E > JMBDITORIAL * ' SHEET. THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE.PA
o
ccccccccOv -
! -2f . ; V-X ! %
ESTABLISHED JU TJD 19 , 1871. OMAHA , SUNDAY , JUIiY 28 , IS 9 -SIXTEEN PAG-ES. COPY riVE CENTS.
MILLIONS IN MOONSHINE
Elicit Still Worm Turns a Handsome Trick
on Undo Sam ,
CONTRABAND BOOZE A MONEY MAKER
Mountain ! ) JIIKKCI ! In 41t < > lur o
ClIll'H IIH AVcIl IIH III tillSoiltll
SCorlcN < if KIIIIIIIIIH StlllM
itnil Cr < ioke < l
( Copyright , 1555 , by Frnnk'o. Carpenter. )
This U the first of a series ot letters which
I propose to write showing some of the curl-
ous ways In which Uncle Sam la robbed. He
, does one of the biggest businesses In the
world. Ills ordinary expenditures have for
years been between $300,000,000 and $100,000-
GOO annually. He has on hand here today In
Washington , In the shape of bonds , bank
notes and bullion , more than $800.000,000 , and
the gold and silver coin stacked up In the
treasury cellars weighs C.OOO tons. The sums
In which he deals are big enough to tempt
the wildest dreams of criminal avarice , and
1 , thousands of men are plotting how they can
In some way break In and carry away a part
of the pile. This money Is surrounded , how
ever , both by clay and by night by trusty
watchmen , whose revolvers are always ready.
The strongest of wrought Iron and of welded
steel Inclose his bags of gold and silver , and
the heavy doors which form the entrances to
his vaults have time locks which duty the
most expert of burglars. The ordinary thief
has little chance here. The checks on the
treasury arc legion and the Chelf money
stolen from the government Is slipped out In
other ways. And yet there Is no doubt but
that vast sums are stolen. Uncle Sam's re
ceipts amount to almost a million dollars a
day , and ho undoubtedly loses millions of
dollars In ono way or another every year.
. < MILLIONS IN MOONSHINE.
Take the matter of the whisky tax. Since
Its Increase to $1.10 a gallon moonshine stills
have been springing up like weeds In all
parts of the country. They have flourished
for years In the mountains of the * south ,
but they air now beginning to sprout up In
the big cities ot the north. Within the
past few weeks a number of Illicit stills have
been discovered In New York and Philadel
phia. The business Is being carried on by
Polish Jews In attics and cellars. They ere
making- whisky from black strap molasses ,
for which they pay In bulk about 4 cents i
per gallon. It probably costs them less than i
25 cents to make a gallon of whisky , and I
their profits arc from 400 to GOO per cent.
This business Is entirely different from
that of the moonshiners. Colonel W. AV ,
Colqultt , the chief of the special agents of
the Treasury department , has given me the
details , and I have before me the drawing
of one of these northern whisky stills , which
has Just been received by the Treasury de
partment. The Etlll was captured only a
' \ few days ago In ono of the big cities of
the east. It Is of the sort used In Russia ,
and It consists of two galvanized. Iron boxes
or barrels , with fire boxes beneath them.
The molasses Is mixed with water anJ Is
fermented Into a kind of sugar beer. It Is
then put Into these boilers and cooked Into
a vapor. This Is conducted through pipes
into a second still , and cold water from Ihe
elty water works acts as the condenser.
The sugar beer after two distillations comes
out In the shape of whisky , and as such It
Is ready for the market. Such a
Etlll casts but a few dollars. 11
makes practically no smell , and It can be put
up In any room where there are water works.
The only ways that the treasury detectives
can know of Its existence are through the
Belling of the whisky and the purchasing of
the molasses and yeast. A large amount of
yeast has to be used to ferment the beer ,
and the yeast factories of all the big eastern
cities are now being watched by treasury
detectives. Every one who buys much yeast
has to glvo an account of himself , and all ; l
suspicions purchasers nrti carefully shadowed.
The vrhlsky robbers use all kinds of means
to escape the detectives. A week or so ago
ono of the treasury agents saw a Jew buy
u largo bundle of yeast. He took It from
the factory and walked off with It under
his arm. The detective followed. He saw
the yeast given to another man , who carried
It through several alleys and gave It to a
third man , who. took It Into a cellar. About
fifteen minutes later this man came out
'with what seemed to bo four base ball clubs
wrapped In brown paper In his arms. This
was the yeast , which he had molded up In
this way to avoid suspicion. As he walked
off the detective followed him , and ho finally
traced him to an attic where some Polish
Jews had a distillery , which was making
many gallons of whisky a day.
WHISKY IN MILK CANS.
' Another of the stills was discovered only
i few weeks ago , which was being operated
under the disguise of a dairy. This was
located Just outside of Brooklyn. The \\hlsky
robber had bought the dairy. Ho had on
hand about 100 cows , and he had bis regular
milk route , which was mostly confined to the
Falcons of Ilrooklyn and New York. The
'revenue spies know that there was a large
amount of Illicit whisky on the market. They
could not truce It until they noted Unit
toii'C o ! the saloons seemed to be getting
largo quantities of milk. Ono day they
followed the milkman and they found the
still. At leapt half of his cans had been
I1 * * } filled with whisky , which was delivered to
the saloons , while the milk went to his
ordinary customers. In capturing the still
the revenue agents took charge of the dairy
end confiscated the cows on the part of
Undo Sam ,
The Increase of Illicit distilling In the
southern mountains during the past year Is
enormous. The stills are scattered through
the mountain districts of every southern
state , ami the revenue department has never
had Its hands so full ag now , The commis
sioner ot Internal revenue tells me that the
agents have never been FO well organized , and
they have never Mono so good work as they
are now doing. Coroncl Colqultt , the chief
of this branch , was- for years In the field as
a special agent. He has the moonshine dis
tricts mapped out , and there Is a black list at
the Treasury department containing the .
names pf the suspected character ? . Congress I
has set aside $30.000 a year for the pay of
spies and hired Informers , and Uncle Sam Is I
now spending , all told , about $ non.OOO an
nually to put down the business. Still there
arc more stills now than ever before. The
outlook Is that there will be nearly 2,000
wiped out during the coming year , and the
number destroyed last month was 161. It tiem
hard to estimate the losx which Uncle Sam
sustains from these moonxhlne still ? . A few >
days ago a wagon load of whisky , containing
100 gallons of liquor , was captured near
Greenville. 9. C. The tax on this alone
would have been $110. Suppose the 2,0rtt >
still * which will bo captured this year to
continue In operation. It ls a email still
which will not produce five gallons of whisky
dally , Theau 2,000 Ftlllg would produce 10,000
gallons a day , on which the tax would he
$11,000. Eleven thousand dollars a day Is
more than $1,000,000 per yfar. This will ha
the saving In revenue by the breaking up baof
these still * . There are. however , In all
probability , hundreds \\hlch arc never dis
covered and"he loss l < Incalculable.
HOW TUB MOONSHINERS WORK.
I aikfrtl Colonel Colqultt to give me coma
Idea of the moonshine stills ot the couth.
IIo replied : "They are rude affair * , and the
average Hill lees not cost more than $50.
It usually ccntUti of two barrels , one iO.ef
which contains a veil ofc pper pipe con
nected with a boiler on the top of an oven ! ,
like a Kike oven , near by , in the other
barrel the mi : h li kept. This mash crU
made or cornmc.il. It In fermented Into a
kind of bser. TliU beer Is put Into bo
boiler , and as U gels warm It rlies In > or
tuto the pipe and lloivi off Into the coll. Coli
water from a mountain , stream U k pt run
ning through Ilia Urrel over the coll. and its
It fall * upon | t It cctdviiiei : th vapor Into
Jli/uor. Th whliky hut to bo dltlllcd
twlc * before U U ready for tier. It cots
ci.Iy a few centi a gallon , and It rc < iuir i non
capital to tpcal : cf to make It , Tht moun-
bring their corn to Ihe mill and
trado.lt for whisky. They receive a gallon
of whisky for a bushel ot corn. The moonehl
shiner can make three gallons out of every
bushel , and he has two gallons ot clear profit ,
This he sells to his fellow mountaineers at
$1 per gallon. So you see the profits are
large. When we discover a still we chop It
In pieces. If wo find a wagon load of
whisky wo break the barrels and let the
liquor run out upon the ground. Wo locate
the still by means of spies , and the revenue
agents have a standing price ot $10 for each
still that la pointed out to them. Ten dotlal
lars Is a great deal of money In the southern
mountains , and sooner or later the moonth
ehlncr Is bound to have some ono Inform on
him. The business Is very dangerous , howpli
ever. Now and then the moonshiners fight
the revenue officers , and the man who follows
them takes his life In his hands , I have
been shot at a number of times , but so far
have escaped being hit.
The moonshiners hate the spies worse than
they do us. They will kill them If they can
discover them. Still , some of our Informers
continue their work for years and they are
not discovered. Some follow the business
because they wish to wipe It out rather
than for the money. One of the most remarkable -
markable Informers I ever knew was a guide
named Roper. The moonshiners suspected
him. They caught him , carried him to a
well and threw him In. This well wa ?
fifty-five feet deep , and after he had reached
the bottom they began to fire upon him.
Ho was hit twice In the heaJ by their bulof
lets. He remained three days In that well
without food , and when we got him out he
was almost dead from starvation and ! o. s of
blood. Ho recovered , however , and is alive
today.
THE NOTORIOUS REDMOND.
"Who Is the most notorious moonshiner
you have on the records of the Treasury
department , Colonel Colqultt ? " I asked.
"I don't know , " replied the chief of the
revenue agents. "One man who has had a
great deal of , newspaper notoriety was a
fellow named Redmond , who operated In the
South Carolina mountains. He had been
making moonshine whisky and had had quite
a career when a newspaper reporter spent
a week with him at one of his stills In the
mountains. Redmond had killed two men ,
and he claimed to have done a great deal
more. He gave this man the story of his
adventures , and this was published In the
Charleston newspapers. This seemed to set
Redmond crazy. He committed the most
daring acts after that to get his name In the
newspapers. He was finally caught and sent
to prison. I do not know whether he Is
alive today or not. "
"The average moonshiner , " continued
Colonel Colqultt , "does not think his business
Is wrong. Ho argues that every man has
the right to sell what he makes as long as
he does not steal or trample upon the rights
of others. He has the sympathy of the
mountaineers , and today our greatest trouble
i Is to get the courts of the south to deal out
I justice to this class of criminals. "
I THE GREAT SIMMS TRAGEDY.
"Who was the most curious moonshiner
you ever had to deal with , Colonel Colqultt ? "
said I.
"One of the queerest , " replied the chief ,
"was old Bob Slmms , who lived near Bladon
Springs , not far from Mobile. Slmms was a
religious fanatic , and he had a large number
1 of followers. His people looked upon him
as a kind of a savior and a prophet. They
had gathered about him and he had estab
lished a colony ot his believers. He had a
peculiar religion , one ot the tenets of which
was that all men had equal rights , and that
no one could equitably prevent another from
doing what he pleased. Ho said that the
law of the land was the 'devil's law , " and that
no respect ought to paid to It. It was this
devil's law that taxed whisky. The law of
God , which he ( Slmms ) laid down , provided
that a man could make and sell what he
pleased , and Slmms said he had a .perfect
right to make whisky out of his corn , and
| that God would protect him. He defied the
government ; he built his still out In plain
sight In front of his cabin , and had a wide
road running up to it. When wo sent a
warrant for his arrest he took It' from the
hands of the deputy who served it , tore It up
and spat In the deputy's face. There were
a number of men with Slmms at this time
and the deputy did not dare > to arrest him
Wo then sent a passa after him. Slmms
saw that our force was greater than his , and
ho was taken. He refused to walk to
Jail , however. He said "we might carry
him , but he would not go of his own accord
Upo : } this he was picked up , pul
Into a cart and taken to Bladon Springs ,
This Is a sort of summer resort , much fre
quented by the citizens of Alabama. I
has no good jail facilities and Slmms wa
put Into an outhouse and guarded during
the day , preparatory to carrying him else
where. He was handcuffed. Ho showei
no disposition to be ugly , however , an' '
when dinner time came our revenue agent
went Into the dining rcom of the hotel
leaving Slmms In the charge ot only OIK
officer. It was dark , the people were eat
Ing whsn three men rushed to the cottage ,
shot the officer In charge , killed a doctor
who had called In at the time to see Slmms ,
and allowed Slmms to escape. The men
who did the shooting were Slmms' two
brothers and his son , Ballly Slmms. One
of the brothers was shot as he ran away
and the son of the old man was also
killed. "
FROM PROPHET TO DEMON.
"Bob Slmms , however , got away , " Colonel j
Colqultt continued , "He took to the woods
and lived there for some time. But he soon
began to commit such outrages that le
people rose up against him and ho is
lynchd. Before his arrest by the govern
ment he had modeled his life on the bible
and ho .tried to follow out some ot Its teach
ings , especially EO In one place , where It
says : 'If a man strike you on the right
check you must turn the other to him and
let him smite you on that. ' His arrest
and the death of his son changed bis na
ture. He went In for revenge and vengeance
against all who wore against litin. Every
thing that was angelic In his nature turned
to gall. He became a very demon and there
was nothing too mean and cruel for' him to
do. Thn act which capped the climax was
the killing ot a merchant who In times
past had been a friend of his. After his '
escaps Slmms' house , with his goods In It ,
was comparatively unprotected. The
merchant had a bill against him , and , with
out process of law he went to Slmms' house
and took a wagon load ot his furniture to '
satisfy this hill. He was told at the time !
that ho was doing a dangerous thing , but he
laughed and suggested that Slmms' re -
llglous nature would not permit him to re-
tallatc. He was much mistaken. As soon
as the matter was reportd to Slmms he became -
came enraged. He took a band of his fol
lowers , and ope dark night surrounded the (
merchant' * house. He then set fire to It
and as the merchant's ) wife and children ran
out to escape the flames he fired upon them
and killed them. This created a great sensa
tion.
tion."A
"A lynching party was organized. They
surrounded Slmms and his followers , and
he , finally seeing that he was bound to be
overpowered , told them that If they would
choose twenty-flvo men and allow him to
choose twenty-five men who would re
him that he would have a fair trial and be
u KU a yl for him he would give himself beP.
This was agreed to and Slmms threw down
his arniH and came out. The fifty men sur
rounded him , but they only pretended ifto
protect him. In reality they gave him up
to the mob and within an hour afterward
he. with four of his follower * , were hinged.
"Slmms' defense of himself , " Colonel Col
qultt went on , "was very brave. Ho had Ms
patty In his house , anj liter this was a little ' |
died , which prevented the lyncliiTs from '
surrounding him. If this could bo burned \
It would enable them to close in around | j
htm and capture the house. One of the
lynclicrs tllpped up and tet ( Ire to It. Slmmt
came out with a water bucket , and , with
out regard to the bullets which were flying
about him , and protected to some extent byte
his friends In the house , who were firing to
keep back the Ivnchers , ha put out the tlie. "
HOW ONB STILL WAS CAPTl'RED.
During my talk with Colonel Colqultt one
of the most famous of the cpcclal revenue
agents came In from the fleM. This was
Color.ol Chapman , who hag been connected
with the detective service of the department .
for twenty yc.irr , and who Is DOW operating
lit tlis mountain * of Georgia and Alabama.
Ill * whole life har lieon one of fl hl'm ? . He
\vni H lieutenant colonel under Moiby during
the late I'Vll war and had five horses killed ,
iin.'ei him At thtt time. Ho h a been bat-
ered up a number of times by the moon-
hlners , but has never been dangerously
ounded. At one time he was shot through
tie wrist , and he showed me today the scar
. hlch marked the spot where the ball went
hrough. "Wo were capturing a still , " ald
he , "in the Alabama mountains. Our posse
ha surrounded the men when one of them
red at me , and the ball struck me In the
lei ! ft wrist. My hand was hanging at my
Md , and I thought at first that I had knocked
mj crazy bono against a tree. A moment
ater It felt as though a red hot Iron was
lelng run through my wrist , and I knew
hat I had been shot. The man after
hooting me ran. I aimed at him with my
Istol and sent a ball flying after him , I am
good shot , but In some way or other I
ilssed him.
"Tho circumstances of capturing that still
I vere < rather curious , " Colonel Chapman went
I on , "I had three men with me , and we
fere riding along the road when we met a
vagon loaded with barrels of whisky. We
ame upon the man at a turn of the corner ,
nd seized the whhky In the name of the
; overnment. Wo chopped up the barrels
, nd let It run out on 'the ground. The
iien who owned It were very angry. We con-
iludej to follow the trail of the wagon and
eo If we could not find the still. Wo did
o , and about a mile or EO away we sur-
irlsed the men at work. Three of them
tarted to run , and ono got behind a tree
, nd blazed away at me. The men In charge
of the wagon also rdn. I did not dare to
get on my horse and go after them , for I
ivas not sure of ono of the men who was
ivlth me , and' our guide hail deserted us on
ho capturing of the wagon. The result
ivaa we destroyed this still and then went
on to others. ' '
TBXXYSO.VS II BATH.
Written for The flee.
The Laureate sank beneath the tide of
dreams
In that calm hour when through the silent
pkles
Como angels In their snowy-wlngpd guise
For hearts nweury of the noonduy dreams.
The Laureate snnk but turned his charmed
gaze
In full fouled Inspiration to the onst ,
And mused , perchance , on being FO relenFod
Just ns the moon rose through the autumn
haze.
How he had loved the fott October night ,
Full many a dream was dreamed In just
such wiiy ;
Anil cmlly lost Its beauty with the day
When nil its softened shadows saw the
light.
HP of the earnest meditative heart
Hud been n ilearner since his earliest days
When all the world had worn llyronlc ways
And every one had voice and grief npart.
And when his fnvorod poet lay In death
"Bvron Is dead" wns writ upon the sand
And on great oaks he carved It with his
hand ,
And murmured It nil day beneath his
breath.
Men nlways f > lt ns ho did hnlf concp.il
A grief which was too noble for the pen ,
Though ever and anon they suw again
The dpppa that called to deeps In some
appeal.
Ah. If the songs the poets hnve not pung ,
But only felt In their great hearts ns
mute ,
Were known to men , the murmuring dulcet
flute
Were tuneless with the magic music flung.
The Laureate Fnnk and death so softly
swept
Its sablp pinions o'er the moonlit bed ,
They hardly knew his heart wns stilled and
dead ,
And by his side their lonelv vlell kept.
Omaha. KATHRYN HUSH.
o
UIOMGIOUS.
Archbishop Chapelle will be formally In
vested with the pallium at the cathedral In
Santa Fe , N. M. , on October 17 , by Cardinal
Gibbons.
In twenty-five years the Presbyterian
women of the parent Woman's Board have
raised $2,090,950 , and have 163 missionaries
and 1,100 native readers and teachers now
In the field.
Joseph Cook affirms that nine-tenths of the
'contributions to missions come from one-
tenth of the members of our churches.
John Wesley's private library Is Included In
a collection which William Deerlr.g has given
to the Garrctt Biblical Institute of Evanston -
ton , 111.
Rev. Leonard Woolsey Bacon , nearly 70 ,
and a famous Nutmeg state cleric , took a
fourteen-mile spin on his bicycle from Nor
wich to New London Monday.
The Waldonslans in Italy are having a re
markable revival of religious life all through
their congregations , with almost dally meetIngs -
Ings In many districts of their parishes.
Orders have been sent to London for 5,000
bibles , 6,000 hymn books , and 5,000 cate
chisms , to be cold In the FIJI Islands. The
FIJI Islanders gave nearly $25,000 to foreign
missions last year.
Rev. John Jasper of the Sixth Mount Zlon
church'Richmond , who is strongly of the
opinion that the "sun do "
move , can get a
gait on himself. It is said that he has a
record of baptizing 300 persons In two hours.
Seven hundred and eleven female mission
aries are at work In India. During the last
| two years these visited 40,513 heathen families
and instructed 62,414 heathen girls In the dlf-
i ferent mission schools.
Mrs. Bertha Welch of San Francisco has
given more than $150,000 in the last four
years to St. Ignatius church In that city.
Her charities outside ot the church are nu-
inerous.
[
IMIATT1.B OP TUB YOUNGSTERS.
A mlddle-ged ! ! lady one day calling on a
friend was much amused at a little girl , aged
4 years , who , after prattling to her for some
time , asked :
"How old are 'oo , dear ? "
The lady , much taken back at the ques
tion , replied :
"How old should you think I am ? "
"Well , " said the little girl , after severa
moments pf thought , " 'oo's rather crumpled
me finks 'oo must be a hundred ! "
Sunday School Teacher ( to little girl ) Do
you say your prayers every night before going
to bed ?
Little Girl ( promptly ) No , ma'am.
Sunday School Teacher Are .you not afralt
to go to Bleep without asking God \y \ watcl :
over you during the darkness ?
Little Girl No , ma'am , I'm not afraid
'causa I sleep In the middle.
"WHIle , " said the boy's father , "you have
been about as bad a boy as ypu know bow
I'm afraid. " '
"Well , there's one thing you ougth to give
me credit for , anyhow , " was the contrite
reply.
"What is that ? "
"I haven't run away from school lately. "
"Papa , I know what I'm going to buy fo
your next birthday. " "Well , what ? " "A nice
painted shaving mug. " "But I've got a fin
one now. " "O , I've Just broken that. "
"HI. Jimmy , wot's de matter ? "
"Back's blistered , "
"Swlmmln1 or llckln' ? '
"Beth , "
"Sugar , " remarked Johnny , as he llfte
several lumps to his open face , "has reachei
the top notch , and a drop may be expected.
Fim.M > SHIl'.S.
Wrltti-n for The Die.
The fresh , > \vcet buds entwined 'mid fdlr ,
soft curls ,
Through night of pleasure worn ,
Myrtle and jasmine , orange ( lower an
rose ,
Fall withered by the morn.
Hut slmplu Immortelles for loved one
twined
With many a tear and sigh ,
The lilting frost and rain and surnrnc ;
wlnd. ,
And winter gnows defy.
Thus glided friendships , born of pleasnir
brief.
Fndi ; when joy's fcenea have papscd ;
But homelier chains by pain ami gorrou
_ . nkd.
checkered years thrill last.
Omaha. J. LAWLEH.
A GREEN MOUNTAIN BOY.
How a Revolutionary Hero Helped to TnUo
Fort Tlcoudcroga.
( Copyright , 1SS5 , liy T , C , Hnrlwugh. )
Across the lake from old Fort Tlcondcr-
oga , held by the British at the time ot
our story , lived the Bcmans , on ono ot
those neat little farms ono meets today In
northern Vermont.
They were well-to-do , patriotic people , who
now and then got news from what was
called the "outside world , " and much of this
news came through the garrison In the old
fort.
Nathan , the boy of the household , was a
lad who loved outdoor sport and who nearly
every day rowed across the lake and sipent
some time on the play ground of the fort
with the boys whose fathers were members
ot the garrison ,
Ono night In May , after a day's sport In
the fort , Nathan Beman came back and
after telling his father all the current gos
sip In the outpost , climbed the ladder that
led to the cosy little attic , where he slept
next to the roof.
He soon forgot the events of the day In
a deep slumber and the first Intimation ho
had that any ono was near him was a tug
ging at his shoulder.
"Get up , boy , " said a voice and Nathan
In the light ot a sputtering candle beheld
the face of his mother.
In an Instant the Shoreham bey was sit
ting bolt upright In bed and even before he
spoke his wondering eyes were asking his
ni jher what had happened.
"You are wanted In the roam below. We
believe that the patriots have come to sur
prise the fort across tha lake. "
"To surprise Fort Tlconderoga ? "
Nathan sprang from his bed and dressed
as rapidly as possible , while his mother went
down to tell his father that he would be
down as soon as possible.
"Who has como to try to take the fort ? "
the Shoreham boy asked himself. "It seems
to me that It must be a courageous man
Your father tells me you 1 < now all about the
who would attempt to do such a thing , but
will take a look at him. "
"This is my boy , " said Farmer Beman , as
Nathan left the last round ot .the ladder and
presented himself in the llgUot ) the candle
to his father and a goodlaoklng , smooth-faced
'
man , who was dressed 'jn unlTprm and wore
a sword.
Nathan knew that hjcj had-.never seen the
offlcsr before , though hfc had eard that the
colonies had rebelled , ami tnat. the battle of
"icxlngton had been fought.
In another moment the officer was 'ooklng
at the Green Mountain boy , and Natlnn
noted that he had keen'piercing eyes , which ,
at times , he thought , 'could be-as gentle as
Ms own mother's. *
"Your father tells/me , that you know all
about the fort across tha like , " said the
soldier. ' . . ,
The lad glanced at his fatlisr.
" 1 have told the gentleman that you make
frequent visits to the tort , " said the farmer ,
"therefore , you " need not tsar to answer
him truthfully:1" :
Thus encouraged , the boy told the officer
of his trips to the for ) , and added tha * ho
knew a good deal about It , as he had hud
the freedom of the place for months.
It had occurred to "Nathan that this was
the officer who had come to surprise the fort
and to wrest It from tha British.
"I am Colonel Ethan Allen , " said the pol-
dlcr. "I am here at the head of a Ijt of
Green Mountain boys , and we want to know
how to get Into the fort. "
"Oh , " cried Nathan , his eyes dllalng ,
"you are going to try to take Tleondcvog.i ,
are you ? "
"We are going to take-It , my boy : that's
what we are here for , and It occurs to me
that you can do your country a good turn
by becoming my guide. "
Nathan at that moment caught his mother's
eye.
eye."I'll go If mother says BO , " Bald he "I
do know all about the fort , aid I think I
could show you how to get Into ' .t. "
"Your mother's heart Is with the cause of
liberty , " spoke up the father. "I art willing
to speak for her , and Nutlun will go with
you , Colonel Allen. "
"That I will. Are yuu ready to go
now ? "
"At once. My men ara outside , and we
will get to work as soon us possible , fur we
must surprise the British ilon nt night , If
at all. "
The Shoreham boy took his hat from the
wooden peg and turned to the officer.
tl"We will cross the lake In boats , of
which I have procured a small number , "
continued Ethan Allen , when he and Na
than had left the farmhouse."You know
where the best landing pHco Is , don't you ? "
"Yes , sir. I have played up and down be
fore the fort so long that 1 guess I could
take you anywhere. "
It was a night which promised to help the
little band of patriots to success , for but
few stars shone , and now and then these
were hidden by clouds.
Ethan Allen and his Grjfcn Mountain boys
had marched a long distance for the purpose
of striking a strong blow against the king's
forces. '
Old Tlconderoga was ap important post.
In which , great quantities of firearms and
ammunition were stored , and these were
just the things needed badly by the patriots
at the opening ot their long struggle for
freedom.
Along with Colonel Allen was another
officer destined at another day to cover his
name with obloquy , but at that time he
was an ardent patriot , and English gold had
not yet connected his name with the great
treason of West Point.
Owing to the lack ot beats , the little force
which Allen had' ' brought 'for the surprise
had to be divided , and the crossing was co
slow that but eighty-odd were , enabled to
cross when It was time to do the work by
a quick surprise or ceo the whole expedition
fall.
fall.Nathan
Nathan Beman had guided the first boat
across the lake , and stood on the shore
near the grim old fort wultlng tor ths signal
to march.
Allen and Arnold held a short council , and
they were watched by the Shoreham iad ,
while he wondered what thy were saying
under the watchful stars ,
"Come , now. We are ready for the wurk , " '
said a voice at the boy's elbow , and Nathan
looked up Into the firm face of the Vermont
colonel. ,
"Show us the way to the sally port. " I
Eager to have a hand In what promised
to b : an exciting affair , Nathan Beman
sprang away and saw the two officers close
at his heels.
"You will make no mlitake , boy , " tald
Arnold , somewhat sternly.
"How can I , when I know every Inch of
ground , sir ? " was the reply as they pushed
on.
on.Not far behind the three came a , line of
dark figures , and each man carrying a fixed
bayonet , showed above It a face rcsoluto and
full of fire.
"There It Is , sir , " said Nathan , pointing
to the gate of the fort. "That la the sally
port , and If you will look close you will see
the sentry. "
"I see him , boy. "
In another Instant the soldier on guard
saw loom up before him the stalfrart figure
of a continental colonel , and before he could
sound an alarm he was a prisoner.
Another sentinel , who broke away , made
for the barracks , where he Intended to rouse
the sleeping garrison , and Nathan , for a
moment besldo hlmseVJ with excitement ,
cried out :
"It will take the men n minute to open
their eyes , and you ought to get to the
barracks dnors as soon as possible. "
Away went the patriots toward the spot
designated by the farmer boy and In a little
whllo their muskets were beating In the
storm doors.
As tlie doors fell the white-faced garrison
made Its appearance and fell Into the
hands of the resolute Americans.
"Where's the commander ? " cried Ethan
Allen , clutchlirg Nathan's arm. "Do you
know the way to his quarters ? "
"I know where he Is. " was the response.
"We will find him with Mine. Delaplace. "
"All right. To the commander's quarters ,
then. "
Nathan sprang to the stairway that led to
Colonel Delaplace's sleeping room , and the
next minute the heavy sword of Colonel Allen
was thundering at the door ,
"Ho will break In the door with his sword.
How strong and determined the American
colonel Is , " thought Nathan. *
Presently there came from the room beyond
a sound ot feet and the door was opened.
There stood Colonel Delaplace , white as a
sheet , and behind him his young and fright
ened wife.
The American colonel and the British com
mander were old friends and the wonder of
the latter may be Imagined as he looked Into
the face of a friend but an nemy also at
the door ot Fort Tlconderoga at that hour.
"What Is wanted ? " asked Colonel Dela
place.
"I demand the surrender of Tlconderoga , "
was the reply.
Mmc. Delaplaco uttered a short cry and her
gaze fell upon Nathan Beman.
"By whose authority ? "
Then Ethan Allen uttered that sentence
which has rendered him famous from . .that
eventful night In May , 1775 :
"In the name of the Great Jehovah and the
Continental Congress ! "
U would nevrjv do for a simple colonel In
the king's army to question such authority
as that.
He knew Ethan Allen. He knew that ho
was a fearless man and that ho must back
such words by as good lot of bayonets as
ever caught the glimmer of stars.
In a few moments the surrender of the
fort had been made and Benedict Arnold
was taking an Inventory of articles secured
by the bold enterprise.
There were hundreds of cannon , barrels
of powder , stacks of muskets , heaps cf pork ,
and , In short , just the very things which the
men of Lexington needed.
It was daylight when a boat pulled across
the lake and landed Nathan Beman on the
Vermont sltle.
Ho had parted with Colonel Allen at the
gate of the fort and the big , rough hand ot
the American commander had rested for a
moment upcn bin shoulder.
"I don't see how we could have got along
without you , " sal/1 Ethan Allen. "I don't
think the country will forget the boy who
let I us Into Fort Tlconderoga. Tell your
mother that I am sending you home safely
and she and Shoreham should/be proud ot
you. "
Nathan blushed to the temples and passed
to the boat amid the glowering Idoks of some
of the red-ccated prisoners , who felt that he
had been an important factor In the capture
of the stronghold.
Back once more among the scenes of
Shoreham t , the farmer boy became a little
' hero.
hero.He
He heard his name mentioned far and
wide.
For years to come ho was known as
"the Tlcondercga boy , " and long after the
war the title clung to him tenaciously.
To have his name linked with one of the
J
In th ? name of the great Jehovuli and the
Comlncnliil congress.
first victories , of Ethan Allen was glory
enough , and when he died at the age of
90 , long after the exciting adventures of
that May night , he had seen the confederacy
of American freedom Increase from thirteen
states to thirty and the population ot the
country from 3,000,000 of people to 20-
000,000.
But never did ho forget how , a boy , he
led the Green Mountain boys Into Fort
Tlconderoga and helped to win a bloodless
victory , which did eo much to Inspire the
colonies with continued resistance ,
I'AXTIIRll AND HOY.
UfNiHTiitc Kiiroiintfr with \VlIilciit
In a I.oiu-ly Cabin.
( CopyrlKht , 1W3 , by Slnurlee Thompson , )
Philip Gore was the son of Thomas Gore ,
whose name Is found In the list of early
Ecttlers on the upper waters of Pearl river.
As earl yas 1809 the Gore cabin , which was
better than most pioneer houses , had be
come well known to travelers and Indian
traders , snd for some years It was the only
place5n that lonely region where a night's
lodging could be had , or , In case oi accident ,
the rude acslxtancu cf u man who could do
almost anything , from mending a wagon to
dressing a broken leg or arm.
Philip was the only child mil when he was
15 Ms mother died. A year later his father
went V a distant settlement In search of an-
itlif wlfi. leaving the youth to keep house
tncnntlme , and his parting words were :
' "Now , PhD , be particular to keep old Tiger
( tt , < it was tre dog's name ) In the house with
you of nlghis Ho' ! ! wake you up If any
body or anyth.'ng ' comes around. "
It m.iy eei scarcely credible to us , living
is we do now , that a boy barely 16 would be
willing to sl y alone ( : ive the companionship
of a dog ) In .in Isohted cabin , far away from
any other hunan habitation , surrounded by
forest * Irifestvd with hungry wild beasts and
open to the will of the savage wIM men , but
In fnct It was nothing uncommon In tlioio
daya , and Pbp ! ! ! thought M no hardship.
Indeed , ho doubtless rather liked It. With a
gun and plenty of ammunition , all the
provisions ho needed and Tiger , the big dog ,
for company , ho could see no cause for com
plaint.
In mid-February the weather Is rarely cold
In Mississippi , but Mr. Gore had not been
gone twenty-four hours when a norther began
to blow , bringing frost , rain and then an
Inch of snow , the temperature falling below
the freezing .point. Philip could scarcely
keep the cabin comfortable , for the Icy wind
" through every crack In the rude walls.
To make things worse , a sudden blast blew
the stlck-and-dlrt , chimney down , so that It
was almost Impossible to keep a fire on the
wide clay hearth.
But Philip and Tiger were of a happy dis
position ; they took the situation with phil
osophic amiability , and went about their
usual -duties and pastimes as became brave
and hardy pioneers , until one night they were
violently disturbed by an uninvited and very
disagreeable visitor. '
It happened that Philip was up In the loft
of the cabin getting some bed covers that
had been stowed away there. Ills ascent had
been made by a row of pegs set In Ilia
wall , and he was just ready to go down again
Using cold steel.
when Tiger , the dog , rushed out through the
doorway , growling savagely , and began n
fight with some animal , which quickly got the
better of him and drove him howling back ,
Into the room. Nor was this the end. Right t I
after the poor dog In rushed a full-grown
panther. Philip knew what It was almost at
the first glance , for on the hearth a bit of
fat pine wood flamed brightly , giving a ,
strong light which filled the room. This was '
about an hour after nightfall and out of doors ,
It was pitch dufk. The panther leaped upon '
the poor dog and killed him In short order. .
Philip , crouching In the little loft , felt a f
chill of awful fear run through his blood.
Ills situation was , Indeed " , apparently hope
less , -for his gun as"ln the rack over the
door ; he dared not descend and yet he knew
that at one bound the panther would reach
the loft. It was , In fact , already glaring up
ward at him. evidently preparing to leap.
Even In this extremity of danger , Philip
felt a pang ot sympathy and sorrow , seeing
poor , faithful Tiger stretched on the floor ,
bleeding and gasping his last. But there was
no time for grief or regret ; the panther , an
enormous brute , thoroughly enraged by the
dog's attack and rendered ravenous by a
smack of bled , was In no mood to delay his
Tiurderous work.
Philip , like nearly all the pioneer boys ,
ad the bump of resistance largely de-
; cloped , and although ho saw no possible
way of helping himself , ho could not tamely
give up and die without a struggle. His
mind was clear as a silver bell and his
noughts flashed upon every method of de-
enso known to the backwoads people In
moments of terrible emergency. Instlnct-
, vely he groped for something with which
lie might at. leo st > hit his Assailant one
blow. If but a light and Ineffectual tap. And
quick as a flash he remembered that his
'ather's ' broadaxo was sticking be'hlnd a
rafter near at hand. Ho sprang and clutched
his heavy Implement just as the panther
came up through the air and landed with
Is forelegs upon the floor of the loft with a
nighty crash and scramble and a cry , half
growl , half scream , peculiarly blood-curd-
'
'nt- .
If you have ever seen an old-fashioned
broadaxe " , with Its wldo blade and short ,
"opslded helve , you know what an awkward
weapon It Is. Made to how timber with , It
serves that turn admirably , but It would
not bo chosen by any reasonable person as
suitable to a rough and tumble fight with a
iunther. Philip , however , did not take time
o consider his newly found weapon , but used
t forthwith and furiously.
There was not room In that part of the
loft to stand upright ; Philip had to rest on
Ills knees and the huge beast when It
reached the landing , quickly wriggled to Its
feet. With all his might Philip swung the
axe and It hit with a solid whack which ,
told that the blade had cut well. So heavy
was the blow that the panther went tumbling
down to the floor below , snarling savagely.
And , worst of all , the axe flew out of Philip's
hand and fell also , leaving him without a
weapon , whllo back to the loft leaped the
wounded and terribly furious beast , now
really more dangerous than ever.
It teems to me that no finer Instance of
courage , will power and presence of mind
can bo found In history than Is afforded
by Philip Gore's act at the moment of the
panther's return to the loft. . The exigency
required instantaneous btratcglc movement
and the boy was equal to the demand , for
as the panther sprang up ho leaped down
and unintentionally the two met In mld-
clr. The collision was as violent as unex
pected , but Philip , although dashed back
ward Into a corner of the room , did not
lose his presence of mind. Ho fell to the
floor and at the same time scrambled to
the broadaxe , and seizing It with both
hands once more swung It vigorously against
his antagonist. This time the wide , keen
blade cut open the side of the panther's head ,
smashing the bone and putting out an eye.
Again and again Philip struck , laying Into
the blowu all the energy called up by the
desperate situation. What teems most won
derful Is the fact that not a scratch did the
boy receive and ho killed the panther , fairly
chopping It to pieces after ho had sufficiently
crippled I * .
In n quaint tetter written long after
ward by Philip Is the following p.itEago ,
which I copy from a sheet of foolscap yel
low with age :
"And that payntcr waycd at Icest three
hundred pawns and that hrodax never was
no count no more , , byco. I broke the ago
eft on the payntcr'uhed when I hit It ever
the I. "
The letter was written to Philip' * lithe
brother , who was afterward killed in the
fight at Vlckiburg.
Innocence mill AVIt.
Mcmphln Scimitar : "Laura , " said the
young lady's mother , not unkindly , "It teems
to mo that you hai ths eai turned rather
low last evening. "
"It was tolely for economy , mamma , " the
maiden answered ,
"There Is no ute trying to beat the gai [
company , rny daughter. I have noticed :
that the shutting off ot the gui U always
followed by a corresponding Increase of pres-
ture. "
"Well , that lessens the walit , doein't It ,
mamma , dear ? " replied the artlets ulrl.
i IVf ntVICMI ft HIT
QUAINT DANISH CAPITA , .
Glimpses of Lifo in Oopcnhngon by Day
and Night ,
GOSSIPING GROUPS OF IDLERS AND OGLERS
A CoiiNorviiUvc Clj' < C'OIINI ) | MIOUN fo
.VnrriMV Sirred * , llorxo Cum , I ! < > ; -
KIII-H mill KUMjCoInuI'oolilo
Activity ut Muht.
COPENHAGEN , July 12. ( Special Corrs-
spondeiice of The Bee. ) The first thing I no
ticed In Copenhagen was the narrowness of
the streets ; the second , the low building ; ,
and the third , the horribly knobby but won
derfully clean pavement. Of course , Copen
hagen Is a very old city , which accounts for
the narrowness of the streets , and the
newer streets , especially the boulevards laid
out where the embankments used to be , ere
quite wldo enough. But the business part
of the city consists ot a criss-cross of nar
row , crooked streets , the main street. Oster-
gado ( East street ) , being barely wide enough
for two wagons to pass each other. Indeed ,
no wagons of the laboring variety are al
lowed there and not alone do the crowds flit
the narrow sidewalks , but people walk In
the middle of the street , dodging the few
carriages. With regard to this point , it
seems to me that , even compared with
Omaha , there are very , very few vehicles
on the streets of Copenhagen , and people )
are painfully careful In the matter of crossIng -
Ing streets ; yet hardly a day passes without
some accident by being run over. The drivers
are not exactly considerate , either. They
merely shout their "Vursks" ( "Look out" ) ,
and even the small boys who push the two-
wheeled delivery carts don't budge on Inch ,
but leave you to get out of their way as
well and quickly as you can , giving you the
choice between crawling under and jumping
over.
over.And
And yet people arc never In a hurry. You
never , as at liomn , see men and women rushIng -
Ing down the strei't , utterly oblivious of any
thing and everything save the distant object
of their haste. Oh , no , they never hurry.
Even the business men have time for a chat
on the corner with a friend or a look at a
pretty girl. The fact Is that whllo tha
streets of American cities are places of busi
ness , and no more , hero they are public
promenades. People go to take u walk on
the main streets Just to "look at people. " For
It must bo admitted lift- good Copenhagencra
are extremely fond of
"LOOKING AT PEOPLE. "
In the cafe windows , especially those oC
the two noteworthy places , "Heaven" and
"Hell , " each on Its corner of "Kobmager-
gade , " you see at all hours dozens of gen
tlemen , reading their papers and drinking
their coffee , while scrutinizing and criticizing-
the passers by , especially the fair ones. How
on earth they get time for this Idling I don't
know , but one thing Is certain , that what
ever their station In life the Danes as a rule
find a great deal of time for. pleasure and
Idleness. As for Ostergadelt Is at certain
hours ' of the day filled to overflowing with
foot passengers , at least half of whom am
out for their promenade. University students
In their white cap ? , pretty girls In velvet and
. chiffon , martial officers with well waxed mus
taches , noted actresses , the handsome , fat act
ors whom nil the young girls adore , foreign
tourists , especially Germans , navy officers and
callers from all quarters of the globe , all
mingle In a fast moving stream which seems
ready to burst the narrow thoroughfare. Ami
everybody seens to be bowing to everybody
clFo. Apropos , cno of the things I first
noticed was the extreme politeness shown
In the greeting. Instead of the hat being
merely "tipped , " If raised at , , nll from Ihe
head , as at home , the gentlemen's hats al
most swept the ground as they politely bow
their head. Of course , It looks delightfully
courteous , and at first one Is charmed to eeo
the gentlemen just as polite toward one ot
their own sex as to the fair ones , but after
awhile you are dlrgustcd at the rules that
prescribe the pitiable , well-known old gentle
men's walking , almost literally bsrc-headod
through the streets , as Is a fact In the smaller
towns where everybody knows you. I used
to wonder why people used handkerchiefs the
.size ot small sheets , but I understand It now.
Yes , the Europeans are oppressively polite ,
though they ejy the' ' Danes are considered
by the other nations as perfect boors. As
for the Swedes , they are disgusting , I think.
If you enter .1 shop In Sweden and In Den
mark , too , far that matter you are bowed In
and bowed out. and "thank you" 'd and "If
you please" 'd and "gocd-day" 'ed until you
feel positively ashamed of youreclf.
THE MARKET PLACES.
There are no bootblacks In the streets , and
no peddlers. Muybo that Is why the streets
are so quiet. And Instead of our famous news
boys are veen only n few old women and
ruby-nosed mule Individuals , who hold out
their papers In a timid , humble sort of way.
And other old women and men push two-
wheeled carts with eels , shrimps , herrlnga
and the like. Old women play an Important
part In the street life ot Copenhagen. They
cell violets , lilies nf the valley and , roses at
the corners. And If you wish to BCD a colony
of old women Just take a look at "Amager-
toro. " There one cannot complain of silence ,
for the shouting Is deafening. Most are ven
ders of vegetables , who arn allowed In tha
market until 4 o'clock. Thrso come from
Amager. a small Island connected with the
city by brldgas , and arts strikingly plcturcsqtio
In their half Dutch costumes. I am told that
they are descendants of a colony of Dutch
farmers called to Denmark many generations
ago to teach the Danes gardening. Decidedly
'unplcturcbque are the "fish women , " with
their coarse bhocs , short petticoats
and , extensive vocabulary. They shout to tha
customers , and pcold each other , and
once In a while have a pleasant little hiHla
with a rival. Besides vegetables and fish
you can buy flowers , cut and potted , and
bouquets of dried grasses , colored purple and
yellow and blue. A hard life It must be ,
trudging a long distance In the morning with
heavy baskets or carts , standing all the fore
noon In the glaring sun and having still a
long way home when the four Etroltcs from
the church tower bid them depart.
THE HORSE CAR REIGNS.
The strcot cars arc still very primitive.
Not one electric or cable line exists ; all are >
horen cars. Some omnibuses run between tha
south end and the city , huge , lumbering af
fairs with seats on the top for binokcr . The
cars stop at certain btatlons and you pay 10
ore , or about 2V& cents , for a trip from ono
station to another ; If you go ns much as
half a block beyond a station you have to
pay the fare for the whole distance. In
rainy weather scores or people wiilt at thcso
stations , EO that If you arc not of the elbowing
sort you will probably have to wait an hour ,
for the cars are few and far between , and
then you may have to walk after all. Only
a certain number of passengers are allowed ,
and Etlll tlicso are too many for tha poor
liortcs who , though stout and well enough
cared for , have to tug and pull cruelly. Not
even the hr-avy omnibuses have more than two
horses , and the one-story cars have only one.
I dun't lll.o to take the cars here , for they
are as slow as tnalls , and If you arc In a
hurry you will get to your destination much
taster by walking.
Beggars abound , not on the streets , but
they go from house to hout , looking at you
with plt'abl ' * eyes and tolling stories of
misery. They say they uro all Impostors ,
hut It la hard to drive them away. And at
Chrbtmas time the streets Ewaim with
women and children offering for sale wooden
toys , dollv , rubber ball : , and the like.
Night falls river Copenhagen , and you
hasten to your ttbade , for It U not sat * for a
woman to wall : iilono In the evening. The
ftrccti arc lighted , the shop windows are a
bljxc nf light. People are hurryl/ig homo ,
others go to make their purchases In the
ihopj that never close till late at night , and
Ktlll others are going out tc ( lit * various
places of anuucment , the varletlo , tl.o
theater. : , the bacr gardens , the parks. Out
from their haunts remit all thoto who Imvo
worktd hard the whole d < y. carrbRrx roll to
and fro , and from "Tlvoll. " the only Tlvoll ,
pours the ieiictlve : light of the thoutdivh ot
colored lamps. Sleep don not yet come to
the even of tlie giy ( V pvnhagi'nfr. The day ;
U io ) ths cnly tli.io to live.
IN13RHOKC1 AMDUEWS.