Railway traveling in Norway is
cheaper than in any other European
country.
The Now York Observer maintains
that the penmanship ol the English
and Canadian children exoels that *of
Uncle Sam's boys and girls.
The students ol the University ot
California havo pledged themselves to
improve and beautify tho grounds of
the institution by their own "labor,
thus making improvements, for which
the university has no money.
. Tho Rev. H. R. Haweis, who has re
turned to London after a prolonged
sojourn in this oountry, says that tho
distinctive thing about American re
ligious congregations is that they pre
fer what is unconventional and up to
date.
It is a curious fact, and one not gen
erally known, except by those who
carofuily study their almanacs, that
the last month of last year had two
full moons, an event which has not oc
curred in any December since the be
ginning of tho Christian era.
Sir Walter Besant, the English nov
elist, in commenting on Hull Caino'a
views of the United States, and pub
lished in the Loudon Daily Chronicle,
s ;ys : "We don't know the American
people in this country, and we ought
to know them ; they come over here
by the thousand, by the hundrod thou
sand, and we do nothing to entertain
them or to make their acquaintance
or to show them that we should like
to know them. Are wo ashamed of
ourselves—of our homes—of our
wjnien, especially—that wo do not
wiut to ehow ourselves to them? Wi
have no reason to be ashamed. The
Englishwoman is not so intellectually
cultivated as the American, but sho
need not fear comparison. As for the
people generally, I am right glad to
see Hall Caino proclaiming the truth
about them ; that is, that they are al
most childlike i:i their singleness of
heart, easily moved by simple things,
the youngest minded and the youngest
hearted people in the world. As I did
not say this myself, I copy it, I steal
it, and I adopt it. The material great
ness of America takes away one's
breath; the kindness of the Americans
takes away one's power of criticism.
One does not go away from a delight
ful evening and bogin at once to carp
and sneer and insinuate suggestions.
Only, if by any machinery wo could
do something to make the American
visitor feel at homo with us, wo should
be doing a great thing for ourselves.
I don't want him to be introduced to
belted curls, but I want America l *
men anil women of culture to be ablo
easily to meet English men and women
of culture."
Tho Atlanta Constitution says that
the trouble between the Doers anil tho
British in South Africa has directed
public attention to tho Dark Conti
nent. Twenty years ago very little
was known of Africa. A few explor
ers penetrated its forests and wroto
books, but tho tide of immigration did
not turn in that direction. Recently
there has been a big change in the sit
uation. Tho Doers havo gained their
independence, but tho British in Capo
Colony have never given up thoir idea
of extending thoir dominion into Cen
tral and East Africa, thus establish
ing an empire extending from Cairo
to the Cape of Good Hope. The Ger
mans, however, occupy a large portion
of East Africa, and tho Congo Free
State and also the Portuguese pos
sessions. Tho discovery of gold and
diamond mines of course\lraws people
to these regions, and now tho country
has a largo whito population, with
railway and steamboat lines, and
nourishing cities equipped with evory
modern convenience. There aro rail
ways 503 miles long, and tho country
is boing settled by a good olasss of
colonists. Nearly twenty-five cities
havo a population of over 10,000 each.
All indications point to Africa as the
continent upon which Europe wil
hereafter expend her energy and hor
capital. There will never again be
such a rush of immigrants to this
country as wo have had in the past.
In future they will go to Africa, and
gradually turn it into a white man's
country. They will exterminate the
natives as we exterminated the Indians,
and before many years the native Af
ricans will be in tho minority. Under
European methods this heretofore al
most unknown land will beoome a
thickly populated and civilized group
of States. Later tho coionios will
throw off their allegiance to tho Euro
pean Governments, and they will re
peat the example of tho United
States. Perhaps tho main point of in
terest to us is the fact that immigra
tion will never again be as great a fac
tor in our upbuilding as it has been in
the past. The tide • tnriug to South
SOUTH AFRICA'S GATEWAY
CAPE TOWN AND ITS CURIOUS
MIXTURE OF INHABITANTS.
The Portal Wlilch Leads to the Land
of Gold—The Noble Zulu uud
tlio Loathsome Hottentot.
T \ T HILE famous explorers,
\/\/ Livingston, Stanley. De
\ \ Bruzza and others, have
plunged into the heart
of Darkest Africa, and have returned
with wondrous tales of endless forests,
Nations of pigmies and other strange
thiags, as yet no explorer has given
an adequate report of what may justly
bo termed Brightest Africa. We have
heard much of cannibals and the fear
ful rites iu by savages; but,
ttrange to say, writers have been com
paratively silent upon the country
stretcbiug from Cape Town north to
the Zambesi River. It is true that
trade papers and even magazines have
published statistics concerning this
land, but little or nothing has been
said of its characteristic- 1 , its inhabi
tants and their idiosyncracies.
Yet that samo Brightest Africa is
richer iu legend, and far richer iu the
gifts of nature than many a country
better known to fame and history. It
has diamonds, gold, sheep and cattle,
iron, silver, coal, asbestos, magnifi
cent seaports, groat wheat growing
districts, vineyards that groan under
the weight of their fruit—everything,
almost, that can be desired, except
civilivation ; and for that it has little
use until its roiourcos are further de
veloped.
Just why the discoverer of the point
of land lying between Capo Town and
Himonstown christened it tho Cape of
Good Hope is somewhat of a mystery,
unless it bo hope for tho ultimate re
formation of that part of tho world.
As for Capo Town itself, it looks tiuly
beautiful at a distance, but a closer
acquaintance dispels the illusion. It
is rather picturesquely situated at the
foot of Table Mountain—so called,
perhaps, because it does not resemble
a table—and at a distance looks like a
solf-respcoting town containing prop
er, church-going people, with civil
ized instincts. The dominating fea
ture in a long distance view is tho
green effect, duo to the number of
trees. Tho town stretches over a dis
tance of about three miles aud ends in
salt marshes toward the west. The
eastern end is lost somewhere in the
direction of tho Indian Ocean, but no
one with any social aspirations lives
there. In one corner is tho bay, which
affords good anchorage aud is splend
idly protected by a breakwater, built
by convict labor. At a distance Capo
Town resembles nothing so much as a
Swiss town, with its many cottages
built on tho slope of Table Mountain.
Tho whole effect gives rise to feelings
of pleasant anticipation; the realiza
tion is doubly bitter.
Tho closer one gets to Capo Town
tho more completely is the illusion
dispelled. Intimacy with Capo Towu
is only conducive to disgust, for a
great part of tho towu is so filthy aud
vile as to be tit only for Malays and
Kaffirs.
Capo Town is subject to wind
storms, which blow in all directions
at once, and have au unpleasant habit
of gathering up dust aud depositing
half a street full in your ears and nos
trils. Theso wind storms are often
accompanied by tremendous falls of
rain, and give the place a very un
pleasant climate. Jn fact, ono can got
half a dozen a day in Cape
Town.
You can find any Nationality in
Cape Town, for it is tho Mecca to
which nil sorts of adventurers, and the
scum of the earth generally aro drift
ing from everywhere. You can find
every walk of life represented; but no
matter where you go you will find the
one predominating trait—tho greed
for gold.
Human beings would not go to Capo
Town unless there was a strong mag
net to attract them. Gold is that
magnet; and as tho gold is not to he
obtained in Capo Town itself thero is
a constant migration thiough tho
town northward—so that while tho
arrivals number a hundred thousand
nd even more a year, tho population
never gets above 40,000. The greater
part of this population consists of
whites, but many are darker than our
octoroons, and many could not hon
estly say that they are pure blooded
Caucasians. These are called Afri
kanders, and are proud to bo known
as such. Tbev are physically a fiue
race, but mentally they aro below par.
Next in point of numbers come tho
Malays. The men are under sized,
bilious looking and insignificant. The
women aro superb. Their skin is of a
velvety yellow, and their hair as black
as night and of a texture fino as uu
spun flax. Their features are of a
Caucasian cast, their figure supple,
gracoful and well developed. The
men wear European clothes with tur
bans on their heads. The women wear
loose flowing gowns, consisting of
bright colored silks wound tightly
around their bodies.
Next to tho Malay come the native
tribes. There are some 1200 of them,
and they are known by the generic
name of Kaffir. The Zulu is a gentle
mau by birth ; his ekin is brown, but
beneath it can bo seen coursing the
red blood of a pure r.nd noble race.
In his eyes shines tho intelligence of J
the child of nature—ho is u child in
moro ways than one. Tho Zulu is ouo
of tho noblest animals that, nature
created. He is houest, virtuous,
courageous, self-respecting, obedieut
when necessity arises, faithful
death and always knows his place.
How different is the Hottentot. The,
Hottentot is to tho Zulu what the
Turk is to the American—the acmo, of
all that civilization loathes aud do-,
spises.
The smallest part of the population
of Capo Town io made up of foreign
man* nf whew, hove
for the good of their respective coun
tries. Much of the retail business is
in the hands of the Malays. The
Kaffirs are the servants, and their
masters treat them little bettor than
slaves, paying them about $3 a month,
and furnishing food and a piece ol
bare board for a bed.
Capo Town is the sent of tho Gov
ernment of the Cape Colony, anil con
tains tho houses of Parliament anil the
Governor's resilience. The Governor
is appointed by tho Foreign Office in
London. The Parliament consists of .
an upper and_lower house, antagonis
tic to each other. They have, however,'
found a master of late in tho personof,
Cecil Rhodes. The houses of Purlin
ment where ho rules nro situated iD
the Botanical Gardens in tho upper j
part of the city, aud are tho finest j
buildings in Cape Town. They arc
threc-storv rod brick, and are still
largo enough to contain Mr. Rhodes.
Tne one interesting thing about
Cape Town is Table Mountain. It rises
abruptly and perpendicularly behind
tho town, towering up into the clouds
1500 feet above tho level of the soa.
From its summit, which cin be reached
by an easy incline through tho Lion's
Kloof (gulch), or by a perilous ascent
up its almost perpendicular front fac
ing the sea, a magnificent view rewards
tho climber. To the south auil west
reaches the Southern Atlantic, green
aud forbidding in aspect; to the east
lies the Indian Ocean, with its legends
of tho Flying Dutchman and its pi
rates; to the north are seen the uudu
lating hills that lead to the land of
diamonds au l of gold—that bourne
to which every traveler is drawn,
upon which all hopes aro centered,
where marvelous fortunes havo been
made and lost, where tho strangest
comedies and tragedies havo beeu
played—tho region upon which tho
entire future of Brightest Africa de
pends.—New York Recorder.
City Trae Destroyer.
llow many New Yorkers know that the
metropolis possesses, pays for aud en
courages what is officially known as a
tree destroyer? Never heard of him, |
eh? Yet he exists, or rather, he,
grows stouter iu person and purse!
day by day as the desire for extend- !
ing the busiuess interests of tho city
increases. Tho individual who has
the disreputable reputation of ignor
ing Longfellow's appeal of 4'Wood
man, spare that tree," is connected
with the Bureau of Incumbrances,
an I judging from the rapid demoli
tion anil disappearance of stalely oaks,
stout-limbed eluis and majestic spruce !
throughout tho city, ho has uu active
and capable corps of assistants in hie 1
hewing occupation.
His field of harvest might be extend
ed even now to the upper district
were it not that there is a sort of !
chuck on his doings. That is to say, 1
ho is not permitted to cut down at
random every tree that ho happens'
I to sight on his marauding expeditions, f
| There must be a Vforraal complaint |
i made, personally or through letter to
! tho Board of Encumbrances, before
any tree cnu be razed. A complaint
I from the resident of some street i
| reaches the bureau, calling attention
' to the fact that a certain tree is a
! menace to lifo an 1 property in the j
neighborhood. The complaint ie
! sometimes signed by the initials of the
' complainant, but it raceivoa the official {
coguizauoe of tho bureau, neverthe
less Invariably tho tree occupies a
majestic site iu front of some house ,
whose owner values its presence. This '
beiug the case, the official tree de
stroyer and his suite meet with a
pretty cold reception when they come 1
j along and present the complaint.
I There are records of where owner?
j have pulled oil their coats and iuau- •
| ;<urated a genuine hand-to-hand bat
tle. Then tho limb of the law ie
brought into activity and the limbs of
the tree come down.
Public safety demands the services
of the official tree destroyer, and he j
receives $3.50 for every tree ho chops
down. "It's, a very profitable busi
ness, too," said one of tho destroyers
to-day.—New York Mail and Express.
Deadens No se on Iron Bridges.
A means for preventing the noise
mado by trains in passing over iron )
bridges Las been devised by a German
engineer named Boedeoker. He puts
a decking of ouo and oue-fourth-inch |
planks betweeu the cross girders, rest
ing on three-inch timbers laid on the
bottom lianges. On the planks a dou
ble layer of felt is laid, which is fixed
1o the vertical web of the cross girder.
At the connections with the gir ler a
timber cover joint is placed on felt,
and two booked bolts connect the
wholo firmly to the bottom flange.
Four inches of slag gravel cover the
decking, which is inclined toward the
centre of the bridge for drainage pur- 1
poses. A layer of felt is laid between |
the plauks and the timbers they rest
upon, and the ironwork in contact
with decking and ballast is asphalted. I
The decking weighs 600 pounds per I
yard for a bridge eleven feet wide and
costs twenty-three cents a square foot,
r'fc is water tight, and has proved very
satisfactory in preventing noise.—
New York Sun.
New Department ol Science.
There is no end to modern inven
tion. Physicians are now using elec
tricity in a large variety of ways.
Electrotherapy is a department of
sciei " <t'iat likely to result in great
bene Imaukin For instance, a
doe: ; • locates a disease by means of
electricity. Ho turns on the light,
and a man's body is illuminated. But
he is not satisfied with that, for when
ho knows just where the trouble is
situated be puts nu eleotrodo there,
charged with the required medicine,
and when the current is on it carries
the particles of the drug with it. This j
discovery opens up a large held, and
our w#Je awake physicians are ex
ploring it with immeasß HUOC3S,—
NfiW Vof If
BONEMEAL OF DIFFERENT KINDS.
Bonemeal goes under various narnos,
such as ground bone, bono flour,bone
dust, etc. Wo find in the market raw
bonemeal and steamed bonemeal.
Raw bonemeal contains the fat natur
nliy present in bones. The presence
of tbe fat is objectionable, because it
makes the grinding more difficult and
retards the decomposition of the bone
in the soil, whilo fat itself has no
value as plant food. When bones aro
steamed, the fat is removed and the
bone is more easily ground. More
over, the chemical nature of the nitro
gen compounds appears to be changed
in such a manner that the meal under
goes decomposition in the soil more
rapidly than in case of raw bone. The
presence of easily decaying nitrogen
compounds in bone hastens, in the
process of decomposition, to dissolve
more or less of the insoluble phos
phate. Bonemeal should contain from
three to five per cent, of nitrogen and
from twenty to twenty-five per cent,
of phosphoric acid. About one-third
to onc-fouith of the latter appears to
be in readily uvailablo condition.
Raw bonemeal generally contains
somewhat more niiwrgeu (one or two
per ceut.) and rather less phosphoric
acid than steamed bonemeal.
The lineucss of the meal affects its
value; tho finer the meal the more
readily available is it as plant food.
On necount of the increased demand
for bones for various purposes, and
on account of their increasing value,
these is considerable tendency to
adulterate bonemeal with such sub
stances as lime, gypsum, coal ashes,
ground oyster shells, grouud rock
phosphate, etc.—Bulletin No. 1)1,
New York Agricultural Experiment
►Stutiou.
WIT AT TIIE SOIL NFF.iy?,
"Exhaustive soils," so-called, may
contain as much plant food as others
that are considered fertile.'
The physical effect of fertilizers iu
chunging tho—rolation of tho soil to
heat aud moisture is of moro im
portance than tho nmouut of plant
food they furnish.
The effect of fertilizers depends
largely upon the season. Chuugiug
seasons have moro ert'ect upou plant
growth than does plhufc food in
111 ♦ ■ soil.
Physical
moisture largely
velopment and yiejnra <efops.
lands is due not so
much' to lostf of plant food as to
changes in tho texture of tho soil iu
relation to heat aud moisture.
Making nso of the rainfall is the
most important consideration of mod
ern agriculture.
Crop production is not directly lim
ited by the amount of rainfall, but by
the; amount of moisture in the soil.
Production of crops depends upcu
tho control of moisture and heat in the
soil.
As heat cannot be controlled, the
whole art of cultivation should be di
rected toward the control of moisture.
Present methods of cultivation aro
detrimental to soil and do not accom
plish desired results.
Tho contiuued f plowing at a cer
tain depth causes a hard packing of
tho sub-surface, which forms a water
shed, causing surface drainago aud
erosion of tho soil by which thousands
of acres of fertile lauds are rendered
barren every year.
Sub-soiling (loosening of the under
soil tc a depth of one and a half totwo
feet) admits the water to tho sub-soil,
prevents surface drainage and a sub
sequent erosion of the soil, takes awav
surplus water without washing the sur
face and retains tho moisture for fu
ture use of crops.
Sub-soiling affords the only meaus
for controlling moisture iu the soil
and is a key to successful crop-raising.
The modern plow is but an im
proved type of tho primitive forked
stick, and does not accomplish satis
factory results, but, on the contrary,
is an enemy to fertility, and the com
mon sub-soil plow is unsatisfactory
in many ways.
Existing conditions and the future
prosperity of the farmer depend upon
the production of an implement which
shall he a radical improvement ou the
modern plow, and which will revol
utionize modern methods.
!H.The future plow must not only
thoroughly pulverize the surface to a
proper depth, but it must leave tho
sub soil in condition to recoivo and
retain moisture for the use of growing
crops.
Where is the genius to invent, where
is the skill to construct, and where is
the money backed by nerve and de
termination to manufacture and push
to successful use the future plow of
the American farmer and of the world?
—The Passing of the Plough.
FEEDING FOR EGGS.
In the feeding of fowls wo should
consider the object to bo obtained;
whether it bo lor market, for eggs, or
for show. If a fowl is eating too much
fattening food, she will not lay well.
The best time to feed soft food is iu
the morning, and it should bo hot and
stimulating. Do not feed them on tho
ground, and do not allow tho pans
iroin which they feed to become
soured and filthy. Givo them suffi
cient for ono meal and no more at a
time. Rather let them go a little
hungry and make them scratch, than
have them mopo around ard become
tasjr and idle, Leghorn* seldom he-
come too fat, being active and vigor
ous, but the large breeds, being more
indolent, keep themselves rather quiet
and soon become too fat. It is easy
to keep them within bounds by judi
cious feeding.
Grain in excess should not be given,
while bulk may be allowed in the
shape of vegetables and green food.
There are many ways of preparing
cheup and nourishing foods which
contain all the elements of the eggs.
A piece of liver or meat scraps is
boiled to pieces in water. While
boiling add to a gallon of water a pint
of soaked beans and the same of liu
eeed meal. When tho whole is cooked
thicken with bran, middlings, ground
oats or corn meal. Add the meal, etc.,
until the mess has thickened to a stiff
dough. If milk be convenient it may
be scalded, either curds, buttermilk
or sweet skimmilk, aud the bran, etc.,
added. Chopped clover may be added,
turnips, carrots and potatoes also.
When green stuff' is not procurable, a
few onions or cabbages, chopped, may
v be added; also whatever scraps come
ffop the kitchen—bits of fish, potato
pftriugs, scraps of fat, etc. When no
green food is convenient, good clover
hiy is chopped fine and steeped in
water over night. Next morning heat
llio water and add any of the above.
We buy scraps of meat aud run it
through the sausage machine with
young rye, grass or clover. This gives
excellent results.
All soft food should be salt, but con
diments, such ns red pepper, ginger,
etc., should be fed sparingly. Onco
or twice a week is often enough. The
best tonic is a constant change of diet,
which promotes a regularity in the
system, always provided the food is
sound and wholesome. At night grain
must be fed.
There nro ranny complaints that
fowls do not lay, even when well fed
and comfortably housed, but this is
duo to not allowing them the proper
kind, or from feeding too much. It
is necessary to study the habits of each
breed, in order to know just what to
do; the knowledge that is' gained by
close study and practical experience
is valuable to the poulterer. Charcoal
should bo fed to fowls occasionally,
or broken up and placed whore the
fowls can get at it, as no one thing is
more conducive to health ; also broken
oyster or clam shells, lime or old plas
teriug, should be supplied in abuu
dance for material for egg shells.
Of course fresh, pure water is an
other essential to success in producing
eggs. Another essential is lime, in
the shape of whitewash, aud those who
use it liberally are the ones who keep
their Hock healthy aud cleanly. To
render whitewash more effective in
dislodging or destroying lice and oth
er parasite nuisances, the addition of
a little carbolic acid is invaluable, for
scarcely anything else seems so dis
tasteful to the vermin. Air-slaked
lime should be occasionally scattered
over the floor of the chicken houso to
remove all unpleasant and uuhealthful
odors. The care bestowed on poultry
is not lost, as fowls appreciate kind
ness ; the better the care aud the moro
varied the food, the bettei the results
and the moro profitable they will bo
lor the owner.—American Agricultur
ist.
FARM AND GARDEN FOTES.
Have your cow' scabies warm yet
well ventilated.
A popular feed for the cow should
be ground oat?.
To be a good dairyman requires in
telligence rather than large capital.
The secret of success in the dairy is
to reduce tho eosfc of making good
goods.
Have your cows gentle by kind treat
ment if you waut big returns in milk
aud butter.
Study the nature of your cows and
fall in with their moods. It pays to
bo agreeable, even to a cow.
No business requires to bo kept
more emphatically under one's thumb
than does successful dairying.
Give th 9 cattle good feed and core,
and the dust will remain thick ou tho
cover of tho barn medicine chest.
Don't forget to provide grit and
lirae in some form, as the frozen and
snowy ground nlfords no opportunity
for the hens to help themselves, and
they must have a supply in order to
do much at egg production.
One of tiie best crosses for an all
purpose fowl is (ndiau Game on Wy
andotte hens. They grow rapidly, lay
early.and are unsurpassed table fowls.
Of tliis cross, some hens will sit
and some will not, but all lay well,
and make excellent mothers, and as
table fowls are equal to any pure bred
fowl.
In very severe winter weather fowls
should be kept closely housed all day
and all night if necessary to preserve
their combs. Give them plenty of
straw, and plenty of grain to scratch
for, and they will bo all right. How
ever, they may bo turned out in the
suushiuo t'orau hour or two the coldest
weather.
Farmers who save thoir fowls and
eggs until they eat their heads off, and
tho eggs get mouldy,dirty and stale,so
they can get the better prices prevail
ing during the holidays have over
done tho thing, until now the shrewd
farmer rushes his products iu before
or after tho holiday glut. Too icauy
coops and cases coming in spoil the
market.
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THEILLTNG INCIDENTS AND DAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Remarkable Story of an American's
Captivity In Cuba—Bear Hunt-
ers Outwitted tho Wolves.
SIMON ENSIGN, a resident of
this county, say? tho Pontiao
(Mich.) Post, is about to bring
suit against tho Spanish Gov
ernment for 8200,000 to secure a claim
for false incarceration. Tho story of
Ensign's imprisonment and remarka
ble career is told as follows:
Mr. Ensign was born in Pontiao,
whero he rosided until eighteen years
of age, when in 1819 he joined the vast
multitude of treasure seekers among
tho gold fields of the far West. Ho
made tho journoy overland in a prai
rie schooner. The young adventurer
was fast working his way to financial
success, when ho tired of his occupa
tion and returned to tho sceno of his
birth.
In earlier youth the boy Ensign had
acquirod a knowledge of the locomo
tive and its manipulation, and subse
quent to his return from California ho
was chosen from among 114 applicants
by tho Philadelphia locomotive con
structors, John Rogers & Sons, and
detached to tho Island of Cuba for the
purpose of running an engine on the
Havana & Matauzas Railroad, then in
progress of construction. At this post
Ensign romained for a period of ono
and a half years, when ho recrossed
the sea to his fatlieiland. Having now
reached tho ago when even tho ad
venturero entertains thoughts of
domestication, Mr. Ensign wedded
a Mexican widow. Tho harmony
of tho union did not prove as ideal as
was desired, but Mr. Ensign, inspired
with truo'manly determination, set out
to establish a homo for himsolfaud
wife. In vain did ho search for the
necessary requirements, and still im
bued with this determination ho de
cided to again try his fortunes in the
Island of Cuba. He informed his wife
of his dosircs and intention to depart
from this country, but did not inform
her of his intended destination. Ac
cordingly he, with two companions,
Joo Wormsly and Will Hutchons, set
sail on an Ohio River steamboat at
Cincinnati for New Orleans, thence ou
a Gulf boat for Cuba. Haviug safely
reached thoir destination, the roving
trio found employment on auintorior
sugar plantation noar Matauzas.
Ensign was employed ns a stationary
engineer. While hero employed the
American brig Virgiuius, fitted out in
New York and commanded by Captain
Rvau, was captured, together with her
crew of 159 men, off the coast of Ha
vana, on tho chargo of beiug engaged
in a filibustering expedition; fifty-one
of tho crow wero banged at the yard
arm. Tho remainder of the
crow wero seized by Span
ish authorities and placed
in Moro castle. Ostensibly believing
that [Ensign and his two companions
wero spies, they wero arrestod by
Spauisli officers and thrown into the
Moro dungeon without any opportu
nity to viudicato themselves. The to
tal belongings of Mr. Ensign, em
bracing 8900 on his person and $4500
stored in his trunk on the plantation,
were confiscated. From this timo on,
for a period of thirteen years, tho
lifo of Ensign might bettor have boou
a blank.
Hero iu this solitary room ho
watched tho flight of the sea gulls aud
the huge white caps as they rolled
upou tho rough billows of the Gulf.
Here, too, in tlieloneliuees'of his pris
on room, tho hero of this skctck re
corded Iho duration of his incarcera
tion by novel methods. Suspended
from the ceiling of his cell were ar
ranged threo strings, representative
of tho weeks, months and years of his
disrnul contiuement. By tho tying of a
knot 111 tho proper string tho captivo
for years maintained a knowledge of
the flight of time. Again, by tho
agency of tho annual north winds,
which wore perceptible in his lonely
abode, Mr. Ensign could record the
•lowly passing years. One remark
able feature of his romantic career iB
the fact that through it all he has
maintained control of his reason, aud
though both his companions lost their
minds while undergoing this frightful
incarceration, Mr. Ensign, by strong
determination, camo out victorious.
It was his policy to strive to deflect
his mind from trending with his daily
sufferings, aud to this practice is un
doubtedly due tho great credit for his
present possession of the reasoning
faculties. After hnviug suffered con
finement in this to day famous castle,
the victim of this gross injustice was
taken overland on foot a distance of
sixty miles to the Plazade Arms of St.
Vincent's barracks, located at the
homo of tho Captain-General of the
island. At this place he was compelled
to labor in tho chain gang, which was
every morning driven forth to clean
up the lawns. At this place the un
fortnnate alien labored in servitude
for live long years, when he was again
removed, this time to the southern
part of the island to the famous St.
Mary's Convent, a monastery to the
prelates.
At this place his role of slavery was
that of a servant. Ono morning he
was ordered to carry some baggage to
a gunboat lying at nnclior in the bay,
to which command ho responded with
his characteristic faithfulness. It hap
pened that two prelates, who were set
ting sail for a trip abroad, deemed it
desirable to take enptive Ensign with
them as a servant, in accordance with
whioh idea they subsequently acted.
After sailing for somo timo, tho boat
touched upon American soil, at points
which Ensign bolievod to bo Mexican
porls. Continuing along the coast, the
pnrty decided to stop at Now Orloans
for a period, Tho boot came at anokor
and Mr. Ensign was ordered to take
somo baggngo ashore, whioh he aa
eordiugly aid, but net to retuts> h
beiug successful In effecting an ca
cape.
Onco more on his nativo heath hO|
who had suffered living deaths, start
ed to find, if possible, those nearest ir
kin to his own wretched self. In tin
course of his journeyings ho found
those who were tho object of his
anxious search At Valparaiso •
Attacked by Wolves/*
William McKnight, of Buffalo, N.
Y., and James Barnes, of Hoboken, N.
J., had a peculiar and exciting ex
perience when on a fishing trip a few
weeks ago. Among tho Penusylvanio
hills, a fow miles from Binghamlon,
thero are several lakes, well stocked
with fish. Tip-up fishing has become
a favorite winter pastime in tho vicin
ity, and these men settled down for a
two weeks' vacation around tho lakes.
It was their custom to set a dozen or
more lines over night, and tho next
morning they would find fish on their
hooks.
For the first few days all went well.
Then, on arriving one morning, they
found not only no fish, but that their
linos wore broken and tho hooks miss
ing. Tracks on tho snow told them
that a boar was tho guilty ouo. Boar
traps and similar devices wero of no
avail in catching him. The fish dis
appeared and the stock of hooks was
rapidly lowered. Barnes suggested a
plan. They procured a quantity of
whisky of the "red-eyo" brand and
proceeded to pickle a number of fish
they had caught in tho daytime. Re
moving their tip-ups they placed tho
fish near the hoies in the ice.
They did not reach tho spot tho
next day until nearly nightfall, and
then a strango sight met their eyes.
On tho ice lay a large bear, alive, but
frozen fast to tho ice. He had evi
dently partaken excessively of tho
"doctored" fish, and lay in a pool
formed by tho partially melted snow.
As the sun declined, tho water con
gealed, freeztug Bruin's long hair to
tho ice, and whou ho recovered his
sober senses it was to find himself a
prisoner. Tho fishermen wero armed
with an aso, a huuting knifo and a
shotgun. A charge of lead put an end
to Briiin'ssufforings, and they proceed
ed to cut up their game.
When at work a sound at the edgo
of a patch of woods bordering on tho
lakes causod them to glanco up, and a
6wift, gray object darting across tho
ico sent a chill of horror through
their veins. Though they had never
seen a wolf thoy instantly realized
they would 60011 be called to battlo
with one of mankind's fiercest eno
mies. Before they could collect their
thoughts tho gray object r.ppearod
again, anothor anl another, until a
band of wolves wero circling arouud
them, sniffing tho snow. Tho pack
was a small one, numbering not over
half a dozen, but so far as their means
of defense was concerned, it was
more than sufficient to mean death.
Thoy would havo given considerable
to havo the chargo of lead which was
now in Bruiu's body back iu tho guu.
They had only a hunting knifo and au
nx. Nearer aud nearer came tho
wolves. Neither of tho men spoko,
but both braced themselves. Me-
Kuight with tho ax and Barnes with
tho knife. Suddenly McKnight drop
ped his ax and seized a pail thoy had.
been carrying. It contained a quan
tity of tho "doctored" fish they had
prepared for another trap. These ho
hurled, ono at a time, toward his
circling enemies.
Ravenous with hunger, they stopped
not to investigate, but fought for
these remnants of a feast. It sent a
chill through tho raon as they watched
the struggle, and realized their pos
sible fate. Soon, however, the liquor
began to work, and an ono of the pack
would show signs of stupor his com
rades would fall upon anil rend him to
pieces. Three of tho animals wero
disposed of in this way, when tho re
mainder, realizing something was
wrong with thorn, withdrew to tho
shelter of the woods. It is unneces
sary to say the fishermen did not give
chase.
Close Shave Witt a Leopard.
Kirby, tho English traveler, rolatos
the following incident iu his book,
"Tho Uuuntsof Wild Game": I walked
a little nearer the edgo of the ledge to
listen if I could hear anything in tho
gap, as wo could not tell where tho
dogs or the leopard had got to. I
heard a slight rustle below, whether in
the bush or on tho ledge 1 could not
tell, aud thero was no time to liud out,
for with a rush and a bound tho leopard
threw himself against tho krantz,
clutching at tho grass roots oil top
with tho claws of ouo forepaw—tho
other was broken just above tho wrist
—and I could hear his hind claws
scraping on tho rocks in his endeavors
to scramble up. I knew that he was
very close to me; his groat blood
smeared paws wero within six feet,
and I could see his wicked yellow eves
glaring savagely, aud tho saliva, red
tinged, dropping from tho gleaming
tusks.
As Nogwaja ran in with uplifted as
segai I fired down into tho brute's
mouth, aud with a savage gasp ho fell
down on to the ledge below. The
plucky Swazi, without waiting to see
if he was dead, jumped down on top
of him and gave him a final thrust
with his assegai ere life had sped.
How a Chess Champion Trains.
Tho Brooklyn chess champion, Tl.
N. Pillebury, maintains the wonder
ful control of his nervous system by
great caro in his habits. Ho eats but
once a day, never uses tobacco or al
coholio stimulants in any form, and
always sleeps at least seven hours oat
of the twenty-four. Ho is also au ad
vocate of bicycle riding, to a limited
extent, as conducive to perfect health.
—Now York Imlependeut.
Tho new Scotland Yard ut London,
England, ii the pelitfe
in th* wwUh