KG FOR GOLD
Desultory Prospecting Among the Old
Mining Camps in the Rich
Fields of Uew Mexico.
WOXDEBS OP A TDEQUOIS HUE.
A Long Tramp in the Snow With JS'oth
iEff to Guide but the Faint Foot
prints of a Horse.
I0ST AT LAST WITH SCAKCELT HOPE.
lntercstirj rrperieacfs of a Trip en Toot Icross the
Continent
rwmnix ron tot dispatch.
T pleases me to remem
ber how my first intro
duction to the Pueblo
Indiana imnressod me.
t for now I have lived for
three years among them
in one of their own
houses, in one of their
otvn towns, and with
them as my almost cole
neighbors and they
teem life-long friends.
Hut then thev were
sew to me in every detail and it filled me
"with astonishment to find Indians who
dwelt in excellent houses, with comfortable
furniture, and clean beds and clothing and
food, Indians .who were as industrious as
any class in the country, and tilled pretty
f bnus, and had churches of their own build
ing and who learned none ot these things
from us, but were living thus before our
Saxon forefathers had tound so much as the
chore of New England.
The old Governor, my host, waiTcourtesy
itself, and entertained me v ery ably, though
at disadvantage, for my struggles with
Spanish in those days were for grace end
comfort, something like the Scottish min
ister's dclinuiou 01 a "phenomenon:" "A
cow, e k.un, and that is not a phenome
non; and an ajipie tree, j e know, and that
is not a phenomenon; but when ye see the
cow climbing tiie apple tree, tail first, that
is a phenomenon !"
I'ortj-Tno Miles "Without a House.
IFxaa San Yeldefonso to Santa Fe is less
4ian 30 miles, but it gave me a hard day. A
. SiflL-iRwuC- '
HUNTI
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fM i-&,
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tS52l35L "nty''r" aM(MbJ t
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" OLD CUtJKCH AXD CONTEXT AT SAX TELDEF02TSO.
Xexican, evidently
misunderstanding my I
Jargon, directed me south instead of eat; j
and as the trail was dim and crossed by and
branchine into countless othcrs, I soon
found myself at a loss in the wilderness.
All oay long we wandered over the gravelly
means' suffering torture from thirst, for I
had brought no water, and not a little from
hunger. Shadow ceme to appreciate the
unpleasant situation, and etcry now and
then howled dolefully. At last, at 8 o'clock
at nigl t. just as I was deciding to dig a hole
in the ai.d and crawl in for the night, a dim
light far ahead made me throw my hat alott
and whoop like a Comanche. An hour later
Shadow and I were seriously lowering the
water of a well at the first house in Santa
Fe, and in a few minutes more were in the
hospitable clutche of friends, after a pain
ful walk of 42 miles with a heavy load, for
I had brought my knapsack all the way
from Espanoia.
Quaint old Santa Fe Interested us much
a:e,becausit is the most carious town in the
country which is shared by Americans, and
Shadow because it was the first real town
he hail ever been in. He reveled in the nar
row old strrets, in the vehicle, in the bur
ro with their Hdncv-haped loads of wood,
mid, almve all, in the market, where hung
tneai plenty, and ever jackrabbiti. It was
verv difficult to convince him that thee
disj'.lftvs were not for his special benefit,
and particularly the first jackrabbits that
he had seen so tame that he could actually
catch thein. We were there eight days,
traveling about a great deal and finding
many in.ere-ing things.
Ihe po-sibihties of the adobe surprised
m. for there wc found handsome residences
end predita'u'e (our-story buildings made of
the dcpis-nl "mud brick " It ws terv in
tweetinsr. too, m watch tl'o Mexican work
men turning gold and silver bar into miles
of precious wire; and winding that, in turn,
into the xoui'-i"' and intricate patterns of
tfieir charactcrifctic filisree jewelry.
V.lmt Cnn Br Made of Adobe.
Parting with regret from the "ancient
metropolis" of New Mexico, we turned
tenth and trudged blithely don n the long,
iloping plateaus. The town had already
b"un to pall on Shadow chiefly, I sus
pect, because he had me less to himself
there and he was very antic on taking
again to the road. 1 hat very afternoon,
however, his spirts were sadly snubbed.
"We came near two preoccupied coyotes
which were trrmg to dig a rabbit from his
hole, and H.adow took alter them very val
orously. The mean little wolves led him
off a safe distance Irom my rifie.and then al
lowed him to catch up with them and how
he wieiied they hadn t. He made a brave
fight, but was sornlv overmatched, and was
glad enough to break aw av and make back
towe,wiwi secral unpleasant cuts in his
sleek coat.
Six Miles to n Drop or 'Water.
Passing through the unimportant mining
ecmji of Bonauza aud on to Carbonateville,
a town Eix miles from a drop of water, Me
came to the little gray knob of "Mount"
Chalchuiti, the only turquois mine on the
continent, ana the one prehistoric mine in
the whole Southwest, despite the numerous
fables of ancient gold there. It was very
long ago whea when the firct stone hammer
was swuntr by swarthy fits acainst those
white rocks aud thumned out the first little
n8gg t of tne stone that stole its color from
ihe sky. liie great hill is fairly houey
cmnbed, and on one side is a great hole
which could swallow a Jour-story block
without a strain. Tiie Pueblos have always
priced the turquois above all other ortia
mestE they had neither gold nor silver in
the old days and were pecking awav with
their rude tool, at this precious deposit
long before Columbus. Some 30 acres are
cevered with dibris from their ancient
mines, and upon these dumps great cedars
Save grown to the mtlurity of centuries.
The tele is gratclvprintcdiu histories that
the early Spanish conquerors enlaedthe
Pueblos in Ibis and other mine"!, and that
prt of this mountain caved in and buried
a lot of the unlortunate Indians. Put this
is a silly fable, for the Spanish ncer en
slaved the Puebio-?, and were, on the con
trary, the most humane neighbors the Anier
ic n Indians ever had and never worked
this or any other mine in New Mexico.
SVe prospected the btraagehill for several
hoars, and I cut my head and knees badly
by crawling along a half-filled ancient tun
nel for a couple of hundred feet to the
audible discontent of Shadow, who would
neither enter the dismal hole himself nor
.absent to my doing so. A fine stone ham
mer and some beautiful nuggets of pure
azure very different from the worthless
pr en ot most of the veins rewarded my
effrts.
Exploring the Gold Mines.
Crossing the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad at Ccrillos and wading the icy
Galisteo we reached the shabby but ex
tremely interesting mining camp of Golden
late in the evening of December 5, after a
hard, thirsty, up-hill day. Our 12 days
among the mines of the New Placers were
the most enjoyable of the whole journey,
though without startling adventures. A
miner friend from Ohio took us to his rough
little jacal a cabin made bv chinking and
roofing with adobe a palisade of pinon
trunks and made us very much at home.
Atter the first two days there came heavy
snowstorms and the w eather grew very bit
ter at that altitude of over 7,000 feet, but
every day, and all day long, we trudged over
the snow-buried mountains with Charlie
Smith, poking into the numerous mines and
countless prospect holes in their rocky
ribs, exploring the underground miles
of the great San Pedro copper mine, which
the armed miners had lorcibly captured
from and defended against the millionaire
corporation that had tried to oust them from
their own little claims under a fraudulent
land grant, and gathering whole sacks of
beautiful specimens of the brilliant copper
ores, and plenty of quartz lumps peppered
with yellow gold.
Shadow's fear of losing me soon overcome
his horror of underground, and he tugged
reluctantly at my heels through the dnlts
and tunnels, and showed his relief by wild
capers whenever i e got back to the light of
day. It was in the placer mines, however,
that I found the greatest pleasure, and
Shadow the utmost tribula.ion. The Mexi
cans who worked these slow but sure paying
mines while the more "ambitious" Amer
icans were trying to find fortune by one
stroke in the otiartz veins took a creat
fancy to me and let me work all I desired
on their claims. But whenever I swung
down by the rope to the bottom of one of
their Sli-foot shafts and craw led out of sight
in the dnit to scrape up a "prospect" from
the pay streak. Shadow sat on the very
brink of the shaft and howled at the top of
his voice till I came up again.
Shining Mementoes of the Trip.
He was very deeply interested in the sub
sequent panning out of the pay dirt, and
never moved from my side during the entire
operation, no matter what the temptations
ol vagrant curs and other excitements. It
did not take me long to become expert with
rocker and pan; and I have still e eral little
phials ot nuggets and "dust" as trophies oi
my first gold-washing.
"Golden is one ol the pioneer gold fields ot
the United States. The Kew Placers, so
named from the vast areas of auriferous
gravel which surrounded the town have
Been w orked by the .Mexicans since 1828,
which gives priority over all other workings
in this country, except thoe of Cabarrus
conntr. N. C which were discovered a cea
eratioh earlier The history of the brave
little town has becu made tragic bylts con
nection with an American perversion of a
Spanish land grant. People of the East look
upon the Southwestern land grant as a col
lective swindle and a monstrosity, forgetful
that these grants were made by the Spanish
Crown in the Eamc way and for the same
reasons, and conveying just a? valid title as
the land grants of England or France
npon whioh the skeptics" themselves live.
The New Mexican land grant is a perfectly
normal and proper institution in itself, and
the only trouble about it arises from the
frauds practiced by some American land
pirates. The grant which laps over Golden
ir a sample of their operations. The original
Spanish grant was miles away a small tri
angle of a few hundred acres, with its apex
pointing west. Under the manipulations of
a syndicate successive surveys turned the
grant over like the leaf of a book, so that its
apex pointed east and swelled it to 35,000
acres, taking in a very rich mineral country.
The syndicate then endeavored to oust the
sturdy miners whoe claims they had thus
suddenly blanketed; but that was another
thing, and after years of litigation and occa
sional resorts to linns the miners still hold
their own. Most of the land grants in New
Mexico are not frauds, and but for our
Government's shameful disregard of the
treaty promises under which it acquired
this Territory the matter would have been
adjusted long ago.
The Virtue of Gunny Facts,
With the snow more than two feet deep
on a lev el, and a walk of 50 lonely miles to
the railroad ahead, the getting away irom
Goldca did not look inviting. IJut I was
getting hungry for mail; aud as the snow
showed no signs ot disappearing, there was
nothing to do hut wade it. The laithful low
shoes now nearly through their third pair
ot soles were not to be given up; but they
and the long stockings made slender pro
tection against the driits, and so I bound up
my feet and legs in gunny-sacks, which
were lighter and w armor than boots. Had
it not been for those ungainly leggins, I
never should have got through that awful
day; for with boots, even the best, my feet
would have frozen.
It v.a G:30 of a pleasant December morn
ing when we bade a hearty larewell to our
new-found friends in Golden, and started
trudging up the long, gentle slope toward
the Tijeras ("Scissors") canon, through the
deep snow and with a heavy burden on my
shoulders for I had shipped only the cop
per and silver specimens to the railroad by
stage, and was carrying the gold specimens
to pack aud ship at Albuquerque. My en
tire load weighed nearly 40 pounds, which
is altogether too much, even in the best of
walkiiir. After a couple of miles we left
the well-broken road to San Pedro and
struck oil" through the scattered pinons
bouthwcstwardly. AVe had now no path
save the tracks of a single horse, which had
been ridden to Carnoe the day before, so we
had to break our own way. It was the
hardest long way I ever attempted, and
poor &iiaaow larea no ueltcr. ahe snow
came above his belly, so that it was impossi
ble for him to plow "any distance; and the
xmly gait by which he could get along was
a series of wearisome bounds.
A l"amoUB aud Skillful Desperado.
After some five hours of fearful toil. w
reached the little creek at the loot of the
noble Sandia3, and crossed it at a spot
which has bloody memories. "While in
Golden I had become acquainted with the
famous desperado, Marino Lcbya, a hercu
lean Mexican of astonishing agility and al
most matchless skill with the revolver one
of his favorite pastimes being to spur his
fleet horse through a village, shooting off
the heads af chickens as he galloped past!
He was a known murderer, having slain
many men in quarrels or for purposes of
robbery, and a perennial horse thief; but he
walked the streets of Golden as freely as
anyone. There were many warrants out
against him, but the numerous officers who
came dow n periodically from Santa Fe to
arrest him always took very good care not
to find him, nor to let him "find them, for.
whenever he heard of such an official visit
he always buckled on his unerring six-
HE
shooters and rode into Golden at top speed,
to "se who would takeMarino." His orav
ado was endless, and covered no lack of
courage, lie was ordinarily a good-natured
fellow, and I had many very entertaining
talks with him; but those for whom he con
ceived a dislike were apt to fare ilL
Some time before my visit, an American
doctor coming tip from Albuquerque had
stopped over night at Tijeras, and had care
lessly exposed a considerable roll of money.
He rode a fine horse, and had a good re
volver. Next morning as he came on toward
Golden, Marino's gang who had taken a
short cut from Tijeras to get ahead am
bushed him at the very crossing. His horse
fell at their first volley, crushing his leg be
neath it, but he fought bravely, emptying
his shooter at the assassins, until he fell,
heavy with bullets. The outlaw took his
valuihle! and then burned the bodies of
The Desperado Shooting Chickens.
horse and rider. For a long time nothing
was knows of his fate. At last his brother
came from the East to make search and
finally found his watch in pawn at Berna
lillo. By this clew four of his murderers
were traced, and an Albuquerque mob left
them dangling from four telegraph-poles.
Marino, however, escaped and retribution
did not overtake him until three years after
I knew him.
Killed Throngh s Friend's Treachery.
A Mexican whom he had treated with
great generosity, and upon whoso friend
ship he relied, was bribed to kill him, or to
assist a deputy sheriff in doing so. The
precious couple met Marino on the forest
road a few miles from Golden, and the
always alert outlaw challenged them.
"What! Don't you know me?" cried the
false friend, riding up with a cordial smile
and extending hishand. As Marino grasped
it, the traitor jerked him forward and the
cownrdly officer put a bullet through
Marino's brain from behind. Had the
heavy ball gone through the heart instead
of instantly paralyzing the great nerve
center, there is no doubt that a man of
Marino's force of will would have slain, both
his murderers before dying himself; and
they kne,w that no mere "surprise, however
complete, could make them a match for
that lightning marksman. Only some such
cowardly trap as theirs could have con
quered him. Marino was dearly loved by
the common people, to whom he was a very
Robin Hood, fleecing only the rich and
dividing with the humble; but he was a
terror to that whole section, and his death
was a reliel to the public
In the ruins of the old church just be
yond this fatal crossing I stopped to rest
and escape the icy w ind, for all my clothing
was wringing wet, while Shadow was in a
perfect lather. In ten minutes we were on
the road again, hut with increasinganxiety
There hadheen an ominous change in the
weather, and shcet-liko clouds covered the
sky.
The Guiding Footprints Covered Up.
The wind was rising, too; and suddenly I
saw, with a thrill of terror, that a few finer
particles of the dry snow were beginning to
blow northward. That may seem a circum
stance too trivial to mention at all, but I
knew it was a matter of life or death. "We
were in a trackless wilderness.far Irom help,
or food, or warmth and with no more than
the remotest idea in what direction they lay;
night near at hand and a deadly chill In the
air, and our only guide to safety the foot
prints of a horse. 'In ten minutes my fears
were realized. The wind took sudden
strength and came shrieking savagely down
the valley, scooping up great sheets of the
snow-llonr and whirling it hither and yon
in blinding volleys. The footprints, upon
which our lives might depend, grew dim
mer, laded, were wiped out altogether. I
pulled my hat over my eyes, shut my teeth
and plunged desperately and blindly on in
tue general uirecuuu ui iuc uuw uuiiicruteu
trail. It was a fearful struggle against that
head-wind through the snow.
Presently Shadow crouched under a
Epreading pinon, whose piny boughs kept
off the storm, and howled dismally. I
called to him, and then walked on, thinking
that the poor fellow would surely follow:
hut he was too worn out, and only howled
the louder and did not budge. I went back
to him, put my knife belt around his neck,
and led him. For perhaps a mile he did his
best to come on, but thee he could keep his
feet no longer, and could only be dragged
limp and helpless as a dead body. That
would not do the strap would choke him.
Deadly as the danger was I could not desert
him dear Shadow, who had come to seem
more like a brother than a dog, in our long
and lonely walk together.
In Trackless Snows.
I picked him up and threw him upon my
heavy knapsack, his legs on either side of
my neck, and carried him as one carries a
Bheep. And then I began to lose all hope.
My load was crushing, the drifts grew more
impassable, the wind more cruel. It was
already several degrees below zero. Down
my legs and body trickled rivulets of sweat;
and my outer clothing, sweat-soaked for
hours, was now irozen stiff. We were oil
the road, too, and in a rough country, cut
every few rods by deep arroyos running
to the creek. These were drifted full; and
a hundred times I tumbled into them with
out warning, cutting aud bruising us both
cruelly, the fine snow sifting down my back
and cliilling my strength; floundering out
again only by the energy of despair, and
struggling on only to tail into another
trap.
My strength was gone. The endurance
which had never failed before, though often
sorely tested, was at an end. Nothing but
"bulldog" kept me up. I knew that to
stop meant sure death, and with unseeing
eyes and cars ringing with strange sounds
and mind sinking into a strange, pleasant
numbness, I still struggled on, making a
new footprint less fast than the drilting
6torm covered the last one made. And then
I stepped in a burrow and could not rise
again; and there we lay, done for and lost
in trackless snows.
Charles F. Lummis.
TBASSLATED TOR THI DIBPATCII.
With a gay, happy heart and a bright
smile on his face, Adolph left his home
in the village and went into the city to
learn the joiners' trade. He had several
gold pieces in his pocket, and as he trudged
on his way he made many rosy plans for the
future. He had no trouble in finding a
master, for his bright, honest face won
friends for him at once, and soon Adolph
had begun his work. At the same bench
with him worked a boy by the name of
Franz, who was very slow at learning, and
chose this trade only because his father
compelled him to do so. Although Franz
and Adolph had the same master, they
never were intimate friends, and spent only
their working hours together.
It happened about this time' that a won
derful proclamation was sent through the
land. The King had a very beautiful daugh
ter, for whom he wished to select a suitable
husband. Many noble youths came from
distant countries, in hope of gaining the
Priucess' hand. But the King's daughter
w as not easily pleased. She declared that
she would marrv none of the princes that
she had seen. The man who would become
TWlufFor
PMTSBtrRG DISPATCH,
her husband must make for her a chair of
rosewood, on the back and seat of which
must be carved pictures of all the cities in
the kingdom, and on the legs must be rep
resented every kind of animal and bird.
This wish of the Princess was printed on
large posters, aud hung on all the streets,
and in the public houses, so that every one
might know of it. There were many who
would have liked to marry the beautiful
Piincess, and live in the royal palace; but
no one felt equal to making the work of art
which she described.
One day at dinner, the master said:
"Adolph, I suppose you and Franz will try
to make the chair which the King's daugh
ter so much desires. I wonder which one
of you will succeed, and win the Princess
for a wife."
"I fear, my master," replied Adolph,
"that you are making sport of me. How
could I with my little knowledge think of
attempting such work?"
But Franz hung his head, and made no
reply to his master's words. And nothing
more was said about the matter. But if
Franz did not speak about the chair, he
certainly thought about it often, and deter
mined to win the Princess. Then he could
live in luxury, and would not be compelled
to work.
One stormy night as Adolph was walk
ing through the streets of the city a voice
said to him: "Be careful, Adolph, and do
allow Franz to deceive you."
Adolph turned in astonishment to see me
owner of the voice, and there, surrounded
by a bright light, stood a small figure, which
disappeared so suddenly that the boy could
not gain a view of its features; but he did
not forget the words, and wondered what the
warning meant. In the meantime, Franz
was planning how he should begin the chair.
He had decided that neither his master nor
Adolph should know anything about it,
and that he would work at night while the
others slept. Many nights he spent in the
shop devising ways how he might procure
the wood, and sometimes he was almost dis
couraged when he thought of the greatness
of his undertaking. As he sat thus one
evening, in the workshop, he heard 12 loud
knocks, the door opened, and in came a
dwarf, wrapped in a scarlet cloak, and wear
ing on his head a high, pointed hat. His
face was made hideous ty a long, crooked
nose, snapping black eyes, a wide mouth,
and a sharp chin. Franz trembled with fear
at the sight of the ugly little creature, who
laughed in a hoarse tone, and said: "Well,
young man, you do not seem to be getting
on very fast with jour chair. Where is the
wood of which it is to be made?"
Franz, pointing to a few pine boards,
said: "I have no other wood than this, and
it is not the right kind."
"I can soon fix that for yon," said the
dwarf, and he touched the boards with his
wand, and immediately it became highly
polished rosewood.
"I have a wheel," continued the dwarf,
"and if you will fasten it to your i--ch
and turn it, the work will do itseli. But I
can give you this wheel only on condition
that you will never perform a kindness for
anyone, and will always do just as I tell
you."
As Franz hesitated, the dwarf said: "If
you accept the condition you can marry the
Princess, live in the palace, and always
have plenty of money. I shall leave the
wheel with you lor three days; but remem
ber so soon as you begin to turn it you are
my slave, and must always obey me."
The dwarf then disappeared, leaving
Franz to think over his words. The youth
was greatly tempted to use the wheel. He
fastened it to the bench, but was afraid to
turn it, for he thought: "The dwarf might
be a very hard master, and even though I
did live in a palace, he might give very
disagreeahli commands. '
He then hid awaj the wood in a small
closet, thinking that he would decide in the
morning what to do. The next day, when
the two boys were at their work, Franz
said: "Adolph, see what a strange wheel I
have found fastened here to my bench."
Adolph looked up from his work to ex
amine tho curious wheel. Then Franz said:
"Turn it, and see how merrily it goes
around."
Adolph took hold of tho wheel, and
turned it several times, while Franz smiled
and thought: "Now my chair is made, I
have cheated the dwarf and Adolph must
serve him, while I shall marry the Princess
end live in the palace."
All day Franz was kept so busy that he
could find no time to look in the closet
where he had put the wood. But in the
night he slipped away to the shop, and
having lighted a candle, he peered eagerly
into the darkness, and to his great delight
saw the chair, made exactly as the Princess
had desired. He knew he would not be ad
mitted to the palace during the night, but
as soon as the dawn began to break, he car
ried the heavy chair to the royal residence.
When the King heard that a youth, bring
ing a chair for the Princess, had come, he
said: ".Let the chair be left here, and tell
the maker to return in an hour."
In the meantime, Adolph had slept
soundly all night. In the morning when
he was preparing to go to his work a voice
said: "Listen to me, Adolph, to-day you
shall marry the Princess."
And once more Adolph saw the same fig
ure which he had met in the street; but
such a bright light shone about it that he
could scarcely look at it.
"Who are you?" asked the boy, "and
what do you mean by such strange words?
How could such a poor boy a3 1 marry the
King's daughter?"
"1 am your friend," was the reply, "and
if you will do as I say, you shall win the
Princess. Go directly to the palace, and
without asking permission of any one, go
through the wide doors into the hall, where
yon will see the King on his throne. Walk
up to him and wait for him to speak to
you."
The vision then vanished, and Adolph
lost no time in obeying its commands.
When he reached the palace he was sur
prised to see that his coarse clothes had be
come the finest silk and velvet, and that a
jeweled sword hung by his bide. As he
entered the hall, where the King and all
the court were assembled, he heard voices
saying: "Here is the Prince, who has made
the chair."
But without heeding the cries Adolph ad
vanced to tho throne. The King rose to
greet him, saying:
"My daughter is yours, and half of my
kingdom 1 give to you."
At this moment Franz rushed in breath
less haste into the hall, exclaiming:
"It is I who made tho chair. The Prin.
cess is mine."
But the Princess declared that she would
ha e nothing to do with such an ugly youth
and that no other than Adolph should have
her hand. The King, however, reminded
his daughter of the proclamation about the
chair, and told her to examine this one, and
if it was wanting in any particular she
might send Franz away and accept Adolph.
Although the Princess looked carefully,
she could find no fault with the chair. She
then sat down in it; but instead of support
ing her it fell to pieces, and all that re
mained of it wa3 a few pine boards. Angry
and mortified, Franz rushed from the place,
and the first person he met was the dwarf,
who shouted after him:
Ha, ha, you thought you had cheated me.
It will be many a long day before you live
in the palace."
And the boy went back to his work, sad
der hut wiser. Paysee.
THE NEW FKEKCH EXPLOSIVE.
Its Manufacture Costs the Health, and Kven
IaTe of tho Workmen.
The manufacture of melinite, the French
explosive, is attended with great danger.
Several workmen employed in the factory
at Toulon have been sent to the hospital
suffering from poisoning. A young work
man, it is said, died from disorders due to
influenza, but the other patients were cured
by rest. The work at the factory consists
in pouring phenic acid on nitric acid to pro
duce picrie acid. Nitrous vapors are given
off, mixed with picrie acid.
The workmen suffer from irritation of the
eyes and from cough. Their hands, faces
and hair turn yellow. Breathing becomes
difficult, accompanied by a rattling in the
throat. These tacts are not reassuring, and
the attention of engineers busied with the
manufacture of new explosives should be
directed to the matter.
SUNDAY, JULY'
SOME ENIGMATICAL NUTS.
Vnnlaifni.tli.rif.1. V7 ,1.- rt-l. TtTITl Vtt'
Their Brains Bust for Most of the Week?!
ir They Solve Them Correctly Home
Amusements.
Address communications for this department
to E. E. CiiADBOunif, LevAston, Maine.
1C33 THE rUZZLEl) VISITOR.
A man who was fond ot botany
Thought, to leliove I1I9 monotony,
Tho Botanical Gardens he'd visit.
Ho went, and he wandeied about
Until ho lost his way out,
So ho cried, "O, the entrance! where is it?"
Tho gardener told him to go
Through the gardens in order, and so
He might manage his freedom to get
If, from each garden a letter obtaining,
Ue could have a word left remaining,
And two flowers at the gateway to set.
The flowers were beauties to be,
And ono was to have grown on a tree,
And its color was to be a deep red.
The other was to be Just tho reverse.
And should grow, If itsroot you'd immerse,
In a pond or a river instead.
Now, ye who aro wise, tell me, pray,
The names of these flowers so gay
Which tho lost man did manage to obtain:
He passed through each garden out once
(Ho was ablo to spell and no dunce),
And a word ho left clearly and plain.
H. J. A,
1C34 CHAEADE.
In the ceaseless roll of years
Comes the Glorious Fourth to-dayi
Nought of woe or strife appears,
Shines our sun his brightost ray.
Time has lightly touched our land,
Brought to us no withering curse.
Along the earth's great powers we stand,
itay no fate our last reverse.
Even through our Nation's life
Be out total, God of might.
Keep us from unseemly strife,
Guide us over in the right.
This should bo a son of praise
For the blessings ol tho years:
And the printer would wo craze,
If 'tlsftrsted when't appears.
H. C. Bcsozb.
1635 ONE DAY'S FISniNO.
A poet went fishing and caught two-thirds
of a fish th.1t is salted and driod for market,
the head ola fish that is kept in pickle, the
head and tall of a ferocious fresh water fish,
the eye of a herring, two-fifths of a small
fresh and salt water fish, the tail of a highly
prized fish and tho head of another, as
highly prized, though smaller. Strange to
say he didn't go near tho water, yet caught
nst that for whioh he was fishing. "W. W.
163G ANAOKAM.
See! a torn topic.
Niagara Falls,
China's w alls,
Wild and beautiful scenesf
Juggler's acts,
Keligious facts,
Are seen by completes means.
Iowa Bot.
1637 diamond.
1. A letter. 2. To indulge. 3. Puts on an
other tuck, as n ship. I. TTarbIe3 (Prov.
Eng.) 5. To mask; G. Hugo marine animals.
7. Trawfortns (itare) 8. Those who lay
slates. 9. Boils slowly. 10. A plant. 1L A
letter.
1638 ENIGMA.
We had rambled far into a forest,
Whore wo sat on a prostrato tree;
It was there we encountered a tourist,
And an active sightseer was he;
Though the soil was the toughest and poor
est Every Inch he seemed anxious to see.
We found he had been a restorer
Of ruins from rubbish and sand,
Ho has skill as a miner and borer,
'With implements ever at hand;
And this patient, painstaking explorer,
Soon makes a survey of the land.
Some say he Is gathering plunder,
Which he is carefully storing away
In caverns unseen, that are under
The roof where he chooses to stay;
And not in the least should I wondor
If true every word that they say.
His kin has been famous for ages,
As teachers and models for men.
Their wisdom was known to tho sages,
Who have left us the gifts of tboir pen.
And a proverb he makes for their pages,
That is copied again and again. Sea.
1639-rnE spoils.
A hunter returned from an expedition,
bringing as trophies of his hunt the heads of
the following animals: Two deer, an animal
resembling the deer, a deer, a night-bird and
a sea animal. He tried to welh these, but
they didn't move the scales a hair.
Wickxd Will,
1640 DECAPITATION.
I.
First, a very old invention;
They will sometimes vox and teasoj
Tet this wonderful invontion
Was lntonded man to please.
ii
It comes a harbinger of peace;
Or oft, like Poe"s dread lla en,
'Twill como with hoarse, prophetic croak,
And make of man a craven,
in.
Some are grand and some are feoble;
Some will cherish, some will "strike."
Since the days of Father Adam
Never two havo beon alike
, Stxb.
1641 SQUAP.E.
L Extremelv malicious. 2. A Latin proper
name. 3. Cufturo. i. One who decoys. 5.
Approaching. C. Ability. 7. Wax candles
used in religious rites. Iowa Bot.
1642 CROSS WOPJJS.
In grafter, in raftor and aftor;
In sixty but never in two;
In stranger, in ranger and manger;
In orango but nover in blue;
In gendor, in tonder and lender;
In cabbage hut never in colo;
In canter, In ranter and banter
An lnseot you'll find for my whole.
H. C. BtmoxR.
MAT'S SOLVING.
Met Winners: 1. Florence Weber, Plumer,
Pa. 2. n. C. Burger, Salem, O. 3. J. H. Car
ter. Pittsburg, Pa.
Roll of Honor: Kohecca H. Nicbolls.Roscoe,
W. H. Sweitzor, Helen Freeman, J. A. Mc
pherson, L. G. P., Florence E. Petrie, Jlartha
Frost, I. C.Hairis, W. E. Lloyd, Mrs. L. G.
Hunt, Frenchie, John F. Amend, Clara
Jewett, P. C. Trent, Rambler, Iretta Dart,
H. A E., Winnie Smith, B. C. Rawlins.
ANSWEKS.
16231 Bare-bone. 2. Bonaparte
(bone
apnrt).
16211 Fascinates. 2. Contentions. 3.
Moderate.
1625 To back her.
162-3 Ha-m, on-I-on, o-x, sal-t, t-u-mlp,
peppe-r, wat-e-r. Tho soup 3Iiztwe.
1627 Tho moon.
1628 Taste, state; tone, note; miles, limes,
smile.
i v
BLrrETrff TRNs)
vv o
1G29 Pen-I-tent.
1U.10 Shower-bath.
1631 Least, east.
16X2 M
BIS
CASTE
CURRANT
BARRETCAP
MISREPEATE
S TATESMEN
ENCAMPS
T A T E 3
PEN
D
A Quick Breakfast.
New York Sun.:
If you are the kind of a busy woman who
never has time to eat her breakfast before
she starts out for a day's shopping, try stir
ring a raw egg into your coffee. Be sure
that the cofleo is hot and clear, and drink as
soon as it begins to cool, and see how much
shorter the elevated stairs will be and how
much more civil and considerate every
one will seem than they do the days when
you shop and don't have time to eat jour
breakfast.
THE HOME OF CRUSOE.
Visit to the Island Where the An
cient Mariner Lired So Long.
"WHAT "THE EECORDS SAY OP HIM.
Unlike Many of Youth's Heroes BoMnson
Crusoe leally Existed.
FANNIE B. WARD'S EXCURSION TRIP
COSBESPOWDESCS Or TOT DISPATCH.!
Sastiago de Chile, June 18.
Being on this western side of South
America, it is an easy matter to visit Juan
Fernandez the island known to the world
as "P.obinson Crusoe's" for it lies only
about 400 miles from Valpariso, sailing
straight toward sun set Or rather, it is
easy whenever somebody succeeds in drum
ming up an excursion party, large enough
to charter an especial steamer; otherwise,
one might as well dream of going on foot
into Polynesia, as there is no regular com
munication between the mainland and this
isolated Chilean possession. There is a pic
nic two or three time1) a year to Fernandez
more for the purpose of shooting goats
and seal and fishing for cod and lobsters
than for visiting the haunts of the Ancient
Mariner, for the memory of that worthy is
not held in much veneration near to the
scene of his adventures.
Since so many of the herJes of our earlier
days have lamentably turned out to be
myths, since it has been proved that "Will
iam Tell did not shoot an apple from his
son's head, nor Barbara Fritchie flirt a flag
in the face of Stonewall Jackson's men, and
Shakespeare stands confessed in borrowed
laurels, since in the broad light of nowa
days even Santa Claus is doubted, and the
whale that swallowed Jonah, I am delighted
to be able to declare that there really was a
"Eobinson Crusoe," (though, as everybody
knows, that was not his true name), and
that he lived on the island, almost exactly
at, described in the story, just 1S2 years ago.
The Real Story of Crusoe.
Bnt local traditions of the affair differ
greatly from the account with which we
are familiar. It seems that in the year
1709, a Scotchman named Alexander Sel
eraij, (now commonly called Selkirk),
mutinied on board the Spanish barque
Cinque Ports, and was given the choice of
being hanged at the yard-arm, or put ashore
alone at Juan Fernandez. He chose the
latter alternative, because it offered some
hope of life, but when landed on the mossy
rocks of the uninhabited land, with his
sailor's kit and small supply of provisions,
the desolation of the place so weighed upon
him, that he begged with tears to be taken
back and hanged, rather than remain a
solitary human speck surrounded by a wild
waste of waters.
A few days afterwards he discovered an
Indian on the island, who had come down
some years before from the Mosquito Coast
of Central America, on the pirate, Dam
phier; and who, havinggone ashore to hunt,
got lost and was abandoned by his compan
ions. This was the man "Friday," whom
Lydia Thompson's blonds have immortal
ized, as well as- Daniel DcFoe. After Sel
kirk had lived on Fernandez four years and
four months, he was rescued by an English
merchant snip and taken to Southampton,
where hetold his story with some judi
cious omissions and exaggerations; and so it
came to DeFoe's ears, and finally into print.
The Author Never Saw HI Hero.
The book was not published until more
than ten years after Selkirk's return to
England, and it is asserted that the author
of ''Bobin3on Crusoe" never saw his hero,
or held any communication with him, hut
that ho picked up the narrative by bits
here and there, mainly from newspaper
items, which undoubtedly originated in the
sailor's own account of himself. At any
rate, it is surprising how correctly the
scenery of Juan Fernandez is portrayed in
the well-known story, so that to this day it
serves well for a guide book, and by it ono
may readily find the "lookout," the "cave,"
and what remains of Cruso's "cave" and
other haunts. But Mr. DeFoe does not ap
pear to have been very well posted on the
geography of this part of the world, for he
has located his island on the wrong side of
the continent, and mixed up Valparaiso on
the western coast with Montevideo on the
eastern.
There is considerable literature bearing
on this subject, most of it as old and quaint
as Crusoe himself. Probably the most
authentic account of Selkirk's adventures is
contained in a very curious little book,
written by the man who rescued him, Cap
tain "Woodes Rogers himself, commander ot
two Bristol privateers, the Duke and
Duchess. He , says that when his ship ap
proached Juan Fernandez (in February,
1709V a liffht was discovered, which fhow
at first thought to be on board a ship at
anchor,
A Close Call for the Exile.
Two French pirates had been cruising in
search of Captain Rogers, and it was sup
posed that these were "lying in wait, close to
the shore. The boats, which had started
landward, hastily returned to the ship; and
the wonder is that they did not sail away,
leaving poor Robinson to his solitude. But
Captain Rogers was a brave man, and in
stead of flight he prepared for battle. Next
day, seeing no vessel there, they went on
shore, where they found a man so says tho
narrative, "clad in goatskins and looking
wilder than the first owners of them." It
was Selkirk, who almost crazed with ex
citement at sight of a longed-for sail which
might deliver him had built the fire that
attracted their attention. The privateers
took him on board, and finding that be had
been'a ship's officer, appointed him mate of
one of Rogers' vessels and took him to
England.
The queerest of all the books is a little
quarto volume of only 12 pages, published
in 1710, and profusely garnished with cap
ital letters after the fashion of the time.
entitled "Providence Displayed, or a Very
Surprising Narrative of One Alexander
Selkirk, Master of a Merchant Man, etc.
Written by His Own Hand and
Attested by Most of the Eminent Merchants
"Upon the Royal Exchange."
Possibly it was this same little book that
furnished De Foe with a text for the story
which has delighted generations of younc
people in all parts of the world, and filled
them with vague longings for sea life, ship
wreck and solitude. At any rate, "Robin
son Crusoe" had a phenomenal success, ac
corded to few works since Job wished that
his enemy "would make a book," and has
by no means lost prestige after more than a
oentury and three-quarters.
The Excursion to Joan Fernandez.
"When an excursion to Juan Fernandez is
on the tapis, the newspapers of Santiago
and Valparaiso advertise it in glowing
terms for dajs beforehand, and as amuse
ments of the sort are rare in Chile the
little coaster that makes the trjp is gener
ally crowded to its utmost capacity, though
the fare is as high as accommodations are
poor. The party we joined composed
mostly of Chileans and Germans set sail
from Talcuahauo, a port some 200 miles
south from Valparaiso: and the fare was
put at 70 per capita, tor an absence of eight
days.
We were struck by a "norther" when a
few hours out (which, as usual in these
waters, came tearing up from the south
around Cape Horn), and the seasick misery
that commonly attends a voyage so short
that one has no time to get his bealegs on,
was intensified by the ovcicrowded condi
tion of the tiny steamer, and the odoriferous
messes (limburger, liverwurst and other
mysteries, that our Teutonic friends in
sisted on devouring bctwen their hearty
ar-o-o-u-u-u-ps. But the most disagreeable
things have an end, and late on the second
day we came to anchor off the island of our
dreams. Nothing could be seen but wild
seas on ono hand rolling offinto the dark
ness, and on the other a black, perpendic
ular wall of rock, who.se ragged pinnacles
appeared to pierce the sky, broken by
aful gorges, through Trhiea the wind
wailed dismally. Some of the cliffs seemed
so near that we mieht almost touch them
with our hands, and the surf beat so fright
fully upon them that returning waves kept
the ship rolling as when on the unsheltered
ocean. J
Oettlne Posted on Its History.
Sleep was out of the question, so a little
group of Americans beguiled the hours of
darkness by reading "Robinson Crusoe"
aloud to one another, in the uncertain light
of swaying lanterns. Somebody had brought
along 'Two Years Before the Mast," writ
ten by Mr. Richard H. Dana, Jr., who vis
ited this place in 1833, in the course of his
memorable voyage to California and de
lighted us with extracts from that charming
hook relating to the author's experiences
here.
I lAnottfer passenger had the later book of
Mr. J. Ross Browne, called "Crusoe's
Island," and elicited unmeasured applause
by reading how that distinguished man felt
when he 'first set foot upon Juan Fernandez,
He writes: "I was one who had fought for
poor Robinson in my boyish days as the
greatest hero that ever breathed; who had
always, even to man s estate, secretly cher
ished the belief that Alexander the Great,
Julius Cxsar, and all the warriors of an
tiquity were commonplace persons com
pared to him: that Napoleon Bonaparte, the
Duke of Wellington, Tecumseh, and all the
noted statesmen and soldiers of modern
times were not to be mentioned in the same
day with so extraordinary a man, and now
I, who had always regarded him as the
most truthful as well as the very suhlimest
of adventurers, was the entranced beholder
of his abiding place walking and seeing on
tho very spotl Talk of gold! Why, I tell
you, dear friends, that all the gold of Cali
fornia was not worth the ecstatic bliss of
that moment."
A Sight Worth All the Journey.
Next morning all hands were on deck to
see the sun rise over the hills or Juan Fer
nandez, and when the thick vapors that
shrouded the island were lifted, a scene of
beauty was disclosed worth coming far to
see. Beyond the abrupt walls of rock that
towed 1,000 feet straight out of the sea,
were monntains whose tops were bathed in
the glory of morning, tneir sides covered
with greenest vendure and golden fields of
wild oats, their feet hidden in groves of
myrtle, corkwood and pimento. Farther
inland, great peaks of reddish stone towered
to the clouds, silvery cascades leaped down
to tho ocean, and snowy foam outlined the
shores where the surf beat in measured
swells like the voice of a distant Niagara.
Tho ravines showed flocks and herds and
cultivated fields, and in the central valley
nestled amid blooming orchards, were the
bamboo straw-thatched cottages of the in
habitants, looking like so many huge bird
cages.
There is but one spot in all the northern
coast, which is the side of the island usually
approached, where the rocks open wide
enough to-admit the smallest vessel. This
single inlet is named Cumberland Bay, and
nearly all the rest of the shore is inaccessi
ble to man, with fearful cliffs overhanging
the water, where wailing winds and moan
ing surf keep up a perpetual dirge for the
thousands of sailors who have been
wrecked in sight of safety. The ridgesof
the cliffs slope upward as they recede in
land, forming a series of smaller valleys
above, whose tints are diversified with yel
low oats, emerald groves and red-burnt
earth, the latter rent in countless fissures by
many earthquakes.
A Breakfast of Fresh Cod.
As soon as a hasty breakfast could be dis
patched, of course of baccallao (cod fish),
caught from the deck, which in all South
America is considered the greatest of deli
cacies what terrapin, Potomac shad, brook
trout and reed birds are to Northern palates
the boats were lowered, and with joyful
speed we clambered down into them and
were rowed ashore. The waters of Cumber
land Bay are literally alive with fish, and
so clear that one can see the sandy bottom
at a depth of several fathoms. The mossy
rocks along the shore are swarming witn
seals, walruses and other marine animals,
besides such "small fry" as shrimps, lob
sters, mussels and cray fish. They tell us
that an equal abundance of food may be
found inland fruits of many kinds, goats,
rabbits and birds not to mention excellent
water and plenty of the best ship timber,
making the island a regular storehouse in
the midst of the sea, for the benefit of
mariners whi have survived the perils of
Cape Horn, or are about to venture into
that storm-swept locality. Therefore, we
do not wonder that from earliest times it
has been also a popular resort for South
Sea buccaneers, who find it convenient to
put in here to obtain supplies and repair
damages.
You may consult a dozen authorities and
not find two that agree in the measurement
of Juan Fernandez, nor hardly one which
tells you the truth, viz. that here is not
merely an island, but a group of them,
which are collectively known as "Juan Fer
nandez," because discovered by a Spaniard
of that name. In reality
There Are Two Islands
of nearly equal dimensions, and several
smaller ones. The largest that lying near
est the mainland and the one commonly
visited is no doubt that which De Foe i
hero inhabited, and is 12 miles long by six
or seven wide. Though known to the world
at large as "Jnan Fernandez," it is here
abouts called Masatierra, to distinguish it
from the next island in size, which is 90
miles distant and named Masafucro. Both
have similar physical features.
Even the goats have a history. The first
attempt to locate a colony here was made by
the discoverer, Fernando himself, in the
year 1S63. He endeavored to obtain a patent
lor his "find" from the Government at
Lima; but failing to receive encouragement
in high places, he resolved to form his own
settlement, and took several families to
Masatierra, who remained there some time
and with whom he resided. The few goats
which they transported from Lima soon
stocked the island, none haying existed
there before.
A. War on ISi OosU.
A great many years later, bnt nearly a
oentury ago the goats having multiplied
and replenished the earth as only goats can,
and pirateB innumerable were resorting
there to victual their ships with the flesh
the Viceroy ot Chile and the President of
Peru laid their two wise heads together to
concoct some soheme for keeping those ob
jectionable lolJi away irom their distant
possession.
They could hit upon nothing better than
to remove the inducement, and to that end
they sent thither a lot of bloodhounds, ex
pecting them to exterminate the goats. But
the plans did not prove eminently success
ful, for the dogs could not pursue the goats
among the mountain fastnesses, where they
leap irom crag to crag with astonishing
agility; and now there are vast numbers oi
wild dogs as well as goats, and the former
are not pleasant to encounter when one is
rambling about the island alone.
In this already too long letter we have
not time to visit the famous look-out and
what remains of the castle and other points
of local interest. Therefore, having brought
my readers to Juan Fernandez, I must make
Crusoesof them for a week's time by de
serting them upon the island which, how
ever, is no longer desolate nor uninhabited.
Faknie B. Wakd.
A HEW SCANDAL IH ETJB0PE.
This Time un American Girl Wants to Be
Free From Her Blooded Lord.
Rumors are afloat of divorce proceedings,
soon to be made public, in which the
aggrieved and injured lady is an American
girl, only three and twenty, who has been
married four years to Mr. Reginald Walpole
Craigie, an Englishman, in whose veins the
traditional badness and cruelty of the Wal
pole blood seems to run freely. Mrs.
Craigie was Miss Pearl Richards, the oldest
daughter of Mr. and Mis. Morgan Richards,
who are among the oldest American resi
dents in London.
Mrs. Craigie is a very pretty, very clever,
and a great favorite. She has returned to
her father's house with her little baby, and
is Staying under his protection. She accuses
her husband of unfaithfulness and cruelty,
and says nothing on earth will ever induce
her to return tonim again.
PLUMES FOE THE FilR
Kow Produced Successfully at
California Ostrich Farms.
the
HOW THE BIG BIEDS AEE EALSED.
A Tiro-Pays-OId Baby Can Hake a Good
Showing as a Sprinter.
THE PRICES THE FEATHEES BEEfQ
CCOHRZSFOITDENCE 07 TOE DISPATCH.
Cobonado Beach, San Diego, July 13.
A troop of American-bred ostriches of
different age3 and sizes can be seen at Coro
nado Beach near the Hotel Del Coronado.
The are unrivaled in this country. Los
Angeles county had an importation of os
triches before San Diego, but they have not
multiplied so fast or grown so rapidly,
owing doubtless to climatic conditions.
Mr. E. J. Johnson, Manager of the Ameri
can Ostrich Company, brought his first bird
from the Cape of Good Hope in 1833 and
landed them at New Orleans, but after
thorough investigation came to the con
clusion that Louisiana was not adapted to
the purpose, so he brought the ostriches
overland to Southern California. They
v;i&"
f3V. iVXVt "i i
HSJTA
2i i? l ;
rcn,
I
A Group 0 American-Bred Ostriches.
were left corralled in the city of San Diego
while he explored the country for a suitable
location for their permanent settlement.
He finally located in the valley of the San
Luis Rey, about seven miles from the
town of Fall Brook, the clear, dry air, the
good water and shelter afforded by the
Santa Rosa hills furnishing the proper con
ditions. Here the birds have thrived, the
old ones maintaining apparently their
natural vigor. The ostrich matures at four
and five years. The breeding birds are kept
corralled in pairs, one acre of land to each
pair.
The Corral at Coronado.
At the corral at Coronado Beach, which
is 225 feet wide by 00 feet long, inclosed
by a high board fence, there were when I
visited -it 11 large ostriches one 6 months
old and one 2 days old. The corral is on an
island of roses a veritable paradise pro
fusely avenued with the waving palm and
the pretty cypress. The infant ostrich was
very shy, nestling in the warm sand and
bathing in the sun's rays. It was as large
as a duck, and had a short, chubby, round
head and a short beak. On my appearing
It started on a run, which resembled a hop
and a skip. It seemed to be eating sand a
grain at a time. When the sun was sink
ing in the west the baby ostrich was put in
warm quarters.
The 6-months-old-bird was a shaegy,
lanky, awkward thing, probably standing;
three feet in its "bare feet." Two toes are
all the African ostrich can boast of, but it
can kick very vigorously with them. Kick
ing is their mode of fighting. The full
grown ostriches were kept in a separate in
closure. They stand irom four to five feet
and their long necks can reach a distance of
about six feet higher, making a reach of 11
feet. Their legs nave no feathers and their
necks are nearly as bare, but their bodies
are covered with the beautiful plumage.
"When they attempt to run they have the
appearance of a "knock-kneed dancing-master
on a trot."
What Feathers Are "Worth.
Their tails are white and short, but their
wings are composed of beautiful plumes.
The tips of the feathers are black and un
derneath are white. The most valuable)
plumes are those not exposed. They are
perfectly white. Samples were shown ma
at prices averaging from 0 to $7 for choice
and from 1 to $5 for common. The tips
run from 75 cents to 15 a set. Theyire in
great demand among the guests at the Hotel
Del Coronado during the winter months for
balls and other society affairs. A plum
consists of two feathers made into one. The
tips are also donble. The fine feathers are
made into collarettes for ladies at from $3
to $10 each and boas eight or nine feet long
at from S50 to 60 each. Fans also are made
here and sell readily; also feather trimming
and aigrettes for the hair.
The oirds are picked once in every nine
months and from one to one and a half
pounds are secured at a picking. The aver
age profit is about $100 a bird each picking.
Of course the wing feathers are the moss
valuable.
The ostriches feed principally on vegeta
bles of any and all kinds and on fruit. Oa
the average they eat eight pounds per day
each. Some corn is fed to them, out not)
much. Their eggs are laid in the sand, and
Mr. Palmer, the superintendent, has an in
cubator that hatches the eggs successfully.
The incubator hoUU 25 eggs and will hatch
in six weeks. The ostriches at Coronadb
laid 50 eggs up to May 8. There are four
laying birds this season. The eggs weigh
from two to four pounds each and measure
nine inches long by six inches wide. They
are yellow in color and at times nearly
white and are much speckled. If the birds
are net allowed to hatch they take a restof
six weeks and then commence to lay again.
The Birds Bring S500 Each.
At the Fall Brook ranch there are 109
birds, 22 birds having been raised last
season. They are sold at 5600 each, or 51,000
for a pair, full grown. The birds have no
memory, I wea informed, and when cor
rected will forget immediately and do the
same thing over again. They are continu
ally on the run and spread outtheir pretty
wings when running like the sail3 of a ship.
One bird has lost an eye from fighting, ana
they fight very savagely. They seem to
dislike the young birds very much.
The meat of an ostrich is dark and some
thing similar to venison. It is rather ex
pensive at 5500 per bird. They eat sea
shells when broken up for them, and are
eating sand apparently all tho time. The
male bird has a red mark down the front of
the legs; the female bird is gray in color,
the male jet black with a white taiL Tho
average life of the ostrich is 40 years, and
there is no question but that the raising of
ostriches will be one of the best paying in
dustries in Southern California.
GUS EOBEBTSj.
THE LATEST FLYDIG MACHINE.
This One Uses a Gas Bag for Buoyancy anal
to Bun the Machinery.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
J. F. Duval, chief engineer of J. G. But
ler's tobacco works, has, after 22 years of
hard work, invented a flying-machine. Mr.
Duval is backed in the enterprise by Ellis
R. Smith, of Sedalio, Sheriff of Pettis coun
ty, and Allen V. Taylor, the engineer who
draws the fast mail on the Missonri.Pacifia
road. He has just received patents on the
air-ship dated July 3.
The model is a hsh-shaped gas hag 20 feet
long, the total weight of which, including a
ten-pound gas engine, is only 22 pounds.
Propeller wheels are set in front and rear,
and are so made that they can. be used for
either steering or propulsion. Two men are
necessary to manage the ship, one being
stationed at either end. Inside the bag of
pure hydrogen is another bag containing
sulphuretted hydrogen which contributes
greater buoyancy, and which feeds the gas
engine, loeated on the platform or car, at
the bottom. Mr. Duval claims that his in
vention is prior to that of any other air-shin
using a gas bag to secure buoyancy.
1
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