Iit
B. P. SOHWEIER,
THE CONSTITUTION THE UNION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XLV.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 22, 1891.
NO. IS.
GENCRAL JACQUEMINOT.
What conflfts you drew your blade In
1 know not if any one knows;
But 1 know that I lie queeulit-st maiden
t;at "iirs i- the queeulieat rose.
.Aud who would not envy, on neeing
It Mush from her bosom of snow,
Tin' rxi"i"ite pleasure of being
The r. il roe of J:icmeniiiiotr
h- tier mine the deep hue of your fiowerf
Was It tiot-ttl by the blood of the foe
Who frit in lreuiu -battles your power?
y l,rnrral Jarijiieiiiiiiot!'
What if you have failed by illan-xlaying
,lu hi-t ir' pantheon to pose?
T ,v r. tr to hear the world saying:
1 mi fav u a deautiful rose.
5. A. Wood.
Ebeu's '(Iijdoiiig.
In the spring a young man's fancy
lightly turns to thoughts o Nancy,"
said the school-master, smiling pleas
antly. '1 don't see what good it will do
Eben Witherwax to think about Nancy,
llalliday," said the school-master's
w ifc snappishly.
Why not 'i" asked the pedagogue,
lie -eeins a likely young fellow
enough."
lM-i-au-e her father is poor, and she
will mt marry anybody who cannot
ivi lor a better home than ben
' Iut: tut:- ?aid the kindly old
man. Iun't think so harshly of peo
ple. Maria. Nancy is a good girl, and
if she loves him "
'Miiili you know about it!" said
the u ite. who prided herself on her
know li ilye of human nature, and hud
a profound contempt for the books
the -clmol-master loved. So he sigh
ed an.l said no more.
Kben Withcryy ax sighed too, much
more sadly than the old man, who hud
been watching him as he talked with
the girl he loved.
The two had met on the village
itreet, and lie had just asked her if he
might escort her to a picnic that was
to lie giveu in the early summer.
Thank you," she had said, with
demure coquetry, 'but I am going
with Frank Turner."'
Then the iron entered Ebeu's soul.
Frank Turner was rich, and had the1
handsomest turn-out that was to be
leen on any of the country roads
around Modena. Eben knew that his
wu horse and blips: v were both old
tad far from stylish, and the worst of
it was that he saw no hope of replac
ing them with anything better. The
Ad farm yielded him and his mother
i living, but that was all. He knew
His rival was as much in love w ith
Nancy as he was himself, and he felt
:ertain that he would soon lose what
little hope he still cherished.
'Darn it alK'" he swore, as he turn
w ay rrom ttie girl alter a tew mo-,
ment's chat, and started for home
'Darn it all ! if 1 had the money I
:ould get her. I believe she likes me
Jest."
And as he walked homeward he was
tu-y with a process which he would
Save called thinking. Celebration
ius nut much in his line, however,
tud the burden of his thought was
.ittle more than a vain repetition of
:iis strong desire. "I want money.
I want money." Xo plan for getting
any suggested itself, however, and his
thinking ended as it had a thousand
times before, in a helpless recognition
!f the probability that lie never
would have any money to speak of.
Now the de-ire for money is no very
unusual phenomenon, nor is it very
eldoin that men reach the same con-.
:lusioii when thinking it over the Ebeu
reached. What wus perhaps remark
able, and what certainly proved im
portant, was that while he was think
ing about the matter he should have
received the letter he did.
lie stopped at the post-office, tnore
because it was the proper thing to do
ihan because he expected to find any
thing there for hiin. His usual mail
:ame once a week, and consisted of a
:opy of the Ulster County Farmer.
This time, however, there was a letter
from New York addressed to him.
At first he thought there must be
Kime mistake, but the address was
plainly written, and he took the let
ler after some hesitation, wondering
jrreatly who could have written to
kirn. This wonder continued una
Dated as he walked on homeward,
turning the letter over and over as he
went.
He was fairly intelligent, though
lotuewhat slow, and when he had time
enough to act at leisure, he generally
ihowed common-sense. So it happen
ed that after he had walked a mile or
o, wondering who liis correspondent
was, he determined to open the envel
ope and find out. With this in view
picked out a shady spot, and sitting
Joyvn on the grass, be broke the seal
and read as follows :
"i If you are a man of honor
fou may read this letter, which con
ins information which will be of the
jreatest value to you and those depen
dent upon you. You may be surprised
t heaving from one who is a stranger
you, but you were so highly recom
nended to me by one of the most
promineiit citizens of your country as
i perfect gentleman, and one to be
implicitly trusted, that I write to you
in consequence.
"I have for sale some green goods.
they are so splendidly made as to defy
letection by the greatest experts,
there is no risk in" using them, and
ihey ore very cheap. 1 have them in
ill sizes one?, twos, fives, tens, XX.,
lines, and hundreds. I will let vou
lave them any size vou want at "the
following rates; S500 for $100, $1000
or $100, $2u00 for $206, $5000 for
H00, $10,000 for $750.
lwill send them to you bv mail or
rxpress on receipt of price." But as
fou do not know me, 1 would much
looner have you come on here and ex
"nine my good for vourself, and you
mil be satisfied that 1 mean well by
iOM and will give you perfect satis
faction and make your fortune for
If ou like tlie Proposition, write
ind let me know, and I will send you
letter explaining how you can meet
Eft' If'udou'tlike it, destroy this
etter, and say no more about it to any
way. And above all, do not betray
fwH Abetter tor you if you had!
KSEiSenborn I am rich and power-
! ful, and never forgive nor forget an
injury, i nave my trusted agents
everywhere, and know how to strike
at an enemy w here he is least pre
pared for a blow. I believe you are
honest and square, though, and sav no
more. "Your true friend,
"James Jackson'.
"4 Mott Stueet, New York"
A newspaper clipping, or what looked
like one, to Ebeu's inexperienced eyes,
fell out of the letter. He picked it
up and studied it. It read :
"Xew York, August 18th. In the
United States Court todav, before
Judge Benedict, Henry Anderson, a
Nebraska farmer, and Job Belcher, a
Maine merchant, was acquitted of hav
ing counterfeit money in their posses
sion. It transpired that a set of the
plates from which the currency is
printed had been stolen from the Treas
ury department at Washington, from
which the money in question had been
made. Judge Benedict stated that
while the action was immoral, it was
not illegal, and discharged the prison
ers. Both were poor men not long
ago, but now Anderson is worth over
a half million and Belcher almost as
much, which they have made by this
jlever trick."
After Eben Witherwax had read this
letter twice through and fully mastered
its meaning, he struggled for a long
time with the temptation it hud
brought, but his struggles, only- half
hearted at first, grew weaker and
weaker, and when he arose and walked
on, he had made his bargain with the
devil. He had never been dishonest
in his life beyond the limits which
were set by custom among the farmer
folks in the matter of trading. He
had been to Sunday school when a
boy, and to church almost every Sun
day of his life, and though not pro
fessedly religious, was looked upon as
steady," and had always had a pride
in ius reputation. Jlere, though, had
coine a chance to get the money he
wanted so badly, and his unknown
correspondent assured him it could le
done without danger of detection.
Then, there was Nancy. Life seem
ed little worth living without her, and
sloyv as he was, and unwilling to im
pute evil to the woinau he loved, he
was yet of the same opinion as the
school-master's w ife. If he only had
a couple of thousand dollars he could
pay off the mortgage, fix up the old
house, and, he felt sure, wiu the bride
he wanted. "She likes me best; she
likes me best," he said over and over.
"And if I could only support her well,
ihe'd have me."
The balance turned, as it turns so
often when money is in one scale, and
with terrible tremblings and cartful
secrecy he wrote to the city for more
particulars. They came, of course,
and in & v.-sek he was on his way to
New York.
It was not without a severe struggle
that he had taken the two hundred dol
lars that were hidden away in the old
nook that had served his father and
grandfather for a bank. The money,
he knew, was all he and his mother
had to live on till the next crops could
be sold, and he did not dare to confide
his purpose to her. So, like a thief,
he stole down to the chimney-corner
the night before he started for the
city, and took the money while his
mother slept.
It had been very hard indeed for
him to face Ids mother's surprise and
curiosity when he told her that he was
going to the eity for three or four
days, and still harder to watch her as
she lovingly and carefully made prep
arations for his comfort that would
have been ample for a three-months'
voyage. The knowledge that he was
deceiving and robbing her was a bur
den almost too great for his unaccus
tomed shoulders. The gadllv of de
sire had stung him fairlv, though, and
the golden prize he was going for was
too alluring to make him pause.
It was late in the afternoon when
Eben "Witherwax arrived in the citv,
and confused and almost stunned by
the noises of the streets, inquired his
way to the Merchant's Hotel, where he
was to meet the man who offered him
a r or tune on such easy terms, lie
registered, and after getting his sup
per, waited in the reading-room ner
vously till nearly ten o'clock. It seem
ed to him that this was late, and tho
roughly worn out with excitement and
fatigue, he then retired, and was 6oon
in that deep slumber which comes of
tentimes to the wicked as well as the
just. A flashily dressed young man,
whose broad shoulders announced him
to be a member of the sporting frater
nity, entered the hotel a few minutes
later, and approaching the desk, bow
ed to the clerk, and looked over the
entries in the register. When his eye
reached "James K. Watts," under
which name Eben had registered, ac
cording to the instruct jns he had re
ceived from Mr. "Jackson," a faint
smile covered his face a moment. Two
minutes after, he left the place, first
giving a cigar to the hotel official.
Eben Witherwax awoke bright and
early. His dreams had been pleasant ,
and he was eager to meet the man
who was make him rich. At the
same time be telt a terrible ner
vousness. The consciousness that he
was doing wrong, the fear of arrest,
imprisonment, and disgrace, and the
excitement of his new surroundings,
made his heart throb and his nerves
quiver in a frightful way. He ordered
a breakfast to be served in his room,
but wheu it came he could eat nothing,
and only 6ip a mouthful of coffee. He
paced up and down his little room,
anxiously waiting the approach of the
messenger who was to come for him.
Suddenly an awful thought flashed
through his brain. Perhaps these city
folks had heard something to his dis
advantage, and had given him up. The
thought was overwhelming. He pic
tured his return home and the renewal
of his former life. The dreams he
had bad of wealth and pleasure gave
Dlace to familiar scenes of hard and
hopeless work, and made the latter all
the more distasteful.
The painful reflections were cut
short by a tap upon the door.
"Come in I"
It opened, and disclosed a man of
about fifty, whose erect carriage, white
hair and beard, handsome clothes,
heavy watchchain, and polished shoes
impressed Eben at once Vith the feel-
in that he was in the presence of a
iwerior being
A critical eye would have come to
throat delusion., Thecjarriage
suggeJted the prison step, the white
hair was premature from vice, the
jewelry was cheap and vulgar, and
eveerything about the fellow si.id
' Crime! Criminal!'' as plainly as with
words.
The stranger udvaneed a step, smiled
and gave the password Mr. "Jackson"
had written about. The suspense was
ended. Ebeu sprung forward anil
warmly shook his caller's hand.
In a few minutes they had left the
hotel and were walking toward the
tenement-house district. A hundred
feet behind the pair slouched a dirty
specimen of humanity who seemed oil
the verge of delirium tremens. This
(was the "tailor," the spy who follows
;the prey and gives warning of the
police.Jor assists in beating and robbing
u recalcitrant victim.
They stopped at a glaring sporting
house on the Bowery, and drank some
vitriolic compound which chemical
genius has invented for the speedier
destruction of humanity, Eben was
talkative enough before ; he now be
came garrulous. He told his story,
hopes, and dreams to the stranger, who
seemed very friendly and sympathetic,
and then began to ask questions about
green goods of which he was in quest.
The messenger looked closely about
the room, as if fearful some one was
watching, and then from a. capacious
pocket-book took a roll of bills.
"Here are 6ome I bought myself
last week," he said, and handed them
to Eben. The latter took the bills,
which were crisp and clean. So far
as he could see they were good, but,
on account of their newness, they ap
peared suspicious to the poor farmer,
who had never seen unused currency
before. The messenger saw doubt,
and called a waiter, "Please ask the
cashier to change this twenty for me."
Eben followed the waiter with his eyes,
sayv the cashier examine the bill, put it
away, and produce the desired change.
This almost convinced him.
"To show how good the stuff is,"
said the messenger, " we'll pass one
in the nearest bank." .
Ebeu was half afraid, but to a bank
they went. The teller, polite, accord
ing to the time-honored etiquette of all
bunks, received the experimental note
from the messenger, scarcely looked at
it, and handed back the small bills
asked for.
Eben wanted 110 further evideuce.
He already sayv himself the possessor
of a vast fortune. With the guide he
left the bank, and they walked rapidly
to their destination.
It was a huge building in a busy
neighborhoood, where men crowd anil
elbow one another unceasingly. They
entered its main hall and came to a
door on which the messenger knocked.
It opened and they entered.
"Mr. Jackson, Mr. Watts," said the
messenger. "You'll find Mr. Watts a
very pleasant and reliable man. If
you'll excuse nip, I'll leave and go
lown-town. I'm going to invest
S10.000 in Wall Street this morning,
and am behind time.
He bowed, shook hands all round,
and was gone.
Eben looked around. The room
was small and poorly furnished. A
table, two chairs, and a desk comprised
the furniture. Mr. "Jackson" was a
young man, handsome, and too well
dressed. On his shirt front were three
large diamonds; 011 his hand two lurge
solitaires glittered ; while a locket
attached to his watchc hain coruscated
with gems.
"I'll show you our goods, ini-ter,"
he said. The voice was low and pleas
ant to the ear. He opened a door of
the desk, and there lav great packages
. of paper w ith green edges.
" 1 here s over a million, dear boy,"
said the confidence operator; "but you
won't buy it all this time. You'll have
to work oil' three or four lots before
you can go that high. It will take
about eight months. What sizes do
you yvant ?"
"Twos and lives, I guess," answered
the victim, palpitating w ith eagerness.
"Jackson" took down two bundles,
and handing them to his victim with
the remark, "Count them."
They were counted and found cor
rect. The money for them was paid
jver, and "Jackson" produced a small
valise or hand bag, in which he placed
the green goods.
" Don't open this in Xew York.
Wait until you are in Xew Jersey,
where the law is different. I'll lock
it. But Where's the key? Ah I here
it is, on the desk."
lie turned to it, so that his body
came between Eben and the valise,
seized something, and turned around
again. He was locking the bag as he
turned. He withdrew the key, and
handed it and the bag to his customer,
The latter was now only too anxious to
leave. He wanted to cross the ferry
to Jersey City, and there gloat over
his treasure. He left the room, barely
pausing to say "Good-day," and went
like a man in a dream to the street.
Trembling with excitement, he turned
away from the door, and started on a
quick walk for his hotel. There was
only one desire in his mind at the mo
ment, but that was strong enough to
make him oblivious of his surroundings.
He wanted to get away from the city
as quickly as possible and go home,
where he could count over this
package of money that had come to hiiu
so strangely. He did not see the quiet
looking man who was following him,
and if he had seen him would not have
known that the law already had him in
its grasp. He knew enough to tremble
when he passed the big policeman on
Broadway, who looked at hiin keenly,
but who made no sigu beyond a look of I
intelligence at the quiet man close be
hind. This sign was unseen by Ebeu,
who reached his hotel safely, as he
thought, and was just entering the
door when the quiet man spoke.
" What have you got in that satchel,
my friend ?" he said, in a low tone, and
the question sounded like the crack of
doom in Ebeu's ears.
He trembled and turned white. For a
moment he could not speak. Then
" X-nothingl"
" Well, you are a good deal nearer
right than you think you are," said the
detective; " but we will have, to see.
I'll have to trouble you to go with me."
'What for?" stammered Eben, his
heart sinking.
"Oh, nothing in particular, only the
Inspector wants to see you. '
""Kbo the Inspector?" Eben'i
cot"? rose eTurt TerJ
He had Pected to be charged with
high crunes and misdemeanors. 1
. The detective wailed. Inspector
Byrnes," he said, why, he is a very
pleasant gentleman here who has an
interest in you."
Eben gretar bolder. This gentleness
was too subtle for his comprehension
'I can't go with you," he said, trying I
to speak roughly. "I have important
besine.as that culls me out of town at
once."
The detective's smile vanished.
"Xow 6ee here, my friend," he said,
sternly, "the best thing you can do is
to go quietly. There is no use in mak
ing trouble, for I shall take you any
how. Come." And the unhappy
Eben Witherwax was led away, unre
sisting, still clutching the little sachel
containing the rich prize that he had
risked so much to get. i
It had fared much the same with
the kindly gentleman who had sold
liim the little fortune so cheaply.'
When Eben had left his office, he had
hastily locked the door, pocketed the
key, and started on a rapid walk in
the opposte direction from that in'
which his victim disappeared. He
had not gone twenty steps from the
door, hoyvever, before he too encoun
tered a quiet man who took an inter
est in his movements. He turned a
shade paler when he saw him, but,;
with a pretense of not seeing, walked,
in.
"It won't do. Diamond Harrv."
said the detective, stepping up to him.
"Ah, Heidleberg, how are you?"
said the "crook," trying to look un
concerned. "I'm well," said Heidleberg, dryly.'
"Supposing you come with me, and;
find out if the Inspector is well too;
he wants to 6ee vou.
"Whut for?" he asked.
"Oh, there's a calf missing up the
river somewhere. We have caught
the calf, aud the Inspector thinks you
may know something about him." '
"You've caught the calf !" This in
1 tone of surprise.
"Yes. Tilly saw him just coming
3ut of your place."
"Say, Heidelberg, hoyy did you get
3n?" said "Diamond Harry," walking
slong with the detective. He was too
wise to offer resistance, though he
kneyv as poor Eben did not, that he
need not submit to arrest at the mo-,
tnent. He also knew, however, that
it was useless to defy the officer, for,
if he should, that experienced indi-;
yidual would simply have him shadow-!
?d till a warrant for his arrest could
oe procured, and this would be used
against him. Policemen like no bet
ter than any one else to be put to need
less trouble. So the prisoner went cooly
to Police Head-quarters, only asking
is he went, "say, Heidelberg," hoyv did
you xet on ?"
"We piped you off last night," said
Heidlberg, briefly and the other asked
no more.
Arriving at the "Central Office," as
Police Headquarters is commonly called
Heidlberg led his prisoner through
j long narrow passage to the detective
MhVe, where a gray-bearded sergeant
sat behind a tall counter-like desk of
Ihe ugly and convenient pattern in
vogue in all the police stations.
The sergeant was the only man in
the room in uniform, but four or five
others stood by the window chatting
in undertones, and all looked keenly,
but furtively at Heidllerg's companion
is the two walked up in front of the
desk.
"I've arrested this man," said Heidl
berg, briefly; and the sergeant im
passively turned to his big book of
record to make the proper entry.
"What's the charge?" he asked.
"(Jreeu goods game," said Heidl
berg.
"Did you catch the sucker?"
"Tilly has him by this time."
"Good," said the sergeant as calmly
as if he were buying a sheet of paper.
Then he "took the prisoner's pedigree,"
asking him his name, age, nationality,
and sundry other particulars in a mat
ter of fact fashion, as if he did not
know all the particulars by heart.
Mr. "Jackson" was then escorted to
a side room, where the door was locked
on bin, and he sat down to meditate.
He had been in that room before, but
if he had not been, he would have had
no thought of trying to escape, for he
knew it was almost in the centre of a
huge building that was full of police
men, and that every door was specially
guarded.
A few minutes later Tilly arrived
with Eben Witherwax who still clut
ched the little satchel. The sergeant
smiled grimly ..s he saw this, but Eben
was not yet technically under arrest,
and his "pedigree" was not taken.
He waited for a little while, looking
curiously about the gloomy room, but
not forgetting his misery for a moment
Tiliy yvaited with him, saying nothina
: ami looking as if he had the least poss
ible interest in bis charge, or, for that
matter, in auythlugelse. The sergeant
went 011 writing, and the other men in
the room stopped talking, and one by
one sauntered out as if they had nothing
011 earth to do.
Presently a faint sound was heard
of a bell in another room, and the ser
geant stepped out. In a moment he
turned aud looked at Tillv, saving
nothing. "Come" said Tillv to Eben
and he led the way through two doors
and a tiny waiting-room to a large in
ner apartment, where a handsome
middle aged man sat behind a flat desk.
He had a mild, pleasant look, and to
Eben's untrained eye seemed like any
body else but the famous ten-or of all
criminals. It was the Chief Inspector
himself.
He motioned Eben to a seat, but said
nouung, anu liny retired without a
word.
Eben sat down trembling, but '
holding on nervously to his satchel, j
It seemed a half hour to the fright-
ened man that the Inspector looked at
him without speaking, and the silence '
grew insupportable. In fact, it was
something over a niinnte, and 'the
Inpector was waiting for him to speak
lirst.
At length he was compelled to do so.
He felt that he would go mad if he sat
looking into those keen eyea much
longer. "They told me you wanted
lo see me," he stammered
After a still further pause the In
spector said: "I did. What is in your
satchel ?"
"Nothing much," said Eben as boldly
as he could. Then, breaking down
under the searching gaze and terrible
silence of the man whose power was
so great and so mysterious, he said :
"It's money, Good money, too. It
isn't counterfeit."
Not the faintest indication of a smile
crowed he jiutpectorV face as heheard
, the criminating words. He understood
the man in front ot hltn as well as if
, he had always knoyvn him
"Lt'8 see if it is money," he asked
pleasantly.
"Must I open it?" asked Eben,
ItlftPklv. 1 a nn Inn fro r liuii u n v tKs-.it .rl.t
1'. UUHOUtCt
1 he Inspector nodded, still 6ilent,
and Eben opened the satchel. There
was a brown paper parcel inside tied
carefully with a si tine.
"Open the package," said the Inspec
tor, smiling slightly for the first time,
and Ebeu untied the string. There
yvas nothing inside but a lot of soraps
or stignuy stained white paper.
ihe unhappy mail was stunned. He
fumbled the paper for a moment.
and then sprang to his feet, desperate
with rage and humiliation. "He has
robbed me! He has robbed me!" he
cried, and started to run out of the
room in a wild, vain search.
The Inspector did not move. "Sit
down," he said, coolly : and the ter
rified countryman sat down and burst
out crying like a child
"You thought you had some coun
terfeit money, did you not?" asked
the merciless Inspector, after a short
pause; and Ebeu broke down fairlv
and squarely. With the tears still
streaming down his face he told his
whole story, while the Inspector lis
tened silently,
"You'll have to go to court," he 6aid
at length, when Eben had finished
"But," he added, kindly, as the couu
iryinan started in terror, "vou are
only a witness, you know. We want
your testimony to convict the man who
has robbed you."
Then he rang a bell and Tilly reap
peared with suspicious quickness, aud
Eben was led away, stunned aud help
less. He carried his satchel with him,
hardly knowing why, but unable to
let go of even the shadoyv of his
dreams.
He never knew how he got there,
but he was presently in the Tombs Po
lice Court. Mr. "Jackson" was there
too, and was much cooler than he was.
Justice Duffy was on the bench, and
listened grimly while the officers told
of the arrest; and the hapless Eben
was forced once more to tell what had
happened to him.
It was all like a dream ; but he re
membered afterward to have heard the
justice say: "Prisoner held for the
Grand Jury. Complainant committed
to the House of Detention."
It might as well have been Greek so
far as Eben Witherwax was concerned,
for he understood nothing of what he
meant. What he did presently un
derstand was that he was locked up in
a place that seemed like a prison to
him, and was told that unless he could
furnish a bond for one hundred dol
lars he would be kept there till Mr.
"Jackson" was brought to trial. Mr.
"Jackson," they told him, had given
bail; and was at large, but Eben would
have died rather than ask any of his
friends to bail him out.
He felt, however, that he must tell
his mother, and he wrote her the
truth.
Iu the sad correspondence that fol
lowed, and was kept up for over three
months, one item of news his mother
sent was, "Xancy Hallidav is engaged
to Frank Turner." t'ales-L'urtis.
THE IOLOK OF WAR VESSELS.
Secretary Tracy orders that they have
a a. uuoriu Appearance.
Experience with our steel vessels has
confirmed that of other nations who
use steel as the material for the con
struction of their cruisers, aud we find
that painting them black or even straw-
color makes them so hot and uncom
fortable in the tropics t hut the quarter
in the casements and down beloyv on
the side on which the sun strikes are
hardlv habitable.
During the Centennial naval display
numerous comments were made as ti
the variegated appearance of the men-
of-war. Some were black hulls with
strayv -colored spars; others black hulls
with straw-colored superstructure and
upper works; others white with black
smokestack, and one black hull aud
white smokestack.
To correct this want of uniformity,
as well as to add to the comfort of the
officers, the Secretary of the Xavy has
issued the following order, which, as
may be seen, applies to steel or iron
vessels. The wooden ships remain as
heretofore with black hulls and
smokestack and straw-colored, or spar
colored, masts and yards. The Boston
is already white, and the Chicago and
Yorktown will appear iu their new
colorings on the next cruise. Follow
ing is the Secretary's order:
"Hereafter all iron or steel vessels
of the navy will be painted as follows:
"Hull outside above loud water lino
and bulwarks inside to be painted white.
"Masts, boyvsprits doublings, smoke
stacks and all yards to be painted a
light straw-color, now in use for spars.
"AVith a view to proper economy
this order will not go into effect oil
board any vessel until it is found
necessary to repaint her then it will
be done in accordance with the method
prescribed by the Bureau of Construc
tion and Repair in its circular of this
jdate."
How They Catch Fish in Georgia.
East Monday morning it was our
pleasure to go a-flshing with a party in
Alapaha, near Grover, and see how fish
are caught the "new way." From four
to six men go iuto the water with a
log in front of them, and a sheets with
one edge on the log and the other edge
held up by the men so that the
fih
can't iumn ovpr. but fall on the sbnrt
The log is pushed along to the land,
and when near it the fish heoin to trr
to make their escape back to the deep
water by jumping. If they fail to
make a good leap they lodge on the
cloth, thereby becoming victims, of
their own destruction. It is amusing
to see how they jump. It is supposed
that about S00 pounds were caught.
luoerme nines.
A syndicate with a capital of $1,000,
OOo has purchased all the breweries lo
Victoria, British Columbia.
The grip has Just taken a new stair
in Europe and In the West, and is niou
violent and fatal than ever.
A French authority estimates that
cats are responsible for thirty per cent,
of the ca-es of common contagious dis
eases, Thomas Jefferson invented the hill
side plow;
Maryland's State Museum has a' pet,
rifled oyster.
NIGHT WITH THE WIRES.
rAIiKS OK Til K CLICKING "SOUXD-
KKJS."
When Telegraph Messages Seem Saddest
A Talk With An Operator.
At about this senson of the year the
coining of dawn marks a wonderful
transformation scene in that hive of
industry, the big operating room of
the Weste'ti Union Telegraph Com
pany, at Broadway and Dey street.
By the time the first grav streaks ap
pear in the East, the bulk of the work
for the night has been finished. The
"specials" for the neyvspapers East,
West and South have all been cleared
from the tiles, and the "reds," or half
rate night messages are flashing over
their routes to distant destinations. It
is the one period in the twenty-four
hours of the day when there is a lull in
the rush of business.
The eastern light grows brighter
each moment, stealing over the Bay,
across the roofs of great buildings and
into the windows of the operating
room on the tob floor of the tall struc
ture of the telegraph company. The
incandescent lamps, which gleamed
brightly during the darkness of the
night, now become as yellow and sick
ly of hue under the approach of the
sunlight as gas-jets within the brilliant
radius of an arc lamp's rays. Here
and there throughout the room weary
operators are seen with their heads
bowed upon their arms, and their arms
resting upon their little tables. Some
are stealing brief but syveet bits of
slumber, but most of them are simply
testing. Others lean back with folded
arms contentedly puffing their pipes,
contemplating possibly the amount of
energy expended upon the night's
work, and wondering what the ex
penditure in some other field of labor
Would have brought them in. Others
still may be seen in groups, quietly
talking "shop" perhaps, but most like
ly exchanging the anecdotes and tales
of adventure of yvlilch the craft seems
to possess an inexhaustible supply.
The wire railways which convey mess
ages from one part of the room to
another with lightning swiftness are
still. The clicking of the instruments
becomes less irritating to the ear as
wire after wire is cleared and the
sounders cease their monotonous me
tallic jabber. Finally, as the suu ap
pears, the room is quiet, save for the
occasional clicking of an instrument
with a "rush'.' message.
Sitting iu any part of the room one
can hear an occasional message as it is
flashed to its destination. At this" hour
the "rush" message nearly always
bear tales of woe. Listening closely,
one can hear away off in the distance
the message of a wife to her parents,
telling them that her husband is dead,
and praying them to come to her;
agaiu, it is the husband who telegraphs
or a mother who informs a father that
'.heir child is dead.
An old-time telegrapher wandered
into the operating room one morning
recently after the papers had gone to
press, and was welcomed by one of
the groups of men by whom he was
recognized. They were talking about
the depressing influences of their voca
tion at days 11 and on Sundays.
"It sometimes seems strange, even
to me, to w hom it should be natural
enough"' said one "that death messages
should be so prevalent at such times.
But of course, it is due to the fact that
ordinary social and business telegrams
are temporarily suspended, leaving the
emergency of death messages in pos
session of a inonojioly of the wires. It
often makes me blue, hardened to it
as I am, to sit here aud listen to the
tales of sorrow borne on these mes
sages. I sometimes find myself al
most unconsciously weaving a chain of
imaginary eveuts around the persons
chiet'.v concerned iu these telegrams.
On Sundays it seems as if none but
deta'Ji messages pass through our
hands. As a maiter of course there
are just as uianv any other day, but
on week days they are overwhelmed by
the vast amount of regular business,
under which they are lost sight of.
Out of 170 messages that I handled
one Sunday 149 were announcements
of (Paths. Some of the boys get used
to handling these telegrams, but they
always make me blue, trv as I will to
overcome the feeling. Of late I have
declined to work ou Sundays for this
reason, preferring to lose a day s pay
0 being made miserable."
As the 6U11 rises higher, sending
shafts of light into the great room, the
clicking ceases almost entirely for
awhile. Then the noise begins again
with a rush that does not end until
another dawn. The first messages
handled each day arc those to aud from
the markets. From Fulton and Wash
ington marketmen go out every morn
ing thousands of messages to points
within half a day of the city asking
dealers their needs for the day, or an
nouncing that orders have been or will
be shipped. From hotelinen at the
seashore and in the country come in
numerable orders for delicacies to be
forwarded on the first train from the
city. The business for the day is not
in full blast until about ten o'clock,
when the rush from the Stock Produce
and other exchanges begins. This is
kept up at a frantic gait until after 3
o'clock in the afternoon, when there is
a lull again until 5.30. At this hour
the night force conies on duty and
work is begun on the night rate busi
ness and press dispatches.
There is no cessation in the rush
from that hour until the papers have
gone to press, but at 1 o'clock a. m.
the all-night force comes on to flush
up the work and to relieve some of
those who have worked steadilv since
VS0 Xew York Tribune.
Miss Clymer, the young lady who
is engaged to ex-Secretary Bayard, is
well known in Washington society, and
is described as an accomplished aud
most charming woman. Her brother
is Professor of English Literature in
Harvard College, and her father, the
lute Dr. George Clymer, was for many
years a surgeon iu the navy. Miss
Clymer is thirty-nine years old, and is
a distant relative of the Bayard family,
with whom she has been acquainted all
her lifetime. She is a fine horseback
rider, and this, perhaps, helped to
commend her to the ex-Secretary,
whose favorite form of exercise is well
known.
1'etroh urn wells have been discovered
among the coal beds of Alabama.
CTKIOrS.
Fame cannot bring immmlty
punishment, but it is very rough on
little Patti to have a cigarette named
fter her.
The recent search for a Chinese iin
Hrted woman was very curious. One
would think the best search would be
for the means to lose her.
The Government is to forbid some
Indians the privilege of the war-dance.
This dance always makes the red man
fighting mad because throughout it he
keeps stepping on his oyvn corns.
John Bucks of L'rbana, O., claims
that his barn has been struck by light
ning four times in six years. Either
Bucks or veracity has lost in reputa
tion, or Wiggins is a great man.
The reports about the Hon. Mr.
Sullivan's inebriety are too frequent to
be reliable. Some day the honorable
gentleman should get sober enough to
knock out these miserable slanderers.
They tell of a lady in Carlisle, N.
J., who didn't borrow anything of a
neighbor in thirty-four years of mar
ried life. She must have had much
trouble, but she probably borrowed
that of her husband.
Vicky Wood hull announces herself
iu an English paper a candidate for
President of the United States ; but the
last national election showed that the
English were not do: ng any American
voting worth mentioning.
A woman in Ohio sold a sheep-pelt
for thirty cents when it was worth
seventy, and her husband went and
hanged himself. If she had twenty
husbands of that kiud she ought to
have twenty sheep-pelts to sell.
The ivnentor rarely gets the reward
of his ingenuity ; and there is a good
deal of sympathy for the poor old
wretch who killed Gesswein because
he generously gave his suicide, as well
as his invention, to the man who made
the thing inevitable.
A Woman iu Massachusetts cneit f.r
divorce because she found a strange
Hair on her husbands coat; but the
mail lllOVed tllnt the lim'r inicrhf liot-o
grown there, and she had "proof as
..v 1 1 . I . . . .
10 we several inai naa apparently
grown in the butter.
The worst thing that can be said of
Sam Cox is that nobody has a word
against him or his memory. Men of
positive rorce nave enemies that are
frequently an honor to them. Still,
Mr. Cox is all right rioyv. That is a
first-rate reputation to go to heaven
with.
"What does the world care for
dead folks?" asks the editor of the
Chicago Mail, sneakinc of George Eliot
anil s,,niR others. Dear sir. it takes
lirst-rate care of their memories, good
and b:-.d: and beyond that what slumM
dead folks care for what live folks cure
for them?
For a Young Couple.
What is needed to insure a larger de
gree of happiness in this world is moral
independence and moral principle. The
notion that the end is attained when
the altar is reached is almost a crim
inal mistake. That is not the end ; it
is only the beginning. As a rough
farmer ouce said, "to marry aud love
each other for a few mouths is as easy
as rolling off a log; but U love each
other right along for forty years, up
nil and down, well, it s quite a job."
There is hard work before a young
couple. They must get used to each
other, make mutual concessions, get
their plans, aims, interests to work
smoothly in double harness. There is
too much kicking iu the traces, too
strong a desire to have one's oyvn wav,
too little forbearance, an insistence
upon one's rights, but a forgetfulness
of one's duties.
Then It is well to remember that at
25 you can't have what you will per
haps be able to buy when you are 50,
if you are economical. Youug people
spend too freely, are unwilling to
pinch themselves in order to have
a surplus, delight in show, aud
are apt to live beyond their means.
Xew York Herald.
Six Legs for Two.
Two mild-eyed, piuk-nosed, bawling
calves, the property of W. J. Smith,
are creating considerable of a sensation
among the curious people of South
Minneapolis. The calves are twins,
about three months old, and they have
only six legs between them. One of
the creatures is without a fore leg and
the other is minus a hind leg, but they
are pretty little animals and hop about
as briskly as you please, apparently
not understanding that nature has
cheated them out of one of the legs
that are the due of every well-regulated
calf.
The Kiss Did It.
A rainy-day game of progressive
euchre at the state fair at Waverly,
N. J., in which the forfeit was a kiss,
led to the marriage of the loser and the
winner at the fair grounds on Wednes
day. Miss Harriet Lockwood, of
Springfield, and Richard A. Parker, of
Clinton township, were the bride and
groom of the occasion, and both of
them were exhibited in the fair as well
as friends of a year's standing.
A Hon oa Whla.
The other day there arrived at Sa
iem, Oregon, a box car that left De
troit sixtesa days before. It contain
ed P. Harwood, wife and two babies,
seven cows, two horses, two sheep and
an endless assortment of household
and kitchen furniture and farm appli
ances. A stovepipe had been pushed
through a ventilator hole in the car,
and the smoke that wreathed the
opening gave evidence those inside
the car were Dot suffering from the
cold. Mr. Harwood said the trip was
made easily and qnite pleasantly, con
sidering the crowded condition of the
car.
No. 43,2;.
"This Isn't exactly what I ordered.
Miss," said the gentleman at the
church fair.
Why, didn't you order oyster
tew?" asked the lovely young girL
"Yes," said too man, "but you didn't
bring me oysters too."
So she wtva Mid got him eystere two
NEWS IN BUIEF.
Artificial musk is a recent chemical
achievement.
Glue from whale refuse is a Lew ar
ticle of commerce in Husj'a.
There are 101 life prisoners, iu the
Kentucky penitentiaries.
The new gold fields In Westarn
Australia are said to hi overcrowded.
French statesmen h.-tveoffered $ 1,000
reward for the best athlttic game.
It is reported that $40,000,003 of
British capital is invested in Paraguay.
The French army maneuvers this
year will be on a greatly extended
fcale.
A Russian scientific expedition will
shortly leave St. Petersburg for Abys-'
sinla.
Austria now reqnlres Russian Jews
to hold a special concession to trade In
the country.
Bismarck's candidature for Geese
temunde, it is said, is embarrassing to
the German government.
It is stated that the French govern
ment will reconsider the whole question
if betting on horse races.
In the Argentine Republic the Presi
dent has recommended an export duty
and higher Import duties.
Russia will check German Immi
gration at the south, and will curtail
privileges of Germans now there.
A stenographic instrument used by
the Ital'an Puiliament is capable of re
cording 250 words a minute,
A rich deposit of mercury has been
.'ound three feet beloyv the surface at
Mantche, near Wippach, Austr.a.
A drunken man picked up on the
streets of Seattle, Wash., recently bad
S14,0U0 in his coat,
The financial panic a Buenos Ayre
is about over. Radical changes iu bank
government are to be made.
The Khedive's proclamation of gen
eral amnesty to the Soudanese was
bailed with much rejoicing at Uuaklm.
The question of paying members of
Parliament Tor their services is now be
lug widely agitated iu Great Britain. 4
A bush fire In the Lismore district,
Victoria, Australia, swept over a tract
43 miles long by 5 to 13 miles wide.
About 30,000 sheep were burnt.
Rev. C. Li. Norton, a minister of
Scottsburg, lud., walked 23 miles re
cently preached tyvo sermons, married
two couples and ate tyvo wedding din
ners. ('anon Farrar continues to "speak
right out in meeting" about the sins and
wickednessof fashionable life in London
Some of his marks hit many exposed
nails 011 the head.
The Czar has presented the Shah
with 39 Kirghls h rses, of the purest
breed, and a modern battery of artillery
with four guns, which are being con
veyed to Teheran under an escort of
Cossacks.
The hourly rale of water over Ni
agara Falls is 1011,000,000 tons, repre
senting 10,000,000 horse power, and the
total daily production of coal In the
world would just about suffice to pump
tbis water back.
A special kind of raper has been In
rentet, whioh, it is alleged. Is absolute
ly impervious to water, and will even
stand boiling. The water-proofing can
be carried out either after the paper is
made or during theoperatlon of maklDO
it.
The brightness of ths moon Is not
so very much greater than the bright
ness of the same area of sky. The total
light of the full moon can be compared
with tlie total liijlit of lh sun, though
it is a very difficult problem, and the
result will be that the sun is as bright
as O80.C00 full moons.
On shipboard pumping, ventilating,
.fting or hoisting, may all be pe' formed
by the use of electric motors. On the
Litest French war-hips all big guns ate
manipulated electrically. Electric mo
tors are tow made, which will work
with their armatures in the water.
The first application of traction by
electricity having a really practical
character were made iu Europe at the
Beili 11 (Germany) Exhibition in 1879.
An electric tramway was there exhib
ited construct ;d by the firm of Siemens
& Halke, the action of which left
uothing to be desired.
What is alleged to be "the first gun"
made for the Confederacy is now In pw
session of Mrs. 11. I. Miller, of Chatta
nooga, "wliose father made it at Holly
Springs, Sliss., in 1SG1. It origin
ally had a rilled ban el, and is still In
good condition."
John McNamara states that he
.fitli othei-s has discovered a cure for
consumption aud c.u.cer, which be has
offered to the Queensland, Australia,
Government, for '23,000. He Is now
erecting a plant capable of turning out
sufficient of the alleged cure for treat
ment of 10,000 patients.
An electrician who has made a
specialty of spectacular electricity sayi
the day is not far off wheu electrical
fire-works will supersede those now used.
He declared that for a comparatively
moderate outlay he could arrange an
electrical display that would last for
many years, and c.-uld be repeatel as
often as desired. It would comprise
rocket', Roman candles, wheels, Nla
gara Fal's aud ail modern pyrotechnl
cal effects.
One of the crew of the Life Guard at
ohinnecock, Long Inland, picked up on
the beach the other day, "a Mexican or
Spanish dollar, K'ari- g an almost oblit
erated date, 1704." Captain Carter
thinks the coin came from a foreign
bark, wrecked In the neighborhood
"seventy years ego."
Tlie Buckha-.ian (Ga.) Mewnger
jay: "Our foreman has quit the use of
tobacco: that Is, he totally abstained
from the use of it yesterday, and is tap
ering off tod iy Will a chow of gum and
a package of cigarrettes. With such a
beginning, he will tie tapering off to
morrow with a plug of tobacco."
At a watoring place in thePyrennes
the conversation at table turned upon a
wonderful echo to be heard some dis
tance off on the France-Spanish fronti
er. It is astonishing," exclaimed an
inhabitant of the Garonne "As soon as
you have spoken you hear distinctly the
voice leap from rock to rock, from pre
c'pici', to p.' clpice and as soon as It
has passed tho f rentier the echo as
sumej the Spanish accent."
. The Iceland halibut Ccet, eleven ves
sels, the lai'Keit ever known, sailed
from Gloucester, Mast., a few days
ago.
No less than 1539 buildings in which
.iquors ate Bold are owned by peers ot
the realm in Great Briiaiu.
r,
I
1
I
I:
1
6
i
i
1
1 A
V.-