10 THE OMAHA DAILY JBKEt SATURDAY , JULY 21. 1891.
Public BusineMi lit in Plain Slmpo for
Popular Perusal.
CLERK SACKETT'S ' ANNUAL STATEMENT
SIiiU ComplntnSlumlllg of Ihu Cnuntjr'l He-
ccljiu. JUpriulltiirrA mill I'ltiiinclnl Con-
illlluii Ki IT.Mndo source * of Itorontio
Olitrlliiitlun of KxprnilltUfM.
I'or the flrHt time In the history of Doug
las county are the records In such a condition
that It Is possible to inako n complete finan
cial statement from the county
clerk'B ofllco and Btrlku a bal
ance showing the true condition tit the
ae's and liabilities at this date , and a
cardful and Intelligent perusal ot tnls state
ment must certainly afford the taxpayers
of this county great satisfaction , from which
It appears that even In these times of great
financial distress and depression , the credit
and standing of Douglas county have con
tinued to Increase until the county IH today
In the bent financial condition In Ita history.
A. year slnco I took occasion to say that
with proper financial management the neces
sity for registering and paying Interest on
Douglas county warrants would cease. The
condition of our funds at the present tlmo
servo to bear me out In the correctness of
that statement , for although the amount ot
the annual levy has been reduced tlnco 1S92 ,
yet every warrant Issued by Douglas county
has been redeemed except about J2.000 In the
"soldiers' relief fund , " to the redemption of
which the board cannot apply any of the pro
ceeds of any other fund and In consequence
thereof thcso warrants must wait the colec-
tlou of the tax ot that fund alone.
Never before since the organization of this
county has this , the most stringent period
of the year , been passed without the neces
sity of registering warrants In all the funds
and paying from two to six months' Interest
at 7 per cent on the mime.
When we note the amount ot warrants that
have been universally carried at Interest by
this county it becomes to some degree ap
parent to what extent the management of the
finances has been modified In order to bring
about thcso results.
The amount of warrants outstanding at the
following dates wcro :
July 1 , 1891 . M" OCD11
January 1 , 1832 . 110,031 00
July 1 , 1832 . 29,811 5S
January 1 , 1833 . 123,173 87
July 1 , 1M3 . r,9iri 01
January 1 , 1S31 . 04,13081
July 1 , 1&3I . . . 2,10000
In addition to having paid up In full the
above floating debt , , which with unpaid chilms
on hand had amounted to nearly If not quite
$300.000 on Jaunary 1 , 1832 , there have been
paid the following sums , which arc ai&o an
addition to the floating debt of that date :
IIOHpltal judgment , paid. . . $ 41,738 53
Insane judgment paid . 31,433 03
Rebuilding county hospital . 21,273 III
Interest on Judgments . 12,371 74
Interest on warrant slnco Jan
uary 1 , 1832 . 15,176 2C
Total . $122,902.01
These judgments are ot long standing , ono
of them dating as far back as 18SC. The
amount expended on the hospital was ap
plied to rebuilding that portion of It which
fell down as a result ot faulty construction.
This amount , together with the Interesfpald ,
practically amounts to a dead loss to the tax
payers ot $19,724.40 , which might have been
avoided by proper management.
Statutory estimate of funds needed for the
fiscal yoir , beginning July 1 , 1S93 , made
January 10 , 1S93 :
General fund . $230,000
llond fund , . ( KCOO )
llridge fund . r.0,000
Horn ! sinking fund . 75,000
Insane fund . 23000
Soldiers' relief fund . 7 000
Hospital fund . 10,000
Total estimate . . $517,000
Levy for the fiscal year ot 1893 and 1891 ,
made July 8 , 1S93 :
General fund , 9 mills . $223,277 99
Itoatl fund , 2 mills . 50.930 CO
Bridge fund , 2 mills . 50,950 CG
Soldiers' relief fund , 2-10 mills . 5,033 07
Insane fund , 3-10 mills' . 7,012 CO
liond sinking fund , 1JJ mills . 38,213 00
Total . . $382,129 98
UESOUHCHS.
I.evy of 193. . $ 382,12398
Unexpended balance of levy of
1S32 . 113,10672
Collections of the unexpended
balance of levy of 1891 nnd
Ijnor lyearn . 39,3fi3 05
Balance In special cnsh fund. . . 227 CO
Proceeds of sale of rtoad Im
provement bonds . 151,41255
lllsceUaneoua collections , 'fees
etc . 9.C12 15
Total . J 691,832 11
EXPENDITURES.
General fund . % 233,785 71
Tloncl fund . 60,400 IS
Bridge fund . 27,573 72
Hoau Improvement fund . 1,280 40
Soldiers' relief fund . 4,759 07
Insane judgment fund. . . . , . GU90 00
Insane fund . 330 25
Bond sinking fund . -13,313 32
Total J 373,551 C5
Halances as shown by the ledger at the
close of business Juno 30 , 1891.
Gom-rnl ( fund $ K0.737 2fi
Itoud fund 2tiGll > IS
Iload Improvement fund 150,120 15
Bridge fund 45,931 20
' Insane judgment fund 878 57
Hospital Judgment .fund 5,811 ! IB
Soldlcis' relief fund 1.10S BS
Bond sinking fund 9,151 01
Insane fund 7,21635
Hospital building fund 23,09327
Total . „ J 321.237 4G
( A complete tabulated statement , of the
financial transactions of the fiscal year end
ing July 1 , 1894 , was provided by Clerk
Sackett , but Is omitted from this Issue for
want ot space. )
U may seem strange that a corporation
K doing as much business as Douglas county
fihould by any process lose sight
of any considerable amount ot Its
assets , but such has been the
case ; on account of the fact that no
record of the transactions between this ofllco
and the treasurer's ofllco have been kept It
was Impossible to know at all tlmos the true
balance between the debit and credit sides
of the accounts , when the transactions of
tha two olllces wcro carried together , and Inconsequence
consequenceot which thu actual assets of
the county were constantly Increasing The
reasons for this might bo fully explained ,
but I deem It Inadvisable to undertake It
In n statement of this Kind. It Is sulllclcnt
to say that the tax lists and
records ot the. county have been
carefully revised and checked up
during the last two years and have been
put Into such shape that U Is now possible
to place upon the ledger all the assets
ot the county , The tax lists have bcun re
lieved from the burden of carrying a large
amount of uncollcctublo tax , made so by
reason ot the fact that much of It was
Illegally levied , and In many cases personal
tax Is carried ngalnst parties now dead or
insolvent. This , with the exception of a
portion * ot the personal tax for the years
1SS7 , 1SS8 , 18S9 , 1S90 and ml. reduces the
showing down to what nro prob.ibly the
actual assets ot the county and a liberal
estimate has been mndo In this statement
ot the uncollected portion of these years ,
and It la very probable that when the tax
shall liuvo been collected the Interest will
amount to enough to bring the total up to
the present estimated figures without allow
ance for uncollcctahlo tax.
It Is necessary to bear In mind that the
assets of ti corporation such as Douglas
cctinty are different from tlioso of an ordin
ary commercial enterprise , in that the county
never draws Us check against the money
collected , but against the money to be col
lected , that Is tlio levy , and therefore , In
arriving at actual balances , there U always
an clement ot uncertainty us to whether
the money will lu collected or not.
The following statement exhibits the re
sources and liabilities of Douglas county
ns carried to the ledger for the llscal year
beginning July 1 , 1K94 :
ASSISTS.
I.ovy of ISO I uncolleeti-il . .J 370,221 45
Ixivy of lt > 3.1 uncollectcil Imlunco 107.3.Y7 03
Levy of ISM uncolleeted balance 40,111 M
Levy of 1831 nnd back ycar.i bal
ance , , . . . , . , 11,531 ID
Uncollected balance state tnmine
tux ( estimated ) l.COO W
Dnlunee of 1S93 tax over 15 per
cent reserve nnd warrants imlil. 21 , 90 OS
Balance } io pltal building fund ,
duo to other funds C.&W 37
Balance special cash fund 72 9'
Due from city of Omaha , keepIng -
Ing prisoner * 3,23786
Duo from city of South Omaha ,
keeping prfsoneni , . . . > . . . . . . 1,354 2
Diif from Px-Trens. Bnydcr. . . . . . 6,977 33
Balance cash on hand ( less Im
provement fund ) . , . , . . 122,4(361
Total . . , 743.7SS 0 :
LIABILITIES.
Wnrrantfl outMnndlng July 1. . . ) 12,115 W
Unpaid claims July > 41,201 Cl
Uncompleted contracts July 1. . . . 110 000 00
Duo City of Omaha nnd South
Omaha ( uncollected ) 18,079 20
Balance ( assetW for 1891) . . . . * . . . 537IS8 Gl
Total .1 719,788 0 ;
Note The above figures nee approximately
correct , yet In some casca they lack verifica
tion owing to the fact that wo have been
crowded for tlmo to complete the work of
comparing and proving the figures.
Thus It appears from these figures thai
Douglas county Is In the bent condition
financially that It has ever been , and whllo
the present administration cannot claim that
It Is entirely the result of their labors , yet
It Is true that the judicious management
of the public affairs of this county during
the last three years have contributed very
materially to the result.
With a proper management In the future
this county need never bo cramped for
finances nor need the expenses bo a burden
upon the taxpayers ot the county unless
some iinforsecn calamity occurs requiring the
expenditure ot a larger sum of money than
Is at present contemplated.
TAXES OF 1591.
The Hoard of Equalization for the present
year adjourned on the Oth ot July , after
completing their labors. The result Is as
follows :
Chicago assessed valuation $ 240,149 72
Clontnrf assessed valuation 9,71000
Doiiglna nfhessed valuation 328,916 10
East Oinalm assessed valuation , . 153,913 00
Hlkhorn nsse.HHbd valuation. . . . . . 120,339 01
Florence nspossed valuation 219,256 23
Jefferson iisscssed valuation 181,0)7 ) 56
MrArdle ns-iCHSPd valuation 216,222 17
Mlllnrd assessed valuation 196,515 OS
Pintle Valley assessed valuation 283,913 75
Union assessed valuation 232,961 93
Waterloo assessed valuation. . . . 131,318 49
West Omaha assessed valuation , K58.026 4T
South Omolin assessed valuation 2,016,163 87
Flrit ward assessed valuation. . . 1,118,8m 89
Second ward assessed valuation. . 1,110,157 07
Tlrd ward assessed valuation. . . . 5,359,856 03
Fourth ward assessed valuation. 2,753,678 00
Fifth ward assessed valuation. . . 1,337,003 07
Sixth ward assessed valuation. . . 1,626,8838)
Seventh ward assessed valuation 1,839,015 S3
Eighth ward assessed valuation , 1,612,721 00
Ninth ward assessed valuation. . 1,980,900 30
Total . $21,681,430 62
1891.
Lots , total valuation $17,010,70800
Lands , total valuation 3,272,821 00
Personal , total valuation 4,397,901 62
Total $21,681,430 C2
The assessed valuation for 1894 has been
reduced $793,901.38 from that of 1893.
Upon this valuation the levy has been
mndo ns follows :
General fund , 9 mills $ 222,13287
Iload fund , 2 mills 49.lfi2 ; SS
Bridge fund , 1 7-10 mills 41,95843
Sinking fund , 2 mills 43,3 2 80
Soldiers' relief fund , 3-10 mill. . . . 7,101,43
Total , 15 mills. , $ 370,221 43
Notwithstanding the fact that the times
have been growing harder and money closer
In alt lines of business , yet Douglas county
has been able to Increase Its financial re
serve and at the same time reduce Its levy.
The levies of the last three years being as
follows :
Levy of 189" $ 429,81018
Levy of 1893 382,12993
Levy of 1891 , 370,22143
The total reduction since 1892 be
ing 58,58873-
BONDED DEHT.
The bonded debt of this county has been
Increased $1CO,000.00 during the last year by
the issue of that amount of bonds voted to
aid In the permanent Improvement of roads
and highways.
The present debt Is as follows :
Five per cent funding bonds Is
sued July 1 , 1887 , due July 1 ,
1907 $ 258,00000
Five per cent funding bonds Is
sued July 1 , 1891 , due July 1 ,
1311 108,00000
Six per cent court bouse bonds
Ispued January 1 , 1881 , clue Jan
uary 1 , 1901 , called and re
funded July 10. 1831 119,00000
Four and onc-lmlf road Improve
ment bonds dated July 1 , 1892 ,
Issued January 1 , 189 ! 150,000 00
Total $ 633,00000
Total annual Interest $ 25,190 00
The annual Interest payment will bo re
duced $1,785.00 by the refunding of the court
house bonds , which have been called and for
which 4V4 per cent bonds will bo exchanged.
The fact that the securities pf this county
bearing only 4Vi per cent Interest sell at
a premium at times of such general financial
depression gives evidence of the fact that
they are regarded as gilt edged in the mar
ket. Two such sales having been made this
year , ono of $150,000 at $500 premium and one
of $119,000 at $ COO premium , both drawing
4 % per cent Interest.
DISTRICT COURT.
In closing there are a few Items to which
I wish to call special attention , ono Item
Is that of the district court which has grown
to such proportions In the last few years
that It now costs more than any other one
department of the government of this county.
The cost of maintaining the district court
has been as follows :
Total cost 1891 levy $ 33,303 14
Total cost 1832 levy 51,45969
Total cost 1893 levy 55,71091
This amount has now grown to such an
extent that It absorbs nearly one-fourth of
the amount allowed by law to bo levied In
the general fund and should court expenses
go on Increasing nnd assessments decreasing
It must bo necessary to provide some other
means for furnishing funds upon which to
run this department of the county govern
ment.
REVENUE.
The revenue provisions of the statute , so
far as they relate to this county , have sub
served their usefulness. The county has
outgrown nearly every provision of the
revenue law and about the best that can be
bald of this Is that It should bo 'referred
to the next session ot the legislature for an
entire revision. A revenue law which per
mits the publication ot returns that Indicate
to the world that such a county as this Is
going down hill In the value of Its property ,
oven In such times as these. Is a curse to
the community , more especially when those
reports and returns do not exhibit one-tenth
part ot the truth , and It Is to bo hoped that
the representatives of this district will use
their best efforts to so remodel our revenue
laws that an honest assessment of all prop
erty may be Obtained.
CIIARITV.
It Is difficult to make any comparative
estimate of thu expense ofthls department
for the past year on account of the fact that
the resources of the county have been more
severely taxed to care for persons dependent
upon charity this year , than ever In the
history of the county , but nevertheless this
department makes a most satisfactory showIng -
Ing ; and feeling that the public will bo In
terested In knowing how and to what extent
the county has contributed to the support of
the general poor , I append u detailed state
ment of this branch.
Prior to this year the number of applica
tions for assistance made to the county has
never reached 80Q In any ono year.
About the only comparison that can be
drawn Is In the' following manner. Total
cost of maintaining the poor outside Douglas
county. Hospital :
Paid from levy of 1S91 $ 15,80835
Number of applicants , 550
Cost per applicant. , $ 2871
Paid from levy of 1S9. 20.K2U 81
Number of applicants , 750
Cost per applicant , $ 27 76
Paid from levy of 1S93 29,82632
Number of applicants , 2,003
Cost per applicant. . . . . . . , . . . . . . , . $ H 83
Tli/ / following exhibits u detailed statement
of t/.o / charity department o'utslde of the
poor farm and In charge of thu committee
on charity nnd the county poor agent , for the
yeaf ending July 1 , 1K01 :
Totul number of applicants for aid , 2,003 ;
male.- ) , i.4tt ! : females , fill ; married , 1,372 ;
Hlnglp. 101 ; widows. 293 ; widowers. 5t ; di
vorced. 13 ; deserted , 170. Total , 2.1XH ,
Nationality IK distributed ns follows :
American. 1,079 ; Dane , SH ) ; Jew , 10 ; Gor
man. 239 Polamlcra , 1M ; Swiss. 3 ; Swudu ,
119 ; French , II ; Italian. 40 ; Bahbrnmn. 71 ;
English , 51 ; Russian , 3J ; Irish , 135 ; Arabian ,
The length of tlmo applicants had le-
Hlded In the city at the date of their appli
cation lu us follows ; One month , 22 ; 2
months , 2 ; 3 months , 20 ; 4 months , 9 ; 5
months , 12 ; C months , 26 ; 7 months , 15 ; 8
months , 9 ; U months , 7 ; iu months , 7 ; 1 year ,
330 ; S years , H7 ; 3 years. 143 ; 4 years. ICO ;
5 yearn , 113 ; 0 years , 131 ; 7 yearn. 132 ; 8
yearn , HO ; ! years ) . 74 ; 10 yinrs , 9J ; nyears ,
; 12 yearn. Cl ; 13 years. 42 ; II ycitrn , 17 ;
15 years , S7 ; 16 yearn. 13 ; 17 years , 12 ; IS
yeurn. 13 ; 19 years , 8 ; 20 years , 20 ; 21 years ,
10. 23 years. S , 24 years , G ; 21 yuara. 3 ; 25
yean , 22 ; ft ) yuuro , 4 ; 27 yean , i 24 years ,
3 ; 29 years. 1 ; 30 years ana more. 19. To-
tul , 2.003.CAUSE
CAUSE OP DISTRESS.
Inability to obtain employment 1,351
Sickness , 623
Cripples , 20
Crime 4
Drunkenness 3
Insanity 2
Total .2,003
Number of persons representing
families 1,902
Number of single parties 101
Total 2,003
Average number of persons to the
family" represented. . . 3.95
Total number of persona In families
represented 7,550
Total number of persons represented ,
Including single applicants 7,631
Number of applications refused 100
Number of applicants furnished as
sistance other than transportation. 1,903
Total 2,003
Average number of montlm which ns-
( tlstancc has been given to each ap
plicant 2.53
Total number of months assistance
given to nil applicants-as above. . . . 5,809
Number of regunr dependents 211
Number of temporary dependents 1,792
It mfcy not bo generally understood Just
how this assistance Is furnished to these
applicants.
Prior to September 1 , 1893 , U was the
custom to give to such parties as the county
wished to assist , orders upon grocers and
other dealers for onb , two or moro dollars
worth of goods , cither once , or per week
or per month as the order stated. In this
way the county was too often Imposed upon
by such persons who used thcso orders ti
buy things not actually needed , such a
tobacco , cheese , green vegetables , sowing
material , expensive canned goods , etc. , s
that the true object was defeated In many
cases.
With a view to Improving the efficiency
of the service and at the same tlmo mak
the funds relieve the most distress possible
the system In vogue at Chicago wa.s adopted
which consists In having a "county store'
or dispensary where the goods themselves
are purchased at wholesale by the county
and put up and distributed to each appllcan
In person after a careful examination of tin
conditions surrounding each case.
Under this system It Is apparent that the
county has saved nearly If not qulta 50 cents
on the dollar Invested.
Slnco the adoption of the present system
on September 1 , last , the following' supplies
have been disbursed :
Flour 177,175 Ibs ,
Sugar 23,103 Ibs ,
Coffee 9,291 Ibs.
Tea 1.1C9 Ibs ,
Heans 29,581 Ibs ,
Rice 14.553 Ibs ,
Hominy 12,120 Ibs ,
Oat meal ' 8,190 Ibs.
Corn meal 17.5S7 Ibs.
Salt pork 25,670 Ibs ,
Soap 11,600 bars
Coal 3,321,400 Ibs
Thcso have been dlstrlbutd upon G,104
orders to 1,903 applicants and at a cost
to the county of $19,190.58 , not Including the
cost ot maintaining the dispensary.
In conclusion I have only to say that a
careful comparison of , this statement with
such as were Issued one and two years ago
will show whore decided Improvement has
jccn made In the manner of conducting the
affairs of this county and while much has
jeen done In that line , yet thu present Hoard
of County Commissioners recognizes fully
; hat In many other ways can the public serv-
co bo .Improved and much needless expense
saved to the taxpayers.
FRED J. SACKETT ,
County Clerk.
THE CAPTAIN'S VISITOR.
The I'ompnu * Captulii nnd tlio Lieutenant
< > cncral.
During the summer of 1808 , being In the
service of the United States , I was stationed
at Fort Wallace , Kan. , , says an officer In the
Chicago Record. In those days the arrival
of the overland mall coach was an event of
some Importance , and those of us who were
off duty used to bo on hand at the post
radlng store and welcome It , and Incidentally
.o note the number of bullet holes made In
t since the last trip.
Ono morning there got off the coach from
.ho west a tall , middle aged man wearing a
broad slouch hat , a long linen duster and a
pair of cavalry boots , Into which his trousers
were carelessly stuck. Seeing my comrade
and mo In close proximity ho approached ,
and we , recognizing him , gave a military
salute , which he gracefully returned.
Ho Inquired who was In command of the
; arribon. 1 answered : "Captain B Is
emporarlly In command In the absence of
Jolor.el . " Ho desired to bo directed to
Jolonel 's quarters. Wo pointed out the
louse. Then I returned to the office ,
where I was on duty as clerk.
Captain IJ was a pompous martinet
who had never smelled powder In his life
and was detested by both ofilcers and men.
n duo tlmo ho .arrived , and having noticed
.ho tall man ho called to his orderly :
'Orderly , go and ask.that man sitting In
rent of Colonel 's quarters whether he
s an officer. "
The orderly returned with an answer In
the affirmative.
Said Captain B : "Give my compli
ments to that officer and say that I doslro
its presence at headquarters. "
The orderly did so.
Shortly after enter the tall man. Cap
tain B , looking quite stern , asked ; "Sir ,
are you an olllcer in the army ? "
"I am. "
"To what branch of service do you be-
eng ? "
"Not to any particular branch at pros
ont. "
"On what duty are you ? "
"Well , I have been traveling a Jlttle
ately through the west. "
"Aro you on leave of absence ? "
"Not exactly. "
"Well , sir. did it not strike you that It
was your duty to report at' these head-
juarters Immediately on your arrival In the
garrison ? "
The tall man admitted that H had not
struck htm ; In fact he was tired and hungry
and thought more of breakfast and a Ilttlo
rest than anything else.
Said Captain U : "Well , sir , that is no
excuse for a breach of military etiquette.
Wo keep hero a book In which we require
all officers entering the garrison to register.
Orderly , hand the register to the o 111 cor.
You will be good enough to write your
name , rank and regiment , with such remarks
as will bo necessary. "
Thu gentleman leisurely took the pen and
quietly wrote :
"William T. Sherman , lieutenant general ,
United States army. "
A RESORT OF SUMMER.
A Spot 111 I'crslii IVhurn tlio Tlicrmomotur
SluHtH ii : ( > In the .Sliiuli ! .
The hottest region on the earth's surface
Is on the southwestern coast of Persia , on
the borders of the Persian gulf , says an ex
change. For forty consecutive days In the
months ot July and August the mercury has
boon known to stand above 100 degrees In
the shade night and day , and to run up as
high as 130 degrees In the middle of the af
ternoon. At Hahrln , In the center of the
most torrid part of this most torrid belt , as
though It were nature's Intention to make
the place as unbearable as possible , water
from wells Is something unknown. Great
shafts have been sunk to u depth ot COO feet ,
but always with the same result no'water. .
Nothwlthstanding this serious drawback , a
numerous population contrives to live there ,
thanks to copious springs , which burst forth
from thu bottom of the gulf moro than a
mile from the shore. The water from these
springs Is obtained In a most curious and
novel manner. Machadores , whoso sole oc
cupation Is that of furnishing the people of
liahrln with the llfc-glving fluid , repair to
that portion of the gulf where the springs
are situated and bring away with them
hundreds of akin bags full of the water
each day. The water ot the gulf where the
springs burst forth Is nearly 200 feet deep ,
but tlio machadorcs tllvers manage to fill
their goat-skin sacks by diving to the bottom
tom and holding the mouths of the bags
over the fountain Jets ; this , too , without
allowing the salt water of the gulf to mix
with It. The source of these submarine
fountains Is thought to be In the hills of
Osmond , COO miles away , Delng situated
at the bottom ot the gulf , It Is a myxtery
how they were ever discovered , but the fact
remains they have been known slnco the
dawn of history.
Ksrunloit Hutu * Kunt.
For full Information concerning summer
excursions call at the Chicago , Milwaukee &
St. Paul ticket cilice. 1501 Farnam tre t , or
adJrcs F. A. NASH ,
General Agent.
TAKING IN m TENDERFOOT
How Ho Stocked Up tifi the Bolnmne and
Oashed'IU'it the End.
A PROFESSIONAL'NfAkEN ' FOR A SUCKtR
A ItnttlliiK Poker VlVnrjr with Incident * thnt
Would Io Crcflll'&Ciiiintliilltll-Tlio
Mlruclo of foght ActM hi
lYi'o li { ck.
The exploits of bnnada Hill on trains nnd
towns between tli'o Missouri river and the
Pacific In the Inter ' 60s and early ' 70s nro
a fading memory to the old timer. In the
heyday of his career Mr. C. Hill was about
as smooth a manipulator of tlio pasteboards
as border times produced. Ills versatility
as a card sharp was supplemented with a
genius for mimicry and disguises , which en
abled him to pluck many a professional who
had thoucht William a verdant from Way-
back. The Incidents of the following story ,
related by Julius Chambers In the New
York Recorder , .dovetail with the peculiar
characteristics of Canada Illll and his shad
owy Imago will bo readily recognized In the
tenderfoot who was an "unwilling" victor In
the game :
PLAYING VOll A SUCKER.
Ho looked a "tenderfoot , " sure enough.
He boarded the train at Cheyenne , modcstl
accosted the conductor , secured a stateroom
that had just been vacated and took posses
slon with the shyness of a young man molt
Ing his first long journey.
Ho did not attempt to make the acquaint
ance of any of his fellow-travelers. Severa' '
of us , who had journeyed all the way from
the Pacific coast together , knew each othci
so well that we did not feel sllehted , how'
ever , by his lack of appreciation.
In our car and that just ahead of u
were several suspicious characters. Hi
who caught my fancy particularly was a
tall , grizzly-haired man , cleanly shaven , o.v
cept a fierce bflick mustache , evidently dyed
The skin of his face was yellow and parch
merit-like.
Day and night , over since leaving Sacra
mcnto , thcso men hall been playing poker In
one or other of the smoking compartments.
They had kept mostly to themselves , taking
In a stranger from time to time as was
neccssarv to complete their number. Al
though they were professional gamblers ,
they were looking for other game than the
mere casual traveler from whom they might
be able to win a few dollars. Of course I
was too old to be deceived by the pretense
that these men were strangers. The olil
thoroughbred whom I have descilbed af
fected to treat his associate from the for
ward car with absolute disrespect. The
latter personage was dressed after the man
ner of a cowboy , so far as the broad-
brimmed hat and the top boots wcro con
cerned ; but he made no display of firearms ,
said nothing about the number of his vic
tims , and treated the sarcastic remarks of
his associates with an Indifference that
really commanded a good deal of respect for
him.
him.A
A Mormon elder , ' who had "stacked up"
against this game during one whole day's
session between 1211(0 and Ogden , had lost
considerable monpy ; but the regular players
stood almost oven afid no occasion for any
Ill-fealliiK or bitterness had arisen.
UOPJBD IN.
The next morning' after we left Cheyenne
I went Into the smoking compartment after
breakfast. TIio..youjig "tenderfoot" soon
followed mo thither. He lit a cigar and
gazed out of the , window , apparently quite
Indifferent to the"gaino already In progress.
Only five men hcrq playing and the young
stranger was asked If ho did not want to
"set In. " At first ho demurred , saying he
did not know much about the game. Be
sides , ho did not feel very well ; traveling
upset him , he explained.
Ho then Inquired regarding the character
of the came and was told that it was a
modest table-stdko game , nominally a $5
ante. Ho didn't appear to understand very
clearly what a "table-btako" game was , but
finally agreed to take a vacant camp stool at
the table.
, On being asked to declare the amount of
money he was prepared to risk he said , In
differently :
"Oh , I don't care. What Is the average
stake among you ? " he asked , turning to the
first man on his left.
"I declared $500 , " was the reply.
"Three hundred. " said the next man.
"A thousand dollars was mine , " added the
fine old man with the black mustache , as his
eyes keenly sought the face of the stranger ,
The statements of the other two pla prs es
caped me , but they declared for amounts In
the neighborhood of ? 500 each. According
to these statements , therefore , there was
about $2,800 on the table. The "tender
foot" drew a large roll of bills from his
pocket , and quietly counted out $3,000 ,
mostly In $100 bills , and placed the money
before him , declaring to lose that amount.
There was an expression of manifest sur
prise upon the faces of most of the players ;
but the old man's eyes gleamed with satis
faction. Here was , a bird for the plucking
at last ! Patience had been rewarded , and
the fine old man would bo able to leave tlifl
train at Omaha with enough money to en >
able him to play faro bank when they
reached Chicago.
RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
However much the average gambler may
care for a "dhort card" game faro is his de
light. It Is to him the quintessence of
earthly pleasure and ho would bo satisfied to
dlo any hour If ho were sure of an eternity
at a faro table In the world to come.
The cards were soon dealt and the game
ran along smoothly for an hour or more. It
was so dull and uninteresting that after
watching the muddy banks of the Illver
Plutto for awhile I had fallen asleep. I
was awakened by the porter announcing
dinner and was about to leave the compart
ment to prepare to go to the dining car
when my attention was attracted by the
conduct of the old gambler , who happened
to bo the dealer. I divined , more than de
tected , an attempt on his part to draw a
card from the bottom of the pack. The
result was that I Eat still and watched de
velopments. The cards were frequently
changed and the discarded packs weie
thrown out of the window. Having seen
the young tenderfoot defrauded out of one
jack-pot with more than $100 In It by a card
dealt from the bottom of the deck my
sympathies were strongly enll&ted In Mi
behalf. One thing about him Impressed me
very much. I felt sure that ho had detected
the fraudulent deal , but ho said nothing
whatever and lost his money like u thorough
bred.
The deal had gone round the table and
was again In the hands of our old fellow-
traveler' of the black moustache. Ho had
called for a now pack of cards. When
they were brougjit the "joker" and the
"blank" were destroyed , the pack shuflled
by thu dealer and finally cut by the man at
the right of the dealer.
HE HAD SAND.
The "tenderfoot , " who sat opposite the old
gambler , regarded the pretty pink backs of
the cards as'theysero thrown out with the
curiosity of a child. Ho commented upon
the artistic designs. that embellished them ,
The "ante" had been raised $10 blind and
It , therefore , cost SQ to get cards. "Tender-
fool" casually looked over his hand and In
a way quite unprofessional throw out two
of the pasteboards , made good his $20 and
raised the "ante'1 $50 more. Doth the men
behind him "stayed , " and the flno old man ,
who was dealing , saw the nnlo , the blind
and the raise , and added another $100. The
"ago hand" dropped out , The man who
"went blind" did the same. The "tender
foot" took up the two cards ho had
previously tossed upon the table In front of
him , sorted over his hand again , saw the
$100 ralsu and timidly said :
"Five hundred better. "
For the first tlmo I 'turned my eyes In
his direction and looked him squarely In
the face. I could sec that his breathing ,
though short and quick , was regular. Tliero
was not a tremor In his muscles and his
voice was as calm end deliberate- that of
a judge administering the sentence of death. I
As I looked Into hla eyes the eyes of
youth and of gentle raising I saw In them
the cold hcartlessncss of the experienced
gambler. I noticed that he no longer tossed
his long curly hair back from hla temples
with a shake of his head ; that hla care
lessness , hla studied Inattention , his frequent
Inquiry regarding the amount of thu unto
had all been assumed. As an electric shock
the realization came to me that I was about
to witness a death grapple between two
professional gamesters who lived by their
trade , with whom any act that rnsurod suc
cess was fair and In whose hearts pity was
unknown.
The unexpected raise by the gentle
"tenderfoot" was as much of a surprise to
the people at the table as to me. The
fourth and fifth hands at once dropped out
and the delay that had given mo tlmo to
make my study of the youngster's face was
occasioned by the old man's hesitation us to
whether ho would merely "stay" In the
game or "raise back. " Ho finally "made
good , " and , the first and second hands hav
ing quit , the game resolved Itself Into n
contest between the "tenderfoot" and the
old thoroughbred.
The call for cards followed ,
DRAWING PROM UNDI2R.
The "tenderfoot , " adhering to his original
determination , drew two cards. Leaning
forward to look out of the window , I In
voluntarily glanced Into his hand and I wat
amazed to sec that It contained abso
lutely nothing of value. Ho was holding
up three odd cards of different suits , What
ho obtained In the draw will never bo
known. Ueforo I had recovered from my
surprise the "tenderfoot" asked Indifferently
"Doe . the 'ago' pass ? "
"Never , " was the curt reply of the dealer.
The fact that he would have to bet fir.it
teemed to annoy the "tenderfoot. " Ho
straightened out his arms as rf weary ,
dropped his hands to the side of hln camp
stool and hitched It closer to the table.
The whole movement was that of an In
dolent man momentarily annoyed. And as
bo straightened up ho said , almost peev
ishly :
"Very well ; I bet you $50 without look
Ing. "
As ho was searching through his pile of
notes for a $50 bill , most of them being
larger or smaller than that denomination ,
I distinctly caw the dealer do what I had
been expecting to sec done- from the begin
ning.
ning.Ho
Ho had placed his five cards slightly to his
right , and when he laid down the deck the
long nail of the little finger of Ills left
hand "held out" five cards from the bottom
tom , and he placed the rest of the pack
adroitly upon his previous hand , remarking
as he did so :
"I don't take any , "
THK LAST CALL.
As I was sitting almost behind him I
had no difficulty whatever In seeing the
four aces In his hand which I confidently
expected to find there. The fifth card was
not'visible. . I felt no remorie , however ,
for the pretended "tenderfoot. " I had de
cided definitely regarding his character and
felt that he was entitled to his fate.
As I expected , the dealer raised the bet
$200. The "tenderfoot" looked over his
hand , apparently for the first time after
the draw , "saw" the $200 raise and then
inquired :
"How much of a stake have you before
you ? "
"Exactly $1,200 , " was the prompt reply.
"Well , then I raise you $1,200. "
"I call ; what have you got ? "
"Kour aces , " replied the "tenderfoot , " layIng -
Ing them on the table.
The old man never turned a hair , but
aked In a volco as calm as the last request
of n dying saint :
"What la your side card ? "
"The king of hearts , " said the "tender
foot , " adding the fifth card to the four
already upon the table.
The old gambler , being the dealer , dared
not show his hand. He reached across
and turned the five cards displayed by the
"tenderfoot" back upward. They matched
the others in the discard exactly. He then
looked over his own hand again and saw
that his fifth card was a ten of spades.
As he bunched his cards and laid them
thoughtfully upon the table he merely said :
"It wins ; I overbet my hand. "
He then bunched all the cards on the
table the pack must have contained eight
aces , for "tenderfoot" had evidently worked
ft "hold-out" when ho hitched up his stool
and tossed them out the window.
* * * * * *
As I gave the porter his tip on the fol
lowing morning In Omaha he said to me In
a garrulous sort of way :
"Nice man , that 'tenderfoot. ' He gave
mo a $20 shiner for a xamplo pack of all
the cards on the train. "
"Great guns ! " I exclaimed. "When did
ho do this ? "
"Tho night he came aboard. "
LIBERALITY OF A CONFEDERATE.
A Hidden ( Imptor in the History of the
I.OHC Ciuian.
Frank Rlggs , the son of the famous banker
and his father's successor In the financial
circle at Washington , told a correspondent ol
the Chicago Record an Interesting story thai
corrects a false Impression which many good
people liavo carried for years. During the
second term of President Grant , a man ol
the same name of Plckott sold to the govern
ment of the United States the records of tin.
executive departments of the southern con
federacy. From thcso documents was ob
tained much evidence that prevented the pay
ment , of claims of southern cltl/ens , who
pretended loyalty for losses growing out ol
the war. In a single Instance they saved
several millions by showing that mall con
tractors throughout the south had Been paid
from tho. confederate treasury for services
performed by them for the Postofllce de
partment of the United States before the out
break of the rebellion. They proved to bo ol
great value In many other directions , and
the price paid Mr. Plckett for them , which
was something like $60,000 , proved to be one
of the most profitable Investments ever made
by the government.
Plckalt had been the chief clerk of the
confederate State department' held some
similar office which made him custodian of
the archives. When President Davis and
his cabinet ( led from Richmond Mr. Plckott
carted the records away and hid them In
some place that escaped tne searchers of the
union army , and the manner of their ill sap
peurancQ was u mystery until they were de
livered to Secretary Fish. It was always
believed that Mr. Plckett pockelod the money
and he was universally condemned by south
ern people for betraying the secrets of the
lost cause for a price.
"The facts have never been told , " said Mr.
Rlggs , "for Mr. Plckett exacted the strictest
pledges of s > ccrecy from my father In regard
to the disposition of the motley. Dut both
of thorn , are dead now , and there Is no reason
why tha truth should not ha known. Mr.
Plckett. never , hud the benefit of ono penny
of the money ho received from the govern
ment for those records. Ho deposited the en
tire amount as soon as ho received It In our
bank to the credit of 'George W , Rlggs ,
truRtee for , ' and It was distributed In small
amounts among the widows of confederate
officers. Mr. Plckett made out the list of the
people to whom ho wished It nont. The
checks were all signed by my father. Each
one was accompanied by a letter , which he
prepared , and which my father signed , saying
that the Inclosuro was forwarded at the re
quest of a gentleman who felt an Interest In
their welfare , but for reasons of his own de
sired that his Identity should not be dis
closed. The account was carried for several
years , and all the chocks and vouchers are
now packed away In our bank , "
The MiiHlutr'N MlHtiikc * .
An elderly lady who keeps a fashionable
uptown school , and who lays no claim to
good looks , tells the following In the New
York Journal as a joke on herself :
"Tho other night I left the homo of a
friend , half a mile above my house. It was
pouring with rain. I had on a heavy mack
intosh and a thick veil , but no umbrella. I
started to walk homo , when a swell-looking
young man approached , raised his hat with
a mashing smllo , and aukcd mo to coma
under his umbrella. I took his arm with a
smllo and walked with him to my door.
Ho said sweet things all the way. When !
reached my door I thanked him for his
sheltering escort. He suggested a little sup
per. I said :
" 'Young man , who do you take mo for ? '
at the same tlmo raising my veil and lookIng -
Ing at him In the full glare of the electric
light. He jumped half way across the street
and cried :
" ' ' "
'The devil !
Nitturul .Mlntuko ,
One of the oddest experiences that I ever
had with my stammering , says a man who
has an Incurable- Impediment In his speech ,
happened In the shop of an apothecary In
London.
As I was suffering from a stomach trouble ,
went Into the apothecary's to get a little
Iplcac.
"I want some Ip-lp-lp-lp " I stammered ,
unable to get out the rtst.
"Somo what ? " ho asked.
" "
"Ip-lp-lp
"Hooruyl" shouted the apothecary , at the
top of his volco. He thought I wus Hiving
him thu word to cheer ,
Every Jack Can Have a Jill ,
and Place to Put Her.
m
REAP THIS BILL. ®
m
®
$99.95 Puts Them to Housekeeping. m
KITCHEN ©
( iooi Htovo , , .
< $7.no
Cooking Outfit fi.uo m
Kitchen Tiiulo 1.-J5 mm
Tno Kllchun Ulmlrs si ) mm
WrlnaiirTub , Water Pnll , etc 0,75
Ilund I.i > mu , ; | 0 m
Kitchen Clipboard . , , . , . | , r > o
KufrlKonUor , ; j.uo m
I\tra ? furnishings , i0 ! m
Waco m
LIVING ROOM
All Wool Curpot $10.40
Six-foot Extension Taiilo -i.OO
MX Antlmlo High Hack Uhnlr.s n. to
Antliinu Unckur. . i.M )
tUU-ploco Decorated DlniturSut b.75
Decorated Tublo hump . , , , , I.nil
I.OUIIBO , , „ r > .7.r
THU Window Hliudoi 70
Jjiioo
CHAMBER
All Wool C'uruet , $0,00
AntliUi | > Olintnliur yet j-j H7
Woven Wlrn riprlnj ? 1.50
llest Wool-Top iMliHie.s.4 , ! 1 UO
1'ulr Pillows i OH
Drcorntuil Tollut Sot : ( ,15
Window Similes 3.nr >
Va i5
Total.
These Are House Furnishing Days
. . , , , Wu tire OiitlltttiiB now Humes for Laboring Mun , Professional Men , Merchant * .
Millionaires.uu , .
ue wuuccutniiiixlulu uvoivbody. Any young mini cmi afford to
ench " ! ! ! ! month " ' " , uml ! ° then " ' ! . " ? - . . ! . ! ! , ll'u A ° "Mi < lu < ' . ' IWX UttTo down uml a ilttlo
ho u-in udd to his hill from tlmo to tlmo.
Wo will next weolc nilrurllso nn Oiitlll , for nn ICIzlit-luxitn HOIHO. I Tills gives
you nn Iduu of what ciin bo ilono for lino. Wo can xlunv you ontv otbor assort-
incuts forniiinc moimy. I'orlnps woI1I .submit soon n lik'li-toni'il 10-ltooin House
Uutllt for mi oven MM. and nil the goods ill bo Ulan nnd Substantial
Our Terms Presents for All
110.00 worth of goods , Visitors Receive Souvenirs
$1 00 a week or M.OO a month.
$ ' . ' 5.00 worth of goons , With 15 worth of { roods , an Album
il.5U u ueei ; or iC.OO a month \\llli J10 north of goody , a Souvontr
J50.00 worth of goods , Ppoon.
$2.00 u wools or $8.00 a month \\lth25 worth of goods , a Illsouo Or-
$70.00 worth of goods , iiiimunt.
* 'J.50 a Heel ; or $10.00 n month With $30 worth of goods , u Framed
1100.00 woitli of tfoods , I'lL'luro.
M.OO \veok or Jl'J.OO a month With * 7D worth of goods. nContorTublo
$200.00 worth of poods , \\lth iflOO worth of Koods , pair Lace
M.OO \\uok or $10.00 a month Curtains.
Oloso Evenings at 6:30 : , Except Saturdays , Daring July nntl August ,
Send lOc for postage on big 'U Furnittira Catalogue.
Baby Carriage and Refrigerator Catalogue Mailed Free.
A
Butbentic
D. H. Burnhum F. D. Millet
Dlicctorof Works. Director of Decoration.
It Costs Little or Nothing
AND PROVIDES
YOU WITH A
PICTURE GALLERY
OF
AND
Paintings s = s Sketches
It cost the publishers over
100,000 Dollars , but costs
you less than 1,000 cents.
BRING H coupons and 25 cents , or sent by mull G cents extra , in coin , stamps 1107
uccoptcd. Address ,
Memorial Department , Omaha Bee.
FROM OLINE
DIRECT FROM THE TANK.
THAN
fi'u Jtuller , ffo Nteiitn. A'K.Vi
lllvHT I'OWHH for Corn and Food Mllln. Haling
Huy , Knniiln Hu | inUorB , L'rciiinorlcn , Au.
07T0 GASOLINE ENGINES
Stationary or Portable.
HUM H. i * . Blown , i' .
Ken J for CuUilOKue , I'rlcca , etc. , describing w orU lo txj done ,
Cbtcaro. 24S Lake St. JOTTOGAS ENGINE WORKS ,
a , 107 S. 14tU St. 1 33il ) i\VBluutau. , L'JIILAUKtd'IHA.iM.