10
the assignation he had overheard in the
churchyard crew clear vo him now.
"I believe that I have to congratulate you,
Miss Granger," he said, "and I do so very
heartily. It is not everybody that is so for
tunate as to"
Beatrice stopped and halt turning faced
him.
"What do you mean, Mr. Bingham?" she
said. "I do cot understand your dark say
ings." "Meant oh, nothing particular, except
that I wished to congratulate' you on your
engagement."
"My engagement! "What engagement?"
"It seems there is some mistake," he said,
and struggle as he might to suppress it his
tone was one of relief. "I understood that
you had become engaged to be married to
Mr. Owen Davies. If I am wrong lam sure
I apologize."
"You are quite wrong, Mr. Bingham, I
don't know who put such a notion into your
head, but there is no truth in it."
"Ihen allow me to congratulate you on
there being no truth in it. .You see that is
the beauty of nine affairs matrimonial out
of ten there are two or more sides to them.
If thev come off the amiable and disinter
ested observer can look at the bright side
as in this case, lots of money, romantic cas
tle by the sea, gentleman of unexceptionable
antecedents, etc. etc, etc If, on the other
hand, they don't, cause can still be found
for thankfulness lady might do better alter
all, castle by thesea ratherdraughtyandcold
in spring, gentleman most estimable, hut
perhaps a little dull, and so on, you see."
There was a note of mockery about his
talk which irritated Beatrice exceedingly.
It was not like Mr. Bingham to speak so.
Jt was not even the way that a gentleman
out of "his teens should speak to a lady on
such a subject. He knew this as well as she
did, and was secretly ashamed of himself.
But the truth must ont; though Geoffrey did
not admit it even to himself he was bitterly
and profoundly jealous, and jealous people
have no manners. Beatrice could not, how
ever, be expected to know this, and natur
ally grew angry.
"I do not quite understand what you are
talking about, Mr. Bingham," she said, put
ting on her most dignified tiir, and Beatrice
could look rather alarming. "You have
picked up a piece of unfounded gossip, and
now yon take advantage of it to laugh at
me and to say rude things of Mr. Davies.
It is not kind."
"Oh, no; it was the footsteps, Miss
Granger, and the gossip, and the appoint
ment you made in the churchyard, that I
unwillingly overheard, not the gossip alone,
which led me into my mistake. Of course,
I have now to apologize."
Again Beatrice stamped her foot. She
saw that he was still mocking her, and felt
that he did not believe her.l
"There," he went on, stung into unkind
ness by his biting but unacknowledged
jealousy, for she was right on reflection he
did not quite believe what she said as to her
not being engaged. "How unfortnnate I
am I have said something to make you
angry again. "Why did you not walk with
Mr. Davies? I should then have remained
guiltless ot offense; and you would have had
a more agreeable companion. You want to
quarrel with me; what shall we quarrel
about? There are many things on which
we are diametrically opposed; let us start
one."
It was too much, for, though his words
were nothing, the tone in which he spoke
gave them a sting. Beatrice, already, dis
turbed in mind by the scene through which
she had passed, her breast already throbbing
with a vague trouble of which she did not
know the meaning, for once in her life lost
control of herself and grew hysterical. Her
gray eyes filled with tears, the corners of her
sweet mouth dropped, and she looked very
much as though she were going to burst out
weeping.
"It is most untind of you." she said, with
a half sob. "If you knew how much I
have to put up with, you would not speak
to me like that. I know that you do not
believe me. Very well, I will tell you the
truth. Yes, though I have no business to
do it, and you have no right none at all
to make me do it, I will tell you the truth
because I cannot bear that yon should not
believe me. Mr. Davies did want me to
marry him, and I refused him. I put him
off for a while; I did this because I knew
that if I did not he would go to my father.
It was cowardly, but my father would make
my life wretched," and again she gave a
half-choked sob.
Much has been said and written about the
effect produced upon men by the sight of a
lady in or on the border line of tears, and
there is no doubt that this effect is consid
erable. Man being in his right mind is
deeply moved by such a spectacle, aUo he is
frightened because he dreads a scene. Now
most people would rather walk ten miles in
their dress shoes than have to deal with a
young lady in hysterics, however modified.
Geoffrey, putting the peculiar circum
stances of the case aside, was no exception
to this rule. It was all very well to cross
spears with Beatrice, who had quite an
equal wit, and was very capable ot retalia
tion, but to see her surrender at discretion
was altogether another thing. Indeed, he
felt much asbamed of himself.
"Please don't, don't be put out," he
said, he did not like to use the word "cry."
"I was only laughing at you, but I ought
not to have spoken as I did. I did not wish
to force your confidence, indeed I did not.
I never thought ot such a thing. I am so
sorry."
His remorse was evidently genuine, and
Beatrice lelt somewhat appeased. Perhaps
it did not altogether grieve her to learn that
she could make him leel sorry.
"Xou did not force my confidence," she
said defiantly, quite forgetting that a mo
ment belore she had reproached him for
making her speak. "I told you because I
did not choose that you should think I was
uot speaking the truth and now let us
change the subject." She imposed no re
serve on him as to what she had revealed;
she knew that there was no necessity to do
so. The secret would be between tbem an
other dangerous link.
Beatrice recovered her composure and they
walked slowly on.
"Tell me, Mr. Bingham," she said pres
ently, "how can a woman earn her living
I mean a girl like myself, without anyspe
i cial qualifications? Some ot them get on."
"Well," he answered, "that depends upon
the girl. What sort of a living do you
mean? Xou are earning a living now. of a
kind."
"Xes, hut sometimes, if only I could man
age it, I think that I should like to get
away from here and take another line
something bigger. I do not suppose that I
ever shall, but I like to think of it some
times." "I only know of two things which a wom
an can turn to," he said, "the stage and
literature. Of course," he added, hastily,
"the first is out of the question in your
case."
"And so is the other, I am afraid," she
answered, shaking her head; "that is, if bv
literature you mean imaginative writing,
and I suppose that is the only way to get
into notice. As I told you, I lost my imag
ination well, to be frank when I lost my
faith. At one time I used to have plenty,as
I used to have plenty of faith, but the one
went with the other. I do not understand
why."
"Don't you? I think I do. A mind
without religious sentiment is a star without
atmosphere, brighter than other stars but
not so soft to see. Beligion, poetry, music,
imagination and even some of the more ex
alted forms of passion flourish in the same
soil, and are, I sometimes think, different
maniiestations of the same thing. Do vou
know it is ridiculous to hear you talk of
having lost your faith, because I don't be
lieve it. At the worst it has gone to sleep,
and will wake up again one day. Possibly
you may not accept some particular form of
faith, but I tell you frankly that to reject all
religion simply because you cannot under
stand it, is nothing but a form of atrocious
spiritual vanity. Your mind is too big for
you, Miss Granger; it has run awav with
you, but you know it is tied with a string
it cannot go far. And now perhaps you will
be angry again."
"No, indeed, why should I be angry? I
dare say that you are quite right, and I only
hope tb'at I may be able to believe again. I
will tell you how I lost belief. I had a lit
tle brother whom I loved more than any
thing else in the world; indeed, after my
mother died he was the only thing I really
had to love, for I think that my father cares
more for Elizabeth than he does ;or me. she
is so much the hest at business matters,, and
Elizabeth and I never quite got on. I dare
say that the fault is mine, but the fact re
mains we are sisters, but we are not inti
mate. Well, my brother fell ill or a fever,
and lor a long time he lay between life and
death, and I prayed for him as I never
prayed for anybody or anything before yes,
I prayed that I might die instead ot him.
Then he passed throngh the crisis an.d gof
better, and I thanked God, thinking that my
prayers had been answered; ob, how happy
I was for those ten daysl And then this
happened: My brother got a chill, a re
lapse tollowed, and in three days he was
dead. The last words that he spoke to me
were: 'Oh, don't let me die, Beel' he used
to call me Bee. 'Please doii't let me die,
dear Beel' But he died, died in my arms,
and when it was over I rose from his side
feeling as though my heart was dead also. I
prayed no more after that. It seemed to me
as though my praters had been mocked at,
as though he had been given back to me for
a little while in order that the blow might
be more crushing when it fell."
"Don't you think that you were a little
foolish in taking such a view?" said Geol
frey. "Have you not been amused, some
times, to read about the early Christians?
how the lead would not boil the martyr, or
the lion would not eat him, or raiu from a
blue sky put out the fire, and how the
pagan king was at once converted and ac
cepted a great many difficult doctrines
without further delay. The Athanasian
creed was not necessarily true because the
f fire would not light or the sword would not
cut, nor, excuse me, were all your old be
liefs wrong because your prayers were un
answered. It is an ancient story, that we
cannot tell whether the answering of our
petitions will be good or ill lor us. Ot
course I do not know anything about such
things, bnt it seems to me rash to suppose
that Providence is going to alter the work
ing of its eternal laws merely to snit the
passing wishes of individuals wishes, too,
that in many cases would bring unforeseen
sorrows if fulfilled. Besides, I daresay that
the poor child is happier dead than he
would have been had he lived. It is not
au altogether pleasant world for most of
us."
"Xes, Mr. Bingham, I know, and I dare
say that I should have got over the shock
in time, only after that I began to read. I
read the histories of the religions and com
pared them, and I read the works of the
writers who have risen up to attack them.
I found, or thought that I found, the same
springs of superstition in them all super
stitions arising from elementary natural
causes, and handed on with variations.from
race to race, and time to time. In some I
found the same story, only with a slightly
altered face, and I learned, moreover, that
each faith denied the other and claimed
truth for itself alone.
"Alter that, too, I went to the college and
there I fell in with a lady, one of the mis
tresses, who was the cleverest woman that I
ever knew, and in her way a good woman,
but one who believed that religion was the
curse of the world, and who spent all her
spare time in attacking it in some form or
other. Poor thing, she is dead cow. And
so, you see, what between these causes and
the continual spectacle of human misery,
which to my mind negatives the idea of
a merciful and watching Power, at last
it came to pass that the only altar left in
mv temple is au altar to the "Unknown
God.'"
Geoffrey, like most men who have had to
think on these matters, did not care to talk
about them much, especially to women.
For one thing, he was conscious of a ten
dency to speech less reverent than his
thought. But he had not entered Beatrice's
church of darkness; indeed, he had turned
his back on it forever, though, like most
people, he had at different periods of his
past life tarried an hour in its porch. So he
ventured on an objection.
"I am no theologian," he said, "and lam
not fond of disenssion on such matters. But
there arc just one or two things I should
like to say. It is no argument, to my mind
at least, to point to the existence of evil and
unhappiness among.men as a proof of the
-absence oT a superior mercy; for what are
men that such things should not be with
them? Man, too, must own some master. If
he has doubts let him look up at1 the mar
shaling of the starry heavens and they will
vanish."
"No," said Beatrice, "I fear not Kant
said so, but before that Moliere had put the
argument in the mouth of a fool. The starry
heavens no more prove anything than does
the running ot the raindrops down the window-pane.
It is not a question of size and
quantity:"
"I might accept the illustration," an
swered Geoffrey; "one example of law is as
good as another for my pnrpose. I see in it
all the working of a living will, but of
course that is only my way of looking at it,
not yours."
" "No; I am afraid," said Beatrice, "all
this reasoning drawn from material things
does not tonch me. That is how the pagans
made their religions, and it is how Paley
strives to prove his. They argned from the
Out to the In, from the material to the
spiritual. It cannot be; if Christianity is
true it must stand upon spiritual feet arid
speak with a spiritual voice, to be heard, not
in the thunder storm, but oniy in the hearts
of men. The existence of Creative Force
does not demonstrate the existence of a Re
deemer; if anything, it tends to negative it,
for the power that creates is also the power
which destroys. What does touch me, how
ever, is the thought of the multitude of the
dead. That is what we care for, not for an
Eternal Force, ever creating and destroying.
Think ot them all all the souls of unheard-of
races, almost animal, who passed
away so long ago. Can ours endure more
than theirs, and do you think that the spirit
of an Ethiopian who died in the time of
Moses is anywhere now?"
"There was room lor them all on earth,"
answered Geoffrey; "the universe is wide.
It does not dismay me. There are mysteries
in our nature, the nature we thiuk we know
shall there be none in that which we know
Up'.? Worlds die to live again when, after
millions of ages, the conditions become once
more favorable to lite, and why should not
a man? We are creatures of the world, we
reflect its every light and shadow, we rejoice
in its rejoicings, its every leature has a tiny
parallel in us. Why should not our fate be
as its late, and its fate is, so far as we know,
eternal. It may change from gas to chaos,
from chaos to active lite, from active life to
seeming death. Then it may once more pass
into its elements, and from these elements
back again to concrete being, and so on for
ever, always changing, but always the same.-
bo much lor nature s allegory, xt is not a
perfect analogy, for Man is a thing apart
irom all things else; it may be only a hint
or a type, bnt it is something.
".Now come to the question of oar religion.
I confess I draw quite a different conclusion
from your facts. Xou say that you trace the
same superstitions in all religions, and that
the same spiritual myths are in some shape
present in almost all. Well, does not this
suggest that the same great truth underlies
them all, taking from time to time the shape
which is best suited to the spiritual devel
opment of those professing each. Every
great new religion is better than the last.
You cannot compare Osrianism with Buddh
ism, or Buddhism with Christianity, or
Mahoinetanism with Arabian idol worship.
Take the old illustration take a cut crystal
and hold it in the sun, and you will see
many different colored rays from its facets.
They look different, but they are all born of
the same great light; they are all the same
light. May it not be so with religions? Let
your altar be to the 'Unknown God, if you,
like for who can give an unaltering like
ness to the Power above us? but do not
knock your altar down.
"Depend upon it. Miss Granger, all indi
cations to the contrary notwithstanding,
there is a watching Providence without the
will of which we cannot live, and if we de
liberately reject that Providence, setting up
our intelligence in its place, sorrow will
come of it, even here; for it is wiser than
we. I wish that you would try and look at
the question from another point of view
from a higher point of view. I think you
will find that it will bear n great deal of ex
amination, and that you will come to the
conclusion that the dictum of the wiseacre
who says there is nothing because he can
see nothing is not necessarily a true one.
THE
-There, that is all I have to, say, and I wish
that I could say it better."
"Thank you," .said Beatrice, "I will.
Whv. here wc are at home; I must go and
putEffietobed."
And here it may be stated that Geoffrey's
advice was not altogether thrown away.
Beatrice did try looking at the question
again, and If Faith did altogether come
back to her at least Hope did, and "the
greatest of these, which is Charity," had
never deserted her. Hope came slowly back,
not by argument probably, hut rather by
example. In the sea of doubt she saw an
other buoyed up, if it were but on broken
pieces of the ship. This encouraged her,
Geofl'rey believed.fand she believed in
Geoffrey, indeed, is not this the secret' of
woman's philosophy even to some extent,
ot that of such a woman as Beatrice? "Let
the faith or the unfaith of this, that-or the
other rabbi answer for me," she says it is
her last argument. She believes in this or
that, or some other philosopher; that is her
creed. And Geoffrey was the person in
whom Beatrice began to believe, all the
more wholly because she had never believed
in any one before. "Whatever else she was
to lose, this at least she won when she saved
his life.
( To be continued next Sunday.)
BAYIKG UP OLD COINS.
Amnslnir nnd Pathetic Side of a Harmless
Little Cnstom.
Sew Y6rt Trltrane.
The cherished preservation of odd or par
ticular coins as pocket pieces Is au old and
harmless sort of idolatry frequently in
dulged in by a large percentage of humanity.
When these treasures are undsr'inspection
in a social way, remarks of the following
tenor arc frequently heard:
"This is the first bit of silver I earned
when I left home"
"I found this half-penny near Shakes
peare's tomb."
"Daniel Webster gave that Spanish quar
ter to my father when a boy for holding his
horse"
"Here," said a man, noted for his un
thriit, "is the only money lever saved, and
I wouldn't have saved that were it not made
of German silver." ;
It is a cnstom for many kind old persons
to say, while tendering a bright piecrfof sil
ver or gold to an emigrating lad or lass:
"Keep this iu your pocket and you'll always
have money."
The present and injunction are, perhaps,
intended for a practical suggestion of thrift,
although in most cases the lesson is likely
to be disregarded. Few people possess the
quality ot economy to an extent, that will
allow them to join Shylock in his "boast of
ability to make coins breed.
A large number of these mementoes strug
gle into the hands ol New York' money
changers, whose locations give them daily
opportunity of dealing with emigrant ar
rivals. While speaking of this fncident in
the business, one broker said: "It used to
give me a pang when some poor fellow or
woman would unwrap a Hime-smoothened
pieceof foreign money or remove a perforated
one from a chain or faded strip of ribbon,
and tearfully offer it for sale or exchange.
Bnt one soon loses sentiment iu this busi
ness, and in a matter-of-fact "way, I simply
pay tor the weight of most of such odds and
ends as you see heaped in that tray. I've
had cases wherein persons who had struck
prosperity have returned after a long time to
see it their keepsakes could be identified
and recovered, but the crucible of the Assav
Office had generally put them beyond hope.1'
Nine out of ten ot the devotees of these
little gods would decline the use of safe
deposit boxes or bank vaults, believing as
they do that the luck or charm chances of
the object only become potent by personal
contact.
MEMBER OF CONGRESS SPANKED.
He la do Small His Wife Took Him tor One
of Her Naughty Sons.
Hew York Tribune.:
A curious story is told at the Capitol at
the expense of a member ot' Congress, who,
whilejof no small caliber intellectually, has
not been blessed with an abundance of
avoirdupois. He has a wife whojs much
taller than he is and who lBnlso well-known
to her children as a strict disciplinarian.
One evening, so the story goes, she heard a
noise in the nursery after bedtime. She
promptly seized her slipper and started for
the scene of the uproar. Just as she reached
the door the children extinguished the
light. Stretching out her hand she captured
one of the boys, and to judge from the out
cries he made the spanking was thoroughly
effective. But the mother was somewhat
surprised at the conduct of the second suf
ferer. Instead of sobbing, he yelled protes
tations iu a strong voice, and at last swore
roundly. The mother, astonished, jumped
up, and letting him fall from her knee to the
floor exclaimed tenderly:
"Is that you, hubby?"
Overwhelmed with confusion he admitted
that it was her "hubby" she had been
spanking. After they had retired amid the
muffled laughter of the children, who were
trying to restrain it by stuffing pillows into
their months, explanations followed. He,
too, had heard the noise and'with the same
object in view as his wife had gone to the
nursery, where he had been caught by his
spouse.
Hereafter he vows that he will.allow his
wife to discipline theohildren unaided.
LUCK OF THE MINERS.
Peculiar Inclination That Led One to 868,
OuO Worth ot.KuKeeta.
St, Louis Globe-Democrat.
While in Southern California recently I
found that there were many men working
singly in placer mines under most adverse
circumstances, and obtaining very small
renumeration tor their toil.- Some of them
succeeded in washing out but $2 or $3 worth
of gold dust per day, while a few of them
occasionally washed out as high as $10 worth
per day. Many of them remain a very shore
time iu the diggings, but others work away
year alter year in. the hope of striking it-
rich some day.
r They tell a story of one man who, after
working iu the place for years, suddenly
conceived the idea of digging under a huge
rock, over which a stream of clear water
was tailing, where he was Jn the habit of
slacking his thirst, and after digging a sort
of tunnel six or eight feet inward,, he was
rewarded by the discovery' of a pocket of
nuggets from which he took out fo'8,000
worth of gold.
THE OTHER CAR BIT HIM.
Rough TJance an Omaha Sinn Got for Lis
tening; to the Conductor.
Omaha World-Herald.
A rather funny incident occurred on
Sixteenth and Dodge streets yesterdar. It
was where the motor cars pass, and as a
gentleman alighted the conductor' told him
to look out for the other car. The passenger
did not understand him. He turned around .
and asked: "What did you say?", Just
then the other motor struck him and
knocked him about five feet toward the
curbstone on the opposite side of the street
from where he wanted to go. As he got up
and rubbed the bruised spots he was .heard
to mutter, "I wonder what that iool said. "
'NEW WAX TO KILL RATS.
Coax Tbem to Eat Plaster of Paris and Then
Give Them' Water.
St. James Gazette. 1
The Laccadivo Islands. have been attacked
by a plague of rats, which destroyed the
cocoanut plantations and reduced the isl
anders to a condition of destitution. It has
been suggested to the 'Madras Government
that it should deal with the -plague by the
plaster of Paris cure. Powdered plaster is
sprinkled on boiled rice. The rats which
eat this become tbirsty.and when they drink
the plaster hardens and kills them. This
plan is at least free from the danger to
human life which attends the use of arsenic
PITTSBURG 4 DISPATCH,
CLARA BELLE'S CSAT.
Fifth Avenue Little Folks, Like Their
Mammas, Are on Stilts.
AS HANDSOME ASEIRLE BELLEWr
Comedian Crane's Better Half Looks After
His Material Welfare.
FROLICS OF JOLLI ATHLETIC GIRLS
tCOnitlSFONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH.
New York, February 22.
TILTS! The
wealthy women of
Fifth avenue are on
them, socially, all
the time. But it is
a new, sudden and
literal fact that the
youngsters of that
famous thoroughfare
are walking on stilts.
Who can tell how
whims of diversion
are engendered in
children or adults?
I simply chronicle
the fact that the lit
tle sons and daugh
ters of millionaires
are now to be seen
on stilts. It will
not last long. Fifth
avenue is not sacred
to the McAllisters
tand pretty soon the
McGintys will put on
stilts for an invasion.
UlThen the "exclu-
sives" will he called
in by their mothers. The swell woman
doesn't like to do what her poorer sisters
are doing. For instance, the former will
not promenade the avenue. If they wish to
walk for exercise, they will order up a car
riage, ride to the entrance of Central Park,
and take their pedestrianisni along the
cemented paths, and afterward return home
on wheels. The latest striking exhibition
of this desire to separate themselves from
the multitude was their treatment of this
year's charity ball. f They purchased
tickets as liberally as usual, but either tore
them up or gave them to less pretentious
persons, and themselves went to a small and
elegant ball which had been purposely dated
for the same night. In such ways the
matrons of the avenue walk metaphorically
on stilts.
THE LADIES WORSHIP HIM.
The girls must inevitably have a stage
favorite to rave about, and now that Kxyle
Bellew is in the antipodes all the buds and
not a few of the blossoms are blooming with
affection for Beichmann, the great baritone
at the Metropolitan Opera House. If is en
tertaining to watch the grand circle of
boxes during an opera night just to see how
they become stirred with emotion when the
favorite singer 'appears, and then imme
diately revert to passiveness when his stal
wart form takes itself from view. After
every song the theater becomes a veritable
snowstorm of handkerchiefs, and the most
sedate maidens can scarcely restrain them
selves from joining in the loud roar
of approval that goes up from
the stalls. It is another instance
of physical beauty consummating
the victory that au excellent vocal art
begins. Bnt the interesting part of it all is
that the adored singer is totally indifferent
to feminine admiration. Under no circum
stance does he take any notice ot the in
numerable attention that the more indiscreet
of the girls venture to bestow upon him. and
persistently reluses to meet them even
though they languish for one' glance from,
his handsome eyes. This remarkable habit
arises' from organic and not sentimental
causes, the singer being rather annoyed than V
otnerwise Dy lemale society. UI all the girls
that worship at his shrine none is so un
fortunately infatnated as a very young lady
living on Murray Hill who formed a violent
attachment for him on
THE VERY FIRST NIGHT
of the opera season, and who has since then
ruined the peace of her family and friends
by her wild passion for the cold and unre
sponsiveinger. Not only does she haunt
the neighborhood where a glimpse of him
may he caught, but she has even broken her
engagement with a very worthy young man,
giving as an excuse that only one man
exists for her now and that is the German
baritone. It is & noticeable fact that the
old theory that a tenor voice arouses "aH
woman s ardor to an uncontrollable pitch is
overthrown this year, for the' German tenor,
with his famous high C, is not in the race
with the baritone, who conquers with his
dimples and his tropical eyes.
Do not let me convey the idea that Fifth
avenue is a thoroughfare of frivolity alto
gether. I seek out the humor of the swells.
But there is plenty of worthy sedateness
there. The recent withdrawal of Mrs. Cor
nelius J. Yanderbilt Irom a ball at 11:55
o'clock on a Saturday night, so as not to
break the Sabbath by so much as a traction
of an hour, was a casual reminder that she
is an earnest and sincere Christian. As
much can be said of many, it not a majority,
of the leaders in this section of society.
Bear this in mind, if you please, when you
are reading my accounts of the concurrent
friskiness. Good qualities in plenty accom
pany those which may sometimes seem too
careless.
CRANE'S VIGILANT PARTNER.
William H. Crane, the actor, who is just
earning so much money that he hardly
knows what to do with it, may owe part of
his success to his wife, who manages him
with a hand which, while'it is highly prized
by the comedian, is none the less resolute
and dictatorial. Crane enjoys an occasional
toddy on there cool winter nights and he is
allowed just one by his vigilant spouse. At
one of the actor's symposiums recently, just
after Mrs. Crane had protested emphatically
against the second toddy, conversation
turned on the subject of money-making and
someone observed that Mr. Crane must be
making as much out pf his new play as ho
and Bobson made together iu the best run
ot "The Henrietta."
"And now that you don't have to share
with Bobson you must naturally make
double as much as you did belore," said the
visitor.
"Oh, no," replied Crane. "I have a part
ner still who takes a good deal more than
Bobson a share."
"Why, who is it?" was asked.
"Mrs. Crane," was the reply. "I get my
board and clothes, just as I always have. I
have one of those rainy day wives. It
wouldn't do a bit of good if I earned 10 times
what I do now. I would only -have good
living and a fur-lined overcoat to remind
me that I was any more prosperous than
when I played Le Blanc at$50 a week."
Four New York men who were present
complimented Mrs. Crane. "You are not a
New Yorker by birth." said one. "If you
were your husband would be bemoaning
your extravagance."
-A BAND OF MYSTERIOUS GIBLS.
In the long list of clubs in this city is one
composed of single women, for the most part
youcg girls, that is worthy of mention.
Each member wears a handsome seal ring
bearing the letters, "M. M. I. S." No one
except the members knows the legend indi
cated by these letters, but it is surmised
that "Marriageable MenlSeek" would not
be far Irom the true interpretation. The
surmiseis strengthened by scraps of conver
sation occasionally overheard when several
of the .members are together, It behooves
vonng' men to look well to their ways, for
the '5M. M. L S." girls are sharp and in
dead' earnest, as this bit of talk, caught
when they were too busy to notice that a
listener was near, sufficiently shows:
Oh, say girls, you know Jack "
'Yes, indeed, handsome Jack."
as
vy f r 1
jj -u" "
"SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
"Well, no, not handsome Jack, if 'hand
some is that handsome does. His record
has been looked up with a deal of trouble.
He boards at a fourth-rate house, and has a
dingy room in the attic; there isn't a bath
tub in the house; onions and cabbage, etc.,
perfume the whole place. Yet he dresses
expensively and yon know what a fine horse
he has, and those'lovelj dogs "
THIS SETTLES HANDSOME JACK.
"Oh. he rides divinelyl"
"Wait a bit. He owns nothing in this
world but his clothes, that horse, his ring
and dogs, and those he got by pinching him
self in lunches and dinners. He hides him
self in that boarding house lor the sake of
making a display on the street.
"Oh!" "Ob!" Ohl" in chorus; then
"what shall we do with him, girls, what but
strike off his name?"
Bach girl, thereupon, brings out a dainty
book with the mystic monogram, "M. M. I.
S." on the covers, and handsome Jack's
name is scored by heavy black marks in
every one of them. Then lists and notes are
compared, and one lucky fellow's name goes
down on the books because it is found that
being determined to go through Yale, and
his old curmudgeon of a father refusing to
give him a dime, he is putting himself
through and actually does his own cooking,
But one sly girl whispers: "He is the heir,
you know, and his father is a millionaire
two or three times over. '
So the impression on the listener is that
the dear creatures are not wholly above mer
cenary motives. That they mean business
is evident at all events.
GAY ATHLETIC! GIRLS.
The athletic girls, however, are the girls
that garner lun, as the bee gathers honey, by
"improving each shining hour." and when
the hour retuses to shine for walks or rides
or outdoor gams, improve it all the. same
with various devices lor exercise and frolic.
A grounf "Jolly Girls," as they call them
selves, gathered one wet day in an up-towu
mansion whose young daughter has a suite
of rooms fitted up to suit her especial tastes.
Of course they are as charming as her
charming self, but one o! them, the largest
and loftiest, might be mistaken at first for
her brother's room. Its furniture is all of
the sort dear to the heart of the athlete, and
such trophies as are won in athletic games
hang on the walls, in fact there is nothing
in the room to suggesfa feminine owner to
one of old-fashioned ideas of the truly fem
inine except its exquisite neatness and
order. To this room the Jolly Girls gravi
tated as naturally as the humming bird to a
sweet pea blossom where by some deft dis
robing they soon stood in
THE SUITS OP GYMNASTS.
They were all college graduates, as you
would have guessed could you have seen
their performances on bars and ropes and
spring-board. When the mn had subsided
somewhat into a breathing spell, the young
hostess and her chum disappeared with an
air of importance and mystery that excited
the curiosity they intended it should and
helped intensify the sensation they made
when they reappeared. One was arrayed in
rose pink and the other in robin's-egg-blue
silk tights. On their heads drawn down
closely to the brows, covering every spear of
hair were silk caps matching the tights in
color. The hands were also covered with
thick gloves, and each wore a nnique breast
plate, highly ornamented with figures sup
posed the goddess Minerva in helmet and
plume. Before the "wide-eyed girls could
Bpeak each had chosen a second, had united
on a referee and had taken positions
FOR A BOXING MATCH 1 '
Then followed the "counter" and "cross
counter" and "straight counter," "dodge"
and all the rest of the things, from those im
mense doubled-up fists, and the breast plates
resounded as these same fists battered and
banged and threatened to knock Minerya
and all her host sky high. '
The excitement of the beholders was inde
scribable. Once the contest came to a sud
den pause, for Maud inadvertently gave
Grace a blow on the cheek, and Grace and
her 'second cried "unfair," and "We said
we wouldn't do that, so now!"
Then the girls flocked about the combat
ants, and praised and petted and urged them
to go on. As they posed a second time one
enthusiastic creature cried: "Now, Handle,
do your best,. or I shall lose my pearl
brooch; do your best, dear."
But she did not lose the brooch, nor did
she win its equivalent, for both contestants
tumbled over at the same instant and lay on
me uoor mgiunuusiy lacgmug, neaiea,
flushed and not much the worse for all the
valor expended. But it was glorious fun I
Clara Belle.
A REMARKABLE DECK OF CARDS.
Tho Assortment Picked Up la the Streets by
a Chicago Man.
Chicago Trlbnne.1
frank Damek, a member of the sporting
fraternity of Chicago, has probably the
queerest deck of cards in the world. He
has been 20 years collecting the pack, and
is exceeding proud of it. He first began by
picking up playing cards in the street when
he happened to run across tbem. In this
way he got 15 or more before he began
striking duplicates. Some days he would find
two or three, and then it would be months
before he would see another stray paste
hoard. But he persevered and always kept
his eyes open to add to his strange' collec
tion. In ten years 'he had all but 13 cards neces
sary to complete his deck. In the next
three years he considered himself lucky in
finding all but lour. The missing ones
were the jack of clubs, the deuce of dia
monds, the eight spot of diamonds and the
trey of spades. In the course of another
year he picked up the eight of diamonds,
and six months later was overjoyed to find
'what he at first thought was a full deck of
.cards lying on the sidewalk on Dearborn
street, between Adams and Jackson streets.
He thought that his long search was at an
end and that he could easily complete his
Vonderful deck.
The jack of clubs and the trey of spades
were all right, but five or six cards were
missing, and among them the deuce of dia
monds. It seemed as though he would
never be able to secure his fifty-second card,
but the other day he y entered one ot the
suburban trains on the Northwestern, and
almost the first thing he saw was the deuce
of diamonds face upward in the aisle. It
was gilt-edged and glossy backed, the finest
of them all. He had been searching for it
for 5 years, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The pack is composed of cards of all quali
ties, irom the cheapest to the highest priced.
Some are clean ana bright and others are
soiled and well orn.
BOOM IN RITER TRAFFIC.
)
A Reaction Against tho Railroads Thought
to be Setting In.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
There will be a revival of the steamboat
interests inside of the next year or two. For
many years past the commerce of the coun
try has been favoring the railroads, and the
railroads have also been highly favored by
legislation. But the present matters
will surely be a reaction in the river traffic.
The Legislative assemblies are taking
more interest in the matter now than they
have done for years past. The river im
provement service is being reuodeled, and
is attaining a greater degree of perfection.
The commercial world is showing more of a
disposition to favor the river trade, as in
many cases it has" been badly treated by the
railroad companies. There will be a decided
changefor the betteriu the river traffic, and
it will begin soon.
Nerroas Exhaustion.
New York Scottish-American.
There is no better prevention of nervous
exhaustion than regular, unhurried muscu
lar exercise. If we could moderate our
hurry, lessen our weary, and increase our
open air-exercise, a large proportion of nerv
ous diseases would be abolished. For those
who cannot get a sufficient holiday the hest
substitute Is an occasional day in bed.
Many whose nerves are constantly strained
in their daily avocation have discovered
this for themselves.
23;
18$6.
ON THE MAGDALENA.
Strange Things to be Seen in the
United States of Colombia.
FLEAS, MOSQUITOES AND NATIVES.
Tast Tracts of the Finest Land That May
bo Had for the Asking.
BIG FORTUNES IN TOE ALLIGATORS
tCOBBESrOJTDEKCK OpnB DISPATCH.
Barranquilla, Colombia, January
17. Though distant from New York scarcely
2,000 miles, this northernmost Bepublic of
the Southern continent Is less known to the
world than the heart of Africa; and its 300-year-old
capital fs almost as difficult of
access. Until recently there has been no
communication between the ports of the
United States and those of Colombia, its
nearest neighbor, and to this day there is no
direct way of reaching them.
Some four years ago an English company
established a line of steamers between New
York and the mouth of the Magdalena
river (the great fluvial highway to Colom
bia's interior), by which two trips per
month are made; but the vessels go first to
several West India ports, consuininglS days
in the voyage to Colombia. Three times a
month the Pacific Mail steamers leave New
York for Aspinwall; and at'the latter place
one may always find a steamer under almost
any flag but the Stars and Stripes, which
will stop at the Carribean ports on its way
to Europe.
But when you have reached this point,the
journey to Colombia's capital has hardly
begun. Before you is a snort railroad ride
to Barranquilla, and then 280 miles by boat
up the river to Honda, near the head of
navigation occupying irom 10 to 30 days,
according to the time of year; and from
Honda to Bogota, the capital city, though
only a distance ot 70 miles, is the worst part
of the trip, requiring at least four days on
mule-back, over sky-piercing sierras.
NO GOOD HARBORS.
Colombia possesses no harbor worthy the
name those of Aspinwall and Panama be
ing the best. Besides the last named inse
cure and rocky port, there is but one other
on the Pacific side that of Buenaventura,
which has lately been brought into some
degree of prominence. On the Atlantic
coast or, more correctly speaking, on that
of the Carribean sea the only available
shipping place for Colombian commerce is
Sabanilia; both Aspinwall and Panama be
ing merely ports of transit trade, with so
little of local industry that primeval forests
crowd close upon them.
Sabanilia is the most desolate and dirty of
fishing villages, of no consequence what
ever, except lor its hay, which, though
totally inaccessible to large vessels, has been
made to answer the purposes of a seaport,
by a company of enterprising Germans. In
1871 some Bremen gentlemen put lighters
and steam tugs on Sabanilia Bay, for the
benefit of larger vessels that could not come
into it, and laid a line of railroad from the
coast to the old Spanish town of Barran
Quilla, 16 miles inland. The consequence
is that the latter hitherto insignificant vil
lage of hardly 20 houses has suddenly blos
somed outinto the most important city in the
Bepnblic, commercially speaking, with a
population of 25,000, and still growing.
The Custom House is now located in Bar
rauquilla (pronounced Bahr-ran-kiel-ya),
and through it must go all merchandise and
passengers bound lor "up the rivet," or
coming down from Colombia's interior into
the outer world.
NOT A GREEN THING IN SIGHT.
Sabanilia is not situated on the main
land, but on a long and narrow sand-snit
that has formed itself at the mouth of the
river. Its bay is full of sbilting sand-bars
and exposed to the fury of tropical storms.
Not a' green thing grows within sight of
Sabanilia; and nobody lives there but a
miserable colony of cargadores, or boatmen,
and a levr even more degraded saloon
keepers, who absorb all the money the
wretches earn, in exchange for the vilest of
native intoxicants. All up and down the
coasts of South America the cargadores are
necessary evils as there are few places
where vessels can approach the shore
and these of Colombia are mostly Canary
Islanders, with a liberal sprinkling of low
class Italians, and a few Chinamen. Their
palm-thatched huts are filthy beyond de
scription, but uot more so than the occu
pants men and women more than half
unclothed, and their numerous offspring
entirely so.
There is not a drop of fresh water in the
place; all that is used being brought in
canoes from a point about eight miles up
the river. Yet the water business is not
brisk, though retailed by the dipperfull, for
a very small quantity serves for the meager
cooking ot the aahanillans; while cheap
liquor (dear at any price) is the universal
beverage. Even less is used for lavatory
purposes, fresh or salt, though the wide
ocean, rolling up to their doors, furnishes
as fine bathing facilities as can be found in
any quarter of the globe. Indeed, the rjeo-
ple seem to entertain a hydrophobic terrorof
water in any form; and the pig-tailed Celes
tial who runs the only laundry in the place,
looks like a sad case of slow starvation.
ROBBERS AND FLEAS.
Woe unto the luckless traveler who is
compelled to stay over night in Sabanilla's
alleged hotell Murder and robbery are of
common occurrence. But even were the
Sabanillans angels in disguise the place
would be intolerable on account of excessive
heat and swarming fleas. Were it not for
the ocean breezes that constantly sweep
across the desolate sand-spit, blowing up
the sand in blinding, clouds, no human
being could abide thereon. At every step
in its pavementless streets you sink ankle
deep into the burning sand, every infinites
imal grain of which is loaded with a flea,
whose sting is like the puncture of a red
hot needle. Abont the only industrious cit
izens I have found so far in South America
are "the wicked fleas." In five minutes
time tbey will completely blacken your
hose and cover your garments inside and
out; nor cease Irom troubling until you are
tattooed from head to foot like a South Sea
Islander. ,
Baranquilla is by all odds the most modern
town iu Colombia unless it may be Aspin
wall having many handsome houses and
a considerable foreign colony. Some of the
principal merchants of the Bepublic live
here, most of them Germans, who maintain
considerable style and entertain with gener
ous hospitality, although living is uncom
monly high.
ITS MILITARY IMPORTANCE.
Commanding, as it does, the only outlet
from the interior, this New York of the Car
ibbean coast is of no small consequence,
from a military as well as a commercial
standpoint, and a considerable garrison is
maintained here. Unlike most South
American ports, Baranquilla has au excel
lent wharf. Several steamship companies
are running vessels on the Magdalena, two
of thm, I believe, operated by United
States capital. The principal line, however,
is German, with half a dozen or more small
steamers, varying from SO to 200 tons. Dur
ing the last political upheaval all the river
boats were seized by the insurgents and
those not tied np ordestroyed were metamor
phosed into effective men-of-war by simply
covering their sides with corrugated iron,
mounting small cannon upon the decks and
filling the cabins with sharpshooters.
The great river itself is a natural curi
osity, traversing the whole country from
south to north, draining an enormous area
of mountains covered with perpetual snow
and forming the sole outlet for seven Col
ombian states. Its water is as muddy as
the Missouri and as swift as the Mississippi,
which it greatly resembles. So strong is its
yellow tide and so full of sediment that it
will not mix readily with the salt water of
the sea, but can be distinctly traced for
manv miles. In some places it is scarcely
100 feet wide, in others 8 or 10 miles. IU
channel, having never been well cleared, is
full of snags, sandbars and floating logs,
making the pilot's position by no means a
sinecure.
LIKE OUR OTVN BOATS.
The boats are mostly built like, those In
use on the Ohio river, with a paadle-wheel
in the rear, and draw only a loot or two
of water even when laden to their utmost
capacity, or otherwise they could never get
over the sandbars. During the rainy sea
son the swollen current is so swiftandstrong
that progress is necessarily very slow; but
when the moon is bright the boats are kept
in motion both night and day. At other
times they can run only by daylight and
must "tie up" every nig'hl. They generally
run aground a few times during every trip
and then it requires from two days to a
week before they can be pulled off and set in
motion again, thus rendering the date of
one's arrival at the journey's end one of the
most uncertain things iu this uncertain
world.
If you wish to murder your worst enemy
by the most diabolical form of torture that
the imagination can conceive, jnst persuade
him to make a trip up the Magdalena river
at the height of the mosquito season sans
netting, veil, or other protection! The
locality it infested with the biggest that
ever buzzed. All the officers and deckhands-
wear thin veils and long buckskin
gloves both night end day; and yet, some
how, the enemy seems to come off more or
less victorious. The mosquitoes come in
clouds that literally obscure the sky, and
the sound of their humming is like the noise
of a sawmill. It is an actual fact that cat
tle and horses are frequently tormented to
'death by them. I am told that, not long
ago, a herd ot valuaoie cattle, which were
being imported from the United States to a
rancho np the river, becoming perfectly
frantic after a week of untold agony, broke
from their fastenings, dashed overboard, and
all were drowned.
A CHANCE FOR THE EMIGRANT.
The great valley of the Magdalena, ex
tending from the Caribbean coast to the
equator, varies in width from 100 to 150
mile?, narrowing to a point as it nears the
confines of Ecuador. It embraces a region
of inexhaustible resources, much of it over
grown with primeval forests, among whose
gigantic growths may be found a great
diversity of building "timber, besides the
choicest cabinet and dye woods, and a tropi
cal profusion of gum-producing and medici
nal plants. The river'slowervallejr is one vast
alluvial plain, which, like the Nile region,
is subject to periodical overflow. For 300
miles the most magnificent grazing lands
stretch away on either side, which are cov
ered with cattle during most of the year.
until just before the floods that follow the
rainy season, when they are driven dp into
the mountains. Wherever the. land has
been cultivated it shows surprising fertility,
and the overflow might easily be controlled
and turned into a blessing, by a system of
dykes similar to those in use on the lower
Mississippi. Those iuclined to emigrate
need not wrestle for standing room at
Okolomoma among a multitude of crazy
squatters when here are vast tracts of the
richest land in the world, to be had for the
asking.
Years ago there were profitable planta
tions, worked by negroes, all up and down
the middle valley; but alter the emancipa
tion of slavery, in 1858, the estates were
abandoned. It seems that the Spaniards
and Indians cannot endure hard labor in
this climate, and neither love nor lucre
could induce the ex-slaves to do a stroke ot
it. To-day the once rich plantations show
no traces of former cultivation, being com
pletely overgrown with the riotous vegeta
tion of the tropics; while the negroes them
selves have relapsed into a state of semi
barbarism. It is the same old story true ot
every part of the world where
THE BANANA AND THE BLACK MAN
flourish spontaneously side by side. The
negroes of this section are becoming consid
erably mixed with Indian, Latin and even
Anglo-Saxon blood, so that blue eyes, fair
skins and even red wool is not uncommon
among them. They lead most happy-go-lucky
existence, subsisting upon the fruits
that grow wild in wonderful profusion and
such accommodating rub as will nibble at a
bit of bacon on a hook, suspended from the
branch or a tree, at whose other end lies a
sleepy negro, flat on his face in the sun.
Alligators in some places literally line the
banks. The boats are always followed by a
school of them, probably in hope of a meal,
each seeming to say in the language of the
nursery tale monster:
Fee, ft. foo. 1 nm !
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
And, dead or alive, I will have some.
What a rare field is this for the alligator
hunter I Considering the value of the skins
and the enormous demand for them in the
manufacture of shoes, satchels, etc., the
wonder grows why some thrifty Yankee
has not bethought himself that fortunes lie
in the exhaustless crop.
No tongue or pen can describe the beauty
of sunrise and sunset in this latitude, when
seen from the river boats. There are tall,
gray and white storks, standing silent and
motionless, in the traditional one-leg atti
tude, on bits ot floating log, watching for
fish. There are the big gray-blue herons,
and sometimes white ones, and clumsy
pelicans, which, oy the way, invariably ny
Irom south to north in the morning, never
by any chance or circumstance turning
toward another point of the compass. And
then about 5 o'clock P. 21. home tbey go
again, every mother's son of them, flying in
a straight line from north to south, one be
hind another.
SCENE3 ALONG THE SHORE.
There are miles of banana groves now
mostly stripped of leaves by the locusts,
that have been doing great damage through
out the country; and there is the papaw, the
guayacon, the tamarind, the papaya, the
mango, whose lucious fruit perfumes the air,
enormous gourd trees and the "holy tree,"
which grows to a tremendous height and
has a single cluster of flowers growing away
at the top, in which live great numbers of
ants. Brown and black monkeys swing
from their branches, and splendidly dressed
macaws, with ruddy-brown and black feath
ers and long scarlet tails, fly screaming at
our approach.
Two or three times a day we stop at some
little village forfreightand fuel, wheie half
naked negroes come on board, selling
strangely carved spoon and bottles made of
long-necked gourds, flowers, fruits, chick
ens, eggs, etc. The women seem to do all the
business in these places, and to carry all the
burdens, the men being simply ornamental.
The universal dress of the latter consists of
nothing but a pair of breeches striped red
and white, reaching to the knees, leaving
the wearer bare above and below; while the
women perambulateinlow-necked,sIeeveless,
short and scanty gowns of purple calico.
But however lovely these riverside ham
lets may appear from afar, with their bamboo
walls'and thatched roofs shaded with cocoa
palms and broad-leaved bananas, a nearer
approach disclosed filth and squalor, in the
midst of which black pigs and variously
colored babies roll about together.
Fannie B. Ward.
A TREAT FOR THE GAMINS.
Charity That Costs Little, bnt Makes Many
Little Folks Happy.
Chicago Tribune.
A Washington street man who controls a
cafe has done a good thing for the street
gamins. The Washington street man has a
large trade, and as be has his own pies,
cakes, buns, biscuit, and bread baked every
morning fresh he makes "it a rule not to
carry over any stock. He accordingly an
nounced that he would dispose of whatever
was left over every evening at 730 o'clock
to the newsboys and newsgirls for a mere
song. If a boy has only a penny he will be
served bountifully.
There is no scale of prices. Every fellow
gets something. The boy with a basket who
has saved up a quarter gets a load, enough
to last several days. The sight about the
cafe-at the hour mentioned is an interesting
one. Every face beams with satisfaction.
The little newsgirls are treated with a po
liteness by the boys which is charming.
The girls get the firstshow and are never
crowded out of line. The eager crowd sel
dom goM aw? disappointed.
HARRISBUK& GOSSIP.
The Daily Life of Old Simon Camer
on's Favorite Grandson.
IS OP A CORPORATION LAWYER,
Survivors of tha Charge of tha light
Brigade at Balaklava.
FORTUNES 0P AS OLD TIME ACTOR
rC0B2XSF0:rDE3CS or THE SISrATCB.1
Harrisbtrg, February 22. James Mc
Cormick Cameron is the only son of tha
senior United States Senator Irom Pennsyl
vania. He occupies the elegant residence at
Front anil State streets, which commands a
fine view ot one of the most picturesque and
beautiful stretches of scenery along the Sus
quehanna river. His housekeeper is His
sister, Miss Mary Cameron, who takes a
great interest in her brother's welfare.
While possessing all the accomplishments
she seems to derive more pleasure from
locking alter young Cameron's comfort hero
than in the gaiety of Washington society.
"Jim," as his more intimate friends call
him, was graduated from Harvard College
two or three years ago, and after riding all
the way to Harrisburg on horseback, ha at
once settled down to the serious business of
life. There is no foolishness in his make
up, and his quiet demeanor is sometime!
mistaken by those who meet him only occa
sionally for taciturnity; bnt those who know
him best speak in warm praise ot the young
man's admirable qualities of mind and
heart.
Senator Cameron is largely interested ia
the great McCormick estate, which repre
sents millions of dollars in iron mills and
other industries, and his son has set about
acauiring a practical knowledge of the iron
business. He is identified with the Paxton
mill in this city as assistant manager.
General Cameron during his life mani
fested a special fondness for this grandson,
and oiten spoke of the young man's good
sense, a quality which the venerable states
man and diplomat admired above all
others. As an evidence of General Cam
eron's partiality for the bov it may be noted
that he left the old homestead at Donegal to
bim. Young Cameron is understood to hava
no political ambition whatever. When ten
dered the presidency of one of the leading
Bepublican clubs last fall he declined with
thanks. In appearance he is rather like his
father, and may be called haudsome. He is
about 2C years old, and cares little) for so
ciety. Marlin E. Olmsted, of this city, is re
garded as one of the most successful cor
poration lawyers In Pennsylvania. Ha
numbers among his clients such aggrega
tions of capital as the American Bell Tele
phone Company, the Lehigh Valley Bail
road Company, scores of electric light and
railroad companies and other corporations
with immense financial backing. Yet a few
years ago along about 1870 he was only a
clerk iu the Auditor General's Department
aba moderate salary, and with prospects no
brighter than thousands of other poor
clerks. He quit the Auditor General's De
partment about 1875 and began the study of
law under Judge Simonton, now on the
bench of Dauphin county. When Judga
Simonton ceased practicing to don tha
judicial ermine his partner became heir to
his corporation clientage. To-day Olmsted
is a rich man, his wealth being variously
estimated at about 8150,000 to $250,000. Ha
is unmarried and exceedingly popular.
A little old man, bent under his burden of
years and sorrows, maybe seen upon tha
streets of Harrisburg, a basket of matches
on his arm and a stout cane in his hand,
eking out a precarious existence. Mark
Blitz is a match peddler; hut was not alway
one. His has been a career fnli of adven
ture and vicissitude. Born in Amsterdam,
Holland, in 1813, his parents moved to Lon
don when he was 3 years and a half old. Ia
1826 he came to the United States; he be
came an actor of some distinction and sup
ported the elder Booth. Scott and nearly all
the old actors, appearing in Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Bichmond. Blitz was born
an Israelite, but a few years ago he re
nounced that faith and joined a Lutheran
church in this city. In 1810 he was married
in City Point,Va., but his wife died atBich
mond'in 1857 and none of the four children
of this union are now living. At City Point
he entered into the hotel business and con
tinued it until 1854, when bis hostelrie was
destroyed by fire. Previously a steamer on
the Mississippi river on which he was a pas
senger sank and he losia package containing
84,500, barely saving his life by jumping oa
a, bale of cotton and swimming ashore.
After the hotel at City Point was destroyed
he opened one at Petersburg. Ta., which
became a popular resort. In 1857 he had ao
cnmnlated a fortune of $40,000, but tha
panic of that year left him penniless. His
reminiscences of the stage are particularly
interesting.
One of "the heroes of the "tragedy mada
famous by Tennyson's "Charge of the Light
Brigade" lives at the corner of Front and
Mulberry streets, in this city, a few doors
from the home of the late General Cameron.
His name is James Fletcher. Like most
stndents of history he could never under
stand why the English brigade was ordered
to make the charge against such fearful
odds. He believes it was nothing short of
premeditated murder upon tha part of
the commanding officer. He knows of
but one other survivor in this
country who is said to live ia
Allentown. There are less than a dozea
survivors of the famous charge living to
day. Fletcher is a native of Preston, En
gland, and while yet in his teens, enlisted
in the Third Battalion, grenadiers, which;
was stationed in London and at "Windsor
Castle. He not only participated iu the charge
at Balaklava, but was also present at tha
fall of Sebastopol. With others he received
medals for bravery. At the breaking out
of our War of the Rebellion he enlisted ia
the navy, and served one year on the Ber
muda. Later he enlisted in Colonel Stew
art's regiment, the Thirteenth Pennsylvania
Volunteer Cavalry, and served with great
credit to the close of the war. During all
his service as a soldier Fletcher was not
once seriously wounded. At Alma a small
piece of shell made a flesh wound in tha
right leg, and this is the only scar he carries.
He was 63 years old, and is still a compara
tively vigorous man. He was never married.
He may be found every day running a ma
chine at the Chesapeake Nail Works.
Another Crimean soldier who fought under
the English flag, and subsequently beneath
the Stars and Stripes in this country, is Col
onel William Livsey, the present Stata
Treasurer of Pennsylvania. While not ia
the charge at Balaklava, his experiences ia
the wars are very interesting. E. J. S.
1HS. 5EXT PRESIDENT.
A Wager of Two Thousand to Two Hundred
nnd Fifty on Bab Lincoln.
Chicago Trlbnne.2
Colonel Joseph K. Bickey, of Callaway
county, Mo., is a hard man to bluff. Tha
other day a Chicago capitalist who ha'd
come to Washington as a World'sair
boomer advanced the proposition thatjjha
could name the next President foic.
sideratioD, of course. ASK
"For how much?" asked ColoneliBickeyi
"For 8250 against 82,000," saldltfea.
boomer. "SfsK"
"I'll take it. Name the man," said Colo
nel Bicker.
"Bobert T. Lincoln," was tha reply.
The bet stands. If Mr. Lincoln la elected
President in 1892 Mr. Bickey loses 82,000.
If he isn't Mr. Lyon-loses 8250., This is
probably tha initial wager oa tha campaiza
of 1892.
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