rfi NO PROBLEM TOO BIG Brainy Men of To-Day Are Busy With Schemes of Colossal Dimensions. MILLIONS INSIGMFICAOT. Business Combinations Eun Up Into Eight and Nine Figures: A HALF-BILLION EAILEOAD DEAL. Tie Mental Strain Involved in the Electrio Consolidation. "WHT WE HATE KO GREAT UTEBATTJBI rwarrrajr toe the msrATCH.l At a dinner party in Itew Xork City a few evenings ago there were gathered around a table only 12 men, and yet.the ag gregate personal wealth added to the value of the properties which they represented wonld amount to considerably more than. 500,000,000. Among the guests was Ohaun eey M. Depew, and he was asked by one of his fellow railroad presidents what, in his opinion, was the most striking development or indication of the day. It had been agreed when the party sat down to the table that no formal speech making should interrupt the more cheerful and informal chat which was expected to fellow the dinner courses. But somehow Mr. Depew was stimulated by this ques tion, and almost unconsciously he delivered an oration, informal enough, but intensely interesting and full of pregnant suggestions. iicd. P. Olcott. Quick as thought he answered the questions put to him by his friend as follows: "The stupendous intellectual activity and the capacity of the men of to-day to handle with comparative ease problems and sub jects that a generation ao could no more have entered the comprehension of men than the idea of railway traveling or elec tric communication could have been ap preciated or even vaguely understood by the men of affairs at the beginning of the century." And with this as a text, Mr. Depew went on setting forth some of the intellectual activities of the time, so that when he had finished he had delivered as charming an oration as was ever heard from him at such a festivity. Why We Have No Great literature. Somebody asked Hr. Depew why there was no longer any great literature. He said because it was not written. "But why is it not written? Are there no longer men of genius?" "Ah, men of prodigious genius," he re plied, "but genius nowadays is building great bridges, constructing superb artificial water ways, conquering prairies and moun tains and bisecting them with railway tracks, mastering the ocean and sending steamships to Europe in .five days time. They are engaged in conquering the desert lands of the 'West and making grain grow where only the saze brush used to flourish. Tbe'y are doing as yountr Tesla did, dis covering new forms of electrical develop ment, but they are not writing books. Per- haps the time will come when the great J herald will tell the stories of these modern exploits of genius, but the herald of to-day is the pioneer of the surveying party, the frontiersman, the genius who conceives the JIShL Thomas A. Edison. new bridge, a new railway or how to better an old o! e. That is the reason why busy brains of to-day are not writing books." A few illustrations will show how rich a field Jlr. Depew had to draw upon for his facts and examples: A Grrat Railroad Combination. After the close of tbe war there began to be developed in the Southern States little by little various railwav systems. These roads were built with little regard to one another, and to meet urgent need for speedy communication. There came also a'great development of neglected resources. It was revealed that under the mountains of Tennessee and Alabama magnificent depos its of iron and of coal existed, and energy was directed to tbe utilization of this wealth. The planters, too, increased the area of cotton, and by improved methods of cultivation greatly enlarged the product. These and the stimulation of other indus tries in the South compelled the building of railways, and so they went on constructing one road after another until, almost before the North realized it, the States south of the Potomac and east of the Mississippi were really gridironed with independent railway systems. It is a. theory of railroad men that the imperative law of railwav a development leads ultimately to the consolidation of in terests which are common, and if this be true it certainly found an exemplification in the efforts of men of great ability, most of them natives of the Southern States, to bring these va-ious systems into one com mon association. This development was prodigious, and at last it was found that. nearly y,000 miles of railwav and properties and securities valued at not far from $600, 000,000 were allied and were also threat ened. Prom various causes the peril be came imminent. The financial world was threatened with reverses, the results of which must have been appalling, and especially in the South. In 1873 the col lapse of a single railway brought on a mighty panio, fend, while such revulsion in this case as causes panio was not antici pated, yet it was feared that the disaster, if It was allowed to. come, would prostrate business and stagnate commerce. An Intellect nal Athlete Called In. In this emergency some of the ablest financier! who ever had the handling of colossal problems were appealed to, and chief among these was Mr. Fred P. Olcott. This gentleman had first gained financial repute by his administration of the finan cial department of Hew York State. Ha was its Controller for three years. 'When Mr. Olcott's term expired he was chosen head of a great banking institution and there began to reveal extraordinary capac ity as an organizer, or more properly reor ganlzer, of great financial properties which were threatened with ruin. This requires -?:, Andrew B. Green. a capacity for reading the meanings con cealed behind guresrand almost intuitive perception of the etrning powers of cor porations, an instant perception of sources of weakness and opportunities for strength, but above all it entails the power to com mand the confidence of great capitalists, one of the most difficult things for a finan cier to achieve. Jay Gould has most of these qualities,but sadly lacks one. Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan possesses them all to the highest degree, so that he is probably es teemed both in this country and in Great Britain the ablest constructive financier of his generation. Mr. Olcott has solved suc cessfully several delicate and difficult prob lems involving many millions, and conspic uously that prolonged vexation, the Virginia State debt question. When they appealed to Mr. Olcott, there fore, to undertake to bring these great Southern railway properties out of the con dition of chaos and despair, the greater financiers felt that if it could be done it would be. A Mamtpotb. Project Mow Under Way The problem was one of extraordinary difficulty. It involved an understanding of the State laws of five States, a knowledge of various issues of securities, which seemed when tabulated as perplexing as a labyrinth; it required a knowledge of the earning capacity of many individual lines of railway, and it entailed a thorough understanding of the methods of railwav management. So Mr. Olcott found himself confronted . with all these things and with the task of bringing order, security and confidence for properties representing$500,000,000and near ly 10,000 miles of railway. He called to his assistance several of the financial geniuses of New York, and day after day and night after night these busy and brilliant brains pondered over the problem, while other financiers, great and small, looked on with the most intense interest At last Mr. Ol cott and his associates announced only a few days ago that they had solved the problem, or, at least, were now able to show the way W. d. Whitney. in which it could be solved, and with the co-operation of the security holders they should be able to save these great properties and bring them through a state of con valescence to perfect health. Moreover, bankers who controlled manv millions of dollars were ready to subscribe $14,000,000 hard cash in order to assist the consumma tion of this project Whether it succeeds or not at this writing is not known, for the time has not yet arrived when success or failure is to be announced. That, however, does not enter into the consideration as suggested by Mr. Depew. The history simply shows what the greatest geniuses of finance, not only in New York but throughout the country, "are just now thinking about In Scientific Commercial Xilfe. The great men whose brains are striving to make of commercial utility some of the great scientific discoveries of this end of the century's days are thinking now of the de velopment of electricity as a business com modity; and one of the great achievements of the winter and early spring has been the bringing into harmonious relations two of the great corporations which have fol lowed the discoveries and application of such discoveries to commercial need of two of the greatest of American electricians, Thomas A. Edioon and Professor Thomson. Edison of late has been employing his busy brain in a single direction.- He seems to be fascinated with his invention of extracting by means of magnetism iron ore from the foreign material with which it is associated when brought lrom the ground, and enor mous as has been the money value of other of his Inventions, it is his option that they will fall into comparative insignificance be side the profits which this invention will bring to him. A powerful corporation, however, had been created commercially to develop some of his electric inventions, while in the New England States another great corporation controlled the patents which were the visi ble results ot the studies and discoveries of Prof. Thomson. Between these two cor porations the. bulk of the business of furn ishing electrio light, power and the ma chinery which utilizes such factors was con trolled. Edison and Prof. Thomson are able to pull aside the curtain which hides some of the mysteries of nature and give to the world the comforts and the blessings which flow from such discoveries, but it re quired another order of talent to make these discoveries commercially successful. Therefore when Edison and Thomson had finished, the work of the business men be- an, and some of the ablest of busy business rains have undertaken this part of the ioint development All winter they have Deen thinking about a union of interests, and a f e w weeks ago this was accomplished. Th? naion represents probably 50.000,000 of capital and the control of the major part of the electric business of the United 8tates. No one not associated with these men can conceive the tremendous intellectual strain required to bring about such consolidation. It is another one of those things with which the busy brains of men of genius have been engaged during the past few months. Whitney' Snrfsca Boad Achievement "When "William a Whitney finished his term as Secretary of the Navy many thought that his career was practically finished, for it had been crowned with tTHB political honors and he was already a very rich man. Yet It seems as though his busi ness career only began when he bade good by to the Navy Department A man ot extraordinary ability,. esteemed by many politicians as "having the capacity tobeooma the ablest politician of his party did he de sire to pursue politics, ne seems to nave preferred another field for his energies, and to have associated with himself a group of business men whose achievements Illustrate their brilliant capacity. These men have been busy thinking, and as a result of their energies It has been announosd within a few days that they have secured control of, within a single exception, the great surface car lines in New York. There are nearly 100 miles of rail. The capital invojved is nearly 150,000,000. and is likely to be J100,. 000,000 before their plans are consummated. For these brainy men, it is now believed, have- each towering business ambition that they look for control not only of the New Yore street railway system, which is a ver itable" gold mine, but for the systems in many of the larger cities of the country. They have already secured control in Phila delphia, and, if reports are true, to some ex tent in Chicago. When their schemes are perfected these men will be in possession of properties, whose yearly income would be simply stupendous, and it is believed, to be a part of their plan to abandon entirely horse power and to substitute for it, as they have already on Broadway in New York, cable power or electricity. Whitney and his associates illustrate in their undertak ings the tendency toward colossal achieve ment, which Keeps busy brains in this day to the highesttension and calls for the most admirable and remarkable of resources. Andrew B. Green's Busy Brain. Mr. Andrew H. Green and those associat ed with him are employed just now upon a stupendous plan which if consummated will vastly extend the area of New York City, make it equal to the metropolitan distriot of London, annihilate as a municipal corpo ration the city of Brooklyn and other small er cities within 15 miles of City Hall, New York, and make one city containing nearly 3,000,000 of Inhabitants. Mr. Green has been devoted to this scheme for more than 30 years, and he has converted to his view some of the ablest men of puhlio spirit who live within the area which he contemplates including in his great metropolitan city. It is Mr. Green's idea that the law of combination or consolida- Etthu Thomson. tlon applies as inevitably to aggregations of individuals to form cities as it does to rail ways or to other mercantile or commercial enterprises. Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, have all, he says, revealed in their experi ences the tendency of such law, and it is his belief that the time is not far distant when the greatei New York, as it is called, will furnish the most splendid example of metropolitan existence in the world. At all events, he and his associated men of brains are busy thinking about this matter, busy agitating it and busy in their efforts to secure a favorable law from the New York Legislature. A Colossaf Bridge Undertaking. But that is not the only thing in the way of municipal economies that Mr. Green is agitating. He is a bridge builder in spirit, and is one of those men who have genius for affairs ,who is striving to throw a colossal span across the Hudson river, giving New York, or the Island of Manhattan, a high way to the continent Such a scheme as he proposes, and has in fact advanced so far that the financing of it has begun, involves the bringing into New York City of the 14 trunk lines of railway which now stretch from the western banks of the Hudson, some of them across the continent Such a bridge as he eontemplates would be the most splendid triumph of modern mechanical engineering. It wonld he a combination of the suspension and cantilever system, and wonld furnish the longest span in the world a span, in fact, which at the time of the building of the Brooklyn bridge would have been regarded as impossible, or at least dangerous. But the bus engineers of the present day have been thinking about great things as well as the financiers, and they are now able to construot bridges which even 20 years ago would have been deemed as purely a flight'ot fancy as is the story ot Jack and the beanstalk. Thus in the science of mu nicipal economics busy men are engaged in studying mighty problems and in revealing on their part that there are no limitations to the capacity of the human intellect in grappling with the problems of modern civilization. So we might go on, as Mr. Debew did for an hour, in describing other achievements and attempts at achievement of the men of genius of to-day. E. J. Edwabds. ANIMALS THAT 1(0 HOT HEINE. Quite a Number Get Enough Water With tbe Food They Select Mr. Blanford, in his hook on Abyssinia, says that neither the doreas, nor Benett's gazelle (two allied species), ever drink. Darwin states in his "Voyage of a Natural ist," that, unless the huanacoes, or wild llamas ot Patagonia, drink salt water, in many localities they must drink none at all. The large and interesting group of sloths are alike in never drinking. A parrot is said to have lived in the Zoological Gardens. Regent's Park, for 52 years without a drop of water. It is often said that rabbits in a wild state never drink. The late Kev. J. G. Wood doubted whether this idea was correct, and recorded tbe fact that they feed on the her bage when it is heavy with dew, and, there fore, practically drink when' eating. In the autumn and winter, when sheep are feeding on turnips, they require little or no water. t HIGHER EDUCATION 70S WOMEN. The Ohio State University Disputes a Claim of an Eastern College. It was recently announced that one of the New England colleges will hereafter admit ladies to postgraduate study, and the state ment was made that this institution was thus entitled to the honor of being the first to take this important step. The author of the statement is not well informed. Miss Annie W. Sabine began a postgraduate course at the Ohio State Uni versity in 1884, and received the degree of Master of Arts after a course of two years in history and English literature. Several other ladies have pursued studies in this department ot the University. Suicides for Sensation. There is in Paris a class of suicides, who make every arrangement for studied effect They are known to the police as suicides a sensation. To spite some persons, and make themselves shudderingly remembered, all the' detail is thought out Numberless letters of farewell are written, an elaborate will is prepared, the rooms are put in order, and tbe best clothes donned. Poison or the fumes of charcoal are preferred by 'this class; the, revolver and drowning dlsfignres the features oo mucb and, spoils the effect And this form of suicide seems to be largely on the increase. PITTSBURG D35FATOH, CURSED BY SOLDIERY. Host of the Trouble 1n Brazil Comes From the Army and Navy. THE PEOPLE HAYE NO YOICE. A Battle of Newspaper Manifestoes With a Bather Kovel Ending. DISAS1B0US FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT tcoaaxsroHDKfci 0 THE DISrATCH. J Paba, BbaziIi, April 12. The Govern ment censorship over cable news has prob ably permitted considerable one-sided in formation to have been sent out in explan ation and extenuation of the latest act of the President of the Brazilian Bepnblio in suspending "official guarantees" at Bio for 72 hours. This is in effect a declaration of martial law, and, if continued, may finally result in an assumption 'of military dictatorship all over Brazil. The case which led to this was the recent action of the 13 military and naval officers of high rank in publishing in the newspaper a manifesto or protest against the recent act of Marshall Floriana Peixotto, Vice President and successor of Deodora Ponieca, in deposing by Presi dents! decree the Governor of the several States who had been elected by the people, but whose official conduct did not please the "President of fee Eepublio" at Kio. Their Idea of a Republic. It will be seen that these people have but faint conception, as yet, of tbe "liberties" granted to them by a republican form of government It will be remembered that Fonseca was deposed because he attempted to dissolve the Congress that failed to con firm all of his official acts. The cry then was "TJsurption." The misrepresentations sent forth to the world created considerable sympathy with the "struggling Congress," who were supposed to represent the people in the defense of their rights; yet this same Congress that had compelled the resigna tion of Eonseca immediately passed resolu tions granting to his successor, Peixotto (who, by the way, had previously agreed to sustain Eonseca), practically unlimited power as a military dictator, claiming that on account of the unfamiliarlty of the peo ple such act was in the nature of a military necessity. The new President promptly uses his authority and summarily deposes several fovernors of States, in one instance at Ceara y a bombardment of the palace by the naval forces. The present trouble comes unex pectedly from the military and naval officers who were supposed to be friendly to Peix otto. They do not quietly or officially pro test, but the first notice Peixotto has is this, the newspaper manifesto. Novel Way of Suppressing BebelUon. The President in reply publishes a decree, placing these 13 protesting military and naval authorities on the "retired list" with a big "pension" most of the officers being young mep. Two of those who had signed the declaration, fearing the consequences, backed out, and the following day published a retraction. They were for this act re warded by being transposed from the "re tired" to the "reserved," or as they term it, "second-class list" Subsequently, two of tho thirteen, Vice Admiral of the navy and Eduardo Walden kolk, and Major General Jose Almeida Barretto printed a manifesto, declining the retirement and refusing point blank to recognize the authority of the President to place them in retirement These are two of the most distinguished officers of the Bra zilian armv and navy. Walkenkolk was a member of Eouseca's Cabinet, as a Minister of Marine, and is well and favorably known in tbe United States, where he has spent some time. Barretto has a famous military career. Soldabanha da Gama, a Bear Ad miral, who has been recognized as a mon archist and heretofore mistrusted, has to-day been taken into the fold anda appointed tb an important position in Rio. A demon stration was made at the lodging of a deputy from Bahia against Peixotto, and in favor of Fonseca, but reports say it was quelled by the Tenth Infantry. The Soldiers Slake the Trouble. Briefly stated the facts are: All the trouble comes from the military and naval officers, who are quarreling among them selves, and it will end in a Kilkenny cat fight The Brazilian people are generally quiet, and, in their calm and indifferent manner, look on and awaiting develop ments. They say the military will eat each other up and then peace will be established in Brazil. It is well known that the revo lution in the Empire did not come from the people, but through the army and navy officers, sustained by a few leaders. The leaders, being weak, were dependent upon the military, and they dictate to the Presi dent The more respectable element of Brazil ians have kept entirely aloof from the po litical entanglements of the new govern ment . The military in this Bepublio is not subordinate to the civil. A change must come soon because of the general discontent in army and navy neither side can trust the military. Exchange continues to decline rapidly under tfie direction of the English bankers. Tbe unstability of the Government is given as the cause for this, but the fact is the bal ance ot trade is in favor of England. Brazil's Debts and Resources. All Imports are paid for in gold coin; all debts contracted when the inilreis was at or. near par 'are now collected at the low rate of exchange, nearly doubling the indebted ness. In thelast year of the reign of Dom Pedro, the milrels was at par (54 cents). During the two years of republican dicta torship, it has ste'adily declined to less than one-half its par value. This is the political pulse which tells of the healthfulness of the Brazilian body politic Yet Brazil cannot become bankrupt It has in abundance the prime articles, coffee, sugar, cocoanuts, rubber ami hides, which pay the States large export duties, and all imports pay a duty to the general govern ment, and everything used is imported. Unlike the Argentine, who have only hides and tallow, Brazil's natural resources are unlimited, agricultural possibilities un touched. In the one article of crude rubber alone, from the Amazon, the values exceed (2,500,000 per month, three-fourths of which goes to the United States, but only one-fifth of the imports come from the United States in exchange. J. Obion Kkebt. A VEEY HIGH-PEICED SEED. One of the Followers or Shiva Offers Nearly 50,000 for It A wonderful seed, called Ekumkhi Bud rakshi, regarded with veneration by the fol lowers of Shiva, and of such uncommon rarity as to be practically unobtainable, has been catalogued for sale in Calcutta. Most marvelous stories in regard to the origin of this seed are current It is said to be pro duced in Nepaul, and according to the laws there, if anyone except a priest is found in possession of the seed he will be beheaded. The tree on which this seed is said to grow is the only one in the territory of Nepaul, and is guarded by soldiery, whose heads pay the penalty ot the slightest indiscretion. It is said that many years elapse before any seed of the kind is produced by this tree, and out of a million of the seeds pro duced it is very rarely that three of the genuine ones, recognized as sacred, are found. The one on sale is said to be a genu ine one, and it is added that a Hindoo gen tleman has made an offer of 10,000 it the vendors would certify it to be genuine. All the vendors say is that the seed has been sent to them as genuine. . Boachzs, bedbugs, eto, are Instantly and eternally eradicated by Buglne. 85 oents. BUJNDAT,- .MAT 1, AW BL9WS I OR, FOUR YEARS ON A NEW BEDFORD WHALER. WBITTEN TOR THE DISPATCH BY CAPTAIN j. H. B. ROBINSON. The Straightforward Tale of a Plain Sailor Man's Actual Adventures During a Long Cruise in the Stormiest Seas of the World. CHAPTER J. HOW I SHIPPED. In the year 1876, having just returned from the west coast of Africa, which; by the way, was my first experience "plough ing salt water," I was trying to settle down on shore again and work at my trade, but failing health determined me to try the sea once more. I had had enough of the African trade, so I concluded that "blubber hunting" was the laziest way in which to build up my constitution and at the same time see a little of the world. Thus, one day in Sep tember, I found myself standing on the pier in New Bedford, in a cold, drizzling rain, looking at a bluff-bowed, clumsy bark of about 350 tons, painted a dirty yellow, with "Triton" on her stem. As I was looking curiously up at her single topsail yards and other old-fashioned peculiarities, a well-dressed, middle-aged man approached, and, with an insinuating smile, said: "I see you're looking at the old Triton?" "Yes," said I. "There is no law to pre vent it, is there?" "No, no, of course not," he replied. "Looking for ahance to Bbip?" "Where is she going and how long is the voyage?" I asked. "Three years in the Atlantic. I am one of the owners. Ever been to sea?" "I have made one voyage In a palm-oil trader," said I, "and was offered a second mate's berth when, we got back." "Just the man we want Where do you belong?" "Nantucket," I replied. "Nantucket I Why, man, any 'scrap islander' will make a good whaleman. Come right up to my store and sign the papers. I'll give you the 175th lay. Come along." I followed him to his large clothing store on Union street, where I signed the ship's articles sailor like without reading them. I was told the ship sailed in two weeks, and I was about to leave for the steamer to re turn home, when, with a bland smile, he said: "Now, Mr. Barker, you will want an out fit I keep everything you'll need and a chest to put it in, and you can have all you want When the voyage is over we will deduct It from vour wages." I had never been on a whaler, bnt I was CHILDREN'S CARRIAGES FROM $5 TO $50. HOPPER BROS. & WILL NEVER BE UNDERSOLD. We meet every price, we meet any terms. We were here when others came, and will be here when others go. We maintain that a MODERATE margin will be appreciated by the general public, and those whom we have sold to we'll sell m to again, and they will tell their friends, and their friends who have been BIT by extortionate, high-priced establishments, will also appreciate OUR.," LOW PRICES and give us their OUR FURNITURE DEPARTMENT Is full to the brim with as choice a line of goods as you'll find in the city, and POSITIVELY our prices are lower. a All we can say for them is that you call and see the goods. We have about one hundred You must come soon if you desire a possible to do their shopping before PRESENT. BOOKCASES FROM 812 TO 945. 1892. 9 brought up on an Island where whaling was the principal industry since its settlement, and I well knew the kind of outfit and the outrageous prices I should be obliged to pay finally, so I said politely: "I don't want anything- I shall buy my stuff at home tor cash." For a moment he was speechless with sur prise and baffled greed, and then his better feelings evidently got the ascendancy, and, tucking one thumb in his vest, and laying his disengaged band on my shoulder, he de livered himself as follows: "Young man, I'm a 'shark.' It's my bus iness to 'skin' sailors, but if yon have the cash to buy elsewhere, dash me if I don't advise you to do HI" I will not weary you with aa account of my final preparations or the parting with my mother and sisters. Suffice it to say that on August 20, 1876, we said goodby to Yankee land and shaped our course for the Azores Islands, where we were to ship sev eral native Portuguese to complete our crew. It is only fair that I should give the reader a general outline of the crew with whom my lot was cast for what was, al though unknown to me then, destined to be a cruise around the world lasting over four years. The.Captaln was a long, lean Mattapolsett man who had served with distinction in the navy and at the close of the war returned to whaling. He possessed the courage of a lion and a good share of his strength, and in addition was a first-class navigator and thorough seaman, and, although rough, was a kind man at heart The first officer was from Falrhaven, a stout, red.faced man, who, while full of courage, had no judg ment whatever and was universally disliked. The second mate was from Vineyard Haven, a handsome young fellow, a splendid sailor and keen whaleman, but love for strong drink promised to ruin what otherwise wonld have been a successful career. The third officer ti as a Gay Head Indian in the last stages of consumption, who was shipped only because he owed the firm money and would in this way cancel as much of the debt as possible before he died. Poor fel low I We buried him at sea in a few months. The fourth officer was a Portuguese. The four "harpooners," or "boat steerers" as they are now called, were Portuguese, and the cook and a large portion ot the crew were also "gees," as sailors say. Then there were two Germans, two Kanakas, a French man, two Irishmen, a native of St. Helena, and half-a-dozen Yankees and Canadians. In all, we had 31 persons on board, includ ing a carpenter, cooper, and blacksmith, When we were clear of the land we ARt WE WELL COME AND SEE THE CROWD That throngs our stores daily, and you'll think so. Other stores in our line are complaining. Not so with us. Why" Because we sell our goods at A LESS PROFIT. trade. ONLY $14 SPOT CASH. J I wd n fl tB : ., - . ia" i of the above Hardwood Bedroom Suits that we are offering this week for $14, which actually cost I22 to make. bargain. Owing to the crowded condition of our warerooms in the afternoons we would request as many aa noon, and, to make it an object to do so, every customer before 12 noon next week will receive a BEAUTIFUL rDONT FORGET TO ASK FOR IT FR0Md THE PIONEERS OF LOW PRICES, HOPPER BROS k CO 307 . WOOD STREET, 307 NEAR FOURTH AVENUE. mustered on deck and divided into two watches. I was chosen among the first by the second mate and assigned to the star board watch. I was also informed that I was to pull the "midship's oar in the old man's boat,"to which I sald"ay$, aye, sir," not having the slightest idea where the honorable position might be. I soon found out, however. After we had been divided into watches the port watch went below and the second mate called out: "Here, one of you starboard watchmen, relieve tbe wheel and let that man go below with his watch!" I was about the only man able to get to the wheel, sol went aft and took the spokes. The mate watched.my performance for a few moments, and then, seemingly satisfied that I knew my business, went forward to ascertain how many of his watch had ever seen a ship before. A very sorry-looking crowd they were. The majority had come on board under the influence of liquor, and nearly all the men were seasick. He found only one man who could steer, and as a con seqnence the latter and I had all that work to do for some time, as the sea was too rough for an amatenr to try his hand. But how we lorded it overthegreenlesl We steered, but nothing else, and the dirty work we escasped, and loud was the grumbling from the rest of the watch. CHAPTER U. THESE SHE BLOWS I One morning, when we were about two weeks out and had been partly instructed in MT FIKST EXPEEIEJTCE our duties should whales be seen, the look out at the masthead discovered a school of sperm whales about two miles away, and for the first time I heard that thrilling, in describable cry so dear to whalemen: "A-h-h-h-hil-o-o-o-o-w-s I" In an instant all was confusion. Half dressed men came tumbling up from below, and every one seemed suddenly gone mad, while the "old man," as tbe Captain is al ways called to his back seized his glass and ran for the main rigging, shouting as he went t "Where away?" "Two points forward the weather beam, sir," was the reply. "A-h-h-h b-1-o-w-s !" The old man went up the ratlines like a cat, and as he swung himself into the look out hoops he took one look in the direction indicated. In an instant he hailed the "On deck there I" "Ay, ay, sir 1" "Get the lines in the boats ! Haul aback the main yard I See the boats' falls all dear ! Steward, bring up the bomb guns from the cabin lively there, now I" We backed the main yard and cleared the boats' falls, while the boat steerers put in IN IT? NO DISCOUNT. EXTRA FOR PACKING. the lines and overhauled the harpoons. Ons man's duty was to bring the bag of ship's1 bread, lantern, compass and water keg.f without which no whaleboat ever leaves, the ship, as sometimes they lose each otW fordavs. , , . ( As or myself, I ran here and there ia perfect bewilderment The wind was blow ing very hard, the. bark was-under topsails, and It seemed like courting death to lower one of our frail boats in such a tremendonj, sea, but I soon fonnd the Captain differed; with my humble opinion as he sung ouS from aloft: "Stand by larboard, waist and bow boats. Watch a good chance, Mr. iawire, and. don't get stove alongside!" A- .l. n -:.. Vnof t which T hJ trip, and as one of the mate's crew, a thinj sickly chap, said he was too ill to ssv i volunteered in his place. The mate gladly made the change, as I was an old oarsman, if and stood 6 feet 4 besides. We succeeded in escaping any disaster asj the boat struck the water and having! hoisted our "lug" sail, we found it was to' be a race which should be first to reach the whales. The huge animals were coming toj leeward and we hoped to be able to sail up to them, as they are very easily alarmed by, any noise of oars. The mate paid morsj attention to watching for the "fish" as h called them than to the sailing of the boat and I expected to find myself swimming for life every time we rose on a sea. iwasf TBTETG TO STRIKE OIT told to stand up and see if I could sea tbe whales en account of my great height, and I was perched on the thwart with one arm around the mast, when the boat gave a fearful lurch and "jibed" over, and I foundi myself in the water with the sail holding! me under. I was dressed in thick clothing! and heavy boots, and had I not been accu3-J tomed to the water from boyhood must in evitably have been smothered, but I swam, under water till clear of the' sail, and theni tried to reach the boat, which was floating! off to leeward bottom up, and the rest cling ing to her as best ther could. I succeeded finally in reaching her, but ws were re peatedly washed offby the hugh seas. Tol add to our discomfort a heavy squall hap-j pened along just then, the cold rain falling in torrents and the wind roaring as if anxious to destroy us. We could not sea ten yards in any direction, and it was not, until an hour or more that the squall liftedi sufficiently for the other boats to hnd us and) release us from what would soon have been' certain death. All this time the mate sat astride one end I of the boat venting his feelings in a stream! of profanity, which included everyone, evea to the builders of the ship, and was only fSij REFRIGERATORS, AND ICE CHESTS FROM $3 TO $40. CO. OUR CARPET DEPARTMENT Is second to none in the - city. Replete with every grade, from the common Rag to the choicest Ax minster or Gobelin, Rugs and Chenille Portieres to match. Special promptness at, this time of the year. flScfeT Carpsts from 25c to $2 Per Yard. (I i j ' - ' i- - . V V WfOuW .. "1; $iij& --w- !6rtS sr m&,
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