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A BTRAXOE MTBTEBT.
She it.Mf * or o Babe as Woolly as That of
Vmmn.
fHan Antonio (Texas) Express.)
While wandering along the west bank
of the Alamo ditch yesterday morning,
a little girl observed something which
she took to be a dog on top of the water,
and lodged against a growth of vines that
dipped the current. The child imparted
the information of her discovery to' her
mother, who soon appeared on the scene
and discovered that the object was the
body of a child. Without disturbing it,
the woman at once took steps to inform
the authorities, and Justice Shields, ac
companied by Constable Baker and An
ker-ton, and the Express reporter, repaired
at once to the locality. Dr. Chew, act
ing County Physician, was found await
ing the arrival of the officers when the
place where the body was found was
reached. The body lay, as stated,
drifted against a growth of vines, the
face downward, the back exposed and
baked to a dark color by the sun, while
the sides were covered with worms.
After the jury, consisting of J. J. Dyer,
Peter Ankerson, Peter Jonas, H. J. Hup
pertz, D. M. Alexander, and J. T. Reed,
had been sworn, the body was carefully
taken from the water and laid upon the
bank of the ditch and examined. The
body w r as about eighteen inches in
length, and was that of a perfectly
formed female child. It had evidently
been destroyed immediately after its
birth, the proof of this being unmistak
able. It was observed as the body was
taken from the water, that the face,
breast and legs were covered with some
thing which was thought to be mud, and
a bucket w r as aont for to obtain water to
wash the body with. As soon as w r ater
was poured upon it, however, it was dis
covered that the supposed mud or filth
was a coating of hair or fur, which, after
being cleansed of the discoloring matter
which it had gathered in the ditch, was
found to be of a light gray or cream
color. The furry excrescence in the
cheeks and about the shoulders was fully
a half inch in length, and resembled
much the fur or hair of a young woolly
dog. Dr. Chew stated that it was not
uncommon for children at their birth to
be spotted with hair, but he had never
seen any instance similar to this. The
hair, the doctor remarked, shed soon after
birth. The body was so decomposed that
it was impossible to tell positively what
nationality or race the child belonged to,
though it was thought to be the off
spring of white parents. Evidently the
child was thrown into the ditch by its
father, or someone other than its mother.
It was probably regarded by its parents
as a monstrosity—a “ strange freak of
nature”— because of its being covered
with a coat of fur like Esau of old. No
post mortem examination was had, as was
necessary to prove from the state of the
child’s lungs whether it had been born
still or alive.
The following verdict w T as rendered by
the jury of "inquest after hearing
all the evidence it was possible to
obtain.
“ We, the jury, say that the said un
known child came to its death by drown
ing, at the hands of unknown parties, in
the Alamo ditch, in the City of Sfen An
tonio, near the railroad depot, on or
about the 13th day of September, 1879 ”
Koman Remains.
A number of workmen, says the In
dependence Beige, are now employed in
making excavations on the site of a
Belgo-Roman settlement, situated be
tween Bemelen and Heer, near Maes
tricht. These investigations are under
the direction of M. Habets, President of
the Historic-Archaeological Society for
the Duchy of Limburg, who is assisted
by M. Thomassen, of Maestricht, and
have led to very interesting results.
Limburg is richer in underground re
mains dating from the times of the
ancient Romans than any other province
of the Netherlands. Vestiges of their
civil and military works are met with at
every step. At Meersen M. Habets ex
posed to view in 1865 a villa of unusu
ally large dimensions and uncommonly
rich in antiquities. At Rabenbosh, near
Fauquemont, the same savant brought to’
light the foundations of an entire Roman
colony, comprising eighteen houses and
a small pagan temple. The Roman
villa at Baekersboschdel, which is now
in course of excavation, surpasses in size
and splendor all that the archaeologists
have hitherto found. As at Meersen,
baths and a magnificent cellar have
been laid open; but besides, there has
been found a great quantity of wrought
and unwrought, marble; as many as six
kinds have been counted. The rooms of
this villa are finer and better preserved
than elsewhere. The pavement and the
wall plaster are for the most part in situ.
In the mound the workmen have met
with an immense quantity of fragments
of tiles, broken pottery, bones, iron,
glasses, etc. Up to the present time
five coins have been found, one of which
dates from Domitian’s reig-n, one from
Trajan’s, and one from that of Septimus
Severus. The situation of the villa,
which leans against a hill, whence the
viewr commands a wide stretch of coun
try round and the whole valley of the
Aleuse, is exceedingly picturesque. A
few minutes’ walk "distant is a Roman
tumulus, which, unfortunately, is grad
ually being effaced by the plowshare.
It is most likely at that spot that the
mausoleum of the family which owned
the villa now in course of exploration at
Baekersboschdel should be looked Lox*
The train had just emerged from as
tunnel, and a vinegar-faced maiden of
thirty summers remarked to her gentle
man* companion, “Tunnels are such
bores!” which nobody can deny. But a
y:>ung lady of eighteen, who sat in a
seat immediately in front of the ancient
party, adjusted her hat, brushed he
frizzes back, and said to the perfume
young man beside her “ I think tunnel
are awfully nice.”
Wanted, an Opinion.
It is a lucky thing for lawyers who are
much sought to for “ opinions,” that
they can occasionally give a pieceof wis
dom not their own. There is a good
story told of the hit Roger Sherman once
made by taking advantage of this privi
lege.
An honest farmer once called upon
the celebrated lawyer and told him he
wanted an opinion. He had heard a
great deal about the value of Mr. Sher
man’s opinions, and how a great many
people went to him to get an opinion,
and John, who never had, nor was likely
to.have a lawsuit or other difficulty for
a lawyer to help 'him from, thought he
would have an “ opinion.”
“ Well, John, what can I do to help
you ?” said Mr. S., when John, in his turn,
was shown into the room.
“ Why, lawyer,” replied John, “ I
happened to be in town, and having
nothing to do, I thought I would come
and get your opinion.”
“ State your case, John. What’s the
matter?”
“ Oh, nothing. I ain’t got no lawsuit.
I only want to get one of your opinions.
They say they’re valuable.”
“ But, John, about what?”
“ Oh, anything, sir; take your pick
and choice.”
Mr. Sherman, seeing the notions of his
client on the matter in hand, took pen,
and writing a few words, folded them up
and handed them to John, who carefully
placed them in his pocket,
“ What’s to pay, sir?”
“ Four and sixpence”—Yankee money,
seventy-five cents.
When John returned home the next
morning, he found his wife, who pretty
much took the lead in his business mat
ters, anxiously discussing with his chief
farm servant the propriety of getting in
a large quantity of oats on that day
which had been cut on the previous, or
of undertaking some other labor.
John was appealed to to settle the
question, but ho could not decide. At
length he said, “ I’ll tell you what,
Polly, I’ve been to a lawyer and got an
opinion that cost me four and sixpence.
There it is; read her out. It’s a lawyer’s
writing and I can’t make head or tail out
of it!”
John, by the way, could not read the
plainest print, but Polly, who was some
thing of a scholar, opened the paper, and
read as follows: “ Never put off till to
morrow what can be done to-day.”
“ Enough said!” cried John. “Them
oats must be got in.” And they were
“ got in,” and the same night such a
storm came on as otherwise would have
ruined them entirely.
John often afterwards consulted the
opinion, and acted upon it.
The GiilPs Three Stomachs.
The gull may be said to have three
stomachs. The first begins at the mouth,
or mandibles, extending to the entrance
at the breast, where the second, or
stomach proper, begins, and which ter
minates in the third, or gizzard. The
entrance at the mouth is more than
twice the size of the entrance to the
other, so that a fish or other object
too large to enter the second
stomach is safely swallowed and retained
in/the first, either till reduced so as to
pass easily, or to be vomited when re
quired to feed young ones.
Shellfish are retained in the stomach
until the fish is washed out of the shells,
which are then vomited. A small bird
is retained in the same way till only the
feathers and harder bones remain, and
these are thrown up in like manner.
And so with every other indigestible
substance taken along with food; it
never goes into the second stomach, ex
cept grain. These, after a time in the
first stomach, pass on through the second
to the gizzard, there to be pounded into
nourishment for the bird.
The advantages of this remarkable
provision in the gull, says a writer, are
no doubt many, hut the following is in
structive and clear. I have seen a gull
come to her nest and vomit a big fish for
her young gulls. In less than a minute
she swallowed the fish, flew to a project
ing crag in sight of her nest, and sat
down for half an hour, after which she
flew back an vomited the fish to her
hungry family. Now this strange pro
ceeding wqs simply a necessity. A fresh
fish will not pick easily oft' the bones,
and the beak of young gulls is soft.
The fish in the case before us had been
too short a time in the parent’s stomach
to be easily devoured by the young
gulls.
Besides, herring is the common fish
obtained, and herrings have more or less
oil about the skin and about the fins.
The oil is very hurtful for young birds
—makes them sick and miserable; but a
short time in the first stomach of an old
gull extracts this oil, sending it on to
the second stomach to feed the parent,
while the fish is not only rendered more
wholesome for her family, but she can
afford to give them the whole of it, be
ing herself sustained by the extract. In
feeding tame gulls I had to avoid her
ring, although I know it was much val
ued by parent gulls; and I failed, as at
last discovered, because I could not ex
tract the sickening oil which spoiled the
fish.
Let Your Wife Do the Buying,
“ Women can purchase marketing bet*
ter than men.” We believe it, as we
saw women punch and gouge the meat,
to see whether or not it was tender, while
the proprietor looked smilingly on, but
had a man pushed liis digits into a steak
or cutlet in that manner, 01. Hamilton
would have smote him with a cleaver,
sure. The grocers are equally as pro
nounced in saying that women could
beat men “ two to one ” in buying of
table supplies. They, too, quietly look
on while a woman digs out with her
thumb a furrow in a pound of butter,
but the butter-vender would “ bounce ”
a man in a second who would thus carve
the oleaginous compound.
GORED TO DEATH.
Ikocking Affair la Kaiia fifDfral Ball
and Two Employes Killed by aa Infuri
ated Elk.
A recent dispatch from Downs, Kan
sas, says: A messenger from Bull’s City,
twenty miles west, announces the tragic
death of General H. C. Bull and two
other man, Robert Bricknell and George
Nicholas, and the wounding of another.
Bricknell and Nicholas are employes of
General Bull. The General has a park
fitted up at great expense, and has in
closed therein a number of wild animals,
including three elk, one a powerful,
huge, antlered male. The General was
accustomed to walk through this inclos
ure daily, and hundreds of visitors have
at different times been shown through
the place.
At about seven o'clock yesterday
morning, Bricknell entered the park to
care for the animals. He immediately
discovered an unusual appearance about
the large elk, which showed hostile signs,
compelling him to retire from the park.
Bricknell hastened to inform the General
of the fact, and arming themselves with
heavy clubs, both went to the park, the
General remarking that he could subdue
the animal. Without a sign of warning,
the now infuriated beast dashed at the
men, striking General Bull and knocking
him down. The elk then drew back and
attacked the General with increased
force, using his antlers with terrible
effect, piercing the prostrate body of the
General through the breast until the
prong protruded, then tossing his form
high in the air and over liis head.
The elk then resumed the attack on
Bricknell, inflicting terrible injuries.
Here George Nicholas, who had witnessed
the occurrence, ran to the rescue with a
heavy club, hoping to disable the animal
and compel it to desist. He was rolled
upon the ground, and then tossed upon
the fence by tbe elk. At this time Wil
liam Sherman with courage hastened to
tbe rescue, but was caught on the im
mense antlers and thrown over the
fence.
Mrs. Bull was meanwhile ® horrified
spectator of the terrible tragedy, and,
wild with grief and terror, $n to the
town for help. A number of men hast
ened to the scene of tbe disaster, but too
late for service. They found the Gen
eral in a terribly disfigured condition,
and life quite extinct. His body, with
the injured men, was conveyed to the
family residence, and surgical aid sum
moned. A surgical examination of Gen
eral Bull developed forty-four pounds of
greater or less severity. The General
was killed by a wound from the antler,
which entered the chest at the right nip
ple, passing diagonally through the
body, and coming out on the left side,
about the fifth rib. The prmg passed
through both lungs, and probably the
heart, causing instant death Robert
Bricknell received thirty-twp wounds
and George Nicholas received sixty-four
wounds.
The elk has with much danger been
secured, but as a captive still paws and
stamps the earth with great fury. He is
unusually large, weighing nine hundred
pounds. At no time has an event oc
curred which caused such a general
shock throughout northwestern Kansas
—in fact throughout the whole State.
The news will be received with more
than ordinary regret, as he was a man
widely known and universally esteemed.
A French man's Clever Trick.
[From the Parisian.]
I. —A gentleman irreproachably
dressed goes into a confecioner’s store
and says to the gentlemanly confec
tioner:
“I want one hundred anl fifty of the
nicest cream tarts you can hake.”
“A hundred and fifty! That is a
pretty large order; do you want them at
once ?”
“ Within three hours at the latest.”
“ I can have them reach in that time.
Ahem! It is customary to ask a deposit
on such orders —say ten frmes.”
“Certainly, my friend; here are your
ten francs.”
11. —About two hours Ater a gentle
man irreproachably dressed goes into a
tailor’s shop across the vay from the
pastry cook’s and asks to te shown some
overcoats. He selects one of the nicest
and asks the price.
“ One hundred and tweity-five francs
sir.” 1' J
“Very well, I will tale it. I have
some money to collect ajt the confec
tioner's across the way. I presume you
have no objection to lettiig one of your
young men come over with me to get
it.”
“Certainly not. A worjhy man is my
friend Mr. Puff.” f
111. To confectionery erter irreproach
ably dressed gentleman, npw wearing an
overcoat, and tailor’s yomg man. The
confectioner greets the former with the
respectful friendliness cue to a good
customer.
“ Ah, Puff, I’ve called ’;ound for that
one hundred and fifty. You promised
to have them for me at 2 30.”
“You shall have them n five minutes,
sir.”
“ Very well. I have to go round the
corner to see a man. T>u will give thi3
young gentleman oib hundred and
twenty-five of the one inndred fifty. I
will return and get the remaining
twenty-five myself in few moments. ’
“With pleasure, sir.’
IV. —Five minutes ater the confec
tioner gives the tailor’: young man ne
hundred and twenty- ve cream-tarts—
and a bill for balance thereon, twenty
one francs twenty-five entimes.
One minute thereaf sr a confectioner
and a tailor’s young ian are scouring
the neighborhood in ;arch of an irre
proachably dressed ger leman w T ith anew
overcoat, whom the g eat city, with its
ceaseless bustle and ct ifusion, has swal
lowed up as a yellow dog swallows an
oyster cracker.
Home Life in Royal Households.
! National Repository.]
Home privacy, even in royal house
holds, was almost unknown. There was
no lack of family sentiment, but it was
hidden under the disguises of etiquette.
Before and behind the scenes home life
belonged to the public. In the time of
Louis XIV so great was the number of
courtiers that thronged even the bed
chamber of the king that they came in
installments to assist or to behold the
process of attiring the royal person for
the day. Among these were pages whose
only duty was to fill a certain corner or
to supply a gap in the artistic arrange
ment of the group. The sole duty of
one was to stand ready, in caseheshould
be needed, to wheel the arm-chair of the
king, and of another to present the
baskets of carvats, from which hia
majesty was to choose. And these were
only three of the minor salaried posh?, of
which there was no less than one hun
dred and seventy, pertaining to the per
son of the king. And the one hundred
and seventy were only a thirtieth part
of the total number of persons that com
prised the civil household alone, to say
nothing of tw r ice the latter number in
the military household, making from
twelve to fifteen thousand people in the
service of the king, and subsisting on the
public funds.
In Louis XVl’s time there were some
changes, but it was not much better. A
few private and personal economies on
his part were not a balance for the im
mense expenditure of the ceremonial life
of his predecessors. In 1786 there w T ere
still one hundred and fifty pages at court,
and a page’s coat of crimson velvet, em
broidered with gold in every seam, with
his feathers and Spanish point-lace, cost
fifteen hundred livres; and, w’hen the
unfortunate Louis desired to reform his
court in these particulars, he was ac
cused of “ acting like a bourgeois.”
And thdt which royalty demanded of
the sovereign, title and rank demanded
of the aristocracy—display on a smaller
scale, but still on the utmost scale which
their revenues would allow; nay, more:
on a scale that could only be supported
by extortion from the people. By
lavish squandering of the public fund at
command of the king, was the one object
to he attained. Every prince and
princess must have a separate household,
even when living under the paternal
roof; and when tbe queen, “ desiring to
suppress the baneful influence of a use
less affluence of attendants,” resolves
that the formation of the household for
the princess, Madame Royale—then only
two months old—shall be formed on a
“ principle of retrenchment,” it yet num
bers over eighty persons.
Rev. Robert Collyer’s Career.
[New York Express.]
Rev. Robert Collyer, of Chicago, en
ters upon his duties as minister of the
Church of the Messiah, in this city, to
morrow. He comes with a well-earned
fame as preacher, lecturer and pastor.
The story of his life has been told and
does not need repetition. A Yorkshire
blacksmith, getting the rudiments of an
education he knows not where, but feed
ing bis hunger for knowledge by reading
books while blowing the bellows, he
came to this country a young man, with
the future in his heart in the stirrings of
a hope and ambition for better things
than his old home could give. He found
work near Philadelphia, and for seven
years preached on Sundays in a Methodist
Church, while supporting his family by
six days’ toil at the forge, putting in all
the study meanwhile he could make
time for. His views had broadened
meanwhile, and, wearying of the double
strain upon his mind and body, he ac
cepted a call to a mission church in
Chicago. There in a little while he
gathered a large congregation, and pres
ently became one of the noted preachers
of the city, and his church was sought
out by visitors. He has had a prosperous
ministry there of twenty years, and has
exerted a great and beneficent influence
in the city and West. And this has
come very largely from the fact that he
has not been bound in the harness and
driven in the treadmill of a sect, but has
been in the truest sense of the phrase, a
minister at large. The whole city was
his parish. He was interested in every
thing that concerned the public interests
and welfare. He was the leader of every
movement, patriotic or literary or charit
able, looking toward the public benefit.
He was, known to .everybody, was hail
fellow well met with everybody, and was
everybody’s minister, while performing
his own parish work, and studying hard,
and preaching and writing at the top of
his powers. And in this way lie became
a vital Christian force in the city and
state. Whether he will be able to re
peat this public work here is a question
for time and circumstances to answer.
There is need of such a ministry. And
it is because Mr. Collyer has been so
much more than the preacher of a sect,
because he has rendered such important
and valuable public services, that he is
so heartily welcomed to his new field of
labor. It is to be hoped that he will not
allow his parish to monopolize his time
and interest, but will take an active
part in the larger movements of the
metropolis for the relief of suffering and
the improvement of morals. And every
body will wish him the best success.
There ‘is as vast a difference between
the tidy and untidy farmers as between
the careful and careless housewife. A
glance at a farm as you are riding along
will betray the character of its owner.
A farm needs its fall as well as its spring
cleaning. Cut down and burn all un
sightly bushes that have been allowed to
grow around stumps and along fences.
Besides detracting from the appearance
of a field, they take from the soil what
is needed for crops. Now that the grass
is short, remove stones from mowing
lands. You will thus save scythes and
mowing machine knives next year.—
Dover State Press.
EYERY-DAf SPICERIES.
“Why, Charley, I don’t see how you
can stand such awful high collars!”
“Well duckie, I’m used to standing col
lars.”
“Well, Billy,” said an old farmer
“when you, take off that ’ere plug hat
and spit two or three times, there ain’t
much of you left, is there?”
Comrade: “No; it does not follow
that a stout, healthy, one-limbed vete
ran is near dissolution, because he ha*
“one foot in the grave.”
A Detroit restaurant keeper hangs
out a sign of “ Free Chops,” and when
the old loafers come around he shows
them an ax and a woodpile.
There be those who are forever talk
ing about themselves, and yet are ex
tremely sensitive about being talked
of by others. Strange, isn’t it?
We know of a great many men who
are so anxiously advocating the payment
of the national debt, that they forget all
about those contracted by themselves.
Many girls would rather wear their
stockings with holes in, than have them
darned, because when darned they are
men-ded, and girls prefer men alive.
We can Aon timoroiff?, fastidious la
dies against going into the forests witn
out a fan to hold up before their eyea,
The trees are making a reckless ex
posure of their bare limbs.
In the coming race for the matrimo
nial prize, the Family flower that makes
the best bread can sit down a winner on
any lap she chooses. — New York People .
You doughnut say so.
There seems to be a hope that a long
suffering public will obtain relief at last.
Captain Boyton contemplates taking a
jPfim down the Yellowstone, and nobody
ever came through that river alive.
Shakespeare never repeated. There
was a gifted little boy in Kentucky
last week who resembled the immortal
bard in this important particular. He
thoughtlessly twisted a mule’s tail.
A young woman down town says she
didn’t like to kiss her sweetheart with
the soft new mustache, because it made
her' feel so down in the mouth. — Steu
benville Herald.
Dost know some pastoral vale,
Some fragrant, Itowery dale,
Some quiet, lovely spot,
Some sweet, secluded cot,
O’er which the vines do creep,
Where they’ll board a fellow cheap?
“Are you a professor of religion, my
little fellow?” asked a lady of her pastor’s
six-year-old boy, recently. “No, mam,”
was the little boy’s prompt response,
“I’m only the professor’s son!”
The income of James Gordon Ben
nett is $1,500 a day. There is not so
much difference in his income and ours.
Ours is fifteen hundred in five years, part
of it in sewing-machines.— Peck's Mil
waukee Sun.
There’s an article going the rounds
under the title “ How to avoid bad but
ter.” We should say a good way to do
it would be not to go near the blamed
old goat, and if he comes near you, climb
over the fence and slip up the back
stairs.
A journal gives reasons for not pub
lishing a poetic effusion, as follows: “The
rythm sounds like pumpk ins rolling over a
floor, while some lines appear to have
been measured with a yard-stick, and
others with a ten-foot pole.”
The following grave remark is cred
ited to a Cape Cod sexton. It was an ex
ceptionally fine day in September, when
the fashioner of final resting-places said
with a sigh of regret: " This would be a
lovely day fur a berrien—ef there wur
anybody to be berried. ”
When a man looks over the school
yard fence and sees and hears the howl
ing wilderness of noisy children, he be
gins to wonder if there isn’t a mistake in
the Bible when it says, “For of such is
the kingdom of heaven.”— Steubenville
Herald.
Few princesse dresses are seen among
the elegant costumes imported, the cor
sage basque and square train being the
present caprice of fashion. These trains
are generally adjustable, and may be re
moved at will, leaving a skirt of conven
ient walking length.
A New Jersey farmer put a mop on
the end oflong pole, saturated it with
coal oil, set it on fire, and then under
took to dislodge some aggressive hornets
that had erected a nest under the eaves
of his barn. He dislodged them. He
also disloged a horse, two cows, and all
his summer crops. No insurance.
A great purple spot was lately dis
covered on the face of Jupiter, and the
scientific question of the day is, “What’s
the matter with Jupe?” After a thor
ough investigation of the matter, and
the making of many comparative obser
vations, we concluded that Jupiter told
Mars he was a liar.— Cincinnati Gazette.
The Virginia City Stage explains that
Butteriqilk Canyon is in the Paradise
Mountains, north-west of Eden, about
twelve miles from “ Gouge-Eye,” on the
road leading from “Limburger” to
“Whoop-em-Gp,” via “Bull Town,”
“Lay-em-Out” and “Hungry,” and just
over the mountains from “Bung Eye”
and “Knock-em-Stiff.”
Admiring Friend—What, another
picture? Why, that’s the second you’ve
finished this week! Pictor—The third,
my boy, the third! Admiring Friend
(wishing to be pleasant)—Ah, wonder
ful ! That’s what I always say when I
hear people abuse your pictures. “ They
maybe bad,” I always say, “hut just
look at the lot of them he turns out!”
Anew device has been designed by
which a linen ulster can be used all win
ter, and appear as warm as a beaver over
coat. The old plan of putting a fur
collar on a linen coathasbeen done away
with, and now a fire-place is painted on
the tail of the linen ulster, in natural
colors, and the wearer looks as though
he was in a profuse prespiration in the
coldest weather.