ROBBING JV STAGE.
THE METHODS OF EXPERT ROAD
AGENTS DESCRIBED.
The Main Thing is to (Jet the Drgp
011 the Messenger—The Highway
man of Shasta and llis Barley
Sacks.
In 1881 the stage road between Ben
son and Tombstone was a bad route to
travel by night or by day. Benson was
inhabited mostly by rustlers and toughs,
and Tombstone was infested by Doc
Holladay and other people of that sort.
The Earps managed to hold things level
in Tombstone, but the road agents bossed
r-jthe highway, and in Benson a man was
• liable to be held up at noon on the depot
platform while waiting for a train. Budd
Phil pot, brother-in-law of Charley Foss,
the king of stage drivers, was driving
the Benson and 'Tombstone stage, and
one night somebody tried to hold him up
not many miles from Tombstone. Phil
pot had had experience with road agents,
and when he heard the order to halt come
from the darkness a little behind the off
fore wheel he "concluded that the robber
was a green hand at the business, and
instead of putting on the brake he gave
the horses the silk and sent them ahead on
the run.
In nine cases out of ten the trick would
have won, as tho robber would have '
thought it hardly worth while to fire at a
rapidly escaping stage, and the darkness
would have spoiled his aim if he did fire.
But the crack, of Philpot'a lash was
answered by the crack of a Winchester,
and Philpot half sprung to his feet,
dropped back with a moan and swayed
A in his seat. The messenger, who sat be
v sido him, threw his right arm around the j
driver and with his left seized the lines !
as they fell from Philpot's relaxed
fingers.
The Winchester cracked again and
again, and a cry from tho inside of the 1
coach told that one of the passengers had
been hit. The frightened horses flew
over the road. The messenger held the
dying driver with one arm, and with the
left hand tried to arrange tho tangled
lines, while tho bullets whistled by in the
dark. He got the stuge into Tombstone
with tho express box safe, but two dead
men wero taken from the coach.
That was not the work of a profession
al road agent. The main purpose of the
robber is to secure plunder, and if he
does uny killing it is either to prevent
somebody from killing him or to insure
the success of tho robbery. The attack
upon the Tombstone stage was tho work
of a man killer, who had turned road
| agent for one night only, and for that and
other good reasons the job was generally
attributed to Doe liolliday, a man who j
left a trail of blood across every .State
and Territory between tho Mississippi
and tho Sierras.
A man who understands the art of high
way robbery can hold up any stage with
out firing a shot, unless a fighting shot
gun messenger happens to be on the box,
in which case he may get into trouble
and miss tho trick. The expert profes
sional never fools with a stage 011 open
ground or a steep down grade. He se
lects his ground with care and judgment,
choosing a place where the stage must be
driven slowly, and taking such a position
that he cannot be seen until he has the
driver covered with his shotgun. Ho
uses a shotgun rather than the rifle or
revolver, because the shotgun is the most
formidable weapon at short range. Its
capacity for scattering fire is well
known and duly respected by drivers.
Tho bigger the bore of the gun the
moro terrifying it is to passengers, al
though it is a singular fact that under
such circumstances a 22-calibro rifle bar
rel is likely to be mistaken for the mouth
of tho Sutro tunnel. On the lino of
every old stage road in California is
pointed out some spot that is a favorite
stand for robbers. It is usually in a
sharp re-entering angle, where the horses
must be brought down to a walk, and the
rooky bunk or a tree uffords a hiding
place for the robber. It does not matter
if tho driver knows that he is liable to
bo held up at that spot and is 011 the
alert. 11c cannot make tho turn at high
speed, and he must give his attention to
his team to avoid an upset. Just as the
coach swings into the gully, and the
driver is about to rein the leaders out
from the bank, he hears tho sharp com
mand to halt, and without turning to see,
He knows that a shotgun is pointed at his
?iead from behind tho tree. Tho stage
| driver, being commonly a man of sense
and good judgment, puts on tho brake
I and stops instantly.
"Throw down the box," is tho next
order, and the driver tosses out the ex
press box. .Sometimes the man behind
tho tree wants the mail sacks, too, and if
he is very greedy and bold, he orders the
4 passengers to jump out and empty their
pockets. Usually the passengers tumble
over one another in their haste to obey
the orders of tho man with the gun, and
he makes a good haul of watches und
loose change.
If the robber is alone nobody need lose
much wealth in a hold-up, however. The
robber will not throw himself off' guard
to search the pockets of a lot of passen
gers. It is his business to keep them
covered with his gun, and ho depends
upon their terror to induce them to give
up what 110 would not search
quires an artistic operator and one with
supreme audacity to go through a whole
stugeload of people and clean them out
to the ultimate nickel, but California can
proudly boast of having produced such
artists. One way of doing the trick is to
jpretend that another robber is concealed
jn the brush close by.
"Jim, you keep these galoots covered
while Igo through 'em," remarks the
road agent, in a cool, matter-of-fact way,
after lie had ranged the frightened pas
sengers in a row with their hunds above
their heads. And then he goes through
them without undue haste, making faceti
ous remarks as he brings up the plun
der.
\ The lone highwayman of Shasta, who
was captured recently, had a very neat
method of taking care of passengers
when they were numerous enough to be
troublesome. His outfit consisted of a
six-shooter and a bundle of barley sacks.
He Btoppod tho inward-bound stage
within the town limits of Redding, und
put a barley sack over tho head of every
man in the crowd. Just as ho finished
that part of tho job the outward-bound
stage drove up, and he stopped that and
bagged tho heads of all hands. Then a
farmer happened along, anil he was
treated similarly. A citizen of Redding,
driving for a doctor, fell into tho trap
and joined tho barley-sack brigade, and
then camo tho schoolmnrm of tho dis
trict, who was told to stop and sit still
in her buggy, which she did. The 10110
robber explored the pockets of the
crowd, broke open the express boxes,
and qiftetly slipped away into the woods,
and tho hugged victims didn't dare to
move until tho schoohnarm began .to
luugh at their ridiculous aspect und told
them the robber hud gone.
In the hands of a road agent entirely
great a fence picket is as mighty as a
two-shot scatter gun. The Gilrov stage |
was toiling up a long hill ut dusk some j
years ago when the driver saw something j
white fluttering just ahead, and his j
leaders stopped with their breasts against
a rope stretched across the road. A |
handkerchief was fluttering from the j
I centre of the rope. The driver put on i
I the brake, and then somebody standing !
! by a tree at the side of the road told him j
to throw down the box. He glanced to- !
I ward the person who spoke and saw a
masked man pointing something at him.
j He threw down the box, the masked man
cut the rope and told him to drive on,
and the stage went on its way. The
next day the officers found the broken
express box, the rope, and an old fence
picket in the road, but they never found
the masked man.
The express box is the main attraction
for the road agent, and sometimes it is
affliction to his soul. In the natural or
der of things it ought to contain wealth,
but the heartless express companies
sometimes load it with bricks and cause
great loss of time and anguish of spirit
to an industrious and painstaking robber.
When robbers were the rule and safe
trips the exception in California, the ex
press companies invented the dummy
box and worked it off frequently on the
enterprisiug agent, but the joke didn't
last long. The agent acquired the habit
of bursting the box in the presenco of
the driver and then profanely requesting
him to hand out the other box, and 110 fool
ishness. As the driver wasn't hired to
be shot they discouraged the uso of the
dummy, and it was abandoned by all
well-regulated lines, although it was
worked occasionally on some amateur
robber. When Budd Philpot was driv
ing the Lakeport stage a robber held
him up, and Budd cheerfully tossed out
an empty box belonging to the Great
Western mine, and drove along with the
Wells-Eargo's box safely stowed under
his feet.
Tho scheme of building an iron box
into the body of the coach worked for a
time, but the road agents beat that gumo
by sending the driver and passengers
along tho road afoot and breaking into
tho box at their leisure with cold chisels.
As they usually concluded tho evening's
entertainment by setting fire to the
coach and burning up SI,OOO worth of
the company's property, besides running
away with the horses, the stagemeu con
cluded that tho iron box scheme didn't
pay.
Going through the mail sacks used to
be a tedious job for a road agent anil it
didn't often pay for tho time wasted.
Besides, it doubled the number of pur
suers by setting all the United States
marshals 011 the hunt for the robber, and
when caught it landed him in tho United
States court and insured a heavy scn
tenoe. Nevertheless, a great deal of
money is sent by mail, and for tho con
venience of road agents and other thieves
who may desire to take the chance of
being caught, Uncle Sam invented the
registered letter and its especial pouch.
No other reason for the invention of the
registered letter system can be imagined.
A registered letter is not issued, and
Uncle Sam will not pay for it if it is
lost or stolen. The registered mail is put
into a little pouch, which is put inside of
the ordinary mail sack. AVhcutho road
agent gets hold of a mail snck ho rips it
open, either by running his knife around
the suck near tho bottom or by making
two slashes, criss cross in one side of the
suck. Thanks to Uncle Sum's kind con
sideration and foresight, he isn't obliged
to ransack a thousand letters, but finds
all tho valuable mail sorted out and neat
ly done up in an easily-portable pouch,
which he takes along to open at his leis
ure in the brush.
Of all the devices and inventions for
the protection of treasure and tho circum
vention of the road agent, tho only one
that has stood the test of time and experi
ence is a big, ugly-tempered man with a
sawed-oft' shotgun on the box. Of course,
when the other fellow has the drop a shot
gun is of mere use than a piece of lead
pipe; but the lone road agent can't watch
a lot of passengers and a driver, and at
thesamo time keep the drop on a man who
has been hired to shoot him full of holes,
and only wunts half a chance to do it. If
the robber gets tho drop on tho messenger
and keeps it, and contents himself with
orderingthe driver to throw out the box,
he may win; but, it is the business of the
man with the sawed-off shotgun not to let
him get the drop, but to blaze away as
soon as he shows up. The gun is sawed
off for the greater convenience of the
messenger in potting road agents. It is
loaded with buckshot and scatters. The
length of the gun is such that when the
muzzle rests upon the footboard tho locks
are level with the messenger's kneo, and
ho can swing it up into position very
readily. If he gets it pointed anywhere
near the robber, some of the buckshot are
sure to hit.
An old Nevada driver's modification of
the messenger's gun was a single-bar
relled shotgun worn in his right boot, the
muzzle protruding through the bottom,
near the heel. When held up he stuck
out his leg toward the robber, as if he were
feeling for the brake, and pulled the trig
ger. But one hand was required to work
the gun, and the effect was something in
the line of painful surprise.—[Bun Fran
cisco Examiner.
What a "Ration" Is.
A ration is the established daily allow
ance of food for one person. For the
United States army it is now composed
of the following: Twelve ounces of pork
or bacon or canned beef (fresh or corned),
or one pound and four ounces of fresh
beef, or twenty-two ounces of salt beef;
eighteen ounces of soft bread or flour,
or sixteen ounces of hard bread, or one
pound and four ounces of corn meal. To
every 100 rations, fifteen pounds of
beans or pens, or ten pounds of rice or
hominy; ten pounds of green coffee or
eight pounds of roasted coffee, or two
pounds of tea; fifteen pounds of sugar,
tour quarts of vinegar, one pound eight
ounces of stur candles, four pounds of
soap, four pounds of salt, four ounces of
pepper and four ounces of yeast-powder
to each 100 rations of flour.
Duties of a Lighthouse Keeper.
The duty of a lighthouse keeper is not
easily accomplished. Ho has to build
his own fences, keep his grounds in good
order and see that his house is neat and
trim. It is not expected that he should
make extensive alterations ut his own
expense, for Congress always appro
priates money for that purpose. But he
must keep the government property clean
and tidy, and when the wind is blowing
great guns and the sea is running high
it is his duty to sit by his lamps and see
that they are burning brightly. Some
of tho men have their beds in the light
houses and sleep there night after night,
although Congress makes 110 provision
for such service. Even in tho most
tranquil weather a lighthouse keeper can
not sleep all night undisturbed and at
tend to his duty, for the rules of tho
Treasury Department, the arm of the
government to which he is responsible,
1 compels him him to change his lamps at
j midnight every night. This means an
j unpleasant and often dangerous walk
over trestle work which leads from the
mainland to the lighthouse. Away up
! north on Lake Michigan, where the cold
I is so strong that men have to wear felt
I masks in order to work out of doors, the
! water sweeps upon the piers and freezes
, until by accretions it piles a wall of ice
along the entrance to the harbor. It is
I there that the lighthouse keepers have
to walk to their towers over trestle work,
for a night's tramp over the icy piers
would be attended by great danger.
Electric lights have not yet been intro
duced in the towers along the shores of
Lake Michigan. Oil is used in all the
lamps, and it is the best kerosene oil
that can be bought by the government.
—[Chicago llcrald.
THE WATCH WAS UNDISTURBED.
Result of a Curious Wager in the
Metropolis.
A curious scene was witnessed on a
recent afternoon at the corner of Eighth
avenue and Twenty-seventh street. It
was at that hour when hundreds pass
within the space of a quarter of an hour
—one o'clock. Two flashily dressed
men had a few minutes before been en
gaged in earnest conversation 011 the
subject of honesty and dishonesty among
the people of this city, 0110 contending
that a vast majority wero worthy of
trust, while the other maintained that
the reverse was nearer the truth. Fin
ally, the one with the high estimate of
his fellow-citizens offered to hang his
watch, a valuable gold one, upon the
cross-bar of a signpost close by, and to
wager a supper at Delmonico's that if
he and his friend left it there and went
away for an hour or so, they would find
it hanging there unmolested on their re
turn. Tho bet was promptly accepted,
tho watch and chain were tied to tho
cross-bar in such away that they would
not fall of their own weight, and the two
men went away.
A crowd gathered and stared at this
strange proceeding. Some thought it was
an advertising trick, and that tho owner
of the watch would return in a moment
and exhibit sonio wures to the spectators.
But the latter wuited much longer than
they expected—thoso who did wait, and
they were many—before the owner eumo
back. People gazed at the watch, ex
amined it without touching it, then
looked at each other and wondered. Tho
crowd soon increased to hundreds, and
finally a policeman worked his way
through the throng until he reuched tho
objective point, lie demanded to kuow
whoso watch it was, and was about to
take it down, when some one suggested
that he had 110 right to touch it any
more than any one in the crowd. Ho
thought to himself after a moment's re
flection, and consoled himself by dispers
ing the gathering as well as he could;
but it would have taken many moro po
licemen to keep the curious people mov
ing. Meanwhile, tho watch continued
to hang five feet, eight inches from the
ground, in full view and reach of every
one in the neighborhood.
At exactly 3.20 o'clock the owner of
the watch and his friend returned, and
the former took it down and replaced it
in his pocket. When an onlooker ex
claimed, "Why didn't sonio of us do that
long ago?" the owner replied, with a
broad smile, "because the people of New
York are honest."
it was suggested by the moro unchar
itable spectators, however, that there was
safety in numbers, and that tho watch
would not have hung undisturbed very
long if so many persons had not been
looking at it and each other.—[New
York Post.
All Escape From Siberia.
The harrowing descriptions of the sad
state of the prisoners in Siberia, given
by Mr. Kcnnan, are amply confirmed
(says tho Berlin correspondent of. tho
Daily News) by a Russian named Jacob
Koton, who has escaped from Siberia,
and is now in Breslau. The substance
of his story is as follows: He was the
son of a well-to-do miller in Russian Po
land. 111 tho year 18G3 Koton, then
nineteen years of ago, took part in tho
Polish insurrection, and in a skirmish
near his native place he received asevero
gunshot wound in the left foot, and was
taken prisoner by the Russians. He
was thereupon transported to Yilna, and
condemned by General Muravieff to exilo
for life in Siberia. At Tarbogotai, to
which tho exile was taken, he was obliged
to get his living by hunting. He soon
became homesick in this fearful wilder
ness, the climate of which was killing
him, and defying all dangers ho made an
an attempt to escape, but was seized at
Tomsk and sentenced to three months'
arrest in a fortress. A second attempt
brought him to Moscow, a third to
Grodno.
Six months' and finally a year's im
prisonment in u fortress wore his pun
ishments, and each time ho was trans
ported buck to Tarbogotai. Koton now
—at leust for a time —gave up all fur
ther attempts at escape, and worked
hard to save a sum of money in order
then to try his luck again. In the Spring
of the year 1888 the exile had saved
about 4,(MM! rubles, the fruit of twenty
five years' work as a hunter, and now ho
again thought of escaping. On u dark
night ho left Tarbogotai, went from one
culuss to the other, far from high rouds.
After a dangerous aud fearful journey
of several months, which cost him nearly
the whole of his fortune, and after cross
ing the Ural and gaining Ekutcrinen
burg and St. Petersburg, he at last
reached Stockholm via llelsingfors. llut,
finding no assistance anywhere, ho went
to Copenhagen, Lubeck, Hamburg, Per
lin, and from there to Paris. Here his
money ran short, and the French Gov
ernment sont him ucross the Pelgiun
frontier to Holland, lie could uot re
main thcro either, but was escorted to
the German frontier after marches of
many long weeks. Then, travelling via
Cologne, Munich, und Vienna, ho at last
reached Preslau.
Grape Arbors.
The practice is common to plant and
train hardy grapevines 011 the sides of
dwellings and other buildings, tho fruit
of which becomes a valuable supply to
the family. Arbors aud other supports
are often used for vines in tho rear yard.
It is proposed to combine or compromise
the two modes by placing the trellis
eight or nine feet from tho house, and
forming an overhead connection with it.
The advantuge would bo the convenience
of proximity, shade in summer, and
warmth from tho house in cold weather,
causing earlier ripening. Tho annual
pruning could bo easily performed, thick
or bushy growth cutout, and the bearing
shoots left or disposed of at regular dis
tances on tho trellis and arbor. —[Coun-
try Gentleman.
Potatoes are one cent a pound at Sulow,
0 eiron.
SHIPS AS BURIAL PLACES.
A Curious Seandnnaviau Disposition
of the Dcucl.
Burial ships have so fur been dis
covered to the number of about a dozen
in Sweden and Norway. The bodies laid
in them, burned or unburned, were
equipped with pathetic cure. Besides
being elaborately armed and adorned,
they had placed at their disposal means
of employment and diversion, such as
writing tablets, forging tools, whetting
stones, scissors, cooking utensils, chess
men, draughtsmen and dice. In one of
nine boats containing us many bodies,
disinterred in the churchyard of Vended
in Uppland, weapons and implements
were associated with the rcinuins of
three horses, three dogs, a cow, a pig.
ram, ewe and goose. Another sheltered
the bones of a goose, a duck, a falcon,
rock owl and crane.
The inference seems justified that all
those birds were domesticated. Inside
the ribs of the celebrated Gokstadt ship
some peacocks' feathers lay scattered
with fragments of gold-embroidered
silken stuff; and the tumulus near
Sandefiord, from which it was unearthed
in 1880, contained the skeletons of at
least twelve horses and six dogs. But
the treasures of the sepulchral chamber
amidship had long ago fallen a prey to
some ot the numerous and nameless
thieves who
"Ransacked the graves of warriors old.
Their falchions wrenched from corpses
hold."
The vessel itself, which is of oak,
clinker-built and 75 feet long, is pre
served in the Archaeological Museum at
Chrißtiania.
Life in the North, however, fundamen
tally homely, was uttended in those days i
by accessories of considerable splendor.
Gastronomic refinements were indeed un
known. Boiled veal counted as the
"best of dantics"; roast pork with
whoaten bread might also bo provided
for favored guests, in default of which
delicacies, curds and buttermilk were
welcome; and the bill of faro dur
ing a royal visit comprised, on alternate
days, fish and milk, meat and ale. Yet i
the tables spread with such simple re
pasts were often gay with embroidered |
cloths and radiant with gilded vessels,
dainty glass breakers and repousse silver
and bronze drinking-horns. They were
surrounded, too, by gorgeously clad
revellers. Scarlet cloaks lined with fur
and secured with magnificent fibulas of
bronze inlaid with silver, or of silver gilt
diversified with filagree-work, garnets or
walrus ivory, were flung over silken
tunics, or kirtles made of u kind of velvet
called "poll."
These wero belted in with girdles
finely wrought of precious metals; gold
rings encircled legs, arms and fingers;
silk caps, adorned with lace, covered tlio
head; shoes wero of leather covered with
beaten gold and stitched with silk; u gold
band like a diadem confined tawny and
profuse locks flowing down to the shoul
ders. We hear, beside, of gloves mado
soft with down, of suits of "many
colored English cloth," rain-and-dust
cloaks and of fur-lined mantles with
golden neck straps. Bigurd the Jari
figures iu St. Olaf's Saga as clad in "a
blue kirtle and blue nose, high shoes
laced around his legs, a gray cloak and a
gray broad-brimmed hat and a hood over
his face, a staff in his luind with a gilt
silver mounting ut the upper end, from
which a silver ring hung."—[Edinburg
Review.
MR. W. E. BEAR, tlio well-known
Englinh writer on agricultural statistics,
supplies to Bradstreet's a "rough es
tiinute" of the shortage in the wheat
harvests of Europe this year, and of the
sources of supply from other parts of
the world. Mr. Bear's estimate, it should
be noted, takes account of the short rye
crop as an element in calculating the de
mand for wheat, lie begins with Russia,
whoso wheat production last year (in
cluding Roland) was about 212,000,000
bushols and her exports about 00,000,000
bushels. This year Mr. Bear thinks her
crop will not be over 180,000,000 bushels
and her exports not above 40,000,000.
Austria-Hungary falls short this year
27,000,000 bushels as compared with last
year. The country will not bo able to
spare more than 8,000,000 bushels. Ru
mania has a good crop and may be able
to spare 30,000,000 bushels. Bulgaria
and Servia may export 12,000,000 bush
els. The power of the exporting coun
tries of Europe to supply the importing
countries will have a deficiency of 371,-
000,000 bushels, so that Europe in tlio
aggregate will be under the necessity of
importing 281,000,000 bushels from the
other quarters of the world. What coun
tries can supply this amount? Mr. Bear
thinks that India may furnish 33.000,000
and the United States 144,000,000, leav
ing still a shortage of 104,000,000 to bo
looked for in Australia, South America,
Canada, Asia Minor, Egypt, etc. Mr.
Kains-Jackson shows that this wheat re
quirement of Europe will call for ship
room of 5,000,000 bushels per week aver
age for the wholo year. The editor of
Bradstreet's considers Mr. Bear's estimate
of the European deficiency rather under
than over the mark.
Largest Plank in the World.
Tlio Northwest Lumberman gives an
engraving from a photograph of a red
wood phink that is 10 feet 5 inches wide,
12 feet 9 inelies long, and 5 inches thick,
and is about 90 per cent, clear. It was
taken from a tree 35 feet in diameter
and 300 feet high. According to its
rings it was more than 1,500 years old.
The tree was cut 28 feet from the ground,
and the plunk was bowed out of tlio
stump, representing a section taken
from near the heart of the bark. After
it was displaced it was lowered by block
and tackle, with a locomotive for power.
In the way of labor its cost represents
the time of two men for a month, simply
to prepare it in the rough for shipment.
To this the cost of transportation must
be added, making a total of about S3.(KX).
It was moved by water to San Francisco.
After being on exhibition some time,
a car was specially prepared to transport
it to Chicago. This was douo by cutting
a slot in the centre of a Hat car, in which
stirrups wcro pendent. The plank was
placed on edge in the slot, its lower edge
being within about a foot of the ties.
Oldest Church in Europe.
Which is the oldest church in Europe?
asks tho British Architect. Canon
Routledge, in bis "History of St. Mar
tin's Canterbury," claims the distinction
for that, venerable edifice. 11c describes
it as being tlio only existing church
originally built ns a church during the
first, four conturics that has remained a
church till tlio present day. St Martin's
has a rival in St. Mary-in-the-Castlo,
Dover, which Canon Buckle believes to
have been erected in tho fourth century;
but in the days >f Queen Anne, and for a
century and a half afterwards, this edi
fice was used as a garrison fuel depot.
Summer
Weakness
Loss of Appetite, Sick
Headache, and That Tired
Feeling are cured by
Hood's
Sarsaparilla.
"August
Flower"
How does he feel ? —He feels
cranky, and is constantly experi
menting, dieting himself,'adopting
strange notions, and changing the
cooking, the dishes, the hours, and
manner of his eating-—August
Flower the Remedy.
How does he feel ?—He ftels at
times a gnawing, voracious, insati
able appetite, wholly unaccountable,
unnatural and unhealthy.-—August
Flower the Remedy.
How does he feel ?—He feels no
desire to go to the table and a
grumbling, fault-finding, over-nice
ty about what is set before him when
he is there —August Flower the
Remedy.
How does he feel ?—He feels
after a spell of this abnormal appe
tite an utter abhorrence, loathing,
and detestation of food; as if a
mouthful would kill him—August
Flower the Remedy.
How does he feel?—He has ir
regular bowels and peculiar stools—
August Flower the Remedy. ©
Pronunciation "BOOH.''
Pronunciation "bees" liave taken the
place of the once exciting and profitable
spelling bee. In the various summer
schools pronunciation bees have become
episodes of great interest and not a lit
tle hilarity; while rural culture, always
ready to combine healthful fun with in
tellectual progress, is certain so adopt
the fashion eagerly and be ready to in
augurate it when huskiug's over" It is
clearly important, therefore, that to
make pronunciation bees helpful in the
promotion of correct language certain
standards shall be accepted as final and
authoritative.
The first necessity will be a commit
tee perfectly familiar with the marks
that indicate sound in all well regulated
dictionaries. There are many thought
loss people who do not bother their
heads about sound marks in dictionaries.
They look in them, as a rule, only for
spelling and meaning of words. Dic
tionaries areas important for pronuncia
tion as for orthography and definitions.
Iu every standard work of this nature
pronunciation is minutely indicated and
only carelessness can fail to discern the
proper place to accent a word of more
than one syllable and the values to bo
given to vowels and combinations of
letters. Differences in high class dic
tionaries are few, slight and unimport
ant.
Pronunciation bees should be zeal
ously encouraged throughout the coun
try. Americans are lamentably indif
ferent to pronunciation. They scarcely
take the trouble to open their mouths
widely enough to pronounce intelligibly
half the time. They speak flatly, un
musically and incorrectly in consequence
of this indifference to articulation. If
they were more painstaking about the
adequate and accurate use of vocal or
gans, they would intutitively cultivato
a pleasant speaking quality of voice,
men slightly raising pitch and women
lowering it for domiuaut tone, securing
at the same time flexibility and range
which insures agreeablo variety of note
in conversation.
Jt is necessary, of course, to choose
one master or mistress for a pronuncia
tion bee in order to maintain order and
to have consistency and uniformity in
principles of pronunciation. At Chau
tauqua a professional elocutionist held
this post. It would bo interesting to
know whether he has himself learned
that institute does not spell toot, nor
news noosand that literary is not liter 4 '
nor library libr'y. It is well for local
committees to find out in advance a lit
tle about their pronunciation before
they open the bee. The bee itself is a
good tliiug.
If boards of education throughout the
country were to require the attendance
of teachers and school ollicers nt pro
nunciation bees twice a month many
teachers would he at the foot of the
class; and there would be below them
none but school officials. Pronuncia
tion hoes in fashionable resortH this
summer would also do something to
ward making less barbarous the amateur
theatricals of next winter.
Tlio Itussian authorities linvo forbidden
speculation in wheat, because the uupplv is
short.
FRAZER G A * L S I,
BKBT IN THE WORLD MilCflwE
tr et th Oeanlnr. Sold Evrrvwhrn*.
FOR OLD AND YOUNG
TuttfsLiver Pills art ns kindly on tlio
child, the delicate female or infirm old
age, as upon the vigorous man.
Tuft's Pills
give tone anil strength to tho weak stom
ach, bowels, kidneys uiul bladder.
DONALD KENNEDY
Of Fioxburv, Mass., says
Kennedy's Medical Discovery
cures Horrid Old Sores, Deep-
Seated Ulcers of 40 years'
standing, Inward Tumors, and
every disease of the skin, ex
cept Thunder Humoi, and
Cancer that has taken root,
Price, $1.50. Sold by every
Druggist in the United States
and Canada.
A gentleman residing near enough to
this city to hoar tin* town clock strike says
he can hear coyotes around his residence
almost any night, lie was talking about
the bounty offered by the State tor coy
ote sculps and favored the law, saving
that he hud lost more than S4OO within
the last two years by the coyotes and
that it was almost impossible to raise
young pigs whore these animals were
found. He was of opinion that the coy
oytcs would all be killed off within the next
two years.—[Tulare (Cal.) Times.
INSPIRING.
"That composition of yours is truly
Wagnerian. Where did you get the
idea?"
"My boy exploded a giant cracker
and a pack of ordinary crackers in my
upright piano last Fourth of July.—
[Epoch.
For Mouliltiir liens*
Many people have learned by experience
that Sheridan's Condition Powder given
once daily in the food, will supply the needed
material to strengthen and invigorate sick
chickens or moulting hens and get the
young pullets to lajinjj earlier than any
thing else on earth. Mrs. Edwin Brown,
East Greenwich, It. 1., says; "I could not
do without Sheridan's Condition Powder
when hens are moulting. I use it when
chickens are small as they often droop and
die young. To a pint of clabbered milk, I
add a teaspoonful of the Powder, mix \yell
and let the chicks eat all they will once ft
day, it does seem to be just what need;
they soon become vigorous." I. S. Johnson
& Co., Boston, Mass., will send further par
ticulars to anyone free.
It costs $28.47 per year to educate each
pupil in the Boston public schools.
GRATIFYING TO ALL.
The high position atta'ned and the universal ;
acceptance and approval of the pleasant liquid j
fruit remedy, Syrup of Figs, as the most excel- .
lent laxative known, illustrate the value of the j
qualities on which its success is based and are ,
abundantly gratifying to the California Fig
Syrup Company.
Heat and drought have caused much suffer
ing in Spain.
Children Tease For If.
Dr. Hoxsie's Certain Croup Cure Is a boort
10 children who are attacked with croup or
icute conirestive cold*. Sold bv druggists or
mailed on receipt of 5'J cts. Address A. P.
Hankie. Buffalo. N. Y.
The earth is grndu&lly growing larger from
the faff of meteoric matter.
Ball's Catarrh Cure la a liquid and is taken
internally, and acts directly upon the blood
and mucous surfaces of the system. Send for
testimonials, free. Sold by lirugnists, 75c.
Jf. J. Chkxky & Co., Proprs., Toledo, O.
The lightest barbed wire averages sixteen
feet to the pound.
FITC slopped froe by Dr. Kliwe's C k BAT
Nerve Kjcstoiuui. No fits after lirst day's uso.
Marvelous cures. Treatise and *2 trial bottle
free. Dr. Kline. 901 Arch St.. Phila_ Pa.
During the past year over 22,000 persons
visited the birthplace of Shakespeare. 08(5.
How is Your Appetite.
s. s. s.
aids
digestion
I makes
you enjoy
what you
eat
and cures
you of
dyspepsia.
If it is not good j
you need a tonic.
Hunger is a sauce
that gives your food
a flesh-making and j
strengthening pow- <
er. S. S. S. is fa- j
mous for its health j
giving and building j
up qualities. It is
the best of all tonics, j
TREATISE ON BLOOD AND SKIN DISEASES MAILED FREE.
THE SWtFT SPECIFIC CO .. Atlanta. Ca.
S Allays l*n iii 'h nd"l iillniiiiiiat ion, U ;isfiS^ C^E
the Borea, KrntorrH Tusli' anil Smell, and cvl
i hi lll ji , ipg iw i ß i , il tD 'NHt/g>j
® JB fc! i,;: ' ••*'
**** "fiti w HT . m
Gives Belief at once for Gold in Head.
Apply into the Xottrile. It it Quickly A bxorbed.
|l*me,ybeh-ue wheJ-some men say.
be t-ruen say."
*
ll"js exsolid caß'eop%counns£ soap—
For many years SAPOLIO has stood as the finest and
j best article of this kind in the world. It knows no equal,
| and, although it costs a trifle more its durability makes it
| outlast two cakes of cheap makes. It is therefore the
cheapest in the end. Any grocer will supply it at a
reasonable price.
Jr '"""""in 1 """ V" 'Kb" Tuli. mi other ktnil. Hefnte
tyS !:' "V"' 1 ': r " F .r— r * ie ".. rs > w.ltmouliiU, .nil "It I'ifi'V to, 1.,1|,..," i n utter, h. rrlurn MiilV
~v fj CHICHI.-™. CI.ICUCO„ M.,
r "" r...Ut. I'I'II..VII 1.1.1'1' | v,'|"A.
|E.raa>B W3v W.liln C oii, It. f".
"Successfully Prosecutes Claims.
Lat* Principal t. S. Penolon RursntL
3ti-s In laf wr Ifiadludicnflnr elatm* attv sine*
II AV CCUCD CURED T0 STAY CURED.
IIH ■ |LVL UWe want the name an<l ad
dress of every sufferer in the
Q ACTUM AU. S. and Canada. Address,
\X HO I I" 111 H P. Harold Hayaa.M.D , Buffalo, N.T.
DU... , 'The Future Gre*t. '' Never
"PI Tl T\ TTI ueforj has the futurerent-
I Imb nessof ayouug city oeeuso
J J J LI apparent and assured. All
111 n Mutes have their iui'Kect;-
I 111 I**", and Pierre is the Cap -
. litis tai und the Commcrcia
— ™_ Metropolis of the New
State, South Dakota. lK<iurantee my patrons a profit.
Good Itesldenc • Lots each. Write for partie
ulars ami references. i HAS. 1,. llYOlf, In
\ est mniit Hi ok -i, I'lrere. *oiit'i llnkntn.
BEST ZS BROOM HOLBER.
In tho iOA Holds a broom either enil
WorlchT 1 baU!J>le ' l)st|ialil.
ENgI.K GUN ( itakon.
CANVASSERS WANTED.
BAKU! Alia BOASTER.
T.ntest Improved and most perfect
i .Ti. K oi'ii ~i* ,v.
There's danger
in a cough more than ever when
your blood is "bad." It makes
things easy for Consumption. But
there's a cure for it in Dr. Pierce's
Golden Medical Discovery. A posi
| tive cure not only for Weak
I Lungs, Spitting of Blood, Bron
chitis, Asthma and all lingering
Coughs, but for Consumption itself
in all its earlier stages. It's rea
sonable. All these diseases depend
on tainted blood. Consumption is
simply Lung - scrofula. And for
every form of scrofula and blood
taint, the " Discovery " is a certain
remedy. It's so certain, that its
makers guarantee it to benefit or
cure, in every ease, or the money is
refunded. With a medicine that n
certain, this can be done.
There's a cure for Catarrh, too,
no matter what you've been led to
believe. If there isn't, in your case,
you'll get SSOO cash. It's a bona
fide offer that's made by the pro
| prietors of Dr. Sage's Catarrh
Remedy. There's risk in it, to be
sure, but they arc willing to take
the risk you ought to be glad
to take the medicine.
PATEWTS^'^Wft
" V 10-outre boak frcn.
PBIVBIOIVS Dae nil NOLDIEBSI
M dlaaßled tl fee for increase. 'XS years ex
perience. Write (or I.awn. A.W. MCCORMICK
I SONH. WAHIIINUTON. I). C. A CINCINNATI. O.
j POULTRY PP. o .';, :.™ " V •
(ft l/fl E/ AERVOUS, WRETCHED mortals get
we " * n(l kppp wel) - Health Help*
tolls how. 50 eta, a year. Sample CODS
I *ee. I)r. J. 11. DYE. Editor. Buffalo. N. V.
01 G l'ACil<l HOOK, the sini]ilost and fairest
/IN ovup written on the tariff question, for I Vfo
UiU St;iii.|.s, . I'. CO.. |r> Ymull-water St.. N. Y.
All AnorT En at TrnnrM-f's FINE
HII CLI II ATE nnrl CURAT UEKOCUOKS m
fijt ■■ KNOXYILLE SENTINEL; daily 1 mo.,
| —* —-1 Oc.; weekly 1 year, !1; samples sc.
GRASS SEEDS.
We PI CAN Clover mid (II IIH* Srrdu, taking
.....bLCAn (U i Hit- WEED SEEDS by new
methods tour own Ji.vt iiDou). 11 yen WANT I'LltK
I J-UKBH {•i-idf, write J< i tree tampler, wJtn prices and
< irculnr. t#' CL2 Ili IN mil f>t will not ai>pfai ayain.
j Whitney-NoyeM to ceil < 0.. BINUHAMTON. *N. Y.
< Gained 44 Pounds.
( Mr. James J. McCaUey, of
/ Monet, Mo., says bo had
J dyspepsia for eight yeara,
( which made him a wreck,
; sick and suffering during
S the whole time. After try
<j ing all the remedies, Includ-
S ing all the doctors in reach,
s ho discarded everything and
c took Swift's Specific. Ha
S increased from 114 to 156
c pounds and was soon a
) sound and healthy man.
Ue-i M
f J) %
"MY WORK SHALL BE PERPETUATED."
Tim perpetuation of .Mrs. Plnkhnni's work ni
gnuriltul t>y her foresight from ttio start. Every
011 liiTi ni? woman api)lvim;io lierrct'i'lvcd personal
attention. and the details of overv case were re.
corded. These records are to .lav the largest in
tlio world, contain facts not tdund elsewhere,
now open to ull women.
LYDiA L PINKHIWS Compound
is the ojily Legitimate and Positive Remedy for
those peculiar weaknesses and ailtuenis incident
to women.
IT . tonh. " flutdc to Una Pttqattlft"
V—J& bmitilrulli lllatrattl, %rn! no refrl|>luMw< fie.
| Lytfla E. Plnkham Mod. Co.. I.vnn. M*m.