Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, July 08, 1909, Image 3

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    WIDOW PLIMPTON'S
HMD,
She Had Waited a Long Time
For the Question.
By CLARISSA MACK IE.
[Copyright, 1909, by Associated Literary
Piess.J
Gilbert Butler whistled softly as he
strode along the road that bright May
morning. When the white gate of the
I'll in lit on farm gleamed in the dis
tance he paused for a brief instant,
uid the whistle died away into silence.
"She loves me. I know she does.
It's nothing but sheer contrariness to
keep me dangling along. 1 swear I'll
settle this matter today or"— Gilbert
paused and swallowed hard. Then his
big brown clinched fist fell to tils side
and he resumed his walk.
The Widow Plimpton sat on the ste|
oft lie side porch making flower
wreaths —heaps of yellow eyed da!
sles, dark green ivy and box, an arm
ful of purple lilies, a mass of syringa
blooms and a few very early roses
■which the hot month had fenced Into
flower.
"Good morning." said Gilbert Butler
from the stone wall.
Widow Plimpton raised a sweet face
to his, a face framed in dusky hair,
j|
"IT'S ALI, RIGHT NOW, THEN, AIS'T JT?"
HE ASKED.
with cheeks like pink roses and golden
brown eyes. "Good morning. Gilbert,"
she said gravely.
"Going to the cemetery, 1 see," said
Butler disagreeably."
"Of course. It Is Memorial day."
"You go there every Sunday, too,"
said Gilbert quickly.
Anna Plimpton crimsoned indignant
ly. "Why shouldn't 1?" she asked
haughtily.
"It's a heathenish custom. Ain't It
enough that George Plimpton should
have got killed down tjiere In Cuba
fighting those Spaniards and then to
be brought home and buried with mili
tary honors, and Just because you're
iiis widder"—
"Because 1 am his widow 1 shall
continue to express my love and re
gpe-'t for bis memory by visiting hi
grave as often as I please. You must
be very small minded. Gilbert Hutler.
to grudge a few flowers to a dead sol
dler."
Gilbert reddened to his ears, and his
blue eyes flu-lied ominously. "I don'r
grudge the flowers, Anna." he said
with -low deliberation, "but it seems
to me if you could spare a little kind- !
ness to some folks that are alive. I
meaning myself, it would make more !
real happiness. George, he's been dead |
nine years, and 1 been coming to see
you for Ave of 'em."
Widow Plimpton rose to her feet and
daintily shook the broken leaves and
stems from her white gown. Then she
slipped four wreaths over her arm aud
descended the steps."
"I'm going up to the graveyard nov
Gilbert. Will you go with me?" she
asked gently.
"I can't," he said almost roughly.
"You're not treating me fairly, Anua.
If I were dead up there In the grave
yard you'd come and put flowers 011 ,
my mound, but just because I'm alive
you grudge me one bit of happiness
You have never given nie an answer to
that question I asked you."
Anna Plimpton bit her red lip redo !
tively. "If you will go home and think
the matter over quietly perhaps you
may discover why your question may
not have been answered "
She went out of the gale and disap
peared up the white path that led to
the cemetery on the bill.
Gilbert stared after her with fasci
nated eyes until she disappeared
anion:: the clustering cedars; then he
took i.er advice and went home.
All that day he wrestled with the
prob m. What reason could there 1 e
for Anna's withholding that long de
layed and coveted "Yes?" Was he not
industrious, of good habits, possessed
of comfortable means and not ill look
ing? And there wasn't another livln •
man, whom Anna had favored with her
smiles, and yet
"By thunder!" he exclaimed at last. 1
"It must be because I'm so all fired 1
mean spirited as to bo jealous of
dead man. She's seen It right along
and despised me for it."
He sat there an hour and though 1 :
deeply. At last he went Into the lions.*
and opened the door of the sitting
room.
In the square bow window luxuriat
ing in the waning sunlight were Aunt
Heppy's calla lilies. Twelve stately
plants they were, and each one bore
two snowy blossoms, twenty-four In
all. Aunt Heppy had nursed them ten
derly all winter, and now—they were
rewarding her care.
Deliberately he drew out Ills knife
and cut the lilies from the plants. As
he turned away with his arms full of
the long stemmed beauties the door
opened and Aunt Heppy's horrified
eyes fastened upon him.
"Gilbert Baker, are you crazy?" she
shrieked.
"I guess I am," said Gilbert dryly as
he reached Into his pocket and drew
forth a five dollar bill. "I've got to
have these, Aunt Heppy. You take
this money—the sewing society's seen
the lilies anyway—you won't miss
'em."
He was gone, and Aunt Ileppy sank
Into a chair and looked d i'.'dly from
the five dollar bill over to the denuded
plants In tiie window.
"For the land's sake! The boy's
crazy!" she ejaculated at last, tucking
the money away in her pocket.
Just as the red sun dipped behind
the high cemetery 11 ill Gilbert Baker
toiled wearily up the white path. In
his arms he held a rude wooden cross,
to which he had clumsily tied the calla
lilies. Some of the snowy bloom was
marred by his awkward fingers, but
his patient labor had not been in vain,
for at a little distance the white cross
shone a lovely symbol.
The cemetery was deserted. Over
in the Plimpton plot lie saw a glimpse
of purple flowers and slowly made his
wa . into tiie space inclosed in a hedge
of nrber vitae.
On the low grassy mound wore laid
A m. offerings—wreaths of daisies
and box. syringa and ivy, purple liii's
and evergreen. A little Hag was stuck
in an Iron standard at the head of the
young soldier's grave.
Gilbert solemnly laid his cross on the
other emblems. "I made a cross be
cause he was Episcopal," he muttered
6oftly.
When lie straightened up his startled
eyes looked straight into the soft
brown ones of Anna Plimpton.
"I—l didn't know you were here. I
thought everybody was gone." he said
awkwardly, fingerin, "'* hat.
"I came back to look at it again,"
she said softly. "What a beautiful
cross! Bid you make it. Gilbert?"
He nodded curtly. "I took your ad
vice, Anna, and thought things over,
and 1 guess the reason you won't give
me an answer is because I'm such n
low down, Jealous minded fool. T
didn't feel quite so mean after that,
and I wanted to show him"— Ife ges
tured toward the grave.
Anna came and stood beside him. "I
have been sorry you felt that way
about him." she said in a queer little
voice, "but that is not tiie reason why
I have never answered your question
Gilbert."
"What is the reason, then?" he de
manded.
"Because —because you have never
asked 1110 any question that I conic
answer. Gilbert." she fin 1 112 sobbed.
"You have beaten aronnd and around
the bush and"— She hid tier face
against his rough coat sleeves.
"Why—why, it's all right now. then
ain't it?" be asked liazardly as his arm
encircled her waist.
"Yes."
"I hope he don't mind," said Gilbert
after a little while.
"I'm sure he doesn't." replied Anna
sweetly as they passed out c.f the little
gate.
And even then Gilliert Butler did not
realize that he had ln t asked the
proper question.
CHINA TO OFFER REWARD.
Government Takes Unprecedented Step
In Pursuit of Elsie Sigel's Murderer.
The Chinese government lias taken
ail unprecedented step 111 its efforts to
assist tlie American authorities to ap
prehend l/oon, the Chinaman wanted
for tiie murder of Elsie Sigol in Xew
York. It was learned at the Chinese
legation in Washington tiie other day
that, following the circular letter is
sued by the minister. <lll Shout Chun,
the charge d'affaires, had been ad
\ ised by the government ; t Peking
that it purposed itself to offer a re
ward for the arrest and conviction of
Leou.
The Pekiu government has also for
warded a dispatch to Mr. Wu instruct
ing liiin to comniuni. ato with all Chi
nese consuls, the principal Chinese
merchants and the leaders of the sev
eral tongs, requesting them to call to
gether all Chinese in their respective
neighborhoods and address them in
the nuiiie of the imperial government,
saying that China is shamed and dis
graced by 1 lie crime of Leon and that
till Chinamen who have the good name
of China at heart will assist, in bring
ing the murderer to justice: also that
in tiie future Chinese must not band
together to defeat justice or to protect
Chinamen who violate the laws of the
TTnlted States.
Cards and Their History.
Cards are square shaped pieces of
pasteboard printed with various de
vices and employed as a business me
dium by money changers. They are
usually made up in packs of fifty-two,
one for each week of the year. A good
many people play cards for pleasure,
in which case their opponents are said
to he buying experience. In most card
games the rule Is that the cards may
be cut, but not otherwise marked. This
rule is not strictly observed In games
in which only three cards are used.
Indeed, tiif marking of cards has at
tained a high degree of perfection
since the introduction of numerou'
card index systems. Fashions change
in card games as In everything else
Old maid, for Instance, is nowadays
seldom played in the best clubs. Play
ing c: >uld not bo confused with
score cards, which are rather larger,
or with \i i Ing cards, which are small
er.—Erv's Ma i/.ine.
A Rhineland Legend.
There Is a Bhlneland legend of three
German robbers who, having acquired
by various atrocities what amounted
to a very valuable booty, agreed to di
vide the spoil and to retire from s,
dangerous a vocation. When the day
appointed for this purpose arrived one
of them was dispatched to a neighbor
ing town to purchase provisions for
their last carousal. The other two
secretly agreed to murder him 011 his
return that they might divide his
share between them. They did so. But
the murdered man was a closer cal
culator even than his assassins, for be
had previously poisoned a part cvf the
provisions, that he might appropriate
to himself the whole of the spoil. This
precious triumvirate were found dead
together.
His Cl-.oice.
Bust in -• ins How'd yer like lo lie
one of d ■ her • furrin rulers, Sel?
Sehlum Shaves Xot me. Bus. I'd a lot
rather I- • 1 king bum dan a bum king
| Freaks, # i
Fads and
I + Foibles jj
T,IIE latest frctik in costume no-j
tired on the Paris boulevards is;
tin- bloomer gown which Mile.
Suzanne Bergere of Ihe Opera
Corn it j lie has sought to introduce. I 1
made the Parisians gasp, and it scored ,
no such hit as the sheath gown did |
when it made its first appearance in
.'. - - ;
mi.le uehukhi: in hloomkh gown.
| the French capital a year or so ago. ;
The Bergere costume is u startling ex
aggeration of the sheath skirt idea
! and instead of clinging to the figure,
like the directoire style, gives the wear
er the appearance of being attired ii>
a pair of very baggy, Turkish looking
i pants.
In connection with the educational
j work done among the children of tlio
schools by the American .Museum of
Natural History, New York, there is
a class in which young people are In
structed regarding habits of animals.
Among other tilings the youth who
attend the elass are taught that the
universal fear of snakes is not wholly
well founded and that certain varie
ties ai least of this reptile are harm
less. The picture represents a little
girl handling one of these snakes She
is not learning to lie a snake charmer,
but is merely becoming accustomed to
playing with a species of snake which
Is less likely to hurt her than a rab
bit or a squirrel The feeling of a slip
pery, slimy animal like a snake Is apt
''' ''''
;
\ I
\ I
\- A j
\ sX v /
\m v
Et MooT.fnnr, ri.u rxo with snaki
to give one a creepy -ensntion I
we are accustomed to think of such
creatines with repulsion, Imt it is the
claim of tile naturalists that often
times sin li feelings need not h • .
porionced if the right kind of edu a
tlon is given.
Imagination plays a great part In
such matters and accounts form ny
r< illy erroneous idea.-.
California contains many wonder- of
nature, among them .1 remarkable ex
ample of the waj in which purely uat- |
lira I operations sometimes cause re
suits that seem like gigantic works
designed and executed by some Titan
of the far distant past. Such a freak
"PAT 111 ILY."
of nature is the face in the ro.l; found
on a ranch near Oakland and knowi
us "Pat Holly." From the ground to j
the teji of the head is 150 feet, lie
cent Iy a pipe made of wood and of coi
sldeiable size was stiiek in "Pat's ' i
nmuth. and the appearance of the pi'
tnre was tlms made complete.
No One to Run It.
The agent had dwelt eloquently and
at some length upon the superior mer
its of the heater he was trying to In
troduce Into the hoi - of Say month,
but the woman at tl • i' • r had looked
thoughtfully Into the distance, away ,
?rom his compelling ey. . as she lis
tened.
"Why." said the agent at last, "a
child could run that heater."
"We have no children." said ttie
woman conclusively as she shot the
door and locked it Youth's Compan
ion.
CRIME MD ITS CURE
Big Body of Penal Reformers
Plan Great Work.
NATIONAL IN ITS SCOPE.
American Institute of Criminal Law
and Criminology Formed In Chicago.
Many Changes In Methods of Deal
ing With Social Offenders Mapped
Out —Crime Journal Proposed.
The entire subject of American
1 criminal Jurisprudence and tlie treat
-1 inent of criminals is to come under
tlie close study of experts in the next
i year in a way never before attempted
in the United States as a result of
the national conference on criminal
law and criminology which recently
ended its sessions in Chicago.
With the unanimously expressed
opinion that there are defects almost
too numerous to catalogue in the crim
inal law and in the handling of crim
inals in the United States today the
; experts who were gathered at the
conference decided to investigate
through subcommittees the topics
which were under discussion for two
i days.
; The conference also formed itself
, into a permanent organization. The
name of the body •* 'he American In
stitute of Criminal I,aw and Crim
inology. It will hold meetings annual
ly hereafter, which will be attende i,
it is hoped. 1»\ jurists, lawyers, ''.re
tors. alienists, clergymen, criip'Jolo
■ gists, prison officials and many others
interested in .-ill that pertain to the
criminal problem of America.
The entire subject of American
criminology is to be brought under
1 the microscope of experts in the ex
pectation that great benefits will re
sult to the public at large. The most
advanced nations of Furope, it was
declared at the conference, are far in
advance of the United States In the
handling of criminals and in the ad
ministration <if criminal law. and it is
the avowed intention of the new or
ganidation to place the United States
on a par with the other first class
powers of the world In matters relat
ing to criminology.
Over his own objection Dean John
11. Wiguiore of the Northwestern Uni
versify Law school was elected the
first president of the Institute.
The three sections of the conference
reported to the entire assemblage In
the afternoon. Their reports covered
in general terms the whole realm of
criminal law and criminology, show
lug that in the opinion of those male
ing up the reports there are scores of
defects in these matters In the United
States today.
Out of the great mass of recom
mendatlons submitted to it I lie confer
ence selected the following subjects
as those which are to lie studied dur
Ing the next year by subcommittees,
which will report back to the newh
formed institute at Its next annual
meeting:
The complex factors combining to en
courage and establish the persistent of
fender. particularly with reference to he
redltary taint and disability.
The Influence attaching to the traffic In
drugs and intoxicants as a widespread ON
cttant to instability. In turn provocative
of crime.
An effective systori for rr -ordinff ! 1
physical and moral status and the hered
itury and environmental conditions of d■'
l'liiquciTr*:
The evils of Imprisonment, particulars
those due to the indiscriminate imiiKlinK
Iti jails and other institutions of persons
•if different ages ar:<l of varying degrees
of delinq ,ency.
The results and most advisable method:
of itduli probation.
The extension and regulation of the p i
role system, the Indeterminate sentence
and the modification and suspension of
sentences
Monetarv and other lndemnlticatio.n of
persons acquitted of criminal charges.
The qualifications and training of mem
bers of hoards of pardon and boards of
parole and the correlation of such boards
with one another and with the courts.
The notorious abuses of expert testi
mony and the possibility of establishing
commissions of special,, ts, which may bo
drawn upon for Impartial expert testi
mony.
Unification of courts. It was declared
that the judii ,ul .system should bo leor
iranlzed so as to bring about unity and
simplicity of organization and do awn>
i with ific burdensome cost of transcripts,
hills of exception ntid writs of error, al
lowing the appellate tribunal to pass upon
and use the same papers »nd the original
evidence and comments used at the trial,
and to lake further evidence on formal
matters or matters not controvertible for
1 tin? purpose of upholding judgments.
Knlr and speedy trials.
impartial but prompt selection of it.tel
llgent jurors.
Appeals and reversals.
Expert testimony and the best method
of trying the Issue of insanity.
The simplification and amendment of
pleadings.
The subcommittees, in whose hands
the work of considering those subjects
has been left, will consider the ques
lions in detail and will make compre
hensive reports next year.
It is the plan of the institute officials
at that time to formulate .recommen
dations to congress as to changes in
the federal laws which may be neces
sary to bring about desired Improve
meats, while recommendations will
also probably he made to the various
state legislatures as to changes In the
state laws. In the opinion of the ex
perts on criminology who composed
the conference, one of the most neces
sary tilings in ihe United States today
is to bring into closer uniformity the
• criminal laws of the different states.
It is the intention of the institute t• >
establish a Journal of criminology,
after the fashion of European insti
tutes of the same character, while the
Institute also will gather statistics oil
American criminals and criminology.
It was stated during the conference
that the United States is far behind the
European nations in statistics of this
elm ra et er.—C hlcago Record-11 era Id.
Where There's a Will—
Helen's mother passed her the cake,
and when the little one went to reach
across the plate for the largest piece
her mamma said. "Always take the
piece nearest to you, dear."
"Well, then, turn the plate around."
i was the answer.—Delineator.
A Weighty Question.
"I took in *2 just now," said the first
promoter. "Good enough," declared
•tic second promoter. "Shall we Issue
additional slock to correspond with
nur increased capital or shall we have
lunch?" I*uck.
FOR LUXURY LOVERS,
Splendors of a Dining Resort
Planned by Millionaires. |
; REAL PALACE OF THE SENSES.:
J Famous Hotel In New York Being '
Transformed Into Most Luxurious !
: Elating Place In the World—No Wait- !
ers In Upper Dining Room—Superb
, Appointments For Women.
I
j Is there a limit to extravagance in !
. Manhattan? If there be such there is
I no indication of it in the $2,500,000
i diuing room venture at Forty-second
I street and I (roadway, New York, which
Is now engrossing the attention of ev
ery gourmet in the metropolis.
; Millionaires dreaming of the syba
ritic luxury of l.tthylonian days and of
! the wonder workings of Haroun al
I Raschid through the might of a stag
j goring outlay of money are rapidly
transforming the famous old Hotel
Kossmore into the most luxurious eat
| ing place in the entire world, to open
j in September. The caravansary, which
I at one time harbored every class
and type of Itroadway life, from the
; sportsman with the plethoric bank
1 roll to the latest goddess of the green
room. Is now being changed into a
: dining resort where those will be
! served who can pay the price, where
I price is the least conshk-rafton. Where
! soups will cost probably $1.50 a por
-1 tion, game birds from $lO up and cafe
noir at prices prohibitive to those who
do not look like ready money, it would
! surely seem that the limit of metro
j pollian extravagance had again been
! set at a high water mark with which
i the price stales of the St. Ucgis, Del
monico's. Sherry's, Martin's and other
! show places of the greater city pale
j into insignificance. Times and cus
| toms change, and the new Murray's
! marks the transition.
Will such a place representing so
; enormous an outlay pay? Yes, say the
; capitalists backing the venture. And
it is the consensus of opinion, more
j over, of the shrewdest public eriter
talners in New York city that there
'■ will be it legitimate and growing inter
! est on this unique and remarkable ln
i vestment devised to meet the aesthetic
' requirements of the most voluptuous
I city on the globe. The hackers of the
' enterprise figure rightly, it Is believed,
. that every woman visiting New York
■ will insist upon her escorts taking her
j to this marvi lons dining place at least
■ once on her sojourn.
And was there ever a place of such
, Xeronic allurements designed to meet
j the languorous requirements of my
lady of fashion! Would she smoke?
That will be provided for. A lttxu
| rious .smoking room for her is now
' building, let alone a manicurist. French
| hairdressers and maids imported from
( I'nri- . She may be reperfumed, repow
j dered and redressed. Furthermore, she
may enjoy a Turkish bath, lie gowned
by maids as expert as her own at home
i and with her coiffeur rcatTa :'t,ed may
j take her jewels from the safe and
; after a Lucullan repast be ready for
the opera.
J Solomon i:i all his giury or Said.ma
, palus the magnificent butfceblj realized
: the splendors which ore now in the
j last stages of a certain making in that
section ■ uptown which i; bounded
; between Broadway and Seventh ave
nue in tie i story structure be
i tween l orty-tirst and Fortj second
streets. li'Tc i.i truth is a veritable
palace of the senses. The tone through
■ out Is Assyrian and modeled aftc
i the palace of Sennacherib.
X splendid staircase si.'ttj live feet
■ high of yellow and black marbles im
I ported direi t from the site of Babylon
and costing $50,000. marked on either
side by a series of small crouching
i bronze Assyrian lions, is one of the fea
I lures of this splendid building. This
| staircase forms the base of iho enor
i mous painting "The Fall of F.abylon,"
I occupv ing a large part of the w.i I The
illusion is such that the painting will
j seem part of the architecture. Thecen
j tral dining hall will form a great temple
j of music built of the purest Carrara mar
i ble lift.v feet high. From this temple
; will run pergolas to the balcony. Klght
j floors of 12,000 feet each will be used
j entirely for the preparation anil eon
i sumption of food. An adjoining build
! ing on the south, facing Seventh ave
| nue, seven stories high, will be used
| for the conveyance of food alone. The
1 waiters will never leave the floors on
j which they serve, but will send their
: orders through pneumatic tubes and
electric conveyances to the kitchens.
| l*erfeet service is promised, for if
the guest desires he merely presses a
button at trs table, and, speaking to the
j table, sounding boards carry bis mes
] sage to the steward. From the table
j with no \ isible means of cotnmunlca- :
, tion will come the reply tolling him
' that proper attention will be Immedl
i ately given.
j To add a twentieth century touch to
the reincarnated luxury of ancient >
days the upper diuing room will have
no waiters. The center of the table 1
will be so constructed as to form a ,
conveyor which will sink through the j
floor, leaving the rim on which the !
plates are to rest. To avoid mistakes
on the part of the servants the check >
for a dinner will be Inclosed in a scaled
envelope and handed to the who 1
will open it.the waiter not knowing
the amount, as it will be compounded
by the checking clerk in the pantry.
The private dining rooms will seat J
from -100 to 1.500 people.
The palaces of Assyria have each i
contributed their most striking features
to this twentieth century dining place, j
made possible by the financial backing '
of the czars of the American flnr.ih'lal
world.
New Baseball Record.
The Pacific Coast league made a
baseball history the other day when a
world's record was established at
Freeman's park, in San Francisco, by j
the contest between the San Frnncisco !
and Oakland teams. For the first I
time in the annals of the national
pastime a game between teams in one I
of the biggest leagues of the United
States went for twenty-three innings I
without a run being scored. The;
break came in the twenty-fourth pe-:
riod, when the San Francisco team j
pulled out with the one run.
Was There Ever
An Uncle Sam ?
A Query Appropriate to the Independent e
Day Anniversary History of the
Origin and Development of an
Interesting Custom.
THE recurrence of the auuiver j
sary of the nation's birth sug
gests inquiries about many
customs connected with its n 1
ebration. Oue of the pictures that the
mind frames in thinking of the events
of the ever glorious Fourth is that of
l*n"le Sain tiuiug characteristic stunts
by way of expressing his feelings of i
satisfaction on his natal day. Noboil.v
needs to be told that Uncle Sam is a
persouitieutlon of the American people.
Hut how did it happen the nntloncame
to be typitied in tliis character? One
authority gives this definition of the
phrase "Uncle Sain:'' "The govern
ment of the people of the United
States; a jocular extension of the ini
tials U. S."
This idea is strikingly confirmed in
the words of the old song, two lines
of which read,
For i nele Sum is rich enough
To (live us all a farm,
the obvious implication being that the
federal government owns—or at the
time the song was composed did own
—enough vacant land—"government
land," as t has been termed—to give
every < it i# -n homestead rights.
It was • lite natural that the initials
"U. S„" standing for United States,
should in. time come to have a mean
ing such as they have been given. But
it was necessary for the custom to be
started in some way, anil it is claimed
that there was originally a real Uucle
Sam. "Fugitive Facts," by Robert
Thome, says:"The practice of calling
the United States government 'Uncle
" v IMHI
of h*
-~ r
|| V>'
fXCLL SAM.
Sam' is believed to have originated ii
the following uiunner: During the It< \
olutionary war a man named Samuel
Wilson was a beef inspei or at T:
N. V..and was very popular with the
men in his i i.iploy, who always called
him "Uin-lc Sam ' After the iuspce .in
of the beef it was shipped by liini to
a eoutraetor named l'.lhert Audei i
and was always marked 'E. A. L'. S.'
A joking workman, being asked what
those letters were the abbreviations
of, replied that he did not know unless
they were for Elbert Anderson and
"Uncle Sam.' The joke was kept up
and spread until* it became common to
refer to all packages marked 'U. S.' as
belonging to 'Uncle Sam.'"
"Fugitive Facts" appears to be in
error as to the war in question being
the Revolutionary war. Evidently it
was the war of ISI2. There is resid
ing at the present time iu the borough
of Rrooklyn, New York city, a lady
who is a lineal descendant of the orig
inal Uncle Sam. She says that he was
born in New Hampshire about the
year 17C7, traveled by foot across the
Green mountains in 1789 and became
one of the early settlers of Troy. In
that city one may And today on the
Anna M. Plum Art building, Ferry,
near Second street, a tablet bearing
this inscription:
On Till' Ground
1701
FAMt'EI, WIIjSON.
famlllarlv known us "t T nele Sam." erect
ed the dwellln • In which he resided many
years. Ho furnished beef to military
camps durh; - the war of 1S1" The Trov
soldiers calli lit Uncle Sam's beef, other--,
supposing fee name referred to the in
spector's mark. "I". 5.." gradually applied
it to all government property, and "Uncle
Sam" came to designate the t'nlted
States, first throughout the army aad ul
timately every where.
"Uncle Sim" Wilson died in Troy on
July 1. IS."|. aged eighty-eight years.
Ills old home escaped the !lres • 112 I s - 1
and lSti'J ami stood until recently
There died last May in New Tort
ctty au oetegenarian named Sylvester
Wells Cone, who was thought to bo
the living embodiment of the imagi
nary figure of Uncle Sam. and he took
pleasure in posing In stars and stripes
for photographers who wished to ob
tain pictures representing this tr.yth
leal personage.
Reminders.
Mrs lie said I reminded hitn of a
Greek goddess. Mr Huh! Mrs. What
do I remind you of? Mr. <>f every !
darned thing 1 overlook that you ask ;
jne to do. Cleveland Leader
His Misfortune.
The Poet—Poets are born, not made.
Tho Girl—l know.l wasn't blaming
you.—Boston Transcript.
There are certain flowers the per
fume of which. It Is said. Is produced
by microbes.
SPECIALTY IN MELONS
Successful Experiment W.th r
Seeds of a Roumanian Variety.
■f
LIKE GRAPEFRUIT IN SIZE.
Agricultural D:partment Makes Grati
fying Tests With Watermelon Seeds
Soot by Former Minister H. G.
Knowles— -Meat Yellow and Red—De
licious In Flavor.
In its efforts to introduce into tho
I United States ihe best grain, ve, i
I>les and fruits of foreign countries tlie
agricultural department has never be.-n
| more interested in its experiments
! along that line than it now is'in a
! new watermelon.
j This particular variety of melon was
| found by Horace G. Knowles. late
j American minister t'> Itouinania, grow
ing in the foothills oi' the Carpathian
mountains in Roumnuia. The melon*
have a very thin skin, and the meat,
which is less fibrous than our native
melons, in color is both yellow and
red. and the flavor is exceedingly de
licious. Resides iis matchless flavor, it
has another distinctive feature ill its
si/.e. which is about that of a grape
fruit _ ...
I il OC I tiffed to Minister Kuowles that
a watermelon of that size—Just enough
for one person would find great favor
in the United States, ii seemed to
him that it would be jusi the thing
to serve iu lintels. restaurants, clubs
and on dining < ars. They roul 1 be
kept on ice. and a whole melon could
be served as one pnrii>>u.
Seeing the possible demand for such
a melon in the United States, Minister
Knowles obtained a large quantity of
the seed and sent them Hit c.igli »li-.
| state department to the department of
agriculture.
' Under the supervision of 1> id
Falrchild of the bureau of plant intro
duction of the agricultural depart in • it,
who has achieved a wide reputa ion
for the discovery and successful Intro.
| duetion in the United States of m my
| valuable foreign fruits and vegetables,
the melon seed were distributed list
year to a number of experimental sta
tions.
The reports on the result of the ex
periments were most satisfactory and
proved that the melons can be grown
successfully in nearly every section of
the United States. A report from
j Massachusetts states that the melons
have a most delicious flavor and pre
sent the flattering "difficulty of find
ing any one person who will be satis
fied with only one of the melons." The
department, through Mr. Falrchild, is t
planning to crow a large quantity of :
the melons ibis year. and. their merit
I being known to the managers of large
hotels in Philadelphia and New York,
the entire crop this year has been
bought for those hosielrles, the price
agreed on being three times that of
the prevailing price of the native
melon-
Minister Knowles has suggested to
i the agricultural department that the
| new melon be named I'rincess Marie,
j in honor of the beautiful crown prin
l cess of Roumai.ia, whose guest he was |
i when he fonud the melons. ,\s It Is
. not Improbable that this dainty, de-
I lieioiis melon may soon become as
\ popular : « It - Roe|-.y Uortl ■an : upe,
the fiime of > >.r represent aI iv i:i the
j selection of ili.it name will l e appre
| dated both by the beautiful prtucess
i anil the eountry In which she Is so
much admired.
It Is said that the successful cultiva
tion in tli • United States of 1 lii- melon
is assured, and experts say that it will
be worth millions of dollars to our
i eountry. The agricultural department
has already expressed its appr * iation
■ to Mii.'lsler Knowles for hi; ihonght
; fulness and invaluable den:t;ion to tho
1 fruitage of the United S'ates. \Y :sh
im; lon POS!
Capture of World's
A recent telegram from the < ;ifor-
I nla Tumi i tub at l.os Angeles from
I Tarpon, Tej.sn..*s that 1. G. Murphy
| while fishing at Tarpon lam ed tin*
| world's record tarpon, measuring six
j feet six inches In length. The catch
j was taken on a nine ounce rod with a
nine thread line. (
Edward Everett Hale.
Some spirits of tills world ure torn to
drive.
They do not knov nor do they c.n-e to
learn
The gentler means that win. Their na
tures spurn
The noble kindliness that keeps alive
The better part of man wherein s ;rv \ e
The human sympathies which -tys
yearn
j For those who need direction mo- 1 nirt
I turn
! Unerringly to thoso too weak to s rive.
No driver was the spirit of this nv
Ills force of arms, his power in v; .ir>i
. display.
!No poi te, v - sit: -
1
lie 1 lev ;'>i> rlgh . an.i r shown
the way.
He led iho weak and strong: to better.
! hlnfi-s.
' --W. J. l.ampton in New York Times.
IJOUSr-CC. < ti- rt&tjr t *** * JO*
Wfflftfß WE' i
i
>
A. DEHLolla Sol«t >
TIN SHOP
Tor all kind of Tin Roofing,
Spcutlnsmd C«n*ral
JoH Work.
Stove®, Keatcrv.
Furrtacws. <sto.
PRICES TBB LOW KST!
Ql'lLlT* TBI! BEST,'
JOHN IllXSOtf
' NO- IW E. FRONT AT.