Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, March 28, 1890, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Dewar tc
Bellefonte, Pa., March 28, 1890.
HEARTS-EASE.
[The annexed beautiful poem, written by
Mrs. Bradley, was found the other day when
workmen were tearing down the old MeClin-
tock residence near Newberry.]
Of all the bonnie buds that blow
In bright or cloudy weather;
Of all the flowers that come and go
The whole twelve moons together,
This little purple pansy brings J
Thoughts of the sweetest, saddest things.
I had a little lover once
Who used to give me posies,
His eyes were blue as hyacinths,
His lips were redjas rosies.
And everybody loved to praise
His pretty looks and winsome ways.
The girls that went to school with me
Made little jealous speeches,
Because he brought me royally
His biggest plums and peaches,
And always at the door would wait
To carry home my books and slate.
“They couldn’t see,” with pout and fling,
“The mighty fascination
About that little snub-nosed thing
To win such admiration.
As if there wasn’t a dozen girls
With nicer eyes and longer curls.”
And this I knew as well as they,
And never could see clearly 2
Why more than Marion or May
1 should be loved so dear®.
So once I asked him why was this?
He only answered with a kiss.
Until I teased him “‘tell me why?
I want to know the reason.”
When from the garden bed close by
(The pansies were in season,)
He plucked and gave a flower to me
With sweet and simple gravity.
“The garden is in bloom,” he said,
“With lilies pale and slender;
With roses and verbenas red.
And fuchsias purple splendor;
Bnt over and above the rest
This little hearts-ease suits me best.”
“Am I your little hearts-ease then ?”
I asked with Dinghing pleasure;
He answered “yes” and “yes” again,
“Hearts-ease and dearest treasure;
That the round world and all the sea
Held nothing half so sweet as me.”
I listened with a proud delight
Too rare for words to capture; :
Nor never dreamed what sudden blight
Would come to chill my rapture.
Could I foresee the tender bloom
Of pansies round a little tomb!
Life holds some stern experience,
As most of us discover,
And I've had other losses since
I lost my little lover,
But still this purple pansy brings
Thoughts of the saddest, sweetest things.
RavsroN, February 14, 1879.
HE — ———————————
HELD FOR RANSOM.
We had been out from Melbourne
two days, journeying toward the new
town of Murray City, on the Murray
River, and we were only two miles
from a post station, where a guard of
mounted police had their headquarters,
when the driver of the stage or wagon
suddenly brought his horses to a dead
stop. This was in the days of thirty
years ago, before any part of Australia
was half civilized by the English, and
before the big island had been more
than half surveyed. There were plenty
of bushrangers haunting every highway
and every stage was usually accompa-
nied by a guard. In our case five of
us had put together and hired a private
conveyance. It was one of the usual
stages, but making a special trip for our
‘benefit. Of the five, three were Eng-
lishmen going up to the valley ot the
Murray to locate land, the fourth was
an American who had been in the
country two years, and I had landed
in Melbourne only the week before.
My compatriot was named Davis, a
widower, and he had his only child
along—a bright little girl eight years
old. He was goinc up to sheep-ranch
in partnership with a friend already
settled, and he could not bear to leave
his child behind him in the town.
The five of us were well armed, and
every hour sinc2 leaving Melbourne we
had been ready to defend ourselves. As
we had met with nothing to alarm us
thus far, and as we knew we were close
upon a station, no one was prepared for
what happened. The stage had no
sooner stopped than two men came up
on a side, covered us with revolvers,
and a gruff voice announced :
“Now, then, the first move and off
goes yerheads! Step out here one by
one!"
I was the first one out. It was just
at sundown, and on a portion of the
road between two ridges. The two men
on that side were rough, unkempt, des-
perate-looking fellows—fair samples of
the other two, and the instant I saw
them I knew that we were in for trouble.
When we were all out they ordered the
driver to turn into a blind road to the
right, and we followed after the wagon.
As we were ordered to follow the vehicle
the leader of the gang said :
“No foolishness, now! The four of
we have got our pistols looking right at
ye!”
After going thirty rods we were as
well hidden from the highway as if we
had gone ten miles, and were brought
to a halt in a little glade. As there
were five to four, you may wonder that
we did not make a break. The first
man sho had moved to pull his revol-
ver would have been shot in the back.
Davis could not be counted on anyhow,
as his anxiety for his ehild took all the
fight out of him. The driver, if not in
league with the rangers was at least
treated as neutral. While he was arm-
ed he took matters so coolly that we
saw he was out of the scrape. The five
of us were placed in a row, and [while
three men etood behind us the fourth
disarmed us and went through our pock-
ets. We were a poverty-stricken crowd.
The $80 they took from me constituted
my worldly wealth, while Davis and
the others had been too sharp to trust
their money to az stage unguarded.
The whole amount did not pan out over
$150,and the bushrangers were furious,
“Why, you bloody bloke!” shouted
the leader, “you: alone ought to have at
least £200 with you!
“Do you think I'm carrying my
money about the country for such as
you ?”” protested the hot-headed victim.
“I'm a-wishing you hadn’t got a pen-
ny!" added the second.
“The idea of it! You'll all be hung
for this!” growled the tlird,
| the ashes.
Davis and I had said nothing. We
didn’t see that the case could be help-
ed hy protestations. The words of the
Englishmen provoked our captors to a
white heat, and they were knocked
about unmercifully for the next five
minutes. Then the leader, speaking to
the two of ue, asked :
“You are not English ?”
“No; Americans.”
“I thought so. Where ye bound
for?”
We gave him our destinations.
“Well, we're a bit sorry to take your
money, small as it is, and delay your
journey; but we've got to do both.
These three coves 1s rich, and we ain't
going to let ‘em off with shillings where
we ought to have pounds”
Whilewe were held under guard one
of the men went ever to the driver and
held a consultation with him, and the
result was that he turned his team
about and disappeared in the direction
ofthe highway. We werethen ordered
to proceed in a northerly course
through the scrub, one man leading
and the others bringing up the rear.
Not a word had been addressed to lit-
tle Eva by any of the men, although
all had looked at her with softened ex-
pression. She realized what was going
on, but went th-ough it bravely, and
when we started through the scrub her
father carried her on his shoulder.
We traveled for six or seven miles be-
fore halting, and then came upon a
camp fire, with a fifth bushranger
sleeping peside it. He was rudely
awakened, and I then saw that he had
his right arm in a sling, having been
wounded or meeting with an accident.
The camp was a thicket, with a tem-
porary shelter of brush to sleep under.
The five of us were ordered to sit down
under this shelter, and then every man’s
feet were tied together at the ankles
and a guard took a seat before us. Then
the fire was replenished, and the bush-
rangers gave us such a supper as they
| could afford, which consisted solely of
roast mutton and a flour cake baked in
When we had eaten this
and been offered a drink of water all
around, the leader sat down before us
and said :
“New, gents, business is businss the
world over. We have got tw have
money. We want it to convert these
‘ere natives from the error of their
ways, and it will take a heap to do it.
You first gent, who was so ready with
your tongue, how = much are
worth ?"
“It’s none o’ yer business, you scoun-
drel, you,” was the hearty reply.
“Well, mebbe not.
so poverty-stricken, I'll put you down
for only £300. Now, you second gent.”
“I could raise £100 ifin Melbourne.”
“That means £300 for you, then.
You'll lie a half or more. Now, you
third gent”
“I'll see you hanged for this day's
work,” was the reply.
“Mebbe you will, but not until after
I sees your money. You also go down
for £300. Now, the fourth gent.”
“You've got my last dollar,” I re-
plied. “I landed in Melbourne only a
week ago.”
“That's bad for all of us, but I guess
you tell the truth. Now, you fifth
gent.”
“I might possibly raise £5 if up at
the ranch,” replied Davis, ‘but that
would be all. I am poor, and just
making a start.”
“Is that your little gal?”
“Yes.”
“Where's the mother ?”
“Dead.”
“Shoo! That's too bad. What's
the gal’'s name ?"’
“Eva.”
“Mighty sweet.
kiss me.”
She went over to him and kissed his
bronzed and bearded cheek without the
slightest hesitation, and he held her
for a moment and looked her over and
said :
“Sweet as honey! I wouldn't hurt
you for all the gold in the big world!”
She was allowed to return to her
father, and the leader then said :
“We shall hold you three peppery
gents until you raise £800 for us, and
as these Americans might give the
alarm we shall be obliged to hold them
as well. Sorry to do it, tu: business
is business, and if we don’t look out for
ourselves no one will.”
Each of the Englishmen swore by
all that was good and great that he'd
never pay a cent, but the bushrangers
only laughed at their words. At a
late hour we were ordered to go asleep,
and the last thing I saw before my eyes
closed was the guard sitting on a rock
at my feet. The night passed quietly,
and as soon as we had Prettuey in
the morning the leader took pen, ink,
and paper from a box and said to the
Englishmen :
“Now, then, here's the chance to
write to your friends to raise the rocks,
and I'll see that the letters reach
them.”
Each one of the three refused point
blank to make any attempt to raise
money, although it was plain they had
a desperate lot to deal with and that
they would suffer for their obstinacy.
“Well, some other day willdo just as
well,” laughed the leader, “but I want
it understood that each day of delay
adds £25 to the ransom.”
We were then untied, given a few
minutes to get over ourstiffness of limb,
and then we all set off over a rugged,
scrubby country toward a range of
hills. We traveled steadily until noon,
and then came to a very secure strong-
hold among the hills, By placing us
in a natural enclosure of about an
eighth of an acre, we were surrounded
by rocky walls on three sides, and on
the forth the bushrangers built their
fire and made their camp. As we were
penned in here the chief of the bush-
rangers announced to the Englishmen
that he would give them two days in
which to make up their minds to send
for the money. If they held out at the
Say, gal, come and
end of that time he would take his own
measures to extort the money. One of
! the Englishmen was a large landowner
lin Australia,another was a civil officer
at Melbourne, the third was fresh from
England, and was intending to start a
Bein’ as you is’
manufactory of some sort at Melbourne
or Sidney. Davis and 1 both labored
with them to make them realize the
situation, but they were pig-headed and
obstinate, declaring that it was all a
bluff, and that the rangers would not
dare proceed to extremes. We believed
differently. They were escaped con-
victs, each one outlawed, and a more
villainous gang one never looked at.
On the morning of the third day,
without having annoyed us in the least
during the interval, the chief called for
their decision. Each Englishman curt-
ly replied that he would never get
another dollar of their money. The
civil officer was the leader, and the
most independent. He was seized, tied
hand and foot, and after his boots and
stockings had been removed, he was
placed with his feet to a fire. He stood
the torture until we could smell the
odor of his burning soles, and then gave
in. The other two followed his exam-
ple witho1t waiting for the torture.
Each one wrote a note to a friend in
Melbourne, worded by dictation. While
the chief was a rough-looking fellow,
he proved to have a very fair education.
When the letters were ready he took
them and started, presumably to find a
messenger to act as a go-between.
There were four left to guard us, and
after the chief had gone onz of them
bruised some herbs and kindly tied up
the Englishman’s feet. Our three fel-
low prisonersrather shunned Davis and
myself during the afternoon, seeming to
be put out because we were not called
upon to ransom ourselves. But we af-
terward recalled that they made much
of the child, and had her with them a
good share of the time. Each outlaw
had a good word for her whenever she
came near, and she was permitted to
run about without restraint.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon this
was the situation : Three of the guards
were asleep beyond the fire. The
fourth sat on the ground with his back
to a rock reading a novel, while he had
a rifle across his knees. Davis and I
lay close together, talking matters over,
and the Englishmen were ten stepsaway.
Little Eva was running about, shouting
and playing. All at once we heard the
pop of a revolver, followed by a death
cry, and as we sprang up two of the
Englishmen, each with a pistol in hand,
rushed past us. In sixty seconds more
every one of ths bushrangers was dead.
They had coaxed Eva to bring them
the pistols, which were lying on the
far side of the camp, and she had pass-
ed behind the guard and made two
trips. As soon as they had the weap-
ons one of them shot down the half:
asleep guard, and then the others were
slain before sleep was fairly off their
eyelids.
The smoke was still hanging over
the camp when we began the construc-
tion of a litter, and within half an hour
we were headed for the highway, car-
rying the victim of torture along with
us. We kept going all night, as we
had to go slow, and about daylight
came out at the stage station. A squad
of mounted police set off for the camp,
and on their way to it came across and
k lled the leader of the bushrangers,
thus wiping out the last of a bad gang.
—New York Sun. '
A Democratic Will,
Bradford county, Pa., is about as over-
whelmingly Republican as is Crawford
county, but the few Democrats within
herborders are ofthe “neversay die’ sort,
and always go into a fight as if they ex-
pected to elect somebody. George Wil-
cox, a resident ot Overton township,
Bradford county, who died recently,
left a remarkable will, which has been
filed at the register’s office at Towanda.
He leaves his property to his children,
provided his sons support the Democra-
tie ticket, and his daughters murry Dem-
ocrats. Those failing to comply with
these requirements forfeit their interests
in the estate, whick 1s to go to the Dem-
ocratic National committee. As pecu-
liara will as this was never before regis-
tered in Bradford or any other county,
aud many people are wondering wheth-
er it will stand the law.
Jefferson’s Birthday.
It Will be Celebrated by the Democra-
tic Societies of Pennsylvania
There has been reeently, and is now,
marked activity in the ranks of the dem-
ocratie society of Pennsylvania, of which
useful organization nearly every demo-
cratic club in the state is a member.
Vigorous steps are being taken to dis-
seminate true democratic principles.
The organization itself is a part of the
national association of democratic clubs.
This represents neither men nor factions,
but the demoeratic party. Every day
primary societies are sending names of
their officers and members to the secre-
tary of the Pennsylvania society, or
John D. Worman, of Philadelphia. A
general committee has recenily been
formed, consisting of one delegate from
each club in the state. They report
that in no single district in Pennsylvan-
ia where there has been a live, earnest,
well-supported democratic society, has
there been a failure to increase the dem-
ocratic vote.
The society, by a conviction carrying
eircular, of which the following is an
extract, urg2s upon all true Americans
the usefulness of patriotically celebrat-
ing Jefferson’s birthday.
“The birth of Thomas Jefferscn was
an event of transcendent importance,
not only to Americans, but to mankind.
The author of the declaration of inde-
pendence, it is to his jealous vigilance
that we owe the first ten amendments to
the constitution of the United States,
comprising the bill of rights and the
rule of construction which constitutes
the safeguard of states and people, !
against the encroachments of centraliz-
ed power. Extravagance, corruption,
and taxes for the aggrandizement of
classes and the enrichment of indivdual
favorites, tollow with fatal certainty, the
casion. Itis therefore respectfully sug-
gested that the societies shall do their
part toward recalling the people of the
United States to those principles under
which alone we can hope for the ulti-
mate safety of our institutions.
“In the intervening year the federal-
ist party has gone forward to convert
the general government into a vast ten-
der of private monopoly; to prepare a
tariff bill, which when passed will in-
crease the tax burdens, and restrict the
industrial freedom of the many, while
strengthening the monopolies of the few ;
to mature legislation looking to federal
intervention in state elections, to the
ultimate seizure of the common schools,
and numerous like schemes of centrali-
zation, and to these endsthe house of re-
presentatives itself has been forcibly re-
volutionized, its ancient rules and tradi-
tions disregarded, while protesting mem-
bers are silenced, or unseated by whole-
sale. Never in the history of the repub-
lic was there a period when a general re-
currence to constitutional and, therefore
to democratic principles, was more nec-
essary than at present.”
To Get a Beautiful Skin.
How to Get Rid of Black Specks on
the Face.
The plainest features become pretty
when clothed with a fresh velvety skin.
It is in the power of every woman to
hava a soft, fine skin, thus adding much
to her charms, if she will devote a little
time and care to her toilet. It should
be a duty as well a pleasure to every
woman to enhance the powers of attrac-
tiveness. First of all, one must keep
the face free from those unsightly black-
heads or grubbs. Bathe the parts in
hot water; rub on a little oil, and then
take an old fashioned watch-key and
pry out all the large ones. Afterwards
rub on a cream or any soothing ointment.
In the morning there will be no trace
of redness.
Tohave a clear skin it is essential to
keep the digestive organs in good order
and sleep as much as possible. Sleep
will do more to preserve the freshness of
youth than any other one thing. At
night wash the face in warm water-—
never use hot— using soap freely to re-
move the dust of the day. Then take a
pint of cold water to which a tablespoon-
ful of bay rum has been added, and
bathe the face for five minutes. Dry
the face on a course towel, rubbing gen-
tly to get up a pleasant friction. Last-
ly spread a little cream lightly on the
face and neck. Use only the finest
cream and purest soap in the market.
In the morning remove the grease
with plenty of warm water and soap—
followed by a cold bath as at night.
Then apply a little powder with a soft
linen rag to remove the shine. Powder
is an essential adjunct to a lady’s toilet
—let men say what they will to the con-
trary—but never use a cheap powder.
The best will be found harmless. Avoid
all face lotions as their use, is sure to
ruin theskin. By following the above
directions you will find, in a short time
that those horrid little specks that give
the skin such a coarse look will disap-
pear and the skin become as soft as a
rose petal.— Daughters of America.
Phil Sheridan’s Children.
The Twins Dress Exactly Alike, and
Bewilder Their Best Friends.
The three little daughters of the late
General Phil Sheridan are pupils of the
Convent of the Visitation on Connecti-
cut avenue. They are day scholars,
living in retirement with their mother
in their plain, quiet home on Rhode
Island avenue. Mary, the eldest, is
about 14, and resembles their father,
both in face and figure. The twins,
Louise and Irene, look very much like
Mis. Sheridan. They are dressed in
lain black frocks and coats so exactly
alike that their best friends cannot tell
them apart. They wear their brown
hairin a demi-length that admits ot
neither plait nor curl. They have the
pretty convent-bred manner of paying
instant attention when spoken to, and
are as serious as little nuns.
But there is a native originality about
them that is charming. It was the
twins who made that pretty speech a
few years ago. They were out walking,
when some strangers stopped them and
asked if they were General Sheridan’s
children. “No,” said Louise gravely,
“we are the twins.” “They are Gener-
al Sheridan’s- children,” said Irene,
pointing back to Mary and little Phil,
who were following with their nurse.
The boy is not only the idol of the home
but of the whole neighborhood, his us-
ual cognomen being “Dear little Phil.”
Mus. Sheridan goes nowhere except to
church, and that is usually to early
mass.— Washington letter in Detroit
Free Press.
What a Visit to the Queen Means.
Itis a mistake to suppose that the
Queen’s guests at Windsor Castle have
any opportunity for protracted or confi-
dential communication with Her Majes-
ty, except such Ministers as have au-
diences. The visitors arrive at the cas-
tle about 7 o'clock, retire to their respec-
tive rooms, and assemble in the corridors
in full dress at 8.30 o'clock. The Queen
presently enters from her private apart-
ment, and after bowing to the company
and perhaps speaking a few words to
one or two friends, she goes into the
dining room, followed by the guests.
After dinner, during which the conver-
sation, as a matter of course, is to the
last degree vapid commonplace, the
company return to the corridor, and
then the Queen speaks for a few min-
utes to each person in turn, and then
bows to the circle and retires, after
which the party proceed to one of the
drawing-rooms for cards or music, and
the men find themselves in the smoking
room, which is a very comfortable
apartment. Next morning the guests
leave the castle after breakfast, and they
depart without having again seen the
Queen, who takes meals alone in her
own private rooms.— London World.
ascendency of federalism. The demo-
cratic society of Pennsylvania is express- |
ly founded upon Mr. Jefferson’s teach-
ings. It appears most appropriate that
every democratic society in the state
should celebrate his approaching birth-
day, April 2,0. 8. or April 13, N. S,,
in some manner suitable to the great oc
AprPLE JELLY FOR CAKES. —Peel and
grate two large sour apples; add to
them the grated rind and juice of one
lemon, a small piece of butter, one cup-
ful of sugar, the white of one egg;
cook carefully and thoroughly, and
when cool spread between cake.
A Freak of Nature.
Penasco is the name of a small Mexi- |
can settlement a few miles from Toas.
It is one among the oldest settlements of
the territory, and probably never before
has their been as much excitement in its
midst as in the past few days. The
streets have been crowded and people
for miles and miles in every direction
have visited the place. The attraction
and immediate cause of the excitement
is none other than - a curiosity in the
shape of a male child, born: t> Mr. and
Mrs. Inocendid Martines. The child is,
without doubt, one of the greatest living
curiosities. Its’ weight when born was
seven and three-quarter pounds. Tt has
a perfectly shaped leg growing out of its
shoulder blade. The toenails on the
foot of this leg are on the under side of |
the toes. The child is compelled to lie
on its side, and a frame has been made |
to support the superfluous member,
thereby relieving the little one of con-
siderable weight.
Another very remarkable feature, or
|
rather the absence of feature, is that the |
child has no ears, nor even any indica-
tion of them. Where these organs
ought to be the head is perfectly smooth
an@ covered with hair.
Your correspondent visited Penasco
with a view of learning the truth of the
reports. Being admitted to the house
of Mr. and Mrs. Martines, he found the
child’s deformities as reported. Dr.
Hartman, thephysician in charge, states
that the child is in sound health, and
thinks that it may live for many weeks
or months.
The father and mother are very poor
people, and while they cherish their off-
spring with paternal affection, they are
alarmed lest it be a token of evil. The
Mexicans are all moreor less of asuper-
stitious turn of mind, and the birth in
their midst of a wonderful child is re-
garded as a warning of some trouble or
great calamity that may befall them.
Services are held in the little church
three to five times a day, and great ex-
citement prevails Should this remark-
able child live to be grown, he would
be the wonder and attraction of the age.
—St. Louis Republic.
Apples as Medicine.
Expert Ti s'imony As to There Nume -
ous Good Qualities.
Chemically, the apple is composed of
vegetable fibre, albumen, sugar, gum,
chlorophyll, male acid, gallic, lime,
and much water. Furthermore the
German analysts say that the apple
contains a larger percentage of
phosphorus than any other fruit or
vegetable. This phosphorus is admira-
bly adapted for renewing the essential
nervous matter, lethicin of the brain
and spinal cord. It is, perhaps, for the
same reason, rudely understood, that old
Scandinavian traditions represent the
apple as the food of the gods,who, when
they felt themselves to be growing fee-
ble and infirm, resorted to this fruit for
renewing their powers of mind and body.
Also, the acids of the apple are of signal
use for men of sedentary habits, whose
livers are sluggish in action ; these acids
serving to eliminate from the body
noxious matters which,if retained, would
make the brain heavy and dull, or bring
about jaundice or skin eruptions and
other allied troubles. Some such an ex-
perience must have led to our custom of
taking apple sauce with roast pork, rich
goose, and like dishes.
The malic acid of ripe apples, either
raw or cooked, will neutralize any ex-
cess of chalky matter, engendered hy
eating too much meat. Itisalso the
fact that such fresh fruits as the apple,
the pear, and the plum, when taken ripe
and without sugar, diminish acidity in
the stomach rather than provoke it.
Their vegetable salts and juices are con-
verted into alkaline carbonates, which
tend to counteract acidity. A good
ripe raw apple isone of the easiest of
vegetable substances for the stomach to
deal with, the whole process of its diges-
tion being completed in eighty-five
minutes. Gerand found that the ‘‘pulpe
of roasted apples mixed ina wine-quart
of faire water, and labored together un-
til it comes to be as apples and ale—
which we call lambswool—never faileth
in certain diseases of the raines, which
myself bath often proved, and gained
thereby both crownes and credit.”
“The paring of an apple, cut some-
what thick, and the inside whereof is
laid to hot, burning,or running eyes at
night, when the party goes to bed ; and
is tied or bound to the same, doth help
the trouble very speedily, and contrary
to expectation—an excellent secret.”
A poultice made of rotten apples is of
very common use in Lincolnshire for
the cure of weak or rheumatic eyes. Like-
wise, in the Hotel des Invalids, at Paris,
an apple poultice is used commonly for
inflamed eyes, the ‘apple being roasted
and its pulp applied over the eyes
without any intervening substance.
Long ago it was said apples do easily
and speedily pass through the belly ;
therefore they do mollify the belly ; and,
for the same reason, of modern maxim
teaches that—To eat an apple going to
bed, The doctor then will beg his bread.
— The Hospital.
A Girl of Phenomenal Strength.
There lives in the village of Alexan-
der, Genesee county, New York, a
young woman whose name is Emily
Harper, who possesses phenomenal
strength, her weight being 110 pounds.
Her powers were unknown to herself
and unconsciously, in performing the
household work,she breaks articles right
and left. One day her mother chided
her, when Emily threw her arms around
her and gave hera good hug, justto
show that she bore no resentful feeling.
Upon relaxing her grasp, Mrs. Harper
fell to the floor with a moan of pain.
An investigation disclosed that two of |
of her ribs were broken, Her father |
then chided her. Anxious to justify
herself, the girl rushed up to him with
the exclamation : “This is all I did.” |
She placed her arms about him and |
gave him an affectionate squeeze. Mr. |
Harper, in speaking of the embrace,
said : “I was once hugged by a bear in
the Maine woods. I have wrestled
back-hand with some pretty strong men, |
but I neverin my life received such a
shaking up as that girl gave me when
she showed me all she did to ma.” Of
course, these two hugs made it all plain
that Miss Harper had suddenly become
possessed of remarkale strength.
Black's Cruelty. -
Philadelphia Record.
It was cruel in Mr. Chauncey For-
ward Black to let the meddling Repub-
lican journals all fall into the trap set
for them by the accomplished liar who
sisted that Mr. W. L. Scott had im-
portuned him to withdraw from the
race for the Democratic nemination for
Governor. By an early denial Mr.
Black would have saved much expendi-
ture of ink and paper and perturbation
of brains. But possibly Chauncey
doesn’t care ; or, possibly, like Governor
Campbell in the Foraker forgery case, he
rather enjoys the game when the wicked
perish by their own devices.
Wallace's Reported Views of the Guber-
: natorial Chances.
The Tyrone correspondent of the Al-
toona Times, of the 18th inst, says:
' Hon. William A. Wallace was in town
yesterday for a short time between
trains. Some people have an idea that
he is anxious to get the Democratic
nomination for Governor, but in this
they are mistaken. In a conversation
w'th us lasting fifteen minutes
we were led to believe that Mr. Wallace
is, not putting forth a single effort to
capture delegates to the State Conven-
tion. He says no man need covet the
honor, for if successful in getting the
nomination hard work stares him in the
face, with chances for defeat almost cer-
tain. While he don’t want the nomina-
tion, if it would be tendered to him with
any degree of unanimity he would no
doubt accept its responsibilities and put
his best energies into the campaign. He
left for Philadelphia on Day Express,
where he will meet some of the leaders
of the party for consultation.
The Regular Course.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
The Cherokee strip furnishes a repro-
duction of the Oklahoma experience.
First the land is occupied by the cat-
tle barons, whose tendency to squat on
any territory without legal right is not
at all abated by the fact that after
they have enjoyed several years of
pasturage the Goverment very tardily
comes to the conclusion ‘to order them
off. Nosooner are they forced to vacate
than the boomer makes a rush for the
land, invariably before there is any legal
right to do so. The fact that the na-
tional authority is always exerted to re-
move the boomers from the land they
attempt to grab, does not at all deter
them from repeating the grabbing act
on the next opportunity. One might
wish for a little variation of the monoto-
ny of these proceedings, but they are
at least instructive of the lesson that
both cattle companies and squatters are
equally hungry for any land they can
get their claims on, regardless of legal
right or the authority of the Govern-
ment.
An Indian Fights with a Boa.
One dayan Indian made an excursion
to a mountain near Chevantzierum,
state of Michoacan, in Mexico, to look
after some fuel for his hut. While cut-
ting up a dry oak he suddenly felt a
bite on the calf of his leg, given in the
fraction of a second. A moment later
he felt coiling around his body the terrible
folds of a boa constrictor. Instinctively
he leaned his head over toward the
wounded leg and was almost fascinated
by the glare of two bright basilisk eyes,
that gleamed like fiery coals in the head
of the serpent.
Quicker than a flash the Indian
ducked his head and caught the neck of
the reptile between his jaws, sinking his
teeth in the quivering flesh and clinging
to it with the desperation of the dying.
The huge serpent lashed his tail and
tried to twist its head in order to bury
its fangs in the Indian, but the latter
clung on and began to chew away at
the neck of the boa, which is the thin-
nest and most delicate part of the snake’s
anatomy. After chewing for a long
time, the Indian succeeded in behea ding
his antagorist, and the Indian was free.
—New Mexico News.
A Big-Hearted Elephant,
The Animal Expires at the Age of 144
Years of Dropsy. !
Philadelphia Press of 13th inst.
Tom Doyle, one of the keepers con-
nected with the Winter quarters of the
Fourpaugh show, discovered the huge
carcass of an old Indian elephantlying on
the floor of the elephant house yesterday
morning, instead of the lively animal
which he had left munching hay the
night before. Death had laid low the
mighty beast during the night.
‘When Doyle left the animal there
was no indication of the brute feeling
badly, in fact he appeared somewhat
livelier than usual. For some weeks
back he had been growing unusually
large, and was very slow in his move-
ments, but before yesterday he seemed
in good spirits.
The carcass of the proboscidian was
presented! by James E. Cooper, the
present owner of the Forepaugh show,
to the Medico-Chirurgical College
through Prof. P. D. Keyser forscientific
uses, and at the request of Mr. Cooper a
postmortem examination was made by
Prof. E. Laplace of the college staff,
and was witnessed by a large number of
medical students and others.
On opening the abdominal cavity, the
heart of the brute was found to be of
enormous size ; so large in fact that it
would not fit in an ordinary sized wash-
tub, and its weight as registered by the
college scales was fcund to be 102 pounds.
There was marked evidence of inflam-
mation and pronounced percarditis,
with a great amount of effusion (Dropsy
of the Heart.) The lungs of the animal
were sound and the digestive organs
healthy enough, only that there was
much crowding together here and there
owing to the unusual growth of the
heart, that also accounted for the great
size attained by the brute lately, and
his sudden death. Another peculiar
thing about the matter was finding that
the elephant was 114 years of age, and
would in the natural course of things
have lived much longer but for the
heart trouble, as elsewhere he was per-
fect. His skeleton will be articulated
and uis hide prepared by a taxidermist
for the College. It would be useless to
attempt to preserve the big heart.