Bemsoral ada
Bellefonte, Pa., Oct. 20. 1899.
THE PRAYER OF SELF.
One knelt within a world of care
And sin, and lifted up his prayer;
«I ask Thee, Lord, for health and power
To meet the duties of each hour;
For peace from care, for daily food,
For life prolonged and filled with good;
I praise Thee for Thy gifts received,
For sins forgiven, for pains relieved.
For near and dear ones spared and blessed,
For prospered toil and promised rest.
This prayer I make in His great name
Who for my soul’s salvation came.
But as he prayed, lo! at his side
Stood the thorn-crowned Christ, and sighed:
“Oh, blind disciple—came I then
To bless the selfishness of men?
Thou askest health, amidst the cry
Of human strain and agony;
Thou askest peace, while all around
Trouble bows thousands to the ground;
Thou askest life for thine and thee,
While others die; thou thankest Me
For gifts, for pardon, for success,
For thine own narrow happiness.
“Nay; rather bow thy head and pray
That while thy brother starves to-day
Thou mayst not eat thy bread at ease;
Pray that no health or wealth or peace
May lull thy soul while the world lies
Suffering, and claims thy sacrifice;
Praise not, while others weep, and thou
Hast never groaned with anguished brow;
Praise not, thy sins have pardon found,
While others sink, in darkness drowned;
Canst thou give thanks, while others nigh,
Outcast and lost, curse God and die ?
“Not in My name thy prayer was made,
Not for My sake thy praises paid.
My gift is sacrifice; My blood
Was shed for human brotherhood,
And till thy brother’s woe is thine
Thy heart-beat knows no throb of mine.
Come, leave thy selfish hopes, and see
Thy birthright of humanity !
Shun sorrow not; be brave to bear
The world’s dark weight of sin and care;
Spend and be sent, yearn, suffer, give;
And in thy brethren learn to live.”’
— Outlook.
DOLLY’S DILEMMA,
CHAPTER I.
From my youth up, I took naturally to
the science of mathematics. Even as a lit-
tle child ‘‘I did my sums,”’ without any
conscious effort. Indeed, it was my well
known ‘‘knack at figgerin,”’ that induced
old Deacon Dudley, the supervisor, to be-
stow upon me the much coveted Centre
school. It was the largest in town, the
hardest, and the best paid. I was only 18
at the time, but family misfortunes follow-
ed by the sickness and death of my father,
made the necessity for employment urgent
and imperative.
Heavily handicapped by youth and inex-
perience, my first term was a succession of
disappointments and disillusions.
Gradually, as I became acquainted with
my pupils, and accustomed tomy duties, I
acquired the faculty of adjusting myself to
my surroundings, after which my work be-
came more satisfatory. Term after term
passed, until I felt my position to be assur-
ed. For six years I held it, ciphering an-
nually throughout the higher algebra, to
the wonder of my pupils and the satisfac-
tion of their parents. Being a district
school there could be no real graduation,
but gradually the day had taken upon itself
the dignity and importance of an annual
celebration.
At first I had been one of its most enthu-
siastic supporters, believing that its covet-
ed success would not only stimulate ambi-
tion and reward industry, but would also
tend toward the establishment of a much
needed free high school. Yet I now realize
with pain, that it bade fair to be a culmina-
tion of jealousy, unkind emulation and un-
necessary extravagance.
The leader in the every extravagant device
was, naturally enough, Muriel Mason,only
daughter of the richest man in town. Born
to command, she held her own against all
opposition until the subject of dress was
broached.
In her case the important gown was to
be a dainty creation of white lace and surah,
therefore she decreed that her classmates
should likewise drape themselves in white.
“This is not fair,”’ protested Lura Haley,
who delighted in gay fabrics and vivid col-
oring. ‘Iam sure I don’t want to accent-
uate my natural ugliness.”
“It won’t make any difference on the
stage,”’ said Muriel with careless unkind-
ness.
After this experimental tilt, as no further
opposition was hazarded, the white dress
rule was supposed to be imperative. That
evening Dolly Kempton came to me, her
piety face clouded, her young arms load-
Poor Dolly; I divined her trouble before
she voiced it. She was a delicate little
creature, studious and refined, yet not ex-
actly popular among her mates. She was
poor, undisguisedly and undeniably so.
She lived with her widowed mother and an
aged woman, know as Aunt Marty, a queer,
irresponsible old body, who, with the
slighgtest possible claim, had burdened
them for years. With pauprism staring
her in the face, she had fled for shelter to
Mrs. Kempton, who was herself in strait-
ened circumstances. The connection be-
tween them was the slightest, and entailed
neither legal nor moral obligations; yet she
cared for the poor soul, so stretching her
meagre income that it covered the bare
necessities of life for the three, herself, her
daughter and their perennial guest.
Knowing the circumstances, I could well
understand what a perplexing question
graduating expenses must be in that pinch-
ed household; but I was hardly prepared
for the solution which Dolly’s big bundle
contained. Sbe opened it, spreading before
my astonished eyes a garment quaintly
beautiful in tint and texture, but grotes-
que in figure and design. An ancient dress
of white silk tissue, gayly brocaded with
hugh garlands of pink roses and green
leaves. The fabric itself was exquisitely fine
and delicate, the groundwork time had yel-
lowed into the softest ivory tint; but alas,
the passing years had wrought no such re-
fining change upon the over-blown roses
and over-green leaves, running riotously
over the scant skirt and low bodice of this
impossible gown.
_ ‘Dear Miss Deacon,’’ said Dolly, with a
little nervous laugh that bad in it a hint of
tears; ‘‘do you think that any circumstance
or combination of circumstances,could make
it one’s duty to wear that for a graduating
dress ?”’
Ilooked at her in astonishment.
‘Mother wants me to wear it,” she went
on, ‘‘and, indeed,I want to, after a fashion.
yet all the same my soul abhors those an-
cient roses. You see, it was Aunt Marty’s
wedding gown, and in her eyes as fine and
valuable as ever. Through all the shifts
and changes of her most unhappy life, she
had clung to this sole relic of happier days.
I fancy that after her husband’s death his
ple made much of herfor a time. Her
father was wealthy, and there was always
the chance of his relenting; but as one by
one her overtures were ignored and her let-
ters returned unopened, this possibility
grew less and less, until after the family
moved east it ceased altogether. She was
never strong or smart or capable and little
by little every one’s patience gave way,un-
til even our home, with its many privations
seemed a very haven of rest to her. This
afternoon Mrs. Mason called, and talked of
nothing but ‘the necessary expenses of the
coming occasion.’ She left poor auntie
nearly frantic, and absolutely determined
to throw herself upon the town. She has
felt it her duty, ever since she became so
helpless and rheumatic. Nothing but the
fact that she had rather die than live with
Mary Ann Biggs has kept her with us for
the last year. Poor old soul ! she would
have a hard time with that rough woman,
in that great barn full of paupers. We have
made ourselves out perfect Vanderbilts, to
keep her quiet; but to-day she would not
be pacified, and after nearly crying herself
gick, wrote to the selectmen. Before she
sent the letter, however, she thought of this
dress. The idea of it came as a sort of a
reprieve. If she provided my graduating
dress she might venture to stay a little
longer. If not, she is going at once! You
see why I would like to wear the dress!
and, besides, a few dollars saved is really
an object with us; still, those dreadful roses
—do you think I ever, ever can ?”’
The roses were dreadful. I almost doubt-
ed Mrs. Kempton’s skill in their behalf,
and I pitied the girl, shrinking with all
her heart from a mortifying ordeal, but I
knew there was only one answer to her
question.
“Yes, my dear,’’ said I, ‘I think you
can and will. It takes a deal of pluck to
have a tooth out, but the sharp, relieving
pain is far easier tobear thanthe dull,
wearing anguish. It is going to take real
grit to wear that flowered dress, but the
discomfort of an hour is not to be compar-
ed to the remorse of alifetime.’’
“Just what mother told me,’’ said Dolly
bundling up her unwelcome possession.
CHAPTER II.
I did not see the dress again, but I heard
a deal about it hefore the important day ar-
rived. I wanted to explain matters but
Dolly positively forebade anything of the
kind, and so her flowered gown was regard-
ed by some as a necessary concession to
proverty, by others as a sign of open insub-
ordination against the white dress rule.
Graduation day dawned bright and clear.
The church was crowded. The expected
governor arrived in excellent season, bring-
ing with him a visiting senator, and every-
thing seemed harmonious with the excep-
tion of one rosy looking dress among half a
dozen white ones.
The exercises passed off with what might
be termed ‘‘great eclat.’” The young ladies
were graceful and winning; their parts well
prepared, their enunciation clear and dis-
tinct. The young gentlemen were less
awkward than usual under such circum-
stances. The pink dress was so moderniz-
ed that it could not be called conspicuous;
still I saw the consciousness of its vivid
roses stamped on the flushed cheeks of its
wearer when she stepped forward to read
her essay.
It was a very unambitious effort, simply
a prose version of the story of Evangeline.
Yet I saw with surprise that Senator Bor-
den, a scholar as well as politician, gave
the short reading the most profound and
marked attention.
After the exercises the eminent visitors
held an informal reception, shaking hands
with everyone, and good-naturedly giving
their autographs to all petitioners. Dolly
however, took no part in this bit of im-
promptu festivity, but anxious to divest
herself of her obnoxious finery, hurried at
once from the church.
When the crowd had nearly dispersed
Senator Borden surprised me by asking
with an expression of real interest for the
young lady in pink. I told him her name
and volunteered the information that she
had gone directly home.
“I am sorry, said he. “I wanted to meet
her. Her face, her voice, her gestures, all
seemed wonderfully familiar. Ican not
place the resemblance, but it moved me
strangely. Her name tells me nothing,and
yet her face, her dress, some trick of voice
or manner, took me back a half century.
Ah 1? with a sudden start, ‘‘I have it now.
It was my sister she recalled. She wore
just such a rosy gown the last time I saw
her. Dear Marty ! Pardon me, Miss Dea-
con, but do you know anything of her
family history ? The resemblance may be
purely accidental, but it interests me.”
Something of his interest had communi-
cated itself to me with his voluntary excla-
mation of ‘‘Poor Marty,’”’ the girl who wore
just such a rosy gown the last time he ever
saw her.
“Mr. Borden,” said I eagerly, ‘might it
not have been the noticeable dress instead
of the girl’s personality that impressed
you? Forty years ago it belonged to Mar-
tha Paget; was in fact her wedding gown.’’
“Martha Paget!’ cried he, ‘‘that was
my sister’s name. She was older than I,
and very. beautiful, but she disobeyed my
father. He never forgave her, and while
he lived I never heard her name mentioned.
Since his death I havesearched for her long
and unavailingly.”’
“I think your search is ended,’’ said I,
“and that you will find her living with
Mrs. Kempton in this village.”’
“Is it far from here? Would you show
me the way ?”’ questioned he eagerly; and
the next moment we were hurrying down
the broad shaded street.
As we neared the Kempton cottage I saw
Mrs. Paget sitting on the tiny vine-wreath-
ed piazza. Her soft white hair shone in
the sunlight. her pain-distorted hands lay
idly on her lap; her cotton gown and stifily
starched apron were clean and speckless;
but her face, sorrow-seamed and time de-
faced, hore no trace of bloom or beauty.
“And yet,” said my companion, seem-
ing to divine my thoughts, “itis Marty
herself; the very image of our mother as I
saw her last.” He went swiftly up the lit-
tle graveled path, his face growing visibly
paler as he walked.
Just in front of her he stopped, and for a
moment’s space no word passed between
them. Then the woman arose, her worn
face working, her faded eyes brightening,
her hands appealingly extended.
“Father !”’ she cried, ‘‘father forgive
me !”’
“Father died years ago,’”’ answered
Senator Borden, gently, ‘‘and ever since
I have been searching for you, my sis-
ter,”’
“Bennie ! Bennie I’ she screamed fling-
ing herself toward him. The scene that
followed was too sacred for strangers to
look upon, and so I quietly withdrew, go-
ing back to my delayed duties.
That afternoon I was ‘‘a personage’ in
the village. Overand over again I told the
story, fairly reveling in the first bit of ro-
mance that had ever stirred the monotony
of my quiet life.
Of cowse there were a few ill-natured
souls who declared that Mrs. Kempton had
known all along which side of her bread
was buttered on, but as this idea seemed to
be confined exclusively to those who had
before times pronounced her quixotic and
improvident, it did not greatly affect pub-
lic sentiment.
Senator Borden made immediate arrange-
ments to remove his sister to his own home.
But she, poor soul, in abject fear of her au-
gust sister-in-law, clung to the dear second
cousin who had so brightened the years of
her adversity.
A compromise wasat last affected. Mrs.
Kempton selling her little home and re-
moving to Anderson, where Mr. Borden
lived, and where the famous Anderson
seminary was located. To attend this
school had long been Dolly’s highest ambi-
tion; an ambition which a grateful brother's
liberality made it perfectly possible to
gratify.
In a few days the little ripple of excite-
ment that attended their departure died
away, leaving in its place only a memory.
I missed Dolly sadly, feeling sure that
the duties and pleasures of her new life
would soon blot out all interest in her old-
er and less favored friends.
I realized my mistake when, weeks after-
wards, I received a letter from her which
wrought in my life a delightful change.
“One of our teachers,’”’ she wrote, ‘‘has
resigned, and Senator Borden has secured
the position thus left vacant for you. He
knows how you helped and encouraged me
through the pink dress ordeal, and he is
very glad of this opportunity to show his
appreciation of your good sense and kind-
ness.’’
A day or two later this delightful news
was officially confirmed, and I at once set
about my modest preparations for departure.
Just before I left I called upon old Deacon
Dudley and found him not only sympathet-
ic, but fairly jubilant over my improved
prospects.
“I gave you your first chance,’’ said he,
“and I presume tosay I helped you to
your second one. I talked quite a spell
with the senator when he was here and I
gave you a first-class ‘recommend.’ ‘She is
young,” said I, ‘and no great to look at,
but she is a master hand at figgerin’.”’
I thanked the old gentieman for his
doubtful compliment with becoming grati-
tude. Not for the world would I have
pained his kindly heart by the knowledge
that anything so frivolous as a pink frock
had far more to do with my good fortune
than his unique and well meant ‘‘recom-
mend.”’—By Katherine Jewett.
Natural Defences of the Boers.
Wherever the Transvaal frontier touches
British territory on the south Nature has
raised a barrier difficult to cross. The
Boers thus have a signal advantage in posi-
tion for the conduct of a defensive cam-
paign. The plateau on which their big
farms and gold mines lie is 4500 to 5500
feet above the sea, and slopes quite abrupt-
ly to the coast plain. The mountains ris-
ing from this low plain have given to a
part of Natal and adjoining districts in
Cape Colony the name of ‘‘the Switzerland
of South Africa,’’ though their tops scarce-
ly rise above the summit of the plateau.
Through defiles among these mountains
and up the slope of the platean front rise
the two or three roads by which the lofty
plains are reached. The historic defeats
the Boers have inflicted upon the British
arms have occurred, in every case, when
the British were trying to pass these gate-
ways and reach the top of the Transvaal
plateau.
We hear of thousands of Kruger’s citizen
soldiery now grouped around the narrow
outlet from the plateau to the low plain at
Taing’s Nek. This is the pass between the
Transvaal and Natal where, on a memora-
ble day, the Boers lay behind nearly every
boulder along the narrow road and poured
a murderous fire into the long, straggling
line of British soldiers who vainly tried to
reach the summit. A little further west
is Van Reenen’s Pass, where thousands of
Orange Free State burghers are now mass-
ed. It is the gateway between that Re-
public and Natal, and before the railroad
was built through it the slow ox-wagons
carried about 50,000 tons of freight a year
up and down the pass.
It is reported that, in event of war, the
British hope, through Portugal’s friendli-
ness, to advance also from the east aloug
the line of the Delagoa Bay railroad; but
here again the Transvaal frontier is a nat-
ural fortification. The plateau summit is
reached only after a toilsome ascent of the
narrow defile of Komati Poort, and it
would be no easy matter to reach the top
in the face of sturdy opposition.
Strongly marked topographic leatures
will thus direct the opening moves in this
game of war if itis to be played. The plan
of both the Boer Republics is to command
the passes in the southeast that give ac-
cess to their high plains and to destroy the
railroads in the southwest and west that
would facilitate the arrival of troops from
the south or volunteers from Rhodesia in the
north. This is the reason why Boer forces
are also concentrated at Boshof, near Kim-
berley, and within a short distance of Ma-
feking, where Jameson’s raiders crossed
the border on their futile raid into the
Transvaal.
Great Swimming Feats.
Record Made by Holbein in the Open Sea and on
the Thames.
Leander and Lord Byron, these famous
swimmers, might both have envied the
extraordinary feats performed in August
in the open sea by Holbein, the cyclist.
This athlete in July swam no less than
43 miles in the Upper Thames. But fresh
and salt water are different, and in August
he beat this by continuing in the Solent
during twelve hours, and swimming over
46 miles.
Starting from the Spit fort, he paddled
out between the Norman’s and Horse
forts, on a good eastward tide, with the
wind against him, and a big swell on, past
the Warner lightship and the Sludge buoy,
another conple of miles to the eastward.
He then passed in a wide sweep to the
Bembridge ledge, and turned in under the
Wight on the eastward tide. This then
serving him splendidly, he moved very
rapidly to Castle point, Cowes, and so
swam as far as Egypt point.
At 7:20 Holbein, who had been in the
water eleven hours and forty minutes,
was within half a mile of Hampstead
ledge, close to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.
Here the tide failed him, and after re-
maining in another twenty minutes, so as
to complete the twelve hours, he got into
the boat unassisted. This was as good as
forty-six or forty-seven miles of unbroken
natation, and through the sea water was
warm, the feat must be considered as un-
precedented. If any man might reson-
ably marry a mermaid it is surely Mr.
Holbein.— From the London Telegraph.
——Tom—That girl’s a jilt. She's a
Quaker, too.
——Bob—I guess you mean “Shaker,”
don’t you ?
Ae
Alaska’s Resources.
While They Are Wonderful, Gold is Not Picked Up in
the Streets, The Opinion of a Hunter Given. Hun-
dreds of Opportunities Outside of Mining foriin-
vestment of Capital Can be Found in the Country.
A Great Country for Sportsmen. :
C. F. Periolat has just returned from his
third trip to Alaska, loaded down with
hunting and fishing trophies and more con-
vinced than ever that Alaska is one of the
finest countries on earth, says the Chicago
Inter Ocean.
“‘Alaska is hampered by the fact that
people lie about it so terribly,”’ said Mr.
Periolat. ‘‘Its natural resources are won-
derful, but gold is not to be picked up in
the streets there any more than in Chicago.
At Seattle, I recollect, a couple of young
fellows came down from the Klondike by
steamer. They had some photograph sup-
plies in bags, and really carried about $5,-
000 each in gold. As they walked down
the gang plank somebody remarked: ‘I bet
they're loaded with rocks.” The reporters
surrounded them, and they said frankly
that they had about $5,000 apiece. Well,
the story was printed next day that those
two young fellows carried each $50,000 in
gold.’
Mr. Periolat’s trip this summer extend-
ed along the western coast of Alaska and to
the adjacent islands.
Alaska is the country for the sportsman,
be says. Brook trout, weighing as high as
eleven pounds, are found in the Kayak dis-
trict in every stream and lake; also white
fish, sea trout, halibut, cod, black bass, and
numerous other species of fish are found all
over Alaska. At Kayak island Mr. Perio-
lat and George E. Joy tried to see how
many fish they could catch in three hours.
They got thirty-three cod, weighing from
eight to thirty pounds; eleven halibut,
averaging from six toseventy-three pounds;
four star-fish, one four-pound and one six-
pound crab, aud thirteen skate fish, aver-
aging in weight from fifteen to fifty pounds.
In order to prevent the lines from cutting
into their hands they were obliged to
wear heavy rubber gloves, for the halibut
in the North Pacific ocean are very gamy
fish, and when caught on the hook they
will dart all around and under the boat
and make a grand fight for liberty. Hali-
but weighing as high as 400 pounds are
caught in this district. Here also can be
found the large crab in large numbers,
weighing from one-half to six pounds. The
meat resembles that of the lobster some-
what, but is finer flavored,
CHANCE FOR MONEY SEEKERS.
Here also can be found the beautiful
razor-hacked clams in large numbers. In-
dians will bring them to market for 20 cts.
a bushel. These clamsare unknown to us.
They resemble Rockaway oysters some-
what, but taste better. They can be can-
ned at little expense and hold their flavor
well. Millions of sea gull eggs, almost as
large as a goose egg, can be taken from the
islands in the Kayak district. An industry
could be started there to gather these eggs
and ship them to any part of the United
States fresh. The cost would not exeeed
12 cents per dozen. One dozen would
weigh as much as three dozen hens’ eggs.
They could also be dried and canned for
market. Eggs can be gathered only in the
month of May and up to June 10th.
Freight can be landed from Kayak island
to Seattle, Wash., in eight days, at $18 per
ton. Freight in refrigerator cars from Se-
attle to New York is $20 per ton.
Hundreds of opportunities, outside of
mining, for investment of capital can be
found in Alaska. The codfish industry is
in its infancy as yet. There is only one
firm in San Francisco in the business, tak-
ing/the fish in Alaska, bringing them in salt
to San Francisco, and drying them there
for the market. Codfish cannot be dried
in Alaska on account of the damp nights.
This industry can be made to pay large re-
turns to any enterprising Yankee who
would undertake it and ship the fish in salt
to Chicago and dry them here. Millions of
herring can be taken at almost any season
of the year. Fish have but little value in
Alaska. Indians will bring in a twenty or
twenty-five pound salmon for 10 to 15
cents; a string of mountain trout, weighing
fifteen to twenty-five pounds, 25 cents;a
cod, 5 cents; halibut, weighing ten to fifty
pounds, 25 cents.
The smoking of salmon and halibut
would also give large returns, but they
must be held in Alaska until the cold
weather starts in, which is about October,
when they can be shipped to any part of
the United States in a good, sound condi-
tion. Reliable canners of salmon in Alas-
ka and also along the Puget sound only
pack the king, red and silver salmon, but
other concerns pack agreat many dog and
hump-backed salmon, which no native or
white man in Alaska will eat. They are
labeled nicely on the cans as ‘‘Alaska or
Columbia river salmon’’ to deceive the con-
sumer and are sold cheap.
GREAT COUNTRY FOR SPORT.
Kayak island district is visited yearly by
millions of game birds, such as geese, brant
swan, ducks of all kinds, plover, snipe and
numerous other birds. Eaglesare there by
the thousands. They hatch on all the is-
lands. The young are able to fly about
August 20th, and remain on the breeding
grounds until about October 1st. Black,
brown and grizzly bears of enormous size
are also plentiful in the Kayak island dis-
trict. Mountain sheep are found there,
but no moose or caribou can he had in this
district.
Kayak island is a small island of about
300 acres, on which the Siwash Indian
makes his home. A trading post is found
here belonging to the North American
Commercial company, managed by D. R.
Temple, a Boston Yankee, who has been in
Alaska for upward of thirteen years and
speaks the Indian language.
Twenty miles from Kayak island, on the
mainland, are found the largest coal and
oil fields in the world. A company of Eng-
lish capitalists now developing this vast field
under the direction of F. H. Shephard.
The company has located several thousand
acres, and has some 200 Indians and whites
employed, paying each man from $40 to
$100 per month and board. The coal is
said to be superior to Pennsylvania coal.
The Indians are peaceful, honest and hard-
working people all along the coast of Alaska.
In the Kayak island district most of them
have given up hunting and trapping on ac-
count of being employed by the coal and
oil company, which they prefer to hunting.
Kayak island can be reached from Chi-
cago in eleven days, going via, Juneau,
from which port a steamer leaves for South-
western Alaska monthly beginning April
15th.
HUNTERS IN ALASKA.
The finest hunting grounds in the world,
says Mr. Periolat, are at Cook’s inlet.
Mountain sheep, mammoth moose, with
massive horns, and caribou are all found in
the Cook’s inlet district. Also all varie-
ties of fish. In the winter season hands of
mountain sheep numbering from 100 up-
ward, are seen. Two well-known Chicago
sportsmen are now in these hunting grounds
They are Harry E. Lee and V. Shaw Ken-
nedy. This is Mr. Lee's second trip. In
the season of 1898 he had the honor of kili-
ing with his own gun the record caribou of
the world, bearing massive horns, with
fifty-seven even points. He also returned
with fine specimens of mounted sheep, moose
wolf and a number of grizzly, brown and
lack bears. It is claimed that Mr. Lee
killed the largest brown bear on record,
measuring 12} feet long, nine feet across
the centre. Both Mr. Lee and Kennedy
are expected home next month.
White men are not allowed to kill fur
seals in Alaska. Indians have the monopoly
of killing them for food, and for pelts. The
Alaska Commercial company and the North
American Commercial company have the
monopoly in getting the furs from the In-
dians, and manage to keep the latter in
debt by charging big prices for goods and
allowing very small ones for furs. They
pay the Indian 35 cents cash for a mink;
beaver, $2.50; otter, $3; wolverine, $2;
marten or sable, $2.50 to $3; fine black,
brown, and grizzly bears, $12; silver fox,
$20 to $40; cross fox, $2 to $3; black fox,
$40 to $60. Then the Indian invests his
cash with the trader by buying such goods
as he wants, for which they are charged
100 per cent. and over profit. An Indian
doesn’t place any value on money and
never keeps a dollar. The squaws are very
industrious, seldom loosing any time. They
clean the fur pelts that the bucks trap and
do sewing. Quite a number have sewing
machines that turn by hand. They also
make curios and beautiful baskets, which
they sell to the tourists and stewards on
ships, who send them to Seattle or San
Francisco.
SCARCITY OF SEA OTTERS.
Sea otters are getting very scarce. Where
a number of skins were taken in former
years one is seldom taken now. Some In-
dians ave getting to know the value of fine
silver and black fox, sea otters and other
valuable furs. When the season is closed
they select the most intelligent sqaaw and
send her to Juneau where there is quite a
competiticn among the fur buyers to get
fair prices. Sea otters bring from $100 to
$8600 each in Juneau, black foxes, $200 to
$300 each. There is no question but that
the sea otter will soon be extinct. The
catch this season will not exceed 500 skins.
Formerly 3.000 to 4,000 were taken in a
season. At that time the Alaska Com-
mercial company had no competition and
the natives were obliged to take what was
offered, which wasabout $25. The Alaska
Commercial company,as well as the Alaska
Canning association,bave become immense-
ly rich, but since the whites have invaded
Alaska the two companies are not getting
one-half the fur collections they used to
get, and are obliged to pay the natives con-
siderably more.
Mr. Periolat brought back with him
some very rare, complete specimens of
mammoth moese heads. mountain sheep,
caribou, also two complete specimens of
Mount St. Elias blue cub bears, and a large
number of Alaska sable, bears, and other
fine-furred animals. He will leave on his
fourth tour to Alaska March 1st, and will
visit the Siberian coast, where he expects
to get a fine collection of all kinds of heads
and furs
The Illinois Train Robbers Got $25,000.
Northwestern and American Express Companies Of-
fer $5,000 Reward for the Thieves.
It is estimated that the robbers who
held up train No. 9 on the Northwestern
railroad, near De Kalb, Ill., Friday night,
secured over $25,000. The Chicago &
Northwestern and the American Express
Companies together Friday offered a re-
ward of $5,000 for information leading to
the arrest and conviction of the robbers.
A proportionate amount will be paid for
the arrest and conviction of each of the
robbers.
Following is the official report of the
robbery received at the Northwestern dis-
patcher’s office Friday : ‘Three or four
men masked and heavily armed, came to
the office at the tower W, block station,
located half way between Elburn and
Maple Park. Told operator to hold up
his hands. This was about 10:50 p. m.
He thought they were fooling, but they
then tied him down with a buckskin.
There was a train coming, and the op-
erator told them it was fourth 119, and
the men cleared the block. But when No.
119 was approaching close the men saw it
was the train and propped the train order
signal, stopping the train. Immediately
they blew open, the safe in American Ex-
press Company’s car, looted its contents,
then cut off the engine and ran it to a
point two miles west of Maple Park and
escaped. The express train was badly
damaged.”
When the special train hearing General
Superintendent Sanborn and Trainmaster
Battisfore reached the scene of the train
robbery they found that not only the op-
erator of tower W had been bound and
gagged, but that the conductor, engineer
and fireman had been tied securely to the
express car, the robbers thus preventing
immediate pursuit. Shortly after the of-
ficials arrived another special train bearing
General Manager Antisdel of the Ameri-
can Express Company, W. A. Pinkerton
and a number of detectives arrived, and
an organized pursuit was begun.
A good description of the robbers was
furnished by Operator Whisler, of tower
W. Blood was streaming from Whisler’s
face, where he had been struck with a
revolver by one of the robbers. He was
almost dead from suffocation when re-
leased, the towel used asa gag having
been stuffed down his throat.
Three suspects were arrested at day-
break and taken to the South Wilmhurst
police station. The men were caught in
a freight car, but the police were not
at all confident that they had the right
men.
—The only outlet which the Boers have
to the ocean is over Portugese territory to
Delagoa hay. Under existing treaties with
Portugal they have the privilege of ex-
porting and importing ammunition, arms
and food by this route. With this outlet
to the outer world cut off or blocked up
they would be thrown on their own re-
sources and compelled to continue the war
with England on what they can make and
raise themselves.
England has not been blind to the value
of this outlet to the Boers and has, it
seems, been negotiating with Portugal for
the purchase of the territory through which
the Boers must pass, and it is understood
in London that the government has agreed
to pay a price of $40,000,000 and that the
formal announcement of the purchase and
the cession of the territory is to be made at
the approaching special session of Parlia-
ment.
And so the great nation, by means of its
enormous wealth has stolen a march on
the little nation, and the Boers will have
to depend upon their own resources, ex-
cept inso far as they may be aided by
smuggling. If it is true that England has
purchased Delagoa bay and the surround-
ing territory, it means that the Boers are
doomed.
‘iet and chocolate.
Ginseng Diggers’ Riches.
Potter County's Peculiar Industry Pays Handsome-
ly. Old Couple Earned $15,000. Proposed Law to
Prevent Trespassing on Neighbors’ Lands May
Develop a Rival to Moonshiners’ Avocation.
It is estimated that $5,000 worth of gin-
seng has been shipped from Potter and ad-
joining counties in Pennsylvania and New
York during the past two months. Except
for the profit made by the country store-
keepers, who ship direct to New York and
Philadelphia jobbers, this money went in-
to the pockets of the ginseng root diggers—
a heterogeneous collection of men and
women, who during the months of August,
September and October live in hovels on
the mountains, and with trowels and pick-
axe go about among the bushes digging
the precious root.
When dried, ginseng root nets the dig-
ger from $4.50 to $6.50 per pound, accord-
ing to quality. Iis not infrequent that
diggers find roots that when dried weigh
two ounces. Some of the diggers this
year are known to have gathered in one
day root sufficient to make three pounds
of dried ginseng, so that for them the work
was quite remunerative.
A CURE-ALL FOR CHINAMEN.
The Chinese believe that ginseng is a
specific for all bodily ills, and nearly all
the ginseng gathered is sent to the big
cities for export to China.
Owners of mountain land, recognizing
the wealth to be had from the product,
are contemplating sending a petition to
the Legislature asking that a law pre-
hibiting the digging of the root except by
the owners of the land upon which it
grows he passed.
One old couple, who live in the south-
ern part of the county, are known to have
earned and saved $15,000 by the digging
of ginseng, in the 18 years that they have
followed the business. It beats ‘‘moon-
shining,’’ which is carried on to some ex-
tent in the lumber districts of the country;
but if a law prohibiting the digging of the
root is passed another unique and pictur-
esque mode of law-breaking will fall to
Potter county’s lot, for the expert dig-
gers, both men and women, will search for
the roots by night, and by the aid of
bull’s-eye lanterns will pick out the pre-
cious herb with but little trouble. This
method of digging is even now resorted to
by the more greedy of the diggers.
MUST GUARD GINSENG GARDENS.
Several experimental ginseng gardens
have been started in that section of the
State, and the domestic growth of the
root is a matter of much interest to the
Department of Agriculture. In one of the
gardens, near Westfield, a finer grade
of root than that found in the forests has
been raised, and the care of the plants re-
quires very little effort.
So tempting is the crop of high-priced
ginseng that thieves one night raided the
garden of James Hoover, near Westfield,
and dug more than one-half the entire
crop while Mr. Hoover slept. It is esti-
mated that the robbers got nearly $300
worth of the root.
Changing of the Leaves.
Various Theories as to Their Different Coloring in
Autumn.
In a brief article on the ‘‘Coloring of the
maple,’ the Oswego Times says: ‘‘The
time is at band when the leaves of
the maple, the most perfect shade tree
known to Northern climes, are about to
change their hues, thereby giving to the
landscape an aspect of varied and singular
beauty unmatched in any other part of the
year.”’
In discussing the probable cause of leaf
coloring, the Zimes suggests, but does not
assume to decide. One interesting state-
ment is made, and that is in regard to the
habit of American maples transplanted to
English soil of coloring in autumn, while
English trees planted in Americado not
color, but retain the home habit. The
truth of this statement is well attested by
the habit of the few English oaks in
Rochester grounds. These oaks do not
change color under the soft blandishments
of autumn, but remain green until the
leaves are frozen and destroyed.
An agricultural paper, the The New York
Farmer, suggests loss of vitality as a cause
for change of color, and instances dying
branches that turn red even in midsum-
mer. The leaves certainly lose vitality
as ripeness approaches, but this loss does
not wholly account for the change. No
one has yet heen able to tell why one
green leaf turns yellow, another red, an-
other purple, and still others hrown, scar-
H Species is not a deter-
mining factor, as the sugar maple turns
red in one locality and yellow in another.
Sugar maples with feet bathed continu-
ally in a cold spring brook welling out of
the banks in Seneca park turn red, while
most of thesugar maples in the streets of
Rochester turn yellow. Still the spring
water may be a determining cause. The
chemical composition of the soil may con-
trol. Whatever the cause of color changes
in autumn foliage, they are oktserved with
never-failing interest each year.
Dragged a Lion by Its Tail.
A Plucky Woman in the Exposition Animal Show
Quickly Quells a Panic.
There was a short-lived panci among the
ladies in the audience at Hagenback’s wild
animal show on the National Export Ex-
position Midway in Philadelphia last week.
Mlle. Pianka was in the midst of her thrill-
ing act with the four big lions, which she
compels to perform all manner of tricks
against their will. One of the beasts had
become ugly and was snarling and leaping
about in the most alarming fashion. The
ladies in the audience had become worked
up to a very high pitch of nervous excite-
ment, expecting at any moment to see the
angry beast leap upon the nervy tamer and
tear her to pieces. It may be imagined,
therefore, how extremely excited many in
the audience became to see another lion
suddenly appear in the open space between
the hig cage and the tiers of seats. An at-
tendant yelled at the beast, and a score or
more of women arose from their seats. At
that moment Mlle. Pianka fired her revolver
to subdue the unruly beast with which she
was battling inside the cage, and this, of
course, added to the turmoil. Several
women opened their mouths to scream, but
the next moment they were laughing. For
quicker than it takes to tell it Mlle.
Morelli, the leopard-tamer, who had been
standing near the ticket office, ran in, and
grabbing the beast by the tail, carried it
triumphantly out of the way. It was mere-
ly one of the lion cubs which are occasional-
ly placed on exhibition in a little pen at the
entrance, but it looked big and ferocious
to the excited ladies in the andience.
——A little fellow of six was reproached
by his teacher for his slowness. ‘“When I
was your age,” said the teacher, “I was at
least a year further advanced than you
are.”” ‘“‘Perhaps you had a better teacher
than I have,’ replied the incorrigible
youth.
ag Bl i AB a.