Newspaper Page Text
WILL ACT THE STORY.
EIDWE-L forgers to pot their
CR.’MS ON THE STAGE.
Brothers, Georgo and Austin
Wto Gulled the Back of England
Out of s2,soo,ooo—Austin Tells the
Story of Their Great Scheme—The
recovery, Arrest and Incarcera
tion-Heroic Efforts of a Loving Sis
ter Effect Tteir Release From Prison.
prom the Chicago Tribune.
The Bid s ells are here—George and
Austin, brothers. They are the Americans
K to went over to London something like a
icore of years ago and gave the Bank of
England a lesson in banking which “The
OM Lady of Threadneedle street" has never
forgotten.
Ttese brothers, assisted by two friends,
learned the slipshod way of doing business
practiced by the Bank of England, and a
vesr afterward the ancient and venerable
institution, which had set itself up as the
safest bank in the world, discovered that it
bad been fleeced out of a sum of
money equal to $2,500,000 in
United States money. The faot
that the scheme bad been managed by two
American boys, who bad a Puritan train
ing, did not minimize the injury and only
jerved to more than accelerate the pursuit,
capture, and convction of the Bid wells and
their confederates.
They were sentenced to life servitude—
one, George, to Dartmoor; the other, Aus
tin, to Chatham. George served fifteen
rears, and be is uow 56 years old. Austin,
who is 44, served nineteen ye irs.and was re
leased only a few weeks ago.
The story of the way in which the Bid
well boys, aided by George MacDonald and
Edwaid Noyes, "worked” the Bank of Eng
land fcas been told all around the globe.
G* rge Bid well has written a book about it,
end now the brothers are in the lecture
field. They say, each for himself, that the
object of their solicitude for the American
dobar is not so much for the purpose of en
riching themselves as to accumulate a fund
with which they hope to release their old
confederates, who are still languishing in
an Englbh prison.
The brothers Bid well are in Chioago for
the purpose of making dates for leoturea, in
which they will recount the old story, em
bellishing the same with incidents in the
prison life in England. and winding up with
the way in which they were released. Hav
ing brought the audience to this point the
brothers propose to ring down the curtain,
and after a lapse of a fow months they will
reappear with a drama, which-has already
been cbristened “Forging his Own Chains,”
that will relegate to oblivion the old favor
ite of boyhood, “Ticket-of-Leave Man.”
George Bid well says they will not only
write the play, but they will act in it, and
and will have in it some of the most “start
lingly realistic scenes.”
there is much in the future to encourage
the contingent that patronizes the genius of
American theaters to live for. It is not the
intention of these men to present the play
in England during the present generation.
It was no trouble for either of the Bid well
brothers to talk. But it fell to the lot of a
reporter for the Tribune to listen to Aus
tin's story of the scheme—they do not call
1; a crime—for depleting the treasury of
tbs Bank of England to the extent of $2,-
500,010.
‘Tlirst went abroad,” said he, “in 1871.
I was in Paris at the time of the commune.
I -aw the smoking ruins of that proud city.
Then I came back to my own country. My
brother was still living it America. I left
again March 29, 1872. I ought to have
waited two days longer, ns subsequent
events proved. It was in my bead
at that time to go to London and
go into some scheme by which 1 could re
lieve John Bull of some of his shekels. I
soon found out that the Bank of Eugland
was conducted in a manner that would
bavo made an American boy laugh. I never
saw men at the head of any business con
cern that were as guillible as the otlic-ials of
tnat venerable old bank. I told them that
I was the agent of a Russian syndicate
which proposed to expend $7,000,000, and
they believe it without asking anything
more, when they could have gone to the
Russian embassy, right under the ‘Old
1 aidy’s’ nose, and found out that I was a
liar.
CASH BILLS WITHOUT INQUIRY.
"1 told them that I wa building a rail
road in South America and they took it all
id. Then I diicovered that it was the cus
tom of the bank to cash bills of any amount
without sending to inquire of acceptors if
their signatures were genuine.
"IV hen the plans were ready to spring we
had taken in McDonald and Noyes. I was
out of the country. George imitated the
hgnature of his alias and carried on a cor
respondence with Col. Francis, who was
Ihe duped manager of the western branoh
- the Bank of England. Francis easily
Wallowed the bait about ‘F. A. Warren’s’
fuilmati car works at Birmingham without
so much as writing to the postmaster at
Birmingham for confirmation of our ex
istence.
“1 was theF. A. Warran who established
'“account at the western branch, end
which enabled the coterie to cash the bills
“exchange upon which the forgeries were
taade. It took a year from the opening of
tta; account to rake off the *2,500,000. The
Discovery was made March 1, 1870. Mac-
Oonald carelessly left undated an accept
?“ CI ‘ °f the firm of Blydeusteen & Cos. This
Mto the sending of the bill to that firm,
•Du that is what caused the discovery.
HK MARRIED AND WAS CAUGHT.
I was in Havana and had married. I
"as on my wedding tour. I had resolved to
to to the states, go west and become a use
in citizen. I had done wbat I started to
' bod never thought of being a crimi-
I had never thought of making a liv
u what I did was the result of oircum
ancea. Do you know I think we are all
'mature* of circumstances( When 'I saw
.w careless the Bank of England was in
methods it set me to thinking. I really
ought it was time to teach the great
oatyed institution of the enemy of my
““Dtry O lesson. I did it.
A* 800n as I wa ® arrested my wife de
im 1 was taken back to England
i^ot Pala wit hout any extradition. I was
~r "’ year* old. Soon after George was
|?* ted in Edinburg. Then MacDonald
1t,..- aen 8S he wa ® leaving the steamer
riugia in New York. This was followed
. arreßt 01 Noyes, who was the clerk of
_uctiti°us ‘Horton’ who did business with
uctitiou* ' w arren’; and this was the first
(L!. n nnraveling of the skein,”
*A’ r K 0 Bidwell was asked how much of
Jhoney the bank recovered.
OLD LADY gets her money back.
flnkl° 8t of **> all* perhaps, but *12,000. The
„! rtons * ot *175,000 for their work on
hi, an d it probably cost the bank *300,-
, ai ° aanvict us. The manner in which the
°P r ated might just at easily hare
“"“'J *10,000,000 as *2,500,000.
r '‘"CARCERATION and release.
j orge Bidwell was the first to be released,
ihor’ e , Bc6 . e<l New York “from a foreign
lor Hr m . Au * u ®t, 1887. His sentence was
jim A hecauee, be thinks, the oredit of the
Dcial institution of England had
lcs n [JJUre d. and because he was an Amer-
Haak!! bo y® bad a sitter, Mrs. Mott, in
fa cu n Ol1 ’ b. She felt that she must
to i.. ~ brothers in some way. She went
lour OO and worked for clemency for
TWr.? r * for “ Z 1 - 053 ’’ “ nd “ A 1.146,"
*’D:n.r,i ,wtlU °n from the American gov
h'ovM for the re.ease of the Bidwells,
eri.ci Dl MacDonald. 'The English gov-
C IHrk “Neverl’’ in 1884 Dr. Vauoe
so.; i.. “?d become governor of working,
y<a r< ■ n °wn George Bidwell thirteeu
couW . . or ® a “d was of the opinion that he
b"ur fit §*, 8r T a * *" time, even if given the
cspts >„ '-neilsbconttruolion, which ae
a t in, "Ut the worst oases twenty years
iluvuto , It was through the in
glvsn & ii,k . u,au 'bat George was finally
wast-of-ieaye and put on board the
Wisconsin with the injunction to remain
off E: glish soli the remainder of his life,
j George went to his home in East Hart
| ford. Conn., where he found his wife faitb
| fully awaiting his penning in the old h me
; stead. His family of three children and his
patient wife welcomed him back with fond
ness and love.
THE FIGHT FOR AUSTIN. ’
The struggle for the release of Austin
was harder. To the aid of her bother’s re-
this sister brougnt the influence of
President Cleveland, James Russell Lowel
Charles Dudley Warner, Mr. Blaine, La i
Henry Somerset and others, Mrs. Mo
exhibited patie ce that would have wreck
the nerves of most women. Out of the sal
of George’s book, written after his release
the sister’s expenses in Loodou were paid.
Finally, after exhausting many elaborat
schemes, Mrs. Mott one day was ii
the prison. She saw her brother a
hard labor. Although against the rule
be succeeded in telling her he had saved a
convict’s life aud that that entitled him tin
der the laws, to clemency. The manager of
the criminals told her never to quit talking,
and she didn’t. She kept the story going
until it finally reached the home secretary
in such a manner that he had to give the
matter attention. The remittance was or
dered so that Austin's time would expire in
five months from that time, and Mrs. Mott
remained there until the time expired, Feb.
13. 1892.
Austin is nearly six feet tall, and has an
English accent. HU hair and wbUkers are
black. He is quick-witted and was the
executive man in the plana of his brother
George in the bank matter. It is Austin’s
intention to locate here as a contraotor,
after he has done with the notoriety of this
oase.
A CONGARBE WATBR COLOR.
Adventures of Three Colored Colum
biana on a Rabbit Hunt.
A. E. Gonzales is Columbia (S. C.) State.
During the last freshet In the Congaree
river, three negroee living on the Childs
plantation, five miles below Columbia, took
advantage of the high water to go rabbit
hunting in a boat. Paddling about between
the tranks they scanned the knolls and tus
socks that, rising above the flood, afforded
sanctuary to the cotton-tailed refugees.
So intent were they uyon tho ohase, that
the carelessly managed skiff struck a cypress
“knee” and was instantly swamped. Fort
unately the trees were thick and the
wrecked crew climbed Into a tall gum,
where, far above the swelling flood, they
speut tbe entire day , sending ont from time
to time across the waste of waters a piteous
cry for help, until, late in the evening, their
voices were heard from tbe highlands and
a boat was sent to their rescue by Mr.
Childs.
Mingo Slngletery, one of the treed nim
rods, was in the city yesterday aud gave
the following account of the adventure:
“Yes, suh, me en' Silus Smitt en’Hack
lus* Rabenel, witch liacklu- is my neeee
cause him gren’ en’ my gran’ alltwo is de
same man, en’ him farra en’ my farra is two
twin; so berrywellden, me on’ dese two
mans gone out een de batto fuh hunt rabbit
’cause w’en de ribba high rabbit is a berry
easy t’ing fuh ketch ’cause dey berry ’fi aid
fuh git dem foot wet ’en dey does cliAb
high ountop de tussock. So, we paddle long
en’ quizzit all de tussock, eu' de same time
w’en me en’ Silus buna peep ondaneet wun
briar hush wey rabbit does hide, w’en, fuss
t’ing we know, we ain’t know nuttin’, 'cause
my neeoe Hacklus, witch dat niggah
uebber did hab a gawd piece
o’ sense, him paddle de boat
puntop de snag en' de boat bottom couldn’t
specify en’ de boat bottom buss en' leff we
eeu de wabter. Now, Silus bad a fight wid
he lady las’ week en bo lady strong mo’ den
Silus en Silus lady lick ’urn en mos’ bruck 'e
back, so w’en Siiustryfuh swim, he back
couldn’t specify, en’jus’ as 'e beggin to
drowned, ruy neeee Hacklus ketcbum by ’e
brltobis, but de britcbis couldn't specify en’
de britchia buss, en Silus gone down
ondaneet de wahter fuh de two time, en’
w’en 'e rite 'gen, I graff 'um by 'e leff han’
foot en' bice ’um up close to wun big
gum tree en’ all t'ree ob we climb
be tree ’toll we git ’pun top de limb
en’ deu please Gawd, we seddowu,
eu’ seddonn, eu seddown, an’ we al
t’ree berry well satisfy to seddown ’tell
hougry biggin fuh ketch we. en' we’en him
cum. deu we staat fuh holler eu’ holler en’
boiler. But de mo' we holler, de mo’ we
hongry, en' bim’bye we see Silus lady walk
in' by de ribber euge wid dat yaller boy
Saui, witch lib to Mistub Hamptura place,
on’ Silus holler at he lady en’ scole ’um, but
you know beery well, suh, ’oomanis dedeb
bil, en’ dat 'oomau nebber hud Silus ’een de
back ob he head. So, we still yet seddown
’tell we mo’t ready to drop off de tree limb,
en’ Silus it a class leader en’ biggin to praise
de Lawd, en’ bjoieby him tell we ’bout
how de rab’eu feed ’Lijah, en' we look
high een de element en’ we see nuff buzzut
fly in’ high ober de tree top, en’ Hacklus call
to de buzzut to fetch de bittle but de buszut
keep ou flew high een de element en’ nebber
bodder he head 'bout Hacklus. Don bimeby
’gen, Silus respiain de scriptuh ’bout how
Noah dove fetch tree branch en’ all kinder
t’ing eon 'e mout’ w’en de wahter high, en’
fus’ t’ing we know we see wun dove fly t’ru
de swamp on’ de sun shine on ’e bres’ en’
mekkuin look likegole, en’ likewise also,
we call to him, but 'e didn’t hab
nuttin’ eeu 'e inout’ en’ him fly
’way en’ gone please Gawdl Den,
w’en de sun biggin to lean ’cross de
tree top ’en stant to walk down de sky fuh
go to ’e res’, wo git mos’ skaytodet, en’ we
staat to sing sporritual en’ praise de Lawd,
en' Silus ketch 'e tex f’um defo’teen chaptuh
een Nickubdeemus en’ him tell we 'bout how
de Lawd t’un NTckuhdeemuseentocow w’en
him hongry so ’e could git grass fuh eat,
but I tell’um dat tex couldn’t specify ’cause
how de debbil—een de fuss’ place man can’t
eat grass w’eu him dey high een de tree top.
En’ den de sun gone down en’ wun leetlecat
squerrel cum out ’e tail ober 'e back en’ say
•paak, paak, past,’ en’ wun big
owl fly close to we en’
seddown close to we en’ say ‘whaak, whaak,
whaak, whaak, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo,
en’ den I know de Lawd tek pity on we en’
sen’ we cump'ny, en’ we git mo’ fate een de
Lawd en’ we biggin to holler 'gen en’ dis
time suh, Mistuh (bilds yeddy we wolce en'
sen’ e’ boat en’ tek we off, eu' w’en we git
back to the nigger house yaad, ebrybody on
de plantesshun sing praise en’ glad we cum
back—ebrybody scusin’ Silus wife, en’ you
b’leeb suh I Silus lady him bex ’cause ’e
husban’ britchis buss, en’ o' lick Silus cause
e’ didn’t drownded.”
•Hercules.
“The Blood Is the Life,”
Runs the oid saying, aud everything that
ever makes part Of any organ of the body
must reach its place therein through the
blood. Therefore, if the blood is purified
and kept in good condition by the use of
Hood’s Sarsaparilla, it necessarily follows
that the benefit of the medicine is imparted
to every organ of the body. Can anything
be simpler than tbe method by which this
excellent medicine gives good health to all
who will try it fairly and patiently i—Ad.
Off With the Old, and On With the New.
Very little of our damaged stook is left.
New goods arriving daily.
Damaged (slightly) remnant* at any
price to clear out.
Some splendid bargains for "the gatherer
of unoonsidered trifles.” No use to ue, as
we want every thing to be new; may be
useful to you, especially at a low price.
We luvite attention to our lovely novel
ties now coming in.
Tbe northern markets have been closely
•oarohed for unique and attractive conceits
in jewelry and settings, and we do not hesi
tate to pronounce our stook incomparable.
Wbat say you! Sternberg’*.
—Ad. ___________
Old newspaper*—2oo for 25 cents—at the
business office. Morning News.
THE MORNING NEWS: SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1892.
The Steady March
Of universal progress every now and
then reveals something which becomes
a lasting benefit to mankind. Take
Johann Hoff's Malt Extract. As
the standard nutritive tonic of the
world it stands supreme. Emperors,
kings, statesmen, financiers—all mankind
generally has used it for more than forty
years. The medical fraternity recom
mend all troubled with indigestion or
dyspepsia, malnutrition, general debility
or lung diseases should use it. Eisner
it Mendelson Cos., Sole Agents and
Importers of Mineral Waters, 6 Barclay
Street, New York. Be sure to obtain the
genuine article, which must have the
signature of ‘ ‘ Johann Hoff ” on the neck
of every bottle.
Lifting an Kiephant.
hr ont Harper's Young People.
London has been entertained lately by
feats of strength that are certainly remark
able and probably unsurpassed m modern
times. First, there was a man named Ban.
dow, who was an enormously powerful
man; he was succeeded by Sampson, and be
in turn by an Irlsh-American named Sulli
van. Curiously, the three names begin
with the letter 8, which is also the luitlal of
’strength,” and of the Greek word for
strength (stfimos). Sullivan, the latest
comer, is 80 years of ago, stands 5 feet 8 V
inches in hight, and weighs 168 pounds.
His appearance presents little that is un
usual in the way of muscular development,
and his bleeps are neither very large nor
wonderfully rigid, it is in his neck
and jaw that his strength chiefly lies, and
the majority of bis feats are such as to
bring this peculiarity into special prom
inence. At an exhibition given in London,
be fastened a chain to a 56-pound weight,
and the other end being gripped between
his teeth, swung himself round and round
until the twirling chain assumed a nearly
horizontal line. The feat was repeated with
the weight doubled, and os the performer,
with both hands to bis hips, aud using
every sinew in his frame, swirled round and
round, the audience wondered with anxiety
what Would happen if one of the links
should fly asunder. The most remark
able feat, however, that Sullivan
performed was the lifting of an elegbaut by
his teeth. It was a “ baby,” ’tis true, but it
weighed about 1,800 pounds, and was lifted
a clear three inches from the ground, its
wholo vi eight pendent from the jaw of the
man above. Sullivan was not successful in
an attempt to break a chain with his arm,
having injured this limb on the previous
night. He succeeded, however, in proving
that his prowess was not entirely confined
to feats with his teeth, by lifting a barrel
of water, weighing 560 pounds, with the
middle finger of his right hand.
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla will remove that tired
feeling, and givo new life and energy.— Ad.
Local Record tor the Morning News.
Local forecast for Savannah and vicinity
to-day: Fair, slightly warmer by Satur
day afternoon; warmer and probably fair
Sunday.
Forecast for Georgia: Fair Satur-
PAIR day and Sunday, warmer winds,
shifting to southwest.
Comparison of mean temDerature at Savan
nah. Ga., March 11 ,1892 ,and the mean of the
same day for nineteen years:
Departure r . __
Mean Temperature, from the , , re
normal elrioe J.n,
forlOyeorSjMar. 11,’92. ~|- or -1, 189 Z.
_SB I
OOMPABATIV* RAINJPA'.L (W'SSJC.
Amount j Aj ?“ un ‘
V ‘92. l
12 j .00 -.13 -3.94 "
Maximum temperature, 53°; minimum tem
perature. Stt".
The flight of the Savannah river at
Augusta at 8 o’clock a. m. (75th meridian
time), yesterday was 13.9 feet, a fall of 4.1
during the preoeedlng twenty-four hours.
Observations taxon at ttis same moment of
timeat all stations for the Mobeino News.
Savaxmau. March 11. 7:36 p. m. . olty time.
j Temperature.
j Direction. Jj
I Velocity. P
| Rainfall.
MAMS
or
STATIONS.
Boston i I W 136 *T Cloudy
New York city.... 281 W :28 .00 Pt'ly cloudy
Philadelphia 28 NW 24 T Cloudless.
Washington City.. 28 NW 20 .00 Cloudless,
Norfolk 81) W 14 .00 Cloudless.
Charlotte 88 NW 6 .00 Cloudless.
Hatteras 42: W 30 .00 Cloudless.
Wilmington 42 W 6 .00 Cloudless.
Charleston.. ..... 48‘NVV L .00 Cloudless.
Augusta 46 W t .00 Cloudless.
Savannah 60INW 6 .00 Cloudless.
Jacksonville 54 NW L .00 Cloudless.
Tampa ... 50 NW L .00 Cloudless.
Point Jupiter, Fla. 52;NW 6 .00 Cloudless.
Titusville 51 NW 10 .00 Cloud ess.
Key West 64 N 14 .00 Cloudless.
Atlanta 401 vV ; 8 .00 Cloudless.
Pensacola 43 NW[ 6 .00 Coudless.
Mobile 4K|\W.L .00 Cloudless.
Montgomery 481 NW L .00 Cloudless.
Vicksburg 46! W ; L .00Cloudless.
New Orleans 62 NW L .00 Cloudless.
Fort Smith 50IS E; J£ 6 .00; Cloudless.
Galveston 60 SW L .OO Cloudless.
Palestine 52 N E L .00: Cloudless.
Brownsville 58;Cm .. .o):Cloudless.
Knoxville 3S, W L .OO Cloudless,
Memphis 45 8W L .00! Cloudless.
Nashville 42iS K L .OOlCloudless,
Indianapolis 3>)| 8 10 .OOlCloudless.
Cincinnati 32 8 W 6 ! .00 Cloudy.
Pittsburg *;NW:I4 •fjPt’ly cloudy
Buffalo 18 NW 2S .02 Pt’ly fcloudy
Detroit. 2(5 SW, 14 *T Cloudy.
Marquette ib S 13 *T P’tly cloudy
Chicago 32 SW 32 .00 Cloudless.
6t. Paul 33 SEL OOCloudlss.
St. Louis 44 8 W 6 .00 Cloudle-s,
Kansas City 46 S 14 .00 Cloud ess.
Omaha 52 8 10 .00 Pt’ly cloudy
• *T indicates trace of snow or rain.
P.H. Surra. Observer, Weather Bureau-
Delays are dangerous. Take Simmons
Liter Regulator in lime for dyspepsia, bilious
ness and all diseases of tbe liter.— Ad.
Aberdeen, 0., July 21,1891.
Messrs. Livvman Pros., Savannah, Oa.:
Dear Sirs—l bought a bottle of your P. P. P.
at Hot Springs, Ark , and it has done me more
good than three mouths' treatment at the Hot
Springs.
Hare you no agents In this part of tbe coun
try. or let me know how much it will oost to get
three or six bottles from your city by express.
Respectfully yours, Jas. M. Newton,
Aberdeen, Brown County, O.
Newkanville, Fla., June 5, 1891.
Messrs. Lippman Pros., Savannah, Oa.:
Dear Sirs—l wish to give my testimonial in re
gard to your valuable medicine, P. P. P„ for
tb cure of rheumatism, neuralgia, dyspepsia,
biliousness, etc. in 1861 I was attacked with
bilious muscular rheumatism, and have been
a martyr to it ever since. I tried ail medicines
I ever heard of, and all the doctors in reacb, but
I found only temporary relief; the pains were
so bad at times tbat I did not care whether I
lived or died. My digestion became so impaired
that everything 1 ate disagreed with me My
wife also suffered bo intensely witu dyspepsia
that her life was a burden to her; she would be
confined to her bed for weeks at tbe time; eho
also suffered greatly from giddinesa and tola of
sleep Home time In March 1 was advised to
take P. P. P„ and before we (my wife and I) bad
finished the second bottle of P. P. P., our diges
tion began to improve. Mt pains subaided so
much tbst I have been able to work, and am
feeling like doing what I haven't done before in
a number of years We will continue taking
P. P. P. until we are entirely cured, and will
cheerfully recommend it to all suffering hu
manity. Your# very respectfully,
—Ati. 6. Dint las
THE SWBLLBITIS GOTHAM.
How Social Leader* Are Made In New
York.
From the -Veto York Mercury.
When Ward McAllister came to New
York from Newport twenty years ago or
more New York was a very modest and
hard-working town compared with what it
is to-day. There was not a man in town
who was spending SIOO,OOO a year on his
urreat living expenses. August Belmont
was probably the only man who was doing
as much as that. There were no great mod
ern palaces as there ere to-day. Everybody
was liviug in a way that would be now re
garded as economical. Only ocee in a great
while would some man or woman
of great wealth become financially
reckless and give to their social
acquaintances a t all or a sumptuous enter
tainment that represented any considerable
expenditure of money. This condition of
affairs afforded Mr. McAllister an oppor
umtv to propose theta number of socle-y
neople should club together and give emer
tainmsnts. I mean by that that the society
people should subscribe to a common fund
>ud that this fund should bo used for the
purpose of giving a certain number of balls
during the winter time. It was on this
basis that the famous Patriarch balls were
started. Fifty prominent men in New
York, who bad dubbed themselves the
Patriarchs, su scribed SIOO a season, or
$5,000 In all, and Ward McAlister uuder
tcok to conduct the balls that were to be
given with the money.
From the very start McAllister, who is
himself a man of moderate fortune, had the
complete control aud arrangement of those
balls. And ono who will oo..eider tbe posi
tion thus secured by him, and which he still
holds, will readily understand the secret of
his social power, and the fact that his power
in society must last just as long as these
Patriarch balls aro given. Tbe Patriarch
balls put McAllister in a position to favor
auy family of New York that were strug
gling for social recognition. It gave him
the power to compliment distinguished
strangers in tbe city and to extend his kind
ness even as far as Washington. It is true
that by the terms of the subscription each
one of the fifty subscribers was entitled to
nine invitations to the ball for their personal
distribution. But in a great many cases tbe
subscribers did not remain in New York
during the whole winter, and for other rea
sons these invitations would m many cases
revert to Mr. McAllister, and it was for
him to say where tbe invitations should be
placed. He could bring a handsome young
girl forward, as in fact he did bring for
ward Miss Mabel Wright, who afterward
married Ferdinand Yznaga, and be could
take a comparatively obscure young man
and put him in tbe midst of society. In
fact, he could place him as a leader of tho
german if he so desired. It would be Im
possible within any reasonable limits to in
dicate fully the number of ways in which
the conduct < f the Patriarch balls put social
power into the hands of Mr. McAllister, and
it must be said entirely to bis credit, in
passing, that he has always wielded that
power in the most discreet and conservative
fashion.
No greater illustration could be given of
the power thus placed in his hands than the
the unquestioned fact —although I uppose
it will be questioned—that Mrs. William
Astor’s reputation in New York to-day as
the leader of New York society was posi
tively aud directly manufactuied by Mr.
McAllister just as much as u piece of furni
ture is manufactured by the cabinetmaker.
It is true probably that Mr. McAllister saw
in Mrs. Astor, with her gracious and digni
fied manners and her immonse wealth, all
the possibilities of a society leader, but, after
all, it was ha who took hei* by the band and
gave her prominence at the Patriarch balls
when these balls were synonymous with so
ciety, and it -.vas be who spoke to foreigners
coming to these shores and to sooiety people
in other cities and who influenced members
of the press aud insisted that Mrs. William
Astor was the leader orijtew York society.
He repeated this so often that people not
only began to believe it, but as a result of
it, Mrs. Williain Astor was accepted in tbe
position where she was thus placed.
I do not know whether or not Mrs. Wlll
- Astor reoognizes this fact to-day, but
she has recognized it, and in return for
what Mr. McAllister did on her behalf cer
tainly did a great deal to s rengthou his
hand. For years Mrs. William Astor was
Ward McAllister’s unflinching ally and
champion. I have no doubt that when she
began to give great entertainments be was
consulted on nearly every occasion. I have
no doubt that she conferred with him as to
her list of guests, and as to the prominence
that she should accord to well-known peo
ple, and discussed with him other matters
of a similar character. And because tbe
position thus given him by Mrs. Astor sup
plemented lu so direct and important a way
tbe position secured by him as the origi
nator and conductor of the Patriarch balls
Mr. McAllister wielded in New York s iciety
for years a power such as previous to his
entrance had never had any existence, and
will probably never be secured by any
other man.
The truth of the matter is that the condi
tions governing New York society have
changed wholly within the last ten years.
And the change has weakened, although it
has not destroyed, Mr. McAllister’s promi
nent position. As I have said before, as
long as the Patriarch balls exist and are run
under the present arrangement Mr. McAl
lister’s power cannr.t I e destroyed. The im
portance of the Patriarch balls has, how
ever, diminished, because a great many
more splendid entertainments are now given
by single individuals at the present time
than were given when New York society
people felt very much poorer than they do
uow, and when millionaires wore very
scarce articles. This is the only thing that
has affected Mr. McAllister’s position, and
no single quarrels with women like Mrs.
William K. Vanderbilt or Mrs. Ogden
Mills can have any lasting or important ef
fect on it.
■TATE
or
WEATHER.
tFrozen Gaa for Fuel.
From the Chicago Daily Inter Ocean.
Springfield, 111., Feb. 28.—According
to a special from Muucie, Ind., which is the
center of the Indiana natural gas fields, the
number of chauce discoveries bos just been
added to by one which will be of immense
importance in the industrial world. The
story is that a few days ago a service pipe
line of natural gas had frozen near Mill
Grove. To remedy the stoppage a joint of
tbe pipe was detached. It was found that
the joint was filled with ice, and one of the
workmen pounded the pipe and a cylinder
of ice about a foot long came out. One of
the workmen said jestiDgly: “Well, there’s
some ice which ought to burn.”
Borne one then suggested that fire be ap
plied to the ice. The ice caught fire and
burned like a torch, so thoroughly was it
impregnated with tbe natural gat. The
burning gas furnished heat to melt the ice,
aud as it melted it liberated the gas, which
burned as fiercely as if it had been coming
out of a pipe.
All present were amazod at the phenome
non, and it was at once suggested that tbe
discovery might prove of immense value by
rendering it possible to freeze natural gas
into blocks which could be sent out for use
as fuel. It seems that tbe congealing had
taken place under a pressure of 300 pound*
to the square inch, and it will require in
vestigation of chemical experts to decide
whether the ges had been liquefied by the
pressure and theu frozen or not. Capital
ists are investigating the dlsoovery, and if
practical anew industry will be developed
in the natural gas field.
G. W. Chandler, Red Fork, Ark., writes:
"I was so weak that it was only with greet
effort that I could do anything. I used
several bottle* of Botanic Blood Balm, and
can now do a good day’s work."— Ad.
Old Newspapers Obeap.
In cleaning out our file room we bare a
lot of old newspapers, and they will be sold
at *1 per 1,000 until all are gone. Business
office Morning News.
For Ooroe, Wart* end Bunions
Use only Abbott’s East Indian Corn Feint.—Ad
QUEER FACTS ABOUT RATS.
Their Wonderful Tails—Their Fine
Judgmeot aa to Ivory.
Prom the Washington Post.
A rat’s tail is a wonderful thing. The
great naturalist, Cuvier, says that there are
more muscles to this curious appendage
than are to be found in that part of the
human anatomy which is moat admired for
its ingenius structure—namely, tbe hand.
To the rat, in fact, its tail serves as a sort of
hand, by means of which tbe animal is en
abled to o awl along narrow ledges, using it
to balance with or gaiu a hold. It is pre
hensile, like the tails of some monkeys. By
means of it the little beast can jump up
higbts otherwise inaccessible, employing it
as a projectile spring.
It has often been said that the glove
makers of Paris make use in their trade of
tbe skins of rats mat are caught in the
sewers, but this has been denied. Certainly
tbe material would not be strong enough
successfully to counterfeit the kid, unless it
were for the thumb part only, which is
generally of a tbinDer and different kind of
leather from the rest.
Suggestion has been made that a trade
might be opened with the Chinese for the
skins of the rats which they eat.
A thrifty Welshman at one time exhibited
himself publicly in England, attired io a
costume composed from top to toe of rat
skins, which ho had spent three years and a
half in collecting. The dress was made en
tirely by himself. It consisted of hat, neck
erchief, coat, waistcoat, trousers, tippet,
gaiters and shoes. The number of rats re
quired to complete the suit was 570. Most
curious of tbe garments was the tippet,
composed entirely of rat tails.
At ono time a batch of several thousand
rat skins were imported from France Into
England for manufacturing purposes, but
they were found too small aud too flue In
texture to be useful.
Dr. Huoktand says that many of the eie
phauts’ tusks brought to London for the use
of workers in ivory are observed to have
their surfaces grooved into small furrows of
unequal depth, as though out out by a very
sharp-edged instrument. This is done by
rats, which are fond of the gelatine or ani
mal glue in the substance. The ivory cutter
selects for his purposes by preference those
tusks whiob have been gnawed in this way,
because they are the ones which oontain the
most gelatiue, and are, therefore, the best
in material.
Curiously enough the trade, while giving
this much recognition to the rats’ work, has
not recognized him as tbe author of it, the
common belief in the business being that
the ivory has boon thus gnawed bv alli
gators. How it is imagined that allegators
get a chance to ohew elephants’ tusks is a
problem.
Rats are remarkably intelligent animals,
os may be preceived from the difficulty that
is experienced in catching them. They can
bo taught many tricks. Among other
things it is possible to make them learn how
to beg, to jump through a hoop, to drag a
little cart in harness, and to carry stioks or
money.
Ra s have never found favor as a delioacy
for the table iu Europe or in this oouutry,
but in many lauds they are relished as an
article of diet. The negro slaves In Jamaica
used to regard them ns a dainty, tbeir mas
ters not. providing them with any other
meat. Their motbod of cooking the toot u
some rodents was to impale each one on a
long wooden skewer, after cleaniug tho ani
mal and cutting off the tail, turning it
briskly round over tbe fire until the hair
was all burned off. Then it was scraped
until it was free from fur, and finally the
end of the skewer was stuck into he groun 1,
inclined toward the fire until it was toasted
dry aud crisp, thus being made ready for
the meal.
Rats may o uum nly be seen for sale in
tbe markets of auy Cninese town, split and
pressed under a heavy weight, so at 'o i "k
somewhat like dried fish. Iu t lis shape th t
pig-tailed Oriental buys them, si aks the u
in water, aud then boils, ruasi* or true
them.
When tho French zouaves were first in
Africa anew sort of rat made its appear
ance there. It was oalled the “trumpet
iat," having a long proboscis. Tbe sale of
a specimen by one of ths soldiers to an en
thusiastic naturalist gave rise to an action
at law. Bald the plaintiff in court:
“This zouave has cheated me out of 100
francs. He knows mat I am much inter
ested in natural science. I have collections
of fossils, of sbolle, of rare animals, of cu
rious plauts. One (lay he ce; od upon me
and said: ‘Sir, I have a kind of animal
which hem never been mentioned by any
naturalist, it is a trumpet rat, and has a
trunk like an elephant's. It Is alive and
well; if you wish tj see it you have only to
come to my house.' as-'*-
“I was very anxious to behold this
strange animal. We arrived at his house,
aud he showed me in a cage an enormous
rat, very lively and in good condition,
which really had ou his nose a slender exe
crescence more than an iuoh in length. The
exei roscence was covered with hair like the
body of tbe animal, wKb vertebrae in it,
and (a most extraordinary thiug) larger at
the summit than at the base—the contrary
to what it ought to be in the usual ootirse of
things. To convince myself that it was not
a dupe and a mystification I stuck a pin
into the trumpet. The animal cried out,
and a drop of blood came from the prick.
The experiment was conclusive. It was
really a trumpet, forming part of the rat.
“1 was amazed. 1 asked this man if he
would sell his rat. He said ves, and I paid
him 511 francs for it. My friends and ser
vants all admired it, and I was enchanted.
My rat was a male. Borne one said to me
that I ought to procure a female. I asked
the zouave if he could procure me a female,
and he said he had two. I saw them and
bought one of them for 50 franos. Some
mouths after the female had young. I
looked at them and they had no trumpets.
I said to myself: ‘They will sprout.’ I
waited one month, two months, t.x months.
Every day 1 looked at the ricses of the rats,
but the trumnets never appeared.
“In a house where 1 go frequently I made
the acquaintance of an officer who had
served a long time in Africa. 1 told him
about my trumpet rats, and he laughed as
though his sides would split. When he was
calm again he told me that the trumpet
was not a freak of nature, but an Invention
due to the leisure moments of ths zouaves,
Tnis is bow they make them:
“You take two rats and fasten their paws
to a board, the nose of one close to the tail
of the otnar. Then with a penknife or a
lancet you make an incision Into tbe nose of
tbe rat which is hindermost and graft tbe
tail of tbe first into the nose; you lie firmly
tbe muzzle to tbe tail and you leave the
two rats in this position for forty-eight
hours. At the end of that time tbe union
has taken place and tbe rats are grown to
gether; then you cut off tbe tail of t.be rat
which is in front to the required length and
let them go, but still keep the other fastened
to the board, with his head loose, and give
him something to eat. At the end of a
fortnight the wound is perfectly healed, and
tbe eye of the curious investigator would
not see a trace of thejgraftlng. This is the
way the zouaves make rats with trumpets.”
On tbe part of |the defendant it was
urged that he had oertainly made up the
rat as stated, but be affirmed that he had
not sold them to he plaintiff as having
been “bora” witht trumpets. Verdict fur
tbe zouave.
Rats cause great annovance on board of
ships. Dr. Kane said that It asked what,
after darkness, cold, and scurvy, were the
three beset ting curses of his arotio sojourn,
be would say raw, rats, rats. Neverthe
less, when io distress for other food, he was
very glad to eat tbe pests. He writes:
“Through tbe long winter nights Hans
used to beguile his lonely hours by shooting
rats with a bow and arrow. Tbe repugnance
of my associates to share with me this table
luxury gave me frequent advantage of fresh
meat ■ up, which contributed no doubt to
my oompaiative immunity from scurvy."
Again he writes: “Our diet will be only a
stock of meat biscuit, to wbioh 1 shall add
for myself a few rats chopped up and frozen
id to tallow balls.”
Willi s record like hlmmona Liter !.*•-
Istor all should use II for the liver, kidneys
sad bowels.- -Ad.
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for infants and Children.
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“The use of ‘Castoria’ Is so universal and
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Carlos Mahttn, D. D.,
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Late Pastor Bloomlngdole Reformed Church.
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5
