The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, January 05, 1898, Image 8

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    SELLING BY SIGNAL.
HOW CATTLE ARE DEALT IN AT THE
CHICAGO STOCKYARDS.
Hitting la Th.lr ftadrilF, With thn Lot
ll.twr.n Thra, Hollir Bnif Bnf t'on
etnite Trnnsnrtlon by nlsln.? Tlirlr
tVtitp l.r Thlr ttrd..
Tho Chlcnpo stiwkynrds nro nnlqnn
mnii8 the grout marts nf llin world. In
no ether place, say those, who nro most
fnniilinr with it daily routine, I no
lurnc mi aggregate of business trnusnot
i A in tho language of gestures and with
out the "scratch of a pen" ha In the
noisy pens of tlio stockyards. A whip
la huh! high in nir, across a sea of clat
tering horus the signal in answered by
tlit momentary uplifting of a band, uud
a "bunch" of cattle worth thousands of
dollars is told.
There ii something splendidly pic
turesque nnd even spectacular in these
wordless transactions. They ignore the
artificialities of the comple system up
on which modern basinet relationship
are utmost universally maintained.
Trade in the cattle pens geta boldly
back to primitive simplicity. It in done
on honor, not on paper. And the undis
puted transfer of million! of dollars'
worth of tho property here dealt in
proves that a bargain sealed with the
wave of the whip and an assenting ges
ture of the bund is quite as snfe and sa
cred ns if the whole transaction were
recorded "in black and white."
Tho trader In the wheat pit is armed
with his tally card, upon which be
pauses to note tho names of those with
whom be dcnls and the amount, nature
unit price of tho commodities bought
and cold. The broker upon the floor of
the Stock Exchange places equal reli
huco upon the quickly penciled memo
randa mode at the moment when the
details of each transaction were upon
tbo lipn of those concerned in its fulfill
ment; but tho buyer and seller of the
yards cany whips, not pencils, and
their deals are recorded in memory in
stead of written upon trading cni'ds. As
well try to pictnro tho old knights mak
ing laborious written memorundu of
their challenges as to think of the rough
and ready traders of the cattle yards
pausing in their saddles to jot down
upon paper their purchases and pales.
Such a procedure would bid defiance to
the very naturo of things and do vio
lence to tho magnificent unconvoution
ality of every environment.
"Is there never any trouble In this
kind of dealing?" a leading commission
man was usk, d.
' "If you mean do the men go back on
their bargains made by whip and baud,
I can uuswer, never," was tho trader's
nuswer as ho brought his trim black
horse to a bait in the cattle alley and
leaned forward in his saddle. "There
isn't another place in America, or the
wholo world, for that matter, whero so
. much business is dono on the basis of
personal integrity, without a written
word to show for the transactions, as
right hero," ho continued, "nnd the
method beats all tho bonds on earth.
Tho day's business in thcHO pens will
run about (l.fiflO.OOO. And how is it
.done? Little talk, a considerable wav
ing oi whips and bands aud no exchange
of written documents between buyers
nnd sellers.
"Hero in a bunch of cattlo that will
figure up about $10,000. Over there in
tho other ulley is a buyer who this
morniujj offered mo a price of $3. 10 for
them. I thought tuiit I could do better,
but tho market has been a little off, and
I havo decided to let tho bunch go at
his offer. Up to tho present moment
we havo exchanged about a dozen words
on this subject. Now, if he is willing to
pay the price which he named in the
morning I'll show you how a 10, 000
bunch of fat trteers is mild without
word of month or a scratch of writing
at the time the bargain is really made. "
Tho commission mnu then straighten-
ed up in tlio saddle and waited for tho
distant buyer to look in his direction.
A moment later this representative of
a big packing houso wheeled his horso
abont and faced in the direction of tho
seller. Instantly the commission man
lifted high his rawhide riding whip
and held it aloft. His attitudo was as
striking as that of a cavalry colonel up
lifting his snbor to concentrate the at
tention of his regiment before making
a desperate charge. The pose, however,
was full cf natural grace aud froedom
and showed tbut the man was more at
ease iu the saddle than he could have
been ont of it.
Only a moment elapsed before tbe
alort eye of the buyer caugbt sight of
the upraised whip. Tho next instant be
raised his band a little ubove his head,
held it motionless a moment and then
dropped it with a forward movement.
Quickly tho seller repeated the motion
of assent with his whip, and then, turn
ing to his caller, said:
. "That's all there is to it To stran
ger this kind of
performance looks
like a long range sign talk between deaf
mutes, out we understand eacn other 40 per oent; women who are "not sea
porfectly. We both know bow many giok at all," but who have "bad head
cattle there are in tbe bunch and tbe aches." 15 percent: women who "don't
price at which they have been sold.
Had we been within speaking distance
of each other tbe transaction would
probably have been verbal one, just
for the sake of sociability, but not be
cause it would have mue the bargain
better understood or any more binding."
Chicago I'ost.
Cola la the Bottla.
There have been patented all kinds of
schemes devised fur the purpose of se
curing a bottla that cannot be refilled
iter having ouoe been emptied of its
contents. A great deal of fraud is said
to be perpetrated by filling the bottles
of some standard liquor with an inferior
grade aud palming it off as the original
bottling. An ingenious Philadelpbiuu
proposes to accomplish this by blowiug
a coin in the body of tbe glass bottle,
and be thinks that this will be tempt
' ing enough to induce some one to break
the bottle as soon as it has been emptied,
fiiladbluhuj Record. ,
A Patent Ofllm Incident.
The patent office official bowed po
litely from his place at his desk as the
visitor in clothes of clerio cut and a J
smooth face greeted him with a subdued '
"Good morning, sir." j
"Good morning," respotided the offi
cial, with a cheerful, $150 a month
manner. "Is there anything we cad do
for yon this morning?"
"I don't know really, sir," crooned,
tho caller softly. "To know if yon can
is tho object of my visit this morning,
sir."
"Very well, state yonr case, and if
we can do anything for you yon may
rest assured it will bo done. "
Tho visitor cleared his throat pretty
much ns if he were going to deliver a
sermon. i
"I think," ho said slowly and with
hesitation, "if I mistake not, that I
saw a statement in some one of the pub
lic prints to the effect that this office
would not issue a patent on Sunday. Is
that true, sir?"
"Quite true. It does not"
"Why is that, sir, if I may ask?"
"It is against tho rules of the office la
all I know."
"Will it issue one on any other
day i
of the seven, sir?"
"Certainly It wilL That is what it
Is here for."
"Oh, thank yon, how nice," twitter
ed the visitor, taking a large madras
handkerchief from his onattail pocket,
shaking it ont and wiping his brow
With it "That being the case, if yon
will be kind enough to let me have one
on Tuesday, sir, yon will do me a great
personal favor. Yon see, sir, Tuesday is
my birthday, aud I want a patent on it
so no ono can use it for birthday pur
poses, sir, except myself. "Washing
ton Star.
Mental THrgrnphy.
"Let inn take your hat, John, dear.
I'll close tho door. Von'ro tired, I
know. Give me another kiss. What's
one?"
"Thank you, my dear. Yon nro very
thoughtful."
"Of you always, to be sure, you poor,
dear boy. 1 havo the nicest supper for
yon. Look pome lovely biscuits, the
kind of cake you liko best nnd yonr fa
vorite preserves tool"
"How kind of you."
"Not at all. It's a wife's duty, you
kmw, to study her husband's wishes
and comfort. "
"Why, so it is 1 I had quite forgotten
that."
"Now, John, aren't you pleased?"
"Oh, of course, of course, my dar
ling, only"
"Well, only" I
"Nothing, nothing but you've been
down town this afternoon, haven't
yon?" ;
"Why, John, how did you guess? ,
Yen." j
"And to the milliner's?"
"You're n mind render. "
"No, not at nil. " (After a reflective
pause) "Well, hero it is."
"Oh, John, $10 you deur, sweet,
good hubby. "
"Urn yes ain't I? But, como on,
let's have that delicious supper now. I
need it." (To himself, ns ho spreads his
first biscuit) "Mind reader I guess so!
I thought she was talking through her
hat, and she was. " Philadelphia Bul
letin. Greeks right!-.
Smolcnski had placed a battery of
mountain guns on a plateau overlooking
tho village of Vclestiuo, nnd nlong the
base of this plateau was a battalion of
Evzoncs, sheltered by the position of
tho ground uud by intrcuchmcuts. Tho
battery on tho plateau played on tho
Turkish advance with great effect, nnd
the order was given by tho Turkish
commander to chargo it. Tho Turkish
infantry swung clear, aud tho cavalry,
led by a young officer, tamo on in col
umn, first nt tho trot and then at a
swinging gallop. It seemed a mad un
dertaking for cavalry to chargo a bat-
tery of well served artillery planted on
tho crest of a long, steep slope.
Tho brave horsemen were met with
salvos of shells which plowed through
their ranks. Then suddenly uproso the
Evzones from their partially hidden
cover nnd poured upon thorn volley after
volley. No troops could withstand such
fire, and, completely broken, the Turk
ish horsemen turned uud sought shelter
in tho woods in the neighborhood of
Risomylos. "With tho Greeks
In
Thcssuly," by W. Kinnaird Rose.
8lck at 8ea.
Walter Wellmau gives us the follow
ing statistics as to a voyage with mod
erately rough seas or long swell : Men
seasick and invisible, 80 pur cent; men
sick and ou deck, but not going down to
meals, S3 per cent; men who go to
meals, but ouly nibble through prido's
sake, 15 per cent; men who were "never
seasick," but who have "eaten some
thing that disagreed with them," 10
per cent; men not sick at alL 80 ner
j cent; women too sick to leave their cab
ins, 85 per oent; women sick on deck,
(eel just right," t per oent, and women
who really enjoy it, 8 per oent
Coal Mlnen.
One million and a half men work in
the coal mines of the world. Of these
Great Britain -haa 685,000; United
States, 800,000; Germany, 885,000;
Belgium, 100,000; Russia, 44,000. The
world's miner of metal number 4,000,
000. The German emperor's imperial train
coat $880,000 and took three yeurs to
construct. There are altogether 18 oars,
including two nursery carriages. The
reception saloon contains several pieces
of stutnary, uud eueh of the sleeping
ears is fitted with a bath.
The republic of Guatemala has over
10,000 saloons and taverns.. In the
ouutry districts there is 1 to every 68
luhabituts; in tbe towus 1 to every 69.
MODERN CHICKEN COOPS.
Thm One Familiar tut In !! Given Way
to Wire Netting.
Men whoso memories go back, sny,
(t years will remember that in those
days when a man wanted to build a
chicken coop he bought a bundle or two
of laths and built it Them are mighty
few lath chicken coops built nowadays.
Even tho smnllest chicken raiser, who
keeps a few in his buck yard, makes his
coop or runway of poultry netting. Tim
chicken house, or shelter, is made of
boards, often of two thicknesses nnd
with tarred paper lietwcen, for better
protection from the weather, anil with
openings at the bottom and under the
projecting roof for ventilation.
Laths were cheap; poultry netting is
till cheaper. It is made of steel wire,
galvanized, in various widths and in
various sires of mesh. The netting most
commonly used is six feet wide, with a
two inch mesh. The chicken raiser sots
np a frame and tacks the netting to it.
Narrow nettings of smaller mesh are
used in various ways to keep in little
chicks sometimes a foot wide small
i mesh netting to ran around at the base
of the lnclosure, the regular netting
being set above it, thns increasing the
I total height of the netting. Sometimes
the small mesh netting is run around
i inside of the regular netting, thus mak
ing the lower part of the netting double.
Sometimes it is nsed to make separata
small inclosures within the large run
way aud perhaps to make a number of
small inclosures to keep separate broods
of chicks apart The narrow, small
mesh netting is made np to three and a
half foot in width,
i There is nowadays a use for wire net
ting lit chicken houses. A netting with
j a square mesh is laid on the floor of
j chicken houses to keep out rats and
, mice. I
, There nro now many largo establish- ;
ments in this country for tho raising of
chickens for commercial purposes, for :
1 market and for breeding, nnd thero are :
, as many men as ever who raise chickens
nt home, from tho many who keep a
few in the back yard, with a simple
chicken houso and coop, to men who
rniso many chickens and maintain an
, elnbornto plant for their breeding and
i keeping. But under whatever conditions ,
they nro raised, chickens aro rarely seen
nowadays in coops made of laths, such
as were familiar 40 years ago. New
York Bun.
AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.
I Bomber and Terrible Wi the Seen at
the Moment of Totality.
Mrs. Mabel Looinis Todd, writing in
The Atlnutio of au eclipse seen in Ja
pan, says: "Just before totality, to oc
cur nt 9 minutes after 1) o'clock, I went
over to the little lighthouse, taking
np my appointed station on the sum- ,
init, an ideal vnutngo ground for a spec- j
tacle beyond anything else I over wit- ;
ncsscd. Grayer nnd grnyer grew the
day, narrower and narrower tho crcs- j
cunt of shining sunlight. Tho seu faded ,
to leaden nothingness. Armies of crows,
which bad pretended cntiro iudiffer- i
enee, fighting nnd (lapping us usual on
gables aud flagpoles with unabated fer- ;
vor, finally succumbed, and flew off ,
with heavy hnsto to tho piuo forest on j
tho mountain sido. Tho French luau-of- j
war disappeared in tho gloom, the 1
junks blended in coloi'lcssucss, but ,
grass nnd verduro suddenly tunied
strangely, vividly yellow green.
"It wns n moment of appalling sns-
pense. Something wns being waited for. '
The very nir wns portentous. Tho fltx'ltB
of circling sea gulls disappeared with
strungo cries. Ono whito butterfly flut
tered by vaguely.
"Then an iustuntnncons dnrknops
leaped upon tho world Unearthly night
enveloped all things. With an inde
scrilKiblo outflashing at tho same sec
ond, tho corona burst forth in wonder
ful radiance. But dimly seen throuj;h
thinly drifting cloud, it was neverthe
less beautiful, a celestial ftaino beyond
Ul -w 1 1 ill lull. tuiiuiimii'i.itni 3 l uu uvtiii
t, . , . . , ,
northwestern sky was iusttuilly flooded
... i ii , . .ii i -ii-
with a lurid uud startlingly brilliant
orangn, ncross which flouted clouds
slightly darker, like flecks of liquid
flume, whilo tho west and southwest
gleamed iu shining lemon yellow. It
wns not like n sunset; it was too som
ber and terrible. "
Ban Advlc to Young ArtUU.
"Don't givo in" was about the gist
of what ir Wyke Buyliss said to thu
English art students in a lecture at the
South Kensington museum. Ho told
them what ought to be their watchword :
"Do not believe, he said, in the in
sidious lie thnt the devil is always
whispering to the soul of tho artist
that the goldon age of art is past nnd
that what was done yesterday cannot lie
done today, for art is in its decadence.
Such an assertion was the danger of tho
time, and he would have them track it
to its source and kill it there. It had
two forms despondency and tempta
tion bnt he urged them not to bo in
fluenced by either. Let their study be
based upon knowledge, the knowledge
that had accumulated during the ages
and was formulated in what was known
as academic training, and let their
knowledge in turn bo based upon their
own study. "
Certainly that is the best of advice,
for what has been done before can be
done again.
Mo N.d to Cry.
"Don't cry, Buster, " said Jimmieboy
after the catastrophe. ' 1 Napoleon didu 1 1
cry every time his brother hit him acci
dentally on the eye. "
"I know that, "retorted Buster. "Na
poleon did all the hittin on tho eye bin
self. "Harper's Uuzur.
Bm Valloitr.
Site Such lovely bargains as there
are at that uew place I ,
He Ah?
. Shu Yes, silksi at 18 cents, and in a
store so small thnt a hundred persons
crowd it to suffocation I Detroit Journal
The Worlfl M It t d Was.
The earth, which w find today
bright with varied hues, vocal with in
numerable sounds, rich in fruits nnd
fragrant with odors, lay for an almost
Incalculable period of time destitute, or
all hot destitute, of color, soundless
save for the noise of wave and tempest,
and with no promise ns yet of the rich
profusion oT vegetable and animal forms
thot now diversify its surface nnd fill It
with the thrill nnd m no i fold activities
of life. We often speuk of man ns "the
heir of all the nges," hnt not often,
probably, do wo pnnce to realize the
significance of the word. We talk of
evolution, but seldom make nny due ef
fort to grasp the plenitude and grandeur
of the thought These sonst s of which
we have the use, and each of which
brings a different world within our ken,
whence are they? It enis so natural to
see, it seems so uatnral to hear, to
touch, to smell, to taste, that we forget
through what alow processes, by what
au incalculable number of slight accre
tions and delicate modifications these
wonderful channels of knowledge and
sensation have been made for us. We
go back throngh the ages, and we come
to a sightless, voiceless world.
For a period probably as long as all
the rest of gcologionl time the ouly
forms of life were prototoa. Bight was
developed among the wonderfnl crusta
ceans of the Silurian period, but as yet
there were no organs of hearing. The
first strldulatlou of an insect wing was
beard (if it was heard) In the devonian
age, tbe birth epoch of the first verte
brates fishes but long ages had to pass
before the first bee hummed over a flow
er or the first butterfly fluttered its
wings in the sunshine. Popular Sci
ence Monthly.
A Vision of the Futnre.
One dny in October, 1888, Lndy A.,
living in Hue dn Bel-Respiro, Paris,
found that she had been robbed of a
sum of 8, BOO francs. She notified the
commissary of police on Run Berry er,
who Instituted n search and questioned
tho servants, but discovered nothing.
Lady A., when enumerating her serv
ants, begued the commissary to exclude
from his suspicious her second vulrt do
chnmbre, a youth of IB, very good look
tug, very respectful, aud very well
qualified for his duties, who bad been
nicknamed "le Petit, " not on account
of his stature, for be was rather tall,
but from a feeling of delicate, protect
ing familiarity which his good qualities
had won for him. Meanwhile, among
the friends of Lady A. there had been
a good deal of talk about a certain
Demoiselle E., who, they said, could
see the most surprising things in a bowl
of coffee grounds. M. L. d'Ervieux had
the curiosity to accompany his governess
to the Louse of this person, aud was
quite surprised to bear her describe ex
actly each piece of furniture in Lady
A.'s apartment, pnss in review her
even servants, nnd say that, though
she could not name the thief, be would
be guillotined within two years. Some
weeks later "lo Petit" left tbo service
of his mistress without giving any rea
son, and two years later ho mounted tho
scaffold. This servant, sohighly esteem
ed, wns nouo ether than Mnrchaudou,
tbe assassin. Arena.
Edison'. Marrlnce.
The idea of tho great electrician Kdi
snu marrying was first suggested bv an
; intimate friend, who told him that 1,1s
largo house and numerous servants
j ought to have a mistress. Although a
! very shy man, he seemed pleused with
the proposition and timidly inquired
whom ho should niarty. The friend
1 somcwhut testily replied, "Any tine."
j But Edison was not without sentiment
win 11 tlio timo came. One day, as lie
steed behind the chair cf a Miss Still
I well, n telegraph operator in bis eni
: ploy, ho was not u little surprised when
I she suddenly turned round and said,
i "Air. Kdiscn, I can always tell v. lien
' yon aro I rliind uioor mar me." It was
, now Miss SlilhveH's turn to be. sur
prised, tor l.fliK n Iron ted the ynnng
,, ,,
i lac v, and, locking brr fu 1, said, "I
i . , , , '
been t limiting coiifii!eialily nbont vi
i , . , r. .
v
you
of lute, and if you are willing to many
me I would liko to marry you." Tho
young lady said she would consider the
matter and tulk it over with her mother.
Tho result was that they wero married
a mouth luter, and the union proved a
very bar-py one. 8au Francisco Argo
naut. FUU or Sword..
Boxing, though better appreciuted
now, was not so popular iu the north
of England aud Scotland as in the
south, not assuredly because the people
aw either better mannered or less ag
gressive, but probably becnuso the sci
ence was less understood. Sir Walter
Scott's touching tale of the "Two Drov
ers" is a good illustration of this dif
ference of feeling ou tho subject, uud as
long ago as 1TU0 a book was written by
a highland officer with the following
curious title: "Antipugilism, or thu
science of defense exemplified in short
aud easy lessons, for thu practice of the
broadsword and single stick, whereby
gentlemen may become proficient in tho
use of the weapons, without the help of
a master, and be enabled to chastise
the insolence and temerity so frequently
mot with from those fashionuble gentle
men, the Johnsonians, Big Benuiaus and
Mendoziaus of the present day, a work
perhaps better calculated to extirpate
this reigning and brutal folly than a
whole volume of sermons. ' j
It was precisely this feeling whioh 1
poor Robin Oig, Sir Walter's hero, ex
pressed when his friend Hurry Wuko-
field, with whom some words had puss
ed, suggested that they should have a
round or two and be frieuda "To be
peaten like a dog," said Robin "is
there any reason iu thut? But if I am to
fight I've no skill to fight liko a jacka
napes, with hands and nails."
"How would yon light, theu?" said
his antagonist. "Though I'm thinking
it would bo hard to bring yon to the
scratch anyhow. "
"I would fight with proudswords and
sink point uu the first plood drawn.
like a geutlenians. " Natiouul Review. 1
Large Holiday
Our holiday trade was
it, nnd are thankful to
and ask n continuance
DO YOU
Appreciate an honest piece of FURNITURE at au
honest price? Most assuredly you do, nnd therefore
we invite you to visit our store nnd Bee our unsur
passed display of the latest and most correct
things in
FURNITURE, CARPETS, WINDOW SHADES, ETC.
In Justice to yourself you should not buy a single
article in our line before viewing our exhibit now open to
the public at large. Why ? Because it means a saving of
Dollars for you.
Undertaking In all Its
branches.
Fanvii
mid
IJiiefii
trarr. Jefferson
STORE
Ts ITendtjunrhuvs ibi
Dry Goods, Notions, Hats and
Caps, Boots and Shoes.
J isr oue
Clothing Department we have great bargains. We invite
you to come in nnd examine our line. It is
no trouble to show goods.
up Furniture Garpet
Department is
complete and
be beat.
Largest and Finest
Selected Stock
in town.
Jefferson Supply Co.,
Pleasant Avenue, Heynoldsville, Penn'a.
A CHEST
PROCTETOR,
And a good one, but no
possible protector can
rival the merit of the
hardware we Ripply in
qualities worthy of the
linent chests on earth.
Our hardware line is a
top one." There's noth
ing above it, and we
wouldn't carry anything
bijlow it.
OUR PRICES
too, always have a size about them that's just
right and make it an absolute waste of money to
go elsewhere.
STOVES !
Our line of heating and cooking stoves is the largest
to be found in town, and our prices are the lowest.
We tran save you money.
Reynoldsville Hardware Co.
In making a selection
of Goods for
Fall and Winter Wear
It is important that the choice should be made from a thor
oughly up-to-date and well assorted stock. Then
there is no possibility of getting goods of
doubtful style. Our offerings of
DRESS GOODS,
LADIES' JACKETS
AND CAPES
Can be acceDted as being
having been taken to secure exclueive, but popular )
styles. In every department tne articles presented
will be found of a quality to command approval.
Prices are wonderfully small for such value. Such
goods as we have will serve better purpose else
where than on our shelves, and we sacrifice
profits to make quick sales. v
Trade
very large and we appreciate
our patrons for their trade,
of the name.
Hughes & Dinger.
Supply Co.
Complete
Line of
Cook
Ilange
P I feat I lift
Stove.
prices that cannot
of Fresh Groceries
absolutely correct, care j