THE ALAHKA INDIANS.
lew They U, Th.lr Manner* and
C*il**it.
The native races in Alaska number
about 35,000; Russians, 300 or 400;
Americans and others, 800. The Indians
ran be divided into three great elnases:
The Innuit of Yukon disirlct; tho Aleu
tian and the Tuski of tiieSitkan district.
And these again are divided into tribes,
settlements and families. These are
largely in a condition of degraded super
stition, and liable to all the horrible
cruelties of heathenism. Tho old, sick
and useless arc put to death with various
cruelties and disgusting rites.
The Indians are again subdivided iuto
various families, each of which have
their family hndge. The badges arc the
whale, the porpoise, the eagle, the coon,
the wolf and the frog. These crests ex
tend through different tribes, and their
members have a closer relation to one
another than the tribal connection. For
instance, members of the same tribe may
marry, but not members of the same
badge. Thus, a wolf may not marry
into the wolf family, hut may into that
of the whale.
l/pon all public occasions they arc
seated according to their rank. This
rank is distinguished by the height of a
pole erected in front of their houses. The
greater the chief, the higher his pole.
Some of tlicsc poles are over 100 feet
high. Mr. Duncan, the missionary, re
lates how. upon one occasion a head
. hi'.l of the Xusac river Indians put up
i pole higher than his rank would allow,
fiie friends ot the chief whose heads lie
would thus step over, made tight with
guns, and tho over-amhitious chief was
shot in the ami, which led him to
quickly shorten his stick.
Their houses are from twenty-five to
forty feet square, without a window,
tho only openings being a small door for
entrance, and a hole in the roof for the
escape of the smoke. The door is three
or four feet above the ground level, and
opens qn the inside upon a broad plat
form, which extends around the .four
sides.
In front of their leading houses and at
their burial places are sometimes im
mense timbers covered with carvings.
Those that attended the Centennial will
remember such posts. These are the
genealogical records of the family. The
child usually takes the totem of the
mother. For instance, at the bottom ot
the post may be the carving of a whale,
over that a fox, a porpoise, and an
- agle—signifying thXt the great-grand
father of the present occupant of the
house, on his mother's side, belonged to
the whale family, the grandfather to
the fox family, and the father to the
porpoise, and lie himself to the eagle
family. These standards are from two
to five feet in diameter, and often over
-ixty feet in height, and sometimes cost
from ft 000 to $3,000. Forming the en •
trance to the house was a hole through
this standard, hut latterly they are com
mencing to have regular doors hung on
iiinges. Among the Stiekines tnese
badges, trees or totems are usually off to
one side of the door.
A man wanting a wile sends a mes
- age to that effect to the girl's relations.
If lie receives a favorable answer he
sends them all the presents he can pro
cure. Upon the appointed day he goes
to her father's house and sits down on
the door-step with his bark to the house.
The relations who have assembled there
sing a 'marriage song, at the close of
which furs and calico arc laid across the
floor and the girl is escorted over them
from the corner where she has been sit
ting, and takes her seat by the side of
h<' man. Then dan< ing. singing and
• iting are kept up by the guests until
they are tired. In these festivities the
couple take no part. After this they
fat for tv o days, and then after a slight
repast they fast for two days more.
Knur weeks after they come together
. and are recognized us husband and wife.
Among the Nehaunes and Taleolins.
when a man dies, hi* widow is com
pelled to ascr nd tho burning funcnu
pile, throw herself upon tho body, and
remain there until the hair is burned
from her head, and she is almost tuffo
< atcd. Silt is then allowed to stagger
Ironi the pile, but must frequently thrust
her hand through the flames and place
it upon his bosom, to show her continued
devotion. Finally the nshes are gath
ered ud and placed in a little sack,which
the widow carries on her person for
'.woyears- During this periodof mourn
ing she is clothed in rags and treated as
a slave.
Among the Cliuekees the old and
feeble are sometimes destroyed. This is
done by placing a rope around the neck,
and dragging them over the stones. If
this docs not kill, then the body is
-toned or speared, and left to be eaten
by the dogs. Occasionally the old ask
to be killed. Then they are taken, stu
pefied with drugs, and, in the midst of
ious incantations, bled to death.
Among the Tuski and many of the
Orariun tribes the bodies of good men
are burned and the ashes carefully pre
served. But in some sections, where
wood is scarce, the bodies of women are
not considered worth the wood thnt
would be consumed in the burning, and
they nre either east out to be consumed
by the foxes and crows, or cast into the
sex as food for the fishes.
A summary cure for crying babies is
to take them to the seashore and hold
them in the water until they cense cry
ing. As soon as they can walk.children
re bathed in the sea daily, and they
'Ciirir to swim about as soon as they no
'o walk. Festivals are given on erect
ing a new house naming of children,
marriages, deaths, etc. These festivals
'pnsist of dancing, singing and feasting.'
Some of them are so expensive as to im
poverish a whole circle of relatives.—
Anuriran AtUi/ptaritn.
Snhaqucons Hardens of Nassau.
A writer describing Nassau, N. P-, in
the fomdon Queen, says: The subaque
ous gardens of the Bahamas are one of
ihe most interesting scenes imaginable,
and more than fulfill any ideas tlmt fancy
may create about them. The J nre really
fairy garden*, for-far down in the clear
green water wave brilliant sea grass,
flowers ami vines, while many spee.ies
of fish, varying in hue and size from
'he green and golden minnows, not
two ounces in weight, perhaps, to the
pwdorou* jew fish, clad in asilver coat
of mail and weighing over five hundred
pounds, dash through the shrubbery or
placidly floit in a grotto. Conches in
which pinkish pearls arc concealed may
also lie found there, and with them
xeai ly every species of shell fish indi
genous to tropica) sens.
The orange crop of Southern Califor
nia ia assuming large proportions. One
of the most successful growers in that
State is Air. Briswalter, who sold his
last year's crop of fruit at the rate of sls
per tree, aggregating $89,500. His crop
of grapes lie sold for $9,000.
The First Caper Maker.
Who was the first paper-maker? If
the reply to thiti query should be, ns
is quite likely. Unit some old-time in
ventive genius W(W t |„, nmn j t wm , )0
incorrect. The date of the invention
and the founding of paper making is
not detiniteiy known. The common
wasp was, however, the inventor. The
big wasp's nest, which was always kept
at a safe dlHtnnte and often knocked
down with a stone during the rambles
of boyhood, was composed of paper of
tiie most delicate anil elegant kino. As
spiders were spinners of gossamer welm
of intricate and exquisite pattern when
primitive man went about dressed in
the shaggy skins of beasts, and could
neither spin nor weave the beautiful mid
fine cloth fabrics of to-day, so little
wasps, when people of a later and some
what more advanced age had recourse
to such rude and unsatisfactory sub
stances as wood, atone and brass, the
bark of trees and the hides of animals on
which to preserve memoranda, were
making a material of far greater excel
lence.
They mad" their paper, too. by very
nearly the same process employed by
man at the present time. Indeed, sev
eral of our best discoveries in regard to
building, architecture and nianufaetures
of various kinds, if they have not been
derived from acute observation of the
work of certain animals, including in
sects, have, when compared with their
constructions and their manner of mak
ing them, been found to show a wonder
fully close resemblance. The heaver
gave men their earliest and most ser
viceable knowledge concerning dam
building, and to-dav no workman can
surpass this animal's skill and precision
in the erection of such structures.
Nature is a great teacher, and espe
cially does the paper-making of the
wasp illustrate how valuably sugges
tive she may sometimes lie; for, assur
edly, the wasp was the fcrst to show
that it did not always require rags to
manufacture paper, tliat vegetable fibers
answered for this purpose and could be
reduced to a pulp, and that to make the
paper strong and tenacious the (iher
must be longer.
The first tiling the wasps do when
about to build a nest is to collect, with
preference for old and dry wood, fibers
about one-tenth of an inch long and finer
than a hair, and put them into bundles,
which they increase us they continue on
their way. These fibers they bruise into
a sort of lint, and cement with a sizing
of glue, after which they knead the ina
terial into paste, like papier mache, and
roll up a ball; this they trample with ,
their feet into a leaf as thin as tissue
paper.
The ceiling of the wasp's chatnlier. to |
the thickness of nearly two inches, is |
often constructed -by putting, one above ;
another, fifteen or sixteen layers or
sheets of this prepared paper, and bo
tween these layers spaces are left, so
that it seems as if a number of little j
shells had been laid near one another, j
Next they build up a terrace composed j
of an immense number of the paper
•hells, until a light and elegant struc
ture, like a honeycomb, has been con
structed. and in the cells thus formed
they rear their yonng.
That ttie wasp was the first paper- 1
maker will, we think, hardly he dis
puted. As patent laws did not probably
exist in the days when wasps first liegan
to multiply on the earth and to huiid
their houses of paper, the field has been
an ojien one up to comparatively later
days, and lias teen well improved and
enlarged upon. The quality has been
much improved, the quantity greatly
increased and the uses to which paper
has been successfully adapted are many
and marvelous. The wasp was building
much higher than lie knew when he
went in to the papcr-t.inking business,
ile was a genuine Chriitopher Colum
bus and really the paper
world.
Cabinet Recreations.
The members of the cabinet sometimes
have very amusing interviews with la
dies, as tTii' following will illustrate:
Young lady—" Mr. Secretary, I have
called to see if you can tell me when
Captain is to be ordered away, and
where he will go to?"
Secretary—"l really do not know.
Do you wish him ordered away?"
Young lady—"No, indeed " (this with
a very conscious look and a slight in
crease in color); "only, if you were, I
would like to know, you know; for you
see." pulling out her hand kerchief and
putting her little gloved finger in hs-r
mouth, a la Maggie Mitchell, "you
Know Mr. . now don't you?"
Secretary—"How should I?"
Young iady—" I hen I'll tell you"
(this with a look of determination).
" I'm going to mnrry him. and if you
are going to order him off why we want
to get married liefore. That is all."
Secretary—" I have not thought of
ordering lilm away, and since he Is go
ing to engage in such pleasant business
Young lady—"Oh! Mr. .ain'tyou ,
good? I'm so glad. Now I'll have
plenty of time to get ready."
Another young lady sends in her card
and is admitted, when the following
colloquy takes place:
Young lady—" I have called to see if
you will not give permission to Lieu
tenant to come here from A-—P"
Secretary—"Any of his near relatives
sick?" scanning her closely.
Young lady—"No, sir. His friends
want to see him so much, and you can
have him come if yon want to."
Secretary—"Oh! I sec how it is. If
you will say you are iiia sweetheart, he
shall come.
Young lady—"Yes, sir. he is!" say
ing this witli both hands hiding her
face.
The secretary says thnt he gave per
mission to tliats officer to come, tele
graphing to him to that effect within
the hour. All secretaries arc not like
the one we are speaking of, so young
ladies must not presume upon the above
incidents; for tliey might not lie as suc
cessful as our two fair friend were.—
Weuhinylon fatter.
What it Costa to Kan n Locomotive.
The New Jersey Central Rail rand
Company keeps a record of the cost of
running locomotives. It shows that an
average day's distance traveled by a
locomotive is 100 miles. The work for
a month is 3 000 miles; but some loco
motives exceed this, as in the case o.
No. Ml. which in December loot made
O.vftO miiet.. In doing this 133 tona of
coal were used and thirty sevengallona
of oil to ke p the machinery In order.
The company aays that SIB.OB is tho
average cost for 100 miles for men. fuel
and repairs. In the case of No. 181 the
cost lor repairs for the month was
$88.50. _____
If you boast of a e fnlcmpt lor the
world, avoid getting Into debt. It is
giving to gnats the fongs of vipers.
■fc
TIMELY TOPICS.
The late Serg. Parry, the English law
yer, who was the last of the ancient order
of sergeants except berg. Hallantine,
the others having retired or been raised
to tLe bench, died from poison by the
escape of sewer gas, his wife having pre
ceded him a few hours from the saisc
cause, lie was a finished speaker, and,
with Mr. Justice Hawkins, led for the
crown In the Tlchhorne prosecution.
He and his wife were both horn the
same day, were taken sick tin* same day, '
and died the same day.
The bull fights of Spain arc a remnant ;
of the barbarous ages, at the accounts ol
which, even, we shudder. It is there- j
fore a relief to learn that the young i
Queen Christine attended one soon after 1
her marriage only because she " regarded j
it as a social duty, and that she was very
much shocked hy what she witnessed, j
It is stated, moreover, that the king had
some difficulty iij getting her to go at
all, and then was obliged to use all his
persuasive powers to induce her to
throw the key for opening the bull's
cage, loiter, when arnan and horse had
been wounded, she drew her veil over
her face, and refused to give the sign
which allowed the tight to continue,
although finally, with great reluctance,
she did so.
A sportsman explains why he re
ceives the many sea-serpent stories with
a grain of allowance. He was hunting
on the shores of a| lake in the wilds of
Michigan, when he saw what he be
lieved to be a monster snake, fifty or
sixty feet in length, anil ten or twelve
inches in diameter, with humps on its
hack two feet in length. At first its course
was almost directly toward his place of
concealment. When he was about to
run for his life, the " serpent," then a
few rods away, changed its course, and
resolved itself at once into a colony of
otter swimming in single file. His in
ference is that sea animals may some
times travel in the same manner, and
give sailors the opportunity of drawing
the longbow.
A gentleman formerly connected with
the Philadelphia Ledger is said to have
discovered a simple form of audipbonc,
which lie has tried witli satisfactory re
sults, although he is very hard of hear
ing. A few days ago he was explaining
the principle of the audiphone to some
friends, and to illustrate his remarks,
put a folded newspaper between his
teeth, bending it over in the t*rm of
the audiphone. To his surprise he
found that he could hear as well with
the newspaper as with the audiphone.
He subsequently attended an auction
sale, and putting the catalogue between
his teeth and bending it down with one
hand, heard all that was said, although
without some such contrivance he could
hoar nothing.
The suit of Budd Dome us. the South
ern Ohio Fair association, of Dayton,
Ohio, has just been tried before the
United States district court for that dis
trict. The suit was brought to recover
99,250 from the association on a con
tract, in compliance with which that
amount was to have been paid for an
exhibition of speed by Goldsmith Maid
on the track of the association, Sep- i
tember 30. 1*75. The association
claimed that it was not an exhibition
of speed, the time being 2:294, 2:24, I
2:4(4. The plaintiff made a plea for a '
judgment for a yuanlum meruit, that is,
for so large a proportion of the con
tract price as the performance was
worth, if not the wljoic amount. The
edge decided, as n point of law, that no
such partition could Is* made in aspcojal
contract, and that the claim must stand
or fall in its entirety. A great deal of
expert testimony was taken as to the
merit of the performance, but the jury
failed to Agree.
Farmers who read the papers ought
to be able to resist the blandishments of
the swindlers who are perpetually prey
ing on their unsuspecting good nature,
for the press has taken much pains to
expose the operations of the wily rascals.
But the swindlers are smart, and have
nothing to do hut invent, and put into
operation new plans for imposing upon
the farmer. The latest plan, which
has been successful to some extent in
New York State*, is " census-taking."
A gentlemanly fellow appears with a
series ol blnnks, upon which lie is gath
ering for publication the statistics of
the leading farms in the State, and he
sets down as the farmer dictates, the
number of cattle, bushels of grain, etc.,
and makes out a grand showing very
pleasing to the farmer, and apparently
Useful to the farming community.
When the list is completed the gentle
manly operator asks the farmer to sign
his nnme at the foot of a blank space at
the bottom. The rest is easily guessed.
In a month or two he is notified that his
note for 9150 or so, is due at a neigh
boring bank, and being in the hands of
an innocent third party, he mnst pay it,
and the "census becomes the worst
kindol an income tax.
The annual reports of tiro English and
Scotch co-operative stores aie now being'
published. The profits divided among
tlrf members of the societies range from
one shilling throe pence to two shillings
eight pence on th<* pound sterling of pur
chases made during the year, and seem
to average about two shillings, or ten
per cent. Stating the amount in dol
lars. a member of one of these 00-opera
tive stores, about which Mr. Holyoake
gave so much interesting information
during his late visit to this country, re
ceives at the end of the year 11 in the
way of profit for every 910 worth of
goods he has bought. This is clear gain
to him. for lie gets his goods at the reg
ular market prices, and is besides as
sured that what he buys is of good
quality and free from adulteration • The
Manchester Co operative Wholes* le so
ciety, from which the co-operative
stores buy their goods, is a federative
institution composed ol 584 societies
comprising 306.161 member*. It has a
capital of 9703 000 on which It pays five
per cent, interest, and its profits are di
vided among the brunch societies in pro
portion to their purchases, just as the
societies divide their profits. among the
individual members.
A correspondent of the Journal qf
Kduralion protests against the fun poked
at geographical names in Maine, and
thinks tlicm no worse than the unmusi
cal and unmeaning names of places in
Mnaaacknsseita. lie says* "Our Indian
names are descriptive of their location,
as well as sonorous and musical. There
is Pen-obs-cook. 'the sloping rocky
piaoe;' Ken-ne-beec, 'the long-water
place;' the Andros-ooggin. corrupted
from Amos-keagan, 'thu fishing-place;'
tue l'ree-umpe-oot, • iho-clelt-rock
plxce;' the Sacoor Ssuk tuck et, • the
discharging-tidal-atream;' the Piscata
qua. or Pesca-tuek ak, • the divlded
tidal-strcam-place •' the (Johbsoseeconti
cook, ' the place where there lean abun
dance of sturgeonand the musical
name, Abcljacnrmczuscook, 'the place
of the inflowing stream.'" He thinks
Chelsea is not half so beautiftil ae
the mdian name Winno-simet or Win
ne-aekim-et, "at the good spring," and
doeH not see that the badly-corrupted
word Boston is pieaaantcr. to any one
but a native, tlian its original liidian
name.Wishawmut, 'at tlie great ferry,'
nor that Dorchester is preferable to Mat*
tapan, ' the stopping-place.'" Good old
Governor Winthrop gives us Wennatuk
set, "at the beautiful tidal stream,"but
his descendants must give it the dis
agreeable name of Plympton. The most
rhythmical name quoted is that of a
brook in Mt. Vernon, N. H., the Quo
nuinnapssakcsassanagnog.
A Pet Dog's Fatal Bite.
A recent dispatch from Wilmington,
Jh'i-i to a New York paper, says:
Richard (J. Alexander, a well-to-do
citizen of Delaware City, was bitten by
a dog supposed to he mad one day last
month. As he was sitting in his door- j
way, holding a pet dog in his lap. the
animal sprang upon him and sank its ,
fangs deep in his check and upper lip. j
It then dashed away through the neigh
borhood, and before it was killed bit I
about twenty other dogs. Since he was
bitten, Alexander h: s been fearful of the j
hydrophobia, and took many different
remedies. On Monday morning last he j
first felt w hat are believed to have been j
symptoms of the disease; he complained
ola pain in the hack and a palpitation !
of the heart, but attributed them both
to torpidity of the liver. On Thursday j
morning, when lie went to wash, he
found that he experienced an aversion
to waterthat hccould not overcome. He j
ate a hearty breakfast, but could drink
nothing, and stoutly maintained that ,
nothing ailed him. His fortitude in re
sisting the dread malady is character- !
ized by the physicians as one of the most
remarkable things they have met with
in their practice. He refused to have a
doctor called in until he had a 1
and when medical aid was finally called. '
he copinoscd himself with great effort.
The doctor at that time wns not con
vinced that Alexander had the hydro
phobia until he remarked that he felt
that he wanted to sneeze all the time i
and couid not. The fangs of the dog
had torn the carriage of the nose, and
the first symptoms of the disease in such
cases is a morbid feeling in the wound, i
Soon after this the spasms became vio- !
lent, and, to soothe the patient, strong
opiates were presented, hut lie could not '
■wallew. Toward evening he became |
very violent, hut after the spasm begged j
to be killed, and pleaded with those
present to leave the room, or he might
unknowingly bite them. The spasms
grew more pronouwed and frequent,
and finally it required the united force
of six men to hold him. He died in
great agony last night about eleven
o'clock, just forty-five days after lieing
firj>t bitten. A general outbreak of
hydrophobia is feared in the neighoor
hood. as many dogs were bitten by the
dog that caused Alexander's death, and
not killed.
The Doctor's Pigeon*.
The carrier-dove has been utilized for
another service in the cause of humanity.
Dr. Harvey J. Philpot, of Kngland,
writes as follows to the london Tele
qrafJi: I have made valuable use of the
carrier or homing pigeon as an auxil
iary for my practice. So easily arc
these winged "unqualified assistants"
reared ana trained that I am surprised
they have not been brought into general
use by the profession I belong to. My
modus operandi is simply this: I take
out hall a dozen birds, massed together
in a small basket, with me on my rounds
and when I have seen my patient, no
matter at what distance from home,
I write my prescription on asmall piece
of tissue paper, and having wound ft
round the shnnk of the bird's leg, I
fently throw the carrier up into the air.
n a few minutes it reaches home, and,
having been shut up fasting since the
firevious evening, without much delay
t enters the trap cage connected with
its loft, where it is at once caught by
my gardener or dispenser, who knows
pretty well the time for its arrival, and
relieves it of its dispatches.
The medicine is immediately pre
pared and sent off by the messenger,
who Is thus saved several hours of
waiting, and I am enabled to complete
my morning round of visits. Should
any patient be very iil turd I am desirous
of having an early report of him or her
next morning, I leave a bird to bring
me the tidings. A short time since I
took out with me six pair of birds. I
sent a pair of them off from each village
I had occasion to visit, every other one
bearing a prescription, Upon my re
turn I found all my prescriptions ar
ranged on tny desk by my dispenser,
who had already made up the medicines.
Hunters', Skaters', and Toasters'
Perils.
At Ilion, Ohio, three boys were
drowned while skating.
A breech-loader in the hands of Ross
Orier, of Griswnldville, (Ja., caused the
loss ol one of his feet.
I'eter Cramer, of Plymouth. Iml., fell
on the Ice while skating, and was so
seriously Injured that death followed.
Mrs. Jane Davenport, of Ann Harbor,
Mich., fell on the ice. and striking her
head against a sharp plank was instantly
killed.
E. 11. Loom!*, of Brooklyn, Mich."
shot a squirrel, and climbed the tree to
get it. He fcil forty feet, and had sev
ral hone* broken.
Owing to a broken shoulder and con
cussion of the bruin. William 8. Pollard,
of Virginia City. Nev., will noH slide
down hill for some time.
Alexander Jameson, seventeen years
of age, of St. Ixiuis. went hunting mi
Sunday. His time is fully occupied
now tending a shattered leg from letting
his gun fall.
Frank Fagan, twenty-five years ol
•ge, of San Francisco, Cal., went duck
shooting, got excited at the sight of
game, lost his head fell out of bis boat
and was drowned.
John Rraldwood was surprised to see
the ramrod of his gun go through the
trees alter passing through his hand.
He was trying to draw a charge, at
Bruce, Mich.
While dragging his gun by the muzsle
through a piece of brush, Harvey
Ecker, of Hastings. Mich., thought he
was enjoying Sunday. But the charge
intended for the game went into his
body, owing to a treacherous twig, and
his friends buried him on Tuesday. Ho
was sixteen.
WHAT A " BLIZZARD IS.*
A 4Jrphfe llsicrlpUoM bjr OSI who
KBOWI Whereof fflo ftpeafci.
"The papers want to know what a
' blizzard' is, and they turn up their
noses at the word, hut them as has been
tliar' can' see where the joke comes in.
I've shook hands witli one or two bliz
zards and here's the aflidavies to prove
it!"
He drew off his hoots. Three toes
were missing from the right foot, and
the big toe alone remained on the left.
Two fingers were gone from the left
hand, one ear shriveled out of shape,
and liis nose seemed to have no life in
it. He was a rough looking old chap,
and he was warming his heels on the
f team-pipe in tin* cabin of a ferryboat
along witli several other passengers.
"Well, what is n blizzard F" asked
one of the crowd as the old man pulled
on liis boots.
"What's the weather here, to-day I"
"Two below."
" Well, you add live or six degrees of
cold to it. take off your clothes and walk
around for three hours, and you'll hav*(
a slight comparison. A blizzard haint
zactly a two-edged sword nor a hulTet, i
but it lives next door to 'em. You'd !
better twice over be notched in a tor
nado. I'd take the chance of outrunning
a prairie fire quicker'n livin' through a
Jfnuary blizzard."
"Tell us about 'em."
"The fust one I ever seed," said the
old man as he held up the stumps of his
missing lingers, "was down in Nebraska,
close to the west line. I had aranche, '
and was well fixed. The livin' room
for me and three herders was about
twenty feet squar', with a biz stove in
the middle. On the fourth day of Jinu- j
ary, 1859, there wasn't a flake of snow
on the ground, and at four o'clock in the |
afternoon it was warm enough to go in
my shirt sleeves. Half an hour before
the sun went down the sky wns clear
and blue. I stood looking off at a herd
of horses, feelin' as if I wanted to go j
bar'fut, when all at once a shiver
climbed over me. It was as if ice- |
water had been poured down my ba< k. i
There was a moanin'. roarin' sound ;
away to the westward, another shiver, '
nnd the next minit it was dark and the
blizzard had come. Quicker than I can j
tell you the sky turned black, night set !
in, and mountains of snow come
boomin' along before a gale blowing
eighty miles an hour."
"Well?" said some one as the old man j
paused.
" Wail, there she was. That blizzard
was born in the Rockies. She'd whirled
'round and 'round, gettin' stronger every
minit, lilted herself out of somr awful
canyon, tore along the crags and peaks. !
and finally tumbled down on the level j
and started eastw.nd. mad as a grizzly I
and powerful as a million runaway
horses! Them three herders weren't
half a mile away, and all mounted, hut j
yet only one reached the cabin. The I
other two were stuck as dumb and ]
numb as if hit with cannon balls, and
they weren't out of their saddles a minit i
before they were covered with six in- |
dies of snow."
" Must have been cold!"
"Cold! Mebbe it wasn't! I didn't j
have no thermometer to look at. but I
didn't want one. Our jug of whisky
froze solid and split tlx* jug in ten minit*. |
Frost settled on ttie taller candle within
an inch of the light. Every hoard in
the ranche cracked and popped with i
cold. We hod a big atove, but the fuel j
was mostly under a shed fifty feet away.
I thought to go after.a load, but as f
opened the door I fell back as if ten j
thousand needles had been tired into my
face. That one breath of the blizzard
froze my nose and ear."
" And you were out of fuel?"
" Yes. in half an hour I burned up j
stools, benches, tables and all else that ;
would burn, but after midnight the fire '
went out. Then I lost my toes—frost- !
bitten even when I was dancing over
the floor. Ours was a tight cabin, and
yet there was a foot of snow on the floor
before daylight. The awful wind drove j
it through the crevice Did you ever j
hear the pie which goes with a bliz
zard ? Well, you'll face a cannon sooner j
tlian hear it a second time. The wind
screamed louder than a locomotive |
whistle. It raged and raved like a
giant in chains, and it struck down
every livin' thing it came to. Ail at ;
once it would stop hlowin' for half a
minit, nnd the stillness would be awful.
Then I'd hear a sighin' and groanin' afar
off, as if poor lost children were cryln'
for home. Then the groanin' would
change to a screech—the screech to • j
wild shriek, and the gale would whirl j
'round and 'round the cabin as if bound
to lift it from the earth in its teeth, j
That gale knocked over trees a hundred
years old, and rolled rocks weighing a
thousand tons down upon the level!"
"And about your stock f"
" When that blizzard struck my ranch
1 had 500 cattle 2.000 sheep and about
200 bosses, all alive nnd kielsin'. It died
away about daylight, and after an hour's
work we got out o' the cabin and
through the snow. Far as the eye'
could reach all wss a dead level,
(•niches, ravines and dips had been .
filled up with from five to thirty feet of!
snow. Every horse, sheep nnd steer had 1
gone down in his tracks to die and be
coffined in white, and we two. frost
bitten and froaen, were fifty miles from
nny white mnn Dual sneer at a bliz
zard! You'd better meet a thousand
she timers!"— Pflmil AVv Press. .
A Whistling tlnoy.
A new buoy has been invented by M.
I'errin. of Havre, which includes the
novel feature of announcing its posit ion
by means of whistling, and hence is
known as the automatic whistling buoy.
In shape the body is similar to the
ordinary conical buoy, except that
about three feet from the extreme top it
is made flat. On this are fastened two
small tubes, through which the air goes
into the interior, and between these a
tri niendou* whistle is fixed. Around
the whole is a hand-rail, and two s**ps
are placed, so that the summit may Ije
reached from a boat for painting, re
pairing and other purpose* Resides,
there is a manhole. From the bottom
of the cone a large iron tnbe, about
thirty feet long and between six fret
and seven feet in circumference. Is at
tached. When in use, more especially
in a heavy sea, the wind, on going down
the small tubea in the top, is imme
diately forced oat through the whistle,
by the perpetual bobbing up and down
of the buoy. The noise, it is expected,
will be so great that it will be heard for
miles off from the place where it Is
moored, thus giving ample notice of the
dangers that surround it.
The first iron works in America were
erected in If 19, at a place called Falling
Creek, a branch of the James rivsr, not
tar from Jamestown, the first settlement
of the Virginia colony, thirty-two miles
I from the sen.
FARM, IAIMH AID HOUSIROLB.
r*rm
on^rHfil*^ 68 hr ° Qr ' OUf to tbe ye§
No other animals should be tolerated
in a yard with ep, f or it will only re
sult in vexation and loss.
A bag of hops us large as the two lists,
placed in a bin or store of grain. will, it
is said, kill or eradicate all grub* and in
sects from the grain. The dead ones ram
be removed by fanning.
Shelter is one of the first objects in
wintering sheep successfully. Farmers
often condemn barns and sheds as un
healthy places for sheep, when it is a
want ol ventilation that docs the injury.
Milk paint for fences or bams is made
by mixing water lime with skim milk
to a proper consistency to apply with a
brush. It will adhere welfto wood
whether smootli or rough, to brick, mor
tar or stone, where oil has been previ
ously used.
A farmer in Bangor, Me., observing
that wheat was being picked from the
seeds of standing grain, and seeing at the
same time flocks of yellow birds flying
about, shot some ol them. On opening
their crops he found only three grains of
wheat, and by actual count 350 weevils,
Particular care should be used in
cleaning milk pans and cans. Many
cases are on record of diseases in fami
lies from using milk infected with nox
ious germs from foul milk cans. Milk
men upon again receiving the cans
should cleanse them with boiling bo
water.
Cattle like a change of diet occasion
ally, as men do. Keeping cattle on hay
or straw alone is a little like living on
bread or potatoes, or meat alone, with
nothing except that one dish. Therefore
feed some roofs, as well as hay and meal
or shorts. If you haven't the roots on
hand, be sure and have a supply next
winter.
Cabbage lias a superior value for feed
ing purposes. English cattle feeders as
sert that their beasts progress faster on
cabbage, mixed with plenty of line-cut
wheat straw and cotton cake, than with
any other vegetable. Cabbage contains
one part flesh-forming substance tothree
of beat producing, whiie in potatoes, the
flesh-forming is only one to twenty.
Cabbage is also rich in mineral matter
Hew to Sweep a Beaas.
To sweep and dust a room properly is
an art, and like all fine arts has a right
method. Well done it renovates tbe
entire room, and the occupant takes
possession feeling that "ali things have
become new." It is not merely a per
formance to be done by the hands, but a
work into which taste and judgment, ia
other words, brains, must enter. Are
these closets opening into the room to
be swept? Arrange the shelves, draw
ers or clothing preparatory to sweeping
day; then let this be the first to be
swept. Cover the bed with soiled
sheets, as also all heavy articles that
cannot be removed; first, however,
having carefully dusted and brushed
tlicm. Remove all the furniture that
can easily be set in hall or adjoining
room, having first dusted it; then, tak
ing a step-ladder, begin to sweep or
brush or wipe the cornice and picture
cords and pictures. Draw the shades
to the top of the window or, if there are
inside blinds, dust them carefully.
Open the windows. All the dust left in
the room now is in the carpet or air, and
the current of the windows will soon
settle it.
Now begin to sweep, not toward a
door or corner, but from the outer
edges of the room toward tbe center,
where tbe dust will be taken up with a
small brush and dust-pan. Go over the
room oqce more—this time with a
dampened broom; that removes the
last bit of dust and gives the carpet a
new, bright appearance. Replace the
articles of furniture as soon as the air is
entirely free from dust, uncover the rest
and the room is new and clean. All
this seems an easy thing to do, but there
is not one in a hundred willfollow out the
details. Some will sweep the dust into
the hall, or from one room to another,
and th< n wonder why their house is *•
soon dusty again. Others forget cor
nice and pictures, and thus leave a seed
of future annoyance; while a third class
will do all but using the damp broom,
which is as the finishing touches to a
picture Chicago AUiarux.
llouitkoM Hints.
Soft soap should be kept in a dry
place in a cellar, and shou a not be use !
for three months after it is made.
A French chemist asserts that if tea
be ground like coffee immediately be
fore hot water is poured upon it. it will
yield nearly double the amount of its
exhilarating qualities.
Table cloths should be but slightly
starched, and folded lengthwise, alter
ironing quite dry on the right side, first
down the middle, then putting each sel
vage edge to the center, pressing them
down on the right side; next placing
the two double parts, thus folaed, to
gether, and then doubling the other way
in the same.manner.
To preserve the aroma ol oofloe.
add the white of one egg to every pound
ol eoflcc just before it is quite oold. Stir
it thoroughly into the mass, *o tha
every berry will be wet with it.
To clean lamp chimneys, hold] them
over the none of the teakettle when the
kettle is boiling furiously. One or two
repetitions of this process will maks
thorn beautifully clear. Of course tbey
must lie wiped upon a clean cloth.
To wash a black and white cotton
dress, have a tub partly filled with hot
water, add one large tables poonful of
powdered borax; wet only one part of
the dress at a time, the basque first; use
very little soap, and only on the most
soiled places; wash quickly, rinse in
warm water containing a tablespoonful
of table salt; starch on the wrong side,
wring very dry. shake out weih hang
where it will dry quickly; next wash
the overakirt and then the under-ekirt
in the same way.
HmlUi mala.
GlyceriheU< a ouuiw rub on chafes
tiurns or chapped hands or sun scalds.
/xi*m oj l.iff says simple remedies are
frequency the lor Ixwdarhe. A
cup of sour mi'k spread upon a thin
ch tli and applied to the head will many
times give relief. Or, a mild mustard
plaster on the hack of the neck will
th- pain, or drinking a cup of
hot water.
o*n .t r sweet oil mixed with warm
milk and water, and drank plentiful un
til It acta as an emetic, is an antidote to
poisons in general
Temporary relief from a painful sore
corn nure, say* an exchange, readily be
obtained by applying strong carbolic
Take the *rfc out of a small bot
i le of carbolic and apply it (the cork) to
ihe corn. Relief will come at once, and
xou will be able to walk with compara
tive comfort till you can find time to
remove the corn with a knile.