TANTALUS—TEXAS.
‘If I may trust your love.” she oriad,
“And you would have me for a bride.
Ride over yonder plain, and b ing
Your flask full from the Mustang spring;
Fly, fast as over eagle's wing
0'er the Llano Estacado!”
Ye heard, and bowed without a word,
His gallant steed, he lightly spurred ;
Ho turned his face, and rode away
Toward the grave of dying day,
And vanished with its parting ray
On the Llano Estacado.
Night came and foun! him riding on,
Day came, and still ha rode alone ;
He spared not spur, he drew not rein
Across that broad uvchanging plain
‘Till he the Must ng spring might gain
On the Llano Estacado,
A little 10st, a lit le draught
Hot from his hand, and quick’y quaffed ;
Hi« flask was filled, and then he turned
Once more his speed the maguay spurned,
Once more the sky above him burned,
On the Llano Estacado,
How hot the quivering landscape glowed!
His brain s. em: d boiling as he rode;
Was it a dream, a dennken one,
Or was he really riding on?
Was that a skull that gleamed and shome
On the Llano Estac.do? :
“Brave stoed of min=, brave steed!” he cried,
‘So often tine, so often tri d,
Bear up a little longer yot ! ”
His month was black with blood and sweat,
Heaven! 1 ow he longed his lips to wet
On the Llavo Estacado!
And still, within his breast, he hold
The pre i us flask so Iately filled.
Oh, for a drink! But well he koew
If ampty it »honld meet her view,
Her scorn; but still his louging grew
On the Llano Esticado.
His horsas went down. He wandered on,
Giddy, blind, beaten and alone.
While on a cushions=d conch you lie,
Oh, think howhard itis tod e
Beneath the cruel, cloudless sky,
Oa the Llano Estacado.
At last he taggered, stumbled, fell,
His day had come, he knew full well,
Andraisingto his lips the flask,
The end, the o ject of his task,
Drank to her, more she could not ask,
AL! the Liano Estacado!
That night in the Presidio
Beneath the torch ights’ wavy gle
ww
She dsuced, and never thought of him,
The vic im of a woman's whim,
Lying, with face upturved and grin;
On the L'ano Estacado
{Joaquin Miller.
THE TIGERS BREATH.
BY HENRY WwW. FRENCH.
“Why do you put me up in a tree,
Oomerkahn, while the barra saheb stands
on the grounii Do you think me a
a coward?"
Oomerkahn touched his closed hands
solemnly to his dark forehead as he re.
plied, “The bravest man, saheb, is not
safe to face the tiger, till he has fe't the
tiger's breath.”
I had heard that proverb before, but
never supposed that it really meant any
more than my own nursery rhyme about
salt on the dickey bird's tail. There |
was no help for it, however, for Oomer. |
kahn was conducting the bunt. so [ ac~ |
cepted his proverb as a polite way of |
assuring me that in reality he did not!
consider me a8 coward, and disposed of |
myself upon the branch where he di-
rected, mentally resolving to be on the |
alert till I showed the stately Hindu his |
mistake, and then gave him a piece of |
my offended mind. |
This was my first experience, and I|
felt as brave as anyone has a right to
under such circumstances, 1 was a|
novice in India and my host, the “barra |
i
sabeb,” as he was called about his plan- |
tation, had taken me into the hills for an
initiation,
No sooner had we arrived at his plan-
tation than there came an appeal from |
the nearest village that he rid them of
a man-eating tiger that had settled in
their neighborhood. Oomerkahn was
the native superintendent of my host's
farm and at once received his orders to
organize a hunt
There were several guests, all well
mounted, and early in the morning we
rode out to the village. The tiger had
been located in a jungle two miles away,
He had made an extraordinary raid the |
night before, taking both a man and a
calf before he was satisfied, and there |
was no doubt about finding him en-
sconced in his lair, sleeping off the
effects
Oomerkahn arranged us, first in a half- |
circle, 200 yards from the jungle, while |
he, at the head of a hundred or more
natives, entered the dense grove from
the opposite side. They were the beaters,
and with sticks and torches and tom-toms
and s rong lungs they began the greatest
racket possible. They were arranged in
a long line and worked their way toward
us, intent on frightening the tiger out of
the jungle into our semi circle, where,
according to the position in which he
appeared, we were to have our turns at!
shooting,
it was an hour of intense excitement,
each hoping the tiger would show him-
self in his particular division, but the
beaters came out without finding bim at
all. They were thoroughiy exhausted
and declared that the tiger was not there,
** But I tell you that be is!” exclaimed
our host, impatiently. ‘No tiger ever
started on a pilgimage after such a sup-
per as he had last night,”
He dismounted, and leaving his horse
with a coolie he deliberately entered the
ungle on foot. Seeing this, we all fol
wed his example, in spite of a caution
from Oomerkahe.
The barra saheb was an experienced
tiger hunter, and in balf an hour he
pointed to a dark spot under some bushes,
. saying to a coolie, *' Throw a stone in
there.”
The stone disappeared without strik-
anything.
. 's 8 hole there at all events,”
the barra saheb muttered, himself oreep-
ing a litle nearer and throwing in a
larger stone with al! his strength.
Suddenly the air began to tremble,
There was no distinct sound, but it was
like the first breath of a great organ,
“He is there,” said the barra saheb,
and it was then that Oomerkahn hastily
Placed his forces, which resulted in my
eing safely lodged on the limb, with
what I considered a doubtful compli
ment,
Then the order was given to burn him
out, and while Oomerkahn and one or
two coolies built a fire as close to the
mouth of the cave as possible, the barra
saheb took a position beside the trunk
of a tree directly in front and perhaps
ten feet away.
The jungle was so thick that not a
ray of sunlight fell anywhere about us,
It was like twilight, and the fire lit it
up with a frighttul, ghostly glare, while
on every side sounded the cries of
frightened birds and animals.
As soon as the fire was burning well
the coolies crept away, while Oomerkahn
caught some of the blazing sticks, threw
them directly into the mouth of the
cave and sprang back. lle was nome
too quick. I saw the barra sahebl’s rifle
leap to his shoulder. His acute ear had
caught a change in those deep, rumb-
ling notes to which we were becoming
accustomed.
In his haste the Hindu had stumbled
and fallen upon his back. The next in-
stant the very ground seemed to shake
as the air had trembled before. There
was a terrific crash, like a sharp peal of
thunder. A huge form burst from the
shubbery half concealing the entrance
to the cave and a royal Bengal tiger was
literally gliding through the air. He
swept like a dark cloud over the darting
flames and prostrate form of Qomerkahn.
His huge fore paws were extended.
eyes were shut. His great
which had so recently crushed
jaws,
wide open, His long, savage teeth
over it.
He was pot leaping toward me.
could not by any possibility reach me,
yet the sound of that roar and the sight
flames filled me with such terror as |
never felt before. It caught my breath
away, My heart stood still.
my rifle, utterly helpless,
No. 1 was not to be trusted to face a
tiger. There was no doubt of that.
standing calmly by the tree. 1 saw the
flash and heard the report of his rifle as
the ferocious beast came abreast of him.
I saw Lim lean behind the tree as he
fired, and the next next
wild yell, the tiger struck the ground
not five feet from where the barra saheb
For a moment it lay coiled
where it fell, a great mass of fur, then
its full length, shuddered and
Dven then I trembled from head to
ciimbed down from the tree,
I did my best to be markedly civil to
rest of the day,
and quietly mule up my miod that it
would take more than feeling a tiger's
breath to make me safe to face a tiger
It is strange how easy it is to leap
but
I had an opportunity to discover snother
mistake a short time afterward
Mounted on elephants, my friend and
I were making a trip into the interior
toward my destination The weather
morning and just before dark
motion of the elephant, when | was sud.
denly roused by a shrill shriek from the
a sharp ejaculation from the maboot sit.
ting on his head and a loud cry from my
friend, who was
was a tiger in midair, apparently fying
directly toward me.
Altogether the situation was thorough
ly bewildering, and I confess that from
the start my wits forsook me.
Thanks to the sudden lurch of the ele
express par-
pose, the tiger missed his aim, and in-
into the thick
hide. Foran instant he hung there with
at me,
‘* Aim for his breast. Shoot steady and
sure. Don’t miss him for your life.”
One who has never faced a tiger will
think
though I have met many old
have recounted the same
experience at the start—yet, had it not
from my
As it
was, I lifted it mechanically to my
shoulder. I did not trouble myself about
the aim, for I could not take my eyes
from that savage face. | was thoroughly
benumbed and bewildered. My hand
strength enough to pull,
The moment the report sounded the
mahoot turned the elephant sharply to
one side. That is one of the common
phants, when the tiger is lodged, in
order to throw him off before he can do
any damage in case be is not instantly
killed, It was new to me, however, and
I was not prepared for it. As the tiger
fell to the ground, with a fierce howl, 1
camo within an inch of following him.
Fortunately, I landed upon the very edge
of the howdah and held on.
The next I knew my friend was shout.
ing again,
“Look out for him!" he cried. “He's
only wounded. He'll spring! Load quick
and finish him the minute he lands!”
So long as I was not Sacing the tiger I
could move quickly enough. A fres
cartridge was in place in no time; but
the aléphant had not gone twenty feet
when the tiger lunged, tore the earth for
an instant, precisely as | have seen a cat
attempt to tear a rug, then made two cat-
like and another flying leap,
landing, in spite of the elephant, withia
six inches of the mahoot, sitting upon
his head.
he} native lost hs uthanhang oly
sea ag trampled upon by dippin
down the elephant's trunk. Beyon
a PRS
that, however, the tiger did not pay him
the slightest attention. His eo cs were
fixed on me. He wus makisz for the
howdah.
His red and quivering gullet and gia.
tening teeth were already on a level
with my feet, [I stood there petrified,
looking down into that yawning cavern
out of which the hoarse breath came iu
short, harsh gasps.
‘i GGive it to him! Give it to him!
my friend shouted. I heard his words
ns though they came from a phonograph
and had no connection with me. I knew
the danger I was in, and that there was
no time to lose, but ! was absolutely
powerless,
The tiger began te crawl toward me,
“Shoot! shoot!” my friend yelled, and
I tried to: but though the hammer was
already raised and the rifle pointed in
the direction of the tiger, I could not
even lift it to my shoulder. I could pot
"we
even pull the trigger where it was,
The tiger took another step. One great |
paw rested on my boot. I could feel the |
sharp claws cutting through the leather.
I could feel the hot breath on my hands
as it came rasping out of that yawging
throat. 1 heard my friend's voice again
and realized that he had come up close |
beside me, but this time [ could not dis- |
tinguisha word he said. 1 could sec |
nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing, but |
that tiger, |
The muzzle of the gun was in the |
creature's way. He caught it in his jaws |
und gave it a savage jerk, The involun- |
tary action of my muscles in clutching |
the rifle, to prevent its being torn away,
pulled the trigger. The tiger recoiled |
and with one spasm fell dead upon the |
{ ground. The bullet had pierced the roof |
of his mouth and lodged in his brain,
| thanks only to himselfl.—{St. Louis Re, |
Titles of the Prince of Wales,
The official titles of the Prince of
| Wales are numerous, [lis official style
{ is as follows: The Most High, Puissnt
and lllustrious Prince Albert Edward,
Prince of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, Prince of Wales,
Duke of Saxony, Prince of Sax-Coburg
and Gotha, Great Steward of Scotland,
Duke of Cornwall and Rothsay, Earl of
Chester, Carrick and Dublin, Baron of
Renfrow, lord of the isles, K. G., K.
T. K.P. GC. R,G.C. 1.1L, G. C. L
E. P. C., field marshal in the army,
| colonel-in-chief First and Second life
guards and roval horse guards, colonel
Tenth Prince of Wales’ own regiment of
royal hussars, honorable colonel of OV.
eral Indian resiments; of the second
brigade eastern division royal artillery;
| of the Third battalion Duke of Corwall’s
light infantry; of the Third battalion
Gordon bighlanders; also of the Oxford
and of the Cambridge University, Middle
sex civil service, Sutherland highlanders
and Third Swansea rifle volnnteer regi
ments: honorable admiral in the fleet, |
personal aid-de-camp to her majesty,
honorable captain of the royal naval re
serve, elder brother of Trinity House, |
president of the Society of Arts, presi
dent of St. Bartholomew's hospital,
trustee of the British Museum, grand
master of the united grand lodge of Free
and Accepted Masons of England,
student of Jena, field marshal the
frerman army, colonel of the Fiftl
Pomeranian hussars, colonel of the Dan
ish hussars of the guard, . ote.
[Chicago Herald.
in
eli etic
Oll Soaked Carcasses,
Health Officer Keeney has made a new
rule as to the treatment of carcasses ol
calves and other animals, which have
been seized by the market inspectors as
unfit for human ‘consumption. The ob
ject of the regulation is to prevent any
possibility of such carcasses being taken
out of the hands of the city's
representatives, after the first seizure
has been made, and disposed of for food
| purposes. To this end the market in
| spectors will hereafter saturate such
| carcasses with kerosene before allowing |
them to go out of their possession
| They will then be turned over, as hereto
fore, to Alpers to be used for fertilizing
purposes, and if any one contrives to
steal them from Alpers before they can
| be so used he will scarsely be able
| profit by his enterprise. —{San Franciso:
Chronicle.
EE
Katchin Ante- Funeral Cersmonies.
I was never present at a complete fune. |
| ral ceremony, but once took a modest
part in the saturnalia held while the |
| corpse is still above ground. There is]
| nothing very remarkable about it, the |
| main idea being to make as much noise |
as possible, to frighten away ghouls and |
evilly disposed nats, and at the same’
time hint to the newly liberated spirit
that his late residence 18 no place for a!
serious. minded ghost. With this end in |
view the whole proceeds to get uproari- |
ously drunk on rice spirit, and, assemb- |
ling in the dead man's house, shouts, |
beats, drums and cymbals, dances and |
slashes the air with dahs, until, unable!
to drink, dance, beat and slash any more,
it falls into a drunken stupor, the silence |
of which is only broken throughout the |
aight by the mournful wails of a widow
or daughter. —|Scribner’s Magazine
Killing a Horse by Throwing Wim.
There isa certain way that experienced
stockmen know of throwing a horse down
80 a8 to break his neck and kill him at
once. An ordinary halter is put on the
horse, the lead.strap from it be-
tween the horse's front legs, a turn being
taken around the far one near the fet.
lock. The executioner then hits the
horse a sharp out with a whip, and when
he jumps up pulls sharply and sag
on the haltar strap. The horse strikes
head first with the entire weight on his
neck. The fall is invariably fatal.
Cheap Substitute for Putty,
A cheap and effective substitute for
putty id Sop cs in Wovdwork is
¢ by soaking news na paste
made by Boi oy in three
quarts of water and adding a teaspoonful
of slum. The mixture should be of
about the same consistency as putty and
should be forced into the cracks with »
case knife. It will barden like pa
mache and when dry may be painted or
stained te match ita surroundings,
it will be almost inperceptible,- [New
York Telegram.
JESTS AND YARNS BY FUNNY
MEN OF THE PRESS,
Ton Song Bird-The Age of the re.
coclous— An Important Drawback,
ote. ete,
TO A BONG BIRD,
Oh. song bird, madly earoling
Your careless life away,
How good it is to hear you sing
Your song from day to day.
Yet, though they bring us happiness,
Those melodies so sweet,
We'd like you better, we confess,
If you were good to eat.
—{ Detroit Free Press.
THE AGE OF THE PRECOCIOUS.
Mrs. Jhones—Ethel, you might tell
evening.
Ethel (just 17)~Certainly, mamma, if
you're curious about it; that's the young
man I'm e gaged to,
AN IMPORTANT DRAWBACK,
Mrs. Parvenu.—Do you enjoy opera?
Mrs. Nurich (who has a box by the
season )— Very much; if it weren't for
the horrid playing and singing they
keep up on the stage.—{Chicago Rec
ord.
PRACTICAL LESSON IN POLITENESS,
Little Ethel
ask for things.
Little Johnny —Course it is,
it?
Little Ethel
It's awful impolite to
Good News.
A FATAL OBJECTION.
Aunt
Charlie Hunker,
Niece—Oh, aunt! surely you
mean that he is dissipated?
Aunt--No: but his fortune is
do
A DILEMMA
Magistrate—- You are acoused of not
supporting your wile.
Prisoner
know my wile, She is insupportable.-
{"Truth,
A RUBRBRUSR,
oe
“How noisy that child is!
“He can't help it. He's from Boston.”
“What has that to do with it!"
“He's a Hub-bub.”-~[ Truth.
A REBUKE.
“I hope,” she said ““‘that
you have not been drinkin’
“Madam.” said Meandering Mike, “1
leave yer door fur ever However
friendly an’ oncharitable yer feelin’ to.
ward a feller bein’ may be, it's ongener
uel to remind i
severely,
" .
on
him of his mis
Washington Star
ous an Cr
fortunes
THE ONLY TEST
Hardapp—1 tried to sell those dia
monds | bought of you, and was told
they werg not genuine
Jdeweler—Did you se’l them?
Hard spp — Yes, for almost nothing
Jewel Tr
to buy them, and you will find out that
thy are genuine. —{ New York Weekly,
BATISVFACTORILY EXPLAINED
man who had
your
said the
“hasn't
“See here,”
married a widow,
turned gray
wore wed
“Oh,” said she, “that's from fright
1 was so scared when you proposed to
me, don't you know?”
Journal
AN
Mis: Winslow —1'm
called, Mr. Walker.
Mr. Walker--Oh, thanks, awfully.
Miss Winslow (more enthusiastiesally)
~-Yes, I am so delighted to hive acen
that beaatiful dog of “yours. — [Truth
UNEXPECTED PLEASURE
very glad
AT THE YOOTBALL GAME,
There were two colored wagons at the
football game, One of them had a grocer’s
nature of the other was not so easily de-
termined.
“Get out o' me way,” said the driver
of the grocery wagon,
be off to yer work, anyhow.”
“Get ought yersell,” was the reply;
“1 reckon I've got a heap more business
here than vou have.”
“Well, | guess not. I'm a-drivio' a
grocery wagon, I am, and I'm a-waitin’
ter get one of the players’ order for din
ner.”
“Grocery wagon! Well, pardner, for
a football game you ain't in it. This
wagon that I'm a.drivin’ is a ambul-
ance.”
AX ADORNMENT,
Hoppers (io the ball.-room)—What in
Nae is that paper Mrs. Richey's got
pinned on her dress?
Mopps—Well, you see Mrs. Richey's
dare wear them in society, and so she
It's an affidavit that
PROSPECTIVE WEALTH.
‘‘ Say, Johnuy,"” said an urchin, “I've
got a scheme.”
“ What is it?" said another.
“Sec dat feller puttin’ in coal over
there?”
“ Yes, "
‘(Go over an’ call him names, Maybe
he'll t'row a piece at yor." [Washington
Star, »
TOO KICR TO LAST.
Peddler 1a the lady of the house
in
Mr, Newlywed Yes: but there isn'ta
thing in the wide world we want.
Peddler-All right, sir, I'll eall agsin
when the honeymoon is over. Truth,
A XRUESSARY TRAINING,
“What is the matter with Dickie Van
Wibbles?"
pothing that I know of.”
“I maw in the gymnasium Jue
now going through the most
facial contortions. But when I spoke to
him he appeared to recover instantly,”
“Oh, that's all right. Dickie was tak-
ing his exercise.”
“1 don't quite understand you.”
“He is developing his facial nitecies
80 as to get a good grip on his monocle.”
— {Washington Star.
XENOPHON BIZED Up.
Professor—To what did Xenophon owe
his reputation?
Student—Principally to the fact that
his name commenced with an X and came
in #0 handy for the headlines in alpha.
betical copy books, —Puck.
A FATAL ERROR,
Borrowes— Nelly, hand me my um-
brells, will you? It has commenced to
rain,
Mrs. B--I lent your umbrelia to Mr.
Sweetfern last night.
Borrowes ~ What did you do that
for! Didn't you know it was his?-
{Puck,
IT REMIXDED HER.
The young man was prematurely gray,
and was not a little proud of it.
“ Looks quite poetic, don’t you
think ?’ he could not forbear asking of
the young woman he was calling on,
‘It does remind me of a eertain poem,
I must admit,” said she,
*‘And what poem is that?”
“* “When the frost is on the pump-
kin," "
Journal,
CLEVER AT MATHEMATICS,
Mamma —Robbie, how many time
have I told you that you cannot have
| two pieces of
| Robbie~—I «
| tell me how often we've had pie,
cago loter-Ocean,
pie!
on't know, unless you can
-{Chi-
WOMAN COULD BAY 80.
if
ONLY A
Miss Muggy—I wonder George
knows 1 have money
Friend —Has he proposed?
“He has."
f He knows.”
“gp —-—
New York Weekly.
DAYS OF CHIVALRY GONE,
Wife (drearily)—Ah, me! The days of
| chivalry are past
Husband— What's the matter now?
“Sir Walter Raleigh laid his cloak
on the ground for Queen Eliza-
{ beth to walk over, but you get mad
| simply because poor dear mother sat
| down on your hat,” —[ New York Weekly.
ASXIOUS TO KNOW,
{ “J gave Robbins a cigar out of this
| box a few days ago.”
{ *“*Has he got even with y
| [Truth
i
ou yet Pe
LOGICAL IXNVERENCE.
“1 wonder how Europeans come to
persist in that idea that bands of sav-
ages frequent New York,” asked theath
letie young man,
* Possibly,” replied his sister, “be.
cause some of the visitors to this country
have heard a fo team giving the
> Washington Star,
thal
college yell
URE.
First Female
| engaged in
Ned ond Female i
F. F What have Yo
& VF. -Nothing bat is
¥
business are you
am a book agent,
1D do?
¥ ~How delightful!
Court
¥
A PROVOKING GIRI
onestly, now, what's the
n't like Miss Fiyrtet
Cholly— Well, dear boy, the real truth
is 1 don't like her because she keeps
laughing at me all the time unless 1 try
to make a joke, and when I do she neve:
even smiles. —{ Somerville Journal,
Juck res
On YOU
H
de
OF THE CANALS,
A tow path mule while practising
| His merry little pranks,
Exclaimed: *‘I'm getting ready for
A run upon the banks.”
~! Washington Star.
Gold at the Center of the Earth,
Did you ever stop to consider the fact
that in all probability the center of the
earth is a globe of gold, iridium and
platinum?
{ in a liquid state, the iridium at the exact
| conter (that is, provided there is not
some heavier meta! at present unknown
| to man oceupying that piace), the plati.
num next and the globe of pold sur.
| rounding the other two. “‘But” you
say, “what proof have we that your
| proposition is a tenable hypothesis!” In
answer | would say two proofs at least,
| and perhaps more: First, the three metals
| mentioned are the heaviest known sub.
| stances, compared bulk for bulk;
this being the case
| be naturally attracted the
{center of our planet. “In
| the beginning,” as Moses would say, the
{earth was liquid, if not gaseous. In
to
were held in solution. By gradual con.
densation the metals settled to the cen.
ter; iridium first (with the proviso above
mentioned), platinum next, gold last,
Ages ago, when the crust of the earth
was thin, very thin, all the gold now
known was vomited out in volcanic
eruptions. The last mentioned fact is
the second reason for believing that our
globe has a golden center core woven
around a nucleus of iridium and platinum,
A third reason for believing that there is
gold at the center is this: The earth, as
a whole, weighs five times as much as a
globe of water the same bulk, while the
rocks forming the same outer crust are
less than three times as heavy as water,
~—{8t. Louis Republic.
ais a
Device of a Story Writer.
Ponson du Terrial, a French story
writer for newspapers, invented a singu-
lar device in order to prevent confusion
in his numerous plots. His ‘tice was
to dress up small wooden dolls to re
seul the several Shtactits iu bis ® hy
to place each set of figures
position on its own stage. Whenever a
new i t of the romance was called
for, he would thus see at a glance how
and where he had left the children of
his brain when he last wrote of them.
But even this | ious scheme was not
without its disadvantages, for it is re.
lated that he once killed off one of his
Retots, Without Nmaving from the board
She. that “i the charmoter,
N poi. young aan rea
in De story, such to the ey
tof the who bad so re-
Suntly mourned his loss, {New York
ews, ;
A PIE FACTORY.
FOOT A COMMON BAKERY BUT A
BIG PIE MILL,
Dv.as That Will Hold Four Hundred
Piles at a Time—~Ten Tons of Mince
Meat in One Day.
There is a genuine pie Tastory down in
Sullivan street. It stands amid the old
tumbledown houses, sending out de-
liious odors to tickle the palate of the
Sullivan street small boy. At three in
| the morning the work begins and at
! three p. m. the work is over and half the
ples made that day are eaten,
Upstairs In a long, low eeiled room
| sat & man, half hidden behind piles and
| Pls of golden pumpkins, They were
| hemped in every direction, sll fat and
| fair and yellow, ready to be cut into
pumpkin pies. What visions of ghostly
*uritan dinners, with every man armed
to the teeth, prim, quiet children with
| buckled shoes and serious faces, maids
| wity white fichus and Quaker bonnets,
and a guard at the door on the look
{ out for Indians, those pumpkins could
conjure! In France the pumpkin is
oy into vulgar soup, In Germany it is
preserved and in Italy it is eaten raw as
| a medicine, but only in this great and
glorious land of liberty, nervous pros-
tration, dyspepsia and indigestion is the
golden fruit made into pies!
At this season of the year there is a
| perfect epidemic putspiin pie appetite,
| and that slave of the pumpkin sits on
{ the top floor in the Sullivan street pie
| factory and does nothing but cut pump-
kins all day long to supply the demand.
In snother room the manufacture of
mince meat is carried on by machinery,
while in another room the mest is pre.
pared. Apples, pears, peaches, etc., are
peeled by a little machive. After being
cored by hand, an apple or pear is placed
on a little upright spike attached to
which is a revolving steel wire supplied
with a small square scraper. The ma-
chine is set in motion by band, and the
scraper whirls around and around the
spple, at each revolution shaving off
neatly a piece of the skin. Then the
fruit is cut into small pieces and is sent
| to be mixed with spice. It takes an ex-
pert to know just how much to mix in
she fruit.
Downstairs the pies are made, and the
way these men ‘‘conquer the upper
crust” would make a young housewife
give up housekeeping to morrow. There
18 no use in trying if you can’t make pies
like your husband's mother did. Now,
you never can; it cannot be acquired by
industry, energy or persistence. The
secret of making upper crust is a gift
from the gods one who can do
it is a genius
It is worked and watched and flattened
and bandled as gently as a baby; if the
butter works through, you know the fate
mt crust, snd tries to work
through the professional pie baker's
crust just as hard as any one else's. But
itd Voila tout!
The men all stand st a long table, and
the dough, already mixed with lard, is
brought to them in large buckets, hold
ing about thirty pounds. A lump is
then put on the table, rolled out, cut in
small squares and laid on tin plates.
These plates are then handed to a man
who stands ready, knife in bhsod, to
shave off the ends of the dough which
hangs over the outside of the plates.
The plates are then placed in a wooden
tray and taken to the fruit counter to re
ceive their “‘insides.” The men at the
fruit counter hold a large wooden spoon
in their hands and as the tray comes
along before them they supply each pan
{ liberally with fruit or sauce, as the case
may be. The plates are then replaced
on the tray and carried to another table,
where they receive the fine, flaky crust
par excellence, the upper one. It almost
seems a shame to desecrate these upper
| crusts of pie society by grotesque A's
for apple, B's for berry, F's for pump-
{ kin, etc. Then they are sent to be
| baked.
There are half a score of ovens in the
factory, each of which will hold 400
| four-cent pies or 126 fourteen -cent pies.
| It requires two men to run an oven.
| One man stands st the door of the oven
| and directs his partner where to place
| his pastry treasures. The man who
| places the pies in the oven is assisted in
{ doing so by a large shovel—a flat affair,
| fifteen or twenty feet long. The pics
| are put on the shovel in couples, and
| are thus put in sociably to bake. In
| just tweniy minutes they are finished,
hot, juicy and brown, and packed in the
cases to be put in the wagons. The
sending out of pies begins at 4:30 a. m.,
and all the wagons are back by noon, as
no one buyd pies after that,
There are twelve wagons, twelve sleek,
fat, gayly comparisoned horses and
twelve charioteers all for driving pies so
that they may arrive at their various
destinations in style, as befits good pies.
Every year the ‘Social Twelve,” as the
drivers call themselves, give a ball, and
then one has a chance to judge whether
the making of pies has anything to do
with worshiping terpsichore. The presi
dent of the factory, Mr. William Themp-
son, says there must be an affinity
between the two,
The popular taste for pies is fickle but
constant, and to be depended upon in its
very fickleness. There is one steady
standby. That is apple pie the year
through. In September, October and
November, the ripened fulness of the
the year, the public teste longs for
pumpkin, and there is also a pretty good
rua on peach. In December, January
and February mince pie comes to the
front. Just ubout the holidays it is
more in demand even than apple. For
instance, on the any before Christmas last
year ten tons of mince meat was used for
pies. In March, April and May pecpis
hich comes
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