Nebraska Newspapers

    12 THE OMAHA DAILY BEE.r TIIUKSDAY , MARCH 17 , 1808.
"BOBBY MEALSACKS and the SHAMROCKS"
A SAINT PATRICK'S DAY STORY.
IY GERALD HRENAN.
I.
Bis Pat Mulcahcy had been wrestling
for llfo In the dread clutches of African
fever.
He lay In the little wooden hut which the
Mashonaland Hallway company had dignified
with the title of "New Tlpperary station. "
Already the twin steel rails which marked
the progress of the track to Salisbury had
Ifasied far Into the Interior , bringing with
them the army of engineers , laborers and
native helpers. Big Pat Mulcahcy , who , just
a short week before , had been a ) strong a
teller as any of these pioneers , was now left
behind , sick to the verge of death , and
with no one to care for him , save only
"Bobby Mealsacks. "
Now , "Bobby Mealsacks" was a Kaffir
boy brought from the coast under Mul-
cahey's especial protection. He earned hli
peculiar name from the fact that , having no
clothing to speak of , ho had managed with
considerable Ingenuity to make unto himself
a cert of bloomer costume out of two small
Indian meal sacks found on the platform at
Belra. The officious representative of Mr.
Cecil Rhodes In this section of Africa had
recognized the sacks and demanded Im
mediate restitution. Bobby , utterly guiltless
of Intentional larceny from the British South
African company , pr.iycd with tears to be
allowed to keep his garments. But the
o'llclal ( an assistant deputy substorekeeper
or something of that .sort ) wca adamant. For
the- first tltnc In Ills life ho had a chance of
bullying somebody , so he bullied poor Bobby
with all his might. Indeed , he was in the
net of trouncing the child , when big I > at
Mulcahcy came swaggering along the nearly-
laid rails.
"What's the matter here , I don't know ? "
re-marked Big Pat , as he wedged his giant
form between the angry official and the
cowering boy ,
"Wot's the matter ? " cried the assistant
deputy substorekceper. "Wot's the matter ?
Wy this 'cro little blabbering nigger 'as
jolly well prlKKoJ two of the comp'ny's meal
Backs , and sewed 'cm up Into jacket and
trousers. That's wot's the matter , Hlrlsh. "
Big Pat 'Mulcahcy surveyed first the meal
lacks and then th.o cockney official.
"An * Is that all > e're makln' such a fuas
about ? " quoth he. "Well , you know that
those same bits of canvas arc no value to
the comp'ny. Why all the boys are usln1
them to patch > their clothes. It seems to me ,
my Whltechapel friend , that you're exccedln'
your ordhers. This llttlo darky goes an *
elevates himself above the level of his race.
He puts on daclnt clothing , an' give clvlllza
tlon a hoist. Conslderlu' the crayture's
opportunities * he has done mighty well ; an'
'Us myself that thinks he ounlit to be en
couraged. So be off with you , an' leave the
child alone. Come alcng , Bobby Mealsacks.
Come along , ma bouchaleen dhu. On behalf
of the right honorable Cecil Rhodes , I give
you leave to keep your new suit. "
The cockney official , overawed by Big Pat's
size , alunk an ay , and from that time forth
Bobby Mcahacks regarded Mulcahcy as the
greatest of men. Indeed , v.hsn the rait
trucks moved westward , Bobby managed to
move with them ; and the pioneers looked
upon his as Pat Mulcabcy's protege and serv
ant. - -
This was why , when Big Pat lay grcilng :
on the cocoanut matting ! ri "New Tlpperar )
etatlcn , " Bobby Mealsacks alone remained
to nurse him.
Pat Mulcahcy , the fever havlcg In nome
degree departed , cat up anj took a look at
the almanac on the station wall.
"Thanaman dhlat" he exclaimed , "I mu-jt
have teen powerful sick , Bobby. Tomorrow' ! !
bo Saint Patrick' * day , an * me wlth'n an
ace o' nilssln. ' It. Faith , , but 'twas lucky 1
woke up. Go over there In the corner , ye
little haythen , an' hand me down the box o'
clay with the shamrock In It. "
But when the obedient Bobby Mealsacks
wen to the corner shelf ho found no box o !
clay. Atafi and clock ! The treasured rsham-
rocks which Big Pat had brought out wl h
Infinite trouble from his native parlih , ti.d
which he had mcciaged to keep green ar.iV
fresh even In blistering Mashcaaland , were
there no longer. Somebody had taken them
away during Mulcaliey'a delirium.
"Box not dere , Baas , " said the little Kaf
fir ; "box gone , ai' Bobby Meahacks beiry
eorry. "
With a yell of anger Big Pat nprang to hlu
feet , cnly to fall weakly back upon the mat-
tin. ? .
"My shamrocks gone ! " ho cried. "The
shamrocks I reared troself ! An * to
morrow St. Patrick's day ! O , wlrrasthrue !
Wlrrtathrue ! What thief was mean caougli
to steal my box o * nhamrocka ? "
Bobby Mealrucks * beady eyes grew dim
with team He hurried from side to side
of the llttlo station hut , examining every
nook and cranny for some truce of the
missing box. But never a shamrock could
he flnd. The Irishman's humble , little sou
venir of his far-distant home had Indeed
l > oen taken.
Pat Mulcahey 'tossed and tumbled on the
matting like ono demented. The lo. * ; of the
shamrocks on the very eve of St. Patrick's
day was a terrible blow to tbe simple-
hearted glint , particularly In his then conJI-
' BOBBY MEALSACKJ ? . " OUIBD THE
DOGTOIl.
tlon of wcakneia. When the railroad doctoi
cam ? along In bis special engine durhig the
afternoon he shook his head over Put's Incoherent -
coherent ravings atout Patrick's day ant !
the stolen box.
"Ho'll worry himself Into a worse fevei
than ever It he dc-csn't find tho.se sham'
rocks or something like th"m , " said thi
fihjslclan. Hut tbere wore- other cares alonj
the Hoc beside Mulcahey'c. and there wai
no tlmo to look through tbe Mashonalam
marshes for something res onbllng a nham
reck. Still shaking hla head gloomily thi
doctor stepped Into the cub of Ms engine
and Rave the rlgual to stall ,
"I'm orry for Mulcahey , " he muttered
"ho la a mighty fine fellow. Hullo
Othcro did > ou come from ! "
The last exclamation was caure.1 by thi
apparition from the engine coal box of i
little Kaffir boy , with a sad , serious face
tnd two grimy nicks In lieu of clothing.
"Mo Hobby Mtolsackn. " said the imal
Kaffir. "Me go Salisbury , flnd Baa * 'Cahey'i
e'mrocks. "
"To Salisbury ! " exclaimed the doctor , wh (
ty this time had recognized Mulcahcy'i
faithful little servant ; "how d'you know thi
thamrocki are In Salisbury ! "
"You know Eaao 'Arris ? "
"O. you mean Harris , the little Engllit
deputy storekeeper ? That fellow tba
wanted to thrash you for taking those mea
acka ? "
Hobby nodded.
"Yah ! " he Mid. "Pat Baai 'Arris. '
( Bobby pronounced the .Cockney's name ai
thai ladlvidiuJj JUmieU proaouocrt it ,
Bobby saw Eoa5 'Arris In Baas 'Cahey's
iraal. Me saw him " and the boy held up
wo fingers.
"Two dayu ago ? " queried the doctor.
Again Bobby Mealeacks nodded. "Two
a > , " he said. "Mo go fetch water , an *
laas 'Arris he come out. As he- come out
10 try kick''me. Ddn he go puff-puff train
o Salisbury. Bobby see him laugh mighty
ard. "
"And you think he took poor Mulcahey's
hamrocks , by way of revenge , eh ? "
"Haas 'Arris he want get even , so he took
aas 'Cahey's s'mrok , " answered the little
Kaffir. "Me go find Haas 'Arris. "
"But , arent you afralJ. Bobby ? " exclaimed
ho doctor. "Harris may hurt you. "
" 'Mo ' no want Baas 'Cahey to die. Me no
frnld , " laid Bobby Mealsacks.
I
1 II.
Now It came to pass that during the night
receding St. Patrick's day Assistant Dupty
iub-storckeeper Harris sat In the newly-
milt storerooms at Salisbury. With him
vero two or three oi bis pet cronies eeedy
gentlemen , who had left England and
America for reasons which they might not
are to mention , half-casts from India , tnu-
otio-volced Londoners , and the like. Harris
nd evidentlybeen telling an amusing story ,
or hU hearers were grinning at his words.
"And so bo > s , " he continued , "I got quits
vlth the Hlrlsh bully. Tomorrow will bo
Is bloomln' old St. Patrick's day ; but 'e'lt
FROM THE SMOKB HOLE IN THE ROOF CAME SQUIRMING A STRANGE FIGURE
'ave no ehamtiocks to celebrate wlh. Crikey
my , 'ow Jolly mad 'e'll be , when 'e finds out
that I've taken the box. "
Hero Harris drew from a locker by his
side poor Pat Mulcahey'u lost box of sham-
rocko already beginning to droop and fade
for want of water.
Ere they are , " he said. "All ablowlng
and agrowlng ! And now I'm about to make
a shamrock salad and esnd It to the big
Hl'&ihman. Maybe 'twill 'teach ' 1m not to
hlntcrfere with the comp'ny's agents. "
But the shamrocks were destined for a
better fate ! Hardly had Harris seized the
first tiny plant to pull It irom the clay when
an unearthly scream rang out through the
storehouse. Then from the smokehole In thereof
roof came squirming a strange figure , clad
In eerie garments of gray a figure , black-
vlsagcd and appalling which dropped Hko
an arrow Into the very mldet of the as-
tounJed group.
Next moment the box had been snatched
out of Harris * hands and a little Knffln boy ,
arrayed In meaUacV.a , was dashing across
the storehouse bales and boxes , through the
open door , and Into the sultry night.
"H's the Kaffir brat , " cried Harris , leapIng -
Ing wildly from his scat. "Aftert Mm , lads !
Halt my month's salary for whoever brings
back the box. "
Away went the motley crew helterekeltor
down the track of 'the Mashonaland rail
way. Far ahead they saw Bobby Mealsacks
speeding like a gemabok , with the box bugged
to his breast. And after him they went ,
like bounc'o after a quart'/ ' .
One sturdy runner led the pursuit. He
wn.3 on outcast of the outcasts ; and the prom
ise of half Harris * pay urged him on.
Hobby was swift of fcot , but be could uol
cope with this man who had been a famous
athlete before disgrace drove , him from
civilization.
Llttlo by little the others dropped away ,
leaving the leader to finish out the race
Hobby McalEacks , glancing over his shoulder ,
saw ttiat the Icae pursuer gained at every
step. He left the hard tracks and took to
the short grass of the plain. Hut tic-re , too ,
the man behind him gained. . Escape seetued
hopeless. Yet the Kaffir "boy ran on , al
though his breath was labored , and the level
\elat seemed to waver before hla eyes. At
lost he toppled aud fell senseless In the
short grars by the railroad.
Quick as a fiacfa the rran behind bad
pounced upon the box of shamrocks.
III.
The company's doctor was paying hit
mjrnlng v.'slt ' to big Pat Mulcahcy. He
found the Iclahman hjeterlcal , and on the
brink of a rclapne. '
"Octi , doctor , dear , tbls Is the sorrowful
Patrick's day ! " cried Pat , writhing In Im
potent grief and anger upon the matting.
"My shamrocks my fine Irish rhamcockn
stolen , and now Hobby Mealsaks goes and
deserts me. D'ye think 'twas Hobby stole
Kie shamrocks , doctor ? "
Just at that moment the door flew uncere-
mnoiwly ! open and a tall , bearded man
strode'.Into tbe hut. Perched on his aboul-
dcr bo.carried a small Kaffir urchin ; aad In
the Kaffir urchin's arm * there was a square
box.
box."Hobby MealsacVs ! " cried the doctor.
"The shamrocks ! " roared big Pat Mulca
hey , his eyea fixed , upon the box.
"Aye. gentlemen both Bobby and the box , "
tfie . "Unkempt stranger ; ' "I've brought
them both back where they belong. "
And then , Mn'-a few words , he told what
had occurred. Despite his none too savory
past he had 'somegood feeling left , and the
courage and. .devotion , of 'Bobby Mfalsackfl
bad outweighed In his mind the hope of
gaining' Harris' proffered bribe.
"Besides , " he added , rather shamefacedly ,
"I eaw'the shamrocks. I was'Irish once my
self befpre I went to the bad. "
Very gently he sat down iDobby Mealsacks
from hla bread shouder and turned toward
the dcor.
"Hould hard ! " sang out big Pat. "Where
are you nolnc ? "
"Back to Salisbury. " replied the nameless
outcast ; "I've been promised work under
Harris. "
"Then 'tlsn't one foot you'll stir to work
for that blackguard , " cried the sick roan ,
rising to hh feet with a mighty effort , and
clutching the ether's arm. "You're Mastber
Jack Dillon my ould landlord's son. Arrab ,
didn't I know you the minute you sild you
were an Irishman ? Besides , you brought
me back the slumrocka , and you brought mo
back Hobby Mealsacks. I don't care bow
wild you've been. Ofaitber Jack ; I'm going
to keep you straight. So sit down like a
daclnt Irishman , and spend Patrick' ! day at
New Tlpperarjr. " -
| "Ab , raai , " exclaim * Bobby ; "whit * baaa
stay wld Baai 'Cahtjr an * Hobby Meal-
When tbe doctor returned to Salisbury It
w i to report that the notorious frontier
desperado , Jack Dillon , bad been spending a
happy and hopeful tit. Patrick' * day In the
little station hut.
"So , you see , " ha remarked , "even Dllon
found a good angel , "
"Yea , " said the world-famous chief of the
railway : "a little black Kaffir angel. It was
Hobby Mealsacks that did It. "
FIVE OEMJHATIOXS.
Mr . Snrnh I > . Mn.lly nH < 1 Ilrfr 120 DC-
NCcnitniUii.
Mrs. Sarah P. Llndly , grandmother of Hon.
Cicero J. Llndly of the Illinois Board of
Railroad and Warehouse commissioners and
grand master of the Odd FelldWA of Illinois ,
celebrated her 99th birthday annlycmiry
last week at her home In Upper Alton , III.
In her family , relates the Globe-Democrat ,
Is found an lnstan.ce of remarkable longev
ity , she being a "representative * of the first
of five living generations In a direct Hoc.
She Is the maternal ancestor of 120 'living
descendants. She Is one of tbe few remain
ing widows of veterans of the war of 1812 ,
and as such ( bo draws A pension. Her hua-
band. John Llndly , did three years' valiant
sei"vlce as "ranger , " by wl.lch term the sol
diers of that period were called who were
organized for protection against Indians In
cited to hostilities by British agents as a
means of harassing the country along the
borders of western civilization. These ran
gers gathered their families Into blockhouses
( or protection while they , ccntlnually armed ,
sought by hunting , trapping and crude
farming to provide a subsistence. Such
blockhouses were located In St. Clalr county
at Alma , at Lebanon ( where traces of the
old building may yet bo seen ) , at New
Athens and Mascoutah , and were part of the
frontier line of forts extending from a paint
opposite the mouth of the Missouri river for
sixty miles to the Kaekabkla , east of New
Design In all twenty-two forts. Such was
the service of her husband , John Llndiy , a
sturdy pioneer , who figured prominently In
the settlement and development of Madison
county. Mr. Llndly boasted a lineage that
traced back to a Elymouth colonist who eime
over In the historic Mayflower , one of two
brothers who came- over together and who
were the progenitors of the Ltndly family In
America. John Llndly died In Madison
county In 1863.
Mrs. Sarah P. , Llndly was the daughte
Jacob Gonterman , who was a native of New
Jersey , and related to Caleb Ball , the coco
great financier of New York. Her mother
was a member of the Stark family , six rep
resmitatlvea of which served in the war of
Independence In capacities ranging from
ensign to colonel , and , as the name of Mol
ly Stark Is connected with the story of rev
olutionary Incidents , even so Is tbe family
name Indlesolubly linked with those of New
Hampshire revolutionary heroes. She ws
born near Hopklnsvllle , Ky. , February 24
1799 , not seven years after "the dark cm
blcody ground" was admitted to the union
cad when Daniel Boone , Its pioneer path
finder and hero , had scarcely parsed the
prime of life. She came to Illinois in 181b
old settled near Edwardavllle , la Madison
county. She was married to John Llndly
in 1818 , the year the otate gained admission
into the union.
As an evidence of the pioneer charade
of these settlers tbere la now In the pos
( session of their son , John J. Llndly , at Leb
anon , a valuable historic instrument in tb
form of a government patent to one-fourth
Ecctlon of land made to .Mr. Lladly am
signed personally fay President James Mon
roe , before the establlthment of the genera
land ofilce , and while the Illinois land offlc
was stllf located at Kaskaskla , although 'a
Edwardsvtllo was established one of tbe car
Host lind offices in the state. Various othc
land patents granted Mr. Llndly , algned b
President Mat tin Van Buren , are In posses
slon of this son. Mrc. Llndly was th
mother of eight children , six of whom fitll
live Anna M. , wife of Jefferson Virgin ol
St. Jacob ; Hannah P. , wife of Aaron Van
Hooser ; Elizabeth J.wife of A. W. Brasher ,
and Ellen P. Llndly , all of Upper Alton ]
John J. Llndly ( father of. Judge Cicero J ,
Llndly ) , of Lebanon. Ill , , and Mary K. Mc
Coy of Belleville , Jll. , who' , together with
thlrty-oi.0 grandchildren , seventy-five great
grandchildren and eight great-great-grand'
children , comprise tbe 120 living descend
ants.
ants.Her
Her youth knew all the hardships of fron
tier llfo and the danger from savages and
wild beasts. Her foot has piled the spindle
and her hands the loan In the making of
homespun. She was a less of 13 at the be
ginning of the war of 1812 , a matron of ma
ture years at the outbreak of the Black
Hawk and Mexican " /ars unfl 62 years of ogc
when Fort Sumpter was "flrej upon. In her
lifetime all the presidents but 7/ashlngton
have been Inaugurated and almost the entire
drama of the h'story of the" republic since
the adoption of tbe constftutlorj'hcs been en
acted. Born In another century , her life em
braces the almost completed nineteenth , like
a great parenthesis , and her memory , still
active , comprehends the bestiperiod of Amer
ica's marvelouii development' . In which time
she has seen thtj Immediate * section trans
formed Iron the primeval forest and virgin
prairie to one of the moatfertile garden spats
of the world on the outskirts of St. Lous ! (
the coming metroplls of the nation. And
If her life bo spared but one more year she
will have passed the century mark and II
three years longer she will have seen the
light of three different ccnturfes.
Ariilvn Snlvc.
THE BEST SALVE In the-Vorld for Cuta
Driilr-os , Soren , Ulcers , Sal Uhcum. Fevei
Sores , Tettev , Chapped Hands. Chilblains
Ceres and all Skin Eruptions , and positive ! ]
cures Piles , or no pay required. It Is guaranteed
anteod lo give perfect satl.i'artlon or inone ]
refunded. Prtco 25 cents per box. For sail
by Kuhn & Co. '
n Monument tn Colfnx.
SOUTH HEND. Ind. . March 16.-Qenera
Lew Wallace spoke here Inrt. night undc
the auspices of the CoVnmerclal Athlctl
club. Inaugurating a movement to erect i
statue In South Hend to Schuylcr C'lfjx
vice president with Grant. CoUax was ai
ardent Odd Fellow and the' founder of thi
Daughters of Hebekuh. It I * expected than
orders will lend assistance , each lodge li
the country contributing such sums as thi
members nee fit. The entertainment las
night , at iRhlch General Wallace paid i
lilsh tribute to the worth of Colfux. brough
In considerable money with which to torn
the nucleuH cf a fund of 110,000 , which It 1 ;
hoped to raise.
Arnold' ! Brome Celery cure * headache *
, 250 and 6Qc , All drugfUU.
NEW MK.JEABS ; NO FOE
) efentea of tbe Jfctrtpolto Impregnable to
AttwMly Sea.
FACTS ABOUT "TIE FORTIFICATIONS
.More GIIIIB > ! < > < ml nt the Sen Kn-
trnncv lo Ihe Harbor Thnn ( liei En
tire .HpnnlRM. \ vy
Wlmt Hnn Been llonc.
The oft-repeated assertion that New York
City would be at thi mercy of any modern
navy which might attack It is emphatically
coutcd by Now York , papers , and they claim
o know what's what In war armaments and
other things. Regarding the condition of the
efcnscs of the harbor the Sun furnishes the
ollowlng details :
-New York has got a chip one her shoulder
and In case of war she Invites any foreign
leet that's looking * for trouble to trot along
with its biggest guns and biggest boats and
ry to knock It off ; and there Isn't any
iluster or brag about this , cither. Since
he 'Maine was blown up In Havana harbor
New York has been pictured as a defenseless
city. 'Her ' big buildings have been pointed
out as shining targets and a species of Idiocy
las been developed that has encouraged the
drawing and painting of Imaginative pictures
showing how New York would look after ten ,
Ifteen or twenty minutes of firing by a
tostlle fleet. The officers of the United
States army and navy , have not thought It
necessary to make any statement In reply to
hese fool stories and fcol pictures.
The facts are that New York U practically
mprcgnable. So long as her defenses hold
out no ve-esel , no fleet of vessels afloat , could
get within range of the city. No gun on
any man-of-war that floats could throw a
hell any nearer to the city than New
Utrecht , and If a shell got as close as that
he boat that fired the shot would be at
he bottom of the bay before she could throw
a second shell. Asto the length of time the
defenses of New York could hold out against
a foreign fleet , no matter what Its size , there
need be no apprehension on that score. New
York's defensea could not be successfully as-
aultei from the sea. They could not be
got at ; and there Is not one chance fii ten
nllllons that they would ever have to be
lefcnded from land attack except In case
of a civil war.
war.SUPERIOR
SUPERIOR GUNS.
The officers of the United States army who
have In charge the defenses of New York
are not talking at all about their plans of
lefenso and are not telling anything In detail
about the means of defense that they have
at hand. The Sun , however , can speak with
knowledge of the facts when It tells some-
hlng of the defenses. To begin with. New
fork City Is admlra'bly ' located for defensive
mrposcs. From the entrance of the harbor
o the iHattery the distance Is more than
.wenty-one mllea. No gun that has ever
> cen made can shoot that distance , no matter
what the elevation may be. Next , at this
entrance to the harbor there are more ten
and twelve-Inch rifled guns ready for busl-
less than there are big guns In the entire
Spanish navy. .If the whole Spanish navy
should attack ( New York at the same Instant
.he defense guns would outnumber the
Spanish guns , and la point of effectiveness
each defense gun would be better than any
three guns that the Spanhh navy possessors.
There are four entrances to New York
harbor. They are tba Gcdney channel , the
main ship channel , the south channel , which
runa Into the Swash channel , and the East
channel. Any ehip wanting to get Into
New Ycrk harbor must come through one
of these channels. The nearest point to
New York City that any vessel entering one
of these channels Is off Coney Island and
Manhattan beach. Ships could flnd deep
water off Rockawmy beach but .that would
be too far away.
Now as to the means of attack. The big
gest guns ( .carried by any'Spanish nun-of-
war are ten-Inch rifles. A tenlnch gun In
a barbette has an effective range of five or
six miles. The range Is so short because
the gun cannot be elevated to a sufficient
height to make it longer. An Inprotectcd
ten-Inch gun , that Is , a gun not In a barbstte
or turret , h > is a range perhaps two miles
greater on shlpl/card. Tbls longer range
would require the extreme elevation that can
bo given to a gun afloat. Now , from the
entrance to the harbor , within a radius of
eight miles , there la hardly anything that
can be damaged. From the point mentioned
nearest New York , off Coney Island and
Manhattan beach , eight miles would Include
Flatbush , Flatlands , New Utrecht and Can-
arsle. It might Include gome parts of
Brooklyn south of Greenwood cemetery.
This Is the longest range possible for any
gun In tbe Spanish Navy on a vessel lying
outside the harbor.
THE DEFENSES.
Now for the defenses. They arc located
at Sandy Hook , Fort. . Wadsworth , Fort Ham
ilton and Plum Island , which U In Sheeps-
head bay between Coney Island and Graven-
end. At Sandy Hoc- * and Fort Wadsworth
and Fort Hamilton there are fortifications
with modern guns. At Sandy Hook alone
there are between forty and fifty modern
ten end twelve-Inch rifled cannon. These
guns are capable of an elevation that gives
them a range of twelve miles. Shooting In
a straight line , of course , they could not
throw a projectile anything like that dis
tance ; bit elevated they can drop tremendous
projectiles loaded with explosives on a given
object twelve miles away. The aim wouU
not be no accurate as It would be at shorter
ranges , but It would bo accurate enough to
hit a ship anywhere within the distance ,
Twelve miles from Sapdy Hook would in
clude Flatbush , Flatlands , Canarsle , Coney
Island , Gravescnd , Rockaway beach and New
Utrecht. Tbe point nearest New York out
side the harbor where hostile ships could
lie Is within eight miles of these big guns
at Sandy Hook. So It will be seen thit ships
would not lie there longer than a few mlnutm
If they succeeded In reaching the spot at all.
All four entrances to the harbor ure un
der the guns of Sandy Hook. These guns
alone , so long a ? they are active , would
sink any ship that attempted to enter the
harbor , no matter how heavily armored she
might be. But these big gunu are not all.
There are mortar batteries at Sandy Hook.
These batteries are arranged four mortars
to a battery , and they are effective at a
distance of between four and five miles. The
teats with 'these ' batteries show that they
cun bo aimed with great accuracy and that
each battery can hit an object as big as a
ship within a square of 200 yards. There are
four batteries. Each mortan throws a steel
projectile twelve inches In diameter loaded
with seventy or eighty pounds of explosives
and weighing about S0 pounds. These pro
jectiles arei hurled up in the air and fall en
< ho deck of a ship. The heaviest deck armor
Is four and one-half Inches thick. It would
not withstand a projectile of this size falling
from a distance , and just one of them strik
ing the deck of a ship would blow things to
kingdom come.
INVISIBLE FORTS.
It ban been said 'tlat these gun ? and
mci'tar taiterlca could not be succciufully
afoiultcd from , the sea. Tbe reason Ir this :
The ten and twelve Inch guns are mounted
on forty feet of nolld concrete protected by
tremendous bank ! bf sand. The guns are
on dlcappearlng carriages. They are aimed
before they are seca by the enemy. For
Instance , a fleet or a.ship of a hostile nation
Is approaching. The range finder ? locate the
veosel exactly and tfco > cfflcer who fires the
gun alma for a spot that will bo reached by
the boat and the shot at the came moment.
The speed of the boat , the length ) of tlmo It
4akca to raise the gun , and the length of
time It takes the abet 'to ' travel the distance
arc , of courte , calculated. The gun being
aimed. It bobs up. In an instant It Is fired ,
and the recoil sends It back and down out
of tight again. A bomb-proof cover clcsca
over the hole out of which It rose , it la
TTic Henri MnM Not lie- Trifled With ,
Where there are symptoms of heart weak ,
nes * . there should be Dr. Agnew's Cure foi
the Heart , It's a musical remedy , gives re.
lief In thirty minutes , and there ure thous.
nrds who testify that It cures permanently
Mrs. W. T. Uundle , , yf Dundalk , Ont. , says
"I mas 'for years uuable to attend to m )
household duties. I used Dr. Agnew's Cun
for the Heart , the result waa wonderful
the coin left me Immediately after the flrsl
dose , and a few botthB cured. " Kuhn & Co.
15th and Douglas ; Sherman & McConnel
Co. , 151S Codec * , -
11 over In a few seconds , and before * a gun
board ihlp could bo sighted the big gun li
gone. The chances of a > gunner
on any boat even hitting one of thcoo guns
are not two In a thousand , even If tbe ehlp'e
guns are within ran e. U must cot be for *
gotten that a hlpAo'ild bo within range
of the forty or fitly guns at Sandy Hook
for four mllca at least before eho could
flro a ehot that would even reach tbe forti
fications , let alone hit a gun.
The movtar batteries are In. pits Inland
from the fortifications In which the big guns
are. They cahoot tic seen from the eur-
rounding country even , let alone from the tea.
The pita are deep , and for a hol to get
Into ono and reach the bottom where the
guns are placed It would have to be flrcd
almost straight up Into the air. Fired at a
very slight angle , It would enter the side
of the..pit end would not reach the bottom.
To hit one of these mortar batteries , except
by chance , U utterly out of the question.
Just these two means of dcfeuto woulil
seem trf bo sufficient to protect the entrance
to the .harbor of New York , but they are
only a email part of the whole system of
defense. The torpedo eystcm Is fully as
Important. Every one of the four channels
Is laid with torpedoes. The torpedo lines
extend clear acro-'s the channel. Nothing
could pass thc'm. They can bo exploded ooe
at a tlmo or twenty or forty at a time.
Each torpedo Is capable of being operated
separately If desirable. Each of the four
channels that afford entrances to the harbor
Is small. One or two canal boats sunk across
any one of them would block It absolutely , .
They are so narrow that three boats cannot
pass abreast. Their ways are so tortuous
that shifting the buoys and the range lights
In the harbor would result Inevitably In a
vessel's going ashore. There Is not a pilot
who could bring a big boat Into the harbor
safely If the buojs were out of place or the
range lights changed even a few feet.
WHAT NEXT ?
Now , assume that all these Impregnable
fortifications and channels full of torpedoes
.and with buoys aad range lights displaced ,
should be passed In safety by hostile vessels
bound to bombard New .York. The moment
those boats got Iralde the Hook aud long
before they got to Homer Shoals they would
be the targets for batteries scarcely lerH
formidable than those at Sandy Hook. Fort
Wadsnorth and Fort Hamilton would open
on them. Take Fort Wadeworth first. Fort
Wadsworth Is a natural defense. It Is on
land 120 feet higher than the surrounding
country. The earthworks alcoe could not be
penetrated by any projectile fired from any
gun that Is made. Fort Wadeworth has a
full equipment of modem 10-Inch guns. The
range of these guns 1.3 the same as the range
of the guns at Sandy Hook. The terraces
enable batteries to be placed one on top of
the other. Supplement lag the guns of Fort
Wadsworth there are the big guns of Fcvt
Hamilton directly across the Narrows. The
guns at Fort Hamilton have just been put In
place. They Include five 10-Inch rifles of the
latest type mounted on disappearing car
riages. The range of these guns l > i beyond
Coney Island and away out to the point
of Kockaway Beach. The battery at Fort
Wadsworth consists of six 8-Inch guus and
eight 10-Inch guns.
Suppcse , now , that Instead of trying to
get Into the harbor the hostile fleet goes oft
Coney Island to the point already described
as the nearest to New York that Is approach
able. It has been shown that the fleet
would be In clcae range of the forty or flft >
guns of For * Wadswovth and Fort Hamilton.
The boat or boats that tried to shell the city
from that place would be pegged away at
by from sixty to seventy of the greatest
guns there are In the world. But If the
gunners In these three forts were the worst
gunners that ever lived Instead of the bwt ,
If they couldn't hit the side of a barn halt
a mile away , there Is still cnothcr detcrae
Plum Island.
Plum Island Is lens than a mile and a half
from this particular point. There Is noth
ing on Plum IsUnd for a hostile fleet to
shoot at. There are no fortifications , but
there Is no end of torpedoes there. Toi-
pedoea from Plum Island would do whatever
there was to do after the big guns got
through , or before , or while the big guna
were at work.
SUBMARINE IMPLEMENTS.
In addition to all these things that have
been told about , there IB not an anchorage
In the lower bay that Is not underlaid with
torpedoes , and any boat that attempted to
ctmo to anchor , once It got In , would be
blown sky high by them. Torpedoes , while
they are loaded with dynamite , are harmless
until 'they are actually flrcd from the shore.
This Is an Interesting point In connection
with the disaster to the Maine. If a boat
bumped against twenty of them at the name
time they would not explode. U requires
an electric current to make them .active and
dangerous , and the current Is managed en
tirely from the shore. The operator sla !
with a glass watching an apprtachlng boat.
When she Is over a torpedo he presses a but
ton , and the torpedo does tbe rest. In tlmo
of peace. If the torperdoes are laid ready for
business , the kcjs that explode them are
guarded with more care than the vaults of
a bank. There Is no such thing as their
being touched off accidentally or without
the full knowledge of the officials In charge.
All the sea approaches to the city being
disposed of , there remains the possibility of
bombardment from the sound. That possi
bility Is a great deal more remote even- than
the other. The approach to the city from
Lone Island sound Is narrow , and the de
fenses are such that the entrance to the
East river Is absolutely locked. Assuming
that a foreign fleet should get past tbe vari
ous fortifications further up the sound and
approach the city , the first defense it would
strike would be Davids Island. Davids
Island , men who know , say. Is well named ,
for , though small , It would be able to smash
any Goliath that came along. It has the
same wicked modern guns as Sandy Hook
and Fort Wadsworth and Fort Hamilton. If
Long Island sound was deep enough all the
way acrces for the biggest man-of-war to
pass In any part , she would not escape. The
guns of DaVlds Island reach clear across and
beyond. Like the other guns , they are
mounted on disappearing carriage * * , and they
offer no target at all. There are not so many
of them at Davldn Island as there are at
Sandy Hook. That Is because they are not
needed. Suppose , however , that Davids
Island was passed and the fleet sailed on ,
IMPASSABLE BAItltlEllS.
Wllleta Point and Fort Schuylcr , which Heat
at the lower end of the sound opposite each
other , and as close as Fort Wadsworth and
Fort Hamilton are Impassable * barriers. They
have modern guns In plenty , with four miles
greater range than any floating gun , Wlllcts
Point , too , Is known as the home of the tor
pedo. There Is nothing In the way of a tor
pedo or submarine mine ever thought of that
cannot bo found at Wlllcts Point. The big
modern guns , mighty as they are , might al
most bo said to bo secondary , compared to
the torpedo system. There Is nothing too
small and nothing tco big to be blown up
by the totpcdoes operated from Wlllcts
Point.
Besides Wlllets Point. Hcwletts Point and
Sands Point would ho taken by the. govern
ment the moment hostilities began , and be
fore a boat could como the length of the
sound devilish contrivances that arc already
prepared would be In opurntlon from each
of them.
So no matter what anybody tells you about !
.the defcnselessncfs ot Now York , don't give
It a moment's thought. There Is no more' '
possibility of Now York being made the vic
tim of a hostile fleet than there Is of an
earthquake turning Manhattan upside down ,
and any nation looking for 'trouble may flnd
It In large quantities by trying to cut up
shin-digs In this neighborhood. For , beside *
all these things that have been told about.
there would be the navy to b handled , and
one of the best fighting boats In the world
la hero now to help the land defenses out.
That boat Is the Terror. She carries ten-
Inch guns and can sail In fourteen feet of
water , which Is less than the depth required
by any foreign fighting ship. She could lie
In shallow water anywhere safe from harm
herself and capable with her ten-Inch guns
of doing awful work.
Children and adults tortured by burns ,
: alds , injuries , eczema or skin diseases may
lecuro Instant relief by using DnWItt's
Witch Hazel Salve. U Is the great pllo
remedy.
CromI > M ! Itnln ,
SAN FHANCISCO , March 10. Hi-ports
from nil section.of Ca'lfornla show that the
crop conditions throughout the country nre
erltlc.il. A hiMvy rain within the nt-xt few
days would save the grain on thousands of
acres of ulie.it nnd barley and Insure KOOI !
crop0 In many places , Avhero , otherwise , there
would lx > scant harvests. The Sacramento
valley seems to be the mo * ! favored portion
tion of the northern part of the mate and
the outlook for large yields of fruit nnd
sraln It. sood. Recent showers In the Ban
Joaquln valley nnd southern counties have
Improved conditions greatly , The damage
to fruit by the frost of lust Sunday IB lees
than VNUS feared.
Don't annoy others by your coughing and
risk your life by nejlectlng a cold. Ono Mln.
ute Cough Cure cures coughs , colds , croup ,
grlppo and all throat and lunc troubles.
Mnrxlinl Shut liy it IliiruJur.
ST. JOSEPH , Mo. . March 1G.-A special to
the Dally News says : George H. Leonard ,
cltv marshal of Cameron , Mo. , was mur
dered by a negro burglar whom he had
arrested lit 3:30 : o'o'.ock this morning1.
Leonard wis irnrchlrnc the prisoner whrn
the negro wrested hla revolver from him
nnd shot him twice. Posses are In pursuit
of the murderer.
See That Stamp !
It is the Government
Internal Revenue Stamp
over the Cork and Cap *
sulc of every bottle of
IT
WHISKIE
Certifying to the Age and Purity of the
Whisky.
NOTE. It Is thn Government's Guar
antee tlmt KOCH with tills bottllncr. See
that the nmne W. A. GAIMS & CO. l printed
on the stamp.
ALL DEALERS SELL IT
Never has anything been so Justly praised m
Itur-ltcu for the nerves , body niul brain. It
replaces Iho essentials of llfo thnt have been
exhausted by high living , overwork , woiry ,
brain fatigue , Indigestion , excesses nml abuse.
It rrcutm solid limit , muncln nnil strength ,
clears the brain , makes the blood pure and
rich and causes n general feeling of health ,
strength and renewed vitality , whllo the icncr-
ntlvo organs arc helped to regain their formal
powers nnil the mflerer Is quickly made con
scious of direct bcncllt. llnr-lien Is the result
of over M years' experience In the treatment
of the nervous disorders of mnn and woman
and Is endorsed by physicians all over th *
world as u most excellent
NERVE FOOD.
It Is purely an animal nnd vegetable extract ,
contains no poisonous substances , nnd Is pre
pared In sugar-coated tablet' , envy to take.
llur-llpii Is for stile nt till drug stores , a OO-'doso
boxforfOccnts , cnouirh for ono to two months *
treatment. In case of nremnturo lost vitality ,
llnr-llrn Is n prompt , absolute nnd permanent
specific , producing results without n parallel In
the history of medicine. As n special offir If
you will wrlto to us , remitting tl.Otf , wo will
forward n 00-dpse box of our remedy and will
Rlvo your case any special attention needed.
Wo answer nil letters In plain cnvclopo ar.il
hold all correspondence fUrlctlv confidential
DKS. HAUTON AN1J HENSON ,
Suite Ill.i'S 1'ubllo So. . ,
Clcvolanil , O
Inilit on ( tcttlnr the f tnulrc
BAR-BEN
A CO-dcso box for 60 cents
Tor itle by
Kuhn & Co. , I'th nnd Uoimlun ; J. A. Kiilli > i A
( "n. , H"2 nouclns St. . nnil ( Irnlinm DrilK CD. .
r.'li ntul Knrniim : Klns'H I'hnrmnoy , ! 7lh anil
Ij-nvonwortli ; rcvtim' * Pharmacy , S.th nnil
I.cnvrn\toith ; i : . J. Sr > kora , H. Omulin , nsul nil
nlhor ilrut'Rliitx In Oninlui , H. Umnlia , Council
IllulTB niul vicinity.
AN OPEN LETTER
To MOTHERS.
WE ARE ASSERTING IN THE COURTS OUR RIGHT TO THE
EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE WORD "OASTORIA , " AND
" PITCHER'S CASTORIA , " AS OUR TRADE MARK.
/ , DR. SAMUEL PITCHER , of Hyannis , Massachuoetta ,
was the originator of "PITCHER'S CASTORIA , " the eamo
that has borne and does now x r _ / / & ? T' on eyery
bear the fac-eim//e signature of C&t&V < MCfa iv f/rsr. ,
Thin is the original "PITCHER'S CASTORIA" which haa been
used in the homes of the mothers of America for over thirty
years. LOOK CAREFULLY fit the wrapper and see that it ia
the fcfnd you have a/ways bought , / f , , # j on the
and has the signature of ( t&7 G6dc&M wrap
per. No one has authority from me to use my name 0.f
oept The Centaur Company of which Chas , H , Fletoher i *
President.
March 8 , 1897.
IMC OtNTAUn COHFANV , TT MUKRAV TKCCT , NVCHH O.TT.
IT WAS BEFORE THE DAY OF
SAPOLIO
THEY USED TO SAY : "WOMAN'S WORK 13
NEVER DONE. "
WINE Or CARDUI
Relieves Them
APPLETON , Ark. , Nov. 18th , 1897.
I have used Theciford's Black-Draught and
\ McElree's Wine of Cardui for a long time. There
are no better medicines made. 1 am never with
out them. MRS. M1TT1E BRUTON.
STANLEY , Ind. , Jan'y 10th.
I have used your McElree's Wine of Cardui
\ and Thedford's Black-Draught , and found them
to be a great relief to suffering women.
MRS. W1LLARD BARTON.
SLATER , Mo. , March 13th.
My husband and 1 have botH taken your
Wine of Cardui and and
Black-Draught , ex
perienced good effects from it.
MRS , W. W. CUMMINGS.
ia good for every woman. Every woman needs Wine of Cardui. From the
time she approaches womanhood until she has entirely recovered from the
effects of the change of life no other medicine will do so much for her. It is
a medicine that fits a woman for every duty of wifehood and motherhood.
By acting directly upon the delicate menstrual organs it stops all those pains
and drains and weaknesses that make so many lives miserable. For whites ,
falling of the womb , suppression , flooding , monthly pains in the head , back
and abdomen , this is the medicine to take. Following child-birth and mis
carriage Wine of Cardui is very useful. It has brought healthy babies to many
barren homes. For nervousness , a bnguid
LADIES' ADVISORY DEPARTMENT. feeling and general ( un-down conditions it is
TOT Ulrica In .
CUM
eltl direction ! , attdrou requiring , firing imp- p equally efficient. Wine of Cardui is as harm *
ton * . loMif 44v < < orv ZfepartmMK ,
The t1baiu , n Ttnn. * < w li 4let { < . less as water to any woman in any condition.
II to HolU la Every Drag B or .
tlQO
WIRJ& OF CARDUI