TIIE OMAITA DAUY BEE: "WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER Co, l)Ul.
!i Skitters and
Hy MORTIMER
(Copyright, 1001, by S. S. McClure Co.)
PAUT I.
n. O, skitter.
How great events depend on trivialities!
A chain of circumstances, In themselves In
significant, brought us together, a llttlo
group of strangers, ami drew us finally Into
that tragic adventure of which to much
has been said and written. The first of
these circumstances was no doubt my stop
ping to speak with Skitters, Fl. 0. Skitters
of Buffalo, one day In April last.
Skitters since I have known him has
always been full of enterprise and of
schemes more or less crazy to make a for
tune In an hour. Hut the spring of the
Pan-American year with Its dazzling poisl
bllltles which affected some stronger heads
teemed utterly to turn a head originally
none too steady. When I saw him that
morning he wan loitering feverishly on the
corner uf Niagara street and Main and glar
ing like a tiger at the crowds which went
to and fto. There was a feel In the air
of adventure and success and the man on
the corner seemed to bn maddened by It.
He began to rave "Three good thlngH
gone wrong," said he. "Three elegant,
gllt-cdge, safe Ideas, all gone to smash It)
ft week!"
"How so?" I Inquired.
"Oh, the ea.nc old fogies. Men that I
1 lid to git Interested wouldn't take "cm
up. No more nerve In this town! nut,
say, for heaven's sake. If you know of any
thing real good that's doing let me In, will
you?"
"Srnie horo," remarked a weary voice be
ido us. A youth with a derby hat on the
hack of hla head and a clgnr stump. In the
corner of his mouth had paused In his aim
less strolling. I recognized him as a dls
tanco acquaintance, one Curlcy flowers,
somewhat well known among the East Sldo
gangs. Curley has Imagination' and even
cultivate the Muse. I made the suitable
Introductions Hnd happened to remark:
"Mr. Skitters here Is Interested In some
I'an-Amcrlcan enterprises,"
"N ot now," ho answered darkly, "I
wouldn't touch such wtld-cat schemes:
hnvon't the time anyway; too busy." His
mood had changed and he eyed with a cer
tain pitying melancholy the people that
went past us, ephemeral of the hour.
"Look at 'em," said he, "and every other
ono has got some kind of a bee buzzing,
restaurants, notions and sideshow fakes,
anything, anything to coax n dollar out of
the poor visitor. They'd bettor git on to
one of them big yellow oars ami go down
to Niagara' Falls and float over."
Young flowers wan-moving leisurely away.
At this casual remark he half turned round,
and said: "I know of a feller In this town
who says he can do the trick."
"Do what?" asked Sklttorn. "what'B he
talking about?"
"Go over the Falls," replied Curlcy.
"Shoot Niagara. Course he'd need some
thing to do It In." He spoke with a tired,
dispassionate air, and drifted on.
"Wruld be quite a scheme, wouldn't It?"
said Skitters, and his eye lighted fitfully
aa It rested for a moment on one of the
yellow cars. "What an advertisement!"
And we talked of something else.
But the very next day he, Skitters, rushed
Into the ofllce where I was. "I've found
It! I've found It!" he exclaimed.
"Found what?" I asked.
He dropper Into a chair, and lowered his
voice, hut he was quivering all over with
eagorness, like a hound who points the '
game. "In this hero town." said he. sol
emnly, "up near Black Rock, there's an old
fellow that's an Inventor, and he's had
hobby for years, He works In a bicycle
repair shop, but night limes he works on
the hobby an Invention. And, by Gad,"
(his volco fell to a whisper). "I most be
lieve that ho's got something there at last.
Where's that young follow," Skitters cried,
"that we were talking to yesterday?"
"Who? Oh, young Bowers?" eald I.
"What do you want of him?"
"Do'you remembe- what ho said?" Skit
ter replied, "about knowing a fellow who
wanted to go over Niagara. Well, by heav
ens, I'm a-going to give him the chance."
"I went to the telephone and called up
a grocery store out on4the Rast Hide, on a
corner opposite to Gugglchelmor's old sa
loon. Around that corner, ns I knew, relics
of one of the old street gangs of Buffalo
still loafed and loitered through the heavy
hours.
"Hello," said 1 Into tho telephone. "If
Curley Bowers Is near there will you please
ask him to como down town?" and I gave
the name and number.
Skitters meatiwhllo had eat down by the
window. From that window ono can see
two empires facing tho waters ot Lake
Krlo. wide and blue, and the point where
those watera pass to quietly and unsus
pectingly Into tho clutch of the strongest
of rivers. Skitters gazed upon this scene
with a now appreciation.
"Looks quiet and gentle enough out there,
don't It? he observed. "Who'd ever guess
what there was a few miles down yonder?
What a chance for somebody!" Ho went
off Into deep musing and presently came
out of It to chant a kind of song to me,
the song of the "Dollar Hunter."
After a while Curley Bowers sauntered
In, still doing tho dignified. Llko some of
his kind, In tho presence of strangers he
affected a pollto aud lofty Indifference, his
notion of good manners. We explained that
we wanted particulars about tho man who
thought ho could swim Niagara.
"Well," replied Curley, "ho's a feller
uamed ,Jske Westerman a Dutchman. He
kind of bangs on to the edge of our push
an' he's .i sort ,of queer feller always ijoln'
things that others won't, makln' long swims
'n dives, you know, 'n' Jumpln' off'n ole
vators. Well, one day he had some kind
or job down at Niagara Falls 'n' when It
was done he went over 'n' looked at the
place 'n' askod questions ubout logs that
had went over, V Graham's barrol, and so
forth. Ho's been down thero lots of times
slnco to poko around whenever ho had the
carfare 'n' they say that he'll set down
ever, lanie nock 'n' watch tho water V
think for hours. He's a sort of a queer fel-
ier tie uon t never say much, but I've
beard him say that with soma kind of a rig.
a barrel or something he'd try It as suro
as oeans.
"Now, ycu listen to mo." said Skitters im
presalvelv. "I've found tho rig. I want you
in kpi mm letiow ami I want you to bring
him over to Black Uoek: hore's tho address
-tomorrow ut 2 p. m. I'll bo there aud
we'll go down to Niagara Falls and look
over trie ground. You come along, too,"
tdded Skitters, graciously, to me. "It's a
thing worth aeelng.
But soon other matters Interveued and
Skitters and I were late to that rendezvous.
When we reached the house at Black Rock,
Bowers and his mysterious friend had come
and gazed and gone, Thoy bad seen the
Invention and left word that wo could find
them down nt tho falls. GUIs, the Inventor,
was a shambling, shy old man of about 60,
with somewhat of ernnlty gleam In hi
weak yca. Ho led tho way mysteriously
aiound the house, past the repair shop, and
to a little wrodshed lu the rear. There he
pulled aside a canvas and we looked upon
his masterpiece, the labor of his love.
It will be easily understood that I can
act, at the jpMent fime, attempt to da-
t
O. WILCOX
scribe this apparatus very closely. Every
body knows that It Is some kind of a pneu
matic suit, but In reality GUIs' much dls
cus&rd Invention looks rather llko a huge
cigar and Is an Intricate contrivance of
rubber and steel springs. A certain frco
dora and power of movement are allowed to
the limbs, which close In upon a trunk of
great rigidity, and the headpiece looks not
unlike a diver's helmet. Ignorant as I am
of such things, It seemed to mo, even then,
that a person encased In this might emluro
tremendous buffeting and frightful shocks,
and possibly keep tho breath of life awhile
amid a whirling chaos.
The Inventor was speaking and looking
at us with n childish, shy pride. "We
"WE DRKW IT UP ON
rolled It off'n the roof of the house," said
he, "with a boy In It and It didn't never
hurt him."
That If. pietty Ingenlouo." I said to
Skitters as wo came away, "but to drop
over Niagara Falls In! Do you think it
would ever work?"
"Looks ns though It might, anyway," ho
musingly replied, "and that would do Just
as good." From which I guessed that ho
had his own Id.ms.
Then we two got upon a car and rode
down past Tonawanda and the open coun
try beyond. Presently we caught sight of
the river abovo LaSalle, with Its watera
moving onward quietly to their doom, n
llttlo restlessly -jerhips, hut. as Skitters
had eald: "Who would ever guess!" My
companion viewed this scene with compla
cency and I listened to n dissertation from
his lloa on the utility of Niagara.
"Seems as though somebody would have
thought of It bofore." he ended. "I won
der no one ha'ln't and 1 shouldn't wonder
a bit If they'd bo doing It. a-follow!ng on
my footsteps." He glared around with un
Injured ulr. "This year there's big Induce
ments tn do It. This ain't the year for
small fakes."
At Prospect Point we found Curlcy Bow
ers awaiting us, Ho was alone, but ex
phlncd that hla friend waa across In
Canada, looking at the river. For myself
ho had olready begun to eocra almost a
myth, this singular being who wanted to
go over the falls. Wo three crossed the
bridge and stopped to gaze upon the view,
then on down the bank of the Canadian
sldo ano" saw thero n lonely figure neated
upon a wot rock and staring fixedly up at
tho cataract. Curley approached and
touched him, then with a graceful wave
of his paw said: "Let mo make you gents
acquainted" and did so.
We.iterman was, as I now remember him,
a short and very thickset young man, In
whom tho life lay deep. Ho nppcared to be
somewhat stolid, yet at the same time In
terested me. The curious, absent look In
his eyes Impress! mo even then, and he
nan also an expression which Is, I bcllovo,
characteristic of those who love daring ven
tures. If you havo ever watched a man
about to try, say, a high dive, you will
kiiow wnai westerman's constant manner
was, lie spoKe very little, and appeared
Altl.nv -..11.... 1 . . .. ,
wii.n oiiiiiu ur any, iim Ktjn turning nis
eyes toward the cataract above us. Seen
from down there ono could Imaglno that the
waters of all the lakes were being tipped
over upon onn out of the sky, and the clouds
abovo vanished behind that ovorhanglng
brink.
"Aw," romnrkod Bowers at last, "give
us something simpler, netter go down 'n'
take a swim In the whirlpool, Jake, 'n' lot
her go at that."
"Do you roally think," I questioned West
erman, "that any man could go down that
place and live?"
"Well," replied he, thoughtfully, "up
thero I can't help thlnkln' that tbcroil bo
a kind of a chance. Tho American fall la
no good, and besides they've spoiled It
drawli) the water off. This fall here Is
lower than the American, and there's lots
more water to float In, and tfmt, I guess,
would be my chance. Thcro's a placo up
there where the curve Is that I've looked at
a good deal. Water seems friendlier, some
how, and It keeps a-goln' over and a-goln'
over so easy" Ho recovered hlmsolf with
an effort and became sullen again. "But
I'll tell you what," he added o Sklttors,
"you'll have to get that rubber rig and send
It over first. I want to see how she stands
It."
"Oh, yea, of course, of course," Skitters
replied. Ho had not been looking, at the
falls, but at Westerman Bnd the rest ot
us. Treeently he drew me apart.
"Well," said he, and cocked his head on
the Falls
!
- .-
- -.--.- SJMt
one side like a bird.
"Pooh ' replied I. 'it's mere madnecs.
Niagara means death."
"Death?" said he, chesrfully. "I should
say It did. Death and your bones mashed
up. What's that got to do with us? Now
that we've got the man and the machine
for the public to look nt, nil that we need
Is good management, and that's where your
llttlo friend comes In. Yes, sir." he cried,
and swelled with the sublime Ideal, "Just a
little good management and we've got the
fake of fakes."
"I refuse," sold I with proper severity,
"to become a party to nny fraud upon the
public."
"Oh, well." he replied, still cheerful,
"we'll arrange It some way." Skitters and
1 rode back to Buffalo together, leaving
the two others to lurk about tho place
and enjoy their own society.
That wus the last that 1 saw for some
little time of Skitters and his Niagara
Navigation company. When I met him
again he reported that arrangements were
being perfected; that he had a rowboat
all ready below the falls and a scheme
worked out to put the supposed swimmer
THE BEACH AND BEGAN TO OPEN THE
Into the river above. "And we'vo tried the
rubber suit!" he exclaimed ono day. "We
pent It over by moonlight, night beforo
last. It got bumped a bit, but stood It
pretty well, dills, though, Is such an old
fogy, always afraid that his Invontlon Is
going to git hurt. I've got Westerman
down there, learning the ground nnd prac
ticing with the suit. All he needs to do Is
seem to glt In above the falls and then
seem to glt took out below, and then Oh,
mamma, tho world Is ours!
"I'll have somo peoplo fixed all right,"
he used to hint mysteriously. And tho
motto that he gave his followers was, "Re
member Stevo Brodlc."
Ho began to bo afraid, horribly afraid,
that somo ono would be before him. There
were, Indeed, as may bo remembered, vague
rumors of attempts upon the falls, for such
Ideas seem at times to come llko a conta
gion. Skitters got so at last that he would
eye the people who got upon the yellow
cars with a positive hatred. Ho saw a rival
In every travelor and chafed at the flight
of hours. "Somo one will beat us yet,
some ono will beat us yet," he used to
bitterly cry. But for myself I had begun
to lose all Interest In his scheme, believing
that It would end In nothing.
Thon came that day In June, a memorable
day In the history of Niagara. On tho
drowsy hush of a noon hour' the telephono
bell in tho ofllco suddenly Jarred. I went
to tho telephone, expecting some ordinary
message, but It was a bo,y's volco from far
away which was speaking and a strango ex
cltement was vibrating In It.
"Hello, hello," that voice said. "Say,
this is Bowers, down at tho Falls. Wo'ro
goln' to try that thing today: you'd better
como on down. And say," the voice seemed
to hcsltato. "I can't quite make out Wes-
torman, I'm kind of afraid he means to
Come on down, will you?"
I hung up the receiver and did some sober
thinking, Ie began to dawn upon mo all at
onco that Skitters and I had been playing
with fire, If the expression may be allowed
In this connection. I had heard of how men
could sometimes keep gazing upon n dan
gerous thing until tho wish to conquer It
became a mnnlr. with them, And I remem
bered tho queer look I bud seen In Wester
man's eyes and tho answering gleam In the
eyes of Curley Bowers. They belonged to a
gang whose creed was to "take no bluffs"
and whoso Ideal was audacity. A presenti
ment of danger camo heavily upon me and
a feverish longing to bo away, and 1 wont
down Into the street, almost running Into
people as I went, and boarded ono of the
yellow cars .which go to Niagara Falls.
l'AUT II.
The Ape of the Horseshoe,
Arrived nt tho city, I hurried across to
he other bank, where I knew that Skitters
and his party would bo found,
All that day Wcstcrman and Curley
Bowers had lain and watched the rapids
and tho cataract from those high grounds
of Canada, where one can see them best,
The Immensity ot. trie thing, which grows
upon one gazing, did not daunt, but fas
cinated them; perhaps the very Insignifi
cance of any human atom gelng down that
watery road made the thought of the
descent less terrifying. Yet even to thoie
daredovlls the attempt could hive promlsol
hardly bolter than magnificent death.
Bowers tells me that his companion talked
strangely, when he talked at all, and that
ttere was a look upon his face all day not
to bo understood.
He was a genuine product of the streets
and the water fronts, without a settled
trade and without relatives, so far as I
can learn. It Is said that he had trie!
unsuccessfully to enlist In the army; he
surely had the courage. Unsuccessful In
most things, ho no doubt had been a street
Arab who dreamed, a young man who
pltked up a livelihood, as Curley said', doing
odd Jobs of work and the minor feats of
, daring. It was not the training to make
him refuse vhen Skitters came with his
I glittering offers to find him money and
notoriety If he would pretend to do the
hugest feat of all. Westerman was ns much
a piece of drifting wreckage In the cur
rent as though he had been drawn Into the
Niagara and carried down to tho brink
from the city up above. But tho more that
he watched and studied the river the more
did the, strange fascination of It and the
longing to conquer It and I cannot helo
thinking also a certain deep honesty pf
nature preserve him from the fakir's part,
i He and Skitters, on the whole, were work
I Ing at cross-purposes and with very differ
i ent minds.
! For Skitters In tho meantime had been
making his arrangements for the fraud with
a cheerful, tireless Industry. Day after day
had teen him down at the scene of action,
taking measurements and "fixing people."
Tho pneumatic suit had Indeed been sent
successfully over the Canadian falls. Skit-
tors, I believe, had persuaded certain men
upon that side that the same thing would
merely be done again this day; artful stage
management and the gift of gab would make
PNEUMATIC SUIT.
it appear that a man had been inside the
suit this time, and such truly enough was
the program as Skitters planned It. The
one element to Interfere, the Infatuated dar
ing of a man of the old Germanic war breed,
Skitters could not estimate. "This kind of
thing needs a head like mine to do it," said
he when he saw mo como, and ho mopped a
seaming brow, "but It's all flggored out
now."
I arrived upon the stage In time to seo,
but not to take a part. The characters were
already grouped for tho play which might
become a tragedy It was too lato for rac to
Interfere with the performance had I known
how. As Skitters and I walked up past
Table rock ho pointed ahead toward the
wooded ahoro that borders the Canadian
rapids. We looked across wild waters and
saw even at that moment two men come
suddenly out of the bushes close hy the
river and bend over something which lay
between them on the ground. "That's him,"
said Skitters, "and the professor, old crank,
he's so dead afraid that his suit may glt
hurt. He doesn't care so much about the
man." For tho inventor nlso, it seemed,
was In the cast, and his part was to put
Westerman Into his invontlon, and after
ward to let him out again, not so publicly
an easy thing to do with nobody very near,
A car on tho trolley road had stopped somo
distance away and the people In It were
staring suspiciously and with that halt hyp
nottc bewilderment which a mystery causes.
"See 'em rubber," Skitters said compla
contly. "They think that this Is genuine.
Woil be In the papers tomorrow." Ho
turned and started back to look to his ar
rangements. for he had a boat all ready on
tho lower waters to assist In the deception.
Westerman had instructions to hurry down
along the bank and be fished out ot the
stream below, and tho press agent would
do tho rest.
But Just abovo the point where one cntcrr
the elevator I mot Curley Bowers, and hit
eye3 wore alight with a strange excitement
"He swears he's goln.' to do it; he swears
he s. goln" to do it!" cried tho lad In some
thine botween terror and delight, "an' no
'body knowB but me." Wc stood In a lino
with tho cataract and stared at It rather
blankly, while the spray drenched and the
roar deafened us. Before us we could seo
the point where the precipice retreats and
forms almost a funnel, the npex of the so
i called Horseshoe fall, Volume of water was
what Westerman desired, and out thero the
water wall was green with depth where the
lakes went toppling down. There are hours
of ho day when tho Canadian sboro np
pears almost deserted, and this was one
of them. Tho few people walking about
seemed like little puppets) we ourselves
seemed puppets, In n stage scene, and with
that scenery! The wholo business was un
real, with those two burly figures up the
river bank, the little silent peoplo lu the
trolley car looking on and Bowers and I the
while obliged to move along deliberately
keeping up appearances, and to know that
matters were out ot our control, All day
the slty had been cloudy, but now at sun
set the sun came out and showed off the
green and white of tho crumbling waver
that moved from abovo past the Islands In
endless procession and threw long shadow
down to the vortex. The swimming suit lay
motionless upon tho rocks and Westerman
had disappeared. ",Oh, he'll never dare!" I
said to Bowers, and turned tq look after
Skitters, but Just then tho hoy clutched my
arm and pointed. I say but Indistinctly It
seemed to mo as though an empty suit bad
been pushed Into the current by Its In
ventor, but Curley Bowers, with keener
eyes, had dropped upon one knae, straining
fiercely forward, and he cried; "He'll try
It! He'll try It! By G , he's coming
down!" t
For c moment the clumsy misshapen form
seemed to lie motionless In the water,
then It stirred and made a strokt or
two. And with that the current
caught it and whirled It forward,
pitching and stumbling through the waviJ.
As though in mockery the river plajed
with it awhile and drove It downg against
that reef of rocks which show above ths
water parallel with shore. When we saw
the German clutch at these and Ho there. It
seemed to us that It was not too late and
that he might yet bo saved. For, perhaps
the space of two minute, he rested against
tLcso rocks and he may havo heard our
shouts of encouragement, but who can
guess what was going on In hi mind as
ho hung there over death. He stirred
again spasmodlcAlly at last, rolled over on
his side Into deeper water and with reck
less valor which made us gasp to ttc it,
swam straight for the apex of the Horse
shoe. Skitters the while was coming up be
hind us; when he beheld that sight he
turned around and ran away, uttering
strange noises, But Bowers and I, rs
we saw the Alsatian tako thus his one
chance for life and victory, were seized
with a new mad recklessness, so that wo
fcrgot the stake, forgot the ghastly odds
and began to shout encouragement again.
0, good boy, good boy, Pete, we cried.
(We must ourselves hnvo been half-craiv.)
"Go on there; you can do It!" The water
caught him again and shot him forward:
It all passed rapidly as an accident. That
moment when the black form hung poised
upon the brink of the abyss was not to be
forgotten, He had s.wung himself around
to go down feet foremost; he seemed to
shoot out nnd to Itccp tho crest of the
water skillfully enough nnd fell with It
through crashing space and clouds of blind
ing vapor to tho bottom of the precipice
150 fent below
Upon the placo seemed suddenly to rest
a solemn hush and quiet for nil the move
ment and the uproar. Curley Bowera nnd 1
stood peering nnd watched the water going
over so majestically, as though we half
expected that It might bring him back. A
rainbow had appeared and hung across tho
chasm; behind us the sun was shining and
the world v -t on as usual. But from out
the misty, nholng gorge faint voices and
strango noises seemed to rise, nnd Curlcy
Cowers was shivering, nnd talking to him
self. "He's gone," the lad lamented; "poor
old Westermnn, he's off the mep! Wouldn t
that Jar you?" Then ho pulled hlm3clf
together nnd started to run down toward
tho elevator. "Cm on," he shouted to me.
"Let's see this circus through. "
'Bcsldo the elevntor we found Skitters,
his face a pale pea green. "Look n-here,"
hi cried, with a knowing air, "this thing Is
getting pretty close to risky. We'd bettor
look out for our scnlps, and cut and run."
But Bowers, showing his teeth llko a wharf
rat. snarled: "Who enres about your scalp?
There's a game man gone down there.
You've got a boat, 'n' you'll come along n'
holp got him out." So wc hurried, down
to the lower river where tho boat wns,
Skitters and his company. Wc must havo
been a curious collection! The Inventor
had rui down and Joined us, his eyes bulg
ing and his month wido open. Even thon
he seemed to he principally concerned about
tho fate of the suit. From his somewhat
fragmentary remarks I gathered that after
ho had carefully Inclosed Wcstcrman In
this, plain for nil men to sec, tho German
had quietly rolled off Into tho water. He
had gone down to keep tho nppolntmcnt,
Indeed, but In his own fashion; old Gills
was still Indignant at the trick. We
crouched there, meanwhile, on tho stonos,
nnd watched the writhing water come out
from tho shadow of the precipice with queer
long streaks in it. Bowers nnd Sklttors
and tho man who had charge of the boat
pushed off In this; they went a long way
out and as far ns they dared up the stream.
Yet It was close inshore and very near us
that wo caught sight of the object of our
search, and the sight of It gave us all a
start. "Seo, see; there it Is!" muttered
old Gills and pointed. Wo watched It with
a kind of awo aB though It had been un
canny, and as we watched the figure stirred
and swam.
Alive! Skitters stood up In the boat,
reckless of the river and flushed with the,
pride of victory, Napoleon at Austerlitz,
Caesar on the triumphal car. Ho bowed
as though to Invisible crowds: I bellevo
that for a moment he thought ho owned
the Falls. "Gentlemen," he almost sobbed.
"I didn't quite plan It this way. hut we've
got here the biggest attraction that tho
world has ever yet seen. Weil be known
all over America tomorrow."
"Help me to get him out of this." cried
Bowers. They bad towed the bulky figure in
toward land and the nrms kept swimming
and convulsively clutching air. We drew
it upon tho beach ond began to open the
pneumatic suit, wondering to seo how this
had been bruised and strained. Ono of tho
legs hung limply, smashed tn spite of all
tho armor.
What followed noxt 1 find It not easy
to describe. We got the helmet off at
last with nervous fingers, and we saw a
smothered, distorted countenance, the eyes
closed tight ds though to shut out fear.
They opened in a moment, with the strana
ost, blankest expression In them, and did
not seo us, and a volco began to speak, or
gibber rather, no matter what the words
vero. What would tbo words bo of ono
whose reason has snapped suddenly nnd
left a mind all blank or topsy-turvy.
I suppose, in fact, that the German's
brain, long dwelling upon that foolhardy
feat, may havo becomo uneettled at the last
and havo given way rapidly during those
minutes in the upper rapids. That had been
no sane man who swam at tho falls befoie
us, and the mental wreck had beon com
plotcd at last by possibly the greatest
physical shock that a human being has ever
yet survived. Llfo was thero Btlll In that
wrenched and battered form, but not a
spark ot reason. But Skitters, with an El
Dorado of dazzling possibilities still before
his eyes, refused to accept the truth, and
he strove to revlvo the shattered man with
words of glittering cheer. "Just think of
It," ho bawled abovo the stunning uproar,
"that you'ro mado a man now. Think of
the Midway up yonder; think of them great
great big crowds a-streamlng In from all
America, and you alive, and the biggest
thing of all, the biggest Inducement In all
tho bunch The Man Who Went Over Ni
agara no fhko about this show, and me
your manager!" Thus he gabbled to tho
man beforo htm, nnd tho other was gab
bling something about green girls who swam
In tho water and turned the lights out
when one fell off the world. Meanwhile the
solemn cataract above thundered on un
ceasingly, Indifferent to us and our small
tragedy. Once Curley Bowers turned toward
It and exclaimed with a touch of respect he
rnroly Bhowcd. "I guess It doesn't pay to
monkey much with ycu." I am disposed to
ngreo with this opinion, For Indeed thoso
giaut things of nature would seem to have
a certain stern resentfulness and Niagara,
like the Matterhoru, took vengeance on her
conquerors at Inst.
But think of that situation! He, B. U.
Sklttcrr, of all the men on cai;th, Is for:ed
by the might of clrcumstnnces to shake hU
head and deny knowledge of a feat as to
whoso possibility tho world Is arguing. He
has tho pneumatic suit all ready for exhi
bition; he haB, If he could produce him, tho
only mnn alive who ever saw Niagara from
a point on the middle of the Horseshoe fall:
ybl tho public waits In vain. And tin
harvest hours are passing.
If.!t n "(Siirlnnil,"
That'sall you need to know about a
stovo or range.
Cnmt Hop Crop Slinrt.
HAN FRANCISCO, Sept. M.-W, E, Lov
dal, secretary of the State Hop Growers'
association, ha Issued a circular In which
he estimates that the crop Is short on the
Pacific toast between 1S.0C0 nnd 2l,00o hales.
He threfore advises crowers to hold for
htpher prices.
DOEWAH
SilrCiZTIfFisel
Routitl Oak l-'urtuee burn ,uiv Ut t of fuel,
Civ? great hc.1t, . "ml hold fire t.' hunts with
cxkI. J4 hour with coal. All of th - fuel tho
gacs from the fire nnd the hlxck o.:io'.;c
consumed, an ccontrjiy of fu-M i-.Mjxw.iblc
without tho characteristic principle if
Round Oal. furnaces.
JACK,
aro vory ensy of
little attention.
mMcrlnl, con
structed by
nUtllcd vorltmcu,
thoro.ictil I"
eptcd J-eforo
shipment nnd
Guaranteed without
V IV
reservation to clvo
enttro Mitlsfuctlon.
Stntlor our free
u.-miiv book.
Cjtib of
P. O. DCCKVITH,
Dowa;!::, f.'lth.
JAi'r' " Drttjrtllt'i r.ouni
ML
Ittf.t in ft uwHJ.
Umnhi by .Milton Rogers A Son
Table ntid Kitchen
Practical Suooestlons About rood and
tho Preparations of It.
Dully .MritiiN.
THt'ItSDAY.
ItmiAKl'AST.
Krult.
Cereal. Cream,
Fried Hggplant. Tomato Omelet.
HnMied Brown Totntops.
Corn Ilrend. Coffee.
Ll'NCH.
Trine a la Creole.
Stuffed Potntoec Dressed Cucumbers,
Stewed Fruit. wnters.
Ten.
DINNKIt.
Clear Soup,
nonst Loin of Vnl.
Brown Sweet Potatoes.
Itlce Croquotteu. Stewed Tomatno..
String Bean Salad.
Chocolate Sojllle. Coffee.
FRIDAY.
HRHAKFAST.
Fruit.
Cerent. I'rrnm.
Codfish Balls. Creamed Tomitoes.
White Muffins. Coffee.
LL'NCH.
Crrnmed Eggs. Cheese Toast.
ropovers. Fruit Sauce.
Cereal Coffee.
DINNER.
Cream of Onion Soup.
Boll'-d Snlmon. Cucumber Sauce.
Ruttcred Beets. Scsillnpod Potntoes.
, Cold Slaw.
Tnplocn Pjddlng. Coffee.
SATURDAY.
UREA K FART.
Cereal. Sliced Bananas, Cream.
Liver nnd Bncon Broiled.
Punted Cucumbers.
Rice Cakes. Coffee.
, . LUNCH,
tried Oysters. Cold Catsup.
Nut and Apple Salod.
Cheese. Wafers.
Tea.
DINNER,
Wttrtllhlo Itrrith
Tlralsed Beef Tongue. Horseradish Sauce.
.unsneo roinioes. Ulnzcd Turnips.
Tomato and Cucumber Salad.
Nutmeg Melons Filled with Vnnllla Ice
Cream.
Co .Tee.
SUNDAY.
BREAKFAST.
Fruit.
I rfln
urouen mras. Bacon.
Pnlnln Cnnm.
Chips.
Popovers. Coffee.
DINNER.
., . . Cauliflower Soup.
Hot Boned Chicken. Spiced Cherries.
Oyster Sauce. Mnslml Potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes n la Caramel.
Tomato Mayonnnlse.
Ice Cream In Cantaloupe;
Coffee.
8UPPER.
Indian Sandwiches.
Nut and Ornngo Salad.
Cheese. Waferi.
Tea.
BAVOnV SODI'KI.RS.
"The FnrtiiltniiM nr CnMinl Cnnrnursn
of Atom."
Tho souffle, as Its nnme would Imply. Is
something rnlsed, light, puffed up,
It Indicates Indeed a dellcato form of
cookery that can bo utilized In the concoc
tion of various dainty dishes.
Tho foundation of nearly all souffles is
tho whlto sauce, but after this Is laid tho
superstructure through skillful combina
tions, additions nnd subtractions may fco
come onoof cheese, meat, potato, rice, fruit,
or custard, as the occasion demand and
tho animating' and controlling spirit of tho
"cordon bleu" may determine.
In tho well-chosen menu of a correct
English dinner the souffle almost Invariably
appears either ob an entrentet or a des
sert, whtlo at a luncheon It precedes or
follows tho sherbet.
The general directions for making a souffle
aro as follows: Moke a smooth, whlto
sauce, using two level tablcspoonfuls of
butter, one heaping tablrspoanful of flour
and one-quarter of a cup of warm milk.
Add the well-beaten jolks of two eggs and
tho seasoning; cook Just long enough to
thicken, stirring It constantly at first, then
set ueldo to cool. When qulto cold fold In
tho stiff beaten whites (do not stir them
in), and bake In small dishes or In a large
dish eultahlo for the purpose, setting them
In a pan of hot wnter to prevent their
browning on tho bottom and sides.
In baking souffles hnvo a eery moderate
temperature In tho oven, as a too suddqn
exposure to heat causes tho nlr hubbies to
break and forms a crust on top ro they can
not rise., If served on platters, thoy should
be accompanied by a sauce. The recipes
which follow will serve as examples from
which ethers may be deduced.
Meat Souffle Make the foundation of
thick, whlto sauce nnd reason with n llttlo
onion Juice, chopped parrley, celory salt,
or, If chicken or oysters aro usod. a bit of
nutmeg. Add one eup of fino-chopp?d
meat,, solidly packed; this may bp chicken,
beef, veal-or lamb alone or In combination.
Fish makes delicate and delicious souffle, A
tablrspoonful of rooked ham or tongue may
bo added to any of these meats If jou desire
to utilize a slice that would otherwise bo
thrown away. To tho hot mixture add the
well-btatcn yolks of two nxp, then cot
osldn to ccol; when cold fold In tho whiles
of the egirs bent en to a stiff froth. But
ter your souffle dishes cr pan and fill with
tho mixture; bake for twenty or twenty-five
rninutra in moderato ovrn. then serve nt
onjo with tomsto or mushrosm sauce. Ths
souffle must bo baked until ret and drv
ond then not exposed euddenly to cold air
or set on a cold dish, or allowed to tand
after crmlng from tho oven, or It will Tall;
heat tho dishes on which you set tho
souffle d'shes.
Tomato Sauce Tomato sauce can be mado
from the fresh fruit cr from tho canned, or
frcm the bright rei catoup, the latter, how
ever, being a little extravagant unlrsa you
have mado It at home.
Simmer a ran or a quart of tomatoes for
three-quarters of an hour with two rlovos.
t- small slice of cnlon and a ple:e of tmv
leaf. When done strain out the seed! nnd
hard part; measure and It you havo ro' a
pint of the tomato liquor add a llt'chot
water or clear stock, Tut four level table-
Fumac&s
operation nnd require but
1 licy nro mado pf too best 3
spoonfuls of butter In n snurcpan nnd whrn
It Is oily add the same amount of sifted
flour and stir until smooth nnd huhhllns
let brown slightly nnd then add tho tnma-o
liquor, season with salt nnd pepper ond It
Is ready to serve. Never add sugar to a
tomato snuco for mest or fih. no matter
how acid the fruit may bo. ns the acid
flavor addft Just zest to the dish that Is so
desirable.
Another Tomato Sinco Tnke a run of
red catsup, heat, add ono-half pup uf
soup slosk or broth and thicken with a level
tablespoonful of flour and same of butter,
rubbed to n smooth paste nnd stirred In th"
sauce until thoroughly dissolved nnd
mixed.
Mushroom Snuco Add one-half can nr
one cupful fresh quartered mushrooms to
ono cupful of brown sauce mnde In the
usual wnv: simmer gently for five mlttutei
Potato Snuffle Season one pint of mashed
potatoes with salt, pepper nnd butter;
moisten with n little hot cream so they will
whip up easily nnd lightly with n fork
beat the whites and yolks of three eggs
separately: stir the yolks Into the hot
mashed potatoes and thru whip well with
the fork; set nsldo to cool. When cold,
fold In tho whites very carefully nnd bake
In a buttered pudding dish or soullln cups.
Cold mashed potatoes can bo served In this
way and make n dainty accompaniment tc
cold meat or hot canned salmon with to
mato sauce If yon ore unexpectedly wiled
upon to entertain n guest with "nothing in
tho larder."
Chceso Souffle Mako a white snuce ac
cording to directions given, scnK.onltig with
cayenne or paprika Instead of whlto cr
blnck pepper. When snuco Is smooth and
thick, stir In the yolks of three eggs w-cl'
beaten and a cup of grated cheese, and sc
away to cool. When qulto cold, fold In tht
well-hcaten whites of tho ergs and liiikn
half an hour.
Fruit Soulflr This Is much on tho same,
principle ns the potato souffle. Take fruit
that hns been cooked, put through n sice,
and sweeten; bent Into the whites of the
eggs, allowing one tablespoonful of sugnr
to ench white, and ns much fruit nn ran bn
benten In without making It fall. Tho yolks
mny be used or not, si dcHlrrd, If used,
beathem nnd add to tho hot sauce; then
cool. Tho point la to have the whites
unbeaten, adding tho sugar and fruit al
ternately. Apple Souffle Hub stowed apples throush
the colander; allow two tahlespoonfuls of
sugar to each apple. Add finely slfto.1
bread crumbs to make It consistency of
marmalade; then stir in the well-bcatcn
yolks of three eggs, and when cold thn
Rtlffly beaten whites.
Custard Soufllo To a whlto sauce mndn
of threo tnblcsponnfulH of butter, six of
flour and ono pint of hot tnllk, ndd throo
tablcspoonfuls of sugnr and tho woll-bentcn
yolks of six eggs. Set away until cod;
then fold In tho lillffencd whltrs nnd bako
In cups or paper corps. Thirty minutes In
a moderate over will sufllcn. Servo with
creamy sauce,
Creamy Sauce Beat tn a cream three
tablcspoonfuls of buttPr ind six of sugar.
Add two tablcspoonfuls of sherry or orango
Juice nnd two tablcspoonfuls of cream, beat
ing vigorously. Just before serving warm
tho mixture over "hot water, but do not
allow the butter to becomo oily.
Oranges, apricots, bananns, peaches,
prunes nnd dates nro cspeclully ndnptcd to
the souffle. Every housekeeper should pro
vide herself with little soufllo dlahcs and
cisph for she will find thorn tho most use
ful addition to her list of cooking utensils.
In a dainty, Inexpensive soufllo tho can
utilize many materials tli.it would other
wise be linposslblo to set bofore n guest.
Mr. G. A. tliiiiinan, n mercnant of Tarn
pIco, 111., writes; "Foloy's Kidney Cure Is
meeting with wonderful success. It has
cured tome cases horo that physicians
pronounced Incurable, I myself' am ablo
tocstlfy to Its merits. My faco todny Is a
living ploturo of health and Foloy's Kid
noy Curo has mado It such."
Kraenlc Knlulitn t'liicliiiuill.
CINCINNATI, Sept. 21,-Tlw eighth an
mini session of tho HUjiromn sonnto of
KnlRhts of tho Ancient L'sscule Order In-
. Ran hero today with am delcgntest present.
I After addresses by .Mayor Flelsvlnminn,
.buries Edgar Brown and others the su
preme cenato want Into executive sesslin
i to hear the nnmml reports of officers and
committees, The session closes Thursday
I night.
POSSON
IN THE POT
For more thnn fifty years It hns been
known thnt ten nnd coffee contain polsci,
The eminent Cciman chemist, Leliinnuu,
wns one ut tho first to point out this Ini
pu'eant fact. He experimented upon sev
einl leas and coffef-H iij.i o)inerwd very
kruve, symptoms irnm vciy small iloses of
this poison, Tho baneful effects of thli
poison rosuitlliK from tins use ol ten and
corfi;e nro now thoroughly iccognUeii oy
Physicians ami even insanity mm been
traced ultcctly to tne iik of tc.i or eoiToe.
Indigestion, Kick litadKhe, 'cunsttputluii,
various disorders ot the l,ver and kl inoys
ar Justly attributable to this raune.. For
thosv who ucslrc tiomo hever.igu at tho
close of a mea . an excellent ajiistltuto hus
been prepared trorn ctnuls known as
(.'urn in el Ceii'iil. It contain.'- absolutely
nothing but (.ertnls so pre.xired as to de
velop an agreenhln flavor and rentier a
certain portion of tin mitrlont cltmanti
soIudIp. i a iii hi i: I i lie. ii containn no
burnt niolntipes or oth' r cupap sweets which
render unwholummu many of tho enffeo
substitute! uffried in ihc market at thn
present time. Especial euro Is tuken In Uib
preparation of .annuo! t'rirnl to nvold
the production of pyrollgncous neld, whleli
Is an Irritating aelil, tho presence, nt which
Is often Indicated by nniircn and vomiting
resulting from the Improperly prepared
cereal coffees with which the market Is
flooded, Tin) publlu should Im warned of
this dnnner A word to the wisp Is suf
ficient, t so Cnriuiiel (nicnl ami make
stir" thnt each package bears the picture
of the Battle Crpek Kunltar'nm, where tit s
tali, reiiunlu and most smUtuotory of all
coffee sjbstltutPH orlgtnntcd and Is at pros,
tnt u&cd nnd recommended by the faculty
of tho world-famous Institution. Ask your
grocer for IL
fi mwii iii law fc
Jfi oincuc rtcor (l5l
. m . X7
Ronnil VlY. riimi I
v.Uh ou'-r Caalnj trmovoj. j
J