That Monument to Adam.
A letter from Elmira, N. Y., to the
New York .Star soya: Klmira's scheme
for a monument to Adam is booming,
and facetious editors, who imagine the
project only exists in the minds of the
newspapermen, who have poked fun at
it from its tirst inception, will yet live to
see an appropriate shaft erected to the
memory of the late lamented proprietor
of Eden plantation. The idea originated
with Rev. Thomas K. Beecher and Mark
Twain. At first it was proposed to
erect a monument at a cost of about
$5,000; but since so much interest has
been manifested by the moneyed men ot
•this city, the original subscription book
has been destroyed and a now one
opened. A secret meeting of.those in
terested in the affair was held recently
a t the banking-house of Mr. Frank G.
liail, oneof the prime movers and hard
est workers in the matter. A reporter
of the Star called upon him this morn
ing. Mr. Hall smilingly invited the re
porter into his private apartments, and
said there was not much to make public
at present. A meeting had been held at
which a committee of three consisting
of Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, M. IL
Arnot and Henry K. Drake, were ap
pointed to correspond witii the eminent
sculptors of this country for appropri
ate designs for the proposed monument.
The meeting then adjourned subject to
the call ot the committee.
" You really mean business, then, in
this undertaking?" said the reporter.
" It is generally thought to bo a big
hoax by people outside the city."
"Certainly we do; we propose to raise
a purseof not less than 920.000 to be de
voted to the purpose."
" What is your idea as to the design
of the monument?"
"Well, as to that I have notiiing to
say. The committee were instructed to
secure a design as near the style of the
original man as an nrtist can possibly
create. It is to be of bronze and erected
somewhere in the city limits on a site to
he selected hereafter. In all probability
next June will see our ideas consum
mated and the monument erected. Mark
Twain is to deliver the dedication ora
tion, and prominent men from ail parts
of the country are to be invited to be
present. We have embarked in the
enterprise solely upon patriotic princi
ples and a desire to perpetuate the mem
oryof a much-abused man. At the next
meeting some definite steps will proba
bly be taken which I shall be pleased to
communicate if you will call again."
The reporter next paid a visit to M. 11.
Arnot, chairman of the committee ap
pointed to correspond with the sculp
tors. Mr. Arnot said they had already
invited several prominent sculptors,
both in this country and Europe, to con
tribute designs, hut declined to give
their names at present. They are to
furnish designs lor the proposed monu
ment. and it is expected the committee
wil. make a selection from someof those
received. He thought the thing wns
an assured success, and said that it
could not fail for want of funds, for there
wi-re capitalists at the Ixdtoni of the
scheme who would contribute liberally.
Rev. Mr. Beecher is an enthusistic
mover in the master, and in reply to
queries upon the subject said he saw
no reasor why Adam shouldn't he hon
ored equally with General Sullivan and
the rest of the American heroes.
. A State Executioner.
fn the KI fine Journal, a daily news
paper recently started in Berlin by the
Prussian railway king. I>r. Stroustwrg
is published some ciiesihi* details of an
interview recently granted to the writer
by Krauts, the State executioner, who
beheaded Hocdel last summer. While
" Monsieur de Berlin " was chatting
pleasantly with his visitor alioiit the
would-be regicide—Wrauts' first per
formance as a headsman--* knock was
heard at the Kor, and a footman in
splendid livery entered the room with
the request that the Schnrfrirhter would
be pleased to speak with him for a mo
ment in the passage. Krauts went out
with the lackey, and, after a brief in
ten hange of sentences in an undertone,
was heard to say aioud: " Teil her ex
cellency the lady countess that I am very
sorry, but f cannot, dare not, do it!
Interrogated, upon his return, by the
visitor, with respect to the mission of
the mysterious man-servant, he replied
with a smile: "Oh, it was only • re
quest from one of my 'sympathizers,'
roeh as reach me severnl times a week.
You may often see the handsomest
equipages in Berlin standing at the cor
ner of the Mulnck strasse. They bring
me lady visitors—young and old. nretty
and ugly. Yes, yes; many ladies of our
hivhest aristocracy have called upon me,
and have insisted upon seeing my wife,
when I was not at home." And what
did these ladies want?" "The merest
rubbish. I lair-cut tines of criminals,
tor instance—a blood-stained poekct
handkerrhief—a morsel of bread from
the headsman's breakfast-table, or one
of my gloves." Krauts himself is a fine
young fellow, decorated with the iron
cross for valor in the field. Like most
subordinate functionaries in Prussia, he
was a non-commissioned officer in the
army, and received his present appoint
ment upon discharge, as a reward for
faithful and gallant services. He is
married and the proud father ot a fine
ittle boy the heir apparent to this im
portant office. With a touch of quaint
piety, he introduced this lad to his visi
tor's notice as "his successor, please
bod!" and observed that, though he had
passed an uneasy night before the morn
ing fixed for Hoedel's execution, when
he looked into his "client's" impudent,
sneering fa** he thanked God for making
his btucnesajso easy for him."— Jxmilon
'digraph.
Cold Versus Warm Water,
An authority in the London leaned
emphatically points out the danger of
the morning tub used in cold weather
without discretion. lie cautions the
old, and weakly of any age, from the
danger of too sudden or too prolonged
••old bathing; he exposes the absurdity
of the blind fnith in reaction; he ex
plains how persons are deluded by pro
ducing a factitious redness by hard rub
bing with a coarse towel, for the circu
lation thus excited is only temporary,
and the effect of cold on the nerve-een--
b|rs is masked, not changed, by the de
vice; and, finally, he declares that It is
better by far to use warm water to wash
with, and to sprinkle the cold lightly, in
such ouantity as may be most ngreeatole,
jf cold effusion does not at once cause
florid redness and a defined and proper
"low. As to cleanliness, the writer
soys. It must he patent to everybody
who observes how dirt* the hands be
fome in cold weather that the cold bath
a mistake. The Ismcei point* out
that "a good wash in slightly warm
water, with plenty of soap. Is far better,
•'md has the special advantage < f being
safe."
Gold Fish.
Some time during the seventeenth
century, about two hundred years ago.
iortuguese sailors saw swimming in
the lakes nnd rivers of China and
Japan a very beautiftil variety of fish,
which glistened like gold. They cap
tured some specimens and brought thum
to Portugal. The little fish found the
lakes of Europe as pleasant to live in as
the lakes of China, and they at once
domesticated themselves, and raised
their little families, until the European
streams became well stocked with these
beautiful creatures. They arc also
found in many brooks and streams in
the United States. m
The glistening gold-color of these
fishes made them much sought for as
household ornaments, and the demand
for them became so general that estab
lishments were opened tor raising them
for the market. One of the largest and
most celebrated ot these places for gold
fish breeding is in Oldenburg. Germany
where more than a hundred small
ponds contain the fish in all the stages
of growth, from the tiniest baby to the
big stout fellow eight and even ten
inches long. The little ones nre care
fully kept apart from larger ones, for
the gold-fish is a wicked cannibal, and
devours its little brothers and sisters,
and even its own children, whenever it
has an opportunity. At the same time
it is a great coward, and will hide away
from fish much smaller than itself that
have the spirit to attack it. A gentle,
man who possessed an aquarium in
which were several large gold fish, once
placed a tiny " pumpkin-seed," or sun
lish, about the size of a silver half-dol
lar, in the water. Watching anxiously
to see that the gold-fish did not injure
it, what was his astonishment to see
the "pumpkin-seed" dart furiouslv at
the larger fish, which huddled them
selves fn a corner, or scurried hastily
through the water to hide among the
stone* and mimic grottoes of the
aquarium! From that moment the
" pumpkin-seed" remained lord of the
field, scarcely allowing his companions
to come to the surface, as they are fond
of doing, or to take a mouthful of food
until he h:rd satisfied his own hunger.
Finally he had to be removed from the
aquarium to save the gold-fish from
dying of fright.
The enormous demand for gold-fish is
shown by the fact that from the estab
lishment at Oldenburg alone over three
hundred thousan i fish are sent to mar
ket Avery yenr. Their price varies ac
cording to their size and beauty, for
there are grades of beauty in gold-fish
as well as in all other things. They are
very pretty household ornaments, and
by earing for them and carefully watch
ing their habits, boys and girls may
learn their first lesson in natural his
tory. If kept in a glass glob*', nothing
can be more interesting than to watch
them, for. as Mr. White savs, in Sel
bornc, "The double refraction of the
glass and water represents them, when
moving, in a shifting and changeable
variety of dimensions, shades and col
ors, while the two mediums, assisted by
the concavo-convex of the shape of the
vessel.magnify and distort thein vastly.'
Still, the fish may he healthier if kept
in an aquarium, as it allows more sur
face to the water, and consequently
more air and ventilation. In any easet
fresh water should be given the fish ae
least every other day. and if the globe
or aqu'u'ium be ornamented with rocks
and water grosses, the fish should be
carefully dipped out once a wwk, and
the rocks thoroughly cleansed from all
impurities.
Although the fish draw nourishment
from animalcules supplied by water, and
will livea long time witiioutother food,
it is advisable to feed them by throwing
bread crumbs, or flies and other small
insects, on the surface of the water.
The eagerness with which they dart for
them proves them to be welcome. Care
should be taken not to scatter more
bread crumbs than will be immediately
eaten, for bread sours very quickly, and
renders tiro water impure. In changing
the water the fish should never Ire sub
jected to any sudden variation of tem
perature, as the shock produced by a
violent change from water of medium
temperature, which is always best, to
ice-cold might ruin the whole stock of
an aquarium in an instant.
The ingenious Chinese make great
pets of their gold-fish, and with patience
teach them many tricks, such as eating
from their banns, or rushing to be fro
at the tinkle of a hell.
The gold-fish belongs to the genius
C'yprinus . or the great carp family, and
is sometime* called the golden carp.—
Harper's Young People.
Drowning as a Substitute Ijfr tbe Halter
" My opinion of hanging, do you say?"
said Dr. V. A. Thomas, of East Eiyhty
fiflh street. I have a very poor opinion
of it. It is a relic of barbarism which
ought to have been abandoned by our
grandfathers."
" What would you substitute for it'"
asked the reporter.
" I hope you won't he astonished
when I tell you. I believe drowning
would be the best way to end the lives
of our great criminals. Don't laugh!
Have you ever seen a person who was
nearly drowned ?"
!' No."
" Well, perhaps you have read of such
cases?"
"No."
" Well, then, let me tell you that in
every such case that I have heard of the
rescued person invariably reported the
first sensations ol drowning as rather
pleasant thrn otherwise. Up to the dis
appearance of confciotisncas, indeed,
the person experienced only agreeable
sensations. Therefore it appears to he
the least unpleasant method. Managed
with the most ordinary care It would
never fall, like hanging, shooting or
poisoning That would be a great
poin gained, certainly, for nothing
snocks the public more than bungling
executions." . ..
•' I)o you think the public would ae
eept surli a radical change?" asked the
reporti r. . . .
" That is a question that you are bet
ter abie to answer than I am. Of course.
If the public is sntisfied, it Is useless to
discuss the matter at all. If public
opinion won't consent to substitute an
other method of executing criminals
then I would suggest that an expert at
hanging should be appointed In each
Stale. The work should not be intrusted
to Inexperienced men like sheriff*, who
are apt to beunrorved even when they
know enongh to make suitable prepara
tions. The business of putting to death
should he In the hand* of men regularly
trained for that business."— Interview
in Hew York Herald.
In twenty-three months, King Alfonso
of Spain, lias lieen married, widowed,
engaged, widowed in Ids engagement,
engaged again, and married.
Why Don't They Like Farmers I
Under the above head the New York
/inn has an cditoral article, which
reads: An lowa correspondent, who is
a farmer, finds that simply because he
works in the soil he does not have the
success with some of the young women
town to which ho thinks lie is en
titled. lie thus puts liis ease and asks
us how lie can overcome their prejudice
against his occupation:
"Slit—l am a young man twenty-one
years old, and an enjoying fair business
prospects. I am of a respectable family,
run of strictly temperate and industrious
habits, lay claim to a good moral char
acter, and possess u fair education, hav
ing employed my winter months for
some years in teaching in the country
schools. My chosen occupation is that
of a farmer. Have always moved in the
society of the town near which I live.
Now, in that society are some young
ladies whom I highly respect for their
intelligence, social qualities, and many
other womanly virtues, and to whom I
would acknowledge my inferiority. And
there are others whose equals I feel that
I am, hut who on many occasions have
indicated that they wish to have noth
ing to do with me because of my occu
pation. Now is there any way by which
they may be taught to overcome thepre
ludictfexisting toward farmers; or are
such Indies worthy the respect and es
teem of one in my circumstances?
FAKMKK."
It is undoubtedly true that many
young ladies in the towns and villages
look witli aversion on tlie idea of marry
ing farmers. Thpy will prefer the so
ciety of sleek young fellows who stand
behind the counters of country stores, of
doctors and lawyers who are just begin
ning in their professions, of young
preachers, to that of farmers who are
better settled in the world and who can
offer them a good home. Perhaps the
work of the farmers gives them a
rougher exterior than the others have,
and yet they may be their superiors in
those qualities which should most com
mand the respect of women.
Why do these young women, then,
look with less favor on men who till
the soil than on those who work in other
ways? Why do they prefer to marry
somebody else than a farmer? Some of
them may have vain and silly reasons—
niay like to see their lovers in good
clothes every day and to feel that their
iiands nre soft; but they generally are
better pleased with the idea of living in
a town than on a detached farm.
In times past the wives of our farmers
have hud a very hard life of it almost
universally. Many of them have been
about the worst drudges in the country,
up and busy before (faylight, and with
no time the day through and no strength
at night for nmusenient or refining and
diverting occupations. Their existence
lias been one of monotonous work, and
they nave grown old early under the j
weight of it. Moreover, their diet lias
been wretched—salted meat and hot
bread chiefly—and their health nnd
spirits have suffered so that they have
looked like jaded and miserable women,
to whom life presented few pleasures
The farmers are living better now than
formerly, and there have always been n
minority of them whose wives were not
such monotonous workers; hut many of
the women on farms are still faraway
froit the pleasures of life, wliile of its
hardships they have daily experience.
Perhaps it is their olisorvation of
these unhappy eases which makes the
town and village girls ot whom our cor
res|)ondent speaks less friendly to him
than he would wish; but no girl of
sense can entertain a low opinion of the
occupation of a farmer, for it is one of
the most honorable in which men en
gage. A thoroughly well tilled and ap
pointed farm is something of which any
body may be proud; and the girl who
marries the possessor of such a farm has
reason to share his pride.
My Roles for IJylng.
I am no doctor, quark or pill-vender,
yet I have had a pretty go<wi long life
and a happy one. May I not, there
fore, just give my simple rules lor
health in hope that some poor traveler
on the up or down bill or life may look
at them and perhaps be benefited by
them. I have practiced them for many
years nnd they have done me good;
perhaps they may do good to others.
They arc inexpensive and may he easily
abandoned, if they cause any harm.
1. Keep in the sunlight iust a* much
as pOAsible. A plant will not thrive
without the sunbeam; much less a!
man.
2. Breathe as mueh fresh air as your
husiness will permit. This makes
fresh blood; but it is never found
within the four walls of your building.
Beneath the open sky. just there, and
only there, it comes to you.
3. Be strictly temperate. You can- I
not i reak organic law, or any other law,
with impunity.
4. K-ep the feet always warm and the
head cool. Disease and deatli begin at
the feet more commonly than we think.
6. Eat white bread when you cannot
get brown bread
fl. If out of order see which of the
above rules you have notbhserved. then
rub yourself all over with a towel, sat
urated with salt water and well dried,
and begin upon the rules again.
7. Isxik ever on the bright, which is
the heaven side, of life. This is far bet
ter than a medicine.
These seven simple rules, good for
the valid or invalid, if rightly ob
served, would save, I apprehend, a deal
of pain, prolong your life. and. so far as
health goes, make it worth the having.
Will you. tiien, practice them? —W.
Waybridge in RoMon Traveller.
Not Ills Darling.
After a down-town young man had
been keeping company witli a girl at the
north end of Third street for several
months, her father suddenly got the idea
that a salary of seven dollars per week
would not support his daughter in proper
style, snd he forbade the young man
to come to the house. Letters were ex
••hanged and stolen interviews followeo,
hut nothing of the sort will occur again.
The other night the old man observed
his daughter acting nervous and queer,
and he scented cologne in the air Whis
pering in the old lady's car, he dodged
out doors and took a position favorable
for one determined on evil. Pretty won
soft steps were heard. The old man
coughed. The gate opened, the steps
came nearer and a voice whispered:
" What my darling'"
•• Not hardly!" rep'lcd tbe old gentle
roan, as he rose up and reached out for a
coat collar, and the next moment a pair
of polished boot-heels revolved in the
air, swept off the top of a rose-bush,
ertme down nnd dtmolished a flower pot
and then shot out of the gate at the rate
of a mile a minute, bearing away a
young man whose hair had pushed bis
hat off.— Del roil Prec I'nss.
J. WILKES BOOTH.
Anothcrlttraphle Account of Ilia- Capture
y tha Man In Charge of the Com
mand IVhlcli Captured Illtn*
The Limning (Mich.) Republican line
obtained a full aeoount of the exciting
capture of J. Wilkes Bootli from the
lips of Lieutenant L. B. Baker, who
commanded the escort of twenty-iive
cavalrymen which was sent out in pur
suit of Booth after Lincoln's assassina
tion. Col. Conger also accompanied the
party. After various adventures the
pursuers reached the Garrett mansion,
where Booth and Harold had taken
refuge. The narrative then proceeds:
The dash was made through the lane
in short order, and the house sur
rounded. Lieut. Baker dismounted,
went on the piazza and thundered at the
door. The old man Garrett threw up a
window near and asked in a frightened
tone, "What is the matter?" Lieut.
Baker seized him by Hie arm, and or
dered him to unfasten the door and
strike a light. This he did. and the
lieutenant entered the hall. Mr. Garrett
soon appeared with a tallow candle.
The lieutenant took the candle and
asked: " Where are the men who
are stopping with you?" The old man
was very much excited, and he stam
mered out that "they went to the
woods when the cavalry went by." The
lieutenant said: "Don't you tell me
that again; they are here." The sight
of a pistol brought young Garrett to the
front, who said : " Don't injure father
and I'll tell you all about it;' they are
in-the barn."
this time Col. Conger came into
tile hall. Lieut. Baker took young
Garrett by the collar and led him out
on the piazza, while Conger formed the
men to surround the barn. The lieu
tenant then ordered Garrett to lead the
way. Before reaching the barn Gar
rett said : " I fiave for; "tton the key,
but my brother has it, who is sleeping
in the corn-crib. We would not let
those men sleep in the house, and were
afraid they would steal our horses and j
get away." The brother soon appeared j
with the key and delivercjl it to Lieut. '
Baker. The bajn was then surrounded, '
and Lieut. Baker unlocked the door.
Up to this time Booth and Harold \
seemed to be asleep. Col. Conger came j
up. and a rustling was heard inside the
building as if the inmates were rousing ;
up from sleep. Lieut. Baker said to \
Conger: " Garrett must go in. demand \
their surrender, and bring out their !
arms." To this Conger assented, but
Garrett was reluctant to obey, saying, >
"They are desperate fellows, and armed
to the teeth." Lieut. Baker seized him,
opened the door, shoved him in, and
then closed the door. The lieutenant
hailed the assassins ami said: "We|
send this young man, in whose custody i
we find you, and you must surrender
your arms to him, or we will set fire to
the barn, and have a bonfire and a I
shooting match." A low conversation
took place inside the building, and
Booth was heart to say to Garrett:
" you! you have betrayed me: get j
out of here, or I will shoot you."
Garr ett came back to the door and
said:" Let me out, captain. I will do
anything for you. but I can't risk my
life here." Ihe door was opened, Gar
rett came out with a bound, and the ;
door was again closed. Lieut. Baker
had the light in his hand, and young
Garrett said: " If you don't put outthat
light he will shoot every one of you." |
The light was placed at n short distance
from the door, but so as to light the
whole front of the building, which had
been once used as a tobacco-house. The
light was necessary in ease the assassins
should make a break for the door and
get out. The soldiers weredismounted,
but refused to stand in the light, and j
they were allowed to seek a safer posi- ;
tion. Lieut. Baker again demanded their 1
surrender. Booth replied, in a clear,
ringing tone, "Captain, there is a man
here who wishes to surrender very I
much." At the same time a converaa- i
tion took place within, nnd Booth was
heard to say to Harold, " you, leave
me, will you? Go, I don't wish you to
stay;" and in a few moments Harold
rapped at the door, saying: "Let me
out; I know nothing of this man." '
Lieut Baker said : "Bring out the arm
and you can come." lie replied: "I
have no arms." The lieutenant said: ;
"J You have a carbine and pistol; bring j
tfiem out and we will let you out." j
Bootli then said : " He. has no arms ; they
are mine, and I shall keep them."
While this parleying was going on, |
Col. Conger was doing all in his power
to keep the men nroused and on the
alert for 'hey had become so exhausted
with Mielrrideof two days and two
inghts without rest and with hut one
meal, t.iat it was almost impossible to
keep them awake. Strict orders, were
given not to fire, as it would endanger
the lives of the men who were surround- I
ing the huWding. Harold begged and i
entreated ii lie most piteous manner to j
he let out, a.id the lieutenant ordered
liiin to put his hands out of the door, |
which was partly lyar. He stuck his
hands out, the lieutenant caught hold:
of them, pulled him out, and immi-di- !
ately closed the door. Harold was
turned over to two soldiers. He kept
making assertions that he knew notli- j
ing about Booth, and Col. Conger
threatened to tie him and gag him ifne
did not stop his noise. This had a quiet
ing effect. It had been decided to tire
the building, so that Booth would be
driven to the small door, where, it was
thought, lie mold he easily eaptufed.
Another pariey ensued. Lieut. Baker !
again made the demand for his surren- j
der. Booth said: " Who are you and 1
what do you want of me? It may be
that I am being taken by my friends."
The lieutenant said: " That makes no
difference, we know who you are and
want you. We have fifty men armed
with carbine* and pistols, around the
barn, and you cannot escape." After a
pause he said: " Captain, this is a bard
case, I swear. Give a lame man a
chance. Draw up your men twenty
yards troin the door and I will fight
your whole command ." The lieutenant
replied: "We did not come to tight,
but came to take you. have got you, and
you had better surrender." Booth re
plied: "Give me a little time to con
sider." The lieutenant said: "Very
well, take time. You can have live
minutes." He was heard to come to
ward the door, or near the door. As ho
came he said: "Captain, I believe you
are an honorable and brave man. I
have had half a dozen opportunities to
shoot you, and have a bead drawn on
you now, but don't wish to doit. With
draw your forces a hundred yards from
the door and I will come out. Give me
a chance for my Ufo, captain, for I win
not be taken alive." Lieut. Baker said:
"We have waited long enough. Now
come out or we will fire the barn."
Col. Conger (lien said: " We had better
tire the barnand to this Lieut. Baker
guve his consent. Booth said, in his
peculiar stage tone: "Well, my brave
boys, prepare a stretcher for me then."
After a pause of about half a minute he
was heard to say: "One more stain on
the glorious old banner."
Just as fie ceased speaking, Col. Con
ger applied a match to some hay which
he drew through a crevice, and in an in
stant the inside of the building was a
blaze of light. Tin- lieutenant then
opened the door to give him a chance to
come out, and from his position on the
outside could see every movement made
by Booth. He seemed to be leaning
against the hay-mow, supported by his
crutches, with his carbine in hand. He
sprang forward toward the fire with the
seeming intention of shooting the man
who touched the match But the in
tense light inside the building prevented
him from seeing objects in the darkness
without. He then turned, and witli the
aid of one crutch came rapidly in the di
rection of the door, but halted about the
center of the floor. Here he drew him
self up to his full height, and seemed to
take a survey of the terrible situation.
He looked first at the roaring flames,
and then his glaring eyes rested on the
open door. He resembled an infuriated
wild beast at bay. A cloud of smoke
rolled to the roof, swept across the
room, then came down to the floor on
the other side, and he appeared to he
standing in an arch of fire and smoke,
lie remained hut an instant in this posi
tion, and then dropping his remaining
crutch, with his carbine in one hand and
a pistol in the other, he dashed for the
door. When within about ten feet from
•lie opening the crack of a pistol was
heard from the rear of the barn. Booth
reeled forward, threw up one hand,
dropped his carbine, and fell face down
ward on some bay which was scattered
on the floor.
Lieut. Baker rushed in, followed by
Col. Conger and young Garrett. The
lieutenant, not knowing how fatal the
shot, seized him by the arms, intending
to secure him in ease lie had only been
stunned. On turning Booth over, Lieut.
Baker found a pistol in his left hand,
which he still held with a vice-like grip,
and it required great strength to wrench
it from him. A leathern licit was
around his body, with a bowie-knife
and another revolver in it, Lieut.
Baker then accused Col. Conger of
shooting him, which the colonel denied,
and said " Booth shot himself." This,
the lieutenant claimed, was impossible,
as he saw him every moment from the
time the hay was fired until he fell. Col
Conger said " the man who did shoot
him shall go hack to Washington under
arrest." Upon further inquiry it was
found that Sergt. Boston Corbett fired
the shot from a navy revolver, through
a crevice in the rear of the barn. This I
was a most difficult feat to perform, for :
the hall struck Booth on the side of the j
neck, a little back o the center, and
passed entirely through, breaking the
spinal column. The fire was making
such progress that Bootli was taken out
of the building and carried a short dis
tance and placed under a tree. II<• lx:gan
to gijow signs of life. Water was dashed
in iiis face, and a little poured in his
mouth. His .ips licgan to move, and lie
fatntly whispered, "Tell mother—tell
mother." He seemed to gain further
strength, and then in a more distinct
voice said: " Tell mother I died for my
country." Day was breaking, and the
heat from the burning barn was so in
tense that the wounded man was re
moved to the piazzi of the house. The
£oung ladies brought out a narrow
straw bed, and on this Bootli was
placed. A cloth soaked in ioe-water and
whisky was placed in his mouth, which j
revived him. He opened his eyes, I
seemed to take in the situation at once, ;
and said: "Kill me! Oh. kill me |
quick!" The lieutenant said, "No. i
Booth, we did not want to kill you, and
hope you will recover. You were shot
against orders." He then was uncon
scious for several minutes, when he
again revived.* His chest heaved, hi !
chin dropped, he put out his tongue and
seemed to wish to know if there was
blood in his mouth. He* was assured I
there was none, and then said, "Tell !
mother I died for my country. I did \
what I thought was best." He showed
no signs of life in his body below the j
wound, with the exception of the action
of the lungs. He said, "My hands," j
when onoolnis hands was raised so that
he could see it. and it was bathed in ice
cold water. His hand was placed by |
his side, and he said, " Useless, use- j
leis!" which were the last words of the ;
dying assassin.
CoT. Conger gave Sergt. Corbett a i
stinging reprimand and said to him:
" \\ by did you shoot without orders?" i
The sergeant took the position of a sol
dier, saluted tlie colonel, and with right
hand pointing upward said: "God Al
mighty ordered me to shoot." At this
reply the colonel mellowed in his man- |
ner and said: " I guess he did;" and
then dropped the subject. Col. Conger ,
immediately sUrted for Washington to
apprise the authorities of Booth s cap
ture. and LVut. Baker and the escort re
mained to tiring the body as soon as life
was extinct. A neighborhood physician
was called, who gave it as his opinion
that Booth could not survive much
longer. Col. Conger started for Wash
ington a little after sunrise, and Booth
died about fifteen minutes after he left.
The body was sewed up in a saddle
blanket, ptaced is a one-horse wagon, j
driven by a negro, and taken across the
country to Belle Plain, where the party
arrived about dark. The tug Ide was
waiting, the body was put on board and
she then steamed up the river for Wash
ington. The capital was reached about ,
daylight in the morning and the body
delivered to Secretary Stanton, who or
dered it placed in the navy yard. Here
it was kept one day for identification,
and the evidence of various parties
taken.
——^
A Strange Life.
William John Seott Bcntinck, fifth
Duks of Portland and one of the greatest
of English landowners, whose death, in ,
his eightieth year, was announced re
cently, was of a taciturn nature, akin to 1
madness, never marrying, and for many
years was subject to a painful malady. !
He was morbidly averse to society of
any kind, devoting Ids whole time*and
part of his enormous income—estimated
at about 9t.tb0.000 a year—in keeping
Ills estate at Welbeck in the most su
perb order. He employed hundreds of
men, and although constantly among
them giving orders, he would allow no
one to speak to him. discharging any
man who even touched his hat to tiim.
The tenants on his nutates and the vil
lage parson and doctor were Informed
that the duke wished to be passed by as
" they would a tree." The estates ano
♦'tie now pass to Lord Howard de ft'al
d <n, his nephew.
TIMELY TOPICS.
It sometimes happens that strange diffi
culties beset the paths of those seeking
marriage, and an Ohio couple founa
this out the other day. They went into
town to get married, hut it got dark be
fore they cxmid get their license. When
they went to the court-house the offices
were all closed, and the prospect looked
gloomy indeed, until the young couple
found the bell-cord communicating
with an immense bell in the tower of
the building. This cord they pulled
with tremendous effect; everybody in
the town turned out to see what was up,
ami the young folks got their license
These were hardly the sort of wedding
bells that have been so much done in
poetry, but they were of undeniable
utility.
The extent to which the cucumber is
consumed by the inhabitants of Egypt
and the southwest of Asia, and also in
European Russia and Germany, would '
scarcely seem credible to this country.
You never see a Russian peasant at din
ner but you see the lump of black bread
and a cucumber. The vegetable seems
certainly a singular dish to be so na
tional in a country with a climate like
that of Russia. Some writers say that
there used to lie a great annual fair at
Leipsicfor cucumbers, when the streets
were heaped up a story high with that
frecious element of German cookery.
11 Germany barrels of half and also full
grown cucumbers are preserved from
one year to another by immersion in
deep wells, where the uniform temper
ature and exclusion from air seem to be
the preserving agents. Tartary has
been assigned as the native country of
the cucumber, but upon what authority
is equally questionable with that of the
melon. No modern traveler appears to
have found it growing wild.
The Detroit Free Press thinks it would
tie as curious as unexpected if the next
form of freight vehicle were to carry its
own road with it, and to be vehicle and
wheel in one. The first type is on ex
hibition at the garden of the Tuileries,
in Paris, where three carriages, filled
with thirty children, are with ease
drawn by two goats. The wheels have
two flanges; around the whole system
of wheels turns an endless chain of
jointed rails, so that the carriages con
stantly lay down their tracks just in
front of them and take them up behind.
The same weight on an ordinary road
would require a dozen goats. The other
type occurred to a Minnesota farmer
while watching his children " play cars"
bjr rolling a big spool across the floor.
The idea occurred to him that natural
products, like grain, ore. coal, etc.,
migtit be transported in cylinders, roll
ing directly on the rails, with suitable
frame-work for attaching them to other
cars. Various advantages of speed, loss
of friction, cheapness, durability, ease
of loading and unloading, etc., are sug
gested. By combining the two ideas,
cylindrical cars, carrying their own
track as weil as their freight, might be
seen rolling all over the country.
The Berlin MHHar-ZeUung prints an
intcicsting paper on the resistance made
by the seveaal French fortresses attacked
by the Germans|during the campaign of
1870-71. Altogether, it appears that
during the six months 1 campaign from
the beginning of August. 1870. to the
end of January, 1871, the Germans took
or forced to surrender six-and-twenty
French fortresses. Of these two, Melt
and Pfalzburg, fell because the pro
visions of the garrison and inhabitants
were exhausted; hunger, and the de
vastation wrbught by a partial bom
bardment caused one—Pans—to capitu
late: thirteen were reduced by bom
bardment—namely, Liclitenberg, Mar
sal, Sedan. Toul. Soissons, Scblettstadt,
Verdun. New Breisac, Diedennofen, 1-a
Fere, the citadel ol Amiens, Montmedy,
Mezicres and Peronne; one, Strasburg,
was taken by a regular siege, while two,
Vitrv and Laon, strrrendered upon a
bombardment being threatened. Fi
nally, two fortresses, Bitche and Belfort,
invested early in the campaign, held out
until the preliminaries ol peace had
been concluded. The longest resistance
was made by Paris, the siege of which
lasted for 133 days, while the siege of
Met* was continued for sixty-nine days,
of Strasburg for forty-eight, and of Ver
dun for forty-five days.
W. W. Corcoran, the well-known
Washington millionaire, eighty-one
years ola, is another prominent man be
lieved to have been virtually dead, who
lias unexpectedly recovered. It was
thought, not long ago, by his physicians
and friends, that he had not twenty
foui hours to live. -The former showed
conclusively that ne was doomed, and
the latter took eternal leave of him.
After the last vestige of hope had been
relinquished, after his pall-bearers had
been selected, and every arrangement
made for his funeral, he rallied, to the
amazement of everybody, and so steadily
got better thai within two or three
months he was going about on foot, and
attending personally to any number of
affairs. He is said now to be much
stronger than before bis last illness, and
his friends believe that h will see his
ninetieth birthday. " Mr. Corcoran."
says a New York paper," is of a differ
ent pattern from most of the very rich
men we have here. He has founded a
gallery of art at the national capital,
and made many charitable rifts to the
city where, as a banker, he has gained
his fortune. He is much and deservedly
loved there, and the continuation of h(s
benevolent life is naturally the cause of
satisfaction in the community. There
is no danger of his example Becoming
contagious in this quarter. The air ol *
New York is thought to be pernicious
to the development of generosity in mil
lionaires. Corcoran has, in all proba
bility. preserved his liberality by keep
ing sedulously away from Manhattan."
Animal lubber.
An insect which produces a species of
India rubber has been recently discov
ered in the district of Yjuwlan, Central
America, by an American explorer. It
is called neen, and belongs to the Coc
cus family; feeds on the mango tree,
and swarms in these regions. It is of
considerable size, yellowish-brown in
color, and emits a peculiar oily odor.
The body of the insect contains a large
proport on of grease, whioh is highly
prilled by th • natives dor applying to
the skin on account of its medicinal
properties. When exposed to great heat
the lighter oils of the grease volatilise,
leaving n tough wax, which resembles
shellac, and may be used lor making
varnish or toquer. When bnrnt this •
wax, it U Mid. produces a thick semi
fluid mass, Br solution of India
robber.