( .
I
7'
i
.
J '
7
v.
itflill
HENRY A. PAiiSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NIL DESPERANDUM. Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. VII. RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1877. 1L
Rapture.
I know not death when life in all bo sweot,
When every roue
Breathes hope into the sonl j and at my feet
The green enrth glows.
Oh, passionate love ! Thy song U Boftly home
On breeze and stream
Thou art the grace and glory of tho morn
Tlie living dream.
Oh ! I am faint with rapture, and my bliss
Is full of paiu ;
Yet still I watch the golden sunlight kiss
The drooping grain j
And still I watch the tonderly wooing flowers,
And seem to sco
New beauty born with all tho passing hours
Oh, love ! for thco.
Ilurlt ! Through the sleeping stillness of tho air
A sweet Voice calls
A woman singeth of tho old despair,
And love that falls.
Oh, rapturous beauty ! Let mo w.rship ever
Thy soul divine ;
No voice of doom, no death's despair shall
sevir
Thy heart and mine.
In a Moment of Peril.
It was a most benighted place quite
" the end of the world." The nearest log
hut was five miles awav, and the nearest
settlement the Old lied Ranch, as it was
called thirty. The Forest family had
pitched upon it quite by accident, when
they had migrated from the old country
ton years helore. Mr. Forest had pur
chased a vast tract of uncultivated land on
the Ited river, and had settled there, like
t he patriarchs of old, with his -wife and
children, his men servants and maid ser
vants, his Hocks and herds and everything
that was his. -
Since then everything had prospered with
lii in. Wide ranges of prairie, magnificent
sweeps of forest and wood, green hills and
dales, belonged to liini. He was literally
and truly monarch of all he surveyed. His
family consisted of his wife, three "grown up
sons, and one daughter, Xancie, a sweet,
mischievous, dark-eyed damsel, aged eight
een, whose capacities for flirting and mis
chief were as fully developed as ny town
belle's. O.ie would not have imagined that
there was much scope for these special ac
complishments in tho wilds of Texas; Vmt
there was not a young fellow within fifty
miles of Forest Hill who was not in love
with Miss Nancie's beavr yeui, and not one
but who would have ridden twice tin? dis
tance for a kind word or a sign of favor from
the somewhat capricious but always chnrm
ing young beauty.
The Xorthcotes distant relatives of the
Forests -were the owners of the Kcd Kanch
settlement, a place one degree more civi
lized than Forest Hill, inasmuch as it
boasted one shop nnd a post -office. Young
Fred Xorthoote, the cldi-st son, was one ol
Mis- Nancie's most devoted slaves, and as
such', was tyrannized over quite unmerci
fully. Th'e young fellow was always
finding his way over to Forest Hill on some
pretext or other. 1 le had spoken his wishes
pl iinlv enough long before, but Miss Xancie
a llirt. She would not say ' Yes," but
die iTtvl not say "Xo;" and meanwhile Fred
was k"pin suspense, chafing and impatient
enough, antw yet bound hand and foot to his
willful, charging lady love, and perhaps,
man like, losing her all the more for her
caprice.
It was a lirilliant morning in April
summer weatjier in the far West, the sun
already blaziaig down fiercely and promis
ing a tropical noon-day.
Mr. Forest and young Fred Xorthcote,
who had lcen spending a day or two at
Forest Ilill,were standing together before
the picturesque porch of the long, farm
house. Fred was a brown-faced, blue
eyed young fellow, strong and athletic. He
looked very haiu'some in his careless back
woods costume of knickerbockers and
gaiters, striped blue and white shirt, light
loose jacket, and broad brimmed hat shad
ing his manly, frank face, with its soft
mustache and bright keen eyes. A black
horse of great beauty, decp-ehested, strong
limbed, was standing beside him, pawing
the ground and tossing his handsome head
under his master's caressing hand. Hot
spur was an English horse, almost thorough-bred.
For fifty miles round there was
not bis equal for speed or endurance, nor,
in Fred's opinion, lor beauty either. Mr.
ForeHt was speaking.
' I hear the prairie has been on fire away
by the North Forks. Mind you do not get
caught. The wind sets right from there, and
it is just the weather for tires.'
'No fear,' laughed the young fellow, as lie
put one foot in the stirrup; ' I've run many
a race with a prairie fire before now. Good
bye, sir.'
'Cousin Fred, Cousin Fred, I want to go
to the Ked Kanch; you must wait for me!'
cried a pretty, imperious voice just as
Fred's horse had made a step forward, and
a tall, slight girl came' running down the
veranda steps, her nut brown hair shining
like burnished gold in the sunlight, a
bright color in her fair arcli face. Fred
was down instantly, his face assuming an
expression of surprise. Not half an hour
before he and Nancy had had high words,
and that she should voluntarily seek his
escort now was somewhat unaccountable.
But most of Miss Nancie's caprices were
unaccountable.
It is too hot, child,' interposed her fath
er. ' Thirty miles in this blazing sun it
would half kill you.'
' Oh, no, it would not,' urged Xancie, her
lark eyes sweet and willful. ' It will not
hurt me. Let me go, daddy do! I can
ride Mis Mollie, and' with a half thy,
half mischievous look at the young man--'
Fred will take care of me.'
Mr. Forrest raised one or two more objec
tions; but Nancie a spoilt iiet and darling
overruled them all, and finally, as she- al
ways did, got her own way, and in half an
hour the two were riding together through
the maple woods which clothed the rising
ground all about Forest Hill. Xancie and
her chestnut mare, Miss Mollie, were a pic
ture to look lit. The girl was a lierfect
rider, and in her close fitting habit of light
gray cloth the only thing suitable for the
country with iu touch of scarlet ribbon at
the throat, and her broad brimmed straw
' hat, looked her very best, and knew it, too,
'This is an unexpected honor,' began
Fred, as they quitted the shade of the trees,
and entered on the dry, crisp grass of the
open prairie.
'Do not flatter yourself,' returned Miss
Nancie, with a toss of her bright young
head. ' It suited my convenience t come.
I expect to find some letters at the settle
ment which 1 wish to get lor myself
' (Sixty miles is a'long way to rid
-8 which I could have brought wi
ride lor let-
ters
with me on
Thursday,' remaiked Fred, whh a some
what incredulous smile. 'I do not suppose
they are of such vital consequence.'
' I have no wish to makt you my post
man,' retorted Miss Xancie; and it is not
of the slightest const quence what you sup
pose or do not suppose.'
Fred disdained to answer, except by a
most unnecessary cut of the whip on Hot
spur's glossy flank. The quarrel between
the two had been in progress some days. In
this unsocial style tlie two pressed on mile
after mile, till the sun was high in the
heavens and half their journey over.
The track was simply a narrow path
beaten through the tall gramma grass and
reeds of the prairie, which rose on either
hand five or six feet high, all matted and
tangled together with wild pea vines and
creepers; it was burnt quite crisp and brown
by the heat of the sun, and was as dry as
tinder. As they brushed it in passing, the
twigs and canes snapped at a touch.. Bight
ahead, fifteen miles away, rising blue above
the undulations of the prairie, was a steep
bluff, the termination of a range of low
hills, off-shoots of the Rocky mountains.
This bluff was their landmark and guide,
for a mile or two behind it was the Red
Ranch settlement, or Xorthcotes, as it was
often called. Meanwhile the clear blue of
the sky was becoming overcast with a sultry
leaden haze. The air was intensely hot and
heavy. The wide, treeless, shadowless
prairie rolled away on every side in long
undulations like the swells of the great
ocean. At last Fred grew tired of keeping
up even a show of resentment, and began to
talk again.
'How well Miss Mollie goes to-day !'
1 She always does,' returned Xancie, a
shade more graciously than before ; Bhe
was tired of keeping silent so long.
1 All the same, I would not back her
against Hotspur.'
' Xo, because Hotspur would be beaten,'
asserted Xancie, confidently.
' Will you try ?' he asked.
' Xo, I won't. It is too hot to race. How
can you suggest such athing in this blazing
sun ?'
'Hot or not, it strikes me it is what you
will have to do,' he remarked, coolly.
' What do you mean '!' she said, raising a
pair of dark incredulous eyes.
'hook there,' and raising his whip, Fred
pointed to the right, behind them, whence
the leaden hued cloud was spreading over
the sky. ' What does that look like ?'
Xancie turned her eyes in the direction
indicated, and as she looked, her face
blanched to an awful whiteness.
' Fire ! The prairie is on fire !' she cried,
fearfully. ' Oh, Fred, what shall we do r
Involuntarily the drew up hei horse and
gazed anxiously around.
The ominous leaden gray haze ras sweep
ing down upon them already it had crept
round behind them. Below the haze a
faint line, of dull red was just visible.
' Yes, the prairie is on fire, sure enough,'
tl e young man said. ' Are you frightened,
Nancie ''
She turn-d her dark clear eyes to his.
I ler face was pnle, but there was no sign of
weakness about the sti ady, brave mouth.
'No, I am not frightened,' she answeiod,
gravely, but smiling back into his anxious
face. ' Hut I.knnw the danger.'
' And how wi can escape,' he said, reas
suringly. ' Now for it!'
In another moment they were flying
along. There was no need to urge Hotspur
and Miss Mollie they scented the danger
and could scarcely be restrained. The bluil
showed blue in the distance fifteen milts
away ; and liehind them was a waste of hot
dry tinder which caught (ire with lightning
like rapidity. The odds against them
seemed awful.
Looking back, and seeing how fast it was
gaining on them, Fred would have given
worlds to have Nancie safe at home. They
reached a licit of low trees, a conspicuous
landmark in tlie prairie. Just eight miles
more before them ! Heavens, it seemed like
a journey across the world! They were gal
loping along like race horses, every sinew
and muscle strained to the utmost, (treat
clouds of smoke were now overtaking
them, circling and eddving above their
heads. A pungent smelling vapor came
creeping along the ground, almost suffocat
ing them with its fumes. The dull, rush
ing roar of the fire increased every moment
behind them, while the snapping of the
cane-brakes and the crackling of the dry
gramma grass was distinctly audible. Still
they were getting on. Seven, six, five miles.
The fire was gaining on them with awful
rapidity, but the cliff was rising clear and
distinct before them. Half an hour more
and they would be safe. Suddenly, with
out a moment's warning, Nancie's horse
stumbled in a hole, pitched heavily for
ward, and fell on her knees. Fred "threw
himself oft' Hotspur in an instant and, be
fore Nancie could free her feet from the
stirrup, was at her side.
'What is it?' cried Xancie. 'Is she
hurt?' And though the voice was steady,
she trembled violently.
' ( )ne of her legs is broken,' he replied.
' You must ride behind me. Quick,
Xancie, there's no time to loose !'
mounting Hotspur as he spoke, and hold
ing out his hand to help her mount.
' Quick, your hand !'
' Oh, Fred, I cannot leave her to be
burned to death !' cried Xancie, bending
over Miss Mollie, who looked up at her
mistress with agonized eyes, and uttered a
low moan of intense, painful suffering.
Fred drew a pistol from his holster.
'There is no other way,' he said.quitely,
as he fired.
The chestnut's pretty head fell prone on
he rank grass, a shudder passed over her
gr cefol limbs, and she lay dead before
them. With a sob Xancie turned silently
from her favorite and gave her hand to
Fred. In another minute they were Hying
over the plain. Alas, with how small a
chance now ! The gallant horse, strive as
he might, made hut little way with his
double burden. There were only a few
miles more. Already the air was scorch
ing. The smoke and vapor enveloped them
in suffocating clouds, hiding the bluff from
view and choking them with their stifling
breath. The roar of the fire sounded fear
fully near, the moments flew fast and the
deadly sounds behind grew every moment
mote distinct. The wind had increased to
a tempest, which blew the smoke in denser
clouds over them. A lurid yellow glare
tinged the heavy rolling masses, the heat of
the furious conlbf ration was perceptibly
'Is there a chance ?' whispered Xancie,
looking fearfully behind as the good horse
strained onward.
' Yes, if we can hold out for ten minutes
more,' he answered.
'Heaven help us!' she cried, closing her
eyes as a furious blast of wind brought a
breath of fierce heat against her cheek.
He drew her arm closely round him, tak
ing one small hand in an eager, covetous
grasp.
'tray for us, Nancie he whispered,
quietly.
Only two miles now. Ten little minutes
of time, and they would be safe. Rut Hot
spur was failing. He sprang forward now
with convulsive hounds ; his gallant limbs
trembled beneath him ; every breath was a
shoit, gasping sob. Another mile half a
mile! Oh, Heaven, have mercy! The
scorching breath of the fire wasujion them ;
they were in a whirlwind of dense, suffocat
ing smoke. The horse stumbled at every
Btep he gasped and moaned like a human
soul in extremity. Covered with foam and
trembling convulsively, he struggled on.
Little flames and eddies of fire, heralds of
the horrors behind, crept among the tan
gled grass.
l red turned on the saddle and tried to
draw Nancie's head down on to his breast.
She made no resistance; but when he would
have hidden her eyes from sight, she lifted
them, clearly and unflinchingly, to his-
Don't Fred I can face death with open
eyes,' she siid; and, catching hold of his
hand, she pulled it gently away. As she
did so a great shower of sparks, borne on
the fierce wind, fell around and over them.
'Oh, ray darling, to think this should tie
the end !' he cried, despairingly, knowing
how very near it was now.
' No, no,' she cried, ' it is not the end 1
S-e we are close to the bluff! Oh, thank
Heaven, thank Heaven!' And sh pointed
to the towering rock, which a rift in the
smoki disclosed rising right before them
not fifty yards away. 'On, Hotspur on,
good horse and more struggle on, on 1
she shouted, encouragingly.
Cheered by her voice and hand, the brave
horse gathered all his strength for one tre
mendous effort and bounded forward with
frantic leaps. But it was an expiring
struggle. Ere ten yards were passed lie fell
to the ground gapping and panting, his
brave spirit overcome at last. Fred dragged
Xancie away, and, seizing her hand, began
running toward the bluff, so near now, so
near and yet one look back she gave. The
fire was close behind, a" fearful eight.1 The
fiene heat scorched their faces, sparks of
burnt grass, cane, and splinters of wood fell
in showers about them. The stilling, chok
ing smoke half suffocated them, paralyzing
every nerve. On, on, w.th frantic, flying
feet; safety in front, death behind and
such a death !
' Leave me, Fred,' gasped Nancie, faintly.
' I can go no further. Tell them at home
my love kiss me once, Fred ' She
dropped to the ground with a choking sob.
With a wild cry he caught her up in his
arms and staggered on. They were close to
the blurt now. A dozen steps and he gain
ed the foot of the ascent. Stumbling, strug
gling, panting, be pressed on up the face of
the rock.
The fire rushed after him, sending out
long tongues of flame as if to grasp its
prey ; it licked up the scanty herbage, and
raged and roared in fierce fury. But a few
more yards !
' Oh, Heaven, have mercy !' Staggering,
dizzy, almost frantic, he struggled on, step
after step, step after step. One more ! 'Oh,
thank Heaven, thank Heaven safety at
last!'
It was a terribly narrow espape. So close
had been the fire, so deadly the peril, that
it seemed s if only a miracle had .saved
them. 1 falf an hour afterward, when they
had recovered sufficient strength to Btruggle
onward to the Red Ranch, they began to
realize to what an extremity of danger they
were reduced. Their clothes looked Hue
tinder and hung on them in shreds and
patches. Nancie's face was deadly white,
except for a vivid red scar down one side
of her cheek and neck, where a scorching
flame had caught it. Fred's right arm was
completely disabled ; his bunds and face
were a deep crimson in hue. The fire had
scorched him terribly.
As they crept slowly along, Fred looked
wistful. y into Nancie's face.
'Did you mean it, Nancie?' he asked,
gently.
'Mian what?' she said, her eyes drooping
shyly before his.
' What you said a while ago. Will you
kiss me, Nancie, my own love?1
' Yes,' she whispered, turning her Bweet
face to his.
Tlie Humbug- of Snake Charming.
The professional snake catchers of
India are many of them, iu addition to
their regular vocation, most expert jug
glers, aud exceedingly adroit at all kinds
of sleight-of-hand tricks. It is their con
stant practice to " turn down " a few
tnme snnkes in a garden hedge or some
where close in the vicinity of a house
they intend paying a visit to, ere they
present themselves before the sahib, the
owner of the premises; and then, with
every appearance of good faith, the ras
cals request permission to be allowed to
clear the place of snakes; at the same
time stipulating for a reward, perhaps
one rupee a head for every snake they
succeed in catching. If the gentleman
of the house should happen to be a
grifl'in, or new comer, likely enough he
will be induced to lend an ear to so
plausible a request, and at length promise
these crafty rogues so much for each
snake they succeed in catching. Soon,
to his horror and amazement, hideous
serpents of various dimensions are pro
duced, one from the straw in an empty
stall in the stables, another from the
garden hedge, and eo on; till at lost, per
haps, the fraud is carried too far and
discovered.
A writer states that certain descrip
tions of serpento chiefly of the genus
naja most undoubtedly ore susceptible
to, and in a measure become fascinated
on hearing, musical sounds. I have con
stantly seen, he says, tame snakes in the
possession of snake catchers, on hearing
the sound of pipe, erect themselves and
sway their heads from side to side, and
beyond a doubt show pleasure at the
strain; but I have never once seen a wild
snake go through the same perform
ance; and I believe that only tame rep
tiles carried about in baskets and
" broken in " for such an exhibition so
conduct themselves. I have repeatedly
offered snake charmers five rupees to
bring out from its sanctuary, by means
of music, a cobra known by me to be "at
home," but invariably all their efforts
have been in vain.
The lately deceased Henri Monnier
stood once upon the beach of a watering
place near au old man and his wife, who
were viewing the ocean for the first
time. "What puzzles me," said the old
lady, " is the perpetual movement of the
sea the waves the tide. " ' Madam, "
said Monnier, solemnly, " that motion is
produced by the fish. They wriggle
about a good deal, and wag their tails
violently. That causes the " waves.
When they get tired of awimming near
the shore they all retire simultaneously,
and the sea follows them. That causes
the tide."
A REVOLTING SPECTACLE.
A Hlielk on Ilorsebnrk Rldln apnn the
l'r out rule Forms ofllnadredsof Men.
A correspondent of the New Tork
Timet writes from Cairo( Egypt, giving
an account of an extraordinary Egyptian
religious ceremony which took place
there recently. After narrating the initia
tory proceedings, he continues : It is
now near one o'clock in the afternoon,
and the motley assemblage in anxious
expectation stretch their necks down the
avenue. Here they come I nulling,
with banners flying ; and 300, or more,
Dervishes, heated, frenzied with excite
ment, throw themselves at full length
upon the ground, side by side, nnd close,
with heads together. Bystanders and
Arab boys, in their faith or ambitions,
vie for a place. With faces down, and
upon the hands, we hear from the fana
tics only the mutterings of prayer, prayer
without intermission " La Ell ha Ella
Allah I" (there is no God but God); but
not a motion of body or limb, save when
an individual chnrged with the arrange
ment of the line pulls a body this or
the contrary woy, in order that its mid
dle may, with that of other bodies, form
an unbroken line.
All is ready. The miracle performing
Sheik who line passed the night and the
morning in fasting and prayer, is now
seen npprooching, ushertd also by ban
ners and more Dervishes, who dart to
the end, and also fling themselves along
the continuing line, even well into the
tent of the Sheik. Then follows the
most revolting' scene which has greeted
the human eyes since the suppression of
the Indian car of juggernaut, of which
most probably this ceremony is an imi
tation. This lonely man, passed the
middle age, in the grand robes of his
calling, and under a turban as sadly out
of proportion as a drum major's bear
skin, mounted upon a fine Arab gray
horse, with naked hoof, large and well
trimmed, nears the further end of the
line. The horse, less brutal than its
rider, hesitates, a Sheik leads him for
ward ; he mounts the line of prostrate
grinning forms ; is steadied on either
side by one and two assisting men who
hold to the Sheik. At a good pace the
horse follows the scin, who has dropped
the rein, nnd now only guides ; the other
three assistants keep their hold,' and nil
with horse and rider treading full on the
bodies, hands and shoulders, and legs
and ribs alike. Nothing is heard but
the continuing invocations, and the
multitude look on in silence and with
palpitating breasts. The Sheik, with
head fallen to the right, eyes seemingly
closed, affects a supernatural physiog
nomy, which suggests the irreverent ex
claims : "Husband oL a Madonna 1"
He had no sooner passed than men jumped
up and ran off, but scores and scores,
with painful features, closed eyes, and
almost 6ilent prayer, were lifted up,
foaming with blood about the mouths,
nnd spirited away, evidently seriously
injured, the equable pace of the horse
carrying both fore nnd hind foot upon
the bodies on which he trod.
How Washington Set the Fashion.
It was possibly during his stay in New
York in 1789 that Washington began to
wear on his coat the conch-shell buttons,
now iu possession of Captuiu Lewis'
daughter. A new fashion in dress, in
troduced Jjy a President, is worthy of
record, especially when there is an in
teresting story connected with it. This
story, related by Robert Lewis, illus
trates two strikingly characteristic traits
of Washington generosity and economy.
A needy sailor with a wheelbarrow of
shells accosted the general on the street,
and, holding up a number of conch
shells, implored him to buy them.
Washington listened with sympathy to
the story of his sufferings and want, and
kindly replied that he would buy them
if he could iu any way make use for
them. Necessity perhaps sharpened
the sailor's wits, and he promptly sug
gested that they would make lovely but
tons for his velvet coat. The general
doubtless smiled at the ingenious pro
posal, but ngreed to try them. Carry
ing home his ocean treasure of pink
shells, he sent for a button-maker to
know if he could manufacture a useful
article out of the pretty playthings with
which he found himself encumbered.
The workman replied that he could
make the buttons if he could find an
instrument shorp enough to pierce them.
Washington would have nothing useless
about him, and so the shells were de
livered to the manufacturer, who in due
time returned them to him iu the shape
of concave buttons, a little larger than a
quarter of a dollar, with a silver drop in
the center hiding the spot where tho eye
is fastened beneath. The President
then astonished the republican court by
appearing in a coat witu pink conch'
shell buttons sparkling on its dark vel
vet surface, Lighty years ago, it seems.
fashion ruled in the hearts, or over the
costumes, of men aud women, just as it
does now for Uuptain Lewis bears tes
timony that conch-shell buttons immedi
ately became the rage. The shell
venders' and button-makers' fortunes
were made by the general's passion for
utilizing everything that came into his
possession.
"Pray Ou My Plate, Too."
A little bright eyed three-year-old was
seated in his high chair at the diuner
table. Mamma had arranged the little
uneasy, whilo for the moment his
spriglitliness and fun had made him the
observed of the family. She had placed
him snugly up to the table, pinned on
his bib, and succeeded in getting the
little mischievous hands quiet, and mak
ing him " hush," when father proceeded
to ask the blessing. While this was in
progress our little chnbby made a dis
covery. It was that all the plates on the
tuble, except his own little plate, were in
one pile at "papa's place," and as it
seemed to him were put there to get the
benefit of the solemn ceremony. So,
scarcely waiting for the "Ameu," he
held out his own plate in both hands,
saying: "Please, papa, pray on my
plate, too."
A Chinaman thus explains the object
of the Celestial order of Freemasonry :
"One Chiny man he bad steal he
belong put him out S'pose Chinymau
lazy no work put out. S'pose good
work, no steal he sick we pay ; he
die, we oachee box and put him in.'1
A Reporter'! Vengeance.
A difficulty arose between a Chicngo
reporter and a native of sunny Italy who
kept a peanut stnud in that city of big
fire and keen enterprise. One day the
reporter, with the daughter of a mil
lionaire hanging on his arm, passed the
stand of the marchese, when the latter
exclaimed: " Hi-a, cully, when-ayou-a
pay me zose vife cents, hem ?" What
happened after that the Chicago Tribune
relates as follows: The reporter went to
the office nnd took an oath on the as
signment book to be avenged to be
fearfully avenged; fhen he wrote a little
item headed "A City Romance," in
which he stated that tlie marchese was
an eccentric Roman prince who had given
all his estates to the Church in penitence
for murdering his brother, who was his
rival in the affections of a beautiful
countess, and that by economy, poker
dice and speculation In suburban lots he
had accumulated a fortune of nearly
$300,000 in Chicago. Then he smiled a
fiendish smile, and induced the city edi
tor to give it a big display bend, and
went on his way rejoicing. That poor
Italian never knew what ruined him.
WTien he got to his accustomed station
next morning there were about two hun
dred men waiting for him, to borrow
money from him on ample security at ten
per cent, a month; to get him to become
a partner with $050 in a well established
business that would pay $26,000 a yeor
if tlie additional capital could only be
secured; to sell him some Calumet real
estate; to sell him a trotting horBe that
could show 2:64 every day in the week
(price $450), and for various other pur
poses. His knowledge of English was
very imperfect, and he was nn excitable
man, and. when the eleventh speculator
came up and asked him to lend him $15,
000 to start nn oleomargarine qunrry he
blacked his eye, nnd in the confusion
that arose his portable stove was sacked
and the peanuts scattered to the win Is
of heaven. The police restored order,
and then he was notified that if he per
sisted in collecting such crowds around
him and becoming a publio nuisance, his
license would be revoked. Then the col
lectors for various societies began to be
siege hiin, nnd while he was driving
them awny with a club his Inst lot of
peanuts burned. Then a delegation from
the Chicago Commune visited him, nnd
when he refused to divide, according to
the principles of liberty, fraternity and
equality, fell upon him as a traitor, and
mashed him as flat as several pancakes.
After the police surgeon had sewed on
his ear, aud stitched his nose together,
the marchese started for home, wheeling
his cart, which had only half a shaft and
one wheel left,aud surrounded by a bevy
of anxious motherswho wanted to secure
him and his title and his $300,000 for
their daughters. Aftera while he placed
himself under the protection of the
police, and about ten o'clock the coast
was sufficiently clenr for him to venture
out. When he had nearly reached home
he was sand-bagged and gone through
by a highwayman, who had tracked him
all day, and who, when he only found
two nickels and a door-key on the mar
chese, sand-bagged him till he was black-and-blue
and sore all over. After lying
senseless a while he managed to crawl to
his lonely hovel, and found that a gong
of enterprising burglars had already
been there aud torn up the floors, and
ripped up the bed, and smashed up the
fumituro and dug out the chimney with
pickaxes, looking for his $300,000. The
poor Italian hud merely strength enough
to crawl to the river and pitch himself in,
and as the reporter was going home
about two A. m. and saw tho splintered
peanut-cart lie knew that his vengeance
was complete, and, hurrying back to the
office, put a little item in the " Per
soiials to sny that the Italian marchese
and millionaire, whoso wealth hnd been
described the day before, had purchased
a palatial residence nt Naples, and left
Chicago the evening before to occupy it
and spend the remnant of his days in
opulence. Such was the reporter's ven
geance. An Incomplete Tragedy.
A curious case of attempted suicide is
recorded iu Paris. A certain gentleman,
employed upon the Bourse, was ob
served to grow gloomy nnd morose in
his manner, winch was ordinarily gay.
His habits, too, which were active and
regular, underwent a change, and for two
days it was noticed that he did not leave
his apartment. This gave riso to some
anxiety among the occupants of the
house. Nor was it lessened when one
of liis friends called, bringing with him
a letter he had just received, in which
the unhappy stock-broker had conveyed
his intention of putting an end to his
life.
A policeman was immediately sent for,
and the stock-broker's apartment was at
once visited. Upon opening the door a
painful scene was revealed. The body
of the stock-broker was stretched upon
the bed; the windows were fastened, and
all interstices carefully covered up, with
strips of paper, while the fireplace, tco,
as air-tight. Charcoal had clearly been
chosen as the means of death. But
that the horrid 6tcp had been taken
during the full possession of reason
Beeined too evident, for the cage of a fa
vorite parrot had beeu hung outside the
window, to save the bird from nn untime
ly death. An empty puuch bowl was by
the bedside, aud a heap of charcoal lay
upon the floor.
But wonder upon wonder ! As the
party entered the body moved; it rubbed
its eyes; it sat up. The porter's wife al
most fainted with fear. All, however,
were presently much relieved to find that
the stock-broker, having got everything
ready for execution, had drunk off the
puuch, and before putting a light to the
charcoal had succumbed to a dead sleep,
nnd so escaped the sleep of death.
In connection with a recent boat acci
de it at Ryton, on the Tyne, in England,
by which three lives were lost, it is re
ported that the boatman's dog, a re
triever, seized a woman and attempted to
swim ashore with her, but the curre.it
was too strong, and the drowning woman
with the dog holding fast to her, drifted
a quarter of a mile down the river, where
the animal, by an extraordinary exer
tion, brought her ashore at Ryton Wil
lows. It was theu found that she was
uead.
LEE SINGLETON'S CHIME.
A Conn-mlon SI Yearn After Throwlna; a
Fellow Laborer Into a Farnnce.
The Eureka Sentinel contains the fol
lowing : At the head of Culver canyon,
about thirteen miles from Eureka, in a
desolate and forbidden country, is a
tumble down shanty, evidently built by
some coal burners. Some four months
ago, a man in search of stray stock hap
pened to look into the shanty, and found
the body of a man dead in a rude bunk
agniust the side of the cabin.
A week ego, James Thornton, while
out hunting, sought shelter under tho
roof of the Bhanty, and found a book
from which the following is transcribed :
Novembeb 17, 1876.
My name is Lee Singleton. I was
born in Litchfield county, Marvlnnd, in
1841. I lived there until the breaking
out of the war, when I enlisted in the
Southern army, and served until the
close of the war. I was wounded twice,
once at Yorktown, and again at the
siege of Petersburg. Both my parents
died, and after the war wns over I came
West and followed the Union Pacific
railroad until it was completed. I then
went to WThite Pine, and in 1871 to Eu
reka, where 1 went to work as a feeder
at the furnace My companion,
John Murphy, was very overbearing, and"
insulted me on several occasions, but as
he was a much stronger man than my
self I took no notice of it until one day
he struck me. He did not know that he
signed his death warrant with that blow,
but he did.
WThile feeding the furnace the thought
often came to me that it would be an
easy matter to stuu him with a blow and
throw him into the stack, and I knew
that if it was once accomplished no one
could ever detect any traces of the crime.
The principal difficulty was the continued
presence of the ore wheelers, but as they
worked ten hours and quit at six o'clock,
there was an interval of au hour, during
which me and Murphy were alone, save
the occasional visit of the night boBS. I
had to wait nearly two weeks before the
shifts changed, so that we came on at the
fame time. When the opportunity final
ly presented itself I stepped behiud him
nnd struck him a blow ou tho head with
my shovel ns he wps stooping to get a
scoopful of charcoal. To drag him to
the feed hole aud throw him on the
charge was but a moment's work. I do
not know whether he wns dead or only
stunned, but it made little difference, as
the fumes would have suffocated him in
a moment. By working hard I succeed
ed in covering the body with ore and
charcoal, and as the charge in the fur
nace sunk he was soon out of sight.
I went into the charcoal business,
and, forming a copartnership with two
other men, built the cabiu in which I sit
writing this statement. We burned coal
here for two years, when the wood be
coming exhausted, I took my share of
tlie profits, $2,000, and went East, but
after four years' wnndering, returned to
Eureka.
As soon as I finish this I shall take the
poison, and lay down in the bunk. I
don't suppose that any one ever passes
this way, and I shall probably lay here
and rot, or the vermin will feast on me.
I cannot go to a worse hell than what I
have been in for the last six years. If
any one finds this statement they can
verify the truth of it by looking over the
books of the smelting compuny, nnd
they will find mine and John Murphy's
name on the pay roll, ana if 14. 31. VY al-
lis is still in Eureka, he will remember
the fact of John's disappearance, for he
was the night foreman at that time.
Lee Singleton,
We have inquired into tho matter, and
find that John Murphy mysteriously dis
appeared about tlie time mentioned. JUr
Wallis recalls the circumstances, aud
says that when Murphy disappeared he
had eighteen days' wages due hiin, and
tne money was never culled tor.
Tramps on Their Traveli by Rail.
A freight train on the Erie railroad
had in it two cars, ou each of which was
a huge stationary engine boiler, sliipped
irom jersey Uity to Han Urancisco,
wnen near waveny tne engineer, on
looking back, discovered passengers
about the cars who hadn't properly en
gaged transportation, and when the train
stopped the employees made an inspec
tion of the aforesaid boilers. Ou opening
uie doors out crawled Irom the two fare
boxes twenty grimy tramps. When told
that those boilers were not Queen Vic
toria palueo coaches, aud that they could
not go any further on that train, they
appeared quite crestfallen. One, how
ever, confidently remarked that they
were " bound for California in them
bilers somehow." A close watch was
kept, and the whole troupe were obliged
to stop at waveriy.
Truly Parisian.
A gentleman has justdied in Paris who
owed most of his celebrity to the quaint
manner in which he managed to disem
barrass himself of his creditors. No
sooner did a dun present himself than
he was ushered into a room hung round
witn a variety ol mirrors, some convex.
others concave, etc. In one the unfortu
nate creditor beheld himself with a head
as nut as a flounder; in another his fea
tures were nearly as sharp as a knife; in
a third lie had several beads; and in
fourth ho was upside down. Here he
had the broad grin of a clown, there the
long drawn visage of au undertaker. On
one side of the room he saw himself tdl
head and no body; on the other side it
seemed as if a dwarf had put ou tho
boots or a giant. No applicant, however
nressinfr. was known to rtuuut tins i-luim.
ber of horrors for more than a quarter
oi an nour.
A Sea of Troublt s.
A man in difficulties is a poor fellow
who was smashed up in a railroad disas
ter near Vincennes, Indiana. The om
nivorous reporter published his name
iu the List of wounded,- two regularly
wedded wives came to nurse him, and
neither would give him up to the other,
so both kept him in possession. The
publication disclosed his whereabouts to
the police authorities, who wanted him
ou criminal charges, as well as for a large
reward offered for his apprehension, and
five detectives are guarding the house in
which he lies, waiting to take him if he
does not conclude to bear no longer the
"ills he has," but " fly to others that he
"knows not of,"
Items of Interest.
a f..:.i ootra 11 a it tlioso beneath Sec
retary Schurz could not be appropriately
called under Schurz.
What is tho difference between n
Christian and n cannibal ? One enjoys
himself, nnd the other enjoys other
people.
There are 105 millionnircs in Cnlifov
nia, many of them rating nt from threei
to five millions, nnd not a few still
higher.
Tlie man on the scent for bargains is
informed that two thousand acres of land
were sold recently m Alabama lor one
cent an acre.
Tim Irinfr of Holland hns generously
offered to send 40,000 tulips to the Paris
Exhibition of 1878. He has also prom
ised to have them taken care of at his
own expense.
" I'm afraid it is mixed goods,' said
the lady to the clerk. " Oh, no, madam,
impossible," replied the polite gentle
man, " all our camel's hair shawls are
made of pure silk direct from the worm."
The khedive of Egypt is about to visit
France. He will leave Cairo on the fif
teenth of May, and, after a short stay in
f!nnBtjint,inonle. will proceed to Vichy
for the benefit of his health, it is said.
The serious attention of eminent
scientific circles hns been lately engaged
on the question: " Can a clam walk?"
How ghul we all are there is no uoudi on
the more vital inquiry: "Can a clam
bake ?"
" Why, Sammy," said a father to his
little son the other day, " I didn t
know that your teacher whipped you
last Friday. " I guess," he replied,
"if you'd been in my trousers you d
kuow'dit,"
A farmer's wife near Dixon, Cnl.,
while closing the gate of a corral into
which she had driven some horses, was
almost instantly killed by one of the ani
mals running against the' gate. It opened
outward nnd fractured her skull.
A western Missouri paper says : " Two
weeks ngo wo stnted that Dr. Downing
was thrown from his buggy and badly
hurt. We have since learned that he
only had both his legs broken in two
places and half his scalf torn off, and
that he is doing well."
Dr. Benjamin Franklin invented and
constructed three clocks, and one of them
is owned in the Old King s Arms inn, m
Lancaster, England. It has only three
wheels and strikes the hour. It is to be
sold at auction in May, with other curi
ous historical objects.
A woman recently entered a store nnd
sat down in front of an iron safe to warm
her feet. After sitting some twenty or
thirty minutes, she remarked that she
never lul lute tnem Kind oi stoves,
they don't throw out scarcely any heat,
those gas burners don't."
It is estimated that 2,000 business
men attend the daily noon prayer meet
ings organized in the various centers of
trade in Boston. The first held for the
representatives of the press was presided
over by aa editor of the Boston Journal,
aud was attended by 120 persons.
A lady in Kome, the M ntinel says,
who is an enthusiastic Republican, named
her canary bird Jim Blaine. He did not
sing much, but she loved hii tenderly,
until lust Saturday she discovered that
Jim Blaine had laid an egg. Now she
declares that no dependence can bo
placed on a politician.
There is a lady who has fed the spar
rows in Madison square, JNew Xork,
every morning regularly since October
last, never having missed a day, no mat
ter what the weather. The little birds
know her some distance off and flock
about her by the hundred while sho scat
ters the bread crumbs.
A safety envelope to prevent tamper
ing has been devised. On the flap the
words " attempt to open " are printed
with a double set of chemicals, the first
impression containing nntgalls and tho
second green vitriol. If the flap be
steamed or moistened in any way the
magic printing will appear.
" What do yon do for a living ?" asked
a farmer of a burly beggar, who applied
at his door for cold victuals and old
clothes. " I don't do nothing much but
travel about," was the answer. " Are
you good at traveling ?" asked the far
mer. " Yes," replied the beggar.
"Then let's see you travel," said the
farmer.
Any one would suppose that the em
ployment of sewing was the most peace
ful and quiet occupation in the world,
and yet it is absolutely horrifying to "
hear ladies talking of stilettoes, bodkins,
gatheriugs, surgings, hemmings, gorg
iugs, cuttings, whippings, lacings,
cuttings and bastings 1 Wliat a list of
abominables 1
They were husband and wife, and aa
they stood before the capitol at Wash
ington she asked: " What's that figure
on top ?" " That's a goddess," he answer
ed. " And what's a goddess ?" " A
woman who holds her tongue," he re
plied. She looked at him sideways, aud
theu began planning how to make a
peach pie with the stones iu it for the
benefit of his sore tooth,
A story told in the American colony at
Dresden is of an encounter between one
of the young lieutenants of Uie army
and a stalwart American. They jostled
on the sidewalk, and the officer drew his
sword4 Thereupon the young American
knocked him down violently enough to
stun him, and having broken the sword
oyer his knee, laid his card between the
pieces aud proceeded calmly on his way.
Burlington Hawkeaie : " When a Rnn
Franciscan gets to be immensely wealthy
he builds a palace si a stable, with mar
ble halls, Brussels carpets, and hot aud
cold water in every stall; a Chicago mil-
uoimiro umius a uotei nine stones high;
a New Yorker builds a hospital; a Bos
tonian builds a college, and a Burlington
man builds another bay window to his
house and painte his front fence."
It has been said that unmilitary men '
imagine that soldiers are always fighting.
One of the Duko of Marlborough's gen
erals dining with the lord mayor, an al
derman who sat next him said i "Sir
yours must be a very laborious prof est
sion." "No," replied the general,
" we fight about four hours in the morn
ing, aud two or three after dinner, and
then we have all the rest of the day to
ourselves."