THE RAT AND HIS FOE. FERRETS ARE THE NATURAL ENE MIES OF THE CREAT PEST. Sals At Divided. Into Three Kind nd Are Kaeentlnlly a Soelal Animal' he TTHI Kat ar Drink Almo.t Anything -The rtcxlbla Ferret and HI Ways. Comparatively lew parsons know anything definite abont rats, beyond tha (act tbat each animals exist. They are supposed to be an article of staple diet in China, and in every other coun try ol the world, says the New York Mail and Express, are exterminated at the expense of much loss and trou ble, and yet there is a book published on the subject of rats and ferrets, theferret being the natural enemy of the rat, and consequently being natu rally included in any remarks which Bats are divided into three classes, the black, the brown and the water . varieties. The most common variety is the brown rat, which was originally brought from Norway to this country abont 177 A. Before this time the indi genous blnck rat had things all his own way in this country, but the im ported rat rapidly exterminated the home product. The origlnnl black rat is practically extinct, whereas the brown rat is found everywhere. This is because the brown rat is the larger and bolder and most ferocious. That the rats in previous times war 3 considered quite as great a nuisance as they ave at present is witnessed by the fact that there was in England an official rat catcher to the king. This individual was nsnolly a gypsy and wore a scarlet coat, embroidered in yellow worsted, with figures of rats destroying wheat sheaves. He also carried a heavy staff surmounted by the insignia of his office, which he al ways bore while taking part in royal pageants. He also had an attendant, who took no part in the procession but who did the main part of the work, and was munificently rewarded by the princely wage of twopence a month. The rat is essentially a social animal, and he habitually herds with his kind. In the cold weather a whole colony of nt. nnmnnsed nsnallv of about sixty. sleep together in a heap for mutual warmth, and they change from the bottom to the top of the heap in order to give each rat a chance at the warm spot at the bottom. This unselfish ness, however, does not exist when the rats are hungry. Then they eat each other. If the mother rat does not get enough to eat she eats her young. Bats also eat their dead and inilrm, which accounts for the fact that sick rats are never found at large. Where a number of rats are confined in a cage it is no uncommon occurrence for all the rats except one to combine and kill and eat one ill-fated compan ion. The multiplying capacity of rats is prodigious. A writer has calculated that from a single pair of New York rats there will spring, in three years, 650,000 descendants. There is practically nothing which rat will not eat or drink. They will drink all kinds of liquor, and are par ticularly fond of oil, Bud it makes no difference to the rat whether whatever he eats or drinks is fresh or not. In fact, he rather prefers decaying meat and stale drink. All rats are inebri ates, and get as drnuk as they can whenever possible. In the breweries they lie around in drunken heaps, and are consequently easily captured. Those who have eaten rats say that they are pretty good food and taste not unlike rabbit. As has been said, the forret is the natural enemy 01 tno rat, and seems to have been created for the sole pur pose of exterminating the tribe. For this purpose the ferret is eminently fitted by nature. - Both in head and body the ferret is flexibility itself, and he can go anywhere that a rat can. A ferret is a cross between a mink, a martin and a polecat. The ferret is a comparatively do mesticated animal, and will readily become attached to its owner, bnt it is a very treacherous little animal, and when irritated will bite even the per son by whom it has been accustomed to be fed. wnen bitten by a ferret the hand should never be withdrawn. The moment a ferret feels whatever he has bitten resisting, he instantly fastens npon it with the tenacity of a vise, and in order to make a ferret give up its hold it is frequently neces sary to out its head off. - Ferrets not only kill rats, but they eat them. A ferret will devour an entire rat, including skin and tail, which carnivorous quality marks his chief usefulness. The ferret does not kill the rat in the 'wall and then leave him to decay, bat he absolutely eliminates the rat aud removes him internally. When a ferret is finished with a rat there is no rat, and there is no known case where a rat, however large and ferocious, has killed a ferret. Feeding Army Elephant. YVlAvOianta In ill Tn.llan al-mw ... U.JU ... .......... W.....J fed twice a day. When meal time ar rives, they are drawn up in line be fore a row of piles of food. Each an imal's breakfast includes ten pounds of raw rice, done up in five two-pound J lockages. The rice is wrapped in eaves and then tied with grass. At tha command, "Attention 1" each ele phant raises its trunk and a package Is thrown into its capacious month. By this method of feeding, not a sin gle grain of rice is wasted. Lnneojr to loBdon. Tha report of the asylums oomniit te of the London county council rLowa tbere has been au alarming iu ' - 1 la lur-y during tha laat nine . r , indo,,, WbWe 1. " -oi itn of T --'a THIS WELL SPOUTS CLAY. It IS Ales Sere Indication of What the Weather Is Going to Be. The government artesian well a Lower Brule Indian agency in Sontl Dakota, is a freak that is puzzling thi g eologists of tha Northwest. Origi nally the pressure threw tha solid six. inch stream of water - to a height ol twenty-one feet abote tha top of th well casing. Boon after tha well was completed the pipe would become choked, and at such times the water would not flow for two or three days at a time. Then without apparent cause the pipe sud denly would become clear and the water would again spout to its former height. After continuing for a few days, during which time it almost constantly spouted large quantities of sand, the water once mora would be come choked and cease to flow. This became so frequent and so regular that in time the agency authorities became accustomed to it and paid no particu lar attention to the freakishnessof the well, which is constantly under their observation. But now the matter has taken anew and more peculiar turn. Arrivals from the agency say that beginning about three weeks ago the well at inter vals has been forcing out apparently endless quantities of blue clay. This in itself is nothing strange, bnt the manner in which the clay is conveyed to the surface is out of the ordinary. The blue clay entirely fills the six-inch pipe during the temporary eruptions, and rises slowly above the top of the casing, exactly as sausages emerge from a sausage machine, until the top Is so high in the air that it becomes overbalanced; thon five or six feet of the length topples over upon the ground. The continued npwnrd move ment of the clay in a few minutes causes more of the column to topple over. This has continued until circu lar pieces of the blue clay aggregating several hundred fset in length have been deposited on the ground in the vicinity of the well, necessitating the employment of men to remove the huge deposits before the top of the casing should become completely buried. The discharges of blue cloy are accompanied by very little water, and the clay, probably from the great pressure required to force it through the well casiug, is always hard aud dry. Another peculiarity is that these eruptions invariably begin a short time prior to the advent of windy or stormy weather, and continue until the weather again becomes settled. Chi cago Bocord. The EMqaeite of the Desert.' Social etiquette among the Arabs is a factor in life to be considered seri ously if you wish to live among them without friction. Its obligations are not to be completely mastered in a few months. (Sometimes when I have had companions with me presumably thoroughly uu fait with all things Mo hammedan, the harmony of the occa sion has been seriously endangered by some thoughtlessness or ignorance on their part, which to the Moslem could appear only as a contemptuous want of consideration. Thus, no greater insult could be offered to an Arab than a friendly inquiry as to the welfare of his wife, to us a natural civility, but to him a gross impeitinenoe bitterly resented. On one occasion I nearly made a similar blunder.. I was invited by s neighboring sheik to go over to see him, and was on the point of rid ing up to his tent door and dismount ing there. Fortunately, however, I recollected in time that etiquette de manded that I should bait fifty yards off and call in a loud voice: "Have I your permission to approach?" This gives time to bundle off any of their womeukiud who may be about, pre paratory to the admission of a stranger, it is curious, also, to notice that in spite of the real affection existing be tween father and son, the sense of re spect dominates all other feelings, aud the sons will never sit at meat with their father in the presence of a guest, but will wait upou both' until the father, rising, allows them the op portunity of breaking bread with their visitor. Provided, however, that yon recog nize their social customs, my exper ience has proved the Bedouin to be genuine, warm-hearted friends; and they really become greatly attached to those whom they know and who know them. -Century. Mays Candles Won't Born In Dawson. ."Talk about candles being worth $1.50 apiece in Dawson, it's all wrong," said Charles Way recently. "I wintered on the west fork of Stew art river iu '04 aud '90 with a party from Sitka. We went into winter quarters early, having good prospect on 'a bar directly iu front of our log cabin. We had plenty of supplies that we had hired the Indians to bring in for us via Dyea. Among other things we had a gross of tallow candles. Things went along nicely until October 22, when at noon it be gan to grqw cold. You could feel it settle down. The water in the boxes couldn't run more than twelve feet without getting thick, so we quit work and went into the camp. We loaded the stove up with birch wood, and aomebody lighted a candle. It burned all right for A minute or two. then the light commenced to grow dim, and to ail appearauoes went out. I was sur prised, npon examination, to find that the wick was still burning, bat the tallow was not melting. I watched the wick as it burned, the fire burn ing itself right in the middle until the wick waa consumed clear down to the bottom, melting a hole about the site of a lead pencil through the tallow. but nstless as a light, and we had to go to bed la the dark. Candles are aot worth f .S3ecfc when tha wether is r- I o-' 'Xr r-y won't tura."-X Winter Wind. 1 O Wind, how cruelly yon blowl aow can you treat tne ennnren so You give mob whirls, And Jerk our curls, tnd whisk os 'round poor little glrlst Dh, how you roar and rush and hustle! ft'by must you be In such a bustle? (n summer-time we used to hear the little sephyrs coming near ' Not rude and wild, If tit sott and mild. As gentle as a little child. iv e always laughed ami laughed, wnen tnoy Dint whispering to us In our play. Sow, Wind, I'm wondering if yon iVore ever like them? tell me true. And did you blow Long, long ago t quietly and sweet and low? iVIll they he like you when they're old to rough aud cruel, and so cold? Sydney Dayre, In Youth's Companion, A Little Mistake. "Well, no one can say I have not node good use of my time," said a arge white mushroom to a daisy that jrew in the turf close by. "Yon certainly have grown surpris ingly fast," said the daisy, thought fully. "Yes, and I have done it all since you folded your petals and went to sleep. I daresay, now you are won lering where I was last night." "No," said the daisy, "I wasn't; to tell the truth, I was wondering where you would be tomorrow night." The Moose's Blanket. One day Willie's mamma missed a banknote which she was certain she bad put in a particular place. Think ing that Willie might have taken it for a plaything, not knowing its value, she asked him if he had seen it. Bnt Willie knew nothing about it, neither did the nui-Be nor anybody in the bouse. By and by papa came home. He pointed to a mouse hole in the nursery floor, and said the mice must have stolen it. A carpenter came and took up the floor, and, sure enongh, there was a nest of little mice all cuddled down on the bank-note, which Mother Mouse had spread ont as a lining for the nest. Other pioces of paper were found, all torn and nibbled, but this, being nice and soft, had been saved for a blanket by the wise old mother. Congregationalism Soldier Joe. Tommy leaned on his snow-shovel, looking very much discouraged. Only yesterday he had cleaned off the walk, and now here it was quite blocked up again. Too bad I He was sure he never could shovel away all that snow. Thon he heard a noise in the next yard, and looked over the fence to see what was going on. First be saw a shower of snow flying up in the air, and then Joe's shovel and his small blue mittens, and last of all little Joe himsolf, working away as if he went by steam. He had shoveled a long, clear path, shut in on each side by two high, white, clean walls. "O Joel Ain't you tired?" oalled Tommy. "No!" said Joe, stoutly. . "I'm a soldier now I" "You see," be went on, "I used to set tired, till sometimes I most bated my shovel. But mamma told me that the snow was a great army, all dressed in white uniforms, that came and took our town in the night. Thoy block up all our streets and walks, and try to keep us shut up in our houses. "But there is another army of men and hoys that go out and drive em off with shovels, no matter bow fast they oome. And I'm in that army. If I was the only one that bad to fight the snow, it would be sort of lone some; but there is such lots of us that it's just fun I" Tommy thought a minute, and con eluded Joe was right. Ho he joined the army, too; and very soon his walk was cleared, Youth a Companion. A Klondike Story. Jimmy Brennan, ten year old, and son of Police Officer Brennan of Seattle, waa standing at Yesler Way, when a stranger , came along. He looked like a man who had just re turned from a logging camp. "Boys," he said, "where is the Butler hotel?" "I'll tell yon for a quarter," said one of Jimmy s companions. "I'll show you where it is for ten cents," chimed in another. "Say, I'll do it for five cents," re marked a third. "Mister," said Jimmy, "I will point out the Butler to you for noth tag.". "You're my man," aaid the rough- looking stranger, and the two went down Yesler Wsy together; . while Jimmy's companions stayed behind to call him a chump. Jimmy led the stranger to the tin tier. , "Come iu here," said the man, and be led the boy into a clothing store. "Give this boy the best suit of clothes in the house," said the stranger. Jimmy simply opened his mouth. Boon lie had on a flue auit. "Now give him an overcoat," said the Stranger: and Jimmy's eyes tried t- pop out of their sockets. The elerk saoroea J it tv wr.n sn overcoat. Tjw si: V" ' ti s' :r. Jimmy wanted to cry. He thought it was unristmas time, and that he was by the side of a grate Are, reading one i Anuersen s isiry tales. Soon he was nrravait In flaw lit Hew snit.new ovarnnat The atranoa paid for all. Jimmy . started ont of 11 . ... ... mo store, ni was so bewildered that, several goblins bad put in their ap learance, he would have joined them a their fairyland festivities. "Just wait a minute." aai.1 th stranger. - Jimmy ' waited. If the Stranger had until "fk mil In tka dust of the street," Jimmy would nave done it. The strancrer went tlnvn In nfa Jimmy by giving him aflve-dollnr gold Shfl..a. - .1 I 1 . . . . piece nuu n goiu nngget worm abont uve miliars. Then Jimmv til nit oil Mm airnnaa r. n and went off to tell his companions about the man to whom he showed the Hotel Butler "for nothing." The Stranger was A Klnmlikar. ann. posed to be I'atrick Oalvin, who re turned on the Bosalie recently with a fortune estimated at about twenty thousand dollars. It pays to be polite. If you don't think so, ask Jimmy Brennan. Seattle (Wash.) 1 ost-Intalligencer. Iloe, the Brnilllan Pirate. Mr. Frank It. Stockton is writing "The Buccaneers of Our Coast." for St. Nicholas. Mr. Stockton describes the career of a famous character on the Spanish Main. This famous buccaneer was called Boo, because he had to have a name, aud his own was unknown or sup pressed, and "the Brazilian," because he was born in Brazil though his parents were Dutch. Unlike most of his fellow-practitioners, he did not gradually become a pirate. From his early youth he never had an intention of being any thing else. As soon as he grew to be a man, he becaiine one of the buc caneers, and at the first opportnnity he joined a pirate crew and had made but a few voyages when it was per ceived by his companions that1 he was destined to become a most remarkable sea-robber. He was put in command of a ship, and in a very short time after he had set ont on his first inde pendent cruise he fell in with a Spanish ship loaded with silver bul lion. Having captured this he sailed with his prize to Jamaica, which was one of the great resorts of the English buccaneers. There his success de lighted the community, and soon he was generally acknowledged as the head pirate of the West Indies. As for EBquemeling, he simply rev eled in the deeds of the great Brazi lian desperado. If be had been writing the life and times of Alexander the Great, Julius Cwsar or Mr. Glad stone, he conld not have been more enthusiastic in his praises. And as in "The Arabian Nights" the roc is des cribed as the greatest of birds, so, in the eyes oj the buccaneer biographer, this lioo was the greatest of pirates. The renowned pirate from Brazil must have been a terrible fellow to look at. He was strong and brawny, his face waa short and very wide, with high cheek bones, and his counten ance probably resembled that of a pug dog. It was his custom in the day time to walk abont carrying a drawn cutlass resting easily upon his arm, edge up, very mnch as a flue gentle mati carries his high silk hat. He was a man who insisted npon being obeyed instantly. But although be was so strict and exacting during the business sessions of his piratical year by which I mean when he was cruising around after prizes he was very muoh more disagreeable when he was taking a vacation. On his return to Jamaica from one of his expeditions it was his habit to give himself some relaxation after the hardships and dangers through which he had passed; and on such occasions, with his cut lass wsving high in the air, he would often rush into the street, aud take a whack at every one whom he met. As far as was possible the citizens allowed him to have the street to him self and it was not at all likely that his visits to Jamaica were looked for ward to with any eager anticipation Chinese Nerveleeaneae. A North China paper Bays the quality of ''nervelessneas" distinguishes the Chinaman from the European. The Chinaman can write all day, work all day, stand in one position all day, weave, beat gold, carve ivory, do in finitely tedious jobs for ever and ever, and discover no more weariness end irritation than if he were a machine. This quality appeara in early life. There are no restless, naughty boys in China, They are all appallingly good, and will plod away iu school without recesses or recreation of any kind. The Chinaman can do without exercise. Sport or play seems to him so much waste labor. He can sleep anywhere amid rattling machinery, deafening uproar, squalling children, and quarreling adults. He can sleep on the ground, on the floor, on a bed, on a chair, or in any position. New York Ledger. Two Lucky Servants. ' Two of the luckiest persons in Paris at the present moment are a maid ser vant aud a concierge in the Lnxein bourge district. Their mistress, a wealthy lady without ehildren,recently died, leaving 1300,000 to be divided between them. They are also to in herit two houses, snd nobody kas as vet arrived to coateal tU wU. --Paris Ixt'ir. V AGRICULTURAL TOPICS. Proper Treatment of Prose FlnatS. ' As soon as discovered, remove the frosted Plants to a nnnl hlaa wham the temperature ean by some means I n it . . . oe grauuaiiy raised until it reaobee that to Wllfoh tha ftlanta have haan sooustomed, A sudden rise in the temperature, after plants have been badly frosted, thaws them too rapidly andjresults disastrously. Trim off the tender shoots whioh are be yond help, and then gradually raise the temperature during the day un til it reaches the sooustomed mark. They may then soon be placed in their proper plaoes, bnt it might be well to shade them for a day or two from the tun. A splendid and effective protection against a certain amount of cold is as sured by plaoing cones over the plants made from paper. In this manner sold drafts from about windows on very severe windy nights ean be kept from harming the plants. Woman's Home Companion. Dairy and Ueef Cows. The dairyman must f ally understand that the most profitable dairy cow is the oue that is the best mother, and the feeding and care of the young heifer must be snch as will best de velop the mother funotions. Some farmers find beef production the most profitable, and when this is the case they want an animal that converts food into flesh, bnt in a dairy animal dairy production is what is wanted. An animal tUat by breeding and feeding has had the beef type eliminated, puts the food over and above what is neces sary to sustain animal life into milk. We may sooure a fairly good dairy and beef animal combined, one that after calving will give a fairly good quan tity of milk and then when dried up will, if well fed with a proper ration, grow fat. Bnt when we want a cow that will yield above the average in production she will laak in some of the essentials needed in the most pro fitable dairy animal. Feeding will make some difference, but breeding will make more. N. J, Shepherd, in Nebraska Farmer. Plant Peals In the Window Garden. Green aphis, blaok flies, white worms and neutral tinted slugs are an assnred nuisance to the window gar dener, whether considered individu ally or collectively, writes G. T. Wool- son, of Vermont. Just how to dis pose of this artistio quartet is often a problem outside of greenhouses, for living rooms are not opened to the wholesale treatment givou elsewhere. For a light attack of verdant lice, hand picking and frequent showering is often all that is necessary, especially if tar or tobacco soapsuds are used iu the sprinkler. Bnt when the vermin lie thick on vein, erevioe or fold, tobaooo fumes alone are equal to the occasion; the smoke, however, must be confined, or it is of little use. I often group a number of amioted plants on a table, olosely oovering the same with news papers, cone fashion, leaving space at the bottom to introdnoe the smoke; a cigar or two may be thus comfortably utilized or the tobacco may be burned on coals if due precaution is used, The paper shonld be left on twenty four hours to prevent possible resusci tation of the narcotic victims. The black flics and white worms are more closely related than appearance or habit would indicate. If the soil is badly invested it is well to repot the plant if it is small, but the larger growths will not bear having their roots shaken free. A teaspoouful of saltpeter iu a quart .of water used at intervals or a few days speedily less ens and eventually quiets the pests and serves as a fertilizer as well. Hand picking is first in order for tha slugs, whioh never in life or death re lax their hold. I found a maidenhair fern thus infested and after clearing the stipes I showered freely with whale-oil suds and have not since been troubled. Vegetable Mould. The value of vegetable matter in the soil is very commonly over esti mated. If it is extra abundant in virgiu soils freshly cleared from forest it is a sign that the subsoil is wet and sold. Such soils when first cleared are generally less productive than they are after one or two years of cul tivation, which has not only opened them to light and air, but has also de composed some of the,motud and aon verted it into carbonia acid gas. There is, besides, a difference in the quality of mould dependent on what vegeta, tion it is made from. That iu swamps is mostly from leaves of trees and mosses which have little except car- bou. Such soils are ofton made very productive by applying to them pot' ash, so as to cause more active de composition. The slow decomposi tion of carbonaceous matter in water generates what is known as humio acid, and which is very poisonous to the roots of plants. Vegetable matter, which is highly nitrogenous, heats rapidly, and its carbon is so quickly burned out that it makes very little vegetable mould, and that ou further exposure to air quickly disappears. Hencs on the richest land there is often lass vege table matter in the soil than there is on laud whioh is black with it only be cause it is cold and wet. The appli cation of nitrogenous manures hastens the decomposition of vegetable mat ter in the soil, while ooarse, strawy manures turn to a mould that bus comparatively little fertility, but which makes the soil look muoh rioher than it really is. Farmers have too loug been deceived by the idea tbat it is the black soil that isalwava the moat rjro- duotive, and especially if it is blaok to greet depth. Most such soils lack potash or phosphate, and often lack both of these before they can be made profitably ptoduoUvs. Boston .CulU- . . . ... A THYINO SITUATlCH. A msn may be a hero In most any walk of life) . But oertaln Itaatlons Make him falter In the strlfsi And one that tries his mettle; 'Till warm beneath the oollar, Is when be oome to parties With his Isst and only dollaf I He'll laugh at old misfortune When he hears the dollars slink, And be brave for any danger, When ke knows he's got the "ehak, Sut he sings a different measare, When his board la growing smaller, ' And he finds he's eoms to parting With his last and only dollar! You speak tn praise of striving, Ana of conquering adverse fate, And prove how oft the bumble Have been truly good and great) Bnt philosophy I vanquished By both the boor and scholar, When It flomes to final parting With the last and only dollar! Detroit Free Press. HUMOROUS. Different kinds of punishment are. good for unruly children, but as a general thing spanking takes the palm. "What's Old Calamity howling about now?" "Because he can't get as much for wheat here as you are paying at the Klondike." Wallace I presume you are aware that money is a great carrier of bac teria? Hargreaves Yes. That is why I burn it ns fast as I get it. 1 1 1 .1 1 , : .1 . - i . auii wuv, nuiii me tuiiiik purfter. "do you feel so sad whonever you see a hen?" "My son," replied the old hog, "I cannot help thinking of ham and eggs." First Hen What are those young bantams fighting about? Second Hen uhl they are disputing abont the question, Which is the mother of the hick the hen that lays the egg or the incubator? Lounger Do cook-books form an important item iu your salej? Book seller Yes, we sell them by the thou sand. "The women appreciate them, eh?" "Oh, the women don't buy them; their husbands do." .1 "Fat, you complain of being out of work, and yet I heard that coal dealer offer you a job to drive one of his earts, not ten minutes ago.". "Yis, sor; but I'm blamed if I'll freeze me self to death to keep alive, begobl" Maud(showing fashion plate) Papa, that's the way I would look if . I had s sealskin saciiue. Maud's Father (showing advertising picture labeled "Before taking") And that's the way I would look,dear,wheu the bill came in. "Papa," said Sammy Snaggs, who was seeking for information, "how mnch is gold worth an ounce?" "I can't tell yon what gold is worth an ounce here, but in the Klondike I un derstand that gold is worth its weight in doughnuts." Mrs. Askem It's the unluckiest store to shop in, dear. Mrs. Priceit Why? Mrs. Askein There isn't a thing you might ask for they haven't got, and everything they have is so lovely you're forced 10 buy without going further." She beats the bars of her prison in her wrath. "Release me," she shrieked, "or I 'sluill break ont if not in oue way, theu iu another." The warden trembled. If she proved to be a poetess of passion, would he be responsible? "Yon," said she, as she came down leisurely pulling ou her gloves "you used to say I was worth my weight in gold." "Well, what if I did?" he asked, lookiug at his watch. . "And now, you don't think I am worth a wait of two minutes." "Yon enjoy coaching. do yon? I never ..i.i ..,1. ...... .i... ; UUUUE BOO n II , D 1 1. D Itllf luuic. 111. VU. looks so like a blamed fool, sitting up ou a three-story coach and cavorting over the highway tooting of a horn." "I know it, but it isn't every blamed fool that can afford it. " Johnnie Papa, is mamma the bet ter half of you? ' Father Yes, my son, that's the way tbey put it. John nie And are all wives the better part of their husbands? FatherCertain ly, my son. Johnnie Then, .what part of King Solomon were his wives? He Put Out the Flnah. The American clergy did a great deal by prerept aud example to stimulate patriotism during the Revolution. In his book on "Chaplains and Clergy in the Revolution," the lute historian Ueadley relates a number of incidents of "lighting parsous." The Rev. Thomas Allen, the first minister ever settled in the town of Pittstield,Mass., was a man renowned and beloved for his gentleness and pioty. When hos tilities between Eugluud aud 1 the colonies were declared, Pastor Allen's flock waa astonished to hear their mild shepherd announce his intention to join the militia and fight for the right! "At the battle of Bennington the Berkshire militia had their share in the con diet, and the Rev. Thomas Al len fought as a commoa soldier, side by side with his fellow aountrymen. Knowing this good man's natural everaion tn violam,. .ml hlirwlnha.1 some one said to him after tha battle was over : "'They say yon fought at Benning ton, Mr. Allen. Is it true? ' ".'Yes; I did," answered the man of God. 'It was a hot, close battle, and it became every patriot to do hie ,1 .. ... , "'"Well, but. Mr. Allen,' said tha parishioner, Mid yon kill anybody? ' "'No,' replied the courageous brt eonsoientions clergyman; 'I don't know tbat I killed anybody; b' t I happened to notice a frequent t from behind a certain bash, and f 7 time I saw that flash one of our 1 t men fell. I took aim at tie k"-' c i bred. I doa't know tiat 1 1 r -kst7buIrt ott t" 1f ,t-- '
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers