ra.!-1. ASTROROMYHIS FAD. A Pittslmrger Who Has Pat a Small Fortune in an Observatory. PHOTOGRAPHS THE MOON And Is Getting Eeadj to Take Shots at the Stars and Planets. HE SATS THE SCIENCE IS SIMPLE, Ind Offers Eis Services for the Instruction cf the Public. HIS HOME A EEAL MECCA OF LEABXING rWFITTET TOB TITE DISPJLTCH.3 i1 . . "r a rirvTn n octagon room some 30 feet in diameter, with vaulted revolv i n g roof, through an open panel of which the night winds rush fitfully, and abovewhich the few scat tered stars shine in a sullen, half hearted way! About the low walls of polished cherry wood are hung pictures of scientific value, nnd the soft lizht of the student lamp falls throuch its green-tinted shade on rich and J harmonious furnishings. J.ne many Dooh.s and portfolios scattered about, the mys terious glittering instruments and, above all, the great telescope in the center of the apartment, proclaim it the workroom of an astronomer, and such it is the private ob servatory of Mr. Henrv Berger, of Ob servatory Hill, Allegheny. A peculiar fad for a rich man it is, the study ot astronomy, and the building of an observatory that has cost him a small for tune. The observatory is the only one of the sort in this section of the country. There are those who prefer the Berger telescope to that of the Allegheny Observatory. Fauth & Co., of "Washington, D. G, erected it, and it was 14 months in building. The objective glass and a number of other ac cessories were supplied by John A. Bra shear, so well known, in astronomical cir cles. Loves Ills Telescope and Jllcroscope. It is between two and three years since the observatory was completed, and Mr. Berger and his wife with great z-st devoted themselves to the study ot the heavens after business houn. and one may with almost absolute certainty find that gentleman either with his microscope or telescope or in his photographic dark room. His microscope is considered by experts one of the finest in the world, its magnifying power ranging from 25 to 20,003 diameters. The instrument is supplied with complete binocular and monocul ar attachments, me chauical stage camera lucida and drawing table attachment, Abbe condensers, lull set of Spencer's objectives and eye pieces, microtome, ler micrometer, photographic tttachments.etc.; in fact all that is required to make the highest grade of microscopic investigations. "When the telescope was ready for use Mr. Berger determined that as soon as he familiarized himself with the heavenly bodies the Pittsburg and Allegheny public should have such an opportunity to study astronomy as it had never had before. For it is only since Prof. Kecler came to -the Allegheny Observatory that the people have been permitted to use that instrument "When the sky is particularly interesting Mr. Berger sends invitations to his iriends to come and spend an evening with the stars. If they are especially privileged they are allowed a peep through his micro scope at the squirming animalcules, beauti ful diatoms and curious vegetable cells he has tj show. A "iglt "With the Stars. The other evening such a party enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Berger's hospitality. The stars had all evening been coquetting with the clouds, and when at last a brisk breeze took the matter in hand and whisked the vapo-s out of sijjht there were still a lew stars that withdrew themselves pontinly behind the thin white mist that skirted the horizon. Mars was marching across the sky with a pallor upon his ruddy countenance that suggested that the warlike planet was sufferinc from a temporary attack of panic. Mr. Berger said the sky was not as good as might be but "would do," and swung the gieat telescope into position. Mars was easily sighted. Some of the visitors bad worked up quite an enthusiasm by re- rs at ss Y.;hSrrLf Y1! Wni' Rjl 1 1 HI k ixc3 I I - i5 I Bl'l -t't Offjf'l - THE COUBT HOUSE TOtVEB AS PnOTOGBAPDED FBOJI A DISTANCE MILES BY" HESirr BERGER. citing Longfellow's lines about "the red planet Mars " The owner of the first eye applied to the telescope was anything but "resolute and calm" as she sighted that body placidly balancing his snow spot on the crown of his head. "Why. it isn't red at all," exclaimed the Investigator, whose eye was scouring the brat ens for something .answering to the poet's sanguinary description. "Its orange," ejaculated a second, who had expected a hue matching her cherry col ored ribbons. "It is always that color. You will find it red compared with the other planets," explained Mr. Berger who, with great patience, was endeavoring to enlighten a third visitor in regard to the mechanism of the astronomical clock that tick-ticked sociably in the center of the" telescope and kept it moving with Jhe planet Visitor number three was highly elated over her supposed discovery of the canals, but much subdued when informed that they could not be sighted save by the keenest and most practiced eye. "Where Methuselahs Are but Sixteen. Jupiter made quite an impression on the company with his oblique, brownish belts and four attendant moons, two shining on each sids of him at the time. The informa tion that one rear on the planet Jnpiter equals about 12 earthly years caused that body ts rise considerably in the estimation of the ladies and even led a number to ex press their rep-ret that their lot had non bceu cast with the inhabitants of in highly favored a world, one where the Methuselahs areonly "sweet 16." . Vega", in the constellation of Lyra, and a star of the first magnitude, was much ad mired. In the deep black of the leavens it shone like a monster electric light, its edge scintillating rays of sapphire, amethyst and silver. The wind, having again risen, was draw ing the cloud curtain across the jeweled casket ot tbe sty, so that the use of the teie scope was for the evening no longer practicable. It was the moon's night off, and to the TAUT Or AN IXTEKIOB VIEW OP TITE great regret of the company no view was possibleof the interesting luminary. Mr. Berser is especially up in moon lore and the misfortune was, therefore, the more to be reeretted. The gentleman's photograph of the moon, the first eer taken in Pennsyl vania ot its size, is the finest in the country if comparison with the Lick photo graphs is conclusive evidence. It is six inches in diameter, one inch larger than the Lick photograph it is clearly defined in detail throughout and beautifully printed finished and mounted by himself. Mr. Berger photographed it six times, September 5, between the hours ot id and 11, direct ly from the sky iwth the telescope and at sharp visual focus without the aid of a photographic lense. Bach photograph was six inches in diameter. Mr. Berger as a Discoverer. There was also no backing of, the plates with brown opaque coloring matter, thus setting at defiance all the traditions of as tronomical 'photography. Scientists claim that the photographic and visual focus do not agree, or that when a sharp visual image of an object is obtained it will not affect the photographic plate. Mr. Berger's process is nothing more than the applica tion of the microscopical photographic principle to the telescope, and, so far as is known, Mr. Berger is the first in its appli cation to astronomy. A unique specimen of Mr. Berger's skill as a photographer is a telescopic photo graph of the Court House tower taken from his observatory on Observatory Hill at a dist ance of nearly two miles. A fairly success ful enortto ntiy reproduce this photograph is made on this page. Burger turned his great telescope on the tower, adjusted his photograph apparatus and secured several splendid negatives with his objective glass alone. They can only be hinted at in news paper illustration. i Ever since his boyhood Mr. Bcrcer has been n student ot the microscope and Kindred branches of natural sconces. He has made -a number of fine pictures of microscopic objects enlarged thousands of OP ABOUT TWO limes, -particularly a fly's tongue, eight inches long, and a marine object enlarged a million times. Since he hss the use of his telescope his attention has been devoted to photographing celestial bodies, nebulin, star clusters, etc., rather than any exten sive investigations or efforts at independent discovery. Now that he has succeeded in capturing a likeness of the coy and fickle full moon he means to get it in all its other different phases, and to coax the sun to sit for his photo, when the spots are large and plentiful on its surface. On the Point of the mil. The observatory, which, by the way, wai planned and designed by "its owner, in, eluding his own original p"lan of makingV spherical revolving dome roof, stands -at the lower side of his spacious and beauti fully situated grounds, and within a few rods of his residence on the est end or Observatory Hill. On a clear night the view over the two cities is a magnificent one, with thousands of stars above and thousands of electric lights below The Berger raan bion is a handsome structure of gray stone' with verandas and Ions wide stone steus ascending from the private road, bordered witn cowers ana snruoDery. The house is J furnished with the accustomed luxury of the homes ot wealth, library of books with costly binding, several hundred of 'in teresting photographs taken by nimoelf. Valuable cabinet .specimens illustrating some branch In natural tolence distinguish it as being also the dwelling place of sci ence and learning. Mr. Berger s wife, who has shared his studies, preside with kindly dignity over all, taking a masterly turn at the telescope, in her husbandV absence, al though that gentleman's devotion to the in strument gives rise to crave doubts of the possibility of such occasions. ' , " Mr. Bereer himself is a Fittsburger from early childhood, and for many years a suc cessful business man. He is a'F. K. M. S. (a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical; Society),- a member of the British Atronom- ical Association, both of LondonEnpland, and an active member of the Lick Astro nomical Society of the Pacific, receiving all BEEGEE ASTEOKOMICAL OBSEBVATOBT. the publications of the above three socie ties, including the publications of the Urania Astronomical Society, of Berlin, Germany, together with a number of Amer- ican publications on natural'science. His name is also round in the international directory of scientists of tha world, which' is published at 'Boston, Mass. Mr. Berger makes a hobby 1 Tistronomv, microscopy and photography.. Jt is hla enjoyment, diversion and recreation after business mmww 'Exterior View of the Berger Observatory. hours when he has retired to his beautiful home on the brow of Observatory Hill. He claims that working with his scientific in struments rests his mind and freshens him up for the cares of his business. Studying Astronomy at First Hand. "With regard to the study of astronomy, 'Mr. Berger said: "Anyone with ordinary patience can in a vear'-s time, with the aid "of a first-class telescope, gain a pretty .thorough knowledge ot the heavens in con nection with astronomy. I am a great be liever in the telescope, and do not think the subject can he mastered, save by ob-, serration. In that time the student will know all the important stars by name; also the month, day. hour and minute of time when they will be in the meridian. The appearance of the sky, changes every mouth, so that at least 12 consecutive monthly observations will bave to be made with the aid of a good sized telescope and an instructor to give one a comprehensive smattering of the most sublime science ot all sciences. It brings us into closer communion with our great Creator than any other science. In Eng land astronomy is very popular among the ministers. Of the older writings on as? tronomy Kev. Mr. Dick's writings were very popular in their day, and of recent times Eev. Mr. Webb's work is considered stand ard for amateur astronomers, and is very clear and comprehensive. Astronomers are like nil professional men; they wish to sur round their special calling with mystery and the secrets ot the trade, some of which are vcrf) simple secrets Indeed when trans lated into cvety-day English. "A certain highly respected minister of the city came to me recently saying, 'You seem to have a regular university extension all of your own.' T informed him that I entertained ministers and teachers who are actively eng'aged in the two cities on the subject of' astronomy free of charge, pro viding they would make up parties of six or 12 persons of their own class; and the public at large should have one tree week, by ticket per year, and others-could, by special arrangement, bave an evening ap pointed and be instructed and entertained, however, only in parties of either six or 12 persons, and that my main object was to give the people an enjoyable evening with tbe stars and planets in a thorough astro- .pomicai observatory style, which was almost among the impossibilities la our com munity until quite recently." Tnix. A New Weather Service. One of the most remarkable productions of the isles of Chileo is the celebrated "barometer trees," which grow" in great profusion, in all of the salt marshes. In dry weather the bark, of this natural bar ometer is as smooth and'wbite as that of a sycamore, but with the near approach ot. magic, and the bark turns black. Bborius kucso viivractcfiiwus vbujbu u&c THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH, SUNDAY, , OCTOBER -9. 189a HER MAJESTY'S 'MAIL The Postal Employes of England Get .Half the American Wages. CABEISES AT $8 50 PEE WEEK. Tbe Highest in tha Telegraph Eerrice Eeceiye $950 Per Tear. WOHEN-KETEE GET'OTER $10 A WEEK rconnisro-rpBsca of th dispatch.! London, Sept 30. A very wise man has said -that 'there 'is nothing new under the sun,, but when I had several letters deliv ered to me one night Indorsed on the en velopes' "Dog-on Step" and with the ini tials of the letter carrier attached, I felt as though I had fallen upon something quite new and a little exasperating as well. The only dog I could learn of which was at all likely to be perched in the hallway of our dwelling was a harmless young collie that belonged next door. But surely, I thought, this cannot be what is meant; the legend "Dog on Step" must be a sign by which the postal authorities of Great Britain ex press in. cipher something of great moment which it is desirable that only the initiated should find out. When, however, I received, a few nights later, another letter with the same indorse ment upon it, ignorance ceased to be a virtue, and I inquired timorously what it was all abodt. The reply wasthat it meant just what it said, and the further explana tion was civen that if a postman fails to de liver on any round the letters which are in trusted to him, he must indorse upon the envelopes the true reason therefor, and that in our case the reason we were missed was thst'tbe able-bodied carrier of Her Majesty's mails had thought discretion tbe better part of valor because as he looked in at our front gate be had been shocked and intimi dated by seeing a dog on the step. Careful Oversight of tlio Service. "Undertaking to write upon postal affairs, with special reference to the condition and wages of the numerous employes in this branch of tbe public service, I have intro duced the subject by the incident just given because such au occurrence the like of which I never Knew before seems to illus trate both the good and the bad features of British postal work; the good, in the per fect svstem and careful oversight it dis plfrysi and the bad, in the fact that a uni formed officer of Her Majesty, wrapped about with so much red tape, and with such a well organized department behind him, should have been turned aside lrom the even path ot his duty by a harmless little collie. Here in London you begin to get letters at 8 o'clock; then another delivery at 10, and after that, if your iriends or business clients keep up "their end of the line properly, you will be hearing the postman's knock about every houruntil what is called the 9 o'clock delivery, which sometimes, ocourse, will not' reach you until nearly 10, when you are thinking of putting on your night" cap. This is how it is in the whole of Loudon, and I am assured that the maiL service is quite as good relatively in the provincial towns. The Telegraph Service Very Convenient An important branrh of the British postaLservice is the monopoly it has of the I telegraph' business, and, beyond a doubt, this is one Kind oi monopoly wnicn re dounds to the advantage of the public We arc constantly hearing, from Englishmen that the postoffice is run for revenue only, and that the convenience of the dear public is an aitei consideration. I shall leave the' Britishers to settle-' tlnVmattcr for them selves, only saying thatto an American it seems a mighty convenient thing to find postoffices at such short distances from each other, and to find, furthermore that almost all of these are equipped with telegraphio appliances. And when you discover that you can send a message of 12 n ords to any part of the. United Kingdom for the trifling sum of 13 cents, with only a oent a word for what you may desire to send in, addition, your1 satis faction naturall v increases. It must be noted, however, that these 12 words include the address, and in fact two addresses, it you need to send your own. Formerly the min imum rate was 20 "words for 25 cents, with both addresses free, 'and, perhaps, for all excepting the very shortest message, this rate was the best. But eitheris good enough from the American point of view, and only for the fear we have that such cheap service inures finally to the pecuniary disad vantage of postoffice employes, we should fed strongly tempted to look upon such a sj stem'with envy. ' Politics in the Service. Postal affairs are very prominent over here just at this time. One reason for this is that a new .Postmaster General has just been appointed as a recipient of the $12,500 ot salary attaching to tbe place. I put it in this way because under the English system the Postmaster General has little to do be yond pocketing his fat pay, the real man agement being in the hands of officials who, with the rank" aud file ol the service, lold their berths in permanency. Against the recent dismissal of two sorters lor alleged interference in politics, the point is well made that the higher and better paid officials all do this with impunity.,. The two men dismissed were Liberals, and they got their walking papers from a Post matter General ot the Tory strine. This naturally raised a suspicion that there uas a little party spite at the bottom of the proceeding", and gave hope to some that the Liberal Postmaster General would reinstate them. But in a system having about it so much that is permanent, it wai, hardlyto.be expected that tbe only.man changed would undo what was dope as a final act by the ronu who preceded him; and so it has turned out, for Mr. Arnold Morley is kcarcely iniis seat before he in forms the London Trades' Council, in rpply to a petition upon the subject, that to re appoint the dismissed officials is foreign to his thonghts altogether; a decision which, singular to say, puts a small plum ot 700 into his pocket, for the next mail brings to him returned with contempt the sub scription to that amount which he had made toward the election expenses of John'Burns, one of the labor members oi the uew Parlia ment v Tho Pay of tho Postal Service. In comparison with other English work ers the postoffice and telegraph servants over here would seem to be well oil in point of wages. But they are not at all satisfied themselves, and how indifferently they fare in contrast with similar classes in the "United States the reader will judge for himself. The guarantee of a small pension helps out somewhat, but to entitle them selves to this boon the men have to walk very straight and work very steadilv for a very long period ot years, and really, alter all, what is this pension allowance to men working on small wages but a tacit admis sion by the Government that it is not pay ing them a proper salary? , We.begin with letter carriers. Our fig ures are strictly accurate as regards Lon don; if anything, they are too high for other places. Postmen are rtcruitedf mostly by competitive examination from telegraph messengers. They get 18 shillings a week at first, and are raised by a shilling a week per year, until, after 16 years of service, they reach the maximum, viz., f8 50 a week. In addition Jojhis, their uniform u found) and they have $5 a quarter for shoe leather. This information is afforded by (Mr. John Cooke, editor of The Post, which is the organ ot tne awcett Association. To the came gentleman I am also indebted for the following in regard to sorters. In London there' are some 3,000 working, in this capacity and Mr. Cooke is one of them. The wages of sorters is uniform throughout the whole couutry, which Mr. Cooke holds to be unfair, ai in.London,liviug is, higher and the work'mnch more arduous. These also have been recruited hitherto from the ranks of telegraph boys. They begin at 18. For two years they are ou probation, getting 18 shillings a week the first year and 19 shillings the second. Then, if confirmed in their position, they rite an nually.from that sum at a rate of 2 shillings a week each vear until they get 510 dollars aneek. Thfs is the maximum while they remain in what is called the second class, but when one is lucky enough to get pro moted to one of the few vaetneies occurring in the first class, he may go on from $10, at a rise of 50 cents a week at tbe end of each year, until he gets to the very tip-top, viz., 514 a week. By thfs time, of course, he will be very far advanced in years, and Mr. Cooke estimates that the average pay of those who have served as sorters from 18 until they are 30 years of age will' be about 510 per week. For information in regard to the pay of telegraph men I am indebted to a personal acquaintance, who is cne of them, and to Mr. Flowers, London Secretary to the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association. Entrance is .by competitive examination in dictation, arithmetic, ceographr, etc: Out of the numerous candidates, who must all be between 15 and 21 years of age, 60 or 70 per cent will fail. . The force iu London, including snbs, is about 3,500, and of these abont 800 are females. Thec, of course, work on a lower scale than the men; they have less responsibility and poorer pay. Tbe highest a woman can "ever get is put at about tea dollars a week, and she begins to approach this altitude from a very Jow point, indeed. The regulations for those of the masculine-gender, are as follows: The Top Notch Less Than Sl,O0O. The first three months aro spent "at school;" then there is a probation ot eight months at S3 a week. Alter that, if ap pointed, they are paid by the year. The first year they get f 235,. and they'are raised at the rale of $30 a year until their salary reaches the sum of $550 per annum. To get anything beyond this they must be fortunate enough, like the second-class sorters, to capture one of the slow-coming vacancies in the first class. Visited by such rare good luck as this, they may then go on at the $30 a vear rise until" they reach the goal of a telegrapher's pay, which is $900 a'year. This is for London only, and as an in stance of the practical working of this scale of pay, and ot how hard it is to get from the second class into the first class, I give the following petition from second class telegraphists engaged at the London Stock Exchange. The. figures show what salary is being paid to men who are deemed good enough for important work at the financial headquarters of all England. Stock Exchasqe, July 11, 18S2. To the Controller! Sin Wc, the undersfgned telegraph clerks orthe Stock Exchange office, beg to solicit the favorof an interview with you in order to point out the present unsatisfactory na ture ot our position us compared with that ot clerks of very little inoi a seivlco and to Inquire as to otu prospects fort Me first class, the piotiacted delay of which is causing us serious inconvenience and anxiety. Slate, 92. Jleavi', JE89. Catlln, .88. Davis, 91. Hampson, XS9. Lock. SL ItudMn, 91. Wheeler, 89. BulUrd, 9L Alorgan, 9L laaittn, :). Better Paid in London Than Out. The interview solicited in thi petition was refused, but what will specially inter est Americans will be the fact that in the f above list the lowest salary is $420, and that the man receiving it must have given more than six years ot work at a still lower wage to entitle himself even to that sum per annum, while the solitary man who in getting $460, the highest in the list, codld have entitled himself to that princely an nual stipend, according to the ojneial scale, only by serving at a lower rate for between seven and eight years. From a document issued to candidates for Partiament by provincial telegraph clerks, I learn that while the .highest salary in London, attainable only by a very few operators after many years of service, is iilM), the highest outside ot London tms also being attainable only by old nnd long tried men is but $728." If these figures are. not accurate I can "only Bay that ac curacy must hot be looked for in the official sources of information, 'and beyond this I have nothing to add. Henby Tuckley. A BICH MAN IN P2IS0JT. Story of a Michigan Life Convict Who Is Worth SIOO.OOO. Jackson, Mich., Oct. 6. Soedal. A State-prison convict worth $100,000 is some thing of a novelty. Yet this is the case of Charles Wright, number 4,789, a life man at the Michigan State Penitentiary. Wright is finelooking and about 30 years old . He came from Benzie county, North ern Michigan, a little less than three years ago. He was one of the most prosperous busi ness men in that section of theSfate,having made a large fortune in the lumber busi ness. His partner was his brother, and the firm name was B. M. Wright & Co. They conducted extensive mills. Late in 1S89 two officers ot the law came to their place of business to attach certain logs in order to compel the company to pay taxes. Wright told them to attach the lumber rather than the log", as that wonld not interfere with the business, while attaching the logs would closs down the mills aud result in disaster. Wright finally dared the officers, and said he would shoot them if they persisted in attaching the log. In the evenirg the men came back and served legal process on the logs. "You remember what I told you," said Wright, coolly. "To with you," was the only re sponse, and Wriglit.drawing his six-shooter, shot both men dead. At the prison Wright U well-behaved. He occupies one of the larger and better cells. He has many delicacies to eat, in cluding the best ot-butter, and he does cooking for himself on an oil'stovc he has in bis cell. He has full charge of a big wagon contract at the prison. Being an expert lumber buyer, he saves his employ ers thousands ot dollars. His over-time money is $20 a month, and if he wants extra tobacco or something nice to eat ho has no trouble about getting it. Hislegal expenses have" heen $20,000 so far, and his lawyers, who failed in the Michigan Su-t preme Courr, have decided to take the case before the United States Supreme Court. Meantime, possibly the richest convict in the country, languishes behind the bars, with tbe word "life" marked against his name. WAIKIHO ON THE "WATEB. Jf ovel Device of a Jap Supposed to Assist tho Dock Hunters. This curious, apparatus was introduced in order to render wild duck shooting an easy matter. It consists of three floats joined together at the top to a seat on which the sportsman sits. His boots are supplied with shovel-like oars, by means of which he A Bunter in His Novel Outfit moves in any direction he chooses. But of all curious iuventions ot this sort that credited to a Japanese gentleman lor walk ing the water is worthy nf iiotice. After 20 years study and labor he is taid to have triumphed. The invention is describedas a footgear made ot a composition of iron, paperj gum elastio and wood, eliptical in shape, having gutta percha tubes and a.lile belt attached. It is not stated how locomo tion is achieved, but it is said that five miles 'an hour will" ba the rate, and the wearer, will lie able to carry 25 pounds of luggage. 2 lTlXS AU fits (topped tree by Dr. Kline's Great Kerve Be6torer. Ho fits after tlrst day's use. Mar veloat cures. Treatise and t- Wl trial bottle free to fit cases. Dr. Kline, 831 Arch sh. rail.. Pa. f a. N FUNNY TO, BE SCARED. That IfVlt Begins to Look That Way After the Danger Is Fast. THE CHOLEfel PAHIC IN NEW T0RK A Few Simple Remedies That Were Tried la Fielding's Household. DEATH IS THE BLOTED OLD PIPE rconnispojTDfcjjrac of the dispatcii.1 NeV York, Oct. a There was about as much chance that New York wonld ret cholera as there was -that the Board of Al dermen -would get relieion. Out of our enormous population a few might succumb to tbe disease, and ten times as many, in the same period, would doubtless be run over on Broadway. So out of 1,700,000 Al dermen a few might experience a change of heart, but we are not looking for any such occurrence. I make this comparison to show that the cencral public knows nothing of the theory of probabilities. For we were scared br cholera. There's bo doubt abiut it. Now, cholera is a seri ous subject, and far be it from me to make light of it; but'fright is always ludicrous. For instance, on the shores of Gravesend Bay which, being next door to Coney Isl and, should have enough to make its hair curl, heaven knows, without bothering about trifles like the cholera I met, in the early days of the soare, a real estate agent, moaning and wringing his hands. Woes of a Real Estate Man. "The business is all gone to blazes," cried he. "This cholera will' drive us all out of it." "Oh, no," said I; "your conscience may trouble you a little when the danger is im minent, but you'll drift back into the busi ness when its over. I knew a horse thief" "You misunderstand me," said the real estate agent "It isn't our fault that the business is ruined, but the people's. They won't buy. It's no use talking to a man about the advisability ot building down here, when, the papers are lull of J Knew a JTorte Thief Once. stories about cholera victims drifting up on the beach every five minutes. I came down here to sec if I couldn't hire a man to tow the corpses over to the Pleasantville shore. Billy Mulvev is attempting to sell property over there by fraud and misrepre sentation, and something ought to be done about it." "Well," I asked,J'have vou done it?" "No," he admitted, "nobody has drifted ashore." "Only one man died on the ships yester day," said L "That probably accounts for if.' He didn't die of cholera: it was heart .failure from reading a newspaper account of the horrors endured by the people on his vessel. He hadn't heard about these hor rors before and they affected .blur deeply." . "Don't you think we could counteract these rumors by others?" he asked. "I will lie to any extent if you will get it into the papers." Malaria Germs That Have Teeth. But I refused to talk any more with so bad a man. However, in all seriousness, most of what he told me was true. It is a solemn fact and I take oil my hat to it as the most preposterous thing I ever heard of that the cholera scare actually crippled the real estate business on Staten Island, where the malaria germs have Mnidc, teeth that are visible to the naked eye, and stand so close together that a cholera bug couldn't get one foot onto the ground. The excursion steamers that ran down the bay had jlmost no passengers. What shall Be said of a person who stavs away from the Pell Street Collar and Elbow Associa tion picnic becxiise of th"e cholera? Why, the man who buys the bar privileges ou an exclusion of that kind knows that he must have something worse than cholera in every bottle in-order to make any impression on the palates of his customers. . The Collar mid Elbow Associates will garrotc a passen ger it he has'any money; and if he hasn't they'll throw him overboird because he won't treat. Yet it is nothing but the nickel-steel armor-plated truth to say that excurs ons of that kind were almost wholly suspended because of the dangeflrom chol era. t When I look at this statement a second time I feel like coins out and cetlinjr a few affidavits to support it. Can the reader en tertain the idea that a person accustomed to participate in such excursions should expect any other form of death than that guaran teed by the ticket of admission? The Sad Truth Brought Home. The cholera scare invaded our happy home as it did most others, so far as I can learn. The Board of Health .issued some rules for the discouragement of the cholera germ. I found Maude reading them one morning when I came to breakfast. "Howdy," said she, looking np from this interesting document, "vou are- doing nothing, absolutely nothing, to guard against this terrible plngue." I took the printed rules from her hand, nnd read substantially as follows: "Per sonal cleanliness is the first and great pre caution. Frequent bathing " "My dear," said J; "your remark strikes me as bitterlv unfair." "But Iafidn't mean that part of it. Further down, it warns yon not to eat any fruit, because you c.in't tell where it comes from, nor who handles it You ate two apples before you went to bed last night." "And you know where they came lrom," I interposed. "They were sent to us from Old Constitution, Me. 'My dear cIn Jennie, knowing how much Tused to like "Bob Perkins' apples, hirfjistrtwo of her Sundav school scholars W5nake the tree alter Mr. Perkins ha I retired. It was very kind aud thoughtful of her, and tbey are exceedingly wholesome." Powdered Brimstone In tho Shoes. "Perhaps they are," said she, "but I should fcelsalcr if you would eat nothing hut beef tea toraldw weeks; and oh, Howdy, please wear powdered brimstone in your shoes.. I read in one of the papers that that was the verv best thing in the world." "My dear Maude," said I, "whether What Is III cholera or soinethine else carries me away, I feel confident that I shall not be expected to furnish my own brimstone." This is a fair sample oi our conversation during the first two weeks ot the scare, and I know that we did not suffer alone, be cause women were all tbe time running in to tell Maude of something new which they had discovered. Further more, the fat but romantio poet who has a desk in my office came to work one day with the aroma of a disinfectant about him which he said his wife had used upon his clothing while he slept, because he told her that he had been dandling newspaper Ike Colar and Elbw Association. cable reports from Hamburg. This disin fectant was well fitted to commit aggravated assault and battery upon any germ, how ever well heeled it might travel A Littlo Experience in the Plat. After spending a day in the society of the disinfectant, I was satisfied that for steady company I preferred any bacillus of good moral character. I returned home thankful that I had a wife who was above such petty anxiety for the health of a husband who was insured in three companies of cood financial standing. After dinner, with my usual courtesy, U asked permission to smoke, in the flat, on the plea that it was raining without, and the people next to us had a boiled dinner. Maude smilingly consented, and opened a window which would let the smoke out and let the breeze in upon the back of my neck. Then she brought the smoking jacket which she made herself on the latest Parisian model, and the slippers, also of her own constrnction, one of which fits me too hard, while the other was evi dently made for the statue of Horace Gree ley, and has to be tied on with strings when I walk. . After receiving these delicate attentions, I settled myself in a comfortable position and lit my pipe, which Maude had filled for me. I took one long, deep breath, and then did not breathe again for 15 minutes. At the same time a vapor rose up from the pipe bowl and killed the canary bird. I did a greatdealot thinking during those 15 minute', although I did not do much talking, for obvious reasons. I recognized the presence of a new cholera scare. "Maude," I gasped at last, "confess. What is it?" One Man Used It Till He Died. "Oh, the little bit of a thing that I put in the pipe?" she said cheerfully. "It's noth ing at all but a small quantity of camphor and one or two other disinfectants which Mrs. Jibbletts on the third floor lent me. She said it helped her husband very much when he had the grip. He used to smoke it every day before he died. Go right on smoking, dear, I don't mind it a bit," and she put her head out of the window and took a large bite of hnmidity out of tbe atmosphere. I am a forgiving man, but I said a few hot words. They were heated by passing over my inflamed tongue. And she cried, and said I was very unkind, and I tried to remonstrate with her till my palate swelled up so that I cooldn't talk anv more. After which she cried again, and forgave me for having been nearly cnoked to death by her devices. And she made me drink some hot lemonade, which removed the small particles of lining that still remained upon the inside of my mouth. I As I said before a scare is always funny after you get over it, aud now I can laueh at all ibm troubles. Ican laugh at the men who-'ia the first fevr weeks of the scare learned more about disease germs than Pas teur ever hoped to find out: who went around talking as if bacilli of all sorts were their intimate friends, and bad everything dead wrong ot course, as such people al ways do. These things arc amusing after tbey are over, but tbe fact is that the men who now tell you that they never gave cholera a thought arc the ones who per fumed their handkerchiefs with carbolic acid, and who said their prayers night and morning, for the first time in 40 years. HOWAED FDIEiUfG. LOIS OF APPLE-JACK. The jersey Distilleries Are It tinning at Full Capacity Ji'oir. Mats Landing, N. J., Oct. 6. Special New Jersey's crop ol apple-jack, for which it is renowned and stands pre-eminent, will be larger this year than for the past 30 years. The yield of apples has been enormous and no such crop has been known in late years. Consequently every distillery in the State is now turning out the liquid as fast as possible, and it is esti mated that 13,000 barrels will be made in the State. The flavor of Jersey apple-jack is superior le that made anywhere else in the country and there is always a big de mand forit. It is the favorite beverage of the outdoor toilers, charcoal workers and pine hawkers, and they will walk many a mile after their labors are ended to se cure it. After his.work is over the inhabitant of the pines places rf kettle over the open fire and brews the "jack" until late in the night In this way he makes all that he can drink and stores some away ior the winter nights and lor snake bites. Apple jack is said t be a sure cure for snakebites, and if a pinehawker, as the inhabitants of these pines are called, is bitten by one of the reptiles he immediately saturates him self with apple-jack, drinking all that he can possibly siand. nnd it has never been known to fail. There are a few distilleries in Atlantic and Salem counties but from Bnrlingtqn county comes the principal parti of the output. In that countr there are some ciht or ten distilleries of large siza and capacity and many smaller ones, all of which are in active operation and will turn out an unprecedented amount of the potent liquid. But little of the yield this year will be put on the market for some time to come. It is the age that makes it valuable in price, and after being kept in vSults for. two or three years it will command a much higher figure. AVhen new it commands about $2 per gallon. A I0HG TKIP T0S SP0ET. Twelve Hundred Miles and Back Again for rralrlo Chicken Shooting? The neighbors of Dr. Daly in the East End have been enjoying the luxury of prairie chicken tho past few days. The doc tor is just back lrom a flying trip of 1,200 miles to the prairies of the West. He made the trip in exactly one week and had loar davs of splendid shooting. General Miles, TJ.'S. A., who in spite of his weakness for hudting Indians, descends once in a while to the mora prosaic divertisement ol hunting prairie chickeni, was one of the sports, and the docsor's brother a third member. "It fas an ideal trip," said the doctoryes terdav. The party got all the game it could get home and had a splendid time gener ally. Tho PlaJJnum Trade Dooming. Platinum enters very largely Into elec trical work, and the report that it has been found on tho Pacfie coast in such quanti ties and of such quality a3 to make it profit able to mine, will prove of interest particu larly to incin-Iescent lamp manufacturers. While nlatinnin has been known to esistin this country, it was of such poor quality that it could not be collected with profit, and up to the present it has all been shipped here from Buisix IB STOLE FR01I HIMSELF, How Gay de Maupassant Made a New Story of One of Bis Old Ones. WAS DOUBTLESS DRIVEN TO IT By the Demands of Publishers "Who Kne Bis Work Would fcelL IT 13 A CURIOSITY IS irTEEATUBJ limrM TOR THE DISPATCH.! In all the discussion in connection with the mentatragedy in tbe case of Guy ds Maupassant, I do not think attention has been called to the remarkable instance iar which that great master has committed what I may call a wholesale plagiarism upon himself. Of all his novels perhaps the one by which he is best knownln his own country is his "Bel-Ami." where it has achieved a phenomenal popularity, being now in its lorty-second edition. Tile plagiarism of which this writer has been guilty is the taking almost at wholesale, from this book: an entire chapter and working the matter over so that he could sell it again a? a short story. I believe it to. be almost a unique instanca in- literature. It evidences the cruel pressure which is brought to bear by ZL De Maupassant publishers upon a successful writer, and to the tremendous strain upon his mental re sources to which be has been subjected may be largely attribnted the present lamenta ble condition of this genius in the world of letters. The short story into which M. De Mau passant wove the materials in chapter 7 of "Bel-Ami" appears in Harper & Brother's collection entitled "The Odd Number, Thir teen -Tales by Guy de Maupassant." Jona than Sturges is the translator and no less a literarydigbt than Henry James has writ ten an introduction to the collection. Tha stolen story in its new dress is called "The Coward." It is a kind of psychologic analysis of a man's feelings when called upon to participate in' a duel. The man shoots himself. In this story the hero i a Viscount named Gontrau Joseph de Sig noies. Here are some, parallel passages: Th Cownrd. Chap. 7, U't'AmL lie found hlmselt at home at 9 o'clock. "When the Viscount reacned home he paced his room with utter hnving dined creac quicic striue. ilo was too much with Boisrenard. who. ont of set -devotion, had not left him all day. As soon as bo agitated to reflect at all. One single idea was hovcrinsover his was alone no stroua mind "a duel" quickly up nnd down without arousing in him as yet an emotion of any sort, ilu had ins room inr several minutes. lie was too uneasy to think nbouc anything. One -olltary done that which he ought to have done; ho had shown liimscli idea III leu bis mlnu, that of Ovduel on tbe r- ,rrbw, wichttat Jhis awakening in him to be that which lie ought to i3e. People woniu taiic Done it, anytbinsr ol-e save a they would praise him, they would con gratulate him. He re poweriui emotion, ua had been a soldier; he had been frgnged, with the Arabj with peated In a land v ihcc, speaking as one out much danger to himself, though, any speaks whe.i ones thoughts aro very much troubled: What a. bruto that fellow wa-." Then ho cat down and began to reflect. more than v. hen one limits a wild boar. To reckon iIiUMSUp. he had done hi ilutv. lie hnd shown him-elC what be should be. Ho would be talked lof,- approved of and. ennsratum ci. .wieii he nid aloud, a3 oua does unuVr powerful impressions: "n nil a. orutooi a fellow." He sat down and be an to refl 'cc He had thi own upon ITo picked up the card which he had pulled out of h' pocket and thrown on the table and he re load It with a single glance. Ho bad al ready dono ao at the cafe and in the cub, by the glimmer of every street lamp on his w ay home'GeorgesLamil, 51 KupSiuncoy." Noth ing more. Ilo exam hU little tubie one of his adversar c irds. lvcn mm by i;iv u in order to retain hual- dreis. He rvad, in ho had already dono a, senro of time during tho day, "bum t.in- remont, i.o l.ua aiontmartre." Noth- n.r mn(-A Tin AXmn. ined these asaemoled letters, which seemed tohlni mysterioasand ined thee :isembled lettors, which seemed'inli of ome disturb to liim mysterious and inic import! Louis full of a confused Lcnzromont? iv uu meaning. Georges Laiiiil! Who was this was this mauT man? AndthoYisconntre- He again repeated; aloud: "What a brute!" And he stood lost in tlioash t.hls eyes Qxed na cue card. Aner was arou-ed in him. pealed yet again, in a lonu voice: "What a brute!" Then he remained motionless, unrijrlit. thinkin.his look ever planted on the card. A rage awoke in him against this piece ot paper, an anger full of hate, in which was against this bit of Ta per, an anger with which was blended a, strange senso of un eusuiess. What a stu mixed ii strancc, un easy leeiinjr. it was stunid, this wholo af fair! He took a little penknife which lav upen to his baud, and priefco t it into the middle of the printed pid bustne-3 it was. lie tooi a pair of nail- scissors which were lying about, and stuck tnoir points into the printed name as though heweie stab bin:; some one. So ha wus to light, and with, nistols. He said: "Come. I mu-t keep my pluoic up!" he ound of his own voice made him shudder, and he glanced about him. He began to feel very nervous. Ha drank name, as if bu had uomarded some one. However, tliey must n r it He said: "1 must be llruu" Tho sound of bis voice made him tremble, and he looked about him. He lei: himself verv per- vnux. He 'drank an other slass of water. then oesan to unui ess glass of water and himself to go to bed went to ceo. And so on through several pages. . Undoubtedly this brilliant and unfortu nate man has been driven, at least in this instance, to wholesale theft from his own writings. I oiler this as a plea for the over worked "successful" author. Atsttn- GRAUVIX1V& v v A Delicious Dish Is "Boyal Esc Mararoni," made by the American process .K iiUUlV' S"wt ' WOETS Cl GUINEA A BOX." ram sir r JaEi (Tasteless-Effectual.) BIU0US and NSiWOaSf DISORDERS, Such as Sick Headache, Weak Stomach, Impaired Digestion, Constipation, J Liver Complaint, W TT 1. All OTnn 0 Covere I Of al and remain .uui-m.j. Covered with aTasteless 4 Bolaolu Ooatfaf. ; Of all druggists. Price S3 cents a box. T ??,- T . -- c -1 c. rtew i or jvcpt- ws wii j- w or iwwiitwrwwii iiwiup ?ssr!S5 stC' . las '4 4 -4a, IZ&Jp. j&Jm, ' !Ml. mzzz7?z JMttm&SSZEmSsVEEm&SBi&t Ij
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers