6
fiiili
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
NIL DESPEBANDUM.
.Two Dollars psr Annum.
VOL. VII.
EIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, JUKE 28, 1877.
NO. 19.
v
ft
Only.
Only a baby,
Rinsed and caressed,
Gently held to mother's breast.
Only a child,
Toddling alone,
Brightening now its happy home.
Only a boy,
Trudging to school,
Governed now by sterner rnle.
Only a youth,
Living in dreams t
Full of promise life now seems.
Only a man,
Battling with life,
Shared in now by lovingwife.
Only a father,
Burdened with care,
Silver threads in dfirk-browu hair.
Only a graybeard,
Toddling again,
Growing old and full of pain.
Only a mound,
O'ergrown with graBS,
Dreams unrealized rest at last.
THE TREASURE SHIP.
A Story of Naples in the Seventeenth
Century.
CHAPTER I.
It is a bright summer morning in the early
part of July, 1C17, and the sun is Bhining bril
liantly upon tho bine sweep of the bay of Na
ples, and the little toy towns that stud its
curving shore, and the rocky headlands of the
distant Mot of Capri. A ship of war, with
Bpauirih colors displayed, lies at anchor about
half a milo from the shore, her flaunting pen
nant telling to all whom it may concern, that
she has on board 110 less a person than a Span
ish admiral.
The anchored vessel is brig-rigged, and deep
down in that capacious bold lie, in addition to
her other lading, twenty substantial casks,
hooped wilh iron, in which are stored three
huudrod thousand ducats of Spanish gold tho
subsidy sent by "his most Catholio majesty"
to his trusted viceroy at Naples, tho Duke of
Arcos.
It i., parhaps, the consciousness of this im
p irtunt trust which gives such an anxious look
to the pale and dissipated, and still undeniably
handsomo face of tho young admiral, DonJuaii
Ferunndez.
At llrst sight, indeed, the apprehensions rf
tho ynnns noble might seem to be hardly war
ranted by ciri'iunstances : for, with her twelve
big guns', and her crow of forty-five seamen and
twenty soldiers, the Spanish brig appears well
able to take earn of herself j and even were it
otherwise, whft enemy has she to fear in a
harbor belonging to the king of Spain ?
But it is li'itjnendy the thought of his valua
ble freight which disquiets Admiral Fernandez j
1m lias another and far mora serious cause of
apprehension. In this town that lies before
him. with a Spanish garrison in its midst, and
half a score of nobles of tho " bluest blood " b
Spain, within its borders, some strange com
motion is evidently takiua place all tbo more
alarming licoause. as yet. utterly mysterious.
Along tho streets nearest the water's edge,
crowds of men miy be seen rushing, with ges
tures of furious excitement, and the stillness
of the summer morning is broken by the hoarse,
booming roar in which the wrath of a great
multitude , ts itself, when about to second
its wore1 . b deeds. Figures in Spanish
drosses a " scried, ever and anon, hurrying
np the steep winding path that leads to' the
citadel, with the speed of undisguised terror ;
while o very uir rings with a cry only too
common in the streets of every Italian" city,
aul always heard as the forerunner of some
feirfnl tragedy :
" Topolo, popolo ! moriano i tiranni !" (Tho
peorile, the people ! death to the tyrants!)
Mingling with this shout, tooj comes the
sound of a name which the haughty grandee
now hears for the first time, but which he U
fated to know to his cost before long :
" Long live Masaniello of Amain !
That morning a seemingly trivial dispute in
tho fruit-market, arising out of the insolence
of a petty official, had brought down upon the
bewildered Spaniards, as it appeared to them,
the attack of the whole city at once. The sol
diers had been killed or put to flight the
splendid mansions of the Spanish nobles
stormed, pillaged, and sot on fire tho few sur
vivors forced to take refuge within the walls of
tho citadel, now the only spot of ground pos
sessed in his own city of Naples by the king of
Spain : and in the seat of Judgment, where the
mngnidcont Duke of Arcos had lately sat to
administer injustice, was now enthroned a slim,
dark-ove 1, bare-footed young fisherman, known
yesterday oidv as Tommaso Aniello of Amain,
but henceforth memorable to all tune as Ma
saniello of Naples.
That tho popular fury was directed againBt
his own countrymen, the admiral's eyes had
already told him ; and it was vitally important
to ascertain which party was gaining the as
cendency, and what share he might himself be
ablo to take in the struggle. But this was easier
said than done. Although he had lain at anchor
all tho morning, in full view of the shore, not a
single boat of any kind hadyetcomeoff to him ;
and therefore it was with no small satisfaction
that he at length descried a huge, unwieldly
barge, loaded with hay, coming slowly toward
him. It was propelled by two men, while a
third a man of colossal stature and powerful
frame managed the helm. But. to his sur
prise and chagrin, tho barge suddenly veered
and stood away ia the direction of Capri,
riainly this would not do. Don Juan seized
a sneaking-trumpet and bailod the passing
raft
" Pilot, ahoy !"
"Hollo!" answered the colossus at tho
helm, putting his huge hands to his month
and Bendiug through them a prolonged bellow,
deep aud hoarse as that of a mountain bull.
"Come alongside of me."
' I haven't timo," responded the steersman.
" Where art thou bound for, then, fellow?"
:apri.
" It is all on the way, then. Come alongside
I want a word with "thee."
"Not I!"
" By St. Yago of Compostella.but thou shalt,
though !" cried the young admiral, sternly.
" Obey,speedily,or I'll "fire a ball or two through
that c'rawliug craft of thine !"
" Fire away !" rosponded the giant, care
lessly. "By-the-bye, though, now I think of
it, have you anything to drink, on board V"
" Xeres and Malaga,at thy choice," answered
Don Juan, laughing at this turn of the conver
sation. "Ah! that'a another matter. In thatcasej'm
quite at your service."
"By St. Antonio, thou'rt a cool fellow !" said
Fernandez, whose reckless humor was tickled by
this cool audacity. " However, if thou'lt come
on board and answer me a few plain question.!,
I think we can find wherewithal to satisfy thee,
though thou look'st like one that would empty a
whole cask at one gulp !"
" Thanks.noble captain !" answered the giant,
altering tho course of his craft as directed.
And then, as the barge approached the ves
sel, he bent forward and said, in a deep nudor
growl, as if spoaking to the mass of hay just in
front of him :
" Keep close, can't you, you dogs, till the
time conies? If they were to Bee you peeping
out !"
"Captain," responded wild face, tho
glitter of whose black eyes could just be
descried through the hav, " we must have air
to breathe, you know. We are all choking in
here !"
"Choke as much as you like !" responded the
inexorable captain , "but don't show so much
as the tips of your noses until you hear the sig
nal, or you'll spoil all. And if you do "
In another moment the barge was in contact
with the side of the Spanish vessel, and in pei.
feet safety from the threatening guns over
bead. A rope-ladder was let down, and the
gigantio captain, with a lurking grin on bin
weather-beaten face, climbed it as tiimbly
li a not 1 1 (1 Dlnml unnn tlm . 1 fi . 1 i . f 41, A
CHAPTKB II.
The impatient admiral might perhaps have
watched tho approach of tho barge with less
satisfaction had he been present at the con
ference which had taken place an hour before
in the market-place of the revolted city,
where Masaniello was assigning to his various
adherents their several parts in the great
work of the day ; a programme in which the
vessel of Fernandez occupied a very prominent
place.
"I hear from some of onr prisoners," said
the young leader, in his clear, firm voice, " that
that vessel in the roadstead carries a large sum
of money, port of which is intended for the
pay of the soldiers who hold the citadel yon
der. Now, you know the Spaniards, the mo
ment they find themselves baulked of their
pay, will mutiny, as a matter of course, and
then the fortress falls into our hands without
stroke of sword. That vessel and that treasure
must be taken, cost what it may, and, to do
such a deed, I know$o better man than your
self, my Ger.naro !"
The man to whom the last words were ad
dressed was a huge, black-bearded fellow, whose
tattered red shirt revealed through its rents
the thews and sinews of a Hercules. It would
have been difficult indeed to find a better speci
men of his class, whether physically or
morally. By turns fisherman, brigand, sajlor,
fruit-seller, "ho had faced every danger and
committed every violation of law which could
well be faced or committed by any human being.
When he heard himself named by Mas
aniello for the conduct of an enterprise which
most men would have regarded as all but cer
tain death, the jovial grin which lighted up his
dark face might have befitted a Bchool-boy
listening to the unexpected announcement of
a whole holiday.
" Lads !" he roared, in a voice that dominated
all the surrounding clamor, " I want fifty men
for a Job. Who'll follow ?"
The rush of shouting volunteers that nearly
swept him away the next moment, showed
plainly enough that, if he had called for five
hundred men, instead of fifty, he might havo
had them all.
" Fifty are enough," said he, with a decision
which admitted of no reply. "Follow me
down to the harbor, and there I'll tell you what
to do."
But, although he spoko bo boldly, the worthy
leader was really in no small perplexity as to
what he was to do himself. To attack openly,
with a flotilla of light fishing boats, a vessel
which could send them all to the bottom with
one broadside, was not to be thought of for an
instant ; and no feasible method of ambuscade
occurred to him at the moment. Pondering
this knotty problem, he emerged upon the
quay, where tho first object that caught his
eyes was an enormous barge loaded with hay,
which had come in from Capri tho night before.
"Trovato!" (Found!) shouted Gennaro
exultingly, slapping bis huge thigh with a band
as broad and hard as a trencher. "Who owns
this barge?''
"I," piped a pale, meager looking man, com
ing timidly forward.
"Good, said Gennaro, eying him from head
to foot, vory much as a lion might look at a
monkey. " Well, my friend, we want the loan
of your craft, and the hay in it, for a few hours,
in the service of Masaniello and the people.
You don't object, I suppose?"
The unfortunate proprietor saw clearly
enough that, if ho did object, ho stood a very
good chance of finding himself at the bottoiii
of tho harbor in another moment ; and he
hastened to protest his hearty affection for
Masaniello and the good cause, and his per
fect willingness to sncrice in their behaif, not
merely his barge, but everything else that he
possessed.
" Bravely spoken !" cried Gennaro, clapping
him on the shoulder, with a grin which showed
how thoroughly ho appreciated the situation.
"Now, lads, be smart and hide yourselves
under the hay. I want two of you to help ine
to manage the craft ; the rest keep close till they
hear me call out : ' Good luck to our fishing !'
Do you understand ?"
Apparently they did, for in a few moments
net a man was to bo seen, except the two whom
Gennaro had selected as his assistants. Having
completed these arrangements, the daring
leader hoisted his huge, three-cornered sail,
and stood out in the direction of the galleon.
CHAPTER III.
Gennaro's first care, on finding himself at
length upon his enemy's quarter-deck, after
the dialogue that has already been related, was
to glance keenly, though stealthily around him,
in order to ascertain what resistance he might
have to expect. His eyes brightened as he
noted that not more than a dozen of the crew
were on dock that even they were either
asleep, or nearly so and that "the only men
capable of making any instant opposition, were
the admiral himself and two of his officers.
The hatches once battered down, and those be
low thus imprisoned, the ship and her con
tents were at his mercy j and, as he saluted
the admiral, a sinister smile broke over his
dark face, which might have somewhat dis
turbed Fernandez had he observed it.
"Well, now, fellow!' asked the latter, im
patiently, "what are those countrymen of
thine doing yonder in the town ?"
"Ah, signor," answered the giant, with an
air of well feigned horror, "they've been doing
some very bad deeds San Gennaro protect us
aU !"
" Why, what are they about, then ?" inquired
the admiral, with a look of some disquiet,
while the two officers edged forward to hear
the answer.
"I could tell you better if my mouth were
not so dry, noble signor," answered the laz
zarone, with a significant gesture.
An, i see ! you want to remind me or tlie
wine that I promised vou. Well, help your
self ;" aud he handed his strange guest a silver
flask.
" Lads !" cried Gennaro to his oarsmen,
who were still on board the barge, " this noble
signor is good enough to offer us Borne wine.
Come up, both of you, you rogues, and drink
his excellency's healta, and ' good luck to our
fishing !' "
So speaking he planted his huge bulk in
front of the admiral, as if to hide from the
latter the view of something that was passing
behind ; while his two rowers who had sprung
np the moment they were called planted
themselves to right and left of him (apparent
ly with the Bamo object) and watched very
keenly his every movement.
" And now, your excellency," pursued Geu
iiaro, when the bottle had been passed round,
"in thankB for your good liquor, I'll give you
all the newB I can, though it's bad news at the
best. The lazzaroni are up and they have
beaten the soldiers, and driven the duke into
the citadel and they're burning and pillaging
at their pleasure aud Masaniello of Amain is
at their head."
At that moment a slight noiso attracted the
admiral's attention. He stepped aside, so as
to carry his eyes past the towering figure that
blocked their line of view and beheld a sight
which startled him not a little.
There stood on the deck before him, not two
men, but twelve ; and others were clambering
up as fast as they could scramble, each with a
long knife between bis teeth, and a business
like look on his face that was anything but
reassuring.
"Ha!" cried Fernandez, starting back,
" what means this ?"
That question was fated to have no answer
in words at least ; for the only reply to it came
in the form of a crushing blow from Gennaro's
sledge-hammer fist, planted with such hearty
good-will in the admiral's august visage, that the
latter fell senseless upon tho deck as if struck
down by a shot. At the same moment, the
two officers were felled by the ready oarsmen,
while the rest of the lazzaroni came pouring
over the bulwarks to support their chief.
"Six of you tie these fellows, and pass
them down into the barge," said Gennaro,
coolly. ' The rest of yoa follow me !"
Iu'a twinkling the hatches were clapped on
and battened down, fore and aft, catching
those below in a trap ; and not a soul remained
to confront the fifty desperadoes, save the
handful of seamen, who now started from their
sleep at the noise of the scuffle.
But their presence availed nothing to change
the fortune of the day. Unarmed, bewildered,
scarcely realizing what had taken place, they
were completely at the mercy of their numer
ous and powerful antagonists. In less time than
it takes to tell it, they were all beaten down or
flung overboard, and the great prize was
fairly in the hands of its daring assailants.'
"Corpo santo I" cried the gigantic leader,
rubbing his brawny hands with a grim chuckle,
" these gudgeons don't take long to not, any
how 1 Now, lads, force open the hold, aud out
with the money quick t"
The command was obeyed as soon as uttered ;
and, one after another, the ponderous casks
were dragged on deck, and lowered into the
barge.
But, in the meantime, the imprisoned crew
below wore not idle.
"Captain." said . one of the Neapolitans,
" the rats will be out of the trap again before
long !"
" I'll give them something else to think
about, then, when they do come !" answered
Gennaro, kicking over a barrel and coolly set
ting fire to the overflowing spirit. " Now, my
men, down with those last four casks, and
away we go !"
Gennaro's farewell blow was the deadliest of
all. The flames made such progress that when
the imprisoned crew at length forced their way
on deck, all hope of pursuing the plunderers,
or even of saving the ship, was preforce aban
doned. Two hours later tho stately vessel was
lying helplessly on her side, a smoking wreck :
her crew were floating at the mercy of wind
and wave on a hastily constructed raft ; Fer
nandez and his two subordinates were m the
ceilar of a house in the market-place securely
guaided ; and the captured gold was being
portioned out by Masaniello in the interests
of the insurrection. Illustrated Weekly.
THAT BIG FROG.
How the Julleles Policemen of u Dell-oil
Htnllon IIoiiho Were Taken In.
It was remembered nfterward that he
had a sneaking, low -down look, nnd the
boys were sorry that they didn't nrrest
him as tho Nathan murderer. He called
nt the Ninth avenue station and asked if
they had an aquarium there, and if they
didu't want a Lake St. Clair frog to put
in it, and he added:
" Gentlemen, it is a frog which I
caught myself, and he really ought to be
on exhibition. I never saw a frog of his
siae before."
"How large is it?" inquired a ser
geant, instinctively glancing toward the
top of the coal stove.
" Gentlemen, I hate to give you the
figures, because I'm a stranger, replied
the man.
"There's some old whoppers up in
the Like," put in one of the relief squad.
"I've seen 'em as big as a stove-cover,
and even bigger."
" Well, some one ought to have this
frog who can feed him up well," said tho
stranger. " I nin't much on natural sci
ence, nnd I've seeu obont all there is to
see, but this frog great heavens ! Some
man ought to take him round the coun
try 1"
" How did you catch him ?" asked the
captain.
" Run him down with a tug and threw
a fish-net over him."
" Aud he's a monster, eh ?"
"A monster! Well, I don't want to
give you dimensions. Three reporters
were at my house last night to get his
length over all, breadth of beam and
carrying capacity," but I wouldn't let
them in. I don't care for the glSry of
the capture, but simply desire the ad
vancement of the general interests of the
State."
" I've heard sailors tell of seeing
frogs up there as large as a nail keg, but
I thought they were lying," observed
the sergeant.
" Nail keg ! Why, d'ye suppose I'd
come around here with a frog which you
conld put into a nail keg 1"
" I supposo he'd go into a barrel,"
tremblingly remarked the sergeant.
"Gentlemen, you may have sailed
across Lake St. Clair," coldly replied the
stranger. " but its plain to me that you
never shoved a boat through the marsh
es. Would I fool away time on a frog
no larger than a barrel ! Would a tug
boat chase such a frog?"
" I shouldn't be a bit surprised if this
frog was as large as a hogshead," said
the captain, "I've seen 'em up there
even larger than that."
" A hogshead ! Gentlemen, I see that
you'don't care for this frog, you are will
mg that I should ship it away to some
other town. Good-bye, gentlemen. "
" Hold on I" called the captain, hold
ing out his last cigar. " We believe you,
of course. If you said this frog was as
large as a wagon-box I should believe
you, for I've seen 'em up there fully as
large as that. Please give us the dimen
sions of this frog. "
The man lit his cigar,' took a pill box
from his vest pocket, and shaking out a
frog not over three day's transformed
from a pollywog he quietly observed:
" Gentlemen, get out your tape-lines!"
When they rose up he had vanished.
Not a single club hit him. Detroit Free
Press.
Centennial Awards.
The following presents the complete
number of awards by country, given by
the Centennial commissioners :
Argentine Republio 83
Austria 21)6
Af rica(Orange Free
Spain 842
Sweden 212
Tunis 8
Switzerland 200
Turkey 85
State) 5
Belgium 253
Brazil 436;
united Kingdom... 644
Bahamas 7
Cape of Good Hope 20
Canada 620
Chili 41
China 85
Denmark.. 30
Egypt 21
Jamaica 81
France 697
German empire. ...605
Hawaiian islands.. 12
New South Wales. . 73
New Zealand 80
Queensland 69
South Australia. ... 46
Tasmania 29
Victoria 129
Venezuela 27
Grand Duchy . of
Luxembourg.'..,. 9
United States 5,135
Ittfy 448
Japanese empire. ..142
Mexico 75
Netherlands 1U5
Norway 141
Pern 3
Portugal 953
Itussia 450
Total
.13,036
A Sharp Trick.
In the Glasgow Herald is related as
sharp a trick as ever was played with
horse-flesh, and that is saying a good
deal. A match was made between a cat
tle driver and a farmer, the bet 50, as
to which of their horses would first
reach an inn in Linlithgow, driven from
Edinburg, the first at the goal in full
harness to receive 100. One of the
wngerers, fearing to lose, ordered a spe
cial engine and horse box, then allowing
himself after the start to get behind, on
coming to a station he put his team
aboard and by special train soon reached
Linlithgow. The other man drove quiet
ly on, much delighted to find himself
alone on the road, but on reaching the
inn was told to his disgust his opponent
had arrived there twenty minutes before
him, bis horse in full harness being first
at the goal.
FARM, HARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
For the Hoaaehold.
Number Cake. One cup of butter;
two cups of sugar; two tablespoons mo
hisses; three cups of flour; four eggs;
one teaspoonful of soda; two teaspoons
of cream tartar; one cup of raisins;
spice to taste.
Rioe ant Apples. The following is a
very nice thing, especially for the chil
dren : Core as many nice apples as will
fill the dish ; boil them in light molasses;
prepare a quarter of a pound of rice in
milk, with sugar and salt ; put some of
the rice into the dish, then put in the
apples and fill up the intervals with rice,
and bake it in the oven until it is a fine
color.
A Use Fob Cayenne Pepper. Cay
enne pepper will keep tho buttery nnd
store-room free from ants and cock
roaches. If a mouse makes an entrance
into a part of the dwelling, saturate a
rag with cayenne in solution and stuff it
into the hole which can be repaired with
cither wood or mortar. No rat or mouse
will eat that rag for the purpose of open
ing communication with the depot of
supplies.
Woman's Sphere. As house-mistress
as and as mothers, women have duties to
perform quite as important in their re
sults, if not so extensive in their area, as
any that fall to the lot of men. As the
former, the comfort and happiness of a
greater or less number of people depends
principally on them; as the latter, they
influence and mold the future generation,
and so are the ultimate sources whence
flow the current of events, and tho crea
tors of the characters in which history is
to be written. But for the most part
they enter on these important duties
with no preparation that can be called
serious or sufficient, and act as if knowl
edge comes by the grace of nature.
How to Keep Cool. Now the warm
weather is coming on, the following ex
tract from a lady's letter to a Western
paper may be read with profit : "I de
vise ways and means to keep cool, and
find the best is to take a tepid bath every
day, and avoid all fats, eat as little meat
and butter as possible, but use largely
of milk aud fruit I make Graham
mush for breakfast. Make it the same
as you would corn meal mush sifting the
meal slowly into boiling water. Five
minutes cooks it sufficiently. Dip coffee
cups into water, then fill with the mush,
and place in a pail of cold water for five
minutes; then turn into saucers and the
mush will be beautifully molded. Rich
milk or sweetened cream is an excellent
dressing for it, and then if you add fresh
berries well, just try it."
Mustard Plasters. How many peo
ple are there who really know how to
make a mustard plaster ? Not one in a
hundred at the most, perhaps, and yet
mustaru piasters are used in every
family, and physicians prescribe their
application. The ordinary way is to
mix the mustord with water, tempering it
with a little Hour; but such a piaster as
this is simply abominable. Before it has
half done its work it begins to blister
the patient, and leaves him finally with
a painful, flayed spot, after havinar pro
duced far less effect in a beneficial way
then was intended. Now a mustard
plaster should never blister at all. If a
blister is wanted, there are other plasters
far better than mustard plaster. Use
no water, but mix the mustard with the
white of an egg, and the result will be a
plaster which will "draw" perfectly,
but will not produce a blister on the
skin of an infant no matter how long it
is anoweu 10 remain on tne part.
A Wash for Fruit Trees.
The following is recommended by a
commission of fruit-growers, presided
over by Professor Cyrus Thomas, State
entomologist of Illinois, and is part of
a very full repoit, embodying advice as
A 1.1. 1 1. C ( IT At ? L
10 ine ucni means 01 ngyung uie insects
that intest the orchards of that state :
Insects and mildews, injurious to the
leaves of seedlings and root Krafts, can
be kept in subjection or destroyed by a
free use of a combination of lime and
sulphur. Take of quick or unslaked
lime four ports, and of common flour of
suipnur one part (four pounds 01 sulphur
to one peck of lime) ; break up the lime
in small bits, then, mixing the sulphur
with it in a tight vessel (iron is best).
pour on them enough boiling water to
slack the lime to a powder ; cover in the
vessel close as soon as the water is poured
on ; this makes also a most excellent
whitewash for orchard trees, and is very
useful as a preventive of bbght on pear
trees, to cover the wounds in the form of
a paste when cutting diseased parts; also
for coating the trees in April. It may
be considered as the one specific for
many noxious insects and mildew in the
orchard and nursery ; its materials
should always be ready at hand : it
should be used quite fresh, as it would
in time become sulphate of lime and so
lose its potency. Wherever dusting
with lime is spoken of, this should be
used. This preparation should be
sprinkled over the young plant as soon
as or before any trouble from aphides,
thrips or mildew occurs, early in the
morning while the dew is on the trees.
The lime and sulphur combination is de
structive to these pests in this way first,
by giving off sulphuric acid gas, which is
deadly poison to minute life, both ani
mal and fungoid ; and the lime destroys
by contact the same things, besides its
presence is noxious to them ; neither is
it injurious to common vegetable life,
except in excess, unless the lime to the
foliage of evergreens.
A Test for Kkk.
An egg is generally called fresh when
it has been laid only one or two days in
summer, and two to six days in winter.
The shell being porous, the water in the
interior evaporates, and leaves a cavity
of greater or less extent. The yolk of
the egg sinks, too, as may easily be seen
by holding it toward a candle or the sun;
and when shaken, a slight shock is felt
if the egg is not fresh. To determine
the precise age of eggs, dissolve about
four ounces of common salt in a quart of
pure water, and then immerse the egg.
If it is one day old, it will descend to the
bottom of the vessel ; but if three days,
it will floi t in the liquid. If more than
five days old, it will come to the surface,
and project above it in proportion to its
increased age.
Some children are In the habit of calling their
father simply p, but a happy parent of
twins should be called "Papa."
RALSTON'S FAMOUS PALACE
Tbe Knmnnce of the California Bank Presi
dent's Life How Warwick Martin Col
lected an Uld Debt and Hetty IMarlln not
a Milk Pros.
A Sau Francisco correspondent of the
New York Sun writes : To-day we have
spent at Belmont, the maguifioent
country seat of the late Wm. A. Ralston.
We have been the guests of Senator
Sharon, into whose hands Belmont fell
after Ralston's suicide. Belmont is situ
ated about twenty-five miles from San
Francisco. It contains about 210 acres
of irrigated land, in the middle of which
is a palace, which cost $1,500,000.
There are twenty-five splendid horses,
greenhouses filled with thousands of
rare exotica, and oronge, banana and
lemon trees growing in the open air. It
was hero that Ralston UBed to hold those
magnificent fetes, even down to the eve
of his bankruptcy, when he found him
self in debt to the fabulous sum of $1(1,
000,000, and, broken hearted, left the
president's seat in the Bank of Califor
nia, and went out to the bay and drown
ed himself. Senator Sharon, who is
considered to bo worth anywhere from
ten to twenty millions, now keeps up
Belmont, and entertains his friends
there every Sunday. It is here that he
entertained Lord Dufi'eriu, Gen. Sher
man, and, in fact, where he has enter
tained almost every person of note who
has visited the Pacific coast. But Rals
ton used to entertain his friends here by
tne hundreds, it was no uncommou
thing for him to have fifty people at
breakfast. No fairy tale can surpass tho
real story of Ralston's princely enter
tainments. He would often charter a
train of cars out of San Francisco, fill
them with his friends, and, with bands
of music, wine and sumptuous banquet,
make a night of it at Belmont.
"Do you think Ralston's mind was
sound when he was doing these startling
things?" I asked Senator Sharon, as I
wandered and wondered through mirror
ed rooms and among marbles and
bronzes, and over Aubusson and Axmin
ster carpets. " Do you not think it was
incipient insanity ?"
" Yes," replied the senator. " I think
Ralston's mind was wrong for a year bo
fore his suicide. His unselfishness was
a mania. He lived entirely for his
friends. He would wear the coarsest
clothes, eat the commonest food himself,
but when it came to a friend, or even to
a casual acquaintance, he delighted to
startle him with the most lavish enter
tainment. ' You were his partner 2" I suggested.
"Yes, we built the Palace Hotel to
gether ; but before it was half done I
saw that Ralston was on the verge of
ruin. I don't think now, when I look
back, that poor Ralston ever had a hun
dred thousand dollars free from all debts
in his life."
.. "And he died owing?"
" He died owing sixteen millions. He
was president of the Bank of California,
but the bank's capital was only a shell
for years. It was all used to carry on
his magnificent schemes. Why, when he
died he was carrying Belmont at an ex
pense of a hundred thousand dollars a
year ; carrying four millions in the
Palace Hotel, a hotel which cost six mil
lions in gold ; carrying a million or so in
the Grand Hotel and adjacent property
on Montgomery street ; building a million-dollar
private residence on Pine
street, and, besides, was carrying sev
eral manufacturing companies, and keep
ing up the credit of the Bank of Cali
fornia to a ten-million dollar standard
when it was an insolvent shell, hopeless
ly bankrupt."
" And you knew how the bank stood ?"
" Yes, I knew it at last ; but Ralston
was too proud to tell me. I had two
millions in the bank, and when we push
ed Kalston to tell us now it stood he
hadn't the face to do it. Broken heart
ed, he looked away vacantly, and said :
'The cashier will tell you,' and then.
grandly and sublimely, rather than tell
of his own misfortune, put on his hat.
walked heroically to the beach and killed
himself.
" And the effect on the people was"
"isimpiy awl ul 1 it was dreadful.
Hundreds of bankrupt men shed tears
in the street not because Ralston had
ruined them, but because they loved
him because all San Francisco loved
the man. He had taken sixteen millions
of dollars from the capitalists of San
2 rancisco and given it to the people
They worshiped him, and what wonder
that they should ?
Mr. Edmond L. Goold, a guest of
Senator Sharon to-day and a personal
menu ot itaiston, gives me the follow
ing incident in the life of the unfortu
nate man, which affords a clew to his
character.
Mr. Ralston in 1848 was a clerk on a
Mississippi steamboat. He was gener
ous and poor. One day he went into
the banking house of Lake & Martin, in
St. Louis, and accosting Mr. Martin
familiarly, said :
" I say, Martin, can't you let me have
" I don't see how we can. Billy." said
Mr. Martin, "unless you can give us
some security. Who can you get to in
dorse for you ?"
Ralston scratched his head a moment
and admitted that he couldn't give any
security. Said he : " Martin, the fact
is, I'm broke dead broke but I've got
a chance to go in with C. K. Garrison
down at Panama, and I must have $500
to get there."
After a while Mr. Martin decided that
he would lend Ralston $500 on his own
account and run jthe risk of payment,
and giving it to him Ralston started down
the river to join Commodore Garrison.
This was in '48.
"Did Ralston ever pay Martin?" I
asked Mr. Goold.
"I'll tell you how it was," -said Mr.
" Goold. Ralston forgot all about it, or
else he lost track of Martin. But four
teen years afterward I met Martin in
New York. He was broke then himself
gone all to pieces hadn't a dollar.
Ralston at this time was at the meridian
of his glory, spending money by the
millions. Well, one day Martin came
up to me looking very seedy, and askei
me if in my travels in California I had
ever met a man by the name of Billy
Ralston.
"Billy Ralston?" said L "B-i-l-1-y
R-a-l-8-t-o-n ! why I know a man by
the name of William A. Ralston used
to be with Commodore Garrison in Pan
ama. It was Fritz, Ralston & Garrison
in San Francisco, but now Ralston is at
the head of it."
"Well, Mr. Goold, that's the same
Billy Ralston that borrowed five hun
dred dollars of me down in St. Louis in
'48. Do you think he could pay it back
now?"
" Pay it back!" said Mr. Goold, "why
you're joking. Pay it backl Ralston
pay five hundred dollars I Why, Martin,
Ralston can pay five million dollars. "
" Well," said Martin, " when you sec
Billy in Frisco, you just tell him 'bout
me and if he ain't strapped and if 'twont
break Lim up, I just wish he'd pay me
that five hundred dollars."
"The fact of it is," said Mr. Goold,
as he told the story, " I thought Martin
was joking. I hail no idea that Ralston
owed him anything. But when I got
back to California I thought IM banter
Ralston about it. So one day when I
was in Ralston's room, I said jokingly :
"You're o nice fellow, Ralston, to ue
cheating an old friend out of five hundred
dollars, ain't you?"
" What do you mean ?" said Ralston.
" Why, when I was in New York the
other day, a mon by the name of Mar
tin" "What!" exclaimed Ralston, jumping
to his feet, " Warwick Martin!"
"Yes, Warwick Martin"
"Where's his address?" "Here!"
he shouted to the cashier of the bank,
" telegraph ten thousand dollars to the
credit of Warwick Martin quick!" and
Ralston danced around like a crazy man.
"The next day." continued Mr.
Goold, "Warwick Martin received a
telegrain from Lees & Wallers, 34 Pine
street, to call and receive something de
posited to his credit.
"By jingo!" said Martin to his wife,
" I'll bet Billy has sent me that five hun
dred dollars. If he has, Betty, you can
pick out a silk dress at Stewart s," and
then he hurried off to Lees & Wallers.
" I called to see about some money,"
said Martin, looking through the bank
screen at Mr. Lees. "You say I have
some to my credit here."
" How much are you expecting, and
who from ?" asked the banker, carefully,
as is the custom with people who receive
money by telegraph.
"Im looking for five hundred dol
lars, from Billy Ralston," said Martin.
" No five hundred to your credit here,"
said the banker, " but there is ten thou
sand to'Warwiek Martin.
"Ten thousand ?" gasped Martin.
"Yes; ten thousand dollars I"
i' Well, 'taint me," said Martin, Bor
rowfully. "It's some other Martin,
and 'taint from Billy, after all. JuBt
my luck 1" aud Warwick drew his hand
across his brow, and sighed with disap
pointment.
"If your name is Warwick Martin,
you can take this ten thousand dollars,"
said Mr. Lees.
"By Jupiter!" said Warwick, as he
narrated the incident to Mr. Goold, " 1
didn't think 'twas mine ; but I thought
of Betty thought of the dress I prom
ised her, and then took the money and
sneaked home like a culprit. I handed
it to Betty, but I never smiled for two
days, I was so afraid the mistake would
be detected. But when I got a letter
from Ralston himself," said Martin, " I
tell you there was a high old celebration
in our house I
" Did Ralston have a great funeral
when he died V 1 asked Mr. Goold.
" Funeral, sir ! I should say he did
Why, I was in that funeral procession
for four hefurs, and never moved out of
my tracks.
"How was that ?"
"Why, the head came to a halt be
fore the tail started. It was the first
procession ever seen in San Francisco
where the tail processed four miles with
out moving."
Words of Wisdom.
Omission of good is a commission of
evil.
It is absurd to be serious about trifling
matters.
He that lends to all shows good will,
but little sense.
The memory should be a storehouse,
not a lumber-room.
You may gather a rich harvest of
knowledge by reading ; but thought is
the winnowing machine.
Keep the horrors at arm's length.
Never turn a blessing round to see wheth
er it has a dark side to it.
The great master of even a single in
strument of music is indeed a wizard.
He chains us in the slavery of delight,
and is the only despot that rules over
willing captives.
Advice is offensive, not because it lays
us open to unexpected regret, or con
victs us of any tault which has escaped
our notice, but because it shows that we
are known toothers as well as ourselves ;
and the officious monitor is persecuted
with hatred, not because his accusation
is false, but because he assumes the su
periority which we are not willing to
grant him, and has dared to detect what
we desire to conceal.
Tho Convitt's Blind Daughter.
Benbury Floyd, of Chowan county, N.
C, aged about sixty years, was convicted
of a trivial larceny in 1873 and sentenced
to four years imprisonment. He had been
ft good soldier, and was said by his neigh
bors to have been a kind-hearted and
obliging man. He had no wife, chick or
child in the world except a little blind
daughter about fifteen years old, who
was in the blind asylum. Last week,
says the Raleigh Observer, Superin-tt-ndent
Gudger came to Govenor Vance
and told him the condition of this little
girl, and that having been in the asylum
the full term which the law permitted,
she would have to be discharged, and lie
did not know what to do with her, as she
had no home or friend to go to, except
this poor felon father. The governor
promised at once to pardon him. The
pardon was issued, and Mr. Gudger,
placing it in the hands of the little girl,
went with her to the penitentiary to
liberate her father. The scene between
father and darghter was melting in the
extreme. She could not see the felon's
strifes and the haggard prison-look, and
he, poor man, could look with pride and
fondness upon the fair but sightless face
of his child; something pure and inno
cent still loved him. Throwing them
selves into each other's armB they wept
uncontrollably. After a little, hand in
hand, they went away.
TRAPPING A BIO BEAR.
NurprlNf-d While Preparing for Ills Capture-
Why a Hunter tirew nervous.
A few dnvs wro a vcrv exciting but also
ludicrous incident occurred at the upper
end of Hnnter's Flat, some ten miles
north of West Point, Calaveras county,
Cal. John Giles, who has been profita
bly engaged in trapping in the moun
tains above, the past winter, visited a
Mr. Hall, who owns a small ranch on
Hunter's Flat. A few hours previous to
Giles' arrival a bear had paid her re
Bnects to one of -Hall's Berkshire hogs,
leaving the smaller portion of it under
on oak tree for tuture mncn. uue
owns a large steel trap, weighing sixty
pounds, which was hauled to the oak
tree. A pino some nine inches in diame
ter was then cut down, the butt nearly
reaching the oak. The heavy chain at
tached to the trap had an enormous
swivel nt the end. which was securely
fastened to a strong iron bolt inserted
in the butt end of the pine. The remains
were carried up the oak tree and lashed
to the trunk so as to be in sight. The
trap was set, and Giles proceeded to ob
literate foot marks. At once Hall yelled
in a scalp-raising tone : " Here ho
comes 1" Sure enough, an enormous
and apparently enraged bear was making
rapid headway toward the mourners un
der the oak. 'Before Giles got started in
the ensuing race Hall had taken tlie lead
by a good many lengths, leaping wild
coffee bushes six' feet in height with ease.
The roaring of the ferocious brute in the
roar accelerated Giles speed until he
was exhausted, when he ventured to look
back and note with a grateful heart that
bruin had given up the race. He snouted
to his companion, who was some four
hundred yards ahead, but Hall continued
the race until he reached his cabin.
The two now concluded to wait some two
hours. Giles had no weapons with him,
and when the time expired Hall ad
vanced trivial objections, but offered to
lend his rifle. As Hall is acknowledged
to be a bold and skillful hunter, Giles
pressed him to explain his apparently
cowardly behavior, and the blushing and
stuttering friend said that he was recent
ly engaged to the reigning belle of West
Point. Giles shouldered the rifle and
started in the direction of the trap. He
found the epicure with his left fore paw
in the trap, which he had dragged some
five hundred yards, tree and all. When
he caught sight of his jailer his rage
knew no bounds iu his efforts to get at
him, but the trap and the tree, which
had become fastened in the undergrowth,
held him securely. Giles says he lodged
five balls in the bear's ears, which all in
effectually flattened. Balls fired at the
head only penetrated the ekin. Several
shots in the region of the heart finally
brought him down, but he did not die
until three hours after. When the mon
ster had been skinned, his head, back of
his ears, was found to be two feet ten
and one-half inches in circumference.
The carcass when dressed weighed
'1,453 pounds. It is probably the largest
bear of its species ever seen in Califor
nia. The skin is a very fine one, and
Giles intends to present it to President
Hayes.
An Exchange of Bites.
Soma Glastonbury parties recently
captured a couple of rattlesnakes a
large one and a small one and brought
them in a box to town to exhibit. The
larger snake was about three feet long
and eight or ten years old. While a
number of people were looking at the
reptiles, a man named Grover, a butcher,
came along, and, announcing that this
kind of cattle didn't score him a bit, he
took the big snake out of the box.
Holding it around the neck he per
formed a number of fearless tricks with
it, and ot length actually put its head
into his mouth several times. Then,
getting bolder, he announced that in
stead of the snake bitting him he'd bite
the snake, aud he mado a pass toward
it with his head and planted his teeth on
the snake's throat. But in doing. it lie
brushed his cheek close by" the
creature's mouth, and in an instant,
like a flash, it drove its fangs into his
cheek. The blood spurted out in a
needle like stream and the fun was over.
The spectators at once (it by good luck
being at hand) produced an abundance
of gin and stuffed the man full of it.
Dr. Stocking was sent for and ordered a
continuance of the treatment. Against
all protests the patient was deluged with
liquor and by the next day he was b6
far recovered as to be up and around.
In two days he was at work again as
usual. He will probably not bite " that
kind of cattle," as he called it, any more.
Hartford Courant.
A Plucky Servant Girl.
A tramp entered the house of D. B.
Dennison, in Great Falls, N. H., one eve
ning recently, in the absence of the family,
and ordered the only servant girl
to deliver the money and valuables in
the house or be murdered. She begged
for her life, aud the tramp stood in the
hall and allowed her to go up stairs un
der the pretense of getting money,
when she procured Mr. Dennison's revol
ver, and, from the top of the stairs, or
dered the tramp to leave or she would
shoot. He made threats on her life, but
before he reached her she shot and he
fell. Two other tramps came to his as
sistance, and while taking him away, he
remarked: " John, I am hit." The po
lice searched in vain for the tramps all
night. The girl fed the one who attacked
her just before night. She is only about
t wenty years of age.
Female Society.
, To a young man, nothing is so impor
tant as a spirit of devotion (next to his
Creator) to some aiinable woman, whose
image may occupy his heart, and guard
it from the temptations that burst on all
sides. A man ought to choose his wife
as Mrs. Primrose did her wedding-gown,
for qualities that will " wear well." One
thing at least is true that if matrimony,
has its cares, celibacy has no pleasures.
A Newton or a mere scholar may find
enjoyment in study; a man of literary
taste can receive in books a powerful
auxiliary; but a man must have a bosom
friend, and children around him, to
cherish and support the dreariness of
old age.
Mrs. Abigail F. Griffin, aped ninety-two,
regularly serves htr old established newspaper
route in Boston, both morning and, evening.
7