Centre Democrat. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, April 22, 1880, Image 3
The Brakeman Who Went ta Chnrch. To me comes uie oraxeman, and seat ing himself on the arm of the seat, says: •• f went to church yesterday." "YesP" I said, with that interested inflection that asks for more. " And what church did you attend?" •• Which do you guess?" he asked. "Some union mission church?" I hazarded. " Naw," lie said, " I don't like to run on these branch roads very much. I don't often go to church, and when I do, I want to run on the main line, where your run is regular and you go on a schedule time and don't nave to wait on connections. I don't like to run on a branch. Good enough, but I don't like it." " Episcopal?" I guessed. "Limited express," he said, "all pal ace cars and two dollars extra for a seat; fast time, and only stops at. the big stations. Nice line, but too ex haustive for a brakeman. All train men in uniform, conductor's punch and lantern silver plated, and no .rain boys allowed. Then the passengers are allowed to talk back at the conductor; and it makes them too free and easy. No. I couldn't stand the palace cars. Rich road, though. Don't often hear of a receiver being appointed for that line. Some mighty nice people travel on it, too." " Universalist?'' I guessed. " Broad gauge," said the brakeman, "docs too much complimentary busi ness. Everybody travels on a nass. Conductor doesn't gel a fare once in tifty miles. Stops at all flag stations, and won't run into anything but a union depot. No smoking car on the train Train orders are vague, though, and the trainmen don't get along well with the passengers. No, I don't go to the Universalist, though I know some awfully good men who run on that road." "Perhaps yu went to the Unitari ans?" "No, I didn't, but I might have done worse. That is a mighty good road, well ballasted with reason, though it runs through a region a little bit cold, and there is apt to be some ice and snow on the track, hut in case of acci dent there is no danger ol upsetting the stoves and being burnt up; and th< re's one good tiling about it, the neighbors are generally ready to come and help when you cm get into trouble. They like to have tilings nice and comfort able in this world, doing what they think is nbout right and taking their chances for the other. They don't seem to take much stock in being as miser able as you can here in the hope that you will be the happier for it there. They seem to think that a man's going to reap the same kind of crop that he plants, and that if he puts in a selfish, worthless kind of a lite on litis earth it ain't a-going to come out a very tine specimen in heaven. Seems to me some sense as well as poetry in that but I was raised an 'orthodox' and 'twouldn'tdo for me to be seen on that train or I might lose my place on the other line, as there's a good deal of competition between the two roads, and our folks are getting afraid of losing tiavel." " Presbyterian?" I asked. " Narrow gauge, eh?" said the brake man, " pretty track, straight as a rule; tunnel right through a mountain rather than go around it; spirit-level grade; passengers have to show their tickets before they get on the train. Migiity strict road, but the cars are a little nnr row; have to sit one in a scat and no room in the aisle to dance. Then there's no stop-over tickets allowed; got to go straight through to the station you're ticketed for, or you can't get on at all. When the car's full, no extra coaches; cars built at the shops to hold just so many and nobody else allowed on. But you don't often hear of an accident on this road. It's run right up to the rules." "Maybe you joined the free thinkers?" I said. "Scrub road," said ttie brakeman, " dirt road bd and no ballast; no time card and no train dispatcher. All trains run wild and every engineer makes bis own time, just as he pleases. Smoke if you wnnt to; kind of a go-as you-please road Too man v side trucks and every switch wide open all Lite time, with the switchman sound asleep and the target lamp dead out. Get on as you please ami get off when you want to. Don't have to show your tickets, and the conductor isn't expected to do anything but amuse tiie passen gers. No. sir, I was offered a pass, but f don't like the line. I don't like to travel on a line that has no terminus. Do you know, sir, I asked a division superintendent where that road run to, and lie said he hoped to die if he knew. I asked him if tiie general superinten dent could tell me, and he said he didn't believe they had a general su perintendent, and if they had he didn't know any more about the road than the passengers. I asked him who he reported to, and lie said ' nobody.' I asked a conductor who lie got his or ders from, and be said he didn't takp orders from any living man or dead ghost. And when I asked the engineer who he got his orders from, he said he'd like to see anybody give him or ders, he'd rua tiiat train to suit him self or he'd run it into the ditch. Now you see, sir, I'm a railroad man, and I don't care to run on a road tiiat makes no connections, runs nowhere and has nrf superintendent. It may be all right, but I g: railroaded too long to under stand it," " Did you try the Methodist?" I asked, " Now you're shouting," he said with some enthusiasm. "Nice road, eh® Fast time and plenty of passengers. Engines carry a power of steam, and don't you forget it; steam gauge show* ft hundred and enough all the time Lively road; when the conductor shouts 'all aboard,' you can hear him to the next station. Every train lamp shines like n headlight. Btop-over checks given on all throngli tickets; passengers drf> off tho train as often ft" they like, do the station two or three days and hop on the next revival train that potass thundering along. Good, whole-souled, companionable conductors; ain't a road in the country where the .passengers foci more at homo. No passes; every passenger pays full traffic rates for his ticket. Wesicyan house air brakes on all trains, too. Pretty safe road, but I didn't ride over it yesterday." " Maybe you went to the Congrega tional church?" I said "Popular road," said thehrakevnn, "an old rond, too; one of the very old est in this country. Good road-bed and comfortable cars. Well-managed roi d, too; directors don't interfere with di vision superintendents and train orders. Road's mighty popular, nut it's pretty independent, too. Sec, didn't one ol the division superintendents down East discontinue one of the oldest stations on tliis linn two or three years ago? But it's a mighty pleasant road to travel on. Always nas such a pleasant class of passengers." "Perhaps you tried the Baptist?" I guessed onoe more. "Ah, ha!'? said the brakeman, "she's a daisy, isn't sheP River road; beauti ful sweep around anything to keep close to the river, but it's all steel rail and rock ballast, single track all the way, and not aside track from the road house to the terminus. Takes a heap of water to run hor through; double tanks at every Station, and there isn't an en gine in ttie shops that can pull a pound or run a mile in less than two gauges. But it runs through a lovely country; these river roads always do; river on one side and hills on the other, and it's a steady olimh up the grade all the way till the run ends where the fountain head of the river begins. Yes. sir, I'll take the river road every time for a lovely trip; sure connections and good time, and no prairie dust hlowing in at the windows. And yesterday when the conductor came round for the tickets with a little basket punch, I didn't ask him to pass me. but I paid my fare like a little man—twenty-five cents for an hour's run, and a little concert by the passengers throwed in. I tell you; Pil grim, you take the river road when you want —" But just here the long whistle from the engine announced a station, and the brakeman hurried to the door, shouting: "Ziotisvllle? This train makes no stops between here and Indianapolis!" Burlington Hawkey e. Andrew Jackson's Vow. Shortly after the occupation of Pensa cola and the expulsion of the Spanish authorities from Florida by General Jackson. Mr. Edward Palfrey, an old citizen of New Orleans, now dead, wns wont to relate that while standing be hind tiie counter of the National hiurit, his attention was attracted to a gdMlp of military officers who entered the bank and inquired for the cashier. The chief of the parly wis a man gaunt, stern-featured, spare and wasted of tonu, but erect and tirm of carriage. The cashier having appeared, the chief introduced himself: "I am An drew Jackson, miyor-gcneral of the United States army, commanding the forces now occupying Pensacola. My Boldier* arc suffering greatly for the want of provisions, clothing and medi cines. Immediate relief is reouired, and I must have $20,000 to purchase them supplies. Here is my draft on the gov ernment. 1 desire to have it cashed. The cashier was appalled bv this de mand. There was no authority to honor this check. The courteous hut tirm manner and the prestige of the chieftain, however, restrained any such intimation from the cashier. Request ing the general and his staff to be seated, lie retired to the rear office of the presi dent, and communicated the appalling demand of the conqueror of Florida. The president was equally alarmed, and dispatched a messenger to convoke the directory. They quickly assembled, and the subject was referred to them. It should be borne in mind thnt at that time General Jackson was regarded with a great deal of bitterness and dis trust by a large political party in the country. He was looked upon as a dan gerous and assuring military chieftain who mennred the integrity and freedom of our civil institutions, and especially of such institutions as the great national bank. The directors of the branch bank here were doubtless somewhat per vaded witli this sentiment. Still the rules of the bank justified them in de clining to advance the fund required by General Jackson, and (he presiden was instructed to communicate this conclusion of the board. He did so with nil the suavity usual on such occasions. Tiien rising from his seat and ad vane ing to the counter, i ehind which the polite president stood, the old chief asked: "Do I understand you, sir, to say tiiat this bank, having the money of the United States in its vaults, declines to advance a sum sufficient to supply the immediate needs of 9,000 patriot soldiers whom 1 have left in the swamps of Florida exposed to fevers and starva tion P" With profound regret the rules must be observed. Whereupon, with flashing eye and that terrible nspect never to be forgot ten by any one who ever beheld Old Hickory in a rage, the general, rising high his gauntleted hand, brought it down with great force upon the counter, exclaiming, "By the Eternal! I will live to 6erve your rascally bank as I have the Spaniards in Florida, as equally enemies of the people and of liberty." With this fearful menace and vow he strode with Ids staff out of the bank. As lie emerged from the hank, the gen eral encountered two Irish-born citizens and merchants of New Orleans, who bad heard of the order of the bank, and had hastened to join the general, with offers to cash his draft and furnish all that he needed for his arm> .—Daily Stale*. Artificial Diamonds. Professor Maskelyne's positive state ment that the' method of producing dia monds chemically lias been discovered, does not admit of much doubt or dis cussion. He is, probably, the highest living authority on precious stones; and just as L-is dictum quashed the claim re cently preferred by Mr. McTcar, so does it now sustain the claim preferred by Mr. Hannay. Probably the diamonds produced by this ingenious Scotchman are of no ralue as gems—mere tiny scraps of crystallized carbon. But even in this form they will be of great value commercially, being as useful for gem rutting and polishing as natural dia monds. For a little while, therefore, the jewelers with diamonds in stock, the well-to-do folk who own diamond rings and necklaces, will not be dis turbed by the depreciation of their property upon their hands. In the long run, however, the depreciation is cer tain to co.us. If Mr. Hannav has dis covered the principle in accordance with which the transformation of carbon into diamonds is effected, the perfection of the process is inevitable. Willie the useful arts will renp gr gt benefit* from this triumph of modem alchemy, rp mance will suffer. For the children of the uext generation the story of ln dab's excursion into the valley of dia monds will have no charm!—Fkiladel ptiia Time*. It was a delicate piece of sarcasm n the boarder who sent his landlady a razor neatly inclosed in a handsome silk-lined case and labeled "butter knits." TIMELY TOPICS. In digging the Suez canal Egyptian workmen were forced to make liods of their backs, placing their hands behind them and clasping tiie left wrist with the rifcht hand. Boya under twelve years of age were made to do this It is hardly necessary to add that thousands perished upder such inhuman treat ment. A mine which has recently been pur chased in Denver, Col., for $05,000, was discovered by two children aged nine and ten years. They were "playing mine "at the time and had dug down four feet on tiie Little Chief, rear Ruby hill, drilling and blasting five feet more until a valuable body of ore was brought to light. Their father, who owned the claim, gave them $l,OOO each, and now lias sold his interest. It is proposed to build in certnin dis tricts ou tho western frontier of Kan sas churches made of sods. A few sucii already exist. The walls are of sods, the roofs are covered with sods, and the floors are of earth. A church can be built, in size about 96x30, for an outlay In money of only $lO, and this lias already been done in at least one instance. A wall of sods, if prop erly built, and protected, will last 100 years. Roofs of shingles and floors of wcod are greatly to be desired, but, of course, they add very much to the cost of a church. There is n district in Belgium where a chain of villages along the valley of the Geer torni a sort of immense street. The soil is clayey, but crossed at inter vals with chaik, which giyps tq straw raised there an exceptional strength, pliability and brilliancy. This district is the seat of the Belgian straw trade, in which some 40,000 persons are en gaged, who earn upward of sBoo,o<Xl. Every spring four or five thousand mi grate to work in the principal cities lor a few weeks. The chief seat of this in dustry to-day is Roclenze, a beautiful village, surrounded by tiie villas of wealthy stmwmakcrs. Germany, witli a population ol 42,- 000,000 has 60.000 schools and an at tendance of 6,000.000 pupils; Great Britain and Ireland, witli a population of 34,000,000 has 58,000 schools and 3,ooo,ooopupils; Austria-Hungary, with a popultyion of 37,000,000, has 30,000 schools and 3.000,000 pupils; France, with a population of 37,000,000, lias 71,- 000 schools and 4,700,000 pupils; Spain, with a population of 17.000,000, lias 20,- 000 schools and 1,600,000 pupils; Italy, with a population of 98,000,000, has 47.- 000 schools and 1,900,000 pupils; and Russia, witli a population of 74,0c5),00#, has 39,000 schools and 1,100,000 pupils. The United States and Canada com bined, witli a population greatly exceed ing Great Britain, consume little mow tiian half as much cheese. In England bread and cheese for luncheon a?e the staple articles. When a hired man goes from one farm to another on an errand he is re.'aicd with bread and cheese. When one farmer visits another, after looking over the stock and the crops, he is invited into the house, and if he does not stay to dinner, or it is after dinner, bread and cheese are placed upon the tnblp, and home brewed beer is never forgotten. If man or boy goes on an er rand to a gentleman's house, bread, cheese and beer are always offered. Glucose manufacture Is making an ex citement in the maize districts of the West, the factory at Buffalo and its re markable success being the prime stim ulant. Half a dozen establishments have been planted witiiin a niontb in Indiana, Illinois and lowa Cyrus Mr- Cormie.k and others have, it is said, put $650,000 into one at Chicago. It is to have a capacity of 20,000 bushels a day. which is the equivalent of .Too tons of sugar. A bushel of corn, costing about forty cents, produces thirty pounds of grape sugar, or three gftllons of syrup. This sugar, which costs them net two cents per pound, they can sell at frotn three and one-half to four cents, while the three gallons of syrup can be sold at from thirty-live to forty cents a gallon. One of the Irish parish priests to whom Mr. Redpatb. the New York Tribune correspondent, sent a letter of inquiry concerning the distress caused by famine.says: "It would be impos sible for me to individualize, where hun dreds and hundreds in niv parish are in this state. May God, in His mercy, open wide to us the American heart. In it, under God. is our hope. A bettor day, I trust, is coming; and when it comes and when the merry word and joyous laugli are again heard, believe me, though we forget everything! else connected wit h the dread times of the year 1880, we shall never, never forget America, who, bv being the true ' friend in need.' proved herself to be the * friend indeed." Another priest writes: "My house is actually besieged from early dawn till late at night oy hundreds of ragged, hungry-looking persons, most piteously craving and clamoring for re lief. No amount of private charity. I fear, will be sufficient to mpct 'the present appalling distress." The sagacious elephant has a well for tified thinking apparatus. Mr. Htrna day, an elephant hunter, said in a lec ture at Rochester: "An elephant to be killed by the first hall must be shot through the brain. But it is no enay matter to reach this in the elephant, as it is surrounded by an enormous y large skull, and is very small in proportion to the test of the body The skull is so iarge in order to give surface for the at tachment of the muscles of the trunk, of which there aro about 40,000. The skull is moreover composed of two walls, and between these are connected long cells. The brain being thus protected, it is ex tremely difficult to reach, and elephants are often fired into as often as nfiylor sixty tiroes before being brought down. The range of vision in the elephant is limited, his hearing is not good, his powers of smelling a-e poor, so that it is an easy matter to stalk him. The ele phant lias four vulnerable points: these are the temple, ttie ear nhd eye, and the center of the forehead." Professor Swing, the well-known Chicago minister, thinks it must be ac cepted as a fact that there is great suf fering in Ireland to-day, and that the money forwarded from this laud, and from all lands, and from England her self, is the tribute due from the fortu-' nate to the unfortunate in an era which declares all men to he brethren. If the grasshoppers In Nelvnska made outalde help necessary, it the yellow fever in the South demanded an uprif- ingin Northern charity, so the famine in Ireland proclaims that another time has come for help to pass over from the strong to the weak. The utter failure of crops for several seasons lias made it Impossible for parents to buy new cloth ing for the children. and hence the awfulscene of several little ones wrapped in one ragged blanket, at once without food nnd without covering. Before these repeated failures of crops there were thousands in this afflicted coun try who were just on the edge of star vation. In good times these had not enough food or clothing, nnd now that the crops have failed for three consecu tive seasons, it ought not to require much more, than a rumor to convince one that there must be great distress in many parts of the Irish country. There lias]lately been exhibited in the windjw of the hatter undewthe Conti nental hotel, Philadelphia, a liat which has excited widespread attention. It is thirty-two inches in the crown, while the brim is nearly a yard in circum ference, and has been made for Chas. A. Erling, aged twenty-seven, son of a farmer near Bridgehoro'. Erling is within half an inch of live feet high, with very short legs, and a very long body. Ills chest is forty-four inches round, and his stomuch forty-one and a half. He has for yesrs been obliged to lie down, btasause his body will not eairy his head. Medical men say that this enormous size of the head is not caused either by water on the brain or malformation, but is merely the result of an overgrowth. lie lias perfect health, and they are of opinion would, under proper surgical care, have been gradually enabled to support his head. He lias been, up to a recent period, kept in bed in the same room for twelve years, and is totally uneducated, as his friends thought it would do him harm to leurn any lessons. He has been treated like a child, and taught to sing " Mary Had a Little liitmb," and sun dry other ditties. The hat made for him is twenty sizes larger than that of Daniel Webster, and Erling's brain is at least thrice as large as an average brain. Diamond Thieves In Mew l'ork. A New York letter says: The atten tion of the public is attracted by the re cent diamond thefts which have oc curred among what are called " gentle men." E. R. Stoutenhurgh, who in herited nn inrome of ffi.OOO, hut lias wasted his property, lias just been sen tenced to the penitentiary for two years, the crime being of this nature: A dia mond ring had been placed in iiis care, and he had an imitation (made of paste) substituted for the original stone. In another instance a gentleman took a diamond ring to a goldsmith for repair. He called for it in a few minutes, but found the Rtone removed and a paste imitation substituted. It is not now considered safe to leave a ring for any such purpose, and hence in eases of re pair the owners remain and watch the work until it be finished. This being the ease among respectaole people, we need nbt wonder at the attempts made on such property by professional 1 thieves. . The dealers in precious stones decline mentioning the names ol their best cus tomers, as this would expose them to the attempts of sneak thieves and burg lars. The latter, however, have a very correct idea of the diamond owners, and such property my generally he con sidered unsafe. This is shown by the fact that a leading performer who owned a large amount of jewelry locked it carefully in iter trunk and then locked tier room. The "fist" was also locked so that no one could enter, unless ad mitted (except by the use of false keys), hut when the lady returned she found that both her room and trunk had been entered and property to the amount of $3,000 taken away. The thieves evi dently knew where the plunder lay. and had been on tho watch for an opportu nity. Another case was that of Mrs. ' Daniel Torrance, daughter of Commo dore Vunderbill, whose diamonds were ! carried off by a midnight thief in a sud- ] den and mysterious manner. They were valued at $O,OOO. and have never been recovered. It is said that John Jacob Astor al ways lias a detective in his service, and his dwelling is never left unguarded. Hence lie has never suffered from those depredations to which reference has been made. The detective who accom panies Mrs. Astor to all places where lier diamonds are to he displayed is said to be an elegnntly dressed gentleman, who mingles quietly among the guests, and yet keeps up a constant watch upon the fHO.OOO worth of diamonds worn by his patroness. Speaking of the above mentioned family, reference may be made to the changes in a rieii man's taste. William Astor has just soid his racers, and has retinal fruui the turf. He held a temporary distinction among sporting men. nut has become weary of tho expense and annoyance inseparable from such pursuits. A man must have a natural love of horses to adhere to equine amusements. Astor only " took it up " as an imitator of Belmont and Bonner. The latter, however, have a well-known passion for such animals, which explains their lavish expendi ture. Bonner's outlay for taking care of 100 fine horses is not less than $90,000 a year. When you add to this the in tereat on the estimated value of the aai mals ($300,000), you have an expetis equal to $7OO per week. This is a degree of enthusiasm unequaled in the record of horsemanship. For thirty years Bonu< r lias been buying the finest horses in America, and still he is like Oliver Twist, asking for more. He Remembered Exactly. A lying witness will often tell a very glib story, but he generally fails to guard si! his weak points. At a raoent trial in court the following took place in attempting to pruvean alibi: Attorney 8. Y'ou say that Ellis plowed for you all day on the 90lh of November? Witness referring to his note-book— Yes. 9. What did he do on the 30th? W. —Wn chopped wood. 8.- On the 3lst? W.—That was Sunday, and we went squirrel hunting, B.—Whatdil he do on tho s9d W.—lie thrashed wheal on that day. 8. —What did he do on the 33d ? W.-It was raining, and he abaved out tome hand lea. 8 W hat did he do on the 34th ? W.—He chopped wood. B.—What did he do on the—? But before tho queatton could be fin ished, the witnesses'* wife seised him by the collar and whisked him outside of the witness-box, yelling in hit affright ed ear— "You old fool don't you krow there are only thirty daya in the month of November?" HOUBIMH THE HYEIM*. A PrlraU PirAnunm IB a ■ •■aerlr llaw Iht Plmm llralw ar* " WarkMl" W ita lUd-kat Iron. The Louisville (Ky.) (Jourier-Jounvu ■ays of menagerie in that city: Among the novelties of the season will be the exhibition of a den of six laughing byenaa, which will be entered ny a trainer, and the animals put through performances after the manner of lion training exhibitions. This has rarely been done, and in this case the experi ment combines considerable peril, as the hyenas of the show are unusually fierce. They have been Kept In little tax-cages, with stout iron bars in front, and yesterday they were transferred to a road-cage with three compartments. The six animals have heretofore been kept apart in pain, and some curiosity was felt even by the keepers as to how they would behave when housed to gether. The transfer occupied utaul two hours and n half, and was made by " Huflal , Bill," the buffalo trainer, and Charles Drayton, who will train the hyenas. The manner of transfer is as follows: At the end of the road-cage is a door. The tax-cages in which the animals have been kept during the winter are quite small only large enougli for two of them to move ataut in. One of these was lifted upon the shoulders of hulf a dozen men and set UP on a frame against the door of the road-cave. Two of the bars were then removed from the box-cage, leaving a passage from one to the other. It may le thought that all that was now neces sary would be to pencil the brutes and let them walk out of one cave into the other. A reporter who watched the proceeding thought so, and so did a young man from Indiana, who seemed to take great interest in the proceeding. Hut this was only the beginning of trouble. A huge chunk of raw meat was put into the road-cage to tempt the hyenas over the threshold, but it had no effect—they had dined only an hour or two before. They were punched with a pole, hut only raced around the little den and would not cross the door way. Then a plank was loosened and removed from the top and " Buffalo Bill " took a heavy whip, and, putting his arm inside, began to lash them, j This was followed by a series of un earthly howls and yells and a tremen dous scrambling, which made the in terested young man from Indianaclifhb i a pillar and perch in fear and trembling upon the balcony, where he could see nothing, hut heard a treat deal. It re quired half an hour of whipping and punching and heating to induce the first to put hia head throu h the door, j Tiien a tremendous lash was given him, and, with a howl and a skulking, trcm- 1 bling movemer.t, he went into the new quarters. Fifteen minutes more were spent with "Gabriel," the fiercest and most treacherous of the lot. who was ' finally got in, and then the two were j forced into Uie far cud. and were shut in by a compartment gate. Another c.'-ge, containing two more of the animals, was now brought in and the same performance given. They did not cause so much trouble, hut as soon as they were shut in the mid- ! die compartment, "Gabriel" and his mate set up a fierce snarling, and a fight ensued. "Gnbriel" thrust his sharp jaws through the bars and seized his more cowardly neighbor by the neck, and a perfect pandemonium of yells and snarls ensued. "Let UP, will you !** shouted Mr. Colvin. as lie rushed forward with his cane and gave "Gabriel " several blows oil the head. The cane had no terrors, however, for the fighting pair leaped against the bars, growling and scratching. "He wants the iron," said Mr. Colvin, quieliy.to a man who ran into the stable nnd in a few momenta returned with it. " The iron," was a long iron poker, with n cross-bar at the end, heated red hot. It wn* Inserted between the bars and laid upon " Gabriel's" back. With one unearthly human scream he leaped up. and in a moment the two nnimals were writhing to escape the terrible dose. "Give it to him in the nose P was shouted. The hot iron was punched into his face, nnd then, without a sound, the two cowardly brutes writhed and twisted themselves into a corner, where they lay trembling and cowed, as quiet as lambs. In a few minutes "Gabriel" showed signs of fight again, hut two or three punches with the prongs of a pitchfork silenced his hostility. The last two brutes were now brought in.and for an hour every device was resorted to to get them into the n< w cages. | "Kitty, the only female of thenumber, , was at length tempted to skulk in by a , piece of meal in front of her and a raw i nide in the rear But her male com panion lay down ir. the corner of his cage and stubbornly refused to move. He was beat until his roars filled the building. A plank was then torn off the rear of his cage and red-hot irons and pitchforks applied, which only in creased his horrible howling, without getting his head in the door. Finally a stout rope was brought, a noose was made, and with great difficulty slipped over his bead. This was drawn taut, and the end of the rope passed through the new cage, after which the brute was dragged in by main fbr-e. After they were all tranf( rred the road-cage was rolled into the stable, and Charley Drayton entered it for the first time. Before he could get in, however "Gabriel" hnd renewed his vicioosneas, and attacked his old neigh bor through the bars, seising him ny the ear with a tenacious grip of the jaws which could not be loosened. The weaker brute howled and dashed about until he had torn his car out of "Ga briel's" teeth and spattered the blood all over the bars and sides of the den. "Gabriel" was then treafed to "the iron," after which Drayton entered the cage. Charles Drayton Is well-known all over the world as " Ilerr Drayton," the man who plays with carnon balls like they were toys. He has also been a lion-tamer, nnd has undertaken to "work" the hyenas for the novelty o the thing. He entered the apartment in which "Kitty" and her companion were, armed with only a whip. The beata could only be put through a series of skulking maneuvers about the den. Then (je tniew open toe second com partment, and finally the third, and had all In one large compartment. They snapped fiercely at him, but after whipping them and making them run about he came out safely. The parti driiir danger ol " working " hysna* la the oliaracteristle Ipsashl t J of the beasts when they are fierce, anil it their courage was equal to their stn ngih, they would be the meet dan gerous of all beasts; but they are cow ardly and skulking. They will snap be hind the trainer's back and he ia re quired to be extremely alert to prevent their treacherous attacks. Valley Forge. Valley Forge is a manufacturing place, and there is a constant hum of machinery Irom the paper, flour and woolen mills.' The neat little houses of the factory hands are gay with Aowera and vines, while the handsome resident* of the mill-owner towers cast] -like above them. Past all these dwelling, at the end of the street, stands the old fashioned stone edifice hallowed by Washington's presence. It is a plain, somewhat contracted looking house, this Valley Forge shrine, after the usual type of ancient Pennsyl vania homesteads, with a queer roof over the door, without cither posts or pillars, shaped like the sounding-boards in old-time churches. The small-paned windows are long, and end in low, deep window-seats that could be sat in witn case; but they are not cushioned or made the most of in any way. The en trance door opens in halves, and two broad flat stones lead to it. Nothing has been changed in the old bouse since Washington left it, with the exception of paper and paint: but it strikes the visitor as decidedly bare looking. and by no means attractive as a place of residence. The admission fes of ten cents is appropriated by the Cen tennial committee for the furnishing fund, their intention h?ing to furnish the bark room on the ground floor, known as Washington's private office, with articles gathered here and there of the date of Washington's residence, and as nearly as possible a fac-simile of those in use at the period, the original furni ture having slipped down the back stairs of time without leaving a trace behind. As yet, however, nothing has been accomplished, and very little of interest is to be seen in the way of relics. The back room is the chief point of interest; and one of the deep window-seats is a box, the lid of which is labeled "Wash ington's private papers, 1877," this re ceptacle naving probably been made to avoid surprises. We are also shown a revolutionary cannon ball, the old anvil used in shoe ing the horses of Washington and his troopß, and an ancient fireplace with " backs and jambs." The iron back of another fireplace is unexpectedly dis played outside of an entrance door which opens into a narrow passage. This back, of German manufacture, is quite a work of art, and evidently in tended as a representation of the miracle in Cana of Galilee, the queer figures and water jars being supplemented by a German inscription. In which the words "Wasser"ana "Wein"are quite dis tinct, also the reference to John. ii.l-11. The most noticeable article of furni ture in the room is an *' old clock on the stair," which seems its legitimate place. It was not used, however, by Washington, having been imported from England by tne grandfather of the present venerable occupant in 17M. The old I'otts mansion has been pur chased by the Centennial and Memorial association, and in the deed of trust the ground belonging to it is carefully es timated at two acres and eight perches. The long. low. stone barn that stretches across a large portion of one side is rough and plain—the same in appear nnee as when Washington stabled his horses there. Art has done little for the immediate surroundings, except to in troduce the impertinent wtiix of the factory opposite. A portion of the old intrenchments. which are some little distance off, still remains, and in the woods near by were the miserable barracks where the Con tinental army nearly froxe and starved during the hard winter of 1777-*7B. Harper's Magazine. A Tame Otter's Thicks. One Sunday afternoon, says a writer in a British Journal, taking a walk down by the Thrum mill, near Roth bury on the Coquet, to exerciee our dogs, on getting to the top of the rocks one of the puppies gave tongue, and out came an otter with two whelps by her side, making for the liver. We got in front, when the mother gained the rocks, but we secured the two whelps. We took them home and put them with Roll, an otterhound, who had a litter of three puppies. One of the whelps died, but the other took to Ihe hound, and ; throve famously; he mixed with the i puppies.but fought like a demon.and wns soon master of the situation. Wherever they went he went with them, fighting everything that he met with. He also became a pet with all the household, who never missed a chance of feeding him. His special treat was bo wis of milk and broth; to get these he would find his way into dairies, larders, etc. Thus he went on, until we had to enter the pup pies for otter hunting. We had him fastened in a yard with high walls, as we felt sure, if wc took him with us, he would join his own specie*. On our return be bullied and fought the entire kennel of five. About a week after I had to go to Brinkbarn Priory, and took the dogs with me. "Sandy," the tame otter, would go, and Into the Coquet they soon got on the lair of an otter. They ran him through a deep pool, when he took to the bushes. Soon I saw Sandy side by side with Rufus, close to the wild otter. I said farewell to Sandy, but presently I heard the pleas ant sound. " worry, worry." I thought Rufus had him. but on coming in sight, to my astonishment. Sandy bad him fast by the neck and held him till the dogs came up. From that time he was the ieader in all our hunts, and was In at the death of nearly twenty otters. He became, however, a perfect terror to all tho dogs in the village and district; fighting was his motto. I well remem ber Mr. Weal bans had a big lurcher and greyhound, who took to figuring, a great powerful animal, his long jaws and quick movements boat the whole dis trict. One day he was in Roxbury.and soon had Rufus dead heat. " I>et out Sandy, Geordie." No sooner said than done. Sandy at oner saw poor Rufus' • ond 1 lion, and flew at the lurcher—got him by the foreleg, when the lurcher turned to bite. On seeing Sandy, how ever, he was terror stricken, and', giving a most unearthiv "ell, bolted up the town with Sandy after him. The dog's master could never get him to pass through the town again. But, alas! poor Sandy soon came to his end. Love of broth led him Into the larder at the Star inn. The cook, finding him wal lowing in the broth, struck him with • wooden ladle, more to frighten than to hurt him; but his skull was fractured, and aftsr lingering for some day*, h* died, to the Inexpressible regret of all who knor him.