THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SATURDAY , DECEMBEK 24 , 1898. STRANGE HABITS OF SNARES Cnrioni Instances of Thiti Intelligence Told by a Bnaka Lorer. SNAKE ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA A Kl ht Rettveen Two Mttle Shrew * and a Dlir Polnonou * Adder A Mink's Appetite for Snake Meat. I nw the first instance of the hibernation . , of snakes In this country In 1892. At Or eon- ' vllle , Jersey City , there waa a largo heap ot rubbish stable-sweepings , I believe which lay near the creek at the west end of Cater avenue. There waa a considerable amount of straw In It , so that It wasn't very solid. It had been there probably for several years and had mostly turned to mould. While passing It ono day in the 1 month ot October I saw a snake's head sticking out of a hole In the side near the 1 ground. Going to a nearby house I got a I cpado and dug over the whole heap. I I found thirty-nine snakes In It , chiefly waterI I snakes and gartersnakes. They were not all ! i together , but distributed generally throughout - ' out the whole heap. Now , this manure plre was not more than two feet high and the ' ground wa very hard and solid under neath It , so that If a very severe frost had come these snakes would all have been frozen as they slept. From this It would appear that sometimes , at least , the wisdom of th snakes Is not sufficient for their safety. Now the question Is , Did the snakes spy out this manure-heap during the summer and decide that It would bo a proper place to winter In , or , If they didn't , bow came the whole thirty-nine to find It. Probably my experiences during the autumn Just passed Wlir give the true explanation of this puzzling question. Ill * NclKhbom , the Snake * . My bouse is situated In the midst ot thick woods , with here and there some rocky hillocks , open eunny spaces , and frequent swampa. I have bad every opportunity of observing the proceedings of my ophidian neighbors as well during the heat ot the past summer aa when the weather began to grow cooler. During the ordinary summer weather I found that tbo snakes were scat tered generally through the woods , Hvlng a vagabond life up and down , here and there , BO that you could very seldom meet with moro than one at a time. But mark t the change which occurred later on. When the cool nights toward the end ot September warned me to Increase my clothIng - Ing I noticed that the snakes had also taken heed of It , for I now began to find them five or six together around sunny rooks , or la some sheltered patch of eunshlne In the 1 thickest copses. After a few days I would find that they had left these places also , " moved on"llko the true vagrants tfeat they are , to some other place of sojourn. Grttlnic Ready for Winter. About the middle of October I saw quite a number of gartersnakes on a rock- crowned hillock not far from my bouse , where I had often Bought for them In vain during the previous month of September. I didn't disturb them , for I was glad to have the opportunity of observing their move ments , as the weather grow colder. In hopes of finding out something about their hiber nation. For about a week they stayed around the rocks. During the daytime they would bask In the sun , flvo or six in the space ot a few yards. If I approached too close they would glide In beneath the rocks. Several tiroes during the week I visited them , at night and found them always coiled under the stones. But one night it came on „ much colder than usual and the next after noon , when I visited my hillock , not a snake was to be een , neither under the stones uor elsewhere. I concluded that they had felt the nipping wind of the previous night and had moved away n search of some more favorable location. Very rarely attor this cold wind did -I meet with a snake in the woods or swamps. They had deserted the rocky hillocks and all the other sunny BpotB wfcere I used to see them. I soon found out whore some of them had gone. In one corner of the grounds at tached , to my bouse there Is an old well , now disused. Once only during the summer had I found a snake at this well , and that was at a time when water was scarce in the woods. But now , when the cold was fast driving the snakes from ono retreat to an other , I one day noticed several of them sunning themselves by the well. For two or three days I saw them there , and then found that they had either left this place , too , or else stayed closely bidden away , for I saw them no moro. ' Five Bnakei la a Cellar. About this time also I found the freshly east skin ot a large watcrsnake In the cellar ot a neighbor's bouse ; It had evidently gone In there to hibernate. A search In my own cellar revealed a very interesting state \ of things. Under a pile of rubbish I found five gartersnakes comfortably colled. When I uncovered them they put out their tongues , but didn't otherwise move , so I fixed up the place as it was before and left them to continue their winter's sleep. Slnco then I have looked at them several times , but have found them always In the same posi tion. tion.But But the cellar is not the only part ot the house where the snakes have come in to , hibernate. Since the weather grew severe I rarely go in the dining room , and as there is nobody In the house but myself , it Is a very quiet apartment. I never dreamed , however , that snakes would have come In [ from the woods and chosen It as a place for hibernation. Nevertheless this was the fact. In a corner of the dining room , on the floor , was a cardboard box with a hole in l one end of it. What was my surprise one ( frosty day to find a gartersnake In this card box. He had corno Into the bouse , probably weeks before and flndlug the little bole convenient and the box comfortable 1 had ensconced himself within It. But In ' this he proved very Imprudent ; for when I looknd at him during the severe frost of about two weeka ago I found him frozen 1 stiff. I took him Into the snake room , thinking that tbo heat might revive him ; but , ' no , ho was dead. The frost bad crip pled him as he lay In the box and he had to lie there- and die In Its clutches. Though snakes sleep through the winter It Is very evident that , In this country , ebmo of their enemies are very wide awake. During the last two falls of enow I noticed the tracks of some animal passing Into and out of a hole under the steps lead ing up to my front door. A slight exami ' nation convinced mo that It was a mink and 1 that he , too , had taken up his quarters In my cellar. I was pleased to know that he was there , and never feared for my garter * snakes ; but after writing the paragraph above about the snake In the dining room I took a lamp and went down Into the cellar and what did a flnd my gartersnakes' re treat broken open , and only the heads of two of them remaining. The mink had eaten the rest. Neither had these snakes chosen wisely. In another part of the cellar there are two other gartersnakes which have not yet been molested. Fate of lielnted finakci. It is not to be supposed that every snake succeeds In finding a hiding place satisfac tory to him before the frost sets In. I have found them still abroad seeking a refuge i-y - M late as November 10. Late In the evenIng - l-x Ing on that date I met with two lying out exposed in the woods , overtaken by the cold , so benumbed that they could scarcely move , and ready to fall a prey to the frost or the first predatory animal that chanced to find them. On being taken Into th house they recovered , and ar now as lively as they ever were. Now , bearing in mind the observations I made above on the proceedings of the snakea during the autumn in seeking their winter home , let us go to the captive snakes in my collection and see If they can give us any additional information as to the why , when and how ot their hibernations. Ono of the things I have most noticed among my captive nnakcs Is their great sensibility to change ot temperature. Too much heat or too much cold discomposes them , and they show their disapproval by trying to get out of their cages. With ordinary summer temperature they are con tent. Even when autumn comes on , If the beat In their cages be kept regular , the ? show no evidence of uneasiness. But , let ! blast of wintry wind blow on them and the temperature continue low for a few days , and the snakes which have felt It will give up eating and scarcely cease from their efforts to get out to sock some warmer place. I have known snakes , after getting j the first shock of wintry cold , to give up eating In consequence for two , three or even four | months , and only regain their appetite by ] being kept continually at a summer tem perature. i Appetite Interrupted. My bull snakes ( Pltjophls ) , from Texas , having ; felt cold winds In September , 1896 , gave up eating at once and fasted contlnu- ously i till the following March ; while snakes from these northern and colder states resumed - sumed ; their feeding In January , though they all bad the same heated room during the STOROF A UNIQUE COURT Over it Presides a Husky Terror to Wife Beaten. PENNSYLVANIA ALDERMANIC SOLOMON Laokn Fnlth in Prison Cell * and Is- OCB and Enforce * Hi * Man dated with PennaMlve Eloquence. The Solomon of Pennsylvania Is an alder man who presides over a court at Wllkes- barrc , and his name la Donohue. Just now the country Is applauding his method of dis pensing Justlco to wife-beaters , and a sketch of his career furnished by the Philadelphia Press Is timely and entertaining : ' The alderman's temple of Justice le ft llttlo two-room affair , which Is crowded every time ho Is going to sit. A row of benches face the desk and a bench for the accommodation of the prisoners Is at ono side of It. It U seldom that there Is seatIng - Ing room for all ofthem. . On the other side Is the witness stand , and the evidence given from that plain stand would furnish every humorist In < the country wHh material enough for a lifetime. The alderman Is a florid , rotund , genial man of 48 , with a sht/rp , decisive tongue , a period. That they all had their appellees Interrupted by the first cold only , 10 evident from the fact that this year and other years when I have been more careful to keep them at an equal heat , they have all continued feeding and casting their skins as It no win ter were reigning outside ; the casting of their skins Is , I may mention , a thing they do not do In hibernation. Now , It Is only reasonable to suppose that this Interruption of appetite and great sen sibility to cold , and this desire to seek warmer quarters operates the name when the snakes are at large In the woods , as when they are in captivity. And In fact , my observations of the wild snakes on the rocky hillock and elsewhere lead to that conclu sion. Snakes become BO sluggish during the period of their hibernation that they do not oven , resent .being touched , and , handled. I , have taken venomous rattlesnakes and drawn their fangs with my fingers without the least danger , although this usually re vives them pretty thoroughly from their stupor. I had a photograph taken showing how this was done. Such treatment shows that snakee must be almost Insensible to pain during hibernation. Queer Retreat. Strangely enough ithe snakes of tropical countries hibernate the same as their cousins In the north. It was In South Africa In May or Juno , 187G , that I made my first ac quaintance with snakes In their winter sleep. Although the eastern province of the Cape Colony is a country where frost Is never seen except in a very slight degree , till the snakes there retire from the winder. And the retreat of most of the smaller ones Is very curiously and wisely chosen. There * Is In South Africa a species of termite or white ant , which constructs large ant hills II over the face of the country , but chiefly on the open plains. These mounds are made by the ants carrying up the soil from be neath and piling It In a honey-combed , rounded heap on the surface. These erec tions are generally three or four feet high and four or five In diameter at the base. When new or when still occupied by th ants they are almost as hard a * stone ; but when the ants for some cause leave them , as they often do , 'these adamantine dwellings soon become softer from the action of the weather and of natural decay. It Is Into these deserted - sorted ant bill * that the smaller snakes force they way when the time for hiberna i : tion arrives. Consequently my method of ' snake hunting In the winter was to take with me a hoe to break open the ant hills , so aa to find the snakes concealed there. In consequence of ray having discovered this retreat of the snakes I used to add far more to my collection In the winter time than In summer. Nearly every deserted ant hill would have some snakes In U. Sometimes I would find as many as ten or a dozen In a single one , oftenen two or three , but as de- . scried ant hills ore very numerous my day's | catch would be quite considerable. The i snakes would seldom lie together In the ' same part of the ant hill , but would be scattered - tered generally throughout. That these do sentcd abodes of the ants were really the | very best spots In South Africa for makes to pass the cold winter In I have no doubt whatever , and they deserve credit for choos ing them , because the ant hill being honey- combed all through the interior and mostly weather-proof outside , the sun during the day would heat up the whole structure and the air in the chambers would preserve the warmth through the night. Shrew * Aunlu t Adder * . That the snakes were exposed to some enemy In the ant-hills was evident , for I would often find the skeleton of one cleanly picked. For a long time this puzzled me , until I noticed that I often found ne U of shrews In the ant-hills. Moat tiny quadrupeds - rupeds they were , not more than an Inch and a half In length , and weighing not I more than a quarter of an ounce , and yet I I have seen two of them kill a snake fit- I teen Inches long , and eat a great part of him afterward. Indeed , I have seen two of 'them attack a putt-adder three > feet long and as thick as a man's arm. Now the | puff-adder Is the most deadly snake In ( Africa , and still these two Incredibly small I animals were so diabolically savage and I I active that they would Infallibly have killed I him , If I had not prevented them. Thus It will be seen that the winter sleep of snakes Is likely to be disturbed by something very much worse than nightmare. Q. II. O'REILLY. Younir Woman Commit ! Suicide , CHICAGO. Dec. 23. The body of Miss Des- mania k&wton , who with her brother and sisters came to Chicago from Kansas City a few weeks ago. was found In her room to- day. She had < tak n chloroform and hod np- parently been dead tor two days. Miss Law- ton was supposed to bo vlsHlng friends In Evanston. She had been suffering recently from ill health. commanding manner and a knowledge of law uitjch Is not confined to the text-books , for mucTi of It is his own , and good at that. He has a profound respect for Blackstone , but says there Is lots ot law that that great Jurist never heard about. "Law , " says the alderman , "Is not so much for punishment ot evidence as it is a cure for evil doing. It is a medicine which much bo admonished according to t'ho ' symp toms. For Instance , the symptoms of wife- beating Is bullylsm. Knock the bullylsm out c the bully and he becomes meek and ' mild. Knock the same thing out of a wire- beater and he'll light the fires every mornIng - Ing , fetch the coal , nurse the baby and say , Yes dear' to his wife. "The lawyers think they know the law , " said the alderman , "but many of them don't. Justice and the law are not always the same , and. this court is run on the 'Justice- to-everyonb' " plan. ' "My word is law here , whether it is law or not" the alderman Is half Irish "and It goes whether the lawyers like It or not. , It they do not know how to manage a case 'I manage it for them. "Did you hear ot the man I bad here once ) for brutally attacking a child. No ? Well i the law says he should be held In $5,000 ball. His lawyers were ready to furnish It. "Do you suppose I'd let him go out on the streoto again a free man ? Not much. I 1 held him In 1100,000 , ball , and he went to Jail , wbero bo belonged. That was not law , but It was Justice. " Wife-Ueater Cnred of the Practice. The alderman had an habitual wife-beater before him on Monday night , Frank Over- field of Plymouth. The poor little wife , with blackened eye and badly bruised face , told how she bad bc n knocked down and kicked. The neighbors testified that It was a frequent occurrence. Overfleld himself laughed and showed no remorse. The 'squire wasted no time in hearing the othir aide of the case. "Overfleld , you brute , " he shouted. "I'm . going to teach you a lesson that you'll not soon forget , and if it does not make you behave yourself I'm very much mistaken. , , How old are you ? " "Thirty-eight , your honor , " said Over- field , wonderlngly. "Well' I'm ten years older , but take off your coat. " The alderman removed his stylish Prince Albert and his cuffs. I i "Shut that door , Constable Newton , " be I exclaimed , "and lock it , and you" turning 1 to the thirty or forty spectators "don't you move from your seats. " ' He arranged the paper * on his desk carefully - fully , moved back the reporters' table and , chairs to a clear space and then yanked Overfleld out ot the prisoners' dock. I "Put up your hands , " he cried , "for I'm going to give you the worst licking you ever got. " , Overfleld was too amazed to parry the right swing which landed on the side of his head , but when be picked himself out i ot the corner ho was full ot flght. And he could flght , too. In a rough-and-tumble fash ion and for a time gave the alderman all be could do ; but In the end science In the , shape of stinging left and right banders well placed and clever parrying , blocking and ducking , won. Wrestled In the Conrt Room. Overfleld was not the only sufferer , for he landed some vicious swings , which the i alderman felt. There was lively hitting for a minute or so , and then Overfleld. finding he could not land , clinched and the two fell to the floor. The alderman was Just as scientific a wrestler as a boxer , and a stran gle hold soon took all the breath and flght out of the wlfo-beater. HU honor never does things by halves , however , and having studied the symptoms 1 of wife-boating for twenty-three years , ho . sat on the prisoner and pummeled him right ' heartily , administering the proper dose and a llttlo extra for good measure. When bo at length paused to hear Overfield's cries for mercy the prisoner was quite ready to swear by all that was sacred that he would never ray a heavy finger on his wife again. . "If you do , " eald the alderman , and I then In the mldft of profuse protestations ot good behavior ho discharged the prla- , oner. I All of the spectators except one enjoyed the 'fight Immensely. The exception was David Rowlands , wnos * wife was waiting to tell how he hM beaten her. "David , " eald his honor , not unkindly , "this Is your first offense. Was the lesson you have Just learned one you wlir remem ber ? It it is you can go borne. " David went hastily. "The first time I thnufted a wife-beater , " said Mr. Donohue , "was in 18S8. He was a vicious fellow and bad nearly killed Ills wife. He got It worse than Overfleld , for I laid him up for a week or two. It did him good. Yes , sir. He's been a mighty good tusband ever since , "I had another several years ago. This was my third. I got letters from nil over bo world about my first case and I felt roud of some of them. One French society wrote me about U. I never heard , though , whether they adopted my method. They can t they want. It Is not. patented. "I've Just got a letter from a Philadelphia man about Overfleld. The man's name Is 3. S. Clark and bo sent me his book , 'Men- al Nuts to Crack. ' Wonder what kind of mslness he thinks I'm In. Ho says In his otter : " 'Good boy , Donohue. Do it again. I wish I was. there > to see It. ' In Denmml for Advertising Purpose * . "Ten years ago , when I thrashed the first onJ , Bomo nerve medicine firms sent me etters asking to bo allowed to use my name and picture and say under It , 'I use So-and- so Nervine and thrash wife-boaters. ' I'm no advertising agency , though. " Tha alderman first became famous by an Interesting settlement of an Intricate case when he was young In office. Two Irish women bad n. lawsuit over a goose. Both claimed It , and each produced ten witnesses to testify that It was hers. The evidence on each side was most direct and undlsputable. Each ten Identified the goose as belonging to the woman they rep resented. They all knew the geese from the tlmo it was a gosling. After bearing the evidence the alderman said to the prose- cutrlx : "Havo you a gander ? " "Troth , an' Ol1 have , an' a folne wan at that. " "Troth , an * 01' have , , an' a folno wan , " said the defendant indignantly. "Whoso gander did the goose keep com pany with ? " asked the alderman , seeing the end In sight " 'Twos molne , " exclaimed each woman. "Well , bring them both to court -this aft ernoon , " ordered the nrdermon. The women protested. "You won't , " said the alderman ; ythen I will , and he Issued a subpoena for each gan der and In due time they came in borne by two triumphant constables. A Modern Solomon. The alderman ordered everybody out tea a big field and the crowd that gathered there numbered about 500. Donohuo eent the two ganders to separate corners of the field In charge of the constables , and ho stood with the goose In the mlddlo of the field , "with tbo crowd behind him. When aW was ready his honor released tbo goose. The disputed bird ambled slowly to one gander , examined him for a moment and then went over to the other. After a few duckings they waddled down under the fence together and paddled into a brook. "That settles It , " cried the alderman. "Whoso gander is that ? " "Tho prosecutor's , " shouted back the con stable , "Case decided In prosecutor's favor ; de fendant wlir pay jail the costs , " said the alderman and the crowd cheered. On another occasion twins were born in a famlry supplied by a milkman with a quart of milk a day. It was a remote route end no other milkman went near It. The supply of this particular dealer was limited and when the family required three pints extra for the twins he would not supply It The father complained to the alderman. Donohue had him swear out a warrant for the milkman. When that worthy appeared j bis honor said , "You'll supply that house with milk If you have to build a pipe line , or you'n deal with mo. " The milkman , rather frightened , said he would try. "There will be no try about It , " ex claimed Donohue. "Those babies must be fed , and , what Is more , you'll make a dally report to mo that you've delivered the milk. " And the milkman did. A coal company was sued for docking a miner on the charge tghat the coal he sent to the breaker was dlrty. The coal com pany's lawyer claimed -that coal waa not marketable If it had 'more than 'S per cent of slate , and that the company n'ever sold any having that amount. Examined the Coal. The alderman Interrupted the lawyer's argument after this statement and sent a constable out for a big wheelbarrow full of ; the company's coal and a pair of scales. i When the coal came It was dumped on the ' floor and the Justice , who bad picked coal : In a breaker when a boy , carefully sep- arated the coal from the slate , despite tba , | protests of the lawyer that It had nothing to do with the case. "You can sing the whole opera of 'The Mikado * if you like , " said Donohue , "but this bos very much to do with thla case. It's your turn to hedge , " he said , as he piled up a lot ot slate. Then be weighed the slate and the coal. "You made a little mistake , " he said to the lawyer , "there's 37 per cent of slate in that coal. " Then he mounted his bench and ex- claimed : "The defendant wilt return the amount of wages docked and pay the costs , and 1 If this miner Is discharged because be boa i won his case well , there will bo another case. I know a thing or two about mining laws. " At another time an aged and poverty- stricken widow was cftut out of her house by the landlord for nonpayment of rent. He put padlocks on the door. When the woman complained to Alderman Donohue he hired a locksmith , bid the locks re- moved and sent the woman back to her house. Then ho bad the landlord arrested , fined him for trespass , made him pay the locksmith and present the locks to the widow. > Perhaps the most remarkable Instance of Alderman Donohue's eccentricities Is the fol- lowing Instance , which caused quite a furore In the courts of Montana. On the night of Cleveland's first election to the presl- dency the alderman was standlnc in front of a newspaper office , watching Cleveland majorities being bulletined. He was ap- preached by a man and woman whom ha knew. "We want you to marry us , 'squire , " sail the man. "Go away ; don't bother me , " exclaimed Donohue ; "I'm busy. " "But we want to get married. Come over to the offlce. " "Go away , will you ? " Donohuo cried , an- grlly , figuring up the majorities and calcu- latlng the amounts he'd win. The man pleaded so persistently that Don- ohue finally exclaimed : "Well , if you want to get married , I'll marry you right here , but not a step I'll stir. " "That will do , " they cried , and they were married forthwith. Marrlaice Record in a Hat. Donohue had no paper , eo be made a record ot the marriage on the white r.llk lining of his hat and forgot all about it until years afterward , Then there came a letter from the woman , who was In Montana. Her husband , a rail- reader , had been killed ; would Donohuo please forward the record of her marriage so she could get the Insurance from tb Trainmen's union ? Donobue was quite willing to do eo , but search through his docket failed to reveal It. He hunted high and low for weeks , la j the meantime corresponding with the I woman , and at last he bad to give It up. The woman wrote that she needed the money and that eho could not get it without proof of marriage. Donohuo replied that he was sorry , but he'd done bla best. Some months afterward be was at home during the spring cleaning. His wife came to him with a pile of hats. "Are these any good ? " ehe asked , "of shall I throw them out ? They've been In the garret for years. " Donohue selected a couple as worth keep- Ing and brushed them , On the lining ot ono I he saw some writing. It wa i the long-lost marriage record. Ho recalled the ctrcumc stances ot the strange wedding then , made affidavit to them and sent on the record , The union would not accept It and the woman took the case to court and won. Dr. Bull's Oough Syrup 1s the best remedy for j > coughs , colds , sere throat and grippe. This is the verdict of the people. CHICAGO'S IIIHD HOSPITAL. Vnlqne Institution that HBR Not It * Counterpart Anywhere. Tbo surgeon In charge ot Chicago's Bird hospital Is Mr. C. A. Cross or Dr. C. A. Cross , It should be and he Is a clear case of Inherited tendencies , being closely re lated to the celebrated William Cross ot old Hull street , Liverpool , England , who , In his day , enjoyed the reputation of being the greatest bird fancier In the world , In deed , a passion for birds runs through the whole family , though the Chicago doctor has , In particular , developed the hereditary Instinct. Fortunately , bis wife Is an equal enthusiast , and Mr. Cross attributes much of his success to her delicate care. The two constitute the entire medical and nurs ing staff of the hospital. Finding by personal observation that the diseases ot birds were for the most part exactly the same as those that afflict hu manity , Dr. Cross studied medicine- suffi ciently to become familiar with the nature and application of the moro common drugs. Since the establishment of his own unique institution , the coot ! doctor's fame has spread'abroad , until now invalid birds are sent to him from all over the country , a beautiful parrot for which bis owner had refused J300 having been sent to the hospital all the way from Denver. As with indi viduals , a largo proportion of the diseases form which birds suffer is the result of colds and Improper diet. "There Is no bird that can stand a draft , " said Mr. Cross , "and yet people who seem to adore their pets constantly leave them near open windows and doors. This Is par ticularly dangerous during the period of molting. " As I walked through the wards I was fre quently addressed by the Interesting con valescents. "Halloa , how do you do ? " sang out a beautiful old gray fclrow , who , how ever , hadn't a feather on his breast. He proved to be the victim of high living. His I over-Indulgent master has allowed htm to eat potato , meat and all sorts ot greasy food from the table , and now he was paying up j i for his good times by riving on a very strict diet , taking a good blood prlflor , and being eprlnkled every day with Indian cockle to keep him from plucking out his plumage. Next him was another bon vlveur who was suffering from gout , & disease to which birds of the upper tendom arc particularly liable. Their toes swe-ir In the regulation manner , and aomotlmea , Indeed , have to bo amputated. Of course at tbo hospital they have to come down to plain living and high thinking. "Poor Polly , " from a cage nearby , next attracted my attention , and there I found a bird of brilliant plumage who , however , ' showed an ugly tumor on her right wing. She bad already had one removed from her I left , and was undergoing the tame process for the one In vlow. The doctor's method for ' dealing with this trouble by no means an uncommon ono Is to take a silk thread previously soaked In an antiseptic , or A sil ver cord , and bind It tightly around the ex crescence ; every day he tightens the cord a llttlo , until the trouble disappears , of course treating the general system meanwhile. No sound came from the adjoining cage , In which , however , I caught sight of a pretty seedy-looking bird. Poor old fellow ! He was suffering from a bad case of tonsllltls , and his throat had that day been oper ated upon. Ho waa , however , being braced up on a decoction of whisky , quinine , Iron and water , and was bound to pun through. The little Invalids Instinctively recognize Mr , Cross as their friend and allow him to handle them with the utmost freedom. His method of administering medicine la to bold the bird quietly In one band , while with the other he drops the remedy with a medicine dropper on the side of the face , crosa to the bill. Enough Is sure to get Into the mouth by this process , while It the mouth ic forced open and the remedy dropped Immediately In , It is very likely to strangle the delicate little creature. During my visit to the bos pltul a woman called to consult the doctor In i regard to her canary , which seemed to be j troubled with sere throat and hoarsened j , The good old-fashioned remedy of onion syrup waa prescribed , to bo given In the manner Indicated. Catarrh , pneumonia , bronchitis , diphthe ria and Indigestion are among the most fre quent ailments , and birds , especially par rots , are almost always affected by any epidemic. During a period of Influenza , for Instance , the doctor had at one time 186 parrots on bis hands for treatment. Mr. Cross Is entirely modern which per haps means scientific In his treatment , anc haa exploded many an old tradition. Just as there was once a pathologlcar law to the effect that water must not be given a fever i patient , eo In blrddom , there Is still the statute that you must not give water to I parrot if you wish him to talk , and many a bird fancier even today tells a hopeful pur a.t chaser not to allow poor polly any water for thre-e months. This , Mr. Cross mys Is aa absurd as It Is cruel. Equally ridiculous Is I ' the notion that salt will kin a bird. Quite to the contrary , Mr. Cross' treatment for 9t digestion la to place a cup of warm , salt water In the cage , where the little creature can freely help hlmseK : "The sarao remedy that I would take myself , " said the doctor , "In CAM of dyspepsia. " Mr. Cross has recently Improved upon his original clever method of setting broken THE EXCELLENCE OF SYRUP OF FIGS is due not only to the originality and simplicity of the combination , but also to the care and skill with which it is manufactured by scientific processes known to the CALIFORNIA FJQ Svitup Co. only , and wo wish to impress upon all the importance of purchasing1 the true and original remedy. As the genuine Syrup of Figs is manufactured by the CALIFOHNIA Fia Svnup Co. only , a knowledge of that fact will assist one in avoiding the worthless imitations manufactured by other pur- ties. The high standing of the CALI FORNIA Fie SVKUP Co. with the medi cal profession , and the satisfaction which the genuine Syrup of Figs has B > 7 n to millions of families , n lies the name of the Company a guaranty of the excellence of its remedy. It is far in advance of all other laxatives , as it act * on the kidneys , liver and bowels without irritating or weaken ing them , and it does not gripe nor nauseate. In order to get its beneficial effects , please remember the name of the Company CALIFORNIA PIG SYRUP CO. SAX rMAKOIICO , Cat LOCUTII.I.E. KT. WEW T KK. w. Tt bones. InetcAd of n quill ho now uses tlno t tube * , such aa are manufactured ( or capsules. Around the broken limb he first binds n bit of antisepticcottou And over this slips a. sufficient length of the gelatine tube. When the limb IB set lie has only to pTaco It In warm water for awhile and the fliiup llttlo cylinder dissolves. Although with good care parrots may llvo to . bo 100 years old , they load air blrddom In the number and variety of their disease * . The English nightingale Is the moat delicate of nil the Ultra songsters , and rarely live * more than six months or a year In cap. ttvlty. Mr . llotUlu Drfrndu llcmrlf. SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 23. Mrs. Cordelia Dolklii was mi the witness stand In her < > \\n defense today. emphatically denied that she wrote anonymous letters sent Mrs. Dun ning , or that she nulled tl s candy which caused the drath of Mrs. Dunning and her sister , Mrs. Dcane. Yesterday she denied that she purchased ( he handkerchief sent Mr * Dunnlns's Htllo daughter , or that sh purchased nny candy from Haas' store , from which -the candy came. Woman's Work. . COVINGTON , Mo. , Jan. 29. I could not do my housework - work when I commenced to take Wine of Cardui , but 1 can do it all now , and have gained nine pounds in weight. I think it is a fine medicine , MRS. W. C FOSTER. The woman who goes about her homework , ilngtag and nlllng , with the ruddy alow of health upon her cheeks , U a sub ject for a painter * * masterpiece. There 1 $ no more Inspiring slant on the earth. But there arc thousand ! of housewives tortured - tured and broken down with diseases and drains peculiar to women. Many of them are utterly unable to do their hou * work. They drag out a miserable existence ! working away a * well as their strength allows. For these women there ls hope In Wine of Cardui , that long-tried and almost infallible vegetable cure for irregular menstruation , leucorrhoea , falling of the womb , headache , backache , and the lena line of diseases of a kindred nature. The above statement ol Mrs. Foster Is a message of hope to her suffering sisters. LAMES' ADVISORY DEPARTMENT. Will they go and do likewise ? ttor idvlc * la ou requiring ipe- Will they continue to be mar- 1 l direction ! , ildro i , rlTlniljmp- tarai. LaMif AAntonDtfortintnt , tyn when Wine of Cardui The Cb U oo M cUcl eOo. them ? It CbiUaooot , T nn. Is ready to rescue Is for them to decide. The Price for a Large Bottle Is $1.00. At Drug Store * . luugandthi-nnttiuulilex. bend ( or proof of It. ' It dues uot'alckcn or disagree with the stomach. Sate tor all ages. Dr. Kay's Lung Balm. Wrlto us , Giving nil symptoms plalolr and our Physician will give FKEK ADVICKi fiS-i ) K "ouk of Sold liy UruggUt * or ncnt by .mall , recipes nnd 11 FREE SAMPLE. Price , 1O cent * lid 35 cent * . Addroj Dr. B. J. KAY MEDICAL CO. , ( WrslernOffice ) Omaha , Neb. "THE MORE YOU SAY THE LESS PEOPLE ( REMEMBER. " ONE WORD WITH YOU SAPOLIO * V FOR A HISTORY OF THE EXPOSITION P& * T * ? The Bees souvenir editions together If contain a complete history of the great jg * enterprise , illustrated with beautiful | " half-tone engravings. We have a few * copies left of the ( Junt 1st ) $ -iu Peaca Jubilsa Editions for They contain pictures of the Grand -Court , the illumination , the build ings , the midway , all the officers , the vL directors , the Indian camp and sham % " battles , McKinley , his cabinet , the heros of the war all about the Peace Jubilee all about the Exposition. The Bos Publishing Co. , Omaha.