AX HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
Nlti DESPERANDUM.
Two Dollars per Annum.
I A VOL. IX.
RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1879.
NO. 1.
The Cause of the Kaln.
Away by the shore of the ooean bine
In peaoefulness known to the lonely few,
The wife and child of a Bailor true
. Lived and toiled together.
Fall many a weird and pleasing tale
Was told the boy, of sea and sail,
Of floating berg and northern gale,
Of olear and oloudy weather.
Adown the weft the king of day
Was hastening through the gates away,
In all bis golden bright array.
When home returned the skipper.
At evening, strolling on the sand,
He told the boy of many a land,
And slowly traoed with bis brawny hand
The eross and the starry dipper.
Twas midnight, and, unfit for rest,
The boy stole softly from his nest
To watoh the moon in clouds of the west
riay hide and seek with the water,
o 1 &tigh at the wind In its wild, wild race,
And again the Btars of the hoarens to trace
Bnt he thought that the dipper was oat of
place,
And vailed Andromeda's daughter.
The sea was mad, for the wind was high,
The huge black clouds would soon go by,
But down fell torronts of rain from the sky
And woke the Bleeping (kipper.
And suddenly long and loud laughed he,
When the voice of his child broke forth in glee,
" Oh, father ! the king of the northern sea
Has npset his starry dipper."
Emily Blake, in Boston Transcript.
How They Came Together Again.
'Now, Kitty, you don't mean sof"
"I do, Will."
" Then give me baok that ring."
Quick aa thought off came the ring
from Kitty's tapering finger, and in
another moment it flashed in the palm
of Will Graham's hand. Then the two
looked at one another aghast, as if a
precipice had suddenly yawned between
them.
"Time to leave the grovel Oars
coming," said a voice, Hearing them.
" Oh, Kitty, quick, if you don't want
to be left I"
And her sister, Nellie Barton, who
had been searching for her, came for
ward to grasp her by the hand and hur
ry her off to the picnic train waiting for
the flnshed and tired pnrty from the eity.
" Hang the train I'5 said Will, reflect
ing afterward that it would be rather a
hard thing to do. "What am I to do
with this ring ? I would like to crush
it under those locomotive wheels. And
Kilty I What have I done I"
The sequel was, that Will, sauntering
along, was too late for the train, and
had the pleasure of walking into town,
ten miles.
"Good enough for him," said the
vexed Kitty, in a thoroughly feline way,
as she missed him in the train, pretend
ing not to look for him, and yet con
stantly darting sly glances in every
direction to see if he conld be near.
" Good enough for him," she said, when
the cars started. More tender thoughts
came at last. " Poor Will," she finally
murmured; "v.hen be comes round to
night, I'll make him comfortable in that
big arm chair in our parlor, and will fix
everything all right. But will he come
round?" A look at her naked finger
sent a shiver over her, and the precipice
yawning between her and Will in the
grove seemed to yawn wider. " What
have I said and done to Will ? I won
der if he'll come to-night."
No Will came. The big nrm-chair
looked empty enough, and Kitty felt
like tying a piece of crape to it. Will
reached home thoroughly tired out by
his walk, and thoroughly disgnsted with
himself for his treatment of Kitty,
"Fool," he said to himself, as he
dropped asleep. And that was just what
Kitty said to herself. They were fool
ish. At the picnio party there had
been a little jealousy and then a little
Blighting of one another. Kitty thought
Will cruel, and so the end was that
Will walked ten miles that night with a
plump little gold ring in his pocket.
Both went to sleep, saying in self-accusation,
"Fool!"
Both woke up with intentions to make
reparation the next day. It is easier
though to make a break in the dam than
to mend it. When Will Graham went
down to his late breakfast, he found a
short but peremptory letter waiting for
him. It was war time. Will was a lieu
tenant in his regiment. The letter was
a summons back to his post, for the
enemy were reported to be intending a
serious demonstration. Every man
must be in his place. The sentences of
bis letter ended sharp as pistol-shots,
and Will was off by the next train . He
sent a message by a lady friend to Kitty
that he wanted her to write and he would
as soon as possible answer it, and that
she must not think anything of what
had happened. Would she forgive him ?
he asked. But the lady friend, who
chanced to be visiting in the place, was
suddenly hurried home by symptoms of
approaching sickness. The sickness
Droved fatal, and Will's words found a
grave with her. As for Kitty, she wrote
a note before leaving her room that
morning saying she was sorry, and gave
it to a little boy to drop in the ofllce.
The game of marbles played on the way
sent into happy oblivion all thought of
his errand, and when he did think of his
note, he couldn't find it. It probably
dropped out of his pocket in pulling
out a bag of marbles and was finally
picked up by the next enterprising
chifUonier that went round crying
nags, rags."
Wiu wonaeera why alter bis mes
sage, Kitty didn't send a letter, and
Kitty wondered why after- her letter,
win sent no message, me result was
that a certain pretty little finger went
minus a gold ring.
It was a weary autumn, and wearier
winter lutty thought, that followed.
The dead leaves whirling in the wind
never seemed so mournful, and the
snow never seemed so muoh like
shroud.
"No Will," she said, "these long
winter evenings I Nothing but war re
p i ts sounding like batteries coins off
iia u" viimvi
"What is the matter with Graham '
said Will's mess-mates, as they rumi
nated after dinner on the subject of his
depression, sending up their inquiries
toward the tent roof through dirty rings
of tobacco smoke. And Kitty's friends
wondered why she was so dull and
averse to society.
" Oh, father and mother are both
feeble and need me," she said.
Three weary years went by; Will hav
ing no heart to come home. In the
meanwhile, Kitty married and left the
plaoe.
" Gone to T ," some one said; "mar
ried a rich old fellow that she didn't
heartily love, all for the sake of making
her father and mother comfortable."
- It was just about so, but only when
Kitty had grown heart-sick waiting to
hear from Will. Beading at last in the
evening paper that Lieut. Graham had
been killed, she gave up all hope. She
made a grave as she thought for the old
love sod gave herself away to a rich old
friend of the family, a Mr. Carleton.
" "Twill be a good thing for father
aud mother," said Kitty. Mr. O took
his young bride to the city of T . In
two years, Kitty, found herself a widow.
M". Carleton had been a kind husband,
and Kitty though unable to give any
thing like a hearty love, sinoerely re
spected him. Love, however, is a
plant that can't live on respect alone.
Kitty's affection had been given to
somebody else, and that somebody else,
though Kitty did not know it, was still
alive.
"Almost dead," said Surgeon Dale to
Will; "they say you were found after
that last little skirmish. The bayonet
wound you received in your eye, will
finally, I am afraid, cause you to lose it.
At any rate, you must wear a green patch
for a long time."
Will's health recovered sufficiently to
allow further service, and at the end of
the war, he was sent home with a gold
eagle on the shoulder and a green patch
over the left eye.
When Will reached home, he said to
himself, " The young woman who once
wanted the little gold ring I carry in
my pocket, surely won't want it now if
she must take the green patch with it."
And sure enough, she didn't. Kitty's
old home was as empty as a robin's nest
in October. He heard heard she had
gone somewhere and was n widow, .
Vol. uranam was ncn, ana wny
shouldn't he marry ? Many a girl would
have put up with that green patch for
the sake of his warm heart and manly
character. Add money, and the green
patch was very attractive. In one little
clique where Will moved, it is a wonder
it was not adopted as a badge. But
those works of green were never carried,
though assaulted by many a fair raider.
Will was given up at last, and venom
ously reckoned as a "crusty old bach."
The soldiers' orphans, and also the
poor women that the war left penniless
widows, knew the green paten, However,
as the sign of a warm-hearted man who
made children happy with candy, and
their mothers happy with coal.
As a handsome little property in the
city of T , fell to him one day, the
colonel concluded to move there. Tho
property included a big, hospitable old
mansion just suited to his tastes. It lay
in a large garden. The trees were not
close up to it, smothering it, bnt stood
at respectful distance, so that the sun
shine conld pour around the old house
depths of gold-color, bringing health
and life. To outsiders in the street, so
tubk were the Intervening trees, it
seemed like a nest stowed away in the
green foliage. Aronnu the house went
a broad piazza like a white ruff of the
oldon times abont a lady's neck. Back
of the house, there were long slopes 01
grass leading down to a river. In June.
this river went like a minstrel past the
mansions bordering it, singing beauti
ful songs of the summer as it purled
along. At sunset, this princely trouba
dour brought out of his treasures all
sorts of precious stones and spread them
on the water's surface to tempt away his
lady-loves wandering on the rivers
banks. Within the house, the rooms
were of generous size, and yet cozy in
their arrangements. The ball, furnish
ed after the English style, was an
ample, comfortable retreat, ever open to
all soldiers whose stumps halted at the
colonel's door.
"Oh. mamma. said little Kitty
Carleton, now three years old, and Kitty
Bartons only child, "somebody s turn,
somebody's turn, over dere. See in de
garden I
Sure enough as Airs, uarieton looked
out of her windows, she saw that the ad
joining mansion we have desoribed was
indeed occupied, strolling unaer tne
trees she saw a finely-formed, stalwart
man. The stranger turned his face to
ward Mrs. Carleton's home. "See,"
said little Kitty, "something geen in
his eye."
"It is a green patch, darling, on his
eye. It must be a poor soldier, nitty
must love tne poor soldiers.
" I will, mamma, and won't yon ?"
"Yes." the widow replied, hardly
conscious of any reference to the gen
tleman walking under the trees. " As
long as I live," she said to herself, go
ing to a drawer and taking out Will
Graham's faded picture, "There, 1
thought I bad got over that. It was
never buried, after all. No, there are
no graves for a true love.
Mrs. Garleton soon fonnd that Kittv
and the gentleman whose eye appeared
habitually in green, were great friends.
She would call upon him and bring
home flowers or candy or toys. One day
Kitty said she had found out his name,
the name of that " nice " gentleman.
"What is your lover's name?" said
Mrs. Garleton, smiling.
"It's a ham, mamma; some kind of
a ham Gay ham."
" Graham, you must mean, child."
"And he's been a sojer; and some
body tame to see him and tailed him
Will"
" Will Graham, and a soldier. Well,
that is a coincidence," thought the
mother. And Kitty said she had told the
strange manher name. "Kitty Barton
Tarleton."
Bo that the oolonel thought he had
got hold of a coincidence. " Kitty Bar
ton I Well, it can't be she I"
And Mrs. Carleton said, " Will Gra
ham I It can't be he I"
Both wished from the inmost depths
of their souls it might be so.
For several days the colonel missed
his little pet. " Seem's to me the col
onel's fussy," said his housekeeper,
" wondering why that child don't come
over, and saying every five minutes he
must jest step over and see if she's sick.
Tho', sartin, I do remember I've seen
old Dr. Gay's gig there twice. I'll tell
mm, or he'll ndget into a fever."
" Is it the little girl, or do yon sup
pose it is her mother ?" said the colonel,
emphasizing the mother. "I should
hate to have the little girl sick;" and he
added to himself, " I might feel worse
if it were the mother. There, I will call
over to-morrow and get light on this
mystery."
" Do I s'pose it is the mother." said
his housekeeper, vigorously. " I don't
know not hi n about it. There," Mrs.
Timmins said, away in the recesses of
her own consciousness, " that man has
been peekin out of the blinds at that
child's mother. He's old enough to do
bettor."
That very day the oolonel stepped out
on his piazza dressed up for the proposed
call. Looking opposite, he saw his lit
tle acquaintance running suddenly out
of the house, and as he looked, he
noticed a light wreath of smoke puffing
after her.
"Oh. Mr. Gay ham, Mr. Gayham,
mamma's sick and house's afire. Turn
quick 1" she cried.
The colonel rusnea over, ne ran into
the sitting-room. In a rocking-chair
sat a lady in a morning-gown.
" Oh, excuse me sir I bnt the house s
on nre and 1 am sun weak from my
sickness. I can't stir."
The colonel bent over her, took her
in his arms, carried her toward the
light. " Why, Kitty 1" he said.
Why, Will l" was the answer. Not
another word was spoken.
" Well." said Col. Graham to himself.
as his fair burden rested in his arms,
this is awkward, though delightful.
Where shall I take her? Take her to
your house, of course, simpleton," said
an instinot within. Kitty had swooned,
he saw, and in that undonscious state he
bore her into his sitting-room, there
to leave her and her child with the ener
getic Timmins. The fire in Mrs. O.'s
house arose from a defective furnace
flue, was spreading rapidly, and the
colonel, who had gallantly return ed to
tight the flames, found the honse conld
not be saved. The next morning Mrs.
Carleton looked out from the guest-
chamber at the colonel's only to see a
charred heap of ruins.
" Why, mamma, we tan t go home
and hadn't us best stay here 1" asked
Kitty.
"Hush, child, we must go some
where." There was a knock at the door.
"Shall I bring your breakfast in
now ?" said Mrs. Timmins, making the
following private remarks for the bene
fit of one Timmins: " I know the colonel
wanted orfullu to have her take her
breakfast down stairs, but said she was
an invalid.
"Thank you," replied Mrs. Carleton,
I am sorry to trouble you. Could
you order me a carriage after breakfast ?
1 had better go to the hotel and not im
pose on yonr hospitality."
"Ro-tnlt" paid the really warm
hearted Timmins. " You are better
fitted to take yonr bed than a carriage.
No sick folks leaves this honse in such
a fix. If sojer-boys can stay, eating' the
colonel out of house and home, I guess
a noighbor can.
There was ano!her knock at the door.
It was the colonel himself, and Timmins
withdrew.
"She won't go," remarked Timmins
to herself. "Peekin through the
blinds always did mean something."
" Why, how much the colonel looks
like Will Graham of old," silently ob
served Mrs. Carleton.
"Kitty," said the colonel, blushing
suddenly "Mrs. Carleton, I mean,
why must you go ?" She had told him
her intention. "She never looked so
charming," thought the colonel.
" He never looked handsomer, in
spite of his green patch," thought Mrs.
Carleton. " Ob, colonel, I I I"
" Kitty," said Col. Graham, stooping
low and whispering, " couldn't you call
me Will again ?"
"Will," came back in a soft, low
whisper.
" Here, little Kitty," said the colonel,
blushing redder than ever, and taking
Mrs. C.'s child in his arms, "wouldn't
you like to stay here all the time ?"
" Oh, yes; and wouldn't you, mam
ma?" " Say yes, dear Kitty," whispered the
colonel, stooping lower to Mrs, Carle'
ton.
No microphone ever brought the faint
answer to that outside public, whose
greedy ear catches up every such thing
eagerly; bnt in a few months there was
a very happy wending at tit. Xjuke s,
md little Kitty Carleton bad a new
father. Portland Transcript.
Fonnd at Last.
As a Mississippi river steamboat came
i . . - i j ; i
uj a river iuuuiuk, it tail, uuguiuiy,
gawkish looking fellow leaning against a
woodpile attracted the attention of the
passengers, one oi wnom, a talkative
and conspicuous persen, remarked to
his friends that he was going to have
Borne fun out of that fellow. So he
jumped ashore when the boat landed,
and with a great show of fierceness ap
proached the fellow. Drawing a savage-
looking bowie knifs he said :
" So. old fellow. I've found you at
last. You're the man that stole a dog
of mine and I've sworn to get square
with you. I've been looking for you for
a year."
The gawkv lazily opened his eyes in
wondering amazement at first as though
he didn't understand it Then catching
sieht of the laughing passengers look
ing on from the deck he took in the situ
ation. Bv the time "Smarty" had
finished telling him how long he had
been looking for him, he had taken out
of his pocket a fist like a sledge ham
mer on the end of the arm of a windmill.
He swung it once and knocked the man
who had been looking for him plump
into the river. Then resuming his plaoe
against the woodpile he raised his eyes
to the deok and with a very lazy drawl
" Is there anybody else on this boat
looking for me?
Mexicans subdue fractious horses by
having a hood so arranged as to pull
down over the eyes of the horse as soon
as he manifests uneasineoe. """ v
plications subdue the horse perma.
uently.
FEEDING ON FELLIES.
NMimra la New Yerk that are said ! be
Bin of Gat Meat.
The New York Mercury asserts that
some of the residents of that eity are ac
customed to buying sausages and other
food partly made up of the flesh of
young kittens. The Mercury says men
go about at night hunting oats, whioh
they put into bags as soon as caught.
Its article continues I
When a sufficient number of victims
has been obtained, the cat-hunter takes
his homeward way and empties his bag
of his evening's spoils. The largest and
fattest having been selected, they are
quickly killed, either being knocked in
the head or having their throats out,
while those too lean are reserved to fat
ten for future use. The slaughtered
oat is then skinned, the skin being of
some value, espeoii-'ly the white and
black ones, and the meat prepared for
chopping. Mixed with a little bull
meat, or sometimes alone, it is then
chopped and made into the desired
bolognas, and is ready for sale. Most
of these cat hunters manufacture the
sausages and sell them themselves, thus
combining the occupations of manufac
turer and tradesman on the smallest
scale, while others sell the meat to small
butchers. The manner in whioh this
business in cats was discovered and in
vestigated is of interest. Certain offi
cials, a few months ago, in a tour through
the eastern part of the city in searoh of
alleged abuses, were surprised to find
evidence of this traffio in more ways
than one. A reporter of the Mercury
discovered three or four men who made
a business of getting, keeping, and
breeding cats. Two of these men manu
factured and sold bologna sausages in
quantities. A woman told the reporter,
not knowing his errand, that a short
time ago she had purchased one of these
sausages, but its appearance and taste
was so peouliar that she was afraid to
eat it, and threw it away. It is most
difficult to obtain acourate information,
as these men are most reticent regard
ing themselves. Many of them do not
speak any English, and are evidently
afraid their business will be discovered.
The cats, when caught, are sorted out,
and those reserved for fattening are
kept either in large boxes or in small
yards adjoining their captors' houses.
The advantage of the boxes is, that they
can be more easily concealed and kept
in smaller compass, sometimes in a small
cellar or room ; but they are not pre
served in such good condition in this
way as when allowed more freedom, so
it is not resorted to except in cases of
necessity. The boxes have slats nailed
in front of them, and the occupants are
fed at stated intervals with some fatten
ing compound. When a yard is used,
the tops of the surrounding, walls are
smeared with n substance known to
these cat-dealrrs whioh -tho animals de
test and will not cross. A collection of
oats thus imprisoned presented a most
amusing spectacle when seen by the re
porter. About a hundred cats, of all
sizes and ages, were sleeping, eating,
quarreling and caterwauling in various
attitudes. All grades of cat society
were represented, from the handsome
Angora and Maltese, to the prosaic.
homely backyard Tom, that makes night
hideous with his yells, and murders
sleep. Great care has to be used, it is
said, to prevent the old Tom cats from
eating their young. The " unole9,
cousins, and aunts" could indeed be
" reckoned up by dozens," and seemed
to constitute anything but a happy
family.
Utilizing a Rat.
Large sewer rats get into houses, and
especially into nublio buildings in whioh
suites of apartments are let to families
and others. In such rooms, and in eel
lars, walls and pantries, these ferocious
vermin are more destructive than a wild
beast of prey and more dangerous
when oornered. One person, who bad
suffered mnch and long from their
ravages, and whose occasional capture
of one of their number had failed to
make any impression on the general
horde, resolved to try a new plan. It is
known that nothing so frightens a rat as
to hear the shrieks of one of its own
kind in captivity. Having canght a
vicious and lively specimen, the experi
menter determined on the cruel expedi
ent of starving him to death, and to
make his squealing " tell " on the others,
Canght in a box or wire trap, the rat
was there kept, unharmed, except for
deprivation of food aud water and he
lived mst two days and two nights
During that time, what with the pangs
of hunger and thirst, and the added 00
casional incentive to vocal exercises in
the shape of proddings and stirrings up
with a long pole, the caged rat gave
forth at sundry and divers times such
pieroing shrieks of rage and despair as
only a rat nan utter. Probably it
womdn t nave been entirely safe, at that
time, to have given him a chance to
smell of your finger, or to get at your
thumb; but one good result was certain
ly accomplished by that otherwise too
crnel experiment not a rat has been in
that room or in those walls from that
day to this, a period, we believe, of
about half a year. A similar result is
said to have been attained by catching a
rat, dipping it into a pot of red paint.
and letting it run; and also by shearing
and singeing a rat, and then letting him
go.
The Story of a Cow-Bell.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette sends the following story of 1
law case from Flovd county. Ind.
"Mayfleld and Featheringill were well-
to-do farmers. One of Mayfleld's cows
dropped a bell from her neck, in the
woods.that cost fifty cents, and was half
worn, ana was supposed to be worth
twenty-five cents when lost One of
FeatheringUl's boys, in passing through
tne wooas one day, found a cow-bell,
Mayfleld claimed that it was his bell
and demanded it Featheringill refused
to give it up. Mayfleld then replevined
it, and then commenced a lawsuit that
absorbed the farms and personal estate
of the contestants. Not being able to
pay lawyers' f eeB any longer, the lawyers
reiusuu 10 serve in tne case, ana tne lit
igants were compelled to compromise.
which they did bv each agreeing to pav
his own costs, which amoanted to over
i,wu a siue or an aggregate of over
3,000.
Gallows, Reminiscences.
We take the following from the
reminiscences of a New York reporter,
who has been present at thirty execu
tions: " I wonder if it hurts to be hanged ?"
said he who sat at the feet of this Gam
aliel of the noose.
" Probably not, after the first twitch
of the cord is felt, and, although I can
not claim any personal knowledge of
that part of the business, my belief can
soaroely be said to be purely conjectural.
I once talked with a man who had been
hanged by a party of blythe but hasty
gentleman in California, They mistook
him for a horsethief, an error for whioh
they amply apologized in the heartiest
manner when their attention was called
to the fact that he was the wrong person,
which, fortunately for him, was just in
time to save his life. He said that his
sensations were first a consciousness of
a terrifio crash, as if all created things,
himself among the rest, had simulta
neously exploded. That was probably
when the mule was led out from under
him. Then he seemed to be floating in a
sea of red light, heaved and tossed upon
glowing billows that swirled round and
round, as if in a whirlpool, to the sound
of a harmonious roaring. And after
that he knew nothing until he found
himself lying upon the grass, breathing
with great difficulty and pain, bleeding
from a little gash in his neck where thev
had cut the noose, and trying to under
stand the profuse apologies of the
spokesman of his entertainers."
" it must be a horrible thing for a man
to know that he is going to die a shame
ful death for a crime of which he is in
nocent."
" Theoretically, he ought to be sus
tained by the consciousness of his in
nocence. Practically, the horror of the
situation depends upon the man him
self independent of guilt or innocence.
The bravest man I ever saw die was one
who avowed frankly the perpetration of
the murder for which he was hanged.
As to how really innocent men accept
the situation, I have not much ex
perience upon which to base an opinion,
as out of all the thirty that I have seen
hanged there was but one that I deemed
guiltless the unhappy victim of a
judicial murder. That was a poor
wretch named Lee, if I remember
right, who was hanged at Waukegan.
111., in 1865, as the supposed murderer
of an old woman by the name of Ruth
Briden. I studied well the evidence in
his case, examined him, and did what no
body else seemed to have thought it
worth while to do sought out who else
than he in the community had stronger
reasons than he conld possibly have had
to wish old Buth Briden dead. I satis
fied myself that there was one man
there a rich and influential man who
would have pTfofited largely through
family connection by her death, and
that man, I found, had been especially
and remarkably active in pressing the
prosecution and conviction of Lee.
There was nothing about the condemned
man's personnel or record to encourage
suspicion of him other than that he was
shiftless, poverty-stricken, friendless
vagabond, who sometimes got drunk ;
out ne was the easiest man in the com
munity to hang, somebody ought to be
hanged, and so they strung him up.
The deputy sheriff, to whom I expressed
my conviction of the poor fellow s inno
cence, laughed at me. He was a big,
good-hearted, rough man, who had been
horrified by the atrocity of the butchery
of Mrs. Briden. and was easily swept
along with the tide of popular feeling
against the prisoner, which had been
artfully set in motion by interested
parties. But, six months afterward, I
met him in Chicago, and he said to me :
What you said about that hanging of
ours disturbs my mind a great deal, and 1
have spent both time and money in in
vestigating that case for my own satis
faction. And I tell you now. I am con
vinced that we hanged an innocent man
that day.' The tears stood in his eyes,
and his voice trembled as he spoke.
Unfortunate Lee ; his last prayer was 8mall ats surrounded" the captain, and the most amusing part of their daily pa
for his wife and little child, far awavin - : iv,.- u 1 JT 1 1 lu. a;d,v ? ..f.m k.vi. ook
the Juast; his last words calling upon
God to indge his innocence. But he
died courageously."
Antiquity of the Plague.
The plague is one of the oldest things
under the sun. According to Petavius it
ravaged the whole known world in 767 B.
In 534 B. G. it made terrible havoo in
Carthage, and the people, deploring the
anger of tho gods, offered up their chil
dren as sacrifices. Thucydides has left
graphic description of the plague
whicu raged in Athens in 430 B. V,
and which extended over Egypt and
Ethiopia. In the eighteenth year of
the Christian era Borne was depopu
lated at the rate of 10,000 daily. Three
centuries and a half later the plague
appeared in Britain, where the living
were not able to bury the dead. There
is little reason to doubt the statement
that 200 persons perished daily in Lon
don during an epidemio whioh raged in
134o, and which prevailed throughout
.Europe, in 147s more persons perished
in England of pestilence than had died
in fifteen years of continued war. At
various periods of its history London
has suffered terribly from plague.
More than 20,000 persons perished in
1603-4, and more than 85,000 in 1625,
But it was not until 1665 that the city
learned what a scourge the plague might
beoome. a moderate estimate says
that 68,606 persons perished, while
other authorities state the number at
100,000. Since that period England
has been tolerably free from the plague,
tint, it has narria1 n(T f& ftlV naniAna in
Persia, 800,000 in Egypt, and 60,000 at
Marseilles at one visitation.
A Moment of Horror.
A prominent fancy goods dealer of
this city, whose neatness of attire is the
envy of the less fortunate, stepped into
bis store Sunday to replenish the fur
nace. He laid aside his glossy silk hat
and put on an old straw. Having ar
ranged matters satisfactorily, he saua
tered np Congress street just aschuroh'
goers were coming down. Meeting a
lady of his acquaintance, he gracefully
lifted bis hat, when, to his horror, he
found that he had orl the straw one
afor said. He took the back streets and
iDHUUOU UVU1U RiA'U tS 1UDOIUlOi
Portland (Me.) Argu.
CAPTAIN BOYTON'S TRIP.
A Voyaae In Hie Rabber Salt an the Alle.
hear River, front Oil City ta Fltle
barsh. Captain Boyton, the celebrated swim
mer, swam from Oil City, Pa., to Pitts
burgh, starting on a Thursday morning
and reaohing his destination the follow
ing Sunday. He had expected to make
the trip of 132 miles with only one stop,
but the weather was so severe that he
had to stop several times. He was
in the water altogether about forty
one hours, and the trip from Freeport
to Pittsburgh the last of his journey
is described by the New York Herald
in a Pittsburgh dispatch as follows :
At ten minutes past five Boyton took
his paddle, and, with a wave of his
hand, plunged into the water, whioh
was seething with the ice. He was fol
lowed by cheers that went ringing down
the river and were echoed back by the
ravines. The lonely swimmer made
rapid time, although surrounded by ice,
and reaohed Tarentum, about six miles
distant, at twenty-five minutes past
seven o'clock. Here it was found that
the water bad congealed over him in the
chill early morning and he was frozen
almost solid. The sun rose soon after
ward, and though its glare was unpleas
ant to the navigator's eyes, it thawed
the ice considerably and gave Boyton a
chance for life. Pucketty was passed at
twenty minutes past nine, and the
" Buckwheats " ran along the water's
edge and roared out their welcomes in
tones that carried oonviotion of their
earnestness. The people are now be
ginning to appreciate the sufferings
that their " water hero " is undergoing,
and instead of the " Have su'thin', cap
in ?" it ie now, " God bless you, cap'in;
I'd like to die for you." No pen can
describe the intensity of feeling as it ex
ists here; and old residents affirm that
Pennsylvania has not been so muoh ex
cited since the war.
At Hulton Boyton was sighted at half
past eleven, making two miles in over two
hours. When the swimmer came oppo
site the village a perfect fleet of small
boats came out to meet him, as he was
observed to be painfully struggling to
make a landing. When he reached tne
shore a reporter of the Oil City Derrick
discovered that the captain's forehead
was frozen white, and thereupon rubbed
it with ice until circulation was restored.
Boyton then said he was almost famish
ed. A short distance below Pucketty he
struck into a dead water, known as Lo
gan's Eddy, where the river was frozen
from shore to shore. In order to con
tinue his voyage he was compelled to
break through about two miles of young
ice with his paddles; while a terrific
mountain wind drove the spray into his
eyes in blinding showers, where it froze
fast. Added to this it began to snow,
and the agony endured by the brave
vovuaeur is only known "to himself.
Just before he paddled from shore again
a dispatch was handed to him n the
river signed by Mme, Anderson, who
invited the half-dead man to go at once
to the place she is walking in upon his
landing. Boyton's answer to this cool
request was more forcible than elegant
At twenty minutes past twelve Montrose
was reached, and an ovation was given
in honor of the floating man as he pass
ed by rapidly in order to reach Pitts
burgh early in the afternoon. But the
village was soon left behind, and the
ceaseless paddles carried Paul Boyton
on through the ice to Bharpsburg, which
was reached at two o'clock. The Amer
ican flag was here placed in the brass
socket on his foot, and then began a re
ception that lasted for fonr and a half
miles to Pittsburgh. The firing of can
nons and ringing of whistles made the
air hideous with sound, and soon the
voyager came in sight of Pittsburgh
There are three bridges over the Alle
gheny at Pittsburgh, and these were
packed to suffocation, while the roar of
murmurs coming from the vast assem
blage on either shore sounded like an
ocean in the distance. Hundreds of
for a time nothing could be seen but the
swaying silken nag.
f inally, thesteamtug Caldwell swung
out beside the captain to take him on
board. It was seen that to land among
the multitude would likely cause a ca
tastrophe and a loss of life. Boyton re
fused to get on board until he had
reached Duquesne point, where the
Allegheny river ends. Here be got on
board at twenty minutes to four and
was taken to the ferry landing at South
Pittsburgh under a full head of steam.
A carriage was in waiting, surrounded by
the police, and Boy ton was ferried across
in the Manchester ferryboat to the
Allegheny side, from which he crossed
the bridge to the Robinson house in a
close carriage. The police were com
pelled to handle the crowds very rough'
ly in order to clear a passage from the
carriage to the hotel door for the feeble
and exhausted man, who walked up
the stairs to bis room glittering with
ice. In a few minutes Boyton was
stripped and laid uoon the bed. where
he reclined at full length, bnt little life
left in him. His fingers were found to
be frozen and his face was badly frost'
bitten. Besides this, his feet and wrists
were very painful.
Gold and Silver in Bulk.
One ton (2,000 pounds avoirdupois')
of gold or silver contains 29.163 troy
ounces, and therefore the value of a ton
of pure gold is 9602,799.21, and a ton
of silver is 837,704.84.
A cubio foot of pure gold weighs
1,218.75 pounds avoirdupois; a oubio
foot of pure silver weighs 656.25 pounds
avoirdupois.
Une million dollars gold coin weighs
8,685.8 pounds avoirdupois; $1,000,000
silver coin weighs 58,929.9 pounds avoir
dupois.
If there is one per cent, of gold or
silver in one ton of ore, it contains
291.63 ounces troy of either of these
metals.
The average fineness of Colorado gold
is 781 in 1.000: and the natural alloy.
gold, 781; silver, 209; copper, 10; total,
Tke calculations at the United Btatea
mint are made on the basis that forty
three ounces of standard gold or 900
fine coin) is worth $800, and eleven
ounces of silver 900 fine (coin) is worth
6U.BU.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
A side-walk The crab's.
Light timber An eye-beam.
Lawyers profit by their clients trials
The most popular mine "Baby
mine."
He who learns to read will read to
learn.
A book for the table One full of
plates.
Split horse-leather is made npinto
shoes.
When a man kicks he generally puts
his best foot forward.
In a London theater you pay twelve
cents for a programme.
Birds are not noted for courage, but
many of them die game.
The census reports show 6,000,000
farmers in the United States.
Fernandina (Florida) ships snapping
turtles in tierces to Savannah and the
North.
What we are suffering to know is, if a
State prison convict takes the smallpox,
can he break out with it?
An old baohelor's proverb : Sorrows
grow less and less every time they are
told, just like the ages 01 women.
"Sing a Song of Sixpence" dates
from the sixteenth century, and " Three
Blind Mice " is in a musio book dated
1609.
On the leading avenues of Borne the
guards now patrol the whole length of
the way when the king and queen are
expected.
" Is that marble ?" said a gentleman,
pointing to a bust of Kentucky s great
statesman. " No, sir ; that's Clay," re
plied the dealer.
Tho Hawaiian rice crop is sold almost
entire to the United States, the Hawai
ians buying for home consumption a
cheap paddy, or rice, from China, Japan
and East Indies.
Tho bridge over the river Jantra, at
Biela, in Bulgaria, is a structure of un
usual beauty. It has fifteen ciroular
arches, with hollow piers. It is the work
of a self-taught Bulgarian.
Whether on the ben-roost high,
Or in the bntober's van.
The noblest place for fowls to die
Is where they die for man.
An English gardener has brought out
new vegetable called the cabbage
broccoli, which is abont the size of a
good coooanut cabbage, solid and ten
der, and when cooked is of a peculiarly
mild flavor.
Forests receive more rain than open
plains, and pines more than open leafy
trees. Pines retain more than half the
water that falls upon them, and there
fore furnish the best shields against in
undations, and the best means of im
parting humidity to the atmosphere.
Who is it, with funereal tread,
Coines slowly home and goes to bed,
And ntters what is best unsaid ?
' ris be who fished since rose the sun,
Subsisting on a single bnnn,
And after all's caught nary one.
Men may escape the law,' but their
own consciences they cannot flee from.
Many years ago a young man in Boston
was guilty of an offense against the law,
an offense which brought social ruin
upon himself and his Samily. The man
and his onenee are forgotten by tne
public, yet he lives, and lives in Boston.
But from the day his ouense was dis
covered although, having escaped the
law, he is free to come and go as he
pleases he has never been seen outside
of his own home in the daytime. Some
times, under the cover of night, he
walks abroad to take an airing, and note
the changes that thirty years have
wrought, but an ever-active conscience
makes him shun the light of day ana
the faces of men, and he walks apart, a
stranger in the midst of those among
whom he has always lived.
The Curiosities of Advertising.
Some persons find the advertisements
per. Advertising is a system barely 'i'io
years old; the first authentio newspaper
advertisements having appeared in Eng
land about 1658, in the latter days of .
Oliver Cromwell. At first two or three
small insertions in the newspaper
of the day were sufficient for the
wants of the community. These only
relaed to runaway servants, the appre
hension of evil-doers, quack medicines,
lost dogs, horses and hawks, and occa
sionally challenges. As, for instance.
Edward Perry, July 1, iboo, is aaver
tised for as " of low stature, black hair.
full of pock-holes in his faoe ; he
weareth a new gray suit, trimmed with
green and other ribbons, a light cinnamon-colored
cloak and black hat, and
hath run away from his master." Here
is another, evidently by the hand of the
merry monarch himself, and printed by
the honored editor in type extraordi
nary, June 28, 1660:
" We must call on you again for a
Black Dog, between a Greyhound and a
spaniel; no white about him, only a
streak on his Brest, and a Tayl a little
bobbed, it is uis Majesties own JJog,
and doubtless was stolen ; for the Dog
was not born or bred in England and
never would forsake his Master. Who
soever Andes him may acquaint any at
Whitehall, for the JJog was better
known at Court than those who stole
him. Will they never leave robbing
His Majesty? Must he not keep a
Dog ? This Dog's plaoe (though better
than some imagine) is the only place
which nobody oners to beg."
Though great feats of feminine pedes
trianism were reserved for our own days.
the early part of the eighteenth century
was in advance of us in female pugi
lism. Here is what the gentler sex
proposed to do in 1722 :
uhamjEnok. 1, Jiuizaoeth Wilkin
son, of Uierkenwell, having had some
words with Hannah Hyfield, and re
quiring satisfaction, do invite her to
meet me on the stage, ana box me for
three guineas ; each woman holding
half a crown in each hand, and the flnt
woman that drops the money to lose the '
battle."
" Answer. I, Hannah Hy field, of
Newgate Market, hearing of the reso
luteness of Elizabeth Wilkinson, will
not fail, God willing, to give her more
blows than words, desiring home blows
and from her uo favor ; she may expect
a good thumping." Baltimore American,
7