THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY MAir 19 , 18S9--TWENTY-FOUB PAGES.
Southwest Corner Fifteenth , and Douglas Streets , Omaha.
' f Money Cheerfully Refunded if Goods do not Suit f
j t ? I Specialties in CliMren's Suits l i
* I SEE THE SUITS. 9f f
f "We are selling for $4 and $5 , the latest -
; est novelties in Kilts and Knee Pant
4 Suits , from * *
t ? I $1,50 $ to the Very Best A EN'S SUITS , 9 ?
9 i
? f Which We are Selling for 9
ff 9I I
j | Others ask you $15 and $18 for same
4i 4 quality. You will see samples of these
i i bargains displayed in our 15th street
4 f windows.
B
4
4 t
Is replete with the newest nnd most desirable shapes in
T Silk and Stiff Hats. 1
kA t
A All o which nro fresh , new goods. Wo call your attention to
i Our Light Derbys , which we are selling i
* ior $1.50. They are beauties. Other
V f stores ask $2 and $2.50 for the same
Mai ! Orders will hat.
( -2 > > > - - > C & * ' & 4)
rownm
AT BODDHa'S GOLDEN SHRINE
The Magnlfloont Bangoon Temple
and How It was Built.
ITS JEWELS BLAZE IN THE SUN
How Indo-Ohlna IB CUan lnB-Queor
Features of tlio Xattoolnjr Art
American MissloiiB and a Yankee -
koo 1'rluttiiR KstftuHshmont.
liiirmnh and the Burmese.
tCopl/t ( w/iled / J853 li\i \ Vranlt Q. Carpenter. )
llANfloo'X , Burmah , March 23. [ Special
Correspondence of TUB Bnn. | Tlio great
southeastern peninsula of Asia , known ns
Jnilo-Chlna or farther Indin , Is fast making
iilstory. The French are developing the
eastern provinces of Tonquin , Annnm nnd
Cambodia , which line the Pacific. The Eng
lish have now n fast grip on Burmah , and
Siam , lying between , nwaits only a great
European war to fall Into the hands of onoor
. .ho other. The day will soon come when
this great territory , equal In slzo to ono-tliird
of the whole United States , will bo governed
from Europe. Its interior will bo penetrated
by railroads , and its immense resources will
Ire thrown open to the world. As I write this
letter u corps of engineers are at work sur
veying a railroad from Bangkok , the capital
of Slam , to Mandulay.tho proat clyr of upper
Uurmiih , and before this letter Is published
the English railroad , which now runs from
this city of Rangoon , 103 miles , to the city of
1 Promo in the Interior , will have boon ex
tended to Mandalay , and will bo open to
traffic. This will glvo Burmah between four
nnd flvo hundred miles of railway , and the
day will co in u when the line will bo extended
to Clinton In China.
These roads will open up ono of the
iiu'iiusr COUNTKIUS or TUB EAE.T.
Indo-Chiu.i Is practically undeveloped nnd
uncultivated. Its people nro lazy , cosy-go-
ln f , hnlf-savago races , from the Burmese to
the Siamese and the Malays , and they have
lu the punt lived from liana to mouth. They
nro not accumulators nor investors and thair
rich BOll , forests nnd minerals are waiting
tbo advent of the Immigrant. The immi
grant la already upon the ground In the par
son of the Europeans and the Chinese , and
within u L'onorntlon or so a now race will In-
liublt it. This race will bo the Chinese
crossed with the natives. Everywhere I eo
I find that the Chinamen are doing the busi
ness of the peninsula. They are marrying
with the natives , and old English residents
try uio they nro producing a race that it bet
ter thun either , At Singapore and in the
southern part of the Malay peninsula they
ore crowding the English merchants out of
business , and they own grand residences and
work with lar o capital. Hero at Itangoon
nouo of the Chinese dp coollo labor nnd in
Slam they form already nearly one-half of
the population. The English employ them
largely , uud they engage in all trades and In
all kinds of business. They are , to Euro-
peons think , u necessity to the development
of a tropical cpuntry , and the prospect U
that they will eventually own the larger part
of further India. They will not do Immdry
work hero at they do with us , und the low
est grade of work ut which you Hud them
employed Is carpentering.
Indo-China Is still larsfelv a Jungle of for-
Oil , but IU soil Is asvull lined to support o
great population as is that of India. It Is
iviituml by grout rivers , and slnco the Brit
ish took possession of lower Uurmab , Itan-
goon has bccomo ono of the greatest rico
ports lu tho. world. Ono million tons of rico
are exported from Uuruuir yearly , aud the
rioo mills of Itangoon compare lu alia with
thu great
rl-OUIUNO MILLS Or MINNEAPOLIS.
It takes a * uiuch machinery aud work to
propsro the unhusked grains of rico for the
market as it does to inulto roller patent pro-
cojs Hour , and millions of dollars worth of
capital uro engaged hero In this business.
The forests of Indo-Chlna are another great
resource. In the south you find cocoanut
treed by the millions , and I noted of the car
goes that were put on the ships in the bar-
bora of the south that they were owned by
the Chinese. Then there is also the teak
\\ooiltrces. This wood Is as hard as ebony ,
and It takes n polish und has a grain lilto
that of mahogany. It Is used for ship tim
ber as well as for furniture , and it
is now exported from Burmah and Siam
to all parts of the world. In precious
stones Indo-China is not lacking , and the ru
bies of Burmah and the sapphires of Siam
are noted the world over. There Is gold in
some parts of the country and the southern
peninsula is ono bed of tin , which is now exported -
ported largely. Petroleum of several kinds
hns been found hero in Burmnh nnd the evi
dences may result in the development of anew
now oil field.
Of the whole peninsula , however , the em
pire of Burmuh is perhaps the best part , nnd
it Is , I am told , ono of the best paying of
England's lately acquired possessions. At
the beginning of the present century it was
by far the strongest empire in tarthor India
and it is now equul to six status as bipr ns
Ohio. Mandalny , which until about three
years ago was the capital. Is a city of several
hundred thousand people , and Hnngoon ,
where I write this letter has 140,000. It is
the cap'tal ' of lower JJurmah which hns be
longed to England slnco the days of Presi
dent Piorco. General Grant , whoa ho
stopped hero on his way around the world ,
predicted that it would bo ns big as Calcutta
In ton years. It is growing fast and It will ,
without doubt , bo the grout city of Indo-
Chlna. It is about twonty-nino miles from
the scu on ono of the many rivers which
form the delta of the grout Iriwaddy river.
The river Is navigable for the largest ocean
steamers to Itungoon nnd boats of flvo feet
draft cnn sail up it forOOO miles. Mandalay is
situated on it about llvo hundred miles from
the sea and it forms the great moans of In
torlor communication for Burmuh. It Is ono
of the greatest rlvors In the world in its
volume of watar und it discolors the scu at
points out of sight of land for u distance of
150 miles along its delta. The rainfall of
some parts of the Interior of Burmah ranges
from three hundred to six hundred inches of
water a year , and In July this river brings
down to the son the Inconceivable amount of
ninety-four billion tons of water n day. Sup
posing there to be a billion people In the
world aud that those billion of men , women
nnd children have an average weight of
ninety-four pounds each , all of the world's
aggregate humanity would bo outweighed by
ono duv'8 How of this river's. water. The
Washington monument weighs , if I remem
ber correctly , bO.OOO tons. It would take
eleven hundred anil sovcnty-flvo thousand
sucli monuments to weigh as much as the
dally discharge of this river in July. It Is
the fourth rlvor In volume in tlio world , and
Its
BOimCK IS TUT TO UK DI8COVKI1KI ) .
It rises somewhere In the Himalayas or
Thibet and hns a wldo and fertile valley.
The branch on which Rangoon IK situated Is
nourly n mlle wldo at this point aud its
\\ators uro almost liquid mud.
Burmah has altogether a population of
about live millions. The majority of these
nro Burmese , and they are u different people
than any I have yet seen. The women are
beautiful nnd the men arc straight , proud
und Hue looking. They buvo olivo-brown
complexions , straight eyes of dark brown ,
fat noses , and lips u llttlo thicker than those
of the average Caucasian. They have no
beards , out In some cases have downy mous
taches of black. Their hair Is let black and
they wear it long , rolling It up In a bright
rod or yellow handkerchief and wrapping
thu around the head so that It stands up for
all the world like the bandana of the black
nuutlo of slavery days. They wear a white
llnou or cotton Jacket which reaches n llttlo
below tbo waist , nnd below this shines out
the bright silk or cotton cloth which is
wound tightly ubout the loins and Is twisted
thcro Into a knot at tlio front so that its folds
hang down between the logs. The women
dress In much the same way their skirt
being the American pullback reversed
binding the bare limbs tightly and falling to
the ground ubout their feet. The women
wear nothing on their heads nnd both sexes
go baro-footod. Both men und women
pierce their cunt und the men tattoo their
bodies from the waist to below the knees.
Burmah Is the land of the tattooed man ,
and oven the artist * of Puck could I earn les
sons Jn the art of tattooing hero. In my visit
to the great prison hero , which contains
moro than three thousand men , I saw six
thousand tattooed logs. These pen and ink
sketches on human canvas peep put nt you
in every crowd you outer. The origin of the
custom I have not been nblo to find out. It is
hero the Burmese sign of manhood , and
there is ns much ceremony about it ns there
is about the ear-piercing of the girls , whioh
chronicles their entrance upon womanhood.
There nro professional lattooers , who go
ubout with books of doslsrns , and who will
pick a flower or beast upon jour lee or arm
for n slight consideration. The instrument
used is a pricker about two feet long with a
heavy brass head. The point is split into
four prongs , and in these tno Ink is hold.
Tno tattooor first outlines his sketch aud
then taking the skin up in his hand pinches
it while ho puts In the punctures which nro
to discolor it forever. The coloring matter
used is lump black , which turns a purnlc
with age. and which , when finished , makes
the man look ns though ho was dressed In
kld-tUting tights of dark blue. Tlio tattooing
is not nil done nt onoo , but llguro by llguro
ns the boy or man can stand it. When fin
ished there is n complete mass of flguics
from the waist on n line with the navel to
the knee cap , und you often BOO in addition
to this specimens of tattooing on other parts
of the body. The people nro superstitious
nbout it and certain kinds of tattooing are
TO WAiin orp WSUASH.
Ono kind wards off the snake Dito nnd nil-
other prevents u man from drowning. In
1831 n man so tattooed tested the cillcacv of
his tattooing by allowing his hands and feet
to bo tied nnd himself to bo thrown Into tile
river. It is needless to Buy thht the current
cnrrlod him away , and neither tattoo nor
man was over uguin seen. Tbo only tattoo-
inc effected by women is that which produces
love in the heart of the desired ono of the
other sex. 'Ibis is u triunglo of peculiar
color , which is put on between the eyes , upon
the 111) , or upon tlio tongue ns the tattooer
prescribes. Its color is mndo of a mixture
called by the Burmese "tho drug of tender
ness , " and it is a compound not much differ
ent from the boll broth brewed by the
witches In Macbeth. Another kind of tattooing
teeing Is effected by school boys. It pre
vents , It is suld , the boy fooling the whip
when ho Is punished nt school , und It is uni
versally effected by the bold bad boys of
every Burmese town.
The Burmese nro Buddhist ana every
Burmese man is supposed at BO mo time In
his lifo to bo a priest. The education of the
children Is by the priests , and the bulk of
tbo population get their education in the
monastic schools. You lind Buddhist mon
asteries and Buddhist temples everywhere ,
and there Is hero nt Ilungoon tlio finest
Buddhist monument in the world. It rnnks
with the Tii ] Mahal ns one of tbo greatest
curiosities of Indln , und It is the oldest ami
finest place of worship In Indo China. It Is
the Shv.-ay Dagotm pagoda or "thb golden
pagoda. " Imagine a mountain of gold rl ing
terrace after torruco from n migln.v platform
and growing smaller ns It goes upward until
It at last pierces the skies in a golden spire ,
the top of which Is 875 feet from the ground.
Moko the biso so lurgo thut it Is a quarter of
a tnilo around Its outer golden rim nnd lot
the slope of the terraces go upward In boll-
like stories to the distance of 100 feet from
the irrouml. There Is not n block in your city
as largo ns the base of this monument , nnd
Us top is hitrhcr than any building In Amer
ica , save the monument at Washington. Its
Biro | is taller than that of St. Paul's
cathedral at London and the
wbolo glistens under the blazing
sunlight as though it wcro solid gold. At
its top there is now a scaffolding for the
great golden umbrella , which the last king
of Burmah before Tnabuw gave to it. Is
being restored to its place , and the Jewelers
are working upou this in tbo sheds at its
base. This umbrella Is a grout circular
ploco of gold which is studded with Jewels ,
any ono of which would bo a lit wedding
present for a prlucess. It cost moro than
TWO UUNUItCn THOUSAND GOLD DOLLi.118
when It was made eighteen years ago , But
its long since the winds shook it from its
moorings , and Jewels and gold came down to
the ground , This mighty pagoda has cost
millions of dollars. It Is of brick and stucco
croercd with gold leaf as line as that over
put Into an American tooth , and as costly as
that which covert the new gold fruuio which
surrounds Mrs. Hayes' picture iu ono of tbo
white house parlors. It has been regilded
ugaln aud again , and it Its tons of material
could bo put through ono of the great quartz
mills of Denver , it would yield as mucii
good ere ns n California mine.
The base of this pagodu is on a hill over
looking the city of Hungoon. It consists o
two terraces and the other la paved with
flags of stone. This is IIW feet ubovo the
lovcl of the ground und it covers about fourteen -
teen and a half ncres. The great pyramid
near Cairo has a hasp of thirteen acres , but
the base of this monument is bigger. It h
i.'OO feet long by nbout seven hundred feet
wide , and this fourteen acres is covered with
llttlo temples with hundreds of Buddhos of
all shapes and sizes , sonic of which uro of
gold and others of which have been gilaod
again and agiim until the layers of gold upon
them nro In places as thick as wedding rings
II is Impossible to estimate the wealth that
stands upon this platform. The shrine has
been a noted ono * as far back as 500 yours be
fore Christ was born , nnd during twenty-
three centuries the Buddhists have boon lay
ing their offerings upon it. Thjsy have added
to It all these .vear.s until it has risen from
twonty-soven foot to its present height. Dur
ing the last century one of tbo kings of Bur
mah vowed ho would glvo his own weight In
gold to this monument. Ho hopped upon the
Imperial scales and pullea the beam at 170
pounds. Thu vow cost him $45,000 worth of
gold lonfnnd it nil went into this monument.
The monument wns icgildod in 1S71 , and it is
now bein ! , ' again polished. It b , all told , n
mass of briuk nnd mortar mixed with gold ,
nnd its outside plated with gold. It has no
interior chambers , and it is us solid as n
grave stone. Its surroundings are those of
worship , nnd you may anv day neo dozens of
women clad in bright silk gowns nnd white
vests kneeling nnd bowing before it. They
bring offerings of rloo and flowers to it. and
the air is lilted with the perfume of the roses
which lie at Its baso. This base Is surrounded
by stone figures of kiit'eling ofcphants , each
of which Is the size of the baby clenhant In
the circus. These have Hat places upon their
backs , and It is upon those that the offerings
uro often Inld. Here aud there aio Httlo
dove coio line shvInoB , bcforo which inccnso
always burns , nnd the roofstof which have'
been turned by its aromatic smolco lutosool.
No matter how hot the day , tlicso wome-i
nnd men hero kneel , und under the blnilni :
Min prostrate themselves buforo thlsgldun
mountain , and bcforo what they imoxlnacou-
stituto-s its elements of sanctity. Thcso nro
four hairs from tbo bead of the great Buddha
himself.
Thorc are mnny rollcs of Buddha in tlio
various Buddist shrines ns thcro are plouai
of the cross of Christ in the r6llc chambars
of the churches of Euroiw. The story is
that
nun mil OAVI : TiiEaa n.uus
to two pious brothers with directions that
they ehould deposit tliom on tills holy hill ,
Till ? , monument wiisibuilt over thorn , und It
Is ono of the legends cpnccrnlng it thut there
is in the intorlor a Shaft runnim ; from the
top down to the bastmient nnd filled with
gold , nnd silver , 'itind precious stones.
Whoihor this bo tru pr not tbo antiquarian
or the future must decide.
Speaking about BUddhlsm , it is among tbo
Uuddhlsts that the Christians found their
hardest missionary work. Ono of the oldest
missions of the UnitcdtStates is hero in Bur-
mail , nnd it was durlngjtho administration of
President Madison , anil wbllotho war of 131-
wus In progress , that , n Baptist missionary
und his wife llrrit laijdpd In Ilungoon. This
was In 181U , and tbo qtliiu of tbo missionary
was Adomram Juds&fa , ' Now the Baptists
have , all told , about , thirty thousand con
verts in Burmah , THur mission schools are
found in every parEof'tho country , und herd
at Ilungoon Is ono ot Tno most enterprising
mission colonies in Asia , I askoj , ui u my
arrival , where I could got the best guide
boolc to Burmah , nnd I was referred
to the Mission Press. I found hero a
book sloro that would do credit to an
American town und u printing establishment
which would bo cotuldered large In any city
of Auiorica. It had over eighty employes
and it wa turning out publications lu eight
different language * . It has a pay roll of.
over a thousand dollars a month and this In
a country where money brings ton tirnos ns
much as it does at homa It was doing Its
work by steam and all lt machinery cumo
from tha United States. Mr. F. I ) . Pliiunoy ,
tbo superintendent , snoku of this as ho
showed mo over the establishment. "Wo
got all of our presses from the United
States , " said ho. "Thoy cost twlco as much
as these of English make , but they last moro
than four times as long. "
Thi establishment doas missionary mis
cellaneous printing and binding. U bus a
monopoly of the school book tradu of
Burmah , vernacular aud foreign , aud It lias
its agents in every largo center. It sells
books and stationery of all kinds und it
makes lots of money. All this goes into
the missionary business nnd It I ? a live insti
tution run on Amcilcan business principles for
the glory of God. Inm notaBnptistbutI line
the way the Baptist missionaries do their
business in Burmah. They are bright , culti
vated , wldo-awako follows and they are
doing much in the work of civilisation.
Many of them have spent a lifetime in tbo
work and two of the pleasantestold ladies I
have over met wove the widows of two mis
sionaries. Ono had spent ilfty-ono and the
other sixtv years in Burmuh , nnd I found
thorn both up to tbo times , good talkers ,
bright-oj ud nnd cultivated , worldlier away in
their eighties , translating und directing the
people , umong whom their best years have
boon spent. FHAXK G. CAIU-BXTKH.
Tno Romance- n Brass Button.
f\'ew \ 1'or/f / Mercury.
She told him that men wcro false ,
Thnt love was a dreadful bore ,
As they danced to the Nanon waltz
On the slippery ballroom floor.
He said that her woman's face ,
The crown of her shining hair ,
Her subtle feminine grace ,
Were haunting him everywhere.
Ho told her his orders had come
To inarch with the dawn of day ;
A soldier must "follow the drum"
No cholco but to mount nnd away.
A sudden tremor of fear
Her rallying luughtor smote ,
As bo gave her n souvenir
A button from olT his coat.
Ho wont to the distant war ,
And fought ns man should do ;
But she lorgot him a fur
In the passion for something now.
Ills trinket amongst tlio rest ,
She wore nt her dainty throat ;
But a bullet had pierced hi.s breast
Where the button was off hU coat.
Thu Health or UnllroiuIeiM.
Tlio lifo of milwaj' rnon docs not
sconi to 1)6 very _ healthy nor yet u very
enjoyable ono , > f any reliance ia to bo
placed on tlio observations of median !
moil who Imvo givan homo attention to
the subject. According toM. Duchosno ,
railway man improve iu health during
tlio IH-at four youi'd , but at the end often
ton years they are tired out , in flfleon
they are actual suiTcrri , and very few
can remain in the service after twenty.
These general conclusions Imvo been
supplemented by Dr. Lichtenbag , of
who found examination
LUum-PcsUi , from
tion tlmt out of 2'JO railway oinuloyes ,
ninety-two , or moro than u third , suf
fered from ear disease. Engine drivers
tire especially liable to rheumatism and
pneumonia , and after some years' borv-
ice a certain proportion of thorn become
dull of altflit and hearing. Others But
for from a mild form of spinal concus
sion , muscular feebleness and continu
ous pains in the limbs. They nro also
apt to develop a peculiar mental state ,
a sort of carebral irritation with ex
cessive nervousness and morbid sensa
tions of fear.
Didn't Hurt the Man.
A man at Somerset , Pa , was walking
with a back of Hour on his shoulder und
u largo dog behind him. IBoth were
unaware that a train way approaching
from the roar , and wore crossing a creek
upon the railroad truck , when the man
was suddenly hit by the dog's body
hurled at him by the engine , und man ,
dog und Hour were knocked into the
water. The dog and flour perished.
The man in all right.
Tlio Smnll- Church lu the World ,
The smallest church in the world is
eaid to bo the Cutholio church ut Tud-
ousac , at the uiouth of the Sagiimw
livfir. Its extreme capacity isnot moro
than twenty people. Tliia church ia
supposed to have been founded by
J deque * Curlier.
TRAMP ON NO MAN'S ' LAND
How Cut-Off Island ia Reached nnd
Bounded.
THE SANDS OF THE SAHARA.
The Inhabitants of the Islam ! , ( lie
Houses in "Which They Dwell ,
and the I ) list They
Swallow , Ktc. , Gtc.
Cut-Off Island.
"Well , this is a terrible plnco to wallt n
tnilo to get to I" growled a young man as ho
paused midway on the wooden bndgo that
connects Cut-Off islnnd with the mainland ,
nt tha foot of Locust street.
Ho lennod against the wooden rail nnd
watched three boys who were out on the
nnndbnr mulling iutilo attempts to kill ono of
those noisy nnd deceptive birds known to the
mnlo juvenile ns Ulll-a-dces. They were
armed with un old-fashioned , muzzle-loading
shot gun , for which the bird scorned to Imvo
no respect whatever , persisting iu remain
ing within easy range.
The young man leaned ngninst tbo wooden
rail all right enough , but ho didn't , as they
say In story oooks , gaze across tlio broad expanse -
panso of waters , lirlncipally because there
was no broad expanse of that element to gaze
across nothing but n.ud green , slimy ,
odoriferous mud.
Cut Off island. Tlio nnmo is not eupho
nious ; the place is unattractive. Tbo island ,
so culled , is now really a peninsula , the
wutor having receded in the lake BO far
northward ns to leave n broad strip of mud
an a connecting link between the former Is
land and tbo city.
Cut Off island is a big sand-bar , that is nil ,
destitute of trees , unless by a stretch of
imagination the scrubby young willows tlmt
grow lu ucaily impnssablo density nnd cover
the Island , except where they have boon
cleared nway by the inhabitants , can be
culled Huch.
Cut Off Islnnd has had something of n
building boom recently tlmt Is mnco the
Sunday closing order went Into effect In
Omulia , and uupaintod board odlllccs dot the
Islam ! sand-bar hcio and there near the
western und northern shores.
Discontinuing his cogitations the reporter ,
for It was n reporter , continued his way
across the brldco onto the island. It
WJB hot and the bout from the burning sand
into which the feet sunk hull way to thu
fihoo tops could bu fell through thu leather.
There Is a manner of street running from
the brldgo a few hundred yards east
ward , und then terminating In willows.
Willows Bcemto bo the bcclnnlng and end of
everything on Cut-Oft Island.
Taking the. loli-hund sldo of tha straggling
street , thu wandciur strolled along u few
yards until ho came to u largo two-story ,
hotol-lonlilng , uupaintcd , plno board build
ing , unnounced by a small blade nnd white
signboard to bu the "Cut-Oil Lake houso. "
The IIOUBO is yet In an unfinished condition ,
and only three or four rooms are in use , Ono
of these , u Urga apartment on the ground
lloor , U littud up as u bur-room , nnd adjoin
ing U is another largo nnaitmont , evidently
intended for eating , and possibly 'dunuing ,
purposes. Two men were uhuttlng upon the
porch extending along the front uf the cdl-
llce , but as the reporter drew near , ono getup
up nnd strolled up the road. Tlio nows-
gatherer turned into tna bar-room und was
followed by the other lounger , a ono-leggod ,
pleauant-fuced Individual , who hopped ucrobi
the lloor on his one leg without crutches and
took his position behind the bar. A cigar
was purchased nnd an uttcmpt mndo to en
gage the man In conversation concerning the
island , its Inhabitants and bo on , he
wus not very communicative except on ono
subject , that being the excellence of
tno Hsh to bo caught in the lake
und their freedom from the allllctiou
of worms , newspaper reports to the contrary
notwithstanding. Upon the ftliblf bohlnd the
bar lay two substantial navy revolvers , and
there uolng no empty chambers noticeable in
ho cylinders , thu young man before the bur
took ii for granted thut they wore there for
Vuslness , aud considered it unnecosary to
bsk any questions concerning Urn necessity
nfor having them withiu ituch hundy ruaoh ,
Leaving Uio place nnd proceeding nlong lli
dusty road , tlio roitorter passed n small oiua
story shack , whom , according to the siR-
above the door , tlio best koitlu whisky is dls
paused. Several men and ono woman , tha
latter evidently connected with the plnco ,
were gathered nbout the bar. Hwns'a noisy
nnd unprepossessing crowd , nnd not having
any particular dcslro to bccomo more inti
mately acquainted with any of thorn , tha
writer strolled on. Two hundred yards
further west ho found the "Island House , "
run by n young Gorman. The proprietor wus
nlono , and seeing nn opportunity to gather
Homo information , tbo now travel-stained
scribe ntcpprd through the open aoor nnd sat
down ut ono of tlio two tables in the room
and called for a glass of soda.
The young Gorman bustled about nnd soon
had the drink ready.
"Toll mo , " said the visitor , "la thU Island
In lown or Nebraska ?
' It's in Iowa. You bat It Is In Iowa , If It
wasn't , you know , wo oould'nt ' keep open
Sundays , " Bald the voluble .young follow.
"Yeu sec. they try to mnko nut wo nro in
Nebraska and sand copi out hero Sundays to
iiiuUo us shut up , but wo don't do it. W
give 'em the Inugh because wo nro in Iowa.
Government license , Hint's nil the license
wo have to pay hero , because , you know , wa
nro In lown.
" 1 suppose you do tlio bulk of your busi
ness on Sunday , don't youl
"Oh , yns. Wo don't ' do anything during
the week scarcely. Hut on Sundays lt'
lively , I toll you. Oh , wo have faro , rou
lette , hazard nnd nil these games running.
The island is crowded with people from
O muh a.
"All mcnl '
"No , there's lots of womon. I'm going to
make u fourteen room house out of this , HO
that goiitleincn nnd their mdy friends cau
bo private.
The young follow strolled back to the bar ,
draw off u glass of suila boor , drunk it at a
gulp nnd then returned to his guest.
"This Island , " said ho. "Is going to bo a
city ttomo day. We uro Koius U ) have a town
laid out and abridge built to Council Bluffs. "
"Did you have to puy anything for tha
ground upon which your building stands ! "
"Yes , thirty or forty doll "
"What's that I What's thutl" came in o
rasping female volco from above. "Forty
dollars ! 'Ibis lot cost SHot ) , I'd hnvo you
know. This lot's a corner lot nnd aint none
of your cheap property , " nnd the volco was
followed down stairs by u tnclty-looldnp fo-
mule , who looked ng though she was ready
to carry the argument further , but the re
porter didn't euro to discuss the real estate
qucHtlon , nnd having paid for the vllo stuff ho
hud culled for , took his departure.
The wind had risen while ho wns InsMo ,
und when he sallied out Into the open air , ho
found the dust rising in clouds. Hut not to
bo detcrrod by this , ho struck out through
the willows towards the northern siioru of
the Island. Within n few hundred yiu ds ho
passed two other saloons. In front of cucu
of these places from six to twelvp empty
beer kogB were piled , relics of thu past Bun-
day's debauch.
The tramp of a half mile or moro through
the sand and in thu disagreeable wind , WUH
In no wise calculated to lessen the unfavor
able opinion formed of the Island. There
wan but llttlo to please the eye along the
way. The grass wan wilted looking , and
there wus nothing attractive abiut the
monotonous willowH. Ho passed n dairy , 1
und u house where n laundry sign swung In
the wind , but outside of the sulooim , these I
were Uio only places whuro there wura any
evidence of business Over on tha northern
shora three moro saloons were found , thu
moHt pretentious of which lu conduct jci by
Cuptnin Kent , who nlso owns nnd operates a
boat house , whuro ono so disposed run BO-
cure a fairly good craft. The wiud hail
rnado the lake very rough , and all tha beaU
were drawn well up on the shore.
No stop was inndo hero , the reporter con
tinuing his way along tbo shore. It would
tuko a vivid imagination to llnd anything af
interest In that toilsome tramp through thu
willows. People at the salons suld that
thcro were a few houses scattered through /
there , hut If this Is true they uro well hid ( bin , '
by the willows. Thnt walk around the Bhoro
to the custom edge teemed ton mites long.
but In reality only about ono-thlrd of that
distance was covered.
The river is narrow at this point , and the
muddy water of thu MUsourl swirls along in
swift oddlQs growling us It goi < . It'n u
lonely spot , nny way , over on the eastern
eduo of the Ulnnd. No ono lives about Ihnro ,
and a * far at desolation U concerned , ouo
might as well bo hi the center of Sahara.