The Elk County advocate. (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, December 20, 1877, Image 1

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HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NIL DESPERANDTJM. Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. VII. - EIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1877. NO- 44.
Falling Leaves.
They ire falling, slowly falling,
Thick tipon the forest Bide
Severed from the noble branches
Where they waved in beauteous pride,
They are falling in the valleys
Where the early violets spring,
And the birds In sunny springtime
First their dulcet music ring.
They are falling, sadly falling,
Close beside our cottage door
Pale and faded, like the loved ones
That have gone forever more.
They are falling, and the sunbeams
Shine In beauty soft around i
Yet the faded leaves are falling
Falling on the grassy mound.
They are falling on the streamlet
Where the silvery waters flow,
And upon its placid bosom
Onward with the waters go.
They are falling in the churchyard,
Where cur kindred sweetly sleep
Where the idle winds of summer
Softly o'er the loved ones weep.
" They are falling, ever falling,
When the autumn breezes sigh -When
the stars in beauty glisten
DrigJit upon the midnight sky.
They are falling when the tempest
Moans like Ocean's hollow roar
When the tuneless winds and billows
Badly sigh forevermore.
They are falling, they are falling,
While our saddened thoughts still go
To the sunny days of childhood,
In the dreamy long ago.
And their faded hues remind us
Of the blighted hopes and dreams -Fading
like the falling leaflets
Cast upon, the icy streams.
THE SHADOW ON THE WALL
A CASE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
Captain James Stuart, who had gone
all through the Mexican war, was a man
of great great force of character and of
unflinching bravery. He had a win
Ling address and the most placid tem
per I have ever known, but his princi
ples were as fixed as his feelings were
lofty.
He went to California in 1849 and set
tling iu Tuolumne county, then one of
the principal miuing oounties of the
State, was elected sheriff, an office in
those Oays, when they were fur removed
from Stnta or Federal aid, carrying
with it all the dignity and responsibility
which that ancient title implied. In
conversation with him he interested one
by rehiting many reminiscences of scenes
in his early life whilst in that State, one
case particularly, of positive and cir---
eumstantiol evidence against an innocent
man, which I give yon in almost his
exact words.
James Lyons lived on a farm near
Sonora, and many were the Btories of
persons having disappeared after having
been seen near his pluce for the last
time. A roadway up to the mountains
had been made across the land of Lyons,
but he was always displeased about it.
He cut down trees and let them fall over
the road ; he built barricades to prevent
Eeople from passing, although not a
lade of grass ever grew upon that part
of the farm thus used. One morning a
well-respected teamster was found near
the Lyons obstruction riddled with bul
lets. A short time after this Jim Lyons
went to the mountains to take charge of
a water ditch ; he gave his farm to his
brother, who afterwards sold part of it to
the Morrison brothers, who paid one
thousand dollars down, giving their
notes for the balance, payable in one
year.
At the expiration of that time Mike
Lyons came back to collect the notes.
The Morrisons seemed very willing to
settle ; they figured up the interest, and
thumbed over the notes, told Lyons
they would hare to go to Sonora to get
their money to settle, that they would
go down with him in the morning, he
could have his papers with them and
they would figure up a little more on
them aud settle next day in Sonora.
Lyons left his papers, and the Morri
sons destroyed them. Lyons called on
them for hi's money, they told him to go
to the deuce.
Stung by this piece of sharp practice
Lyons hurried to Sonora and laid the
matter before a lawyer named Watson.
The lawyer told Lyons he had uo case
as there was no evidence at all to sus
tain it, but said he, we will bring the
suit anyway. " I want to get a chance at
the Morrisons, and will give them the
best blackguarding they ever got in all
their lives, and before I get through
with them they may wish they had paid
the money to the persons entitled to it."
The suit was brought, the trial came
on, and as expected Lyons last it. He
had no evidence to show there was any
amount coming to him, and the Morri
sons swore point blank that they had
made payment in full.
Then rueful mutterings were heard on
all sides as to the danger of the Morri
son brothers. " I would not live on that
farm for all the money in California,"
said one. " Nor I, nor I," repeated
others. Thus it went from lip to mouth
with shake of head which brought to
mind all the old troubles of the Lyons
place, the mysterious disappearances
and the horrid appearances of all the
unfortunates connected in anyway with
that fatal locality. I was at the trial,
said Captain Stewart, and remember
well these fearful prophesies.
It was not long before a terrible
tragedy was enacted, in return for the
mocking farce that had been put off on
the Lyons. The trouble predicted by
those who knew the desperate character
of Jim Lyons, was not long delayed.
"But a few days after the lawsuit,"
Bays Captain Stewart, "I was aroused
by a man savins: the Morrisons had all
been murdered and their house burned
down.
I mounted my horse and went imme
diately to the spot. As I approached, 1
saw a crowd of miners looking about the
ruins by the light of pine knots which
they carried in their hands. I dis
mounted and went close to the smoking
rains. They had found the bodies of
two of the Morrisons, the third was
missing.
One of the bodies was a mere trunk
without head, arms or legs. I turned it
over and counted twelve buck-shot holes
in the small of the back. The body of
tho other Morrison lay outside of 'the
fire line where he had dragged himself,
his right arm shattered from a gun-shot
wound; he was mangled and bruised but
still alive. I put my lips to his ear and
asked him, who did this ? He said, " It
was Ed. Watson, the lawyer, who had
killed his brother."
I was astounded. I knew Watson had
abused the Morrison's in court at the
suit of Lyons, and had poured out on
their heads the bitter invective of a
deeply injured client, but that he should
follow it up by a murder most foul, which
should glut its vengeance by committing
to the wrathful flames the bodies of his
victims aud their earthly habitation, I
could not conceive.
I knew Watson had no pecuniary in
terest in the suit; I knew he did not
expect a verdict in his favor, but that ho
had tried it as much to satisfy these men
that an effort would be made to right
their wrongs, as anything else and to
prevent, if possible, anything like the
very trouble which had occurred in the
terrible vengeance on the Morrisons.
This was my firm belief, and when he
told me "Eil. Wateon, the lawyer, did
it," I was more shocked and surprised
Minn when 1 heard of the principal oc
currence, the killing of the Morrisons
and the burning: of their house.
I had been afraid something like that
would overtake them, and its realization
only brought confirmation to my uneosy
apprehensions. The eye for eve, tooth
for tooth, life for life doctrine had been
practiced there every day, but here
three lives were sacrificed, I might say,
to their own greed. Here was retalia
tion, not in kind, but with dreadful ac
cumulations. I thought of course Jim
Lyons had done it, but as if to add new
trouble to that already wrought, the
gasping, dying man said, " Ed. Watson,
the lawyer, did it.
Several of the best known miners or
residents came close to the man and
heard his declaration.
I mounted my horse and rode back to
town, roused the lawyer amd made him
go back with me to the scene of the fire
and murder, brought him up where Mor
rison was laying and putting my lips
close to the wounded man's ear, asked
him to look up and see whether this was
the man I Morrison opened his eyes for
an instant and then shutting them tightly
said, firmly :
"Yes, sir ; that is the man who shot
my brother. Watson went almost wild
at this ; he clutched his long beard with
both hands, wheeled about once or twice,
tnu comma; closer to Morrison, said
" My God, sir, is there no possibility of
your being mistaken ?"
The dying man opened his eyes and
saw, nrmiy : "Ho, sir.
I knew if-1 let Watson remain there
many minutes longer they would lynch
hini, and very likely roast his body in
the burning ruins of the building. I
plucked him by the arm to come, aud
as we turned the glare of light threw
his shadow on the wull. I was trans
fixed with astonishment. I stopped
Watson and pointed with speechless
anxiety to that shadow which thrilled
me througli and through, tie stood nio
tionless, apparently not comprehending
my feelings, too much terror-stricken
by this accusation to be more than half
alive.
The first words I could utter were as
if I had been tongue-tied for an age. I
raised myself up, and struggled as if I
was being smothered, and my voice broke
out in a loud call ' ' Jiob Tore and Bam
Lyons did this" The shadow on the wall
was the exact picture of "Bob Pore, the
half-breed," who worked evil with
Lyons, and it seemed as if some other
voice than my own spoke through me. I
was in a perfeot ferment of excitement.
There was the wounded man who had re
cognized the lawyer as the murderer
and there I was, the sheriff of the county,
with the accused iu my charge ; and yet
that shadow on the wall compelled the
loud exclamation from my lips, from me,
who should have been the last one to ac
cuse any one, but should have waited in
calm dignity the deliberations of the
law; in fact, I was there to see that such
deliberation was had.
I suppose the fear that an innocent
man would be executed, together with
the knowledge of the bad character of
the half-breed, Bob Pore, and of Lyons,
who had a real grievance I suppose
these things heightened my nervous ap
prehensions that a great wrong would be
oomniittcd if that crowd hung Watson.
These feelings must have invested the
shadow on the wall with what then
seemed to be almost a supernatural
apparition. It went through me like an
electrical shock and compelled me in
stantly to cry out, " It was Bob Pore and
Jim Lyons who did this." I hurried the
accused back to jail and started with a
warrant of.arrest for Lyons and Pore. I
found them in the meantime about day
light the following day. I said to Lyons
" I want you as a witness in a case, and
asked him if he had seen Bob Pore late
ly." He said he had not seen him for
several days, but that he was at the up-
?er ioe-house. The snow was deep, but
started up. I came across a ditch
tender, who told me Bob Pore had just
Sassed up a little while ago from the
irection of the upper dam, where I had
just left Jim Lyons, and that he was all
drabbled and wet.
I pushed on and a little further up I
spied Pore. He began to run when he
saw me, and I ealled to him that I wanted
him as a witness on that old case,
referring to the one he was in. This
seemed to quiet him, and he returned
with me. We called back for Jim Lyons
and brought them both back to jail. In
the meantime the coroner's jury had
met, the suspicions against Lyons had
been cleared up and the murder and the
burning fixed on the lawyer. When I
returned with the two prisoners, I
looked them up in our somewhat inse
cure jail and the coroner continued the
investigation. He had previously given
out warrants to arrest Bob Pore and Jim
Lyons aa witnesses in the case. The
trial of the lawyer was the first business
now on hand. Summary punishment
was then the rule, and the law's delay
but provoked swift retribution. There
was no putting off until term time.
Right now, was the word with those
men in that rough life, who still carried
with them the notion of well-regulated
society, and the lovo of liberty and
justice in their hearts. The accused
could not prove an alibi. He hod been
at home sick for several days, and the
law did not allow his wife to testify. The
wounded man swore directly and point
blank that he saw the lawyer shoot his
brother, and a Mexican swore that he
saw the accused the night of the murder
pans his door on a white horse with a
double-barreled gun over his shoulder,
and he could not be mistaken. This
seemed to f nish the case.
During the trial, a Qermau laborer
come to me and said that on the morn
ing after the murder, a young man had
come to his house with a double-barreled
gun on his shoulder; that he said he had
fallen down, struck the trigger on a
stone and discharged both barrels : that
he worked for Mr. Lyons up at the ico
house. I went out at once for Mr.
Wallace the young man described, and
in bringing him in I Baid : " Wallace,
you are a young man ; this is a bad bus
iness to be mixed up in. There was
more than one man present at that mur
der. Lawyer Watson never could have
doue it all himself, and that story of
you falling down and striking the
double-barreled gun against the stones,
sounds suspicious. Now do not let any
one put you in a hole in this matter ;
lifo is still before you, and it may be
bright and successful." Wallace said
nothing in reply except to BBk what the
law officers would do if any one would
tell the whole affair. I told him they
often let that one go unmolested. We
reached the jail. I put him in a cell,
and before leaving, talked again to him.
As I closed the door to leave him, he
rapped on it and called me back. " Did
you say" asked he, "that any one had
mowed the whole matter." "No," I
said, " but some one might and your
young life would be gone." "Well
Mr. Stewart," said Wallace, "I will tell
yon all about it. Jim Lyons, Bob Pore,
and myself; did it 1 We went there on
Saturday night. I was stationed out
side near the bock door to shoot any
one who came out that way, Jim Lyons
shot through the window and Bob Pore
put the mattress under the stairs and
set fire to it."
I rushed out for some citizen to come
in and hear the same story, and whilst
they listened to it, I went to the prose
cuting attorney, and laid the matter be
fore him. "I cannot " he said, pronv
ise him impunity; if he wishes to take
the chances with the people and the of
ficers of the law let him do so." I
hurried back and told young Wallace.
He said he would take the chances, and
then he went into a minute account of
the movements. He said that "alxrat
one hundred yards from the house was
a little cave ; we stopped there several
hours. You will find if you go there, a
broken lipped bottle that had whiskey
in it, a tin box with caps and balls, and
some craebofv and cheese all wrapped
up in a spoiled handkerchief."
I went there at once and got the very
articles he described. On my wav.back
I stopped at a store ; the suspicions had
aireauy been wide 6pread that Jim
Lyons had done the business. The
store-keeper told me he didn't believe it
because Jim Lyons had stopped on Fri
day night at his place and bought some
things to take with him to his home in
the mountains. He described the arti
cles, and said he had wrapped them up
in a spotted handkerchief. ' I opened the
satchel, said fotewart, and handed the
articles out. " Does that look like
them?" "Those are the very things,"
sani the storekeeper.
I hurried back to the court house
only to be astonished at the full con
fession of both Bob Pore and Jim Lyons
confirming the statement of young Wal
lace and implicating a man named Dun
can.
We had brought the wounded Morri
son in to the trial and hod him at the
hotel. I went to the jail aud taking
J Job rore with me, 1 marched him down
to the hotel to see if the wounded Mor
rison would recognize him. Before
going up stairs I threw my short cloak
over his shoulders and taking his long
hair I shoved it up under his hat as this
was the way Wallace said Pore was dis
guised the night of the murder. He re
sisted somewhat at this, but I finished
it and walked him up. The wounded
man opened his eyes and at once ex
claimed "God forgive me for what
have said against Mr. Wateon, but this
is the man. This is the murderer I
Then the shadow on the wall became
a living creature. I grasped Pore con
vulsively few wonld be his steps to the
grave.
Pore had worn a loose cloak the night
of the murder. His beard hung loosely
but his hair had been tucked uuder his
hat as described by young Wallace and
as confessed by himself. Watson's
shadow on the wall was the exact and
striking picture of Ben Tore as he now
stood before me.
Watson was cleared. Young Wallace
was released and Bob Pore and Jim
Lyons were executed at the scaffold
where they again confessed their guilt,
Texas (jlrls.
Pale blooded, languid fashionable
belles whose very rings seem too heavy
weight for their listless fingers, seem
quite a different type of beings from the
lithe, brown cheeked Texas girls, whose
habits a San Antonio letter thus de
scribes : "Some of our dainty dames
should see the Texan girls ride in for
the fair, mounted on hardy little mus
tangs. Sometimes tho rider and mua
tang ore nearly covered by a huge sun
bonnet ; at others, the rider boasts a
dress of former fashions borrowed from
un ancient fashion-book. I saw a fair
creature in a hooped gown canter into
one of the plazas, evidently conscious of
being perfectly "in style" in her ac
coutrements. The hoop was not very
graceful on horsebeck. but it had a novel
effect, and was greatly admired by some
of the critical loungers, of whom there
are always plenty. A Texau girl, if she
live in the country, generally possesses
one unique accomplishment, one can
lasso the wildest cow while you would
bo thinking of mounting your horse,
This lassoing business requires a well'
trained horse, a firm seat in the saddle
and a steel-like strength of wrist, be,
sides long practioe. She delights in
long curls that flow down her back. She
is as healthy as an Amazon snouia be,
and souieumes very pretty.
TRA1NISO ELEPHANTS.
Keeper's Account of how the Unwieldy
Meant, are Trained Pecallnrltle. affile,
nhanta.
A New York Sun reporter has had an
interview with the keeper of five ele
phants, performing in a circus at Gil-
more s Oarden, ana obtained from him
the following "points" in regard to
training such animals :
"I suppose, said the reporter, "vou
know the elephant's nature pretty thor
oughly how to care for them, and how
to handle them ?"
" Well, I ought to. I have been with
them over nineteeu years, and have had
charge of a good many. I have never
bean very badly hurt as yet, though I
have been in the hospital three times
through injuries they gave me. I was
once laid up for five weeks; but I suppose
my time will come, for almost every ele-
fhant trainer is killed or disabled finally,
was with Forepsugh's circus when the
vicious Itomeo killed his keeper, a good
fellow named Williams : I Rfterward had
charge of the elephant. Williams thor
oughly understood his business, but long
familiarity with the beasts had mode him
careless, and he paid for his carelessness
with his life. Romeo had one tusk
broken off short, and it was a fearful
weapon. He was subject to ugly spells,
and then it was not safe for anv one man
to go near him, unless others were near
at hand to give him assistance if he
should need it. His keeper knew this
well ; but one Saturday morning when
Romeo had oue of his spells on him,
Williams, over confident, went uij to and
spoke to him. In an instant the beast
knocked him down, jumped on him with
his fore feet, drove his terrible tusk
nearly through him, and poor fellow
almost before he could cry out for help
he was dead. We rushed up as quickly
as possible, scared the brute off, and
picked up the body of Williams. You
vvould be astonished to see how thor
onghly, with theie-feet ond tusks, ele
phants can mangle a body."
" What did you then do with Borneo
confine him?"
" Confine him ? Well, that is good !
Why, there was not a house in the place,
nor chains in the village strong enough
to hold him. In his blind rage ho would
lmvo torn everything to pieces, and if he
had got away from us, heaven knows how
much property he would have destroyed,
or how many people he would have
killed. We did as we always do in such
cases. With ropes, chains, and bars we
tripped and threw him. Then we set to
work to bring him into subjection,
Half a dozen men, armed with hoop
poies, Dig oiocKsnake whips such as
mule drivers nse and anything else
that would hurt, but not break bones,
thrashed him, laying on the blows
hard as they knew how. When they
were exnaustea others took their places,
and so we kept it lib" for four hours be
fore the brute squealed,- and then we let
huu up.
" What do you mean by that?"
"Why, when an elephant squeals
irora a iiciung, it is a signal that he is
conquered, that he gives in, and then
it is safe to untie him and let him up,
" I have here five Asiatic elephants,
which were captured near Ueylon.
" What is the best age to begin to
teach a trick or performing elephant?"
" wen, about eight or nine years,
They then grow and develop slowly
until they are about forty-eight or fifty
and then grow in treachery as they
iucrease iu years. Chieftain, there, is
beginning to show his disposition al
ready, aud ten years from now he will
be an ugly fellow to handle. ,In captivity
their average age is from seventy-five
to eighty years, but in their wild state
they will frequently live for a century
ond a half. These fellows have good
appetites. I give each one about 125
pounds of hay, two bushels of oats, and
twenty-nve or thirty gallons of water.
Every Sunday they ore thoroughly
washed with carbolic soap, ond they are
now in splendid condition. They ore
very fond of water, and when we are on
the rood, if we come to a pond or river.
it is almost impossible to keep them out
of it. When they do get in they splash
about and cut up as many pranks as so
many children. Like the children, too,
they never know when they have been iu
long enough, and I frequently have con
siderable trouble in getting them out,
A singular tiling about them when we
are traveling, and have to camp out, is
that they never go in pairs. The females
go by themselves ond the males by
themselves, and they do not seem to
care at all for each other."
" Do you have much trouble in teach
ing them to perform?
"les, it requires a great deal of
patience, and they are very timid about
mounting platforms, or going up and
down stairs; but they can go up and
down a steeper flight or a hill than a
horse. There is one satisfaction in train
ing them, though; when they have once
learned a trick they never forget it.
We use blocks and falls in teaching them
to raise their feet, legs, and bodies, and
alter they once understand what I want
them to do, I have but little trouble
with them. Sometimes, when one does
particularly well, I give him a piece of
carrot or some other dainty, and he
knows what that means precious quick."
" Do you induce them to learn by a
series of rewards ?"
" Not e bit of it If we were to show
them too much kindness they would get
the upper hand of us in a day, and the
trainer's life would not be safe for a
minute. Fear is the only thing that
controls them. They must know all the
time that they have a master. We never
punish them unless it is positively neoes
sary, and then seldom severely. Their
skin is as tender as a horse's,,and they
feel the lash quite as acutely. The in
strument they fear most, though, is this
prod and hook, and the mere sight of it
will, on ordinary occasions, bring them
to terms. It frightens them the same
as it would to tell a child you would
prick it with a knife blade. To show
you how cunning they are: At re
hearsal they do their work quickly, and
make no mistakes; but at night they
will loaf on me go round picking up
pieces of paper, or do anything else to
make time simply because they know
I dare not punish theni before an au-
uieuce. xue people wuuuu uunK l was
very cruel. If they knew how fa-each.
erous and savage the brutes are, and how
necessary it is to keep them under con
trol, they would think differently."
"Have you no fear of them when in
the ring ?"
" No ; but I keep my eye on Chieftain
all the time, and at the least miss, a tap
of the whip reminds him that I am look
ing on. He understands this, too, and
knows just how far lie can trine wun
me. He is the leader, and as long as he
behaves I have no fear of the others.
With performing dogs and horses the
more kindness the keeper shows the
more successful he is, and strong affec
tion frequently exists between the brutes
and their trainers ; but it is not so with
elephants. They never form any liking
for the men who have the care of them,
and when they have their ugly turns
their keeper is the first one they will
attack. They will select him out of a
room full of persons, and then, if he
shows the least fear, he is as good as
dead. The long list of keepers slain
proves that."
" But have eicpnants no nnecuon lor
anything ?"
" Oh, yes. They will form a strong
attachment for a dog, or a bear, or some
other beast. Baby here has a great
liking for the camel Dick, and whenever
he is let loese will run over to him and
mount guard over him ;' and he will not
then permit anybody to approach his
favorite. I should hesitate to go too
near the camel until I had first called
Baby away ; but strong as is the affeo
tion they will thus form for a beast, they
seldom have any for a man, and never
the least for their keepers."
" If they are so very treacherous, i
suppose yon have to stay with them the
greater portion of the time ?"
" I am never away from them for more
than an hour at a time, day or night. I
have a room here in the building, and
when we are traveling I always sleep in
the same tent. I have a bed made near
them, and they are the most curious
customers yon ever saw. They will
never go to sleep until they seo mo go
.15 11 if. T ' 1 . 1 " 1'
lo oeu. sometimes x hid up reuumg mi
nn hour or two after the performances.
and they will all stand in line watching
me until I get through. It's a queer
sight the great garden dark as Jgypt,
only an occasional watchman's lautern
flitting about, and I sitting reading at
my little table by the light of a solitary
caudle, with these great brutes looming
up in the gloom, with flapping ears and
staring eyes, following my every move
ment Frequently, if I get interested
in my book, and sit up too late, my
assistant will come to me and say
Come, George, do go to bed and give
the elephants a chance to get some sleep,'
and then 1 have to turn m whether
want to or not, for I must keep my big
fellows in good physical condition, you
know."
Vliat Five Sheen Will Do.
H. G. Abbott, of Maine tells, in the
New Enyland Farmer, what five sheep
will do. He says:
Five sheep will enrich one acre of
old. worn out mowing land in threcyears,
so that it will produce one aud one-half
tons of hay per year, for several years,
by a light sprinkle of seed each year,
sown in tho early spring.
Five sheep will produce manure in
winter to the valuo of ten dollars, by
giving them suitable bedding.
Five sheep will get their living
through the summer on one acre of
ground ; the pasturing of same would
be three dollars.
Five sheep will raise five lambs, worth
fifteen dollars.
Five sheep will shear twenty-five
pounds of wool, worth six dollars.
Now, let us see how the account
stands :
Ground inrprovrd by the hee;i rantaDg
on it me year $15.00
Value of manure in winter , 10.00
Five lambs 15.00
Wool 8.00
Sheep get! ing thoir living on the land. .. 3.00
49 00
The above being credited to the sheep,
let us see what it costs to keep five sheep
through the winter :
Five sheep will eat oue and one-half tons
of hay, hich costs $18.00
Interest and tax 6.00
Care of sheep 10.00
33.00
Deducting this from the first mention
ed figures we have a profit of $16.00 on
five sheep for one year :
Now, make it three years, and we have
credit of $147.00
And debt of U9.00
Leaving, as the three years' profit. . . .$18 00
Now, if the above is correct, we have
a profit of $48.00, and a grass field
that will cut from one to two tons of
hay for soveral years, and without the
usual cost of plowing and the applica
tion of manure of some kind, which is
no small item. It may be found best in
some instances, to plow the seed ; that
depends somewhat upon the condition
of the sod but I am now speaking of
land with a firm sod, but bonnd out and
run out, as we term it, and producing
but a small quantity of hay.
You will see, by my statement, thut I
have valued the manure from sheep one
third more in summer than in winter.
From my own experience and observa
tion, I am fully satisfied that sheep
are of very great value on improved
land, and that they should always be
kept on the plowing land, and ahead of
the scythe.
Words of Wisdom.
I find the great thing in this world is,
not so muoh where we stand, as in what
direction we are moving O. 11'. Jlolmee.
Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove
unkind.
Leisure is sweet to those who have
earned it, but burdensome to those who
get it for nothing.
Do not be afraid of diminishing your
own happiness by seeking that of others.
Keep goodnio cpany and be one of the
number.
Riches gained by deceit cheat no man
so much as the gainer.
One doy you will be pleased with a
friend and the next day disappointed in
him, ' It will be bo to the end, and you
must make your mind up to it and not
quarrel, unless for very grave causes.
Your friend, you have found out, is not
perfect Nor are .you, and you cannot
expect to get much more than you give.
You must look for weakness, foolishness'
and vanity in human nature ; it is un
happy if you are too sharp in seeing
them.
SEJiSITlTE SENATORS.
Remlnlnrence. of a Reporter of the Debate
In tho United Ntatea Senate.
Mack " has the following in the At.
Louis Olobe-Democrat : While on the
subjeotof Senators, I am tempted to give
a few recollections of the reporters' gal
lery during several sessions when I was
employed as reporter of the Senatorial
debates for the New York Associated
Press. If it be true that no man is a
hero to his valet, it is more true that,
with few exceptions, no Senator is a
statesman to his reporter. The man
who sits in the gallery to make notes for
printing soon learns the large per cent,
of humau weakness that is in the com-
Eosition of the great men assembled
elow. Before I had been very long in
my position I received a summons from
Mr. Stewart, of Nevada, then a new-born
Senator. He wanted fame, and his
grievance was that I had cut him short
in the report of a big debate. There
had been a warm time on the reconstruc
tion policy. Ben Wade had launched
out fearfully against Andy Johnson, ana
Reverdy johnsun, of Maryland had
come to the defense. The New York
papers arrived with full reports of these
two speeches and only a mention of the
other orators, among whom was Mr.
Stewart, who had been cut off with a
paragraph. I was ushered into the
presence of the great man from Nevada.
"Whydidu't you report my speech?"
said he. I replied that I had selected
the two representative men of the de
bate Wade and Johnson ond cut nil
the others down. " But," said I, very
modestly, " lou ore not as well known
os Mr. Wade or Mr. Johnson ; they
speak for their parties, and what they
say is of national significance ; you only
speak for yourself." " The deuce you
say 1" said Mr. Stewart. " I speak to
the Republicans of Nevada, and my
speech is as important as any body
else's. The result of the interview was
that. Mr. Stewart insisting that I had
wronged him. I agreed to send his
speech by mail to the New York Herald.
In response there came a note saying it
wonld cost $l,3oU to print it as an adver
tisement and that they did not care
about printing it as news. Mr. Stewart
never bothered me after that. Thero
were constant complaints to tho effect
that I was always omitting important
debate, which the Senate desired to
have printed, and that I was always
making room for personal "spats,"
which the Senate desired to suppress,
To remedy that it was proposed that
the Senate should furnish its own Asso
ciated Press report, prepared by a mnu
of its own choice, to be paid by the
Senate. I appealed to Mr. Hudson,
then managing editor of the Herald,
and to John Russell Young, then mau
aging editor of the Tribune, explained
the matter, and telling them thut if they
would so order 1 would omit nil the per
sonalities of debate, and confine reports
to tho more dignified points. Their
reply fully indorsed my selection ; the
people, they said, were move interested
iu the personalities than in the points.
As to the Senate's proposal to furnish
its own expnrgnted report, there was
not a paper in New York whieh would
agree to print it, except nt tho usual
advertising rate. Oue day there was a
personal spat between Fessendeu aud
Sumner at the close of a long debate.
omitted the debate and put in the
spat. Next day two of the New York
papers had editorials on " plantation
manners in the Senate." The position
of Senate reporter for the .New iork
papers became very uupleasaut from
that time forward aud I soon after gave
it up.
A Llternry Curiosity.
Great interest attaches to the first book
in the English language printou in this
country, usually called " The Bay Psalm
Book," from Massachusetts Bay. A per
fect copy was shown at the Caxton me
morial exhibition. It is dated KUO, and
now belongs to the Bodleian library at
Oxford, and is believed to be the only
copy in Europe. Here is a sample of the
rhyme and rhetoric which satisfied our
forefathers :
1. O blessed man, that in th' advice
of wicked doth not walk :
nor stand in Dinner's way, nor ait
in chavre of scornful folk.
2.
But in the law of Iehovah,
is tun longing delight :
and in his Taw doth meditate,
by day and eke by night.
And he shall be like a tree
planted by water-rivers :
that in his season yields his fruit,
and hia leafe never withers.
Aud all he doth shall prosper well,
the wicked are not so :
but they are like vnto tno chafTe,
which winde drives to and fro.
Therefore shall not vngodlv men
rise to stand in the dooine,
nor shall the sinners with the just
in thoir assemblie come.
For of the righteous men, the Lord
acknowledguth the way !
but the way of vngodly men,
shall vttirly decay. I'mlm 1.
Aerial Telegraphy,
Professor Loomis has been making
experiments in aerial telegraphy in the
mountains of West Virginia, his idea
being to send a wire up to a certain
height, reaching a 'particular current of
electricity in the atmosphere. At any
distance away this same current can bo
reached by a similar wire, and commu
nication con be had immediately. The
professor has telegraphed to parties
eleven miles distant by merely sending
up a kite, at each end of tho distance, a
certain height, attached to which in place
of the ordinary string was a fine copper
wire. When both kites, although eleven
miles distant from each other, touched
the same current, communication was
had between them both, and messages
were sent from oue end to the other by
means of the ordinary Morse instrument
in connection with the instrument in
vented by Professor Loomis. He has a
scheme now on foot for a series of ex-
Eeriments from a point on one of the
ighest peaks in the Alps, in Switzer
land, to a similarly situated place in the
Rocky Mountains. If this suoceeds, of
course hia invention will rank in impor
tance with that of the electric telegraph
itself. All the money necessary to carry
on the experiments has already been
promised,
THIRTY MILLIONS OF GOLD,
The Wealth Tlint Una Been Extracted From
Alder Unlet), Montana.
In the spring of 1863 a party of five
miners from llannock took tne trail ior
the Yellowstone and Big Horn country,
which for some time had been supposed
to be rich in gold. Shortly after cross
ing the Madison on their way eastward
they encountered Indians, aud were
drive q back across the spur west of the
Madison iu to the valley of the Stinking
Water. Following down this stream to
ward its junction with the Jefferson,
they camped over night ot the mouth of
a narrow gorge coming in from the east.
As usual, they prospected its beu, ana
to their intense gratification found ex
ceedingly rich prospects. Stimulated
by success, they pushed explorations
next morning still further, aud before
the day was over had satisfied them
selves that the new creek was richer
than any yet found in the Territory.
This was Alder Gulch, which proved the
most productive mountain gorge for its
length that has probably ever been found
m any part of the world, and whose his
tory, if it could be written, would pre
sent, perhaps, the wildest scenes of dissi
pation nnd lawlessness that could be
fouud.
TheFairweather party, the dicoverers.
immediately located and staked out the
richest ground they could una, ana
began washing, meeting with unprece
dented success. For a time the dis
covery was kept a secret, but ultimately
provisions had to be bought, and the
trip made to JJannack for these resulted
in the publication ot the news. in
stantly there was a tremendous rush to
Alder! Tho gulch was invaded by
thousands of the wildest ond most un
tamed of the pioneers of those days.
Prospecting disclosed the fact that it
was rich from end to end, from the base
of old Baldy at its head far down into
the valley of the Stinking Water. Every
foot of tho ground was taken up, and
much was claimed twice and three times,
circumstance which instantly necessi
tated a largo graveyard and a coroner.
With hardly ou exception, every claim
iu the canon became almost immediately
highly profitable. In twelve months a
population of 15,000 had congregated
there, and five miniature cities had
sprung to life. During the summer of
1803 over six millions dollors in dust, a
yield almost incredible, had been taken
from the bed of the creek, and in the
spring of tho following year the popula
tion had increased through immigration
from all parts of the United States, both
East and West, to nearly 20,000. Many
claims yielded to their owners 100,000,
and several doubled that amount It
can be easily imagined how wild must
have been the days on that rugged
stream, where fortunes were so plentiful,
and where every attraction which the
senses could call for was placed within
reach of the miners suddenly raising to
atHuenco. The flush times at Wushoo
were child's play to these Alder Gulch
days.
Of the five settlements strung along
the narrow seventeen miles of the creek,
Virginia, being tho most centrally lo
cated, was tho most prominent, and is
to-day the only one inhabited. It is
plcasnntly located on the east bank of
tho creek, and for a number of years
was the capital of the Territory.
During tho four years succeeding its
discovery, this canon yielded the enor
mous amount of $35,000,000.
The Fairweather party, who discover
ed the gulch, realized immensely from
their claims, and threw away their gold
in all forms of excess and dissipation,
as was customary among tho pioneers.
William Fairweather, the leader of the
party, a character in our national his
tory, not unlike Comstock, the discover
er of tho famous mines iu Nevada, died,
like the latter in abject poverty with few
friends, and with scarco shelter over his
head. Iu both cases the discoverer was
forgotten or lost in the fame of his dis-
covery.
Necromancers of Old.
The raising of ghosts was a favorite
exploit of the uecromauceis of old ; the
fame of Torraiva, the Spanish magician,
has been immortalized in Don Quixote.
The demons that the celebrated Italian
artist, Benvennto Cellini, describes as
having seen when he got within the oon
juror's circle, and which amazement
magnified into several legions, are now
believed to have been merely figures
produced by a naagio lantern ; and their
appearing in an atmosphere of perfumes
is accounted for by the burning of or
doiifcrons woods, in order to dim the
visions of the spectators. When the
Emperor Charles the Fourth was mar
ried to the Bavarian Princes Sophia, in
the city of Prague, the father of the
tribe brought with him a wagou load of
magicians to assist him in the festivities.
Two of the chief proficients iu the part
Zytho, the Bohemian sorcerer, and
Guiou, the Bavarian appeared as ri
vals in au extraordinary trial before an
exalted assembly. After superhuman
efforts to astonish, Zytho opened his
jaws from ear to ear, aud swallowed his
companion uutil his teeth touched his
shoes, which he spat out because he said
they had not been cleaued. The admir
ation of the audience was succeeded by
feelings of horror, but Zytho calmed
their apprehensions by restoring the
vanquished Guiou in his perfect corpor
al proportions to life a triumph of art
iuexplicible.
Tim Horse Chestnut Tor Rheumatism.
Last year we met au Anierioan-born
fellow citizen with horse chestnuts in his
pockets, which he said he earned as a
safeguard against rheumatism. We had
not known of such a reputation before,
and supposed tho idea originated ou this
continent. But Bouillon says thut the- -oil
from nuts is used with advantage
against gout and rheumatism, which
shows the some idea prevalent in France.
We further find that in China the seeds
of their species Eaeulua turbinata)
is used to prevent muscular contraction
in severe cases of rheumatism. If all
these experiences come from distinct
observations, and each without any
knowledge of what the other has found,
it may be that there may be more than
mere imagination in the chestnut being
a rheumatic cure. Have any of our
readers had any reliable experience with
it ? For we suppose fhaC the knowledge
of its powers must be wider than we
know.27ie Gardner's Monthly.
X
J