PAGE 0
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1011.
frH
I His Castle on
I the Rhine.
And How He Sold It to a
Descendant of Its First
Owner.
By F. A. MITCH EL.
T Copyright by American Press Asso- V
elation, 1811.
On the loft bank-of the Rhino Is the
ruin of one of those old castles which
have stood In that region for centuries.
This particular castle some years ago
was bought by Carl Blshoff, a German
American who had made a lot of mon
ey brewing lager beer. Blshoff bought
with the castlo a few pieces of furni
ture, pictures and other curiosities that
were several hundred years old and
had been handed down from one pur
chaser to another. With the decay of
tho castle and tho gradual breaking up
or loss of these articles all that re
mained had finally been concentrated
In one room, which, when tho owner
was there, ho used for a living and
bed room. In this apartment was an
antique fireplace big enough to roast
un ox. Over the chlmneypleco hung
a picture that was especially prized by
Carl Blshoff.
Blshoff was an admirable amateur
chess player. Indeed, ho had on sev
eral occasions tackled professionals
with fair success. Tho reason he
prized tho picture that hung over the
chlmneypleco at his castlo was be
cause it represented n curious position
between chess players. They were In
medley.al dress, the one long and
thin with a black beard, tho other
stocky, whose beard was fiery red.
Tho dark man wore his beard at a
point, while his mustnchlos wero turn
ed upward, giving him a malignant
expression. Tho red bearded man
was of a pleasant countenance. Tho
picture represonted him looking on the
board, evidently troubled at a prospect
of being checkmated by his antagonist,
who was regarding him with an ex
pression of triumph. On a plate at
tached to tho frame was tho name of
tho picture in German, "Checkmate In
Six Moves." There was a legend con
nected with tho painting that tho man
who had built and owned the castle
would some day return.to repossess it
When he came so the legend said
he would assume tho position of the
red bearded man In tho picture, and
instead of being checkmated in sir
moves ho would checkmate in tho
same number.
Blshoff chuckled at this legend, say
ing that if any one could get his castlo
In that way ho was welcome to do so.
lie had studied for hours trying to
discover a method by which the short
man could save himself and had
failed. IIo considered' tho problem in
soluble, and several chess experts who
Jiad seen the picture had agreed with
him.
One autumn Blshoff, who had run
over from Americn to Berlin, con
cluded to pay a visit to his castlo to
see that all was ready for the coming
winter. A caretaker lived in a room
that had been repaired and furnished
for him and his wife and could pro
vide what Blshoff required in tho way
of refreshments. Blshoff would bo
obliged to spend ono night in tho cas
tlo and would do so in tho room al
ready described.
It was a lowering afternoon when
he reached tho castle, clouds hanging
low about the battlements. After mak
ing an inspection and talking over the
conditions with his caretaker Blshoff,
who had directed a fire bo built in
his chamber, dined there, and when ho
had finished pulled a big armchair up
blforo tho blazing logs. Not feeling
especially happy in his gloomy abode,
he directed his caretaker to make him
a hot punch. This was set on a table
beside him, and as the hours slowly
passed ho drovo off his loneliness with
frequent potations.
Presently ho fell into a dose. How
long be slept he didn't know, but the
first thing he did know tho door was
opened and a man camo into the room.
Blshoff looked up. expecting to seo tho
caretaker. He was mistaken. Tho
person wHo entered was one ho had
never seen, no approached Blshoff
with outstretched hand and with a cor
diality that seemed more appropriate
for a host thnn a guest. Then he drew
a chair before tho fire, warmed his
hands and, taking a pipe from his
pocket, began to smoke.
"Well," he said to Blshoff. "this is
a dismal night without, but pleasant
within. I'm glad you've made your
self comfortable."
Blshoff has never been very clear in
his statements about this man. Wero
it not that he has been so sure ho was
awake and so explicit about some
circumstances connected with tho visit
one would bo warranted In nssumlng
Hint ho was dreaming. At first, ho
says, it only struck him that tho man
was very queer looking, very .qucerly
dressed and wore n red beard. But
nt bis entrance Blshoff did not con
nect him with the picture.
Blshoff was so astonished that for
some timo ho made no response. In
deed, he couldn't think of anything to
soy. Finally he broke sllenco by ask
In German:
"Wheace como you?"
"From up tho river. I have had a
hard pull. Do you know I came near
being caught in that whirlpool? I was
; pulling along when I heard a voice
singing. Glancing up, I saw a benutt-
ful woman looking at me. oh, so tender
, lr. I could not keep away from her.
Turning toward the shore. I oon found
my boat was beginning to whirl. With
a powerful effort I turnxl and pulled
back into smooth water. Tlu suin'iir
continued sweeter than before, but
stopped my curs with a bit of Wutli I
found in my boat and did not Ion); to
ward the shore. I narrowly I'scilpcd
the Lorelei."
"The Lorelei!" exclaimed Blslmir.
"You tell jour experience as If It had
really happened. The Lorelei Is a
myth."
"Call her what you like. 1 don't
wish any more of her. I'll take some
of that punch. I need n bracer after
my narrow escape."
Taking a mug from the mantel, he
poured out some of the liquor and
drank It off.
"One would Judge from tho way you
conduct yourself." said Blshoff, "that
you ure at home here."
"I am." ,
"What do you mean?" snapped Blsh
off angrily.
"Oh. don't get huffy. Let us enjoy
ourselves together." Then, noticing a
chessboard and chessmen on a table,
he added:
"Do yoli play chess?"
"res."
"Well, there is no better way of
spending an evening. Let us havo a
game."
He took up the chessboard, set the
pitcher of punch aside, placed the
board on tho table, arranged the -men.
Without saying "by your leave," he
took the first move. Blshoff, wonder
ing at the man's audacity, lowered his
eyes to the chessboard nnd soon forgot
his astonishment in tho game. He saw
at once that the stranger was an ex
cellent player. Tbe game was a long
one. and for some time neither gained
an ndvnntage; then Blshoff, thinking
bo saw a way to checkmato his an
tagonist, moved and looked up nt his
antagonist as if to say, "I'll soon have
you now, my fine fellow."
The stranger looked up, too, and
with a low laugh turned his head
toward the picture of tho chess play
ers that hung over the chlmneypiece.
Blshoff glanced from the board to the
picture, then back to the board. He
started. Tho chessmen wero in the
same position as in the painting, Blsh
off having the advantage. And then It
dawned on Blshoff that his visitor and
the man with the red beard were one
nnd the same.
"I will checkmate you in six moves,"
said the stranger.
"You mean that I will checkmate
you in six moves," said Blshoff.
"This against your castlo that It Is I
who checkmates you." IIo drew forth
a draft for 30.000 marks on a bank In
Cologne.
"Done." said Blshoff.
His opponent took up a piece nnd
moved it like, an automaton. Blshoff
moved again. On the stranger's fourth
move something Blshoff had never
counted on happened. It seemed to
him that tho tables were turned. Aft
er a long time he moved. The stran
ger moved again. Blshoff, who now
lost his head, moved for the fifth time.
"Checkmate!" said the stranger,
moving.
"You've won; the castle Is yours!"
gasped Blshoff.
The stranger chuckled.
"All this is very queer!" gasped the
American, staring at the man with
eyes as big as butter plates.
"You are mistaken. Nothing is queer.
What is, is. You have only certain
relations with the world of which you
are conscious. You think the past is
dead. Nothing is dead. Everything
always lives, but all things change.
Good night. This castle is now inlno,
but I leave you in possession for the
present."
That's all Blshoff remembers of that
memorable evening. The next morn
ing ho awoke sitting In his chair. The
fire had gone out. and he was shiver
ing. Ho left without oven waiting for
breakfast and offered tho castle for
sale. An ngent found a purchaser, and
before Blshoff returned to America he
mot tho man in tho agent's office to
complete tho sale.
lie nearly fainted on recognizing in
tho new owner his visitor who had
checkmated him at ches3.
While tho papers were being made
out and tho signatures appended Blsh
off continued to stare at the purchaser,
who gaTO no sign of ever having seen
him before. The man was in modern
dress, and. his beard, though red, was
cropped close. Uo had lost everything
of his old fashioned appearance in the
picture. In other words, ho seemed to
have been taken out of the fifteenth
or sixteenth century and dropped Into
the twentieth.
"Hnvo you over been in tho castle?"
Blshoff asked him.
"No. I do not live In Germany. 1
have since my boyhood been In busi
ness in South Americn. It is there
that I have acquired tho means to re
cover the home of my ancestors."
At this point the ngent finished work
ing on the papers and snM:
"Barau Becker comes Into his own
after many centuries. Ho is a lineal
descendant of tho original baron who
built tho castle. It was lost some 400
years ago at a game of chess. There
is a legend that a descendant of Us
first owner would como again into its
possession in the same way that it was
lost to tho famllyS
Blshoff was bo affected at this in
formation that ho signed his receipts
nnd hurried away without asking nny
questions, much to his regret ever
since, for ho appears to bo in a mud
dle about tho whole affair. The only
part of it about which ho Is certain is
that be was wldo awako and In his full
senses when tho events occurred in the
agent's office.
Ho always ends his story with the
remark, "Thero is so much legend
about that Rhine country that some of
It must be true."
NIKOLA TESLA HAS
A NEW INVENTION.
Electrical Journal Ssys Ho Can Eatit)
Transmit Great Energy.
A new development of n mechanical
principle upon which Nlkolu Tesla Is
said to have been laboring for some
years is described in tho Electrical Re
view. This latest development In me
chanics for which so much Is claimed
by friends of tho inventor Is based on
tho adhesion and viscosity of liquids
and gases and Is said to afford a novel
means of generating nnd transmitting
mechanical power.
Dr. Tesla is very optimistic about
the results of his long experimenta
tion, but will not discuss the matter
for publication. Ho expressed sur
prise that nny one had heard of his
latest work before the appearance of
his account of it in tho electrical pub
lication. "The efficiency of tho machines Dr.
Tesla has constructed on this princi
ple," tho Electrical Ilevlew says, "Is
evidenced by their remarkable per
formance, small turbines or rotary en
gines being run at n peripheral speed
scarcely more than half of that of re
action turbines and giving several
times the output of tho latter."
The article describes a small steam
turbine recently exhibited In New
York "hnving a motor only nine and
three-quarter inches in diameter and
two Inches wide," which Is said to be
capablo of developing 110 horsepower
with free exhaust. This machine, it
is further stnted, has no blades, vanes,
valves or sliding contacts of any kind.
"On account of the great simplic
ity of the apparatus, reversibility and
extraordinary output," the article con
tinues, "it will undoubtedly find an
immense vnriety of uses, and the com
mercial world cannot fail to be deeply
Interested in this new development
The electrical industry in particular
should be greatly benefited by this
latest effort of Dr. Tesla."
STABS A MOUNTAIN LION.
Texas Farmor Slew a Beast That Had
Killed His Child.
Maddened by the sight of n mountain
Hon standing over the dead body of
hi3 three-year-old Bon, Juan Morales,
a farmer living seven miles from
Brownsville, Tex., killed tho beast with
a knife thrust in the heart after a fif
teen minute struggle, in which he sus
tained injuries which will cost an arm.
Morales had gone to a neighbor's on
an errand and loft his three children,
aged three, seven ' and ten years, nt
homo. His wife died some months
ago. Do wns returning and heard the
screams of his children. Rushing info
the house, he saw a mountain Hon,
which weighed over 400 pounds,
crouched over tho lifeless and almost
headless body of his little son.
Tho beast sprang at Morales, and the
desperate fight began. Morales, who ia
forty-two years old and an athlete,
tried for a strangle hold on the nnl
mal, which fought with its paws and
was fast pulling the flesh from the
right arm and shoulder of Morales
when ho managed to get out his knife
and made several cuts at the moun
tain Hon, which only made it more fe
rocious. Morales was almost exhausted when
he succeeded In driving tho big blnde
of tho knife Into the heart of tho ani
mal nnd staggered from its grasp as It
fell dead at his foot. Morales fainted,
and his two llttlo girls revived hliu
with cold water nnd then helped him
to bandage tho wounds.
It was a long Journey to town for
medical aid, and, without a conveyance
handy, Morales determined to make the
trip on foot with his two surviving
children. They had almost completed
the Journey when a man In a wagon
picked them up nnd carried them to
Brownsville.
NO FLEET FOR SAN FRANCISCO
Acting Secretary of Navy Won't Lend
It to Aid Celebration.
Acting Secretary of tho Navy Win
throp has denlod the request of vari
ous civic organizations In San Fran
cisco that the proposed cruise of the
raclflc fleet to Hawaii be postponed ho
that tho war vessels may take part In
n naval parado Incident to the break
ing of grot'.nd for the Pnnnraa-Pnclfle
exposition, which will take place on
Oct. 14 next upon tho occasion of
President Taft's visit to San Francisco.
Tho Pacific fleet is scheduled to sail
from San Diego 911 Oct. 1 for Honolulu.
In denying the request Mr. Wlnthrop
said the cruise could not be postponed
without serious detriment to the fleet'n
efficiency.
His First Day at School.
I know a little boy who starts
Upon a journey far today,
And, oh, the love of anxious hearts
That follows him along1 the way!
A traveler to wondrous lands,
He turns and smiles and waves again
To ono with wistful' eyes who stands
Already lonely at the pane.
She knows the road Is rough and long
For baby feet so soft and small;
She knows how travelers bravo and strong
'Neath stress and storm and burden fall.
But naught of woes her wanderer knows
Nor reckons .of the strife In store.
Blithely, without a, care, he goes,
Like the pay venturers of yore.
Along that road are love and fame
And good for all, yet some there be
Who find at last but grief or shame.
Whose end Is pain and poverty.
Ah, mother of that little boy
Who fareth forth alone today,
Ood grant your prayer that peace and Joy
Attend his footsteps all the wayl
-Leonard II. Robbing In Newark Evening
I
NEW TALES
THAT ABE TOLD
Mr. Archbold's Bridge Hand.
John D. Archbold. the Standard Oil
company's real head, Is a bridge fiend,
ne lives beyond Tarrytown-ou-the-Hudson,
,nnd in order to be certain of
a plcasanat dally game he bought a
fast steam yacht some years ago. At
tho closo of each business day Arch
bold and his friends go aboard. No
man is admitted to the dally gather-
TnB MEN CltUUQ TO TUB BOAT.
Ing unless ho is n pluperfect past .mas
ter of bridge whist. If his game falls
off he is dropped from tho daily party.
The other day two oarsmen went out
unwisely on a windy day. Their frail
shell "buckled" in tho swell, and the
pair were thrown into tho drink Just
as the Vixen (ame whooping along.
Tho Vixen's captain stopped her, ma
neuvered for a few moments in the
choppy sea and finally got ropes to
tho men, who wero desperately cling
ing to their boat. Archbold ran to the
rail to see them helped ou board. In
his excitement ho waved his hand as
he was giving ttn order, and a fistful
of lovely cards floated on the breeze.
Tho men wore taken into the engine
room and dried off. Archbold visited
them there.
"This should bo a lesson to you,
young men," said he. "You should be
more careful."
They said thoy would be. They
were profusely grateful for their res
cue. "You ought to be," said Archbold
solemnly. "Do you know what this es
capade of yours cost me?"
They didn't know, of course.
"Tho very best bridge hand I ever
held In my life," said John D.
Mississippi's New Senator.
Jnmcs K Vardamau, who recently
won In the primary election for United
States senator from Mississippi, bus
been twice governor of tho state. Sen
ator Leroy C. Percy, the present In
cumbent, was elected by the legisla
ture lust year to fill the unexpired term
of tho late A. .1. McLaurln, nnd his
term will not expire till 1913. But Mr.
Percy, who was a candidate for the
full term against Vardamon, has sig
nified his intention of resigning when
tho legislature meets In January, and
Mr. Vnrdaman will undoubtedly he
elected to fill out the balance of that
JAMES E. VABDAUAK.
tern at well as the succeeding period
of six years. Three years ago Vnrda
man contested with John Sharp Wil
liams for the senntorshlp and lost by
tho narrow margin of 325 votes out
of a total of 117,525.
Senator Vardaman Is a native of
Texas and in his fiftieth year. Ills
youth was spent on a farm in Mis
sissippi, where he picked cotton and
cut railroad ties until he was admitted
to tho bar. Before being elected to
tho governorship ho bad made his
mark in the stnto legislature, where
bo served as speaker. During the
Spanish war he served In Cuba, reach
ing tho rank of major, and was for
como months in charge of the military
court at Santiago,
7 aeirtfW
Women Appreciate the Ballot.
Mrs. Edward Taylor, wife of a mem
ber of congress from Colorado, denies
that In her state the women are tired
of the ballot. Mrs. Taylor says there
aro to Colorado 80,000 more men than
women, yet In tho elections last fall
tho voto cast by her sex was 43 pet
ont nf tho total,
WORLD'S BIGGEST WARSHIPS.
Two New Ones For American Navy to
Hold the Record.
The two new battleships authorized
by tho last naval act probably will bo
of 23,500 tons displacement, or tho
biggest wnr vessels In tho world. Tho
largest ships so far designed for tho
American navy are the New York and
Texas, with a displacement of 27,000
tons each, nnd It became known only
recently that tho navy department con
templated exceeding their size.
The new ships will have heavier ar
mor than over beforo put on a battle
ship, which accounts for their increas
ed displacement. The armament of
tho now vessels will be the same as
the New York and Texas, with a main
battery of ten fourteen-lnch guns.
With this npproach to a 80,000 ton
battleship the naval ordnance experts
nro considering the question of a six
teen Inch gun. It will require n 35,000
ton battleship to withstand the ter
rific recoil from a main battery of
ten Blxtecn-lnch guns.
Ths Orange In Spain.
It Is considered a very healthful
thing to eat nn orango beforo break
fast But who can ent an orango
well? One must go to Spain to see
that done. Tho senorita cuts off the
rind with her silver knife, then, put
ting her fork into tho peeled fruit, she
detaches every morsel with her pearly
teeth and continues to eat the orango
without Josing a drop of tho Juice and
lays down tho core with tho fork still
In it
"What is tho funniest thing you ever
heard of?"
"Why, I guess it's Henpcck's wlfo
pitying a man she could hnve married,
but didn't" Houston Post.
"Your odo to Niagara is tho real
thing. I felt that way when I first
saw the falls." "I havo never seen tho
falls," explained tho poet. "I got the
Ideu from reading a railway booklet."
Louisville Courier-Journal.
When yott feel dA-
vous, tired, worried or despondent it is a
sure sign you need MOTT'S NERVERINE
PILLS. They renew the normal vigor and
make life worth living. Be sure and ask for
Mott's Nerverine Pills EXEi?.0.
WILLIAMS MFC. CO., Props., Cleveland, Ohio
FOR SAIiE BY
C. O. JADWIN.
W. C. SPRY
AUCTIONEER
HOLDS SALES ANYWHEIIE
IN STATE.
ttttt:a:tutatjat:::::2::uj;:an;:t
CLOSING OUT SUMMER GOOD
Til COST
To Clean
MENNER & GO. Keystone Stores.
Consisting of Made Up Goods for Ladies,
Juniors and Misses. Wash Tailor Suits,
Newest Styles. House Dresses, Wrappers &
Kimonas, White Lawn and Marquisette One
Piece Dresses.
Kimona Shirt Waists and High and Low
Neck Waists. Long Coats in Light Weight
WooF, Pongee and Linen. Separate Skirts and
Jackets will be sold low to close out all re
maining stock.
MER.N
En & CO.
5mtmmnm:mtmmttmjmwmtmjmtmntmtm:mjmm:mttmt
FOR
RESULTS
JOSEPH N. WELCH
Fire
Insurance
The OLDEST Fire Insurance
Agency in Wayne County.
Office: Second floor Masonic Build
ing, over 0. 0, Jadwin's drug store,
Honsdale.
M. LEE BRAMAN
EVERYTHING IN LIVERY
Buss for Every Train and
Town Calls.
Horses always for sale
Boarding and Accomodations
for Farmers
Prompt and polite attention
at all times.
ALLEN HOUSE BARN
tttffltrattnnrcntttnrnnifflttHffittffittri
MARTIN CAUFIELD
Designer and Man-
ufacturer of
I ARTISTIC
I MEMORIALS
It
Office and Works jj
J 1036 WAIN ST. I
I HONESDALE, PA. I
0 1
iitiHiittt.ttntttntttMttfttintn?titnttnrrti
S III LESS
Up Stock
Deoartment
Stores
KRAFT & CONGER
N1AHCE
HONESDALE, PA.
Rbi '.sent Reliable
Coniganies ONLY
ADVERTISE IN THE CITIZEN