THE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
Jluraary- 3," 1004.
Fubllshed Weekly by The Bee Publishing
Company, Bee Building, Omaha, Nib.
Price, 6o Per Copy Per Yrnx, $'.'.00.
Entered nt the Omaha Postofflce an Second
Class Mull Matter.
For Advertising Hates Addrers Pub'lshcr.
Communications r luting to photognphs "r
nrtlclcs for publication kIioiiI.I ti r d
OtiKMid, "Editor TI.e Illustrated Bee,
Omuha."
The Duel
Pen and Picture Pointers
2
The Illustrated Bee.
f ol,ll)AY shopping I over now,
I T I I and the inci Ui.iijlB td:i look ubu.il
I I and reach Homo definite con-
rluslon u H to what It did for Ulclr
ear's husliKsn totul. It la cer
tain that In Omaha, it did a great deal:
Tho scene shown In the picture on the
front page of thin number Is but a typical
View down one of the streets on which the
retail stores of the elty are located. For
weeks before Christmas this view was to
be observed any afternoon, not only on
this particular street, but on any one of
tho number ulong which the retail stores
are found. Inside the shops were as busy
as tho streets were crowded outsldu. No
record Is kept of how much was bought,
but all business men agree that the volume
of business was fully up to their ex
pectations, and moKt of them say they
could not have taken care of any more
customers if they hud come In.
It Is not alone In shopping th:it the
holidays bring activity, but In the broader
Benso of the Christmas spirit thcro In an
uplift. One manlfeatutlcn of this ix In the
preparations to afford Christmas cheer to
those who would otherwise have none.
This work was undertaken during the late
Christmas son son by the Salvation Army,
which organized Its efforts to the end that
a np'ciKlId feast was prepared for a exeat
many poor families who would otherwise
have had nothing beyond their scanty dally
fare. A store room was secured by the
officers of the local Army, where the con
tributions were gathered, rind where
provisions were mnde up Into bar.keta, etch
containing articles sufficient for n bounti
ful dinner and there distributed to the
needy, who were searched out In every
quarter, so that all might be cared for.
Another feature of the Fonson In Omaha
was n distribution of randy at the city
hall by tho candy men of the city council.
Aldermen O'Brien and Pyball made a little
Muff one day about giving the girls em
plovrd In tho city offices a treat on
Christmas, and on the meeting right before
the holiday the council passed n resolution
directing this pnlr to mnke pood on their
talk, and furnish each plrl employed at the
city ball with a box of high grade cindy.
The terms of the resolution were duly car
ried out, the two aldermen appearing with
their packages put up In the highest style
of the candymaker's art. City Clerk El
bourn, by reason of his connection with
the council, constituted himself an ex
offlclo muster of ceremonies for the oc
casion, and iw to It that the distribution
was fairly made, and that the party was
properly grouped for tho purpose of giving
The line staff artist an opportunity of
Immortalizing the event by making pic
ture of It. It will lie observed that Mr.
O'Brien looks as If he liked It, while Mr.
Dyball seems to take It far moro seriously
than any of the girls present.
One other thing the holidays bring to
the front Is the basket ball team. This
Kane has become an established feature
of school and amateur athletics all over
the country, and especially In tho public
Schools. It baa the advantage that girl
ran play It as well as boys, and the teams
that organise each year to carry on the
game are as frequently made up of the
one sex as of the other. One of the Ne
braska schools that has a teim It It proud
of la the Central City High school, which
has made a good re. ord In Its section of the
country.
Little Side Lit; Ills
In the public eye dust.
The comet is a famous tall-hearer.
The brjjxy milliner baa to trim her sales.
Sir l.lpton wouldn't refuse to "take a cup
' kindness yet."
Night falls and day rises, for day Is the
lighter.
It is easier to head a bill than It Is to
foot It.
Don't put too much faith In blood. It Is a
vain thing.
Don't Judge a bathing suit until you see
what's In it.
Poets are usually "short, " but there was
Ixngfellow.
There may be no trees on the beach, but
there are lots of beech trees.
Throw shoes at a cut, but simply say
"8hoo!" to a fly.
A fractious horse, unlike a bad egg, can
Sometimes be whipped into shape.
The dentist's apprentice is not always
benefited by a talent for drawing.
The astronomer sometimes alts In the
bald-headed row to do his star-fusing-
Philadelphia Bulletin.
(Copyright. 1903, by M. Walter Dunne.)
A U was over. The Germans
w
occupied France. The country
was panting like a wrestler lying
under the knee 'if his successful
opponent.
The first trains from Paris, aflor the
city's long agony of famine and despair,
were making their way to the new frontiers,
slowly pasnlng through the country dis
tricts and the villages. The aaa-.-ngers
gazed through the windows at the ravaged
Melds and burned hamlets. PrusjUn sol
diers. In their black helm-ti with ttass
spikes, were smoking their ppet on horse
back -r pitting on chairs n front ! the
bouses which were still left standing.
Others were working or ta:;.:ng ;usl as If
they were members of the famllbia. As
you passed through the different towns
you saw entire regiments drilling In the
squares, and. In spite of the rumble of the
carriage wheels, you could every moment
hear the hoarse words of command.
M. Dubuls, who during the entire alcge
had served as one of the National C.inrd In
Paris, was going to Join his wife ar.d
daughter, whom ho had prudently cent
away to Switzerland before the Invasion.
Famine end hardship had not diminished
the big paunch so characteristic of the
rich, peaco loving merchant. He had gone
through the terrible events of the last year
with sorrowful resignation and bitter com
plaints at the savagery of men. Now
that he was journeying to the frontier at
the close of the war, he saw the PrusdUus
for the first time, although he had done bis
duty at the ramparts and ftaunchly
mounted guard on cold nights.
Ho stared wtth mingled fear nnd anger
at those bearded, armed men Installed all
over French soil as If In thejjr own homes,
and be felt In his soul a kind of fever of
impotent patriotism even while he yielded
to that other instinct of discretion and
self-preservation which never loaves .us.
In the same compartment two EiigllHlmion
who had coma to the country as sight-Beers
were gaslng around with look of stolid
curiosity. They were both stout also nnd
kept chatting in their own 1-inguug, some
times referring to their guide book and
reading in loud tones the names cf the
places indicated.
Suddenly the train stopped at a little
village station and a Prussian officer
jumped up with a great clatter of his saber
on the double footboard of the railway car
riage. He was tall, wore a tight-fitting
uniform and his face had a very shaggy as
pect. His red hair seemed to be on lire
and his long mustache and beard, of n paler
color, was stuck out on both sides of his
face, which it seemed to cut in two.
The Englishmen at once began star
ing at him with smiles of newly
awakened interest, while M.
Dubuls made a show of reading a news
paper. Ho sat crouched In a corner, like
a thief In the presence of a gendarme.
The train started again. The Englishmen
went on chatting, and looking out for the
exact scene of different buttles; and, nil
of a sudden, aa one of them stretched out
bis arm toward the horizon to Indicate a
village, the Prussian officer remarked in
French, extending bis long leg and lolling
buck ward:
"We killed a dozen Frenchmen In that
village, and took more thun a hundred
prisoners."
The Englishmen, quite Interested, Imme
diately asked:
"Ha! and what Is the name of this vil
lage ?'
The Prussian replied:
"Pharsbourg."
He added: "We caught these French
blackguards by the ears."
And he gHnced toward M. Dubuls, laugh
ing into hla mustache in an Insulting fash
Ion. The train rolled on. always passing
through hamlets occupied by the victorious
army. Germany soldiers
could be seen along the
roads, on the edges of
fields, standing In front of
gates or chatting outside
cafes. They covered the
soil like African locusts.
The officer said, with a
wave of his hand:
If I were in command
I'd take Paris, burn every
thing and kill everybody.
No more France!"
The Englishmen, through politeness, re
plied simply:
"Ah! yes."
He went on:
"In twenty years, all Europe, all of it,
will belong to us. Prussia is more than a
match for all of them."
The Englishmen, getting uneasy, said
nothing In answer to this. Their faces,
which had become Impassive, seemed made
of wax behind their long whiskers. Then
the Pi uh:-la n officer began to laugh. And
then, l' liing back, he began to sneer. He
sneered at the downfall of France, Insulted
the prostrate en'jmy; he sneered at Austria,
which had been recently conquered; he
sneered at the furious but fruitless defense
of the departments; he sneered at the
Garde MoUIo nnd at the useless artillery.
He announced that Bismarck was going to
build a city of Iron with the captured can
nons. And suddenly he pushed hla hoots
ngainBt the thigh of M. Dubuls, who turned
his eyes away, reddening to the roots of
his hair.
The Englishmen reemed to have assumed
an nlr of complete Indifference, as If they
had found themselves all at once shut up
In their own island, far from the din of the
world.
The officer took out his pipe and, looking
fixedly at the Frenchmun, said:
"You haven' got any tobacco have
you?" .
M. Dubuls replied:
"No, monsieur."
The German paid:
"You might go and buy some for me
when the train stops next."
And he begin laughing afresh, as he
added:
"I'll let you have the price or a drink."
The train whistled and slackened its
pice. They had reached a station which
had teen bu-ned down and here there was
a regular stop.
The German opened the carriage door,
and. catching M. Dubuls by the arm,
said:
"Go, and do what I told you quick,
quick!"
A Prussian detachment occupied the sta
tloi. Other soldiers were looking on from
behind wooden gratings. The engine was
already getting up steam In order to start
off again. Then M. Dubuls hurriedly
jumped on the platfofm, and, In spite of
the warnings of the station master, dashed
Into the adjoining compartment.
He was alone! He tore open his waist
coat, so rapidly did his heart beat, and,
panting for breath, he wiped the perspira
tion off his forehead.
The train drew up at another station.
And suddenly the officer appeared at the
carriage door, and jumped In, followed close
behind by the two Englishmen, who were
Impelled by curiosity. The German sat
facing the Frenchman, and, laughing still,
said:
"You did not want to do what I asked
you."
M. Dubuis replied: "No, monsieur."
The train bod Just left the station, when
the officer said:
"I'll cut off your mustache to fill my
pipe with." And he put out his hand to
ward the Frenchman's face.
The Englishmen kept staring In the same
Impassive fashion with fixed glances. Al
ready the German hud caught hold of the
mustache and was tugging at It, when M.
Dubuls with a lack stroke of bis hand
threw back the officer's arm, and, seizing
him by the collar, flung him down on the
seat. Then, excited to a pitch of fury,
with his temples swollen and his eyes
glaring, he kept throttling the officer with
one hand while, with the other clenched,
he began to strike him violent blows in
the f.ice. The Prussian struggled, tried
to draw bis auber, and to get a grip, while
lying back, of his adversary. But M.
Dubula crushed him with the enormous
weight' of bis stomach, and kept hitting
him without taking breath or knowing
where his blows fell. Blood flowed down
the face of the German, who, choking and
with a rattling In his throat, spat forth
his broken teeth, and vainly strove to shake
oft this infuriated man who was killing
him.
The Englishmen had got on their feet
and came closer In order to see better.
They remained standing, full of mirth and
curiosity, ready to bet for or against each
of the combatants.
And suddenly M. Dubuis, exhausted by
his violent efforts, went and resumed his
seat without uttering a word.
The Prussian did not attack him, for
the savage assault had scared and terrified
the officer. When he was able to breathe
freely, he said:
"Unless you give me satisfaction with
pistols, I will kill you."
M. Dubuis replied:
"Whenever you like. I'm quite ready."
The German said:
"Hero Is the town of Strasbourg. I'll
get two officers to be my seconds, and
there will be time beiore the train leaves
the station."
M. Dubuls, who was puffing as much as
the engine, said to the Englishmen:
"Will you tie my seconds?" They both
answered together:
"Oh! yes."
And the train stopped.
In a minute the Prussian had found two
comrades who carried pistols and they
made their way toward the ramparts.
The Englishmen were continually looking
at their watches, shuffling their feet and
hurrying on with the preparations, uneasy
lest they should bo too late for the train.
M. Dubuls had never fired a pistol in his
life. They made him stand twenty paces
away from his enemy. He was asked:
"Are you ready?"
While he was answering "Ye?, mon
sleur," he noticed that one of the English
men had opened his umbrella In order to
keep off the rays of the sun.
A voice gave the word of command.
"Fire!"
M. Dubuls fired at random without mind
ing what he was doing, and he was
amazed to see the Prussian staggering In
front of him, lifting up bia arms nnd lm
immedlately afterward falling straight on
his face. He had killed the officer.
One of the Englishmen ejaculated "Ah!"
quivering with delight, satisfied cur.'oslty
and joyous impatience. The other, who
still kept his Vatch In his hand, seized M.
Dubuls arm and hurried him In double
quick time toward the station, hla fellow
countryman counting their steps, with his
arms pressed close to his sides: "One! two!
one! two!"
And all three marching abreast they rap
Idly made their way to the station like
three grotesque figures in a comic news
paper. The train was on tha point of starting.
They sprang into their carriage. Then the
Englishmen, taking off their traveling
caps, waved them three times over their
heads, exclaiming:
"Hip! hip! hip! hurrah!"
Then gravely, one after the other, they
stretched out their right hands to M.
Dubuls, and then went back nnd sat In
their own corner. Si lected from the First
Edition In English of the works of Guy de
Maupassant, published by M. Walter
Dunne, New York.
Magnetized Steel
Chemists, hydrographers and electricians
used to think that stories of water that
magnetized steel objects dipped in it were
fanciful, but it is found out that they are
wrong. There are three fountains in
Indiana that magnetize needles, scissors,
knife blades and other steel objects im
mersed in their waters. The tirat Is a
spring at Cartersburg. the second a driven
well at Ibanon and the third a driven
well at Fort Wayne. The waters contain
a large proportion of carbonic acid, which
is disengaged on exposure to the air. As
this gas escapes a heavy precipitate of
oxide of iron forms, and when ail the gas
has disappeared no more mngnetism mani
fests itself. The waters deviate the com
pass needle, and that of one of the wells
used In locomtive boilers has been found to
be corrosive and rapidly injurious to those
receptacles. When allowed to remain In
a reservoir for some time, however, this
property of it disappears and it Is non
corrosive, 04 other waters. New York
Tribune.