an
Demorealic
Bellefonte, Pa., Dec. 25, 1896.
CHRISTMAS SHIPS.
Blow fair, sweet wind, upon the distant seas :
Blow fair and kind,
For many sails sue for a favoring breeze
Where none they find.
Your grace they court,
For Christmas port,
Some ride the waves with strong and buoyant
prow,
And canvas white :
Others with straining spars the dark seas plough
. In piteous plight.
Make them your care. i
Kind wind, blow fair.
Many are faring fome from havens far,
After long years;
And eyes are gazing out across the bar
Through gathering tears,
Bring the ship near,
For Christmas cheer.
Wherever ships should speed upon the wave,
Go, friendly breeze ;
But when the billows fiercely rock and rave,
Lull them to ease,
Let joy abide
At Christmas-tide !—Apa Nicnors Max,
in Harper's Weekly.
A GRIPMAN’'S CHRISTMAS DAY.
The Tragedy of a Cable Car and the Hungry Man
Who Controlled It.
Christmas conveyed very little meaning
to poor Matt Riley. It had been a hard
winter for him, as it had exhausted all his
efforts and resources to keep a humble
roof over his patient wife and two often
hungry children, let alone to indulge in the
usual holiday luxuries of costly presents
and appetizing turkey. Matt was a car-
pet weaver by trade, and a good one, too,
but the inexorable demon of hard times
had silenced the looms with his relentless
hand, and thousands of operators had been
compelled to stop work and subsist on
charity. Matt was one of the unfortunates
who was thus deprived of his means of
livelihood, but he was of a sturdy nature
and too self reliant to accept aid. He be-
lieved in the dignity of American labor,
and he considered it degrading to extend
a hand of suppliance to his fellow men.
So he kept up a cheerful spirit, and day
after day he spent in walking the principal
streets seeking honest employment. When |
evening came he would return to his little |
home on a narrow street in South Kensing- |
ton, and although thorougly disheartened
he would simulate a hopeful air and assure |
his pretty but pale-faced wife that he ex- |
pected better luck next day. But next |
day it was the same old story, and finally |
the little stock of provisions in the family |
larder was consumed, and grim visaged
want stared the little family in the face. |
Matt was at his wit’s end, but he still |
maintained a bold front. It almost broke |
his heart to see how patiently his little
wife bore her hard lot, and he knew that
her spirit of love and self sacrifice would !
lead her to stint herself for the sake of her |
two loved ones.
The bright-faced boy and the beautiful
little girl with her bright blueeves and |
wealth of golden hair were the pride of his |
household, and he often inwardly groaned |
with anguish as he sat by while his child- |
ren went hungry to bed and sobbed them-
selves to aleep. One by one he surrepti- |
tiously removed the few portable articles of |
value which the modest home contained
and pawned them so that he might buy
bread and meat for those he loved. As the
Christmas time drew near it brought none
of its much vaunted good cheer to Matt
Riley's family. On the contrary Matt
awoke after a night of worry and torment
on the morning of the day before Christmas
to face a desperate state of affairs. An ob-
durate landlord had heen clamoring for his
rent and trying in vain to draw blood from |
a stone. There was absolctely nothing in
the house to eat but a few crusts. Matt |
realized that something must be done that |
day. He made up his mind that he would
make one more supreme effort to get work, |
and if that failed—and he had very little |
hope—he would stifle his pride and beg. |
His honest face burned with shame as he |
thought of this last resert, hut there was |
no help for it, and he reflected that any
thing was better than to sit silently by
while his wife, his boy and his daughter— |
his pretty Lettie—slowly starved to death.
So he left thie house early that morning re-
solved to do or die, The good natured |
German barber who kept a shop just around |
the corner wasa friend of Matt’s, and there |
he had no trouble in borrowing & morning
paper long enough to scan the ‘want’
columns and carefully note the addresses
of a few employers who were advertising
for help. Then he walked down to the
heart of the city, past store windows rich
with Christmas gifts and under bowered
awnings of Christmas greens. He entered a
big hardware store on Market street, the
proprietor of which had announced that he
wanted ‘‘a strong man,” but he learned
with aching heart that he was a minute too
late and that ‘‘a strong man’’ had been
found.
From one place to another he went, only
to meet with similar ill-luck, and as the
morning abdicated for .the afternoon poor
Matt’s despondency grew apace. Finally,
with hands in his pockets and with bowed
head, he walked slowly out the street to-
ward the bridge, almost resolved to give up
the seemingly hopeless struggle and throw
himself into the river. While he was as-
suring himself that he must live for the
sake of his wife and his little ones, he al-
most ran into a man who was hurrying
past, and as he turned to offer an apology
the man suddenly exclaimed :
“Why, Matt, old man, how are you? I
haven’t seen you for a coon’s age.”
Matt recognized him in an instant and |
extended his hand. Andy Clark and he had
worked together four years ago in an East-
ern carpet mill, and he hadn’t seen Andy
since the memorable day when the big mill
burned down.
“I'm glad to see you, Andy,’’ said Matt. |
‘What are you doing now ?” |
“Oh, I'm gripping. on a cable car. It |
pays ahout as well as weaving and suits me
|
|
|
better. = Are you still in the same old husi-
ness?”
“No,” said Matt, gloomily ; “I haven’t |
had any work for over a month, and to tell |
you the truth, Andy, if I don’t get a job |
at once I'm afraid that Rose and the kids |
will starve.” |
“My God, Matt, is it as bal as that?
Why, how lucky I met you. A couple of |
the men want to get off to-morrow to spend
Christmas with their families. There will |
be a chance for a few extra men. Go out
and sce the superintendent now and tell |
him I sent you. He and I are rather |
chummy. and I'm sure you'll catch on for |
a day, anyhow. and maybe there'll he al
1 ermanent place for you in a week,” |
“But Ihave had no experience as a grip
|
| ed to her husband as a Christmas present.
| the wounded child.
i when she told me this was the store whur
man,’’ protested Matt ‘‘and I’mvafraid I
couldn’t do the work.”’
‘Oh, that’s nothing,”’ exclaimed Andy,
‘You don’t need experience. You’ll un-
derstand the whote thing one minute after
you've seized the grip handle and the brake
All you've got to do is to be careful and
not put the grip on too suddenly. When
the superintendent asks you if you have had
any experience, tell him yes ; that you ran
a cable car in 'Frisco for a year. That’ll
fix him. Now go in and win, old man,
and before I leave you take this dollar.
You know you need it, and you can pay
it back out of your first week’s wages.
Merry Christmas and good luck to you,”
and before Matt could swallow the lump
in his throat and express his gratitude the
generous follow had hurried off, leaving
a big silver dollar in the palm of his
hand.
“Well, his heart is in the right place,”
muttered Matt, and five minutes after giv-
ing utterance to this great anatomical truth
he was standing in the office of the car |
company asking for the superintendent. |
The interview with that official was brief
but to the point. Matt asked for work as
a gripman and used his friend’s name.
“Ever run a cable car before?’ gruffly
inquired the superintendent.
Yes ; I—1 worked a year at it in
’Frisco,”’ replied Matt, nervously.
‘Well, come around to-morrow morning
at 5 o'clock and we'll give you a job for
the day. If you are a good gripman you’ll
soon have steady work.
“God forgive me for that lie, but I had
to get work,’’ thought Matt as he hurried
toward home to carry the glad news.
First, however, Matt boarded a cable car
bound uptown and spent a nickle of that
precious dollar and half an hour’s time close-
ly watching the gripman, and then came
to the conclusion that he would not find
the work very difficult to master. Before
he reached home he stopped in a cheap
restaurant in the neighborhood and order-
ed four square meals to be delivered at his
house as soon as ready. Then he went
home and blurted out the story of his
good luck, kissed his little Lettie and toss-
ed Master Rob high in the air, while his
wife stood by and wept tears of joy. Soon
the meals came, hot and redolent from the
restaurant, and though they were of the
kind known as ‘‘15-cent dinners,” it is
safe to say that no rich man ever ate dia-
mond back terrapin with the same enjoy-
ment as the Riley family manifested on
that occasion.
* Matt exultantly handed the 35 cents
change over to his wife, and the poor, soul,
quietly sent Master Rob out for a 5-cent |
paper of smoking tobacco, which she hand- |
It was the first time Matt had enjoyed his
pipe for over a month, and he fairly filled
the house with its fragrant aroma.
They were, indeed. a happy family that
evening, and they all went to bed early in
the very best of spirits, Mrs. Riley promis-
ing the delighted children that she would
take them down town some time during |
Christmas day ‘‘to see papa run the cable
car. .
Matt was up at 4 o’clock Christmas morn-
ing, and he reached the depot of the car
company long before the time set. The
superintendent soon arrived and pointed
out to Matt the car he was to take ‘out.
Soon the other men came strageling in,
among them Andy Clark, who introduced
Matt to the conductor who was in charge
of his car. When the gong sounded for!
the cars to begin running Matt took his
place in the gripman’s enclosure and pre- |
pared himself for his day’s work. His was |
the third car out, and when the word was |
given he slowly applied the grip and the |
car glided out of the depot and started |
dowi: the street on its first trip. Matt |
i found the work harder to master than he
had expected, but master it he did, and
when finally the car had traversed the |
long route and they were waiting to begin
the second trip the conductor, who had |
heen let into the secret of Matt's inexperi-
ence by Andy Clark, congratulated him on
his success and gave him a few valuable |
suggestions. |
The Christmas bells were chiming as
Matt started out on his fourth trip,. and
the air seemed laden with the spirit of the |
day. The streets were beginning to fill |
with the holiday throng, and Matt actually
found himself humming an old Christmas |
carol that he used to sing in Sunday school.
As the car approached Bond street, where |
it is always customary to stop, Matt seized
the handle bar and prepared to throw off
the grip. To his surpise the bar stuck fast.
| Had he been an experienced gripman Matt |
would have known just what to do, but
he realized his inexperienceand hecame ex- |
cited. With both hands he gave the bar a |
mighty tug, and then another and another,
and in his growing excitement entirely for-
got the gripman’s eleventh commandment.
‘sound the bell at every crossing.’
As the car dashed over the Bond street
crossing, with Matt straining wildly at
the bar, he heard a cry of horror from the
sidewalk and thought he heard something
drop directly in front of the car. Then he
heard the wheels crunch with a horrible
sound, and a moment later he mustered up
all his strength, threw off the grip and
hurriedly applied the brake. An excited
crowd was following the car and quickly
surrounded it as Matt left his box and
stepped into the street.
‘‘Arrest the scoundrel !”’ shouted one
man, pointing to him, and there were in-
dignant looks on all sides. A policeman
seized Matt by the arm.
“I'll have to take you in,”” he said.
“It looks as if you ran down that little
child on purpose.”
Matt roughly shook the officer off, and
said, *‘You’d hetter go back and attend to
the kid first. I won’t run away.” Then
Matt brushed through the throng and ran
towards another little crowd that stood¥,
around the car tracks at the street crossing.
He pushed himself up towards the front
with the officer closely following him, and
to his surprise saw his wife bending over
“What is it, Rose?” he cried, as he
sprang forward. ‘My God! let me see
her. It's my Lettie, my little girl,’’ he
moaned, falling beside the mangled mass ;
“and I have killed her.”
The child knew him, smiled, and with
the word ‘‘papa” faintly fluttering from
her lips, she died.—Charles W. Campbell.
Mandy Was Right.
“Whur does that thing go to?’ asked
the farmer man with the comic paper
whiskers, as the cash trolley started.
“It runs from here to the rear of the
store, and thence to the fifth story, where
the cashier receives it,”’ the clerk ex-
plained.
“I gosh! I guess Mandy
was right
a little money went a long ways.”
Why He is Not Suited.
“Well, Isuppose you're glad the elec-
tion is over, at last, and that things are
getting back upon the old basis ?
“Not a bit of it. I run a hotel
ton.??
at Can-
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gy
i
We have a fine stock of fancy thin skinned lem-
on ard sweet juicy oranges from California—
Florida—Jamaica-—Mexico and Mediteranian
fruit.
Malaga Grapes solid pink tinted fruit.
Cataba ee in baskets.
Bananas choicest fruit.
Cranberries extra quality sound fruit 1oc, 12¢
and 15c per quart.
Sweet Potatoes. :
Large size, fine stock, zoc per peck.
Evaporated Fruits.
California evaporated Peaches pared.
oi £6 ‘¢ unpared.
te te Apricots.
13 ‘“ Prunes, 10c, 12¢ and 13€.
Raisins.
California 4 crown Muscatels.
Valencias, seeded and plain, Sultana (seedless)
Fine table clusters.
Cleaned Currants, Orange Peel,
Lemon Peel, Citron, Dates, Figs.
Nuts.
Finest imported Princess paper shell Al-
monds, ; 2sc per Ib.
California paper shells, 2oc pet lb.
Valencia shelled Almonds, 4oc per lb.
Mixed dinner nuts at 15¢ per 1b:
English Walnuts, Filberts,
. Peanuts, Brazil Nuts,
Shellbarks, Walnuts and Chestnuts,
Fine large new Cocoa Nuts.
Olives.
Finest selected fruit all in glass at 15c. 2oc.
25¢. 45¢. 65c. and 85c. per bottle, according to
size and grade.
Olive Oil.
Rae’s Lucca brand the finest oil imported 14
pints 3oc. pints g45c. quarts 75. We have sold
this grade for ten years and guarantee every bot.
tle.
Roasted Coffees.
Java, Mocha, Rio and Nicaragua all care-
fully selected and fresh roasted.
Fine Teas.
Oolong, Japans, Young Hyson, Imperials, Gun
Powder, English Breakfast,
Our blended Teas are superb in flavor.
Wishing You a Happy Christmas
«ANd a Prosperous New Year.
E hand you our trade circular and through it extend
you a cordial invitation to call and examine our
Grapes.
Sweet Potatoes choice sound stock.
Bananas,
place, “don’t shop the town,”
once and save a lot of trouble.
trade we will be glad to have a part of it.
Bellefonte, Pa., Dec. 21st, 1896.
line of
Mexican,
California,
Raisins in all varieties.
WE USE NO PRIZES
OR SCHEMES =m
and sell only reliable goods at reasonable prices.
FRUTS,
given to Sunday Schools and Festivals.
Come to us for any thing you want in our line and we
guarantee to please you in every particular.
Very respectfully,
SECHLER & CO.
29 EGGETTS
OLIVES-PRESERVES
Pure Spices Whole and Ground.
Cinnamon, Mace, Cloves, Ginger, Allspice,
Mustard, Nutmeg, Turmeric.
Spices have no value unless they are sound and
pure. We give special attention to these goods,
you can rely on their purity and value.
CANNED TOMATOES..
For fine flavor and large well filled cans
our ‘“Cottage’’ brand stands unrivaled.
Our “Paradise Farm’ and ‘Columbia’ brands
are regular standard weight and extra fine fla-
vored ripe fruit.
Canned Corn. z
Our “Premier’’ brand of Corn is strictly fancy
Maine packed goods, none better, also standard
N. Y. State and Maryland goods.
Preserved Fruits.
Strawberries in Glass, Weisbaden style.
Cherries in oe be ee
Strawberries in 1lb. and 2lb. jars.
Jams, Assorted Fruits in 1lb. jars.
Russian Marmalade, fine, something new.
Guava Jelly.
Burnett's Finest Extracts.
Vanilla, Orange, Lemon, Celery, Almond,
Pineapple, Peach, Rose, Strawberry,
Nectarine.
[13
Cured Meats.
Finest Sugar Cured Hams, Breakfast Bacon,
Dried Beef, Smoked Tongue.
Canned Soup. Baked Beans and Pork, Maca-
roni, Vermacelli, Noodles, Cracker Meal.
Maple Sugar and Syrup.
Pure goods made direct from the sap, Syrup in
one gallon tin cans, sugar in square blocks, all fresh
goods.
Applebutter.
Fine goods made to our order by careful, cleanly
people, spiced and sugared, in half gallon and one
gallon crocks. Try one.
vives MINCE MEAT.........
Our own make, the best goods of the kind on
the market. Pleases everybody, your Xmas din-
ner will not be complete without it. If you enjoy
a good Mince Pie try it. 10c per pound.
Atmore’s Plum Pudding.
Honey in one pound combs and in glass bottles.
Pure goods.
Boiled Cider.
Our own curing, from late made cider. Boiled
«
Jie Groceries, Confectionery, Fruits and Huliday Supplies...
We have a full stock of all kinds of Seasonable Goods
Florida,
Valencia Oranges.
Jamaica and
White-Malaga and Catawba
Jersey and Cape Cod Cranberries.
Lemons,
Currents, Figs,
Dates, Preserved Citron, Orange and Lemon
Peel. California Canned and Evaporated Fruits.
Olives, Pickles and Ketchups in great variety. ;
Almonds and assorted Nuts.
Sardines and a very full line of Fine Coniectionery
Preserves, Olive Oil.
which we are selling at astonishingly low prices.
wanting anything you cannot get at your regular dealing
but come to us and get it at
If we cannot get all your
SPECIAL PRICES ON HuTs Aid
CeNFECTIONERY
ol
5
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209)
When
three gallons into one. Purestock. toc. per qt.
Syrups.
A pure sugar Syrup, with a smooth pleasant
flavor, is hard to get, but we have it. Also good
plain and flavored syrups, from 25c. up. Finest
new crop New Orleans molasses.
Candles. Hydraulic pressed almost equal to gen-
uine sperm. The bestand most serviceable candle
for the price. We have them in four sizes zs, 4s,
6sand 12s to the pound, full weight, at 25c per
pound. Toy candles, colored, for Xmas trees.
Soaps.
Toilet Soaps. Pure natural color Castile in
large bars at 15¢c. per pound.
Buck Wheat Flour.
121b sack Bradford Co. White 30C.
251b cc 6c 6 “6 6oc.
12lb Centre Co., 25C.
25lb [1 3 66 ‘¢ 50C.
121b New Kiln Dried Corn Meal
25lb 3 6c 6c 3 oh
Flour.
‘‘Pillsbury’s Best’’ Minnesota flour in 1{ bbl
muslin bags at 1.60 per sack. All the home brands
in 2§th and {th bbl. paper sacks.
Confectionery,
We are well suppled with plain and fne goods
in this line. :
Fresh Taffys, our own make Toc. perlb.
Pure sugar stick candy, Toc. per 1b.
Hand made clear toys, : r2c. per lb.
A good mixture at - 8c and roc. per Ib.
Cream Bon Bons at 5c. per lb.
Fine mixture at 15c. perl.
Extra fine mixture at 2oc. per lb.
Chocolate Nonpariels at 20c¢. per lb.
Fine cream chocolates at . zoc. per lb.
Mint and Wintergreen Lozenges at 20c. per Ib.
Fine candies is 11b. boxes
And all other fine goods at proportionately low
prices. Our fine goods are equal in every way to
the bestsold by Phila. and New York retail con-
fectioners. Special prices in confectionery, nuts
and fruits to festivals and Sunday Schools.
We have a large and carefully selected stock of
fine goods at right prices. Our store is always up
to date in everything connected with the trade in
fine groceries and fruits. Come to see us both on
Holiday goods and regular supplies.
Very respectfully,
SECHLER & CO.