THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : WEDNESDAY , AUGUST 1) ) , 1899. 9
Nebraska's
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A Returning Heroes
History Beginning with the issue of August 6th will be published a series of the best pictures
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IT WILL INCLUDE
First
The Fatewells at Leaving Home On the Field and in Camp
Camp Life at Lincoln Fighting the Insurgents ,
Nebraska
Life in Camp at San Francisco * The return fo San Francisco
The Trip Across the Pacific Nebraska's Reception to Her Sons-
r simeiit Nebraska Boys in the Philippines Portraits of Nebraska's Heroes
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Pictures of the Companies-
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THE BEE PUBLISHING CO. , OMAHA , NEB.
A DESERT MADE GLAD.
A True Story of Harvest Time.
By GERTRUDE SMITH.
( Copyright , 1839 , by Gertrude Smith. )
The rod bud trees came into pink clouds
of bloom almost a month earlier than usual
and now In July fruit and grain. w.ero far
In advance of the season.
Mr. Starry -was 'helping AverUla husk
sweet corn for dinner out la the shade of
the house.
"I never saw anything like the way things
grow thin year , " he said. "Seems llko the
needs weren't moro than In the ground be
fore they were up and blooming. "
"I do two onrs to your one , pa ! " Avorllla
A- answered , catching up an car of corn nud
tripping It energetically of its husks.
"Now. you finish the rcet and ibrlng thorn
in. " She picked up the half dozen cars al
ready husked and started toward tha house.
"Who is that Just come In sight across the
pralrlo there ? " ( Mr. Starry asked. There
was a slight drawl in his tone.
Avorllla stopped , shading her eyes -with
her hand. The interest of a passing wagon
was sufficient to arrest oven her concen
trated energy , The prairie on this eldo of
the house was unbroken , stretching awtoy
for miles In soft undulations of color. To
the north and east unfenccd fields of grnlu.
joined other fields and nhlto farmhouses
showed hero and there.
"It Isn't John Conant , Is It ? " Mr. Starry
asked.
"Yes , that is Just who Is It. " Avorilla's
Iiand"dropped at her side. "And now look
here , , pa , don't.you ask him to stay to
dinner. " .
"Why- you -wouldn't want him to como
oed go Just of dinner time , would you ,
Averllla ? "
"Ilo.hasn't any business coming over hereto
to Dinner on week days. I guess tbore
would a lot be done If I tramped around the
country all the time as he does. "
Avoillla disappeared within the house.
Mrs. Starry came to the door after a mo
ment. She had a 'bandage ' around her head
and her face looked out > whlto and pathetic.
"You better do as Averllla says , pa. I
think myself It looks reasonable people
hould cal | John lazy , finding tluio to come
way over hero every other day I"
"I didn't know they had quarreled. "
"Sho told him not to come through the
week. I think myself Sunday's quite
enough. "
"And all he's coming for Is to show me
ho can , and I'll show him ho can't , " said
Avorllla from within.
Ho banded her the ears of corn he had
finished husking , went on to the barn , and
climbing the ladder to the hay mow began
pitching down hay for the horses.
John Conant whistled. loudly as ho un
buckled the harness and led his horses Into
the barn. ( He tied them In the two empty
stalls and went back and forth giving them
tbelr measure of oats.
( Mr. Starry crept Into the shadows of the
mow , He know that the mangers were empty
of bay , and that John would next climb
into the mow for hay to fill them.
fFho young man stood In the barn door
looking toward the house. A peculiar smile
played about bis mouth ,
"Mr , Starry , you're going to pitch some
hay down for iny hones , ain't you ? " be
called out cheerily.
Wr. Starry slowly eraled out of bin re-
treatl
"Good growing weather , isn't it ! " the
young man called again.
"Goodworking weather , too , " Mr , Starry
answered gruffly , as he tossed down the hay ,
"O , you don't say so ? Walt till you hear
what I'\e come over to tell you. You'll say
luck follows tb m that don't work. "
IMr. Starry backed himself out of the
mow and down the ladder. John Conant
stood waiting to meet him with a broad
smile. "Disturbance In the house ? " he In
quired with a knowlne nod.
"I guess you know as much about it as
I do , " 'Mr. ' Starry answered.
"Well , it will all bo serena whan I tell
Averllla what I've come over to tell her.
Now , look hero , father Starry , you don't
want to let that email pepper pod walk over
you. I llko her pluck and go us much as
you do , that's why I took to her , but , by
George , she can't run the earth. "
"You eecm to have como with the idea of
stopping a spell. "
"That's the size of it. I don't oeem about
to run. do I ? "
"I hope you'll got in and enjoy yourself ;
that's all I can say. "
They stood in the barn door and talked
uneasily of the crops and the weather.
Mrs. Starry came to the kitchen window.
"Pa , Averllla gays you're to como right
in to dinner. "
John Conant laughed boisterously. "Como
along ; I'll see you don't get hurt , " ha
eald. "I've got moro to settle with Averllla
than I thought. She'll be mightily ashamed
of herself when she , knows what I've coma
over to toll her. "
Avorllla was standing by the stove tak
ing up the eweet corn , A cloud of steam
enveloped her. She did not turn her head
as her father and lover entered the room ,
"You see 1 wasn't afraid to come in li
I wasn't asked , " John said , going toward
her ,
Averllla clacked tbo cover of tha tureen
over the corn. "You know what I told
you , " she answered , without looking around.
"Yes , and you know what I told you , bet
all that will pass when you hear the news. "
"I don't care anything about your news.
You went off mad the other night because
I eald you came bora too much , and mada
people talk , and I say It yet. I've got a
little pride , if you haven't. "
"And I told you I wasn't to be told what
I could del You've got that to learn right
from the startl"
'Mr. ' Starry stood small and Intimidated by
the young inan'u elde. "Averllla , think be
fore you speak , ho laitereu ,
Averllla put the tureen on tbo table and
grasped the back of a chair , "Well , you'll
find , John Conant , " she began , and then
turned and ran out of the room.
Mrs. Starry rose from her chair. "I must
say , for a person as sick as I am , this is
thoughtful. If you want to pacify her you
go about it in a queer ivayl"
"I'm not wanting to pacify her ! " John
Conant answered , savagely. "She's been
padded too often , that's what alls her , "
Tbo three sat down to the dinner table
In silence. Mrs. Starry sighed occasionally
and looked aggrieved.
"You might as well eat jour dinner be
fore it cold " she said last "
gets , , at , "Aver
llla won't como down -while you are here. "
Tdio young man eat looking darkly at the
untouched food before him. Ills anger was
Increasing with every moment. Suddenly bt
pushed his plato back and sprang to bla feet.
"Well , I'll give tow the satisfaction of
leaving without my dinner , but I'll give my
self the satisfaction of never coming here
again. I came over to tell you that the red
stone on my south eighty has been found to
bo valuable , and I've been offered double for
my farm that I ever supposed it would be
worth , and I'm eelllng out and going further
wcet. "
A\erlHa In her room under the eaves heard
the rattle of the light spring wagon as John
Conant drove out of the yard. She went t
tbo window. John had taken the south roac
to the Tillage His mustangs , encouraged
by a. good dinner , were bearing him rapidly
awayl
Averllla's anger bed lost Its white beat.
The fields , with tbelr richness of color , were
n a mlt of team. The sense of victory
was a leaden weight at her heart.
"He'll find he oan't hava things bis way , "
ebe eald , with firm lips , but the room
wheeled dlzitlr. Her heart told her John
bad gone with no purpose of returning.
II.
The harvest of small grains was over.
The corn , in advance of the season , bore
wavely an unusual weight of ears. It had
Deon over a month since John Conant had
driven away from the Btarrys and left his
dinner untouched on his plate. He had made
no orsrtura of reconciliation. When they
lad met at the postofnce in the village Aver-
ilia bowed , but he turned hl head and
walked away without a word ,
She beard of the .valuable building etone
that had been found on bis farm , and she
eaw men at work opening the now quarry ,
so she knew the place bad been sold.
She had driven over to the Tillage with
tier father ono morning at daybreak , and
they were coming home.
"I never saw anything like the way things
grow this year , " Mr. Btarry said , waving his
whip. "I'll bo bound that corn yields fifty
buehels to an acre. "
A flock of blackbirds rose out of the corn
with a whir of wings and flew away toward
the eouth. Averllla watched the blackbirds ,
but made no reply.
"Why , look 'What a black cloud over there
to the north , Averllla ! There's a storm
coming. Wo must whip up and get along
home. "
"That Isn't .a cloud , " iho answered ab
sently.
"Ain't a cloud ? I don't know what you
do call it , then ? I should eay it meant
wind. "
Mrs. Starry stood In the door as they drove
into the yard. She was watching the strange
dark , moving mass with a face of a farm.
"What on earth Is It ? " she colled. "Don't
elt there ; hurry into the bouse. "
But for hours the cloud apparently stayed
In the ssamo position , or moved so slowly
that the fear of immediate danger was sus
pended.
It was late In the afternoon. Mr. Btarry
was standing by biswife's side with bis
arms about her , Bhe had gone from ono
nervous convulsion of fear to another , and
now lay with closed eyes , murmuring prayer
fully.
Nearer and nearer the mighty cloud had
crept until the sky was overspread and all
itho country was in darkness. The cloud
parted and the setting aim shone full upon It.
There was a glitter of bright wings. From
time to time email particles of the cloud
wore dissevered and fell about her feet ,
"Grasahoppere ! " Averllla ran to the door
laughing. "It's only a ewarm of grasshop
pers , ma ! Come out and look at them. " She
had never heard ofthe grasshopper as a
pest.
pest.At
At first the insects dropped BO slowly that
the chickens feasted as they fell , then as a
shower of ball they covered the land.
For long days the raid continued , and all
the wealth of nature yielded to the bright-
coated Invaders. The brave corn fields were
stripped of their leaven , and not a kerner of
corn was { eft for the blackbirds. The stacka
of mall grain , many of them still un-
threehed , wera burrowed to the earth. Fruit
trees stood bare of fruit and leaves.
After a dream of terrible days the enemy
rose on triumphant -wing * end flew away ,
Averllla walk id down through the de
serted corn rows to tie tioodi. She wanted
to be alone , and away from ( he continual do-
m&nd her father and mother made on ber
for sympathy. She sat down under a tree ,
when she had reached the edge of the woods ,
and looked away through the mockery ol
bare boughs.
"I've worked night and day , night and day ,
I've made every
body uncomfortable nho wasn't working ,
and this is what comes'of it ! No ono thinks
or talks of anything but the crops and how
.hey've worked. I guess I've learned there
sn't any account taken of our work nor any
virtue in It. "
She burled ( her face In her bands and sat
.hlnklng for a long time.
"There Isn't anything but Just love , " she
/nought / "Everything else can go , but that
stays ! 0 , John. I wish you knew how It
stays. There wouldn't ' bo any trouble with
my pride now , that's all gone , tool"
After a while sbo got up aud dragged her
self slowly back to the house. Her father sat
n the doorway , smoking.
"John Conant's been here , " he said , "he's
; o.Jr < ; to stort out west tomorrw. He came
: o tray goodby. Ho said ho was sorry not
to see you again. "
" .Why didn't you tell him where I was ?
You knew. "
"Ma thought you wouldn't want it. She
let on you was up stairs. "
"How long has he been gone ? "
"There ho goes , Just over that ridge
yonder. He'll never como here again , Avor-
Jlla. Anyone will say h&'s done his part. "
Averllla turned and ran out to the barn.
3ho threw a brldlo over ono of the horse's
beads , and a moment later wee galloping
out of the yard.
John Conant heard the clatter of hoofs
behind , and , turning , saw Averllla riding to
ward him. He wheeled his horse about , and
rode to meet her , waving his bat in the air.
She waved her hand dn response. As they
met , be sprang from his horse and stood
close by hta horse's side.
"Well , Averllla Starry , this looks like the
girl you arc ! " ho cried. "Did you ride after
me to ask mo to come back to supper ,
eay ? "
"I rwas down In the woods. I hope you
didn't think I'd let you como and go if
I knew it ? "
"Yes. I did think so. I gave up com
pletely. "
"What made you stay away all this time ,
John ? "
"Same reason you didn't send for me ,
Averllla. " He had taken her hand. "You're
too high up to be satisfactory. Come down
here. "
She slipped from her horse , with her Arms
about bis neck.
"You've had a pretty hard time , havnn't
you ? Now don't cry ! Why you mustn't
feel like that ! "
"Much good all mywork has done me ! "
she sobbed.
"You needn't reproach yourself a word.
I am lazy , Just as everybody told you. I'd
much rather ride around and let lusk come
my way than work. It Is my luck to be
lucky , though. Why , I've sold my farm for
tbo first price , and got a better one out
west than you can find around here. The
folks were scared out by grasshoppers and
almoet gave It to me. "
She looked at him proudly ,
"I heard about your bujiug upill that
wheat. How did you come lo do that ? "
"There it la again. I was just riding
around , so I bought up twenty bushels here
and forty there , and a couple of hundred
hero. Everybody else stripped by the hop
pers , and hero I am with 6,000 bushels
worth tbelr weight In gold , and you riding
out to meet me and everything all serene !
I don't deserve a rap's worth of credit. It
is Just my everlasting luck. "
Averllla laughed. "I guess I'll take to
riding around with you and see what kind
of luck I'll have. "
Ilattlemiake Enter.
Savannah News ; Mosoo Henderson Is a
sable eon of Africa and fives two miles from
Americus In a rock field , where rattle
snakes are most plentiful , Moses makes
a living by capturing snakes and selling
them. Whenever be cannot sell them he
eats them. This is the truth , as strange
at it may team , Last week he killed a
large one with eleven rattles on it. This
was a fat snake and Moses ate It. The
other day he brought a very large snake to
the city , trying to sell Its hide. There
were twenty-three rattles on It. The snake
was very poor and Moses Enid It would not
do to eat and ho stuffed Its bide and sold
It for a good price. Every year Moses
makes a good deal of money selling snake
oil. He says right down the vertebrae of
a rattlesnake Is a fatty streak of flesh that
makes an oil , when fried , that will cure
any case of rheumatism. It Is strange to
how many people he sells this rheumatic
snake oil. Ho has a long list of certificates
from people.he has cured. Some of them
are from intelligent whites , who declare
that the oil has cured when all other rem
edies have faired. He sells a phial of the
oil for $1 and guarantees a lasting euro.
Moses says his father was an African
hoodoo doctor and taught him how to cure
all aches and pains with snake oil. The
negroes of Sumter county venerate and fear
him as a mysterious doctor who can euro
when all else falls and look upon his snake
oil as something enchanted.
AIUZONA'S PETIUFICD FOIIEST.
'Mont ' ImprcBHlvc of the JfnturnlVoii -
ilem of that Territory.
The Territory of Arizona Is a vast mu
seum of natural curiosities , Including many
of the most wonderful In all the world ,
says a writer In the Chicago Record. The
atmosphere , the climate , the mountains ,
the BOH , tbo rivers , the forests are filled
with phenomena , many of which exist no
where else. In the desert , three hunderd
miles square , with Flagstaff as a center , are
spread out a variety of wonders of which
the people of this country have little or no
conception , but if they were in Europe or
Asia thousands of our citizens would cross
the ocean to see them. Doing within only
two or three days' Journey of Chicago and
easy of access by frequent trains of sleeping
and dining cars and other modern luxuries
of travel they are overlooked by the mul
titude and are practically unknown.
To my mind , next to the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado , the most interesting and
Impressive of the natural wonders of this
great Arizona museum is the petrified for
est , which covers nearly 100 square miles ,
within easy distance , either on foot or horse
back , from Billings station , on the Santa Fo
railroad , but it can too moro easily reached
by carriages from Holhrook where better
accommodations can toe found. Tbo gov
ernment explorers have chlstened it Chalcedony
deny park.
fThe surface of the ground for miles and
miles around is covered with gigantic logs
three or four feet In diameter , cetrlfled to
the corn. ( Many of them are ' , -ansluccnt.
Some are almost transparent. AH present
the most beautiful shades of blun. vpllnw
pink , purple , red and eray. Some are llko
gigantic amethysts , norno resemble the
emoky topaz , and eome are as pure and
whlto as alabaster. 'At ' places the chips of
agate from the trunks that have crumbled
Ho a foot deep upon the ground , and It Is
easy to obtain cross sections of trees showIng -
Ing every vein and eveii the bark. Com
paratively little of this agate has been used
In manufacturing , although It is easy to
obtain. Manufacturing Jewelers of New
York have made table tops and boxes and
other articles from strips that have been
sent them , and it the material were not so
abundant its beauty would command enor
mous prices. Where you can cot a carload
of Jewelry for nothing you are not likely to
pay high prices for it.
'A ' bird's-eye view of the petrified forests
on a sunny day suggests a gigantic kaleido
scope , The surface of the earth resembles
an infinite variety of rainbows. The geolo
gists say this great plain , now 5,000 feet
abovu the level of the sea , was once covered
by a forest , which was submerged for ages
in water strongly charged with minerals ,
until the fibres of tbo trees were thoroughly
soaked and transformed Into eternal stone.
Many of the trunks are still packed In a
deposit of fine clay , which was loft by the
receding waters , but the erosion of the wind
has pulverized much of the clay and car
ried It off In the air , exposing the secrets
that nature burled under Its surface.
Ono great tree spans a deep gulch , forty
feet wide. It lice where It fell centuries ,
perhaps ages , ago , and Is a most beautiful
specimen of petrified wood. The rings and
the bark can bo easily traced through the
translucent agate , and it is firm enough and
strong enough to last as many centuries as
1 has already spent In Its peculiar position.
It Is undoubtedly the only 'bridge ' of agate
tn the 'world , and alone Is worth a long
lourney rte sec.
The Indians of the southwest used to visit
the petrified forests frequently to obtain
agate for their arrow and spear heads , and
the material was scattered over the entire
continent by exchange between the different
tribes , from the Isthmus of Panama to
Uerlng sea. The great deposit hero explains
where all the arrow heads of moss agate
came from , and other weapons and Imple
ments of similar material that are found In
the Indian mounds and graves of the central
and western states. In the stone age the
agate of the petrified forest was the very
best material that could < be obtained for
both the Implements of war and peace of the
aborigines. A scalping knlfo could he made
very easily from ono of the chips of agate
and could bo ground to a very fine edge.
Many crystals were used for Jewelry and
ornament also.
FILHMNO SAVINGS DAMCS.
Fancy Iron Chen I M Scoured by tlio
'Slant ' Intricate Ii < xkn. ;
Nearly every provincial Filipino of thrifty
propensities puts his savings , not In a
Manila bank , but In a strong box , eay Les
lies' Weekly. The box Is usually a fancy
Iron chest of small dimensions , but la se
cured by locks and bolts enough to defy a
Cblnceo locksmith. The outer keyhole Is
the first secret of the box , and Is usually .
hidden under some moving Iron band that |
embellishes the chest. After raising the
first lid there Is ono or two more that must
bo opened , and tbo locks or bars of these
nro equally hidden though in most
cases simple to the Ingenuity of tbo Yankee
soTdlcrs. The whole contrlvanco Is a relic of
Spanish feudalism and as a place of safety Is
an easily-solved toy to the Ingenious Ameri
cans. The Filipinos , however , found It neces
sary , while under Spanish friars , to secrete
tholr savings from the watchful eyes of the
officials and priests. It was the custom to
bury the box under a tree near their houses.
When our soldiery swept over the country ;
and villages around Manila hundreds of these
strong boxes were unearthed. In most cases
the natives had anticipated the soldier , and
fled with his earnings , but It was often the
case that time was too short , under our rapid
advance , to unearth and unlock the strong
boxes , so that when our troops had drhen ,
out the Insurgents many of tbo boxes were
found. In some cases the chest wns found
above the ground , but on account of the In-
trlcato system of locks tlmo was not sufll-
clent for the Filipinos to withdraw the
money. Sums ranging from $100 to $2,500
were found. I mot a soldier one day hurrying
to the rear after wo bad taken a vlllago
north of Mantra.
"What Is your men ? " I asked.
"I guess you would rush , " ho eald , "if you
found $400 In Spanish gold. "
"What are you going to do with It ? " I
eald.
eald."Well
"Well , I am going to buy a draft on Now
York and send it to my mother , and I am
going to do It Just as fast as my legs will
carry mo. Good-bye. "
And off ho went , and I didn't qucatlon tlio
propriety of tbo act. For he was one of many
I heard of , and I doubt if all of the "finds"
served such a good purpose.
Irritating stings , bites , scratches , wounds
and cuts soothed and healed by DeWltt's
Witch Hazel Salvo a sure and safe applica
tion for tortured flesh. Bow are of counter
feits.
Orniircc Colored Shirt * .
New York Evening Post : A man who hasi
spent a great deal of his tlmo In India saya
that ho found much comfort whllo there In
wearing an orange colored shirt. This was
a practical application of the principle
recognized In photography , that the sun's
rayn pass with difficulty through yellow , und
may bo a suggestion to persons obliged to
work In the nun , even In this temperate ,
climate. Orange shirts might bo a boon to
many workmen.
OH ! SO SUDDEN.
He What is your favorite in the music line ?
She-rWeddinE March ,
