galwsstoum JUmocvat
PUBLISHED' ever
FRIDAY MORNING,
No. l.'tS FRANKLIN STREET,
JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA CO., PA.
THUMB—•I.ao par year, payable In advance;
uutslde the county, tttteen cents additional for
nostne. If not paid within three months W2 will
he charged. A ■paper can be discontinued at any
time by paying arrearages, and not otherwise.
The failure to direct a discontinuance at the
expiration of the period subscribed for, will be
considered a new engagement. .Veto Subawtp
tions must lie accompanied by the CASH.
L. D. WOODRUFF,
Editor aud Publisher.
FRIDAY. AUGUST 571889.
FLOODS AND Till END OF THE WORLD
Everything even remotely associated
with flood calauiiti. possesses more or
less interest at this ime, aud will con
tinue to do so for in ...Mis to come. But
just how the destruction of the world in
1890 by tire should hove any connection
with Johnstown's flood is uot verv ap
parent—such, however, seems to he the
facj in the minds of some people.
At Bellcfonte, and surrounding neigh
borhood, in Center county, there is
an organization or society that see in the
Johnstown flood one of the sure signs of
the total collapse of these "mundane
ahores " in the year of our Lord 1890; and
are living and shaping their affairs ac
cordingly. The number of this new so
ciety is placed at one to two thousand ;
most of nil whom belong to some one of
the various Christian churches, and all
take the Bible an the foundation for " the
■ ' faith that is in them." Their leader, a
Mr. C. D. Miller, a wealthy farmer, in
an interview one day last week,
said : " 1 believe the world will come
to an end in l~t)0, and there are hun
dreds of others—more than a thou and
throughout this country that believe the
same thing. * * Our belief has sprung
solely from the teachings of the Bible,
and every day it is made plainer and more
convincing by the events occurring art nnd
us. We anticipated all the startling dis
asters that iiave lately occurred, though,
of course, we did no! know at what time
or place they would occur. But all the
recent floods, etc., have till been predes
tinated, and are sure signs of the ap
proaching etui."
Well may it he asked, wtiat next?
Though not more familiar with the teach
ings of the Bible than the law allows, we
have always been puzzled to know where
(lie numerous belie vets who have from
time to time predicted the end of the
world have found anything on which to
pin their faith. It seems, however, that
ages before the Millcrite craze, when large
numbers prepared for the end of the
world, by putting on white robes on tiie
day fixed for the event, multitudes were
made to believe in the silly predictions >f
Second Adveutists and world-destruction
tionists. History slmws that ever si:i- <■
the days of the Apostles numerous tiim s
have been fixed for the great catastrophe
when the heavens should be rolled to
gether as a scroll, mountains rock to and
fro, the earth quake from center to cir
cumference, and the firmament and earth
burned up with tire. But notwithstand
ing the several hundreds of miss-hits, the
cranks s'ill abound, aud are likely to
abound, until the end of time.
Just what particular hearing the Johns
town flood lias upon the question of the
tinnl destruction of the world by lire, it
is rather hard to discover. But the lat
itudinarian mode of interpreting and up
plying Scriptures Is equal to more things
and events than are dreamed of in our
philosophy. Wc of little faith in such
predictions are left, however, with the
comfortiiu' thought that, despite the tend
ency to wind up sublinary things so soon,
the old world still wags along in its cus
tomary way, without showing any vis
ible signs tf dissolution.
I'OOK TANNER.
Getting into iiot water is about the size
of Pension Tauner's trouble. It was first
hot, then hotter and now hottest. The
hot was the result of newspaper criti
cisms ; the hotter was the attitude of tin;
Interior Department toward the Pension
Bureau: and the hottest grows out of the
formal charges being investigated by a
Committee consisting of Dr. George Ew
ing and 11. L. Pruce, of Board of Pension
Appeals, and Judge Frank L. Campbell,
of the Interior Department.
This Committee are instructed to thor
oughly investigate all reratings made by
•the Pension Bureau within the past year,
tfr ascertain whether any have been made
in violation of the law. Up to Mouday
■tin Committee found a colored gentleman
in the wood pile, in the form of the rerat
ig process by which a 3lr. Smith, chie
of the certificate division, who as a pen
sion beneficiary is now drawing §3O in
stead of §2O per month ; which discovery
leads to the conviction that other officials
within the bureau are faring similarly.
Here is a veritable marc's nest that may
'hring out the true inwardness of Mr, Tan
oer's way of conducting his bureau. But
to troubles is likely to take in a much
wider scope, as 3lr. Roosevelt, one if the
Civil Service Commissioners is very much
dissatisfied witli Tanner's policy of admin
i Jtering the affairs of his office.
We have only to say, that where there
s so much smoke, there is certainly some
fire.
" TEACH the citizen that his home is his
castle, and that his sovereignty rests be
neath his hat," says Ilenry W. Grady, the
silver tounged southern orator.
CI. Alt A BARTOW.
A Short History of the Noble I>ee<ls of the
Little Woman.
•' Relief in war. famine, pestilence and
other national calamities." Such, says
the New York Preaa, is the motto of the
American Red Cross- Association, whose
president is Mis 9 Clara llarton, who hast
ened to Johnstown among the first to af
ford personal relief to the afflicted Valley
of the Conemaugh.
The story of Clara llarton and the Red
Cross is familiar in outline to all. It was
she who. on the morning after the capitu
lation of Strasburg, in the Franco-Prus
sian war, entered :he conquered city aud
—her sole password the scarlet cross on
her sleeve—began that noble ministration
to the sick, the wounded and the afflicted
which has made her name famous.
From Strasburg Clara Barton hastened
to Paris to continue her ministrations
amid the horrors of the Commune.
Clara Barton next appeared upon the
scene in the midst of the Mississippi
floods of 1884. The terrors of that time
are readily recalled, when thousands upon
thousands of once thriving inhabitants
were left without homes, food or money,
and there was no means for them to pur
chase even the seed for the spring sowing.
Then it was tiial the blunder of Red .. ros
appeared upon a steamer loaded with
food and sustenance and money for the
seed time.
i lie ininisitrutions of Clara Barton in
our own great war are well known. Her
philanthropic spirit ultimately found vent
in the Order of t lie Red Cross. The or
ganization is nr. association of relief so
cieties in various countries. Its prime
aim is ministration to wounded soldiers.
The idea of the order is said to ha v.-
been conceive 1 by Henri Dunant, a Swiss
gentleman, who at Solferino was im
pressed with the swift and sudden suffering
borne in upon the wounded soldiers and
with the need of more rapid and effective
relief. M. Duiiunt presented his thought
to the .Society ot Public Utility, which
corresponds to the Society of Social - ci
enco in this country, an lon October id,
1804. a convention was held at Geneva,
composed of delegates from various
countries—our own Minister to Switzer
land. Mr. Fogg taking an active part
and resolutions were adopted providing
that the ambulance and military hospitals
in battle should be held as neutral, and
relief service likewise, even after the
Held had been carried and occupied.
Twelve nations at once agreed t > the
adoption of this international measure,
and all civilized nations now recognize h.
Miss Barton is a native of Mas--
achuscttes. In early life she was a teacher,
and she founded sevi ral free schools in
New Jersey. In IS-'i? she became a clerk
in the Government's service t Washing
ton. Resigning at the mtbrcak of the
war, she entered the hospital service, and
her tender ministrations are still told of
by those who suffered on the field of hat
tie and were prisoners at Libby prison,
Andersouvillc a I elsewhere.
CongrftMiunal Ait! lot*.Johnstown.
Pittsburgh lost.
While we have utiue hut Ihe best
wishes for Johnstown, we fenr its citi
zens tire likely to tie the victims of
hopes if they expected the general Gov
ernment to make appropriations to widen
and dredge the streams about their un
fortunate town, so as to prevent an an
nual overflow, and insure the rebuilding
of certain parts ot the town, and adjacent
boroughs, not likely otherwise to he re
built. We don't think the general Gov
ernment has ever undertaken any work
of this kind. The first question asked in
Congress will be why does not. the
great State of Pennsylvania, nut of the
immensity of its wealth and resources, at
tend to this matter ami give the needed
relief. It is solely one of local and State
concern. True, there have been abuses
in river and iiarbor appropriations, but
the principle bus always been kept in
view, that the money was for National or
inter-State purposes, and to be applied
an navigable streams. Harry White
raised the laughter of the whole
countiy when lie proposed au
appropriation to make the Kiskiminetas
a navigable water course. If the aid
which it is said will be solicited from
congress is a necessity, theu it is the duty
of the State, in the exercise of its general
police powers, which Governor Beaver
invokes in clearing away the debris, to
provide the needful monev. Everyone
wishes well to the people of
Johnstown, but it is not wise to raise false
expectations and nopes on such an im
portant matter. Congress will make no
appropriations for the purposos indicated
iu the dispatches from that place. The
precedent would be one that very few
Seneators and Representatives, unmoved
by local or Slate interests, would eare to
sanction.
Patents runted
Patents granted to citizens of Pennsyl
vania during the past week, and reported
for this paper by C. A. Snow & Co., pat
ent lawyers, opposite United States Pat
ent Office, Washington, D. C,: J. Con
trol], Heading, staple former, etc.; J. G.
Downie, Beaver Falls, steam engine;
William 11. Downing, Goodell, gas gov
ernor or regulator ; C. F. Hill, Ilazelton,
lightning protector; T. W. Irwin, Alle
gheny, shaping sheet metal; J. Jenkins,
Harrisburg, ore separator; John 31.
Klein, Altoona, lathe carrier; G. F. 31c-
Coomb, Allegheny, broom sewing; W.
McKlnney, Schuylkill Falls, electric me
ter ; A. J. Miller, Sweden, canceling and
registering device ; J, W. llamsey, Beaver
Falls, hydrant; D. Rawson, Pittsburgh,
wire worker; D. Savage, Bloomsburg,
washing machine; J. Watts, McKccs
Rocks, handling coke j F. Wilson, Easton,
water heater.
BWJFT ON THE WING.
The Fast eat Railroad Train Slow Com*
pared With the WI11 Duck.
"The gadwalo but there; It isn't
likely at all that you know what a gad
wale Is," said an observant wild fowl
hunter. "The gad wale is a duek. it U
a wild duck that doesn't get east ,e: r
often, but is a familiar fowl !" v •
west. I was just about to remark tr.a
the gadwale is a bird that can tin el
nearly a 100 miles whilo the fn-test rail
road train is going fifty, and yet it is
slow on the wing compared with a canvass
back duck, the bruudbill, or even the
wild goose.
"I have held my watcli on about every
kind of wild fowl there is, und know to
a dot just how much space uny of tnem
can get over in an hour. The canvass
back can distance the whole wild fowl
family, if it lays itself out to do it. If
he has business somewhere, and has to
get there, he can put two miles behind
him every minute, and do it easy.
"The mallard duck is lazy. He seldom
cares to cover more than a mile a min
ute, but ho can if he wants to. His or
dinary, every-day style of getting along
over the country takes him from place to
place at about a 45-mile an hour rate.
The black duek can fly nuek-and-neek
with the mallard, and neithor one can
give the other odds. If tho pin-tail wid
geon and wood duck should start in to
race either a mallard or a black duck it
would be safo to bet on eitlior one. But
!f a redhead duck should enter tho race
you cau give big odds on him, for ho can
spin off his ninoty miles an hour as
easy as you can wnlk around tho block,
and can do it all day. He would bo left
far behind, though, by the bltto-winged
or the green-winged teal.
Those two fowl can fly side by side for
100 miles and close the raco in a dead
heat in an hour, and appear to make
uo hard task of it. The broadbfll duck
is tho only fowl that llies that can push
the canvassback on the wing. Let a
hroadbiil and a canvassback each do bis
best for an hour, and the broadbill will
only come out about ten miles behind.
One hundred and ton miles an hour cau
be done by tho broadbill, and ho conse
quently makes a mark for a shotgun
tluit a pretty good gunner wouldn't be
apt to hit once in a lifetime.
"The wild goose is an astonisher on
the ily. It has a big heavy body to
carry, anil to see it waddling on the
ground you wouldn't suppose it could
get away from you very fast on the win
But it manages to glide from one feed
ing place to another with a suddenuo;,-
tha>. is aggravating to tho best of wins
shots. To see a flock of 'honkers' mov
ing along, so high up that they seem to
be sweeping the cobwebs off of the sky.
you probably wouldn't dare to bet that
they were traveling at the rate of ninety
miles an hour, but that is just what I hey
are doing, uny hour in the day. The
wild goose never fools any time away.
His gait is alwuys a business one."—N. Y
Sun.
Noted Suicided in History,
The following aro some ot the more
noted suicides of which mention is made
in history. These do not savor much oi
insanity, but rather of stoic philosophy.
Cato stabbed himself rather than live
under the despotic reign of Ciesar.
I'hemistocles poisoned himself ratliei
than lead the Persians against his coun
trymen; Zeno, when 1)8, hanged him.-el!
because he had put his linger out of
joint, and Haunibul' and llithridutes
poisoned themselvos to escape being
uiken prisoners. When we search Scrip
ture wo find that Saul, rather than fail
Into the hands of the Philistines, com
manded his an..or bearer to hold his
sword that he might plunge upon it:
Samson, for tho sake of being r ngod
upon his enemies, pulled do .vn the house
in which they were revelling and -d
with them," and Judas Iscariot., afti
selling the Saviour for thirty pieces <<l
silver, was overcome by remorse "and
wont and hanged himself."
MWHiiig Aeronaut Iloj;nn.
Discussion continues among the friernh
of Mr. Hogan, tho aeronaut, who rode t IK
Campbell uir-ship to cloud-land and per
haps to death,
t Koine, amo n g
them Invent o:
Campbe 1, belt
the daring bo.
loonist alive, tln-u
theory being that
when his bull
collapsed in t!>
Atlantic oeoai;
near New York
Hogan was re
cued by tho crew
gan and the pub
lic do not seem tc
share this belief
and the belief it
general that this daring man has mad(
ids last ascension.
A Clever Chine e Trick.
Sergeant Whitman arrested a high
binder (he other night, and while search
ing him found a clever device which ex
plains the phenomenal luck that wih
Mongolian lias been enjoying at poke;
of late. The arrangement consists of t.
sleel clip, which is fastened inside of out
sleeve. Two cords reach up tho sleeve,
across the breast and down the otliei
sleevo to the hand, where one is fastened
to tho thumb and the other to ono of the
lingers.
By a pull of one cord the clip reaches
out and takes in a card, which Is at one*
drawn up tho sleeve. Pulling tho othei
cord causes tho card to be shot out int(
the hand of the player with lighting
rapidity, and without any part of tin
mechanism being exposed. Tho fellow
who hud the machine fought strenuousl,
against giving it up. ban Francisc'c
Chronicle.
'The Snake Gate Him a Chance.
While Mike James, a boy 14 years ol
age, was going through tho woods neai
cTarksvllle, Ga., with iiis father, out
day, Ho snld : "Father, if a snake was tc
bite me, you just ought to ;soe how
quickly I would bandage my leg with tint
rubber strap." The boy spoke positivelj
and no sooner wore the words out of his
mouth than Ho exclaimed : "I am snuk<
bitten."
His father, turning round, saw his sor
drawing the bandage tightly around his
leg just above the bite. .Tho old mnr
killed tho suuko and found it to bo ur
adder of the most deadly kind. Tho ad
ministration of internal romedies at on<-i
commenced. First, one plug, then ar
old-timo twist of home made, went dowi
like food; then ono pint of corn whiskev.
All this made him very sick, and he
vomited freely. He is rapidly recover
ing.—Atlanta Constitution.
A Sparrow Routs an Alligator.
An alligator and an English sparrow
were seen to engage in a battle neai
Darien, Ga., the other day. The 'gatoi
provoked the tight by snapping at the
bird, which in turn flew furiously at its
ugly antagonist, aiming with precision at
the saurian's eyes. The gator finally
gave up the contest and sought safety
from the sparrow's attacks by hiding it
sell under water.—Savannah News.
ANTARCTIC KNOWLEDGE*
VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS IN TUB
SOUTH POLES* DISCRETION.
What Balleny and Olnvllle Haw on
(tielr Trip*, and what Wilkaa
Thought He Saw—Sir Jaiuri Ron'
Great Achievements and Discoveries
Which are Unsurpassed.
The golden age of Antarctic discovery
arrived when Captain, afterwards Sir
James, Boss was dispatched from Eng
land in 1840 to fix tho position of tho
south magnetic polo, and any other posi
tion he could discover on the way there.
Before Boss could reach the scone of his
labors, other explorers, English, French
and American, were busy forestalling
him. Of these the ilrst was tho English
man, Bulleny, who, sailing in Enderby's
ship tho Eliza Scott, discovered in 183! i
the islands which bear his name, and
which lie almost under tho Antarctic
circle, and almost duo south from Now
Zealand. Balleny could not land on tho
islands, but lie made sure of their exist
ence, and afterward, sailing far to the
westward, he saw many more signs of
land, and suspected the existence of
much which ho could not certainly vouch
for.
What Balleny thought ho saw was
probably much what the French expedi
tion under Dumont d'Urvillo actuully did
see in the following year, several long
linos of boats, which might bo joined to
one another, und might even run on to
join Enderby land in tho west, and if so
might certainly bo purts of the Antarctic
continent that d'Urvillo was anxious to
And.
Not less anxious was Wilkes, the
leader of tho United States exploring ex
pedition, who, only a month after the
Frenchman, arrived within a degree or
two of the Antartic circle, to the south of
Now Zealand, and after seeing laud
where Bulleny hud certainly seen it
before, and, unfortunately where no one
lias soon it since. For some days, in
deed, Wilkes doubted whether what he
beheld wore mountains or clouds, objects
which his crew watched eagerly, to sec
if with the setting of the sun they would
change their color. But after running
westward along the edge of tho park for
a few days,' lie made sure that he now
saw land, and somewhat Inconsequeutly
assumed it for certain that what ho had
seen before was land also.
Tho discovery of an Antartic conti
nent was announced as a certainty; u
very large land, with n barrier before it,
and a range of mountains upon it, was
laid down on the map; and a copy of the
map was handed by the rash but gener
ous explorer to Boss, who left Tasmania
in the autumn of the same year to look
for the magnetic pole, with the two ships
Erebus and Terror, which afterward
bore Sir John Franklin to his fate at the
Other end of the world. Boss had so
little doubt that tho Antartic continent
was discovered already, that lie seems to
have been almost disappointed when ids
way to the magnetic polo was burred by
an unknown land. Yet this laud, whicu
lay south of the seventieth parallel, and
eastward of Ballony's islands, was tho
mpst southerly hitherto seen in the
world, and on it rose mountains thou
sands of feet high, plain and mountain
alike robed in stainless snow, exceptou
the cliffs by the shore, where the black
rock came out.
Englcs Have u Royal iiatllo.
Alexander Shaw, farmer. Old town,
Strather'ck, was going Ills usual rounds
to look after ills sheep. While going
past a small cluuip of birch wood among
very long heather, he fancied lie heard a
a peculiar flutter among tho bushes,
says tho "Bod and Gun." lie took little
notice, but tho noise being repeated, he
went to see what, was udo. He found two
golden eagles lighting, firmly tlxed in
each other with beak and talons. On his
approaching one of the birds noticed the
intrusion and let go his hold. The other
held his opponont fast in his talons.
Mr. Shau then got up quite clow and
got hold of one of them. He put his foot
on the other one's neck. Ho searched
his pockets and found a little bit ot
string, just enough to tie one of the
eagles. While lie was tying the one lie
kept he let-the other one off. The bird
was not able to take iliglit for consider
able time after being set at liberty, being
much dono out with the fight-. The oilier
one, which Mr. Shaw took homo, doc.-,
not seem to be any the worse. What
seems most strange is 1 hat the eagles
are seldom or never seen s > low down
the country. The belief is that they must
have been lighting for a long time In the
skies, the one having been pursuing the
other until they fixed in each other and
dropped.
Complimenting a Royal Author.
A Jioslqii ituly, knowing that the trans
lation of Dante had just then appeared,
and having heard that the aged monarch
(the King ol Saxony) was proud of- his
lib rary ability, had a good opportunity
of alluding to His chief d'oouvro, which
she immediately seized, says the Boston
"1'oBt." The king addressed her in turn,
saying, "You aro from America, I be
lieve. I think I have seen you in tho
Grosso Garten. Why have you not boen
presented before?"
"I am from America, sire," she replied,
"whero we have no kings. I havo waited
for the proper time to be introduced to
your majesty, and now may I bo per
mitted, as an American, to say that I feel
it less an honor to bo presented to the
King of Saxony than to 'Philistrutes,' the
translator of Dante, whom I trust I may
bo allowed to congratulate on the suc
cessful achievement of tho work."
Tho king had published the translation
under the HIKWO sobriquet. Ho was
much pleased with the compliment thus
bestowed, laughed with delight and said
the lady hud boen prompt in examining
the new publication.
Hallway* in lnlia.
From the railway data for the decade
1878-88 the fact is deduciblo that for the
last ten years each fresh year has seen
in India the opening of an additional
1,000 milos of line. In the last year of
the period tho number of milos open
was 11,377, and of miles under construc
tion, a.47(1; so that before the presout
year is out the total mileage open for
iruflic in India ought to reach nearly
17,000 miles. Forty years ago India
could not boast of one. Tho total cost
of tho English ludiun system up to 1888
came to nearly 50 per cent of tho receipts
and the receipts aggregated in ton years
nearly ono thousand millions of rupees.
—London Enquirer.
C*re<nhoim and Window Plants.
Those who remove 'their window
plants to tho open air as soon as the
weather will allow, make a mistake, as
most window plants are at that time in
full bloom. Indeed, if tho plants can be
cared for. it will be better to leave them
in tho greenhouse as well us the window
all summer, taking proper care for shad
ing and watering.
THE CHEROKEE ALPHABET.
Invention of the "Talking Leaf" by m
Hairbreitd Georgia Indian.
One of the most remarkable achieve
ments of the uncultivated human mind
was the invention of a syllable alphabet
for the use of his peoplo by Sequoh, alias
George Guess, a halfbreed Cherokee In
dian. Sequoh was born in Georgia,
probably about tho year 1770, though
some authorities fix his birth seven years
earlier. Ho never knew his father, grew
up a perfect savage and distinguished
himself in war and the chase, until a
swelling knee rendered him incapable of
active pursuits and confined him to his
cabin. He knew no language except
Cherokee, and, of course, was wholly
illiterate, says tho Louisville "Courlor
Journal."
Sequoh's attention seems to have been
first attracted to literary matters by a
circumstance which occurred while a
warrior. His tribe captured a letter from
the whites and made repeated efforts to
decipher it, but, of course, were not suc
cessful. Some discussion arose about
the "talking leaf," as tho Indians called
any specimen of writing, and the ques
tion was whether it was an invention of
man or the gift of God. All the Indians,
except Sequoh, maintained the latter po
sition, while he espoused the former. He
was, however, unable to convince them
that ho was right. They believed that
the "talking loaf' was a gift from tho
Great Spirit to the white man alone and
cited as proof a legend that had long
been current in their tribe.
According to this legend the Great,
Spirit created We-Ha-Ye, the Indian, and
gave him a book. Afterward ho made
Y'o-We-Nn-Go, the white mun, and pre
sented him with a bow and arrow. Tho
elder brother was not prompt in devoting
himself to the book, but seems rather to
have treated it as books are treated by
dull schoolboys of all races, and so neg
ligently did ho keep it that his younger
brother found moans of stealing it from
him. The Indian was then compelled to
content himself with the bow and
arrow and to gain his living by the chase.
From this time the Cherokeos argued
tnat. the Indian had forever forfoited tho
use of letters.
This reasoning did not convince Se
quoah. He denounced liis fellow Chero
kees as fools, and stoutly maintained
that he himself could write, and tried to
prove it by scrawling characters upon a
rock. His claims were treated with de
rision. Nothing daunted he set to work
to invent characters for all the sounds in
the Cherokee Innguuge. At the begin
ning he made the mistake of attempting
to invent a character for each word, and
it is no small tribute to his perseverance
that ho Invented and recorded over o.UUtt
characters. Itgradually became evident
to'him that this system would not work,
owing to tho great number of characters
required, and upon much reflection lie
hit upon tho idea of dividing words into
syllables and inventing a character for
each syllable.
In the prosecution of this work Se
quoah found himself embarrassed by the
want of an accurate ear. To remedy
this he engaged his daughter in the work
and from her derived very valuable a—
sistimce. lie mailed himself of many
iugonious methods to make complote his
collection of t ho sounds of tho language.
He went to hear speeches by members
of his tribe,' and whenever a sound oc
curred for which ho bad no character he
at once supplied the deficiency.
An English spelling book having fallen
accidentally into his hands he used the
English letters as far as they would go,
to denote the Cherokee syllables. The
other characters ho invented himself.
About the year 1821, or, as others say,
182G, he had his system complete. His
characters numbered eighty-six. Having
completed his alphabet his next task was
to get it adopted by his tribe. This was
a work of much difliculty. He sent his
daughter out of hearing, wrote down a
pas-age and road it to the braves, then
called the girl hack ami had her read it
to them again. They wondered, but
doubted still. Then ho persuaded the
tribe to select some of the brightest of
their hoys to learn the new art, and to
this they at last agreed.
When tho time for examination arrived
the pupils passed tho ordeal in triumph,
and the Cherokces were at histconviucod
that the "talking leaf" is not the exclu
sive property of the white man. Kequoah
then became the principal of tho Indian
schools and was held in great honor un
til his death, which occurred in Mexico
in August, 1843. This alphabet was cast
into a font of type and is still in use.
When wo consider that the art of writing
lias usually been attributed to the gods,
as being something beyond the reach of
Unite intelligence, we cannot but admit
that tho life work of the Sequoah was q
most extraordinary one".
It is true ho had the first suggestion
Jt'ora his knowledge that the "talking
lear existed among tho whites, but his
methods were his own, and lie wrought
<mt tiio great problem without other as
sistance than that obtained from his
daughter. While His invention had long
been anticipated his work must stand as
a monument of the capability of tho hu
man intellect when united with unbend
ing resolution and tireless perseverance.
The l v -OI Dollar.
"There is something curious about tho
American silver dollar and half c!< liar of
1804," said a numismatist to a Philuilol
phia "Press" reporter. "There were
about 20,000 of tho dollars coined, but
not one of them over got into circulation.
Two of them are in well known coin col
lections today, however, aud they are tho
most valuable of all American coins.
Why tho dollar of 1804 was never seen in
circulation after having left tho mint is
ono of tho unsolved government myster
ies.
"It is asserted on good authority thut
tho two 1804 dollars now in existence,
while having been mode from tho origi
nal die, were in reality not coined for
many years after that year, when tlie.y
were surreptitiously struck, and, it is
supposed, issued to a person high in
authority, from whom they subsequently
pusscd into the collections reforred to.
"The half dollar of 1804 is surrounded
by a mystery equally profound. There
were over 150,000 of these coined, but
not ono of these were over known to ho
iii circulation. On tho other hand, but
700 quarter dollars were coined in thut
year, and specimens of these aro in every
collection and numismatist's shop."
Rat. UMllclnu. Food.
A correspondent of the Griflin "News"
writes: Joe Mitchell, of Blanton's mill,
eats all tho rats he con catch says that
"they are much nicer than squirrel or
rabbit." I was passing by tho mill Fri
day afternoon and a largo rat, as large
as a squirrel, ran out from Stonewall's
engine house. Joe, on seening tho rat,
guvo chase and soon killed it. Having
noticed the unusual intorest manifested
in .atching the rat, I asked Joe what lie
was going to do with it. Ho said, "F.at
it, by gosh." Sure enough, he soon had
it skinned, cleaned and salted, and look
ing in all appearances liko a squirrel.
Smacking his lips over the joy{yl pms
pects of a rat supper, Joe went his way,
looking for more rats.
IMPORTATION OF HAIK.
MANY TONS ANNUALLY OA TOKRf.B
AND SOLD.
The Market* of the World where Women
Stand and Sell their Trmuie*—What the
Price* Are and Alo the Weight of Eacli
Head of Ilulr—Telling the Country ot
the Original Owner.
There aro some curious and interesting
facts about tho human hair as an article
of traffic. It will undoubtedly astonisn
most poople to learn to what extent the
trade Is carried on—to be told, for in
stance, that London imports annually
netween seven and eight tons. Tho sup
ply does not depend on chance clippings,
or upon the barbers' scissors, but there
is a regular hair harvest, which can con
lidcutly be lookod forward to by dealer
at a particular time. As there are differ
ent markets for black tea and green tea.
so there is a light-haired market distinct
from tho dark-haired. Like clothes, the
demand for a certain color of hair is reg
ulated according to style, which, without
exception, runs in conformity with com
plexion.
It has been noticed by scientists anil
doctors that dark hair is more common
in the Eastern and middle states than in
. lie west, and it is the prevailing color in
our southern slates, especially in Louis
iana and J! i -sissippi, in which the From
•dement is conspicuous, It is the si. .
in Cuba, which is peopled by the Spain
iii -ome of tho northern states, who,
•swedes, Germans, Norwegians and iris
.IIV numerous, fair or light hair prevail •.
. icorresponds witli the more exquisi;
-oeptible ami emotional disposition
al in connection therewith.
. .1 • civilized world uses actually over
i, d,UU.) pounds yearly, and the quest.!' ■
naturally arises, Where does it alien. .
. o-a? To answer this question, un
i c o to learn tho minute particulars o;
1,0 cuormous traffic in tho beautd' ■
looks, a New York "Star'" reporter vi.--
i *'d the parlors of a well-known metn -
,'oliian hair di aler hi Now York city.
"You will bo surprised, and it will
doubtless astonish many people," he
said, "to loaru the dimensions of the hail
lado as it is now carried on. Now York
merchants annually import from four to
ve tons, while London excels ours in its
,purtation by some three tons. As in
mr business, there is a hair harvest
and a certain time to look forward to to.
good crop. This may seem strange,
hut it is really a fact. We have our own
market for the different shades of hair
us Willi any other commodity. The light
ea ris essentially a German product It
is collected by the agents of a Dutch eom
i'luv, who visit Now Y'ork and other
.wimricun cities annually forordors. Cn
• ; fifty years ngo light hair was esteemed
mvii ull others. One peculiar golden
bit was so suprenioly prized that the
.1.-ulers only produced it lor favorite cus
tomers, to whom it was sold for 8 shil
lings uu ounoe.
"i'ure blacl; hair, which now is all the
,-o among fashionable people, is im
ported chiefly from Brittany and the
south of France, whore it is yearly eol
-1 —ted by the agents of a few wholesale
l'arlsian houses, of whom wo buy. '1 he
average crop of black hair harvested by
ihese llrms amounts yearly to upward of
• 'OO pounds in weight. The price paid for
ouch head of hair ranges from J to '■
l'ranes, according to its weight and
br.auly; the former seldom rises abore a
pound and seldom falls below twelve
ounces. Tho itinerant dealers are always
provided witb an extensive assortment
of ribbons, silks, laoos and oh"ap jewelry
•>t all kinds, with which they make their
purchases as frequently as with money.
They at'ow'. all the fairs and merrymak
ings within their circuit, and the singu
larity and novelty of their operations
aro apt to strike travelers more than
anything else which rnoets their notice
"'While in Europe recently, I attended
ono of these fairs simply for the novelt
of the thing. I was indeed struck b\
what I saw. There were four purchas
ers of the commodity present and the
girls actually brought the article tq this
impromptu market as they, would pea -
or cabbages. They have particularly line
liair and frequently in great abundance
I should have thought at the time that
female vanity would have effectually
prevented such a traffic among them be
ing carriod on to any great extent. But
tiiore seemed no difficulty iu lluding pos
sessors of beautiful heads of hair per
f-'ctly willing to sell, 1 saw several git ,
beared, ouq after anchor, likj §lte°i*"
and many- more standing readj- for
with their 'caps' iu ttefr hand.-,
■nid their long hull- combed out and
banging down to their waists. Some o!
the operators were men, some wornon.
By the side of the dealers were placed n
long basket into which every successive
crop of hair, tied up into a wisp by Itself,
was thrown. As far as porsonal beaut
is coucorned the girls do not lose mm
in their hair, for it has boen a custom in
Brittany for years to wear a close ca,
which entirely prevents any part of the
ohevelnre from being seon, and of course
us totally conceals tho want of it.
'■Dark brown hair was tho fashion
once. It is all imported here froi.:
France. It is tho opinion of those who
have the best right to offer one on such
a subject that the color of the hair of
the Euglish people has deeponed in tint
within the last half century, and thai
this chango is owing to the more fre
quent intermarriages since the Nap.,
iconic wars with nations nearer to the
sunny south. Whether dark or light
however, tho hair purchased by tin
dealer is so closely scrutinized that 1
can discriminate between the German ami
tho French article by the smell alone.
He even claims the power of distinguish
ing accurately between the English, tin-
Welsh, the Irish and the American com
modities.
"The French deulors are said to be able
to detect the difference between the hair
'raised' in two districts in Central
France, not many miles apart, by token
so slight as to bailie the most learned of
our naturalists and physiologists. I
simply cito theso little incidonts so you
can see for yourself what the hair busi
ness has got to be. The hair obtain <•:
by tho different agents is transmitted to
tho wholesale houses. Hero it is run
through various processes, dressed end
sorted, when it is shipped to this city.
Paper Pencil*.
One of the difficulties which have stood
in the way of the substitution of paper
pulp for wood in tho manufacture of pen -
oils has been the toughness of the paper
covering, and its consequent resistance
to the action of a knife. By a new pro
cess the molecular cohesion of tho paper,
it is claimed, Is modified in such a man
ner that it can bo cut as readily as cedar
wood. After tho completion of the pro
cess the pencils are gradually dried at
Increasing temperatures during a period
of six days, and they are then plunged
Into a vessel of molten parafflno wax,
which has tho effect of modifying tho
texture of tho paper pulp in the manner
deecribed.—Exchange.