10
THE SCI? ANTON TEIBUXE SATtTODAY MOENING,- SEPTEMBER- 15, 1894.
55SiGILBERT PARKER"? Ow
OPTniCfrr,
CHAPTER L
It appeared that Armour bad made
tho great Mistake of his iLfOk When
peoplo came to know, tlaiy erid that to
Lave douo it when sober hucUlxwn him
possussed of a kind of maliciousiKsa aud
cynicism almost pardonable, but to do
it when tipsy proved him nicroly weak
and foolish. But tho fact is he was less
tipsy at tho timo than was imagined, and
ho could havo answered to moro malice
and cynkismthau wero-oroilited to him.
To tho8ewho kuowtho world it is not
singular that of tho two Armour was
thought to imvo motto the inistako and
bad tho mrsforrnno or that pcoplo-wast-ed
their pity and their scorn upon liim
alone. Apparently they did not eo that
the woman was to bo pitied. Do had
married her, and she was only an Indian
girl from Port Charles of tho Hudson's
pay company, with.a-little honest white
blood in bur veins. Nobody, not oven
lflrown people, felt 'that sho had any
ithing At -stake or was in danger of im-fhappinuss-'Or-
wis other- thou a person
fwho had ludicrously como to bear the
name of lira Francis Artnonr. If any
one had said in justification that she
loved the man, tho answer would have
been that plenty of Indian women had
loved white mon, bnt liad not married
thorn, and yet tho population of half
greeds, wont on increasing.
' Frank Armour had been a popular
man in London. His club might be
found in the vicinity of Pall Mall, his
father's name was higli and honored in
the army Est, raio of his brothers had
served with Wolsoloy in Africa, and
himself, having no profession, but with
la, taste for tiuniiiws and investment, had
cone to Canada with some such inten-jtion-a&Loid
Selkirk's in the early part
of tho century. He owned largo shares
In the Hudson's Bay company, and
whew he traveled through tho north
wcstcorxatry prospecting ho was receiv
ed most hospitably.
Of art inquiring, and gregarious turn
of mind, he-went as much among the
half breeds ormetia,, as they are callod
and-Indiins as among tho officers of
tho Hudson's Bay company and the
whito-ecttlcrs. He had over been credit
ed with having a philosophical turn,
and this-waa accompanied by a certain
e train. of impulsiveness or during. He
had been accustomed all his lifo to
make np his ruind quickly, and because
he was well enough off to bear tho con
sequences of momentary rashness in
commercial investments ho was not
counted among tho transgressors. He
had bis-own fortuno. Ho was not draw
ing upon a common purse. It was a
different matter when ho trafficked rash
ly in the family namo, so far as to mar
ry the daughter of Eyc-of-tho-Moon, the
Indian chief.
He. was tolerably happy when ho went
to the Hudson bay country, for Miss
Julia Sherwood w&Vhis promised wife,
and she, if poor, was notably beautiful
and of good fiinrOy. His pooplo had not
looked quite kindly on this engagement.
They -hud. indeed tried in. many ways to
iprovent it, partly-because of Miss Sher
wood's powrty, and also because-they
knew that Lady Agnes Martling had
Jong .cared for him and. was most hap
pily endowed with, wealth and good
looks also. When, ho left for Canada,
theywerx) inwardly glad (they imagin
ed that something might' occur to end
tho -engagement all e inept Richard,
the -wiseacre of the family, tho book
man, -thadzono,. who preferred living at
Grey hope, UirHartior-lrihixe honio, the
pear through tojepeuirng half the timo
in Cavendieh square. Riclmrd was very
ond of Frank, admiring him immense
ly for his buxom strength and clever
ness and not a little, too, for that very
rashness which had brought him such
havoo at last
' Richard was not, as Frank used to
say, "perfectly sound on his pins"
that is,, he was slightly lamo but ho
was right at heart. Howas an immense
reader, but made little use of what ho
read. He had-an abnudanthnnior and
remembered every anecdoto he ever
heard. Ho-waa kind to-thepuor, walked
much, talked to himself as he walkod
and was known by tho humble sort as
"a 'centric. " But he had a wiso head,
and ho-foresaw danger to Frank's happi
ness whorUie wont away. Whilofothcrs
had gossiped, and maneuvered and. wore
ibusily4dH.Lo.laul watched things. Ho
saw that Frankwas' dear to Julia in
proportion to the. distance between her
and young IxrrdJIaJd well, whoso, father
had dorwOTrirrtihittg-rnm-irlrnln irrgUPff
or torpedoes and was rewarded With a
lordship and an uncommonly largo, for
tune. He also saw that after Frank left
the distance txitweun LarcLHaldweU and
JuHa becamodistinctty less. Thoywere
toth. staying at Greyhopo. Jfllia,Slier
Wood was a remarkably clover girl.
Though he f oH it hia dnty to speak to
her for his brother a diffioulfcand doli
cate matter ho thoughtit would como
bettor from Ms mother.
But when be took action it was too
late. Miss Sherwood naively declared
that she had not known her own heart
and that she did not care for Frank any
mora She wept a little and was soothed
by motherly Mrs. Armour, who was
inwardly glad, though she know tho
matter would causo Frank pain, and
even General Armour could not help
showing slight satisfaction, though he
was innocent of any deliberate action
to separate the two. Straightway Miss
Sherwood dispatched a letter to the
wilds of Canada, and for a week was an
unengaged young person. But she was
no doubt consoled by the fact that for
some time past ahe had complete con
trol of Lord Hold well's emotions. At
the end of the week ber. perceptions wero
justified by Lord Haldweli's proposal,
which, "with admirable tact and obvious
domureness, was accepted.
Now Frank was wandering much
in tho-wildaeo that his letters and pa
pers 'went-eareHring abotrt? after him,
and some that came- firstnvare the last
to reach him. That was how he receiv
ed a newspaper announcing the mar
rjago otLord Haldwell and Julia Sher-
l833;BlTj.0.UPPlNC0rj,.C0.
Wood at the samo timo that her letter,
written in estimablo English and with
admirablo feeling, came, begging for a
reloaso from their engagement, and,
toward its close, assuming, with a
charming regret, that all was over, and
that the last word had been said between
them.
Ho was sitting in tho trader's room
at Fort Charles wlien tho carrier canio
with tho mails. Ho had liad somo suc
cessful daysJiunting buffalo with Eye-of-tho-Moon
and a littlo band of metis,
had had a. long powwow in Eyo-of-tho-Moon's
lodge, liad chatted gayly with
Lali, tho daugVer, and was now pre
pared to enjoy heartily tho arrears of
oorrcFpoiKk'iico and news before him.
Ho ran his h:uid through tho letters and
papers, intending to classify them im
mediately, according to such handwrit
ing as ho recognized and tho dates on
tho envelopes. But as hedid so ho saw
a newspaper from which tho wrapper
was partly torn, no also saw a noto in
tho margin directing him to a certain
page. Tho noto was in Richard's hand
writing. Ho opened tho paper at tho
pago indicated and saw tho account of
tho marriage. His teeth clinched on
his cigar; hi faco turned white; tho pa
per fell from hisfingcrs. Ho gasped; his
bauds spread out nervously, thou caught
tho table and held it as though to steady
himself.
Tho trader rose. "You nro ill," ho
said. "Havo you bad news?" Ho glanc
ed toward tho paper.
Slowly Armour folded tho paper up
and then roso unsteadily. "Gordon,"
he said, "give mo a glass of brandy."
no turned toward tho cupboard in the
room, Tho trader opened it, took out
"Have you bad newsi"
a bottle and put it on tho tublo besido
Armour, together with a glass and somo
water. Armour poured out a stiff
draft, addwl a very littlo wider and
drank it. Ho drew a great sigh and
stood looking at tho paper.
"Is thero anything I can do for you,
Mr. Armour?" urgod tho trader.
"Nothing, thank you, nothing at all.
Just leave tho brandy here, will you? I
feel knockod about, and I havo to go
through tho rest of theso letters. "
Ho Tan his fingers through tho pile,
turning it over hastily, as if searching
for something. Tho trader understood.
Ho was a cool headed Scotsman. IIo
knew tbat'thcre were somo things best
not inquired into, and that men must
havo their-bad hours alone. Ho glanced
at tho brandy debatingly, but presently
turned and left-tho room in silence. In
his own mind, however, ho wished ho
might have-taken tho brandy without
being discourteous. Armour had dis
covered Miss Sherwood's letter. Before
ho opened it lw took a littlo moro bran
dy. Thou ho-eat down and read it do
libcrately. The liquor had steadied
him.' The fingers of ono hand oven drum
med on tlio tablo. But tho faco was
drawn, tho eyes wero hard, and tho look
of him war-altogether pinched. After
ho had finished'this ho looked for others
from tho samo hand. Ho found none.
Then ho picked out thoso from his
mother and father. He road thorn
grimly.
Once ho paused as ho read his moth
ers letter and took a great gulp of plain
brandy. Thero was something very liko
a sneer on his faco when ho finished it.
Ho.road thohollownoss of tho sympathy
extended-to him. Ho understood the far
from adroit Deferences to Lady Agnes
Maxtliug. no was very bitter. Ho read
no more letters, but took up Tho Morn
ing Post again and read it slowly
through. Tho look of his faco was not
pleasant. There was a small looking
glass opposite him. IIo caught sight
of himself in it He drew his hand across
his eyes and forehead, as though ho
was in a miserable dream. looked
again. He could not rccognizo iumsclf.
Ho then bundled tho letters and pa
pers into his dispatch -box. His atten
tion was drawn to ono -letter. Ho picked
it up. It-was from Richard. Ho started
to break tho seal, but paused. The
strain of tho event was too much. Ha
winced, tie determined not to read jt
then, to wait until ho had recovered
himsolf. Ho laughed now painfully. It
had been better for him it had maybo
averted what pooplo used to term his
tragedy had ho read his brother's let
ter at that moment, for Richard Ar
mour was a sensible man, notwithstanding-his
peculiarities, and perhaps
the most seneiblo words he ever wrote
wore in that letter thrust unceremoni
ously into Frank Armour's pockot.
Armour had received a terriblo blow.
Ho read his life backward. Ho had no
futura Tho liquor he had drunk had
not fevered him. It had not wildly ex
oited him. It merely drew him up to a
point where he could put a sudden im
pulse into practice without flinching.
He was biitur against his people. Ho
credited thorn with moro interference
than was actual. He felt that happi
ness had gone out of his lifo and left
him hopeless. As -wo said, howas a
man of -quiok decisions. He would have
mado a dashing but reckless soldier.
He was not without the elements of the
Harnestor, It"inssible that Uioro-was
In Mm also a strain ' of cruelty, unde
veloped, but radical.
Lifo so for had developed tho best in
him. Ho had bean oheory and caniid.
Now he traveled back into now avenues
of his mind and found strange aborigi
nal passions fully adapted to the present
situation. Vulgar anger and reproaches
wero not after his natura Ho suddenly
found sources of refined retaliation. Ho
drew upon them. He would do some
thing to humiliate his people and the
girl who had spoiled his lifo. Somo ono
thing! It would bo absolute and lasting.
It would show how low had fallen his
opinion of women, of whom Julia Sher
wood liad once been chiefest to him. In
that ho would show his scorn of her.
He would bring down tho prido of his
family, who, ho believed, had holped
out of mero selfishness to tumble his
happiness into tho,shambles.
Ho was older by years than an hour
ago. But ho was not without the facul
ty of humor. That was why ho did not
becomo very excited; it was also why
ho determined upon a comedy which
should havo all thoolcmcntsof tragedy.
Perhaps, howevor, he had not carried
his purposes to inrruediate conclusions
wero it not that tho very gods seemod to
play his game with him, for while ho
stood thero looking out into tho yard of
tho fort a Protestant missionary passed
tho window. The Protestant missionary,
as ho is found at snch places ns Fort
Charles, is not a strictly superior person.
A Jesuit might havo been of advantage
to Frank Armour at that moment. Tho
Protestant missiomtry is not abovo com
fortable assurances of gold.' So that
whai Armour Buromoned this ono in
and told him what was required of him
and slipped a generous gift of tho
queen's coin into his hand ho smiled
vaguely and was willing to do what ho
was bidden. Had ho been a Jesuit, who
is sworn to poverty and more often
than not a man of birth and education,
ho might havo influenced Frank Ar
mour and prevented tho notablo mishap
and scandal. As it was, Ai'mour took
moro brandy.
Then ho went down to Eye-of-tho-Moon's
lodge. A few borers afterward
tho missionary met him there. The next
inoming Lali, tho (laughter of Eye-of-thu-Moou
and tho chieftainess of a por
tion of her father's tribe, whoso grand
father had been a white man, was in
troduced to tho Hudson bay country as
Mrs Frank Armour. But that was not
all. Indeed as it stood it was very littlo.
IIo had only mado his comedy possible
as yet. Now tho play itself was to come.
IIo had carried his scheme through
boldly so fur. Ho would not flinch in
carrying it- out to tho last letter. IIo
brought his wife down to the great lakes
immediately, scarcely resting night or
day. Thero ho engaged an ordinary but
reliable woman, to whom ho gavo in
structions, mid scut tho pair to tho
coast. IIo instructed his solicitor at
Montreal to procure passages for Mrs.
Francis Armour and maid for Liverpool.
Then by letters ho instructed his solic
itor in London to meet Mrs. Francis Ar
mour and maid at Liverpool and tako
them to Greyhopo iu Hertfordshire
that is, if General Armour and Mrs. Ar
mour or somo representative of tho fam
ily did not meet thorn when they landed
from tho steamship.
Presently ho sat down and wroto to
his father and mother and asked them
to meet his wifo and her maid when
they arrived by tho steamer Aphrodite.
Ho did not explain to them in precise
detail his feelings on Miss Julia Sher
wood's marriage, nor did ho go into
full particulars as to tho personality of
Mrs. Frank Armour, but he did say
that becanso ho knew they wero anxious
that ho should marry "acceptably" ho
had married into aristocracy, tho oldest
aristocracy of America, aud-becauso ho
also knew they wished him to marry
wealth he sent them a wife rich in vir
tues native, unspoiled virtues.
Ho hoped that they would take her
to their hearts and cherish her. He
knew their firm principles of honor,
and that ho could trust thcin to be kind
to his wifo until ho returned to shore
tho affection which ho was suro would
bo given to her. It was not his inten
tion to return to England for somo timo
yet. He had work to do in connection
with his proposed colony, and a wife,
even a nativo wife, could not well be a
companion in tho circumstances. Bo
sides Lali his wife's namo was Lali
would bo better occupied in learning tho
peculiarities of tho life in which her fu
ture would bo cast. It was possible thoy
would find her an apt pupil. Of this
they could not complain that sho was
untravcled, for sho had ridden a horse,
bareback, half across tho continent.
They could not cavil at her education,
for sho knew soveral languages abo
riginal languages of tho north. Sho had
merely to learn tho dialect of English
society and how to carry with accepta
ble form tho costumes of tho raco to
which sho was going. Her own costumo
was picttrro&quo, but it might apjieur
unusual in London society. Still they
could ufo their own judgment about
thai
Then, when sho was gone boyoud re
call, ho chanced ono day to put on the
coat he woro when tho letters and pa
per declaring his misfortune como to
him. Ho found his brother's letter; ho
opened it and read it It was tho letter
of a man who knew how to appreciate
at their proper value tho misfortunes
as the fortunes of lif a While Frank Ar
mour read ho camo to feel for the first
timo that his brother Richard had suf
fered, maybe, from somo such misery
as had como to him through Julia Sher
wood. It was a dispassionate, manly
lottor, relieved by a gentlo wit and
hinting with a careful kindness that a
sudden blow was better for a man than
a lifolong thorn in his sido. Of Julia
Sherwood ho had nothing particularly
bitter to say. He dolicatoly suggested
that sho acted according to her nature,
and that in tho seesaw of lifo Frank
hod liad a soro blow, but this was to be
boma
Tho letter did not say too much. It
did not magnify the difficulty. It did
not depreciate it. It did not even direct
ly counsel. It was wholesomely, tender
ly judicial Indirectly it dwelt upon tho
steadiness and manliness of Frank's
character. Directly, lightly and with
out rhetorio it enlarged upon their own
comradeship. It ran over pleasantly the
days of thoir boyhood when they.were
hardly ever soparated. It mado distinct,
yet with no obvious purpose, how good
were friendship and confidence which
might be tho most unselfish thing in
the world between two men. With
tho letter before him Frank Armour saw
his act in a now-light
As we said, it is possible if he had
read it on the day when his trouble
camojo.hjrn ho.Jhad iiot married. Lali
nor Bent her to England pn this to her
involuntary mission of revenga It is
possible also that thero came to him
tho first vaguo conception of the wrong
he had done this Indian girl, who un
doubtedly married him because sho
cared for him after her heathen fashion,
whilo he had married her for nothing
that was commendable, not even for
passion, which may bo pardoned, nor
for vanity, which has its virtues. Ho
had had his hour with circuinstanca
Circumstance would havo its hour with
him in duo tima Yet thoro was no ex
traordinary revulsion. Ho was still an
gry, cynical and very soro. Ho would
boo tho play out with a consistent firm
ness. Ho almost managed a sniilo when
a letter was handed to him somo weeks
later, bearing his solicitor's assuranco
that Mrs. Frank Armour and her maid
had Jiecn safely bestowed on tho Aphro
dite for England This was the first act
in his tragic comedy.
to be conttnced.
Wadoll'g Experience with a Eurglar.
"I had a queer experience with a burglar
in a Minneapolis hotel during the Repub
lican convention," said Fcrd E. Wadell.
"When I retired I turned the key, but
without having the door quite closed, find
ns a result tho bolt did not enter the lock.
About 2 o'clock I was awakened by a slight
noise. A street light shone into the room,
and I could plainly see a man rilling my
pockets. I hud both watch nnd purse un
der my pillow, but was unarmed. I at
first t hought I would not take chances on
getting hurt by molest ing the fellow, but
when I saw him coolly approprating a
senrfpin that my wife hud given me, I
changed my mind nnd paid to him very
quietly, 'I guess you don't need thut.'
"He started toward the door, but a spirit
of recklessness had seized mo and I or
dered him to stop. Evidently thinking me
nrmed, ho did so. Ho stood near an open
window aud held a small revolver in his
hand. I told him to throw it into tho
street, aud ho did so. I then made him
turn on the light, and ho looked surprised
nnd relieved to find that I was not point
ing n pistol nt him. Ho was a rather good
looking young fellow nnd did not nt ull
resemble, n criminal, lie admitted thut
this was not his first offense, howeyer.
He was a clerk in a Minneapolis dry goods
house, and had got into a way of living
which his salary would not support. He
sut down on thu foot of the bed und talked
it nil over with me.
"Ho was very pule and his chin quivered
n little, hut he did not do tho baby net.
He said he supposed that he would get a
conplu of years nt Stiliwuter nnd that he
deserved it. I sat up in bed nnd read him
n lecture, then told him to go und sin no
more. My words appeared to touch him.
He shook my hand, thanked me for uiy
forbearance and left me. I slept with a
clear conscience until 8 o'clock. Then I
invoke to find that watch, purse und scarf
pin wero all gone." St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
I'lyuiuiilh and tho I'llsrlms.
Plymouth is u busy factory village. We
nro sent for landmarks of tho past to
Plymouth Hock, tho cemetery on Burial
hill nnd the museum in Pilgrim hall.
Xo spot is quite so famous ns Plymouth
Kpck. The .stranger is surprised to lind it
so small, but it is n veritable rock, where
rocks ure not plentiful. It is protected by
a stone inclosuro with iron gates, through
which we pass and step on the granite of
dark gray color. Tho hardness of tho
stone makes it almost impossible for relic
hunters to carry off pieces, but a French
traveler said he saw bits of Plymouth
Rock in many states of the Union. Ono
large fragment is built into the wall of the
Church of thu Pilgrims in Brooklyn.
The original rock is iu two hulves, each
ubout four feet in dinnieter, the under part
somcwhnt larger t ban the upper. At the
time of t lie Revolution it was taken up to
be carried to tho center of tho town to
make a rallying point for patriots. The
rock was broken in two halves. The lower
part was left in its original place, whilo
tho other half wns carried to the town
square.
In 1831 tho rock took another journey to
the lawn iu front of Pilgrim hull, and was
inclosed by an iron railing, on which nro
inscribed tho names of forty-ono who
signed tho compuct on board tho May
flower. A third journey, however, has re
stored it to its prigiunl position. Peter
sou's Magazine.
A Story Thut Varies.
There is a story, more or less diffused, of
a youug bride on her wedding day playing
the gnmo of hide nnd seek, und concealing
herself in one of thoso ancient carved
chests of large size, fter she hnd got in
tho lid closed and she found herself unable
to raise it again, or it fastened with a
spring nnd she was shut in. Search was
lundo for her in every quarter but tho right
one, nnd great perplexity and dismay
wero caused by her disappearance. It via
not till years after when chance led to the
opening of the chest that the body of the
young bride was discovered und the mys
tery of her diaippenruncc solved.
The story is found in so many places that
it may be questioned whether it is true of
any one of them. Rogers tells it of u pal
ace in Modena. Tho chest in which tho
poor brido was found is shown at Brums
hill, in Hampshire, tho resilience of Sir
John Cope. Another similar chest, with
precisely tho same story attached to it,
was long shown at Murwell Old Hall, be
tween Winchester nnd Bishop's Waltliam.
Tho folk tale of Catskin or Peuu d'Ano
represents tho girl Dying with her bridnl
dresses from a marriage that is repugnant
to her, and as this tulo is found all over
Europe, it may have metamorphosed itself
into that of tho brido who got into a chest
and died there Cornhill Magazine.
Running Krranda for 'Whole Towns.
Every one of the suburbs of New York
maintains nt least one errand man. Svme
of the larger towns keep two or three men.
These men call themselves tho town mes
sengers. If n customer usks at a store for
tinything thut is not in stock, the trades
man, if lie is enterprising, says he will
have it next day, He means that when
the local messenger comes around he will
tell him to go to a certuiu store iu New
York nnd get the article.
Such a messenger mukes a round of nil
the stores in one of these little towns every
night, and in the morning takes the cars
or steamboat to tho city and goes tho
rounds of tho wholesale houses for tho
storemau, the grocer, the jeweler, tho den
tist, the dry goods man nnd all tho rest.
If he is smart he works the rnilroud for a
puss on the ground that he feeds it with
freight. If not, he buys a yeurly commu
tation ticket, such as now gives a mnn rates
as low as twenty cents for fifty miles and
back.
These messengers are paid so much for
each errand they run, and often make four
or live dollars a day. New York Sun.
African travelers tells us that the white
rhinoceros frequently dies from eating
poisonous plants which have uo effect on
the bluck one, probably because the fine
scent of the latter tells him it Is dangerous.
There is no question more frequently
asked, or which a medical man Cuds more
difficulty in answering to the satisfaction
of himself aud hie patient, than "What do
you wish me to eat?"
Robert Burton published the "Anatomy
of Melancholy',' atorty-flve. It was writ
ten to-reUove the strain-of a mind border
ins on insanity. ' .
A CARGO OP ASPHALT.
A ' STICKY SUBSTANCE 'THAT 13
.IMPORTED FOR OUR ROADS.
Trlnidad'i Lake of Bolting ritch Which
Is Used lu Muking Aaphalt Something
About the Island and Its Wcrkers.
IIow the Stuff Is Dandled.
The asphalt barks from the West Indies
are about the only vessels outside the coast
ing schooners thut ever fuvor Washington
with a visit. Two of them are lying oil the
wharf at the foot of New Hampshire ave
nue, nnd are well worth a visit.
Down in tho hold the cargo looks like
the edge of a dead lava field, black and
seamed, and apparently us hard ns rock;
but the hurducss is deceptive. Brenk up a
bushel of the "pitch," as it Is known to tho
trade, and pile the fragments ou top of the
big asphalt field which fills the whole of
the lower deck, und by tomorrow morning
they would disappear, sunken slow ly buck
Into the parent muss. This slow running
quality makes tho cargo one of the most
detested among tho captains in the island
trade, for when the ship has beeu listed
over to port or starboard for a couple of
days, while running before a strong wind,
the wholo cargo will quietly shift over and
have to bo broken up and trimmed buck
to its proper position to keep the ship on
even keel.
Trinidad, the island from which prac
tically ull the asphalt of the world is now
drawn, is n British possession in the West
Indies. It was ono of tho little spots of
terra firnui against which Columbus ran,
wheu in 1-108 he pushed his explorations
further westward in search of that mari
ners' phantasm, the northwest passage.
The island was then inhubitcd solely by
Caribs, a wild and warlike, hut withal in
telligent, race, not unlike tho North Amer
ican Indinus, peculiar in their hmgiinge,
which, liko the Choctaw of our own west
ern tribe, has been mastered by few if any
wliito men. For ruuny years tho island
remuiued a neglected dependency of Spain,
with a constantly dwindling population,
mostly natives and imported negroes. In
1T!'T it passed into the hands of tho British
government aud has remuiued un English
colony since.
There lire but two towns of importance
on tho island Port of Spain and i-uu Fer
nando. These live mostly by their im
ports, the chief productions of the island
beyond its own necessities being nspluilt
nnd cocounuts. Tho sugar crop is large,
hut it does not pay to export It. The pop
ulation of the towns is mixed. English is
tho court language, but tho majority of
tho peoplo are negroes, descendants of the
old slave stuck, who talk u patois of min
gled French, Spanish und English thut is
described ns tho "most buck huudedest
line;o" any heathen ever invented.
Some of the original Curibs ure still to
he found among tho isluud people, but
they nro rapidly disappearing, und iu their
place is now seen the imported cooly. Tho
cooly trade, which was originally insti
tuted to furnish cheap labor for the plan
tations, was in former times a terrible dis
grace to the islands und partook of mora
than all tho horrors of the African slave
trade. Thousands of the miserable Asiat
ics were sacrilied in tho business by the
greed and inhuuiunity of the musters who
brought them over, and although imported
under the guise of a labor contract, not
ono in hundreds of them ever lived to re
turn home. Stringent laws governing the
traffic nro now enncted, however, und, what
is more to the purpose, nro well enforced,
nnd many of the coolies by the time they
have served their eight yenrs' contract out
nre well to do citizens, being paid for their
work by the piece aud saving nearly all
they earn.
The great pitch lake, which is tho chief
wonder and attraction of tho island, is sit
uated in a low, saudy stretch ot the south
west coast, near Cnpe Corbnrny. The sur
rounding country is low nnd maluriul, in
striking contrast to the high hills aud rich
woodbinds of the coast farther buck. Tho
lakois owned by tho British government
and leased by it to au American firm which
controls tho trade for tho United States.
Their present lease has forty-two yours yet
to run. Tho laborers nro nil negroes, even
the coolies shrinking from tho heut nnd
low fevers of tho place. The hike itself
is nbout a mile, in dinnieter, hard at the
edges aud softening toward the middle.
Tho surface is continually changing, ap
parently from somo subterranean notion,
and little oases of dry laud und even trees
and shrill will disappear in a single
night and fresh islands of soil be reared iu
other places.
The lake is in all probability merely an
unusually large deposit of bitumen or soft
coal that has undergone its transforma
tion from decaying vegetable mutter in
contact with water, and too near tho sur
face for the earth pressure above to harden
it thoroughly. Hundreds of the negroes
tho year around toil at the lake's edge,
taking out cargo after cargo from the sup
ply thut seems never to diminish. They
work under overseers of their own color
and nre paid at the rnteof seventy-two
cents a day. The nspluilt crust is broken
up with picks and crowbars, nnd is louded
on dump carts drawn by a singlu sun dried
mule, in whom the constant boiling tem
perature seems to have concentrated ull
the nativo meanness of his species.
The carts crunch through a long sandy
road down to the wharf nt the water's
edge, where the load isdumped und curried
by wheelbnrrows on board the lighters,
which in turn carry it out to the ships, ly
ing a half mile out in the shout water.
Thorough lumps of pickings nre hoisted
on board in baskets and piled iu the hold,
where they sink down into a compact muss,
requiring a fresh filling the next day, and
so ou till the solid cargo is completed.
When tho vessel renches its port of dis
charge the asphalt has to be broken up
nguin before it can be removed from tho
hold. Owing to tho viscus quality of tho
native "pitch," it has in the course of ages
filtered through the sundy soil around the
hikes, und of lute the company has beeu
threatened by a rival, which has begun
mining operations ou the island not fur
from the confines of the older company's
territory, uncovering great fields of tho
asphalt that is, if anything, better nfter
Its filtering process than the original de
posit. Washington Post.
Poets Who Were Little.
Byron stood 5 feet 8 iu his stockings
a liberal allowance of inches for a poet.
But his friend Tom Mooro redresses
this disturbance of the average. Moore
never reached five feet, Bave in his verses,
the first of which, by the bye, ho published
under the pen name "Thomas Little."
And when at length he dolled the mask
some impudent wag hailed the change
with the uudeninhle assertion, "Moore was
Little aud little is Moore."
We trust that Mr. Swinburne, the night
ingale of our Nineteenth century "singing
birds," will forgive us for brmidiug him
) every iucli a poet, even to the few new
f his inches. Gentleman's Magazine.
Bribed With Seaweed.
Soaweed has not even in our wildest
moments ever been dreamed of as an in
strument of electoral corruption. Yet the
Tokyo newspapers just at hand contain an
account of tho triid of a member of the
Japanese parliament who was accused of
bribery by corrupting his constituents
with presents of edlblo seaweed.
ueorgia s veavwt Laborers.
Georgia has l,900jnale penitentiary con-i
rlcts, tho lease of whom yields tho state a'
yearly Income of 135,000. Tho averego)
cost of their; njaiutenanoe is 83J xnt BeV
iay,-
GAM: To Our Patrons
Washburn-Crosby Co. wish to assure their many
patrons that they will this year hold to their usual
custom of milling STRICTLY OLD WHEAT until the
new crop is fully cured. New wheat is now upon the
market, and owing to the excessively dry weather
many millers are of the opinion that it i3 already
cured, and in proper condition for milling. Washburn-Crosby
Co. will take NO RISKS, and will allow
the new wheat fully three months to mature before
grinding.
This careful attention to every detail of milling has
placed Washburn-Crosby Co.'s flour far abov& all
other brands.
Wholesale Agents.
LOUIS B. SMITHS
Dealer in Choic9 Confections and" FMtSi
BREAD AND CAKES A SPECIALTY.
FINEST ICE CREAM I
1437 Capouse Avenue.
010 YOU KIWW?
That we will GIVE you beautiful new pat
terns of Sterling SILVER SPOONS and
FORKS for an equal weight, ounce for ounce,
cf your silver dollars. All elegantly en
graved free. A large variety of new. pat
terns to select from at
i'cereau
S07 LACKAWANNA AVENTJR,
All Grades, Sizes and
Of every description on hand. Prompt shipments gnar
tmteed.
Chains, Rivots, Eolts, Nuts, Washers,, Turn
bucklo3, EoltEnds, Spikes and a full : line off
Carriage Hardware.
BITTEN BENDER & CO.
Scranton, Pa.
We have tin following supplies of Lumber secured, at
prices tb at warrant us in ezpectinga-large '.
share of the trads.
Pacific Coast Bed Cedar Shingles.
"Victor" end other Michigan rranda ot
White Pinenud Wfcite Cedar Shincles,
Michigan White nod Norway Piss Lum
ber aud Bill Timber.
North Carolina Short and Long Leaf Yel
low Pine.
Miscellaneous stocks of Mine Rails, Mine Tics, Mine Props
and Mine Supplies in general.
THE RICHARDS LUtVTBER CO,
Commonwealth Building,. Scranton Pa.
SPRING
HOUSE
HEART LAKE, Susquehanna Co.
C. E. CROFUT Proprietor.
ri'EIS HOUSE In strictly twnperanns, ia nw
I nd U farnlsUad ml OPKNKD TO
1-HE PUBLIC TUB YEAR KOUND; It
located midwmy twtnroaa Montrow nJ 8crn
Wti, on Moatrosa aud Loiwnim Railroad,
Ax milus from D-, U if W. B. R. at Alton!
Station, and firs mltus from M-mtrota; ca
pacity, Difflity-ave; tUre mlnotos' wnlk t torn
k R station.
GOOD MOAT, HSUFNO TACKLE, o,
FKEE TO UUSIS.
Altltnde about KOQO feat, . qnalllnsr In thia
raspout th Adirondack and Catiklil Moun
tains. Una groTM, plenty of glials and-baantiful
tctnpry, making a Summer Resort unex
celled Iu beauty and cheapness.
Daacin; pavilion, nwiuafs, oroquet T cards,
&c Cold Sprin- Water and pfentj ot Milk
Katet, M to S10 per vi-eek. 91. fro pr
EBcurslan ttckota told at all ttatloua on D.
Ik ft W. lines.
forter intota all tralni,
(MILL
l PARLOUS OPEN FROM T A.M. TOll P.M,
PLYINti FAMILIES WITH ICE CBBAit-
onnell
Kinds kept in Stock.-
Joniata Comity, PenDnylvwia, Whlte-Oak.
Sullivan County Hemlock lumber 'and
Lath.
Tioga County Dry-Hemlock-EtsokiBoardt.
Elk County Dry Hemlock Joist awTStndr
dins.
DUPONT'S
IONINQ, BLABTQIO AND BPOETTNO
Manufactured at the VJapwallopen Mill, Irtl
serna county'Pa anil at "Wu
miugton, Delaware.
HENRY BELIN, Jr.
General Agent for the Wyoming-JHrtrict;
118 Wyoming Ave., Scraoton Pa,
Ihird Hation! Bank BuiMln
AOTIJfTTKJ!.
THOB. FORD, Plttaton, Pk
JOBS E BMITH.& BON: Plymouth. Pa,
E. W. MULLIGAN, WUkna-ftarra, pa.
Agenta for the Bepauu1" Uhamiaal Conv
penj't Biga SxuMna.
POWDER
J