... . '
; nn mm n i
- - - , " " ' II.M fc. . . I , ....... I - " 11
fe ill ifiiii lilffMk
X
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. st NIL, DESPERANDTJM. Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. VIII. MDGrWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA, THURSDAY, AUGUST. 15, 1878. , $0-
-1
Baltic Villi Lire."
Bear thee np bravely,
Strong heart and trne ; '
Meet thy woes gravely,
Btrive with them too !
Let them Dot win from thee
Tear of regret,
Such were a sin from thee,
Hope for good yet t
House then from drooping,
Care-laden soul ;
Mournfully stooping
'Neath grief's control 1
Far o'er the glnom that lies,
Shrouding the earth,
ht fiom ettrnal ikies
Bhow us thy worth. "
Nerve Ihee yet stronger,
Resolute mind i
Let eare to longer
Heavily hind,
Hise on thy eagle wings
Glorionsly flee 1
Till from material things
Fare thou shaltbe.
Bear ye up bravely
8oul and mind too !
Droop not so gravely
Bold heart and true
Cleat rays of streaming light
Bhine through the gloom,
God's love is beaming bright
E'en round the tomb.
DANDY FEKGUSON.
THH HRBO OF THE OHAPABAIi SHaTT.
I do not believe that Quasimodo was
a more pitiably deformed creature, or
Quilp a more hidedusly unnatural look
ing object, than was Dandy Ferguson
when I saw him for tbe flrBt time, that
calm summer afternoon, laughing and
joking with crowd of boon companions
in the cool shade of an awning at Quartz
Mountaiu. His face was seamed and
distorted by peculiarly glossy scars
the ineradicable evidence of close and
Ion? coutoct with that shriveling ele
ment, fire. His body was bent, and be
walked with a sidling movement. He
was a cickening spectacle at first sight,
suggesting fearful suffering in tbe past,
nnd my curiosity in regard to him was
th .roughly aroused.
" Who is that man?" I asked, accost
ing a tall, blue-shirted miner who was
t-tanding in front of the post-office.
'Don't you know him?" answered
the man; "why, that's Dandy Ferguson.
I thought ev'rybody knew Dandy Fer
guson." "Why do yovt call him Dandy Fer
guson ?"
"Because well, because he used to
be a dandy a reguler out-an'-out sport.
When Dandy Ferguson first came to
this camp he was a gilt-edged gentle
man, an no mistake. He wore a plug.
an' flashed a spark in bis biled shirt-
front as big as a peanut. He put on
more airs'n a mine superintendent, an
most all the boys was down on him from
the Mart. That was about -three year
ago, an' be came up here from the Bay
to git a whiff o' fresh air, an' male na
ture an' the pines give bim back what
' be d lost spreein 'round with them stock
sharps anil young bloods o 'Frisco. No.
he don't 'look like he was more'n half
human, that's a fact; bvt I'd rather
have them scars o' his than wear tie
clothes of the richest man in Californy
thet is, ef I'd gone through what he
1 as an' suffered what he did. Proud of
Vru I Mister, thar a'n't a man in this
yer country no, sir, nor in this yer
State as is prouder'n Dandy Ferguson
of what other men might grieve over an'
ti gh about, an' no man's got a better
right to be proud, either. When he
fust came to Quartz Mountain he used to
purade tbe streets with his nose cocked
up so ; he'd hydraulio himself with
yatchouly an' smell-water till you
couldn't git within a mile of him.
" He was a delicate-looking cuss, an'
his bands were as soft as a barber's. The
boys used to bet that if big Bridget Sul
livnn our washerwoman was'to take it
into her head to jump him, she'd knock
spots out o' him in short order. Thet
was our opinion of him when he plaved
liis small cards in this yer camp but he
bowed down both bowers an the ace
Wfoi-A he nnit the came, von bet ver
life. D'ye see thet quartz mill over thar
on the side hill ? Thet s the Uhaparal
Mine, ye know, an' it's thar thet Dandy
Ferguson showed us what sand was. One
night, about a month after Ferguson got
here, somebody out there yelled Fire !'
an' the camp turned out. The h'istin'
works was in a light blaze, an' the flames
ehootin high up in the dark; We all
mulled to the spot like a pack o' mad
animals you know how a fire stirs men
up an' excites 'em. Of course, nobody
knowed what to do, an' for a minute we
all stood round lookin' at the fire creep
in long the eaves, an' the burning shin
gles droppin' down the shaft. Purty
eoon some oue says: ' What I' kinder
sharp an' fierce like. Then there was a
little movement in the crowd, an' a man
with a face as pale as TJeath sprang away
from the mouth of the shaft yellin' fran
tic: 'Water! Water! For the love o'
God, turn on the water the nifcht shift's
in the lower drift. ' There was an' awful
agony in thet man's voice; he had jist
remembered thet his brother was down
there, an' thet the fire under the biler of
the engine was banked, thet the cage
was too heavy to work by hand, an' the
timbers in the shaft pitch pine, an' dry
as a bone with great sparks droppin'
down like flakes in a snow storm. You've
heard how fast a man thinks in times of
danger. Jim Blocum thought of his
brother, tbe dry timbers, the engine, the
oage, an' water, all in a second, but that
was all. He didn't hev time to think of
tbe fact thet tbar wasn't a bar'l of water
within a mile of the mine. Somebody
rushed to the tank ther was about a
tubf ul there. The fire was playin' round
thd biler, an' the engineer hed turned
the safety cocks to let thet out. We all
rushed ev'ry which way yellin' fur ropes,
ladders, anything as ef ladder' could
reach down about two hundred feet to
where tbe men was. They were clean
gone with excitement, an' didn't know
what to do, an' the fire roarin' and crack
lin' like the devil's own blaze,
Borne rushed one way an some
another, while some of them stood
starin' into the hot, black smoke an'
aller Are, dHzed, reared, helpless.
Quicker 'u it takes me to tell it a man
jumped through the door of the histin
works an caught bold of the chains.
Ilis coat an' bat was gone, an he looked
like an angel almost as he swungovt
the shaft in his white frilled shirt an'
his long yallar hair, tt was dandy Fer
guson. He didn't wait for nobody, but
jamed a big scantlin' thet two men
couldn't alifted, down over the tsliaft.
Tht-n ho yelled fur a rope, nn told some
near the door to fetch him the ol' win'
lass thet was lyln' outside, near the dum
my. Ton never see men work like they
dM ns soon as ther was a head. Tho
rope an' the win'lass was brought into
the works on the jump an' fastened to
the scantlin', Down went the rope and
Ferguson shouting after it. I'm here,
boyB, an' I stay till I roast.' Then he
grabbed 1he crank, an' spun the rope
round the bar'l faeter'n it ever waa
rolled before. He used one hand first,
an' when she tightened he laid the other
on. Si Holden wanted to help him bnt
be wouldn't hev no interference. ' Time
enough,' says Ferguson, when I drop.'
It wasn't long before a half-naked body
came up. They got the rope off as
quick as they could, draggin' Harry
Miller out of the works more deod'n
alive, tremblin' like a leaf. They thought
at the time thet he was soared at the
danger he'd been in an' didn't notice
bow much exhausted he was; but they
found out afterwards thet he'd played i't
down in thet shaft as mean as one man
can play it on another at sich a time.
Ton see there was five of 'em in the
lower drift, an' when the bnrnin' tim
bers of the upper works began to drop
down they all made a rush for the main
shaft. The cage was on an' they couldn't
get out till a rope came down. They
could see a flicker of light up above, an'
yelled till they was hoarse watchin' thet
glimmer growin' brighter ev'ry minute,
an' knowin' thet the shattin timber'd
blaze mighty soon an' cut off all hope of
their ever gittin' out. It was a terrible
thought nu you can't blame Bill Slocum
fur grabbin' the rope as sooa as it
dropped down to 'em. Harry Miller
jumped 'long side of him, yellin'
' 'Let go, darn ye.let go I They can't
lift two of us.' 'Let go yerself,' shouts
Slocum, turnin' lound on him like a
tiger.
" 'My old mother's up there,' yelled
Slocum, pointin' up the shaft.
" 'My wife's waitin' fur ine,' howls
Miller.
"An, with thet he knocks Slocum
down in the drift an' goes up the rope
band over hand before the others could
Btop him they'd killed him on the spot
ef he hedn't climbed the rope as he did.
Served bim right? Kerrect, mister,
they'd sarved him mighty well right an'
no mistake, but he beat thet game.
He'd jiBt strength enough to tie the
slack 'round his waist w'en he give way
all at -once an' hung to the end of
the rope like dead weight, an'
Dandy Ferguson a hanlin1 him out o'
death. Down went the rope agin, an'
Slocum was tied on an' hauled up, Fer
guson workin' the win'lass like a giant.
The cords stood out on his neck like
black-snake whips, an' the sweat poured
off of him like a sluice stream. Two
Cornishmen stood by him tryin' to make
him let them roll up the rope while he
rested, but he cussod 'em and told 'em
to dry up; he said he was at tbe wheel,
an' he'd stay there ef he died fur it.
W'en Slocum came up, the fire was all
around an' over the win'lass, an' the two
Cornishmen grabbed Bill an' carried
bim out they couldn't stan' the heat,
Ferguson sent down tbe rope agin, an'
up come Sam Hildreth,with jist strength
enough to make for the door.
"The roof over the biler and the pitch
on the door-posts was smokin'. Jest as
the rope went down fur the fourth time,
an' we loafin' round on the outside
watchin' Dandy Ferguson standin' there
liVe n man at the stake, expectin' every
minute to see him drop, an' not a man
of us with gumption enough to think
what was wanted, a woman rushes into
the fiery furnace an slings a wet blanket
over the bravest, gamest man in the
State o' Californy.
" 'Thet's the ticket,' shouts Ferguson.
You're a trump, whoever you are, my
girl, an' I won't furget ye, live or die.'
"An' be didn't. It was Sam Hildreth's
sister Maggie, an' w'en she came out o
the smoke an' flame with her dress in a
blaze, she calls out sharp to the men.
"'Keep thet blanket wet. There's
water in the tank. I'll marry the fust
man tbet throws a bucket of water over
Dandy Ferguson I'll marry him ef he's
a Chinaman.'
"Them's her identio 1 words, mister.
The men didn't need no 'further orders,
'cause Maggie Hildrcth was the ban'
somest girl in the country, an' the best,
an' hed ev'ry young buck fur miles
aroun' close at her heels all the time,
handicappin' each other for smiles. But
her brother Sam saved her from them
galoots saved her for a better man, b
wetting the blanket himself. About
this time the heat was terrible, one man
in the drift an' another half-way up,
crawlin' f apt enough in ordinary circum
stances, but hardly fast enough with
death racin' down on his savior at a two
forty gait. W'en Jack Harmon came
out o' the shaft he stood a minute on the
scantlin' swayin' back an' forth like a
drunken man, blinded by smoke, an' be
wildered, an' ef Ferguson hedn't caught
him he'd a gone back agin. Two more
of . us hed got in with buckets o' water
'bout all ther was in the tank; but it
seemed to dry off as fast as we poured it
on, fur the blanket was smokin , W'en
the rope went down fur the last time, to
haul up Joe Harper, the scantlin' was
burnin' an' the upper timbers was begin -nin'
to blaze. The whirlin' smoke hid
Ferguson from us, but we knowed thet
cf he didn't come out soon the whole
shebang 'd give way an' bury him; the
sides was in a light blaze, an' tbe place
where the win'lass stood was the only
spot where even Dandy Ferguson could
'a' worked. It must 'a' bin an awful
strain on him thet last pull but he
never owned it, an' birneby up comes
Joe, bravest man in the camp I reckon,
barrin' Dandy Ferguson, 'cause you see
he wouldn't tech the rope till they'd all
been hauled up; he tied every man on
except the coward Miller' an' then came
through the blazin' shaft, himself,
watchin' the little tongues o fire shoot
out from the sides ev'ry once in awhile,
as if they'd lick the life-thread in two.
" As Joe grabbed the upper chains me
shaft lit up with a hi a an' a roar, as if
the fire was mad at login' its prey. J
got out and Ferguson staggered away
from the windlass, but his luck went
pacK on bim at the last minute. jae
stumbled and fell just as he came to tbe
tramway at tbe door, an' the whole side
of tbe build in' came down on him with a
crash. A hundred men forgot danger
an' death, an' rushed into the flames,
but Miller, the man that played it so
sneakin' mean down in the shaft, got
to him first and dragged him out. Ev
erybody thought he was dead, an'-the
crowd cPTied him an' Miller who
dropped insensible after he'd got Fergu
son out to the camp. But Dandy Fer
guson lived through it, though for weeks
he lay between life en' death, au' fur
months he didn't stir out of a dark room.
But there was no lack o' help an' prayers
an' faithful nurses to bring him round.
No, sir; an' there wasn't a man, woman
or child within a hundred miles o' the
Chaparal mine thet wouldn't a crawled
ou their hands an' knees to watch one
hour at his bedside, an' thought it one
o' the brightest kind o' honors you can
bet yer life an thet. Yes, sir, Dandy
Ferguson is a king in this yet country.
He can hev anything or do anything he
likes. We'd send him to Congress ef
he'd go, but he won't. We've got him
here, though, au' I guess he'll never
leave. I wish I was one o' them poetry
writers; I'd write the bulliest poem
about Dandy Ferguson you ever read,
you hear me ? Yes, he's married. Got
married after he came out Talk about
weddin's ! That was a weddin'; every
body got an invite, an' ev'rybody piled
in to see the gamest man in the State
tie to the gamest woman on God's foot
stool. Who was she? Why, Maggie
Hildreth, of course. Who else'd it be,
I'd like to know? What became of
Harry Miller t Well, thet's purty good.
Miller, ye see, came out all right, an'
you bet he didn't rest till he'd begged
Bill Slocum's pardon fur leavin' him in
tbe shaft as he did; but Bill wouldn't
have it; said thet Miller'd balanced ac
counts by savin' tbe life o' Dandy Fer
guson, the man thet saved him. But
thet's played.. Yon want to know what's
become of him. Well say, look here,
mister, I don't like to own it, but I'm
the cuss I'm Harry Miller. Interdooce
ye to Dandy Ferguson ? Of course I
will, an' you 11 never git an interduction
to a gamer man, or one it's more honor
able to know. An', mister, ef ye ever
tell about the Chapparal shaft, an' how
Dandy Ferguson stood by thet win'lass
in the red hot histin' works, jest throw
it in somewhere tbet he's better'n four
kings in this camp it'll top off the story
fust rate, an', besides, you bet it's no
more'n the solid truth."
The Bonanza "Boss."
A Paris paper says: Who is the rich
est man in the world is no longer an
enigma ! It was only fit that Paris
should this year number among her
guests Mr. John William Maokay, of
Virginia City, United States, and that
its Exposition should be visited by the
most powerful representative on record
of the kingdom of gold and silver. Born
in Dublin in 1835, Mr. Mackay went to
America when quite a youth, and was
first employed in a large ship-building
house in New York. Toward the end of
1852, soon after the discovery of gold,
he sailed for California in a vessel built
by his late employer, and reached there
in winter of that year. Having a natural
inclination for everything connected
with mining, he immediately adopted it
as a profession, meeting with all the
hardships and ups and downs that are
part and parcel of its wages. Commenc
ing his career in Sierra county, where
he remained several years, he at length
made a raise," and started for Virginia
City. Here his funds ran out, and he
worked for some time timbering the
Mexican mine at $4 a day. As a charac
teristic of the man, it is stated that
about this period Mr. Mackay was fre
quently saying that if he could only get
together $25,000, to make the declining
years of his dear mother comfortable,
his greatest ambition in life would be
attained. Beset by various changes of
fortune he ultimately, in 1863, became
associated with Mr. T. M. Walker, and
to this firm was added, in 1865, Messrs.
Flood and O'Brien; remaining so until
1868, when Mr. Walker retiring, Mr.
Fair replaced him. The stupendous
wealth of these four enterprising men
then became manifest. They having se
cured the Hale and Norcross, one of the
Bonanza mines, were enabled to procure
others, finally purchasing the Consoli
dated Virginia ground for about $80,000.
Further acquisitions of territory resulted
in their obtaining that marvelous deposit
of ore known as tbe Comstock lode.
With their constantly increasing capi
tal, and the active and incessant efforts
made by Mr. Mackay and bis partners,
the wonderful Bonanza mines were
eventually opened to the astonished
world. Mr. Mackay has three -eights of
the profit derived from them, and yearly
adds to his overflowing exchequer the
almost fabulous sum of 60,000,000 francs
(912,000,000.) This is calculated to
bring him in exactly 125 francs (625) per
minute 7,ouu francs i,ouu) an Hour,
and 8180.000 francs (836.000) a day.
Little over 42 years of age, Mr. Mackay
is still in the prime of life, has a hand
some, commanding face, splendid phy
sique, and fine presence, and, whether
among his miners, in the society of the
elite, or in the bosom of his friends and
family, we view in the Boss " of the
"Big Bonanza" all those attributes
which go to make up the thorough man
and the courtly gentleman.
Fireproof Clothing,
mv RioWtrnth. nf Dresden, has been
experimenting with a view to find some
cbeup substance mac wouiu provcm
ladies doming rrom DurniDgwuu utuue.
Wioi cninfinnn of. alnm were not satis
factory, but a five per cent, solution of
phosphate of ammonia proved quite
1 tin a imnreenated clothes did
not burn with flame, but were merely
- i . T
destroyed by carDomzauou.
solution containing five per ocnt phos
phate of ammonia was tried on linen and
woolen stuffs. . Here, too, there was no
burning. The stuffs treated with phos
phate of ammonia did not even burn
when they had Deen vigorously ruuwu
ThA nnwder flashed.
but left the stuffs unoonsumed. Ine
clothes lose their incombustibility, how
ever, by getting wet or being washed.
It is a disadvantage, too, that they can
only be worn in certain piaueo.
TIMELY TOPICS
flirpA Arm Irmrtft of silver dollnt-aHrArn
lately drawn to tbe United States treas
ury in San Francisco. The entire value
was only $300,000.
fclir dfllrnil dtM : I.
uiiiuou ivy o " . no
had ever been in the western metropolis
before: "Yes, I was here thirteen years
ago. I had a linen ausier, and a
railroad pass. I was not interviewed
then."
rPViA nltanr man llAR HftATi trail a a1
Alio i vat-c iumu fjHiuDir;il WJ
his fathers. He was a German, living
in oeiunauscn, ana wbb ij years old
when he died. His life had been a pro-
iracieu ouruBBio wim wmnj, ne leu
two sons, sixteen grandchildren and 848
greai-granaonuaren 10 mourn nis loss.
The Japanese government, which is
making rapid strides towards modern
civilization, has just awakened to the
necessity ot preserving Its forests, ahd
stringent regulations have been passed,
which shall not only hinder the too
rapid destruction of the forests, but
increase the area oavered by woodlands.
A lmTA tumnonLTiM f pta Ira. K1 ,1 A
uuv I - rrmmo umu AJ-
cently in the Crystal Palace, London,
under the auspices of the Band of Hope
Union, which embraces about 8,000
societies, and a membership of nearly
600,000. It is estimated that 60,000
persons attended the fete, and a cricket
matjh and a balloon race were among
the attractions.
A bread fruit tree is now acclimated
and in healthy bearing ia the capital
grounds at Sacramento, Cal. The fruit
has the shape of a pear, four inches long
and three in diameter. It has a canta
loupe flavor. The milky juice of this
tree makes the toughest meat tender if
steeped in it for ten minutes. In Bar
badoes it is usual to bang meat and
fowls in the branches, where the vapor
of the trees effects tbe same purpose.
The little republio of Switzerland has
an army of 120,000, organised in eight
divisions. There are 94,000 infantry, II,.
500 artillery. 8.500 engineers,!, 700 sani
tary force, and 2,000 cavalry. Besides,
this, which is called tue elite army, there
isalandwehrof92,000men. What Swit
zerland does with all this military force
does not appear. ,
Under the new liquor law in Missis
sippi every saloon-keeper is required to
buy of the State auditor a book of cou
pons, and everybody who takes a drink
is handed one of these coupons, which
.he State receives for taxes at one cent
each. If he pays for two drinks he re
ceives an orange-oolored coupon good
for two cents, if five drinks, a blue cou
pon good for five cents. .
These figures show how London has
grown in the twenty years since the first
great exposition:
1851. 1871.
Inhabited bouses 806 056 419,642
Inhabitants 2,363,415 8,266,987
In the twenty years ending in 1876, the
total ratable annual value of property
ban increased from 856,418,315 to $115,
556,565. The following congressei have been
or will be held in Paris during the Ex
position. 1. Agriculture. 2. Metrical
and monetary, for the adoption of a uni
versal system. 3. Special congress for
determining a universal measure of
threads of every description used in
textile fabrics. 4. For th protection of
literary, artistic and industrial property,
patents, etc. 5. For provident institu
tions, life, fire, agriculture insurances.
6. Philological. 7. A congress of Euro
pean economists. 8. Meteorological. 9,
A congress of Alpine clubs. 10. Publio
hygiene. 11. To consider protection
against epizootics. Similar congresses
to the above were held at Vienna in
1873, and at Philadelphia in 1876.
Avery old settler has been discovered
by a correspondent of the Indianapolis
A7ew8. He lives in Scott county, Ind.,
bis name is Kin Ferguson, and his age
is 107. He was born in what is now
Botetourt county, Virginia, 1771, was
married in 1792, and removed that year,
on pack horses, to the wilderness of
Kentucky, and subsequently to Indiana.
His' voice is strong and his memory re
markably good. His hearing is Blightly
impaired, and his sight entirely gone.
He has a fair appetite, and walks about
tbe house and yard without difficulty.
He remembers distinctly some of the
events of the war of the revolution, and
seems to dwell on them with interest.
He is himself a pensioner for services
rendered in the Indian wars undei
General Harrison. He baa never had
more than 8100 at a time.
A Cat's Foster Children.
Here is a case for the naturalist. At
the fair grounds there is a feminine oat
which has brought up and reared two
young skunks. She suckled them with
the same fondness and maternal affection
as if they were her own progeny. The
skunks were deodorized, and, of course,
did not excite the repugnance of their
foster mother on that score. They were
as playful as kittens, but, as they grew
up in discretion and skunkhood, they
began to develop into creatures bearing
very little resemblance to the cat species :
but this did not exoite the disgust of
their mother. She had adopted them,
and overlooked the deficiencies of well-
bred cats, x They curled their bushy
tails on their back and manifested no
disposition to slyly lay in wait and
spring on their victims. Their instincts
were entirely different. They had a
penchant for eggs and other delicate
food, instead of mice and birds. A few
days ago it was decided to separate the
cat from the skunks, and by weaning
the latter teach them to shift for them
selves. The separation has grieved the
old cat, and twice a day, Mr. Kalb
states, she visits her foster-children.
and, watching them through the bars of
tneir cage, manifests a mothers fond
ness, evidently desiring to give them
sustenance.- The skunks also appear to
take the privation to heart, and want to
be with their old stepmother. S'. Loui$
Jiepubltoan.
Scorpions, Centipedes, Tarantula.'
There are two kinds of rcofpiobs, the
gttten and the black! the latter is the
most venomous. When 1 lived in Trebi
zond, says a writer, they were so numer
ous that we kept a canopy over the bed
to catch those which might fall from the
calling. It was carefully examined every
morning. I have shaken them out of
my boots. I repeatedly Came within an
ace of . stepping on one with iny bltfe
feet when getting out of bed. They
have an uncanny way of hiding in
cracks and under large stones, and run
with spider-like speed when aroused,
holding their spiky tail in the air, in an
aggressive manner that in not reassur
ing. It is claimed l y some that so
swelling follows the sting, but only pain
and sometimes death. But I have seen
several oases of scorpion-poisoning at
tended with swelling; Nicola, my donkey-driver,
had his leg swelled to twice
the size,attended with excruciating pain.
In Asia Minor the native make a decoc
tion of scorpions, and give it to their
children as an autidote aud preventive.
I never heard it did ally good. This, on
the theory of similia timilibun, migLt
be called Homoeopathic treatment if it
had not been employed before ever
Hahnemann was born.
The centipede or scalopendra is an
other insect about which I ktlow both,
ing good that can be laid to its credit.
Possibly a use may be found for it, as
they use spiders' webs for quinine in
fever and ague, and powdered cock
roaches for Bright's disease. It has not
over thirty feet, so that the name is a
misnomer; bat the feet terminate in a
sharp and scratchy point. The centipede
is copper-colored, and its back is armed
with scales that make it quite hard. Its
sting is more often fatal than that of the
scorpion, and I have never taken to it
kindly, since I had an adventure with
one in Smyrna. I was sitting at supper,
thinly clad in accordance with' the cus
tom of the country during the long
steady heat which endures from April to
October. Suddenly 1 noticed something
creeping over my instep, and in an in
stant it was crawling up my leg, scratch
ing the skin slightly as it leisurely pur
sued its way up toward my knee. Ap
prehending the situation at once I
realized that to startle it would be tbe
height of folly. Keeping my leg per
fectly still, therefore, 1 carefully clasped
it above the knee with both hands to
prevent the reotile from eettinff over the
knee. When I was ready I struck out
my foot with a smart, rapid jerk, and
most happily shook off the creature, and
immediately put my foot on it, crushing
a centipede nearly six inches long.
But I love the tarantula even less than
the centipede. It is in truth a redoubt
able foe, for aside from' its hideous
appearance it is quite unnecessarily
aggressive, and clears several feet at a
jump. I have seen snake-charmers in
the East tossing them from hand to
hand like a hot, potato; of course the
poison had been extracted. They vary
gieatly in size, according to the cli
mate, but always retain the same general
characteristics. A gentleman in Nassau
told me that his sister went up to bed
one evening, and discovered an enor
mous tarantula in the middle of her pil
low, just l.ke a great ink-spot. Having
seen it afterward bottled, I can testify
that its legs had a spread of six inches,
and its black hairy body was the size of
a pigeon's egg. She screamed, that be
ing the right thing to do under the cir
cumstances, which brought tbe family
to the room; as her brother entered the
tarantula made a spring at him, which
resulted in the candle falling on the
floor and a general rush of everyone,
Eell-mell, for the door. The candle
aving been re-lit, it then became im
portant to find out on whom the taran
tula niifeht be crawling. After some
more fun of this sort, the creature was
finally driven into a corner and impaled
on a sharp spike and was then preserved
in alcohol. Who says alcohol has no
uses?
Warm and Cold Baths.
An artiole of a very interesting and
instructive nature, on the physiological
action of baths, was published in a late
number of tbe London Lancet. Summing
up, the writer notes that warm baths
produce an effect upon the skin directly
contrary to that which is brought about
by cold water. The cutaneous vessels
dilate immediately under the influence
of the heat, and although the dilation is
followed by a contraction, this contrac
tion is seldom exoesBive. and the ulti
mate result of a warm bath is to increase
the cutaneous circulation. The pulse
and respiration are both quickened in
tne cold bath. The warm bath increases
the temperature of the body, and by
lessening tne necessity for the internal
production of heat, it decreases the call
which is made upon certain of the vital
processes, and enables life to be sus
tained with less expenditure of force,
While a cold bath causes a certain stiff
ness of the muscles if continued too
long, a warm bath relieves stiffness and
fatigue. The final effect of both hot
and cold baths, if this temperature be
moderate, is the same, the difference
being, to use the words of Braun, that,
"cold refreshes by stimulating the func
tions, heat by physically facilitating
them, and in this lies the important
difference between the cold water sys
tem and the thermal mode of treatment,"
A Mystified Bird.
A curious incident is related of a can
ary bird by a Georgia paper. The door
of the bird's cage was occasionally left
open that he might enjoy the freedom of
the room. One day he happened to
alight upon the mantelshelf where there
was a mirror. Here was a new discovery
of the most profound interest. He
gazed long and curiously at himself, and
came to the conclusion that he had
found a mate. Going back to his cage,
he selected a seed from his box,' and
bronght it in his bill as an offering to
the stranger. In Tain the canary exerted
himself to make his new-found friend
partake, and becoming weary of that,
tried another tack. Stepping back a
few inches from the glass, he poured
forth his sweetest notes, pausing now
and then for a reply. None came, and
moody and dispirited be flew back to his
perch, hanging bis head in shame and
silenoe for the rest of the day; and al
though the door was repeatedly left
open, ne reiusea to come out again.
A FATAL FIGHT WITH COSVICTS.
Aa Uprising tu the St. l.oata Wm-k-hoaae-
A Fmettoae Inmate killed iM Bcveml
Wounded.
A desperate fight at the work -house
in St. Louis, between four of the guards
and a number of the prisoners, who had
evidently been organizing nn attempted
escape, resulted in the death of one of
the prisoners and the serious wounding
of four others. For some days past a
spirit of unrest had been observable
among some of the prisoners, but no
overt act occurred until the afternoon
of the trouble, when one of the guards,
named Merkel, saw a paper communica
tion passed between two of them. This
at once precipitated matters, and led to
the fatal encounter. The dead prisoner,
Qeerge Stevens by name, was an habit
ual vagrant, who for a year past had
gravitated between the police court and
the work-house. He was an epileptic,
and on this account claimed an immunity
from the severe labor ot stone-breaking,
at which the city's offenders are put
when sent down; but the work house
authorities believed that his sickness
was a sham, and compelled him to take
his place bn the rockpiles with the
other prisoners. Since this Waa done
Stevens had been noticed to be morose
and tnllen, and a few days before the
previous affray he committed a murder
ous assault upon George Merse, one of
the guards, for which he woe punished.
Of late he had been seen in mysterious
communication with other prisoners,
and as he was known to be a desperate
and powerful man, he was closely
watched by the guards. While be was
Working in tbe gang superintended by
one of tbe guards named Christian
K?lbs, Stevens was seen by Guard Mer
kel to piok up a piece of paper which
had been dropped at bis feet by another
prisoner. Merkel immediately ap
proached him and asked him to sur
render the paper. Stevens clinched it
in his hand, and declnred he would die
before he would give it up. The pris
oner who had dropped the paper offered
to get it back, but Stevens refused to
surrender it under any consideration.
After some parleying on the part of the
guards, who wished to obtain possession
of the suspicions communication peace
fully, they attempted to take it from
Stevens by force, when he, though
heavily shackled, proved able to fight
like a lion. He seized large rocks and
began assaulting the guards, at the same
time calling on his fellow prisoners to
aid him. Guard Coy drew a revolver
and fired at Stevens, inflicting a slight
wound, which Stevens responded to by
striking Coy on tho head with a huge
rock, inflicting a serious wound, ine
scene at this. moment was one of great
exoitement and confusion. The prison
ers were collected together from differ
ent parts of the yard, and were evident
ly ready to follow Stevens' lead when he
called on them. The guards did not
wait for the attack, but ran to a shanty
in which a number of loaded shot-guns
were kept. Arming themselves, tney
roturned and found the prisoners. They
had apparently made up their minds to
resist boldly and their presence was
greeted with a volley of rocks, one oi
which struck Capt. McQoard on the
head, knocking him senseless. The
guards fired upon the prisoners, and
Stevens and four others fell, the former
mortally wonnded. Two of the other
prisoners, Henry w arson and Mont
gomery Morgan, were badly wouuaea,
the others received flesh wounds only.
Stevens died seven minutes after being
shot, aud the rest surrendered.
The (Jar and Sea Nettles.
A correspondent at Fortress Monroe,
Va., says: Apropos of fish, the most
remarkable ichthyological specimen I
ever beheld abound in tnese waters,
and is called "the gar" ce-gar, I
should sar, from its form, color and
place of abode. It has a small round
body and pointed head, exactly ' like an
eel, but with the addition of rombio scales
and tiny fins near tbe odd little termi-
, Li ti .: 3 n
nus wuion no aouot it oonmuers a urat-
class tail, but which bears about as close
a resemblance to our idea of a caudal
appendage as does the rear of a locomo
tive, it is of the genus Jjtpiaostena,
with numerous cousins in tbe pike fami
ly, and its principal peculiarity consists
in muscle, for strength and activity of
wuicu it excels any trained acrobat.
Startled by the motion of a passing
ship, it will dart out of the water like
flash, skimming above the surface with
criarantio leaps and lightning rapiditv.
touching nothing for rods, but sustained
by sheer force of its own muscular con
tortions. and looking exactly like i
brown enake scudding through the
grass.
Among other wonders of the deep are
the sea nettles that occasionally swarm
in the surf to the great discomfort of
bathers. They are a sort of marine crea
tures of polypus nature, that look like
an innocent little wad of moss clinging
to a sea-weed. They seem to possess
not only life but intelligence, However,
for they always make straight for the
exposed parts the hands, feet, face or
neck and their sting, though not gen
erally serious, is similar in effect and
appearanoe to a scald.
Birthdays and Wedding Days.
We suppose any day is lucky on which
a nappy marriage is consummated, but
the following is the old saw on this sub
ject:
Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health,
Wednesday ttie best of all,
Thursday fbr crosses,
Friday for losses.
Saturday no lack at all.
The parties to a marriage can select
the day of its celebration, but it is not so
easy to choose the day of one s birth,
and yet these, too, had their meaning
Born of a Monday,
Fair in faoo;
Born of a Tuesday,
Full of Ood'a grace;
, Bern of a Wednesday,
Merry and glad;
Bora of a Thursday,
Sour and sad;
Born of a Friday,
Godly given;
Born of a Saturday,
Work for your living-,
Bora of aBunaay,
Never shall want;
fio there's tbe we. k,
And tbe end oo't.
Items of Interest
You can't fasten your clothes with a
rolling-pin.
American lager beer is actually "being
exported to Germany.
America exports large quantities of
condensed milk to England.
A man is training dogs to play base
ball. They will be known as the K-nine.
The store of a man who doesn't adver
tise looks as lonely as a sprinkling cart
on a wet day. Vaniclionville &entineU
In New Orleans a man who put his
arm out of a street-car window had it
broken by coming in contact with a car
passing in a contrary direction. Ver
dict for the plaintiff, 87,500.
It has just been found out that a West
ern man gained a big reputation for
patriotism on the Fourth by backing his
mule against a high board fence and let
ting it kick. Even his next door neigh
bor mistook the sound for artillery firing.
Oh sea I Oh mighty, mighty sea t
That gives the stomach ache to me.
That spoils my appetite for tea,
Oh seal
Oh deep 1 Oh mighty, might; deep,
I gave thee what f could not keep,
And o'er th; waters wept a weep;
Oh deep t
Arew Haven Hegitter.
The town of Black Diamond, CaL,
enjoys the distinction of being the only
walled town on the Pacific Coast. It
has a high fence surrounding it, and
the only entrance is a gatt?, over whioh
is an inscription warning the public of a
five-dollar tine upon any person who
leaves the gate open.
The laws of Mississippi forbid the
marriage of a widow and her father-in-law.
Therefore Alfred Boyco, aged 60,
and Mary Boyce, aged 19, were com
pelled to go to Illinois to have the cere
mony performed. He is siokly, and may
die soon. His father is alive, at the age
of 82, and Mary says she would as lief
marry him, she likes the family so well.
A wicked telegraph man assuming an
unsophisticated look, approached an
elect rio machine on exhibition in Church
street, and seemed eager to try it. The
exhibitor, glad to see the new patron,
welcomed him cordially to try, and ex
patiated upon the machine's merits in
curing diseases. The telegraph man
took hold. The figure on the dial reached
the wonted limit, passed it went on and
upward, and the pointer still kept flying
around and the crowd grew absorbed.
The machine roan, losing his accustomed
front, dashed at the machine to see what
caused its inexplicable conduct, while
tho telegraph man held to his grip, as
suming an unsteady aspect and wild,
haggard expression. Armed with a cop
per wire under his coat, the ends reach
ed to th wrists, he had made a ' cir
cuit " and the machine was powerless to
effect him. The joke came out, to the
delight of the crowd, whose good humor
knew no bounds at the result. New
Haven Courier.
New Hampshire's Tramp Law.
The following are the most important
clauses of the law for the suppression of
tramps which has been passed by the
New Hampshire Legislature :
" Any person going about from place
to place, begging and asking or subsist
ing upon cuarity, snail t3 iaKen ana
deemed to be a tramp, and shall be
punished by imprisonment at hard labor
in the State prison not more than fifteen
months.
Anv tramp who shall enter any
dwelling house, or kindle any fire in the
higbway, or on the land of another with
out the consent of tne owner or occu
pant thereof, or shall be found carry
ing any nrearm or oiuer oungeiouo
weapon, or shall threaten to do any in
jury to any person, or to the real or
personal estate oi anoiuer, Buau oe
punished by imprisonment at nam lauur
n me otaie prison uui. mum uinu
years. m
"Any tramp who shall wilfully and
maliciously do any injury to any person,
or to the real or personal estate of
another, shall be punished by imprison
ment at hard labor in tne mate prwou
not more than five years.
Anv act of beggary or vagrancy iiy
any person not a resident oi mis oiuie
shall be evidence that the person com
mitting the same is a tramp within
the meaning ot this act.
"Any person upon a iew of any
offence described in this act may appre
hend the offender and take him before
a justice of the peace for examination,
and on his conviction shall be entitled
to a reward of ten dollars therefore, to
be paid by the county.
"This act shall not apply to any
female or minor under the age of seven
teen year, nor to any blind person.
"Upon the passage of this act the
Secretary of State shall cause printed
copies of this act to.be sent to the several
town and city clerks, who snail cause
the same to be posted in at leott six
conspicuous places, three of which shall
be on the publio highway."
To (let Rid or House-Pests.
Hot allum water is a recent sugges
tion as an insecticide. . It will destroy
red and black ants, cockroaches, spiders,
chinch bugs, and all the crawling pests
which infest our nouses, lake two
pounds of alum and dissolve it in three
or four quarts of boiling water; let it
stand on the fire till the alum disappears;
then apply it with a brush, while nearly
boiling hot, to every joint and crevice in
your closets, bedsteads, pantry shelves,
and ine use. rrnBn ine creviceB in tne
floor of the skirting or mop boards, if
you suspect that they harbor vermin.
If, in whitewashing a ceiling, plenty of
alum is added to the lime, it will also
serve to keep insects at a distance.
Cockroaches will flee tbe paint which
has been washed in cool alum water.
Sugar barrels and boxes can be freed
from ants by drawing a chalk mark
just around the edge of the top of tbem.
The mark must be unbroken, or they
will creep over it; but a continuous
chalk mark halt an inch in width will
set their depredations at naught Pow
dered alum or borax will keep the chinch
bug at a respectable distance, and
travelers should always carry a pack
age in their band bags, to scatter over
and under their pillows, in places where
they have reason to suspect the pres
ence of snob bed-fellows,
i