Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, July 20, 1899, Image 2

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    Freeland Tribune
Established 1888.
PUBLISHED EVKRY
MONDAY AND THURSDAY,
BY THR
TRIEONE PRINTING COMPANY. Limits
Orric-E: Mais Street Above Centre.
FUEELAND, PA.
SUBSCRIPTION KATES:
One Year $1.50
ttix Mouth* 75
Four Months 50
Two Mouths 25 ;
The Uute which the subscription is paid to !
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change of which to a subsequent date be- ;
comes a receipt for remittance. Keep the j
figures in advance of the present date. Ite- j
port promptly to this oflloe whenever paper
Is not received. ArrearuKes must be puid
when subscription is discontinued.
Make all monty orders, checks, etc.,payable \
to tlie Tribune printing Company, Limited. 1
It is stated that the English bin- ;
guage is growing faster than auy other '
past or present. This is because
those who use it have a great deal to
say in this world.
Thirty or forty inmates of the Ohio
state prison recently struck for short
er hours. Their demauds were not
complied with, neither were they in
formed that their services were uo
longer needed.
Lord Kitchener recently arrived at !
Berber, after a camel ride of eight !
hundred miles through the eastern
Soudau. He reports that everywhere '
he found the natives exceedingly I
thankful for their release from the j
terrible sufferings to which they have
been subjected for many years by the |
tyrannical and blood-thirsty rule of
the Dervishes, of which he found j
abundant evidences in all directions. |
■
General Wilson, military commander |
of the province of Matauzas, has set i
an admirable example for the com
manders of other Cuban provinces in j
Ihe action be has taken for the protec- '
lion and care of the unfortunate little '
ones of the province who were or- I
phaued by revolution's tragedy and I
Weyler's assassinations. He has iu- :
BtigAted aud covered with the iiiflu I
ence of his position the establishment ,
of an asylum for the shelter of the 1
orphans of reconceutrados and all
destitute children.
A souudless electric gun is sai l to
have been bought by the British gov- |
eminent. If true, this is mainly iu- |
terestiug as being an effective applica- I
tiou of electricity to ordnance. This
tremendous new force lias been used !
chiefly in useful pursuits, and what j
death-dealing powers it has hitherto !
developed have been expended almost |
exclusively on its users. The sound
lesaness of the gun adds one more j
terror to war and removes it one step
farther from personal contest. The
smokeless gun was bad enough; one j
could hoar its discharge and one knew
only in a general way whence the bul- '
let enmo and whither to run, but it I
was hotter than this last invention, |
which will strike a man before he j
knows he is being shot at. Perhaps, j
though, that is the most merciless way
after all; for it almost takes the gun
out the list of violent weapons and ;
puts it in that of merciful anesthetics. :
The sooner parents learn that the
skipping-rope is a dangerous play
thing for girls the better it will be for
the rising generation of women, thinks
the Washington Star. Physicians
have long been advising against tho
use of this means of juvenile exercise.
Thoy have pointed out its dele erious
effect upon several of the organs of
the body, particularly the heart, and
have in some cases traced diseases to
its influence. Now deaths come to
give point to the physicians' counsel.
Several fatal cases have already oc
curred this season. The other day in
Trenton, N, J., a six-year-old girl
died after convulsions following tho
use of a rope. She had strained her
heart beyond its point of endurance.
In gymnasiums careful athletic in
structors occasionally prescribe the
skipping-rope as an aid to the process
of muscle-building and lung develop
ment. But they watch its use close
ly and prevent over-exercise of the
heart, which is called upon for the
most active exertions when the body
is put through such violent paces.
Ills Real Reason.
Um I to understand that you In
troduced this ordinance because you
are of the opinion the question ought
to be settled?" asked the railway offi
cial. "That was the way I put it,"
replied the alderman, "but I really in
troduced it becau I thought lt was
about time for a settlement."—lndian
apolis Jou wi
An Argument for F.xpatmlon.
He—There are millions of people In
this country who don't play golf. That
proves that wo need more territory.
She—How? He —Because when they
do play golf wo won't have enough
room for links.
Hl™! 9
WITH k DESPERADO. I
# g
By Rev. William E. Barton.
C 0 TUI ST-ORY.
N the days when I
was a student in
college I spent my
vacations in the
mountains of Keu
tuc k y teaching
! jd' school, selling
I books, and giving
occasional talks on
/Jt \ J popular subjects
< to the parents of
jfs£- m y sc k°°l chil
\ dren. These so
■:?•* \ A called "lectures"
f'v- m I Jvi;\ V were delivered in
'-•V ; w ft?*- t-Qfr the schoolhouse
I bv what was called
" "caudle-light," al
<•< '' though tho
was mostly made
l) y P* ne torches in
the great open
a'#?- ' *' fireplace.
Tho first of these lectures wai on
temperance, a practical subject, and
! suited to the locality, for although
j liquor is made aud too much is cou
sumed iu the riouutaius of Kentucky,
there is no ;:lace of which I know
where there ii a more strenuous aud
wholesome t j nporauco sentiment. So
my lecture A US well received in the
schoolhouse ca Richland Creek, and
I was invited to deliver it again on
Horse Lick.
Horse Lick was eighteen miles dis
tant, and the road wa3 rough and
steep, but I took it on a Friday after
noon, having dismissed school early
for the purpose. A mountaiu preacher
met me by appointment on the way,
and rode the remainder of the dis
tance with mo. We were well mount
ed on good, sturdy horses, aud tho
ride was pleasaut, save as it brought
n Barer the strange audience which I
had rashly promised to address with
all too meagre preparation. It began
to grow upon me that although I
might without presumption give in
formal talks to the people about my
•own schoolhouse, talks hastily pre
pared and necessarily superficial, but
not w.holly without value for their or
iginal purpose, it was quito another
thiug to go to a strange locality and
attempt a formal lecture with the same
material.
However, on one point I felt toler
ably strong—the part of my lecture
that dealt with intemperance and
crime. Iu my own schoolhouse Iliad
used as the "awful example" the
well-known case of the then regnant
desperado of the adjacent county, Pal
Seagraves. Every one in our county
knew who Pal Seagraves was, although
he preferred to do the most of his
mischief in the nearest blue-grass
county, Madison, and when pursued,
to take refuge iu the mouutaius of
Jackson.
Jackson itself knew all too much of
what he could do, but much as ho was
bated there, he was feared more, aud
few ventured to turn him from their
door when he came up and asked a
night's lodging, and perhaps a place
in which to hide. So with the whole
county of Jackson for a hiding-place,
and more than half its homes open to
him, he rode in and out at will.
Pal Seagraves consumed more un
colored corn whisky and killed more
men than auy other man in that part
lof Kentucky. I never know just how
| inauy men lie had killed, but the total
j was not small. Murder was a matter
lof freak with him; sometimes ho had
j killed a man for no other apparent
I purpose than to terrify a neighbor
hood and make his name more potent, i
Sometimes, so ran the explanation,
"ho was jes' drunk and didn't keer."
lie was an excellent warning for use
in a temperance lecture iu the county
where ho was known by reputation
only. He might not serve so well in
tho county Where he made his head
quarters. But that couuty was Jack
son, aud Horse Lick, to which I was
going, was there, in "the free State of
Jackson," as it is called.
£ eagerly asked my companion about
Pal Seagraves, for liis possible pres
ence at my lecture would necessitate
radical changes in it, and I had no
time to make them. Much to my re
lief, I was informed that he was gone
—gouo, they hoped, for good. Being,
hotly pursued by the sheriff for a
crime iu Madison County, lie was said
to have ridden away into a distant part
of the State.
Immensely relieved, 1 gave myself
anew to thought upon that part of my
lecture, and material for it accumu
lated, as the road was eloquent with
tales of Seagraves.
"Right here," said my companion,
"Pal Seagraves killed u man." We
were watering our horses iu a ford.
"Right where?" I asked.
"Right here. They were watering
their horses together. They had had
u fuss, and expected to shoot at sight,
and they met on yon hill, and tho
other fellow got the drop on Pal. But
Pal begged him not to shoot. He told
him they were good friends. He
swore that he would stand by the
other fellow if the other fellow
wouldn't kill him, and he, feeling
good to have humbled Pal and to have
made him his defender, shook hands
with him. They rode down here and
watered their horses together, and
while the other fellow was looking
down at his horse, drinking, Pal shot
him."
Later my friend pointed out a double
log house, with barn across the nar
row road.
"In that house and barn six
concealed themselvcH aud waylaid Sea
graves. Thoy tilled hitn so full of
lead he hasn't dared to go in swim
ming since, folks say. They thought
he would die, ture, but lead can't kill
him."
I remembered tho incident, for I
had chanced to ride in tho stage with
his mother on her way to see her son,
whom she believed to be dying. "My
Pally," she called him, and told me
that she herself had named him Pales
tine, "bekase hit's a good Scriptur'
name." She was curiously proud of
her boy, although disapproving his
crimes; sorry that he did as ho did,
but admiring his hardihood and power.
I had seen Seagraves himself once.
He had galloped by me, frightening
my horse with his reekless speed and
yell, and turning toward me as he
passed a pair of fearful eyes. Whether
he was light or dark, wore a beard or
not, I could not recall, but I could not
forget those eyes, and I know that I
should know him again if I ever saw
him.
By this time tho thought of Pal Sea
graves had well-nigh absorbed tho lit
tle part of my lecture that was devoted
to other aspects of tho liquor problem.
I had uo thought of naming him, but
I know that every one would know
whom I meant, and I was quite willing
thoy should know, inasmuch as ho was
at a safe distance. And so the lecture
began.
I was a boy of twenty, cultivating
my first mustache, and the minister
who introduced mo told the people
who filled tho schoolhouse not to de
spise my youth, for, said he, "I reckon
he'll talk well, and I know he'll give
you the best he's got."
.1 was through with my introduction,
and had started well upon the body of
my locture, and bad reached tho topic
of intemperance and crime.
I had just got into this when the
door opened, and in came Pal Sea
graves. He had a companion before
whom he was evidently miuded to
show off, and both were more or less
drunk. Respectful room was made
for them, and they sat well toward the
rear, but in plain sight, and their
coming sent a perceptible chill over
the audience, and worse than a chill
ovor me. I tried not to look that way,
but turn as I would to this corner a nd
that, I saw nothing but those eyes. I
talked 011 from sheer inability to stop.
I could not forget whut I hud to say.
I could not change it. I had to go on.
I confess I tried to soften down
some of my illustrations, but it seemed
to me that every such attempt brought
the statement out in all the more un
compromising form. I grew almost
desperate.
I soon saw that Seagraves recog
nized his portrait, and counted it a
good joke. Ho winked at his com
panion and nudged him. Then he
laughed, first softly, then aloud, and
then a coarse, defiant laugh. This ir
ritated me and steadied my nerve
somewhat, and I began to say to my
self that he should hear tho truth
about himself once, anyway. So I
gave myself more liberty, and went
straight ahead.
His laughing mood did not continue
long. He scowled; he sculled his
feet on tho rough floor; he made some
discourteous noises; and all the time
I talked on as if driven by fate, every
word sounding harder and more sting
ing than I had meant it to, even when
I supposed that ho would bo absent.
At length lie rose and started to
ward in.', walking unsteadily, partly
because he was drunk, pattly because
such is the custom of human centaurs
wheu compelled to use their own legs.
Lt was not because I wanted to that I
looked liini straight in tho eye. I
could not help it. And I talked on
because I could not stop. Perhaps
my looking at kiin had an effect; per
haps he counted me small game; for
he turned on his lieel and went oat.
Many mountain schoolhouses have
110 glass windows, but this one had,
and at one I soon saw the hideous,
grinning, angry, drunken face of the
desperado. There are fovv faces that
look well through a window at night,
but I am willing to affirm that 110 face
ever looked loss attractive than his
did to me. It was plain that he was
undecided what to do, for Icouidread
his thought iu his drunken features.
At times he seemed tempted to shoot
me through the glass and again, he
remembered apparently that 1 was a
hoy, and that to kill 1110 would bo a
little out of his line, and could do him
little good.
As before, I kept my eyes oil him,
aud every eye iu the schoolhouso was
fixed with mine 011 that pane of glass.
His curiosity soou overcame liirn, and
lie came in again, apparently a little
more sober, and partly restored to
good nature by the fresh air. And I
found means about that time to draw
my lecture to a close.
Iu that part of Kentucky the min
isters descend after a service, and tho
people come forward and shako bauds
with them. I was a sort of brevet
minister, and tho preacher and I
stepped down. The first man to come
up and extend his hand, which ho did
with a swagger, was Seagraves.
I took the hand which he extended,
and asked, "Will you tell me your
name, sir?"
He told me his uame with emphasis
and evident pride.
"Ho you live about here. Mr. Sea
graves?" I asked. It was a stupid
enough questi'fti, but it was all that I
could think to ask. To my surprise
it abashed him. He felt an apparent
humiliation that he had left it possi
ble for any man to enter Jackson
County and not know his name. I
Turning on his heel, he went out.
My friend, the minister, got to- j
gether a group of people to walk with I
us to our stopping place and protect j
me in case of need. We passed the '
ruffian, who was watching for us in '
the shadow of the schoolhouse, and
his attitude and a growling curse con
vinced my friends that the precau
tions were not unnecessary.
By the time Pal had taken one oi
two additional drinks, he appeared to
repent of having let me off so easily,,
and came galloping up to the log house I
where we were entertained. I had
gone to bed, and was making some
mental calculations of the thickness ol
the walls when I heard his voice.
My landlord went out co the fence
and reasoned with him. Pal demanded !
that "the preachers" should be brought I
out. He wanted to see both of them. |
If wo did not come out, he would come
in and fetch us out. And there wai
more talk of this sort, emphasized now j
and then by the firing of a bullet ovei
the bouse.
My host pleaded the laws that govcrr i
hospitality, aud seemed to be urging
my youth in extenuation of my cou-,
duct. Somewhat mollified, Pal at last
rode off, and as the light of the new !
day was coming in, I ceased to wondei
if ho would return again and fel
asleep.
That was the last time I saw Pa'
Seagraves; but I was told a year age
that be has settled down into a shift
less farmer, and "rides on bis raids nc
more." About three years since, his
nerve shaken and his aim less true,
he found himself with empty pistols
looking into the loaded barrel of a re- j
volver in the hands of a younger and
equally desperate man, aud gained his
life by the hardest begging upon bis
knees.
The stock in trade of such a des
perado is chiefly the fear which his
name excites. The power of his name
to frighten once broken, his poor,
sham courage oozes out, and ho stands
confessed a coward. I never know a
rufh?,n who had not in him some patent
elements of cowardice. The swagger
ing and bluster of the desperado rarely
go with true courage, which, as I have
seen it, is almost uniformly modest
and at the root, moral.
Now, they told mo, "Anybody can
kick Pal Seagraves around," and
"When a fight begins, aud you see a
man going through the brush to where
he's tied his horse, and hitting the
road right lively—that's Pal!"—
Youth's Oompaniou.
WISE WORDS.
The greatest remedy for anger is de-,
lay.—Seneca.
Kindness out of season destroys au- |
tliority. —Saadi.
Avarice is the vice of declining years.!
—George Bancroft.
Curiosity is one of the forms oi
feminine bravery.—Victor Hugo.
Behavior is a mirror in which every
one displays his image.—Goethe.
The last pleasure iu life is the sense
.if discharging our duty.—Hazlitt.
Thdy that will not be counseled can- ;
not be helped.—Benjamin Franklin.
If a man is worth kuowing at all In?
is worth knowing well.—Alexaudei ;
Smith.
Life is not so short, but that there
is always time enough for courtesy.—
Emerson.
Fine sense aud exalted sense aro not
half so useful as commou sense.— i
Alexander Pope,
He is rich or poor according to what
he is, not according to what ho has.— j
Henry Ward Beecher.
He that overvalues himself will un
dervalue others, and lie that under- I
values others will oppress them.—
Johnson.
Adversity is sometimes hard upon n
man; but for ono man who can stand
prosperity there are a hundred thai
will stand adversity.—Carlyle.
No man is the wiser for his learn !
iug. It may administer matter tc
work in, or objects to work upon; bul
wit and wisdom are born with a man. 1
—John Selileu.
Fatalities in Modem Wars.
The ratio of killed to wounded has j
not become greater in modern ruili- j
tary conflicts than in those of former j
days. At Kunersdorf it was Ito 1.9; i
at Leipsic is was 1 to 2; among the
British in the Crimea it was 1 to 4.4; !
among the French in tho Crimea it j
was 1 to 4.8; among the Prussians at I
Ivouiggratz it was 1 to 3.G; among ,
the Austrians at Kouiggratz it was 1
to 3; among tho Germans in 1870-71
it was 1 to 5.4; iu our own Civil War '
it was 1 to 4, aud in tho Spanish- j
American struggle it was 1 to 5.6.
Iu the late Spanish war the casual
ties before Santiago, from July 1 to
12, were a little over eleven per cent.
There were present for duty 858 offi
cers and 17,358 men. Twenty-two
officers and 222 meu wore killed, and
ninety-three officers and 1288 men
were wounded.—New York W.orjd,
MalifH the Densest Forest Known. |
California redwood, says a writer in !
tho National Geographic Magazine, I
covers an area of about 2000 square |
miles, lying iu a narrow strip along i
the Pacific coast, chiefly betwoeu Sau |
Francisco Bay and the Oregon bound- j
ary. This tree is exempt from de- I
struct ion by fire, as it contains no 1
resin, but has in it much water, aud
will not burn when green. It is a
cheap timber, worth sl4 per thousand
feet in Eureka for the best. A red
wood forest is probably the densest
forest on earth, both from the size of
the trees and their closeness. Tho
sun never shines about the base of
these trees.
THE ARMY AS IT STANDS TODAY.
Organization of Our Fighting Forces in
and Out of Action.
Previous to the outbreak of the
Spanish war the permanent military
establishment of the United States was
comprised in ten regiments of cavalry,
five regiments of artillery and twenty
five regiments of infantry, with their
necessary adjuncts of the staff bureaus,
altogether aggregating 2,164 officers
and 25,000 enlisted men. By law its en
listed strength was limited to 25,000
men, not including some hundreds of
general service clerks, hospital attend
ants, etc. So that, with slight fluctua
tions in the official personnel and these
subsidiary corps. the aggregate
strength of the army had ranged for a
number of years around 28,000. In 1898
in the forty regiments of the line there
were 23,310 enlisted men, or an aver
age of 610 In the cavalry regiments, 810
in the artillery regiments and 521 in
the infantry regiments.
On April 22, 1898, Congress passed
an act to provide for temporarily in
creasing the military establishments of
the country in time of war. Three days
later an act declaring war against
Spain was passed, reciting that war
1 1 LU^
had existed from April 21, 1898, and di
recting and empowering the President
to use the entire land and naval forces
of the United States In the prosecu
tion of the war, and to call out the
militia of the several states to the ex
tent necessary "to carry this act into
effect," and the following day a bill
was passed "for the better organiza
tion of the line of the army of the
United States," which authorized au
increase of the regular army in time
of war to about 62,000 officers and men,
but provided that when the war was
over the permanent establishment
should be reduced to a peace basis, and
that "nothing contained in this act
shall be construed as authorizing a
permanent increase of the commis
sioned or enlisted forces of the regular
army" beyond what it was before war
was declared.
When peace with Spain was restored
the administration was in something
of a dilemma. Although the war was
SOUTH AFRICAN HORSES.
Tlielr Endurance Is Remarkable Sorry
Nags ti Look At.
One of the first things that strike
the wanderer in the great expanses of
tho southern hemisphere is the
strength anil endurance of the horses,
says South Africa. He notes that,
though to look at they are the sorri
est scrags he ever set eyes on, yet they
appear to be possessed of a power of
getting over the ground that is little
short of miraculous, and so astonish
ing in its persistence as to eeeni auto
matic. A striking instance came un
der my notice only a few days after
landing in Cape Town, in 1863. I was
sitting one Saturday afternoon on the
stoop of Park's hotel, which occupied
the corner of Adilerley and Strand
streets, when a dust-covereil horseman
Btopped and dismounted. His horse
was taken to the stables, and in the
course of conversation in the bar I
learned that he was a member of the
legislative assembly for an up-country
district. There was no railway com
munication with the Interior in those
days, and he had ridden in from his
home, at Colesberg. in less than six
days, having started the previous Mon
day. Now, Colesberg is more than 500
miles from Cape Town, and the coun
try is very rough going, much of it
being heavy and other parts very
mountainous. No English-bred horse,
fed according to English methods,
oould have accomplished such a ride
as this, more especially when we con
sider the temperature of the Cape Col
ony. I went to look at the animal on
which the journey had been performed
and found it to be a little roan schim
mel, barely fourteen hands, anil ap
parently as fresh as paint. Another
very remarkable ride that came under
my notice was performed by a Boer
who lived a few miles from Greytown,
In Natal. His wife was taken ill, and
a particular medicine, not to be ob
tained in Greytown, was imperative.
So in the early hours of the night he
started for Maritzburg, fifty-five miles
distant, through an extremely hilly
country, and was back on his farm in
sixteen hours. The remarkable thing
in this instance was that the Boer
weighed over seventeen stone. In yay
own experience many instances of the
over It knew that large bcdie3 of
troops would be required to preserve
order In Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippines, yet the law compelled a
reduction of the army. Subsequently
the outbreak of the Filipinos added to
the gravity of the situation. The plan
adopted was to muster out the volun
teers gradually, and depend in future
solely upon the regular army, which
the military authorities proposed to
Congress to have permanently in
cr*ssed to 100,000 men.
To this there was strong opposition,
but what was known as the Hull re
organization bill was passed by the
house in the last days of January.
Although it was called the Hull reor
ganization bill it carried no changes
of moment In the organization of the
army. It simply provided for its per
manent Increase to 98,763 officers and
enlisted men, for an Increase of three
major generals and six brigadiers, five
regiments of Infantry and two of cav
alry, and for "a corps of artillery,"
dropping the regimental organization
in that arm. It also provided for a
large increase in line and staff offi
cers.
When the Hull bill reached the sen
ate it was strongly antagonized by the
opposition on the old ground of dis
like and fear of a large standing army.
A compromise measure was forced up
on the administration in spite of
threats of calling an extra session. A
bill known as the Cockrell-Gorman
substitute was adopted, and was sub
sequently passed by the house and ap
proved by the President. Neither wa3
this a reorganization bill.
It provides for the muster out of the
volunteer army, In accordance with the
original act of 1898. and permits the
President to retain in service the
present regular army at a strength not
exceeding 65,000 men, and, in addition,
to raise a new force of 35,000 volun
teers, to be repruited from the country
at large or In the new colonies, as pre
ferred by the military authorities. It
authorizes the President to appoint or
wonderful staying powers of African
horses have occurred. To mention one:
In 1866 I had been appointed honora
ble secretary for the first athletic
sports held in the Umbotl country of
Natal. They were to be held iu Grey
town on boxing day, which fell on a
Monday. All preparations, entries, etc.,
were concluded early in December,
when I received an urgent request to
go to the Transvaal to look after a
friend who was lying very ill in his
wagon with no attendants but a couple
of raw Kaffirs. I rode as hard as I
could, and found him among the kep
jes of the Drakenberg, between Lyden
berg and Wakkersthoom.very bad with
fever, which he had contracted some
where in the low country to the north
west. I tended him for some days, un
til he was clearly out of danger, and
then suddenly remembered that I had
to be in Grey town on Monday morn
ing. I was then sitting on the wagon
box. drinking my morning coffee, at 6
a. m. Saturday morning. Grewtown
was 220 miles away, but I was at my
post there at 10 a. m. and in addition
took a second prize, both in the run
ning anil jumping competitions.
Origin of tlio Word Nrwg.
It is popular to say that the word
"news" is derived from the initial let
ters of the four points of the compass,
arranged in a device in the form of a
cross, and placed at the top of some
of the earliest news sheets to indicate
that their contents were derived from
all quarters, but it is easy to show that
this is purely fanciful. The earliest
English newspaper dates from 1662,
yet we find the word "news" exactly
in its modern sense in Shakespeare,
who died fifty years earlier —namely,
in 1616. Thus we have in "Macbeth,"
"How now? What news?" In "Win
ter's Tale," "But let time's news be
brought." In "King John," "Even at
that news he dies." This list, which
might bo much prolonged, effectually
disposes of the popular theory.
GrpaUml of Wine Markets.
There are over 200 brands of wino
produced in France, but more wine is
drunk in England than in France,
and London is the greatest wine mar
ket in tho world.
retain in the service, including the reg
ular army major generals, one majof
general for every 12,000 enlisted men,
and, including the regular brigadiers,
one brigadier for every 4,000 enlisted
men. No additional regular army staff
officers are provided for, but there is
provision for volunteer staff officers if
needed.
In short, what is by misnomer called
the "reorganization of the army" is
merely an act to continue for two
years longer the establishment raised
for the Spanish war, namely, until July
1, 1901. As before, the regular army is
to consist of three major generals and
six brigadiers for the field and eleven
staff brigadiers, at the head of the ad
jutant general's, the inspector gen
eral's, the judge advocate general's,
the quartermaster general's, the sur
geon general's, the commissary gen
eral's, the paymaster general's and
ordnance departments, the corps of en
gineers and signal corps respectively.
The same number of cavalry, artil
lery and infantry regiments are con
tinued. In other words, the regular
army provided for in the Cockrell-
Gorman compromise is exactly the reg
ular army of the Spanish war, which
will continue until July 1, 1901, when
it will be superseded by the condition
described in the opening paragraph of
this article, unless, riieanwhile, Con
gress takes hold of the matter and ac
tually reorganizes the entire concern.
The staff department Is the only
branch of the service really needing re
organization.
The army as it is and as It tvlll re
main until 1901 Is set out In the fol
lowing tabular statement, copied from
the Army Register for 1899:
Ten cavalry regiments 12,170
Seven artillery regiments 16,541
Twenty-five infantry regiments..32,22s
Unattached 239
Indian scouts, recruiting parties,
etc 174
Quartermaster's department 105
Subsistence department 90
Engineer bureau 757
Ordnance bureau 605
Signal corps 200
Total enlisted strength G3.106
These figures give an average of en
listed strength to the several regiments
of the different arms as follows: Cav
alry, 1,217; artillery, 2,363; infantry,
1 1,289.
ANIMALS
nave Steadily Decreased In Size Since
Prehistoric Times.
Most of the gigantic animals of go
ological eras belonged to species which
have completely vanished, and of those
which have living representatives it
is difficult to say whether they have
undergone a true change of size or
whether the modern examples are
merely survivals of smaller contempo
rary varieties. The larger animals
have a tendency to disappear first in
a partial failure of food supply. Gi
gantic armadilloes closely resembling
those of the present day were for
merly abundant in South America.
The remains of huge sloths are found
In Cuba and North America. Sharks
attaining a length of more than 100
feet are four.d In comparatively recent
fossil deposits. Another fish which
represents a larger prehistoric species
is the American bony pike, which is
one of the few survivals of the enor
mous ganoids of the secondary strata.
The tiny nautilus of the present day
had kindred 10 or 12 feet long in early
times. Another small shell fish, the
pteropod, whose delicately complex
structure is packed in an inch of shell,
is four.d in fossil remains to have
reached the respectable length of a
couple of feet.
Seven at n lilrth,
The greatest number of children
born at a birth was seven. This case
is well authenticated. It occurred in
Hamelin, Germany, in 1600; and in a
house which is yet standing and bears
tile following inscription; "Here re
sided a citizen, Koemer by name. His
spouse, Anna Bregres, well kuown In
the town, when they wrote the year
1600. On January 9th, In the morning
at three, bare two boys and five maid
ens at the one time. They having re
ceived holy baptism, died a blessed
death on the 20th of the same month
at twelve o'clock. May God grant them
that blessedness which is prepared for
all believers."
Ho UoraiiK! Kusshui.
"Mulligan always boasted av his
Olrlsh blood till he fill off th' houn
drith round av th' ladder." "Phwat
was he thin?" "Russian desint."