Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, March 13, 1904, Page 15, Image 39

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    THE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
13
Mnrch 13, 1004.
John Sears, do but goes and runs wmM
that smack Jest where she hadn't sunk.
He brings her in Jest bare In time for 81
to stop his insurance claJm. It was lucky
lie had tlnfe, for he sloped what might
have been a nasty Hurt of lookln Into
things. They was some holes, you know,
in that smack's bottom that looked a lot
Hire scuttlln' but she hadn't sunk! When
John Sears picked her up he thought Sl'd
Jest be all-fired glad to git her back. He
suggested salvage to him, of course. An'
81 he had to pay it, too.
"Not long after that, 8ears, he gnt hit
one right op to Boston Jn a (lark street,
and they Is them folks that thinks SI
knowed who did it. Fetched him a wallop, '
y' know, Jest for part of his thanks for
a-findln' of th' smack."
By this time the sun hat! set and the
tnenhadener and her tow were lost in the
grey haze that softens Cape Cod air some
time. "I hope he ain't got nothin' now that'll
git him into fights; but he is Jest the
Johndest man for pickln' up stuff!"
By this time they had all begun to won
der what had become of Mrs. Burgee.
"If she had to cross th' railroad," said
the captain, "I sh'ld be afraid; but there
ain't nothin' fiercer on th' road "twixt hero
an postoffico than sand flies and a cow or
two. She can handle them. I'm goin' In
If you'll help me,"
They had been within doors not more
than fifteen minutes, and the captain was
beginning to grumble peevishly, when there
was the muffled sound of hurrying hoofs
In the sand road outside. These were fol
lowed by a loud "Whoa!"
"That'll th' doctor," said the captain.
Ile'd stop that horse o' his'n with a steam
whistle if he could git one fastened on his
pig. You'd think th' animal was deef, by
Quincy! Guess I.yddy waited to ride home
with him. He can't go pullln' an' haultn
me over ag"in today, lie was here this
mornln'."
A moment later Mrs. Burgee, closely fol
lowed by the doctor, came into the room.
"Set, doctor," said Mrs. Burgee. "There
they be. Now you can look 'em over."
The doctor glanced about the group with
a good-natured grin and said with charac
teristic Cae Cod humor:
Garden Spot of Far East
(Continued from rage Two.)
B. Miller, in a report to the State depart
ment, says the leading industry of the
City Is the manufacture of flour. Klght
mills are now In operation, all with modern
European machinery with one exception,
and that is a small one constructed with
American machinery. Applications have
been made and grunted for the construc
tion of two more large ones, and by the
middle of 1904 ten mills will be In operation,
producing 25,009 poods (J2,80O pounds) of
flour per day. They pay from 30 to 45 cents
gold a bushel for their wheat delivered at
the mills, and tbe wheat producing area
can be increased enormously. The present
value of the flour mills in Harbin Is 1,200,000
rubles ($G18,000).
In the Immediate vicinity of Harbin there
are 200 brick-making plants, the cost of
whicli was 503,000 rubles (Si7,600). Twj
of these plants were constructed by the
administration, at a cost of 200.000 rubles
(1103,000). Most of the brick produced are
used In the construction of the city. A
very good grade of red brick la produced
and sold for 6.W rubles ($3.JC) per 1,000. Most
of the work is done by Chinese, who are
paid 36 kopecks (18 cents) a day.
The next industry of Importance is the
production of the Russian liquor, vodka.
J I fro are eight mnmifacturlea, constructed
a'. . co-t of 300,000 rubles ($103,000). Secral
of these produce vodka from spirits of wine
and sugar brought from Russia; some
produce only tho spirits of wine from the
local wheat, while others produce their
spirits from local wheat and the vodka
from their own manufacture of spirits.
Tho consumption of vodka In Harbin alone
is 1,000 vedro (2,707 gallons) per day, and
tho consumption throughout Manchuria is
something enormous. In Russia the
production Is very heavily taxed and it
costs 10 rubles ($5.15) per vedro (2,707 gal
lons), while in Harbin It sells at from 1.50
to 2.50 rubles (77 cents to $1.28) per vedro;
thl j 's for 40 per cent alcohol. To make
one vedro of Hi per rent of spirits of wine
requires eighty-two pounds of wheat. The
bottles for this vodka are at present
brought from Japan, but .at Imonla In
Manchuria the Russians ara now building
a large bottle and glass factory.
Three breweries are now In course of
construction In Harbin to cost 3uO,0uO rubles
C$1C3,000). The Russians axe great beer
"Tney seem to remind me a leetle more
of a fat stork show than they do of tho
hopeless ward in a hospital."
"Is the captain well enough to go down
to the village en an errant for mo?" asked
Mrs. Burgee, edging about the room in the
direction of the closet where were kept her
husband's sea clothes. None of them had
ever thought that they would ever he worn
by him again, and be had that very day
taken a melancholy satisfaction in review
ing them one by one as Norah held the in
up.
"I think," said the doctor, "that he could
stand that trip some better than that man
Barton there could stand th' v'yage to
South Afrlcky. Has the errant got to be
done, Mrs. Burgee?"
"It's too bad," she replied with great
solemnity, "hut I gues I'll have to insist
upon his goin'. He ain't even been bringin'
in th' water for me lately. H'sln't been
nothin' 'round th' house."
"You ought to make him work," the doc
tor said. "He'll eat his head off in the
stall with all you folks a-waltln' on him.
Make him go and do your errant."
Hopeless imleclllty was only a degree
lower than the mental state Into Iwlilch
Norah, Barton and the captain had been
reduced by this conversation.
Mrs. Burgee went back Into the "lean-to"
for a moment. The apprehensive curiosity
of the others would have found vent in a
volley of questions of the doctor if she hnd
not returned, a moment later, wlth an
armful of simple tools. There was a
hatchet, a saw, a hammer, two augurs and
a poker.
"There," said she, as she dropped them
on' the floor beolde tho now empty satchel.
"I reckon that'll be all the tools he'll need
to take with him on that errant."
This attended to, she pulled many gar
ments from the hooks and shelves of the
closet.
"I ain't a-goin' to let Obed take no cold
whilst he's a-doin' of this errant for mo,"
she said, and there was a certain grlinness
in her tone. The captain knew it as tho
same which had made protests futile In the
early days of their married life when ho
had been ashore and she suggested that he
go to church. He was entirely aware that
when that look was on her face there was
drinkers and produce In Russia very good
beer, but It is not of the quality that bears
shipping long distances, hence very little
Russian beer Is to bo seen on the Bacific
coast anywhere in Manchuria. At the
present time American beer has the best
of t tic Manehurian market, a 150,000 dozen
bottles are Imported through one firm at
I'ort Arthur every year. A fino quality of
barley is produced in the Sungari valley
and these breweries will be able to buy
It at about half the cost In the United
States. There is littlo doubt but that tho
Russians will soon bo producing all of tho
Sailing to
N ATTRACTIVE story Is that tolJ
by Lafeadio Hearn of a voyage
from New York to tbe Spanish
Main in winter, leaving the city la
tho midst of a cold spell such as
has bowi experienced recently, waking eaoh
succeeding morning to greet a warmer air
caressing his cheek, the water becoming
greener and the sky bluer, until one can
feol the warm languor and luxurtousnese
of the tropics creep Into his very veins us
he reads.
There are, however, many men in this
city today to whom the charms of travel
between the tropics and New York do not
apju-ul. Tney ar the crews of tho many
vi-nke4s that ply regu'arly betwi-en this port
and tho inlands that lie off the coast of
South and Central America, and that coast
lUM-if.
Their calling makes them wanderers, a
week or ten days betng a long lime to stay
in port, and then they are off, always for a
climate gToatly changed from the one they
are leaving. Changes of clothing are fre
quent, and the shivering, muffled-up man
dancing around the deck of a stewmer lying
at a ler In the Ka-st river, his teeth chat
tering from tiie icy blasts across the water
so that he can scarcely hold a pipe In his
mouth, wii: In a few days develop Into a
graceful lounger against the rail, linen
suited and straw hatted, idly rolling a cig
arette for occupation, und wondering how
be managed to live through his experiences
In New York.
These coastwise sailors ran stay In no
port long enough to become accustomed
to lite temperature, tw It warm or ootd, lei
June becoming acclimated, and It Is a
no room for argument.
"Now you. Henry," said Mrs. Burgee,
"you come here and help me git the Cap'n
ready."
In a few moments his thin legs were en
cased In a great pair of sea boots reselling
to the hips. His helpless arms were thrust
into the sleeves of a vast pea-Jacket. About
his neck was twisted many times a niuiller
knit years before by Mrs. Burgee's own
untiring lingers, and a glazed sou'wester
was put upon, his bead and pulled well down
about bis ears.
The metamorphosis was absolute. Tho
man who sat there no longer looked tho
Invalid. Barton had seen him so a dozen
times In storm and stress of weather, and,
despite the queer preoccupation which Mrs.
Burgee's manner caused, told Norah so In
whispered words. Kven In the wheeled
chair of an invalid the captain looked the
sailor, every Inch.
Mrs. Burgee was first Impressed by tho
metamorphosis. Kor a moment she stood
silent and gazed at him with an almost
awe-struck admiration. Then she swooped
down on him and kissed his puzilcd face.
"Io you wonder he could run a ship?"
she asked, Indefinitely. "Just look at him
now. Nory's the only one thnt ain't seen
him that way. Iook at him, Nory!"
And certainly the captain trcctiuid Bli p
Bhii pe,
"(lit your sack and hunnltt on, Nory,"
said Mrs. Burgee, "(tit your sack end bun
nit on. Let's all go down and help Obed
do his errant."
Norah. amazed, but beli-nlng that the
Ik-sI tiling was to humor this remarkaiile
whim of the old lady's, started for her
wraps.
"tilt your hat, Henry," said Mrs. Burse-.
"I,yddy." wild the captain, almost piti
fully, "be you out of your head?"
The doctor had stepped out of the moil
for a moment and Mrs. Burgee rurveyed
the group.
"Yes." said phe, "1 guese I be."
She waited a moment longer amidst won
dering silence. There was such an nlr of
h'ippiresH about her, though, that the oth
ers were as expectant as they were per
plexed. Before more could be said there came a
loud nipping at the door.
beet consumed In Manchuria. Our Baclflo
coast hop men ought to be able to sell them
their hops, however.
There are several companies engaged In
this business, with plants costing altogether
2M,mU rubles $128,7a0). They cure hams,
bacon and all varieties of smoked meats
mid produco excellent articles. The hogs
und cattle in this part of the cquntry arc
grain fed and make splendid meats, and
the. Russians are experts in preparing it
for markets. Bo far these concerns have
not Isen able to supply the Manehurian
markets, but tho cheap labor of the country,
the Tropics
commentary on the ability of the human
animal to adapt himself to his environ
ment to we these men, shivering hero un
der a stinging northwest wind and a tem
perature of 15 to 3) degrees, knowing that
within six or eight days they will be
sweltering in linen and drinking cooling
draughts at a temperature of 90 or 100
degrees and a moist atmosphere that is
more unhealthy, even when a man lives
in It tiie ytur round.
There is no nobility on board one of
these ships when it comes to suffering
from climatic changes, though the en
gineers and firemen, naturally, have the
least changes to contend with. They are
used to a tierce heat at ail times, and
their dully problem Is to take cure of
their health when tiiey go ashore. But
throughout the s''p. with these excep
tions, there Is a democracy In the suffering
of the crew. The captain on the bridge,
with the responsibility of tiie ahip and
the cargo on his hands, unable to lessen
his vigilance for an instant, suffers even
more, if possible, than the wor roustabout
on the forward deck, who has no cares
beyond trying to keep warm and wonder
ing how things are going down In the
cook's galley.
It Is truly a bard life, that of a ( oast
wise sailor, and the wages paid to men
saHing from this port to Smith America
lire much higher In proportion than those
paid to other sailors going In and out
of New York harbor The discomforts of
the life, no matter what the time of year,
are the reasons for that high wage, and
the men certainly earn their meney. New
York Poat
"There," said Mrs. Burgee, "they're com
to tuke, tiie cuplmii down. The c-t of ua
will walk along l ihc wuguii. 1 guess
most it the lo.ks down to the village low
come up to go along w.ih u . Seems to
me 1 c'n hear the crowd nut th. re. '1 Hey U
all be awtul glad most every bony ilk
Obed."
"What be ou a-talkin' about, I.yddy?"
pleaded the captain.
"Oh," said she, as If she bad quite for
gotten such an unimportant tit-tail, "I ain't
told you, have IV"
There was a sound of many shullting ftut
on the piazza and low whlspeis of many
suppress! d voices.
"Noyou know you ain't, l.yddy," said
her husband
"Well," she said slowly, "well, Cup'n
Sears he come In this afternoon."
She pausid, as If that were reason enough
to give for all her strange performances.
"Yes," said the captain, almust peevishly,
"I see him pass."
"Wcl.," said Mrs. Burgee, "did you notice
that he was towln' somethln'?"
"He'd picked up a raft or srrthur." said
the captain. "1 fee It tralllu' long behind.
He's alius u-pick In' up some trash or
'not her."
"What he was towln'," raid Mrs. Burgee
slowly, aixl hiding iter face for a wn-uent
In the middle of the centenco beh'iul her
apron, "what he was towln", Ol cd, was th
I.yddy. lie plckid her up u-lloitln' 1'ere
lict." The captain gasped. Norah gnu-p tl Bar
ton's hand utmost convulsively.
"Yes," raid Mrs. Burgee wbh a calm that
was us puzzling as her recent cTcrveso neo
luiil been, "she's tied up down there to th'
dock right now. 1 reckoned tnebl e you'd
all go down to see hi r."
Hl'.i' solemnly went the rounds, begh ninir
uiiil ending with the captain, snd hi sd
each one of them. Then she turned to
Barton.
"That's why I put them tools there In
that bag. I reckonid they'd be us. fill In
that diamond mlnln' enterprise that you're
goin' to catty out. Ain't it nice that you'll
be able to go right to work at It here on
the Cupe instead of goin' to South
A Tricky?"
(To be Concluded.)
In combination with the cheap grain and
the familiarity of the (?hlnrtn with hog
raising, makes a good foundation for the
growth of the industry, and I can see no
reason why li should not continue to grow
null'.clititly to produce all that mny be re
quired for the Oriental markets.
There is a plant costing 25,000 rubles
($1,K76) for the preparation of bean oil for
use in pilntlng.
There is on tho river n small sawmill
that cost 15,010 rubles ($7,750) and two on
the railway line between Harbin and Vladi
vostok that cotrt lM.OOO rubles ($77,500).
There are many other- industries In em
bryo, and as the place Is located In the
center of an extremely rich agricultural
country, has splendid transportation facihV
ties, and la doing so well in the establish
ment of manufacturing there is little doubt
that it will increase at a very rapid rule
as a manufacturing und commercial center.
The country is productive In wheat, cat
tle, sheep, hogs, millet, barley, oats, corn,
beans, furs, hides, wool, bristles, bean oil,
bean cake, hemp, tobacco and timber, and
has various undeveloped mineral resources;
in fact, it has all the natural elements for
the foundation of a great city.
She Awoke
It was night now.
Ah, well, night was as good as the day.
What did It matter?
Nothing mat tr red now, neither time nor
title nor circumstances, for was she not
dead, the woman of his heart?
Of course, they had had their little dif
ferenceswhat married couplo docs not?
-and the tears filled his eyes at memory of
some of their spats. Ho had so often been
in the wrong. ' Slev-she was an angel, and
they had loved each other.
Now stie lay dead before him. How had
this thing happened? How had this great
grief come to blm? Why had the Master
gicn her to him but to take her away?
He should not. He should not. He
would hold her back out of the very arms
of death. Half frenzied with his grief, he
seized her. Ho held her. Ho drew her io
him. She yielded. Death was being van
quished by the power of a great love.
And then a voice her voice through the
nlght-
"John, for gracious' sake, what ore yoa
pulling me out of bed for?"
And then be awoke. Upplncott's Magazine.