OPPORTUNITY.
And must I wait until some mysterious
power
Upon me hath bestowed the gift to
think,
To speak, to act, that in some special
hour
Some thirsting soul from my life's
springs shall drink?
Nay! opportunity is ever near-—
At home, out in the world's great
busy marts,
A look, a word, a deed, some life may
cheer,
Give strength anew to some de-
spondent hearts.
Then may I by my thought, or word or
deed.
Unto the world a blessing thereby
prove.
And give some other soul of these in
need,
And thus some weary burden help
remove.
~Charles McCubbin in Boston Trans-
KIT CARSON'S
HARD FIGHT.
CARA A tA. 4
nEEEaErEREERRERRRRRRERERRERER
BY J. N. SIMPSON.
“Kit Carson was a pretty good In.
dian fighter, and there are people who
think he never was licked by them:
but I was in the hard fight at Adobe
Walls in the fall of 1864, when he had
to retreat.
“l belonged to Company K, First
California Volunteers, and
New Mexico, that season. The
killing the people with them, besides
doing much other mischief.
Mexico volunteers, and had been de-
talled to go out and punish
marauders. Three
California regiment were detailed with
the two conpanies of Carson's regi-
ment, the Californians being under the
commond of Major McCleave. They
were companies B, M, and K.
“One night while in camp one
the scouts came in and reported an
Indian village of about one uundred
and fifty wigwams some eight
nine miles distant, near Adobe Walls
one of the landmarks of that region.
At one time is was a trading post, but
had been abandoned and nothing but
the roofless walls remained standing.
We had orders to move that night
but I guess if Carson had any concep-
tion of the number of Indians he was
to encounter we v Id not have been
ordered out. We had only five com-
panies of mounted troops and a small
battery of twelve-pound howitzers. and
we ran into a swarm of Indians that
was astonishing, for as we learned
afterward, all the Indians in that part
of the country were there They
drove us back to the fort, though we
lost only two men, and had only about
a dozen wounded. We slaughtered a
lot of them, but there were so many
that the number we killed did not
seem to be missed.
“We started out that
after dark. It was November
of
night soon
24. AL
“Well, as it happened, we got there
in just the nick of time. The man
were surrounded, or nearly so, and
were fighting hard to escape. The In-
dians saw us coming and dropped back
and that gave the company a chance
to get out of the trap.
“leaving one company to guard
camp, Carson gathered his forces and
made a charge, and it was a tremen-
dous rush, too, We killed quite a num-
ber of the Indians, but came very
near getting being surrounded. Until
3 o'clock in the afternoon there was
a continuous skirmish. Sometimes the
Indians would come at us in a bunch
and get within close range, but our
shots were so telling that they did
not remain together. None of their
plans worked, for we just hung to-
gether and finally, at 3 o'clock, a con-
sultation was held by Carson and Mc-
Cleave and it was concluded to retreat.
The Indians were overwhelmingly su-
perior in numbers, but being poor
shots were afraid to get within range
of our rifles. They were armed with
rifles, mostly, but were poor shots, as
they were unaccustomed to firearms,
and learned a lesson so severe when-
ever they came near to us that they
were afraid to get very close. That was |
probably what saved us from being
butchered.
“When we withdrew, we found two |
of our number missing. They must |
have been killed in the first charge
on the village, for when the Indians
made one of their charges we saw tw
of their number uniformed in the!
clothes of the missing men. After |
taking a view of the situation, while |
stopping for a breathing spell at a safe |
distance, Carson concluded to go over |
the smaller village, and burn the |
tepees. None of the Indians were |
there, all being down at the other vil!
lage. There were about 150 of the |
lodges, we found, and one of them
was filled with ammunition, which we
blew up. In one of them we found a
fine carriage and a new set of double
harness. Every tepeo and all of the
stuff found about them were fired.
When the Indians saw the smoke of
their burning wigwams curling sky-
ward they grew frantic and the entire |
mob came at us with a vengeance.
Carson ordered the howitzers in posi-
tion and the situation looked more
serious than at any previous time. The
valley was black with the howling
halted on a flat waiting for daylight.
The scouts went out to reconnoitre and
ing toward us with irresistible force.
The companies wera massed about the
battery when one of our bullets must
have struck a chief. All at once the
crowd swayed over to and
gathered in a spot covering about five
or ten acres of ground. The
1 mass
poured
I'hen they retreated
one side
howitzers
shells into the scattering
them.
“As It
was
a council
consider whether
was nearing night
held to
them again or not.
that we had them on
the run and wanted to follow them up
Carson, d it
again
attack
Some of us felt
we should
however,
to retreat
The
they
decide was best
near nightfall
were tired and hungry, as
had been in the saddle fighting
all day without a bite to ent
ed to retreat to the wagon train
it grew dark, and we could not
locate our camp. Finally, after trav-
elling for a while, it was concluded to
camp on the prairie for the night. A
hollow square was formed and we had
dismounted, when some one saw a
small light at a distance, thought to
be our camp. The bugler sounded a
few shrill blasts and others were
a8 it was so
men
80 it was
a mile away. Camp was made, the
officers for the attack. Company M
was sent across the river to scout
down its bank, and Captain Fitz with
Company D was sent to the front to
size up the situation.
“When the company reached the top
of the ridge, they came to a halt, stood
there for a short time and of a sud-
den every man turned toward the
camp, retreating at full gallop.
looked serious then; and more
and shouting in a blood-curdling man-
ner right after the soldiers.
the Indian scouts had discovered the
presence of our force and when Capt.
dians were advancing. There was
great commotion for a time. Then
sompany D came to a halt, faced
about and charged on their pursuers.
The Indians were taken by surprise,
and wheeling about ran away. Fitz
followed them five miles before the
company came to a halt, driving them
to Adobe Walls, where there was an-
other village of 600 tepees. The place
was swarming with several thousand
Indians who began to charge upon the
company and had the men nearly sur.
rounded and cut off from retreat to
the camp.
“When Capt. Fitz was seen chasing
the Indians, Major McCleave rushed
after them alone and this made the
rest of us impatient to join in the
chase; but Carson gave orders for the
remaining companies to stay with him.
However, the members of Company K,
who were already mounted, managed
by a bit of strategy to get away short-
ly. Bvery man spurred his horse and
they got the animals so restless that
the company officers were crowded
away from the place, and finally an old
charger that had been in several en-
gagements, started off on a run toward
the sound of the firing. The rider, ap
parently, tried very herd to control
the horse, but was giving him the
spurs at every jump. The rest of us
followed his example, aud in less than
two minutes every man in the com
pany was following the other soldier
toward the scene of the skirmish, pay.
ing no attention to the shouts of Car
son to come back.
fire in answer to our call. Then we
moved on and reached the camp. The
not stopping until 10 o'clock, when we
Then
for the first time in over fifty hours |
some of us took a meal.
“Some of the officers and men want. |
ed to go back and have another fight |
with the Indians, but Carson said
there was no use, as there were too
many of them, so we returned to Fort
Union. Afterward we learned that all |
the Indians in that part of the coun
There were Comanches,
Kiowas and Cheyennes.
Arapahoes, |
It was one |
took place on the plains. I think one!
thing that made the Indians fear us|
was that Kit Carson was discovered |
to be in command and they were |
He became the target |
for many of their rifles at the outset. |
He had two horses shot under him and
half a dizen bullets struck his gun |
and saddle. At the suggestion of Mc-
Cleave he took off his hat, a conspicu.
oug, light-colored, broad-brimmed one,
and exchanged it for the hat of one
of the scouts. The scout had his rifle
broken by an Indian bullet after that,
which showed conclusively to us timt |
they were after our commander more |
than anybody else.
“The Indians had been incited by
renegades living among them. 1 re-
member during one of their charges,
during a lull in the firing, one of thelr
number, shouted in good English:
‘You will get something besides New
Orleans molasses on this trip. How.
ever, old Kit had another chance at
the Indians later on and had consid.
erable satisfaction. I think we could
have cleaned out any one of the tribes
alone, but several thousand warriors
were too much for our small band.” —
New York Bun.
emis
Feminine Idea of Honesty.
A woman's idea of an honest butcher
is one who weighs the meat before cut
ting out all the bones and then weighs
it again, no matter which weight he
charges for.~New York Press.
The key to the Dastile is now hang.
ing on the wall in the hall of the old
home of Washington, at Mount Ver
non, U. 8. A, It was given to Wash
ington by Lafayette.
THE PREDICTION OF FOG.
Progress Made in Germany in This
Branch of Meteorology.
In connection with the scientific in.
quiries as to the possibility of predict.
ing fogs, I may quote a letter from
the well-known Prof. Neumayer, head
of the Hamburg Naval Observatory,
written in reply to a question address.
ed to him by Herr Kirchoff, the editor
of a German technical paper. The
professor says:
“The nrediction of fog by the Meter:
ological Institute has hitherto been
possible only in a very indefinite form,
as ‘fog here and there,’ and ‘clear’
or ‘foggy.’ Not only does the nature
of a fog make the application of
measurements in general, and conse
quently the scientific treatment of a
fog very difficult, but its very local
character and slight and changing ver-
tical extensions also increase the diffi.
culty of prediction. Thus it often hap-
pens that, of two neighboring places,
one has a dense fog and the other a
clear sky. Most fogs arise over a
cold surface, either of land or water.
“The condition necessary for the
formation of a fog of some extent and
duration is that the temperature of the
atmosphere should increase very slow.
in an upward
direction; for upward and downward
motions of the air occur at a rapid
Heat is cre
pressure of the air, and
when this heat is not more than ab
sorbed by the cold ground-—as is oc
casionally the case, when the air
passes slowly over mountain slopes—
the descending currents are
heated, and are, therefore, free from
fog. Ascending currents, on the other
hand, are being cooled off; hence their
upward to a certain altitude, until they
are saturated, and clouds are formed
which are in a certain contrast to the
fog formation on the earth. The lat
stagnation in a vertical direction.
vance the science of meteorology, and,
consequently, that of weather predic
tion, it is absolutely necessary to
ars of the atmosphere
“The meteorological
creased the possibility of obtaining
this by the use of kites and kite bal
loons, as well as the free balloon. It
iS necessary to pursue the work ener.
getically in this new direction. for.
without knowing the connection be.
the phenomena, is no
hope of a westher prediction of any
value It
| Coane
:
Known
tween there
whatever
such tion can only
imperfectly from
the earth's surface
Standard
{i easy to under
stand that
be observa-
tion on -
alone.”
London
How Tramps Are Made.
It is a common practice among lower
grade when tramping
rk to take their
The better sort rarely do
well how child.
ren acquire a relish for nomadic life,
and how hard it is to eradicate the
taste when once firmly implanted. The
freedom, the unconventionality, the ad-
ventures and the surprises incidental
te tramping have special attractive.
ness for town children, and all the
workmen in
search of we families
with them
#0
kn ing seal Lolo
KNowing GUICKIY
ing.
clerical member of the
Guardians estimated that fully two
hundred and fifty juvenile wanderers
had received admission to the work.
the sound conclusion that they were
But the difficulty lies in suggesting
remedy. When severe
economic pressure compels any im.
provident toller to take to the road,
stricted to the clothes they wear, with
perhaps, a few shillings in pocket. All
the rest of their belongings having
if he did that, he would be
It is easy to
say that the man should not have
allowed his household to come to such
desperate straits; he ought to have
set forth in search of work before the
family resources were exhausted.
not go an inch toward furnishing a
remedy-London Globe,
The Pleasures of Childhood.
In a delightful story, in Frank Les
lie's Popular Monthly, Marion Hill
thus describes the start for a typical
pienle.
That final inspection Was always a
torturous affair, filled to the full with
cruelties and the unexpected.
Hugh was the first to suffer. One
of the Powers caught him, skimmed
off his hat, used her forefinger as a
comb to part his hair on his forehead,
then delicately returned the hat to a
spot which suited her fancy. He was
inured to this by custom. But now it
brought about a discovery which beg.
gared him.
“Why, what's this?” was her stern
demand.
Hugh expressed amazement.
“What's what'm?”
“You know, This?" tapping a tin
box.
“Worms,” murmured Hugh, sweetly
with as soft an inflection as if the
things were sleeping and he wished
not to awaken them.
“Well, of all the objects!
them away!”
“But mayn’t we’
“Throw them away, I told you!”
“Why how can wee"
A wave of the hand, more command.
fng han speech, settled the contro
versy, and Hugh in one flerce fling
ridded himself of his all, representing
houra of digging and sweat of his face
Throw
Ll NEWS OF STR
An Old Telegrapn Operator's Story of
the Charleston Earthquake.
How powerfully the Imagination
‘may be stimulated by a story told in
jicts and cashes is illustrated by an
i episode of the Charleston earthquake.
| At the mcment of the final shock, ev-
jery wire connecting Charleston with
‘the outside world was instantly “lost.”
And as no other tidings could be had
[from the doomed city, it was as if in
an instant it had been swept from
,the face of the earth. And for many
hours Charleston remained literally
'dead to the world.
The next morning, before the aver
ICKEN CITY.
wits, the telegraph people had started
"out gangs of linemen to get the wires
in working order. Operators in the
principal offices within a radius of sev-
eral hundred miles were set to calling
1“C. N.” For a long time there was no
response; but at last, on the wire
i which I had in charge, a slight answer-
; Ing signal was felt rather than heard—
{ faint and flickering, like the first sign
; of returning life. From that moment
i my watch was, if possible, more dili-
gent. For an hour or more 1 called,
| “adjusted,” and used every effort to
revive the feeble pulse. 1 could fancy
i myself working desperately to resusci-
| tate a half-drowned man. Again I felt
i the flickering signal, and then
more all signs of life faded away. Fin.
ally, as the wires were gradually clear:
{ed of debris, the current began to
| strengthen, and then came the an.
! swearing “i—i! C. N."—weak and un.
| steady, but still sufficiently plain to
be made out. To me it sounded like a
| voice from the tomb, and I shouted
aloud the tidings that Charleston was
| still In existence,
{or was surrounded by a throng of ex
i cited telegraphers. The Morse
broken and unsteady at first
{ the current grew stronger——the
tient was growing better—and for a
i clicking, until at last the
| known. And at the end of the recital
i
|
{
|
|
The fact that the fog was so dense
that the ducks could not fly probably
had something to do with it. It is not
exactly known why ducks will not
not, and it is supposed that they are
afraid of eollision.
some wide plece of water and loaf
feed at night when the fog and the
Oregonian,
MILK MADE INTO A POWDER.
It Can Be Handled Dry and Kept In.
definitely, by German's Invention.
United States Consul Bergh, at Goth.
partment, calls attention to a discov:
ery made in Sweden by which milk
can be converted into a flour. He
says:
“Dr.
has made a discovery which will be of
importance in dairy farming.
claims to have invented an apparatus
by which milk can be brought into the
form of powder, like flour, but possess.
ing all the qualities of milk in concen.
trated form, moisture excepted.
{
i
i
i
|
The milk flour does not
get sour, does not ferment, and in the
dry state is not sensitive to changes
weather. It can be kept and
transported in tin cans, barrels, bags,
ete.
At a recent meeting of the Academy
of Agriculture, Dr. Ekenberg exhibited
samples of the milk flour which recely-
ed favorable comments. It is consid.
ered that the invention will be of the
humed.—L. C. Hall, in McClure's,
Coaling Stations Next
It is hinted at the Navy Department
that plans are being formulated for the
acquirement of coaling stations for the
use of our warships, which will defend
the isthmian canal that
treaty is signed and England has
mitted to our demand that
the canal according
has become incumbent
Department to make such
Now the
gtib
we defend
ishes it
Navy
to our
WW
upon the
88 Are NeCossary
a fleet in th
posed canal,
These stations will be
Almirante
lumbia } v, Ci
the Danish
pages Islan
to
canal can be defended
by the navy. Rear-Admir
chief of the bureau of
a member of naval
says the defense of the
the guns of the American fleet, and
in order that the fleet may operate
from near by bases it is necessary that
they be established without delay. -
Army and Navy Journal.
of
ny ii lagoon, Co
wita Rica;
vest Indies and
i. off the
Ecuador Admiral
Gallia
1 he
coast of ar
onging
says the
Dewey
only
«ford
equipment and
the war board,
cana! will be
A Secret Meaning.
i
i
i
i
i
ing of the last passage in
| Fair.” Here are Thackeray's words:
{ “Oh vanitas vanitatum,
{is happy In this world? Which of us
{ has his desire—or, having it, is satis.
[fled ?
skimmed milk, which heretofore
largely been wasted, but in the
dry form can be transported all over
the country without losing any of its
original good qualities. The product
mentioned is considered superior to
the casein products ‘proton’ and ‘pro
teids’ now manufactured from milk by
the aid of rennet, acid or lye.”
of
New Ring-Making Machine.
An ingenious labor-saving machine
will completely revolutionize
the finger ring manufacturing industry
of England, has been devised by C. P.
Denkin, a Birmingham jeweler. This
machine effects in one almost instan-
taneous n the work of several
t ring fresh from the
ing
tool of the
operatic
A sl
placed
men
mold is
kin
a few
Ene
in one Den.
invention, and within the
ds the
iahod and lanbed
ished and lapped
space of
inside is fixed, pol
The
signet is equally simple
ingenious
ined to a
BOOT
treatment of
means of an
i and tra
of special
+ of tim
ri .
pH ection,
design
for
» face
whereas
Railless Electric Line.
The magnificent old Co
from Nice
passing by La
by a nove! and
tem. No ralis will be laid
practically large
minus accumulators.
Laghet
served
enious traction svs
The
electric
The
to the Convent
Turbie, is to be
ing
mo
The very latest thing for a widower
| to do is to marry his motherin-law.
The old mother-in-law jokes mre be-
| coming rather out of date,
Indiana's star basebill twirler, who
drew a salary on the diamond field of
| about $3,000 a year, is now digging
| ditches in that State for $1.50 per
day.
{ Kink Chulalunkorn of Siam is pre.
| paring to attend the St. Louis exposi-
| tion. It is but fair to the king to say
| that his headquarters will not be on
| the Midway.
In a debate at the University of Chit
i cago football was recently talked
down; but that will not prevent the
sport being resumed next season. It
! is human to kick.
It is all very fine to talk about the
| romance of science. But what will
| the poor writers of tales of the sea
| do when time and space have been an-
nihiiated by the wireless telegraphy?
Somebody's conscience recently
| troubled him to the extent of $18,660,
which was turned into the National
| Treasury. The amount looks, how-
ever, as if it had been marked down
i a dollar by force of habit by the con-
science-stricken sender,
The great interoceanic highway ot
peace is now as firmly assured in the
New World as in the Old. The junc
ture of the Atlantic and Pacific is se-
cured at the Isthmus of Nicaragua,
as of the Mediterranean and the Red
at the Isthmus of Suez, by a commer-
cial great power in trust for civiliza-
tion.
Mrs. James 1. Blair's plan of pro-
viding a remedy for the “ragtime” evil
by encouraging the general public to
gain knowledge of music which will
of itself prevail against “coon songs”
by substituting an appreciation of
better things is commendable and de-
serves popular support the St.
Louis Republic
slate
to be centenarians
than in cold ones.
Empire b
has 778
More people live
in warm countric
The German
inhabitants,
France, with
land has 3
Norway 22, Belgh
Spain 401 and 8S
via, with a population
has
in
with 055.000.0900
centenarians,
Eng-
46,
0,000, has 213
146 and Scotland
Ooniy
o
Ser-
Tr
itn
Denmark
witzeriand none
o.oo O00
It
to
of
575 people
to the
for
gver 100 Vear old
Hu Year
Tropical Isla
up ndred club
sail the nds,
A movement is on foot to have the
annual salary of members of
increased from $5,000 to $10,000
engaged in its claim that the
salary is entirely insufficient, «
ing the
and the heavy political expenses each
candidate for has to under
go. This plea: but
it is to be noted that, in ite of the
hardships complained is
never any difficulty keeping the
congressional quota ull. —8yracuse
| Herald.
CONETess
Those
present
onsider-
cost of ing in Washington
CONEress
is a very touching
ap
4
of. here
in
overhead wires
Centrai electrical works will pro
the current, which will pass
through two parallel aerial wires sup
by posts. One wire will be
‘is played out.”
Poor Thackeray's wife lost
mind, and was confined in an asylum,
ting dolls. while the great ethical
{in London, the man upon whose words
{ and prettiest dolls he could bu
ed in boxes, and given into her own
| hands, that he might see her dulled
eyes brighten, and hear her laugh out
| suddenly, so pitifully, like her
old self; at sight of the staring wax
puppets that were her life, when he
was forgotten.
The Yacht America.
The schooner yacht america, winner
of the America’s cup, is owned by Mr.
Butier Ames, grandson of General B.
F. Butler. The America was built by
George Steers in 1851, sailed at once
for Europe, reaching Havre: from
there went to British waters, and Aug.
22, 1851, sailed for a special cup
around the Isle of Wright. She won
the cup, it may be remembered. Af.
terward she was sold to an English
man who rigged her as a single
sticker. When the rebellion began he
sold her to a syndicate who owned
blockade runners, who rerigged her,
gave her a heavy gun and named her
the Memphis. To escape capture by
one of our warships she was sunk in
8t. John's river, Florida. There she
lay for a time, until the government
raised her, rigged her again as a
schooner, renamed her America and
used her as a training ship for cadets
at Annapolis, General Butler bought
her Iater; at his death she became
the property of his son, Paul Butler,
Ducks in a Fog.
Sunday was a regular sportsman’s
day for shootlag ducks, and the game
hogs stood no show. A large number
of hunters went out, and they all
proved to be genuine sportsmen, and
shot only about three ducks apiece.
the descending vehicle Great
economy of energy is obtained, besides
of the accumu
ance of the weight
will make way or pass around any car
riage they encounter, the connecting
such deviations. -~London Mail.
More Music Than Brains.
“Don’t you know why it is that mu
gicians wear long hair?” asked a sci
formation of their skulls.
-that is, all the great ones have
the skulls of lizards, and they are liz
of the arts.
there is only one musical tribe, that
of the birds, and they, you know, are
a debased branch of the lizard family
a branch that put on wings and
feathers at the world's beginning
Watch some time, a fine musician
playing, say, the pipe organ. He sits
erect, motionless, his face turned up
ward; he is entranced with the mellow
thunder that rolls forth from his finge:
tips. For all the world he is like a
great lizard. If his long hair were cut
this similarity would be perceptible
to every one.”— Philadelphia Record.
——
The Land of Reports.
India is.the land of reports. There
is a monthly, quarterly, half yearly, an
nual plague of them. There is no
country, probably in which so many
useless reports are written and so few
read. In one province the chief busi
ness of the local government consists
in dunning its officers for statistics ane
reports, and in compiling from them
volumes for the delusion of the su
preme government. More than one
half of the time and energy of every
civil officer is taken up in writing
Fortnightly Review,
The Worth of Experience.
Experience would always be worth
what we pay for it, If we didn't go and
run up the same sort of bill again. —
New York Press. a
i The drink habits of Canadians are
{| gradually changing, resulting in an
| increased consumption of beer and a
| decreased drinking of wine and
, liquors. During the past fiscal year
| Canadians consumed 4.737 gallons of
| beer per head, as against 2,290 gallons
in 1869. A comparison of these re
turns goes to show tha the Canadians
| are sober people. “If the teetotalers
were counted.” the Toronto Mail and
Empire says, “it would probably be
| found that in proportion to popula
| tion they are more numerous in Can-
ada than anywhere else in the civil
ized world.”
The economical value of large
| schooners in the coasting trade is
{ figured out by a Boston general ma-
i rine agent as follows. The first
schooner on the list cost $72.960, had
a gross tonnage of 1904, and carrying
| capacity of 3000 tons. She made
| twelve voyages in 512 days, and as a
result paid dividends amounting to
38.8 per cent. of her cost. The aver
age of a fleet of two four-masters and
| two five-masters was a yearly profit
| of 27.56 per cent. on the investment:
with average net earnings of 42.9 per
cent. of the gross receipts and 189
per cent. of the total cost of the ves-
gels paid in one year.
Sinful Postage Waste.
The lawyers were discussing the
merits and demerits of a well-known
member of the New Orleans bar who
had been gathered to his fathers, and
one of the party recalled the time
when he studied in the old man's
office.
We had a copying clerk whose ineffi-
clency continually worked the judge
up to a point of explosion. One day
a wire basket fell off the top of his
desk and scratched his cheek. Not
having any court plaster, he slapped
on three postage stamps and went
on with his work.
A little later he had some papers
to take to the United States court and,
forgetting about the stamps, he put
on his hat and went out.
As he entered the office the judge
raised his head and fixed him with
an astonished stare. The clerk stop:
ped and looked frightened and finally
asked: go
“Anything --er—wrong, sir?”
“Yes, sir!” thundered the old gen.
postage