RATES Of ADVERTISING. On 8gn.ro, one Inch, on. Iniertloa I 1 H On Sqn.re, on Inch, en. month I M On 8qn.ro, on Inch, thro, month.......... M On. 8qn.ro, on Inch, ono year 10 00 To Sqnaree, odo year ISM Qnarter Colnmn, on. year BO 00 Ilatf Column, on. year On Column, on. yr 100 00 Lfl adrertlaementi tea cen1. yor Itae etch ia tertlon. y Rrr!afl .nd d.th notice, gratia. All bill, for yearly advertisements collected qnae. leriy. 1 empot.ry advertliementa mu.t t. pud US advance. Job work eaeh on delivery. OREST PUBLICAN. K anoaertptlons received for a ihnXm Mrlod Insn three month. Oormepondenee solicited from el MrU of the Country. No notlco will bo taken of Mcnjmouj OOJUlQIllClUOU. VOL. XXIII. NO. 9. TIONESTA, PA., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1890. S1.50 PER ANNUM. THE FOREST REPUBLICAN b pabuahed every Wednesday, ey J. E. WENK. Offlo In Bmaarbaugh A Co.'a Building KM STRUT, nONBSTA, T. Terms, - f I.BO prTar. Tho bcot sugar industry In gaining a ' alrong foothold in tlio United States. ' It i said that an nlilo beggar with a good get up can make $10 a day on the streets of New York. Germany's army is still numerically in ferior to that of France by 40,000 men. ermuny possesses 2184 field guns, whereas Franco has 2880 ready for war. There appears to tho New York Com mirrcial Adcerticr tohesomo ground for tho suspicion that soma great power is guiding tho strikes in Kurope, which all seem to bear the appearance qf concerted action. It was a big drop that the New York Legislature) made in the remuneration of the Sheriff of New York, observes tho New Orleans 7'nnei-Democrat, when it fixed his salary nt $12,000 a year. Under tho feo system it has been nearer 50,000. The most prominent experts in dogs in this country ure firm in tho belief that thoroughbred dogs nro Icrs intelligent than mongrels. .Nearly nil tho dogs ex hibited on the stage are cross-breeds and dogs of low lineage, if they can boast known parentage nt all. Tho Kansas Financier is convinced that "ono of tho greatest atllictions that can befall a State or community in to have a boom. Tho recovery is worse than a plague. Steady growth and honest business methods should always be en couraged, but nono other." It will surpriso many readers to know that Castle Garden, New York, is noth ing less than a fortress extended and built over, and that in tho early part of the century it was considered a Btrongcr building than Castle William, which fronts it across t'uo way on Governor's Island. The young Apache children taken to the Rumonn school, at Santa Fc, Neu Mexico, promises to soon adopt the waj of civilization. Tho only Ivay to taicj the Apache, asserts the Sun Francisc Chronicle, is to begin with tho children, and it is doubtful whether much advancj will bo made with theso it they are per mitted to return to their parents. It is to bo hoped that some idea of regular work may be impressed upon these young savages, for this is the first step in any permanent redemption from their old life. The latest fad of the famous manufac turer, food reformer and politico-economist of Boston, Edward Atkinson, is tho production of new, cheap and whole some food from such cereals as oat nnd corn meal, raw wheat, barley and rye. Tho material is cleaned, steam cooked aud pressed into blocks. Out of these ho proposes to make dishes that will en able a mau to livo well at a cost of a dime a day. Ue has also invented a number of cookers, wherewith a housekeeper can prepare the daily dishes of a family at an expense for fuel of three or four cents a day. It is rumored that New York thinks of eclebratiug the landing of Columbus all by herself. "Such a show in 1892 would," in tho estimation of the New Orleans Picayune, "be a serious blow to Chicago's fair tho following year. The idea is for New York to get up a big ju bilee with a lot of ancient looking ves sels. There would be many picturesque effects. Columbus and his followers would havo to be gorgeously dressed in order to attract the crowd, but as the Indians in the show would require no costumes nt all, tho cxpenso would not be much." Possibly to show how fcrtilo tho French soldier is in the way of resource, M. Edmond de Goncourt relates the fol lowing sensational incident iu the fourth volume of his "Journal," just printed: ".During the Franco-Prussian war the wheel of a gun got out of order, and an artillery officer directed thut it should be greased. Being uuablo to find any grease, one of the gunners went up to a 'slovenly, uuhuudsomu corpse,' split the skull with his ax, took out the brains and clapped them, all hot, on tho wheel. This is very horrible, if true, und is very powerful if it be fiction, and might be recommended to Rider Haggard. Eight more frontier forts have b;en designated us useless as military posts, and will be abandoned as soon as the gar rison can be withdrawn. They are Fort Maginuis, Montana; Fort Bridger, Wyo ming, Fort Siduey, Ncbntsku; Port Crawford, Col. ; Little Hock llarracks, Ark., and McDowell, Thomas and Verde iu Arizona. In the case of some, civili zation has got so fur beyoud them that they are no longer on the frontier, aud others are to be abaudoued in pursuance of the policy of concentrating troops in sufficient numbers to make more impor tant posts schools of instruction. Tho military reservations on which the forts stand will probably be devoted to the ase of Indian schools. WHERE THE APPLE BLOSSOMS BLOW. Meet me where the apple blossoms blow. Softly now the fragrant boughs are swing ing. Greet me when the moon begins to glow. And in the pine the whlppoorwills are sing ing. With loyal heart a beat, Oh, haste with fly ing feet, And shame the sluggish hours that wing too slow. The day was long and dreary. My heart Is worn and weary. I count the laggard momenta as they go, Love. Oh. Meet me where the apple blossoms blow, Meet me where the apple blossoms blow; Let the floating petals Sake your tresses. Breathing ua a benison below. Crowning our bethrothal with caresses. Far in the upper deep, The stars are now a-peep, The drowsy river murmurs in Its flow. I bear its voice repeating: "Life's blossom-time is fleeting." Ah ! let us catch the fragrance ere it go, Love. Oh, Meet me where the apple blossoms blow I Samuel Minium peck. A DEBT OF GRATITUDE. The dny I arrived in Adelaide, Aus tralia, I was twenty years old, and my pocket contaiued a dollar for every year I had lived. I had exactly four pounds to begin life on in the colony, aud that was more than some of the English boys who had come out with me could boast of. AVe were a queer lot who had sailed from Liverpool gentlemen, loafers, clerks, lackeys, whole families, single men, servants and what not all bent on a new life in the wonderful island of the Indian Ocean. We had come in a sailing ship and been knocked about for months, and a happy lot we were to be set on shore in the then small and straggling town I have named. Luck was with me. On the second day after landing I hired to a sheep raiser who had a ranch on tho Murray River, near its junction with the Darling, and on the third we started off up the country. We had two ox teams that is, we hnd two covered wagons,each loaded with supplies, and each drawn by three yoke of oxen. A part of the goods were to be left with settlers along the route, and a part belonged to Mr. Davidson, my I employer. He did not hire me, not being present, but the teams were in charge of an overseer named McCnll, whom I soon found to be a good-natured, good hearted fellow. Each of us had a native to assist in managing the teams, and, though neither of them could speak ten words of English, they were valuable men, and had no difficulty iu being under stood. It was about Christmas time, ami tho weather was very sultry, and we aimed to make only fifteen miles a day. Wc had a full week's journey before us, and noth ing of much interest happened until the fourth day. We went into camp a little earlier than usual on that afternoon, as one of the wagons needed repairs. Our vehicles, nfer coming to a halt, stood about twenty-five feet upnrt. While I wus building a fire to cook supper by oue of tho blocks went oil after rabbits, and McCall took the other with him to help cut and briug back a lever with which to raiso the wagon oil its wheels. I was thus left alone for A few minutes, and they had scarcely disappeared from sight in the scrub wheu a man burst out of tho thicket on the other side and came run-" nitig up to me. His faco and hands were scratched and bleeding, his clothing in tatters, his hat gone, aud he had such a wild aud terriblo look that I should have run away from him bad I been able to do anything but stand and stare with mouth wide open. McCall had told mo of escaped couvicts and hard cases who had token to the bush to make a living by robbing, and the man had come upon me so suddenly that I was knocked out for the moment. "For God's sake, young feller, give me a bite to eat !" he said as he stood before me. "Don't bo afraid of me I'm a sheep herder who has been lost iu the bush for three days." I stepped to tho wagon nnd handed him a piece of bacon, some hard crack ers, and a handful of tea, and then found voice to ask: "Hut why not stop with us for the night!" "Thanks, but I'm in a great hurry to get back to my herd. I know whore I am now, and can get there in three hours. Any raatehes?" I gave him some, and ho looked all around to make sure that we were alone, and then said : "Young feller, do me a greater favor still. Lend me your pistol and knife un til to-morrow, when you will pass my station. And, furthermore, be kind enough not to mention to any one that I was here. Do this and you shall never regret it." 1 handed him knife and pistol, prom ised what he asked, and he shook mo by the hand and disappeared in tho scrub. Teu minutes after he had gone I figured it out that he was a bushman who had been hard run by the police, but it was all the same to me. He could have taken what ho wanted for alt of wc, as 1 felt per fectly helpless, aud I was thankful that he had come aud gone without knocking me on the head. Just as McCall came up with the lever there was a clutter of hoofs, and I looked up to see five mounted men ride into camp. They were iu the uniform of the patrol, aud the ap pearance of the horses and the nieu showed that they had had a long ride of it. "Well, Capt. White, what is it?" asked McCall, who seemed to know every one of the five. "Been after Ballarat Sam again," re plied the Captain as he dismounted. "Aud lost him?" "Yes; curse the luck ! We struck liiui near Dobuey's yesterday -morning, aud he led us a chase of fif'y mile during the day. We killed his horse about dark last fUfbt and had Lun surrounded in Iht scrub. He got out, however, and wc did not get his truck until about noon to day. Wo followed it to the creek, two miles above, and there lost it. Haven't seen him here, of course?" "I only wish wc had. There's a re ward of 500 on his head, I hear." "It has been increased to twice that. Show mo his body aud I'll mnkc a rich man of you." The patrol turned their horses loose and had supicr with us, furnishing a part from their own rations. Then there was general talk and story-telling until about 10 o'clock, and then all but one man turned in for sleep. I had been in troduced all around, but had taken very little part or interest in tho conversation, being sure, from the, first words spoken by the Captain, thut I had met Rallurat Sum ani aided him to make a fresh start. I thought at first of telling the whole story to the patrol, but they were serious, sober-looking chaps, and I bad a fear that they would give me an awful raking down, even if they did not lug me off and seek to have me punished as aiding and abetting. I remembered, too, that I had solemnly promised Sam not to betray him, and so I decided to keep a still tongue and let the case work out as it would. The patrol left us at daylight, but their work for the next three days was thrown away. They could get no trace of Sam. We continued on tip tho country nnd finally arrived at tho ranch, and for the next six months I was hard at work as a sheep herder, aud neither saw nor heard much of tho outside world. Then one day I was called iu off my range, which was about five miles from Davidson's house. Each of his herders had from 800 to 1500 sheep under his care on a range, by him self, and each lived alone with his dog in a hut. Once a week the "relief," as we called him, inudo the rounds nnd left provisions and heard our rep.irts. Sev eral of the natives had visited nie harm less fellows, who wanted matches or to bacco, but no white man excepting ihc relief hud come near me for three mouths before I got tho call to report at head quarters. I went in to find a couple of visitors there two gentlemen who had lately arrived from England. One of them, a Mr. Cullcn, was from my own town of Shrewsbury, nnd the other, a Mr. Williams was from Manchester. They had come out to Australia to take up a range and go into sheep as an investment, neither of them intending to remain, but to do the business through an' agent. They had purchased 2000 sheep of Mr. Davidson as a starter, and hud taken a range above us on the Darling River. My flock was to go, as also that of the herder to tho south of mo, and we hud been culled in to receive instructions. Both of us herders were to enter into the employ of the new arrivals, who had already secured their land and built tho house and stubles for the overseer. This man had come up from Adelaide with them, und was a Scotchman named McForland. Tho other, who was un Irish lad of twenty, was O'Hura. When wo made ready to start, the two gentlemen were mounted on horses. The overseer drove the bullock wagon, as sisted by a black, nnd O'Hara und my self were on foot. Some of our neigh bors had been troubled with bushrang ers, but wo had seen nothing of them, and us tho police patrol iu the district had lately been increased we felt no fear that the rangers would meddle with us on our journey. Tho weather was now pretty cold, but as the country was bad we had to let the sheep pick their way aud go slow. Iu the first three days we made only about tweuty-seven miles, but this was thought to be good progress un der the circumstances. Ou the third night, when nt least ten miles from any , settlers, aud more than that from any regu lar highway, wo found a natural valley in , which thu sheep could bo herded, nnd our own camp was made in a grove of ironwood, near a waterhole. We had fiuished supper and were grouped about the fire, when one of the dogs barked aud we looked up to find ourselves covered by five rifles. There were five strange, hard-looking men forming a half-circle about ue, haviug crept into the grove so softly that the dogs had not heard them until the lost moment. "Brail up or under you go!" shouted a voice, and every one of us threw up his bands. "Now, then, the first one you who makes a shy move will get a bullet ! Close in, boys!" Tho five advanced to our feet, each keeping his gun leveled, aud when I could see the man who hnd spoken I at once identified him as Ballurut Sam, tho man whom I had befriended months be fore. He recognized me almost as quick ly, and, taking a step forward, said: "Well, boy, you did me a good turn that day, and I'll not forget it. Move over to the left. Now, then, gents who are you?" The gentlemen gave him their names and told him their business. They were pretty Imdly frightened, as I could see, while the overseer trembled like a man in a chill. As he was a big, strong fel low, and had laughed at tho idea of bushrangers meddling with us, I could not understand his fear until Sam spoke again. "Better and better!" ho said, as a fierce look came into his eyes. ' Boys, here's that overseer who set the patrol on our track dowu below, aud who wasn't sutisfiod with that but must turn out to belli them. I think we have made a j gooil haul of it." I All of our arms were iu the wagon, aud we wero helpless to offer any resistance. The first thing they did was to despoil : the two gentlemen aud tho overseer of 'everything of value, and then each one j was lashed to a tree. O'Hara was ordered to sit dowu beside me, and the black took motters so coolly thut nothing was said to him. The rangers signed to him j to turn to and get supper, and he cheer fully obeyed. Wheu they had eaten and j drunk and lighted their pipes Sam turned to me with: I "And soyoudidu't tell the police that you gave me food uud a pistol C ! "No, sir." I "I know you didu't, for I was that tsixoi out Ujat I laid myself dowo for two hours almost in your camp. Even when they told you who I was and that a price was set upon my head you hadn't a word to sav." "No, sir." "Well, you boys have nothing to fear. Wc have nothing against you. After a day or two you may go free." There was no sleep for anybody until after midnight, and 1 don't think the two gentlemen or the overseer slept nt all. I know they wero wido enough awake when I opened my eyes in the morning. All of us hail a bite to eat nfter the out laws had finished, nnd then the wngon was robbed of whatever they fancied and hauled off about thirty rods and upset in a deep gully. The oxen were turned loose with tho sheep, and when we set out Sam and two of the men rode the horses nnd the rest of us went on foot. One outlaw on foot went abend and the others closed up behind us, and the geu ernl direction was to tho north. Every mile took us into a wilder and more un settled country, and it wus so broken that I felt that I could not get out evcu if turned free. At nbout four in the afternoon we reached the rangers' camp, which was in a wild aud desolate spot. I don't think they intended the gentlemen any harm from tho start, but thut the overseer's doom was sealed wc nil felt certain. He realized it, too, for I observed that he was constantly on the watch for an opportun ity to bolt. It came as wc entered the camp. Realizing that they meant to pay off the old score, he suddenly dashed for a thicket. He took them off their guard, and if an accident had not happened him he would have got clear off. Half way to tho thicket a stone turned under his foot and threw him, nnd as he got up one of the men shot him down in his trucks. They left him lying there and went into camp, saying that they had meant to tor ture him with fire. and that he had got out of it too easy. The two gentlemen were very closely gunrded, but. O'Hara and myself wc-e allowed to walk about as we pleased. They had taken over 1000 from the two and bore them no grudge, but for five days and nights we were prisoners and in their power. On the morning of the sixth day, when it was plain to be seen they were off for another adventure, the four of us were turned loose nnd told to make our way home. They headed us to the west, which was the wrong way, und we traveled twenty miles in thut direction before we found out the trick. We were nearly a week iu in the scrub, living on roots nnd berries and decayed wild fruit, before we reached a settlement, and were then all of thirty miles from Duvidfon's. Wc were a sad looking lot when we finally reached home, nnd, while Mr. Cullcn was taken with fever to die in about ten dnys, Mr. Williams wns so broken up thut he lived only long enough to get down to the coast . A year later Sam and two of that crowd were caught, tried at Sandhurst, and O'Hara nud I snw them drop from the gallows. Wete York Nun. Fight Between a Rnm and Eagle. Benjamin Shiffer, a farmer of Tunk hnnnock Township, Monroe County, Penu., is responsible for an account of a thrilling fight between a Southdown ram ami an eagle. Farmer Shiffer was plow ing on a hillside when an eagle soaring nbove his flock of sheep in tho valley be low attracted his attention. The eagle dropped, und in his swoop attempted to carry off a small lamb from its mother's side. He missed his clutch, aud knocked the ewe down in his flight. Before he could renew his attack, and while on the ground, the Southdown rum lowered his head, butted the bird in the breast and knocked it over. Before the ram could follow up this advantage, however, the savage bird had fastened its talons iu his back. Bleating loudly, he endeavored to shake the royal bird off. After he had been severely beaten with the bird's wing he managed to shake himself free. The eagle now tried once more to capture the lamb, and did fasten his talons in its back in spite of the mother's frantic at tempts to protect her offspring. At this point the plucky old rnm renewed the fight. Ho butted the bird several times, and finally got a good one home under the eagle's wings, which kept him on the ground. The eagle released the lumb and sailed into tho ram again. The farmer ar rived ou the scene by this time, armed with a fence rail. He dealt the eagle a blowou the ncck,breaking it and settling the fight. As soon as the rum was freed from the clutch of the bird's talons he fell to butting the dead enemy. The lamb was dead, nud its courageous father had lost considerable wool in the engage ment. tfete York Sun. I "A finnd Si.MIer Never Looks Behind." "Almost all these pension papers have a history of public interest," remarked Pension Examiner Craig. "We have some actual romances, us strunge us fic tion, and, of course, instances of bravery and endurance equal to the bravest of the brave. Now and then a humorous story ; of the camp and field develops. Iu ex : amining into a case the other day a phy ' sician of this city tells me a good story. 1 The widow of a soldier made application , for a pension, her husband having died I in 1871 from alleged injuries received dur ing his enlistment. The physician was a member of the same company, but could j uot recall the occasiou of the alleged iu ! jury, but he did remember that while the man was a brave soldier, he was gen erally considered very lazy. He was par ticularly averse to blacking his shoes. One day he appeared on dress parade with his shoes as bright as a looking glass, much to the amazement of his Captain. When, however, the Captaiu ordered the limn to a left dress it was seen the man had used the blacking aud brush only on the front of the shoes, and that the heels were nil mud. Tho Captain, after the parade, ur dered the mau brought before hint und suid : 'I see you had your shoes nieelj polished iu front, uud that they. were all mud behiud. What's your excuse!' b th..t sot' blandly queried the private. Yes, that's so.' 'Well, Cap, a good sol dier never looks behiud,' which lejoiudet proved a sufficient excuse for that occa siou at Wast." it. ou'i titur-Siyinot. HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. TO CI,F.A! AND Cl'ltl, OSTIUCIt FEATHERS, A clever woman says: "I clean and curl all my ostrich feathers, and think that the best milliner cannot do it much better. In a nolution mndc of good castile soap and soft water (boiled and beaten into foam) the feathers are washed, having some time before soaked them in clear water. After that process, I put them on a clean table and rub them care fully with a fine linen cloth, or simply pnss them through my hands a few times; then I lay them between two linen cloths, beat them gently till they are dry, when I pull them apart and hold them over a bed of red-hot coal to curl. This must be done very carefully and not too near the coal, as the downy feathers are very easily singed. A bit of sulphur thrown on the coal wheu white feathers ure to be elenned, insures a pure white. This process seems bothersome, but is very simple and quickly done." CniMSEV ClRTAfN. A handsome chimney curtain to hang across the fireplace where there is no fire place under the shelf, is made as follows Take stripes of blue cross-stitch cauvas, twelve and one-fourth inches wide, nnd stripes of old red plush, five inches wide, united by drawn stripes of heavy white linen, the seams being concealed by rows of cross-bars. The plush stripes are left plain, the rich pile needing no decoration ; the canvas ones are ornamented with a cross-stitch border in red, white and gold. The design is worked with coarse em broidery cotton, or twist und gold thread, euch stitch being crossed over two threads each way. The drawn thread -stripes have n clean linen ground, and are worked al ternately with red and blue threads. The cross-bar row beside the red stripe is blue, beside the blue one red. The hanging is trimmed at the lower edge with a fringe knotted of blue and red cotton. The knotting is as follows: Tivo.red and seven blue double threads, niue and one-half inches long, arc looped in alternately to the half, so that four red and fourteen blue double threads arc formed. Thu red knotting threads are united by a chain of single buttonhole knots, w hile the blue ones form poiutcd ribs of knots, nud then also seven chains of buttonhole knots. Lino curtain with linen. Yankee Blade. BERItY BF.ClrES. No more healthful diet can be put upon tho tabic at this season, thau fruit, says the Courier Journal. Leibig says ou this subject: "Besides contributing a large pro portion of sugar, mucilage aud other nutritive compounds'Jn the form of food, they contain such a line combination of vegetable acids, attractive substances, and diuretic principles, with the .nutri tive matter, as to act pnrwerfuliy iu tho capacity of refrigerants, tonics and antisceptics, nud when freely used at the season of ripeness, by rural ; laborers and others, they prevent debility, strengthen digestion, correct the putre factive tendency of nitrogenous food, avert scurvy and probably maintain and strengthen " the power of productive labor." Fresh ripe fruit is particularly whole some if taken in the early part of the day. That housekeepers may serve them with variety the following sug gestions arc giveu: Ripe Currants Select largo clusters of cherries, rinse them by dippiug in and out of cold water, theu place ou a seivo to drain. Araonizo on a glass dish. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, sit on ice; serve in small saucers around a little pyramid of sugar. Frozen Currants Mash a quart of rod currants, add two pounds of sugar, tho juice of three oranges and oue lemon, let stand one hour, add a quart of water, stir until the sugar is dissolved, turn iu the freezer and freeze. Currauts and raspberries (for tea or lunch) To every quart of large, red raspberries allow a pint of ripe currauts and a pound of sugar. Put on a pre serve kettle, bring to a boil, dish and set in the ice the juice should jelly. Currant Sponge Cover half a box of gclatiue with half a cup of cold water, and soak for half an hour; then pour over half a pint of boiling water, add half a pint of sugar and stir until it dissolves. Strain half a pint of currant juice, and put on ice until thick and cold ; theu beat the whites of four eggs, put in tho mix ture, beat until smooth, tarn into a fancy mould, and set ou ice to harden. Raspberry Meringue Crush a pint of ripe raspberries with a pint of sugar; beat the whites of four eggs; stir nil to gether gently until it stands alone. Raspberry Tapioca Wash a teacup of tapioca through several waters, then cover with cold water and let soak nil night. In the morning set ou a close fire; pour over a pint of boiling water; simmer slowly until the tapiocu is per fectly clear. Stir a quart of ripe rasp berries into the boiling tapioca and sweeten. Take from the fire; pour in a deep dish; set on ice; when very cold, serve with sugar aud cream. Stewed Gooseberries Stem and top one quart ot gooseberries; put them iu a porcelain kettle; add one pint of boiling water; cover the kettle close and stew teu minutes. Add ono pound of sugar, staurl ou the back of the stove where it is not too hot for lifteeu minutes. Gooseberry Food Stem and top a quart of ripe gooseberries and stir them in one pint of water until they are crushed. Pour through a colander to re move the skins ; add a teaspnonful of butter aud a cup of sugar, and tho yolks of four eggs well beaten, and pour in a glass bowl. Beat the whites of the eggs until frothy, nud add two heaping tea spoonfuls of powdered sugar, and beat uutil it stands alone. Heap ou top of the gooseberries. The largest steam derrick iu the world Is used by a shipping company at Ham burg, Germany. It is kept at the docks and used in liftiug immense weights ou aud off shipboard. It can pick up a ten wheeled locomotive with perfect ease. A PECULIAR OCCUPATION. WALKING RAILROAD TRACKS FOR A LIVING. faithful Pedestrians Who Contin ually I'atrol the Track in Heard) of Olnt riK'l inns Their Out tit . Some of the old railroad track walkers can boast of records equal to that of loco motives in the point of miles which they have covered. Engineers sometimes claim that they have ridden 200,000 miles or so, but the men who have walked that far are not often heard of. Still there are plenty of them in the branch of the railroad service of which the "track walker" belongs. They are the safeguard of travel which the public knows least about. They prevent hun dreds of accidents, but their good deeds are rarely if ever rewarded, ns is the case with the faithful engineer or flag man. And it is n peculiar fact that there is no line of promotion, consequently no great incentive to careful work. A New York .Sun reporter got sonic ideas about their duties from Thomas Sesnan, now foreman of a section of truckmen in the yard of the Grand Cen tral Station in that city. Sesnan has been employed on tho track work of the Har lem Railroad for forty-two years, and is now looked upon as a patriarch among the trackmen. He has had charge of a gang for the last eighteen years; before that he was a trackman himself. He says that he helped to lay the second track of the Harlem road in 1HIS, over which the New Haven road first entered the city. "Every piece of railroad," he said, "is divided into sections of from live to seven miles, if it is single track, and from three to four mile", if double. A foreman with a gang of live or six men keeps each section in order. All but one are trackmen, who are kept busy making repairs. That oue is the track walker, who patrols the track all day long with an eve out for weak points and obstruc tions that might cause accidents. Of course, there is a second walker ut night who does the same w in k. "The tni"k walker's outfit includes a hammer, wrench, lantern, red flag, a few torpedoes, bolls and spikes. No, he docn't walk at pedestrian "peed. His gait shouldn't be more than two or three miles an hour. A man might hurry over the entire ground inside of an hour, but he couldn't look at every bolt nnd rail connection, as his duties require. If it's a double-track road he walks on the track facing the direction from which the train is coming and examines only one trujk nt a time, lie takes the oilier track on the way back. A track walker gets over the ground, ns far as he is able, just before the trains pass over his sec tion. But he keeps al work nil day long, nnd if he has u double track divided into three-mile sections, lie ought to miiko about three round trips a day over each track. This would make a day's average of twenty-four miles. "Au experienced track walker can tell a loose bolt at a glance. Sometimes it will be caused by a broken rail, and he will see tha' the joints do not tit. Generally a loose joint will be indicated by a dis turbance of the earth, causing u crevice between the sleeper and the rail. In this case the track walker props the rail with u thin piece of wood, which he must car ry in his outfit. Fish plates and angle plates ure distributed along the line, and the track walker sometimes lias to replace broken plates if there isn't time for the section gang to come up before a train ii due. In case of a broken rail or obstruc tions which he can't handle, the track walker puts torpedoes on the tracks and uses his red flag to warn a passing train. Then he leaves his patrol and informs the foreman and trackman as soon as possible. In emergency cases at night the track walker wraps his red flag about the lan tern as a signal. Torpedoes are used also. "I never heard of a track walker's be ing promoted to a better paying position. Once a track walker always u track walker." "Anybody can get such a job, then," suggested the reporter. "Not a bit of it," retorted the patri arch. "You couldn't, for instance. I'd liV to see you bolt one of those anglo plates; and you'd have to do it in case of emergency. A man must have experience as a trackman fust. The foreman picks his track walker out of the trackmen. Their pay is nil the same about if 1,3.1 a day. But if there is any promoting be ing done, the trackwalker is never the lucky one. Some truckman gets the raise. The track walker must go back to the section gang again if he expects tc get up in the world. "As a rule, track walkers keep at it all their lives. A man who worked under me on the section between Philmout and Craryville, on the Harlem road, a strip six miles long, made two round trips a day. He started out at Philmmit ut 5 A. X., uud by the end of the lirst round trip of twelve miles it was noun and he got dinner. Another trip and lie gave way to another man ut 5 J'. m. This man, Michael McGruth, kept up his twenty four miles walk ubuut every day in the yeur for eighteen years. Reckoning IlliO days to the year, this makes mure than 155, DUO miles. .Many track walkers have kept it up longer. A man on thu Erie says he has walked more thau 200, U00 miles." Nuts for Criminal Lawyer. Prisoner was being tried for murder; evidence ugaiust him purely circumstan tial; part of it a hat was found m ar thd scene of the crime; au ordinal)' round, black hut, but sworn to as the prisoner's. Counsel for the defence, of course, mado much of the commonness of the hut. "You, gentlemen, no doubt each of you possess such a hat, of the most ordinury make uud shape. He wire how you cou demu a fellow -ci i at ui c to a shameful death on such a piece of evidence," und so ou. So the man was acquitted. Just as he was leaving the dock, with the most touching liumilily and simplicity, he nulled lib hair and said : "If oi phase, 1 . . . ... L.ll iny lorn, may i avu in) ui . Moyatim'. i'uriihill THE VOICEFUL WAVES. The voieeful waves I I love nt night to stand Mad with strango yearnings on the shelly sand. To watch the foam flowers fade beneath my feet. And guess what words the lisping combs re peat. Then, if a ship's soars, liken full-spread hand, Within the round red moon are framed complete, I Fceni to fly to tropic islands sweet, Where dusky creatures list upon the strand The voieeful waves. At morning, too, when sea gulls, white and fleet. Swim through the mists with measured pinion beat, I almost hear in forests old and grand The unseen winds I hate this gold-cursed land, Aud they have told me of som safe retreat. The voifvful waves. (jewjr Ilorton. in Chicago Herald. HUMOR OF THE DAV. Conflicting dates Candidates. Kidnaping A sleeping infant. The huileof fortune Petroleum. Shaking for driuks The tremulous toper. Can a bird drinking be said to be liquidating his bill? Full Jlircr 1'rihune. Pothumous works should e published in some dead language. VHtiburg Chronicle. -It is comparatively quiet when so still you can hear the dew drop. Binyhamtwn Ji'l'jlullliCUI. A sulky horse can usually bo cured by driving it iu some other kind of a vehicle. Yfie York JYVfM. Put two doors side by side nnd tho small boy will go through tho oue thut squeaks. Mercury. When two racing stenmers make the same number of knots an hour, the re sult, naturally is a tie. Xrw York Voice. The papers at this trying time All sp:-nk of death, the killer; We're bold to take, in prose and rhyme, Somebody's sarsaparilla. Judy?, The ancients excelled us in many things. Now , there was .lob. a boiler that never exploded. Sin Franciteo Alia. The humorist seldom gets rich from his ideas, but he is usually nbte to make a good thing out of ono and another. Puck. A dentist of this city puts iu false teeth so naturally that they look und nche exactly like the originals. I'iila deldiia I'res. The health journals and doctors agree that the most wholesome part of the or dinary New England country doughnut is the hole. Troy Timet. In ancient times 'twas Ajox bol l The lightning did defy: 111 modern times 'tis Kemmler, who, This feature will supply Oooilall's Sun. Popinjay (passing store) "Good gra cious I What is tlic matter with that man leaning over the counter there'" Blobsou "Got a counterfeit, I guess. Mercury. Bunk Cashier (of Hibernian extraction opening his mail and smelling the docu ment '-Hello, this note must hare been drawn in the Oil Regions, I see there are three days grase on it." Truinhlo (to office boy) "Can you tell me if the sporting editor is in his office?" Office Boy "He ain't got any otHis. He's outside making the baseball score op till! bulletin." J'ittxtiury Preiu. Mrs. Brown "Why do you like to have the doctor come to see you, Johnny I Is it because you get nice things to eat?" Little Johnny "Xaw; 'cause I cau put iny tongue out at him." Hilar, "Girls areipiccr." "Why so J" "Why, when that pauper Bolus was married to' Miss Stcickaubouds, tho heiress, sho looked tickled to death when ho en dowed her with all his worldly goods." Jii;ar. 5Irs. Jinks "I declur-vTAlVe Smith is to be married! It is ' fftghtfur the way girls marry nowadays. A wouanhU'ht never think of it until she has peached the age of discretion!" Mr. Jinks "In' other words, you would nirtier havii them stay single all their liv''--ii'-rence American. There is a postofficc ill Idaho called Deer Valley, with a mail twice per week.' For six weeks last winter the only letters received came for a young man from his girl in Chicago, and the inhabitants fin ally became so wroth that they arose in their might and ruu him out of town. Detroit Free J'reiut. Jack Wheeler "I say, Louis, how old' do you suppose Miss Smith is! Her aunt says she's just twenty-one." Louis Waite (who has not been in the wholcialu dry goods business for nothing) ".w, yes; marked down from thirty-three; to bo disposed of ut a burgiiu, old chappie." Morning Journal. Island of Malta Malta is a British possession in the Mediterranean, including the islands of Malta, Gozo aud Comino, und the unin habited islets of Coininotto und Kilfa, tho entire group lying about six miles south west of the southernmost point of Sicily ami 200 north of Tripoli, in Africa. Tho urea "f -Malta proper is about 100 s piare inilis, and population about 140,000. There are neither rivers nor lakes ou tho island, and no lorestsor bnishwoo l; aud most of the surface is a calcareous rock exposed to the winds from the Afycun deserts, and but thinly covered with an artificial soil chieri) brought from Sicily. This is, howccr, by careful cultivation made to yield abuuduut crops of cotton, greens, beans and grass, aud excellent fruits, of which the orange, olie and tig are renowned. Iu summer ihe heat is excessive day and night. The sirocco prevails, especially iu auuuuu. and theio is little laud or sea bivc.e. Hut iu win ter tho cliuiuU; U tjwlihu'ul. .Yii Yo.'k, UiyatcA.. i
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers