A LIFE LESSON,
Thjifg; girl; don't cry I
imj ha v# broken yofif doll. I know;
~ 4 ?°-i r biK l .
Ana £onr playhouse, too.
Art thing* otSc long ago;
Bat cM'qjieh troubles Will *6on pass by.
There! little girl; don't cryl
little girl: don't cry!
Thfcy have broken your slate, I know;
And the glad, wild ways
Qf your schoolgirl days
Are things of the long ago;
Out life and love will soon come by.
There! little girl; don't cryl
There! little girl; don't cry !
Tuey have broken your heart, I know;
And the rainbow glen ms
Of your youtbAjl dreams
Are ibinge of the long ago;
But heaven holds all for which you sigh.
There! little girl; don't cryl
—[.James Whitcomb Riley.
MR. HAZftIDTS ECONOMY.
Mr. Gerald Hazeldt sat in his private
office, indulging in a reverieand an aftcr
luticheon smoke. lie mis at ease with
Life self Supremely content with the
world, for it had treated him well. Presi
dent of a successful life insurance com
iiny, in receipt of a large salary, happy
flTTiis family, and possessed of a good
©Bestioo, ne was not ambitious for
further preferment.
The omcc boy interrupted his pleasant
thoughts by presenting a card which
hwe the name ' 'Anthony Roberts." "De
sires to see you on important business,
sir."
"Very well, show him in," said the
president, with a sigh.
Anthonv Roberts came in briskly, and
alter seating himself in the chair ty which
the president pointed, stated his busi
ness In a few words.
'I have come to secure a contribution
from the cofnpany of which you aro the
head to a fund for the defoflsc of piy
bfothef, David Roberts, charged with
inujder."
lie spoke with confidence and Mr.
Hazeldt looked at him in amazement.
"An assessment i" he presently in
quired, blandly.
"No," said Mr. Roberts, "a plain
business proposition. You have issdqd
a policy oq my brother's life for $50,000.
If he Is convicted and executed, your
Company will have to pay that sum to
his widow."
"Certainly," assented the president.
"Guess we can stand it, though."
"No doubt; bnt suppose he is not
convicted ?"
"Eh?"
Mr. Hazeldt had no doubt of the guilt
of the accused, but the query of the
visitor raised a question In his mind. I
"Skillful counsel is what he needs,"!
continued Mr. Roberts, "but he is bank
rupt and canhot raise the money necessary
t6 retain powerful, eloquent, And influen
tial attorneys."
"In that case wo need not worry about
the policy; it would lapse before his death
on accouut of the non-payment of pre
miums," said the president decidedly, as I
as if to dismiss the whole subject.
"But his wife—you forget her. She
is the beneficiary and will keep bis poli
cies alive, for she firmly believes that he
is guilty and that he w'ill be executed."
"11 as she any financial resources?
"Some,find she can obtain assistance
from a man who will marry her when she
is a widow."
"Will she not do anything to support
her husband?" inquired the president,
musingly.
"Nothing. She wants him out of the
way, and believes the law will divorce
her
"And suppose we contribute, say $lO,-
000, and your brother is cleared?"
"Ho will agree to cancel the policy."
"Been to arty other company?"
"No, nearly all his other policies have
become void or have been exchanged for
paid-up policies."
"Then our company is really tho only
one interested?"
"Yes."
"Do you believe your brother guilty?"
"I do not," replied Mr. Roberts, meet
ing the president's searching glance un
flinchingly.
Mr. Hazcldt reflected a moment, and
then said: " Come and see mo to-morrow."
Mr. Roberts withdrew, and the presi
dent lighted a fresh cigar, but be did
not smoke as complacently as was his
wont. He was puzzling over a moral
question—would It be right to assist a
man, who was undoubtedly guilty of
murder, to escape punishment? But,
there was that $50,000. By a payment
of SIO,OOO, $40,000 could be saved to
the company which he had managed so
successfully, and that sum would go a
long way toward paying running ex
penses. Financial considerations and
morality waged a conflict in the presi
dent's usually placid mind, and ruffled
hie serenity, lie spoke gruffly, to the
astonishment of the office boy, and was i
abrupt with those who called on business
matters.
Finally he sent the office hoy to ]
the newspaper offices with instruc
tions to procure copies of the papers iu
winch the account of the murder—a
highly sensational crime had been
given. When he obtained them he read
tnem and carefully compared all the ac
counts. He succeeded only in confirming
his opinion that the accused was guilty,
apd he was firmly convinced that to
assist him to escape the vengeance of the
latv from a desire to save money for the
company would be placing himself
morally in the position of an accessory
after the fact. He therefore decided not
t6 contribute to a defense fund.
But there was tho $40,00u.
He did not wish to lose that.
And there was the wife, the cold sol
fiph wife, who wnnted her husband to
ale so that, without scandal, she could
marry the man who was wilting to lend
her money to pay the premiums on her
husband's life insurance policy who,
when the money whs paid, would share
the proceeds with her. Was this not a
conspiracy to defraud the company?
Ought it not be met by another con
spiracy to cheat the law ;
"Yes," said the president.
"No," said conscience in thundering
tones at first, but in milder voice pres
ently, and at last with a gasp and a
gurgle—its death rattle.
The president had triumphed. Con
science was dead.
When Mr. Roberts came the next day,
he knew from the welcome that he re
ceived that the presideut had determined
to let him have the money to retain able
attorneys, but lie was calm, business like,
as he had been during his previous call.
"I must have proof that you arc a
brother of David Roberts," said Mr.
Hazcldt, resuming the subject they had
abruptly dropped the day before, "his
brother, and acting in good faith."
"That is easily done." Mr. Roberts
produced some documents and handed
them to the president, who scrutinized
them carefully.
"That power of attorney Ii all right,
and the other memoranda are quite
satisfactory, but I must have you indenti
fiod as his brother."
"Corto with me to the Tombs and my
brother will introduce me to you. The
warden will identify him,"
"No. that would not do at all, as I
don't want to be known in this thing."
'■Send some one with me."
The president thought a moment and
then said he had a plan.
"Huve you a photograph of yourself?"
he asked.
Mr. Roberts had one, fortunately.
"Come to see me to morrow."
"With pleasure," said Mr. Roberts, and
he left the office with a pleasant ' 'good
day."
OQ Mr. Roberts coming into the presi
dent's private office on his third call he
was effusively received by that officer,
who said:
" Your brother identified you at once.
I managed the thing very skillfully.
We wilfgive you the SIO,OOO provided
you toll me vour brother's plan of defense,
so I can judge of its merit."
" It is very Bimple, but it must he kept
a profound secret until the trial. On
that condition only can I Impart it to you,
even if by withholding it I should forfeit
your aid. My brother's life depends up
on the secrecy with which the plan of
dofense is kept."
"I promise faithfully to keep it not at
my secret, but as the secret of the ac
cused."
"The night on which the murder waa
committed, the chambermaid in my
brother's house turned the hall clock
back one hour, so that sho could havo
her beau until eleven, instead of
ten o'clock, as usual. The murder was
committed at nine. At that tipi® my
brother was at home, as his wife will
say ' just as he entered my room the hall
clock Mruok ten.' His house is half a
mile from the scene of the murder. So
there isu;i alibi established."
" But how did you learn about the
clock?"
'' I ovcrheqt d a remark that led me to
make inquiries among the servants, and
two of them confessed to mo that in
the morning before the house was astir,
they set the clock right. They do not sus
pect that the little incident has anything
to do with the case, and I do not mean
that they shall until they are on the
stand giving their evidence."
"Capital," said the president. "Witlj
that evidence and with sharp lawyers to
make the most of it, an alibi can be
established without doubt."
"We nocd able lawyers to take care of
the case, because circumstantial ovidence
is very strong against my brother."
" 'A poor lawyer makes a strong case
weak' is a legal maxitp of mine, said
the president as he turned to write a
check for SIO,OOO.
A clerk sooii brought the money, and
the president puid it to Mr. Roberts, who
expressed profuse thanks and withdrew
to lose no time in retaining a firm of
famous lawyers.
The next morning the president learned
from his newspaper that David Roberts
had retained "as his counsel the well
known and able criminal lawyers IJrcck
enridge and Uartel, who intimated to the
reporter that tho accused had a 'strong
defense.'" Mr. Hazoßlt rubbed his hands
and was pleased with his business veu
turn—it was outside the usual lines, of
course, but pretty sure to save the com
pany 140,000.
On the the day of the trial imperative
business called the president to a Western
city. It wa there that he learned the
verdict—guilty. lie was startled,
stunned, and. at first, he could not
believe that the telegraphic messago to
the newspapers was correct, but he ascer
tained later in the day that the jury voteij
unanimously for conviction on tho firH
ballot.
Mr. Hazcldt gasped like a man who
has been exhausted by running, when he
was convinced that he had wasted $lO,-
100. But he breathed more regularly
when the thought confronted him that of
course there would bo a new trial.
When the opportunity offered, ho
procured the New Vork papers and read
with interest the testimony that was
produced by the defense, and, as he
could find no mention of the two
servant girls, he wondered why they had
not been placed on the witness-stand. At
last lie concluded that the attorneys for
the defense had not considered them
' reliable and had decided to go to trial
without them and rely on the inability of
the prosecution to fix the crime upon
their client.
"When the president reached home he
was informed that a new trial had been
ordered in the case of the Commonwealth
vs. David Roberts, and, one day meet
ing Mr. Breckenridgo in a restaurant, lie
said to him:
"Why did you not call the servant
girls in that murder case?"
"What servant girls?" asked the at
torney.
"Roberts' servants. You know one of
them turned the clock back the night of
the murder."
"Who told you that story?" asked the
attorney, who was becoming interested.
"Anthony Roberts, David's brother.
You see he came to see us in regard to
• the policy, and I asked him some
questions about the chances his brother
1 had of getting off and he said: 'Oh!
' thore's no danger. He can prove an alibi,'
and then he told me confidentially that
the servants had meddled with the clock
and it would prove David was at home
at the time of the murder."
"The defendant never said anything
to me about it." added Mr. Brecken
ridge.
44 That is curious," murmured Mr.
Hazeldt. "However, I suppose you
received a good fee. You famous law
yers arc all so lucky that way."
" Nothing but a bill of sale for a house
and lot in Orange—not worth much.
And, come to think of it, I didn't know
David Roberts had a brother —I never
saw him anyway."
Mr. Ilazeldt reeled as if he had been
struck. The attorney prevented him
from falling, and said, rather briskly:
"You life insurance men live too high.
Taking risks on other mortals makes you
careless of yourselves. Apoplexy is your
enemy."
"Yes," murmured Mr. Ilazeldt, "we
live too fast."
Mr. Ilazeldt left the restaurant won
dering if ever a business man had been
I more cleverly duped by the brother of
J a murderer than he had been, but he re
solved to charge the SIO,OOO to his in
dividual account, and to keep his eye
open for sharpers ever afterwards.— [New
\ ork Epoch.
FROM ENGLAND.
1 He was from far-off England,
And he loved with vows in sighs ;
And while he dropped his "hV'
Why, the maiden dropped her eyes.
—I Philadelphia Times.
SEVERAL ladies of Lcmberg have
offered their services as Amazons to the
Emperor of Austria in case of war. They
offer to furnish their own uniforms,
| arms and horses, and ask only that a
1 military instructor be provided for them.
JOKER'S BUDGET.
JESTS AND TARNS BY FUNNY
MEN OF THE PRESS.
It Was a Boston Horse —Johnny Re
plies—How Time Increases Values,
Etc., Etc.
A STRIKING SIMILARITY.
"Those quarrelsome speakers remind
me of a pair of whales."
"In what respect?"
' 'They never spout without coming to
blows."
AN ORDINARY MAN.
He was of such commonplace brain
That when anyone said it would rain,
110 would look at the sky
With a squint in his eye,
And would beg of someone to explain.
A DIFFEIIENCE.
Visitor—Your sister is studying music,
I understand.
Little Girl—Oh, no ma'am, she doesn't
study music.
"She doesn't?"
"No'm. She only practices scales an'
thfngs."
LIVING UP TO HIS MOTTO.
"Well, I must go now," soidChollic.
"What's your hurry?" asked Ethel.
"It is live minutes of twolve, and my
motto in life is, 'Never put off till to
morrow what you can do to-day.' "
KNEW LOTS.
Mrs. Lakeside (of Chicago)—l am
sure you would like my new husband.
He knows lots.
Mrs. Boston—A man of intellect?
Mrs. lakeside— I s'pose that's what
you call ft in Boston. He's a real estate
agent.—[New York Weekly.
CONSOLATION.
Old Lady (in corner seat of a Broad
way car) —Conductor, the rain is drip
ping in from the lamp-hole all over my
dress!
Conductor—No, madam, excuse me,
the lump is quite water-tight; it's only
the oil leaking a bit. —[Belford's Maga
zine.
HOW TIME INCREABEB VALUES.
Eminent Author—You bought a MS.
from me some ten years ago for twenty
five dollars.
Publisher—Yes, sir; but we haven't
printed it yet.
Eminent Author—Well, let me have it
back, and I'll give you a hundred. I've
got a reputation now, and don't want to
spoil it.—[Puck.
DEATH'S WORST TERRORS.
Bliffcrs (to his best girl) —The worst
about the death of poor V liiffers is that
compromising letters were found in his
pockets. I should hate awfully to have
such a thing happen to me.
Millers (a rival) —Yes, BlilTors, take
good cure of yourself.—[Good News.
MILK AND WATER.
"Bjonos is a milk-and-water sort of a
fellow."
"Yes, but it is the hereditary influence.
Ilis grandfather made his fortune in the
dairy business."
THE GROUNDS OF HIS ACTION.
Fleecy—l see you call on the Brown
girls a good deal. Which one are you
going to inarry?
Dowuy— l love Sally the best, but I
guess that Clara is tho one for me.
Fleecy—You will got along better with
a woman you lovo than with one you
dou't.
Downy—l don't know about that.
Clara has declared over and ovor that sho
won't leave home even if she does murry.
—[Epoch.
A MIDNIGHT MUUDEIL.
Only a cat in tlie moonlight;
Only a cat, that's all;
Only a song at midnight,
Only a wild, weird waul.
Only ii rniiu impulsive,
Only ft rcftson flown;
Only clutch convulsivo,
Only a bootjack thrown.
Only a sudden sally,
Only an uttered "Seat!"
Only a corpse in the alley,
Only a poor, dead cnt.
—[Chicago Evening Post.
MODERN MERCHANTS.
Mrs. Bargan—What are you worryin'
about this morning!
Mr. Bargnn—l need some new clothes
and a new watch, and I can't make up
my mind whether to get the clothes ftt n
store where they giveaway watches, or to
buy a watch at a store where they givo
away clothes.—[Good News.
" THUNDERSTRUCK."
"Gracious! that was an awful clap of
thunder; it frightened me terribly."
"Pooh! thunder can't hurt you."
"Can't, eh? Didn't you ever hear of a
person being thunderstruck?"—[Bazar.
GI.EE OP THE HAIRLESS MAN.
The hairless man smiles in his glee,
And as he mops his brow
He says, ' 'The fly that walks on me
Will get his feet wet now."
—[Washington Post.
AWFULLY POLITE.
"Brown is an awfully polite fellow."
"Is he! I never noticed it."
"Why, yes. I went to borrow an Xof
him yesterday, and before I left him he
had borrowed one of me."—[Bazar.
THE TRAMP'S PARADOX.
He spilled his beer upon the floor,
Then tore with rage his wool;
Then gave vent to this paradox,
"Alas! My cup is full."
IN DOUBT.
Bicycle Dealer—Here, sir, is one of the
finest'machines we have. What do you
think of that?
Young Man (who wants a bicycle, but
has yet to mount one)— Don't you think
the—the wheel is a—a lcctle narrow?—
[Good News.
A GREEN FISHERMAN.
He never caught a fish in his life, un
less the dealer he bought them from
threw them to him. However, when he
brought home his last catch, owing to
his load being too much, perhaps, he
wasn't as careful of their age as he should
have been.
"There's something nice, Hannah,"
he cried, bringing thom into the
kitchen as the twilight shadows were
falling.
"An," was the only reply, as a deep
wrinkle came in her nose; "what are
they—smelts?"—[Exchange.
JOHNNY REPLIES.
"Johnny, why did the teacher give
you all those zeros for conduct?"
"Coz I whs naught-y, I guess."
WONDERS OS THE DEEP.
"Did v'ou ever seo a shad row?"
"No, hut I've seen a sword fish."
IT WAS A BOSTON IIORSE.
"Git up!" exclaimed Mrs. Hunker-
Hill's cousin. But the horse did not
move.
"The animal does not seem to compre
hend," said Miss Hill. "Let me try."
"All right,"
"Proceed, Bucephalus!"
And the animal proceeded.—[Bazar.
AT AN EBB.
Mr. Van Etten (trying to conceal a
yawn)— Where did you say you were
going this summer?
Miss Marigold (who has seen his strug
gle)— Mr. Van Etten, lam having just as
hard a time as you are, and I should feel
Indebted if you would yawn forme, also.
—[Life.
A BOOMER.
He—That man has lots on his mind.
She—Who is he.
He—Jones, the real estate agent.—
[Epoch.
ENVY.
Skribler—There's a poem I ought to
get $lO for, don't you think?
Skrawler—Yes—or thirty days.—[Terro
Haute Express.
WHAT'S IN A NAME.
Grumpington (to seedy party)—l never
give to beggars in the street!
Seedy Party (with graceful bow) —Will
you give mo your address and I will do
yon the honor of calling personally upon
you as—a solicitor?—[Belford's Maga
zine.
THE DEACON WAS OUT.
Neighbor (breathlessly)—Where's your
pa?
Little Girl —He's gone to the meeting
of the Society for the Comforting of
Jail-birds. Why?
Neighbor—He's wanted, quick. I just
saw two suspicious-looking cusses driving
off like sixty with your pa's horse and
buggy.—[New York Weekly.
NOW AND THEN A WALL.
A.—What kind of a wall will you have
to your garden?
B.—Stone wall in the day time, cater
, waul at night.—[Binghamton Republican.
BOTH IN THE SAME FIX.
" I would suggest ice cream," remarked
Miss Bleecker, " but I'm dead broke."
"I, too, am in mortal fragments," re
plied Miss Beucon-street of Boston.
Superstitions About Babies.
In Ireland a belt made of woman's
hair is placed round a child to keep harm
away.
Garlic, salt, bread and steak are put
into the cradle of a new born babe in
Holland.
Roumanian mothers tic red ribbons
around the ankles of their children to
preserve them from harm, while Estho
nian mothers attach bits of assafoetida to
the necks of their offspring.
Welsh mothers nut a pair of tongs or a
knife in the craale to insure tlio safety
of their children; the knife is used
for the same purpose in some parts of
England.
Among the Vosgcs peasant children
born at a new moon arc supposed to have
their tongues better hung than others,
while those born at the last quarter are
supposed to have less tongue but better
reasoning powers. A daughter born dur
ing the waxing moon is always preco
cious.
At the birth of a child in Lower Brit
tany the neighboring women take it in
charge, wash it, crack its joints and rub
its head with oil to solder its cranium
bones. It is then wrapped in a tight
bundle and its limbs are anointed with
brandy to make it a full Breton.
The Grecian mother, before putting
her child in its cradle, turns three times
around before the fire while singing her
favorite song to ward off evil spirits.
Iu Scotland it is said that to rock the
empty cradle will insure the coming
of other occupants for it.
The London mother places a book un
der the head of the new born infant that
it may bo quick at reading, and puts
money into the first bath to guarantee its
wealth in the future.
The Turkish mother loads her child
with amulets as soon as it is born, and a
small bit of mud, well steeped in hot
water, prepared by previous charms, is
stuck on its forehead.
In Spain the infant's face is swept with
a piue tree bough to bring good luck.—
[Spriugfield Republican.
Peruvian Gold Mines.
The gold deposits of Peru are histori
cal. The enormous quantities of metal
found in the capital of the Incas by the
Spaniards were drawn principally from
the province of Pancartambo, but old
workers are found in many parts of the
country, and the gold is very widely dis
tributed. The entire subsoil of Peru
presents an almost unbroken network
of auriferous lodes. The obstacles to
working the deposits ure in some parts
almost insuperable—want of water, in
accessible peaks, severe climate, and,
lastly, total absence of internal communi
cation.
It is to be hoped, though, that within
a few years a peaceful government may
bring about the commencement of an era
of mining prosperity for this country.
The department of Arequipa is con
sidered one of the richest in the country,
more especially the province of Union.
A number of the mines have produced
enormous quantities of metal, but bad
engineering and other causes have led
to their abandonment. The Montes
claros mines, for instance, were worked
during last century with great profit;
but in 1783 a landslip, occasioned by an
earthquake, caused the main shaft to fall
in. At subsequent periods attempts
were made to clear the debris, but with
no success. Recently a national com
pany was started with the help of Eng
lish capital, aud it is understood that
with improved machinery great results
may be anticipated. A great deal of in
formation as to these and the other gold
fields of Peru is contained in a report
just received from Lima, and published
as a Foreign Office paper.—[Pall Mall
Gazette.
Longest Boat Sees Most Icebergs,
The British ship Lansing, which is the
longest but not the largest sailiug craft
afloat, has had a rough passage of 33
days from Dundee, on which she lost one
of her seamen, Edward Scott. He wa9
leaning over the after rail when the ship
gave a lurch and he fell into the sea.
The Lansing smashod the record as an
iceberg obsorver. CApt. Hatfield says he
passed 150 bergs off the banks, and that
nearly all of them wore big. The Lun
sing comes here in ballast, and will sail
for the East Indies with a cargo of gen
eral merchandise. She is a four-masted
iron vessel of 2,000 tons, and is 350 feet
long.—[New York Sun.
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OP
EVERY DAY LIFE.
Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adven
tures Which Show that Truth is
Stranger than Fiction.
FRANK TERRY, a Wclls-Fargo express
messenger, his helper and u baggageman
had u lively experience with a mammoth
seal on a Santa Fe train hero, writes a
Kansas City (Mo.) correspondent. There
were four seals ordoreu from the Seal
Inlands, in the Pacific, for the New York
Zoological Garden. They left Sun Fran
cisco in large wooden cages. The heat
and the absence of water proved dis
astrous to three of the seals. The first
seal, a female, died at Donver. On the
trnin between that point and Kansas City
one of the males went mad and attacked
his mate, killing her almost instantly by
biting her heuu nearly off. He raved
for several hours, and the express messen
ger uud other occupants of the ear were
considerably frightened lest he bleak
the strong cage and escape. The animal
was finally quieted and guvc the messen
ger no further trouble until Argentine
was reached, then he became furious
and, raising himself on bis foremost fins,
used his tall with such force that he
broke the cage into pieces in lass time
than it takes to tell it, and tnen bel
lowing loudly, made an attack on Ex
press Messenger Terry. He jumped on a
§tle of express matter, but was quickly
riven from that position. Tho men at
last made their escape through the side
door of the car and closed it behind them.
The seal raged and then dropped dead.
The carcass, weighing .518 pounds, was
taken to Armour's packing bouse and
skinned. The remaining seal was care
fully watered and shipped on to New
York.
PETE WALTERS, a passenger engineer
on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
Railroad, had a horrifying as well as
thrilling experience. He was running
his train at the rate of thirty-five miles
an hour, and when lie entered the stretch
just before reaching Biughamton Bridge
he was horrified to see throe blackberry
girls on the structure. He reversed his
engine and then fainted. The fireman
took charge of the throttle, and when the
engine was witldn thirty yards of the
girls one of them, with remarkaklc pres
enee of mind, jumped to the sido of the
bridge, stretched forward flat on her face,
and swung herself clear of the tracks,
hanging on to the end of the ties over the
rushing waters beneath. In a moment
the other girls followed her example, and
just as the train swept by the last of the
trio swung clear of the bridge, while, with
amazement and horror plainly stamped
on their countenances, the passengers and
trainmen watched with anxiety the hu
man forms swaying to and fro in midair.
As soon as the train could be stopped the
passengers and crew rushed back to the
scene and rescued the brave girls from
their terrible plight.
A GILMER COUNTY (W. Va.) lumber
man is SIOO ahead, but has gotten him
self in serious trouble through the trick
which advanced his bank account, but
depleted his conscience. Walnut lumber
Is very scarce and very valuable, and the
Gilmer county man, having a fine walnut
tree on his land, cut it down and sold it
for a handsome sum to an Eastern man,
who bought it on the ground. Before
shipping the log the Gilmerite peeled off
the bark carefully and laid it aside.
After the walnut log was taken away he
cut down a big black oak of the same
dimensions with that of the walnut, which
he had carefully measured, and taking
the bark from its place of concealment
carefully and deftly tacked it on the
black oak log. The job was so well and
artistically done that no one but an ex
pert could have told the difference. lie
then shipped it with other logs to Cin
cinnati, where he sold the oak log for
walnut for SIOO. The Gilmer man then
loft for home, but he hadn't been gone
long before the Cincinnati firm discov
ered the fraud and started after him.
THE strange history of an Englishman
of title has just been recalled by his death.
The late Lord Stamford went out to
South Africa as a missionary about forty
years ago, and during the latter part of
his life lie lived in seclusion on a farm at
Wynbcrg, which is within a short dis
tance of Cape Town. Lord Stamford
was three times married, and one of his
wives was a colored womau. The titles
to which he succeeded about se/en years
ago came to him without the estates
which had belonged to his predecessor,
but the valuable Cheshire property will
revert to the earldom after the death of
Lady Stamford, who has the whole of the
estates for her life. The late Lord Stam
ford has only left a daughter, who bears
the historical name of Lady Jane Grey,
and his nephew, the new earl, was
recently professor of mathematics at a
college in the West Indies. lie took high
honors at Oxford, and has traveled nearly
all over the world.
J. B. ALLEN, a Block Island (N. Y.),
fisherman, hud a thrilling experience
while fishing in one of the Block Island
schooners eight or ten miles out at sea.
The harpooner had thrown the iron spear
and had struck a great swordfisli with it,
and Allen, in attempting to throw over
board the float that goes with the har
poon, became entangled in the line and
was dragged out to sea by the infuriated
fish. His companions turned the prow
of the vessel in the direction in which he
was being drawn, but could do nothing
else to help him. The greater part of
the time he was under water, and bobbed
up and down like a cork. He preserved
his senses, however, and finally succeeded
in releasing himself from the coils of the
rope. The swordfish was one of the
largest of the seasou, and weighed, when
finally captured, over 450 pounds.
THERE are two youug artisans in Bris
tol, England, named Johnson, who are
twins, and between whom the similarity
is far more remarkable, according to the
Pall Mall Budget, than in Shakespeare's
two Dromios even. Not only are they of
the same height and weight, have the
same colored hair, eyes and complexion,
identical physical measurements, and
feeding, walking, running, laughing, cry
ing, singing and speaking alike* but they
are of the same occupation, hold thesame
position and have the same religious per
suasion and likes and dislikes. More
singular still, they have espoused verv
similar wives, and they have the same
number of children, who are of the same
sexes—three girls and three boys each.
JOHN CAWLEY, of Greencastle, Intl.,
has a terrapin in his aquarium which he
acquired in a novel manner. On break
ing open a block of ice a foot thick the
terrapin was found snugly imbedded in
the centre of it. His back was covered
with a thick growth of moss, and he was
apparently lifeless, but revived on being
thawed out by the w*atcr. The ice was
6hippod recently from Chicago, and is
supposed to have come from one of the
lakes in Wisconsin. The terrapin
pleasures four inches across the back, and
is as lively as a cricket.
THE low language of a parrot in Kan
sas City led to the arrest of the bird and its
dwnot. The parrot belongs to a barber,
and it singled out, as an especial object
for its abuse,. Col. W. J. Nelson, whose
office is across the street. For several
days, as the journalist entered or left his
office, he heard from the bird expressions
like these: "Look at old paste-pot!"
"Soak his head!" "Get youi hair cut!"
When the bird was brought into court
it amused the spectators by screeching,
"Johnny, get your gun!"
A REMUNERATIVE business is done by
a little steamer which frequently leaves
Victoria, British Columbia, always at
night, with several Chinese passengers
on board—sometimes five, occasionally
as many as twenty. There are secretly
landed on United States soil, and the
owners of the steamer charge from S2O
to SBO per head for this service. The
artful Chinese thus evade our laws, and
come here in almost as large numbers as
before we passed laws to exclude them as
emigrants.
A WATERVII.LE (Me.) feline has a great
fondness for the flesh of birds, and in
order to tnake her quest for the same
successful employs a strategem. Evi
dently understanding the birds' fondness
for angle worms, she collects a number of
the same and buries them in the ground.
She then takes her place in a convenient
place of ambush, and when the birds
alight to secure their coveted morsel she
springs from her concealment and pounces
j upon them. Many a bird thus falls a prey
I to pussy's shrewdness.
| A MYSTERY of New York is a "Nor
< wegian, a thorough cook and house
keeper, with the best of references as to
character and ability, now out of employ
ment," who has been advertising tor a
situation for nearly a year. Sometimes
she receives as many as one hundred let
! tcrs a day. Several decoy letters have
| been sent to her by newspaper men de
sirous of penetrating the mystery, but
| they have been unsuccessful,
j JUST as John Bums, the deputy jailer
! at Ashland, Wis., had opened the jaif
doors to take out a squad of prisoners, he
j dropped dead in a chair. The prisoners,
' some of whom were held for serious
I offenses, thought Burns was merely rest-
I ing, and made no effort to escape,
■at though they might easily have got
I away. Half an hour later, when the
| jailer appeared, the dead deputy seemed
still to be on guard.
A FARM-HAND on the furin of Alex.
Sturm, residing two miles south of Hunt
ington, lud., while mowing in a low
meadow, saw a large snake coil itself and
prepare to strike, when the machine cut
it into three pieces. The snake was
measured and found to be six feet and
five inches, having a shell-like covering
over each eye, and gray and yollow spots
alofig Its back. It is not known to what
species it belongs.
A WATCTIMAKEU in Newcastle, England,
recently completed a set of three gold
shirt studs, in one of which is a watch
that keeps excellent time, the dial being
only three-sixteenths of an inch in
diameter. The three studs are connected
by a strij) of silver inside fnc shirt bosom,
and the watch contained in the middle
one is wound up by turning the stud
above. The hands are set by turning th#
one below.
THE largest single log of poplar ever
cut in West Virginia was cut a few days
ago in Logan. It measured 98 feet in
i length, 08 inches in diameter, 1,090 cubic
! feet and 21,125 feet board measure. This
log alone is large enough to build agood-
I sized frame house. It will be run out for
j a Cincinnati market on the first water of
! sufficient height in the Guyan River.
JOHN BIOGS, the mail carrier on the
Campbell, N. C., route, delivers his mail
to the offices on foot, walking twenty
four miles one day and thirty-one miles
next day. During a year he steps over
8,454 miles, and at this rate would cover
! the circuit of the globe in three years, ex
j elusive of Sundays.
A SWARM of butterflies on the moun-
I tain range near Plainville, Cal., settled
about tnc springs and moist plains so
thickly that tcumsters report that at times
it is impossible for them to see their
leaders, and that horses are often scared
by the sudden vise of large masses of
them.
AT Dijon, France, a convict under a
sentence of twenty years' penal servitude
was permitted to leave his prison and
marry his sweetheart. He returned to
prison after the ceremony, and in two
years' time his wife will be able to join
him in New Caledonia.
Jilted by the Emperor of Austria.
| The Princess of Thurn-and-Taxis was
the eldest of the live beautiful daughters
! of I)uke Maximilian of Bavaria, and was
! reckoned, until her last illness, probably
| the most handsome and intellectual
i woman in Europe. While a mere child
she was betrothed to the present Emperor
jof Austria. Francis Joseph, however,
' fell violently in love with her younger
i sister, Elizabeth, and insisted on jilting
I the Duchess Helen in order to marry the
| scarcely sixteen-year-old Duchess Eliza
beth. Proud, ambitious, and deeply in
love with her faithless fiance , it was a
terrible blow to her to see the Cinderella
of the family carry off the man she loved
and the crown which she would have de
lighted to wear. Not only during the
marriage festivities, but also throughout
her subsequent life, she acted to perfec
tion the part of a loving and sympathiz
ing sister, and appeared, to the public at
any rate, to rpjoice openly at Elizabeth's
good fortune. After seeing her three
other sisters married—to the King ol
Naples, to his brother the Count de Trani,
ana to the Orleanist Duke of Alencon —
she finally conferred her hand upon the
Prince of Thurn-and-Taxis, the chief of
one of the most wealthy and powerful ol
the medialized sovereign families of the
German Confederacy. He owned large
and valuable estates iu Bavaria, Uppei
Austria, Silesia, and Wurtcmburg, the
principal residence of the family Deinc
the palace at Ratisbon. But, although
the prince absolutely worshiped his beau
tiful wife, she never professed for him
anything more than mild toleration, and
retained throughout her marriage, auc
to the day of her death, an air of intense
sadness. She was a consummate musi
cian, a painter of no mean skill, and s
woman of the most liberal and profound
culture.—[Argonaut.
Trains Blocked by Caterpillars.
A plague of caterpillars similar to tha'
which afllicted northern Maine some veari
ago has been added to the other draw
backs of this remarkable season dowi
East. On the New Brunswick Railwa}
the pests have congregated in such grea
numbers upon the rails that trains navi
been blocked for hours, and on the Ban
gor and Piscataquis it has been founc
necessary to sweep and sand the track:
before trains coula proceed. A rainy daj
drivesthe caterpillars into the woods, bu
the next warm day brings them all ou 1
again, and the situation is becoming se
rums on the railroads. Forest trees ii
many sections are being stripped of theij
foliage, a large and hundsome grove ii
the suburbs of Bangor being completed
denuded, the trees appearing a thougj
dead. Many orchards have beeh ruined
A RACE FOR LIFE.
A MAN'S FLIGHT FROM WOLVES
DOWN A MOUNTAIN.
Fleeing on Snowshoe3 from the Hun
gary Brutes—Plunging Down the
Precipitous Declivity at Terrific
Speed.
Perhaps not many people east of the
Rocky Mountains have ever traveled on
snowshoes. The Norwegian snowshoes,
or skeea, are the oues mostly used here, r
says a letter from Steamboat Springs, *
Col., to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
They are generally made about ten feet
long, with the end bent up not unlike a
sleigh runner. They are not lifted from
the ground when in motion, but slide
along on the crust, and the experienced
suowshoer, by the simple throwing of his
weight on the shoe set ahead, moves
along at a much faster rate than the
pedestrian. Going down a decline one
goes at such a terrific rate of speed that
one has to use a brake—that is, "ride the
pole," which is generally a stick some
eight feet long, which is held in front in
the hands and then sat upon so it will
plough in the snow, thus lessening the
•peed.
On the 17th of February last I started
from ray cabin at the foot of Storm
Mountarn to make a trip to the top to
see if the fur-bearing animals were still
out. It is only about ten miles to the *
top, and I reckoned that I could easily
make there and back in a day. Packing
i a slight lunch, I tied it to my belt and
: started. Slowly and painfully I worked
' my way up by "tacking," as it is impos
sible to travel straight up a steep incline
'on snowshoes. Noon came, and I set
i down in the shelter of a rock to eat my
lunch. I saw that it would be late when
I reached the top, but that did not alarm
; me, for I have come from the top of
I Storm Mountain to my cabin in twelve
minutes.
) \V hen I had reached the top and looked
, it over I was surprised to find the sun
| just going down. Darkness falls very
j sudden in this country after sundown,
' and I concluded to await the rising of the
I moon, which I knew would rise soon
1 after dark, as it would be dangerous
! snowshoeing down the mountain side in
I the dark, as one could not keep the trail
and would be liable to rush headlong
against a tree or go plungiug over a
precipice. Darkness fell as 1 have never
seen it before. Everything was obliter
ated. I sat on my snowshoes at the head
of the trail waiting for the light of the
moon. The silence was oppressive. All
around mc I could see the dim out
lines of the snow-capped peaks, dark
and sombre, rearing their heads
toward the sky. I must have fallen
asleep, but I awoke with a start at the
cry of a panther coming from a path pf
green timber a short distance to tnc left.
This was followed by the cry of a timber
wolf, which was auswerad by another
and another, until the hills resounded
with their weird howls. Soon gaunt
shadows flitted from tree to tree all
around me. Then the awful thought
burst upon me that I was surrounded by
wolves, which at'this season of the year
are very hungry and fierce.
If I could keep them at bay until the
moon rose I was safe, as I could easily
keep away from them. As one came close
I did a very foolish thing. Pulling my re
volver, I shot him through the body.
With a fearful yell he stated to run, the
blood pouring from the wound in a
j stream. He was pounced upon in a sec-
I ond and torn to pieces by his companions.
Crazed by a taste of blood, the whole
j yelping pack charged upon me. It was
j growing light in the east, where the moon
would soon rise, but was still too dark to
travel with safety, but I tarried not.
Hastily slipping my feet in the leathers
of my snow-shoes I started down
. the steep incline as if shot from
j a catapult. Down, down, down, inta
the darkness I rushed at a headlong rate.
I A gaunt brute, crouching near a tree,
I sprang at my throat, but he had not cal
culated on my rate of speed, and passed
harmlessly through the air ten feet be
hind me. On came the pack, but their
cries became fainter and fainter, and I
soon began to ride my pole and slacken
my rate of speed, as I was passing close to
the brink of a precipice, and soon had a
turn to make, which one cannot easily do
with snowshoes twelve feet long. I
stopped at the turn to await the rising of
the moon, which soon came up, making
it as light as day.
I believed that the wolves had left ta
hunt some slower game, but that delusion
sulTered a rude shock. Soon the yelps
commenced with redoubled fury a9 they
scented me, and came closer and closer.
I got on my shoes and waited, nothing
loath to showing them again how easy it
was to give them the slip. On tlicy came,
and as they got close I started out once
more, but was horrified to find that at i
this place the decline was not great
enough for the shoes to run themselves.
I had forgotten until this time about this
place. There was a bench about five
hundred yards long, and from there the
trail veered to the right, and for half a
mile descended very nearly at an angle of
45 degrees; then the angle was not quite
so much, but still very steep, down a
trail as straight as a string to my cabin,
seven miles below.
On came the howling pack, and know
ing it was life or death to get to the steep
decline before my pursuers, 1 bent every
energy to reach it. Every time I shoved
a foot ahead I would give a push with
my pole, sending myself along about five
feet each time. As I reached the turn I
could hear their yelps right behind me,
and could even hear their heavy breath
ing. While I was turning my shoes one
big brute in advance of the rest reached
me, and with a fearful suarl sprang at my
head. I stooped, and as he went over
me I straightened myself on my shoes
and started down the steep hill. I
plunged down with a speed that no steam
could give. Trees flew like spectres;
looking down the narrow path it seemed
like a plunge to destruction. On, on, I
went, riding my pole for dear life, tTV
ing vainly to check my speed. My pole
snapped like a pipestem under the
heavy strain, and I bounded for
ward with increased speed. The
world swam before my eyes; trees reeled
back from my course with a horrible
nightmare weirduess. I don't exactly
remember what the uext sensation was,
but I tried to peep out from under the
brim of ray hat, and it was all a blur—
trees, rocks, landscapes were all blended
together in an uudistiuguisliable mass.
It seemed an age, but it was in fact but
a very few moments, until my speed
to decrease. The momentum was speeding
mc out onto the " mesa" (Indian for val
ley). I saw my cabin close by, but
having no pole, I could not stop, so I dis
engaged my feet from my snowshoes and
roiled into a drift, let the shoes go on.
I found them next day nearly a mile
from there.
If I should live a thousand years )
would never forget that wild night rid?
nor the indescribable feeling of excit<
ment, fear, and pleasure as I plunged
madly down the narrow path from old
Storm Mountain.