Mr. Depew culls New York "tlio typical Stale." Four of tho six Populist Senators in Washington uro university men or graduates of colleges. General Miles is heartily m favor of the bicycle for army use, an J declares that it can be usod in nearly every ceuutry and in r;ost all seasons of t]io year# The safost of modern yo irs of rail way travel was in 1885. The propor tion roturned as killed and injured from causes beyond their own control to tho number carried was: killed, 1 in 110,202,171 ; and injured, 1 in 1,- 599,112. Napoleon 111. once remarked to Mr. Waslibume, the American Minister to Paris, that Spain could not hold Cuba, and that tho result would bo that she would sacrilico all her soldiers aud spend all kor money aud then lose tho island in the end. The Melbourne (Australia) Argus called attoutiou some years ago to the remarkabio fact that three young men destined to high distinction in diller eut spheres—Lord Salisbury, the statosmau, Sir John Millais, the paint er, aud Thomas Woolner, tho sculp tor—were simultaneously in Victoria at tho height of the gold fever in the early fifties. This bioycle business is assuming tremendous proportions, and oven tht imagination gots tired thinking aboul it, observes the Now York Herald. Ton years ago it was a fad, a craze, and 11 few cranks, so called, were seen on the streets trying to got their nooks broken. Now all the world rides the wheel; policemen ride them, soldiers rido them, gentlemen and ladies of all ages take a spin. To supply tho de mand thero arc something liko foui hundred firms, making money hand over fist, and it is estimated that iu tho various plants more than $25,000, 000 is invosted. Why, tho whole thing has come upon us liko, a tor nado. China is sending out a now detach meut of her youth to bo educated in cur schools, showing un enlightened and progressive spirit in no way di minished by her recent military re verses. If she continues in this excel lent custom, equipping her chosen young men with the scienco and cul ture of the modern period, and at the sumo time admits, as she is now doing, progressive ideas in her uduiiuistru tiou, sho will not be so easily whipped tho next time, the New York Tribune observes, and will take the place in eivilation which properly bolongs to her, as her sister Notion Japan has already done, to the wonderment anil admiration of mankind, including thai of tho humbled pigtails themselves, who may, after all, gather out of the nettlo of defeat a choicer iiower than the roso of triumph. If she is nol quite so grandiose in her general atti tudes as sho was beforo she was whipped, she knows more, a fact vari ously evinced, but in no particular more showingly than in again sending her youth hither to be instructed in our schools. Chief Fernow, of the Forestry Division at Washington, D. C., makes some valuable suggestions iu his eleventh bulletin. Tho bulletin states that the South cau make the cultivation of tho < k oak very prof itable in time. pay about $2,- 000,000 a year 1 r imported cork, aud prices are steadily rising. The Gov ernment distributed cork oak acorns in tho South an far back as 1858, and thero are now standing several cork trees in tho Southern States, one ot them as far north as middle Georgia. A large one is now standing iu Mis sissippi City, Miss., and there are probably twentyjiu California. Tho fact that the treo will (lonrish iu tho South has been demonstrated. Tho wattle tree, a native of Australia, is also recoinmondod for cultivation. It belongs to tho acacia family, and contains more tunuie acid thau tho oak. It is propagated from seeds, which arc soaked until toft in boiling water before planting. This tree will do well in warm climates. This euca lyptus is recommended on ucconnt of its rapid growth, the valuo of tho wood and the oil contained iu tho foli age. Some claim thut it is an antidote lor malaria. Tho bamboo deserves a trial, maintains the Atlanta Constitu tution. It is not a treo but a giant grass, allied to our caue. One variety grows in Florida, whero it has been known to grow a foot a day iu height, and reach twenty-two feet iu a siuglo season. It is iu demuud for many useful and ornamental purposes. Wo havo been wasting our forests long enough. Why not turn over u new leaf and try the trees recommended by the Forestry Division? AS YE WOULD. If I should oeo A. brother languishing in soro distress, Aud I should turu aud leave him comfort less, When I might bo A messenger of hopo and happiness— How could I ask to have what I denied. In my own hour of bitterness supplied? If I might share A brother's load along tho (lusty way, An,l I should turn aud walk alone that day, How could I d are— When in tho evening watch I knelt to pray— To ask for help to bear my pain and loss, If I had heeded not my brother's cross? If I might sing A little song to cheer a fainting heart— And I should seal my lips and sit apart, When I might bring A bit of sunshine for life's ache and smart llow could I hope to have my grief re lieved, If 1 kept silent while my brother grieved? And so I know That day is lost wherein I fail to loud A helping haud to some wayfaring friend; But if it show A burden lightonod by the cheer I send, Then do I hold tho golden hours well spent, And lay mo down to sleep in sweet con lent. Ldith V. Bradt, in London Chronicle, WITHIN AN INCH OF DEATH. BY MAX NOHDAtJ. windows of tho I restaurant wore SS*.— ——-jl open, and tho cool, fragrant air [of tho spring night was struggling with tho F'FaSw J mosphcre of the / Q Xs -isbS===-" , S. room. A glanco out J of doors showed tho nzuro shy and tho brilliant full moon, \ J j ) whoso glimmering bluish rays shone through (ho young leafago of tho blossoming trees, which swayed gently to and fro before the windows in tho light breeze. But nothing was more remote from tho minds of our circle, which met every evening at a certain table for social in tercourse, thau poetical ideas. Tho club, of which 1 was one, consisted principally of worthy citizens, who bad a far greater liking for bright gas light thau for dim moonlight, and who appreciated tho charms of a good sup per much move than tho spell of the loveliest spring night. The topic of our conversation was;proline town gos sip, which, as usual, gradually merged into foolish talk about polities or dis cussions conceruiug tho Government, tho theatre, high taxes and similar subjects. By a connection of ideas which I do not now recall, tho ques tion had arisen whether it was credi ble that a person's hair could suddenly turu gray from violent mental excite ment. Part of the company received tho anecdotes current about such cases with slight doubts, while others most pitilessly derided persons who were simple enough to believo such nursery tales. Just as tho conversation boenme most animated,a man of unusual height and hcreulcau frame, whom we lia-1 not previously noticed, roso from a side table and approached us. His in telligent features, which boro the stump of resolution, seemed spiritual ized by the large, kindly blue eyes. But tho most striking peculiarity in his uppcarunco was tho snow white hair and tho gray board framing his face, which, at the utmost, indicated an ago of only thirty-five years. "Pardon me if I enter into your conversation," he said, bowing cour teously. "You urc speaking of a sub ject which greatly interests me. I my self am a living proof that terriblo mental agitation really does exert tho physical influence which you ull doubt." His words awakened the utmost in terest. Wo made room for him at our table, and, alter he had taken his seat, unanimously urged him to tell us what had caused tho whiteness of his huir. Tho stranger feigned no undue mod esty, but yielded to our eutroaties and related the following story : "If you have ever paid any atten tion to Americun allairs, the uarao of Auburu cannot be unfamiliar; it has about the same significance in tho Uuited States as Spielberg has iu Aus tria. You must not imagiuo Auburu as an immense gloomy prison, a sin gle lurge building, but rather a wholo colony of criminals—a metropolis of the miserable outcasts of socioty. En closed by enormous walls, which rise menacingly to a considerable height aliovo the plain, are a greater number of single structures, bouses which con tain tho cells of tho prisoners, the residences of tho wardens, barracks, hospitals and workshops, all desolate and dreary, with hero and thero a bit of turf, a row of trees, a bed of (low ers, liko an iunoeeut memory of child hood among tho evil thoughts of a criminal. "Circumstances which I will not weary you by recounting had led me, after completing my education in my nativo city, Hamburg, to America, auil after u brief time iu Now York I found myself prison surgeon in Au burn, which, us perhaps you know, is in the Stuto of New York. 41 1 hud charge of u part of the prison which contained the worst criminals, men, or, rather, human hyenas, to whom blood had ceased to bo a very special liquid, as Mephi&topholes terms it. Two, who were condemned to life long imprisonment in tho institution and were distinguished among tho others by great bodily strength, crafti ness and intelligence, had, in conse quence of repeated bold and cunning attempts to escape, been placed under more rigid oversight than the rest. I hud incurred their speciui hato be cause I had oueo caused tho discovery of several irou tools, which—heavcu knows how obtained—they had con cealed under their clothing, and on auother occasion discovered that they wore shamming when, on tho plea of illness, they desired to bo placed in tho hospital, probably becauso they hoped to find tho conditions there more favorable for their plans of escape. Tho scoundrels wero separa ted and heavily chained, but neverthe less ono morning one and a few clays later tho other vanished, chains and nIJ, without leaving a trace. About a fortnight afterward I went to Cayuga Bridge on some private business. "It was noon when I reached the end ot my ride, and I gazed with de light at tho sunlit landscape before my eyes. Cayuga Luke, 0110 of those which, with Luko Erie, form the net work of inland lakes in New York, lay before mo in its peculiar loveliucss. Between rugged, rock/ shore?, con fronting each other like sullen foes, tho long, narrow sheet of silver ex tended its clear surface as if striving to rocoucilo tho two enemies who had stared defiantly at each other for cen turies. Across the lake, which is about forty miles long, and, at this point, a milo wide, tho railway trains run on an immense wooden bridge, a marvel of American enterprise, which has a station at Cayuga Bridge, an insignifi cant villago. "My business was soon completed, and toward evening X set out on my way home. Arc you familiar with the pleasure of a ride ou a summer even ing? Cayuga Bridge is surrounded by extensive oak forests, through which X had to lido a considerable distance. The huge, lofty trunks cast along shadows, and thu tops rustled so softly that one rather felt than heard them. As I passed beneath Ibcso woodland giants, swcot memories of my far oil home stole iuto my heart. Absorbod in thought, 1 loosened the bridle of my horse, which trotted slowly forward. I almired tho bewitching blending of colors produced by tho rays of the setting sun, as thoy shone through tho dense, dark green foilago and seemed to lundlo the edges of the leaves. Suddenly I was roused from my dreams by a rnst'iug in the under brush on both sides of tho road. 1 seized my pistol and turned quickly, but at the same moment received a terrible blow, which deprived mo of my senses. True, I opened my eyes once moro aud faucied 1 saw indis tinctly, as if in a dream, one of the escaped criminals bending over me, then darkness shronded my mind. "It must have been late at night when consciousness returned. I opened my eyes and saw above mo in the deep liluo sky a'rudiant full moon. A dull, heavy sensation in tho lmek of my head made mo try to put my hand on tho aching spot, but I discovered that I was bound baud and foot. Gradually I collectod my thoughts, remembered tho attack by highway men, and a terrible foreboding, which made my heart stop beating, darted through my brain. 1 felt that I was laid across two sharp parallel projec tions, which pre-sod against mo most painfully, and, listening intently, I heard far below me a faint splashing noise. There was no doubt—l was lying across tho rails of tho Cayuga Bridge, bound, uuablo to move, with tho terribly certain prospect of being cut into throo pieces by the next train. "I almost lost consciousness again. But I soon recovered my composure. Thon I lugged desperately at my bouds till they almost cut my muscles, shrieked, and at last wept like a child. I tried to roll myself into a dillereut po-ition, and remembered that an in cautious movement would hurl mo in to tho silent waves of the Cayuga— bound hand and foot, motionless as a stone. "I shuddered and lay still. But not long. Tho light of the large, to mo fearfully, brilliant moon, the splash ing of tho water below, tho wind blow ing softly, thon tho deathlike silence again, rarely interrupted eveu by tho distant note of a bird—all became un endurable uud inspired me with un speakable terror. And the rails 1 The rails! My senses tortured rao. 1 could not escape them. Tho wooden beams trembled almost imperceptibly from tho washing of the water. I imagined 1 felt tho approach of the train anil my hair bristled; the wind sighed a little louder. I fancied I heard tho dull panting of tho ongino and my heart stood still, only to throb llie next instant with such dreadful speed that the jmlsations were almost, nu liblo. "There nro some things, gentlemen, whieb are totally incomprehensible to me; one of them is how I survived that night. One thought stood direct ly beforo my mind. I mnst endeavor to work myself into another position —if possible, got into tho spaco be tween the rails—if I was not, perhaps tho next moment, to becomo tho vic tim of Ibo most agonizing death. "And I succeeded! I struiuoil every muscle, every MUCW to the point of breaking, I writhed, I twisted, I panted, my head seemed buisting, and after tremendous exertion, which ap peared to mo to last an eternity, though perhaps it was only moments, I found myseH iu tho hollow between the rails. "Was I safe? I hail not timo to consider or rcjoico in my new hope, lor all iiiy vital powers were concen trated in the single tea so of hearing. In the far distance f distinguished, at first vaguely, then more and more dis tinctly, the regular, monotonous, dull noise which is produced by the engine of u moving locomotive. The awful silence of the night merged minuto by minute into the still more awful, con fused jarring sounds, the rultliug and groaning, rumbling and panting of the locomotive, whieli was rushing for ward at tho mad speed of American trains. A thousand feet more, five liuudrcd—all the terrors of tho infer nal regions assailed me, but not a muscle moved ; I lay as if turned to stone. I tried to shriek, but did not even hear my own voice; how should it roach those on the train? "Now, for an infinitely briof space of time, 1 fancied that I saw a bright light, a blast of hot air fanned me, : then suddenly darkness shrouded me, I I heard a thundering roar as though • tho very heavens were falling. | "Close, very close, barely an inch j above, tho monster dashed over me— I was safe. Still half unconscious, I heard a deafening rumbling and clat teriug, and saw shadowy masses lit by ; there was another moment of mortal dread—the hook of a chain which hung lower than tho rest caught me, dragged mo along a few feet and final ly tore a largo pieco from tho breast of my coat, releasing mo—then every object danced around me, tho moon, the bridge, and tho high bank whirled in a giddy maze above and below me, and my souses fuiled. "When I regained my consciousness I fouud myself in my bod, with famil iar faces around me. To mako tho story short, I had been pickod up tho morning after that terrible night by a signal muu, recognized and taked to Auburn. A violent fever kopt mo for a fortnight within tho shadow*of death, but my strong constitution conquorcd. When, after my recovery, I looked in the glass for the first time, I saw what traces thoso moments had loft upon me." Tho physician paused. Ilis pallid face, tho expression of horror in his eyes, the perspiration which stood in largo drops upon his brow, showed how vivid must bo his remembrances of tho scene, and how greatly tho nar ration had exhausted him. Gradually tho breathless anxiety with which wo had listened to tho story rolatod with such graphio pow er, passed away, and cheerfulness re turned. Then wo pacod to and fro for a long time iu the moonlight, iu tho garden behind tho tavern, listoning to tho doctor's tales of less harrowing exper iences in tho young laud of liberty, wonders and udventure.—Now York Herald. Frozen to the Bail. What is by long odds tho host hunt ing stcry of the soasou comes from St. Hegis, and tho section foreman, Ncls Thompson, who looks after tho Snake track at that place, is tho hero. It is probably tho tirst case of its kind on record, and establishes an interesting precedent iu tho killing of wildcats. Last Thursday morniug, as Thomp son and his gang of Scandinavians were pumping their handcar along tho track, on their way to their work, which that day was along tho clay bluffs east of St. llogis, ikoy wero startled by tho angry snarling of a wildcat ahead of them. They slowed up tho car as they rounded tho bluff, I and a strange sight greeted their eyes. Tho morniug wns bitterly cold and a friugo of ice bordered tho banks of tho St. Hogis River, which rushed along just below tho track. Broken ice and a wet trail up the bank showed that tho cat had swam through the icy stream and explained his present pre dicament. For ho certainly was in tho gravest predicament iu which ever a wildcat found! himself. Ho was fastened firmly to one of tho steel rails by one forefoot. Tho supposition is that tho cat had come through tho river and leaped up tho track embankment. His last jump brought ono of his wet forefeet upon tho rail and it froze to tho steel. There he was, held as fast as if iu the jaws of a trap. The ground showed llmt ho had struggled to i'roe himself, but his efforts had been in vain. A blow from a crowbar cracked his skull ami the victim of cold water was dead. It required a strong pull to de tach the frozen foot from the rail, and when it did come patehes of skin still adhered to tho steel.—Anaconda (Mon tana) Standard. Costs of Arctic Research. There is a groat contrast between tho joy in scientific circles over tho reported discovery of the north nolo and the sadness which tho rosults of tho trip of tho lamented Frunklin caused half a century ago. Lady Franklin impoverished herself to learu the late of her noble husband and died in 1875. It cost forluncs to learu that Franklin, who was last seen alivo by a whaler in Bailius Bay, died Juno 11, 1817, while the 1114 ollicors and men of his two vessels, the Erebus and 'Terror, shared a similar fate. Verily, the triumphs of science are often ter ribly costly.-—Boston Globe. A California Oil Bourn. Southern California is experiencing n considerable oil boom. A number of oil wells developed recently iu Santa Barbaraand Los Angoles Countieshavo proved profitable, and borings arc being made in adjoining counties with satisfactory results. A new town, Oil City, spruug up in Fresno County soino two weoks ago, and it is thought the region will prove very profitable. Ono somewhat unsatisfactory result lias been tho boring of many wells in the residence districts of Los Angeles, some ol the wells being the most pro ductive in the whole region. A Suicide Joh. "Eddie" Farrell, a San Franciscan politician whose death wasannounced a few weeks ago, was at one time em ployed in the Mint, "a suioulo job," he called it, "at eight dollars a day." Ho would enter a saloon, and, after a simulated spell of coughing, would put his haud to his mcuth and show to the astonished by-standers a small gold nugget. Ho always carried it with him. Then, with a sigh, ho would remark: "My lungs aro all coated with gold, lrom working in that Mint. It's a regular suicide job 1" —Argonaut. THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAR ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA. A Texas Episode—Colonel Pordyce's Romance—Hypnotized by a Rattle- snake—Entrapped by His Tongue. 7T" PHOPO3 of storiCs of the / \ plains hero is one from the Washington Post. (T" The remains of Hilly Ayrcs, City Marshal of a pioneer Texas town, had been followed to tho hill by quito a number of his friends, who deplored tho fact of his attempting to quiet a crowd of revelers, which fact they held directly responsible for his funeral, and Almon Gray, small of stature, red of hair, and conspicuous only for his peculiar gray oyes, had hurriedly been elected his succossor. Thousands of head of cattle were being held on tho prairies around the town, uwaiting cars for shipment from this, tho then Westoru of tho Missouri; Pacific road in Texas, and a dozen cow ! outfits' wero camped on the near by streams with nothing to do but amuse themselves taking in tho town. This process, usually accompauiod by more or less pistol practice and unlimited jags, added a degree of animation to tho place totally unknown in the effeto East. "Hearing a fusilado iu tlie Little Gem saloon one evening, accompanied by sovernl whoops, I strolled in to eee tho circus, and a typical viow was pre sented. Standing before tho bar, which was presided over by a youth of sixteen, was a tall six footer with a smoking pistol in his hand, whilo from a row of barrels along tho wall whisky was pouring out upon the sawdust through a series of holes just manu factured by a forty-fivo Colt's bullet. The boy behind the bar spoke to tho shooter just as ho entered, tolling him to be careful or he would hurt some body and get arrested. "Snatching a bowio from his bolt and stretching out his full lougtli he gave a whoop, and sticking tho knifo in the bar with u fierce blow ho sung out, 'I am tho war caglo from the I'UCOP, and would like to soo tho color of tho man's hair that could arrest me.' "before tho sentence was finished tho screen doors were parted and in wulkod tho Matshal, who seemed a dwarf compared with tho half drunken giant. Quick us a Hash tho Marshal took in tho situation, and, pulling his gun, leveled it at tho cowman's oar. Hearing him enter, tho eagle turned hie head until his chin encountered tho perforated end of this regulation emblem of peace, and for a moment a thrilling tableau was enacted. With a sarcastic smile on his face, Marshal Gray, with his disengugod hand re moved his hat, and, running his fin gers through his wavy locks, request ed tho gentleman from the Pucos to inspcot his hair. '"My curls,' said he, 'are auburn, though some arc so impolite as to call them rod or sandy. You havo just ex pressed a desiro to sou tho color, and I rnako it r. rule to be OH accommodat ing to strangers as possible.' "An ashy paleness overspread tho cowman's Inco, and liis hand started for the still quivering bowio knife Sticking in tho bar. In an instaut the smile left 4lis Marshal's lips, a clangor ous glitter shouo from bis steely eyes, and in r. voice of thunder he com manded 'Hands up. Quick, or I'll bcro you.' Two clicks of tho pistol hammer told tho man from the Pa os that the time had come to oboy, and with tho additional command, 'Out of the door, march,' lie raised his hands above hie head and led tho way to tho lookup. "So quiokly had this scono been en acted that it might have seemed a dream, but for the smoke clouded room, tho dripping liquor from the barrels, and the gloaming bowie knife in the counter top. Those wore un disputablo evidence of one of thoso episodes which hivo made the annals of the West a history of tho truest bravery, coolnoss and courage of an American citizen. ' Colonel Forilyce's Romance. Whon Senator Mills doliverod his speech on Cuba iu thoSouato ho relat ed an incident that called cheers from tho galleries and aroused deop interest 011 tho lloor of tho Senate. Mr. Mills was describing tho cruelty of tho Spaniards and their habitual inuidcr of women. Thon ha drew this con trast : "Mr, President, while thinking of the slaughter of this girl, who attempt ed to save hor father, there comes up iu my mind tho recollection of an in cident that occurred in Alabama dur ing our Civil War. A Colonel of an Obio regiment was in command of n district in North Alabama, within whoso lines the family of aConfodernto officer resided. Sometimes tho bold liebol would slipthrough tho lines, un discovered, and visit his family. On ouo occasion ho was diseoverod by some one more devoted to tho Union than to his personal welfare. Infor mation was given to tho Colonel com manding the district, who took a half dozen of his men and under cover of night went to tho house to capture his Confederate fooiuan. Arriving at tho honso he rushed in tho door, pistol in hand, and found the Confederate sol dier iu the midst of his family, his pißtol and belt lying upon the bureau and within reach of his daughter, a beautiful girl of eighteou summers. Iu an instant sho grasped her father's pistol to shoot in defence of her father's person. Tho Colonel sprang forward, seized tho pistol in her hand to disarm her. Not being a Spaniard, it never entered bis mind to shoot her. Iu the strugglo her pistol fired and sho was shot through tho hand, but her father succeeded in making bis escape. The galluut oiTioer returned iu a few days to see about that wounded band, lie came again to exriem hie profound regrets for that wound and again and - again to hope for its early recovery, j He did not stop coming till ho carried j ■ that hand off with him, clasped in his. It is his hand now and has been for I thirty years. Around that family i hearthstone there stands a group of • noble sons, half Yankee, half South , era, but all American. Wo did not . shoot women and children. Wo did | not shoot prisoners in our great Civil War." Soon after the Senator concluded his speech I met him and inquired re garding the identity of tho Ohio Col onel and tho fair Alabama Confed orato. He told mo ho referred to an incident in the lives of Colonel S. W. Fordyce and his accomplished wifo. Colonel Fordyee is tho President of the St. Louis Southwestern Bailroad and is known and loved from the lakes to tho Gulf. —St. Louis Republic. Hypnotized by a Snake. Serpents are often charmed by hu man beings, but a snake that turns the table and hypnotizes people is a freak. A rattlesnake near Simona, a town in Florida, recently porformod this remarkable feat. This snake hypnotized Miss Paulino Brown, and had it not been for tho timely arrival of her brother she would doubtless have lost her life. Miss Brown went for a short walk in tho fields to gather wildllowers. She did not return when expectod and her family booame anxious. Her brother Arthur, armed with a shotgun, sot out in search of hor. After a time ho saw tho girl in tho distanco sitting on tho grass. He at onoo noticed tho curious manner in which she scorned to bo swaying to and fro, as if in timo to music. lie approached cautiously nnd, peering over her shoulder, was filled with hor ror when he saw the head of a huge rattlesnake waving from side to sido directly in front of her. Arthur Brown moved cautiously to ono side, raised his gun and taking careful aim shot off tho head of tho rattlesnake. At tho sound of tho ex plosion tho girl shrieked and fell to the ground unconscious. Later she said she wandered through the fields picking flowers until, grow ing tired, she had soated herself in front of the clump of white flowers which she intended to gather. Sho admired their beauty and kopt hor eyes fixed upon thorn until gradually sho began to feel an unooutrollablo drowsiness creeping over hor, such as ono experiences after gazing lixedly at tho embers of a dying lire. Presently, although conscious that tho llowers were pure white, they bo gau to take on the co'ors of tho rain bow and lose their outline. From this iridosoent mass at regular intervals a tongue of livid ilamo darted forth that almost blinded her with its brilliancy. Sho was possessed] with a feeling of horror and had a presontimout of evil, i yet was powerless to uso hor voice or move her limbs. How long sho was under this extraordinary influence she had no idea. Nor was sho con scious of its nataro till, coming to her self after tho shock of tho gunshot had thrown her into a faint, she saw tho dead snako. Tho rattlesnako proved to bo a monster of its kind. Putting the dis- ' membered head on to tho bolv it measured an even seven feet in leug..:. Tho body in its lnrgost part was eigh teen inches in circumferonce. It had ■ sixteen rattles and a button, indicat ing that the serpent was at loust sev enteen years old. j Entrapped by lfis Tongue. During the severely cold weather in January last Tip Burbank, a notorious Montana robber, was capturod in the singular manner that lias just been made public. Tip went out alono ono night to • make a raid on the First National Bank, 1 of Fort Benton. His plan was to en- ! tor through a window at tho rear of the building, to make his way through the rooms and oiliccs back finally working his way to tho vault. An iron grating protected the window, of < course, but Tip would make short work of this with his files and screw- ■ drivers hod not Jack Frost played a hand in tho game. Tho night was an intensely cold one, and tho streots 1 were like glass, a hoavy snow two 1 weeks previous having melted as it fell and then frozen over smooth and hard. While Tip was filing the first bar of tho grating his foot slipped i throwing him forward violently against the window. As luck would i liavo it the fall jerked his mouth open, forcing his tonguo between his lips, i fairly freozing it to tho icy iron bars. All efforts to releuse himself were in vain as nothing short of pulling his ' tonguo out by tho roots would havo effectod this, and ho could not bring himself to do it. A night watchman making his rounds found him a half ( hour later almost dead with cold. Tip , is alivo and safely housed in jail now, j but his tonguo will never wag again. It is completely and hopelessly para- , lyzed. An Accommodating Decision. ' The suit against Prince do Looz-et- Corswarem, tho representative of a famous Belgian family, who was charged with breaking various laws in Fruncc, Belgium and England, has ended at Brussels in his discharge, to tho great astonishment of many peo ple. Tho court found him suffering from "hereditary dogenoracy and without penal responsibility." Painting a Lightning Flash. Mr. Inwards, a follow of tho Royal , Meteorological Society of England, has discovered that Turner was the , only artist who ever painted lightning , with scientific exactness. A photo graph of a lightning flash placed be side Turner's representation shows | great accuracy. Tho zigzags made by , other artists arc not O. K.'d by ua- ( ture. s THE MEitUY SIJ)E OF LIFE. ___ I BTOEIE3 THAT ARE TOLD BY THE FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. Only This, and Nothing More—lnter mittent Lightning —.The Diller enec—A < ()unttw-11'rftant 6 Kte. Only a cyclor speeding by. Only a maid with wuteliintf eyf Only a moment lie waved his hunt Only a sinilo so sweet and bland; Only a stone, So smooth and roum. Only a thud, as ho met the ground. * Wheel Talk. " THE DIFFERENCE. "How could you distinguish tho waiters from tho guests ?' "Tho waiters were polite. New York Times. X* I INTERMITTENT LinHTNINO. "Is your town lighted by oloetricity now?" "Yes; but only when there - a thun derstorm. " —Lustige Blnette TOOK lIElt 11V BUBPBIBE. Dick—"You would marry tho big gest fool in tho world if he asked you, wouldn't yon?"' Maud—"Oh, Dick this is so sud den."—New York World. AFTER TUE BIIIDOE DISASTER Officer (as he pulls Colonel Blood good, of Kentucky, from tho wator) "Are you seriously injured, oolonol?" Colonel Bloodgood—"Not a pahti clo, suh. I didn't swallow a mouthful of it."—Puck. MAKES A DIFFERENCE. Tommy (surprised)—" Why, papa, I thought that one spoonful ot sugar was always onough for my coffee?" Tommy's Papa—"This is a restaur- aut, my son ; take all the sugar you t want." —Judgo. ALL THE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS. Sho—"l wish some photographs taken." Photographer—"Yes, madame, with or without?" "With or without what?" "Tho bones."—Life. A TEST OF VANITY. Lady (applying the test) —"Ach what a pity! Tho handsomest gentle man in tho company has got a splash on bis waistcoast!" All the gentlemen present look down in consternation at their vests. MEASUREMENT. "He is very gifted," said Miss Gush ingtou. "Why, ho can sit down and writo poetry by the yard." "Yes," replied the ouvious rival. "Tho only difficulty is that the public reads it by the inch."—Washington Star. NO FLACK TO THINK. "Thomas, I saw you laugh just now. What wero you laughing about?" "I was just thiukiu' about some thing." "You havo no business thinking during HCIIOOI hours. Don't lot it oc cur again." A COUNTER-IRRITANT. Mamma—"Russell, stop teasing your brotbor; I'm tired of hearing him cry." Russell—"lt won't make any differ ence if 1 do stop, 'cos if 1 don't teaso him he'll teaso ine and make me ery." —Hurper's Bazar. HARD LINES. "By Jove, I'm in hard luck !" "How so?" "Why, here's a money order I'va just got for $:!(), und tho only man in town that can identify me to tho y money-order clerk is one that I owe *" 830 to."—Somorville Journal. AN ORIGINAL FELLOW. Biggs—"That Be Beat seems like an extremely versatile fellow." Todgers "That's right. lie bor rowed $lO of me last mouth." Biggs—"Well?" Todgers—"He has already given mo thirtoeu original excuses for not re turning it."— Cleveland Plain Dealer. THE WANTS. "Your verses are very good, Miss," said the editor, in his kindest manner, "but wo cannot possibly use them. Our columns arc too crowded." "Can't yon leave uiit somo of that stuff you publish under the head of 'Wanted'?" suggested tho pee tress. "It is very uninteresting."—Chicago Tribune. A CAPABLE MAN. Rasom—"Yes, Bings has risen in the political ranks. But do you think it a wise move to send hi in on such au important diplomatic mission?" y- Bnsoin—"Do I? I tell you, he has no equal as a drplomat! Several years ago we lived in the same flat building, anil ho was tho only tenant who always stood solid with tho jauitor." SUPERLATIVE, "So yon have beon having a pretty dry timo out in Kansas?" "Dry! Well, rather. Why, tho air was so dry out there that the liionn used to fairly raise a dust as it went through the sky, and the moisture was all evaporated out of tho milky way, until it looked like a long trail of pul verized chalk." "How did you get water for your selves aud stock ?" "Well, that was a hard matlor. Wo used to have to run the well through the clothes wringer every nioriiiug to get water for cooking, and we would go and throw a lot of little pebbles ou the barn to niako tho horses think it was rain falling on the roof, and in that way keep them from getting dis- couraged, "—Truth,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers