By Frank H. Sweet. ‘ O matter how cold or stormy it was Little Watts was always waiting for his papers in front of the Daily Leader office at half past 4 in the morning. hour in great mines. 1 met him one morning hurrying down the stony, deserted, unlighted The wind was blowing keen street. and cold. the air was filled with fine, sleety snowflakes, and I thought when 1 saw Little Watts that the fates had not been kind to the boy or he would have been warm and snug in bed at home at that hour. But the Leader was published every morning. and Little Watts had regular customers at whose doors he left his papers before he hurried away to the early morning trains. He was only twelve years old and small for his years, and he would nev- er be much larger or stronger, A great bump between his narrow shoulders told a sorrowful story of a fall down a long flight of tenement house stairs when he was only two years old. It was often my duty to count out to the boys the papers as they came from the press. That is how I happened to know Little Watts, His name was Clarence, but I never heard him called by any other name than Little Watts, I remember when 1 saw the boy and beard his name for the first time. It was the first morning 1 gave the pa- pers out to the boys. The Leader that morning contained one of the matters of important news that always increase the demand for the papers, and the moment the office door was opened the newsboys came pushing and scram- bling in, each eager to be first, Suddenly the largest of the boys, a tow browed. thick lipped. stocky fellow, began to beat the other boys back. “Git back. fellers!” he shouted. “Git back, 1 tel] ye! Ye're scrougin’ the life out ¢ Little Watts! Ye know he allus gits his papers fust. Git back, now!” The other boys fell back, and out from among them came Little Watts bearing evidence of having been pretty severely “scrouged.” His hat had fallen off, and he limped as he struggled forward. The rough boy who bad befriended him In a way go surprising to me found his hat and put it on the boy's head. while he said: No? “Ain't hurt. are ye. Wattsy? Well, that's good. Git yer papers now It was often stormy and always cold at that the thriving and populous Rocky mountain inining town in which the Leader was published, and Little Watts lived a mile from the office in a poor wooden house near one of the Flow gently; I'll sing thee a song in thy praise.” Could it be Little Watts singing in such a voice? While I looked and lis- tened 1 saw Little Watts coming from a well at the back of the house with a pail of water. I could not restrain my curiosity. As he came near my window 1 asked, “Who is that singing?” “My sister Elise,” he answered eager- ly, his face beaming. “She has a wonderful voice,” 1 said. “Jasn’'t she, though?” exclaimed Lit- tle Watts, with more enthusiasm than 1 had ever before scen in him. “Did you ever hear any of those big singers?’ he went on. “Yeon “Can they sing any better than she can?” “Well, they are much older than your sister, and of course they are highly trained. How old is your sister?” Before many days 1 and others in our neighborhood sat in the scantily 1 ASKED, “WHO I8 THAT SINGING?" furnished living room of Mrs, Watts’ house and heard Elise sing. Mrs. Watts was a widow, and Elise and Clarence were her only children. A small pension partly supported their wants, and Mrs. Watts and Elise took in plain sewing when they could get it. but Little Watts’ earnings from the sale of his papers were their chief source of income. It seemed to me that they might live a little more comfortably, but one day Little Watts confided a secret to me. “We're saving for Elise,” he sald. “She's going to be a big singer some and light out. for they'll go like hot day after she's gone away and studied cakes this mornin.” and had a chance. I'm saving up for There stood next to the house in | that” which I bo:rded a smal! house contain- This was the reason why Little ing two or three rovins, which bad not been occupied for several weeks. One evening as | went home I saw cheap pape: shades at the windows of Smoke was rising from the chimney, and on the step of the open door sat Little Watts playing this little tenement. on a harmonicon. The door was within three feet of the street. and | stopped to say: “How do you do. Liitle Watts? Are you going to live here?” “Yes, sir.” “Then we shall be neighbors. 1 live pext door.” “I'm glad of it, sir.” said Little Watts politely. “You must come in and see me some “l have a good many “time.” 1 said. “GIT BACK, I TELL YE" books, and you may use any that you like to read.” A small, thin faced woman came to the door and looked inquiringly from me to Little Watts. He rose and said: “Mother, this Is Mr. Hart of the Leader. You've heard me speak about him.” “So I have,” said Mrs. Watts quick- ly. “The Leader folks are real good to my boy, sir. He teils me about it, and I'm very much obliged.” The window of my room looked out upon the house which the Watts fam ly occupied. A day or two after thelr arrival 1 was sitting in my open win dow. The windows of the other house were also open, and through them came the sound of some one singing in a wonderruily clear and sweet voice. 1 lald down my book to listen. The words came distinct and beautiful: “Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes— Watts wore such shabby clothes, and this was why their home was so poor and bare and their table so scantily supplied. This was why Little Watts walked the streets in all Kinds of weniher, crying his papers at an hour when other boys slept. One, two years passed. 1 was still in the Leader office, Little Watts still came before daylight for his papers and was called Little Watts still, for he was not noticeably larger or stron- ger than when 1 saw him first. He still lived next door to my own home, and—Elise was going away. She had been singing in church choirs and at concerts, and some ladies who had become interested in her, but who were unable to lend her money for her study, had given her a benefit concert, which the Leader had widely advertised without charge on account of Little Watts, But most of the money that was to pay for Elise's two years of study In the east had been or would be earned by Little Watts, “But when 1 come back he shall work no more,” Elise said to me, with the tears in her eyes. “1 shall earn It then, and he shall go to New York to study drawing and engraving. He's 80 eager to learn it, you know, but he won't say much about it or even think about it until I begin to earn money.” Quite a little company of us went to the station to see Elise off. Of course Little Watts was there. His large eyes were shining through their tears, and his white face was wreathed in smiles, though 1 knew his heart ached with sorrow at the thought of two years without her. But the boy cried his papers just as loudly and cheerily as ever next day— the Leader in the morning, when day was breaking, and the Times at night. when the day was gone. I often met him hurrying around the corners of almost deserted streets or paying a last visit to the hotels, where he hoped to sell another paper at an hour when all other newsboys had gone home. Every paper he sold counted, not for himself, but for Elise. He and his mother lived upon the pension and her sewing. Every month a draft to the amount of all of Little Watts’ earnings went to New York to Elise, and every week she wrote encouraging letters of what her teachers said about her voice and of her hopes for the future. “I knew they'd have to say her voice wasn't anything common.” Little Watts gaid proudly to me when the first of - | her letters came. “I knew she'd aston- ish ‘em!" - Twice the mountains changed from green to white and from white to green. They were changing to white again when Elise wrote the letter that told when she would start for home. Little Watts brought me the letter to read. “I shall reach home about the last day of October,” she wrote. “You need not send me any more money. | am afraid you have sent me too mach now. It is time for me to begin paying it back to you. You must be here next year and I at home working and earn- ipg money for you. If I'm not too tired. 1 shall sing for you and mother the very night [ come. I'm so anxious to show you how well your money has been spent!” She was delayed a little and came on the third day of November. It was on the afternoon of the first day of that month that the man whose duty it now was to give out the papers said to me: “Little Watts didn’t show up for his papers this morning. It's the first worning he's failed to come since I've been here. I wonder if he's sick?’ “Not that I know of.” I replied. “It was a terribly stormy morning, you know.” “I'he weather has never made any difference with him before. He's been on hand the first one many a morning worse than this. Poor little chap! How he's escaped pneumonia as long as he has is a wonder to me.” The sun had not shone for three days. First rain and then snow had fallen nearly all the time. A fierce cold wind had swept down from the moun- taii’s, The barren town had never seemed so gloomy and cheerless and desolate to me as it did now. At noon I went to see Little Watts. His mother came to the door and said briefly and in a low tone, for Little Watts was in the next room and the door was open: “He's real sick. The doctor is afraid it's going to be pneumonia. [I've tried to keep him in the last three days, but he would go out. Yon see why.” Her eyes were full of tears as she pointed toward the corner of the room. There stood a shining upright plano, with a stool of crimson velvet be- fore it. “He made tae first payment on them yesterday,” Mrs. Watts said. “He was so anxious to have them here for Elise.” “Well, he's a perfect little hero, Mrs. Watts,” 1 said under my breath, but heartily. “I believe he will be able to fight off even the pneumonia for the sake of Elise.” He was worse the next day. “He'll never be any better,” said the doctor in the afternoon when | met him coming out of the shabby little house. In the evening Little Watts said in a whisper: “She'll be here in the morning, won't she?” “At 8 o'clock,” I said. “Then I'll hear her sing again,” he answered. The wind died away in the night. The skies cleared. All of the distant ranges, the nearer hills and the streets LITTLE WATTS LOOKED UP. of the town were white with snow when the sun came out the next morn- ing. Elise came at 8 o'clock. Little Watts pulled himself up on his pillows to meet her and welcome her. There was no sign in his eyes or face of sorrow in his heart at this end- ing of ail his own hopes and plans for the future. He met Elise with a smile and with tearless eyes. For a moment she thought it must all have been a mistake about his being so ill “Now go and sing for me,” he said after a few minutes. They rolled his bed to the door that he might sce her at the new piano. Elise sat before it with streaming eyes and sang the little ballads and the old songs he had loved so well, “There was one,” he whispered, “about ‘the shining shore’ and ‘my Fa- ther hath many mansions.’ Won't you sing that, Elise?” She sang it with trembling voice, and while she was singing Little Watts looked up with wide open eyes as If he were gazing at something wonder- ful that he could not see and then sank back, his eyes closed forever. A Long Background. First Nurse (at hospital)-That ballet dancer in the ward with delirium tre- mens must be frightfully old. Second Nurse—Why? First Nurse—She sees nothing but prehistoric animals.—Harper's Weekly. High Stakes. Stella — An exciting bridge game? Bella—Very; we played for each oth- er's cooks.—Harper's Bazar. Human deeds and human lives are never understood until they are finish. ed. You can no more tell in advance how manhood will turn out than how a young child will grow up. Bathing a Prince. George IV. while prince and residing a his Brighton palace kept in his bed- foom a portrait of Mrs. Guun, an old bathing woman who used to dip him into the sea when he was the little Prince of Wales. A picture book much prized by children showed the old lady bathing the little fellow. Beneath the picture was this stanza: To Brighton came he, Came George the Third's son, To be dipped In the sea By the famed Martha Gunn. A companion portrait to Martha Gunn's was that of Thomas Smoaker, who had charge of the horse which drew the bathing machines into and out of the sea. One day the little roy- al highness. having learned to swim, swam out farther than Thomas judged to be safe. He ca.led to him to come back, but the self willed boy struck out with more vigor. Thomas went after the prince, overtook him, seized him by an ear and drew him to shore. “Do you think,” he replied to the boy's angry words, “I'm a-going to get myself hanged for letting the king's heir drown hisself just to please a youngster like you?” Only a Dodge. An Insurance expert was relating in Chicago some oddities of insurance. “And then,” said the expert, “there was that case of the general store man In Ohio. This man's store burned down, and, because his stock was so heavy, the company disputed his claim. I remember one item in his stock list— 17.500 mourning hatbands. When 1 came to this item 1 thumped it with my pencil and said to the storekeeper severely: “Look here, this is unreasonable, Why should you have had 17,500 mourning hatbands in stock? What possibility was there that death would create in a single small shop like yours a demand for 17,5000 mourning hat- bands? “The storekeeper smiled at me in a condescending way and replied: “+ didn't keep those hatbands for men who grieved for the death of rela- tives or friends, but for men who went into mourning for the grease on their hats.’ "—Boston Globe. Misfires of Young Idea. A: usually has no weight, but when placed in a barometer it is found to weigh about fifteen pounds a square inch. If a small hole were bored in the top of a barometer tube, the mercury would shoot up in a column thirty feet high. A right angle is 90 degrees F. Hydrogen is colorless, odorless and insolvent. A cuckoo is a thing that turns from a butterfly into a moth. Horsepower is the distance a horse can carry one pound of water In an hour. The earth revolves on its own axis 865 times In twenty-four hours. This rapid motion through space causes Its sides to perspire, forming dew.—Uni- versity Correspondent. Senate and Lords. The British house of lords is a sur- vival of the ancient aristocracy of the kingdom, which for a long time was supreme in all national matters. When the democratic sentiment won a place for itself in the shape of the house of commons the natural and apparently indestructible conservatism of the Brit- ish people held on to the house of lords as a check upon the commons and a perpetual reminder of the ancient insti- tution. The senate of the United States was the result of the compromise struck between the Nationalists and States’ Rights parties in the convention that formed the constitution. were for merging the representatives in a single body, while others insisted upon the second chamber (the senate) as a recognition of the political equality of the states, Lacked Something. “You Germans have no sense of hu- mor,” sald an American, “Try me and see,” sald the German. “Well,” said the American, “you know America is the home of very large things—the highest mountains, the’greatest waterfalls” — “Oh, yes, yes, yes,” said the German. “And our trees,” continued the Amer- fean, “are so tall that in order to see to the top of them one man looks as far up as he can, and another man begins where the first man leaves off and looks up to the top.” “But dat vass no joke; dat vass a le.” A Boston Correction. Bilkins had recently moved from New York to Boston. The other morning he went to the butcher's. “Give me a nice porterhouse,” he or- dered. “Extremely sorry, sir,” said the pro- prietor of the establishment urbanely, “hut we are not giving anything away this morning.”—Harper's Weekly, The Truth. Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth. When perfect sincerity is ex- pected, perfect wisdom must be allow- ed. Nor has any one who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.—Tacitus. Too Healthy. “Do you belleve that mosquitoes car- ry malaria?” “Not the mosquitoes around here,” answered Farmer Corntossel. “They couldn't possibly do it and be so healthy.”—Washington Star. Persistency is the road to success. The only known exception to this rule f= the case of a hen sitting on a china egg.—Exchange, Some | Corpora To the Voters of Centre Comnnty. FeLLow CITIZENS ; At a mass meeting in the court house in this place on February 6th, lass the ander- signed were chosen as a committee $0 con- duct a canvass and do whatever seemed fair and reasonable to do, to secure the pomination of candidatee for the Legisla- sare, who if elected, would support and vote for a Local Option Bill at the Legiela- tive seseiou of 1908. The good people of the state were greatly disappointed thas the Legislature of 1907 smothered such a bill in committee, and by this means took from them the right to pass on this gues- tion, During the campaign it has been fre- quently declared by interested parties shat this is probibition. This isa mis statement of the fact and known to be so by those who make it. When wade by candidates it is dune to carry favor with those who are opposed to the passage of a Local Option Bill avd the submission of the Guestion of license or no license to 'he people. The proposition to submit such a ques- tion to the people is #0 preeminently fair that it 1¢ amazing that even those who favor license shouid oppose it. *‘It is bat the right of a free people to have, by Legislative enactment, provisiovs | made for the nse of the ballot to give ex- pression of opinicn upon a ques<tion of auch vital moment. To deny it would he a dis- grace and should cover the perpetrators of such tyranny with ODIUM AND IN- FAMY.” On the 14th of Mach the committee sent to each person who bad avnounced himself to be voted for at the primaries as a candidate for the Legiclatnre the follow ing letter. Bellefonte, Pa. March 14th, 1908. DEAR BIR :—At a meeting of the under- signed the following preamble and resolu. tion was adopted. Yoo are respectfully requested to give us assurance within a week from getting the same, as to your position. WHEREAS in view of the fact that the Local Option question will be one of the most important that can or will come be- fore the next session of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. AND WHEREAS you have announotd yourself as a candidate for representative from Centre county in the next Legislature therefore, RESOLVED that the Local Option com- mittee respectfully request you to define vour position on the Local Option question and if you should be nominated and elect ed whether you will nee all honorable means both by work and vote to secure the passage of such a measure. This preamble and resolution is submit- ted to all candidates for the Legislature of both the great political parties. This com- mittee is not a political committee. It is our desire only to ascertain the position of the candidates so that the voters of both parties may be advised as to who they can rely upon to properly represent them fairly and honestly on this great question. Very truly vours, D. F. FORTNEY, Chairman. Isaac UNDERWOOD, Secy. James HARRIS, Treas. To this time she only replies received ha« been from J. C. Meyer, Esq, W. L. Foster Charles E. Fisher, and R M. Foster are as lollows. Bellefonte, Pa. March 16th, 1908, D. F. FORTNEY, Pres. Centre county Local Option Com. Bellefonte Penua. My DEAR SIR :—I beg to acknowledge the receipts of your letter of the 14th in- stans, requesting that as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Assembly, I state my position on the enactment of a proposed Local Option Law. I now herehy cheerfully comply with your request, hecanse [ do not desire the support and confidence of the people of our county without heing entire frank and bonest with them upon this issue, eo shat they may be able to vote intelligently. Iam convinced that the question you refer to will be an important and well de- fined 1ssne in the approaching campaign. I may goa step farther and say, that while the liquor traffic has always been and always will be a great moral issue in the public mind and conscience, it is be- ginning latterly to assume the phase of a great commercial problem. Recently large tions employing much labor have declared an advanced code of conduct for their employees and now require of them absolute sobriety as a condition of service. Because therefore the right to sell in- toxicating liquors as a beverage affects the general welfare of the community, I be- lieve the people should have a voice in the determination of the question, and I do not want anyone to be in doubt as to where I stand on that question. Let me say, therefore, that if I should be selected as the proper person to represent Centre coun- ty in the House of Representatives of Penn- sylvania, I shall use all honorable means to secure the enactment of a LOCAL OPTION LAW and shall vote for its prompt and speedy passage. incerely yours, J. C. MEYER. State College, Pa., March 23rd, 1908. D. F. Fortney, Chairman. DEAR SIR :—Your communication to my position on Local Option received. In reply would say; that the local option ques- tion is not a direot issue in the campaign. That must be settled by the people later or should the Legislature give them the privi- lege to vote on this issue. Bat should I be nominated and eleoted to the Legislature I would support any lawful measure to submit the question of Local Option to the vote of the people, and would endeavor to su any measure that the ex wishes of my coustitu- ents desired in the matter. To pledge myself to any lar meas. wre for the purpose of securing votes I feel would be improper and not in accordance with our constitution and laws, Yours very truly, W. L. FOSTER. Boalsburg, March 24th, 1908, D. F. Fortney Esq. Chairman of Centre County Local Option Com. Bellefonte, Pa. DEAR Sik :—Haviog announced myself as a candidate for Legislature, subject to the decision of the Republican voters at the primary election, on April 11th, nex, I wish to state at this time, that il nomi. pated and elected, I will determinedly op- pose any movement standing in the way of the enactment of such a law as will give the le of Centre county the right to say by their votes, whether or not they are in favor of Local Option. Very truly yours, CHAS. E. FISHER. State College, Pa., March 28th, 1908, D. F. Fortney, Esq. Chairman of Centre County Local Option Com. Bellefonte, Pa. . GENTLEMEN :—Yours of recent date be- fore me. In reply will say that if nominated on dlogiel By site Legislature I shall be eased to a apport a Local ion measure, * * * ® rd member of the Legislature I never support- ed liquor Legislation, hoping this defines my position I remain, Youre truly, ER. M. FOSTER. Noue of the other candidates bave sub- mitted an answer, and the time limit given by the committee in which a reply was re- quested is more than past, so we conclude no other answers wili be given. Mr. W. H. Evey avnounces himsell subject to the activns of the Republicans of Centre coun. ty a= follows : “If elected I will favor any measure giving to the people the constitutional right of expression on any fundamental ques- tion, especially snch as may be advocated by the Anti-Saloon League.” The committee herewith submis all re. plies received and append the announce- ment of Mr. Evey which he believes suffi- cient, for your consideration. The men who have given their assurance as to what they will do are all known to you. By their characters in the light of their t lives you will know whom to choose. e committee has endeavored to act fairly with all candidates and has given each an opportunity 10 answer. No candidate should he afraid to trust the people or desire to take from them the burden to choose as their preference die- tates. We have given you what we have obtained from the candidates of each party. It is to be regretted that only three candi- dates among all the nomber announced as candidates for the Legislature, bave bad the moral conrage to define their position on a question of such importance and one #0 franght with good to the people. We have called to your attention the declarations made by the assemblies and conferences of the various churches on this great question. There are thousands of members and adherents of these same churches in Centre county. Are you ready and will you follow the lead of the church to which you adbere in thie confliot which makes for civio decency, purity in social life and rightoneness in the world ? Hop- ing that you appreciate the magnitude of | this contest and that yon will register your convictions at the primaries on the 11th of April, 1908, we are very truly, F. FORTNEY, Pres. of the Committee, CLEMENT DALE, Vice-Pres. Isaac UNDERWOOD, JARED HARPER. James Harris, Treas, } Secy’s. A Valuable Cent, Many a person looking over small change has come across a white cent bearing a fly- ing eagle on the obverse and as once jumwp- ed to the conclusion that it is ore of the rare pieces, only to be disappointed when told that the flying eagle oents dated 1857 or 1858, have no value above thas of she ordinary cent. Huouodreds of 1856 cents are in existence, and there may be thousands, One writer on coins some years ago stated his belief that fully 15,000 of the pieces bad been struck. Yet the premiom brought for a proof specimen of this cent at avy of the auction sales held in recent years has rare- ly fallen helow $15, and there is a record price of $16 giveu for a fine specimen. One collector who resided at Aslantio Sis had 109 pieces of this design and ate. The 1856 cent owes its origin to the fact that abou! 1855 a change was desired from the cumbersome and heavy copper cent which had been issued vearly, with the exception of 1815, since the opening of the first United States mint in 1793. Is was also intended at the same time to abandon the hall-vent pieces. The mint engravers fixed upou the pat- tern of the flying eagle, which bad been previously used on United States coipe, especially the eilver dollars of 1836 and 1838. In order that Congress might see what the new coin looked like, specimens are said to have been presented to various representatives, and is i= also supposed thas to demonstrate to the coinage committee ust how the design appeared in various «e metal alloys the cents were struck in copper, copper-nickle and nickle. he regularly adopetd eagle cent of 1857 and 1858 showed on the obverse the eagle flying to the left, eurrounded by the in- soription, ‘United States of America,” with the date 1857 or 1858 below. On the reverse was a wreath made up of corn, to- bacco and cotton, in which were inclosed the words ‘One Cent.” This is juss about the same design as that of the copper-nickle cent of 1856, the only variation heing in the date. The 1856 coin is valued at from $8 to $16, according to its condition. The weight of the flying eagle cent was 72 grains, a material reduction from that of the large copper cens, which was anthor- ized to weigh 168 graive. Even this wae later reduced, for in 1864 Congress orde red the metal to be changed from copper-nick- le to bronze and the weight still farther reduced to 48 grains. The metal was au- thorized to consist of 86 per cent of copper and 5 per cent tin and zinc, and this style of cent is in use at the present time.— Washington Correspondent Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. It was a Stage Brand. Gertrode, aged four, bad been to the matinee. Later she tried to describe the play to a grown-up friend. “They drank wine,” “and then they all went out.” “Well,” d she friend, expectantly, ‘‘and what happened next?" Gertrude worked ber small brain bard. “I guess,’ she said, ‘‘they spit it out.” said Gertrude, A physician always in the house ; a phy- sician whose knowledge oom ends the whole of medical science experience from the day of Galen down ; that tically what is offered in Dr. Pierce's - mon Sense Medical Adviser. This work containing 1008 pages and over 700 illus. trations, is sent free, on receipt of stamps, to pay expense of mailing only. Send 21 one cent stamps for paper-covered book, or 31 stamps for cloth binding, to Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y. ——3ome men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some can impart a curvilinear motion to a leather covered sphere. —It i & delightful season for the devil at the bathing resorts with so many beaun- tifal nymphe between him and the deep sea.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers