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him and his opinions with exaggerated def
erence. His information, however, was val
uable, and I jotted down iu my notebook
his description of the murdered woman.
Here it is verbatim: "A young
woman about 20 years old, height 5 feet
3 inches, hair Ions and light, almost
flaxen; bine "eyes, very white skin, small
hands and feet, teeth small and periect,
body well nourished and plump. On her
head a straw hat tied under the chin with a
blue ribbon; dress dark gray of a woolen
material, sort, vet rough to the touch; high
heeled French tid shoes, but covered with
mud, as it the wearer had walked over
boggy ground; hands scratched as if from
contact with the blackberry bushes in which
the body was found."
The doctor also surrendered to me a ring
and a breastpin that he had removed from
the bodv, a stroke of wisdom which he
called "Instinctive." and a "slight evidence
of subjectivity," whatever that inicht mean.
The ring was gold, with a simple bine stone
imbedded in its substance; the breastpin
was of silver, and consisted of two letters
elaborately intertwined. The central letter,
if I may so describe it, was a large around
which was twined a smaller C. As is nsual
with monograms, any number of letters
might be imagined from the combination,
but the two just indicated were undoubted.
These were useful facts to start with; but
before hunting down the criminal I deter
mined to visit the ground of the tragedy,
the good doctor acting as my guide. "Ye
walked toward a dense mass of blackberry
bushes, on one side of which, toward the
cast, was a mass of congealed blood. In
this direction and for a certain distance the
grass was pressed down, and it required no
very strong imagination to detect a rough
outline of a human being in the pressed
down stems of grasses and goldenrods. A
short distance away I lay down in the
frass and produced a similar impression,
may say that in this particular spot the
grass" was over two feet high. Toward the
north, leading away from this depression,
was a lane running through the grass
toward the wharf. In the doctor's opinion
in had been caused by some one dragging
the victim, heels on the ground, toward the
water. The theory was probable, but I re
served my decision.
I closely studied the blackberry bushes,
end was rewarded by discovering fragments
of two distinct materials. One was a small
quantity ot a dark gray woolen stuff, which
the doctor immediately recognized as a part
of or similarto the dress the murdered woman
wore. The other was of finer texture and
blackin color, and was not recognized by the
doctor. This was all the blackberry bushes
revealed.
Ve then directed onr footsteps toward a
group of poplar trees surrounning a pond;
a deserted, fungus-covered wooden house at
once attracted my attention as offering a very
useful temporary hiding place for the mur
derer. Passing by the "pond" on our
way to the house I saw at a glance that it was
little more than a mass of tenacious mud.
The doctor told me that at times this mud
was covered two or three feet deep with very
clear water, and that at other times it was
nothing more than so much nostril irritat
ing dust. There were the imprints
of footsteps in this mud leading down
to a small pool of water in the center
of the depression. The impressions
were in places plainly marked, and were of
two forms one large and broad, the other
small and slender, suggesting that a
man and woman had visited the spot. The
doctor affirmed from personal knowledge
that on the morning before, near noon.'a
portion of the ground now indented with
the impression ot feet was covered with
water. It therefore follows that the im
prints were made after noon of the preced
ing day.
The house was a wretched, moldy little
building, rotted from ioundation to roof; it
'was only one story high, and was divided
into two rooms, bnt the partition had fallen
down and rank weeds indifferently invaded
what had been sitting room and kitchen. In
what I call the "kitchen," on account of a
length of rusty stovepipe lying in one cor
ner, the grass and weeds were pressed down
as if a weighty body had rested on them,
there was a weather-stained, battered man's
straw hat, which may or may not have been
connected with the case under consideration.
I appropriated it on principle withont be
lieving in its value. I also found here a
woman's glove, fresh, almost new, and per
fumed, and also a small paper bundle con
taining a slice of bread and a piece of cheese.
The paper was the fragment of a newspaper
printed, as I afterward discovered, on the
day before. The doctor told me that a val
uable solitaire diamond earring had also
been found in this unlikely place, and
was awaiting my orders.
A most careful examination revealed lit
tle else of a compromising nature. Human
beings had recently visited the deserted
house; that was evident; that wa all. The
place would be worth a more exhanstive ex
amination, and I intended to return to it
at some future time; for the moment I had
seen enough.
Eeturning by the way of the pond, I
cgain examined the imprints of footsteps,
and fonnd them more numerous than I had
at first imagined. I was induced to go over
the ground again on remembering tbat in
his narrative the doctor had told me that on
the night before he had sent two of his
friends in this direction, and it seemed to
me that the footprints mighthave been made
by them. I now carefully measured the
more distinct of the impressions, and ob
tained tour distinct measurements, among
which one undoubtedly was made bv a
woman. At this point the doctor informed
me that he had lound a shoe on the wharf,
which he thought belonged to the murdered
woman. Whether the conclusion were true
or false, I determined to compare it with my
measurements at the earliest opportunity.
Etill walking around the pond I discoveaed
on one of the bent down leaves of a bulrush
a stain sucgestive of blood. I cut off the leaf,
determined to study it at leisure with the
assistance of the doctor and his microscope.
The Jong ribbon leaf of the bnlrush bad
been bent by the wind untilits point touched
the mud. The stain tbat suggested blood
was some seven inches from the point of the
leaf, and, as the doctor suggested, might
have been caused by somebody washing his
bloody bands In the pool of water, and un
consciously allowing a drop to fall on the
leaf. This seemed the more probable ex
planation, as just beside the bent-down leaf,
in the mud, there were very distict impres
sions of the slender high-heeled shoe which
I had already discovered on other portions
of the soft clay surrounding the pond.
About 17 inches bickof the place indicated
there was a birds' nest that had been forci
bly swept off the stem of the bulrush, to
which it had been attached. I say forcibly,
for in the nest I discovered three small half
hatched eggs that had been crushed by a
passing foot, and over our heads flew two
tiny birds that were piteonsly complaining
at the destruction wrought on their promis
ing home. The sight brought the tears to
the good, simple doctor's eyes, and he
wailed the cruelty of humanity.
I found nothing more of importance,
though I traveled round and round the
pond as tireless as a sleuthhound. I deter
mined to pay a second visit to this place
also, as this was bnt a preliminary survey.
The chief point now was to discover the
name ot the murdered and missing woman.
I had her description, and also two articles
of jewelry belonging to her, thanks to the
doctor's foresight. The task did not seem
difficult in this out of the way little place,
where everybody knows everybody else, and
I had no doubt of succeeding. However,
before devoting my attention to the more
doubtfnl human beings, I visited the wharf.
The tide' was out, and a long stretch of
stones, sands and seaweed were before ine,
No body wedged among the rocks, no evi
dence of crime. -The walk out to tbe end of
the wharf -was equally unprofitable. I was
returning when my attention was attracted
to a large rusty hook projecting from one of
the beams of the wharl toward the west.
On this hook was a small piece of some ma
terial that restlessly flnttered in the cold
breeze. After some dangerous climbing I
managed to secure it, and I found it to be
s fragment of a dark gray woolen mate
rial, which the doctor immediately recog
nized as similar to the dress worn by the
murdered woman.
My companion seemed to think that his
theory of the crime was thus completely
vindicated, and lie larded his song of praise
with long German quotations, which pos-
sessed almost as much meaning to me as his
German manner of pronouncing English,
which the good man thought classically per
fect. This theory was that the dead body
had been dragged to the wharf and then
tossed in the water. It was probable, bnt I
preferred to wait until I was in possession
of more facts. To tell the truth, at this
stage of the inquiry I was little interested
in the case, which seemed bungling, com
monplace and easily unraveled. Had I
then suspected all the iniquity and rare
cunning concealed uuder its simple aspect
my excitement would have been at fever
heat I had now gone over the ground of
the crime, and on my way to the hotel I put
the unsuspecting doctor to the pumping pro
cess. By artfnl questions I again tempted
him into giving an elaborate account ot his
investigation of the evening before and of
displaying his knowledge of the lives of the
people who made this unattractive spot
their summer home. He bit eagerly at
the bait, and launched into a long mono
logue, In which facts, philosophy, German,
Greek and "humanity" were jumbled most
delightfully together. He was a fine egotist,
believing in his own superiority to the rest
of the world, bnt his garrnlousness only
strengthened my first impression of him.
His wisdom I don't dispute, my studies
have not led me in his direction; but despite
his vanity he was one of those good-natured
fools that an ordinary child might have
wound around bis finger. He was easily led
to tell all he knew, and it was still easier to
guess all he suspected; but I wisely decided
to have nothing to do with his "cobweb"
theories, and to test his facts for myself.
"While he indulged in an elaborate dis
course, punctuated by astounding grimaces
and wonderful gestures, I made mental notes
of the following items: There wa an eccen
tric old woman named Amelia Glaye who
had forbidden her daughter Bertha to marry
a certain wild young man named Cyril
Durand. Bertha seemingly obeyed the
command, especially as she had opportuni
ties to solace her leisure moments with a
handsome young fellow called Otto Morton.
The old lady, in an unusual burst of activity
had gone out alone on the night
of the murder, and when she
returned her hands were scratched
and she had lost one of her solitaire dia
mond earrings. On her return she was so
intensely excited that the doctor was called.
He visited her to find her unusually calm
and self-possessed. She denied having gone
out, and atso denied having lost an earring.
This phase of human nature completely
astonished the good doctor, who prides him
self on his thorough knowledge of human
nature. He had not gotten over his sur
prise at the moment of speaking, or I am
convinced that he would not have related
this eccentricity of the good lady, whom he
sincerely respected.
I concluded my mental notes, and pro
pounded to myselr the following questions
wbile the doctor was sua voiumy eloquent
over his own superiority to the restof human
nature.
The questions were:
Why had the old woman. Amelia Glave.
broken througb the routine of her life by
going out alone on the night of the murder?
What was the real reason of her refusal to
allow her daughter to receive the attentions
of the wild Cyril Durand?
Had she ever tolerated Cyril Durand's at
tentions to her daughter? She is rich, and
lie is poor. Are money reasons at the base
of the refusal?
She charges Cyril Durand with being
wild. Did he know the murdered woman?
She bitterly charges Cyril Durand with
being wild withthreateningherlife. Was
she in love with the voung man and jealous
of him? Stranger things have happened in
this strange world, and a woman's heart at
50 is still alive to sentiment.
What did she witness on her night journey
that caused her to utter a deliberate false
hood? Is love stronger than jealousy? Is
there content at a rival being removed?
Who is this good young fellow. Otto Jlor
ton, and what is the meaning of his mys
terious phrases? Did he know the dead
woman, and how did he pass his time on the
evening in qnestion?
I set down these questions just as they oc
curred to me, and the. reader will judge
from them that I had formulated no definite
theory of the crime. Certain envious per
sons have criticised my method of conduct
ing this case, and have denied me the right
to bear my well-known nickname of "Lecoq"
Fox. Let the wise reader judge me from
my plain narrative of facts, and as the case
is unfolded let him ass: himself if he would
have acted differently from me. This en
vious malignity deprived me of the position
of Superintendent of Police, to which I had
the right; but it shall not deprive me of
what I hold dearer, my fame and the good
will of my beloved readers, whose judg
ment is always unbiased by prejudices, and
is always right!
I say, then, that I had formulated no
definite theory of the crime, and let me add
that the chief part of this narrative was
written dav by day as my investigation pro
gressed. It was not written after the case
was ended, and its details modified to har
monize with the denouement. I made notes
bour by hour, and the reader accompanies
me hour by hour. What I know now does
not influence my story in the least, and if
my maligners are right, the reader will
bave ample opportunity for deciding or con
futing. At the doctor's invitation I first went to
his cottage, where I was treated to an ex
cellent cold lunch, with fine wine and fine
cigars thrown in. Over the hospitable table
we discussed the case, and I again used my
"Lecoq" cunning in arousing the amusing
egotism of my amiable host. Before leaving
the house, the discoverer brought the soli
taire diamond earring to me, and I had an
opportunity of judging of its rarity and
value. The eccentric old woman must have
been very rich if she could afford to lose a
jewel like this and make no moan. But
then, if she is rich, why did she come to a
wretched, unfashionable place like Eglan
lantine Hill for the summer? As the
doctor would say, the latent possibili
ties of the case were endless. Two
other items detained me for a few minutes.
In the first place, the microscope incontesti
bly proved that the stain on the bulrush leaf
was human blood. Here was one question
definitely answered. In the next place, I
was allowed to study the shoe that had been
discovered on the wharf. It was a woman's
shoe; the kid portion above the heel had
been torn out, probably by being dragged
over the nails on the wharf flooring, and
over the stones, but the sole was intact. It
did not correspond with any of the measure
ments that I had made at the pond. It evi
dently belonged to a woman with a smaller
foot than she who hadwashed her hands in
the muddy pool. This was another point,
small but useful. The doctor Spoke of pro
portion, the old Greeks and the Egyptians,
and attempted, to demonstrate the size
of the women from the size of their feet, but
I had no faith in his theories on this sub
ject, and so I left him to set about the real
work before me. The one subject in my
mind will be discovered from the following
qnestion that now pressed for an answer:
Who was the murdered girl?
That was the first question to be answered.
I bade the doctor farewell, as I did not wish
my mission to be suspected, promising to
meet him again in the evening. I saw a
number of people on the whan fishing, and
I leisurely directed my steps toward them.
I found them, as I expected, talking of the
murder and hazarding opinions as to the
victim and tne causes of the crime. I list
ened from a sense of duty, hoping against
hope, to pick up an item or two of value.
My attention, however, was chiefly directed
toward a handsome, black-haired young
man, who maintained a profound silence
and seemed to be deeply interested in fish
ing, though he had not- baited his line for
the ten minutes I covertly watched him. I
carelessly approached him' and asked with a
fisherman's familiarity: "Any luck?"
"Not for mel" he answered politely, yet
shortly. ' -
"They are bitipg famously over on the
other side," I continued, nodding toward
the ocean side of the sandy spit, and ventur
ing a statement which I knew could not be
disproved.
Getting no answer, I' leaned on the rail
beside him, and, after studying his line for
a moment, said:
"I've just heard that the murderer of the
Tonntr eirl has been found!"
Of course, this iru on of the usual tricks 1
THE
of the trade, but it served its purpose by at
tracting his attention as I desired.
"What is his name?" be asked, turning
that he might stare down at me.
His name! My taciturn friend evidently
had a theory of the crime at least,
"Guess!"
"I am not good at the business."
"I thought you might have a suspicion."
A flush came into his face, and the hand
holding the fishing line trembled a little; but
he said bravely enough:
"I have no snspicion. Who is it?"
"A tramp named Sinker, as far as I can
make it out"
My statement had attracted around me the
amateur fishermen, as I intended, and they
listened to me with the most absorbed atten
tion, the handsome black-haired man alone
seeming to have lost all interest in the sub
ject The curiosity hunters jeered at my an
nouncement of the arrest ot the imaginary
Sinker.
"It is just like the policel" stammered an
old man whose fishing Hue was a piece of
knotted packing cord, "if you tell them a
sculpin has eaten your bait, they'll arrest a
mackerel for it Have they found out who
the woman is?"
"No," I answered, the center now of all
the idlers in the place, "but I'm told they
found the bodv, and on it a breastpin with
the initial letters, E. and C."
"Ella and Cyrill" chirped ont a childish
voice. I looked down and saw a boy amus
ing himself by dashing a very small sculpin
against the wharf.
"What is the child driving at?" I asked,
withont receiving any answer from the men,
who slowly left me, and returned to their
neglected lines. "Who is Ella, little boy?"
"I don't know," he answered, without
looking up, and with his foot on the
sculpin, from whose capacious mouth he
was trying to extract the swallowed hook.
"But Cyrill Cyril Durand, you know,
lives over vonder when he's ter home." The
child indulged in a comprehensive sweep of
the hand, then halloing,"Hi, Billy, give us
a rowl" rushed from the wharf and van
ished, only to reappear in a rowboat under
the wharf, and to salute me wjith the title of
"sculpin mouth."
The youth had only repeated what he had
heard his elders speakiug; I don't reter to
"sculpin mouth," but to the word "Ella."
That the men bad been speaking of the sub
ject their sudden silence convinced me. But
it was not my place to increase their obsti
nacy bv embarrassing them with questions.
I bided my time, and stood silently watch
ing while they waited for the fish that
wouldn't bite, "i kept dogeedly by the side
of the man I had decided was Otto Morton,
and thongh he did not know me i'rm Adam,
I saw that he would be, glad if I were away.
For certain reasons I made up my mind not
to press my advantage just then, and so I
determined to cultivate the acquaintance of
the man with a red nose, who was winding
up his line preparatory to retiring from the
wharf. I had no doubt that this was the
Mr. Bantle who had been the doctor's com
panion in the expedition on the evening
before. I followed him as he leJtthe wharf
and soon walked beside him. "Mr. Ban
tie?" "That's my name."
"You had a very exciting experience last
night."
"Veryl" He was taciturn and grave at
the same time.
"I would like to speak with you, Mr. Ban
tie, but I trust in your secrecy. I am De
tective Fox."
"I guessed your business," he said quietly;
but he could not conceal his vanity. I was
in citizens' clothes, and that he could guess
my profession through my disguise was a
supposition that wis ridiculous. I read
him at once; he was the average stupid man
that wished to appear very wise, so I deter
mined to tickle his vanity and win his heart
at the same time.
"You have eagle eyes to read me so easily.
You are just the kind of a man I want; one
of the intelligent sort, whose words are
worth their weight in gold. The Doctor
has been telling me about you."
"The Doctor is a good man," he said, with
an assured nod of the head, "but if he bas
told you everything, what do yon want of
me?"
"Several things. In the first place, who
was the man I stood beside on th"e wharl?"
"Mr. Otto Morton."
"So I thought Who is this woman 'Ella'
thev talked about?"
"I don't know."
"Never heard of her?"
"Heard them speak of 'Ella Constant,'
but never saw her and know nothing about
her."
"What did they say of her?"
"That she haunted the footsteps of her
former lover, Cyril Durand, haunted him
like a ghost and goaded him into despera
tion!" "Do you know this Cyril Durand?"
"Yes; bnt we were never friendly. His
ways are not my ways. They say he drinks
too much, gambles too much, and is too fond
of women. I don't personally know any
thing against him, only I don't fancy
him."
"This woman, Ella Constant, annoyed
him?"
"I am not in bis confidence. Otto Mor
ton is. My information is only second-hand.
What I have beard was that be was tired of
her persistency; that she clung to him as
closely as a perch to a hook."
"What was said of Ella Constant?"
"I never met anybody who knew her;
what was known of her came from Durand;
he'd get drunk, and then he would talk of
her and his troubles. He never said any
thing to me, for, as I've said, we were not
intimate. I am only telling you what you
could get better elsewhere."
I saw that it was Mr. Bantle's eccentricity
to give the credit of what he knew to other
people; but provided I got the facts and
rumcrs, I was satisfied to humor his whims.
"She stood in his way?" I asked.
"She was the cause of Mrs. Glaye bouncing
him."
"She had visited Mrs. Glaye?"
"I don't know, I'only speak from rumor."
"Dr. Cyril Durand was paying his atten
tions to Miss Glaye; was everything satis
factory up to the appearance of this Ella
Constant?"
"Durand was always warmly welcomed
by Mrs. Glaye," said my companion, dryly.
"The old lady was very eager at first to
have her daughter married, until, if rumor
is right, she became the rival of her daugh
ter." "So she fell in love with Durand?"
"So the story goes."
"And he?"
"Head over ears in debt "Put yourself la
his place and guess his actions."
"But he was in love with the daughter?"
"I think he was only afraid of his debts.
If he had any real feeling it was not for Ber
tha Glaye or her mother. But be was in a
tight place, and he tried to get out of it as
quickly as possible. If it had been me I
would have been willing to marry Mrs. Me
thusalem 1"
"That's philosophy and fashion 1 Did he
entrage himself to the old woman?"
"No. I've heard he was the acoepted
suitor of the daughter; but just the same
the old woman thought he was in love with
her, and she was wildly jealous of his ac
tions for her daughter's sake."
"I suppose she was offended when she
heard that he had been talking of the mat
ter to his friends."
"Durand is a good fellow; but that is one
of his faults; be can't keep.his tongue still;
he tells his affairs to everybody."
"From what I bave seen, the daughter
takes the affair very coolly."
"She's dead in love with Otto Morton, bnt
she's awfully afraid to let the old lady know
it this time."
"What do you mean?"
"The mother is' awfully anxious to get the
daughter married for some reason or other,
but' whenever a promising lover turns np,
the old woman can't resist swooping down
on him. I believe she's frightened away half
a dozen intended husbands already. It's
my belief she's crazy as"a loon."
"You know her?"
"I ought to, as I live at the same hotel.
She's a nuisance. Sometimes she's all right,
and sometimes she's all wrong. Dr. Brandt
attends on her, and can give you all the
points." '
"Let us return now to the murdered
woman."
"You think
3o o continued nezt Sunday.
' PITTSBTJEG DISPATCH, SU1TDAY, l JUNE 8,
TWO (kME SPOKTS.
KotoI Way of Relieving Ennni in the
Gay Metropolitan City,.
A BIG TOWH FDLL OP GAMBLERS.
Beta Laid on Everything From Tombstones
to Little Sparrows.
SAD END OP AN EXCITING SPKIST
rwEiTTEir ron the dispatch, i
' New York is a city of gamblers. Every
body bets on every thing. The Wall street
man bets his customer's money and takes a
commission; the trusted employe bets his
employer's money and takes a train for
Canada; the messenger boys bet the bundles
which they carry and take the consequences;
the sapient citizen, seing the country visitor
pause on the edge of the sidewalk, will bet
him even money that he doesn't get across
the street alive, which is heavy odds in the
citizen's favor.
Mr. Richard B. Socks is getting along
toward 50, and now fills a large waistcoat
to the very hem of the backstrap.
He is a broker. Mr. John A. Slick is
f-LTwit
cl
-rvwrjv !
rfs.v
i trs
Aided by a Policeman,
neither so old nor so fat, bnt he can bet
three of a kind as high as any man in New
York. He is a lawyer. Both are sufficient
ly well dressed and polished and blase and
hard-hearted and unscrupulous in ordinary,
everyday life, to be instantly recognized as
the children of the metropolis by any com
petent witness.
They met on Wall street one afternoon this
week and strolled up Broadway. Opposite
old St. Paul's church yard they paused.
Several messenger boys were pitching pen
nies "for keeps" against the stone founda
tion of the fence, while the venerable grave
stones stared in cold disapproval.
FIEST ON TOMBSTONES.
"You wouldn't suppose," said Mr. Socks,
"that the newer looking headstone' on the
right was really older than the crumbling
slab beside it?"
I will state in parenthesis that Mr. Socks
had noted the dates, on the way down town,
and had waited to catch somebody.
"Bet you 550 that it isn't," promptly replied-Mr.
Slick.
"Take yer," said Socks with a cheerful
smile.
Thev walked up in front or the graves
and examined the dates. The old stone was
marked 1797 and the new one 1751.
"Hold yer for fifty," said Socks. J
"Make it 50 more that you're wrong," re
plied Slick, calmly, "and leave it to the
editor of the Sporting Cinch."
"What do you mean?" cried Socks;
"don't you see the dates?"
"Can't help it. Happen to know that the
new stone was put up in 1850 to replace one
that had crumbled away. Gimme the 50 or
put up another."
I will here remark that Mr. Slick eventu
ally won his money, which shows the value
of antiquarian research when properly
backed.
A NIGHT WITH THE CHIPS.
This little experience naturally suggested
other games of chance, and the two men,
happening to meet a ew other acquaint
ances, strolled into a neighboring hotel,
hired a room, and engaged in a festive game
of poker. Dinner was served between two
jack pots, and lunch at midnight in the
same way. The "kitty" paid for large
quantities of champagne, and when the
game broke up the gray light of morning
paled the faces of the players.
Mr. Socfcs and Mr. Slick went up town to
gether on the Sixth avenue "L." Their
sporting blood was not vet exhausted.
"I'll bet you 525," said Mr. Slick, "that
I can guess nearer than you can to the num
ber on the first car of the next train we
meet!"
"Go you." said Socks.
"All right. What's your number?"
Socks reflected that there were proba
bly something like a thousand cars ou the
road so he bet on 500. Slick took 600,
and then offered to bet $50 on the num
ber of the last car. Socks, some-
J?
Betting on the Letters.
what impressed by the figure named by his
companion, selected 575 this time. Slick
stuck to 600. Pretty soon the train came
along and the number of the first car was
801, and of the last 825.
HE HAD A SUES THING.
Then they immediately put up two more
bets en the first and last cars of the next
train. Slick as before selected numbers a
little above those chosen by the other; and,
just as they reached Bleecter street, he won
two more bets.
"Slick," said Socks," this is a cinch.
You knew about these numbers all the
time."
"I will confess," replied Slick, calmly,
"that I have observed that the cars of low
numbers are run on the Second and Ninth
avenue lines, and that the high numbers,
being better cars, are put on the Sixth ave
nue line for the aristocracy."
"And now," he continued, "I'll make
another little bet. I feel the need of exer
cise, and I'll go you $50 that I can start
from Eighth street station when the con
ductor rings two bells and run to the Four
teenth street station before the two bells are
rung up there."
"Can't do it," said Socks, promptly.
They got off at Eighth street, but before
they reached the street the train had started,
so they had to wait for the next one. Mean
while Slick won $50 on the number on a
policeman's hat, and Socks got even by bet
ting that a messenger boy would stop 15
times between Eighth and Ninth streets.
Slick bet 14, and lost by a good majority.
SACINO WITH THE TBAIN.
When the next train came along Slick,
wbo;hadJbeea qnite a sprinter in his youtb,
got a rood start and was making fast time
up the avenue when it occurred to Socks
that there was nobody at the other end of
the ran to take Slick's time. He perceived
that it was another "oinoh," for it would be
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impossible for him to say whether Slick won
or lost. So he sent up a fearful howl of
rage and started up the avenus on the
jump.
Slick meanwhile was making good time
and was rapidly drawing away from his
bulky pursuer when a "policeman came
round a corner. He observed the slender
man running and the stout man bawling in
his wake. Naturally supposing that it was
a case of stop thief, "he stepped in front of
Slick, who was coming along head down
at a ten-second gait. The top of Slick s
plug hat struck the policeman on the sixth
button of his uniform, and he and Slick
went down together in a miscel
laneous heap ot les, arms and club.
The guardian of the peace struggled to his
feet while Slick was trying to pull himself
out of his hat.
"That bet don't go," shouted Slick.
"Yes it does go," said Socks.
"Shall I run de bloke in?" inquired No.
2,501.
"Never mind that," said Sock. "It was
only a little bet."
NO. 2,501 STOOD ZN.
"Well, I'm in wid ye if yer win," re
marked No. 2,501, holding out his itching
palm. Socks put a f 10-note into it, on con
dition that buck admitted his defeat; and
as that gentleman had no choice except to
do it or get "run in," he acknowledged the
painful fact.
The two then decided to walk up town,
and they varied the monotony of the stroll
by betting on the number of cats they would
see in a given period; how many inebriates
they would pass on a block, and other
fortuitous circumstances.
Finally they turned into a cross street,
and passed a long line ot flat houses.
"I'll bet you a hundred," said Slick,
"that I can guess nearer than you can to
the number of letters on that sign board,"
and he pointed to one which announced
that flats were to let at "at reasonable rent,"
and other falsehoods.
"Go yer, and bet 85 letters," said Socks.
"A hundred and twenty," said Slick.
They stood on tiptoe, and proceeded to
count'the letters. There were just 98, and
Socks had opened his mouth to claim $100
when the colored jan Stress opened the door
hastily and swept about a bushel of dust
down Mr. Socks' throat. This is too com
mon an experience in New York to ruffle a
man's equanimity much, and Socks would
have felt fairly well about the whole affair
if Slick had' not blandly remarked: "I
meant both sides of the sign. There is just
the same notice on the other side. That
makes 196 letters, and I shall have to hold
you for $100.
SOCKS KICKED A Z.ONO TIME.
Socks kicked about this all the way from
there to the door of his own house, where
they paused to reckon up the results of their
numerous bets. It appears in this figuring
that the lawyer held the broker for $675
"I'd like to make you one more bet double
or quits," said Socks, looking around for a
suitable hazard.
"I'll go you," replied the eminent coun
sel. "If the next sparrow that lights in the
street between here and that lamp post, puts
his little foot down on this side of the
middle, we're square, it on the other side I
hold you for $1,350."
So they waited , for the sparrows. There
were plenty of them. But they would
not alight within the prescribed" limits.
Finally a bird swooped down within
three feet of the pavement on
tbe lawyer's side. It was too much
for Socks. With a yell like a wild Indian
he jumped at tbe unfortunate sparrow and
frightened him so that he didn't even have
presence of mind enough to fly away. He
just went into hysterics and fluttered around
in the air while Socks ohased him up the
street and down; calling to him; threatening
him when he tried to light on Slick's side
of the-street, and addressing him with soft
persuasion when he approached the other.
FUN FOB SLICK.
Slick meanwhile leaned against a fence,
weak and speechless with laughter, while
a policeman paused to wonder whether
he'd better arrest the lunatic.first or call an
ambulance. '
At last the sparrow got tired and
ended the remarkable scene by falling
in desperation on the broker's side of
Chatlna the Sparrow.
tbe street, and Socks in a fever of gratified
revenge pulled out a roll of bills and
actually offered to "divvy" with the bird I
"I haven't had so much fun," said Socks,
wiping his dripping forehead, "since I was
a boy."
All of which shows that some million and
a half of us live in a queer city where lots
of men will do almost anything to break the
monotony of existences which haven't
really enough monotony in them to be
healthful. Howaed Fielding.
THE HAY FEVER.
Tonics nnd Nourishing Diet Recommended
as the Beat Care.
Newcastle, Kng., Chronicle.
Hay fever is a nervous affection usually
most prevalent during the spring and early
summer, from which the poorer classes, and
more especially those living in populous
towns, rarely if ever suffer. It is known
only to the educated, whose nervous sys
tems are highly developed, and though not
in any sense dangerous, it is at all times
very irritating and troublesome. The smell
ot hay, grass, the pollen of flowers, the
odor ot fruit, dust, or draughts will
generate the complaint or excite an
attack in persons subject to it, but
rain or moist weather invariably brings
relief. At one time it was generally sup
posed that the odor of hay when being
mown or carted could alone induce the
affection, which is closely analagous to
asthma, but recent observation shows that
its prevalence is entirely independent o
the existence of hay fields, and is really a
nervous derangement.
A visit to the seaside, a trip-to sea, or res
idence in a populous town will, however re
move the asthmatic tendency; but one of
the best remedies is tobacco smoke, retained
in the mouth as long as possible, and then
ejected through the nostrils. The inhala
tion nf the steam of ten drops of creosote in
a pint of hot water is said to be good, or 20
drops of spirits of camphor to the same
quantity of water also makes an effective
inhalation. But the affection, beiug a
nervous one, tonics and nourishing diet are
more essential than any of these palliatives,
which merely afford temporary relief.
THE KAISER'S GIFTS.
He Will Drnw the Lino on Jewelry and Give
Photographs nnd Autographs.
Fall Mall Budget.
Emperor William has decided not to give
any more presents of jewelry to persons who
may become entitled to receive a gift from
him but who are not in a position to be
decorated. In future his Majesty will give
to snch individuals a photograph of himself
and the Empress, bearing their autographs,
and set in a frame of either gold or silver,
and these frames frill be adorned with tbe
Imperial arms and monogram.
'1890..
THE GITY Ot , FILTH.
Modern Jerusalem Fills the Weary
rilgrim With Disgust,
DIBTI STREETS AND FOUL WATEB,
Spots of Sacred llemprj Have Become
Objects of Contention.
DANGERS OP A TEIP TO THE DEAD SEA
ICOBRXSFOXDENCE Of THI DISPATCH. I
t Jerusalem, May 25. To the average
American mind there is connected with the
name of the Holy City a certain indescriba
ble something; a mysterionsness due,I think,
to the lack of knowledge of the place as
compared to what is known of European
cities. People wonder how things look
there, how the people dress, what their cus
toms are. In imagination they picture
Calvary, Bethlehem, Jehosaphat and
Gethsemane, and wonder if their fantasies
portray anything like the original. With
the hope that a description of a trip just
about ended in Palestine may enlighten all
such, this letter is written.
Atrip to Jerusalem at the present time is
by no means the arduous undertaking gen
erally supposed. A pleasant sail of from
five to seven days from any of the Mediter
ranean ports, lands tbe tourist at Jaffa, from
which an excellent turnpike road of 30 miles
extends to Jerusalem. 'Tis true that the
onger journeys through Palestine, to Naz
areth, Caifa, Damascus and other points, on
horseback, over rocky, uncertain mountain
paths and necessitating camping out at
night, are not pleasant experiences', but a
trip to Jerusalem and its environs, Bethle
hem and the Dead Sea, occupying a week,
may be made comfortably and pleasantly.
LANDING AT JAFFA.
Such a trip I began, when the steamer
Diana, two days out from Alexandria,
dropped anchor in front of Jaffa, early on a
clear, bright morning a week ago. It was
quite breezy and there was a heavy swell on
the water. In consequence it required all
the strength and skill ot the six bronzed and
brawny Arabian boatmen timing their oars
to the strains of a native air to successfully
pass the jagged reef on which the mytho
logical Andromeda is said to have been
chained, and land us on tbe qnay. Then a
long walk up the narrow, tortuous, dirty
street of Jaffa, a city said to have existed
before the flood, past the crowded market
place to the hotel, and we were soon in a
comfortable landau drawn by three horses
abreast, bowling over the good" road to Jeru
salem. This road is of very recent construction
aiid is quite a piece of engineering wore, as
by easy grades it ascends and descends the
mountains of Judah. The trip is nowfmade
in ten hours. Formerly it required two
days oyer the old Bonian road, which we see
at intervals as we proceed. It is said the
construction of the new road is due to the
manner in which the English treated the
Snltan on his last visit to London. They
wined and dined him and supplied him
with everything calculated to make an
Eastern potentate happy to such an extent
that in gratitude he asked his hosts how he
could repay them. The answer came, "give
us a good road to Jerusalem." And on the
return of His Highness of the Harem the
road was built.
LEFEBS AS OF OLD.
It is the only road in Palestine, and ex
tends past Jerusalem to Hebron via Beth
lebem. Over this road a two hours' ride,
through cactus hedged orange groves,
through the Valley of Ajalon over the plain
of Sharon, where the Crusaders fought, and
we reach liamleh. As we stop to eat our
lunch we are approached by a party of
lepers, three women and two men; the ad
vance guard of the many we afterward see
along the road and ontside the walls of
Jerusalem. Upon inquiry I found there
are about a hundred cases of this dread
disease roaming about these parts. We
were glad to get rid of the company of our
unfortunate and hideous visitors by tossing
them some coin.
The same laws are binding upon these
wretched creatures to-day as in days of old.
Thev are forbidden to enter the city, and
must announce their condition "unclean,"
and remain at a distance from those of whom
they beg alms. I asked my drayman why
the Government did nothing for their relief,
and found there was a place set apart for
them in the valley of Hinnom as of yore.
But they, will not stay there, preferring to
be upon the highways begging. He further
claimed that the disease was not of the ma
lignant type existing in the days of David;
that the lepers stole into the city at night
to barter and trade, and that no harm came
of it. A sight ot the victims, however,
would cause anyone to doubt the truth of
the last statement, and determine him to get
out of the city of such commerce as soon as
possible.
FIEST GLIMPSE OF JEEUSALEM.
From Eamleh the road crosses the moun
tains, and as the day advances the heat be
comes almost intolerable; and late in the
afternoon we reach Kolovieh and cross tbe
bridge spanning a brook from which tradi
tion Bays David choose the smooth stone
with which he slew Goliath. An hour later,
as the shades of evening are setting over lit.
Scopus and the Mountof Olives, we round a
spur of the mountain, and Jerusalem, the
end of our long journey, lies before ns. The
first sight of tbe city is disappointing. But
as we draw nearer and pass some buildings
which have obstructed our view and the
walls come in sight the prospect is charming
and we can realize what a magnificent place
it must have been in the days of it? grandeur.
Soon we pass through the Jaffa gate and
are comfortably quartered in the grand new
hotel opposite the Tower of David. The
next morning early I started out with my
drayman for a look at the city. Truth and
candor compel me to say that as a result of
this trip I was disappointed, even disgusted.
Outside of its holy places and sacred spots,
which of course have a peculiar fascination,
there is nothing to make the traveler anx
ious for a long stay in Jerusalem. Its
streets, of which there are really only three
or four, are narrow not over 12 feet wide
crooked, dirty and foul-smelling.
KEEKING WITH FILM.
One has actually to watch his steps to
keep out of the excrement, which befouls
the passage-ways for they are not streets
elbowing his way through the ragged, dirty
Arabian populace and keeping a sharp look
out that he don't collide with a pack-laden
camel or donkey. In amazement I asked
why the streets were not kept clean. His
answer "How can they be without water,"
prompted an inquiry as to what the water
supply was, and elicited the unique reply,
"Only water trom God," meaning rain
water. He explained that for a year tbey
had had only two rainfalls of about one-halt
hour each, the water being collected in cis
terns. Just then we passed a cistern from
which a ragged Turkish soldierwas drawing
water. I commented upon the squalid ap
pearance of the soldier and was told the
poor fellows are only paid once or twice a
year and then not in full.
I examined the water. It was thick
looking, yellow and smelt badly. The
guide to reassure me, said: "Don't be
afraid; at your hotel they boil and filter the
water." I drank no water in Jerusalem
thereafter. I found later on that it would
be impossible to dig wells, for the city of
to-day is bnilt upon the ruins of many Je
rusalems which preceded it. After each
destruction of the place a new city was built
upon the ruins of the old, so that to-day the
debris is in some places 120 Teet deep. But
the short distance of four miles away are
the splendid pools of Soloyan in excellent
preservation, nnd which in olden times was
the source of the city's water supply. With
0 VA'j nteP"e and money they could be
utilized to-day. But both enterprise and
money are lacking in India. Alas, how
the mighty are fallen!
SO WHEELED VEHICLES THZBB.
One sees so wheeled vehicles in Jernsa
lem. They are not available on account of
the peculiar construction of the hilly streets
in a series of platforms about 4 inches high
and 12 feet in area. Donkeys and camels
are used for traffic and passengers entirely.
The face of womautind is in tbe same list
with the carriage wheel. With the excep
tion of a few European ladies, only the
somber, black veiled faces of the native
women greet the eye of the visitor. For the
same absurd notions as to seclusion which
hedge about the female sex, men are the
only servants employed about the hotels
here, as indeed everywhere else throughout
the East. Thev perform all the service
from the kitchen to the sleeping apartments.
The crowds upon the streets are made up
of the people already described, of Turkish
soldiers', priests and religious of the pany
churches and monasteries of the Christian
sects which flourish here: Greek Catholic,
Latin or Bomaa Catholic, Copts and Ar
menians in their peculiar and distinctive
dress, pilgrims and beggars. During my
stay in the city there were of pilgrims a
party of 71 English Catholics, principally
of tbe nobility, under the Duke of Norfolk,
a pilgrimage undertaken in hopes of restor
ing the Duke's only son, an imbecile, to
health; one composed of 383 French Catho
lics and one of 5,000 Russian adherents of
the Greek church. These are quartered in
the monasteries.
BEQOABS OF HIGH AND LOW DEGEEE.
For beggars Jerusalem is a paradise. At
every turn from daylight till dawn the cry
of 'baekheesh" rings in one's ears. It is
lisped to you by the tottering infant, bawled
at you by robust men and women and whis
pered to you by those sinking under the
weight of years into the grave.
In the holiest places there is contention
and strife. In the church of the Holy Se
pulcher a queer state of affairs exists. Un
der the one roof covering the Holy Tomb,
which the "odor of sanctity" certainly per
vaded, and which has been bathed with
couutlesstears, and hallowed with the pas
sionate kises of countless wayworn pil
grims, the Latin, the Greek, the Copt
and the Armenian Christians have
their portions measured off with mathemat
ical accuracy. Quarrels within are frequent,
while without Protestants contend tbat Cal
vary was not located there at all, but near
the grotto of Jeremiah, outside the walls. At
Bethlehem, iu the Church of the Nativity,
a similar division of space exists. Standing
the other day in the cavern uuder the church
and gazing at the spot where the manger
stood, and about the true identity of this
place there is no qnestion, I was indulged a
reverie. I was thinking that while there
might he some question about the location
of the true Golgotha, here tncre was no ques
tion; all Christian sects agreed on this spot;
here was all peace and qniet.
NO PEACE, EVEN THERE.
, Suddenly a Greek priest came in to in
cense the altar. Stepping aside for him I
jolted against a Turkish soldier, gun in
hand, on guard and whom I had not noticed.
He was there to keep peace. Only recently,
for some trifle, the Greek priests had de
stroyed the plate and altar adornments of
the Latins. The day dream vanished.
A trip to the Dead Sea. judging from the
preparations, is a formidable undertaking.
Each person going alone is accompanied by
a dragoman, who, for this trip, carries a
scimeter, an armed guard, and a mule to
carry supplies. The trip occupies three
days and the game ss not warth the powder.
The warlike preparrtious are to prevent the
petty shiek on the way from levying addi
tional tribute which is paid annually bythe
tourist agency. Only a few weeks ago an
English couple, who foolishly and against
advice penetrated beyond tbe Jordon with
out a guard, were taken prisoners by a
shiek, on whose territory they were tres
passing, and kept prisoners until 60 was
paid for their ransom by the English Con
sul. No doubt part of the money went to
the depleted Turkish exchequer, which Gov
ernment connives at such rascality.
A railroad is now likely to be built from
Jaffa to Jerusalem. A visiting clergyman
at the dinner table where the project was
being discussed expressed his horror at tbe
desecration such a project would be.
"Why," said he, "the next thing will be
rolling mills in the valley of Jehoaapbatl"
"But," said tbe resident English bishop
at his side, "if you had been here as long
as I have, and burning olive tree roots for
fuel, and "they getting scarce, you would
hail the railroad with delight."
Thomas L. White, D. D.
J0HH WAHAMAKER'S MAIL.
Somo of the Chotky Rrqnesls for Cash
Donations and Odds nnd Ends.
I spent an hour this morning, writes
Frank G. Carpenter from Washington, in
looking at some of the letters which pour
into Postmaster General Wanamaker's
private secretary. They are from churches,
Sunday schools and individuals, and they
ask for everything from a set of false teeth
to a donation of thousands. Many of the
letters have the words "The Lord Loveth
the Cheerful Giver" at the top, and not a
few of them come from across the water.
Here is one dated February 27, 1890.
"Ma Wanamakee I'saw your name
in the aper not long ago saying you had
more money than you knowed what to do
with. 1 write asking you for some of it. I
will not make a lot of "excuses, but I am a
poor farmer's daughter. Answear."
A boy from a normal school in Alabama
wants money to finish his education, and
thinks tbe Lord will continue to shower
copious streams of blessings ou Wanamaker
if he sends it to him. A New Jersey
woman says she is very fond of music nnd
tells Wanamaker that the Bible says that
he shall not let the left hand know what the
right hand doth. She has been offered a
565 organ for 529 cash, warranted for six
years, and she wants some money to bny it.
This letter is badly spelled, poorly written
and it ends by saying "God bless you" in
anticipation of tbe gift.
A Virginia man has made a cane from
wood at Monticello, and will be thankful
for anything Mr. Wanamaker sends him,
and a Bussian woman has heard of Mr.
Wanamaker's benevolence and writes for
alms. There hangs in the Postmaster Gen
eral's office a wooden chain five feet long cut
outofonebarofwood. The links are about
an inch wide, and this chain was made by
an Ohio man who sent it to the Postmaster
General. It now hangs on the mantel in
front of the clock. In the next room there
is a chain seven feet long sent by the same
man with a request for the Postmaster Gen
eral to send him 5100 a foot for it, or 5700.
The man was thanked for the first chain and
was told tbat the Postmaster General could
not pay for the second one, nor could it be
sold for 5500 as the man afterward suggested.
A few days ago another letter was received
from the same man saying that he wants the
Postmaster General to immediately take the
seven-foot chain and burn it up in a hot
stove to ashes, and to be sure not to send it
back here. He has been evidently blowing
about the money he will get for it and don't
want to be exposed. All such letters are
answered, but it would bankrupt Crcesus to
give in response to them.
Three Miles a Minute.
New York San.
A paper of great interest to electricians
has jnst appeared from the pen of O. T.
Crosby, of the Weems Rapid Transit Com
pany of this city. The subject of the paper
is air resistance at high speeds. A speed of
160 miles an hour by electric car is promised
before long. At such high speeds the
element of air resistance becomes a most
imnortant one. and anv addition to the
store of knowledge on the subject is of the
utmost value.
Belter Mot Ketnrn.
Detroit Free Press,
Sitting Bull savs he can't live over 20
years more unless he is permitted to return
to his old stamping ground in the West. If
he was allowed to go back he probably
wouldn't live 20 days, as there are plenty of
men who would shoot him on sight.
Ilia Position Exactly.
WnWnetoa Poit.l
A most striking example of where Ignor
ance would be bliss is In the case of theaan
who knows it all and wants to tell it.
i'
THE KANSAS
Fifteen Tears Ago This Week tha
Grasshoppers Took Flight.
HOW THE EGGS WERE DEPOSITED.
All Attempts to Battle With the Destroying
Armj Were Futile.
DRIFTING 15 THE CUT 8TEEET3
i wmiTux ron Tmt dispatch.1
Fifteen years ago this week a mighty
cloud of winged insects rose from stricken
Kansas. It darkened the sun and then
rolled away to the north and west toward
the Bocky Mountains. In less than one
hour the grasshopper plague had vanished
and hope took the place ot despair in the
hearts of the people.
In the summer of 1874 Kansas Buffered
from a severe dronth. In August naked
stalks of weeds and dry blades of grass
rattled at every step of the passer-by. Hot
winds came from the south and the west, and
one day, on the wings of these warm messen
gers, came a shower of grasshoppers, or
Bocky Mountain locusts. Big fellows they
were, an inch and a half in length. They
hopped aboutfor a few days, but finding
little to eat, disappeared almost as suddenly
as they had come. No damage was done to
the crops, for such as had weathered
the trying drouth were all matured, Tha
older settlers shook their heads and said:
"These old hoppers will never trouble us
again, but there is certain disaster ahead.
We must look out for their many times mul
tiplied progeny. Next spring we shall have
grasshoppers in swarms, where this year
they have come iu handfuls."
the geouitd was honeycombed.
A careful examination of the ground
proved that these fears were well founded.
There were millions of tiny holes in which
eggs had been deposited. The laying of these
eggs was, fn fact, the sole- mission of this
vanguard of the grasshopper army. There
was, of course, mach apprehension of com
ing hard times. But many forgot what they
had so much dreaded.
Here and there a wise man sold his farm
at much sacrifice and moved away. Others
sought to avert tbe danger by turning up
every square rod of land on their farms to
the frosts of winter. In this way many
eggs were doubtless destroyed, but as the
wise old grasshoppers had selected places
along the roadsides where the ground was
hardest in which to deposit their eggs, the
larger portion of them were left undis
turbed. Besides, there was no concert of
action among tne farmers, and no syste
matic efforts made to head off the pest.
Spring came, and with it came all the
busy scenes connected with farm life. It
was an early season. April saw every crop
in and well under way. May opened in all
her beauty, and yet no sign of grasshoppers.
But the closing days of that beautiful May
brought the vindication of the prophets.
AEErVAI. of the yotkgstees.
The little grasshoppers began to appear.
They could be counted at first, and they
were such tiny things. The next day they
had come in countless millions, and for
several days thereafter they seemed to in
crease in the same ratio, until they were no
longer estimated in numbers, but the terms
bushels, tons and square miles each in turn
served as a unit of measurement. The land
all at once seemed to have become alive.
The surface was moving in a mass, now in
this direction, now in that. Crops disap
peared as if an all powerful magician with
a single pas3 of his wand bad spoken them
out of existence. The nelds were laid as
bare as winter had left them. Gardens bora
not a vestige of their recent greenness. Tha
little insects were particularly fond of onions
and radishes. They ate down to the smallest
hair roots, leaving the beds curiously per
forated. Nothing green on or near the
ground escaped their ravages, except the
leaves of tbe osnge orange. The hedges of
this shrub were left untouched.
Suddenly tbe grasshoppers increased in
size. They bad moulted. Then they seemed
to bave a londness for city life. They trav
eled the streets in vast droves. As vegeta
tion disappeared, they became weak and In
active and no longer tried to get out of the
way of pedestrians. They were crushed in
great number on the pavements.
As the insects became weakened from lack
of food, they seemed to be greatly affected
by the heat of the sun, and in order to avoid
it they crowded along the shadows of build
ings on the south side of a street. Hera
they were piled upon one another against
th wall3 of the buildings to the height of a
foot or more. From this came the expres
sion, "grasshoppers drifted a foot deep."
The stench from tbeir crushed bodies was
very trying to the olfactories. Had it not
been for several dashing rain, which cleaned
the streets from end to end, the consequence
might have been much more serious.
LIKE THE FEOGS OF EGYPT.
Grasshoppers were everywhere. They
came into the houses, and, like the frogs in
plague-stricken Egypt, found their way into
the breadtrays. You break open a biscuit
at meal time, and behold, a grasshopper.
You turn down the bed covers on retiring,
and out jump grasshoppers. Pump spouts
were clogged with the insects. It was not
sate to eat anything or to drink in the dark.
Attempts weie made to harvest the young
grasshoppers. One device was adopted ia
Morocco daring a locust plague more than
a century ago. It was to dig a long trench
and drive the grasshoppers into it. Boards
were set up on edge diverging from
the ends of the trench several rods.
As the insects came to the boards, they con
verged to the brinK of the ditch, and tbeir
next movement landed them at the bottom.
They had not yet got their wings, and were
not large enough to jump over the boards or
the trench. The loose earth was then
packed down upon the struggling mass, and
millions of grasshoppers had been de
stroyed. Did It make any perceptible dif
ference in the numbers above ground? Not
one whit.
It was a mystery how they lived and grew
after the first wholesale destruction of crops,
but they must have found something to eat,
for many of them lived to get away from
the land which they had turned into a
waste. With an energy such as is sure to
follow every great disaster, tbe farmers went
to work and replanted tbeir fields. Cora
was the principal crop. Some of it matured,
but the greater part made only fodder.
Although there was no very widespread
destitution as a result of the grasshopper
visitation, much financial distress on ac
count of it was felt for several years.
LIKSAEU3 EOBEETS.
POWDER
Is an absolute necessity of a
refined toilet in this climate
MEDICATED
Combines every element'of
beauty and purity. x .ui
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