bad little boys will go
when they iliuJ"
"No , bir , " replied the boy , with con
fidence.
" ( loodnoss gracious , " exclaimed the
judge , with shocked surprise , "don't you
know they will go to hcllS"
"No , sir ; doouV"
"Of course I do , "
"How do you know it ? "
"Tho Bible says so. "
"Is it true ? "
"Certainly it is , "
"Can you prove it ? "
"No. not positively ; but wo take it on
faith , " explained the judge.
"Do yon accept that kind of testimony
J ! his court * " inquired the boy. coolly.
Msut the judge didn't answers lie hold
tip his hitmlb and begged tiie lawyer to
take the witness.
Jjlttlo HUH or Pun.
The man who lectures on the benefits
of physic exorcise taKes the elevator
when he might-climb i a flight of stairs.
Inquisitive party "And do you go up
that ladder all 'day long ? " Pat "No ,
sur ; half ov the toime Oi cum down. "
"This boats' me , " ns the egg remarked
when it saw the spoon.
Some Americans.aro too proud to beg
nnd too honest < to steal , so they get
trusted.
Kate Field says shciS'tired of the world ,
nnd "would like to.live apart from the
fashionable bustle. " Why don't you take
it oft , then , Kate , and give it to the hired
girl ?
The vital "What is '
question , a sausage ?
is being discussed before a Nebraska
court. It is believed that the jury will
disagree.
It is no trouble to meet : i bill. But to
got out of the way of it is most diflicnlt.
Catherine Owen lias published a book
called "Ten Dollars Enough. " .She may
think so now , but by the time she gets all
the jet trimming and stuff for the overskirt -
skirt siio will find that about $10 more is
neccssarv , not including the dressmaker's
bill. Teh dollars is enough for the ma
terial , but the trimming and making cost
like sixty. *
Washington Critic : A certain civil
engineer , now high in the paofessioii , is
said to have got his start from his first
report of : i survoy. He had been hent
out to inspect a river which a congres
sional loboy wanted improved for navi
gation , and when'ho returned he handed
in this brief but comprehensive state
ment : "Tho river is not worth a dam , "
Baptist Educational Work in Nc-
brnfilcn.
The convention called to meet in Lin
coln , Neb. , November ISO , convened in
the Baptist church and was called to
order by the chairman , Z. C. Bush.
About fifty representatives of tlio churches
were present. A constitution and bv-laws
for an educational association were
adootcd. The object of the association
is to foster education among our Baptist
people of the ntato.
A board of fifteen was chosen to re
ceive propositions for the location of a
college in the state , and to take charge of
the same when located. A number of
propositions were presented by different
towns. FairJioId offered $1,000 and
a silo valued rt $2,100. Fair
mont offered gii.OOO . in money , a
forty acre lot fora site and one half of
forty acres more , laid out in town lots ,
Ashland offered f 15,000 , on condition that
$15,000 more wore added. Nebraska
City offered fc'5,000 in moiioy , a block in
the city with buildings on it
all valued at $85,000 more. Grand
Island offered , through Mr. C.
W. Scarf ! ' , of that place , ton acres of land
for a site , $1.000 toward the employment
of a financial agent to canvass the
country for the school , and to dupli
cate in money all that could bo raised for
that purpose diiring'thu no\t five years.
This proposition was presented to the
boiud of trustees a id discussed at con-
sidernblo length , It was considered a
very liberal offer bt tit was thought by
some of our wise ui d conservative headri
that wo wore neb q rite ready to accept
any of these offers at present. The
whole matter of accepting and locating
the institution was deferred to the next
meeting of tlio board to bo held in Lin
coln in February , at the time of thn moot
ing of tlio board of ( ho Nebraska Baptist
fctato convention , trom now till then
the subject is open to all places in tlio
state to send in their propositions. The
Baptists of Nebraska nro in earnest in
this matter and any place that would like
to put.flOO.OOO into an institution that
will bo worth to the place some ten or
fifteen thousand a year , besides the intellectual -
tollectual and moral benefit has thu op
portunity of celling its offer ready by the
1st of Feoruary. The offer can oo pre
sented to L. D. helms , president of the
board , Omaha , or 7 . C. Kusli , secretary.
St. IMwnrd , or to any other members of
the board.
Nebraska , growing at the rate of CO.OOO
inhabitants a year , building towns , cities
and railroads at an unparalleled rate ,
opening up her rich acres uy the million ,
is also alive to the great intellectual in
terests of her people. Z , C.
A STORY OP REMOBSE AND SUICIDE.
Atlanta Constitution : The people at
Red Top could not imagine why Bart
Bradford wanted to settle among them.
It was tiic dream ol their lives to get
away from Red Top. The place had been
going down from the start , if it ever had
one It had no railroads , no commerce ,
no industries , no past and apparently no
future.
Still , the Red Top people were loyal to
their town when they came in contact
with strangers. So , when Bart Bradford
and his wife , after spending several days
at the hotel , expressed a desire to make
their home in the community , the inhabi
tants , with irresistible unanimity , assured
them that Red Top was about to enjoy n
boom and they wcro lucky in coming
along just in time to grow up with it.
Alter making the usual inquiries con
cerning the society , the water , and the
general health of the town , the Bradfords
decided to remain. Bradford had several
thousand dollars with him , and this ho
immediately invested in a grocery store
and small cottage. The fortunate citi-
/.ons who hail converted their properly
into cash straightway left for parts un
known , leaving the newcomers to won
der at their folly in abandoning a town
with a boom just ahead nf it. Such ec
centric conduct , however , was a common
thing in that neighborhood , and the old
residents thought nothing of it.
Although not an old man , ho was not
more than forty , if that , Bart Bradford
generally wore a look of settled melan
choly , At times ho had the look of a
hunted animal , but as a rule ho was quiet
and good-natured , and ho soon became
very popular , His wife was n more girl ,
and , the country folks said , "as pretty as
a picture. " Despite Bradford's peculiar
moods , it was plain that ho loved ins wife ,
and it was equally apparent that she
idolized him.
The years rolled by and nothing oc
curred to disturb the quiet course of
events at Red Top , Tlio Bradfoids wore
not long in finding ; out that the alleged
boom was n myth , but they did not seem
to mind it much. The grocery kept
Bradford busy during the day , and in the
meantime the little cottage had been
brightened and enlivened by the presence
of two new inmates , a curly-headed boy
and a black-eyed , rosy-cheeked girl. Tea
a casual observer it was u happv little
family. If there was n skeleton hidden
somewhere in : i closet nobody biispccled
its presence.
When tlio periodical spoil of hard times
came along Jled Top suffered ) severely.
Several merchants failed outright , Brad
ford found it impossible to make collec
tions , and saw ruin staring him in the
face. His bravo little wife cheered him
up. She made all sorts of suggestions ,
and just to humor her Bradford adopted
ono of thorn. He advertised in a daily
paper published in the city where he pur
chased his goods , that ho desired to bor
row three thousand dollars on a year's
time , the mouey to bo invested , the ad
vertisement said , in a safe business.
To tlio poor fellow's infinite surprise , a
few days later , no received n loiter from
a city lawyer asking him to cull and see
him about tiio desired loan , Bradford
kissed Ids wife and babies and took the
next stage for the city. When ho returned
the next day ho was jubilant. Ho had the
money. To his wife ho said that he could
not understand his luck , Thu lawyer hiul
asked him a few questions about ins busi
ness , and hud let him have the money on
his note for u year's time at thelcgal rate
of Interest. Little Mrs , Bradford did not
tee anything surprising in the transac
tion. She believed that her husband's
business reputation was known in the
big city , audit bconicd to tier u matter of
course that people bhould bo willing to
lend money to btieh a man.
Bradford met with another surprise.
At tlio end of twelve months ho found
that he could raise only about half of tiie
sum due the city lawyer , When he went
to see him about the matter the lawyer
simply said :
"That is all right. Keep fthe money
another year and then come to see me. "
Bradford returned homo in n state of
mystification.
DLong before the year expired , however ,
the led Top merchant received a visit
from the lawyer. Bradford took him
into his little ollico back of his store , and
sat down in great agitation.
"No bad news , I nope. " ho said.
"Both bad and good , " replied the law
yer.
yer."Lot mo licnr. the worst , " groaned
Bradlord.
"I um not here , " said his visitor , "to
press you for money , but I have a story
to tell that will interest yon. "
Ho locked the office door , and drew
his chair close to Bradford.
"The first Mrs. Bradford is dead , " said
the man ot law , in a harsh , rasping voice.
The man before him wrung his hands
but said nothing.
"I suppose you wondered why I let yon
have so much money without any secur-
.ty , and were so easy with you ? "
Bradford nodded.
"Well , it was not my money. It be
longed to tlio first Mrs. Bradford. Don't '
interrupt mo. You know that in your
trips west you fell in love vith n pretty
face , You basely deserted your wife , u
good plain woman , and seemed an Illi
nois divorce from her. Again 1 must ask
you not to interrupt me. You married
your present , wife ami concealed yourself
hero , where I dare say you have never
spent a happy hour. '
"Uod knows it is true ! " exclaimed
Bradford.
"Your deserted wife , " continued the
lawyer , "Miffored untold mortification.
She was almost heart-broken , but she
bore up bravely. Shortly alter you left
her the death of an uncle brought hern
small fortune , some 120,000 or so. She
employed rno to keep an oyc on you and
report your movements and your circum
stances 1 visited your town. I bribed
the villiigo photographer to give me pho
tographs of your wife and bullies , and
sent them to the first Mrs. Bradford. 1
wrote to her nil about you , how charit
able von were to the poor , and I wrote
also that your present wife , a young and
Imbyish thing , was perfectly devoted to
you , "
Bradford Haul nothing but his eyes
sought the lloor and ho breathed witli
( lilluinlty.
"Now you understand it"said the at
torney. "When you advertised for a
loan 1 reported the fact to the first Mrs.
Bradford , and .she furnished the money
for yon. "
Still Bart Bradford did not utter a
wont.
"I was tit her bedside when bhe died , a
week ago to-day. Her last utterance was
n iniisMign of love and forgivness , She
willed all her property to you. Have you
any questions ? "
" 1 1 cannot talk now , " said the
wretched man , "have mercy on me uml
leave me , "
The lawyer rose and unlocked the door.
" 1 am a poor hand at delivering such
messages , " ho said , "but I am glud to see
that you do feel badly about it. ( Jo homo
and compose yourself , and in a few days
run iiji and ceo me. and we'll airange the
details of this business. "
He bowed himseif out , nnd leaping into
his carriage , drove off in n hurry.
Bradford's ' clerk thought that his em
ployer remained a long time in the little )
ollico. An hour passed , and still the mer
chant did not come out. Darkness came ,
but no light was to be been in the olllee
Too impatient to wait any longer , the
clerk carried a lamp back to the ollico
and looked in ,
Stretched on the floor , stiff and fturk ,
lay the body of Bart Bradford , witli his
throat cut from ear to ear. The gory
knife btill eiuspud in the hand of tlio dead
man told the horrible story only too well.
Italy wants to borrow ! t.r.00,000 liros. A * ,
tills is a very biiaybenson wjth newspaper
correspondents wo are ufruiil this country
can't oblige her.
SICK headache , wind on the stomach.
billioiiMieso , nausea , are promptly nml
agreeaiilv banished by Dr. J. II. Mo-
Lean'.s Little Liver and Kidney Pillets.
25c u vial.
A VERY SERIOUS QUESTION.
The Severe Oppression of Tenants in Rn&
THE EXACTIONS OF LANDLOHD3 *
A StnrtHnjj Decrease of I'opiiIntloQ
- Soiuc
t
The present condithfti of things in lln ?
siu writes Witllniu WeMnll in the San
Francisco Chronicle must bo ns discour *
aging to : utvocatos of land nationalization
ns to the more rational economists , wlior
regard occupying ownership ns the best !
of possible agrarian systems nml laud-
lonlism as I ho worst. For Russia is fostu
verging toward landlordism in its most1
pronounced form , and tliu people nroJ
being divorced wholsalu from tlio foiw
which tlicir fathers tilled and by whtcUrj
alone themselves can live. In iittnthoif
generation , at tlio prese.nl rate of pro *
press ( or degradation ) , there will bo o A
ono side an agricultural prolet.irlnt of- }
sixty or sovouty millions , on the other < w
class of kotitnks and "mir-eators , " holdj.1
ing all tlio land and virtually owning
those by whom it is cultivated. The * !
present system , ns I have shown in pro * ]
vious letters , Is based on the bondage ot
the peasants. KoulnHs ( usurers ) and land'
lords lend their money , taking ns secur
ity tin ) hypothecation of the borrower's
future labor , and once In deabt the Him-i
shin peasant is never free , lie becomes'
the bondslave of his creditor , who c\aotsr
his pound ot llesh with Shylouk-liku fu
roeity.
OKTTINO r.vr.N .
But the debtor , wnen his creditor is a
landlord , has a simple vet olVootivo way
of , nvontrin . ' himself , lie works as llttlo
and mellieiently as ho knows how. The
free laborer does twice as much ami doct )
it a great deal Imltor , and for this evil
( hero is no remedy except one that is
worse than the disease it is meant to euro
a well-paid overseer for every bondage-
man. For the ncasant who is working }
oil'a debt does not fear dismissal wants
it in fact , and the government allows no
one to lite the rod but it-self. The konlalc
or loeal usurer is in a bettor position than
the big landlord. A peasant himself , ho
works in the fields with his bondsmen ,
und can see that they work. Being more
over a man of impoi tance in the village ,
lie is naturally more teared and better
served than tlio absentee owner. It is
obvious that under these conditions agri
cultural progress and scientific farming
are quite out of the ( mention , lion dim o
labor is cheaper than anj' other , cheaper
even than machinery Besides , who would ,
invest money in labor-saving machine ! }
when he can lend it out at two or three
hundred per cent per annum. So it
conies pass that landowners and nsnrora
grow rich , cereals are exported and the
peasants die. Hardly a year passes that
narts of Russia are not devastated by
loeal famines. Instances of nnthropopo
hagy often occur , the wretched peasants
being reduced to such straits that in theiif
desperation they eat human flesh liter *
ally prey on each other. * " "
iNTKiutr.siisc ricimr.s.
Ilcro are a few figures bearing on the
same subject , figures which are more elo
quent and significant than torrontu of
words and reams of description. They
have also the hirther advantage of being :
ollicial and indisputable. The general
mortality in Russia is from 85 to 37 per
thousand , a rate which exceeds that of
Norway and Sweden ( countries possessing -
ing an almost identical climate ) by 10Q [
and 112 pur thousand respectively ; that of
Englanuby 04 , that of Germany by 80 ,
and that of Franco by 87 per thousand.
It is a well-known fact and lies in the na
ture of things that the death rate S > juld
bo less m rural than in urban districts.
In the rural districts of Norway audf
Sweden the rate 13 17 per thousand ; la
the rural districts of England 18 per
thousand. And this , according to high
authority , is as much as it ought to bo.
In England when the morality of a rural
district exceeds ui ; per thousand an offi
cial itimnry in ordered touching the cause
of so abnormal a deatli rate.
niX'UKAsi : or I'orJJi'ATiow.
In Russia , alone of all countries , docs
the reverse obtain. In the thirteen cen
tral provinces of the empire the death
rate in the rural districts is 03 per thous
and as compared with a treneral rate of
! )0 ) per thousand. As in the same provin
ces the mean birth rate is-115 per thousand ,
jt follows that the population is dimin
ishing at the rate of 17 per thousand per
year. The cause , as openly stated at a
recent meeting of the Russian society
of surgeons , under the Presidency of Dr. .
Botkm , body servant to the emperor , ia
deficiency of bread in otliee woids ,
starvation--and this in tlio most fertile
and productive part of the country ,
whore cereals are grown largely for ex
port. Where the earth yields its increase
most bountifully , in laet , there Death
reaps its richest harycst A few more
figures by way of emphasis and illiihtrn-
tion. In England thn town morality ex
ceeds that ot the country by its per thou
sand , in France by "I , in Sweden by 3
and in I'russia by 7. In Russia , on the
other hand , the mortality of thirteen
provinces having a greater area than the
Austrian empire , deaths are relatively
mure numerous in the country than in
the towns. According to 1'rofcbsor Jan-
CUII'H "Statistics , " the mortality in the
city of Moscow is ! W per cent les than in
the rural regions of the provinces ; in St.
Petersburg the difference , as against the
country , is 17 perthousand and in Kit/an
and KielFu'T and ! 10 pur thousand respect
ively.
A FKAlllO' IIK&l'GNMIIIMTY ,
And tor all the. misery and sulleriiig
which these figures denote , for the yearly
holocaust of lialf a million lives , the HUB-
Man government is primarily and solely
responsible. It Id the government that ia
driving the peasants by thousands under
thu Jiicgeinaut wheels of Koulaks , usur
ers and landlords , for it is to provide the
wherewithal for paying the tax gatherer
that the peasant DOITOWH money and
makes himself aslave. The tax gnthpior
has no mercy , Anears are ruthlessly ex
acted , even in times ot death , The mnu
who fails to pay is Hist Hogged and theu
sold out. In the winter of IBM-Tiii the
tax inspector of Novguiod olllclally re
ported thai 1.500 peasants in his district
had been condemned to receive llogglngH
for not paying their taxes , and that .vlo
had actually been flogged. The inspec-.i
tor , more merciful than his master * ,
pleaded in behalf of those who had nut
yet sullered tor a remission ot their sen
tences. The Russian millions , in short ,
are far worto ol ) than ever were the slaves
on the plantations of the south , Much an
the educated clashes of Russia have suf
fered by persecution , proscription and
exile , by deprivation of liberty ot speei li
and of action , and in other ways , their
Bufferings as compared with those ot Iho
masses of their country men are but ns a
drop of water to the ocean. And \el the
peasants , with a faith which would be ab
surd If it wore not pithetic : 7 btill believe
ill the goodness ol their lord and mitstir ,
To them the e/.ar is still n fcomi-dhiiiu
father , who would help them if ho could ,
but whose good intention * on their be
half are continually thwarted by tlio ninl-
ignily and incompeleiiey of his ngenlK ,
Jtow long this illusion will endure
heaven only knows , but it is now being
rudely aseulled by the. t-tern logic of laelw ,
and when it disappears tlierolll ho biieti
nn ovortluovv In "Iho country of the
uitllil , ' ' as the world Iris si Mom wit-
lichscd. Let us hope that omo of iho-o
who hnvo helped toow / tlio wind Mill
live to reup the wiurUviml ,