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THETEMPTEROFEVE
And His Various Descendants
as Eepresented in the
PMladelpliia Zoo.
HOW SNAKES ARE FED.
Distinuisliin? Characteristics of
Those That Are Venomous,
TAEIKG THE TOISON FBOJI THESI.
lYhisiy Is Xot an Antidote, but It Bridges
Over the Danger.
A TE5DEXCI TO SWALLOW IACH OIHXK
fWIUTTEX rOB THE StgP.lTCB.1
EECENTLY have
beard of the most
marvelous snake in
the -world," said
Superintendent
Arthur Erwin
Brown, of the
Philadelphia .Zoo
logical Society,
yesterday.
Superinten dent
Brown is one of the
leading naturalists
i of the United
States. In addi
tion to his duties
as the official head
of the Philadelphia society, he is consulting
70olrgi&t of the Sew national Zo logical
Garden at "Washington. His specultyin
biology has been the study of snakes and
reptiles, in which department he stands con
fessedly at the head in this country. He
has studied the Ophidians not only in cap
tivity, but in their native haunts, pretty
much all over the -world, and two of the
most conspicuous objects in his private office
in the old John Penn mansion, in Philadel
phia, are two large glass jars securely sealed
and filled to the brim -with all manner of
specimens of the serpent tribe. Several
months each year are spent by him usually
in some of the wildest portions of the conti
nent, and he has but recently returned from
a two months vacation trip along the Bio
Grande in Northern Mexico and Southern
Texas.
'1 obtained my information about this
wonderful snake from a Texan guide dur
ing my recent trip to the Mexican border,
"he continued with a smile "As you will
understand I do not wish to be held respon
sible for the statements of a man whom I
met but casually, and about whoso veracity
and the quality of the whisky he drinks-, I
am m profound ignorance, although I have
a private opinion upon the subject.
Greatest Snake Tarn on Record.
"The section of country extending from
the Gulf to the Pacific, between the 29th
and 30th degrees of north latitude, is the
most prolific in snakes of any on the North
American continent. It is almost sub-tropical,
with long warm summers and short
winters. The guide had an inexhaustible
fund of stories about the Frio serpents.
One of his tales was to the effect that when
he visited a certain point along the Eio
5kii V35ff
REPTILE HOUSE AT PHILADELPHIA, FINEST 1ST THE WOELD.
Grande on his annual hunting expeditions,
all he had to do was to stand on the edge of
thchaparrel and yell 'Billy,' in a loud
tone of voice, when a Prio serpent, with
which he had become familiar during his
trips, would shuffle out of the under-brush
and come up to him to have it's head
scratched.
"I do not believe," concluded Superin
tendent Brown, his smile ending in a laugh,
"thatan all the range of Herpetology, an
cient or modern, there is anything that can
quite equal that yarn of the Texan's.
Kattlers Over Seven Feet Lone-
'Seriously speaking, however," contin
ued the naturalist, "there are, I believe,
Fome pretty good sized snakes down there.
1 gave orders for the capture o'f the largest
that could be found and until thev arrive I
would advocate a suspension of judgment
on the subject
"Of the 18 fairly well recognized species
of rattlesnakes in North America, not less
than 15 species have been found in the
titretch of country which I have described.
All of the large rattlesnakes belong to the
genus Crotalus, which are easily distin
guished by the small granular scales which
cover the head differing from the large
plates which, instead ot scales, cover the
heads of the smaller ones. The largest rat
tlesnakes that we have are known as the
diamond rattlesnakes, and on the cotton
islands off the coast of North Carolina and
Georgia they attain their greatest size, fre
quently reaching a length of 7if feet"
"How do you distinguish between venom
ous and non-venomous snakes without per
mitting them to demonstrate the fact by at
tacking some living object?" was asked."
"There is a rule which can be followed in
variably with one exception," replied Jlr.
Brown. "Every venomous snake has a
small pit or hole in its face a little below
and midway between the eye and nostril.
The non-venomous snakes have no such dis
tinguishing characteristic. The one excep
tion to this rule is the elaps, or harlequin
Fnake, so-called because of the vivid yellow,
red and black stripes which encircle its
bodr, and it is not, I think, of a very hiehly
poisonous character. South American,
African and East Indian snakes are not dis
tinguished in the presence or absence of
poison fangs by the pit I have described."
A. bea Serpent Most Deadly.
"While repeated experiments have been
made, very little is known about the active
principle of snake venom. We know that
it is a verv subtle poison, but it has thus
far defied" ultimate analysis. Dr. Weir
Mitchell, of Philadelphia; Dr. Yarrow, TJ.
S. A.; Sir Joseph Eavrer, of the British
?.Iuseum, rnd Dr. Stradling are the leading
investigators of this subject I recently
sent some samples of venom extracted from
the snakes in our garden to Dr. Shurly, of
Detroit"
"What is considered the moft -venomous
snake known to 20ologists?"
"It is difficult to say. There is a species
of sea serpents, found'in the Straits of Mal
acca, which is considered to be, I believe,
the most deadly in existence. They are
known as hydrophidae, and vary from
8 to 12 feet in length. The cobra
di bapello of India is an exceedingly ven
omous snake, but I do not think that its
bite is more deadly than that of our rattle
snake or copperhead. One reason why there
are so many deaths in India from the bite of
the cobra is because the natives are not only
reckless, going about with bare feet and
legs in the haunts of the reptile, but when
once attacked Tery little, if any, treatment is
given to counteract the effects of the poison.
The whole question, however, is a relative
one, and depends upon the condition of the
snake when it made the attack, where the
victim was struck, and the subsequent
treatment If the poison fangs penetrate
through a hoot-leg or a portion of the cloth
ing, some of the venom will be removed.
If the fangs strike a portion of the body
near which the circulation is active the re
sult is usually a fatal termination. The bite
of a large rattlesnake or copperhead is
much more to be dreaded than that of a
small one, for the larger the snake, the larger
the secretion of poison.
When Snake Is Sheddlnc
"It is an old notion," continued Superin-
- j
KEEPZK THOMPSON LAS30ISO A ItATTLEE KT THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO.
tendent Brown, "that the bite of a snake is
much more deadly when it is shedding its
skin than ar any other time. It was sup
posed that there was some mysterious con
nection between this process and the virul
ence of the poison. The secret is this:
"When a snake is shedding it is blind for
two or three days, ow ing to the skin of the
head coming forward over the eyes. Dur
ing this time it cannot strike its prey as it
usually does ftud, as a result, there is
greater secretion of venom in the poison
glands at the base of its fangs and the vic
tim of the attack receives a larger dose
than he probably would any other time."
"Whiskv is an antidote lor snake poison,
is it not?""
"No, sir. It is a popular fancy, but not a
fact," said Mr. Brown. "Whisky is what
might be called a bridge used to carry the
victim over the dangerous period. The
general effect of snake poison is that of a
powerful depressor of the nervous system,
with reflex action on the heart and respira
tory organs. Alcoholic liquor has a con
trary effect, and while the poison carries the
vital energies below the normal, alcohol
brings it back. Too much whisky, as a
large number of persons well know, the
morning after, has a depressing effect, and
if an overdose be administered the result
will be to aggravate and intensify the orig
inal trouble. The great danger in the use
of whisky in snake bites lies in carrying its
effects beyond the stimulating and exciting
stage. Quite a number of remedies have
been suggested in such emergencies, among
them being the hypodermic injection of
ammonia, permanganate of potash, and ja
borandi. Personally, I know nothing of
the efficacy of these drugs. While I have
frequently been bitten by non-venomous
reptiles, I have never felt the fangs of a
venomous snake."
A Wedding Spoils a Discovery.
"Thus far there has been no antidote dis
covered for the toxicologies! effect of rep
tile venom. Dr. Stradling did a great deal
of experimenting with snake poison, and
claimed to have discovered an antidote.
To demonstrate the efficacy of his discovery
he allowed himself to be "bitten on several
occasions, after he had prepared himself,
with no serious results. I presume he
would have carried his investigations to
successful issue, or endedin killing himself,
had he not got married. His wife refused
to let him continue his experiments, and so
he abandoned his researches.
"That there is an antidote for the bite of
the most venomous snake, there is no doubt
It is possessed by some of the aboriginal
people of South America, Africa and por
tions of the United States. The Zuni In
dians, of Arizona, hold an annual snake
dance at which they not only handle the
most poisonous snakes, but hold them in
their teeth during a frenzy of excitement
They prepare for this horrible festival by
taking an antidote, or rubbing themselves
with some vegetable compound. I do not
think that there has been a single death
among the Zunis recorded from a snake
bite during one of these dances. Surgeons
in the United States army have endeavored
to obtain their secret, but without avail."
"How do you extract the venom of a
snake for examination or experiments?"
asked Superintendent Brown's visitor.
itobbinc a Snake of It Polcon.
"Keeper Johnson in the reptile house is
quite an exrtert at that kind ot work," an
Bwered Mr. "Brown. "He has a pole about
six feet long, with a broad strap passing
over one end and through a staple on the
other side, and running the full length of
the stick. The strap forms a loop which is
passed over the head, of the snake, and
drawn tight The snake is held firmly by
this apparatus until the keeper can reach
down and catch him behind the head witfl
his left thumb and forefinger. A slight
pressure forces the mouth open, and then a
small porcelain cup is pressed against the
root of the reptile's mouth contracting the
glands and forcing the venom to run down
the grooved fangs. When a rattler's mouth
is, closed its poison fangs lie close up against
the upper jaw bone. By a wonderfully
delicate bit of nature's mechanism when
the mouth is opened the fangs are forced
down into an erect position, the action at
the same time contracting the poison glands
and forcing the secretions to flow the in
stant the reptile strikes at his prey."
"Have you ever experimented with the
Gila monster?"
"Personally, I have not Some time ago
we extracted some of its venom for the use
of Dr. Weir Mitchell, of this city. There
is no question that it is a venomous reptile,
though not highly so. The experiments of
Dr. Mitchell show that birds and mammals
treated with a hypodermic infection of the
secretion Buffer from it toxic effects. There
is little to he feared abont the reptile, for it
is sluggish and not disposed. to bite."
A Pointer for Schenley Park Managers.
A visit was paid to the reptile house,
which, by the way, is the finest building of
its kind in the world. The glass cages per
mit a full view of every movement of their
sinuous and slimy inhabitants. The alli
gator tank is in the center of the building,
while in all the interstices tropical plants
spread their broad leaves.
"There," said Superintendent Brown,
pointing through a heavy plate glass above
which was a card marked, "Do not touch.
Poisonous," and behind which a small
rather dusty looking serpent lay coiled up
in a picturesque heap, "there is what is be
lieved to be the deadly Per de Lance, from
Martinique. I am not certain of its species,
however, for nearly every snake that comes
from Martinique or San Lucia is called a
Per de Lance. I am under the impression
that the genuine snake of the name is much
larger than the two specimens we have here.
The true Fer de Lance, or Bothrops Lance
olatus, is highly venomous. The two that
we have in the cage are the first that I have
seen in 15 years. I cannot be sure that
either one is a Per de Lance until it is
dead."
"Here is a snake with an undeservedly
bad reputation," remarked the naturalist,
pointing to a serpent whose visiting card in
Latin stuck outside its abode, read,''Hetero
don Platyrhinus, or Hog Nosed Snake."
"We find these snakes pretty much all over
the conntry. They are vulgarly known as
the Blowing Viper, and are popularly be
lieved to be venomous. They are perfectly
harmless, but their habit of flattening the
head and hissing viciously has given them a
very bad name in Jersey, and o"ther parts of
the country."
Bed and Green Kattlers.
"While the Philadelphia Zoological Gar
den has one of the finest collections Of rep
tiles in the world, 'Jsaid Mr. Brown, "there
are some rare specimens that I would like
very much to obtain. Por instance, it is
not generally known that there is such a
thing as a bright red and bright green rat
tlesnake. There are such curiosities in the
snake world, but not more than two or three
have ever been captured. We have no
cobra, which is owing to the fact that they
have to be carried such a distance and are
very difficult to keep alive in -captivity."
"Do professional snake charmers run a
very great risk in handling serpents?"
"Verv little," was the answer, accom
panied by a laugh, "t will put our keeper
in the reptile house, Mr. Thompson, against
the best professional charmer in the coun
try. Verv few of the profession there is
no such thing as snake charming handle
venomous snakes, and where they do they
are careful to have the fangs removed. A
child could do a great many of the tricks of
public snake charmers. There are only two
requisites, strength and courage."
"Seriously speaking, Mr. Brown, do you
believe that there is such a thing as a sea
serpent?" was asked, as the superintendent
stopped for a moment before a tank half
filled with water. The naturalist paused
for a moment before replying and then said:
"The position held by" the great majority
of zoologists and paleontologists upon this
question is similar to that of an agnostic in
religion. We know that in past geologio
ages gigantic saurians existed; that the ele
phant, rhinocerous, tapir and other great
beasts are groups left over from other
epochs. We do not know, we cannot know
one-third of the sea's wonders of animal
life. It may be that as the mammoths of
pre-glacial periods have their representa
tions in the elephant of the present, that a
representative group of the great saurians
of that distant period may still survive."
How a Rattlesnake Feeds.
"A peculiarity about venomous snakes,"
continued the keeper, "is their manner of
taking food; a rattlesnake or a copperhead
will strike their pray, then coil up and wait
for it to die. Before commencing to swal
low it, they will watch intently for the
slightest movement Thev swallow it head
first, and if there is the slightest muscular
movement observable, they will disgorge at
once. It is different with the moccasin. It
will strike and hold onto its pray until it is
dead."
One of the rare creatures in the reptile
house is a Cuban iguana. If it were built on
a mammoth scale.it would pass muster as -a
dragon. It has a" long, flexible tail, with
which it occasionally wipes up the floor in a
fit of rage, while the horny spines extending
along its back from end to end, resemble the
teeth of an elongated buzz-saw. This odd
creature is one of Keeper Thompson's favor
ites. He occasionally shares his mid-day
lunch with the ugly little brute. To dem
onstrate its abnormal appetite for the lux
uries of civilization the keeper cut a slice of
mince pie, and fed it to the iguana from his
hand.
Snakes in captivity are subject to a varie
ty of diseases, the most common of which is
known as canker mouth When attacked
with this ailment the reptile refuses food,
falls into a torpor and gradually wastes
away. Treatment of any kind avails but
little. The remedies usually applied are
pulverized camphor and laudanum, and
vasaline rubbed on the lips and mouth,
with iodoform distributed over the affected
surface through a tube.
George N. McCaik.
TOTAL ABSTINENCE BOTES,
Thomas O'Bourki, of Braddook, lg an ef
ficient organizer.
St. Luke's, of Mansfield, boasts of a colored
member.
The Committee on Public Meetings prom
ises a monster meeting in March.
A KAiXT is needed at Homestead.
The Turtle Creek society effected a perma
nent organization Thursday night
The Father Mathew association will hare
a sooial gathering Friday night at the home
of one of the lady members.
The scheme to agitate total abstinence
amone the parochial school children is
taking definite shape. A form, of pledge is
under consideration.
THE PITTSBUEG DISPATCH. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14,
PRISONERS OF WAR.
Many Congressmen Who Knew the
Worst Side of the Rebellion.'
CRISP AND COBB UNDER THE GtJNS.
Tarsney, of Missouri, Escaled by Imperson
ating a Dead Man.
A BTORI OF iLEXANDEE STEPHENS
rCOEBESPOSDZNCE Or THE DISPATCH.l
Washington, Peb. 13C Congressmen in
prison! Tes, and the best members of Con
gress, too. A baker s
dozen of them have
spent weary months
in prisons, watched
by guards ready t o
shoot them at their
slightest attempt to
escape.
The Hon. Charles
Frederick Crisp was
a beardless boy of 16
when he entered the
Confederate Army,
Crisp.
but they made him a lieutenant He had
served three years when he was wounded
and captured and carried to Port Delaware,
and for three months he lay there with
thousands of other Confederate prisoners,
having no comforts, but no great privations.
Then an order was issued that in retal
iation 'for the acts of the Confederates
COO officers among the prisoners of this fort
should be sent South and placed under the
fire of the Confederate guns at Morris
Island; near Charleston. This stockade was
midway between the Confederate batteries,
Gregg an d Wagner, and in front of the Fed
eral batteries, and so located that the Con
federate guns threw great shells shrieking
over the prison pen and now and then frag
ments fell into the stockade, to the horror
of the prisoners. Strange to say, however,
no one was hurt
The Rations at Morris Island.
Bepresentatlve Cobb, of Alabama, was
in this prison at the same time with Speaker
Crisp. Their guards
on Morris Island were
negroes, "and these,"
says Mr. Cobb, 'Svere
the blackest negroes
yon ever Bay. They
were exposed as
much to the lire as
we were, and one of
them had his leg
knocked off by a shell.
The camp was laid off
in streets, and we had
little A-tents and
there were four men
in a tent A negro
sergeant had charge of
each row of tents, and
Col
it was his dutjr to call the roll three times a
dav and to issue rations. Arouna tne tents
and inside the stockade there was a rope
tied to posts which we knew was the dead
line, and the man who passed this rope, or
even touched it, knew he would be shot."
"Wat were your rations?"
"They were not verv fattening," was the
reply. "In the morning we got from three
to five pieces of hard tack and a piece of
meat about an inch wide and two inches
long. At noon each of us got about half a
pint of pea soup, which was Drought around
in a barrel and ladled out, and for supper
we had a little mush or rice, which was also
serted from a barrel. At first the feeding
was not so bad, but later on when the prin
ciple of retaliation was carried out, they
cut us down to a pint of meal and a half
pint of pickle per day. This was terrible,
and it was done in retaliation, so they
claim, for the treatment of the prisoners at
Andersonville. Many of the Drisoners then
got the scurvy and we all became emaciated.
We were und'er fire at Morris Island for
more than 40 days."
Captured JoJt at the Close.
Perhaps the most distinguished prisoner
among the members of the House was Gen
eral Joe Wheeler,
the famous Confed
erate cavalry officer.
General Wheeler
was a graduate of
West Point and he
became the Phil
Sheridan of the
South. General
Wheeler was dash
ing along in the rear
of Jefferson Davis to
protect him when he
was captured. He
had not yet reached
Davis when he re-
TiTieeler. ceived an order to
disband his troops. He had done this and
had only a few of his soldiers about him
when he was captured. Said he:
"I was lying in the woods in company
with several of my soldiers and a couple o'f
negroes when a party of Union soldiers
came up. These soldiers were in Confed
erate clothes, and they found us by the aid.
oi a negro who bad Drought us something to
eat. They were headed by a Lieutenant
Beynolds, and as soon as I saw him come
up and talk to my negroes I knew it was all
up withme, and that they had found out
who I was. I had torn the stars which
denoted my .rank off my coat, but the coat
was faded and the spots shone out so that
they could tell that I W3S an officer. Upon
being accosted and asked who I was, 1 told
them that I was General Wheeler, and that
under the cartel then in force I surrendered
and asked that we be paroled.
Brousht North With Davis.
"Lieutenant Beynolds told me he would
not accept my parole at that time, and said,
xou wanted to ue
with Davis and we
will take vou to
him.' With that
he took me to At
lanta, and I was
there put in com
pany with Jeffer
son Davis, Alexan
der Stephens, Cle
ment C. Clay and
ex-Senator Beagan,
upon a little boat
and taken "in this
down to Savannah,
where we "ot an
other boat which Tarsney , of Missouri.
carried us North. The families of Davis
and Clay were taken North with us, and
Mrs. Davis had little Wiunie Davis with
her. She was then a baby and I had her on
my knee during a great part of the voy
age and helped to take care of her as the
nurse had been taken, away from Mrs.
Davis."
'I roomed with Alexander Stephens on
the steamboat," continued General Wheeler,
"and I found him very gloomy over the
prospects. As for me, I felt happy and T
thought is was a grand thing that I had not
been taken prisoner before and felt relieved
that the war was 'over. Mr. Stephens told
me that for himself he expected ft long if
not a perpetual imprisonment I told him
there was no danger of his being ill-treated,
that he had numerous friends among the
North and that they would not harm him,
whatever they did with the rest of us, on
account of the speech he had made for
the Union before the war, I then asked:
'Well,-Mr. Stephens, if this is to be your
fate, what will be the fate of President
Davis?' A. look of horror came overhig
face and he raised his hands. 'Don't speak
ofit'hesaid. 'His fate is too terrible to
think of."
Bow Tarsney Drew Big Batlons.
I talked with Bepresentative Tarsney, of
Missouri, about his experiences: He said:
'"The rations we received were miserably
small and of the poorest .quality, and at
aSr "v
Belle Island, Andersonville and Milan we
had mighty poor fare. Throughout my
prison life X managed to get enough to keep
me olive, and during the latter part of it I
succeeded in getting a number of extra
rations. While I was In Andersonville,
every now and then we would have new
batches of men come into the prison. I got
in the habit of getting near the gate when
these new companies came in, and as they
marched up I would fall into line and give
a fictitious name, and thus become registered
with them. Then, when that hundred was
up for roll call and for distribution of
rations, I would appear and answer to this
name and get my ration. In another hun
dred I answered as John Tarsney and got a
ration there, and I continued this until at
last I was drawing five different rations,
which, in addition to my own, was six, and
I not only kept myEelf but a poor fellow
soldier who was too sick to play the same
game. I was one of the first men in Ander
sonville and Milan, and I saw that these
companies in which I registered were far
enough apart so that I could skip from one
to the other and answer my name in all. I
began to fatten up, and was doing splendid
ly when a number of the other prisoners got
to playing the same game and the authori
ties discovered us."- x
Impersonated a Dead Man.
"What was the story of your escape, Mr.
Tarsney?" I asked.
"It was a curious one," replied the Con
gressman. '"According to the records of
that prison i. am
numbered with the
dead, and the United
States Government,
which has erected
headstones over the
graves of the prison
ers who died during
the'war, has probably
put up one with my
name on it in the
cemetery outside the
prison of Milan. A
large number of pris
oners were to be ex
changed, and, accord
ing to the principle
followed by the
Southerners, the
Exlgare.
poorest, the diseased, the lame, the halt and
the blind were picked out for exchange. I
was too fat to get among that number, and
I had no idea that I would be taken. The
night before the exchange was to be made,
in walking down the hill, which was on one
side of the prison, I heard a voice. It was
about dusk. I looked, and on the ground
was an emaciated soldier who had attempted
to drag himself across the stockade, but bad
fallen and was helpless. I lifted him up,
gave him something to drink and made him
as comfortable as I could. I talked with
him, and he told me the company that he
belonged to and all about himself. He told
me he was to be exchanged on the morrow,
bnt with his consumptive-cough I could see
that he would never get to the North.
A Novel Path to Liberty.
"He gave me the number of the company
he was in in the prison and the name of his
sergeant, and after doing what I could for
him I left him. Early the next morning in
crossing the camp I saw what remained of
him. He had died during the night and he
was a little more than a skeleton. As I
walked away from him tho thought came to
me that I might get out of prison in his
place and I at once went to one of my friends
and told him my scheme. I wrote out my
own name, my regiment and my company
on a piece of paper and pinned it on his
coat, then mv friend, Johnny Campion, and
myself lifted him up and carried him and
placed him among the dead bodies at the
side of the gate of the prison. This was the
custom and the bodies were regularly car
ried out and buried and the names upon
them were recorded among the dead of the
prison.
"I then went to the sergeant of my own
prison company, and arranged to have him
report me dead. He agreed to do so, and I
went to the sergeant of the company to
which the dead man belonged and tried to
get him to let me pass out in this man's
place. He at first refused, and wanted to
put in one of his own friends, but I told him
that the scheme was mine, and that I would
expose anyone else who tried to be ex
changed under it I gave him an old silver
watch which I had with me, and I was soon
ready for the exchange. I made myself look
if anything more ragged than ever; I drew
in my shoulders, affected an extravagant
limp and succeeded in passing the officers.
Almost Failure After All.
"But I had to pass a second examination,
aud this time I came near being caught I
nau gonen pu me
officers, and was in the'
gate just ready to go
out, when the inspec
tor called 'Halt I' I
halted, for a move I
knew would result in
my death. The ser
geant, however, who
had my watch in his
pocket, spoke a word
to the man, telling
him It was all right
and I was permitted
to go on. jay name r
was now JohnPrantz
instead ot John Tars
ney, and I kept that
name until I got
through mv ex
Grady.
change and was at the. North. The man I
reriresented was JohnPrantz. of ComDanv
K, of the' Pifty-fourth Pennsylvania Kegi
ment" r
Chased by Bloodhounds.
Some days later they heard the baying of
the hounds who were on their track. They
were at this time near a river and they
jumped into this and swam to an island
wmen was covered witn Dusnes. uney
crawled panting in among these and lay
there while the hounds beat up and down
the banks but failed to locate their trail.
After their pursuers had gone away they
crawled out and made their way North fol
lowing the North Star and at last getting
into the Indian Territory.
"The next day," said Mr. Dun?an,."we
pushed our way on northward and we were
almost famished, when we saw an Indian
hut I picked up a copy of Virgil, which
was lying on a table, and looking in the
front of it I found the name of a man with
the words 'Marietta, O.,' under it. It
seems we were in the hut of a civilized In
dian who had gone to school at Marietta.
He got us up a good dinner and took-us to a
trail leading over the mountains into Arkan
sas. Here we' were captured by bush
whackers and handed over to the jail at
Washington, Ark. I had a knife which I
carried in my boot leg. We made a file of
this and filed one of the bars of the jail
window so that we conld slip it down and
crawl out Now the thing W it was to get
a rope and we bought one for 55 pretending
that we wanted it for a game. The last
man who got out scraped the wall with his
foot and the guard heard him. The result
was that we were captured after a lively
run."
Cnt a Bole In Bis Car.
Bepresentative Grady1, of North Carolina,
was captured at Arkansas Post by General
Sherman. Hevattempted to 'escape by cut
ting a hole through the box of the car, but
this was discovered and frustrated. Bepre
sentative Kjltrore, of Texas, was carried to
Camp Morton at Indianapolis, and thence
taken to Camp Chase and to Port Delaware.
At Port Delaware he planned to jump into
the water and swim to Delaware City. One
or two men did get away in this way, but
General Kilgore was not among them, and
he remained in the fort until he was ex
chanzed. Bepresentative Andrew Stewart, of
Pennsylvania, entered the army as a pri
vate and came . ont of it an assistant ad
jutant-general. He was confined in Libby,
Macon, Charleston, Columbia and other
ooutnern.prisons for over a year, ana can
sing the whole'gamuC of prison woes. John
B. Fellows, ot New York, describes .the life
at Johnson's Island as not at all bad. They
had lectures and schools and diflerent kinds
of games. Colonel Fellows at one time was
a part of an amateur troupe there that gave
the old-time farce of "Box and Cox."
Fbank G. Cabpentkb."
f-FireflUi in jars furnish, light in the
West Indies.
iWWL
a'7J
1892.
A LAUD OF PROMISE.
Wonderful Resources of the tittle
Republic of Uruguay, S. A.
CHEAP AND HEALTHFUL LIVING.
Treasures of Cold ana. Silver That Have
Been lost for Centuries.
AN UGLT WAY OP GETTING ASHORE
'rCORRKSPODICE OF THE DISPATCH.!
Montevideo, Ukugtay, Jan. 11.
After our manifold and varied experiences
in South American ports, we flattered our
selves that nothing more remained to be
learned in the line of disagreeable methods
of transit from ship to shore. Those South
ern ports where vessels come up to a civil
ized pier and discharge their passengers over
a gang-plank are rare as angel's visits. As a
rule, anchor is cast three or four miles from
land, the ladder-like stairs are letdown out
side from the upper deck and shore-going
people descend to row boats that come danc
ing over the billows for that purpose. Even
that experience is bad enough in the usual
rough seas, for one must spring oil the stairs
at the precise instant when the tiny boat is
tossed near on the crest of a wave; and hav
ing successfully performed that feat, be
rowed through the surf, often wetted to the
skin, or occasionally swamped, to be fished
out again, a "damp, moist unpleasant
body."
At Yucatan we were carried to land on
the backs of men; at Guatemala on mules;
at Costa Bica in wagons; at Mollendo (Peru)
in a barrel, and a hundred times on rocky
coasts, where the billows were too boisterous
for other means, 'we have been hoisted up
and swung out by cranes like cattle, seated
on a platform or in a rough box or tub
spun round and round in midair as the
clumsy apparatus slowly performed its
work; and finally dumped, with a dull
thud, upon some waiting scow or raft or
tender.
The Worst Landing In the World.
But we looked for no such trouble at
Montevideo, the rich and splendid capital
of prosperous Uruguay, which has so often
been described as the finest city in South
America. Judge, then, of the utter de
moralization of unprepared feminine nerves
when we found here the very worst method
of landing we had yet encountered. Every
body made an unusually careful toilet on
the morning that we were due in Monte
video, expecting to skip dryshod bver a
gang-plank into the city, .and emerged
smiling from his stateroom in answer to the
welcome summon, "All ashore." But to
our astonishment there was neither dock
nor pier in sight, the stuccoed palaces of
the city gleamed dim in the distance, and
even the stair-like ladder remained in statu
quo, lashed up under the life-boats. What
did it mean?
"Are you ready, ladies?" said the ever
gallant Captain, and thereupon we were es
corted to the end of the ship. Away down
below, a screaming, tossing, rocking little
tug advanced and receded, the plaything of
the billows; and straight down the steamer's
side dangled a ladder of tarred ropes made
fast at the top, but swinging loose and end
ing off at nowhere far above the water
upon which we had often watched the sail
ors ascending and descending, like carica
tures of Jacob's angels, and marveled at
their temerity.
It Was a Stnnninc Blow.
For a moment nobody perceived the con
nection between the steamer, the ladder
and the tug and then it dawned upon us
like a blow on the head. We were actually
expected to clamber over the deck railing,
elimb hand under hand down those sway
ing ropes to their stopping place and cling
there above the briny deep till that bobbing
tne bobbed near enouerh then droD and
trust to Providence. You cling attbebottom
till somebody shouts "drop!" Then you
let go, expecting to fall into fathoms of
water, or into the interior of a shark as
Jonah was gobbled and presently find
yourself an undignified heap on the slip
pery deck of the little tug. Then gather up
your mangled remains, and hasten to hide
your blushes (and probably your tears, if
not more strong-minded than the average
woman) in a tiny box of a cabin, striving
to repair damages and regain something
like composure while your comrades in dis
tress are undergoing the-same ordeal.
Of course, aged people, children and in
valids cannot be trusted to make this Al
Berat descent for themselves, and all such
passengers are just picked up and dropped
overboard, into somebody's arms out
stretched below. To be sure, "There's
many a slip 'twixt the cup and lip," and it
sometimes happens when a miscalculation
Is made or the tug bobs away too soon that
an unfortunate voyager gets a ducking; but
there are always plenty of sailors at hand to
nsh him out, and we were cheerfully as
smed that few have been drowned. Sharks?
Well, yes, it was reluctantly admitted that
there are sharks In these waters, and they
have teen known to snap off unwary arms
and legs, therefore one cannot be too care
ful abont keeping out of their way.
A Prosperous Tattle Republic.
Though least in area, let nobody imagine
that Uruguay is of lesser importance than
other Southern Bepublics. On the contrary,
though it has an area of only 73,135 square
miles (being a trine larger than England;,
with a total population of only SOO.OW, it is
one of the richest and most prosperous.
There is not an acre of unproductive soil in
its whole extent and hardly a pauper; and it
is the only country at least on tnis slue of
the world where American gold is at a dis
count. Whereas in Mexico, Peru, Chile,
Argentine, Brazil and all the rest of them,
one receives a good round premium on
Uncle Samuel's golden coins.
At present Uruguay's principal source of
wealth is in cattle and sheep. So genial is
the climate and productive the soil that any
grain or fruit of the temperate, torrid or
frigid zones can he grown In abundance
from sugar and coffee to wheat and corn,
liftnAnaa nnd -nntntnes. -Dlneaonles and nlo-
pins. There Is plenty of the nest pasturage
in the world, plenty of,water,plenty of stone
and timber lor building material, and geolo
gists say that the entire upper corner of the
cone-shaped Kepublic is underlaid by ex
haustless coalbeds. So many are the navi
gable rivers that one can go by water to al
most any section of the country ana natural
harbors are frequent along the coast.
The Story of Uruguay Gold.
The old placer washings, from which the
Jesuits and the Viceioys of Spain used to
get such fabulous quantities of gold and sil
ver, were all long since exhausted or their
localities have been obliterated and forgot
ten. During 100 years or almost continuous
warfare, including the long struggle for In
dependence and subsequent revolutions, the
people were mercilessly robbed of their
wealth, and many, poor vrretches who were
susnected of knowing where gold or silver
might be obtained were persecuted until
they levealed the secret or died to conceal
it; and such pains were taken to hido all
trace of nature's store houses that in many
cases, after the lapse ot a lew years, the de
scendants of the original owners could not
find tbem.
Within the last quartef century, however,
new mineral deposits of extraordinary rich
ness have been discovered, and the report
of a lecent Geological Commission, ap
pointed by the Government to examine
these resources, reads lite a tale of the "Ara
bian Nijhts."
Within the last decade the population of
Uruguay has doubled, as much from natural
causes as from immlcratlon, the birth rate
averaging 45 per thousand and the death
l-ato 27. It is enthusiastically claimed by
resident foreigners tha; this is not only the
healthiest place on the (ace of the globe, but
that gooallving is cheaper here than any
where else. The best orbeef, mutton and
Sort can be bought fori cents per pound:
sh from 3 to 5 cents; ducks, chickens and
partridges, from 10 to 15 cents per bird, and
vegetables of all kinds are correspondingly
cheap. It Is not generally known, but Is
nevertheless true, that tho extract of beef,
in such universal use in hospitals and else
where as a tonic, is all made -in Uruguay',
though nut up in jars which bear an English
trade mark. Dr. Lelblg, the celebrated Ant
werp chemist, invented the extract about 50
years ago; but In 1866 an English company
purchased the process and removed the es
tablishment from Antwerp to this compara
tively unknown republic.
jtxTnra a. ward, i
ft
WBITTEN FOE
BY MARK TWAIN,
Author of "Innocents Abroad," "Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Finn,'
Etc., Etc.
STJJOPSIS OP PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.
The story opens with a scene between lVord Berkeley, Earl of Eossmore, and his son
Viscount Berkeley, in Cbalmondeley Castle, England. The young man has studied the
claims to the estate made by Simon Leathers, of America, ana become convinced that he is
the rightful heir and his father and himself usurpers. He announces his intention to
change places with Leathers, whereupon the old lord pronounces him stark mad. A letter
arrives from Colonel Mulberry Sellers, of Washington, announcing that, by tho death of
Simon Leathers and his brother at a log-rolling in Cherokee Strip, he has become the Earl
of Bossmore and rightful heir to Cbalmondeley Castle ana the vast estate. Colonel Seller
andhls contented old wife livo in an ancient frame house before which hangs a sign announc
ing that he is an attorney at law, claim agent, hypnotist, mtnd-cure sDecialTst, etc., etr.
Ills old friend, Washington Hawkins, arrives. He nas been elected delegate to Congre
from Cheroke Strip. The Colonel has invented a puzzle which he calls Pfcrs-in-Clover.
Persuaded by Hawkins he applies for a patent and accidentally runs across a Tankee who
agrees to give him 5 cents royalty on each one sold. Then the news comes that Simon
Leathers is dead and the Colonel lays his plans. First he establishes the usages of nobility
in his home, whloh he callB RoSsmore Towers. Sally Sellers, now Lady Gwendolen, is noti
fied at her college, and proceeds to lord it over those shoddy aristocrats who hitherto have
considered her a plebeian. The Colonel and the 3faorlay apian to capture One-Armed
Pete, for whom there Is a big reward. They locate him at the Gadsby Hotel. Younsr Lord
Berkeley has arrived meanwhile and stops at the Gadaby. Jnst e.s the Colonel's plans ara
about to be consummated the hotel burns. Lord Berkeley escapes, finding One-Armed
Pete's cowboy clothes in tho hall. He puts these on and proceeds to hide his- identity.
One-Armed Pete is supposed to have been burned alive. The newspapers also report Lord
Berkeley burned. This jnst suits the young man's plans. The Colonel and the Major go to
the hotel and, being convinced that nono of the bodies found can be that of the youns
lord, reverently gather up three basketsful of ashes and take them home. They get a.
British nag and hang up ornate hatchments, for they must mourn in style. The Colonel
proposes to send the three baskets one at a time to. the father across the sea, bnt hia
wife dissuades him. Meanwhile, the yonng lord deposits the cowboy's money in banlc
and cables his father that be was not'burned in the hotel. He assumes the name of Hon -ard
Tracey and proceeds to nnd employment. He tries for a clerkship and then lower
places, all without success. His expenses are too high, so he goes to a typical cheap board
ins house. Here his antipathy to the boors soon make him decidedly unpopular. At last
the bully of the house openly insults him. Tracey knocks him down. The boarders take
both up on the tin roof, chalk off a square and set them at it. Tracey's athletic training
comes into good play. lie knocks the bully out. After that he is Te3pected and admired
by everybody in the place, especially the girls. This disgusts him more, and in a fit of
homesickness he cables his adopted name to his father.
CHAPTER XV.
HE homeward tramp
was accomplished in
brooding silence. It
was a, silence most
grateful to Tracy's feel
ings. He wouldn't have
broken it for anything;
for he was ashamed of
himself all the way
throueh to his spine. He kept saying to
himself:
"How unanswerable it all is how abso
lutely unanswerable. It is basely, degrad
ingly selfish to keep those unearned honors,
and and oh, hang it, nobody but a cur "
"What an idiotic speech that Tompkins
made."
This outburst was from Barrow. It flooded
Tracy's demoralized soul with waters of re
freshment. These were the darlingest words
the poor vacillating young apostate had ever
heard for they whitewashed his shame 'for
him, and that is a good service to have when
you can't get the best of all verdicts self,
acquittal.
"Come up to my room and smoke a pipe,
Tracy."
Tracy had bien expecting this invitation,
and had had his declination all ready; but
he was glad enough to accept now. Was
it possible that a reasonable argument could
be made against that man's desolating
speech? He was burning to hear Barrow
try it He knew how to start him and keep
him going. It was to seem to combat his
positions a process effective with most
people. "What is it yon object to in Tomp
kin's speech, Barrow?"
"Oh, the leaving ont of the factor of
human nature, requiring another man to
do what you wouldn't do yourself."
"Do you mean "
-" "-I r-v" -v
1 FOOL OK SO FOOL,
"Why, here's what I mean; it's very
simple. Tompkins is a blacksmith; has a
family, works for wages, and hard, too
fooling around won't furnish the bread.
Suppose It should turn out that by the
death of somebody in England he is sud
denly an earl income 500,000 a year.
What would he do?"
"Well, I I suppose he would have to de
cline to"
"Man, he would grab it in a second.
"Do you really think he would?"
"Think?" I don't think anything about
it; I know it."
"Why?"
"Whv? Because he's not a fool."
"So you think that if he were a fool, he "
"No, I don't. Pool or no fool, he would
grab it. Anybody would. Anybody that's
alive. And I've seen dead people that
would get up and go for it I would myself-"
' ,. t ,.
.This was a balm, this was healing, this
wa rest and neace and comfort.
"Bnt I thought you were opposed to no-J
bilities."
"Transmissible ones, yes. But that's
nothing. I'm opposed to millionaires, but
it would be dangerous to ofler me the posi
tion."' "Yon'dtakeh?"
1 would leave the funeral of my dearest
enemy to go and assume its burdens and re
sponsibilities." Traoy thought awhile then said:
"I don't know that I quite get the bear
ings of yonr position. Yon say yon are op
dosed to hereditary nobilities, and yet if
yon had the chance you would "
"Take one? In a minute I would. And
there isn't a mechanic in that entire cub
that wouldn't There isn't a lawyer, doctor,
editor, author, thinker, Ioafe'r, railroad
president, saint land there isn't a human
being in the United States that wouldn't
jump at the chance."
trn i it :J m - ..rxl
"Except yon.-' -Barrow could hardly get J
fc. f -
15
THE DISPATCH
the words out, his scorn so choked him.
And he couldn't get any further than that
form of words; it seemed to dam his flow
utterly. He got up and came and glared
upon Tracy in a kind of outraged and unap
peasable way, and said again, "Except
von." TTe walkerl nrotinrl Iiitti inin,rtinir
him from one point of view, and then an-
. other, and relieving his soul now and then
By exploding that formula at him, "Except
you." Finally he slnmped down into his
chair with the air of one who gives it ud
and said:a
"He's "straining his viscera, and he's
breaking his heart trying to get some low
down job that a goo'd dog wouldn't have,
and yet wants to let on that if he had a
chance to scoop an earldom he wouldn't do
it. Tracy, don't put this kind of a strain
on me. Lately, I'm not as strong as I
was."
"Well, I wasn't meaning to put a strain
on you, Barrow; I was only meaning to in
timate that if an earldom "ever does fall in
my way "
"There I wouldn't give myself any
worry about that, if I was yon. And be
sides, I can settle what you would do. Are
you any different from me?"
"Well no."
"Are yon any better than me?"
"O er why, certainly not."
"Are you as good? Come."
"Indeed, I the fact is, yott take me so
suddenly."
"Suddenly? What is there sudden about
it? It isn't a difficult question, is it? Or
doubtful? Jnst measure us on the only fair
lines the lines of merit and of course
you'll admit that a journeyman chairmaker
that earns his S20 a week, and has had the
good and genuine culture of contact with
men, and care, and hardship, and failure,
and success, and downs and nps and nps
and downs, is Just a trifle the superior of a
young fellow like you, who doesn't know
now to do anything that's valuable, can't
earn his living in any secure and steady
way, hasn't had any experience of life and
its seriousness, hasn't any culture but the
pj0jTis'
HE TODID GRAB.
artificial culture of books, which adorn3 but
really doesn't educate come. If I wouldn't
scorn an earldom, what the devil right have
you to do it?"
Tracy dissembled his joy, though he
wanted to thank the chairmaker for that last
remark. Presently a thought struck him,
and he spoke up briskly and said:
"But, look here, I really can't quite get
the hang of your notions your principles ,
if they are principles. Ton are incon
sistent Vou are opposed to aristocracies,
yet you'd take an earldom if you could.
Am I to understand that you don't blame
an earl for being and remaining an earl?"
"I certainly don't"
"And you wouldn't blame Tompkins, or
yourself, or me, or anybody, for accepting
an earldom if it was oflered?"
"Indeed I wouldn't"
"Well, then, who would yon blame?"
"The whole nati-m any bulk and mass of
population anywhere, in any country, tbat
will put up with the infamy, the outrage,
the insult of a hereditary aristocracy which
they can't enter and on absolutely free and .
equal terms."
"Come, aren't you beclouding yourself
with distinctions that are not differences?"
"Indeed, lam not lam entirely clear
headed about this thing. If I could extir
Eate an aristocratic system by declining its
onors then I should be a rascal to accept
them. And if enough of the mass would
join me to moke the extirpation possible,
then I should be a rascal to do otherwise
than help in the attempt"
"I believe I understand ves, I think I
get the idea. Ton have no blamo for the
lucky few who naturally decline to vacate
the pleasant nest, they were bom into, you
only despise the all-powerful and stupid
mass of the nation for allowing the nest to
exist."
"That's it, that's it Xou can get a sim- ,
pie thing through yotir head if you work at .
it long enough."
"Thanks.'7 , t
"Don't mention it And I'll give -you ,
t ' f-" Ei "
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