The military school of France now |
includes English in the list of subjects
for matriculation.
No fewer than 5t>,000 men have de
eerted from the English militia during
tho last five years, and in the samo
period nearly 70,000 of the same force
joined the regular army.
Massachusetts is still the prime
abode, if not the paradise, of the
gentler sex, observes tho Boston
Herald. Sixty thousand more woineu
than men demonstrates this fact.
Connecticut observes a holiday in
honor of Abraham Lincoln on October
15. The day is not au anniversary
of any particular event of Lincolu's
life, and was selected merely because
it is a good time of tho year to have
a holiday.
The Wilmington Messenger declares
that the authenticity of the Mecklen
burg declaration of independence is
clearly proved to the satisfaction of
all North Carolinians by a receat pam
phlet on the subjeot written by Dr.
George Graham and Professor Alex
Graham, of Charlotte.
The consumption of coal per head
of population is lowest in Austria,
whero it is only one-sixth ton per an
num, and highest iu Great Britain,
where each person averages three and
tbreo-tenth tons each year. Iu the
United States the average is two and
cme-fourth tons a year.
Matthew Frazier, a man of eighty
two, who died a few days ago near
Lawrenceburg, Ky., had the rare dis
tinction of being tho sole eau3e of a
law passed by the Legislature of his
Stato some years ago. He was a bird
catcher—the only one in Kentucky—
and he captured so many mocking
birds and red birds that the Legisla
ture, fearing that these two birds
would become extinct, passed a law
making birJ-eatehiug a misdemeanor.
According to the New Y'ork Sun, so
much fruit has beeu raised iu Califor
nia this season that the looal markets
have been glutted, and in San Francis
co tons of melons, pears au l plums
havo been thrown into the saa. Tho
latter way of disposing of tho fruit
was one of wilful waste, for it might
have been given to tho poor of tho
city—people too poor even to buy the
stuff, cheap as it was. But this course
would not havo been business nnd
probably would have prevented sales
on succeeding days. One day recently
canteloupes wore selling in San Fran
cisco for ten cents a crate, and water
melons could not be sold even at two
to five cents each. That same after
noon 500 crates of canteloupes, 20J
crates of watermelons, au 1 a great
amount of plnnas and pears were
dumped into the bay.
Alaska has lately enteral into
strong competition with the East for
the Northwestern market for salt fish,
6o long a specialty of New England.
The importance of the Alaskan fisher
ies is but little understood outside
the Territory, most of her products
in this line being classed as from tha
"Northwest," without special credit.
There are about a dozen salmon can
neries now running in Alaska, and the
output this year will be about 2,353,-
000 dozen cans. A big industry in
packing clams and making and bot
tling clam juice has lately become es
tablished, and about 50,03) dozen
cansofolams were put up this year.
Halt cod, herrings and other 6uch
standed suited fish products have just
begun to push their way into the Ore
gon and Washington markets, which
have hitherto been supplied from the
East, and there are goo I indications
that the industry will grow to great
proportions.
A number of the malo Indian pupils
of Hampton Institute have been work
ing the past summer on farms along
the valley of the Hoosatonic, in Con
necticut. Thus they supplement their
industrial training with actual experi
ence on alarm. Their wages are sent
directly to the institute, instead of
being given to them. Their employ
ers usually find them strong and will
ing workmen. One of those said of a
young Cherokee whom ho had ou his
farm for two months: "Ho is always
in a good temper and nover shirks any
work. But he has a curious lack of
appreciation of the value of time. If
he is put at auy such task as cradling,
where the labor is of one kind and
continuous, he does exceedingly well.
But if I give him a number of odd
jobs to look after, he is less satisfac
tory. He gets through one thing,
and it takes him a long time to start
at the next. I have spoken to him
about economy of time and he prom
isee to try to do better. Ho seems
anxious to learn."
OPEN THE DOOR.
Open the door, let in tho atr,
The winds are sweet and tho flowors are
fair;
Joy is abroad in the world to-day.
If our door is wide open he may come this
way.
Open the door.
Open the door, let in the sun,
He hath a smile for every one;
lie hath made of the raindrops gold and
Kerns,
Ho may change our tears to diadems.
Open the door.
Open the door of tho soul, let in
Strong, pure thoughts, which shall banish
sin;
They will grow aud bloom with a grace
divine.
And their fruit shall ho sweeter than that of
tho vine.
Open the door.
Open the door of the heart, let in
Sympathy sweet for stranger and kin:
It will make the halls of the heart so fair
That angels may enter unaware.
Open the door.
-—Chicago Inter Ocean.
A DELAYEI) ERRAND.
u ro "' ' lev y° u i? o '-
1 JS homo lit last!"
Mr JS A roil-fueled anil
JtMl'lVTj'i angry woman
(/JJ/ stood in the
kitchen door, her
VW&J sleeves rolled up
J, and her arms
'e-yzzjlakimbo. A meek
i. "wir little man dis
mounted from his horse at the gate,
and proceeded to unbuckle the girth
and take olt' the saddle, which he
threw upon tho fence. A pull at the
headstall removed the bridle, and the
horse, with a snort of satisfaction, at
oueo lay down and rolled in the sandy
road. The bridle was thrown across
the saddle, aud the little man opened
the gate slowly and hesitatingly, ns
one who knows what things the tor
turer is preparing for him.
"1 was a-eotnin', Minervy," ho be
gan, but the strident voice interrupt
ed him.
"Comin'l Yos, I reckin so! So is
Christmas a-eomiu' 1 Here I've had
this supper ready oue solid hour, an'
the coffee's not fit to drink by tbis
time! An the ole red eow o' I'eterses
has been in the corn again, an' no
body but me to drive her out; but it's
little you keer what I hev to suffer,
so's you kin go to town an' set rouu'
the stores au' tell lies with that 110-
'count gang that stays there! An'l
know jest ns well as ef I'd a seen it
that you never brung that thread nor
them piepuns!"
"I was a-goin' to git 'em, Miuervv,"
began tho little man, meekly, "but
they wits up tbar makin' up a com
pany—"
"Didn't I know it, Jim Carroll!
Didn't I know it? If ever there was a
wouiau neglected nn' abused from one
year's end to another, I am that wo
man. Here I am, slaviu' an' slavin'
from mornin' till night, an' never
knowin' what it is to go nowhere ex
ceptin' to preachin' oneet a month
an' gracious knows if it wan't for bein'
a Christian I never could stand this
kind of a life, au' you know that well
enough; an' hero are you, gaddiu'
about like ef you didn't hev a keer in
the world!"
The red-faced woman withdrew into
tho house, and the meek little man
followed her. He hoped that tho
worst of the storm was over, and ho
ventured to remark with a conciliat
ing smile:
"I never thought you'd be so mad
about it, Minervy."
"Tliero it is!" shrieked the now
thoroughly aroused lady. "Yoo kin
tear around this house an' treat me
worse than a slave, but if over I say a
word the fat's in the lire. Things has
come to a pretty pass if I cau't open
my mouth hut what somebody has to
accuse me o' hem' mad I I reckin I'll
liev to he gagged after a while, EO'S I
can't say uothin' 1 If ever I did see a
domineerin', overbearin' man, you're
that man. Here you kin insult mo as
much as you please, but I don't dare
to say my soul is my own. An' when
you kuowed bow I needed that thread
an' them piepans, an' you go all the
way to town, an' then come hack with
out 'em 1 Go out an' git a armful o'
wood to git breakfast with ! I reckin
you kin remember that ? Gracious
knows, if all the men was like you the
women folks would be a plagued sight
better oft'without'em thau thoy air
with 'em."
The little man went out at the open
door and around the house toward tho
woodpile. He paused there to draw
his hand across his perspiring fore
head, and to make a remark to him
self. Tho remark was simply
"Whew!" hut it conveyed an amount
of expression. Then ho picked up
two or three sticks of wood, aud then
he stood up, looking off down the val
ley toward tho town, whoso lights he
could just sec glimmering faintly in
the gathering twilight.
He stood there so long, absorbed in
Lis own thoughts, that an impatient
step began to resound through the
house, and a sarcastic voieo was pro
jected into tho gloaming:
"Jim Carroll, air you a-comiu' with
that wood, or air you a-goiu' to stay
all night?"
The sound awakened him as from a
trance, and he stnrted so violently that
tho sticks of wood fell from his arms.
Home strange emotion soizod him at
Hie uoise made by the falling wood.
He pulled his hat dowu over his
brows, gave oue glance back over his
shoulder, scaled the fence aud fled
wildly down the slope of the hill under
the thick shadows of the trees.
It was a long time before he could
convince himself that he was not pur
sued. The rustling of the leaves be
hind him wings to his feet, A
dozen times he felt Minervv's hand on
his coat collar, and he knew that if it
wore there ho would hare no choice
but to go back. Such time was never
made since the days of Tarn O'Shan
ter. Over fallen tree trunks, around
upturned roots, vaulliug over gullies,
dodging low hauging limbs, dragging
himself free from the embrace of too
affectionate briars, away ho went down
tho hill, pursued by tho avenging
shadow of Minervy.
At the foot of the slope, whero the
hill aud valley met, he emerged into
tho road. It was quite dark, aud the
fear of pursuit haunted him no longer
—that is, not to any great extent. Ho
didn't run now; he only walked rap
idly. He carried his hat in his hand,
and mopped his perspiring brow with
his handkerchief, and remarked in an
amazed undertone:
"By Ned!"
In tho little town a vacant storo
building was thronged with meu,many
of whom had just enlisted as volun
teers, aud mauy others had come to
look on, tilled with curiosity, but not
overflowing with patriotism. The war
was but a few mouths old, and only
vaguo minora of it had penetrated to
those remote districts. This was tho
first company of volunteers to go
from this section, and it was made up
wholly of those more daring spirits
who were willing to risk anything in
the mere love of adventure.
A commotion back by the door told
of a new arrival, aud the crowd will
ingly made way for him. A little man,
rumpled as t > hair and tattered as to
garments, struggled into the clear
space ill front of the enrolling officer
and said :
"Ef the comp'ny uiu't made up yet
you kin put me in."
Everybody knew him, and every
body laughed. The laugh was a
cheery one, brimming with amuse
ment, aud it filled the room anil ex
tended out into tho street.
"How'd you manage to gil off from
Minervy, Jim?" asked a tall fellow
who was going to stay at home, pre
sumably because ho couldn't "git off
from" the wife over whom he domi
neered.
"Does Minervy know you're out?"
shouted another jeeriugly.
"Jist think of it, boys," drawled a
third. "Think o'Jim Carroll j'iniu'
the Smithvillo Tigers 1 He's a whale
of a tiger, ain't he?"
"Never mind," interrupted the en
rolling officer grimly. "He'll make
as good food for powder as nuy of
you."
With which cheerful suggestion Jim
Carroll was duly enrolled us a private
in the Smithvillo Tigers, and by dawn
tho next morning the company was on
the road, marching gayly off to tho
tune of "The Girl I Left Behind Mo."
About a month later ono of the
Tigers, Silo Colburu, remarked in a
genera! way to several of the others :
"Wall, boys, fur's I'm concerned,
you kin leave off liiughiu' nt Jim Car
roll an' pokin' fun at 'im. Jim, he
never growls at the marchiu', nor tho
weather, nor nothiu' else, an' he does
more'n his sheer o' the work, you all
kuow that blamed well. Au' ho sleeps
on the grouu' without any kiver so's
to give me his extry blaukit all o' last
week, when I wan't feeliu' so mighty
vigris. I'll bet they wouldn't none o'
the rest o' you 'a, done it."
"Jes' wait till a battle comes up,"
said long Ben Finks scornfully. "You
wou't never hour of Jim Carroll again
after the fust gun fires. He'll pitch
out a-runnin', an' he'll be a runniu'
yit wUeu the trumpit sounds for the
merlenniuui."
Within three days there was a bat
tle ; a battle for which some of the
Tigers had longed, and which others
had awaited with dread. The weak
little man who had fled from Miuervy
found himself, with the other Tigers,
and dim, gray-coated ranks beyond
charging up a hill, in the face of a
battery that plowed through their
ranks and laid rows of slaughtered
men along the slope behind them, but
still they rushed on, their faces set
grimly. Jim Carroll was one of the
first to leap upon a smoking cannon
and snatch away the fuse, aud thenou
in the pursuit, as the euemy retreated,
stubbornly lighting their way inch by
inch.
Tho next day something happened.
•Tim Carroll was offered promotion for
bravery on the field of battle.
"I'm much obliged," ho aaid, fumb
ling with his hat in an embarrassed
manner, "but if it's all the same to
yon, I'd rather not. I'd lots ruther
do jest plain lightin'."
So Jim Carroll was left to do plain
fightin', and there is no denying that
he did it well. It came to be acknowl
edged as a settled fact that the little
man wtoni Minervy had ruled with a
rod of iron did not know what fear
was. The first guns of a battle fired
him, as tho sound of tho trumpet
roused tho biblical warhurse. He
rushed into a charge with head up aud
eyes flashing. His only trouble was
that he could not bear to rotreat, and
when tho exigenciesot battle domaudod
a retreat he yielded with the most
ludicrous unwillingness.
His superior ofllccrs found him out,
nud wheu there was a difficult or dan
gerous mission Jim Carroll was the
man to he sent upon it. Tho meek lit
tle man with timid and appealing look
made more than one journey into tho
enemy's liucs, aud returned with in
formation which no one else could
have gained. Long aud lonely jour
neys, through sections bristling with
dangers, fell to his share, and lie was
frequently placed whore nothing but
quick thought and ready wit could
save him. No one had ever suspected
him of having either resource, but he
came out of every difficulty unscathed
and reported at headquarters with the
old meekness and gentleness.
"That Jim Carroll is a caution," re
marked Hile Col burn to a crowd of his
native villagers, when he was taking a
little furlough on account of a bullet
, through his lung. "It*J my belief
, that Jim Carroll's the bravest man
: that's lit into the war. Why, when
' our Colonel went down in that last
I battle, what does Jim do but run right
j back into the face of the enemy, grab
j a loose liorse, git our Colonel onto 'itu
I an' como a-bringin' 'im away, cool as
; a cucumber. The enemy yelled liko
mad when they seen it, nu' lie could'a
got a pcrmotion then an' thar ef he'd
'a had it. Hut *ho said no, I thank
you, Jim did. He said he'd lots ruther
do plain lightin'."
The four years were past—the "plain
fightin* " was over. Appromattox was
a recent memory, and along all the
roadways trailed dusty and forlorn
ligures, their faces turned toward
whatever region they had once called
home. Two men iiinped painfully
down the valley to tho little town
lying peaceful and serene in tho even
ing light as though there bad been no
such thing as war in all the world.
Purple shadows -of clouds drifted
across the distant bill-, and along a
strip of white roa 1 on tho outskirts of
the town a company of small boys with
paper caps and wooden guns were
playing soldier.
"Now, Jim," urged Sile, beseech
iugly, "don't go back on your word.
Remember what you promised, Jim.
Don't ye go an' lot Mi nervy git tho
stait of you ftg'in. Jest think how
you lit into the war, an' stau' up for
your rights."
"I 'lowed I would, Sile," replied
Jim, but there was a faltering in bis
tone as ho glanced up tho hill toward
tho cabin, where a thread of blue
smoke curled softly up into the even
ing air.
"Now, Jim, cf you give down I'll
bo plum ashamed o' ye, that's what I
will. If you let Minervy get tha stare
<>* you oucet more it's goodby to your
chances. An* a mati that lit like you
did, too."
4 'l'll take licer, Sile," said the her >
of battle and scout. "I'ui a-goia' into
a store a minute to buy something,
an' tho i I'm agoiu' up home."
Minervy had tli9 supper nearly
ready in the littlo cabin on the hill.
was in a hurry, because every
thing must be cleared away before
dark. Candles were too scarce to be
wasted, and the tall woman in the
homespun dress ha 1 learned all there
was to l)e learned in the way of pinch
ing economies. ttbo had set the yel
low platter of "corn pone" on the
table and was turning back again
when a ligure in the doorway startled
her.
"Minervy, here's the wood you scut
me after," said the meek littlo man,
and he went across the room and laid
the armful of wood beside the hearth.
"An' here's that thread an' them
piepans."
A grim humor iu the utterance
struck her, aud she fell back into a
chair, Uughing and cryingat the same
time, and clapping 'her worn, brown
bauds.
"Well, you waited for 'cm to grow,
T reckiu," she ejaculated between
sobs. "But it don't make no diff'-
ruuee, Jim. I'm done sooldin' the
rest o' my life. Supper's ready, Jim.
I'm glad you got homo in time for
supper."
Aud while she cried, the "bravest
man who fit in tho war" wiped away
the tears from her face with a hand as
tender as though it had never handled
a guu or been blackened with powder.
—New Orleans Times-Democrat.
B.ul Drinking Water,
Too much stress cannot bo put upon
the necessity of pure drinking water.
Not ouly is it important for village*
and cities, but too often tiio location
of tho well on u farm has been a nut
ter of indifference. Either from care
lessness or ignorance it has been made
where it will take surface drainage or
from somo underground fissure re
ceive water from the b.aru or, worse
yet, seepage from the kitckcu slops or
other house drainage.
The following sad experience affords
a warning: Mishawaka, a little vil
lage near South Bend, In 1., had been
visited annually by contagious disease
causing many deaths. Three mouths
i ago au epidemic of diphtheria broke
out, which quickly spread over the
entire village, and caused a number of
deaths. Workmen engaged ou an
electric plant were obliged to shut oil
the water yesterday and drain tho
reservoir from which the water mains
of Mishawaka aro supplied. Tho bed
of tho pit was found covered with
dead fish, snakes, eels, cats, dogs, and
other animal-. The workmen who at
tempted to clean tho pit were over
come.
All of the Mater used in Mishawaka
| was drawn through this mass of de
caying uuimal matter.—Farm, Field
and Fireside.
Discovery About Filter*.
Tt is M'cll known that tho thickness
j of the layer of fine sand in filteriug
' beds cannot be reduced beyond a oer
: tain point without eudaugeriug tho
quality of the water that filters
j through. Dr. Kurth, ot Bremen, has
found in examining water filtered
through a layer not sufficiently thick
that the number ot' bacteria was great
; ly iucreased, owing to tho prosence of
a special microbe that could not bo
• found iu the water before it eat or el
I tho filter. Thcso microbes must,
: therefore, have existed in tho filter
| ing material and have been developed
I by the passage of water through it.
New York Sun.
Preventive o! Ivy Poison.
I A writer in Garden uud Forest says
. a workman in his garden, m henever
| he had occasion to meddle with puis*
• on ivy, always pulls oue of the small
' leaves and eats a piece of it, asserting
: that the workmen on railways along
M'hose embankments tho plant abounds
. alM'ays do this as a preventive meas
| nre, uud escape poisoniug.
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE,
THRILLING INCIDENT 3 AND DAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Nervy Men on the Range—Tlie I>es-j
perado ami the Indians—Cattle j
Hold Up a Train.
SOME old plainsmen were sit
ting 111 tho smoking compart
ment of a car on tbo North
ern Pacific when, just after
sunset, it caiue in isiarbt of the dark
dark red house trimmed with black,
with its broad piazza overlooking a
tiny stream, which tho Marquis do
Mores built on his headquarters ranch
at Medora. Tho view of that house
started some of tho old plainsmen to
telling stories of the range.
"I was on a train coining out here
one day," said one, "when lhe Mar
quis had his private car hitched to
the end of the train. It was at just
about the height of the trouble he had
with the rustlers, and if I hadn't
known about it before, I would have
learned the fact sure that trip. I had
met the Marquis as a cattleman, and so
when he happened through the train
and saw me, ho invited me to have a
cigar with him in hi 3 car. It was a
good cigar, too.
"Well, we sat there talking until we
were about fifty or sixty miles from
Medora, when the conductor came in
with a telegram that said 300 meu, all
armed, had gathered at Medora to
givo the Marquis a reception that
would end in killing him. The con
ductor wanted to know what lie should
do with the car of the Marquis.
" 'Oh,' said the Marquis, 'I wouldn't
bother about that now. Wait till we
get there and I'll tell you what to
do.'
"So the conductor went out feeling
about fts'nervous as ho ha l ever Celt in
his life, as he said afterward, for ho
know some of tho gang to bo very
much in earnest in their determina
tion to kill the Frenchman. But tho
Marquis was not disturbed a little bit.
Ho • iln't over mention tho subject
after the conductor went out. After
a couple or hours or so tho conductor
came into the car again.
" 'Here's your station," he said,'and
they arc all waiting for you.'
" 'That's all right,' said tho Marquis,
'just set my car on tho siding op
posite the platform.'
"Wo pulled up totho platform, and
it was well covered with men, every one
of whom would have been glad to see
tho Marquis strung up to a telegraph
polo, but that Frenchman, as smiling
and chipper as ever lie was in a ball
room, stepped oIT tho car, nodded to
the men bore and thero whom he
knew by sight, anil walking right
through the gang, went up to his
houee on tho hill there. It was liis
norvo that saved hi in. They were
just tough enougli to like it."
"Wo had somo lively times in those
days," said another. "I remember
being on the traiu about hero one
night. It Mas the east-bound train,
any way, and about as dark as it is
now, or a little later, perhaps. We'd
stopped at a water tauk and I was
smoking hero just as we aro now,when
one ot my men camo into the car. It
was a hundred miles from the ranch,
and I was mightly surprised, for he
was badly winded and could just talk I
in a whisper.
" 'Quick P he said. 'Hide me some- ;
where. There's six of 'em after me.'
"'(let into tho berth over 111 ire,'
ai 1 I, telling liini my number.
" 'lt won't do. They'll be in hero
and search every berth,' ho replied,
and so I just put him in my own
berth and got in in front of him. 1
hadn't got my head ou tho pillow
when they came ; and they looked into
every berth, too, but when they saw
me they didn't recoguizo me, and that
is all that suved both of us."—New
York Sun.
The Desperado and the Indians.
"It takes a special kind of courage
to fight Indians," said Major Edward
Itagsdale, of Topckn, recently.
"They're pretty suro to surprise you
and they're slippery as quicksilver
and as hard to catch. Their yelling
and whooping alono are enough to
stampede men not trained to their
stylo of fighfing. Sometimes they
fight uuder cover and you catch a
lire from an enemy you can't get sight
of; and again, wliero thero hasn't
been one to bo 6een, they seem all to
spring out of tho ground at once, and
charge you as thoupfli nothing could
stand their ouset. Then there's the
knowledge that if they catch you alive,
you'll be skinned aliva or burned or
your life tortured out of you by slow
degrees in a thousand other ways they
cau think up to mako you suffer.
There's many a stout-hearted desper
ado, a terror in white settlements and
not afraid to have a pistol or snotguu
scrap any hour of the day or night
with a man of his own color, who
doesn't count lor a row of pins in au
Indian fight.
"Take .Saiu Brown, of Nevada, for a
case in point. He wasn't afraid of
any man that wore boots, and he was
tho terror of the mining camps every
where he Meat. The Piute Indiaus
got bad one time and a party was or
ganized in the camps to go against
them. Sam joined the volunteers, and
everybody in tho party and all that
stayed behind were talking about the
big deedß Ham Biomu would do, and
chuckling to think of the way those
redskins would be wiped out u'keu
they rau up against him.
"Well, M-lien they eame upon the
Indians things didn't turn out quite as
thoy had expected. It was tho whites
that got licked out iu short order, and
those that weren't left on tho ground
stampeded for safety. Sam Brown
was :>ue of tho first ones to run aud
tho pace he set bis horse as to get
uway from those redskins was some
thing that beat quarter racing iu the
way of reckless riding. As they
stampeded down a canyon, every man
trying to bo foremost to get away,
Sam hailed Joe McMurtrie, who was
riding a better horse his:
" 'Ob, Mac ! Pull horse a little
so I can come up. Wo'll ride safer
together.'
' 'MoMur trie's answer to that friendly
invitation was to bend down to bis
horse's neck, set in the spurs and get
out of that canyon ahead of Sam and
back to Bodie as fast as hoofs could
carry him. Ho knew Sam Brown, and
that if that worthy onco got alongside
him he wouldn't hesitate to shoot him
off his horse so as to get a better mount
for himself. After thry all got back
to the settlement he didn't go round
to places where he was likely to meet
Sam, lest it might stir him up to un
pleasant recollections of their Indian
campaign—people were that consider
ate of others' feolings in those days
when the other happened to be Ham
Brown."
Cattle Hold Up a Train;
A fight between a locomotive and a
wild bull was the spectacle that enter
tained and delayed the passengers on
a Spanish railway train the other day.
Coming around a curve between tiio
stations of Moravel and Canavarel,
near the Portuguese frontier, the en
gineer saw a herd of wild cattle on the
track ahead. Ho sounded the whistle
and the surprised cattle—all but one
—took to their heels. Tho ouo that
remained was a huge buli, who low
ered his head and with a hoarse bellow
charged straight at the oncoming en
gine. The shock killed the bull and
derailed tho locomotive.
While the trainmen and passengers ;
were doing their best to get the en
gine on track again—so tho Spanish
paper says which tells Hhe story—the
herd of savage cattle, having got over
their fright, returned to .the fray and
charged tho workers, who retired
hastily to tho cars, where they barri
caded themselves. Then a veritable
siege began. After tho first few mo
ments of stupefied surprise had passed
the gendarmes, who always accompany
Spanish trains, gathered courage aud
commenced an attack with stones upon
their four-footed euemies. fu reading
the Spanish journalist's spirited ac
count of the heroism of tho military
one becomes lost in a maze of conjec
ture as to why they did not use their
guns. At any rate, tho battle lasted
two long hours, and toward nightfall
tho wild cattle decided tu boat a re
treat.
The passengers and the train crew
finally got the locomotive on the rails
again and "cahin-caha" (which is
French for "merrilly") it proccedod
on its way.
Bcateu and Whipped by a Snake.
Homer Kodgers, of Ocala, Fla., who
is about twelve years old, was bitten
and whipped by a snake on a recent
night. Tho boy's father has a sort of
private "300," and among his collec
tion nro several large snakes of tho
"White Oak" variety. These snakes
are said to be non-poisonous, and Mr.
Rodgers has allowed them to run at
will. Que night, as Homer was en
tering the front gate, he was struck
several violent blows in tho face by
some object that lashed out in tho
dark. Thou the boy felt something
twine itself about his arm and begin
to lash him fiercely. The boy ran into
the house, screaming with pain and
fright, and found a monster "White
Oak" snake wrapped about his arm.
Tho snake was striking tho boy in the
face with its fangs aud lashing him
about the body with its tail. Mrs.
Rodgers pulled the suako away from
the boy and killed it. The boy had
been bitten in several places about tho
face and neck, aud the wounds were
bleeding freely. His arm was black
aud blue where the suako had twined
itself, and the lashes of the reptile's
tail had striped his body. Tho boy's
faco was horribly swolleu, but the
doctors said he would recover unless
blood poisoning set in. Tho snake
! was coiled on one of tho gato posts
! aud sprang ou tho boy as he passed.
! The GUII Had a Peculiar Click.
Seeming tlilies have hanged many a
man. Clarke Miller, of Dallas, prob
ably realizes this. Miller was recently
seuteuced to the penitentiary for life
for the assassination of Hagan Roberts,
a wealthy farmer. Last March
Roberts and his family wore sitting
by the fireside iu his room when they
were startled by a demand to throw
up their hands aud by the appearance
of two masked men. One of the as
sailants lired, striking Roberts, who
died within a few hours. As the mau
who fired the shot brought down his
gun a peculiar click was recognized
by one of Roberts's sous, who had
used the same gun a few clays before.
This click was duo to the looseness
of one barrel. Clarke Miller and How
ard Barton were arrested on the charge
of murder. The gun with the pecu
liar click was found in Miller's posses
sion. Ho had run to his home, and,
in order to avoid suspicion, had him
self rammed down two charges into
the gun and had gone out to joiu in
the search for the murderers. When
the loads were withdrawn, it was found
that he had neglected to put any pow
der in tho gun. Truth is stranger
than detective stories.
A Bicycle Twelve Feet Long.
From one of the bicycle factories at
Coventry, England, conies the latest
thing in cycling construction. The
machine was ruldeu in tho Coventry
Cycling Club's receut fanoy dress pro
cession to Backingtnn Bark. It is
twelve feet long, three times the
length of the ordinary bicycle, aud is
easily run at the rate of ten or twenty
miles an hour. It is not built for speed
auci cannot be operated much faster.
There is 110 particular advantage in
it. The thing is simply a freak, and
for exciting curiosity it equals tbe
"giraffe" machine, which is known in
Paris as the Eiffel.
WHEN COTTON BALES COME IN,
So the cotton bales are coming, aud thoy'U
soou bo with us here,
When the streets will all be gladdened wi'.b
trie white liloom of the Year!
From tho boats an I cars and wagons will
arise a rhythmic diu.
And tli9 world will bo n-V.ossoru when the
cotton bales come iu!
The world will be the whiter,
Our hearts will all be lighter,
Aud prospects loom the brighter,
When tho cotton bales eoaie in!
In tho upland fields au l bottoms, liko a
spreading Summer snow,
Old Kiug Cotton's been a-ilreaining of tho
happy time lo go.
For he'll bless a hundred Nations, aud above
tho roar aud din.
lie will hear the people's blessings, when tho
cotton bales come in!
The earth will glimmer newer,
And bosoms beat the truer,
While skies will boain the bluer,
When the cotton bales come in!
—Will T. Hale, in Memphis Commercial.
HUMOR OF THE DAY,
lie—"l cau tell a woman's age, no
matter how eld she is." Hhe "You
must be a brute."—Fuck.
Magistrate —"Now toll me why you
Rtolo that watch." Prisoner—"Oli,
just to while away Iho time."—Phila
delphia Record.
"Help! Help!" cried the man who
was being robbed. "Calm yourself,"
said the highwayman. "I don't need
any assistance."—Town Topics.
Adolphus—"Why, Ethel, are you
looking at mo so intently?" Ethel
(dreamily) —"1 was gazing at vacan
cy, Dolly."—Boston Transcript.
Manager "Yes, we advertised for
a night watchman." Applicant
"Then I'm just the ono for the place.
The slightest noise will wake mo up."
Customer—"These trousers dou'fc
sit just right about the hips." Tailor
"They're all right—what you need
is something more in tho pockets."—
Chicago Record.
A. "Have you ever heard the eight
year-old violin player who is creating
such a sensation?" 15. "Oh, yes! I
heard hira in Berlin twelve years ago 1"
—Epbemere Comique.
Alphocse—"You never hear of
women cashiers running off with their
employers' money." Ilenri—"Not
often; but when it does happen they
take the employer too."
Old Girl "You sav that you woul 1
huslle after a man?" "New Girl
"Yes, certainly." "Why do such an
unseeming thing?" "lo reduce my
wait." —Adams Freeman,
"I've an idea in my head," exclaimed
young Mr. Goslin. "But nro you
quite sure that you can distinguish
between ideas and wheels?" asked Miss
Kittish.— Detroit Free Press.
He—"What a pity that Miss Vcro
de Vere should have lost her good
name." Hhe (greatly shocked) "ln
heaven's name, what do you mean?"
lie—"Why, marrying a man named
Jones, of course."
"We must fly," said Murat to Na
poloou, on one occasion when the bat
tle had gone sorely against them. "It
is impossible," repliod the latter.
"The enemy has destroyed both vriugi
of the army."—Harper's Bazar.
Visitor—"l don't hear that awful
piano up stairs?" Baglcy—"No, they
don't play it any more." Visitor
''What's the matter?" Bagley—"l've
bought a decrhouud which howls every
lime ho heard music."—Chicago
Record.
School Teacher—"lf you had your
choice, Willie, would you rather be
as wise-as Solotnou, as great as Julius
Caesar, as rich as Crcasus, as eloquent
as Demostheues or as tall as Goliath?"
Willie—"l'd rather be a drummer in
a brass baud !"
They were driving together, when
Miss Rocks, unsolicited, gurgled forth
her views upon niatrimouy. "Love is
a dreary desert," she said, "and mar
riage an oasis." Whereupon Mr.
Shyly remarked that "it certainly di.l
require a deal of sand."
Weary Business Man (hanging lo
6trap) "Why in creation dou'fc you
run more cars?" Street Car Bresi
dent—"My dear sir, it would pain mo
exceedingly to deprive courteous gen
tlemen liko yourself of the privilege
of giving up a seat to a lady,"
"Jeromiah," said Mr. Jingle's wife,
as that gentleman came home some
what late, "you don't write me touch
ing apostrophes as you use to."
"No," replied Mr. Jingle, "and you
didn't used to talk question marks and
exclamation points as you do now."
Washington Star.
Australia Sees Profit in Her Plagir,
Rabbits may yet save the country.
The Secretary for Agriculture has re
ceived a letter from Mr. Berry of tho
the Agent-General's office stating that
it is expected ciuring the coming sea
son that tho price of rabbits will bj
from twenty cents to twenty-two ceuts
each. The charges for "dock dues,
cartage and commission at Loudon
are about two cents per rabbit, au l lo
Hull or any other manufacturing pro
vincial cities about two cents extra.
Ho adds: "There is not the slightest
doubt that a very large tr ido in lee I
is open to Victorian rabbits in the
I great manufacturing districts, such in
Leeds, Manchester and Bheflield,
where all tho members of a family
work at tho mills, and therefore have
not much time to spare for cooking,
i Rabbits can bo easily cooked, and are
! accordingly much favore I by mill
workers, and it is no unusual thing
when rabbits are cheap for them to
bo the sole local meat food eaten by
tho family during the week." Ho
strongly urges Victorian shippers to
take a small profit iu order to assist in
pushing trade in rabbits iu these dis
tricts.—Melbourne (Australia) Argus.