2
ARIZONA KEW YEAR'S
HOW THE RECKLESS COWBOY CELE
BRATES THE DAY.
Ksliihits 111. Skill 111 Hoping; Cuttle.
The C'nll to Dinner—Help Yourself
From Uoanted Quarter, of Deef.
Dancing" In flic livening;.
Roughly lettered posters of wrapping
paper for weeks hud announoed that a
cowboy tournament and fiesta Mejicana
would be held on New Year's day at
Agna Caliente.
Two races, each of four heats, have
been run iu the morning, when the
faint popping of a six shooter, supple
mented bya distant roar of "Grub! Oh,
I Irub!" announces the hour for dinner.
Spectators and racers rush back to the
plaza.
Rack of one of the principal saloons,
between it and the base of the moun
tain, a long trench has been dng and
filled with mosquito wood, burned to
clear, red coals. Over these coals, rest
ing on well soaked green poles, quarters
of beef have been roasting for the last
12 hours. These quarters are hung iu
the different verandas, and from them
each man cuts such portion as seems
good to him and retires to eat it, to
gether with whatever provisions he may
have brought with him, while in the
burning sun of the plaza the Indians
and dogs dispute for and gorge them
selves on the refuse.
Soon there is a general movement to
ward a corral at the foot of the plaza,
where the principal business of the day,
from a sporting standpoint, is to begin.
For a week tko founders of the feast
have been collecting cattle suitable to
their purpose, and the cottonwood pole
corral is as full of them as it will hold.
Twenty feet in front of the corrals
a long line lias been drawn iu tbo sand,
then an interval of 40 yards and anoth
er. A little to one side tbo timekeeper,
watch in hand, sits on his horse. The
first contestant, in this case a band
some young Mexican, places himself
with his back to the corral, and tho
fore hoofs of his pony just toeing tho
first line.
Tho bars aro lowered and a long
legged red cow is allowed to escape.
Across tho space sho runs like a grey
hound. The instant she crosses the sec
ond lino tho vaquero plunges in his big
spurs and starts in pursuit, his riata
whistling around his head. The cow
points straight for a growth of scrub,
as though she know that no lariat could
be thrown in such a place. Tho little
horse gains on her rapidly. Before sho
has mado moro than a third of the dis
tance to her goal he is at her flying
heels. Then the rope flies out so quick
ly that tho oye can hardly follow it,
but the cow makes a quick turn ami
gallops on, still free.
The Mexican makes no second at
tempt. The loss of time caused by bis
first failure would prevent liis winning
tho coveted prize. So bo sulkily with
draws, and his place is taken by anoth
er, who sits with straining eagerness
as a gray bull is sent careering across
tho dead line.
"Off fore foot," he cries as his pony
springs forward. Then follows a quick
cast, a couple of turns around the sad
dlohorn, and the horse braces back,
tucking his head well down to keep it
out of the way—while the bull, his
flight suddenly arrested, turns a half
somersault and lands on his back,
caught by tho leg his captor has named.
Securing the line, the man diinounts
and runs toward his prey as fast as his
high heels will allow. It struggles
fiercely, but the pony is far too well
trained to let tho bull rise, and, with a
tightening of the lariat, neatly foils
every attempt. The captured fore log is
quickly mado fast to a hind leg—"hog
tied"—and then the cowboy holds up
his hand to show that it is oompleted.
The jndges having pronounced that
the animal is properly secured, the time
taken to accomplish the feat is entered
and another man tries his skill.
The twilight comes at last Dusk is
soon followed by darkness in these lati
tudes, and hardly has it fallen when the
strains of rude music anuonnce the
opening of the great social feature of
the day, the ball. The ballroom is the
whole upper *floor of the hotel. Tho
walls are of rough adobe, the floor of
unplaned planks. From the rafters of
the flat roof hang all tho lanterns that
can be borrowed in the neighborhood—
that is, within a radius of ten miles
—and oandles burn on bits of board
stuck in the interstices of the sun baked
biick of the vtolls. Benches of planks
laid across boxes line three sides of the
room. At one end of the hall, on a
rough stage erected there, sit the mu
sioans. There are three of them, all
Mexicans, one playing a squeaky fiddle,
the other two guitars. All of them
wear their hats and smoke crooked oiga
rettes of brown paper as they play.
There are abont 20 girls, many of
them pretty and all of them dressed
with a neatness and taste quite remark
able when one oonsiders their limited
resonroes. About the same number of
older women oomplete the feminine con
tingent, and all are in demand, for the
men number a hundred or more.
The men aro all dressed for the occa
sion, each in the manner that happens
to suit his fancy. Many retain their
spurs, in which they are popularly sup
posed to sleep. One yonng fellow is es
pecially swell, wearing a. white shirt
and red necktie uuder a long black
cutaway ooat, and clad as to bis nether
man in the leather "chaps" of tbecow
boy, with the jingling "petmakers"
still fast to his high heeled boots.
Dance follows dance in rapid succes
sion. The measnrod pounding of the feet
as they noisily caper over the resound
ing boards almost drowns the musio. It
is thoroughly enjoyed until nearly day
break, when the company disperses.
Horses are saddled, blankets unrolled,
and soon, save for the snarling of the
ooyotes as they quarrel over the remains
df the snpper, tne little village is silent.
—Philadelphia Press.
BIRDS OF PEACE IN WAR.
m>w the Homing Pigeon In I'wetl to liAi
MeKN:igra from Our Warihipi.
A series of most Interesting experi
ments has been made during the pasl
Ave or six years with the pigeons at
the Naval Academy. There has been
no-appropriation for this work, and
the loft has been conducted by private
contributions from officers at the Na
val Academy, and has been managed
entirely by several officers and profes
sors at Annapolis, who have given
over their time and their labor in the
hope of convincing the people at Wash
ington of the desirability of the ser
vice. Prof. Marion, an Instructor in
French at the Naval Academy, who has
studied the habits of homing pigeons
most carefully, has had most to do
with this work, and to him perhaps
the greatest credit is due for the ulti
mate success of the scheme. Lieut.
Austin M. Knight, United States Navy,
and Edward W. Eberle have also de
voted some time and attention to ths
question, and have published papers
in the proceedings of the Naval In-
stitute which have called the matter
to the attention of the officers In the
service, most of whom have through
this means been shown the value ot
the plan. During last Summer 18 pig
eons made a total of 110 flights.
Lieutenant Knight writes concerning
them:
"Let us consider the case of a flee!
entrusted with the defense of that part
of our coast from Block Island to th
capes of the Delaware. Whatever po
sition might be taken up by such a
fleet, there would be thrown out many
miles beyond it a line of light, swift
vessels as scouts, and upon the rapid
ity with which these vessels could
communicate with the inner line and
with the shore would depend, in a
largo measure, the success of the de
fense. Suppose a vessel of this outer
line to discover an enemy's fleet stand
ing to the westward; she would hasten
toward the squadron of defense or to
ward the nearest point of the coast
from which It might be possible to
communicate with the squadron with
Washington and with the cities threat
ened, and if not overtaken by the
enemy's cruiser or by a shell from a
battleship, and if she did not break
down, she would ultimately communi
cate the fact that at a certain time—
already long past—the enemy's neet,
of unknown strength, was standing in
from some unknown point on the
coast. Let us suppose now, that in
stead of hastening oft herself she could
dispatch a number of pigeons, with
the certainty that they would carry
the news quite as surely as she could
carry it, and far more quickly; and
that then, holding the enemy in view,
she could follow his movements, and
from time to time send off new mes
sengers with particulars of his
strength, his course, and his appar
ent intentions. It is not difficult to
see the immense value of a system
which promises the possibility of such
service as this."
In view of these facts It will be In
teresting to note some of the over-wa
ter possibilities of the homing-pigeons.
They have been taught to regard a
ship as their home, and thus their ser
vices can be utilized both ways; but
their greatest usefulness for naval pur
poses will be the carrying of messages
from ships to the shore. The dis
tance one of these birds will fly over
the water to the land is still uncer
tain; but it is thought to be about
one hundred and fifty miles. During
a series of experiments one bird was
kept over three weeks in confinement
on board a ship, and when liberated
was some two hundred miles from us
cote; yet It returned in good time and
condition. This last was an import
ant experiment, inasmuch as it showed
that homing-pigeons can be kept on
board a ship for several weeks at a
time; and yet retain their strength of
wing and ability to find their way
home. During the experiment very
few birds were lost, which establishes
the practical certainty of their mes
senger service.
In speed they are excelled only by
the telegraph and the telephone. One
hundred and fifty-one statute miles
have been mad* In three hours and
fifty minutes. In Belgium one bird
covered a distance of two hundred and
fifteen miles at the rate of over seven
ty miles an hour. The average speed,
however, is much lower than this; for
ty-five miles an hour, for short dis
tances, being usually considered good
time.
The messages are fastened to the
leg of the bird or tied lengthways un
derneath the tall feathers.
During the siege of Paris, 1870-71; as
many as forty thousand messages were
safely borne into the city by a single
pigeon at one Journey. When the
messages reached their destination
they were enlarged by photography
and read.
The ability of the pigeon to find its
way home is commonly supposed to be
due to instinct This is only partly
true, for the greater part of this hom
ing faculty is developed by careful
training. Wheu the bird Is about
three or four months old and has be
come thoroughly familiar with its
home, it is taken a mile from the cote
and "tossed." The next time it will
be taken about three milee. The dif
ferent training stages are usually one,
three, six, twelve, twenty-one, thirty
five, fifty, seventy-five and one hun
dred miles from the bird's home. At
the end of three years careful training
a bird can be "tossed" five hundred
miles from its native cote with somt
prospect of its finding its way back.
However, only about one bird out ol
dfty can be trained to return horns
from a distance of five hundred iqUee,
■swiwti'vdrtriinrt'mi Ttkieiiii lentnTi
COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBORG, PA
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26th, 1898.
Gingerly as the War Investigating
Commission handled Gen Miles, who
shocked them at the beginning of his
testimony by declining to be sworn,
he managed to say that much suffer
ing in the Santiago campaign was the
result of General Shaffer's failure to
obey orders; that the Commissary
General was inefficient, and to twit
the commission for not having " got
onto" the "embalmed" beef sent to
his men in Porto Rico, against his
protest, in order that contractors, fa
vored by the War Department, might
pocket big profits. He, also, by his
answer to several questions (ho was
not allowed to make a general state
ment) made it plain that the ignoring
of his recommendations by the War
Department had resulted in much un
necessary suffering.
*
•
The trusts are to be directly repre
sented in the Cabinet. Mr. E. A.
Hitchcock, of Missouri, now Ambas
sador to Russia, who was nominated
to succeed Mr. Bliss as Secretary of
the Interior, and confirmed by the
Senate a few minutes before adjourn
ment for the Christmas recess, is the
head of the plate glass trust and a
multi-millionaire.
*
* *
The administration has decided
that 50,000 more volunteers may
safely be mustered out, and it will be
done as jast as possible.
The Huli biil, which ought really to
be known as the Alger-Corbin bill,
for recognizing and increasing the
regular army, has been reported favor
ably to the House by a strict party
vote in the Military Commmittee.
The five Democratic members of the
Committee are opposed to the bill and
will prepare and submit a bill of their
own, which will be offered as a sub
stitute.
The House Committee on Appro
priations loses two of its members to
furnish Governors for Texas and for
Pennsylvania. Befoie Congress ad
journed for the Christmas recess the
Committee unanimously adopted res
olutions setting forth the esteem of
the Committee for Hon. Joseph D.
Saveis, Governor elect of Texas, and
Hon. Wm. A. Stone, Governor-elect
of Per nsylvania. The Sayers resolu
tion was one of the strongest ever
adopted under similar circumstances.
He has been a member of the Com
mittee for twelve years, during two of
which he was its chairman, and has
lelt a record that any man would be
justified in being proud of.
Under the lattitude allowed in de
bate when the House is in Committee
of the Whole, Representative Will
iams, of Mississippi, made a strong
speech against the annexation of the
Philippines, which he declared would
be a mistake, whether viewed from a
social, a political, or a material stand
point. Frequent applause from his
Democratic colleagues showed which
way their sympathies were. After,
stating that the Islands should not be
returned to Spain, Mr. Williams said :
" I should leave the Islands where
they were the day after Dewey's glori
ous victory at Manila. I should haul
down the American flag. I am for
the flag for what it means, not for it
self. It is nothing but a piece of
bunting, and when some one an
nounces that it must not come down,
I care not how high his station, he
says something unworthy of himself
and his country. The flag should
come down, it it is right that it should
do so, and the American people must
pull it down. We would not let any
other country do it."
•
Senator Butler, of North Carolina,
has given notice of his intention to
offer an amendment to the pension
appropriation bill that will give Con
federate soldiers and sailors precisely
the same status under the pension
laws as those of the United States.
Mr. McKinley's original proposal was
to assist in the care of the Confeder
ate dead ; then Representative Rixey,
of Virginia, introduced his bill to
open all Government Soldiers' Homes
to needy and crippled Confederates,
but Senator Butler's proposition is the
most astonishing of all.
•
*
Gen. Henderson, Chairman of fhe
home Judiciary committee, to which
Representative Bailey's resolution for
investigation and report as to whether
any member of the House had forfeit
ed his seat by accepting office under
government, asked the House to order
the resolution referred to the com
mittee on Rules, and it was done.
The members of the Committee on
Rules are Speaker Reed, Henderson,
of lowa, and Dalzell, of Pa., Repubh-
CASTOR IA
For In&nts and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
Bears the /j? J^JL."
Signature of CJbt&ZTCtf&UA!
The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been
in use for over 30 years, has borne the signature of
and has been made under his per
( sonal supervision since its infancy,
/ozyyg /-CCccyLt/y. Allow 110 one to deceive you in this.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and Substitutes are but Ex
periments that trifle witli and endanger the health of
Infants and Children—Experience against Experiment.
What is CASTOR!A
Castoria is a substitute for Castor Oil, Paregoric, Drops
and Soothing Syrups. It is Harmless and Pleasant. It
contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotic
substance. Its ago is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind
Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation
and Flatulency. It assiiuilutcs the Food, regulates tlio
Stomach and Bowels, giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children's Panacea—The Mother's Friend.
GENUINE CASTORIA ALWAYS
The Kind You Have Always Bought
In Use For Over 30 Years.
STOVE NAPTHA, the Cheapest and
Best Fuel on the market. With it you
can run a Vapor Stove for one-hall
cent per hour. Give us a call and be
convinced.
W. O. Holmes, Bloomsburg, Pa.
Eshleman & Wolf,
L. E. Wharey, *"
W. F. Hartman,
You can save money on Pianos and Or
gans. You will always find the largest
stock, best makes and lowest prices'.
PIANOS, From $175.00 and Upwards.
ORGANS, From $50.00 and Upwards
We sell on the installment pian. Pianos,
$25.00 down and SIO.OO per month. Or
gans, SIO.OO down, $5.00 per month. Lib
eral discount for cash. Sheet Music, at one
half price. Musical merchandise of
kinds.
We handle Genuine Singer High Arm
SEWING MACHINES,
$5.00 down and $3.00 per month. We also
handle the Demorest Sewing Machine, from
$19.50 and upwards. Sewing Machine
Needles and Oil for all makes of Sewing
Machines. Best makes of
WASH MACHINES,
FROM $4.00 UP TO $9.00.
J. SALTZER.
■FiT Music Rooms—No. 115 West Main
St., below Market, Bloomsburg, Pa. 31011-3
cans and Bailey, of Texas, and McMil
lin, of Tenn., Democrats.
Ex-Senator "Joe" Blackburn, who
was in Washington when Congress
adjourned for the noliday recess, said
of a gentleman who is conspicuously
before the country, just now, by reas
on of his opposition to the expansion
policy of his party; "I have known
Senator Hotr for over 25 years, and
in all that time have never been quite
able to fix his status in my mind; to
decide whether he was an able and
disinterested patriot or the meanest
type of a bigoted, narrow, hypocriti
cal Puritan that God ever let live. I
know that he is the one or the other;
he does not occupy any middle ground
but for the life of me I cannot yet say
under which classification he should
be placed. He has kept me guessing
all these years, and I will frankly con
fess that I am no nearer to a solution
of the problem than I was 25 years
ago. lam almost inclined to give it
"P "
OABTORXA.
Bear, tiu _/f Nw Kind You Hate Always Bought
The World
Almanac and
Encyclopedia
for 1899
AND b=
Illustrated History
of the Spanish-
American War
READY FOR SALE "*
£ EVERYWHERE
£ JANUARY Ist, 1899. J
Together with
The Battle Calendar
of the Republic.
Compiled by
EDGAR STANTON MACLAY
Historian of the U.S. Navy.
THE STANDARD
AMERICAN ANNUAL.
PRICE 25 CENTS.
jtjijt
Postpaid to any addttm.
THE WORLD, Pulttxer Building, %
NEW YORK.
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able. Local exchange over Postoffice.
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SUBSCRIBE FOR
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Fine PHOTO
GRAPHS and
CRAYONS at
R. B.' GROTZ,
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The best are
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•' • PVKIOI'
TID-BITS FOR MA' HONEY!
and tender little juicelets for the chil
dren, aie all right, but papa and "the
boys" want a good, big, juicy steak,
roast or chop when business or school
duties are over, and we can cater to
them all. Our stock of prime meats is
unexcelled for quality, and we send
them home in fine shape.
J. K. KEIFRR.
THE DEVELOPMENT
of liloomsburg, notwithstanding the late fi
nancial and business depression.
HAS BEEN PHENOMINAL.
Its permanence and prosperity are now as
sured.
The liloomsburg I.and Improvement Com
pany now offers for sale the most desirable
lots for residences and business purposes to
be had in this town, at moderate prices and
upon easy terms.
ASMALL PAYMENT
down and small monthly payments thereafter
will secure a lot.
Those purchasers desiring to build, and
own their own homes the company will as
sist by advancing the money there on.
WHY PAY RENT
when you can own your own home ?
Factory Sites Given Away.
Maps of the town and our plotted prop
erly furnished on application.
Bloomsburg Land
Improvement Company.
J. S. WOODS, N. U. FUNK,
Sales Agent. Secretary.
io-6-6mos.
THE MARKETS.
BLOOMSBURG MARKETS.
CORRECTED WEBKLY. RETAIL FBICIB.
Butter per lb $ ,22
Eggs per dozen ,24
Lard per lb. .08
Ham per pound ,09
Pork, whole, per pound .06
Beef, quarter, per pound.... .07
Wheat per bushel .80
Oats " " 35
Rye " " 50
Wheat flour per bbl 4.40
Hay per ton 9 to $lO
Potatoes per bushel .60
Turnips " " .15
Onions " " 100
Sweet potatoes per peck .25
Tallow per lb .05
Shoulder " " .09
Side meat " " .08
Vinegar, per qt .05
Dried apples per lb .05
Dried cherries, pitted .ia
Raspberries .ia
Cow Hides per lb .34
Steer " " " .05
CalfSkin .80
Sheep pelts .75
Shelled corn per bus .60
Corn meal, cwt 1.85
Bran, " .95
Chop " .95
Middlings " .95
Chickens per lb new .08
" "old 08
Turkeys " "
Geese " " ,14
Ducks " " .ojj
COAL.
No. 6, delivered a. 60
" 4 and s " 3 85
" 6 at yard a. 35
" 4 and 5 at yard vfco
PATENTS
Caveats and Trade Marks obtained, and al
Patent business conducted for MODERATE
OUR OFFICE 18 OPPOSITE THE U. 8. PAT
ENT OFFICE. We have no sub-agencies, al
business direct, hence can transact patent bust
noes In less time and at Less Cost thAn those re
mote from Washington.
Send model, drawing or photo, with desertp
tlon. We advise If patentable or not, freeoc
charge. Our fee not due till patent 1b secured
A book, "How to Obtain Patentß," with refer
enceß to actual clients In your State, County, o
town sentfree. Address
C. A. SNOW & co„ Washington, D. C
(Opposite V. 8 Patent Olllce.)
|l_ EmclWk IH—BrA 7
PENNYROYAL PILLS
I Ortctaftl aal Oaly Smilm. A
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IM-4UL