L'OMBER CAMP SLAVES. MEXICAN PEONS WHO ARE HELD IN PRACTICAL BONDACE. Tliey Are Lured Into the Deep Forest on tile Guntemslnn Frontier find Iletnined There ut Timber Cutting lew Ever Return— Tlio Hardship* Tliey Undergo. The announcement that a lumber company, with headquarters at Tacaa co, Mexico, has paid the Gautcmaian government $125,000 in national cur rency for a five years' concession to cut mahogany and cedar timber on the banks of four rivers in that country calls attention to an unknown little corner of tbe world, says the New York Sun. The concession carries with it L on its face the privilege of introducing W the necessary labor. This means that the timber will he handled by slave labor, for slavery, though not a rec- ognized institution, still exist* there, ■ to all intents and purposes. The region of the four rivers is a vast and unexplored wilderness; tho wilderness through which Cortcz struggled on his way to Honduras af -5 ter the conquest of Metxico. This tract is one mass of tangled, tropical forest. Twenty years ago the school geographies of Guatemala described It as a country inhabited by a wild, independent tribe of Indians, who recognized no authority but that of their chiefs. In tho early part of 1890 the writer journeyed through this forest, traveling 10 days without see ing other human face than that of bis mestizo servant What has be come of this population is a mystery, for the evidence of its existence still remains in ruined edifices, temples and idols scattered through the for ests, now grown over with gfeat trees. Far up into Mexico the forest ex- IL tends, and the pushing Mexican lum rjf* bermen penetrated the woodland wherever they could find streams to carry the lumber down and estab lished their camps. Presently they overrun the frontier and brought on wars in 18S4 and again in 1896, which in each case pushed back the Guate mala frontier. The first timber company that went Into mahogany cutting on an exten sive scale there got a concession from the Guatemalan government and struck in through the denso forest until they reached a large an<} placid stream, the River de la Passion, about which the valuable trees grow thick. To got the lumber out was tbe prob lem. Fashioning a canoe the ex plorers set out down the stream, which presently became narrow and swift, and rushed through a gorgo to dash over a rock shelf in a seeth ing torrent Only by throwing them selves from the canoe did the men escape. A long time after the canoe was found on the gulf beach near jk the mouth of the river. If a boat ™ could find its way to sea water, so could mahogany tree trunks. Camps were soon established there. Then came the question of labor. It was not to he hoped that the sun-loving Mexican peons could bo tempted from the social life of the villages and cities Into the depth of the gloomy forest at any wages. Some other method must be found. The cunning montoros. as the .'mahog any hunters were called, devised a means of enslaving tho peons. By the Mexican system a man engaged for certain labor anil prepaid, is com pelled to work out. his wage. In any Mexican town It Is easy to pick up peons, particularly at festival timo, who will drink a little and then he ready to enter into any kind of a contract for the sake of money for more drink. With the amount ad vanced they buy a little clothing and a great deal of mescal liquor, and #' , have a round of pleasure, st the end of which time they find their money nil gone, and a squad of BoUllers wait ing to escort them to their respec tive camps. By this moans the mahogany cut ters found they were able to extend their camps in the vast wilderness of both Chiapas and Guatemala, and there virtually set up a little prin cipality of their own. Patches of for est are now cleared and planted in corn, and the peons are fed on this corn, which is first boiled in a weak solution of potash water made* from ashes and then ground between two stones. An occasional wild boar or other game from tho forest is their only change of food. Few of the peons return to their homes. It is a long journey to the montero's camp, a Journey over a trail whore every bit of food consumed on tho way must be carried, and sorae times water, too, and tho journey is jf one of days in a forest abounding in ' wild beasts. By the Mexican law the peon cannot be detained any longer than necessary for him to work out his indebtedness hut what is the law's ' avail to the peon after he is once in the montero's camp? His miser ably insufficient food is credited to him at prices .so high that he can hardly avoid running further into debt Moreover, the montero prac tices a systetm of treble entry book keeping, by which method the peon's debt is constantly increasing Instead of diminishing. As an illustration of this system a story is told of a peon who, endeavor ing to keep track of his account, pro vided himself with a little memoran dum book, in which he requested the montero to mark down his indebted ness. Once having drawn $5 torn the montero h discovered that' he was charged with sls. He at once Xi took the book to his master and re jk quired an explanation. The montero ' pretended to fly into a rage at the ijt stupidity of the peon, and after swear 's Ing at him roundly, exclaimed: "Don't }ou see, you fool, there were the $5 you asked me, for, and $5 dol lars which I gave you, and $5 dollars to he charged to your account, and don't three fives make 15? Get out of here and go to work." And they say that between the In tervals of swinging his axe that peon is still trying to find out how three fives make 15 when he gets but one of them. Women and even young girls are taken into this slavery, and in the Mexican towns there are ugly tales of kidnapping told. After the mahogany trunks arc cut and trimmed by the slaves they are stamped with name and date and set adrift in the river. Some of the logs take as long as four years to make the trip; others never are found. Nevertheless, tho traffic is highly profitable, as the monteros pay no wages, and the expense of keeping the peons alive on corn is very small. Occasionally a log drifts down the river with some poor peon's message of appeal for release from bondage nailed to its surface. HOW ACUIN ALDO WAS CAPTURED. Gen. Funiton Telle tile Story In Ille Of flclul Report J net Received, A description by Gen. Funston and Capt Hazzard of the capture of Agui naldo was received recently at the war department in the mail from Ma nila. Gen. Funston says: "On Jan. 14 a special messenger of Aguinaldo's headquarters at Palanan, bearing letters to different generals of his command and to Insurgent chiefs, asking for reinforcements to be sent him, gave himself up to Lieut. Taylor of the 21th infantry, who im mediately sent him to me at San Isl dro. He also had valuable correspond ence which gave us information as to the whereabouts and the strength of Aguinaldo's band at that time. We found among them one in which Bal domero Aguinaldo was ordered to take command of the provinces of central Luzon and requesting him to send as soon as possible 400 armed men to Aguinaldo's camp. "Then and there I conceived the idea of arming and equipping a num ber of native troops to pass off as these expected reinforcements, and to make an endeavor to trap Aguinaldo in his lair. The expedition was made up of four Tagalos, who were formerly com manding officers in Aguinaldo's army, and who selected 78 men of the Macca bebe scouts, all of whom could talk the Tagalo. I obtained a number of captured insurgents' uniforms and 10 Maccabebes were equipped with Rem ington and Mauser rifles. "We embarked on the gunboat Vicks burg and landed on March 14 at 2 o'clock in the morning. The expedi tion was nominally placed in com mand of Hilario Placldo, ex-insurgent colonel. After marching 20 miles we reached the town of Casiguran. We had sent word to the presidento of tho town through native messengers that reinforcements for Aguinaldo were on the way through his town. The presi dente was completely deceived. My troops had captured some months ago some official paper of Gen. Lucano, beraing his official stamp and seal. In order to make the deception all the more complete we succeeded in forg ing the signature of Lacuna to letters to Aguinaldo. These letters were sent ahead and we followed. "The trip to Aguinaldo's camp was a most severe one upon the men. Our food supply was entirely exhausted and my men were so weak that when we reacMtd within eight miles of Agui naldo's camp we could go no further. We therefore sent a mcssenser ahead to Aguinaldo's camp informing him of our plight and requesting that he send us food before we could go further. This was supplied, and the disguise and ruse adopted by us had been com plete. As we had told Aguinaldo that we had American prisoners he sent word that they be given their liberty. "As the Mncabebes approached tho town the troops of Aguinaldo's body guard, consisting of 50 men, were drawn up in parade to receive the sup posed reinforcements. The men who posed as officers of our expedition marched into the camp and paid their respects to Aguinaldo, who received them in a large house built on the bank of the Palanan river. "After the exchange of courtesies the officers excused themselves from Aguinaldo and his staff for a mo ment, stepped outside, and ordered their Maccabebe troops drawn up into line and commanded them to com mence firing into Aguinaldo's troops. The rout of the insurgents was com plete. The ex-insurgent officers, the five Americans and several Maccabebe scouts immediately made a rush for the house which was used as Aguinal do's headquarters, and took him pris oner. "Aguinaldo, when first taken prls nore, raved and swore at the decep tion practised upon him. but later ac cepted the situation with dignity." An Anecdote of Victoria*. Many people seem to remember only by an effort that the Empress Frederick was the princess royal of England. Che herself never forgets it. It was a grievance of the German court that the wife of their crown prince always remained "die England erin." Bismarck was never tired ol growling at it. Her easy, informal manners were always scandalizing the stiff Prussian court Soon after her marriago she shocked the lady-in waiting by carrying a choir across the room for herself. The lady protested. It did not become a princess of Prus sia, she remonstrated, to carry her own chairs. "Well," replied her mistress, "the princess royal of England doesn't mind doing it In fact, I have often seen my mother cairying two chairs." Decorative Key Hoard*. Key boards are among the latest popular decorative fads and have a certain utility. A panel of polished wood has a cross piece of the same at the upper end, in which are small hooks, to hold the keys. On the sur face of the panel a large key is paint ed, bearing a painted ribbon. Over each hook there Is a special design to designate the door or drawer to which that key belongs. Some of these are comic, others sentimental. Latch keys are Illustrated by silhouttes showing forgotten latch keys, unsteady hands, etc. There are often two cross boards with hooks for large keys below and small keys above. Floral designs are favorites. A Summer Dining: Room. The idea that a dining room should be treated In a somewhat heavy and subdued style dies hard. Thus It Is that a white and yellow dining room Is still something of a novelty. When Its windows give on a green and shady prospect the effect of the yellow din ing room Is really quite enchanting. An apartment of this description In a cottage on Long Island has the walls panelled to within seven inches of the tops of the doors, and all the wood work Is painted Ivory white. Above the panelling is a stencilled frieze in shades of daffodil, orange and chest nut. The rug Is In shades of brown and dull, soft blues. The tiled fireplace Is In yellowish brown. The chair seats are of cheßtnut-brown leather. Tho window hangings are of iiaffodil yellow and white. Ga* Stove "Don'tn," Don't buy a small gas stove unless your family consists of two persons. A four-holo stove, with a top about 24 inches square. Is so serviceable that it pays whether a family be large or small Such a stove costs only sl2. See that the stove you buy has an at tachment for lighting the oven from the outside. It is much Superior to and safer than tho old method of reaching in with a match. Don't try to bake beans, beef a la mode or such dishes as need long hours of slow cooking. In a gas stove. It Is cheaper to buy them. Never put two dishes such as pio and molasses cookies to bake at the same time. They need a very different heat, and the cookies would be burned black long before tho pie was ready. You can simmer corned beef or soup as slowly on a gas stove as on tho back of a coal range. Every good gas stove has a slmmerer. It consumes the smallest imaginable amount of gas and can bo left untendad safely for hours half turned to cook the soup stock or to keep a double boiler at steam heat. Don't burn gas when the flame Is red, or when It blows. Turn It out, let the gas flow a few seconds and relight. The flame must burn blue to do good service; If It Is red the cooking utensils will get smoked black. —Good Housekeeping. I'D R£€/P£S | Orange Float—Boil one quart of water with the juice and pulp of two lemons; when boiling add one and one-half teacupfuls of sugar. Dis solve Ave tablespoonfuls of corn starch In one teacupful of cold water, stir Into tho boiling syrup and stir all tho time for five minutes; when cold pour over six sliced oranges and add the beaten whites of two eggs, flavored with a half teaspoonful of vanilla and sweetened with a tablespoonful of su gar. English Preserves—The juice and yellow peel of three oranges, removing all the white; five pounds of goose berries, one and one-half pounds of seeded raisins and four pounds of su gar. Top and stem the gooseberries and put them, with the raisins and orange peel, Into a meat chopper and grind flno. Add tho juice and sugar and stew gently about 40 minutes, stUrring frequently. Put into small jars or tumblers, and when cold pour over melted parafflne. Fruit Custard —A delicious fruit cus tard may be made by boiling one quart of milk in a double boiler. Beat two eggs very light and stir into them four tablespoonfuls of sugar and one tablespoonful of flour. Add to this a little cold milk, then stir it gradually into the boiling milk, stirring until It thickens, set It away to cool. When cool, flavor with vanilla. Have ready in sauce dishes strawberries or sliced oranges or any fruit In season, and pour the custard over It. This is a very simple and palatable dessert. Braised Spanish Onions—Peel some medium sized onions, which should be all the same size; set them 1n warm salt and water for half an hour; boll them In salted water for an haur If large, or less according to 6ize, as they must only be partially cooked. Remove them from the water, drain them and set them In a white fireproof dish with some butter; bake them for at least an hour, or un til they are tender and brown, hasting flbem with the butter occasionally. Send them to table la the dish they wc< a baked in. Hair Falls j " I tried Ayer's Hair Vigor to a stop my hair from falling. One- f half a bottle cured me," 1 J. C. Baxter, Breidwood, 111. t Ayer's Hair Vigor is certainly the most eco nomical preparation of its kipd on the market. A little of it goes a long way. It doesn't take much of it to stop falling of the I hair, make the hair grow, g and restore color to gray h'air. 11.00 a bottl*. All drafjUt*. y If yotxr drumriflt cannot anpply yon, 1 ■end us ono dollar and wa will express | you a bottle. Bo sure and rite the natno I of your nearest express office. Addroso, J J. C. AYER CO., Lowell, Masa. 1 Liver Pills That's what you need: some thing to cure your bilious ness and give you a good digestion. Ayer s Pills are liver pills. They cure con stipation and biliousness. Gently laxative. A iidruJiit,. Want your moustache or beard a beautiful brown or rich Mack ? Then use BUCKINGHAM'S DYE WhlVkors j lightning and the Trolley. During a thunderstorm at any time of day, says the Kansas City Star, the lights In the trolley ears of the MetroiKdltan system are always turned on by order of the company. There are two reasons for It. One Is for the protection of the ear nnd the other for protection of the pas sengers. When the lights arc; on and the cur Is at a standstill the trolley pole becomes n lightning rod. When a car is In motion, the electric current which leaves the power house and Is carried along on the trolley wire, passes down through n wire In the trolley pole Into the motors of the car, setting them In motion, and then down through the wheels Into the rails, by wlileh the current returns to the power house. Thus the trol ley wire, the car, and the rails form a complete circuit When a car Is at a standstill tlic connection between the trolley and the motor Is cut off, breaking the circuit. However, turn ing on the lights has Uie same effect as putting the car In motion, that Is it completes the circuit That is the exact reason why the lights arc on during a thunderstorm. Should lightning strike a trolley wire the flood of current would he car ried with a rush to the nearest car. If this car should be in motion or the lights be turned on so that the clreul with the bo a chance that the extra current of the lightning's stroke would pass down the trolley pole nnd through the ear Into the rails without doing any harm. The principle Is the same as that of a lightning rod, which carries the electricity of a bolt of lightning Into tlie ground. But when there is no connection the current of a boll of lightning would burn out the mo tors of the car, nnd if strong enough, would shatter the car and Injure the people who might be riding in 11 The United States produces 2,1120 pounds of grain for each inhabitant; England 300 pounds. ——^B—aagMMßMmßaßfflMggaagsgeaacaaaißßßffißaßeg^ A LUXURY WITHIN THE REACH OF ALL! "What Do Tho Nets Contain?" The net tf cast, the net is filled, But what docs it contain? r\i \ at ro I >es c y stTa ' n ' The catch is yet uncounted, and For children, end for man and wife, Septeml>er first will bare. Remember on that day to gr> To grocer and persist That upon you he should bestow LI OK COFFFE's newest List. If he's without them, write to us, A two-cent stamp inclose; fe You'll get it without further fut#— fcj The LION promptness shows. 9 Watch our next advertisement. Bj Just try a package of LION OOFFEE and you will understand! the reason of its popularity. wootJK*-; SPICE co.. TOLEDO, otno. W Conmulor.' Cars. When English commuters can't get the accommodations that they want on their trains going to nnd from their homes and places of business, they elub together In an organization nnd pay an extra sum to the railroad com pany for the privilege of riding In a special ear. Every weekday the members of the Lythnm. St. Anne's and Blackpool Traveling Club go from Blackpool, the Brighton of the North of England, to Manchester, 50 miles distant, in cars which were built specially for them. These cars are called the elub train, though they are not coupled In one train, but. join trains which leave at different hours. The Blackpool Line, running be tween Manchester and the watering place, always had its ears filled in summer with tourists, much to the in convenience of business men nnd regu lar travelers. So the lirst class sea son ticket holders asked the Lan cashire nnd Yorkshire Hallway Co. if better accommodations could not be furnished, and in an effort to do away with the trouble the company reserved certain compartments In the railway carriages for the regulars. But 111:- didn't please the transients, and was discontinued. So the regulars organ ized themselves Into a club, which was guaranteed to contain at least 40 members, and wlileh now contains 00, nnd then went to the railway company with a definite proposition. They agreed to pay an extra fare If a cer tain number of saloon carriages should be placed at their exclusive disposal. The company accepted the proposi tion and built tliree special carriages, each seating 35 persons. They are fitted with lounges and armchairs. A smoking room occupies the center of tlio 50-foot ear, and nt one end is a compartment especially for an at tendant, who Is supplied by the com pany, and who provides light refresh ments for the members of the club and attends to the wants of the travelers. ' No friends or guests of the members are allowed to travel in these cars. The election of new members is In flic bands of the president, secretary and a committee, and to a committee of at least eight members is given the right to expel any member whose con duct shall make it desirable that he should cease to be a lnemlwr of the club. It is likely fliat a similar club train will he established on the railway ruuniug between London aiul Brigh ton. The Prayer Eelore Gttlysburg. General Daniel Sickles te'.k: a story Illustrating the tenderness of Presi dent Lincoln's heart as well as his faith in Providence and his beautiful optimism. After Sickles had been wounded at Gettysburg he was re moved to Washington, nnd the Presi dent called on him nt the hospital. When the general described the battle and the awful slaughter, "Lincoln wept like a child." "While the two armies were converging," said Lin coln, "I went Into my room nnd prayed as I never prayed before, 1 told God that If we were to win the battle He must do It for I had done all that 1 could. I went from my room with a great load lifted from my shoulders, and from that moment I never had a doubt as to the result. Weshall hear good news from Grant, who has been pounding away at Vicksburg for so many months. lamln a prophetic mood to-day, Sickles, and I say that you will get well." "The doctors do not say so." "1 don't care. Sickles; you will get well," persisted the Presi dent. And that afternoon, General Sickles goes on to say, a telegram was received from General Grant, announc ing the fall of Vicksburg. His own recovery soon followed. Tho Purity, Simplicity and Effectiveness of Gerfiold Headache Powders make them tho most desirable agency in the cure of pain. Too ranch importance cannot be attached to tho foot that theae Powders DO NOT 11A KM. If a man doesn't tvant to be robbed of bis good name he'd better not have it en graved on his umbrella. FITS permanently cured. No flts-ornerrou*- ' Dees after first day's use of Dr. Kline's Gryafc 1 I Nerve Restorer. $2 trial bottle ami treatise free ! Dr. R. 11. KLINE, Ltd.. 131 Arcb St.. Phil*. Fa An exposition of British products is planned lor next winter in St. Petersburg. ! Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup for ohildrsa teething, BO ft on the gum*, rediuos intla-uuiv tiou.ailuys pain, wind colic. 25a a bottia I Western Siberia affords a good market j for American manufacturers of milk cans. ' Pise's Cure for Consumption is an infallible medicine for coughs and colds.—N. W. SAMUEL, I Ocean Grove, !s. J.. Feb. 17, 1-00. There are in the world twenty-fou? • presidents and only twenty kings. ; W. H. Griffin, Jackpon, Michigan. writes: | " Suffered with Catarrh for fifteen years. Hall's Catarrh Oiro cured me." bold by I Druggists, 75c. | Married women arc usually advocates I of home rule. Take (Garfield Headache Pswdcn. Tho ingredients arc simple, and carc-fully •elected trora remedies that aro known to be hartnluu and eflfective. Send to Garfield Tea Brooklyn, N. Y.. for samples. The man who sinks an oil well doesn't object to running his business into the GROUND From tlio Atlantic ocean to the head of Lake Superior a vessel may sail in ; Canadian waters a distance of 2,200 I statute miles. ' PUTNAM FADELESS DYES aro fast to RAN light, washing and rubbing. Bold by all drug gists. In a certain Western State there are two families, one named Day and the other Sunday. They are neighbors. Mr. • Day is the father of seven gir.s, while Mr. P Sunday has an equal number of bovs. i. Four of the sons have married Sundays, P another is engaged, it now appears that s "every Day will be Sunday by and by." , I.arilca Can Wear Shew* One size smaller after usin? Allan's Foot- Ease, n powder for th-3 feet. It makes tight 1 or new shoes cany. Cures swollen, hot, sweat ing, aching ftei. ingrowing nails, oorns and g bunions. At all dr.:g<ists and fhoe stores, 25c. Trial package FIIEE by mail. Addroas Allen S. Olmsted. Le Roy, N. Y. ; The trouble with the budding genius ifi 3 that lie is frequently nipped in tho bud. Rest For tlic flowels. No mattor what ails you, headache to a - cancer, you will never get well until your - bowels are put right. CABCARETR help nature, cure you without a gripe or pain, produce l easy natural movements, coßt you just 10 . cents to start getting your health baok. CAS CARETS Candy Cathartic, tho genuine, put up in metal boxes, every tablet lias C. C. C. stamped on it. Beware of imitations. American wheat has been found to be excellent for the manufacture of Italian F macaroni. j Fref'a Vermifuge Cures. Children relieved and absolutely cured, j Reputation of 60 yrs. 250. At Druggists, There is a demand in Germany for femoke consuming furnaces. The University of (Mre flams, NOTRE DAME, INDIANA. Classics, Letters, Economics and kvistory, JoiiruHlisin, Art, ecleuee. I'hirmacT. Law, J Civil, Mechanical uud Eleclrical Engineer, i ISK. Architecture. Q Thorough Preparatory rind Commercial i Courses. Sciles.a-tical students at special rates. t Kooms Free. Junior or Benior Yesr Colleg. ; late Course*. Rooms to lt>.ut; modcratd ' charge. 1 At. hdwnnl's Hall, for DOJS under IS. r The 58th \'er will open September 10tlx, Q looi. Catalogue* Free. Address 5 Kt-.V. A. MOKRIBBEY, U. S. C., President. ' CTARK thees way r"VlTill" °* B>,r n PAYv/kU> ' 1 STARK BKO2. Louisiana. Mo.; Huauvifle,Ato,2U I \ DROPSYSSTMISI'fiq ' I eases. Book of testimonials and 1Q (lavs'trefttmant Free. Dr. B. H. GREEN S SONS, Box B. Atlanta. Qa. II P. N. U. 30. 190.1. "The Sauce that made West Point fnmens.H ; McILHENNY'S TABASCO;
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers